Heritage Financial price target raised to $26 from $24 at Stephens

Stephens raised the firm’s price target on Heritage Financial (HFWA) to $26 from $24 and keeps an Equal Weight rating on the shares. Loan growth likely remains robust into year-end and further modest securities repositioning transactions remain a potential tailwind in coming quarters, says the analyst, who moved up the firm’s operating EPS forecast by 12% following the Q3 report.