Peoples Bancorp (PEBO) AI Stock Analysis

• Market Cap: $1.18B
• Dividend Yield: 5.3%
• Average Volume (3M): 311.76K
• Price to Earnings (P/E): 10.8
• Beta (1Y): 0.83
• Revenue Growth: 0.11%
• EPS Growth: -18.63%
• Country: US
• Employees: 1,460
• Sector: Financial
• Sector Strength: 70
• Industry: Banks - Regional
• EPS (TTM): 0.96
• Shares Outstanding: 35,917,290
• 10 Day Avg. Volume: 241,685
• 30 Day Avg. Volume: 311,756
• PEG Ratio: -1.06
• Price to Book (P/B): 0.87
• Price to Sales (P/S): 1.70
• P/FCF Ratio: 7.43
• Enterprise Value/Market Cap: 1.46
• Enterprise Value/Revenue: 2.90
• Enterprise Value/Gross Profit: 4.38
• Enterprise Value/Ebitda: 14.23
• 1Y Price Target: $35.00
• Price Target Upside: 6.74% Upside
• Rating Consensus: Moderate Buy
• Number of Analyst Covering: 3
• EPS Forecast (FY): 3.38
• Revenue Forecast (FY): $478.48M

• Rating: 74 Outperform
• Price Target: $37.00 ▲(12.84% Upside)
• Action: Reiterated Date: 02/27/26
• Date: Action: Reiterated 02/27/26

PEBO scores well on financial performance and valuation, led by solid profitability/cash generation and an attractive low P/E with a ~5% dividend yield. Technicals are moderately positive with the stock above key moving averages, while the earnings call supports cautious optimism but keeps the score in check due to ongoing credit-loss headwinds and NIM pressure from lower accretion income.

Positive Factors

Strong cash generation and free cash flow quality

Consistent operating cash flow and FCF that closely track net income provide durable funding for dividends, technology investments, and loan loss absorption. This cash generation supports capital allocation flexibility and underpins earnings quality across economic cycles despite some historical variability.

Multi-year revenue expansion and growing fee income

Sustained multi-year revenue growth and improving fee-based income diversify revenue away from pure interest spread. Fee growth (mortgage, trust, deposit fees) lowers dependence on NIM, stabilizes margins, and supports durable revenue even if loan yield or accretion income softens.

Proactive risk reduction in leasing exposure

Material reduction and cessation of small-ticket lease originations directly lowers a concentrated source of elevated charge-offs. Removing this risky line reduces future provisioning volatility and credit drag, improving portfolio stability and underwriting consistency over the medium term.

Negative Factors

Elevated credit losses and rising provisions

Higher provisions and rising allowance indicate persistent credit stress that compresses earnings and consumes capital. If charge-offs remain elevated, sustained provisioning will reduce distributable earnings and limit capital deployment until asset quality demonstrably improves.

Net interest margin headwind from materially lower accretion

A sharp decline in accretion income removes a notable, formerly recurring boost to reported NIM, forcing the bank to rely on core loan yields or expense reductions to sustain margins. This structural revenue shortfall makes NIM and profitability more sensitive to funding and loan-yield dynamics.

More volatile leverage and declining return on equity

Rising and inconsistent leverage reduces funding stability and raises refinancing risk, while declining ROE signals weaker efficiency in converting equity into profits. Together with a slightly weaker efficiency ratio, this limits capital flexibility and the bank's ability to sustainably grow shareholder returns.

Peoples Bancorp Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company Description

Peoples Bancorp Inc. operates as the holding company for Peoples Bank that provides commercial and retail banking products and services. The company accepts various deposit products, including demand deposit accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit; and provides commercial and industrial, commercial real estate, construction, finance, residential real estate, and consumer indirect and direct loans, as well as home equity lines of credit and overdrafts. It also offers debit and automated teller machine (ATM) cards; safe deposit rental facilities; money orders and cashier's checks; and telephone, mobile, and Internet-based banking services. In addition, the company provides various life, health, and property and casualty insurance products; third-party insurance administration; insurance premium financing; commercial and technology equipment leasing; fiduciary and trust; underwriting, origination and servicing of equipment leases, and equipment financing agreements; and asset management and administration services, as well as employee benefit, retirement, and health care plan administration services. Further, it offers brokerage services through an unaffiliated registered broker-dealers; insurance premium finance lending and lease financing services; and credit cards to individuals and businesses, as well as provides merchant credit card transaction processing, and person-to-person payment processing services. The company operates through 135 financial service offices and ATMs, including 119 full-service branches in Ohio, West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, Washington, D.C., and Maryland. Peoples Bancorp Inc. was founded in 1902 and is based in Marietta, Ohio.

How the Company Makes Money

Peoples Bancorp generates revenue primarily through interest income earned on loans and investment securities, as well as non-interest income from various services. Key revenue streams include interest from commercial loans, residential mortgages, and consumer loans, which constitute a significant portion of their earnings. Additionally, the company earns fees from services such as deposit accounts, wealth management, and mortgage origination. Significant partnerships with local businesses and community organizations enhance their ability to attract and retain customers, thereby contributing to their overall financial performance. Economic conditions, interest rates, and regulatory factors also play a crucial role in shaping the company’s revenue generation capabilities.

Peoples Bancorp Financial Statement Overview

Summary

Solid overall fundamentals supported by multi-year revenue expansion, healthy profitability, and operating/free cash flow that generally supports reported earnings. Offsetting factors include recent margin and ROE softening and a step-up in leverage in 2025, which reduces flexibility if profitability weakens further.

Income Statement

Revenue has grown strongly over the multi-year period (from $213.3M in 2020 to $618.4M in 2025), but growth has clearly slowed recently (2024: ~0.2%, 2025: ~4.3%). Profitability remains solid with a 2025 net margin of ~17.3%, though margins have compressed versus prior years (net margin ~19.0% in 2024 and ~21.7% in 2023). Operating profitability also eased in 2025 (EBIT margin ~21.8% vs ~24.3% in 2024), indicating some pressure on earnings power despite higher revenue.

Balance Sheet

Equity has increased over time (to ~$1.21B in 2025), supporting a larger asset base (~$9.65B). However, leverage has become more volatile: debt-to-equity moved from ~0.39 in 2024 to ~0.61 in 2025 (and was ~0.70 in 2023), suggesting a less consistent funding profile. Returns on equity remain respectable but are trending down (ROE ~10.5% in 2024 to ~8.8% in 2025), pointing to weaker efficiency in generating profits from shareholder capital.

Cash Flow

Cash generation looks healthy and relatively consistent, with operating cash flow of ~$134.7M in 2025 (slightly down from ~$143.2M in 2024). Free cash flow closely tracks operating cash flow and covered net income well across the period (free cash flow to net income ~1.00 in 2025 and ~0.95 in 2024), supporting earnings quality. A key watch item is that free cash flow growth was strong in 2025 (~111%) but has been uneven historically (including a decline in 2022), indicating periodic variability in cash generation.

Breakdown	Dec 2025	Dec 2024	Dec 2023	Dec 2022	Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue	618.38M	615.90M	522.50M	339.77M	244.30M
Gross Profit	417.15M	419.04M	407.30M	327.17M	231.33M
EBITDA	134.81M	152.98M	148.79M	145.96M	81.61M
Net Income	106.78M	117.20M	113.36M	101.29M	47.55M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets	9.65B	9.25B	9.16B	7.21B	7.06B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments	188.95M	1.30B	1.48B	1.29B	1.69B
Total Debt	734.42M	431.55M	733.74M	601.23M	265.96M
Total Liabilities	8.44B	8.14B	8.10B	6.42B	6.22B
Stockholders Equity	1.21B	1.11B	1.05B	785.33M	845.02M
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow	141.32M	136.37M	130.19M	113.09M	149.74M
Operating Cash Flow	147.35M	143.19M	143.64M	119.84M	156.42M
Investing Cash Flow	-437.07M	-344.31M	-132.93M	-414.21M	-74.43M
Financing Cash Flow	261.01M	-7.94M	261.99M	32.67M	181.64M

Peoples Bancorp Technical Analysis

• Technical Analysis Sentiment: Positive
• Last Price: 32.79
• 50DMA: Positive
• 100DMA: Positive
• 200DMA: Positive
• MACD: Positive
• RSI: Neutral
• STOCH: Neutral

Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For PEBO, the sentiment is Positive. The current price of 32.79 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 33.33, above the 50-day MA of 31.81, and above the 200-day MA of 29.73, indicating a neutral trend. The MACD of 0.28 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 50.84 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 37.68 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Positive sentiment for PEBO.

Peoples Bancorp Peers Comparison

Name	Overall Rating	Market Cap	P/E Ratio	ROE	Dividend Yield	Revenue Growth	EPS Growth
OBK	75 Outperform	$1.31B	17.33	5.08%	1.56%	-6.29%	-21.17%
PEBO	74 Outperform	$1.18B	10.78	9.13%	5.30%	0.11%	-18.63%
TMP	72 Outperform	$1.13B	6.83	11.20%	3.39%	9.55%	27.32%
CTBI	72 Outperform	$1.12B	11.05	12.15%	3.44%	9.93%	17.67%
FSUN	72 Outperform	$1.04B	10.71	8.28%	―	4.44%	3.19%
Sector *	68 Neutral	$18.00B	11.42	9.92%	3.81%	9.73%	1.22%
OCFC	56 Neutral	$1.07B	15.45	4.77%	4.05%	-2.15%	-25.32%

Peoples Bancorp Corporate Events

Peoples Bancorp Plans Investor Meetings and Presentation Updates

Between February 2, 2026 and March 31, 2026, Peoples Bancorp Inc.’s senior management plans to hold one or more meetings with investors and analysts, using an investor presentation that provides financial data and other information about the company to help explain its business and financial performance. The initiative underscores Peoples Bancorp’s ongoing investor relations efforts and its intent to maintain transparency and engagement with capital markets participants by furnishing, rather than formally filing, these materials under securities disclosure rules.

The most recent analyst rating on (PEBO) stock is a Buy with a $37.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Peoples Bancorp stock, see the PEBO Stock Forecast page.

Peoples Bancorp Reports Strong Q4 Results and Dividend

On January 20, 2026, Peoples Bancorp Inc. reported that net income for the fourth quarter of 2025 rose to $31.8 million, or $0.89 per diluted share, up from $29.5 million in the prior quarter and $26.9 million a year earlier, driven by positive operating leverage, solid loan growth and higher non-interest income, despite pressure on net interest margin and higher credit loss provisions. For full-year 2025, net interest income increased compared with 2024 even as net interest margin narrowed due largely to lower accretion income following the Limestone Bancorp merger, while asset quality metrics generally improved with reduced criticized, classified and nonperforming assets, and the board declared a quarterly dividend of $0.41 per share on January 19, 2026, alongside news that longtime Chief Commercial Banking Officer Douglas V. Wyatt will retire on April 3, 2026 and be succeeded by Ron J. Majka effective April 4, 2026, signaling a planned leadership transition in the bank’s core commercial franchise.

The most recent analyst rating on (PEBO) stock is a Buy with a $35.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on Peoples Bancorp stock, see the PEBO Stock Forecast page.