StoneX raises Equity Bancshares stock price target to $59 on acquisition

Investing.com reports that StoneX has increased its price target for Equity Bancshares Inc. (NYSE:EQBK) to $59, up from $57, while keeping a Buy rating. The shares are currently valued at $51.50, near their 52-week high of $52.27, having risen 15% year-to-date. The uptick in the target follows Equity Bancshares' announcement of acquiring Lincoln Bancorp for $124 million, with 22.5% in cash.

This transaction is set to close in the middle of the fourth quarter. StoneX has also raised its earnings estimates for the company, boosting them by $0.05 for fiscal year 2026 and $0.20 for fiscal year 2027, to $5.04 and $5.38, respectively. Analysts have shown optimism, with 6 of them adjusting their earnings estimates upwards for the next period.

The $59 price target, a $2 increase from the prior target, is equivalent to 11 times StoneX's forward earnings estimate for Equity Bancshares. However, the stock appears overvalued according to InvestingPro’s Fair Value analysis. Equity Bancshares recently reported a core earnings per share of $1.41 for the second quarter of 2026, surpassing Wall Street's expectation of $1.22, although its revenue lagged behind at $81.93 million compared to the expected $85.07 million.

Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded its price target for Equity Bancshares to $54 from $49, maintaining a Market Perform rating, citing strong operating earnings of $1.32 per share that exceeded expectations by $0.10. Conversely, D.A. Davidson kept its neutral rating with a $51.00 price target, attributing the results to a normalized post-acquisition run rate with cost synergies.

Benchmark also held onto its Buy rating, setting a $57.00 price target, but lowered its fiscal 2026 core earnings estimate slightly by $0.05 to $4.99 per share. These developments illustrate diverse analyst perspectives on Equity Bancshares following its recent earnings report. This report utilized AI support and was reviewed by an editor.