As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q4. Today, we are looking at regional banks stocks, starting with Old Second Bancorp (NASDAQ: OSBC).

Regional banks, financial institutions operating within specific geographic areas, serve as intermediaries between local depositors and borrowers. They benefit from rising interest rates that improve net interest margins (the difference between loan yields and deposit costs), digital transformation reducing operational expenses, and local economic growth driving loan demand. However, these banks face headwinds from fintech competition, deposit outflows to higher-yielding alternatives, credit deterioration (increasing loan defaults) during economic slowdowns, and regulatory compliance costs. Recent concerns about regional bank stability following high-profile failures and significant commercial real estate exposure present additional challenges.

The 95 regional banks stocks we track reported a satisfactory Q4. As a group, revenues beat analysts’ consensus estimates by 1.6%.

Amidst this news, share prices of the companies have had a rough stretch. On average, they are down 6.7% since the latest earnings results.

Old Second Bancorp (NASDAQ: OSBC)

Dating back to 1871 as one of the Chicago area's longest-standing financial institutions, Old Second Bancorp (NASDAQ: OSBC) is an Illinois-based community bank offering deposit services, commercial and consumer loans, wealth management, and mortgage products through its 53 branch locations.

Old Second Bancorp reported revenues of $95.54 million, up 29.9% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations, and overall, it was a satisfactory quarter for the company with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Unsurprisingly, the stock is down 9.3% since reporting and currently trades at $19.48.

Is now the time to buy Old Second Bancorp? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q4: Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ: MBIN)

With a strategic focus on low-risk, government-backed lending programs, Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQCM:MBIN) is an Indiana-based bank holding company specializing in multi-family mortgage banking, mortgage warehousing, and traditional banking services.

Merchants Bancorp reported revenues of $185.3 million, down 4.4% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 7.8%. The business had a stunning quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and an impressive beat of analysts’ net interest income estimates.

The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 19.3% since reporting. It currently trades at $41.69.

Is now the time to buy Merchants Bancorp? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q4: National Bank Holdings (NYSE: NBHC)

Operating under familiar local brands like Community Banks of Colorado, Bank Midwest, and Bank of Jackson Hole, National Bank Holdings (NYSE: NBHC) operates regional banks across Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Wyoming, Texas, and other western states, offering commercial, business, and consumer banking services.

National Bank Holdings reported revenues of $102.6 million, down 3.7% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 2.7%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ revenue estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ net interest income estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 3% since the results and currently trades at $38.85.

Read our full analysis of National Bank Holdings’s results here.

S&T Bancorp (NASDAQ: STBA)

Tracing its roots back to 1902 in western Pennsylvania's industrial heartland, S&T Bancorp (NASDAQ: STBA) is a Pennsylvania-based bank holding company that provides retail and commercial banking services, cash management, trust services, and investment advisory solutions.

S&T Bancorp reported revenues of $105.9 million, up 11.5% year on year. This print topped analysts’ expectations by 2%. Taking a step back, it was a mixed quarter as it also produced a decent beat of analysts’ revenue estimates but a narrow beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The stock is down 4.2% since reporting and currently trades at $40.19.

Read our full, actionable report on S&T Bancorp here, it’s free.

First Financial Bancorp (NASDAQ: FFBC)

Tracing its roots back to 1863 during the Civil War era, First Financial Bancorp (NASDAQ: FFBC) is a bank holding company that provides commercial banking, lending, deposit services, and wealth management to individuals and businesses.

First Financial Bancorp reported revenues of $251.3 million, up 12.1% year on year. This number surpassed analysts’ expectations by 2%. Aside from that, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also recorded a solid beat of analysts’ tangible book value per share estimates but a narrow beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The stock is down 1% since reporting and currently trades at $26.92.

Read our full, actionable report on First Financial Bancorp here, it’s free.

Market Update

Thanks to the Fed’s rate hikes in 2022 and 2023, inflation has been on a steady path downward, easing back toward that 2% sweet spot. Fortunately (miraculously to some), all this tightening didn’t send the economy tumbling into a recession, so here we are, cautiously celebrating a soft landing. The cherry on top? Recent rate cuts (half a point in September 2024, a quarter in November) have propped up markets, especially after Trump’s November win lit a fire under major indices and sent them to all-time highs. However, there’s still plenty to ponder — tariffs, corporate tax cuts, and what 2025 might hold for the economy.

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