Peoples Bancorp (NASDAQ:PEBO) Sets New 1-Year High on Strong Earnings

Peoples Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:PEBO)’s share price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The company traded as high as $40.50 and last traded at $39.50, with a volume of 594545 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $39.39.

The bank reported $0.96 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.85 by $0.11. The business had revenue of $121.95 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $120.05 million. Peoples Bancorp had a net margin of 17.92% and a return on equity of 9.75%.

Peoples Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 17th. Investors of record on Monday, August 3rd will be issued a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 4.3%. The ex-dividend date is Monday, August 3rd. Peoples Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio is presently 53.85%.

Trending Headlines about Peoples Bancorp

Here are the key news stories impacting Peoples Bancorp this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Peoples Bancorp beat Wall Street estimates for Q2, reporting earnings of $0.96 per share versus the $0.84 consensus, while revenue of $121.95 million also came in above forecasts. Peoples Bancorp Q2 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: The bank also declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.42 per share, which implies an annualized yield of about 4.3% and signals continued capital returns to shareholders. Peoples Bancorp Quarterly Dividend Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Profitability metrics were also respectable, with net income of $28.0 million, return on equity of 9.75%, and a 17.92% net margin, reinforcing the view that PEBO delivered a generally healthy quarter. Peoples Bancorp Press Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are also parsing the Q2 earnings call transcript and follow-up analysis for management commentary on credit quality, margin trends, and the outlook for the rest of the year. Peoples Bancorp Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

A number of research firms have weighed in on PEBO. Hovde Group increased their target price on shares of Peoples Bancorp from $33.00 to $36.00 and gave the company a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. DA Davidson upped their price target on shares of Peoples Bancorp from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Peoples Bancorp in a report on Friday, May 29th. Finally, Piper Sandler lifted their price target on shares of Peoples Bancorp from $41.00 to $43.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Friday, June 26th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have issued a Hold rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, the stock presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $39.00.

Insider Buying and Selling

In related news, Director Dwight Eric Smith purchased 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, April 27th. The shares were bought at an average price of $34.51 per share, with a total value of $34,510.00. Following the acquisition, the director owned 9,256 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $319,424.56. This trade represents a 12.11% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Corporate insiders own 3.31% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of Peoples Bancorp

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently bought and sold shares of PEBO. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP raised its stake in Peoples Bancorp by 0.9% in the first quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 2,270,134 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $74,619,000 after purchasing an additional 21,273 shares in the last quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. grew its holdings in shares of Peoples Bancorp by 2.4% in the fourth quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 2,080,137 shares of the bank’s stock worth $62,467,000 after purchasing an additional 48,166 shares during the last quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC increased its position in shares of Peoples Bancorp by 0.4% in the fourth quarter. Geode Capital Management LLC now owns 877,629 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $26,360,000 after acquiring an additional 3,427 shares during the period. Millennium Management LLC raised its position in Peoples Bancorp by 18.1% during the 4th quarter. Millennium Management LLC now owns 472,456 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $14,188,000 after purchasing an additional 72,392 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Raymond James Financial Inc. raised its holdings in shares of Peoples Bancorp by 27.8% during the third quarter. Raymond James Financial Inc. now owns 447,339 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $13,416,000 after acquiring an additional 97,391 shares in the last quarter. 60.68% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Peoples Bancorp Price Performance

The business’s 50 day moving average price is $36.47 and its two-hundred day moving average price is $34.08. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15. The stock has a market cap of $1.42 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.66 and a beta of 0.62.

About Peoples Bancorp

Peoples Bancorp, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Marietta, Ohio. Through its subsidiary Peoples Bank, the company provides a comprehensive range of commercial and consumer banking services designed to serve individuals, businesses and institutional clients. Its deposit products include checking and savings accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit and digital banking platforms that enable secure online and mobile access.

On the lending side, Peoples Bancorp offers commercial and industrial loans, commercial real estate financing, construction and agricultural lending, as well as residential mortgage products.