Fifth Third Bancorp Increases Stake in Pathward Financial, Inc. $CASH

Fifth Third Bancorp grew its holdings in Pathward Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:CASH) by 23,389.6% during the 1st quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 11,275 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock after acquiring an additional 11,227 shares during the period. Fifth Third Bancorp’s holdings in Pathward Financial were worth $1,006,000 as of its most recent SEC filing.

A number of other hedge funds have also recently modified their holdings of the business. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC lifted its position in Pathward Financial by 19.9% during the fourth quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 159,673 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $11,476,000 after purchasing an additional 26,446 shares in the last quarter. Comerica Bank increased its position in Pathward Financial by 371.2% in the fourth quarter. Comerica Bank now owns 295,999 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock worth $21,016,000 after buying an additional 233,177 shares in the last quarter. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC bought a new position in shares of Pathward Financial in the fourth quarter worth about $267,437,000. UBS Group AG raised its stake in shares of Pathward Financial by 17.5% in the fourth quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 93,495 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock worth $6,638,000 after buying an additional 13,954 shares during the period. Finally, Horizon Investments LLC purchased a new position in shares of Pathward Financial during the 4th quarter valued at about $603,000. Institutional investors own 92.66% of the company’s stock.

Pathward Financial Price Performance

NASDAQ:CASH opened at $85.90 on Monday. The business’s 50-day simple moving average is $85.02 and its two-hundred day simple moving average is $87.22. Pathward Financial, Inc. has a 52 week low of $65.87 and a 52 week high of $101.26. The stock has a market cap of $1.81 billion, a PE ratio of 10.76 and a beta of 0.60. The company has a quick ratio of 0.81, a current ratio of 0.82 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04.

Pathward Financial (NASDAQ:CASH) last released its quarterly earnings data on Wednesday, July 22nd. The savings and loans company reported $1.37 earnings per share for the quarter, missing analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.95 by ($0.58). Pathward Financial had a return on equity of 20.61% and a net margin of 21.03%.The business had revenue of $189.64 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $191.18 million. Pathward Financial has set its FY 2027 guidance at 9.500-10.000 EPS and its FY 2026 guidance at 7.800-8.200 EPS. As a group, analysts forecast that Pathward Financial, Inc. will post 7.93 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Pathward Financial Announces Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, July 1st. Investors of record on Thursday, June 11th were issued a $0.05 dividend. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Thursday, June 11th. This represents a $0.20 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.2%. Pathward Financial’s payout ratio is currently 2.51%.

Analyst Ratings Changes

A number of research analysts recently issued reports on CASH shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods cut their price objective on Pathward Financial from $108.00 to $97.00 and set an “outperform” rating for the company in a research note on Thursday. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Pathward Financial in a research note on Friday, May 8th. Finally, Piper Sandler reaffirmed an “overweight” rating and set a $105.00 price target (down from $107.00) on shares of Pathward Financial in a report on Thursday. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, According to data from MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Buy” and an average price target of $101.00.

Pathward Financial News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Pathward Financial this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Pathward issued FY2027 EPS guidance of $9.50 to $10.00 and reiterated a solid longer-term outlook, which helped offset some of the disappointment from the quarter. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Piper Sandler reaffirmed an overweight rating and set a $105 price target, suggesting analysts still see upside from current levels. Article Title
• Positive Sentiment: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods also kept an outperform rating, with a $97 price target, indicating the selloff may have created some value. Article Title
• Neutral Sentiment: Management’s earnings call and presentation focused on quarterly results and outlook, but there was no major new strategic announcement. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Pathward reported EPS of $1.37, far below the $1.95 consensus estimate, and revenue also missed expectations, triggering a sharp negative reaction in the stock. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: The company disclosed a $34 million commercial finance provision, which raised concerns about credit quality and pressured sentiment further. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: Block & Leviton announced a securities-fraud investigation into Pathward Financial, adding an additional legal overhang for investors. Article Title
• Negative Sentiment: A Seeking Alpha piece highlighted rising credit concerns tied to Pathward’s renewable energy exposure, which may be contributing to the stock’s weakness. Article Title

Insider Activity at Pathward Financial

In other news, Director Elizabeth G. Hoople sold 4,500 shares of Pathward Financial stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, May 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $82.29, for a total transaction of $370,305.00. Following the sale, the director owned 28,050 shares in the company, valued at $2,308,234.50. This trade represents a 13.82% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at the SEC website. Also, Director Douglas J. Hajek sold 5,000 shares of Pathward Financial stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, April 29th. The shares were sold at an average price of $86.37, for a total transaction of $431,850.00. Following the sale, the director owned 12,281 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,060,709.97. The trade was a 28.93% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Corporate insiders own 1.43% of the company’s stock.

Pathward Financial Company Profile

Pathward Financial (NASDAQ:CASH) is a U.S.-based financial services company that operates through its wholly owned subsidiary, Pathward Bank. The company provides a range of banking and payment solutions designed for consumers, small businesses, community banks and fintech partners. Core offerings include deposit accounts, consumer and commercial lending, debit and prepaid card programs, digital banking platforms and treasury management services.

Through its banking charter, Pathward Financial delivers customizable payment solutions, including prepaid cards, payroll cards and benefit disbursement programs.