Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Upgrades Pathward Financial (NASDAQ:CASH) to Outperform

Pathward Financial (NASDAQ:CASH) was upgraded by stock analysts at Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from a “market perform” rating to an “outperform” rating in a research note issued on Friday, Marketbeat.com reports. The firm presently has a $100.00 target price on the savings and loans company’s stock. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods’ price target would suggest a potential upside of 16.66% from the stock’s current price.

Separately, Weiss Ratings downgraded shares of Pathward Financial from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “hold (c+)” rating in a research note on Monday, January 12th. Two research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and one has given a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company presently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $97.00.

Pathward Financial Trading Up 7.3%

NASDAQ CASH opened at $85.72 on Friday. Pathward Financial has a 12 month low of $64.45 and a 12 month high of $86.92. The company has a current ratio of 0.79, a quick ratio of 0.76 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.04. The stock’s fifty day moving average price is $73.39 and its 200-day moving average price is $74.58. The stock has a market cap of $1.90 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.48 and a beta of 0.74.

Pathward Financial (NASDAQ:CASH) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, January 22nd. The savings and loans company reported $1.57 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.38 by $0.19. Pathward Financial had a net margin of 22.95% and a return on equity of 22.92%. The company had revenue of $173.10 million for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $185.80 million. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $1.29 EPS. Pathward Financial’s revenue was down .2% compared to the same quarter last year. Pathward Financial has set its FY 2026 guidance at 8.550-9.050 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that Pathward Financial will post 7.26 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Transactions at Pathward Financial

In other news, Director Douglas J. Hajek sold 3,000 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, October 31st. The shares were sold at an average price of $68.11, for a total transaction of $204,330.00. Following the sale, the director owned 16,631 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,132,737.41. This trade represents a 15.28% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available through this link. Corporate insiders own 1.43% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its holdings in shares of Pathward Financial by 24.3% during the 3rd quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 133,227 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock worth $9,810,000 after acquiring an additional 26,011 shares in the last quarter. Sheets Smith Wealth Management purchased a new position in shares of Pathward Financial in the second quarter valued at $276,000. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. bought a new stake in Pathward Financial in the third quarter worth $4,763,000. Revolve Wealth Partners LLC purchased a new stake in Pathward Financial during the fourth quarter valued at $267,437,000. Finally, Meritage Portfolio Management lifted its position in Pathward Financial by 6.3% during the second quarter. Meritage Portfolio Management now owns 6,032 shares of the savings and loans company’s stock valued at $477,000 after purchasing an additional 355 shares during the last quarter. Institutional investors own 92.66% of the company’s stock.

Pathward Financial News Summary

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

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 EPS beat and net income growth — Pathward reported $1.57 GAAP EPS (vs. $1.38 consensus) and net income of $35.2M, improving year-over-year EPS and showing strong margins/ROE, which supports valuation re-rating. Pathward Financial (CASH) Surpasses Q1 Earnings Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: FY2026 guidance raised — management updated FY2026 EPS guidance to $8.55–$9.05 (above prior consensus ~$8.45), which signals confidence in margins and earnings power for the year. Pathward Financial raises 2026 EPS guidance to $8.55-$9.05 while expanding partner pipeline
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrade and higher price target — Keefe, Bruyette & Woods upgraded CASH to “Outperform” with a $100 target (~16.7% above the prior price), providing third‑party validation that may drive additional buying. Finviz
• Neutral Sentiment: Investor materials available — the company posted its press release, slide deck and full earnings call/transcript for review, giving investors more detail on drivers (partner pipeline, margin dynamics). Pathward Financial, Inc. Announces Results for 2026 Fiscal First Quarter Q1 2026 Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Revenue missed estimates and was roughly flat year-over-year — Q1 revenue was $173.1M vs. ~$185.8M expected and was down 0.2% YoY, which introduces execution risk on top-line growth despite the EPS beat. Pathward Financial beats Q1 earnings estimates, revenue falls short

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.