First Citizens BancShares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FCNCA) Given Average Rating of “Moderate Buy” by Brokerages

Shares of First Citizens BancShares, Inc. (NASDAQ:FCNCA) have been given a consensus recommendation of “Moderate Buy” by the twelve analysts that are covering the stock, Marketbeat reports. Six equities research analysts have rated the stock with a hold rating, five have issued a buy rating and one has given a strong buy rating to the company. The average twelve-month price target among brokers that have updated their coverage on the stock in the last year is $2,250.5455.

FCNCA has been the subject of a number of research analyst reports. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of First Citizens BancShares in a research report on Monday, December 29th. Citigroup lifted their target price on shares of First Citizens BancShares from $2,000.00 to $2,250.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, December 30th. UBS Group reissued a “buy” rating and set a $2,500.00 price objective on shares of First Citizens BancShares in a research note on Tuesday, January 6th. Barclays lifted their price objective on First Citizens BancShares from $2,190.00 to $2,456.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Finally, The Goldman Sachs Group lowered shares of First Citizens BancShares from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $2,300.00 target price on the stock. in a report on Tuesday, January 6th.

More First Citizens BancShares News

Here are the key news stories impacting First Citizens BancShares this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations — FCNCA reported $51.27 EPS vs. consensus ~ $44 and revenue of $2.25B vs. ~$2.24B, showing solid near‑term profitability and margins. Q4 Earnings Release
• Positive Sentiment: Board declared a $2.10 quarterly dividend (record Feb 27; pay Mar 16), supporting income investors despite a modest yield (~0.4%). Dividend Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Full Q4 earnings call transcript and presentation are available for additional detail on loan trends, NII drivers, and management commentary (useful for investors parsing guidance vs. results). Earnings Call Transcript
• Negative Sentiment: Management issued a downbeat full‑year interest‑income forecast that came in below Street expectations — that guidance drove the immediate negative reaction as net interest income is a primary earnings driver for banks. Reuters: Downbeat Forecast
• Negative Sentiment: Analysts highlighted rising margin pressure and some firms have downgraded or flagged the shares after the guidance, increasing selling pressure. Seeking Alpha: Downgrade
• Negative Sentiment: Market reaction: volume spiked and the share price fell as investors re‑priced the stock for a weaker NII outlook despite the beat — watch upcoming guidance details and 2026 NII sensitivity. MarketBeat Trading Snapshot

Insider Buying and Selling at First Citizens BancShares

In other First Citizens BancShares news, Director Ellen R. Alemany bought 300 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Thursday, November 13th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $1,000.00 per share, for a total transaction of $300,000.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 300 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $300,000. This trade represents a ∞ increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, CEO Frank B. Holding, Jr. purchased 135 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction on Wednesday, November 26th. The stock was acquired at an average cost of $1,629.67 per share, for a total transaction of $220,005.45. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief executive officer owned 2,527 shares in the company, valued at $4,118,176.09. The trade was a 5.64% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. Insiders own 13.19% of the company’s stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On First Citizens BancShares

A number of large investors have recently modified their holdings of FCNCA. SBI Securities Co. Ltd. purchased a new stake in shares of First Citizens BancShares during the 3rd quarter worth about $27,000. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC increased its position in shares of First Citizens BancShares by 150.0% in the fourth quarter. Harbor Investment Advisory LLC now owns 15 shares of the bank’s stock worth $32,000 after acquiring an additional 9 shares in the last quarter. UMB Bank n.a. raised its stake in shares of First Citizens BancShares by 100.0% in the 3rd quarter. UMB Bank n.a. now owns 16 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $29,000 after acquiring an additional 8 shares during the period. MAI Capital Management lifted its holdings in shares of First Citizens BancShares by 500.0% during the 2nd quarter. MAI Capital Management now owns 18 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $35,000 after acquiring an additional 15 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Steph & Co. purchased a new stake in First Citizens BancShares during the 3rd quarter worth $32,000. 78.01% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

First Citizens BancShares Price Performance

Shares of NASDAQ FCNCA opened at $2,016.56 on Monday. The stock has a fifty day moving average price of $2,058.68 and a 200 day moving average price of $1,951.86. First Citizens BancShares has a 1-year low of $1,473.62 and a 1-year high of $2,412.93. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.81, a current ratio of 1.03 and a quick ratio of 1.03. The company has a market cap of $25.09 billion, a PE ratio of 12.17 and a beta of 0.69.

First Citizens BancShares (NASDAQ:FCNCA) last released its quarterly earnings data on Friday, January 23rd. The bank reported $51.27 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $44.24 by $7.03. The firm had revenue of $2.25 billion during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.24 billion. First Citizens BancShares had a return on equity of 11.12% and a net margin of 15.21%. Sell-side analysts forecast that First Citizens BancShares will post 167.59 EPS for the current year.

First Citizens BancShares Announces Dividend

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, March 16th. Investors of record on Friday, February 27th will be given a dividend of $2.10 per share. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 27th. This represents a $8.40 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.4%. First Citizens BancShares’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 4.97%.

About First Citizens BancShares

First Citizens BancShares, Inc is the bank holding company for First Citizens Bank, a full‑service commercial bank headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina. The company traces its roots to a community bank founded in 1898 and has grown into a diversified financial services organization that operates through its banking subsidiary to serve retail, commercial and institutional clients.

First Citizens offers a broad suite of banking products and services, including consumer and business deposit accounts, commercial and industrial lending, real estate and mortgage lending, treasury and cash management, and specialized lending solutions.