South Plains Financial (NASDAQ:SPFI) Sets New 52-Week High After Earnings Beat

South Plains Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:SPFI)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Tuesday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The company traded as high as $43.90 and last traded at $42.12, with a volume of 14093 shares. The stock had previously closed at $41.32.

The company reported $0.90 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.84 by $0.06. The company had revenue of $53.88 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $54.11 million. South Plains Financial had a net margin of 19.69% and a return on equity of 12.75%.

South Plains Financial Increases Dividend

The firm also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Tuesday, February 17th. Investors of record on Monday, February 2nd will be given a $0.17 dividend. This represents a $0.68 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 1.7%. This is a boost from South Plains Financial’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.16. The ex-dividend date is Monday, February 2nd. South Plains Financial’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 19.77%.

More South Plains Financial News

Here are the key news stories impacting South Plains Financial this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Hovde Group raised its price target to $49 and assigned an “outperform” — signaling about ~21% upside from current levels and providing analyst support for the stock’s longer‑term upside.
• Positive Sentiment: Full‑year 2025 results showed material improvement: net income rose to $58.5M and diluted EPS increased to $3.44 (vs $2.92 in 2024), tangible book value per share grew >14% — reinforcing capital strength and earnings power. Full year and Q4 results (Quiver)
• Positive Sentiment: Management expects to accelerate loan growth to a mid‑to‑high single‑digit rate in 2026 and is advancing expansion in Houston via the BOH/Bank of Houston deal — a growth catalyst if executed and approved. Loan growth & expansion (Seeking Alpha)
• Neutral Sentiment: Q4 EPS beat consensus ($0.90 vs $0.84) while revenue was roughly in line to slightly below expectations — a classic “beat but mixed” release that limits decisive reaction either way. Earnings summary & materials (MarketBeat)
• Neutral Sentiment: Company released the earnings presentation and full call transcript for investors; slides and commentary contain additional color on margins, deposit costs, and acquisition rationale for BOH. Earnings call transcript (Seeking Alpha)
• Negative Sentiment: Quarterly headwinds: Q4 net income and diluted EPS were down versus the prior quarter and year‑ago quarter (QoQ EPS decline to $0.90 from $0.96), noninterest income — particularly mortgage banking revenue — fell, and provisions rose modestly; investors may be penalizing the sequential softness. Q4 results & press release (Business Insider)
• Negative Sentiment: Notable insider selling was reported (recent open‑market sales), which can weigh on investor sentiment even though company fundamentals remain solid. Insider activity noted (Quiver)

Analyst Upgrades and Downgrades

A number of analysts have recently issued reports on the company. Hovde Group lifted their price target on South Plains Financial from $47.00 to $49.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Tuesday. Weiss Ratings reiterated a “buy (b)” rating on shares of South Plains Financial in a research report on Monday, December 22nd. Raymond James Financial boosted their price target on shares of South Plains Financial from $42.00 to $44.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised their price objective on shares of South Plains Financial from $45.00 to $46.00 and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research report on Friday, December 12th. Finally, Piper Sandler reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $45.00 price objective on shares of South Plains Financial in a report on Tuesday. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have assigned a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the stock currently has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average price target of $46.00.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently bought and sold shares of SPFI. Vanguard Group Inc. raised its position in shares of South Plains Financial by 1.1% during the third quarter. Vanguard Group Inc. now owns 706,328 shares of the company’s stock worth $27,300,000 after acquiring an additional 7,889 shares during the last quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP increased its position in South Plains Financial by 2.0% during the 3rd quarter. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP now owns 480,837 shares of the company’s stock valued at $18,584,000 after purchasing an additional 9,484 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised its holdings in South Plains Financial by 9.9% during the 3rd quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 380,987 shares of the company’s stock worth $14,725,000 after purchasing an additional 34,420 shares during the last quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC raised its holdings in South Plains Financial by 5.9% during the 2nd quarter. Acadian Asset Management LLC now owns 310,578 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,187,000 after purchasing an additional 17,434 shares during the last quarter. Finally, American Century Companies Inc. lifted its position in shares of South Plains Financial by 10.6% in the 2nd quarter. American Century Companies Inc. now owns 306,343 shares of the company’s stock worth $11,041,000 after purchasing an additional 29,420 shares during the period. 54.95% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

South Plains Financial Stock Performance

The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.13, a quick ratio of 0.93 and a current ratio of 0.93. The stock’s 50 day moving average price is $39.55 and its 200 day moving average price is $38.96. The company has a market capitalization of $656.58 million, a P/E ratio of 11.75 and a beta of 0.60.

About South Plains Financial

South Plains Financial, Inc is the bank holding company for South Plains Bank, a community-oriented financial institution headquartered in Lubbock, Texas. The company operates as a full-service commercial bank, providing a broad spectrum of banking solutions to individuals, small businesses and agricultural clients. Its principal subsidiary, South Plains Bank, holds state and national banking charters and is subject to regulatory oversight by the Federal Reserve and various state banking authorities.

The company’s product offerings include traditional deposit accounts such as checking, savings and money market accounts, as well as time deposits.