Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Issues Positive Forecast for First Commonwealth Financial (NYSE:FCF) Stock Price

First Commonwealth Financial (NYSE:FCF) had its target price lifted by Keefe, Bruyette & Woods from $19.00 to $20.00 in a research report report published on Thursday,Benzinga reports. The firm currently has a market perform rating on the bank’s stock.

Several other brokerages have also recently weighed in on FCF. DA Davidson cut First Commonwealth Financial from a “strong-buy” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Monday, October 20th. Piper Sandler began coverage on shares of First Commonwealth Financial in a research note on Wednesday, December 17th. They set an “overweight” rating and a $21.00 target price for the company. Raymond James Financial set a $20.00 price target on shares of First Commonwealth Financial and gave the company an “outperform” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of First Commonwealth Financial in a report on Thursday, January 22nd. Four research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and three have given a Hold rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, First Commonwealth Financial has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $19.75.

First Commonwealth Financial Stock Performance

Shares of NYSE FCF opened at $17.81 on Thursday. The company has a market cap of $1.85 billion, a P/E ratio of 12.20 and a beta of 0.79. First Commonwealth Financial has a 52-week low of $13.54 and a 52-week high of $18.42. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.17, a quick ratio of 0.94 and a current ratio of 0.95. The firm’s fifty day moving average is $17.08 and its two-hundred day moving average is $16.82.

First Commonwealth Financial (NYSE:FCF) last issued its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 27th. The bank reported $0.43 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.41 by $0.02. The firm had revenue of $137.82 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $135.63 million. First Commonwealth Financial had a return on equity of 10.43% and a net margin of 20.88%.The business’s quarterly revenue was up 14.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.35 earnings per share. As a group, analysts anticipate that First Commonwealth Financial will post 1.45 EPS for the current fiscal year.

First Commonwealth Financial announced that its Board of Directors has authorized a share repurchase plan on Monday, December 1st that authorizes the company to buyback $25.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the bank to purchase up to 1.5% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are usually a sign that the company’s board of directors believes its shares are undervalued.

First Commonwealth Financial Announces Dividend

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 20th. Stockholders of record on Friday, February 6th will be paid a dividend of $0.135 per share. This represents a $0.54 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.0%. The ex-dividend date is Friday, February 6th. First Commonwealth Financial’s payout ratio is presently 36.99%.

Insider Activity

In other First Commonwealth Financial news, CFO James R. Reske sold 2,072 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, January 5th. The stock was sold at an average price of $16.74, for a total transaction of $34,685.28. Following the sale, the chief financial officer directly owned 80,311 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $1,344,406.14. This trade represents a 2.52% decrease in their position. The sale was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this link. Also, EVP Michael P. Mccuen acquired 3,090 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction dated Friday, November 21st. The shares were purchased at an average cost of $16.19 per share, for a total transaction of $50,027.10. Following the purchase, the executive vice president directly owned 62,111 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,005,577.09. This trade represents a 5.24% increase in their ownership of the stock. The disclosure for this purchase is available in the SEC filing. In the last quarter, insiders have sold 5,555 shares of company stock worth $90,752. Company insiders own 2.17% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Trading of First Commonwealth Financial

Institutional investors have recently modified their holdings of the stock. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC lifted its position in shares of First Commonwealth Financial by 2,250.5% in the second quarter. EverSource Wealth Advisors LLC now owns 2,609 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $42,000 after acquiring an additional 2,498 shares in the last quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC raised its stake in shares of First Commonwealth Financial by 109.6% in the 2nd quarter. GAMMA Investing LLC now owns 4,438 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $72,000 after acquiring an additional 2,321 shares during the period. iSAM Funds UK Ltd acquired a new position in First Commonwealth Financial during the third quarter worth $85,000. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC lifted its stake in First Commonwealth Financial by 58.5% during the 3rd quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 5,285 shares of the bank’s stock worth $91,000 after acquiring an additional 1,950 shares in the last quarter. Finally, CWM LLC lifted its position in shares of First Commonwealth Financial by 10.0% during the second quarter. CWM LLC now owns 8,724 shares of the bank’s stock worth $142,000 after purchasing an additional 792 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 72.58% of the company’s stock.

First Commonwealth Financial News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting First Commonwealth Financial this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat expectations: the company reported higher revenue and EPS versus consensus, underscoring improving core performance and supporting upside to earnings estimates. First Commonwealth Financial (NYSE: FCF) exceeds Q4 CY2025 expectations
• Positive Sentiment: Management issued forward targets and share‑repurchase activity: management signaled a 4% net interest margin target for 2026 and is advancing buybacks, both of which should improve future profitability and EPS per share. First Commonwealth Financial signals 4% net interest margin target for 2026 while advancing share buybacks
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst price target increase: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods raised its price target from $19 to $20 while keeping a market‑perform rating, implying meaningful upside versus recent levels and providing analyst support. Benzinga
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend maintained and scheduled: the board declared a quarterly dividend (record date Feb 6; payable Feb 20) that equates to roughly a 3.1% yield, supporting income investor demand.
• Neutral Sentiment: Detailed disclosures available — earnings call transcript and presentation provide greater color on margins, credit quality and the buyback plan for investors doing deeper analysis. First Commonwealth Financial Corporation (FCF) Q4 2025 Earnings Call Transcript First Commonwealth Financial Corporation 2025 Q4 – Results – Earnings Call Presentation
• Negative Sentiment: Short interest rose materially in January (about a 24% increase to ~1.86M shares, ~1.8% of float), which heightens downside pressure if the stock weakens and could amplify volatility.

First Commonwealth Financial Company Profile

First Commonwealth Financial Corporation, headquartered in Indiana, Pennsylvania, is a bank holding company whose primary subsidiary is First Commonwealth Bank. Established in 1889 as Indiana National Bank, the company has grown through a combination of organic expansion and strategic acquisitions to build a diversified platform of commercial banking, retail banking and wealth management services.

First Commonwealth offers a comprehensive suite of financial products, including deposit accounts, personal and business lending solutions, mortgage origination and servicing, treasury management, and trust and investment services.