Valley National Bancorp (NASDAQ:VLY) Reaches New 52-Week High on Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Valley National Bancorp (NASDAQ:VLY) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Thursday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The company traded as high as $14.12 and last traded at $13.5050, with a volume of 3920455 shares traded. The stock had previously closed at $13.25.

The company reported $0.29 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.27 by $0.02. Valley National Bancorp had a return on equity of 7.92% and a net margin of 17.11%.The company had revenue of $540.36 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $531.89 million. During the same period in the previous year, the company posted $0.18 EPS.

Valley National Bancorp Dividend Announcement

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 13th were paid a dividend of $0.11 per share. This represents a $0.44 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.2%. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 13th. Valley National Bancorp’s payout ratio is currently 43.56%.

Valley National Bancorp News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Valley National Bancorp this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 results beat consensus: Valley reported $0.29 EPS vs. a $0.27 consensus and disclosed net income of $163.9M, up from last year; headline revenue also topped estimates — a clear near-term catalyst for the stock. Valley National (VLY) Surpasses Q1 Earnings and Revenue Estimates
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst coverage initiated: Piper Sandler started research coverage, which can increase visibility and trading interest. Valley National Bancorp (NASDAQ:VLY) Research Coverage Started at Piper Sandler
• Neutral Sentiment: Company provided slide deck and earnings presentation — useful for digging into loan growth, NIM, credit metrics and capital trends but not a new fundamental change by itself. Valley National Bancorp 2026 Q1 – Results – Earnings Call Presentation
• Neutral Sentiment: Previews and analysis pieces highlight items investors should watch beyond the headline (margin, asset quality, fee income and expense control). These frame questions for the conference call rather than change the beat-driven move. Valley National (VLY) Q1 Earnings: Taking a Look at Key Metrics Versus Estimates
• Neutral Sentiment: Key metrics: management reported a return on equity ~7.9% and net margin ~17.1% — respectable but not industry-leading; these longer-term profitability measures will temper enthusiasm unless they trend higher. Valley National Bancorp Q1 release and slide deck

Analyst Ratings Changes

VLY has been the subject of several research analyst reports. National Bank Financial set a $16.00 target price on Valley National Bancorp in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Barclays lifted their target price on Valley National Bancorp from $13.00 to $14.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Weiss Ratings upgraded Valley National Bancorp from a “hold (c+)” rating to a “buy (b-)” rating in a research note on Friday, February 6th. Hovde Group lifted their target price on Valley National Bancorp from $14.00 to $15.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Friday, January 30th. Finally, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods lifted their target price on Valley National Bancorp from $13.00 to $14.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research note on Thursday, April 9th. Two investment analysts have rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, twelve have given a Buy rating and three have assigned a Hold rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has an average rating of “Moderate Buy” and an average target price of $14.77.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In related news, Director Carlos J. Vazquez acquired 2,500 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction on Tuesday, February 17th. The stock was purchased at an average cost of $13.45 per share, with a total value of $33,625.00. Following the acquisition, the director directly owned 4,252 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $57,189.40. The trade was a 142.69% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a legal filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is available through this hyperlink. 1.06% of the stock is owned by corporate insiders.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Valley National Bancorp

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the stock. Inspire Investing LLC raised its holdings in Valley National Bancorp by 5.2% in the 1st quarter. Inspire Investing LLC now owns 42,056 shares of the company’s stock valued at $516,000 after acquiring an additional 2,066 shares in the last quarter. Apollon Wealth Management LLC acquired a new position in Valley National Bancorp in the 1st quarter valued at $188,000. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC raised its holdings in Valley National Bancorp by 7.2% in the 1st quarter. Janney Montgomery Scott LLC now owns 27,803 shares of the company’s stock valued at $341,000 after acquiring an additional 1,874 shares in the last quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA raised its holdings in Valley National Bancorp by 16.6% in the 1st quarter. Pictet Asset Management Holding SA now owns 85,586 shares of the company’s stock valued at $1,051,000 after acquiring an additional 12,195 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Louisiana State Employees Retirement System acquired a new position in Valley National Bancorp in the 1st quarter valued at $1,704,000. 61.00% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Valley National Bancorp Price Performance

The stock has a market capitalization of $7.65 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.63 and a beta of 1.03. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.97 and a current ratio of 0.97. The company has a fifty day simple moving average of $12.66 and a two-hundred day simple moving average of $11.94.

About Valley National Bancorp

Valley National Bancorp (NASDAQ: VLY) is a regional bank holding company headquartered in Wayne, New Jersey, offering a comprehensive suite of commercial and consumer banking products and services. Through its banking subsidiary, Valley National Bank, the company provides deposit accounts, residential and commercial lending, mortgage services, treasury and cash management, foreign exchange and trade finance solutions. Complementary wealth management and insurance offerings round out its financial services platform, catering to individual, small-business and corporate clients.

Tracing its roots to the establishment of Wayne National Bank in 1927, Valley has grown into one of the largest banks in New Jersey by both assets and deposit share.