Peoples Bancorp (NASDAQ:PEBO) Sets New 52-Week High on Better-Than-Expected Earnings

Shares of Peoples Bancorp Inc. (NASDAQ:PEBO) hit a new 52-week high during trading on Wednesday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The company traded as high as $40.50 and last traded at $39.50, with a volume of 594545 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $39.39.

The bank reported $0.96 earnings per share for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $0.85 by $0.11. Peoples Bancorp had a return on equity of 9.75% and a net margin of 17.92%.The firm had revenue of $121.95 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $120.05 million.

Peoples Bancorp Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Monday, August 17th. Stockholders of record on Monday, August 3rd will be paid a $0.42 dividend. This represents a $1.68 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.3%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Monday, August 3rd. Peoples Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 53.85%.

More Peoples Bancorp News

Here are the key news stories impacting Peoples Bancorp this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Peoples Bancorp beat Wall Street estimates for Q2, reporting earnings of $0.96 per share versus the $0.84 consensus, while revenue of $121.95 million also came in above forecasts. Peoples Bancorp Q2 2026 Results
• Positive Sentiment: The bank also declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.42 per share, which implies an annualized yield of about 4.3% and signals continued capital returns to shareholders. Peoples Bancorp Quarterly Dividend Announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Profitability metrics were also respectable, with net income of $28.0 million, return on equity of 9.75%, and a 17.92% net margin, reinforcing the view that PEBO delivered a generally healthy quarter. Peoples Bancorp Press Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Investors are also parsing the Q2 earnings call transcript and follow-up analysis for management commentary on credit quality, margin trends, and the outlook for the rest of the year. Peoples Bancorp Q2 2026 Earnings Call Transcript

Analysts Set New Price Targets

PEBO has been the subject of a number of analyst reports. DA Davidson lifted their price objective on Peoples Bancorp from $37.00 to $38.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, April 22nd. Weiss Ratings reissued a “buy (b)” rating on shares of Peoples Bancorp in a research note on Friday, May 29th. Piper Sandler raised their target price on Peoples Bancorp from $41.00 to $43.00 and gave the stock an “overweight” rating in a report on Friday, June 26th. Finally, Hovde Group boosted their target price on Peoples Bancorp from $33.00 to $36.00 and gave the stock a “market perform” rating in a research report on Wednesday, April 22nd. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, Peoples Bancorp has a consensus rating of “Moderate Buy” and a consensus price target of $39.00.

Insiders Place Their Bets

In other news, Director Dwight Eric Smith bought 1,000 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Monday, April 27th. The shares were bought at an average price of $34.51 per share, for a total transaction of $34,510.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the director owned 9,256 shares in the company, valued at approximately $319,424.56. This trade represents a 12.11% increase in their ownership of the stock. The acquisition was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through the SEC website. 3.31% of the stock is currently owned by corporate insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Peoples Bancorp

Hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Larson Financial Group LLC acquired a new stake in Peoples Bancorp during the third quarter worth about $30,000. Quarry LP acquired a new position in shares of Peoples Bancorp in the 3rd quarter valued at approximately $35,000. Strs Ohio acquired a new position in shares of Peoples Bancorp in the 1st quarter valued at approximately $62,000. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC lifted its holdings in shares of Peoples Bancorp by 19.8% during the 4th quarter. Nisa Investment Advisors LLC now owns 2,688 shares of the bank’s stock worth $81,000 after acquiring an additional 445 shares during the period. Finally, Russell Investments Group Ltd. lifted its holdings in shares of Peoples Bancorp by 654.3% during the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 3,100 shares of the bank’s stock worth $93,000 after acquiring an additional 2,689 shares during the period. 60.68% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

Peoples Bancorp Price Performance

The company’s 50-day moving average is $36.47 and its 200-day moving average is $34.08. The firm has a market cap of $1.42 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.66 and a beta of 0.62. The company has a current ratio of 0.84, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.15.

About Peoples Bancorp

Peoples Bancorp, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Marietta, Ohio. Through its subsidiary Peoples Bank, the company provides a comprehensive range of commercial and consumer banking services designed to serve individuals, businesses and institutional clients. Its deposit products include checking and savings accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit and digital banking platforms that enable secure online and mobile access.

On the lending side, Peoples Bancorp offers commercial and industrial loans, commercial real estate financing, construction and agricultural lending, as well as residential mortgage products.