KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY) Price Target Raised to $26.00 at DA Davidson

Key Points

• DA Davidson raised its price target on KeyCorp to $26.00 (from $25.00), kept a buy rating and flagged roughly a 19% upside from the prior close.
• KeyCorp beat Q1 estimates with $0.44 EPS vs. $0.41 and revenue of $1.95B (+10% YoY); management repurchased $389M in the quarter and signaled at least $1.3B of 2026 buybacks, though net interest margin and fee/M&A outlooks pose near-term risks.
• Insiders have sold significant stock recently (161,506 shares worth about $3.6M in the last 90 days) and now own just 0.56% of KeyCorp, while institutional investors hold roughly 79.7% of the shares.

KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY - Get Free Report) had its price target boosted by DA Davidson from $25.00 to $26.00 in a report issued on Friday,MarketScreener reports. The brokerage currently has a "buy" rating on the financial services provider's stock. DA Davidson's price objective points to a potential upside of 19.03% from the stock's previous close.

A number of other equities research analysts have also recently weighed in on the stock. Truist Financial cut their price objective on shares of KeyCorp from $23.00 to $22.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research note on Monday, March 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company set a $18.00 target price on shares of KeyCorp and gave the stock an "underperform" rating in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Barclays upped their price target on KeyCorp from $20.00 to $24.00 and gave the company an "equal weight" rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. The Goldman Sachs Group lowered their price target on shares of KeyCorp from $26.00 to $25.00 and set a "buy" rating for the company in a research report on Monday, April 6th. Finally, Piper Sandler reaffirmed an "overweight" rating and issued a $24.00 price target on shares of KeyCorp in a research note on Friday. Twelve research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have assigned a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the company's stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, KeyCorp has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and a consensus price target of $23.13.

KeyCorp Stock Performance

KeyCorp stock opened at $21.84 on Friday. The firm's fifty day moving average price is $20.75 and its 200 day moving average price is $19.88. KeyCorp has a 12-month low of $13.68 and a 12-month high of $23.34. The company has a market capitalization of $23.43 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.37, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.70 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a current ratio of 0.83 and a quick ratio of 0.82.

KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY - Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $0.44 EPS for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.41 by $0.03. KeyCorp had a return on equity of 10.28% and a net margin of 15.97%.The company had revenue of $1.95 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.93 billion. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $0.38 EPS. The business's revenue was up 10.2% on a year-over-year basis. On average, research analysts forecast that KeyCorp will post 1.5 EPS for the current fiscal year.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other KeyCorp news, insider Andrew J. Paine III sold 65,961 shares of the stock in a transaction dated Friday, February 6th. The stock was sold at an average price of $23.23, for a total value of $1,532,274.03. Following the completion of the transaction, the insider directly owned 166,583 shares in the company, valued at approximately $3,869,723.09. This trade represents a 28.36% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a document filed with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which can be accessed through this link. Also, insider Angela G. Mago sold 62,850 shares of KeyCorp stock in a transaction dated Thursday, January 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $21.55, for a total value of $1,354,417.50. Following the transaction, the insider directly owned 261,415 shares in the company, valued at $5,633,493.25. The trade was a 19.38% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Insiders have sold 161,506 shares of company stock worth $3,597,481 in the last 90 days. Insiders own 0.56% of the company's stock.

Institutional Inflows and Outflows

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in KEY. United Community Bank bought a new stake in KeyCorp during the third quarter worth $27,000. Maseco LLP bought a new position in shares of KeyCorp in the fourth quarter worth approximately $27,000. DV Equities LLC bought a new stake in shares of KeyCorp in the 4th quarter worth approximately $27,000. GoalVest Advisory LLC purchased a new stake in KeyCorp during the fourth quarter valued at about $30,000. Finally, Smithfield Trust Co bought a new position in KeyCorp during the 4th quarter worth approximately $31,000. 79.69% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key KeyCorp News

Here are the key news stories impacting KeyCorp this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q1 beat and core operating strength — Key reported $0.44 EPS vs. $0.41 expected, revenue $1.95B (+10% YoY), net interest income +11% YoY and quarter-end loans up $2.6B; management repurchased $389M in the quarter. KEYCORP REPORTS FIRST QUARTER 2026 NET INCOME
• Positive Sentiment: Aggressive buyback signal — management signaled at least $1.3B of 2026 share repurchases and emphasized capital returns as a priority, supporting EPS leverage and shareholder returns. KeyCorp signals at least $1.3B of 2026 buybacks
• Positive Sentiment: Credit quality remains solid — nonperforming assets and net charge-offs stayed low and CET1 capital (~11.4%) provides headroom for buybacks and lending growth. KeyCorp Q1 results and metrics
• Neutral Sentiment: Management tone mixed — earnings call conveyed cautious optimism: solid execution but awareness of market risk and a plan to manage margin and capital; analysts are watching guidance and margin targets. KeyCorp Earnings Call Highlights
• Negative Sentiment: Net interest margin disappointed some investors — NIM of ~2.87% was viewed as short of some expectations and is a key driver for future earnings sensitivity. Net interest margin falls short
• Negative Sentiment: Fee income outlook and M&A pressures — management warned market disruptions could dampen investment banking and M&A fees, which could reduce noninterest income if deal activity stalls. Uncertainty expected to hit M&A fees
• Negative Sentiment: Near-term share reaction mixed — despite the quarter beat, some reports note shares dipped on guidance/margin concerns as investors weighed near-term headwinds vs. buybacks. Shares dip on guidance concerns

KeyCorp Company Profile

KeyCorp is a bank holding company headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, that operates through its primary banking subsidiary, KeyBank. It provides a broad range of banking and financial services to individual consumers, small businesses, middle-market companies and large corporations. KeyBank's offerings span traditional deposit and lending products as well as more specialized financial solutions designed for commercial and institutional clients.

The company's product and service mix includes retail banking products such as checking and savings accounts, consumer and residential mortgage lending, and auto financing.

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