KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY) Stock Price Expected to Rise, Robert W. Baird Analyst Says

Key Points

• Robert W. Baird raised its price target on KeyCorp to $22 (from $19) while maintaining a "neutral" rating; the Street consensus is a "Moderate Buy" with an average target of $23.13 (12 Buys, 7 Holds, 1 Sell).
• Q1 results beat expectations with $0.44 EPS vs. $0.41 and $1.95B revenue (+10% YoY); management repurchased $389M in the quarter and signaled at least $1.3B of 2026 buybacks backed by CET1 capital around 11.4%.
• Near-term investor concerns include a softer net interest margin (~2.87%) and potential fee/M&A headwinds that pressured the stock, and insiders sold 161,506 shares over the past 90 days.

KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY - Get Free Report) had its price objective raised by equities research analysts at Robert W. Baird from $19.00 to $22.00 in a research note issued to investors on Friday,MarketScreener reports. The firm presently has a "neutral" rating on the financial services provider's stock. Robert W. Baird's price target would indicate a potential upside of 0.75% from the stock's current price.

Several other equities analysts also recently issued reports on KEY. Truist Financial cut their target price on KeyCorp from $23.00 to $22.00 and set a "hold" rating on the stock in a research report on Monday, March 23rd. Weiss Ratings upgraded KeyCorp from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research report on Wednesday, February 25th. Evercore decreased their target price on shares of KeyCorp from $26.00 to $24.00 and set an "outperform" rating for the company in a research note on Monday, April 6th. Stephens increased their target price on shares of KeyCorp from $21.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a research note on Thursday, December 18th. Finally, TD Cowen reaffirmed a "buy" rating on shares of KeyCorp in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Twelve equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, seven have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company. According to MarketBeat, KeyCorp presently has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average price target of $23.13.

KeyCorp Stock Performance

KeyCorp stock opened at $21.84 on Friday. KeyCorp has a fifty-two week low of $13.68 and a fifty-two week high of $23.34. The company has a market capitalization of $23.42 billion, a PE ratio of 14.37, a P/E/G ratio of 0.70 and a beta of 1.07. The company has a 50 day moving average price of $20.75 and a 200-day moving average price of $19.88. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55, a quick ratio of 0.82 and a current ratio of 0.83.

KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY - Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Thursday, April 16th. The financial services provider reported $0.44 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $0.41 by $0.03. The business had revenue of $1.95 billion during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $1.93 billion. KeyCorp had a net margin of 15.97% and a return on equity of 10.28%. The company's quarterly revenue was up 10.2% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter in the previous year, the business posted $0.38 EPS. As a group, equities analysts forecast that KeyCorp will post 1.5 earnings per share for the current year.

Insider Transactions at KeyCorp

In other KeyCorp news, Director Trina M. Evans sold 32,695 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, January 22nd. The shares were sold at an average price of $21.74, for a total value of $710,789.30. Following the completion of the transaction, the director owned 58,719 shares in the company, valued at $1,276,551.06. This represents a 35.77% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a legal filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, insider Andrew J. Paine III sold 65,961 shares of the company's stock in a transaction that occurred on 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 sale, the insider owned 166,583 shares of the company's stock, valued at $3,869,723.09. This trade represents a 28.36% decrease in their position. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Over the last 90 days, insiders have sold 161,506 shares of company stock valued at $3,597,481. 0.56% of the stock is currently owned by company insiders.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On KeyCorp

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the company. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. lifted its position in shares of KeyCorp by 2.7% in the third quarter. BNP PARIBAS ASSET MANAGEMENT Holding S.A. now owns 2,013,977 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $37,641,000 after acquiring an additional 53,682 shares in the last quarter. Synovus Financial Corp acquired a new position in KeyCorp during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $2,253,000. National Pension Service grew its position in KeyCorp by 30.6% in the third quarter. National Pension Service now owns 198,659 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $3,713,000 after acquiring an additional 46,509 shares in the last quarter. Caisse Des Depots ET Consignations acquired a new stake in KeyCorp during the 3rd quarter valued at $1,294,000. Finally, Xponance Inc. lifted its holdings in KeyCorp by 31.0% in the 3rd quarter. Xponance Inc. now owns 471,949 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $8,821,000 after buying an additional 111,753 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 79.69% of the company's stock.

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

About KeyCorp

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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