Morgan Stanley Reiterates Equal Weight Rating for Huntington Bancshares (NASDAQ:HBAN)

Key Points

• Morgan Stanley reiterated its Equal Weight rating on Huntington Bancshares and cut its price target to $19 from $21, implying about 9.2% upside from the current share price.
• HBAN shares were trading down about 4.8% at $17.40, while broader analyst sentiment remains constructive with a Moderate Buy consensus and an average target price of $20.14.
• The bank recently reported Q2 EPS of $0.39, matching expectations, and raised its FY 2026 EPS guidance to $1.90-$1.93, signaling confidence in future earnings despite some margin and cost pressures.

Huntington Bancshares (NASDAQ:HBAN - Get Free Report)'s stock had its "equal weight" rating reiterated by equities research analysts at Morgan Stanley in a research note issued to investors on Friday,Benzinga reports. They currently have a $19.00 price objective on the bank's stock, down from their previous price objective of $21.00. Morgan Stanley's target price points to a potential upside of 9.20% from the company's current price.

A number of other research analysts also recently issued reports on HBAN. Wall Street Zen upgraded Huntington Bancshares from a "sell" rating to a "hold" rating in a research note on Saturday, May 9th. Jefferies Financial Group set a $18.00 target price on Huntington Bancshares in a research note on Thursday. JPMorgan Chase & Co. raised their price objective on shares of Huntington Bancshares from $18.50 to $19.50 and gave the stock an "overweight" rating in a report on Monday, July 6th. Piper Sandler raised shares of Huntington Bancshares from a "strong sell" rating to a "hold" rating and set a $18.00 price objective on the stock in a research report on Thursday, April 23rd. Finally, Evercore reiterated an "outperform" rating and issued a $21.00 target price on shares of Huntington Bancshares in a research note on Monday, July 6th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, fourteen have assigned a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has assigned a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat, the company has an average rating of "Moderate Buy" and an average target price of $20.14.

Huntington Bancshares Trading Down 4.8%

NASDAQ:HBAN opened at $17.40 on Friday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.73, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 0.93. The firm has a market cap of $35.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.38, a price-to-earnings-growth ratio of 0.82 and a beta of 0.93. Huntington Bancshares has a 52 week low of $14.89 and a 52 week high of $19.45. The firm has a 50-day moving average price of $17.09 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $16.93.

Huntington Bancshares (NASDAQ:HBAN - Get Free Report) last announced its earnings results on Thursday, July 23rd. The bank reported $0.39 earnings per share for the quarter, hitting analysts' consensus estimates of $0.39. The firm had revenue of $2.85 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $2.84 billion. Huntington Bancshares had a return on equity of 11.42% and a net margin of 16.63%.During the same quarter in the previous year, the business earned $0.34 EPS. Huntington Bancshares has set its FY 2026 guidance at 1.900-1.930 EPS. On average, equities analysts expect that Huntington Bancshares will post 1.62 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Insider Activity

In related news, Director James D. Rollins III sold 223,522 shares of Huntington Bancshares stock in a transaction that occurred on Friday, June 12th. The shares were sold at an average price of $17.35, for a total value of $3,878,106.70. Following the completion of the transaction, the director directly owned 612,155 shares in the company, valued at approximately $10,620,889.25. The trade was a 26.75% decrease in their position. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the Securities & Exchange Commission, which is accessible through this hyperlink. Also, EVP Marcy C. Hingst sold 10,568 shares of the stock in a transaction on Thursday, June 25th. The stock was sold at an average price of $18.00, for a total value of $190,224.00. Following the sale, the executive vice president owned 267,859 shares in the company, valued at approximately $4,821,462. This represents a 3.80% decrease in their position. Additional details regarding this sale are available in the official SEC disclosure. The transaction was executed under a pre-arranged Rule 10b5-1 trading plan. Insiders bought 33,500 shares of company stock valued at $617,542 in the last quarter. Corporate insiders own 0.67% of the company's stock.

Institutional Trading of Huntington Bancshares

A number of hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in HBAN. MV Capital Management Inc. bought a new stake in shares of Huntington Bancshares during the fourth quarter valued at about $25,000. Palisade Asset Management LLC bought a new position in shares of Huntington Bancshares in the third quarter valued at approximately $26,000. Centennial Bank AR purchased a new position in Huntington Bancshares during the fourth quarter valued at approximately $28,000. Johnson Financial Group Inc. increased its holdings in Huntington Bancshares by 48.8% during the 1st quarter. Johnson Financial Group Inc. now owns 2,157 shares of the bank's stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 707 shares during the period. Finally, Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC increased its holdings in Huntington Bancshares by 80.7% during the 1st quarter. Annis Gardner Whiting Capital Advisors LLC now owns 2,226 shares of the bank's stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 994 shares during the period. 80.72% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Huntington Bancshares News Summary

Here are the key news stories impacting Huntington Bancshares this week:

• Positive Sentiment: HBAN reported Q2 adjusted EPS of $0.39, matching Wall Street estimates, with revenue of about $2.85 billion slightly ahead of expectations. Results were supported by higher net interest income, fee income, and growth in loans and deposits. Huntington Bancshares Incorporated Reports 2026 Second-Quarter Earnings
• Positive Sentiment: The bank raised its FY 2026 EPS guidance to $1.90-$1.93, well above the prior consensus estimate, which suggests management is more confident about earnings momentum going forward. HBAN stock information
• Positive Sentiment: Huntington declared a quarterly dividend of $0.155 per share, implying a 3.6% annualized yield, which may appeal to income-focused investors. HBAN dividend information
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts continue to view HBAN favorably, with consensus rating data showing a “Moderate Buy,” reinforcing a generally constructive outlook rather than a major new catalyst. Huntington Bancshares Receives Consensus Rating of Moderate Buy from Analysts
• Neutral Sentiment: Management noted some pressure from funding costs and a decline in Q2 margin, which tempers the upbeat earnings picture even though the company maintained its broader outlook. Huntington Bancshares posts decline in Q2 margin on funding costs
• Negative Sentiment: Non-core headwinds remain from higher expenses and provisions, suggesting earnings quality could face some pressure if cost growth continues. Huntington Q2 Earnings Match Estimates as NII & Fee Income Rise Y/Y

About Huntington Bancshares

Huntington Bancshares Incorporated NASDAQ: HBAN is a bank holding company headquartered in Columbus, Ohio, that provides a broad range of banking and financial services through its principal subsidiary, Huntington National Bank. The company's operations are centered on retail and commercial banking, and it serves individual consumers, small and middle-market businesses, and institutional customers.

Huntington's product offerings include traditional deposit and lending products, consumer and commercial loans, mortgage origination and servicing, auto financing, and business banking solutions.

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