WesBanco, Inc. (NASDAQ:WSBC) Receives Consensus Rating of "Buy" from Analysts

Key Points

• Six analysts give WesBanco a consensus Buy rating (four buys, one hold, one strong buy) with an average one‑year price target of $39.60; DA Davidson and Raymond James each target $41 while Piper Sandler set $40.
• Q1 results were mixed—EPS of $0.91 topped estimates but revenue fell 3.1% and missed consensus, and management flagged commercial real estate (CRE) exposure, creating mixed investor sentiment.
• The stock pays a quarterly dividend of $0.38 (annualized yield ~4.5%) and two directors recently bought 3,000 shares each, signaling insider confidence.

WesBanco, Inc. (NASDAQ:WSBC - Get Free Report) has received a consensus rating of "Buy" from the six analysts that are currently covering the company, Marketbeat.com reports. One investment analyst has rated the stock with a hold recommendation, four have issued a buy recommendation and one has given a strong buy recommendation to the company. The average 1-year price objective among brokers that have covered the stock in the last year is $39.60.

Several research firms have weighed in on WSBC. Weiss Ratings upgraded shares of WesBanco from a "hold (c+)" rating to a "buy (b-)" rating in a research note on Thursday, March 12th. DA Davidson reissued a "buy" rating and issued a $41.00 target price on shares of WesBanco in a report on Wednesday. Raymond James Financial reaffirmed a "strong-buy" rating and set a $41.00 target price on shares of WesBanco in a report on Thursday, March 12th. Finally, Piper Sandler cut their price target on WesBanco from $42.00 to $40.00 and set an "overweight" rating on the stock in a report on Thursday.

WesBanco Stock Performance

Shares of WSBC stock opened at $34.02 on Friday. The stock has a market capitalization of $3.27 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.97 and a beta of 0.74. WesBanco has a one year low of $28.74 and a one year high of $38.10. The company's 50-day simple moving average is $34.82 and its 200-day simple moving average is $33.85. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.40, a quick ratio of 0.92 and a current ratio of 0.92.

WesBanco (NASDAQ:WSBC - Get Free Report) last released its earnings results on Tuesday, April 21st. The financial services provider reported $0.91 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts' consensus estimates of $0.86 by $0.05. WesBanco had a return on equity of 9.83% and a net margin of 21.12%.The company had revenue of $257.23 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $264.52 million. During the same quarter last year, the business posted $0.66 EPS. WesBanco's quarterly revenue was down 3.1% compared to the same quarter last year. Equities analysts anticipate that WesBanco will post 3.65 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

WesBanco Announces Dividend

The company also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Wednesday, April 1st. Stockholders of record on Friday, March 6th were given a dividend of $0.38 per share. The ex-dividend date was Friday, March 6th. This represents a $1.52 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 4.5%. WesBanco's dividend payout ratio is currently 49.03%.

Insider Transactions at WesBanco

In other news, Director Lee J. Burdman bought 3,000 shares of the firm's stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was purchased at an average price of $33.60 per share, for a total transaction of $100,800.00. Following the transaction, the director owned 46,772 shares in the company, valued at approximately $1,571,539.20. This trade represents a 6.85% increase in their ownership of the stock. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is accessible through this link. Also, Director Louis Michael Altman purchased 3,000 shares of the company's stock in a transaction on Thursday, April 23rd. The stock was purchased at an average price of $33.72 per share, for a total transaction of $101,160.00. Following the purchase, the director directly owned 33,164 shares of the company's stock, valued at $1,118,290.08. This trade represents a 9.95% increase in their position. Additional details regarding this purchase are available in the official SEC disclosure. In the last ninety days, insiders purchased 6,940 shares of company stock worth $232,759. Corporate insiders own 2.07% of the company's stock.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On WesBanco

A number of institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in WSBC. Covestor Ltd raised its stake in WesBanco by 12,500.0% during the 4th quarter. Covestor Ltd now owns 756 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $25,000 after acquiring an additional 750 shares in the last quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC grew its stake in shares of WesBanco by 255.1% in the third quarter. Smartleaf Asset Management LLC now owns 799 shares of the financial services provider's stock worth $26,000 after purchasing an additional 574 shares in the last quarter. First Horizon Corp bought a new position in shares of WesBanco in the third quarter worth $27,000. True Wealth Design LLC increased its holdings in shares of WesBanco by 77.9% during the third quarter. True Wealth Design LLC now owns 877 shares of the financial services provider's stock valued at $28,000 after purchasing an additional 384 shares during the period. Finally, Hilton Head Capital Partners LLC acquired a new position in shares of WesBanco during the fourth quarter valued at $29,000. 61.41% of the stock is owned by institutional investors.

WesBanco News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting WesBanco this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Two directors increased holdings via open-market buys (Lee J. Burdman: 3,000 shares at ~$33.60; Louis Michael Altman: 3,000 shares at ~$33.72). Insider purchases often signal confidence in the bank’s outlook and can support sentiment. Burdman Form 4 Altman Form 4
• Positive Sentiment: DA Davidson reiterated a "Buy" rating on WSBC, which can bolster demand from institutional and retail investors looking for analyst-backed ideas. DA Davidson Reiterates Buy
• Positive Sentiment: WesBanco named Nathan Jones as Senior EVP and Chief Risk Officer effective April 27 — a governance/controls hire that should reassure investors focused on credit and CRE risk management. Press Release
• Neutral Sentiment: Reported short interest data appears to show 0 shares/0 days (likely a reporting glitch or stale data) — no meaningful short-squeeze signal from the published number.
• Negative Sentiment: Q1 earnings showed EPS outperformance but revenue declined and management flagged CRE exposure — investors are parsing profit beats against potential credit risks in commercial real estate. Earnings Call Highlights
• Negative Sentiment: Coverage and headlines calling out CRE risks and explaining why WSBC is falling amplify selling pressure and may be causing today’s weakness. TipRanks: CRE Risks MSN: Why WSBC Is Falling

About WesBanco

WesBanco, Inc is a bank holding company headquartered in Wheeling, West Virginia, offering a full range of community banking services through its principal subsidiary, WesBanco Bank, Inc The company serves individual consumers, small‐ to mid‐sized businesses, nonprofit organizations and governmental entities with a relationship‐driven approach and an emphasis on local decision‐making. Through its diversified platform, WesBanco provides core banking functions such as deposit accounts, commercial and consumer lending, mortgage banking, treasury management and electronic banking services.

In addition to traditional banking products, WesBanco offers specialized services including trust and wealth management, investment advisory and insurance solutions.

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