Lakeland Financial (LKFN) Stock Price, News & Analysis

Company Overview

Lakeland Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:LKFN) is the bank holding company for Lakeland Bank, a full‐service community bank headquartered in Warsaw, Ohio. Through its network of branches, the company offers a comprehensive range of financial services designed to meet the needs of individuals, small and medium‐sized businesses, and commercial enterprises. Lakeland Financial’s core activities include deposit gathering, lending, and the provision of specialized wealth management and investment advisory services.

On the deposit side, Lakeland Financial provides checking and savings accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit and electronic banking solutions. Its loan portfolio spans consumer lending—such as residential and home equity mortgages—and commercial lending products, including commercial mortgages, lines of credit and equipment financing. The company also supports the agricultural sector and real estate developers through tailored lending solutions.

Beyond traditional banking, Lakeland Financial offers trust and investment management services through its subsidiary Lakeland Wealth Management Group. Clients can access financial planning, retirement advisory, estate planning and brokerage services. The firm’s wealth division works closely with individuals and families to craft personalized strategies that align with long‐term financial goals and risk profiles.

Founded in 1889 as Warsaw Savings Association, Lakeland Financial reorganized as a bank holding company in 1987 and has since grown through both organic expansion and strategic acquisitions in Northeast Ohio and Northwest Pennsylvania. The company is led by President and Chief Executive Officer Thomas J. Lafakis, supported by a senior management team responsible for operations, finance, risk management and compliance. Lakeland Financial’s commitment to community banking and local decision‐making has underpinned its reputation for responsive service and regional expertise.

Key Stats

• Today's Range: $64.85 to $65.54
• 50-Day Range: $58.26 to $65.70
• 52-Week Range: $50.00 to $78.61
• Volume: 135,381 shs
• Average Volume: 141,880 shs
• Market Capitalization: $1.66 billion
• P/E Ratio: 18.58
• Dividend Yield: 3.08%
• Price Target: $68.50
• Consensus Rating: Moderate Buy

Lakeland Financial Stock Analysis - MarketRank™

Lakeland Financial scored higher than 46% of companies evaluated by MarketBeat, and ranked 644th out of 936 stocks in the finance sector. Scores are calculated by averaging available category scores, with extra weight given to analysis and valuation.

Analyst's Opinion

• Score: 1.3 / 5
• Analyst Rating: Moderate Buy

Consensus Rating

Lakeland Financial has received a consensus rating of Moderate Buy. The company's average rating score is 2.50, and is based on 1 buy rating, 1 hold rating, and no sell ratings.

Amount of Analyst Coverage

Lakeland Financial has only been the subject of 2 research reports in the past 90 days.

Earnings and Valuation

• Score: 1.9 / 5
• Proj. Earnings Growth: 5.41%

Earnings Growth

Earnings for Lakeland Financial are expected to grow by 5.41% in the coming year, from $3.70 to $3.90 per share.

Price to Earnings Ratio vs. the Market

The P/E ratio of Lakeland Financial is 18.58, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the market average P/E ratio of about 25.91.

Price to Earnings Ratio vs. Sector

The P/E ratio of Lakeland Financial is 18.58, which means that it is trading at a less expensive P/E ratio than the Finance sector average P/E ratio of about 20.04.

Price to Book Value per Share Ratio

Lakeland Financial has a P/B Ratio of 2.43. P/B Ratios below 3 indicates that a company is reasonably valued with respect to its assets and liabilities.

Short Interest

• Score: 0.0 / 5
• Short Interest Level: Bearish

Percentage of Shares Shorted

9.37% of the float of Lakeland Financial has been sold short.

Short Interest Ratio / Days to Cover

Lakeland Financial has a short interest ratio ("days to cover") of 12.7, which indicates bearish sentiment.

Change versus previous month

Short interest in Lakeland Financial has recently increased by 5.45%, indicating that investor sentiment is decreasing significantly.

Dividend

• Score: 4.2 / 5
• Dividend Strength: Strong

Dividend Yield

Lakeland Financial pays a meaningful dividend of 3.04%, higher than the bottom 25% of all stocks that pay dividends.

Dividend Growth

Lakeland Financial has been increasing its dividend for 14 years.

Dividend Coverage

The dividend payout ratio of Lakeland Financial is 57.14%. This payout ratio is at a healthy, sustainable level, below 75%.

Dividend Sustainability

Based on earnings estimates, Lakeland Financial will have a dividend payout ratio of 51.28% next year. This indicates that Lakeland Financial will be able to sustain or increase its dividend.

Sustainability and ESG

• Score: N/A
• Environmental Score: N/A

Percentage of Shares Shorted

9.37% of the float of Lakeland Financial has been sold short.

Short Interest Ratio / Days to Cover

Lakeland Financial has a short interest ratio ("days to cover") of 12.7, which indicates bearish sentiment.

Change versus previous month

Short interest in Lakeland Financial has recently increased by 5.45%, indicating that investor sentiment is decreasing significantly.

News and Social Media

• Score: 2.6 / 5
• News Sentiment: 0.75

News Sentiment

Lakeland Financial has a news sentiment score of 0.75. This score is calculated as an average of sentiment of articles about the company over the last seven days and ranges from 2 (good news) to -2 (bad news). This is a lower news sentiment than the 0.95 average news sentiment score of Finance companies.

News Coverage This Week

MarketBeat has tracked 4 news articles for Lakeland Financial this week, compared to 3 articles on an average week.

Search Interest

1 people have searched for LKFN on MarketBeat in the last 30 days.

Company Ownership

• Score: 3.3 / 5
• Insider Trading: Acquiring Shares

Insider Buying vs. Insider Selling

In the past three months, Lakeland Financial insiders have bought more of their company's stock than they have sold. Specifically, they have bought $499,454.00 in company stock and sold $0.00 in company stock.

Percentage Held by Insiders

Only 3.00% of the stock of Lakeland Financial is held by insiders.

Percentage Held by Institutions

81.15% of the stock of Lakeland Financial is held by institutions. High institutional ownership can be a signal of strong market trust in this company.

LKFN Stock Analysis - Frequently Asked Questions

How have LKFN shares performed this year?

Lakeland Financial's stock was trading at $68.76 at the beginning of 2025. Since then, LKFN shares have decreased by 5.4% and is now trading at $65.04.

How were Lakeland Financial's earnings last quarter?

Lakeland Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:LKFN) issued its quarterly earnings data on Friday, April, 25th. The financial services provider reported $0.78 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $0.87 by $0.09. The financial services provider earned $90.46 million during the quarter, compared to analysts' expectations of $63.54 million. Lakeland Financial had a trailing twelve-month return on equity of 12.71% and a net margin of 21.08%.

How do I buy shares of Lakeland Financial?

Shares of LKFN stock can be purchased through any online brokerage account. Popular online brokerages with access to the U.S. stock market include Charles Schwab, E*TRADE, Fidelity, and Vanguard Brokerage Services.

What other stocks do shareholders of Lakeland Financial own?

Based on aggregate information from My MarketBeat watchlists, some other companies that Lakeland Financial investors own include Humana (HUM), American Water Works (AWK), Waste Connections (WCN), Voyager Therapeutics (VYGR), The RMR Group (RMR), DiamondRock Hospitality (DRH) and iShares Micro-Cap ETF (IWC).

Company Calendar

• Last Earnings: 4/25/2025
• Record date for 5/5 Dividend: 4/25/2025
• Ex-Dividend for 5/5 Dividend: 4/25/2025
• Dividend Payable: 5/05/2025
• Today: 7/11/2025
• Record date for 8/5 Dividend: 7/25/2025
• Ex-Dividend for 8/5 Dividend: 7/25/2025
• Next Earnings (Estimated): 7/25/2025
• Dividend Payable: 8/05/2025
• Fiscal Year End: 12/31/2025

Industry, Sector and Symbol

• Stock Exchange: NASDAQ
• Sector: Finance
• Industry: BANKS - MIDWEST
• Sub-Industry: Regional Banks
• Current Symbol: NASDAQ:LKFN
• CIK: 721994
• Web: www.lakecitybank.com
• Phone: (574) 267-6144
• Fax: 574-267-6063
• Employees: 650
• Year Founded: 1872

Price Target and Rating

• Average Price Target for Lakeland Financial: $68.50
• High Price Target: $72.00
• Low Price Target: $65.00
• Potential Upside/Downside: +5.3%
• Consensus Rating: Moderate Buy
• Rating Score (0-4): 2.50
• Research Coverage: 2 Analysts

Profitability

• EPS (Trailing Twelve Months): $3.50
• Trailing P/E Ratio: 18.58
• Forward P/E Ratio: 17.58
• P/E Growth: N/A
• Net Income: $93.48 million
• Net Margins: 21.08%
• Pretax Margin: 25.28%
• Return on Equity: 12.71%
• Return on Assets: 1.30%

Debt

• Debt-to-Equity Ratio: 0.16
• Current Ratio: 0.90
• Quick Ratio: 0.90

Sales & Book Value

• Annual Sales: $257.30 million
• Price / Sales: 6.46
• Cash Flow: $3.94 per share
• Price / Cash Flow: 16.50
• Book Value: $26.81 per share
• Price / Book: 2.43

Miscellaneous

• Outstanding Shares: 25,557,000
• Free Float: 24,790,000
• Market Cap: $1.66 billion
• Optionable: Optionable
• Beta: 0.60