Renasant Corporation RNST

The stocks in this article have caught Wall Street’s attention in a big way, with price targets implying returns above 20%. But investors should take these forecasts with a grain of salt because analysts typically say nice things about companies so their firms can win business in other product lines like M&A advisory.

The end of the earnings season is always a good time to take a step back and see who shined (and who didn’t). Let’s take a look at how regional banks stocks fared in Q2, starting with Renasant (NYSE:RNST).

Renasant (RNST) has drawn fresh attention after naming longtime bank analyst Catherine Mealor as its next Chief Financial Officer, a leadership change that comes at a time when margins are tightening and deposit costs are climbing. Renasant shares trade at $40.35, with the stock showing a 14.08% year to date share price return. The 3 year total shareholder return of 66.39% and 5 year total shareholder return of 25.40% point to momentum that has cooled in recent months as investors weigh...