Home BancShares Trails the Market as StockStory Flags Slower Growth

Home BancShares gained 9% over the past six months, trailing the S&P 500’s 22.1% return, according to StockStory. The publisher said the bank’s income and earnings growth make its shares less appealing.

As of 16:06 UTC on Sept. 29, Home BancShares traded at $28.39, down 1.63% since the previous close. The article cited a $28.86 share price and a valuation of 1.3 times forward price-to-book.

StockStory noted that Home BancShares’ net interest income grew at a 9.6% annualized rate over five years, slightly below the broader banking industry. Analysts expect net interest income to rise 5.9% over the next 12 months, near the 6% annualized pace of the past two years.

The publisher also said earnings per share grew at a 6.1% compound annual rate over five years, below revenue growth of 9.8%. StockStory characterized the valuation as reasonable but argued that weaker fundamentals raised too much downside risk. These are the publisher’s views, not company guidance.