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Research Alert: Cfr: Q1 Earnings Beat; Loan Growth Continues While Deposit Costs Fall

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-- CFRA, an independent research provider, has providedwith the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:

CFR posted solid Q1 2026 results with GAAP EPS of $2.65 vs. $2.30 in the prior year, beating consensus by $0.16. Revenue of $597M rose 7% Y/Y and beat estimates by 2%, while net interest margin expanded 8 bps to 3.74%. We view underlying metrics positively as CFR demonstrated positive operating leverage and credit quality outpaced peers. Management opened its 205th location in Austin, executing its market penetration strategy across Texas's high-growth areas. Average loans grew 6% Y/Y to $22B while deposits declined 3% Q/Q to $42B, though this was strategic as CFR cut interest-bearing deposit costs by 29 bps to 3.64%. Credit metrics improved with non-accrual loans declining to 0.32% of total loans from 0.40% a year earlier, and the 1.28% allowance ratio reflects confidence in the portfolio quality. In our view, CFR's ability to navigate the interest rate environment while maintaining competitive positioning supports its continued outperformance in the Texas markets.

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Research Alert: CFRA Keeps Buy Opinion On Shares Of Firstenergy Corp.

CFRA, an independent research provider, has providedwith the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:We trim our 12-month target by $1 to $55, 20.0x our next-12-month EPS view of $2.75, a premium to its five-year average of 15.6x. We reduce our 2026 EPS view by $0.02 to $2.72 and 2027 EPS by $0.01 to $2.93. The Q1 core EPS increase (+7.5% Y/Y) breaks a three-quarter streak of declines, and we see continued momentum throughout our forecast horizon. We see positive data center demand trends, with long-term contracted demand (4.3 GW) up 4% since February 2026 (4.1 GW) and up 47% since February 2025 (2.9 GW), while pipeline demand (14.9 GW) is up 15% since February 2026 (12.9 GW) and has more than doubled since February 2025 (6.1 GW). FE has reduced base O&M by over $200M (15%) since 2022, with Q1 2026 showing an additional ~5% YoY decline, while simultaneously improving reliability metrics. We think FE's cost discipline, service quality improvement, and competitive rate positioning should translate into more favorable rate case outcomes, reduced disallowance risk, and potentially higher allowed ROEs.

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Sector Update: Consumer

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Khamenei Signals New Hormuz Phase, Vows Strait Security as US Blockade Holds

Iran's new supreme leader Ayatollah Mojtaba Khamenei said Thursday that a new phase is unfolding in the Strait of Hormuz and that Iran will ensure the security of the waterway."A new chapter for the Persian Gulf and the Strait of Hormuz is unfolding," Khamenei said in a post on X, adding that US presence remains "the main source of instability in the region.""The brilliant future of the Persian Gulf region will be a future without the US," Khamenei said, noting that regional progress and prosperity should develop independently of foreign influence.He added that Iran shared "a common destiny with our neighbors surrounding the waters of the Persian Gulf and the Sea of Oman," emphasizing regional cooperation and alignment."The Islamic Iran... will ensure the security of the Persian Gulf," Khamenei said, highlighting Iran's role in managing the Strait of Hormuz.Iran reportedly proposed reopening the Strait of Hormuz in exchange for the US lifting its naval blockade and ending the war, while deferring nuclear talks.The proposal followed President Donald Trump's decision to cancel sending representatives to Islamabad for a second round of negotiations.Trump said the US will continue the naval blockade until Iran addresses Washington's concerns over its nuclear program, Trump told Axios in a Wednesday phone interview."The blockade is somewhat more effective than the bombing," President Donald Trump said, adding that the US will maintain pressure until Iran agrees to a nuclear deal.Shipping data showed all 12 verified transits on April 29 moved west to east with no return traffic, highlighting directional imbalance in flows, according to MarineTraffic in a Thursday post, citing Kpler data.Transit volumes rose slightly from the prior day but remained below earlier peaks, with activity shifting toward dry cargo such as steel and cement while tanker participation stayed limited, the data showed.A total of about 2,000 commercial vessels are trapped inside the Gulf, while 400 tankers and LNG and LPG carriers are waiting outside the Strait, according to the Hormuz Strait Monitor.Brent crude fell 3.35% to $114.08 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate declined 2.05% to $104.69, reflecting continued pressure on oil prices amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.