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$SF

4 stories mentioning SF

Every FINWIRES story that references SF, newest first.

Research

Research Alert: CFRA Keeps Hold Rating On Shares Of Stifel Financial Corp.

CFRA, an independent research provider, has providedwith the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:Following Q1 results, we lower our 12-month target price by $7 to $84, applying a forward P/E of 11.9x our 2027 EPS view, in line with SF's 10-year historical forward P/E average and the peer average. We decrease our 2026 EPS estimate to $6.35 from $6.43 and 2027's to $7.04 from $7.23. Our revenue projections are $6.12B (+10%) in 2026 and $6.74B (+10%) in 2027. Our revision reflects a more cautious outlook despite a strong quarter in which both segments performed well, with the Institutional Group surging 29% Y/Y on record investment banking and Global Wealth Management up 10%. While we remain positive on SF's strong investment banking pipeline, we temper our forecast due to increasing macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainty, which could affect the timing of future business. Still, the positive margin impact from the recent sale of SIA and the European equities restructuring should provide a structural tailwind to profitability.

$SF
Sectors

Sector Update: Financial Stocks Advance Pre-Bell Wednesday

Financial stocks were advancing pre-bell Wednesday, with the State Street Financial Select Sector SPDR ETF (XLF) up 0.3%.The Direxion Daily Financial Bull 3X Shares (FAS) was 1% higher and its bearish counterpart Direxion Daily Financial Bear 3X Shares (FAZ) was down 0.7%.Moody's (MCO) shares were up more than 2% after the company posted higher Q1 adjusted earnings and revenue.Stifel Financial (SF) stock was up more than 3% after the company reported higher Q1 non-GAAP earnings and net revenue.CME Group (CME) shares were down more than 1% even after the company reported higher Q1 adjusted earnings and revenue.

$CME$FAS$FAZ$MCO$SF$XLF
Research

Research Alert: Sf Delivers Record Q1 2026 Results With Surging Investment Banking Activity

CFRA, an independent research provider, has providedwith the following research alert. Analysts at CFRA have summarized their opinion as follows:Stifel Financial Corp. (SF) posted record Q1 2026 net revenues of $1.48B (+18%), beating the Street's estimate of $1.46B, with adjusted EPS of $1.45 versus $0.33 prior year, a $0.07 beat. Outperformance stemmed from robust investment banking activity, wealth management expansion, and a $49.8M gain from the Stifel Independent Advisors sale. Global Wealth Management generated $932.1M (+10%) with 35.5% pre-tax margins, while client assets reached $538.7B (+11%) and fee-based assets grew 16% to $219.9B. The Institutional Group delivered outstanding results with revenues of $495.3M (+29%) and pre-tax margins improving to 19.8% from 7.1%, led by investment banking revenues surging 45% with advisory up 59%. Expense discipline was evident as the compensation ratio improved to 57.5% and overall pre-tax margins expanded to 22.2% from 6.1%. SF maintained balance sheet strength with tangible book value per share of $24.89 (+12%) and returned $224.4M through share repurchases while maintaining its $0.34 quarterly dividend.

$SF
US Markets

Wealth Brokers, Investment Banks Faced Uneven First-Quarter Activity, UBS Says

Wealth brokers and investment banks faced uneven market activity in the first quarter due to geopolitical uncertainty, UBS Securities said in client note sent Wednesday.For the first quarter, UBS is projecting earnings per share to be down 7% quarter on quarter and up 22% annually for wealth brokers. For investment banks, the broker is looking at a 29% slump in EPS on a quarterly basis and an 11% jump year over year."For wealth brokers, growth was tempered by lower March market levels, though retail trading picked up on volatility," UBS analysts, including Michael Brown, wrote. "Organic growth was solid versus expectations, with the setup improving into (2026)."Meanwhile, momentum faded for investment banks during the quarter as pipelines shrank from the year end, "with some deals likely paused pending macro clarity, creating an activity air pocket," Brown said.Late Tuesday, the US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire. The war, which began at the end of February, spread across the Middle East and curtailed shipments through the crucial Strait of Hormuz.UBS named Charles Schwab (SCHW) and Stifel Financial (SF) as its top picks heading into the first-quarter earnings season, saying Evercore (EVR) is "favorably positioned." Moelis (MC), Lazard (LAZ), and Raymond James Financial (RJF) are expected to "lag on a relative basis," according to the brokerage.UBS upgraded LPL Financial (LPLA) to buy, citing an attractive valuation.UBS lowered its price targets for wealth brokers and investment banks by 8% and 2% on average, respectively.The brokerage expects artificial intelligence to be a key topic at the upcoming earnings season for wealth brokers."In the wealth space, we expect AI to improve advisor productivity, though see risks to sweep cash economics and to market share of advised assets," Brown said. "Ultimately, we see these threats as slower moving than the bears think and see forward-looking firms as well positioned to adapt and thrive."

$EVR$LAZ$LPLA$MC$RJF$SCHW$SF