Stephens on Monday raised its price target for Heritage Financial (NASDAQ:HFWA) to $30.00 from $28.00, retaining an Equal Weight recommendation on the shares. According to InvestingPro data cited by the analyst, HFWA was trading at $26.46, which the data provider indicates is below the bank's assessed Fair Value.
The lift in the price target follows a solid fourth-quarter performance from Heritage Financial. The company delivered fourth-quarter operating earnings per share of $0.66, topping Stephens' $0.55 estimate and the Street's $0.56 forecast. Pre-provision net revenue for the quarter reached $25.3 million, a read that was 4.2% above consensus estimates.
On core banking metrics, Heritage Financial beat expectations on net interest income by 1.0%, while its reported net interest margin came in 5 basis points higher than Street forecasts. Those outcomes underpin Stephens' assessment that the franchise is generating favorable margin traction as it integrates recent business developments.
Valuation measures cited by Stephens show HFWA trading at a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.56 and carrying a low PEG ratio of 0.23, metrics the analyst flagged as suggestive of an attractive valuation relative to the bank's growth prospects. The stock also carries a dividend track record, with InvestingPro data indicating 16 consecutive years of dividend payments and a current yield of 3.61%.
Despite the stronger quarter, Stephens made a modest downward revision to its 2026 pre-provision net revenue forecast, reducing it by 2.6%. The analyst explained the cut as a response to higher operating expenses expected in the second and third quarters and to the delayed recognition of planned cost savings.
Looking ahead, Stephens projects Heritage Financial will return to its historical loan growth cadence - characterized as mid-single to high-single digit growth - in 2026. The firm also expects the company's net interest margin to continue expanding organically and to receive an incremental boost from the closing of the Kitsap acquisition on January 31.
Stephens' note incorporates its view of how the Kitsap transaction will affect the bank's capital base. The deal is likely to push Heritage Financial's common equity tier 1 ratio to roughly 12%, and Stephens does not anticipate material additional capital deployment until later in 2026.
Other reported developments in recent company news reinforce the message of stronger-than-expected results. Heritage Financial reported fourth-quarter 2025 earnings of $0.65 per share versus a $0.56 forecast, a 16.07% positive surprise, and posted revenue of $66.35 million compared with consensus of $66.1 million. Separately, DA Davidson raised its price target on Heritage Financial to $32 from $29 and maintained a Buy rating, citing the company's net interest margin traction in the fourth quarter of 2025.
Bottom line - Analysts are responding to a quarter that delivered better-than-expected earnings, revenue and margin metrics. Stephens raised its target and kept an Equal Weight stance while trimming 2026 pre-provision net revenue modestly to account for near-term expense timing and delayed cost-savings recognition. The Kitsap acquisition and reported margin momentum are central to expectations for gradual margin expansion and a stable capital posture into 2026.