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S&P Downgrades 5 Banks: What Does It Mean For The Market?UMB Financial NASDAQ: UMBF reported third-quarter 2026 net income of $272.3 million, or $3.56 per share, as loan growth, fee income momentum and stable net interest margin supported an operating return on tangible common equity of 19.5%.

The company also announced an agreement to acquire Placerville, California-based El Dorado Savings Bank, a transaction UMB said would expand its West Coast retail presence and add a low-cost consumer deposit base. The deal is expected to close in the first quarter of 2027, subject to El Dorado shareholder and regulatory approvals.

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Loan growth and credit quality
UMB produced a record $3.1 billion of loans during the quarter, driving a $1.1 billion increase in average loan balances, or 11.1% on an annualized linked-quarter basis. Average commercial and industrial balances rose at a nearly 22% annualized rate, with activity led by St. Louis, Texas and Utah, according to Chief Financial Officer Ram Shankar.

Management expects loan production to moderate in the fourth quarter from the third-quarter record, though it said the pipeline remains healthy. Chairman and CEO Mariner Kemper said production could return closer to levels seen during the first half of the year, while executives noted that the quarter’s growth was diversified rather than concentrated in one industry or segment.

Credit metrics remained strong. Net charge-offs totaled 13 basis points, while the nonperforming loan ratio improved to 28 basis points from 31 basis points in the second quarter. Kemper said the company’s credit discipline centers on identifying potential problems early and actively managing watch-list credits.

On deposits, average balances increased 1.1% from the prior quarter. Average demand deposit account balances declined 6.1%, which management attributed to expected seasonal institutional banking disbursements. Executives said they expect the seasonal deposit pattern to reverse in the fourth quarter and cited visibility into commercial and institutional deposit growth in the first quarter.

Margin, fee income and expenses
Reported net interest margin was 3.32%, unchanged from the second quarter. Purchase accounting adjustments contributed about 22 basis points to margin, including $9 million of accelerated accretion related to early payoffs of acquired HTLF loans. Excluding those adjustments, core net interest margin was 3.10%, up one basis point sequentially.

Shankar said fourth-quarter core margin is expected to be relatively flat. He cited continued benefits from fixed-rate asset repricing, higher reinvestment rates in lending and securities portfolios, and a greater mix of higher-yielding commercial and industrial loans. Those factors were partly offset by seasonal demand deposit declines and higher interest-bearing deposit costs.

Non-interest income totaled $232.4 million, down $13.1 million from the second quarter. The decline reflected a $16.1 million reduction in investment securities gains after a strong prior quarter and a $7 million decrease in company-owned life insurance income. Excluding securities gains, company-owned life insurance mark-to-market effects and a one-time building-sale gain, fee income increased $8.2 million, or 3.9%, sequentially to an approximately $218 million run rate.

Institutional banking fee income rose 3.2% from the second quarter and nearly 18% year to date. Fund services revenue within trust and securities processing increased 8.8% sequentially and more than 22% year to date. Corporate Trust revenue increased nearly 19% year to date, and Kemper said the business had reached the No. 2 position nationally among municipal trustees by deal count.

Private wealth teams generated $1.2 billion in net new assets through September, matching the company’s full-year 2025 level. UMB reported year-to-date positive operating leverage of 11.5%.

Non-interest expense was $399.5 million, essentially unchanged from the second quarter. The company expects fourth-quarter operating expenses of $400 million to $405 million, reflecting incentive compensation accruals tied to performance and technology project costs. Shankar said UMB has rolled out Glean, an artificial intelligence tool, to nearly 1,000 associates, generating more than 550 use cases across customer-facing and back-office functions.

El Dorado acquisition expands West Coast footprint
UMB’s proposed acquisition of El Dorado Savings Bank would add 35 branches across the Sacramento metropolitan area, Sierra Nevada foothills, Lake Tahoe and Reno markets. UMB said its total branch count would rise 18% to 227.

El Dorado has approximately $2.1 billion in deposits and $500 million in loans, with a 24% loan-to-deposit ratio. Its third-quarter total cost of deposits was 88 basis points, while 89% of deposits were insured. Kemper said the average deposit account age, excluding certificates of deposit, was 14 years, and average deposits per branch were about $60 million.

The acquired loan portfolio is primarily composed of consumer mortgages, with a 39% loan-to-value ratio and an average loan size of $138,000. El Dorado also holds about $1.4 billion of primarily mortgage-backed securities, which Shankar said would be marked to market in the acquisition.

The approximately $500 million purchase price will be structured as a cash-and-stock transaction. UMB plans to issue 1.8 million shares to El Dorado shareholders based on a fixed exchange ratio of 13.553 UMB shares for each El Dorado share. The company expects the transaction to be modestly accretive to earnings in 2027 and estimates a 15- to 20-basis-point impact on its CET1 ratio at closing.

Kemper said UMB expects to preserve El Dorado’s customer, associate and community focus while using the acquired liquidity to support lending growth. He added that the transaction would not prevent UMB from considering additional tuck-in acquisitions, provided they fit its strategy and do not push the company above the $100 billion asset threshold before it is prepared.

About UMB Financial (NASDAQ:UMBF)UMB Financial Corporation is a financial holding company headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. Its principal subsidiary, UMB Bank, provides banking and financial services to individuals, businesses, institutions and government entities. The company serves customers through banking offices and digital channels across the Midwest and other U.S. markets.

UMB Bank offers commercial and personal banking products, including deposit accounts, loans, treasury management, payment services and credit solutions.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].

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UMB Financial Corporation ( UMBF ) Q3 2026 Earnings Call October 28, 2026 9:30 AM EDT Company Participants Kay Gregory - Director of Investor Relations & Senior VP J. Kemper - Chairman & CEO Ram Shankar - Executive VP & CFO James Rine - President & Vice Chairman John Pauls Conference Call Participants Casey Haire Jared David Shaw - Barclays Bank PLC, Research Division Jon Arfstrom - RBC Capital Markets, Research Division Sun Young Lee - TD Cowen, Research Division Timur Braziler - UBS Investment Bank, Research Division Brian Wilczynski - Morgan Stanley, Research Division Brandon Rud - Stephens Inc., Research Division Brendan Nosal - Hovde Group, LLC, Research Division Nathan Race - Piper Sandler & Co., Research Division Terry McEvoy David Feaster - Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Research Division Benjamin Gerlinger - Citigroup Inc., Research Division Anthony Elian - JPMorgan Chase & Co, Research Division Presentation Operator Hello, everyone.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UMB announced net income available to common shareholders for the third quarter of 2026 of $272.3 million, or $3.56 per diluted share.

UMB Financial (UMBF - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $3.56 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.22 per share. This compares to earnings of $2.7 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +10.56%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this bank holding company would post earnings of $3.08 per share when it actually produced earnings of $3.57, delivering a surprise of +15.91%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times.

UMB, which belongs to the Zacks Banks - Midwest industry, posted revenues of $781.07 million for the quarter ended September 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 4.15%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $686.65 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters.

The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.

UMB shares have added about 16.7% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 12.1%.

What's Next for UMB?While UMB has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?

There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.

Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.

Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for UMB was favorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to outperform the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $3.30 on $765.97 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $13.37 on $3.05 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.

Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Banks - Midwest is currently in the top 30% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.

One other stock from the broader Zacks Finance sector, Douglas Emmett (DEI - Free Report) , is yet to report results for the quarter ended September 2026. The results are expected to be released on November 3.

This real estate investment trust is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.33 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -2.9%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.5% lower over the last 30 days to the current level.

Douglas Emmett's revenues are expected to be $254.56 million, up 1.6% from the year-ago quarter.

The proven Zacks Rank system focuses on earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find winning stocks. Nevertheless, we know that our readers all have their own perspectives, so we are always looking at the latest trends in value, growth, and momentum to find strong picks.

Looking at the history of these trends, perhaps none is more beloved than value investing. This strategy simply looks to identify companies that are being undervalued by the broader market. Value investors rely on traditional forms of analysis on key valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are undervalued, leaving room for profits.

On top of the Zacks Rank, investors can also look at our innovative Style Scores system to find stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will want to focus on the "Value" category. Stocks with high Zacks Ranks and "A" grades for Value will be some of the highest-quality value stocks on the market today.

One stock to keep an eye on is UMB Financial (UMBF - Free Report) . UMBF is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) and an A for Value.

Investors should also recognize that UMBF has a P/B ratio of 1.35. Investors use the P/B ratio to look at a stock's market value versus its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This stock's P/B looks solid versus its industry's average P/B of 1.87. Within the past 52 weeks, UMBF's P/B has been as high as 1.76 and as low as 0.99, with a median of 1.41.

Finally, investors should note that UMBF has a P/CF ratio of 15.76. This figure highlights a company's operating cash flow and can be used to find firms that are undervalued when considering their impressive cash outlook. UMBF's P/CF compares to its industry's average P/CF of 18.45. Within the past 12 months, UMBF's P/CF has been as high as 16.15 and as low as 8.94, with a median of 12.36.

Value investors will likely look at more than just these metrics, but the above data helps show that UMB Financial is likely undervalued currently. And when considering the strength of its earnings outlook, UMBF sticks out as one of the market's strongest value stocks.

A downtrend has been apparent in UMB Financial (UMBF - Free Report) lately with too much selling pressure. The stock has declined 9.2% over the past four weeks. However, given the fact that it is now in oversold territory and Wall Street analysts are majorly in agreement about the company's ability to report better earnings than they predicted earlier, the stock could be due for a turnaround.

We use Relative Strength Index (RSI), one of the most commonly used technical indicators, for spotting whether a stock is oversold. This is a momentum oscillator that measures the speed and change of price movements.

RSI oscillates between zero and 100. Usually, a stock is considered oversold when its RSI reading falls below 30.

Technically, every stock oscillates between being overbought and oversold irrespective of the quality of their fundamentals. And the beauty of RSI is that it helps you quickly and easily check if a stock's price is reaching a point of reversal.

So, by this measure, if a stock has gotten too far below its fair value just because of unwarranted selling pressure, investors may start looking for entry opportunities in the stock for benefiting from the inevitable rebound.

However, like every investing tool, RSI has its limitations, and should not be used alone for making an investment decision.

Here's Why UMBF Could Experience a TurnaroundThe heavy selling of UMBF shares appears to be in the process of exhausting itself, as indicated by its RSI reading of 28.09. So, the trend for the stock could reverse soon for reaching the old equilibrium of supply and demand.

The RSI value is not the only factor that indicates a potential turnaround for the stock in the near term. On the fundamental side, there has been strong agreement among the sell-side analysts covering the stock in raising earnings estimates for the current year. Over the last 30 days, the consensus EPS estimate for UMBF has increased 0.2%. And an upward trend in earnings estimate revisions usually translates into price appreciation in the near term.

Moreover, UMBF currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), which means it is in the top 20% of more than 4,000 stocks that we rank based on trends in earnings estimate revisions and EPS surprises. This is a more conclusive indication of the stock's potential turnaround in the near term. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .

KANSAS CITY, Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UMB Financial Corporation (Nasdaq: UMBF), a financial services company, will release earnings results for the third quarter 2026 after market hours on Tuesday, October 27, 2026. The company plans to host an investor conference call to discuss these results on Wednesday, October 28, at 8:30 a.m. (CT) / 9:30 a.m. (ET).

Interested parties may access the call by dialing (toll-free) 833-461-5787 or (international) 585-542-9983 and requesting to join the UMB Financial call with conference ID 376 166 699.

The live webcast may also be accessed by visiting investorrelations.umb.com or by using the following link:

UMB Financial 3Q 2026 Conference Call

A replay of the conference call may be heard through November 11, by calling (toll-free) 833-309-1852 or (international) 929-828-5978. The replay access code required for playback is 376 166 699. The call replay may also be accessed at investorrelations.umb.com.

About UMB:

UMB Financial Corporation (Nasdaq: UMBF) is a financial services company headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri. UMB offers commercial banking, which includes comprehensive deposit, lending, investment and retirement plan services; personal banking, which includes comprehensive deposit, lending, wealth management and financial planning services; and institutional banking, which includes asset servicing, corporate trust solutions, investment banking and healthcare services. UMB operates branches throughout Missouri, Arizona, California, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Illinois, Minnesota, Nebraska, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Texas, Utah and Wisconsin. As the company’s reach continues to grow, it also serves business clients nationwide and institutional clients in several countries. For more information, visit UMB.com, UMB Blog, UMB Facebook and UMB LinkedIn.

Key Takeaways UMB Financial's shares gained 14.7% in a year, supported by balance sheet and fee-income growth.UMB Financial's 1H26 NII rose 23.4%, while net interest margin expanded to 3.35%.Elevated costs and commercial loan concentration could pressure UMB Financial's near-term results. Shares of UMB Financial (UMBF - Free Report)  have risen 14.7% in the past year against the industry’s 1.4% decline. In the same time frame, the S&P 500 has gained 17.2%.

Also, the company’s shares have fared better than those of its peers, such as Associated Banc-Corp (ASB - Free Report) and The Bank of Hawaii Corporation (BOH - Free Report) . In the past year, Associated Banc-Corp and Bank of Hawaii shares have gained 13.3% and 9.3%, respectively.

UMBF One-Year Price Performance

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Does UMBF stock have more upside left despite recent price strength? Let us find out by looking at its fundamentals and growth prospects.

Key Factors Supporting UMB FinancialHealthy Balance Sheet Expansion: UMB Financial continues to benefit from strong balance sheet growth, supported by organic expansion and the January 2025 acquisition of Heartland Financial USA. Total loans and deposits increased at a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 19.3% and 17.5%, respectively, during 2020-2025. The Heartland acquisition added $9.7 billion of loans and $14.3 billion of deposits, further strengthening the company’s scale and market presence. The growth momentum continued in the first half of 2026, with both loans and deposits increasing year over year. Management noted that loan and deposit pipelines remain broad-based across markets, supported by continued strength in commercial and industrial (C&I) lending and steady core deposit trends. Sustained balance sheet expansion should provide a solid foundation for future revenue and earnings growth.

Resilient Net Interest Income (NII): UMB Financial has demonstrated strong NII growth, with the metric increasing at a five-year CAGR of 20.6% through 2025, supported by balance sheet expansion and a favorable funding mix. The momentum continued in the first half of 2026, with NII rising 23.4% year over year. During the same period, net interest margin expanded 31 basis points to 3.35%, aided by a favorable earning-asset mix, deposit repricing and improved spreads. Despite changes in the interest-rate environment, UMB Financial's favorable funding mix, strong C&I demand and disciplined deposit pricing should provide support to NII. These factors, combined with continued loan growth, should help sustain net interest revenue in the upcoming periods.

Diversified Fee-Based Revenues: UMB Financial continues to expand its fee-generating businesses, reducing reliance on spread income. Noninterest income increased at a five-year CAGR of 7.1% through 2025, driven by growth in fund services and private wealth businesses. The Heartland acquisition further expanded the company's geographic reach and increased private wealth management Assets Under Management/Administration (AUM/AUA) by 32%, strengthening its fee-generating franchise and cross-selling opportunities. The positive trend continued in the first half of 2026, supported by higher revenues from fund services, corporate trust, deposit service charges and investment banking. In June 2026, UMB Fund Services integrated iCapital's distributed ledger technology into its alternative investment servicing infrastructure, which is expected to improve the efficiency and scalability of fund servicing workflows. Active pipelines across fund services, corporate trust and private wealth should support continued growth in fee-based revenues.

Strong Liquidity and Capital Returns: UMB Financial maintains a solid liquidity position, with cash and interest-bearing deposits of $5.7 billion compared with total short- and long-term debt of $3.6 billion as of June 30, 2026. This provides the company with flexibility to meet its funding requirements and support ongoing business operations. UMBF also continues to return capital to its shareholders. The company has increased its dividend annually since 2002, with the latest increase of 16.3% to 50 cents per share announced in July 2026. In April 2026, the board approved a new share repurchase program for up to 2 million shares, of which approximately 1.96 million remained available as of June 30, 2026. Management continues to prioritize organic loan growth, followed by dividends and opportunistic share repurchases, supporting continued shareholder distributions.

Key Factors Weighing on UMB FinancialElevated Operating Costs: UMB Financial continues to face pressure from a rising cost base. Noninterest expenses increased at a five-year CAGR of 14.6% during 2020-2025, driven by business expansion and the integration of Heartland Financial. The upward trend continued in the first half of 2026, with expenses affected by higher salaries and benefits, legal and consulting costs, operational losses and processing fees. Management expects operating noninterest expenses to remain elevated at around $390 million in the third quarter. Continued investments and integration-related costs could therefore constrain operating leverage and weigh on near-term bottom-line growth.

Total Expense Trend

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Commercial Loan Concentration: UMB Financial's loan portfolio remains significantly concentrated in commercial lending. C&I and commercial real estate (CRE) loans accounted for roughly 84% of average loans in the second quarter of 2026. While commercial lending continues to support loan growth, this concentration increases the company's sensitivity to changes in business conditions and commercial real estate markets. Net charge-offs were 0.16% of average loans in the second quarter, while nonaccrual and restructured loans represented 0.31% of total loans. Any deterioration in commercial borrowers' financial conditions or property markets could therefore lead to higher credit costs and pressure financial performance.

UMBF’s Earnings & Valuation AnalysisThe Zacks Consensus Estimate points to sustained earnings growth over the next two years. The consensus estimates for 2026 earnings of $13.35 per share and 2027 earnings of $13.89 reflect continued earnings momentum. This growth, combined with recent share-price strength, supports UMBF’s near-term outlook.

Earnings Estimates

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

In terms of its valuation, UMB Financial stock is currently trading at a trailing 12-month price-to-earnings (P/E) ratio of 10.64X, compared with the industry average of 10.58X. This indicates that UMBF is currently trading at a premium to its industry.

Price-to-Earnings TTM

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

UMBF trades at a discount compared with Bank of Hawaii, while Associated Banc-Corp trades at a premium. At present, Bank of Hawaii and Associated Banc-Corp trade at a trailing 12-month P/E of 13.37X and 9.98X, respectively.

How to Approach UMBF Stock Now?UMB Financial appears well positioned for continued growth, supported by strong balance sheet expansion, resilient net interest income, improving fee-based revenues and solid capital levels. The successful integration of Heartland Financial has strengthened the company’s scale and market presence, while healthy loan demand and an expanding net interest margin should continue to support earnings.

Although elevated operating expenses and commercial loan concentration remain risks, improving revenue trends and strong fundamentals could support further gains in the stock.

With its solid earnings outlook, diversified revenue streams and favorable growth prospects, UMB Financial remains a solid investment option for investors seeking exposure to a growing regional banking franchise. Continued execution on growth initiatives, expense management and credit quality will be key to sustaining its positive momentum.

Currently, UMBF stock carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

A downtrend has been apparent in UMB Financial (UMBF - Free Report) lately with too much selling pressure. The stock has declined 7.3% over the past four weeks. However, given the fact that it is now in oversold territory and Wall Street analysts are majorly in agreement about the company's ability to report better earnings than they predicted earlier, the stock could be due for a turnaround.

We use Relative Strength Index (RSI), one of the most commonly used technical indicators, for spotting whether a stock is oversold. This is a momentum oscillator that measures the speed and change of price movements.

RSI oscillates between zero and 100. Usually, a stock is considered oversold when its RSI reading falls below 30.

Technically, every stock oscillates between being overbought and oversold irrespective of the quality of their fundamentals. And the beauty of RSI is that it helps you quickly and easily check if a stock's price is reaching a point of reversal.

So, by this measure, if a stock has gotten too far below its fair value just because of unwarranted selling pressure, investors may start looking for entry opportunities in the stock for benefiting from the inevitable rebound.

However, like every investing tool, RSI has its limitations, and should not be used alone for making an investment decision.

Why a Trend Reversal is Due for UMBFThe heavy selling of UMBF shares appears to be in the process of exhausting itself, as indicated by its RSI reading of 29.67. So, the trend for the stock could reverse soon for reaching the old equilibrium of supply and demand.

This technical indicator is not the only factor that calls for a potential rebound for the stock. There is a fundamental indicator as well. A strong agreement among sell-side analysts covering UMBF in raising earnings estimates for the current year has led to an increase in the consensus EPS estimate by 0.5% over the last 30 days. And an upward trend in earnings estimate revisions usually translates into price appreciation in the near term.

Moreover, UMBF currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), which means it is in the top 20% of more than 4,000 stocks that we rank based on trends in earnings estimate revisions and EPS surprises. This is a more conclusive indication of the stock's potential turnaround in the near term. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .

Each week, Benzinga’s Stock Whisper Index uses a combination of proprietary data and pattern recognition to showcase five stocks that are just under the surface and deserve attention.

Investors are constantly on the hunt for undervalued, under-followed and emerging stocks. With countless methods available to retail traders, the challenge often lies in sifting through the abundance of information to uncover new opportunities and understand why certain stocks should be of interest.

Here’s a look at the Benzinga Stock Whisper Index for the week ending Sept. 18:

TD Synnex Corp (NYSE:SNX): The IT company saw strong interest from readers during the week, which comes ahead of third-quarter financial results. The company will report third quarter results Thursday. Analysts expect the company to report earnings per share of $4.68, up from $3.58 in last year’s third quarter and revenue of $18.86 billion, up from $15.65 billion in last year’s third quarter. The company has beaten analyst estimates for each figure in five straight quarters. Shares have pulled back some from all-time highs set in June, which could offer an opportunity to buy in or wait until after earnings to see where the company is headed.

Fluor Corporation (NYSE:FLR): Readers were actively searching the engineering and construction company during the week. While there is minimal recent news on the company, Fluor reported better than expected quarterly results last month. The company’s growth through data center construction is helping results and a growing backlog. Companies that have exposure to data center growth have been popular with traders and also have seen improved financials in many cases.

Datadog Inc (NASDAQ:DDOG): Companies in the cybersecurity sector are seeing strong interest with news about potential security concerns with AI companies and AI agents. Companies like Datadog are seeing increased interest from readers. Datadog shares are up 72% year-to-date, down from all-time highs set last month. With trends in both cybersecurity and software picking up, the company could be one to watch into its next quarterly earnings report.

NioCorp Developments (NASDAQ:NB): The smallest company by market capitalization on the list this week is a rare earth mining company. NioCorp is likely not familiar to many readers and could be worth exploring more. The company signed a deal with Lockheed Martin in August and also recently picked up coverage by Jefferies (Hold rating, $4.70 price target), which could put the company into the spotlight.

UMB Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:UMBF): The financial services company was one of many financial companies to see increased attention after the Federal Reserve announced a rate hike. Increased interest rates could put pressure on smaller banking companies like UMB Financial, which will make the stock one to watch. The company recently got initiation from UBS with a Neutral rating and $155 price target. Morgan Stanley recently maintained an Overweight rating on the stock and raised the price target from $159 to $190. While a rate hike may be a negative for the company, the impact has also been noted as positive in some cases.  

Stay tuned for next week’s report, and follow Benzinga Pro for all the latest headlines and top market-moving stories here.

Read the latest Stock Whisper Index reports here:

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UMB Financial (UMBF - Free Report) has been beaten down lately with too much selling pressure. While the stock has lost 8.2% over the past four weeks, there is light at the end of the tunnel as it is now in oversold territory and Wall Street analysts expect the company to report better earnings than they predicted earlier.

We use Relative Strength Index (RSI), one of the most commonly used technical indicators, for spotting whether a stock is oversold. This is a momentum oscillator that measures the speed and change of price movements.

RSI oscillates between zero and 100. Usually, a stock is considered oversold when its RSI reading falls below 30.

Technically, every stock oscillates between being overbought and oversold irrespective of the quality of their fundamentals. And the beauty of RSI is that it helps you quickly and easily check if a stock's price is reaching a point of reversal.

So, by this measure, if a stock has gotten too far below its fair value just because of unwarranted selling pressure, investors may start looking for entry opportunities in the stock for benefiting from the inevitable rebound.

However, like every investing tool, RSI has its limitations, and should not be used alone for making an investment decision.

Here's Why UMBF Could Experience a TurnaroundThe RSI reading of 29.79 for UMBF is an indication that the heavy selling could be in the process of exhausting itself, so the stock could bounce back in a quest for reaching the old equilibrium of supply and demand.

This technical indicator is not the only factor that calls for a potential rebound for the stock. There is a fundamental indicator as well. A strong agreement among sell-side analysts covering UMBF in raising earnings estimates for the current year has led to an increase in the consensus EPS estimate by 0.5% over the last 30 days. And an upward trend in earnings estimate revisions usually translates into price appreciation in the near term.

Moreover, UMBF currently has a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), which means it is in the top 20% of more than 4,000 stocks that we rank based on trends in earnings estimate revisions and EPS surprises. This is a more conclusive indication of the stock's potential turnaround in the near term. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) stocks here >>>> .

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Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha's Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Here at Zacks, our focus is on the proven Zacks Rank system, which emphasizes earnings estimates and estimate revisions to find great stocks. Nevertheless, we are always paying attention to the latest value, growth, and momentum trends to underscore strong picks.

Of these, perhaps no stock market trend is more popular than value investing, which is a strategy that has proven to be successful in all sorts of market environments. Value investors rely on traditional forms of analysis on key valuation metrics to find stocks that they believe are undervalued, leaving room for profits.

Zacks has developed the innovative Style Scores system to highlight stocks with specific traits. For example, value investors will be interested in stocks with great grades in the "Value" category. When paired with a high Zacks Rank, "A" grades in the Value category are among the strongest value stocks on the market today.

One company to watch right now is UMB Financial (UMBF - Free Report) . UMBF is currently sporting a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy), as well as an A grade for Value.

Another valuation metric that we should highlight is UMBF's P/B ratio of 1.35. The P/B ratio is used to compare a stock's market value with its book value, which is defined as total assets minus total liabilities. This stock's P/B looks attractive against its industry's average P/B of 1.92. Within the past 52 weeks, UMBF's P/B has been as high as 1.76 and as low as 0.99, with a median of 1.41.

Finally, our model also underscores that UMBF has a P/CF ratio of 15.76. This metric focuses on a firm's operating cash flow and is often used to find stocks that are undervalued based on the strength of their cash outlook. This company's current P/CF looks solid when compared to its industry's average P/CF of 18.94. Within the past 12 months, UMBF's P/CF has been as high as 16.15 and as low as 8.94, with a median of 12.36.

These are only a few of the key metrics included in UMB Financial's strong Value grade, but they help show that the stock is likely undervalued right now. When factoring in the strength of its earnings outlook, UMBF looks like an impressive value stock at the moment.

Investors in UMB Financial Corporation (UMBF - Free Report) need to pay close attention to the stock based on moves in the options market lately. That is because the Sept. 18, 2026 $80 Put had some of the highest implied volatility of all equity options today.

What is Implied Volatility?Implied volatility shows how much movement the market is expecting in the future. Options with high levels of implied volatility suggest that investors in the underlying stocks are expecting a big move in one direction or the other. It could also mean there is an event coming up soon that may cause a big rally or a huge sell-off. However, implied volatility is only one piece of the puzzle when putting together an options trading strategy.

What do the Analysts Think?Clearly, options traders are pricing in a big move for UMB Financial shares, but what is the fundamental picture for the company? Currently, UMB Financial is a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) in the Banks – Midwest industry that ranks in the Top 28% of our Zacks Industry Rank. Over the last 30 days, three analysts have increased their earnings estimates for the current quarter, while none dropped the estimates. The net effect has taken our Zacks Consensus Estimate for the current quarter from $3.14 per share to $3.22 in that period.

Given the way analysts feel about UMB Financial right now, this huge implied volatility could mean there’s a trade developing. Oftentimes, options traders look for options with high levels of implied volatility to sell premium. This is a strategy many seasoned traders use because it captures decay. At expiration, the hope for these traders is that the underlying stock does not move as much as originally expected.

For new and old investors, taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals. Zacks Premium provides lots of different ways to do both.

The popular research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor, giving you access to daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens.

Zacks Premium includes access to the Zacks Style Scores as well.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? Developed alongside the Zacks Rank, the Zacks Style Scores are a group of complementary indicators that help investors pick stocks with the best chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Each stock is given an alphabetic rating of A, B, C, D or F based on their value, growth, and momentum qualities. With this system, an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on, meaning the better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreFinding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value, are what value investors like to focus on. So, the Value Style Score takes into account ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to highlight the most attractive and discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreGrowth investors, on the other hand, are more concerned with a company's financial strength and health, and its future outlook. The Growth Style Score examines things like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will experience sustainable growth over time.

Momentum ScoreMomentum trading is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook, and these investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." The Momentum Style Score can pinpoint good times to build a position in a stock, using factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates.

VGM ScoreWhat if you like to use all three types of investing? The VGM Score is a combination of all Style Scores, making it one of the most comprehensive indicators to use with the Zacks Rank. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, which helps narrow down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank A proprietary stock-rating model, the Zacks Rank utilizes the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings outlook, to help investors create a successful portfolio.

It's highly successful, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +23.94% average annual return since 1988. That's more than double the S&P 500. But because of the large number of stocks we rate, there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

With more than 800 top-rated stocks to choose from, it can certainly feel overwhelming to pick the ones that are right for you and your investing journey.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

You want to make sure you're buying stocks with the highest likelihood of success, and to do that, you'll need to pick stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B. If you like a stock that only has a #3 (Hold) rank, it should also have Scores of A or B to guarantee as much upside potential as possible.

Since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank, the direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy.

Here's an example: a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one with Style Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings outlook, and a bigger chance its share price will decrease too.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: UMB Financial (UMBF - Free Report) Headquartered in Kansas City, MO, UMB Financial Corporation provides banking services and asset servicing in the United States. Its banking subsidiary — UMB Bank, National Association — offers banking, asset management, trust, credit card and cash-management services to commercial, retail, government and correspondent-bank customers.

UMBF is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of B.

It also boasts a Value Style Score of B thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 11.05; value investors should take notice.

For fiscal 2026, six analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.35 to $13.21 per share. UMBF boasts an average earnings surprise of +14.8%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, UMBF should be on investors' short list.

Key Takeaways UMBF raised its quarterly dividend 16.3% to 50 cents per share in July 2026.UMBF had $5.7 billion in cash and interest-bearing deposits versus $3.6 billion in debt.UMBF had nearly 1.96 million shares available for repurchase under its April 2026 authorization. UMB Financial Corporation (UMBF - Free Report) maintains a disciplined capital distribution approach, balancing shareholder returns with its growth initiatives. In July 2026, the company increased its quarterly dividend by 16.3% to 50 cents per share. The dividend will be paid on Oct. 1, 2026, to shareholders of record as of Sept. 10.

Over the past five years, UMBF has increased its dividend six times, delivering a five-year annualized dividend growth rate of 3.23%. Its payout ratio stands at 13%, leaving ample room to retain earnings for growth while continuing to reward shareholders. Currently, UMBF offers an annualized dividend yield of nearly 1.2%.

Dividend Yield
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Additionally, UMBF continues to focus on loan and deposit growth to support earnings and strengthen its core banking franchise. Its low payout ratio allows the company to retain capital for balance-sheet growth and strategic investments while supporting consistent shareholder returns.

Beyond dividends, UMB Financial supports shareholder returns through share repurchases. On April 28, 2026, its board approved a new program to repurchase up to 2 million shares of common stock through April 2027. As of June 30, 2026, approximately 1.96 million shares remained available under the authorization.

As of June 30, 2026, the company had $5.7 billion in cash and interest-bearing due from banks, compared with $3.6 billion of total debt (includes short and long-term debt). The sizable liquidity cushion provides financial flexibility and supports the company’s ability to meet funding needs and manage its capital effectively.

With consistent dividend growth, substantial share repurchase capacity and strong liquidity, UMB Financial appears well-positioned to sustain shareholder returns while continuing to invest in business growth.

Capital Return Plans of UMBF's PeersSimilar to UMBF, its two close peers, First Horizon Corporation (FHN - Free Report) and Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. (CFR - Free Report) , have impressive capital return plans.

In January 2026, First Horizon raised its quarterly dividend 13.3% to 17 cents per share. Prior to this, the company increased its quarterly dividend 6.7% to 15 cents per share in January 2025.

First Horizon also has an active share repurchase program. On Oct. 27, 2025, its board authorized the repurchase of up to $1.2 billion of common stock through Jan. 31, 2027. As of June 30, 2026, $665 million remained available under the authorization.

In April 2026, Cullen/Frost raised its quarterly dividend 3% to $1.03 per share. During the first six months of 2026, the company paid $128.8 million in common dividends and repurchased 1.16 million shares under its $300-million authorization.

As of June 30, 2026, Cullen/Frost had $140 million remaining under its current share repurchase program, which expires in January 2027.

UMBF’s Price Performance & Zacks RankOver the past six months, shares of UMB Financial have gained 21.7% compared with the industry’s 5% growth.

Price Performance
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Currently, UMBF carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for new and old investors, and Zacks Premium offers many different ways to do both.

The popular research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor, giving you access to daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens.

Zacks Premium includes access to the Zacks Style Scores as well.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores is a unique set of guidelines that rates stocks based on three popular investing types, and were developed as complementary indicators for the Zacks Rank. This combination helps investors choose securities with the highest chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics, each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F. The better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform; an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreFinding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value, are what value investors like to focus on. So, the Value Style Score takes into account ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to highlight the most attractive and discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreGrowth investors are more concerned with a stock's future prospects, and the overall financial health and strength of a company. Thus, the Growth Style Score analyzes characteristics like projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow to find stocks that will see sustainable growth over time.

Momentum ScoreMomentum traders and investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." This investing style is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook. Employing factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates, the Momentum Style Score can indicate favorable times to build a position in high-momentum stocks.

VGM ScoreIf you want a combination of all three Style Scores, then the VGM Score will be your friend. It rates each stock on their combined weighted styles, helping you find the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum. It's also one of the best indicators to use with the Zacks Rank.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank A proprietary stock-rating model, the Zacks Rank utilizes the power of earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings outlook, to help investors create a successful portfolio.

It's highly successful, with #1 (Strong Buy) stocks producing an unmatched +23.94% average annual return since 1988. That's more than double the S&P 500. But because of the large number of stocks we rate, there are over 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, plus another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

This totals more than 800 top-rated stocks, and it can be overwhelming to try and pick the best stocks for you and your portfolio.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

To have the best chance of big returns, you'll want to always consider stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B, which will give you the highest probability of success. If you're looking at stocks with a #3 (Hold) rank, it's important they have Scores of A or B as well to ensure as much upside potential as possible.

As mentioned above, the Scores are designed to work with the Zacks Rank, so any change to a company's earnings outlook should be a deciding factor when picking which stocks to buy.

A stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, for instance, even one with Scores of A and B, will still have a declining earnings forecast, and a greater chance its share price will fall too.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: UMB Financial (UMBF - Free Report) Headquartered in Kansas City, MO, UMB Financial Corporation provides banking services and asset servicing in the United States. Its banking subsidiary — UMB Bank, National Association — offers banking, asset management, trust, credit card and cash-management services to commercial, retail, government and correspondent-bank customers.

UMBF is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of B.

It also boasts a Value Style Score of B thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 11.23; value investors should take notice.

For fiscal 2026, six analysts revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.35 to $13.21 per share. UMBF boasts an average earnings surprise of +14.8%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, UMBF should be on investors' short list.

UMB Financial Corporation (UMBF) Q2 2026 Earnings Call July 29, 2026 9:30 AM EDT

Company Participants

Kay Gregory - Director of Investor Relations & Senior VP
J. Kemper - Chairman & CEO
Ram Shankar - Executive VP & CFO
James Rine - President & Vice Chairman

Conference Call Participants

Jon Arfstrom - RBC Capital Markets, Research Division
Christopher McGratty - Keefe, Bruyette, & Woods, Inc., Research Division
Casey Haire
Sun Young Lee - TD Cowen, Research Division
Adam Kroll - Piper Sandler & Co., Research Division
Brian Wilczynski - Morgan Stanley, Research Division

Presentation

Operator

Hello, and thank you for standing by. My name is Dennis, and I will be your conference operator today. At this time, I would like to welcome everyone to the UMB Financial Second Quarter 2026 Financial Results Conference Call. [Operator Instructions]

I would now like to turn the call over to Kay Gregory with Investor Relations. Please go ahead.

Kay Gregory
Director of Investor Relations & Senior VP

Good morning, and welcome to our second quarter 2026 call. Mariner Kemper, Chairman and CEO; and Ram Shankar, CFO, will share a few comments about our results, and then we'll open the call for questions from equity research analysts. Jim Rine, President of the holding company and CEO of UMB Bank, along with Tom Terry, Chief Credit Officer, will be available for the question-and-answer session.

Before we begin, let me remind you that today's presentation contains forward-looking statements, including the discussion of future financial and operating results as well as other opportunities management foresees. Forward-looking statements and any pro forma metrics are subject to assumptions, risks and uncertainties as outlined in our SEC filings and summarized in our presentation on Slide 48.

Actual results may differ from those set forth in forward-looking statements, which speak only as of today. We undertake no obligation to update

Key Takeaways UMB Financial beat Q2 earnings estimates on higher net interest income and revenue growth.UMBF expanded its net interest margin as favorable deposit repricing and loan growth boosted the results.UMB Financial improved efficiency and capital ratios despite higher expenses and credit loss provisions. UMB Financial Corp. (UMBF - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2026 adjusted operating earnings per share of $3.57, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.08. The bottom line also increased from $2.96 in the year-ago quarter.

The company delivered a strong quarterly performance, supported by solid growth in net interest income (NII), higher non-interest income and continued loan growth. Improved efficiency and strong credit quality further supported the results.

Results include certain non-recurring items. After considering those, net income (GAAP basis) available to common shareholders for UMBF was $271.8 million in the second quarter, up 26.2% from the year-ago quarter.

UMB Financial’s Revenues & Expenses RiseQuarterly revenues were $786.9 million, rising 14.2% year over year. The metric beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 8.4%.

NII was $532.5 million, up 14% from the prior-year quarter.

On a fully-taxable-equivalent basis, the net interest margin was 3.32%, up 22 basis points year over year. The increase was primarily driven by favorable deposit repricing following lower short-term interest rates and growth in average loans and securities.

Non-interest income was $245.5 million, up 10.5% year over year. The increase was primarily driven by higher trust and securities processing income, other income, and brokerage income. These increases were partially offset by lower investment securities gains.

Non-interest expenses were $399.6 million, up 1.6% year over year. Second-quarter 2026 expenses included $1.7 million in total acquisition-related and other non-recurring costs. Operating non-interest expenses (adjusted basis) were $398 million, up 4.7% year over year.

The efficiency ratio declined to 48.4% from the prior-year quarter’s 53.4%. A decline in the efficiency ratio indicates an increase in profitability.

UMBF’s Loans & Deposit Balances RiseAverage loans for the second quarter were $40.6 billion, up 3.2% sequentially and 11.6% from the prior-year quarter. End-of-period loans stood at $41.1 billion as of June 30, 2026.

Average deposits remained flat sequentially and increased 3.5% year over year to $57.6 billion. Average interest-bearing deposits increased 3.9%, while non-interest-bearing demand deposit balances rose 2.1% from the prior-year quarter.

UMB Financial’s Credit Quality DeterioratesNet charge-offs totaled $15.9 million, or 0.16% of average loans, compared with $15.5 million, or 0.17%, in the year-ago quarter.

Total non-accrual and restructured loans were $127.5 million compared with $97 million in the year-ago quarter.

The provision for credit losses was $28 million in the second quarter of 2026, up from $21 million in the prior-year quarter.

UMBF’s Capital Ratios ImproveAs of June 30, 2026, the Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio was 12.02% compared with 11.24% as of June 30, 2025. The Tier 1 leverage ratio was 9.11% compared with 8.34% in the year-ago quarter. The total risk-based capital ratio was 13.80%, up from 13.46% a year ago.

In the second quarter of 2026, the company repurchased 38,158 common shares at a weighted average price of $132.10 for a total repurchase of $5 million.

UMB Financial’s Profitability Ratios ImproveReturn on average assets at the second-quarter end was 1.55% compared with the year-ago quarter’s 1.29%.

Return on average common equity was 14.16% compared with 12.72% in the year-ago quarter.

Our Take on UMBFUMB Financial posted robust second-quarter 2026 results, driven by strong NII growth, higher non-interest income, continued loan growth, the impacts of acquired Heartland Financial balances and improved operating efficiency. However, higher non-interest expenses and provision for credit losses were concerns. Going forward, continued balance sheet growth, disciplined expense management and prudent risk management will be the key to sustaining UMBF’s performance momentum. 

UMBF currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Performances of Other BanksFirst Horizon Corporation (FHN - Free Report) posted second-quarter 2026 earnings per share of 54 cents, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 52 cents. This compares favorably with 45 cents in the year-ago quarter.

FHN’s results benefited from higher NII and non-interest income, along with a lower provision for credit losses. Higher loan and deposit balances also provided support. However, rising expenses and weaker capital ratios were headwinds.

M&T Bank Corporation (MTB - Free Report) reported second-quarter net operating earnings per share of $5.35, which beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $4.66. The bottom line compared favorably with earnings of $4.28 in the year-ago quarter.

MTB’s results were aided by higher NII and a rise in non-interest income on a year-over-year basis, along with loan growth. However, higher expenses acted as headwinds.

UMB Financial (UMBF - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $3.57 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.08 per share. This compares to earnings of $2.96 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.

This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +15.91%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this bank holding company would post earnings of $2.82 per share when it actually produced earnings of $3.41, delivering a surprise of +20.92%.

Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times.

UMB, which belongs to the Zacks Banks - Midwest industry, posted revenues of $786.86 million for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 8.41%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $689.21 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters.

The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.

UMB shares have added about 22.5% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 8.3%.

What's Next for UMB?While UMB has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?

There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.

Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.

Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for UMB was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $3.16 on $738.71 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $12.76 on $2.97 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.

Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Banks - Midwest is currently in the top 33% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.

One other stock from the broader Zacks Finance sector, Gladstone Capital (GLAD - Free Report) , is yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026. The results are expected to be released on August 4.

This real estate investment trust is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.49 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -2%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.

Gladstone Capital's revenues are expected to be $24.97 million, up 15.3% from the year-ago quarter.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--UMB Financial Corporation declares common and preferred dividends; Common dividend represents 16.3% increase to $0.50 per common share.

Taking full advantage of the stock market and investing with confidence are common goals for new and old investors, and Zacks Premium offers many different ways to do both.

The popular research service can help you become a smarter, more self-assured investor, giving you access to daily updates of the Zacks Rank and Zacks Industry Rank, the Zacks #1 Rank List, Equity Research reports, and Premium stock screens.

Zacks Premium also includes the Zacks Style Scores.

What are the Zacks Style Scores? The Zacks Style Scores is a unique set of guidelines that rates stocks based on three popular investing types, and were developed as complementary indicators for the Zacks Rank. This combination helps investors choose securities with the highest chances of beating the market over the next 30 days.

Based on their value, growth, and momentum characteristics, each stock is assigned a rating of A, B, C, D, or F. The better the score, the better chance the stock will outperform; an A is better than a B, a B is better than a C, and so on.

The Style Scores are broken down into four categories:

Value ScoreFinding good stocks at good prices, and discovering which companies are trading under their true value, are what value investors like to focus on. So, the Value Style Score takes into account ratios like P/E, PEG, Price/Sales, Price/Cash Flow, and a host of other multiples to highlight the most attractive and discounted stocks.

Growth ScoreWhile good value is important, growth investors are more focused on a company's financial strength and health, and its future outlook. The Growth Style Score takes projected and historic earnings, sales, and cash flow into account to uncover stocks that will see long-term, sustainable growth.

Momentum ScoreMomentum trading is all about taking advantage of upward or downward trends in a stock's price or earnings outlook, and these investors live by the saying "the trend is your friend." The Momentum Style Score can pinpoint good times to build a position in a stock, using factors like one-week price change and the monthly percentage change in earnings estimates.

VGM ScoreIf you like to use all three kinds of investing, then the VGM Score is for you. It's a combination of all Style Scores, and is an important indicator to use with the Zacks Rank. The VGM Score rates each stock on their shared weighted styles, narrowing down the companies with the most attractive value, best growth forecast, and most promising momentum.

How Style Scores Work with the Zacks Rank The Zacks Rank, which is a proprietary stock-rating model, employs earnings estimate revisions, or changes to a company's earnings expectations, to make building a winning portfolio easier.

#1 (Strong Buy) stocks have produced an unmatched +23.94% average annual return since 1988, which is more than double the S&P 500's performance over the same time frame. However, the Zacks Rank examines a ton of stocks, and there can be more than 200 companies with a Strong Buy rank, and another 600 with a #2 (Buy) rank, on any given day.

But it can feel overwhelming to pick the right stocks for you and your investing goals with over 800 top-rated stocks to choose from.

That's where the Style Scores come in.

You want to make sure you're buying stocks with the highest likelihood of success, and to do that, you'll need to pick stocks with a Zacks Rank #1 or #2 that also have Style Scores of A or B. If you like a stock that only has a #3 (Hold) rank, it should also have Scores of A or B to guarantee as much upside potential as possible.

Since the Scores were created to work together with the Zacks Rank, the direction of a stock's earnings estimate revisions should be a key factor when choosing which stocks to buy.

Here's an example: a stock with a #4 (Sell) or #5 (Strong Sell) rating, even one with Style Scores of A and B, still has a downward-trending earnings outlook, and a bigger chance its share price will decrease too.

Thus, the more stocks you own with a #1 or #2 Rank and Scores of A or B, the better.

Stock to Watch: UMB Financial (UMBF - Free Report) Headquartered in Kansas City, MO, UMB Financial Corporation provides banking services and asset servicing in the United States. Its banking subsidiary — UMB Bank, National Association — offers banking, asset management, trust, credit card and cash-management services to commercial, retail, government and correspondent-bank customers.

UMBF is a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, with a VGM Score of B.

It also boasts a Value Style Score of B thanks to attractive valuation metrics like a forward P/E ratio of 11.44; value investors should take notice.

One analyst revised their earnings estimate upwards in the last 60 days for fiscal 2026. The Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased $0.03 to $12.76 per share. UMBF boasts an average earnings surprise of +17.4%.

With a solid Zacks Rank and top-tier Value and VGM Style Scores, UMBF should be on investors' short list.

Investors choosing between iShares Morningstar Small Cap Value ETF (ISCV 0.01%) and iShares Russell 2000 Value ETF (IWN +0.18%) must weigh the former's significantly lower expense ratio against the latter's massive liquidity and higher recent total returns.

Both ISCV and IWN serve as tools for investors seeking exposure to undervalued small-cap companies. While they share a similar mission, they use different indexing strategies and sampling techniques to capture the performance of the smaller-company value segment, resulting in distinct risk and reward profiles.

Snapshot (cost & size)MetricIWNISCVIssueriSharesiSharesShare price (as of July 2, 2026)$221.33$78.79Expense ratio0.24%0.06%1-yr return (as of July 2, 2026)37.4%26.3%Dividend yield1.4%1.9%Beta1.010.98AUM$14.4 billion$685.2 millionBeta measures price volatility relative to the S&P 500; beta is calculated from five-year monthly returns. The 1-yr return represents total return over the trailing 12 months. Dividend yield is the trailing-12-month distribution yield.

ISCV is the more affordable option with an expense ratio of 0.06%, compared to 0.24% for the Russell-based fund. Additionally, the iShares Morningstar ETF provides a higher trailing-12-month dividend yield of 1.9% versus 1.4% for its counterpart.

Performance & risk comparisonMetricIWNISCVMax drawdown (5 yr)(26.7%)(25.3%)Growth of $1,000 over 5 years (total return)$1,472$1,493What's insideISCV targets companies within the Morningstar US Small Cap Broad Value Extended Index. Its sector allocation focuses on financial services at 23%, consumer cyclical at 15%, and industrials at 12%. The fund's largest positions include Host Hotels & Resorts REIT (HST 0.58%) at 0.51%, Best Buy (BBY +0.01%) at 0.49%, and Jazz Pharmaceuticals (JAZZ +0.29%) at 0.49%. ISCV holds 1,052 stocks and was launched in 2004. It has paid $1.45 per share over the trailing 12 months.

IWN seeks to replicate the Russell 2000 Value Index, which includes companies with lower price-to-book ratios and lower forecast growth values. Its portfolio tilts toward financial services at 24%, industrials at 12%, and technology at 12%. Its largest positions include Viasat (VSAT +0.89%) at 0.68%, Cytokinetics (CYTK 0.88%) at 0.66%, and Umb Financial (UMBF +0.42%) at 0.63%. IWN holds 1,406 stocks and was launched in 2000. It has paid $3.19 per share over the trailing 12 months.

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What this means for investorsIWN and ISCV have pretty comparable five-year returns. IWN has a higher expense ratio, but it's nothing outrageous. Both are well-diversified, with over a thousand stocks each, and the weightings are spread so that no single position accounts for more than 1% of either portfolio.

One area of contrast is their size. IWN has more than $14 billion in assets under management, while ISCV doesn't even crack the billion-dollar level. This size differential has knock-on effects. For example, IWN has far higher average trading volume than the Morningstar ETF. Some investors may therefore prefer IWN for its higher liquidity, even though it has a lower dividend yield.