Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc. (KBW)

16 Outstanding Banks Recognized for Best-In-Class Earnings Over the Past Decade

NEW YORK, April 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc., a leading specialist investment bank to the financial services and fintech sectors, and a wholly owned subsidiary of Stifel Financial Corp. (NYSE: SF), today named 16 U.S. banking institutions, just 5% of eligible banks, to the coveted 2025 KBW Bank Honor Roll.

KBW congratulates the 13 returning members to this year’s Honor Roll, including 1st Source Corporation (SRCE), Axos Financial, Inc. (AX), BancFirst Corporation (BANF), BV Financial, Inc. (BVFL), Coastal Financial Corporation (CCB), Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. (ESQ), First Citizens BancShares, Inc. (FCNCA), Magyar Bancorp Inc. (MGYR), National Bank Holdings Corporation (NBHC), Northeast Bank (NBN), NorthEast Community Bancorp, Inc. (NECB), Pathward Financial, Inc. (CASH), and The Bancorp, Inc. (TBBK).

Three of these banks have consistently been named to the Honor Roll, including BANF (13 consecutive years), SRCE (seven consecutive years), and AX (four consecutive years).

In addition, KBW welcomes three new members to the Honor Roll this year, including: First Bancorp. (FBP), First Western Financial, Inc. (MYFW) and HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. (HTB).

These 16 elite banks were named to the KBW Bank Honor Roll based on two central criteria: 1) consistent earnings growth over each of the past 10 years; and/or 2) top 5% EPS CAGR among eligible banks over the past 10 years. As with prior Honor Rolls, banks must have more than $500 million in total assets to be eligible. Two banks, CASH and ESQ, had the elite distinction of satisfying both criteria.

“While 2024 was a year of improved overall performance for the banking sector, more than 60% of banks under KBW Research coverage posted a decline in year-over-year EPS”, said Thomas B. Michaud, KBW President and CEO. “This makes the accomplishments of this year’s Bank Honor Roll members even more impressive, and the market is rewarding them with well-deserved valuation premiums.”

Over the three-year period ending in 2024, KBW Bank Honor Roll stocks yielded a total return of 64.4%, significantly outperforming both the KBW Nasdaq Bank Index (BKX, 6.9%) and the KBW Nasdaq Regional Banking Index (KRX, 4.9%).

Christopher McGratty, KBW Head of U.S. Bank Research, added, “Honor Roll banks continue to distinguish themselves from their peers in what remains a difficult operating environment. Consistency is at the heart of many investors’ investment strategies, and this often leads to strong relative stock performance and well-earned valuation premiums. We congratulate the 2025 Honor Roll banks.”

Story Continues

About KBW 
KBW (Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc., operating in the U.S., and Stifel Nicolaus Europe Limited, also trading as Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Europe, operating in Europe) is a Stifel company. Over the years, KBW has established itself as a leading independent authority in the banking, insurance, brokerage, asset management, mortgage banking and specialty finance sectors. Founded in 1962, the firm maintains industry‐leading positions in the areas of research, corporate finance, mergers and acquisitions as well as sales and trading in equities securities of financial services companies.

Media Contact 
Neil Shapiro, (212) 271-3447
[email protected]

View Comments