Metropolitan Bank (NYSE:MCB) Rating Increased to Strong-Buy at Zacks Research

Zacks Research upgraded shares of Metropolitan Bank (NYSE:MCB) from a hold rating to a strong-buy rating in a research report sent to investors on Wednesday,Zacks.com reports.

Other analysts also recently issued research reports about the company. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on Metropolitan Bank from $90.00 to $105.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research report on Thursday. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of Metropolitan Bank in a research note on Wednesday, October 8th. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, two have given a Buy rating and one has issued a Hold rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Buy” and a consensus target price of $92.00.

Metropolitan Bank Price Performance

Shares of MCB traded down $2.44 during mid-day trading on Wednesday, reaching $92.51. 23,676 shares of the stock traded hands, compared to its average volume of 163,070. The company has a market cap of $952.81 million, a price-to-earnings ratio of 13.82 and a beta of 1.13. The company has a current ratio of 0.98, a quick ratio of 0.98 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.23. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $77.93 and a 200 day moving average price of $75.39. Metropolitan Bank has a 1 year low of $47.08 and a 1 year high of $96.75.

Metropolitan Bank (NYSE:MCB) last released its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, January 20th. The company reported $2.77 EPS for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $2.07 by $0.70. The business had revenue of $88.41 million during the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $83.15 million. Metropolitan Bank had a net margin of 13.49% and a return on equity of 9.73%. As a group, equities research analysts predict that Metropolitan Bank will post 7.31 earnings per share for the current year.

Metropolitan Bank Increases Dividend

The firm also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, February 6th. Shareholders of record on Tuesday, January 27th will be given a dividend of $0.20 per share. This represents a $0.80 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 0.9%. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, January 27th. This is a positive change from Metropolitan Bank’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.15. Metropolitan Bank’s dividend payout ratio is currently 9.02%.

Insider Buying and Selling

In other Metropolitan Bank news, CFO Daniel F. Dougherty purchased 1,000 shares of the company’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Monday, October 27th. The stock was bought at an average price of $71.66 per share, with a total value of $71,660.00. Following the completion of the purchase, the chief financial officer directly owned 27,341 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,959,256.06. The trade was a 3.80% increase in their position. The purchase was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this hyperlink. Also, EVP Nick Rosenberg sold 1,250 shares of Metropolitan Bank stock in a transaction on Wednesday, January 21st. The shares were sold at an average price of $90.21, for a total transaction of $112,762.50. Following the completion of the sale, the executive vice president owned 25,839 shares in the company, valued at approximately $2,330,936.19. This trade represents a 4.61% decrease in their position. The disclosure for this sale is available in the SEC filing. Over the last quarter, insiders bought 1,167 shares of company stock worth $83,010. Corporate insiders own 6.09% of the company’s stock.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Metropolitan Bank

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently modified their holdings of the stock. State of Alaska Department of Revenue bought a new stake in shares of Metropolitan Bank during the 3rd quarter valued at about $31,000. Quarry LP purchased a new stake in Metropolitan Bank in the third quarter worth about $48,000. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC lifted its holdings in Metropolitan Bank by 41.5% in the second quarter. Tower Research Capital LLC TRC now owns 1,670 shares of the company’s stock worth $117,000 after buying an additional 490 shares during the period. Daytona Street Capital LLC bought a new stake in Metropolitan Bank during the 4th quarter valued at approximately $199,000. Finally, Arizona State Retirement System purchased a new position in shares of Metropolitan Bank during the 3rd quarter worth approximately $201,000. 79.83% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.

Key Headlines Impacting Metropolitan Bank

Here are the key news stories impacting Metropolitan Bank this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 earnings beat and fresh 12‑month high — MCB’s Q4 results topped EPS and revenue expectations, which helped push the shares to a new one‑year high. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Analyst upgrades and price‑target increases — Zacks upgraded MCB to a “Strong Buy” and KBW raised its target to $105 with an “outperform” call, adding institutional / model-driven buying pressure. Read More. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Earnings estimate revisions and Zacks Rank #1 listings — Analysts have pushed 2026 estimates higher and Zacks added MCB to its Rank #1 lists for value and momentum, which can attract retail and quant flows. Read More. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Management guidance — Management signaled ~12% loan growth, modest NIM expansion and branch expansion for 2026, supporting revenue and margin upside expectations. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend hike — The board raised the quarterly dividend to $0.20 (ex‑dividend Jan 27), signaling confidence in capital and cash flow. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Earnings call materials available — Full transcripts and slides provide detail on margins, credit quality and capital but mostly reiterate results rather than add new catalysts. Read More. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Insider selling — EVP Nick Rosenberg sold 1,250 shares (avg ~$90.21). The size is modest relative to his remaining stake, but insider sales can prompt short‑term caution. Read More.

Metropolitan Bank Company Profile

Metropolitan Bank (NYSE:MCB), through its principal subsidiary Metropolitan Commercial Bank, operates as a New York–based regional financial institution providing a range of commercial and consumer banking services. The company offers deposit products including checking, savings and money market accounts, as well as business and personal certificates of deposit. On the lending side, Metropolitan Bank extends commercial real estate financing, equipment loans, working capital lines of credit and consumer installment loans tailored to the needs of small- and medium-sized enterprises and individual customers.

In addition to traditional deposit and lending services, Metropolitan Bank provides specialized treasury and cash-management solutions, foreign exchange services and letters of credit for both domestic businesses and multinational clients.