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4 Reasons to Add Commerce Bancshares (CBSH) to Your Portfolio

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It seems wise to add Commerce Bancshares, Inc. (CBSH - Free Report) stock to your portfolio now. Supported by robust loans and deposit balances, along with efforts to strengthen fee income, the company is expected to continue to witness revenue growth. Moreover, given a solid liquidity position, it is expected to keep enhancing shareholder value through efficient capital deployment activities.

Analysts also seem optimistic regarding CBSH’s earnings growth potential. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for the company’s current-year earnings has been revised marginally upward over the past 60 days. Thus, Commerce Bancshares currently carries a Zacks Rank #2 (Buy). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Looking at its price performance, shares of the company have gained 9.3% over the past six months compared with the industry’s growth of 4.8%.

 

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Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

 

Some factors mentioned below make Commerce Bancshares stock an attractive investment option now.

Earnings per Share (EPS) Growth: The company witnessed EPS growth of 12.7% in the last three to five years, marginally higher than the industry’s average of 12.5%. While earnings are projected to decline 16.2% in 2022, the trend will likely reverse after that. In 2023, earnings are expected to grow 7.7%.

CBSH also has an impressive earnings surprise history. Its earnings have outpaced the Zacks Consensus Estimate in three and matched in one of the trailing four quarters, the average beat being 14%.

Revenue Strength: Commerce Bancshares’ net revenues witnessed a five-year (2017-2021) compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4%. The upside mainly stemmed from solid loans and deposit balances (which saw a CAGR of 1.8% and 9.9%, respectively, over the same period), along with strength in fee income sources. The rise in the demand for loans and solid fee income performance is likely to continue aiding revenue growth.

While the Zacks Consensus Estimate for 2022 revenues indicates a marginal decline from the year-ago quarter, revenues will likely improve thereafter. For 2023, revenues are projected to grow 6.3%.

Superior Return on Equity (ROE): Commerce Bancshares’s trailing 12-month ROE reflects its superiority in terms of utilizing shareholders’ funds when compared with peers. The company’s ROE of 15.44% compares favorably with the industry’s 11.69%.

Strong Leverage: Commerce Bancshares’ debt/equity ratio is 0.00 versus the industry’s average of 0.24. This shows that it does not use any debt to finance its operations. Thus, the company will be financially stable even in adverse economic conditions.

Other Stocks Worth Considering

A couple of other top-ranked finance stocks amid the current market backdrop are East West Bancorp (EWBC - Free Report) and Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. (CFR - Free Report) .

East West Bancorp currently carries a Zacks Rank #2. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its 2022 earnings has moved 6.6% upward over the past 60 days. So far this year, EWBC’s shares have gained 4.7%.

Cullen/Frost Bankers currently sports a Zacks Rank #1. The Zacks Consensus Estimate for its 2022 earnings has been revised 13.4% upward over the past 60 days. CFR’s shares have rallied 14.5% in the year-to-date period.


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Commerce Bancshares, Inc. (CBSH) - free report >>

Cullen/Frost Bankers, Inc. (CFR) - free report >>

East West Bancorp, Inc. (EWBC) - free report >>

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