Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK) Downgraded to “Strong Sell” Rating by Zacks Research

Zacks Research cut shares of Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK) from a hold rating to a strong sell rating in a research report sent to investors on Thursday morning,Zacks.com reports. Zacks Research also issued estimates for Bank OZK’s Q3 2026 earnings at $1.44 EPS, Q4 2026 earnings at $1.48 EPS, FY2026 earnings at $5.85 EPS, Q1 2027 earnings at $1.49 EPS, Q2 2027 earnings at $1.58 EPS, Q3 2027 earnings at $1.56 EPS, Q4 2027 earnings at $1.63 EPS, FY2027 earnings at $6.26 EPS, Q1 2028 earnings at $1.69 EPS, Q2 2028 earnings at $2.03 EPS and FY2028 earnings at $7.86 EPS.

A number of other analysts have also issued reports on OZK. Wells Fargo & Company raised their target price on Bank OZK from $52.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, August 10th. Piper Sandler reiterated an “overweight” rating and set a $61.00 price target on shares of Bank OZK in a report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Morgan Stanley increased their price objective on Bank OZK from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, June 29th. UBS Group increased their price objective on Bank OZK from $50.00 to $51.00 and gave the company a “neutral” rating in a research report on Tuesday, July 28th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Bank OZK from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Saturday, August 8th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and two have issued a Sell rating to the stock. According to MarketBeat.com, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $56.88.

Bank OZK Stock Up 0.5%

OZK stock opened at $52.49 on Thursday. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 1.00. Bank OZK has a 52-week low of $42.37 and a 52-week high of $53.66. The company has a 50-day moving average of $51.04 and a two-hundred day moving average of $48.70. The stock has a market capitalization of $5.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.68 and a beta of 0.89.

Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK) last issued its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The company reported $1.49 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.48 by $0.01. The company had revenue of $430.02 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $436.42 million. Bank OZK had a return on equity of 11.87% and a net margin of 24.95%.The firm’s revenue was up .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same period last year, the business posted $1.47 earnings per share. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Bank OZK will post 5.86 EPS for the current year.

Bank OZK announced that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Monday, June 29th that authorizes the company to repurchase $200.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to reacquire up to 3.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock repurchase plans are usually an indication that the company’s board believes its shares are undervalued.

Bank OZK Increases Dividend

The business also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 20th. Investors of record on Monday, July 13th were paid a $0.48 dividend. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 13th. This is a boost from Bank OZK’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. This represents a $1.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.7%. Bank OZK’s dividend payout ratio is 31.74%.

Hedge Funds Weigh In On Bank OZK

Several institutional investors and hedge funds have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Royal Bank of Canada lifted its position in shares of Bank OZK by 37.8% in the 1st quarter. Royal Bank of Canada now owns 41,257 shares of the company’s stock worth $1,792,000 after acquiring an additional 11,310 shares during the period. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. increased its position in shares of Bank OZK by 14.0% during the first quarter. MIRAE ASSET GLOBAL ETFS HOLDINGS Ltd. now owns 46,690 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,029,000 after purchasing an additional 5,717 shares during the period. Empowered Funds LLC increased its position in shares of Bank OZK by 1.8% during the first quarter. Empowered Funds LLC now owns 60,037 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,609,000 after purchasing an additional 1,058 shares during the period. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC raised its stake in shares of Bank OZK by 8.3% in the first quarter. UBS AM A Distinct Business Unit of UBS Asset Management Americas LLC now owns 349,749 shares of the company’s stock valued at $15,197,000 after purchasing an additional 26,676 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Focus Partners Wealth raised its stake in shares of Bank OZK by 11.0% in the first quarter. Focus Partners Wealth now owns 17,711 shares of the company’s stock valued at $770,000 after purchasing an additional 1,756 shares in the last quarter. 86.18% of the stock is currently owned by institutional investors.

Key Stories Impacting Bank OZK

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

• Positive Sentiment: Bank OZK’s shares remain near their 52-week high, while the company’s valuation is modest at approximately 8.7 times earnings. Its latest quarterly report also showed earnings of $1.49 per share, slightly above analysts’ $1.48 estimate. Bank OZK stock information
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts collectively assign Bank OZK an average “Hold” rating, indicating limited conviction that the shares will deliver significant near-term upside or downside. Bank OZK Receives Average Rating of Hold from Analysts
• Negative Sentiment: Zacks lowered its 2026 EPS forecast to $5.81 from $5.85, just below the broader consensus estimate of $5.86. Its Q3 and Q4 2026 estimates were also cut to $1.43 and $1.45, respectively.
• Negative Sentiment: Forecast reductions extended into 2027: FY2027 EPS was lowered to $6.18 from $6.26, with cuts to estimates for the first three quarters and Q4 EPS reduced to $1.60 from $1.63. The Q1 2028 estimate was also trimmed to $1.67 from $1.69.
• Negative Sentiment: The latest revisions follow larger cuts earlier in the week, including a reduction in Zacks’ FY2027 estimate from $6.75 to $6.26 and its FY2026 estimate from $5.98 to $5.85. The repeated downward adjustments are likely the primary factor weighing on Bank OZK’s stock. Bank OZK FY2026 EPS Estimate Decreased by Zacks Research

Bank OZK Company Profile

Bank OZK, formerly known as Bank of the Ozarks, is a regional commercial bank headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. Established in 1903, the bank offers a full suite of banking products and services to both individual and corporate clients. Through a combination of organic growth and targeted acquisitions, Bank OZK has built a diversified lending portfolio and a strong deposit franchise.

The bank’s core operations focus on commercial real estate lending, including acquisition, development and construction financing.