Amerant Bancorp upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Stephens

Stephens analyst Russell Gunther upgraded Amerant Bancorp to Overweight from Equal Weight with a price target of $25, up from $24. The successful $165M growth equity raise provides “ample capital” to accelerate double-digit loan growth, alongside a securities portfolio restructuring that drives net interest income and FY25 EPS higher as a result, the analyst tells investors. Reduced asset quality volatility “remains critical to rerating the stock, with related improvements becoming a more meaningful part of the story as 2025 progresses,” the analyst added.