DA Davidson raised its price objective on Western Alliance Bancorporation to $105.00 from $104.00 on Thursday, while keeping a Buy rating on the shares. The revised target implies roughly a 19% upside from the current share price of $88.67 and sits above the broader analyst consensus, which reflects a roughly 14% potential upside.
DA Davidson's adjustment follows Western Alliance's most recent quarterly report, which the firm said modestly beat pretax estimates. The outperformance was larger on an after-tax basis, attributable to a lower effective tax rate in the quarter. On a trailing-12-month basis the bank reported diluted earnings per share of $8.73, translating to a price-to-earnings multiple of 10.25 at the current share price.
The research note indicated that Western Alliance's initial guidance for 2026 supports DA Davidson's above-consensus earnings-per-share forecast. The firm highlighted strong top-line revenue growth as a driver of year-over-year operating leverage that should help underpin profitability.
Data from InvestingPro cited by the analyst shows the bank generated 10% revenue growth over the last twelve months, and consensus estimates among analysts point to roughly 15% revenue growth for fiscal 2026. InvestingPro analysis also noted that the stock is trading at a relatively low P/E ratio compared with its near-term earnings growth potential.
DA Davidson drew attention to management’s focus on reducing non-performing assets during the first half of the year, a development the firm believes would be positively received by investors. The research note pointed to the potential for lower NPA levels to alleviate some market concerns around asset-quality risk.
At the same time, the bank faces cash-flow challenges. InvestingPro figures referenced by DA Davidson show a negative free cash flow yield of -35%, indicating the company is currently consuming cash quickly. The firm’s move to raise the price target to $105 from $104 represents a modest upward revision and signals continued confidence in Western Alliance's financial trajectory despite that cash flow dynamic.
InvestingPro's Fair Value assessment, as noted by the analyst, indicates that the stock is currently fairly valued. For investors seeking a deeper dive, the platform offers a Pro Research Report on the company, which is part of a coverage universe exceeding 1,400 U.S. equities.
Additional corporate results cited in the note show Western Alliance delivered robust fourth-quarter 2025 results, beating both earnings and revenue expectations. The company reported fourth-quarter EPS of $2.59, above an anticipated $2.39, representing an 8.37% surprise. Revenue for the quarter was $980.9 million versus an expected $913.4 million, a 7.39% upside to consensus.
In a separate analyst development, JPMorgan moved its rating on Western Alliance from Overweight to Neutral while lifting its price target to $105.00 from $100.00. JPMorgan's change reflected concerns around potential headwinds from Earnings Credit Rate deposit costs, even as the firm expects Western Alliance to be a strong EPS and tangible book value grower by 2026.
Overall, the DA Davidson update reiterates a constructive view on Western Alliance’s near-term earnings prospects and growth trajectory, anchored by recent revenue momentum and management’s stated priorities for reducing NPAs. Counterbalancing factors flagged by other analysts and InvestingPro data include high cash burn as shown by negative free cash flow yield and potential deposit-cost risks tied to Earnings Credit Rates.
This coverage note reflects current analyst assessments and company disclosures referenced above and does not add information beyond those points.