Insider Trading January 23, 2026

Peoples Bancorp Director Increases Stake with $16,309 Share Purchase

Smith's Acquisition Highlights Confidence Amid Mixed Q4 Earnings and Dividend Stability

By Caleb Monroe PEBO
Peoples Bancorp Director Increases Stake with $16,309 Share Purchase
PEBO

Dwight Eric Smith, serving on the board of Peoples Bancorp Inc, has acquired 500 shares of the company at $32.62 per share. This transaction signals his continued investment confidence as the company trades near his purchase price while maintaining a solid dividend yield and a Good financial health rating. Despite a slight revenue shortfall in the recent quarter, the bank’s earnings surpassed analyst expectations, prompting positive market sentiment and a reaffirmed Buy rating by DA Davidson.

Key Points

  • Peoples Bancorp director Dwight Eric Smith purchased 500 shares at $32.62, totaling $16,309, reinforcing his investment stake.
  • The company currently trades near $32.10 with a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.59 and offers a robust dividend yield of 5.03%, indicating potential undervaluation.
  • Recent Q4 earnings per share of $0.89 surpassed expectations despite a slight revenue shortfall; DA Davidson affirmed a Buy rating with a $35 price target.

Dwight Eric Smith, a member of the board of directors for Peoples Bancorp Inc (NASDAQ: PEBO), enhanced his equity position by purchasing 500 common shares on January 22, 2026. The acquisition was executed at a price of $32.62 each, culminating in a transaction valued at $16,309, as disclosed through a Form 4 filing submitted to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

This purchase occurred while Peoples Bancorp’s stock was trading at approximately $32.10 per share. The company exhibits a price-to-earnings ratio of 10.59 alongside a compelling dividend yield of 5.03%. Analysis from InvestingPro indicates that the stock may be modestly undervalued relative to its assessed Fair Value, suggesting potential value in the current market price.

Post-transaction, Mr. Smith’s direct ownership in Peoples Bancorp totaled 8,199 shares, reinforcing his vested interest in the firm’s performance. The bank, with an estimated market capitalization of $1.12 billion, has demonstrated a long-standing commitment to shareholder returns, evidenced by 53 consecutive years of dividend payments and a decade of consistent dividend growth. These factors contribute to the bank’s financial health classification as “GOOD” per InvestingPro’s evaluation metrics.

Recent operational disclosures revealed that Peoples Bancorp’s fourth-quarter earnings per share reached $0.89, marginally exceeding analyst forecasts of $0.88. Conversely, revenue realized stood at $117.32 million, slightly short of the anticipated $117.98 million. Despite the slight revenue miss, the announcement was met with a favorable market reaction, emphasizing investor confidence in underlying profitability.

In parallel, DA Davidson maintained its Buy recommendation on Peoples Bancorp shares, upholding a target price of $35.00. The firm’s optimistic outlook is grounded in the company’s “consistent quarter,” underscoring stable financial performance. This development further accentuates the persistent market attention and evaluative focus on Peoples Bancorp’s business trajectory.

Investors seeking detailed research on Peoples Bancorp can access comprehensive insights via the InvestingPro platform, which provides analysis across more than 1,400 U.S. equities. Additionally, proprietary AI-driven tools such as ProPicks AI offer unbiased, data-driven assessments of investment opportunities, including Peoples Bancorp, by examining a broad array of financial metrics to highlight compelling risk-adjusted prospects within the equity market.

Risks

  • Revenue for Q4 2025 fell short of analyst forecasts, which may signal potential challenges in top-line growth.
  • Although earnings surpassed estimates, a narrow margin between EPS and expectations suggests sensitivity to market conditions.
  • The bank operates in the financial services sector, which is subject to economic fluctuations that could impact dividend sustainability and share price performance.

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