As the Q1 earnings season wraps, let’s dig into this quarter’s best and worst performers in the regional banks industry, including Valley National Bank (NASDAQ: VLY) and its peers.

Regional banks, financial institutions operating within specific geographic areas, serve as intermediaries between local depositors and borrowers. They benefit from rising interest rates that improve net interest margins (the difference between loan yields and deposit costs), digital transformation reducing operational expenses, and local economic growth driving loan demand. However, these banks face headwinds from fintech competition, deposit outflows to higher-yielding alternatives, credit deterioration (increasing loan defaults) during economic slowdowns, and regulatory compliance costs. Recent concerns about regional bank stability following high-profile failures and significant commercial real estate exposure present additional challenges.

The 91 regional banks stocks we track reported a slower Q1. As a group, revenues were in line with analysts’ consensus estimates.

Thankfully, share prices of the companies have been resilient as they are up 7.7% on average since the latest earnings results.

Valley National Bank (NASDAQ: VLY)

Tracing its roots back to 1927 during the economic boom before the Great Depression, Valley National Bancorp (NASDAQGS:VLY) operates Valley National Bank, providing commercial, consumer, and wealth management banking services across several states.

Valley National Bank reported revenues of $541.6 million, up 12.9% year on year. This print exceeded analysts’ expectations by 1.3%. Overall, it was a satisfactory quarter for the company with a narrow beat of analysts’ net interest income estimates but tangible book value per share in line with analysts’ estimates.

Ira Robbins, CEO, commented, "We continue to execute on our strategic priorities by growing low-cost core deposits and further diversifying our loan portfolio. These efforts have strengthened our balance sheet metrics and enhanced the sustainability of our earnings and profitability. Through targeted hiring efforts of strategically focused bankers, we are positioned to build on the momentum that we have established in recent years."

Interestingly, the stock is up 10.6% since reporting and currently trades at $14.65.

Is now the time to buy Valley National Bank? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Best Q1: UMB Financial (NASDAQ: UMBF)

With roots dating back to 1913 and a name derived from "United Missouri Bank," UMB Financial (NASDAQ: UMBF) is a financial holding company that provides banking, asset management, and fund services to commercial, institutional, and individual customers.

UMB Financial reported revenues of $744.8 million, up 29.3% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 5.4%. The business had an exceptional quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS and net interest income estimates.

UMB Financial achieved the biggest analyst estimate beat among its peers. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 14.7% since reporting. It currently trades at $143.80.

Is now the time to buy UMB Financial? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q1: BankUnited (NYSE: BKU)

Born from the ashes of a failed Florida thrift during the 2009 financial crisis, BankUnited (NYSE: BKU) is a regional bank that provides commercial lending, deposit services, and treasury solutions to businesses and consumers primarily in Florida and the New York metropolitan area.

BankUnited reported revenues of $273.8 million, up 6.1% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 5.1%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ net interest income and EPS estimates.

Interestingly, the stock is up 3.8% since the results and currently trades at $48.57.

Read our full analysis of BankUnited’s results here.

S&T Bancorp (NASDAQ: STBA)

Tracing its roots back to 1902 in western Pennsylvania's industrial heartland, S&T Bancorp (NASDAQ: STBA) is a Pennsylvania-based bank holding company that provides retail and commercial banking services, cash management, trust services, and investment advisory solutions.

S&T Bancorp reported revenues of $102.7 million, up 8.8% year on year. This print lagged analysts’ expectations by 1%. It was a slower quarter as it also produced a miss of analysts’ net interest income and  tangible book value per share estimates.

The stock is up 13.2% since reporting and currently trades at $49.13.

Read our full, actionable report on S&T Bancorp here, it’s free.

Trustmark (NASDAQ: TRMK)

Tracing its roots back to 1889 in Mississippi, Trustmark (NASDAQ: TRMK) is a financial services organization providing banking, wealth management, insurance, and mortgage services across five southeastern states.

Trustmark reported revenues of $202.9 million, up 4.2% year on year. This result met analysts’ expectations. Aside from that, it was a mixed quarter as it also logged a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates but a slight miss of analysts’ tangible book value per share estimates.

The stock is up 1.9% since reporting and currently trades at $46.38.

Read our full, actionable report on Trustmark here, it’s free.

Market Update

Late in 2025 into early 2026, there was hand-wringing around artificial intelligence. For software companies, the fear was that AI would erode pricing power and compress margins as new tools made it easier to replicate what once required expensive enterprise platforms. Crypto investors had their own version of the same anxiety: if AI agents could trade, allocate capital, and manage wallets autonomously, what exactly was the long-term value of today’s crypto infrastructure?

These concerns triggered a noticeable rotation away from these sectors and into safer havens. But markets rarely dwell on one narrative for long. Spring 2026 came, and the focus shifted abruptly from technological disruption to geopolitical risk. The US’ conflict with Iran became the dominant driver of market psychology, and when geopolitics takes center stage, the script changes quickly. Investors stop debating growth rates and start worrying about oil supply, inflation, and global stability.

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