Value
5.9/10data confidence 83%| Component | Sub-score |
|---|---|
| P/E | 8.0 |
| P/S | 7.3 |
| Fwd P/E | 8.3 |
| PEG | 2.9 |
| Analyst target | 3.0 |
- ▸Forward P/E: 14.0x
- ▸PEG: 4.33
CFR · Why this verdict
Why Cullen/Frost Bankers (CFR) is rated SELL
Updated
Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results.
Show full disclosure ▾Hide full disclosure ▴
About TrendMatrix. TrendMatrix is a publisher of general securities research and market commentary. We publish on a regular schedule. All content is the same for every subscriber in a tier — we do not provide personalized investment advice and we do not take into account any individual subscriber's financial situation, investment objectives, risk tolerance, tax situation, or holdings.
Not investment advice. TrendMatrix is not a registered investment adviser. Our content is for informational and educational purposes only. Consult your own licensed investment adviser, broker, or tax professional before making any investment decision.
Conflicts and positions. The TrendMatrix editorial team frequently holds personal long-term positions in securities discussed. We disclose positions held at the time of publication on each piece. We maintain a trading-window policy: we do not initiate or close positions in the same direction as a TrendMatrix publication within 24 hours before or 72 hours after publication.
No paid promotion. TrendMatrix does not accept payment from any issuer, broker, or third party in exchange for coverage of any security. Our sole compensation is subscription revenue.
No fiduciary duty. No fiduciary, advisory, or agency relationship is created between you and TrendMatrix by reading our content or subscribing to our service.
Performance. Past performance is not indicative of future results. Performance figures reflect the published model only and do not reflect any individual subscriber's actual results.
VerdictSELL
Overall score5.3/10
ConfidenceMEDIUM
MacroNEUTRAL
Thesis pillars
| Pillar | Expectation | Trend |
|---|---|---|
More than 80% of the loan book is concentrated in commercial and industrial, energy, construction, and commercial real estate — a combination flagged as three high-severity and one medium-severity concentration risk that amplifies earnings volatility in a credit cycle downturn. Bear case | Non-performing loans remain below 1% of total loans and net charge-offs stay below 0.5% in each of the next two reported quarters, keeping the concentration from translating into realized losses. | →Stable |
| CounterThe bank's 30% net margin and Piotroski score of 8 out of 9 reflect high current credit quality, suggesting the concentration is being well-managed; historical navigation of Texas energy cycles may indicate resilience the headline flag does not capture. | ||
The bank has beaten consensus estimates in each of the last four quarters with an average upside surprise of roughly 6.4%, including a near-12% beat in the third quarter of 2025, demonstrating persistent delivery well above market expectations. Earnings | Average quarterly EPS surprise stays above 3% and the beat streak extends through the next two reported quarters. | →Stable |
| CounterSurprise magnitude has ranged widely — from 3.5% to nearly 12% — making the average somewhat misleading; if investor expectations have been reset higher on the back of the larger beats, even a 3–4% beat may disappoint. | ||
The stock trades above its 200-day moving average with rising volume accumulation — including a 2.4x average-volume surge even on selloff days — signaling institutional demand that has yet to exhaust itself. Momentum breakdown | Stock stays above its 200-day moving average and the OBV trend remains positive for the next 8 consecutive weeks. | →Stable |
| CounterAn elevated put/call ratio of 1.33 shows meaningful hedging activity alongside the momentum, and a concentrated uninsured deposit base adds macro sensitivity that could rapidly reverse technical strength if credit conditions deteriorate. | ||
The stock sits just below its resistance target of $145.63 with only 0.4% of headroom remaining and a risk/reward of 0.09-to-1 — an asymmetry so thin that even a small adverse move erodes the entire potential gain many times over. Price targets | This pillar is falsified when the stock establishes new highs decisively above $146 and a fresh reward-to-risk greater than 1.5-to-1 opens from that base. | →Stable |
| CounterA catalyst-driven re-rating — such as an analyst target upgrade following a strong quarter — could quickly expand upside headroom and change the entry calculus well before the stock pulls back. | ||
The dividend yield is flagged as potentially unsafe, suggesting the income stream may be at risk of a reduction if earnings growth slows from its current elevated pace. Catalyst breakdown | Dividend per share is maintained or increased over the next two declared distributions without the payout ratio exceeding 100% of reported EPS. | →Stable |
| CounterA bank consistently beating estimates with strong margins and a high Piotroski score has meaningful financial flexibility; the safety flag may be setting a conservative bar that overstates the actual near-term payout risk. | ||
More than 80% of the loan book is concentrated in commercial and industrial, energy, construction, and commercial real estate — a combination flagged as three high-severity and one medium-severity concentration risk that amplifies earnings volatility in a credit cycle downturn.
→StableBear case
- Expectation
- Non-performing loans remain below 1% of total loans and net charge-offs stay below 0.5% in each of the next two reported quarters, keeping the concentration from translating into realized losses.
CounterThe bank's 30% net margin and Piotroski score of 8 out of 9 reflect high current credit quality, suggesting the concentration is being well-managed; historical navigation of Texas energy cycles may indicate resilience the headline flag does not capture.
The bank has beaten consensus estimates in each of the last four quarters with an average upside surprise of roughly 6.4%, including a near-12% beat in the third quarter of 2025, demonstrating persistent delivery well above market expectations.
→StableEarnings
- Expectation
- Average quarterly EPS surprise stays above 3% and the beat streak extends through the next two reported quarters.
CounterSurprise magnitude has ranged widely — from 3.5% to nearly 12% — making the average somewhat misleading; if investor expectations have been reset higher on the back of the larger beats, even a 3–4% beat may disappoint.
The stock trades above its 200-day moving average with rising volume accumulation — including a 2.4x average-volume surge even on selloff days — signaling institutional demand that has yet to exhaust itself.
→StableMomentum breakdown
- Expectation
- Stock stays above its 200-day moving average and the OBV trend remains positive for the next 8 consecutive weeks.
CounterAn elevated put/call ratio of 1.33 shows meaningful hedging activity alongside the momentum, and a concentrated uninsured deposit base adds macro sensitivity that could rapidly reverse technical strength if credit conditions deteriorate.
The stock sits just below its resistance target of $145.63 with only 0.4% of headroom remaining and a risk/reward of 0.09-to-1 — an asymmetry so thin that even a small adverse move erodes the entire potential gain many times over.
→StablePrice targets
- Expectation
- This pillar is falsified when the stock establishes new highs decisively above $146 and a fresh reward-to-risk greater than 1.5-to-1 opens from that base.
CounterA catalyst-driven re-rating — such as an analyst target upgrade following a strong quarter — could quickly expand upside headroom and change the entry calculus well before the stock pulls back.
The dividend yield is flagged as potentially unsafe, suggesting the income stream may be at risk of a reduction if earnings growth slows from its current elevated pace.
→StableCatalyst breakdown
- Expectation
- Dividend per share is maintained or increased over the next two declared distributions without the payout ratio exceeding 100% of reported EPS.
CounterA bank consistently beating estimates with strong margins and a high Piotroski score has meaningful financial flexibility; the safety flag may be setting a conservative bar that overstates the actual near-term payout risk.
TrendMatrix Research · core thesis
Engine thesis — one sentence
Cullen/Frost Bankers combines a perfect four-quarter earnings beat record and strong price momentum with a highly concentrated loan book and a stock that has already surpassed its price target — leaving virtually no reward-to-risk cushion at current levels.
Falsifiable statement — pillar-level invalidators below. Engine-derived; not personalized advice.
Per-dimension breakdown
Quality
5.7/10data confidence 100%| Component | Sub-score |
|---|---|
| ROE | 5.2 |
| ROA | 0.9 |
| Gross margin | 0.0 |
| Op margin | 10.0 |
| Net margin | 10.0 |
| Moat | 5.2 |
| Piotroski F | 8.9 |
- ▸Strong margins: 30%
- ▸No competitive moat
- ▸Strong Piotroski F-Score: 8/9
Growth
4.7/10data confidence 67%| Component | Sub-score |
|---|---|
| Rev growth | 4.4 |
| EPS growth | 5.0 |
Momentum
5.1/10data confidence 100%| Component | Sub-score |
|---|---|
| RSI | 4.4 |
| MACD | 10.0 |
| OBV | 1.0 |
| MA position | 9.0 |
| Volume | 0.9 |
- ▸Overbought (RSI 72)
- ▸Volume distribution (falling OBV)
- ▸Above 200-day MA
Sentiment
4.9/10data confidence 100%| Component | Sub-score |
|---|---|
| LLM sentiment | 4.8 |
| Analyst rating | 5.0 |
| Price target | 4.9 |
Insider
5.0/10data confidence 50%| Component | Sub-score |
|---|---|
| materiality | 5.0 |
| holder change | 5.1 |
- ▸Negligible insider selling — $124,120 (0.001% of mkt cap)
Peer rank
4.4/10data confidence 80%| Component | Sub-score |
|---|---|
| value rank | 3.3 |
| quality rank | 6.7 |
| growth rank | 2.6 |
- ▸Superior ROE vs peers
Technical
4.2/10data confidence 100%| Component | Sub-score |
|---|---|
| bollinger | 1.9 |
| support resistance | 1.1 |
| 52w position | 9.7 |
Risk (lower is worse)
7.9/10data confidence 100%| Component | Sub-score |
|---|---|
| short interest | 10.0 |
| days to cover | 10.0 |
| volatility | 7.0 |
| put call | 10.0 |
| implied vol | 5.7 |
| beta | 9.8 |
| news risk | 3.0 |
- ▸Concentration risks: 3 HIGH, 1 MED (10-K Item 1A — sized via position_sizing, validated via buy_confidence)
Catalyst
6.5/10data confidence 100%| Component | Sub-score |
|---|---|
| erm | 5.0 |
| earnings history | 10.0 |
| earnings timing | 5.0 |
| surprise avg | 7.0 |
| dividend safety | 5.2 |
| news activity | 7.0 |
- ▸Perfect beat streak: 4Q
- ▸Dividend: 266.0%
How the verdict was assembled
Engine trigger
Multiple concerning factors. Consider reducing position.
Engine technical detail
verdict_path:
L4:PATH_F_SELLPassed (6)
- MOMENTUM:5.1>=4.5
- INSIDER:OK
- 8K:CLEAN
- EARNINGS_PROXIMITY:24d clear
- SEMI_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
- MATERIALS_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
Failed (1)
- ASYMMETRY:-1.1=NEGATIVE
Warning (1)
- MOMENTUM:5.1<5.5 (soft — BUY_NOW allowed but watch)
Reward-to-Risk
-1.11
Upside
-13.7%
Downside
12.3%
Sizing output
AVOID
Setup— — No clear chart pattern; technical signals are mixed
EdgeCatalyst-Driven — Earnings in 24d with 4/4 beat streak
SuitabilityModerate — Balanced profile
Investment implication
The F-path SELL output reflects an overall score of 5.3 below the 5.6 soft trigger — multiple weakening dimensions accumulated rather than a single hard-floor breach. The strongest dimension ( Risk (lower is worse) at 7.9) was not enough to lift the adjusted overall above the threshold. Co-occurring failed gates ( ASYMMETRY:-1.1=NEGATIVE) reinforce the read. Current asymmetry R:R is -1.11 — supplementary context, not the trigger for this path.
The strongest dimensions are Risk (lower is worse) at 7.9, Catalyst at 6.5, and Value at 5.9; the weakest are Technical at 4.2, Peer rank at 4.4, and Growth at 4.7. The V9 engine flagged 1 failed gate with 1 warning, producing an asymmetric reward-to-risk of -1.11 and an engine sizing output of AVOID.
What would invalidate the thesis
Falsifying conditions — when triggered, the corresponding pillar's thesis is invalidated.
- P1Consistent Earnings Outperformance
Trip ifEPS surprise falls below 0% for 2 consecutive quarters.
- P2Strong Price Momentum
Trip ifStock drops below its 200-day moving average and OBV turns negative for 4 consecutive weeks.
- P3Loan Portfolio Concentration Risk
Trip ifNon-performing loans exceed 1.5% of total loans in any reported quarter.
- P4Target Reached Minimal Upside
Trip ifStock breaks above $150 establishing a new reward-to-risk greater than 1.5-to-1 from that base.
- P5Dividend Sustainability Concern
Trip ifDividend is cut by more than 10% in any declared distribution over the next 12 months.