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NBTBNBT Bancorp Inc.Hold6.0·$50.08-0.34%
NBTB · Why this verdict

Why NBT Bancorp (NBTB) is rated HOLD

Updated

Model-generated analysis — not investment advice. Not a registered investment advisor. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

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Methodology · Editorial policy & full disclaimer

VerdictHOLD
Overall score6.0/10
ConfidenceMEDIUM
MacroNEUTRAL

Thesis pillars

Commercial and commercial real estate loans represent 56% of the loan portfolio, creating concentrated credit exposure to sectors that have exhibited elevated stress levels in recent economic cycles, particularly in office and retail property.

→Stable
Bear case
Expectation
CRE loan concentration falls below 50% of the portfolio within 12 months as the bank diversifies origination, or credit loss rates on the CRE book remain below 0.5% annually.

CounterCommercial and CRE lending is often the core competency of community and regional banks, and a well-underwritten CRE portfolio can outperform diversified books in stable rate environments.

NBT Bancorp is growing revenue at 22% year-over-year and trading at a PEG of 0.38, suggesting the market has not yet fully valued the pace of earnings expansion relative to the multiples assigned to regional bank peers.

→Stable
Growth breakdown
Expectation
Revenue growth remains above 15% year-over-year for the next 2 quarters, sustaining the growth premium.

CounterRegional bank revenue growth is highly sensitive to net interest margins, which compress when rate cycles reverse; the 22% growth rate may not persist through a different rate environment.

A golden cross with RSI at 57, bullish MACD, and volume accumulation (rising OBV) signals broad-based technical strength, with the stock within 2.9% of its 52-week high and trading above all major moving averages.

→Stable
Momentum breakdown
Expectation
Momentum score holds above 7.0 and the stock sustains a position above its 200-day moving average over the next 6 months.

CounterProximity to a 52-week high combined with an already-exceeded price target means the technical setup is more stretched than early-stage, and a reversal would damage momentum scores quickly.

The bank has beaten analyst EPS estimates in 3 of the last 4 quarters, with an average positive surprise of 10.3%, demonstrating consistent operational execution above management's guidance level.

→Stable
Earnings
Expectation
Earnings per share beats analyst consensus in at least 2 of the next 4 quarterly reports.

CounterThe most recent quarter showed a near-miss of -0.73%, and the earlier miss of -26.6% demonstrates that individual quarters can be materially below expectations, unsettling investor confidence.

TrendMatrix Research · core thesis

Engine thesis — one sentence

NBT Bancorp trades at a forward P/E of 10.4x with a PEG of 0.38, growing revenue at 22% year-over-year with a Piotroski F-Score of 8 out of 9 and a golden-cross breakout, yet the stock has already exceeded its analyst price target and carries a high concentration in commercial and commercial real estate loans at 56% of the loan book.

Falsifiable statement — pillar-level invalidators below. Engine-derived; not personalized advice.

Per-dimension breakdown

Value

7.6/10data confidence 83%
ComponentSub-score
P/E8.2
P/S7.8
Fwd P/E9.1
PEG10.0
Analyst target3.0
  • â–¸Forward P/E: 11.0x
  • â–¸PEG: 0.40
  • â–¸Attractively valued

Quality

5.5/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
ROE3.5
ROA0.8
Gross margin0.0
Op margin10.0
Net margin10.0
Moat5.4
Piotroski F8.9
  • â–¸Strong margins: 26%
  • â–¸No competitive moat
  • â–¸Strong Piotroski F-Score: 8/9

Growth

7.7/10data confidence 67%
ComponentSub-score
Rev growth7.9
EPS growth7.5
  • â–¸Strong growth: 22% YoY

Momentum

5.5/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
RSI5.0
MACD10.0
OBV1.0
MA position9.0
Volume2.4
  • â–¸Volume distribution (falling OBV)
  • â–¸Above 200-day MA

Sentiment

5.7/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
Analyst rating6.6
Price target5.1
erm sentiment5.0
  • â–¸Light analyst coverage (6.0) — signal dampened

Insider

3.9/10data confidence 75%
ComponentSub-score
materiality4.5
insider conviction2.0
holder change5.1
  • â–¸Modest insider selling — $1,387,274 (0.053% of mkt cap)

Peer rank

5.1/10data confidence 80%
ComponentSub-score
value rank4.7
quality rank3.8
growth rank7.0

Technical

4.1/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
bollinger0.9
support resistance1.7
52w position9.6

Risk (lower is worse)

6.7/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
short interest8.0
days to cover5.6
volatility6.8
put call6.0
implied vol3.7
beta10.0
  • â–¸Concentration risks: 1 HIGH, 1 MED (10-K Item 1A — sized via position_sizing, validated via buy_confidence)

Catalyst

5.8/10data confidence 100%
ComponentSub-score
erm5.0
earnings history6.7
earnings timing5.0
surprise avg7.6
dividend safety4.8
  • â–¸Strong earnings: 3B/1M
  • â–¸Yield trap warning: high yield but unsafe

How the verdict was assembled

Engine trigger

Maintain position. Not compelling to add more.

Engine technical detail
verdict_path: L4:PATH_F_HOLD
Passed (7)
  • MOMENTUM:5.5>=4.5
  • INSIDER:OK
  • 8K:CLEAN
  • NEWS_EVENTS:NONE_RECENT
  • EARNINGS_PROXIMITY:24d clear
  • SEMI_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
  • MATERIALS_CYCLE_PEAK:CLEAR
Failed (1)
  • ASYMMETRY:-1.3=NEGATIVE
Warning (1)
  • MOMENTUM:5.5<5.5 (soft — BUY_NOW allowed but watch)
Reward-to-Risk
-1.26
Upside
-12.4%
Downside
9.8%
Sizing output
AVOID

SetupBreakout — Golden cross, above all MAs, RSI 67, MACD bullish

EdgeCatalyst-Driven — Earnings in 24d with 3/4 beat streak

SuitabilityAggressive — MCap $2.6B<$5B

Investment implication

None of the engine's positive-conviction paths (C-quality, D-momentum) triggered — the F-path HOLD reflects balanced signals. Strongest-cleared gate: MOMENTUM:5.5>=4.5. Top dim: Growth at 7.7; weakest: Insider at 3.9. No conviction either direction.

The strongest dimensions are Growth at 7.7, Value at 7.6, and Risk (lower is worse) at 6.7; the weakest are Insider at 3.9, Technical at 4.1, and Peer rank at 5.1. The V9 engine flagged 1 failed gate with 1 warning, producing an asymmetric reward-to-risk of -1.26 and an engine sizing output of AVOID.

What would invalidate the thesis

Falsifying conditions — when triggered, the corresponding pillar's thesis is invalidated.

  • P1Strong Revenue Growth Attractive Peg

    Trip ifRevenue growth falls below 10% year-over-year for 2 consecutive quarters.

  • P2Cre Loan Concentration Risk

    Trip ifCRE loan delinquency or charge-off rate exceeds 1.0% of the CRE portfolio on an annualized basis.

  • P3Breakout Momentum Near 52 Week High

    Trip ifMomentum score drops below 5.5 or the stock falls more than 10% below its 52-week high.

  • P4Earnings Beat Track Record

    Trip ifThe company misses consensus EPS estimates by more than 10% in 2 of the next 4 quarters.

Engine reasoning is mechanically derived from pipeline gate outputs. See decision view.

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