UMB Financial Corporation (UMBF) Hit a 52 Week High, Can the Run Continue?

A strong stock as of late has been UMB Financial (UMBF). Shares have been marching higher, with the stock up 5.8% over the past month. The stock hit a new 52-week high of $137.56 in the previous session. UMB has gained 16.7% since the start of the year compared to the 3.7% move for the Zacks Finance sector and the 2.4% return for the Zacks Banks - Midwest industry.What's Driving the Outperformance?The stock has a great record of positive earnings surprises, as it hasn't missed our earnings consensus estimate in any of the last four quarters. In its last earnings report on April 28, 2026, UMB reported EPS of $3.41 versus consensus estimate of $2.82.For the current fiscal year, UMB is expected to post earnings of $12.73 per share on $2.97 in revenues. This represents a 12.16% change in EPS on a 10.78% change in revenues. For the next fiscal year, the company is expected to earn $13.57 per share on $3.13 in revenues. This represents a year-over-year change of 6.6% and 5.38%, respectively.Valuation MetricsThough UMB has recently hit a 52-week high, what is next for UMB? A key aspect of this question is taking a look at valuation metrics in order to determine if the company is due for a pullback from this level.On this front, we can look at the Zacks Style Scores, as they provide investors with an additional way to sort through stocks (beyond looking at the Zacks Rank of a security). These styles are represented by grades running from A to F in the categories of Value, Growth, and Momentum, while there is a combined VGM Score as well. The idea behind the style scores is to help investors pick the most appropriate Zacks Rank stocks based on their individual investment style.UMB has a Value Score of B. The stock's Growth and Momentum Scores are D and B, respectively, giving the company a VGM Score of B.In terms of its value breakdown, the stock currently trades at 10.5X current fiscal year EPS estimates, which is not in-line with the peer industry average of 10.6X. On a trailing cash flow basis, the stock currently trades at 10.3X versus its peer group's average of 10.4X. Additionally, the stock has a PEG ratio of 0.92. This isn't enough to put the company in the top echelon of all stocks we cover from a value perspective.Zacks RankWe also need to consider the stock's Zacks Rank, as this is even more important than the company's VGM Score. Fortunately, UMB currently has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) thanks to favorable earnings estimate revisions from covering analysts.Since we recommend that investors select stocks carrying Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) or 2 (Buy) and Style Scores of A or B, it looks as if UMB meets the list of requirements. Thus, it seems as though UMB shares could have a bit more room to run in the near term.How Does UMBF Stack Up to the Competition?Shares of UMBF have been soaring, and the company still appears to be a decent choice, but what about the rest of the industry? One industry peer that looks good is First Financial Bancorp. (FFBC). FFBC has a Zacks Rank of #2 (Buy) and a Value Score of B, a Growth Score of B, and a Momentum Score of D.Earnings were strong last quarter. First Financial Bancorp. beat our consensus estimate by 10.00%, and for the current fiscal year, FFBC is expected to post earnings of $3.20 per share on revenue of $1.08 billion.Shares of First Financial Bancorp. have gained 6.1% over the past month, and currently trade at a forward P/E of 9.91X and a P/CF of 10.07X.The Banks - Midwest industry is in the top 27% of all the industries we have in our universe, so it looks like there are some nice tailwinds for UMBF and FFBC, even beyond their own solid fundamental situation.Zacks' Research Chief Names "Stock Most Likely to Double"Our team of experts has just released the 5 stocks with the greatest probability of gaining +100% or more in the coming months. Of those 5, Director of Research Sheraz Mian highlights the one stock set to climb highest.This top pick is a little-known satellite-based communications firm. Space is projected to become a trillion dollar industry, and this company's customer base is growing fast. Analysts have forecasted a major revenue breakout in 2025. Of course, all our elite picks aren't winners but this one could far surpass earlier Zacks' Stocks Set to Double like Hims & Hers Health, which shot up +209%.Free: See Our Top Stock And 4 Runners UpThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks