Regional banks such as First Horizon (FHN) and F.N.B. (FNB) navigate competitive landscapes in the Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic markets, delivering commercial, consumer banking, and wealth management services. Their earnings reports offer a clear window into net interest margin (NIM, the spread between interest income and funding costs), loan growth, deposit stability, and credit quality as interest rates shift and the economy evolves. From my perspective, FHN, based in Memphis, Tennessee, stands out for its focus on mortgage company lending, while Pittsburgh-headquartered FNB emphasizes diversified fee income and digital advancements. Comparing their Q1 2026 outcomes sheds light on operational efficiencies, risk management, and growth prospects in this normalizing rate environment.
First Horizon (FHN) is set to release Q1 2026 earnings on April 15 before the market opens, with a conference call at 9:30 AM ET. Analysts expect EPS of $0.49, up from $0.42 a year ago, alongside revenue of about $869 million, pointing to 6-7% top-line growth. In my view, key supports here include a steady NIM around 3.5%, bolstered by falling deposit costs and lending to mortgage companies. Last quarter, in Q4 2025, FHN posted EPS of $0.52, topping the $0.46 consensus, NII of $676 million (up 7% year-over-year), and ROTCE of 15%. With $84 billion in assets, $67 billion in deposits, and CET1 near 11%, the balance sheet looks solid. One thing I'm watching closely is loan growth and credit provisions, given the commercial real estate exposure.
I also checked this using Tickeron’s AI Screener to gauge how FHN stacks up against peers on these metrics.
F.N.B. (FNB) will report Q1 2026 results after market close on April 16, followed by a call on April 17 at 8:30 AM ET. The consensus points to EPS of $0.38 on $454 million in revenue. In Q4 2025, FNB achieved operating EPS of $0.50 (beating $0.41 estimates), record NII of $365 million (up 13% year-over-year), and NIM of 3.3%. Assets reached $50 billion, deposits $38 billion (loan-to-deposit ratio at 89%), CET1 around 11%, and ROTCE at 16%. Fee-based revenue from wealth management and service charges grew strongly, aided by technology investments and market share expansion. Recent auto loan sales have helped optimize yields, setting the stage for further progress. The upcoming numbers will reveal more on deposit stability and expense discipline.
FHN holds an edge in scale, with $84 billion in assets compared to FNB's $50 billion, and a $11.6 billion market cap versus $6.3 billion, alongside a slightly higher NIM (3.5% vs. 3.3%). This translates to greater absolute earnings power—TTM EPS of $1.89 for FHN against FNB's $1.56. Both exceeded Q4 estimates, though FNB demonstrated a ROTCE advantage (16% vs. 15%) and better deposit beta control. Growth comes from FHN's specialty lending on one side and FNB's diversified non-interest income (up 9% linked-quarter) on the other. Risks involve FHN's mortgage sensitivity and their mutual commercial real estate exposure, but provisions stay conservative, with low net charge-offs. Analyst sentiment remains constructive: FHN at a $26 target (Hold/Buy mix), FNB at $20 (Buy). From what I see, FNB's lower volatility suits stability seekers, while FHN presents upside through asset repricing.
In my own research and trading routine, I rely on Tickeron’s AI Screener, an AI-powered tool for discovering stocks and ETFs. It lets me filter thousands of names using technical patterns, fundamentals, trends, volatility, and AI signals—customizing by industry, market cap, indicators, price patterns, and performance metrics. This approach uncovers trade ideas, trending stocks, breakouts, and opportunities far more efficiently than manual scans. It's become a key part of how I streamline my process, and I recommend exploring it to sharpen your own analysis.
Tickeron AI currently favors FHN (60% probability) for superior earnings quality, larger scale, and NIM expansion potential, though FNB's stability and ROTCE edge make it a close contender in risk-adjusted positioning.
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Sergey Savastiouk, Ph.D. has a degree in Applied Mathematics from Moscow University and has extensive experience as an entrepreneur, investor, manager, and mathematician. His professional expertise is in applied mathematics, mathematical modeling, system and pattern analysis, and software and hardware system integration. He has served as the CEO of several hi-tech start-up companies and nonprofit organizations, which has given him proven capabilities in business strategy for high-tech start-up companies, market assessment, company formation, team building, product development, marketing, and sales. He has published numerous articles in journals and magazines on related fields. As a retail investor, he spent 15 years developing his proprietary trading and quantitative algorithms (now Tickeron’s A.I.), which brought him significant returns in trading the stock market. His current work and goal in founding Tickeron is to bring professional, sophisticated stock market analysis capabilities to retail investors via an easy-to-use interface.
FHN moved above its 50-day moving average on November 04, 2026 date and that indicates a change from a downward trend to an upward trend. In 25 of 33 similar past instances, the stock price increased further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 76%.
The Momentum Indicator moved above the 0 level on October 21, 2026. You may want to consider a long position or call options on FHN as a result. In 48 of 82 past instances where the momentum indicator moved above 0, the stock continued to climb. The odds of a continued upward trend are 59%.
The Moving Average Convergence Divergence (MACD) for FHN just turned positive on October 15, 2026. Looking at past instances where FHN's MACD turned positive, the stock continued to rise in 23 of 49 cases over the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 47%.
Following a +2.08% 3-day Advance, the price is estimated to grow further. Considering data from situations where FHN advanced for three days, in 179 of 320 cases, the price rose further within the following month. The odds of a continued upward trend are 56%.
FHN may jump back above the lower band and head toward the middle band. Traders may consider buying the stock or exploring call options.
The Stochastic Oscillator may be shifting from an upward trend to a downward trend. In 44 of 75 cases where FHN's Stochastic Oscillator exited the overbought zone, the price fell further within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 59%.
The 50-day moving average for FHN moved below the 200-day moving average on October 19, 2026. This could be a long-term bearish signal for the stock as the stock shifts to an downward trend.
Following a 3-day decline, the stock is projected to fall further. Considering past instances where FHN declined for three days, the price rose further in 50 of 62 cases within the following month. The odds of a continued downward trend are 54%.
The Aroon Indicator for FHN entered a downward trend on October 26, 2026. This could indicate a strong downward move is ahead for the stock. Traders may want to consider selling the stock or buying put options.
The Tickeron SMR rating for this company is 9 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating very strong sales and a profitable business model. SMR (Sales, Margin, Return on Equity) rating is based on comparative analysis of weighted Sales, Income Margin and Return on Equity values compared against S&P 500 index constituents. The weighted SMR value is a proprietary formula developed by Tickeron and represents an overall profitability measure for a stock.
The Tickeron Seasonality Score of 26 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is slightly undervalued in the industry. The Tickeron Seasonality score describes the variance of predictable price changes around the same period every calendar year. These changes can be tied to a specific month, quarter, holiday or vacation period, as well as a meteorological or growing season.
The Tickeron Valuation Rating of 37 (best 1 - 100 worst) indicates that the company is fair valued in the industry. This rating compares market capitalization estimated by our proprietary formula with the current market capitalization. This rating is based on the following metrics, as compared to industry averages: P/B Ratio (1.325) is normal, around the industry mean (1.286). P/E Ratio (11.305) is within average values for comparable stocks, (13.490). Projected Growth (PEG Ratio) (0.050) is also within normal values, averaging (1.190). Dividend Yield (0.029) settles around the average of (0.035) among similar stocks. P/S Ratio (3.448) is also within normal values, averaging (3.738).
The Tickeron Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for this company is 55 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating well-balanced risk and returns. The average Profit vs. Risk Rating rating for the industry is 56, placing this stock slightly better than average.
The Tickeron Price Growth Rating for this company is 57 (best 1 - 100 worst), indicating fairly steady price growth. FHN’s price grows at a lower rate over the last 12 months as compared to S&P 500 index constituents.
The Tickeron PE Growth Rating for this company is 73 (best 1 - 100 worst), pointing to worse than average earnings growth. The PE Growth rating is based on a comparative analysis of stock PE ratio increase over the last 12 months compared against S&P 500 index constituents.
The average fundamental analysis ratings, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, are as follows
a regional bank
Industry RegionalBanks