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PNC or VLY or ZION
Which Stock Would AI Choose? The PNC Financial Services Group (PNC) vs. Valley National Bancorp (VLY) vs. Zions Bancorporation, National Association (ZION) Stock Comparison
Key Takeaways
- PNC offers scale with $81B market cap and strong 1-year return of 21.6%, but recent share weakness amid macro headwinds contrasts with Q1 EPS growth outlook of 16.5%.
- VLY leads YTD at 2.84% and 1-year at 41.24%, bolstered by a new 25M share buyback and steady dividends, trading at a low P/B of 0.87.
- ZION shows attractive valuation with P/E of 9.25 and ROE of 13.52%, supported by recent multifamily acquisition and solid YTD gain of 4.36%.
- All three regional banks yield over 3%, with VLY at 3.69%, but differ in size: PNC diversified nationally, VLY and ZION regionally focused.
- Recent momentum favors VLY and ZION over PNC's pullback, amid stabilizing funding costs and loan growth prospects.
- AI tools highlight relative performance edges in trend consistency for mid-cap peers versus PNC's stability.
Introduction
This stock comparison examines PNC, VLY, and ZION, three regional banks navigating interest rate dynamics, loan demand, and economic shifts. PNC represents a larger diversified player, while VLY and ZION focus on niche regional opportunities. Traders seeking momentum and value, or investors eyeing dividends and growth in banking, will find insights into relative performance, valuations, and market positioning amid recent sector volatility. All exhibit resilience with yields above 3% and improving net interest income (NII, revenue from interest-earning assets minus interest paid on liabilities).
PNC Overview and Recent Performance
The PNC Financial Services Group, Inc. (PNC) is a diversified U.S. financial services firm with retail banking, corporate & institutional banking, and asset management segments. Headquartered in Pittsburgh, it operates over 2,600 branches. Recent market activity saw shares trade around $202, with YTD return of 2.65% and 1-year gain of 21.6%, outperforming the S&P 500's 13.67% over the year. Sentiment reflects mixed analyst views, including a Zacks Buy upgrade despite price target cuts to $234 amid macro pressures. Shares declined about 12.5% in recent weeks, influenced by broader banking concerns, yet Q1 earnings on April 15 forecast 16.5% EPS growth to $4.09. Strategic expansions, including branch growth and acquisitions like FirstBank, support loan projections up 8% and NII up 14% for 2026, bolstering long-term positioning.
VLY Overview and Recent Performance
Valley National Bancorp (VLY) serves as holding company for Valley National Bank, offering commercial, private, retail, insurance, and wealth management via consumer, commercial, and treasury segments. Based in Morristown, New Jersey, it emphasizes niche services like cannabis banking. Shares hover near $11.90, with strong YTD return of 2.84% and leading 1-year performance of 41.24%. Recent weeks featured a new authorization for 25 million share repurchases through 2028 alongside steady $0.11 quarterly dividends, signaling capital return confidence. Q4 results beat on NII and fees, with forward P/E at 9.38 and P/B of 0.87 indicating value. Earnings due April 30; stable deposits and loan growth in commercial real estate (CRE) drive sentiment, though CRE exposure warrants monitoring amid rate sensitivity.
ZION Overview and Recent Performance
Zions Bancorporation, National Association (ZION) delivers banking through brands like Zions Bank across 11 Western states, spanning commercial, retail, and wealth management. Headquartered in Salt Lake City, it focuses on mid-sized businesses and real estate. Trading around $55.59, it posts YTD return of 4.36% and 1-year of 16.13%. Recent developments include acquiring Basis Investment Group's Fannie Mae/Freddie Mac multifamily unit, expanding real estate reach. Valuation shines with trailing P/E 9.25, forward 8.61, P/B 1.15, ROE 13.52%, and ROA 1.01%. Shares showed short-term pressure but longer-term gains; Q4 EPS beat on NII and fees. Earnings slated for April 20; NIM expansion to 3.31% and 8.1% revenue growth in 2025 underpin positive momentum.
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Head-to-Head Comparison
PNC ($81B market cap) dwarfs VLY ($6.6B) and ZION ($8.2B) in scale, enabling national diversification but exposing it to broader macro risks like rate cuts impacting NII. Growth drivers differ: PNC via acquisitions and branches; VLY through buybacks and niches; ZION real estate deals. Recent momentum favors VLY (41% 1-yr) over ZION (16%) and PNC (22%), with all YTD positive amid sector recovery. Risks include CRE for VLY/ZION, deposit costs for PNC. Valuations: ZION cheapest (P/E 9.25, P/B 1.15), VLY value-oriented (P/B 0.87), PNC premium (P/E 12.15). Sentiment tilts bullish on mid-caps' upside potential versus PNC's stability trade-off.
Tickeron AI Verdict
Tickeron’s AI currently favors ZION for its trend consistency, lowest valuations (P/E 9.25, forward 8.61), high ROE (13.52%), and catalysts like the multifamily acquisition amid stabilizing NIM and Western growth. Relative to PNC's scale but recent weakness and VLY's momentum, ZION offers probabilistic edge in relative performance and positioning, though all merit monitoring pre-earnings.
Disclaimer
The information on this webpage is provided for general informational and educational purposes only and is not intended as investment advice, a recommendation to purchase or sell any security, or an offer or solicitation related to investments. It does not consider your personal financial situation, goals, or risk profile, and all investing carries inherent risks, including the possibility of losing your entire investment. For more details, please review our full disclaimer. Disclaimers and Limitations
Long-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a long-term outlook for a ticker by using Fundamental Analysis (FA) ratings. The rating of 1 to 100, where 1 is best and 100 is worst, is divided into thirds. The first third (a green rating of 1-33) indicates that the ticker is undervalued; the second third (a grey number between 34 and 66) means that the ticker is valued fairly; and the last third (red number of 67 to 100) reflects that the ticker is undervalued. We use an FA Score to show how many ratings show the ticker to be undervalued (green) or overvalued (red).
PNC’s FA Score shows that 2 FA rating(s) are green whileVLY’s FA Score has 1 green FA rating(s), and ZION’s FA Score reflects 2 green FA rating(s).
- PNC’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
- VLY’s FA Score: 1 green, 4 red.
- ZION’s FA Score: 2 green, 3 red.
Short-Term Analysis
It is best to consider a short-term outlook for a ticker by using Technical Analysis (TA) indicators. We use Odds of Success as the percentage of outcomes which confirm successful trade signals in the past.
If the Odds of Success (the likelihood of the continuation of a trend) for each indicator are greater than 50%, then the generated signal is confirmed. A green percentage from 90% to 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bullish trend. A red percentage from 90% - 51% indicates that the ticker is in a bearish trend. All grey percentages are below 50% and are considered not to confirm the trend signal.
PNC’s TA Score shows that 4 TA indicator(s) are bullish while VLY’s TA Score has 4 bullish TA indicator(s), and ZION’s TA Score reflects 5 bullish TA indicator(s).
- PNC’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 6 bearish.
- VLY’s TA Score: 4 bullish, 6 bearish.
- ZION’s TA Score: 5 bullish, 5 bearish.
Price Growth
PNC (@Regional Banks) experienced а +4.45% price change this week, while VLY (@Regional Banks) price change was +5.15% , and ZION (@Regional Banks) price fluctuated +5.02% for the same time period.
The average weekly price growth across all stocks in the @Regional Banks industry was +2.59%. For the same industry, the average monthly price growth was +3.81%, and the average quarterly price growth was +18.99%.
Reported Earning Dates
PNC is expected to report earnings on Apr 15, 2026.
VLY is expected to report earnings on Apr 23, 2026.
ZION is expected to report earnings on Apr 20, 2026.
Industries' Descriptions
@Regional Banks (+2.59% weekly)Regional banks have a smaller reach than major banks, and cater mostly to one region of a country, such as a state or within a group of states. They offer services often similar – albeit with some limitations/smaller scale – compared to major banks. Taking deposits, making loans, mortgages, leases, credit cards , fund management, insurance and investment banking. SunTrust Banks, State Street Corp., M&T Bank Corp. are some examples of U.S. regional banks.
| PNC | VLY | ZION | |
| Capitalization | 89.2B | 7.24B | 8.98B |
| EBITDA | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Gain YTD | 6.754 | 12.862 | 5.039 |
| P/E Ratio | 13.33 | 12.93 | 10.16 |
| Revenue | 23.1B | 2.03B | 3.39B |
| Total Cash | 5.55B | 376M | 771M |
| Total Debt | 57.1B | 3.34B | 3.47B |
PNC | VLY | ZION | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
OUTLOOK RATING 1..100 | 13 | 20 | 18 | |
VALUATION overvalued / fair valued / undervalued 1..100 | 82 Overvalued | 45 Fair valued | 86 Overvalued | |
PROFIT vs RISK RATING 1..100 | 56 | 80 | 80 | |
SMR RATING 1..100 | 5 | 11 | 9 | |
PRICE GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 24 | 41 | 23 | |
P/E GROWTH RATING 1..100 | 40 | 48 | 43 | |
SEASONALITY SCORE 1..100 | 50 | 50 | 50 |
Tickeron ratings are formulated such that a rating of 1 designates the most successful stocks in a given industry, while a rating of 100 points to the least successful stocks for that industry.
VLY's Valuation (45) in the Regional Banks industry is somewhat better than the same rating for PNC (82) in the Major Banks industry, and is somewhat better than the same rating for ZION (86) in the Regional Banks industry. This means that VLY's stock grew somewhat faster than PNC’s and somewhat faster than ZION’s over the last 12 months.
PNC's Profit vs Risk Rating (56) in the Major Banks industry is in the same range as VLY (80) in the Regional Banks industry, and is in the same range as ZION (80) in the Regional Banks industry. This means that PNC's stock grew similarly to VLY’s and similarly to ZION’s over the last 12 months.
PNC's SMR Rating (5) in the Major Banks industry is in the same range as ZION (9) in the Regional Banks industry, and is in the same range as VLY (11) in the Regional Banks industry. This means that PNC's stock grew similarly to ZION’s and similarly to VLY’s over the last 12 months.
ZION's Price Growth Rating (23) in the Regional Banks industry is in the same range as PNC (24) in the Major Banks industry, and is in the same range as VLY (41) in the Regional Banks industry. This means that ZION's stock grew similarly to PNC’s and similarly to VLY’s over the last 12 months.
PNC's P/E Growth Rating (40) in the Major Banks industry is in the same range as ZION (43) in the Regional Banks industry, and is in the same range as VLY (48) in the Regional Banks industry. This means that PNC's stock grew similarly to ZION’s and similarly to VLY’s over the last 12 months.
| PNC | VLY | ZION | |
|---|---|---|---|
| RSI ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 58% | 1 day ago 62% | 1 day ago 67% |
| Stochastic ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 63% | 1 day ago 68% | 1 day ago 63% |
| Momentum ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 62% | 1 day ago 69% | 1 day ago 67% |
| MACD ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 56% | 1 day ago 75% | 1 day ago 81% |
| TrendWeek ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 55% | 1 day ago 64% | 1 day ago 67% |
| TrendMonth ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 51% | 1 day ago 63% | 1 day ago 63% |
| Advances ODDS (%) | 3 days ago 55% | 3 days ago 62% | 3 days ago 65% |
| Declines ODDS (%) | 13 days ago 62% | 13 days ago 69% | 30 days ago 69% |
| BollingerBands ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 56% | 1 day ago 68% | 1 day ago 66% |
| Aroon ODDS (%) | 1 day ago 67% | 1 day ago 68% | 1 day ago 66% |
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PNC and
Correlation & Price change
A.I.dvisor indicates that over the last year, PNC has been closely correlated with KEY. These tickers have moved in lockstep 90% of the time. This A.I.-generated data suggests there is a high statistical probability that if PNC jumps, then KEY could also see price increases.