NBT Bancorp (Nasdaq: NBTB) came in right in line with the Street's expectations last quarter, but investors are hoping that it will beat them this round. The company will unveil its latest earnings on Monday, July 25. NBT Bancorp is a financial holding company, which provides commercial banking and financial services through its subsidiaries.

What analysts say:

  • Buy, sell, or hold?: Analysts think investors should stand pat on NBT Bancorp, with analysts unanimously rating it hold. They don't like NBT Bancorp as much as competitor Community Bank System overall. Three out of six analysts rate Community Bank System a buy, compared to zero of three for NBT Bancorp. Analysts' rating of NBT Bancorp has stayed constant from three months prior.
  • Wall Street earnings expectations: The average analyst estimate is earnings of $0.44 per share. Estimates range from $0.42 to $0.47.

What our community says:
CAPS All-Stars are split on NBT, with 50% rating it an "outperform" and 50% giving it an "underperform" rating. The message boards have been quiet lately with only 10 posts in the past 30 days. NBT Bancorp's bearish CAPS rating of one out of five stars falls short.

Management:
NBT Bancorp's profit has risen year over year by an average of 9.8%. Revenue has fallen for the past three quarters. 

Now, let's look at how efficient management is at running the business. Traditionally, margins represent the efficiency with which companies capture portions of sales dollars. The following table shows net margins over the past four quarters. 

Quarter Q1 Q4 Q3 Q2
Net Margin 17.8% 17.1% 17.3% 17%

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