As the craze of earnings season draws to a close, here’s a look back at some of the most exciting (and some less so) results from Q3. Today, we are looking at regional banks stocks, starting with Provident Financial Services (NYSE: PFS).

Regional banks, financial institutions operating within specific geographic areas, serve as intermediaries between local depositors and borrowers. They benefit from rising interest rates that improve net interest margins (the difference between loan yields and deposit costs), digital transformation reducing operational expenses, and local economic growth driving loan demand. However, these banks face headwinds from fintech competition, deposit outflows to higher-yielding alternatives, credit deterioration (increasing loan defaults) during economic slowdowns, and regulatory compliance costs. Recent concerns about regional bank stability following high-profile failures and significant commercial real estate exposure present additional challenges.

The 87 regional banks stocks we track reported a slower Q3. As a group, revenues were in line with analysts’ consensus estimates.

In light of this news, share prices of the companies have held steady as they are up 4.2% on average since the latest earnings results.

Provident Financial Services (NYSE: PFS)

Founded in 1839 and serving communities across New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and New York, Provident Financial Services (NYSE: PFS) operates a regional bank providing commercial, residential, and consumer lending alongside wealth management and insurance services.

Provident Financial Services reported revenues of $238.4 million, up 7.6% year on year. This print was in line with analysts’ expectations, but overall, it was a mixed quarter for the company with a narrow beat of analysts’ net interest income estimates but a miss of analysts’ tangible book value per share estimates.

Interestingly, the stock is up 1.8% since reporting and currently trades at $23.53.

Read our full report on Provident Financial Services here, it’s free.

Best Q3: Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQ: MBIN)

With a strategic focus on low-risk, government-backed lending programs, Merchants Bancorp (NASDAQCM:MBIN) is an Indiana-based bank holding company specializing in multi-family mortgage banking, mortgage warehousing, and traditional banking services.

Merchants Bancorp reported revenues of $224.9 million, up 31.5% year on year, outperforming analysts’ expectations by 22.3%. The business had a very strong quarter with a beat of analysts’ EPS estimates and a narrow beat of analysts’ tangible book value per share estimates.

Merchants Bancorp pulled off the biggest analyst estimate beat in the group. The market seems happy with the results as the stock is up 8.7% since reporting. It currently trades at $53.42.

Is now the time to buy Merchants Bancorp? Access our full analysis of the earnings results here, it’s free.

Weakest Q3: National Bank Holdings (NYSE: NBHC)

Operating under familiar local brands like Community Banks of Colorado, Bank Midwest, and Bank of Jackson Hole, National Bank Holdings (NYSE: NBHC) operates regional banks across Colorado, Kansas, Missouri, Wyoming, Texas, and other western states, offering commercial, business, and consumer banking services.

National Bank Holdings reported revenues of $128.5 million, up 21.8% year on year, falling short of analysts’ expectations by 2.1%. It was a disappointing quarter as it posted a significant miss of analysts’ net interest income estimates and a significant miss of analysts’ EPS estimates.

As expected, the stock is down 1.9% since the results and currently trades at $38.23.

Read our full analysis of National Bank Holdings’s results here.

Pinnacle Financial Partners (NASDAQ: PNFP)

Founded in 2000 with a focus on delivering big-bank capabilities with community bank personalization, Pinnacle Financial Partners (NASDAQ: PNFP) is a Tennessee-based financial holding company that provides banking, investment, trust, mortgage, and insurance services to businesses and individuals.

Pinnacle Financial Partners reported revenues of $1.32 billion, up 135% year on year. This number topped analysts’ expectations by 2.6%. However, it was a slower quarter as it logged a miss of analysts’ tangible book value per share estimates and a narrow beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

Pinnacle Financial Partners scored the fastest revenue growth of the whole group. The stock is up 5.9% since reporting and currently trades at $103.99.

Read our full, actionable report on Pinnacle Financial Partners here, it’s free.

Axos Financial (NYSE: AX)

Originally founded as Bank of Internet USA in 1999 before rebranding in 2018, Axos Financial (NYSE: AX) is a diversified financial services company that provides digital banking, securities clearing, and investment advisory solutions to retail and business customers nationwide.

Axos Financial reported revenues of $395.1 million, up 22.2% year on year. This print surpassed analysts’ expectations by 2.2%. More broadly, it was a satisfactory quarter as it also logged a narrow beat of analysts’ net interest income estimates but a narrow beat of analysts’ EPS estimates.

The stock is up 2.6% since reporting and currently trades at $94.97.

Read our full, actionable report on Axos Financial here, it’s free.

Market update

Over the past year, investors have been forced to repeatedly answer the same question: what is the market’s biggest risk? The answer has changed several times, and each shift has reshaped market leadership.

Late in 2025 and early 2026, artificial intelligence became the market’s primary uncertainty. Investors questioned whether AI would erode software pricing power and weaken competitive moats as AI made it easier to replicate once-differentiated products.

By the spring, technology took a back seat to geopolitics. The U.S. conflict with Iran briefly became the market’s dominant narrative, raising concerns about oil prices, inflation, and global growth. But as energy markets remained orderly and fears of a prolonged supply disruption faded, investors quickly turned their focus back to fundamentals.

Want to invest in winners with rock-solid fundamentals? Check out our Top 5 Quality Compounder Stocks and add them to your watchlist. These companies are poised for growth regardless of the political or macroeconomic climate.