SIMMONS FIRST NATL DL-,01

Simmons First National shares rose in pre-market trading after KBW upgraded the stock to "Outperform" with a $26.00 price target, citing a recently announced cost-reduction program expected to generate $37–42 million in gross annual savings and plans to reinvest. Piper Sandler also raised its rating to "Overweight" with a $27.50 price target, pointing to branch closures as an additional efficiency driver. A forthcoming quarterly dividend also makes the stock temporarily more attractive to income-focused investors; the share price is therefore being driven strongly by company-specific factors despite a weak overall market. » More on de.investing.com

Simmons First National announced the closure of 26 branches in six states by Dec. 4, 2026, calling it part of a strategic review of its retail banking business. Piper Sandler raised its rating to "Overweight" and its price target to $27.50 and increased its 2027 EPS estimate from $2.24 to $2.38. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods kept its rating at "Market Perform" and pointed to expected aggregate pre-tax charges of $20–23 million related to the closures; the stock reacted with a premarket gain. » More on de.investing.com

Simmons First’s board set the quarterly cash dividend at $0.215 per common share (increase of 1%). Payment will be made on October 1, 2026, with a record date of September 15, 2026. The annualized dividend for 2026 is $0.86; this is the 117th year of dividend payments and the 15th consecutive year of increases. » More on de.investing.com