New Street has raised its price target for Citizens Financial Group to $73, implying an 11.6% upside from recent levels. Shortly thereafter, Jefferies maintained its “Buy” rating and lifted its target from $70 to $80, reflecting growing confidence in CFG’s revenue diversification and margin expansion. These two independent brokerages now project an average target of $76.50, underscoring strong sentiment among institutional analysts and providing a catalyst for the stock’s medium-term performance.

In Q4, CFG reported earnings of $1.13 per share, beating the consensus of $1.11 and marking a 32.9% year-over-year increase in EPS. Net interest income climbed on higher loan and deposit balances, while non-interest income benefited from significant fee growth in the Capital Markets and Wealth segments. Total revenues of $2.157 billion slightly surpassed forecasts, driving a 5% improvement in positive operating leverage compared to the prior year and highlighting efficient cost management across Consumer and Commercial Banking activities.

Over the past year, Citizens returned 80% of its capital to shareholders through dividends and share repurchases, demonstrating a commitment to disciplined capital allocation. Credit costs trended favorably, with provisions and net charge-offs declining versus the prior year. The Private Bank contributed year-end deposits of $14.5 billion, delivering a 7% accretion to net income and generating a 25% return on equity. On a GAAP basis, CFG recorded net income of $528 million in the quarter, a 31.6% increase from Q4 of the previous year, underscoring the resilience of its underwriting and risk-management practices.