PEBK PEOPLES BANCORP OF NORTH CAROLINA INC

Nasdaq State Commercial Banks NC CIK: 0001093672
AI RATING
SELL
78% Confidence

Investment Thesis

Peoples Bancorp faces critical operational stress evidenced by flat net income growth despite 41.7% revenue expansion, indicating margin compression or rising loan loss provisions. An interest coverage ratio of 1.0x leaves virtually no financial flexibility—operating income barely covers interest obligations, creating severe vulnerability to economic stress or further deterioration.

Strengths

  • + Strong revenue growth of 41.7% YoY demonstrates market expansion
  • + Solid operating and net margins (27.1% and 21.1%) at the gross level
  • + Zero long-term debt eliminates refinancing risk and provides capital flexibility

Risks

  • ! Interest coverage of 1.0x is critically low—minimal buffer between operating income and interest obligations
  • ! Net income flat YoY despite 41.7% revenue growth indicates deteriorating cost structure or credit quality issues
  • ! Severely depressed returns: ROE 2.8% and ROA 0.3% suggest poor capital deployment and operational inefficiency for a financial institution
  • ! Stagnant earnings coupled with tight interest coverage creates vulnerability to economic downturn

Key Metrics to Watch

Financial Metrics

Revenue
20.9M
Net Income
4.4M
EPS (Diluted)
$0.80
Free Cash Flow
4.6M
Total Assets
1.7B
Cash
61.3M

Profitability Ratios

Gross Margin N/A
Operating Margin 27.1%
Net Margin 21.1%
ROE 2.8%
ROA 0.3%
FCF Margin 21.9%

Balance Sheet & Liquidity

Current Ratio
N/A
Quick Ratio
N/A
Debt/Equity
0.00x
Debt/Assets
90.9%
Interest Coverage
0.98x
Long-term Debt
N/A
Disclaimer: This analysis is generated by AI based on publicly available SEC EDGAR filings. It does not include stock price data and should not be considered financial advice. All fundamental data is sourced from SEC public domain filings. Always conduct your own research before making investment decisions.
Data Source: SEC EDGAR | Analysis Date: 2026-05-08T06:07:52.908799 | Data as of: 2026-03-31 | Powered by Claude AI