Here's Why Commerce Bancshares Stock is a Must Buy Now

Commerce Bancshares, Inc. CBSH is well-positioned for growth, given the decent loan demand, high interest rates and its balance sheet repositioning strategy. Moreover, solid liquidity and non-interest income growth will further support its financials.Over the past week, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for both 2024 and 2025 earnings has moved marginally upward to $3.94 and $3.89, respectively. CBSH currently sports a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy).Year to date, shares of Commerce Bancshares have gained 16.2%, outperforming the industry's growth of 9.2%.Image Source: Zacks Investment ResearchWhat Makes the Stock Worth Betting onEarnings Growth: Commerce Bancshares witnessed earnings growth of 8.9% over the past three to five years. This was driven by the company's organic growth strategy, solid customer relationships and strong risk management.Our projections for earnings indicate a 4.8%, 1% and 6% rise in 2024, 2025 and 2026, respectively.Revenue Strength: Driven by growth in loan demand and fee income, Commerce Bancshares' total revenues witnessed a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 3.5% over the last five years (2018-2023). The trend continued in the first half of 2024 as well. Organic growth measures and a high-interest-rate scenario are likely to support top-line expansion, though rising funding costs will weigh on it to some extent.Further, its balance sheet repositioning strategy is likely to boost net interest income through the sale of debt securities and reinvesting the proceeds at higher yields.Our estimates for total revenues indicate 3.6%, 1.4% and 1.9% growth in 2024, 2025 and 2026, respectively.Strong Balance Sheet: As of Jun 30, 2024, CBSH's total cash and cash equivalents (consisting of cash and due from banks and interest-earning deposits with banks) were $2.5 billion. Total debt (comprising other liabilities and other borrowings) was $580.4 million. Also, the company maintains investment grade ratings of A- and a stable outlook from Standard & Poor's. Hence, a solid liquidity position allows the company to address its near-term obligations.Impressive Capital Distributions: Commerce Bancshares' capital distribution activities are encouraging. The company has been paying a 5% stock dividend over the past 25 years, with the most recent one announced in December 2023. The company has been consistently paying quarterly cash dividends and has a share repurchase plan in place. As of Jun 30, 2024, roughly 4.3 million shares remained available under the authorization.Given its decent earnings strength and strong liquidity position, the company is expected to continue efficient capital distributions, thus enhancing shareholder value.Superior Return on Equity (ROE): CBSH's trailing 12-month ROE reflects its superiority in terms of utilizing shareholders' funds. The company's ROE of 16.5% compares favorably with 10.9% of the industry.Other Bank Stocks to ConsiderSome other top-ranked stocks from the banking space worth a look are 1st Source Corporation SRCE and Farmers National Banc Corp. FMNB, each sporting a Zacks Rank #1 at present.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for SRCE's current-year earnings has moved 10.7% north over the past 30 days. Shares of the company have gained 17.1% in the past six months.The Zacks Consensus Estimate for FMNB's 2024 earnings has moved 3.8% upward in the past month. Over the past six months, shares of the company have risen 7.5%.To read this article on Zacks.com click here.