Investar Holding Corporation (ISTR) AI Stock Analysis

Investar Holding Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Investar Bank, established in 2006 and based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. It provides banking services to individual clients and small to medium-sized enterprises across South Louisiana through a branch network of 24 full-service locations. Its product offerings include deposit services such as savings, checking, money market accounts, IRAs, and certificates of deposit. In lending, the company provides commercial real estate financing, construction loans, home equity lines, auto loans, and personal installment loans. It also supports clients through digital banking services, including mobile applications, remote deposit capture, and online cash management.

Between FY2021 and FY2025, Investar's revenue increased from $108.0M to $153.5M, reflecting a 5-year compound annual growth rate of 7.7%, despite a 1.9% decline in FY2025. Annual net income grew from $8.0M in FY2021 to $22.9M in FY2025, with net margin improving from 7.4% to 14.9%. Over the trailing twelve months, revenue reached $121.6M with an operating margin of 39.1% and diluted earnings per share of $2.43. For the latest quarter ended June 30, 2026, quarterly revenue grew 66.2% year-over-year, while quarterly earnings grew 33.5% year-over-year.

As of June 30, 2026, Investar held $535.0M in cash and short-term investments against total debt of $194.4M, resulting in a net cash position of $340.6M. Shareholders' equity stood at $420.1M, with total assets of $3.86B and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.46. The current ratio was 0.17. In FY2025, operating cash flow was $18.2M and free cash flow was $16.8M. Cash usage included $1.4M for capital expenditures, $2.3M for share buybacks, and $4.8M paid in dividends.

Investar trades at a trailing price-to-earnings ratio of 11.9x and a forward ratio of 9.8x, compared to medians of 12.1x and 10.8x for its US-listed Financial Services peers. Its price-to-sales ratio of 3.3x is near the peer group median of 3.2x, while its price-to-book ratio is 1.0x. Over the past year, the stock returned 36.0%, outperforming the S&P 500 (SPY) return of 16.8%. Over a five-year horizon, its 75.8% return trailed the S&P 500 return of 83.0%.

Investar pays an annualized forward dividend of $0.48 per share, which corresponds to a dividend yield of 1.67% at the last close of $28.82. The company has paid dividends for 13 consecutive years, with an annualized 5-year dividend growth rate of 11.7%. The payout ratio is 16.8%, and the last ex-dividend date was September 30, 2026.

Wall Street coverage includes 3 analysts, with 2 Strong Buy ratings and 1 Hold rating. The mean price target is $34.25, representing an 18.8% upside relative to the last closing price of $28.82. For the fiscal year ending December 31, 2026, analysts estimate EPS of $3.16 on revenue of $147.5M. For the following fiscal year, consensus points to EPS of $3.30 and revenue of $154.8M. The company beat EPS estimates in all 4 of the last 4 quarters, with its next earnings report scheduled for October 19, 2026.

This page is an AI-written research summary of Investar Holding Corporation (ISTR). The text was generated on October 30, 2026 from Quotelinks data as of October 16, 2026 (company profile, annual results, latest balance sheet, valuation, price performance and analyst estimates). An automatic check rejects any draft that contains a figure not found in that data. It is not investment advice; verify figures on the linked tabs before making decisions.

Related: ISTR income statement, ISTR balance sheet, ISTR key metrics, ISTR analyst forecast, ISTR chart. See the ISTR stock overview for the latest quote and news.