A number of stocks fell in the morning session after a surprisingly weak July jobs report and the announcement of sweeping new tariffs fueled fears of an economic slowdown and an impending interest rate cut. The U.S. economy added just 73,000 jobs in July, the weakest gain in over two years, while the unemployment rate rose to 4.2%. This dismal data significantly increased market expectations for a Federal Reserve interest rate cut, with traders now pricing in an 80% probability of a cut in September. Lower interest rates typically harm bank profitability by compressing their net interest margins—the difference between what they earn on loans and pay on deposits. Compounding these worries, the announcement of new tariffs on imports from 92 countries has sparked fears of a global trade war, which could further dampen economic growth and disrupt supply chains, creating a challenging environment for the banking industry.
Shares of regional banking company ServisFirst Bancshares (NYSE:SFBS) jumped 3% in the morning session after the company reported strong second-quarter earnings that showed significant year-over-year profit growth and an improving outlook for its profit margins.
Regional banking company ServisFirst Bancshares (NYSE:SFBS) missed Wall Street’s revenue expectations in Q2 CY2025, but sales rose 15.1% year on year to $132.1 million. Its non-GAAP profit of $1.21 per share was in line with analysts’ consensus estimates.
Regional banking company ServisFirst Bancshares (NYSE:SFBS) fell short of the market’s revenue expectations in Q2 CY2025, but sales rose 15.1% year on year to $132.1 million. Its non-GAAP profit of $1.21 per share was in line with analysts’ consensus estimates.
Regional banking company ServisFirst Bancshares (NYSE:SFBS) fell short of the market’s revenue expectations in Q1 CY2025, but sales rose 18.3% year on year to $131.8 million. Its non-GAAP profit of $1.16 per share was 2% below analysts’ consensus estimates.
Small-cap stocks in the Russell 2000 (^RUT) can be a goldmine for investors looking beyond the usual large-cap names.
But with less stability and fewer resources than their bigger counterparts, these companies face steeper challenges in scaling their businesses.
