Stock Yards Bancorp Inc

Unity Bancorp, Stock Yards Bancorp, and Chemung Financial announced dividend increases last week, reflecting confidence in their earnings and capital strength. Unity Bancorp raised its quarterly dividend by 6.3% to 17 cents per share, Stock Yards Bancorp increased its payout by 3.1% to 33 cents, and Chemung Financial boosted its dividend by 5.9% to 36 cents. The announcements come as the KBW Nasdaq Bank Index has gained nearly 16% so far in 2026, supported by healthy loan demand and strong fee income. Each company has a history of consistent dividend growth, with Unity Bancorp raising its dividend seven times in the past five years at an annualized rate of 11.2%.

Stock Yards Bancorp declared a quarterly dividend of $0.33 per share, a 3.1% increase from the prior dividend of $0.32. The dividend is payable on October 1 to shareholders of record on September 21, with the ex-dividend date also on September 21. The forward yield is 1.58%.

Stock Yards Bancorp reported record second quarter net income of $40.1 million, or $1.31 per diluted share, driven by net interest margin expansion, strong credit quality, and record non-interest income. Net interest income rose 20% year-over-year to $87.8 million, while the net interest margin widened 31 basis points to 3.84%. The company completed its acquisition of Field & Main Bancorp on May 1, adding over $800 million in both bank assets and wealth management and trust assets under management. Non-interest income reached $26.7 million, a 10% increase, with wealth management and trust income hitting a record $12.6 million. Total assets stood at $10.37 billion as of June 30, 2026, with loans of $7.88 billion and deposits of $8.49 billion.

Wall Street has issued rare downbeat forecasts for several stocks, and our independent analysis finds that while the skepticism is well-placed for Helios and Bausch + Lomb, it creates a buying opportunity for Stock Yards Bank. Helios, trading at $82.39 per share, has seen its organic revenue disappoint and its operating margin fall by 8.4 percentage points over five years. Bausch + Lomb, at $17.16 per share, has experienced falling earnings per share and a 13.2 percentage point decline in free cash flow margin. In contrast, Stock Yards Bank, priced at $78.72, has posted 16.9% annual net interest income growth over five years and 10.1% annual tangible book value per share growth, signaling capital strength.