What Drives a Bank’s Valuation?

With the rise of uncertainty amongst regional banks following the demise of Silicon Valley Bank, it’s an important time to understand how investors may value an institution and when board members should have a clear picture of that value. “You should always understand what you’re worth,” says Kirk Hovde, managing principal and head of investment banking at Hovde Group. “Most banks say they aren’t for sale, but my view is most banks should operate as if they could be viewed … for sale.” It can be easy to determine a public company’s valuation since it’s accessible through a brokerage, online...