KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY) Sets New 52-Week High Following Strong Earnings

KeyCorp (NYSE:KEY)’s stock price hit a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Wednesday following a stronger than expected earnings report. The company traded as high as $21.80 and last traded at $21.73, with a volume of 2778047 shares changing hands. The stock had previously closed at $21.09.

The financial services provider reported $0.41 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.39 by $0.02. KeyCorp had a net margin of 10.08% and a return on equity of 10.14%. The business had revenue of $2.01 billion for the quarter, compared to analysts’ expectations of $1.95 billion. During the same period last year, the company earned $0.30 earnings per share. The company’s quarterly revenue was up 131.8% on a year-over-year basis.

KeyCorp Dividend Announcement

The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Friday, March 13th. Stockholders of record on Tuesday, March 3rd will be paid a dividend of $0.205 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend is Tuesday, March 3rd. This represents a $0.82 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.8%. KeyCorp’s payout ratio is currently 101.23%.

KeyCorp News Roundup

Here are the key news stories impacting KeyCorp this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Q4 results beat street estimates with stronger revenue, net income and higher net interest income; management highlighted record full‑year revenue and quarterly buybacks that support capital return. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Company outlined a ~$1.2B share repurchase plan and set a 7% revenue growth target for 2026, signaling management confidence and potential EPS support from buybacks. Read More.
• Positive Sentiment: Management emphasized technology (AI/automation) to reinforce lending discipline and operating leverage as credit metrics improve — a constructive long‑term efficiency story. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Board updates announced (nominations and retirements, new lead independent director) aimed at governance refresh; relevant to activist dynamics but not an immediate financial swing. Read More.
• Neutral Sentiment: Analysts view the setup as balanced: some maintain buy/overweight calls while others are more cautious; Morgan Stanley retained a Hold with a $24 target — valuation largely reflects recent operational gains. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Shares reacted negatively because provisions rose sharply in the quarter, which investors interpreted as a hit to forward earnings quality despite the beat — a key reason for intraday weakness. Read More.
• Negative Sentiment: Activist investor pressure and board tweaks add near‑term governance uncertainty; headlines about activist heat can increase volatility and weigh on sentiment. Read More.

Analyst Ratings Changes

KEY has been the subject of a number of research reports. Barclays boosted their price target on KeyCorp from $20.00 to $24.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods boosted their target price on KeyCorp from $21.00 to $24.00 and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a report on Wednesday, December 17th. Weiss Ratings reissued a “hold (c+)” rating on shares of KeyCorp in a research report on Monday, December 29th. TD Cowen raised their price target on shares of KeyCorp from $24.00 to $25.00 and gave the company a “buy” rating in a report on Wednesday, January 7th. Finally, DA Davidson boosted their price objective on shares of KeyCorp from $21.00 to $23.00 and gave the stock a “buy” rating in a research note on Wednesday, December 10th. Eleven research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and four have issued a Sell rating to the stock. Based on data from MarketBeat.com, the company has an average rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $22.33.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On KeyCorp

A number of large investors have recently added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Brighton Jones LLC purchased a new position in KeyCorp in the 4th quarter valued at about $476,000. Woodline Partners LP lifted its stake in shares of KeyCorp by 41.4% in the first quarter. Woodline Partners LP now owns 84,156 shares of the financial services provider’s stock worth $1,346,000 after acquiring an additional 24,627 shares in the last quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC boosted its holdings in KeyCorp by 13.2% in the second quarter. Wealth Enhancement Advisory Services LLC now owns 174,483 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,221,000 after purchasing an additional 20,414 shares during the last quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd boosted its holdings in KeyCorp by 30.4% in the second quarter. IFM Investors Pty Ltd now owns 187,585 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $3,268,000 after purchasing an additional 43,745 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Assenagon Asset Management S.A. grew its stake in KeyCorp by 921.0% during the 2nd quarter. Assenagon Asset Management S.A. now owns 624,714 shares of the financial services provider’s stock valued at $10,883,000 after purchasing an additional 563,526 shares in the last quarter. 79.69% of the stock is owned by institutional investors and hedge funds.

KeyCorp Stock Up 3.2%

The firm has a fifty day simple moving average of $19.88 and a 200-day simple moving average of $18.85. The company has a market capitalization of $23.78 billion, a PE ratio of 26.86, a P/E/G ratio of 0.52 and a beta of 1.09. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.62, a quick ratio of 0.83 and a current ratio of 0.83.

KeyCorp Company Profile

KeyCorp is a bank holding company headquartered in Cleveland, Ohio, that operates through its primary banking subsidiary, KeyBank. It provides a broad range of banking and financial services to individual consumers, small businesses, middle-market companies and large corporations. KeyBank’s offerings span traditional deposit and lending products as well as more specialized financial solutions designed for commercial and institutional clients.

The company’s product and service mix includes retail banking products such as checking and savings accounts, consumer and residential mortgage lending, and auto financing.