Q: May I have your comments on First National. Is it a buy at this lev3l? The system keep identifying my questions as private despite my indicating public!!
5i Research Answer:
We will mark questions 'private' if a similar question has already been posted or if there are too many symbols within one question. FN EPS of 72c beat estimates of 67c. Revenue of $503M was nicely ahead of estimates and rose 21%. Total assets rose 5% to ~$46B. The company expects lower mortgage orginations as recent rate hikes continue to impact demand. The stock is very cheap, with a good dividend, and should do better as interest rates ease. We would consider it a buy for income investors, and it is one of our favourites within the mortgage sector.