Valley National Bancorp Has Risen Nicely And That Trend Should Continue

Valley National Bancorp remains a ‘buy' as robust asset quality and balance sheet growth drive a 14.2% share price gain versus a flat S&P 500. VLY benefits from deposit and loan growth, improved net interest margin, and strong capital markets income, despite modestly rising uninsured deposits and non-performing loans. VLY trades at a 12.3x P/E and a slight discount to book value, with returns on assets (1.24%) and equity (10.12%) exceeding preferred thresholds.