Top Investors’ Stock Portfolio: 7 Small-Cap Stocks to Invest In

5) WesBanco, Inc. (NASDAQ:WSBC)

Market Cap as of 9 October: $1.74 billion

Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 14

WesBanco, Inc. (NASDAQ:WSBC) operates as the bank holding company for WesBanco Bank, Inc. which provides retail banking, corporate banking, personal and corporate trust, and other related services to individuals and businesses in the United States.

The company recently disclosed a proposed merger with Premier Financial Corporation. This merger is expected to enhance stakeholder value with the help of significant cost synergies. Post-merger, Wall Street analysts expect improvements in net interest margin, return on average assets, and return on average tangible common equity. WesBanco, Inc. (NASDAQ:WSBC) continues to explore further merger and acquisition opportunities, primarily in the Michigan market. It is also preparing for expansion in Michigan, with an emphasis on understanding local markets and players.

WesBanco, Inc. (NASDAQ:WSBC) remains optimistic about maintaining a favorable expense run rate and it has plans for marketing investments to aid deposit gathering. The bank has been addressing the CRE loan concentration by being more selective and expects that low marks on CRE loans might rebound because of accretion.

Also, the acquisition of Premier Financial should extend WesBanco, Inc. (NASDAQ:WSBC)’s reach into Northern Ohio, a market presenting strong growth opportunities. The acquisition should create economies of scale. DA Davidson upped its price objective on shares of WesBanco, Inc. (NASDAQ:WSBC) from $35.00 to $42.00, giving a “Buy” rating on 29^th July.