• Huntington Bancshares has completed the acquisitions of Cadence and Veritex, significantly increasing its scale.
• The deals expand Huntington's asset, deposit, and loan base, and broaden its regional banking footprint.
• These transactions represent a major shift in the long term profile of NasdaqGS:HBAN beyond routine earnings updates.

Huntington Bancshares, trading at around $16.615 per share, now sits in a different peer group after absorbing Cadence and Veritex. The stock has returned 14.4% over the past year and 92.7% over three years. This puts recent price moves into context as investors assess this new, larger bank. For shareholders, these completed deals are now a core part of the investment story rather than a side note.

From here, the key issues for investors include how smoothly Huntington integrates the two banks and how the enlarged balance sheet affects growth opportunities and risk. The coming periods will likely focus less on headline deal announcements and more on the quality of execution, cost discipline, and any shifts in lending and deposit mix across the combined franchise.

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The completed Cadence and Veritex acquisitions move Huntington from a primarily Midwest-focused regional bank to a much broader franchise across the South and Texas. Total assets of US$285.4b, loans of US$188.8b, and deposits of US$223.5b now put it up against larger regionals like PNC Financial, Truist and Regions Financial in more markets. Q1 2026 results already reflect this step change, with net interest income of US$1,891m and acquisition related costs of US$263m weighing on earnings per share, which came in at US$0.25 on a diluted basis versus US$0.34 a year earlier. For you as an investor, the key question is whether management can convert this extra scale into better long term profitability without letting credit quality or costs drift. The board has kept the common dividend at US$0.155 per share and is running share repurchases under a new US$3,000m authorization, which shows confidence in capital levels alongside a consolidated CET1 ratio of 10.2%. Taken together, this news marks a reset in what Huntington is, from a regional lender with acquisition plans to an enlarged bank where integration is now central to the thesis.

How This Fits Into The Huntington Bancshares Narrative

• The larger footprint in Texas and other high population growth markets directly supports the narrative focus on expanding the addressable market and growing fee income from payments and wealth products.
• Higher acquisition related expenses and integration complexity could challenge expectations for improving efficiency and margin trends if synergy targets take longer or cost more to realize.
• The narrative highlights geographic concentration in the Midwest, and the completed deals partly shift that mix, which may not yet be fully reflected in longer term growth and risk assumptions.

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The Risks and Rewards Investors Should Consider

• ⚠️ Integration risk from combining three banks, including culture, systems and credit processes, which could keep expenses elevated or disrupt customer relationships.
• ⚠️ Shareholders have been substantially diluted over the past year, and ongoing capital actions such as preferred dividends and buybacks may interact with future equity needs.
• 🎁 Some analysts expect earnings to be supported by higher revenue and margin improvements over time, helped by scale and technology investment.
• 🎁 The enlarged deposit base and presence in faster growing markets give Huntington more options to fund loan growth and build fee based businesses.

What To Watch Going Forward

From here, keep an eye on how quickly Huntington brings down acquisition related costs, trends in the efficiency ratio, and any changes in credit provisions as the combined loan book seasons. Progress on systems integration and branch rationalization will be important to see whether scale translates into better returns, not just a bigger balance sheet. Dividend decisions, the pace of the US$3,000m buyback and updates to capital ratios such as CET1 will also help you assess how management is balancing growth, shareholder returns and regulatory requirements after the Cadence and Veritex deals.

To stay updated on how the latest news affects the investment narrative for Huntington Bancshares, visit the community page for Huntington Bancshares for ongoing coverage of the top community narratives.

This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.