Valley National Bancorp (VLY) has been drawing fresh attention after a period of relatively steady trading, with the stock up around 1% over the past month and about 2% over the past 3 months.

With the share price at $13.64, Valley National Bancorp’s recent 2.1% 7 day share price return and 16.7% year to date share price return sit alongside a 62.5% 1 year total shareholder return. This suggests momentum has been building over the past year rather than fading.

If Valley’s recent gains have you looking beyond regional banks, this could be a good moment to scan for other potential opportunities among 20 top founder-led companies

With VLY trading at $13.64 and sitting on a 62.5% 1 year total return, plus a reported intrinsic discount of about 51%, you have to ask: is this still undervalued, or is the market already pricing in future growth?

Most Popular Narrative: 13.2% Undervalued

With Valley National Bancorp last closing at $13.64 against a fair value narrative of $15.71, the current price sits below what the most followed model estimates, putting the focus squarely on how future earnings and margins are expected to develop.

Valley's accelerating growth in commercial & specialty deposit accounts, driven by technology investments and targeted market penetration, is likely to yield structurally lower funding costs and enhanced net interest margin as legacy brokered deposits are replaced with lower-cost core deposits, directly supporting revenue and margin expansion.

Curious what kind of revenue trajectory and margin profile sit behind that fair value figure? The narrative leans on higher efficiency, richer fee income, and a different earnings mix than today. The key question is how those moving parts combine to support a higher valuation over time.

Result: Fair Value of $15.71 (UNDERVALUED)

However, the story can change quickly if regional exposures or commercial real estate pressures bite harder than expected, or if rising compliance and technology costs squeeze margins.

Next Steps

If this seems optimistic, do not wait for the crowd to decide for you. Instead, review the full picture of 4 key rewards

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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.