Stock fact sheet · data as of
Columbia Financial, Inc. (CLBK): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Ticker symbol CLBK · Financial Services · Banks - Regional · United States · Blend
Is CLBK undervalued?
Columbia Financial, Inc. (CLBK) closed at 11.16 on 5 Nov 2026, 156% above the GLS average fair value of 4.37. 9 of the 9 models that produced a number value the shares below the current price. A gap this wide usually means the market is paying for growth or a story the trailing numbers do not show yet; the models work from filed results, not forecasts, so they are conservative by design.
The 9 models disagree widely: GLS Growth gives 0.1786 while Graham Growth gives 9.97. A spread that wide means the average is sensitive to which methods you trust; the model table below shows where each one lands, and the Quote page lets you switch any of them off.
Ranked against every other company we cover, neither cheapness nor growth clearly wins for CLBK, so the nightly engine files it under Blend (value score 46, growth score 34, out of 100).
Nine valuation models for CLBK
Each model turns the latest filed numbers into a value per share; the GLS fair value is the simple average of the ones that produce a positive number. The last two rows are shown for reference and never enter the average. The Quote page lets you switch any model off and add your own margin of safety.
| Model | Value | vs price | What it measures |
|---|---|---|---|
| DCF | 3.27 | -71% | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital |
| Graham Number | 7.41 | -34% | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share |
| Graham Growth | 9.97 | -11% | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields |
| Lynch | 4.28 | -62% | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25% |
| GLS Growth | 0.1786 | -98% | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year |
| 10 Cap | 6.61 | -41% | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10% |
| Payback Time | 4.71 | -58% | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself |
| DDM | 0.7357 | -93% | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend |
| EPV | 2.15 | -81% | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth |
| Zombie (liquidation) | -42.41 | -480% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 14.00 | +25% | Analysts' average 12-month price target. Not in the average |
Quality and financial health
Financial health is average - CLBK passes 6 of the nine Piotroski tests, which passes the "Piotroski 6 or more" Wheel Trade Filter. The Financials tab on the Quote page shows which tests fail. The GLS Moat score is low at 4.3 out of 10: returns on capital, margins or the balance sheet have not shown a lasting edge yet - often a young company, a thin-margin business or one that has only recently turned profitable.
Returns on capital are thin or negative - ROIC 2.2%, ROE 4.5%, ROA 0.5% - with debt at 1.02 times equity and a free-cash-flow yield of 2.8%.
The dividend yield is 0.45% with a payout ratio of 0% - a small yield that leaves most of the earnings in the business. Revenue comes mainly from Deposit Account 44%, Other Non Interest Income 35%, Title Insurance 17% (quarter Q2 FY2026).
Institutional ownership scores 2/10, insider activity 10/10 and Congressional trading 5/10 on the GLS smart-money scales.
| Piotroski F-score | 6 / 9 | ROIC | 2.2% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | 4.3 / 10 | ROE | 4.5% |
| Debt / equity | 1.02 | ROA | 0.5% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | 2.8% | Payout ratio | 0% |
| Institutions | 2 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 10 · 5 / 10 |
Wheel Score 20: Weak
CLBK scores 20 out of 100 on the Wheel Score, in the Weak band (under 50): it fails filter 3, below fair value - trades 156% above our fair value; and filter 7, a premium worth selling - implied volatility 111% (over 80%), and the parts are thin too - value weak, premium weak, moat fair, health good, red flags weak, option trading weak, stability fair. The score is not a judgement on the company; it says the price, quality and premium do not line up for selling puts on it today.
Implied volatility is 111%, above the 80% ceiling of the Wheel Trade Filter on premium. The premium looks generous, but moves of that size can blow through any strike. Chain open interest is 5,795 contracts across all expiries - enough for the wheel at normal size.
Volume runs at 3.9M shares a day on a market cap of $2.5B, with a beta of 0.27 - a low beta, so day-to-day moves are smaller than the market's; the Stability part of the Wheel Score rates that fair.
| Filter | Wheel Trade Filter | Result | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Options that actually trade | Passes | Listed options with 1,000+ contracts of open interest and 100+ traded a day |
| 2 | A real business, not a gamble | Passes | Profitable over the last twelve months - not a speculative stock, fund or note |
| 3 | Below fair value | Fails | trades 156% above our fair value |
| 4 | Financially healthy | Passes | Piotroski F-score 6 or more out of 9 (a company with no score on file passes) |
| 5 | Can repay its debt | Passes | Long-term debt repaid from 3 years of operating cash flow or less (6 for real estate and utilities; banks and insurers are not judged on it) |
| 6 | No serious red flags | Passes | Red Flags score 60 or more out of 100 (earnings, margins, debt, analysts, filings and price checked the same way for every stock) |
| 7 | A premium worth selling | Fails | implied volatility 111% (over 80%) |
| 8 | Big enough | Passes | Market cap $1 billion or more |
| 9 | Not a penny stock | Passes | Share price $5 or more |
| How it ranks | Rating | From | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Value | Weak | 156% above fair value | |
| Premium | Weak | implied volatility 111% | |
| Moat | Fair | moat 4.3/10 | |
| Health | Good | Piotroski 6/9 | |
| Red Flags | Weak | Red Flags score 65/100 | |
| Option trading | Weak | 238 contracts a day, 5,795 open interest | |
| Stability | Fair | beta 0.27, $2.5B company |
The Wheel Score ranks ~7,400 US stocks for selling cash-secured puts and covered calls: a stock must pass all 9 Wheel Trade Filters to score 70, and the score then ranks the ones that pass; the Sunday Scan is the top 10. It is updated nightly and is not a recommendation. How the Wheel Score works · the walkthrough lesson shows how it fits into a trade, start to finish.
Upcoming events
The next earnings report is due on 1 Feb 2027, 88 days away - outside the window of a 30-45-day put sold today. The shares go ex-dividend on 10 Nov 2026 (0.0500 per share), so a covered call sold before then carries a small early-assignment risk around that date.
Earnings, dividend, IPO, split and economic calendars for the whole market, filterable to your watchlists.
Similar stocks in Banks - Regional
The 12 companies below are the closest to Columbia Financial, Inc. by market cap within the Banks - Regional industry, each with its own fact sheet; the Compare page puts up to eight of them side by side.
| Stock | Close | Fair value | MoS | Wheel | Mkt cap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FRMEP First Merchants Corporation | 24.92 | 57.11 | +56% | 35No options | $2.5B |
| SYBT Stock Yards Bancorp, Inc. | 81.53 | 84.45 | +3% | 38Weak | $2.5B |
| MBIN Merchants Bancorp | 53.43 | 114.03 | +53% | 52Fair | $2.5B |
| MBINL Merchants Bancorp | 23.35 | 85.98 | +73% | 33No options | $2.5B |
| MBINN Merchants Bancorp | 18.80 | 81.74 | +77% | 34No options | $2.5B |
| BUSE First Busey Corporation | 29.37 | 34.23 | +14% | 36Weak | $2.4B |
| MBINM Merchants Bancorp | 25.06 | 87.58 | +71% | 34No options | $2.4B |
| FRME First Merchants Corporation | 41.89 | 71.06 | +41% | 50Fair | $2.6B |
| BBT Beacon Financial Corp. | 31.34 | 50.55 | +38% | 72Good | $2.6B |
| BANR Banner Corporation | 71.91 | 59.98 | -20% | 30Weak | $2.6B |
| TRMK Trustmark Corporation | 45.63 | 76.39 | +40% | 48Weak | $2.6B |
| NWBI Northwest Bancshares, Inc. | 15.84 | 15.06 | -5% | 37Weak | $2.3B |
⚖ Compare CLBK with 7 of them All Financial Services stocks →
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Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about CLBK
Is CLBK undervalued right now?
No: at 11.16 the stock trades 156% above the GLS average fair value of 4.37 (data as of 5 Nov 2026), well beyond what trailing earnings, cash flow and book value support.
What is the Wheel Score of CLBK and what does it mean?
CLBK scores 20 out of 100 (Weak) - it fails Wheel Trade Filters 3, 7. The Wheel Score ranks stocks for the wheel strategy - selling cash-secured puts, then covered calls if assigned - in two parts: the 9 pass/fail Wheel Trade Filters (busy options, a real business, below fair value, Piotroski 6 or more, debt it can repay, a Red Flags score of 60 or more, implied volatility of 25-80%, a $1 billion company, $5 a share) and a ranking of how strongly a stock passes on value, premium, moat, health, red flags, option trading and stability. A stock that fails any filter stays under 70; 70-84 is Good, 85 and above is Prime. The Sunday Scan is the top 10 that pass, sorted by Wheel Score.
What is the GLS fair value for CLBK?
4.37 per share as of 5 Nov 2026 - the simple average of the 9 valuation models (out of nine: DCF, Graham Number, Graham Growth, Lynch, GLS Growth, 10 Cap, Payback Time, DDM and EPV) that produced a positive value. The models run every night on the latest filings; the Quote page lets you switch any of them off and add a margin of safety of your own.
When does Columbia Financial, Inc. report earnings next?
The next earnings report is due on 1 Feb 2027, 88 days from the data date of 5 Nov 2026. The Calendars page lists every upcoming report with its time of day.
Does CLBK have listed options, and how liquid are they?
Yes. The nightly snapshot found 40 listed contracts with 5,795 open interest across all expiries and implied volatility of 111% on the near-the-money contracts. The Options scanner lists the cash-secured put and covered call set-ups with premium and annualised yield worked out.