Stock fact sheet · data as of
Live Oak Bancshares, Inc. (LOB): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Ticker symbol LOB · Financial Services · Banks - Regional · United States · Blend
Is LOB undervalued?
At 35.15 (close of 5 Nov 2026), LOB trades 59% below the GLS average fair value of 86.43. That average comes from 9 models run on the latest filings, and 7 of them land above the current price. Margins of safety over 30% are the exception rather than the rule across the ~7,400 stocks we value each night, so the number earns Live Oak Bancshares, Inc. the full Value points in the Wheel Score - and a closer look at what the market is pricing in.
There is a wide gap between DDM (1.77) and Payback Time (191.78). When the models are this far apart the "fair value" is really a range, and the margin of safety above should be read with that range in mind.
Ranked against every other company we cover, neither cheapness nor growth clearly wins for LOB, so the nightly engine files it under Blend (value score 69, growth score 60, out of 100).
Nine valuation models for LOB
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 | 39.92 | +14% | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital |
| Graham Number | 43.40 | +23% | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share |
| Graham Growth | 169.54 | +382% | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields |
| Lynch | 74.10 | +111% | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25% |
| GLS Growth | 59.14 | +68% | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year |
| 10 Cap | 165.26 | +370% | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10% |
| Payback Time | 191.78 | +446% | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself |
| DDM | 1.77 | -95% | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend |
| EPV | 32.93 | -6% | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth |
| Zombie (liquidation) | -262.60 | -847% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 39.50 | +12% | Analysts' average 12-month price target. Not in the average |
Quality and financial health
Live Oak Bancshares, Inc. scores 6 of 9 on the Piotroski F-score: a middling result that passes the "Piotroski 6 or more" Wheel Trade Filter. Some of the nine tests on profitability, leverage and efficiency are failed, so the accounts are worth a look before selling a put on the name. On durability LOB scores 6.2/10 on the GLS Moat - a middle reading; the Moat Score tab on the Quote page's Financials view shows which of the four parts hold it back.
Returns on capital are moderate - ROIC 7.7%, ROE 8.3%, ROA 0.7% - with debt at 0.08 times equity and a free-cash-flow yield of 19.4%.
The dividend yield is 0.34% with a payout ratio of 13% - a small yield that leaves most of the earnings in the business.
Institutional ownership scores 9/10, insider activity 1/10 and Congressional trading 5/10 on the GLS smart-money scales.
| Piotroski F-score | 6 / 9 | ROIC | 7.7% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | 6.2 / 10 | ROE | 8.3% |
| Debt / equity | 0.08 | ROA | 0.7% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | 19.4% | Payout ratio | 13% |
| Institutions | 9 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 1 · 5 / 10 |
Wheel Score 47: Weak
With a Wheel Score of 47 Live Oak Bancshares, Inc. sits in the Weak band. It fails filter 1, options that actually trade - options too quiet (721 open interest, 321 a day); Option trading (weak) is its weakest part.
Implied volatility is 44% on the near-the-money contracts 20-60 days out - inside the 35-60% sweet spot the Wheel Score rewards most: enough premium to be worth selling, not so much that the risk is unpaid. Chain open interest is thin - 721 contracts across every expiry - so fills at a fair price are not guaranteed; a 30-45-day put may not exist at a usable strike.
Volume runs at 390k shares a day on a market cap of $1.6B, with a beta of 1.80 - a high beta, so the stock tends to move more than the market and a strike can be gapped through; the Stability part of the Wheel Score rates that weak.
| Filter | Wheel Trade Filter | Result | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Options that actually trade | Fails | options too quiet (721 open interest, 321 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 | Passes | Trading below the nine-model average fair value (margin of safety above 0) |
| 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 | Passes | Implied volatility 25-80% (enough premium, not a lottery ticket) |
| 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 | Strong | 59% below fair value | |
| Premium | Strong | implied volatility 44% | |
| Moat | Good | moat 6.2/10 | |
| Health | Good | Piotroski 6/9 | |
| Red Flags | Good | Red Flags score 80/100 | |
| Option trading | Weak | 321 contracts a day, 721 open interest | |
| Stability | Weak | beta 1.80, $1.6B 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 20 Jan 2027, 76 days away - outside the window of a 30-45-day put sold today.
No analyst upgrades or downgrades were recorded in the last 30 days.
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 Live Oak Bancshares, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| RBCAA Republic Bancorp, Inc. | 92.78 | 89.65 | -3% | 29Weak | $1.6B |
| CASH Pathward Financial, Inc. | 79.01 | 238.24 | +67% | 82Good | $1.6B |
| BFC Bank First Corporation | 149.60 | 122.74 | -22% | 23No options | $1.7B |
| CNOBP ConnectOne Bancorp, Inc. | 25.50 | 65.50 | +61% | 33No options | $1.7B |
| CNOB ConnectOne Bancorp, Inc. | 33.13 | 71.68 | +54% | 44Weak | $1.7B |
| NBHC National Bank Holdings Corporation | 38.21 | 42.62 | +10% | 32Weak | $1.7B |
| QCRH QCR Holdings, Inc. | 103.80 | 313.04 | +67% | 46Weak | $1.7B |
| LKFN Lakeland Financial Corporation | 62.90 | 56.81 | -11% | 40Weak | $1.6B |
| TFIN Triumph Financial, Inc. | 64.90 | 52.95 | -23% | 34Weak | $1.6B |
| ESQ Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. | 127.36 | 131.61 | +3% | 21No options | $1.5B |
| HOPE Hope Bancorp, Inc. | 13.44 | 20.71 | +35% | 51Fair | $1.7B |
| WTFCN Wintrust Financial Corporation | 25.51 | 267.84 | +90% | 26No options | $1.7B |
⚖ Compare LOB with 7 of them All Financial Services stocks →
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Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about LOB
Is LOB undervalued right now?
By the GLS models, yes: at 35.15 the stock is 59% below the average fair value of 86.43 (data as of 5 Nov 2026). Whether the discount is deserved is the question to research next.
What is the Wheel Score of LOB and what does it mean?
LOB scores 47 out of 100 (Weak) - it fails Wheel Trade Filter 1. 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 LOB?
86.43 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 Live Oak Bancshares, Inc. report earnings next?
The next earnings report is due on 20 Jan 2027, 76 days from the data date of 5 Nov 2026. The Calendars page lists every upcoming report with its time of day.
Does LOB have listed options, and how liquid are they?
Yes. The nightly snapshot found 24 listed contracts with 721 open interest across all expiries and implied volatility of 44% 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.