Stock fact sheet · data as of
Provident Financial Services, Inc. (PFS): fair value, margin of safety and Wheel Score
Ticker symbol PFS · Financial Services · Banks - Regional · United States · Blend Income
Is PFS undervalued?
Provident Financial Services, Inc. (PFS) closed at 23.52 on 5 Nov 2026. The GLS average fair value - the simple average of the 9 valuation models that produced a positive number - is 37.81, which puts the price 38% below it. 6 of the 9 models value the shares above the current price. A gap this wide is rare in our universe of ~7,400 US stocks and is exactly what the Value part of the Wheel Score rewards; it is also where the question "why is it this cheap?" matters most.
There is a wide gap between GLS Growth (11.88) and 10 Cap (73.00). 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 PFS, so the nightly engine files it under Blend (value score 70, growth score 57, out of 100). It also carries the Income tag (Income = a dividend yield of 4% or more).
Nine valuation models for PFS
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 | 66.09 | +181% | Present value of the projected free cash flows, discounted at the cost of capital |
| Graham Number | 34.29 | +46% | The most a defensive investor pays for the earnings and book value per share |
| Graham Growth | 44.21 | +88% | Graham's growth formula: EPS × (8.5 + 2 × growth), adjusted for bond yields |
| Lynch | 12.50 | -47% | EPS × the earnings growth rate (PEG of 1), growth capped at 25% |
| GLS Growth | 11.88 | -49% | EPS compounded ten years at the blended growth rate, discounted back at 15% a year |
| 10 Cap | 73.00 | +210% | Owner's earnings (operating cash flow less maintenance capex) capitalised at 10% |
| Payback Time | 57.75 | +146% | Eight years of compounded free cash flow: the price at which the business pays for itself |
| DDM | 14.13 | -40% | Dividend discount model: next year's dividend ÷ (10% − 3% growth); needs a dividend |
| EPV | 26.43 | +12% | Earnings power value: current EPS capitalised at 9% with no growth |
| Zombie (liquidation) | -143.19 | -709% | Current assets less all liabilities, per share: the balance-sheet floor. Not in the average |
| Wall St target | 26.50 | +13% | Analysts' average 12-month price target. Not in the average |
Quality and financial health
Provident Financial Services, 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 PFS scores 5.9/10 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 5.4%, ROE 10.3%, ROA 1.2% - with debt at 0.89 times equity and a free-cash-flow yield of 11.8%.
The dividend yield is high at 4.08% (payout ratio 40%). A yield this size is often the market's way of pricing a risk to the payout, so the health score and cash flow matter more than usual. Revenue comes mainly from Wealth Management Fees 29%, Banking 25%, Insurance Commissions And Fees 21% (quarter Q2 FY2026).
Institutional ownership scores 10/10, insider activity 1/10 and Congressional trading 5/10 on the GLS smart-money scales.
| Piotroski F-score | 6 / 9 | ROIC | 5.4% |
|---|---|---|---|
| GLS Moat | 5.9 / 10 | ROE | 10.3% |
| Debt / equity | 0.89 | ROA | 1.2% |
| Free-cash-flow yield | 11.8% | Payout ratio | 40% |
| Institutions | 10 / 10 | Insiders · Congress | 1 · 5 / 10 |
Wheel Score 39: Weak
With a Wheel Score of 39 Provident Financial Services, Inc. sits in the Weak band. It fails filter 1, options that actually trade - options too quiet (126 open interest, 102 a day); and filter 6, no serious red flags - Red Flags score 55 (under 60); Option trading (weak) is its weakest part.
Implied volatility is 28% on the near-the-money contracts 20-60 days out: enough to pass the 25-80% Wheel Trade Filter, but under the 35-60% sweet spot the score rewards most. Chain open interest is thin - 126 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 1.1M shares a day on a market cap of $3.1B, with a beta of 0.81; the Stability part of the Wheel Score rates that fair.
| Filter | Wheel Trade Filter | Result | Detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Options that actually trade | Fails | options too quiet (126 open interest, 102 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 | Fails | Red Flags score 55 (under 60) |
| 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 | 38% below fair value | |
| Premium | Fair | implied volatility 28% | |
| Moat | Fair | moat 5.9/10 | |
| Health | Good | Piotroski 6/9 | |
| Red Flags | Weak | Red Flags score 55/100 | |
| Option trading | Weak | 102 contracts a day, 126 open interest | |
| Stability | Fair | beta 0.81, $3.1B 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 26 Jan 2027, 82 days away - outside the window of a 30-45-day put sold today. The shares go ex-dividend on 13 Nov 2026 (0.2400 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 Provident Financial Services, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| FHB First Hawaiian, Inc. | 25.87 | 38.94 | +34% | 47Weak | $3.1B |
| CUBI Customers Bancorp, Inc. | 87.17 | 201.43 | +57% | 48Weak | $2.9B |
| BKU BankUnited, Inc. | 44.96 | 56.42 | +20% | 75Good | $3.2B |
| BANC Banc of California, Inc. | 18.56 | 17.36 | -7% | 33Weak | $2.9B |
| PRK Park National Corporation | 182.71 | 128.99 | -42% | 40Weak | $3.3B |
| MCHB Mechanics Bank | 15.03 | 24.24 | +38% | 49Weak | $3.3B |
| SBCF Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida | 34.27 | 35.62 | +4% | 37Weak | $3.3B |
| NBTB NBT Bancorp Inc. | 54.00 | 68.58 | +21% | 41Weak | $2.8B |
| BOH Bank of Hawaii Corporation | 71.20 | 97.50 | +27% | 80Good | $2.8B |
| FBK FB Financial Corporation | 55.71 | 45.35 | -23% | 37Weak | $2.8B |
| SFNC Simmons First National Corporation | 23.64 | 25.84 | +9% | 34Weak | $3.4B |
| CBU Community Bank System, Inc. | 65.73 | 79.21 | +17% | 43Weak | $3.4B |
⚖ Compare PFS with 7 of them All Financial Services stocks →
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Start free See the Sunday ScanQuestions about PFS
Is PFS undervalued right now?
By the GLS models, yes: at 23.52 the stock is 38% below the average fair value of 37.81 (data as of 5 Nov 2026). Whether the discount is deserved is the question to research next.
What is the Wheel Score of PFS and what does it mean?
PFS scores 39 out of 100 (Weak) - it fails Wheel Trade Filters 1, 6. 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 PFS?
37.81 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 Provident Financial Services, Inc. report earnings next?
The next earnings report is due on 26 Jan 2027, 82 days from the data date of 5 Nov 2026. The Calendars page lists every upcoming report with its time of day.
Does PFS have listed options, and how liquid are they?
Yes. The nightly snapshot found 36 listed contracts with 126 open interest across all expiries and implied volatility of 28% 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.