Pinnacle Financial Partners Outperforms Park National in Key Metrics

Analysts see greater upside potential in Pinnacle Financial Partners stock compared to Park National

Mar. 17, 2026 at 2:08am

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Park National (NYSE:PRK) and Pinnacle Financial Partners (NYSE:PNFP) are both mid-cap finance companies, but Pinnacle Financial Partners has higher revenue, earnings, and a lower price-to-earnings ratio, indicating it is the more affordable and favorable stock according to analysts. Pinnacle Financial Partners also has stronger institutional ownership and a higher potential upside, leading analysts to believe it will outperform Park National over the long term.

Why it matters

This analysis provides investors with a comparative look at two regional banking players, highlighting Pinnacle Financial Partners' stronger financial performance and more favorable analyst sentiment compared to Park National. Understanding the relative strengths of these two companies can help investors make more informed decisions about where to allocate their capital in the finance sector.

The details

Park National has a higher dividend yield of 2.8% compared to Pinnacle Financial Partners' 2.4%, but Pinnacle Financial Partners has a lower payout ratio of 24.7% versus Park National's 39.6%, suggesting it has more room to grow its dividend. Pinnacle Financial Partners also has a longer track record of consecutive dividend increases at 1 year versus Park National's 8 years. In terms of valuation, Pinnacle Financial Partners trades at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than Park National, making it the more affordable option. Analysts also see greater upside potential in Pinnacle Financial Partners, with a consensus price target indicating 36.04% possible upside compared to 15.01% for Park National.

  • The analysis is based on data as of March 17, 2026.

The players

Park National Corporation

A bank holding company that operates Park National Bank, providing commercial banking and trust services in small and medium population areas.

Pinnacle Financial Partners, Inc.

A bank holding company that operates Pinnacle Bank, providing various banking products and services to individuals, businesses, and professional entities in the United States.

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The takeaway

This analysis suggests that Pinnacle Financial Partners may be the more attractive investment option compared to Park National, with stronger financial metrics, more favorable analyst sentiment, and greater potential upside. Investors looking to gain exposure to the regional banking sector may want to further research Pinnacle Financial Partners as a potential addition to their portfolio.