Sifting through countless of stocks in the Banks industry can be tedious, and sometimes two stocks are just too similar to judge which is the better investment. If you’re on the fence about investing in Banner Corporation, Northwest Bancshares or Inc. because you’re not sure how they measure up, it’s important to compare them on a few factors before making your decision.

Read on to learn how Banner Corporation, Northwest Bancshares and Inc. compare based on key financial metrics to determine which better meets your investment needs.

About Banner Corporation, Northwest Bancshares and Inc.

Banner Corporation operates as the bank holding company for Banner Bank that engages in the provision of commercial banking and financial products and services to individuals, businesses, and public sector entities in the United States. It accepts various deposit instruments, including interest-bearing and non-interest-bearing checking accounts, money market deposit accounts, regular savings accounts, and certificates of deposit, as well as treasury management services and retirement savings plans. The company also provides commercial real estate loans, including owner-occupied, investment properties, and multifamily residential real estate loans; one- to four-family residential real estate lending; construction, land, and land development loans; commercial business loans; agricultural mortgage and business loans; consumer and other loans, such as home equity lines of credit, automobile, and boat and recreational vehicle loans, as well as loans secured by deposit accounts; and loan solicitation and processing services. In addition, it provides electronic and digital banking services comprising debit cards and ATM programs, internet banking, remote deposit capture, and mobile banking services. The company was founded in 1890 and is based in Walla Walla, Washington.

Northwest Bancshares, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Northwest Bank, a state-chartered savings bank that provides personal and commercial banking solutions in Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, and Indiana in the United States. The company accepts various deposits, including checking, savings, money market deposit, term certificate, and individual retirement accounts. It also offers loan products comprising one-to-four-family residential real estate loans, shorter-term consumer loans, and loans collateralized by multi-family residential and commercial real estate, as well as commercial business loans; residential mortgage loans; home equity loans and lines of credit; commercial real estate loans; commercial loans and financing solutions; and other consumer loans, including auto refinance loans, indirect automobile and recreational loans, unsecured personal loans, credit card loans, and loans secured by investment accounts. In addition, the company offers investment and cash management; estate and trust services; digital and online banking; certificates of deposit; credit cards; student and small business loans; private banking, planning, and investments; retirement plans; liquidity management for commercial checking and savings; treasury and wealth management; insurance; employee benefit plans; and financial planning services. It serves individuals, businesses, and charitable institutions. Northwest Bancshares, Inc. was founded in 1896 and is headquartered in Columbus, Ohio.

Latest Banks and Banner Corporation, Northwest Bancshares, Inc. Stock News

As of July 31, 2026, Banner Corporation had a $2.4 billion market capitalization, compared to the Banks median of $716.9 million. Banner Corporation’s stock is up 12.4% in 2026, up 0.2% in the previous five trading days and up 12.08% in the past year.

Currently, Banner Corporation’s price-earnings ratio is 11.9. Banner Corporation’s trailing 12-month revenue is $660.8 million with a 31.0% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 8.3%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $6.195 per share for the current fiscal year. Banner Corporation currently has a 3.0% dividend yield.

As of July 31, 2026, Northwest Bancshares, Inc. had a $2.3 billion market cap, putting it in the 56th percentile of all stocks. Northwest Bancshares, Inc.’s stock is up 31.2% in 2026, up 2.2% in the previous five trading days and up 31.28% in the past year.

Currently, Northwest Bancshares, Inc.’s price-earnings ratio is 16.8. Northwest Bancshares, Inc.’s trailing 12-month revenue is $621.5 million with a 23.4% net profit margin. Year-over-year quarterly sales growth most recently was 15.1%. Analysts expect adjusted earnings to reach $1.420 per share for the current fiscal year. Northwest Bancshares, Inc. currently has a 5.1% dividend yield.

How We Compare Banner Corporation, Northwest Bancshares and Inc. Stock Grades

Stock evaluation requires access to huge amounts of data and the knowledge and time to sift through it all, make sense of financial ratios, read income statements and analyze recent stock movements. AAII created A+ Investor, a robust data suite that condenses data research in an actionable and customizable way suitable for investors of all knowledge levels, to help investors streamline and work through such data.

AAII’s proprietary stock grades come with A+ Investor. These offer intuitive A‐F grades for each of five key investing factors: value, growth, momentum, earnings estimate revisions and quality. Here, we’ll take a closer look at Banner Corporation, Northwest Bancshares and Inc.’s stock grades to see how they measure up against one another.

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Banner Corporation, Northwest Bancshares and Inc. Growth Grades

Company	Ticker	Growth
Banner Corporation	BANR	C
Northwest Bancshares, Inc.	NWBI	B

The foundation of growth investing is seeking out stocks of companies exhibiting strong, consistent and prolonged growth that is expected to continue into the future.

In order to compute the growth score and assign it a letter grade, the percentile ranks for each of three components‐consistency of annual sales growth, five-year sales growth rankings adjusted for extreme levels, and consistency of positive annual cash from operations‐must be determined. These three rank figures are added together, and the sum is ranked against the entire stock universe to arrive at a company’s Growth Score to create an equal distribution of grades.

The companies in the bottom 20% of the stock universe receive Growth Grades of F, considered to be very weak, while those in the top 20% receive A grades, which are considered very strong.

Banner Corporation has a Growth Score of 43, which is Average. Northwest Bancshares, Inc. has a Growth Score of 77, which is Strong.

The Growth Grade Winner: Northwest Bancshares, Inc.

As you can clearly see from the Growth Grade breakdown above, Northwest Bancshares, Inc. has a more attractive growth grade than Banner Corporation. For investors who focus solely on how a company is growing relative to other companies in the same industry, Northwest Bancshares, Inc. could be a good stock to add to their portfolio. However, it’s important for investors to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Banner Corporation, Northwest Bancshares and Inc.’s Momentum Grades

Company	Ticker	Momentum
Banner Corporation	BANR	C
Northwest Bancshares, Inc.	NWBI	B

Momentum grades help to uncover stocks experiencing anomalously high rates of return; research finds that stocks with high relative levels of momentum tend to outperform, whereas those with low levels of momentum tend to continue underperforming. Momentum is based on the price change of a stock over a specified period relative to all other stocks.

Typically, AAII looks at the weighted relative strength over the trailing four quarters. The weighted four-quarter relative strength rank is the relative price change for each of the past four quarters. The most recent quarterly price change is given a weight of 40% and each of the three previous quarters are given a weighting of 20%.

Banner Corporation has a Momentum Score of 53, which is Average. Northwest Bancshares, Inc. has a Momentum Score of 69, which is Strong.

The Momentum Grade Winner: Northwest Bancshares, Inc.

As you can clearly see from the Momentum Grade breakdown above, Northwest Bancshares, Inc. is considered to have stronger momentum compared to Banner Corporation. For those specifically looking for companies that have stronger momentum compared to other companies in the same industry, Northwest Bancshares, Inc. could be a good stock to invest in. However, it’s important for investors to analyze multiple factors based on a wide range of metrics before deciding whether to buy.

Banner Corporation, Northwest Bancshares and Inc.’s Estimate Revisions Grades

Company	Ticker	Earnings Estimate
Banner Corporation	BANR	B
Northwest Bancshares, Inc.	NWBI	B

Earnings estimate revisions scores consider the magnitude of a company’s earnings surprise in its last two reported fiscal quarters. Often, positive surprises beget further positive surprises‐or at least continued sales growth (the exact opposite is generally true, too).

Estimate revisions offer an indication of what analysts are thinking about the short-term prospects of a firm. Estimate revisions are based on the statistical significance of a firm’s last two quarterly earnings surprises and the percentage change in its consensus estimate for the current fiscal year over the past month and past three months.

Banner Corporation has a Earnings Estimate Score of 63, which is Positive. Northwest Bancshares, Inc. has a Earnings Estimate Score of 79, which is Positive.

The Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade Winner: It’s a Tie!

Looking at the Earnings Estimate Revisions Grade breakdown above, both Banner Corporation, Northwest Bancshares and Inc. have a grade of B. For those focusing solely on a company’s estimate revisions, other financial metrics will need to be evaluated to determine whether Banner Corporation, Northwest Bancshares or Inc. is a better fit.

Other Banner Corporation, Northwest Bancshares and Inc. Grades

In addition to Estimate Revisions, Growth and Momentum, A+ Investor also provides grades for Value and Quality.

Successful stock investing involves buying low and selling high, so stock valuation is an important consideration for stock selection. Buying stocks that are going to go up typically means buying stocks that are undervalued in the first place, although momentum investors may argue that point.

AAII’s A+ Investor Quality Grade comes from the ranking of key metrics. Specifically, the quality grade is the percentile rank of the composite of return on assets (ROA), return on invested capital (ROIC), gross profit relative to assets, buyback yield, change in total liabilities to assets, accruals, Z double prime bankruptcy risk (Z) score and F-Score.

These 2 key factors, when combined with the above, provide a holistic view into a particular stock. Further, by joining A+ Investor you can see whether Banner Corporation, Northwest Bancshares and Inc. pass any of our 60+ stock screens that have outperformed the market since their creation.

So, Which Is the Better Investment, Banner Corporation, Northwest Bancshares or Inc. Stock?

Overall, Banner Corporation stock has a Growth Score of 43, Momentum Score of 53 and Estimate Revisions Score of 63.

Northwest Bancshares, Inc. stock has a Growth Score of 77, Momentum Score of 69 and Estimate Revisions Score of 79.

Comparing Banner Corporation, Northwest Bancshares and Inc.’s grades, scores and metrics can act as a solid basis to determine whether they may be a good investment or not. You’ll also want to look at your portfolio’s asset allocation as well as your risk tolerance and financial goals to see if either of these stocks would make a good fit for you. AAII can help you figure out which investments align with your individual needs and preferences.

Investors are encouraged to do their own due diligence and research. In this way, individuals can effectively become managers of their own assets‐without having to rely on others for financial independence. You can count on AAII for timeless articles on financial planning and stock-picking, unbiased research and actionable analysis.

A+ Investor adds to our qualitative teaching with a powerful data suite to help you whittle down investment choices to find stocks, exchange-traded funds (ETFs) or mutual funds that meet your needs.

AAII Disclaimer

We make no representations or warranties that any investor will, or is likely to, achieve profits similar to those shown, because past, hypothetical or simulated performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Before making an investment decision, you should consider your circumstances and whether the information on our content is applicable to your situation. This information was prepared in good faith, and we accept no liability for any errors or omissions. The full disclaimer can be read here.