PEBK Stock: Insider Activity, Filings & Research

Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina, Inc. (PEBK) — Drillr’s hub for PEBK insider activity, SEC filings, earnings signals and AI research. Over the trailing 3 months, PEBK insiders filed 0 open-market buys and 6 sales (SEC Form 4).

Sentiment

0/100

Buys (3m)

Sells (3m)

Net (3m)

-$182.9K

Insider trades by month Buys Sells

Dec

Feb

Mar

Apr

May

Jun

Context3-month price +7.1%Institutions mixed (13F)

Date	Insider	Type	Shares	Price
Jun 2, 2026	ABERNETHY JAMES Sdirector	Sell	500	$42.10
Jun 1, 2026	Abernethy Robert C. JRdirector	Sell	1,200	$41.61
May 26, 2026	Abernethy Ashton V.director	Sell	950	$42.26
May 14, 2026	ABERNETHY JAMES Sdirector	Sell	600	$40.20
May 1, 2026	ABERNETHY JAMES Sdirector	Sell	600	$39.35
Apr 24, 2026	ABERNETHY JAMES Sdirector	Sell	600	$40.06
Mar 4, 2026	ABERNETHY JAMES Sdirector	Sell	477	$37.60
Feb 27, 2026	ABERNETHY JAMES Sdirector	Sell	523	$38.91
Feb 25, 2026	ABERNETHY JAMES Sdirector	Sell	600	$38.16
Feb 9, 2026	ABERNETHY JAMES Sdirector	Sell	1,000	$38.34
Feb 6, 2026	ABERNETHY JAMES Sdirector	Sell	600	$37.27
Dec 23, 2025	ZACHARY BENJAMIN Idirector	Grant	121	$34.14
Dec 22, 2025	CABLE WILLIAM Dofficer: President and CEO	Grant	121	$34.14
Dec 22, 2025	Shinn Carol S.officer: EVP, Chief Operations Officer	Grant	15	$34.14
Dec 22, 2025	Hooper Jeffrey N.officer: EVP/Chief Financial Officer	Grant	7	$34.14

Source: PEBK SEC Form 4 filings, latest Jun 2, 2026. For informational purposes only — not investment advice.

Overview

Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina, Inc. (NASDAQ:PEBK) is a regional bank holding company founded in 1912 and headquartered in Newton, North Carolina. The company operates through its subsidiary Peoples Bank, serving individuals and small to medium-sized businesses across North Carolina with 17 banking offices and several loan production offices. As a community-focused regional bank, PEBK has built its presence primarily in the Charlotte metropolitan area and surrounding counties, establishing itself as a local banking institution with over a century of operations in the state.

Business

Peoples Bancorp operates in the regional banking industry, providing traditional commercial and consumer banking services through its subsidiary Peoples Bank. Regional banks like PEBK serve as intermediaries between depositors and borrowers, accepting deposits from customers and lending those funds to individuals and businesses in their local markets. The company's core banking services include deposit products such as checking accounts, savings accounts, money market accounts, time deposits, and certificates of deposit. These products allow customers to safely store their money while earning interest, and provide the bank with funds to lend to other customers. On the lending side, PEBK offers a comprehensive range of loan products including commercial real estate loans, general commercial loans, construction and land development financing, single-family residential mortgages, and agricultural loans. The bank also provides specialized lending such as Individual Taxpayer Identification Number (ITIN) mortgage loans, which serve customers who may not have traditional Social Security numbers but are legally eligible to work in the United States. Beyond traditional banking, the company provides ancillary financial services including investment counseling, non-deposit investment products like stocks, bonds, mutual funds, and tax-deferred annuities through brokerage partnerships. PEBK also operates real estate appraisal and brokerage services, acts as a clearing house for appraisal services for other community banks, and offers insurance agency services. The bank also manages and disposes of real estate and other collateral acquired through its normal debt collection processes. Based on typical regional bank operations, approximately 70-80% of revenue likely comes from net interest income (the spread between what the bank pays on deposits and earns on loans), with the remaining 20-30% from fee-based services and other non-interest income sources.

Revenue model

Peoples Bancorp generates revenue primarily through the traditional banking model of net interest income - the difference between interest earned on loans and investments and interest paid on deposits and borrowed funds. When the bank lends money at higher rates than it pays depositors, it captures this spread as profit. The company's customers include individual consumers, small businesses, and medium-sized enterprises in North Carolina who need banking services, loans, and financial products. The bank also earns fee-based income from various services including loan origination fees, account maintenance fees, overdraft fees, wire transfer fees, and commissions from selling investment products and insurance. The real estate appraisal and brokerage services provide additional revenue streams, as does the clearing house operation for other community banks' appraisal needs. Several factors can significantly impact PEBK's profitability margins. Interest rate environments are crucial - when rates rise, the bank can potentially earn more on new loans, but may also face higher funding costs if deposit rates increase. The bank's asset-liability management and the duration mismatch between its loans and deposits will determine how quickly it can reprice its earning assets versus funding costs. Credit quality directly affects margins through loan loss provisions - economic downturns in North Carolina's local markets could increase defaults and reduce profitability. Competition from larger national banks, credit unions, and fintech companies can pressure both loan pricing and deposit rates, compressing net interest margins. Regulatory compliance costs continue to increase for regional banks, while operational efficiency improvements through technology investments can help offset these pressures. The local economic health of North Carolina's markets, particularly around Charlotte where the bank has significant presence, will influence both loan demand and credit quality.

Competitive moat

Peoples Bancorp's competitive moat is relatively modest, typical of smaller regional banks. The company's primary defensive characteristics include local market knowledge and relationships built over more than a century of operations in North Carolina. Community banks often maintain advantages in understanding local market dynamics, building personal relationships with small business owners, and providing more personalized service than larger national competitors. The bank's deposit franchise provides some stability, as customer switching costs for basic banking relationships tend to be moderate due to the inconvenience of changing direct deposits, automatic payments, and established banking habits. However, this moat is not particularly strong as customers can relatively easily move deposits to competitors offering better rates or services. PEBK faces significant competitive threats from multiple directions. Larger regional and national banks can offer more sophisticated products, better technology platforms, and more competitive pricing due to their scale advantages. Credit unions often provide attractive rates and member-focused service while being exempt from federal income taxes. Fintech companies and online banks increasingly offer convenient digital banking solutions with competitive rates, particularly appealing to younger customers. The bank's scale limitations constrain its ability to invest heavily in technology infrastructure, cybersecurity, and digital banking capabilities that customers increasingly expect. Regulatory compliance costs represent a higher percentage of expenses for smaller banks, creating a structural disadvantage. The bank's geographic concentration in North Carolina also creates vulnerability to regional economic downturns, unlike more geographically diversified competitors. Overall, PEBK operates in a highly competitive industry with low barriers to entry for many services, limited pricing power, and ongoing pressure from technological disruption. The company's moat is narrow and primarily dependent on maintaining local relationships and service quality.

Risks & safety

Peoples Bancorp demonstrates a moderate margin of safety profile with some strengths but notable vulnerabilities typical of smaller regional banks. • Liquidity position: Strong cash position of $102.5 million as of Q1 2025, representing about 6% of total assets, providing adequate short-term liquidity buffer • Debt levels: Manageable debt-to-equity ratio of 14.0% indicates conservative leverage, reducing solvency risk • Profitability trends: Consistent positive earnings with ROE of 3.1% in Q1 2025, though below historical levels • Valuation metrics: Trading at reasonable P/E of 8.3x and P/B of 1.04x, suggesting limited downside valuation risk • Current ratio concern: Very low current ratio of 0.21 reflects the nature of banking operations where deposits (liabilities) far exceed liquid assets, though this is typical for banks • Asset quality risk: As a regional bank concentrated in North Carolina, vulnerable to local economic downturns affecting loan portfolio quality • Interest rate sensitivity: Balance sheet structure and duration mismatch between assets and liabilities creates exposure to interest rate volatility • Scale disadvantage: Limited size constrains ability to absorb regulatory costs and invest in necessary technology upgrades

Recent development

Based on the available financial data spanning 2022-2025, Peoples Bancorp has focused on maintaining steady operations while navigating a challenging interest rate environment. The company has maintained consistent profitability throughout this period, though with some volatility in quarterly results. Financial performance trends show the bank generated strong returns in 2022-2023 with ROE above 12%, but experienced some compression in 2024-2025 as interest rate dynamics and competitive pressures affected margins. Revenue declined from $85.8 million in 2023 to $71.1 million in 2024, suggesting challenges in maintaining net interest income growth amid the evolving rate environment. The bank has maintained a conservative balance sheet approach with manageable debt levels and adequate liquidity buffers. Cash positions have fluctuated significantly between quarters, ranging from $59 million to over $100 million, indicating active liquidity management in response to market conditions and regulatory requirements. Operational stability has been maintained across the branch network of 17 locations, with continued focus on serving the North Carolina markets where the bank has established relationships. The company has sustained its diversified revenue approach, continuing to offer ancillary services including real estate appraisal, investment products, and insurance services alongside traditional banking. Without detailed earnings call transcripts available, specific strategic initiatives and management commentary on future direction are not clearly evident from the financial data alone. However, the consistent operational metrics suggest a focus on maintaining market position while managing through interest rate volatility and competitive pressures typical of the regional banking sector.

PEBK company profile · for informational purposes only — not investment advice.

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