UPDATE: Keefe, Bruyette & Woods Upgrades First Interstate Bancsystem Following 1Q14 EPS Report

In a report published Friday, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods analyst Jacquelynne Chimera upgraded the rating on

from Market Perform to Outperform, and raised the price target from $29.00 to $32.00. In the report, Keefe, Bruyette & Woods noted, “FIBK reported 1Q14 EPS of $0.48, a nickel above consensus and nine cents above our estimate, with the beat primarily due to a reverse provision. It was otherwise a relatively in-line quarter as loans were up modestly, the NIM was flat, and the efficiency ratio was 65%. ROA, ROE, and tangible ROE were 1.16% and 10.7%, and 14.1%, respectively. "We are increasing our one-year, DCF-based price target to $32 from $29, and upgrading shares to Outperform from Market Perform based on valuation and our expectations for the company's growth trajectory, which we expect to improve already healthy profitability metrics.” First Interstate Bancsystem closed on Friday at $26.50.