Exploring Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation (PGC) Investor Profile: Who’s Buying and Why?

You're looking at Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation (PGC) and trying to figure out who's really driving the stock price, especially with the market volatility around regional banks; what you need to know is that this is defintely an institutionally-controlled name, with institutional investors holding approximately 73.15% of the company's shares, totaling over 15.7 million shares. When giants like BlackRock, Inc. and Vanguard Group Inc. own major chunks-BlackRock alone holds about 8.82%-their accumulation or divestment is critical, and we saw total institutional shares increase by 5.93% in the first half of 2025. PGC just reported a Q3 2025 net income of $9.6 million and grew its Assets Under Management (AUM) to a robust $12.9 billion as of September 30, 2025, but the stock price is still trading around $26; so, why are the big players still accumulating, and what does a bearish 1.38 institutional Put/Call ratio tell us about their true sentiment on the bank's future, despite a 7% rise in tangible book value per share? We'll dive into the exact buying and selling patterns to map the conviction behind these numbers.

Who Invests in Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation (PGC) and Why?

The investor profile for Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation (PGC) is dominated by large institutions, which own a substantial 76.31% of the company, as of November 2025. This heavy institutional backing suggests a long-term, strategic view on the stock, but you also see active players betting on the company's unique private banking model. The core motivation for these investors is a combination of the company's consistent growth in its niche market and the stability provided by its expanding Wealth Management division.

Honestly, the stock is not a high-yield play, but it offers a strong growth narrative in a conservative sector.

Key Investor Types: The Institutional Majority

Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation's shareholder base is a clear split between institutional giants, company insiders, and the remaining retail investors. The institutional ownership figure of over 76% is high, typical of a well-established, publicly traded regional bank. These institutions fall into a few distinct categories, each with a different investment mandate.

• Passive Index Funds: Firms like BlackRock and Vanguard Group Inc. are among the largest shareholders, holding substantial positions. For instance, BlackRock held approximately 1.7 million shares as of June 2025, and Vanguard Group held over 974,523 shares as of September 2025. They buy PGC because it's part of a benchmark index, making them long-term, passive holders.
• Active Asset Managers: Companies like Dimensional Fund Advisors and Wellington Management Group LLP are active managers who have chosen PGC based on fundamental analysis. Wellington Management, for example, held over 1.1 million shares as of November 2025.
• Company Insiders: Management and directors hold a significant stake, with insider ownership at approximately 10.85%. This is a strong signal, as it aligns the interests of leadership with outside shareholders; they're buying their own stock.

Investment Motivations: Growth, Wealth, and Value

Investors are attracted to Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation for a few concrete reasons that set it apart from a pure-play commercial bank. The strategy to evolve into a premier boutique private bank in the Metro New York area is paying off, driving two key financial metrics: deposit growth and fee income.

Here's the quick math on what's driving the investment thesis:

The Wealth Management division is defintely the secret sauce here; it provides a high-quality, non-interest-based revenue stream that pure regional banks lack. For more on the company's evolution, you can check out Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation (PGC): History, Ownership, Mission, How It Works & Makes Money.

Investment Strategies: From Passive to Activist

The mix of institutional holders dictates a range of investment strategies. You see three main approaches at play with Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation:

• Long-Term Holding (Passive): Index funds and large, diversified mutual funds, like those managed by Vanguard, are generally buy-and-hold investors. They are betting on the long-term compounding of the company's earnings and its strategic positioning in the affluent New Jersey and Metro New York markets. Their strategy is to minimize turnover and track the market.
• Value Investing: Value investors are drawn to the tangible book value per share of $34.10 and the low dividend payout ratio, which means the company is retaining a high percentage of its earnings-nearly 90%-to reinvest in its high-growth private banking model. They see a potential disconnect between the stock price and the underlying asset value.
• Short-Term/Activist Trading: A few hedge funds show significant, rapid changes in their holdings, which points to a more active or short-term trading strategy. For example, Millennium Management increased its share count by a massive 313% in the second quarter of 2025. This suggests a belief in a near-term catalyst, perhaps a favorable interest rate environment or a quick re-rating of the stock based on its strong Q3 2025 earnings of $0.54 diluted EPS.

What this estimate hides is the potential impact of a sustained economic downturn on loan quality, which would challenge the value thesis. Still, the diverse investor base confirms that PGC appeals to both the patient capital and the opportunistic trade.

Institutional Ownership and Major Shareholders of Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation (PGC)

You're looking at Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation (PGC) and wondering who the big money is, and more importantly, what they're doing. The direct takeaway is that institutional investors own a significant majority of the bank, providing a strong foundation of stability, but their recent activity shows a mixed signal-some major players are trimming while others are building their positions.

As of the most recent filings (Q3 2025), institutional investors collectively own about 76.05% of Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation's shares outstanding. That's a massive slice of the pie, telling you this is not a stock driven by retail investors. The total value of these institutional holdings stood at approximately $347 million based on the latest available data.

Top Institutional Investors: Who Holds the Keys?

The largest shareholders in Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation are the usual suspects-the massive asset managers who often hold positions for index tracking or long-term core strategies. Here's a look at the top-tier holders and their positions based on Q2 and Q3 2025 filings. Keep in mind that a single percentage change from one of these giants can move the stock, defintely.

Here's the quick math: BlackRock, Dimensional, and Vanguard alone control over 3.7 million shares. That concentration means their trading decisions carry significant weight. For a deeper dive into the company's fundamentals, you should check out Breaking Down Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation (PGC) Financial Health: Key Insights for Investors.

Recent Shifts: Are Institutions Buying or Selling PGC?

The institutional activity over the last quarter of 2025 was a near wash, but the underlying movements are telling. Overall, 74 institutions initiated or increased their positions, adding a total of 974,020 shares. Simultaneously, 59 institutions decreased or sold out of their positions, shedding 970,070 shares. It was a tug-of-war, with net buying being marginal.

• Major Sellers: BlackRock, Inc. cut its stake by 5.23% (or 92,073 shares) as of June 30, 2025. Also, Hotchkis & Wiley Capital Management LLC reduced its position by 28.4% in a filing dated November 14, 2025.
• Key Buyers: Vanguard Group Inc. increased its holding by 3.011% as of September 30, 2025. Wellington Management Group Llp also added to its position, increasing shares by 3.883% in the second quarter.

What this estimate hides is the difference between passive and active management. The large passive index funds like Vanguard and State Street Corp. are often just rebalancing to track the index, while the more active funds like Wellington Management Group Llp are making a deliberate bet on PGC's strategy, which is encouraging.

Impact of Institutional Investors on PGC's Strategy and Stock Price

The high institutional ownership-over three-quarters of the stock-is a double-edged sword. On one hand, it provides significant stock price stability. These funds aren't prone to the panic selling that can plague stocks with high retail ownership. Their sheer size means they can absorb large trading volumes without the price collapsing.

On the other hand, it means the company's management is constantly accountable to these large, sophisticated owners. They expect a clear strategy and consistent execution, especially concerning capital management. Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation's Q3 2025 results, which showed diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.54 and a 7% increase in tangible book value per share to $34.10, are exactly the kind of concrete performance metrics these institutions demand.

The mixed buying and selling activity is a reflection of the current environment for regional banks. Some investors are taking profits after the stock's run-up, while others are buying into the growth story, particularly the strength in the bank's Wealth Management division, which saw assets under management/advisement (AUM/AUA) grow by $1.0 billion to $12.9 billion at September 30, 2025. This wealth management focus is a key strategic differentiator that active investors are likely rewarding.

Next Step: You should track the next round of 13F filings in early 2026 to see if the net buying trend continues, as that will confirm institutional confidence in the bank's long-term strategy.

Key Investors and Their Impact on Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation (PGC)

If you're looking at Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation (PGC), the story isn't about activist hedge funds; it's about massive, long-term institutional conviction. The direct takeaway is that large index and asset managers, who own a combined 73.15% of the company, are betting on PGC's strategic pivot to a boutique private bank model. This high institutional ownership means the stock is less prone to retail-driven volatility but more sensitive to broad sector movements and the sentiment of a few key players.

The company's shift-rebranding to Peapack Private Bank & Trust and expanding into the Metro New York market-is the core reason these sophisticated investors are holding or increasing their stakes. They are looking past the Q3 2025 diluted earnings per share (EPS) of $0.54 (which missed the $0.60 estimate) and focusing on the underlying growth in deposits and wealth management assets. That's the long game.

The Titans of PGC's Cap Table

The investor profile for Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation is dominated by the giants of the asset management world. These aren't just small funds taking a flyer; they are the bedrock of the market, holding shares for their vast array of index and mutual funds. Here's the quick math: the top three holders alone control a significant portion of the outstanding shares, signaling a strong belief in the stock's inclusion in key banking indices.

• BlackRock, Inc.: The largest shareholder, holding approximately 1,548,663 shares with a market value of about $40.27 million as of late 2025.
• Dimensional Fund Advisors LP: A major quantitative player, holding 1,064,248 shares, valued at roughly $27.67 million.
• Vanguard Group Inc: The index fund behemoth, owning 974,523 shares, valued at $25.34 million.

What this concentration of ownership hides is the passive nature of much of the buying. Funds like Vanguard and Dimensional Fund Advisors LP are often buying simply because PGC is part of the small-cap bank index their funds track. Still, their sheer size makes their movements influential. If one of them rebalances, the stock defintely moves.

Recent Investor Moves and Strategic Alignment

Recent 13F filings show a clear directional trend toward increasing exposure by certain active managers, suggesting they see PGC's strategy paying off. The Q3 2025 results showed deposits growing by 7% to $6.6 billion and total loans increasing by 9% to $6.0 billion, which validates the management's focus on core relationship banking. This is what the smart money is responding to.

Wellington Management Group LLP, for example, made a notable move, increasing its position by a substantial 67.0% as of November 2025, bringing their total stake to 1,138,723 shares. This kind of aggressive buying from a major active manager signals confidence in the bank's ability to grow its wealth management Assets Under Management (AUM), which hit $12.9 billion in Q3 2025. Mendon Capital Advisors Corp also boosted their holdings by 46.7% in the same period, suggesting a specific, bullish view on the regional bank sector.

On the flip side, even the largest holder, BlackRock, Inc., showed a slight reduction of -5.23% in their holdings earlier in the year, which is often just routine portfolio rebalancing rather than a major change in thesis. You need to look at the net flow. The overall institutional ownership remains high, which is the key metric.

For a deeper dive into how this strategy is rooted in the company's history, check out Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation (PGC): History, Ownership, Mission, How It Works & Makes Money.

Here is a snapshot of the major institutional holders and their recent activity, based on the latest available filings:

The clear action here is to monitor the next round of 13F filings for any continued aggressive buying from active managers like Wellington or Mendon Capital Advisors Corp. If that trend continues, it suggests the market is starting to price in the success of the New York expansion and the higher-margin wealth management business.

Market Impact and Investor Sentiment

You need to know who holds the cards at Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation (PGC) and what their mood is. The investor profile is dominated by institutional money, which holds a generally neutral-to-positive stance, but you have to watch the mixed signals coming from insiders. As of late 2025, institutional investors own a commanding 76.31% of the company's stock, a clear vote of confidence from large funds in the bank's long-term private banking strategy. That's a lot of conviction from the big players.

However, the internal view is less rosy. Insider sentiment-the buying and selling activity of executives and directors-has been decidedly Negative over the last year. For example, focusing on high-impact open-market transactions, insiders sold approximately $3.77M worth of stock while purchasing only $782.1K in the same period. This selling pressure from people who know the business best is a critical data point you defintely can't ignore.

• Institutional ownership is high: 76.31%.
• Insider sentiment is Negative due to selling.
• The big money is in, but management is taking chips off the table.

Recent Market Reactions and Ownership Shifts

The stock market's reaction to Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation's recent performance and ownership changes has been volatile, reflecting a real tug-of-war between value and short-term operational risks. Following the third-quarter 2025 results, which missed consensus expectations, the stock price dropped, contributing to a year-to-date decline of 19.39% as of late October 2025. This immediate reaction shows investors are sensitive to credit deterioration and increased expenses mentioned in the results.

Still, large institutional investors have been active. In the June 2025 quarter, while overall institutional holdings slightly decreased from 76.04% to 75.24%, some key funds showed significant accumulation. For instance, Two Sigma Investments LP increased its position by 59.0%, and Wellington Management Group LLP boosted its holding by 67.0% through November 2025. This suggests that while the stock price reacted poorly to the earnings miss, some sophisticated investors see the dip as a buying opportunity, betting on the long-term value of the franchise.

Analyst Perspectives and Price Targets

Despite the recent stock underperformance, Wall Street analysts maintain a positive outlook, giving Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation a consensus rating of 'Strong Buy' or 'Moderate Buy.' This is a strong signal that the market views the recent struggles as temporary. The average analyst price target is approximately $37.00, forecasting an upside of over 42% from the stock's recent trading price of around $26.00 in November 2025.

Raymond James, a key firm covering the stock, reiterated its 'Strong Buy' rating in October 2025, but they did lower their price target to $35.00 from $39.00. Here's the quick math: that $35.00 target still implies a significant return, but the reduction reflects revised earnings expectations and lower industry valuations after the Q3 miss. The analysts are focusing on the bank's deposit initiatives, like a 6.9% quarter-over-quarter increase in non-interest-bearing deposits, which now represent 20% of total deposits. They believe core deposits are solid, and the bank's earnings and franchise value should improve. You can dive deeper into the fundamentals here: Breaking Down Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation (PGC) Financial Health: Key Insights for Investors.

The table below shows the positions of the largest institutional investors as of the most recent filings, typically June 2025, giving you a clear picture of who holds the most sway.

What this estimate hides is the risk of a prolonged high-interest rate environment, which continues to pressure net interest income for regional banks. For 2025, the consensus revenue forecast is $280.64M, with an EPS forecast of $2.13, but those numbers depend on how well PGC executes its private banking model in a tough economic climate. Your next step should be to monitor the next insider filing for any shift in the selling trend.