This Newly Public Bank Just Got a $177 Million Vote of Confidence From One Fund

Central Trust Co established a new position in Central Bancompany, Inc. (NASDAQ:CBC) during the fourth quarter, acquiring 7,338,237 shares worth an estimated $177.00 million trade based on quarterly average pricing.

What happened

According to a SEC filing dated February 2, Central Trust Co initiated a new holding in Central Bancompany, Inc. during the fourth quarter, buying 7,338,237 shares. The end-of-quarter stake was valued at $177.00 million.

What else to know

This new position accounts for 3.47% of Central Trust Co’s reportable U.S. equity assets under management as of December 31.

Top five fund holdings after the filing:

• NYSEMKT: CEF: $338.53 million (6.63% of AUM)
• NASDAQ: AAPL: $270.83 million (5.31% of AUM)
• NYSEMKT: SCHP: $202.21 million (3.96% of AUM)
• NASDAQ: CBC: $177.00 million (3.47% of AUM)
• NASDAQ: AVGO: $150.44 million (2.95% of AUM)

As of the most recent quote, CBC shares were priced at $24.90. The shares began trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market in November at $21 per share.

Company overview

Company snapshot

• Central Bancompany offers a comprehensive suite of community banking products and services, including checking and savings accounts, personal and commercial loans, mortgages, credit cards, brokerage, retirement, trust, insurance, and wealth management solutions.
• The company operates a multi-bank holding company model providing community banking, financial, and wealth management services.
• It serves individuals, businesses, corporate clients, and government entities primarily across Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, Iowa, Oklahoma, Colorado, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Florida.

Central Bancompany, Inc. is a leading regional financial institution with a diversified portfolio of banking and financial services. The company's scale supports its strategy of delivering tailored solutions to a broad client base. Its competitive advantage lies in its integrated service offerings and established regional footprint, enabling strong relationships with both retail and commercial customers.

What this transaction means for investors

In a portfolio anchored by closed-end funds, inflation protection, and mega-cap equities, adding a large regional bank is often about income durability and balance-sheet strength, not short-term momentum, and Central Bancompany’s fundamentals support that framing. In its most recent quarterly release, the bank reported net income of $107.6 million, bringing full-year earnings to $390.9 million, alongside a return on assets of 2.17%, up from 2.02% in the previous quarter.

Central Bancompany, whose listing is only a couple of months old, now sits alongside Apple, Broadcom, and gold-linked vehicles as a meaningful allocation, signaling confidence that regional banking can still deliver attractive risk-adjusted returns even in a higher-rate environment.

In the latest earnings release, CEO John “JR” Ross pointed to record profitability last year and a focus on "prudently growing the business," building out technology, and "thoughtfully" deploying excess capital in 2026. For long-term investors, the takeaway is subtle but important. Not every bank bet is about rate cuts. Some are about underwriting discipline, deposit stability, and compounding quietly. With all of that said, this case looks like the latter.

Jonathan Ponciano has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Apple and Schwab Strategic Trust - Schwab U.s. Tips ETF. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.