Upcoming Ex-Dividend Dates: BlackRock Health Sciences Term Trust, Provident Financial Services, and Truist Financial
Upcoming Ex-Dividend Dates: On 11/14/25, BlackRock Health Sciences Term Trust (BMEZ), Provident Financial Services Inc (PFS), and Truist Financial Corp (TFC) will trade ex-dividend, with respective dividends of $0.11, $0.24, and $0.52 scheduled for payment on 11/28/25 and 12/1/25.
Expected Price Adjustments: Following the ex-dividend date, BMEZ is expected to open 0.73% lower, PFS 1.27% lower, and TFC 1.15% lower based on their recent stock prices.
Dividend Yield Estimates: The estimated annualized yields for the upcoming dividends are 8.81% for BMEZ, 5.09% for PFS, and 4.59% for TFC, indicating potential stability in their dividend payments.
Current Stock Performance: As of Wednesday trading, shares of BMEZ, PFS, and TFC have seen increases of approximately 2.1%, 1.3%, and 0.4%, respectively.
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- Stable Dividend History: Provident Financial Services has maintained a dividend payment for over 10 years, with the most recent annual payment at $0.96 per share, demonstrating the company's reliability in dividend payouts and boosting investor confidence.
- Sustainable Dividend Yield: The current dividend yield stands at 4.3%, above the industry average, and with projected EPS growth of 24.2% over the next three years, the company is well-positioned to sustain its dividend payments without straining its financials.
- Strong Profitability: The latest earnings report shows a payout ratio of 49%, expected to decrease to 37% over the next three years, indicating that Provident Financial can better cover its dividends in the future, enhancing its appeal as an income investment.
- Dividend Growth Potential: With a 9.8% annual growth in EPS over the past five years, combined with stable dividend payments, Provident Financial Services presents a compelling opportunity for investors seeking consistent income, highlighting its long-term investment value.
- Increased Holdings: On January 15, 2026, Ledgewood Wealth Advisors disclosed an increase of 204,172 shares in the Invesco BulletShares 2027 Corporate Bond ETF, with an estimated transaction value of $4.03 million, reflecting confidence in the ETF's market outlook.
- Stake Proportion Rise: This purchase raised Ledgewood's stake in BSCR to 5.8% of its 13F AUM, indicating a strategic positioning in fixed-income investments, particularly amid expectations of declining interest rates.
- Fund Performance: As of January 15, 2026, BSCR shares were priced at $19.75, delivering a total return of 5.7% over the past year, although trailing the S&P 500 by 12.5 percentage points, suggesting a need for attention to the ETF's relative performance in the current market.
- Investment Strategy: The ETF targets investment-grade corporate bonds maturing in 2027, providing defined maturity exposure and predictable income, appealing to institutional and individual investors seeking high yields as interest rates are anticipated to decline.
- Stake Increase: On January 15, 2026, Ledgewood Wealth Advisors, LLC increased its stake in the Invesco BulletShares 2027 Corporate Bond ETF by 204,172 shares, with an estimated transaction value of $4.03 million based on the fourth quarter's average closing price, indicating a sustained interest in fixed-income investments.
- Quarter-End Value Growth: The fund's quarter-end position value rose by $4.04 million, reflecting both share purchases and bond ETF price movements, demonstrating strong market demand for investment-grade corporate bonds.
- Asset Allocation Adjustment: This transaction accounted for 2.3% of the fund's $173.6 million in reportable assets under management as of December 31, 2025, highlighting its strategic positioning in fixed income, particularly amid expectations of declining interest rates.
- Yield Attractiveness: High-quality investment-grade bonds yielding over 4% will become increasingly attractive if interest rates fall in 2026, potentially prompting a rotation of funds from stocks to bonds, thereby boosting demand for this ETF.

- Record Revenue: Provident Financial Services reported net earnings of $83 million or $0.64 per share for Q4 2025, achieving total revenue of $226 million, which underscores the company's strong performance in sustained growth and profitability.
- Loan and Deposit Growth: The company generated $3.2 billion in new commercial loans in 2025, resulting in a net growth rate of 5.5%, with period-end loans and deposits increasing by $218 million and $182 million respectively, indicating robust market demand and competitive positioning.
- Noninterest Income Boost: Noninterest income reached $28.3 million in Q4, primarily driven by Provident Protection Plus and Beacon Trust, which enhances the company's revenue diversity and profitability.
- Future Outlook: Management anticipates loan and deposit growth of 4% to 6% in 2026, alongside a core system conversion that will incur approximately $5 million in nonrecurring charges, reflecting the company's confidence in future growth and strategic investments.
- Earnings Performance: Provident Financial reported a Q4 GAAP EPS of $0.55, missing expectations by $0.01, indicating some pressure on profitability.
- Revenue Growth: The company achieved Q4 revenue of $225.72 million, a 9.6% year-over-year increase, surpassing market expectations by $1.65 million, reflecting a strong business growth momentum.
- Stock Buyback Plan: Provident Financial expanded its stock buyback plan to 2.15% of outstanding shares, aimed at enhancing shareholder value and boosting market confidence.
- Executive Change: CFO Thomas M. Lyons announced his retirement, which may impact the company's future financial strategy and operations.

- Q4 Revenue Performance: Provident Financial Services reported a Q4 revenue of USD 225.7 million.
- Comparison to Estimates: This figure exceeds the Ibes estimate of USD 207.6 million.







