Community Bank System Inc (CBU) fair value: what the stock is really worth
As of Sep 23, 2026: fair value of Community Bank System Inc $37.82, price $60.69, upside -37.7%, quality 59 out of 100. Calculated from audited financials with 26 valuation models and 37 quality factors, updated daily.
Watch Community Bank System Inc for free, get notified when fair value or trend changes. Plus fair value for all 35,000+ stocks, 14 days of Pro free, no card.Watch for freePro now: $1 first month
69 individual criteria per stock, every one traceableSee the method →
Price vs Fair Value
White line = price, green steps = our fair value per fiscal year, dashed = 300-day average. As of Sep 23, 2026.
How to read this chart
60‑month range $34.29 – $70.99 · fair‑value band $30.14 – $50.24 · the $60.69 price screens above the $37.82 fair value. Green steps = our fair value per fiscal year (point-in-time, no hindsight). Dashed = 300-day average. As of Sep 23, 2026.
Follow Community Bank System in your weekly email
Every Wednesday you see whether Community Bank System is on track or worth a review, plus price against fair value. Free, up to 3 stocks.
We send you a confirmation link. Unsubscribe with one click.
Community Financial System, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Community Bank, N.A. that provides various banking and other financial services to retail, commercial, institutional, and governmental customers. The company operates in four segments: Banking, Employee Benefit Services, Insurance Services and Wealth Management Services.
Show more
Community Financial System, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for Community Bank, N.A. that provides various banking and other financial services to retail, commercial, institutional, and governmental customers. The company operates in four segments: Banking, Employee Benefit Services, Insurance Services and Wealth Management Services. The Banking Segment offers lending and depository-related products and services; treasury management solutions and payment processing services, as well as certain corporate overhead-related expenses to individuals, businesses, and governmental units. The Employee Benefit Segment provides employee benefit trust, collective investment fund, retirement plan and health savings account administration, fund administration, transfer agency, actuarial, health and welfare consulting services and introducing broker-dealer services. The Insurance Services segment offers personal and commercial lines of insurance and other risk management products and services, as well as employee benefit related services. The Wealth Management Services provides wealth management, retirement planning, higher educational planning, fiduciary, risk management, trust services, and personal financial planning services. This segment also offers a range of investment products including stocks, bonds, exchange-traded funds, mutual funds, insurance, and advisory products. Community Financial System, Inc. was founded in 1866 and is headquartered in Syracuse, New York.
Stock analysis
Community Bank System Inc (CBU) currently trades at $60.69, while our model-based Fair Value estimate is $37.82, implying the stock looks roughly 60.5% overvalued today.
Show more
Valuation
Bull case: the Multiples group reads highest at a median of $52.06 per share, and 0 of the 6 models we run sit above the $60.69 price.
Bear case: the Asset-Based group reads lowest at $25.57, and 6 of the 6 models stay below the price. Evidence for this calculation is high.
Scenario range: $30.14 (bear) to $50.24 (bull), the price of $60.69 sits above it. Bear and bull are the same models on cautious and optimistic assumptions, a range, not a price target.
Quality & growth
The Quality Score stands at 59/100 (solid quality), in the Financial Services sector.
Healthy Growth: Revenue growth appears healthy and is supported by profitability and cash-flow quality.
Community Bank System Inc reported revenue of $1.0B in FY2025 versus $634M in FY2021, a compound +12.4%/yr. Reported net income was $210M in FY2025, compounding +2.6%/yr from FY2021.
Key figures
Market cap $3.7B · P/E ratio 14.7 · P/S ratio 3.07 · EPS (TTM) $4.12 · Dividend yield 3.1% · Net margin 20.8% · Return on equity 11.3% · Return on assets (EBIT) 1.4%.
Competitive moat
Our AI-assisted moat analysis scores the competitive advantage at 48 out of 100 (low confidence).
What moves the price
The share trades about 15% below its 52-week high and 16% above its 52-week low, currently below its 200-day average.
For context, the median of 10 Financial Services peers we cover trades at −38% fair-value upside, at −38%, CBU screens cheaper than that median.
Fair Value models
Bear $30.14Fair Value $37.82Bull $50.24
Model ⓘEach model values the company its own way (discounted cash flow, earnings, assets, dividends). The fair value above is their evidence-weighted blend, not the output of a single model. Based on fiscal year 2025 figures (about 9 months old). Earnings retained since then ($1.65 per share) are deliberately not added.Bear ⓘBear = the cautious scenario: the same model computed with conservative anchors (lower growth, margins and valuation multiples). Together with Bull it frames a plausible valuation range, not a price target.BaseBull ⓘBull = the optimistic scenario: the same model computed with favourable anchors (higher growth, margins and valuation multiples). Together with Bear it frames a plausible valuation range, not a price target.Evidence ⓘEvidence = how well-backed THIS model's estimate is for this stock (0–100): how complete and reliable its input data are, and how well the model fits the company. The final Fair Value is an evidence-weighted blend, so better-evidenced models count more. Green ≥70, amber 50–69, grey below 50.
Growth Quality ⓘGrowth is valuable only when reinvestment earns attractive returns (Aswath Damodaran): sustainable growth depends on return on capital, reinvestment and efficiency. Basis: total company revenue over the periods shown on the cards (3Y/5Y/all years), not per share, so a merger can show up as a growth jump; per-share earnings growth is in the value-creation card.87/100
Revenue growth appears healthy and is supported by profitability and cash-flow quality.
Revenue growth 1 year
+7.5%
Revenue growth 3 years ⓘMeasures the company's TOTAL revenue from reported annual statements: compound average growth per year (CAGR) from the fiscal year 3, 5 or N years back to the most recent comparable fiscal year. Not per share: buybacks do not change this number, and a merger can appear as a growth jump. Per-share growth (which does include buybacks) is in the value-creation card.
+12.9%
Revenue growth 5 years ⓘMeasures the company's TOTAL revenue from reported annual statements: compound average growth per year (CAGR) from the fiscal year 3, 5 or N years back to the most recent comparable fiscal year. Not per share: buybacks do not change this number, and a merger can appear as a growth jump. Per-share growth (which does include buybacks) is in the value-creation card.
+10.4%
Start year 2020 (pandemic). Over 10 years: +10.2% a year
Revenue growth 36 years ⓘMeasures the company's TOTAL revenue from reported annual statements: compound average growth per year (CAGR) from the fiscal year 3, 5 or N years back to the most recent comparable fiscal year. Not per share: buybacks do not change this number, and a merger can appear as a growth jump. Per-share growth (which does include buybacks) is in the value-creation card.
+8.1%
’14
’15
’16
’17
’18
’19
’20
’21
’22
’23
’24
’25
What shareholders gained per year (last 5 years) ⓘWhat the business itself delivers per year: earnings growth per share plus the dividend yield. This is what you get IF the market keeps valuing the stock the same way: it contains no assumption about the market changing its mind. Computed per share, so buybacks count and a merger does not pass as growth. For a company that pays no dividend it is pure earnings growth per share. Period: earnings growth per share as CAGR over the last 5 reported fiscal years (annual statements), plus the current dividend yield. The start value is the median of the three years around the start, so a single crisis year (a pandemic or a write-down) does not distort the rate.
+7.3%
Earnings growth per share plus dividend.
Earnings per share, growth per year+4.2%
Dividend (yield on the price)3.1%
Pace: 5 vs 10 years ⓘTwo data points, not a trend model: earnings growth per share over the last 5 fiscal years against the last 10. Labelled "steady" when both rates are within 3 percentage points of each other, otherwise picking up or flattening. Shown only when ten years of history exist.4% vs 6%, steady
Profit margin 2020 to 2025 ⓘOperating margin then vs now, from reported annual statements. A falling margin after a boom year is the classic peak-earnings signal: the growth rate then leans on an inflated base.33% → 27%
Start year 2020 (pandemic)
Growth Forecast
Price in line with expectations
The price assumes less growth than the company has delivered so far and about what analysts expect.
What the price assumes ⓘThis turns our valuation around: instead of asking what the share is worth, it asks what growth the current price requires. It uses the cash the company keeps after all spending (free cash flow), the same discount rate as our models, five years of growth, then slowing evenly to 2 % a year by year ten. Compared with the analysts' sales forecasts extended to the same five years (at least three analysts, for context only, it does not enter the Fair Value): within 3 percentage points counts as "in line" (amber), below that little optimism (green), above that a lot of optimism (red).
+2.3%
Yearly growth needed for the next five years to justify today's price.
What forecasts expect ⓘAnalysts publish sales forecasts for the next two fiscal years. For the years after that, growth slows evenly to 2 % a year by year ten (2 % is the long-run rate our models use). Projected years are marked as such.
+2.8%
Yearly sales growth analysts expect, extended to five years.
After inflation (USA: IMF forecast 2.4% a year to 2030, 3.1% from 2016 to 2025) that is about −0.1% a year for the price and +0.4% for the forecasts.
News mood ⓘNews mood, the average tone of recent news (95 articles), rated against how stocks are usually covered. 🚀 Hype = unusually upbeat · 🙂 Positive = above average · 😐 Neutral = typical · 🙁 Negative = below average · 😨 Very negative = unusually downbeat. It reflects the tone of coverage, not our valuation.Hype
Recent news coverage is unusually upbeat, far more positive than stocks are typically covered.
Compare Community Bank System Inc with another stock
Price, fair value, quality and upside side by side.
Free, no sign-up
Peer GroupⓘHow this stock ranks against its industry: the green marker is this stock, the band is the typical 25–75% peer range, and the tick is the median.Banks - Regional · 1074 stocks
Beats the industry median on 6/15 measures
A mixed picture versus its industry peers.
Valuation
Quality Score57 · Above median
Fair Value upside−38% · Bottom 25%
Profitability
Return on equity (TTM)11% · Above median
Return on assets1% · Above median
Net margin (TTM)27% · Below median
Operating margin (TTM)38% · Below median
Growth and dividend
Revenue growth10% · Above median
Dividend yield (TTM)3.1% · Above median
Balance sheet
Debt / equity0.23× · Below median
Valuation Multiplesvs Banks - Regional median · lower = cheaper
P/E (TTM)14.7× · Pricier than median
P/B1.86× · Priciest 25%
P/S (TTM)4.58× · Priciest 25%
P/FCF16.0× · Priciest 25%
EV/EBITDA12.7× · Pricier than median
PEG2.62× · Priciest 25%
Strength profile in five axes (Snowflake)
This stockSector peers
VALUE (fair-value potential)0· sector 12
FUTURE (revenue growth)48· sector 45
PAST (return on equity)45· sector 41
HEALTH (low debt)89· sector 85
DIVIDEND (yield)62· sector 53
VALUE 0: the price sits above our fair-value range.
For bloggers, editors and developers: paste this into your site or blog (a “Custom HTML” block in WordPress), it shows the current fair value and links back here. Free, plain HTML, and welcome. Full data streams (CSV/JSON) at /developers.
Cite: Fair Value Calculator (2026). "Community Bank System Inc Fair Value". https://www.fairvalue-calculator.com/stock/CBU
Frequently asked questions
Is Community Bank System Inc (CBU) overvalued or undervalued?
As of Sep 23, 2026, our model estimates a fair value of $37.82 versus a price of $60.69, about −38% upside (overvalued).
What is the fair value of CBU?
Our model-based fair value for Community Bank System Inc is $37.82 (as of Sep 23, 2026), built from audited fundamentals. The current price: $60.69.
What is the quality score of CBU?
Community Bank System Inc has a Quality Score of 59/100. It measures business quality (profitability, growth, cash flow, balance-sheet strength, investment discipline, share issuance). Market factors such as price momentum and volatility do not enter the number; they are shown separately in the detail view.
What is the price target for Community Bank System Inc (CBU)?
Our model-based price target is the fair value of $37.82 (as of Sep 23, 2026) from 6 valuation models. Cautious scenario $30.14, optimistic scenario $50.24. It is a calculation from audited fundamentals, not an analyst target.
What is the Community Bank System Inc stock forecast for 2026?
Our models put fair value at $37.82, about −38% upside versus a price of $60.69 (overvalued). Cautious scenario $30.14, optimistic scenario $50.24. The calculation is refreshed regularly with new filings.
What is the revenue of Community Bank System Inc (CBU)?
Community Bank System Inc reported trailing-twelve-month revenue of about $815M (latest available figure, as of Sep 23, 2026).
Does Community Bank System Inc pay a dividend?
Community Bank System Inc currently shows a dividend yield of about 3.08% relative to its recent price (as of Sep 23, 2026).
What growth is priced into Community Bank System Inc (CBU)?
For today's price to be fair in a discounted-cash-flow model, Community Bank System Inc would have to grow free cash flow by +2.3 % per year for five years (discount rate 9.2 %, then slowing evenly to 2 % perpetual growth by year ten). Over the last 5 years revenue grew +10.4 % per year. As of Sep 23, 2026.
What discount rate (WACC) does the fair value of CBU use?
Our models discount Community Bank System Inc at 9.2 %: a base by market capitalisation (mid), damped by beta 0.79, country premium for USA. The same rate applies in all 26 models.
What is a reverse DCF?
A reverse DCF turns the usual calculation around. Instead of deriving a value from assumptions, it takes today's price as given and asks: what free-cash-flow growth would a company have to deliver for exactly this price to be fair? The result is not a forecast but the expectation already priced in. For Community Bank System Inc that is +2.3 % per year a year over ten years, using the same discount rate (9.2 %) and the same formula as our fair value.
How much growth has Community Bank System Inc (CBU) delivered so far?
Over the past 5 years revenue at Community Bank System Inc grew +10.4 % a year. The price currently implies +2.3 % per year free-cash-flow growth a year. Comparing the two shows how much confidence is in the price: if it demands more than has been delivered, the business has to accelerate for the maths to work.
How fast is the sector of Community Bank System Inc (CBU) growing?
The median revenue growth in the sector is +8.4 % a year. That is the yardstick for the growth priced into Community Bank System Inc (+2.3 % per year a year): it shows whether the expectation is within the usual range or beyond it.
What is the free cash flow yield of Community Bank System Inc (CBU)?
The free-cash-flow yield on the price is 7.28 %: that much free cash flow Community Bank System Inc produces per unit of market value. When it exceeds the discount rate of our models (9.2 %), the business already earns more than its cost of capital demands, and the price needs little additional growth.
What is the intrinsic value of Community Bank System Inc (CBU)?
Intrinsic value and fair value mean the same thing: what the business is worth on its numbers, independent of the share price. For Community Bank System Inc it is $37.82 per share (as of Sep 23, 2026), against a price of $60.69. It is the blended result of 6 valuation models (cash flow, earnings, asset, dividend).
Is Community Bank System Inc stock overvalued or undervalued in 2026?
As of Sep 23, 2026, CBU trades above its calculated fair value: price $60.69, fair value $37.82, a gap of about −38% (overvalued). The calculation is refreshed with each new quarterly report, so the verdict can change during the year.
Is fair value the same as the market price of CBU?
No. The price is what the market pays today ($60.69); the fair value is what the company's own numbers justify ($37.82). For Community Bank System Inc the two are $22.87 per share apart. That gap is exactly why we show both numbers side by side.
How much is Community Bank System Inc worth?
The market values Community Bank System Inc at about $3.7B (market capitalisation, as of Sep 23, 2026). Per share that is $60.69; our models calculate a fair value of $37.82 per share.
What do the bullish and bearish scenarios say about CBU?
Our models span a range for Community Bank System Inc: cautious scenario $30.14, base $37.82, optimistic $50.24 per share (as of Sep 23, 2026, price $60.69). The range comes from different growth and margin assumptions, not from analyst opinions.
What is the P/E ratio of CBU?
Community Bank System Inc trades at a price-to-earnings ratio of 14.7 (as of Sep 23, 2026). A P/E on its own says little: it compares the price with ONE year of profit, while our fair value of $37.82 is built from several models across several years. Other multiples: PEG 2.6, P/B 1.9, P/S 4.6, EV/EBITDA 12.7.
What is the PEG ratio of CBU?
The PEG ratio of Community Bank System Inc is 2.62 (P/E divided by earnings growth, as of Sep 23, 2026). That is above 1, so the growth is already paid for in the price.
How solid is the balance sheet of Community Bank System Inc (CBU)?
Balance-sheet figures for Community Bank System Inc (as of Sep 23, 2026): return on equity 11.3%, debt of 0.23 per unit of equity. They feed the Quality Score of 59/100, which measures business quality independently of the share price.
How far is CBU from its 52-week high?
Community Bank System Inc trades at $60.69, about 15% below its 52-week high of $70.99 and 16% above the low of $52.44 (as of Sep 23, 2026). Distance from the high says nothing about value: that is what the fair value of $37.82 is for.
Which stocks are comparable to Community Bank System Inc?
From the same area (Financial Services) we also value DBS Group, China Merchants Bank Co, Intesa Sanpaolo S.p.A, HDFC Bank Limited, among others. Each of them has its own fair-value calculation on this site using the same models, so the comparison is like for like.
Is Community Bank System Inc stock attractive at the current price?
The data as of Sep 23, 2026: price $60.69, calculated fair value $37.82 (−38%), Quality Score 59/100, from 6 models. Whether that fits your horizon and risk tolerance is your call. We provide the calculation, not investment advice.
How is the fair value of CBU calculated?
We run Community Bank System Inc through 6 models from four families: discounted cash flow, earnings models, asset and balance-sheet models, and dividend models. Every model gets the same audited fundamentals; the result is the weighted average of $37.82, with the spread shown as a cautious and an optimistic scenario.
Is it still worth investing in stocks now?
The global stock market currently sits 14.1 % above its aggregate fair value. Community Bank System Inc itself currently trades above fair value. An expensive market is no reason to stay out and no reason to buy everything at once: keep a broad savings plan running, buy single stocks only with money you can do without, and hold part of your money liquid while the market is high. The full picture including sectors is on is it worth investing now.
What is the share price of Community Bank System Inc (CBU)?
The closing price on Sep 23, 2026 was $60.69. Our model-based fair value is $37.82, about −38% upside (overvalued). We carry closing prices from our data provider, not a live tick.
What should I pay attention to with Community Bank System Inc right now?
The price sits above even our optimistic bull case ($50.24). The favourable scenario is already priced in. Solid but not exceptional quality (59/100) and above fair value, neither a clear bargain nor a standout compounder. For a financial, book-value and earnings-based methods matter more than a cash-flow DCF, which fits banks and insurers poorly.
Where does the earnings growth of Community Bank System Inc (CBU) come from?
Earnings per share at Community Bank System Inc grew +4.3 % a year from 2014 to 2025. Broken into its drivers: revenue per share +6.8 %, EBIT margin −3.5 %, tax rate +1.3 %, residual (interest, one-offs) +0.0 %. The four rates multiply to the earnings growth rate, they do not add up. Start and end are three-year averages so a single exceptional year does not distort the result.
Key figures of Community Bank System Inc
How large is the market capitalisation of Community Bank System Inc (CBU)?
The market capitalisation of Community Bank System Inc is $3.7B. The stock-market value of the whole company: share price times number of shares. It is what the market asks for the entire business today.
What is the P/S ratio of Community Bank System Inc (CBU)?
The price-to-sales ratio of Community Bank System Inc is 3.07 (P/E × margin). Price to sales: market value relative to yearly revenue. Useful when profit is thin or distorted.
What are the earnings per share of Community Bank System Inc (CBU)?
Earnings per share at Community Bank System Inc are $4.12 (price ÷ EPS = P/E 14.7). Earnings per share over the last twelve months: total profit spread across every single share.
What is the dividend yield of Community Bank System Inc (CBU)?
The dividend yield of Community Bank System Inc is 3.1% (payout 45.4%). Yearly dividend relative to the share price. 3% pays 3 per 100 invested. Below: how much of profit is used for it.
What is the net margin of Community Bank System Inc (CBU)?
The net margin of Community Bank System Inc is 20.8% (fiscal year 2025). How much of every unit of revenue ends up as profit. 10% means 10 cents of profit per dollar of sales.
What is the return on equity of Community Bank System Inc (CBU)?
The return on equity (ROE) of Community Bank System Inc is 11.3% (last twelve months). Profit relative to shareholders' equity, how efficiently the company works with its owners' money.
What is the EBIT return on assets of Community Bank System Inc (CBU)?
On an EBIT basis the return on assets of Community Bank System Inc is 1.4% (avg 5y). Operating profit (EBIT) relative to everything the company owns, as a multi-year average. It describes the business model rather than one good or bad year.
What is the operating margin of Community Bank System Inc (CBU)?
The operating margin of Community Bank System Inc is 38.2% (last twelve months). Profit from the core business (before interest and taxes) relative to revenue.
How fast is revenue growing at Community Bank System Inc (CBU)?
Revenue at Community Bank System Inc is growing +9.5% versus a year earlier (3y avg +12.9%). How much revenue grew versus a year earlier (YoY). The 3-year average next to it puts the single year in context.
How fast are earnings growing at Community Bank System Inc (CBU)?
Earnings per share at Community Bank System Inc are growing +16.1% versus a year earlier. How much earnings per share grew versus a year earlier.
How much net debt does Community Bank System Inc (CBU) carry?
The net debt of Community Bank System Inc is $445M (fiscal year 2025, ≈ 1.9 yrs of FCF). Debt minus cash on hand. The note shows how many years of free cash flow could in theory pay it off.
Free · no account needed
Watch Community Bank System Inc in the live analysis
One click puts Community Bank System Inc on your watchlist: fair value and trend at a glance, plus comparison, the diversification check and the 35,000+ stock screener. You can also try 14 days of Pro there, no card.
Broad data
Sep 23, 2026