Bendigo and Adelaide Bank Ltd (ASX: BEN) shares closed another 8.4% higher on Thursday afternoon, at $11.34 a piece.
The latest uptick means the shares are now 13.2% higher over the past five days and 6.9% higher for the year-to-date.
It's welcome news for investors too, after Bendigo Bank shares shed over 14% of their value between mid-February and late-March.
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Why are Bendigo Bank shares climbing higher this week?
The regional Australian bank posted its third-quarter trading update ahead of the ASX open on Thursday morning.
The bank revealed a 7.6% increase in unaudited cash earnings and a 1.98% rise in net interest margin. It's annualised lending growth was 5.6% for the quarter and its statutory NPAT reached $109.4 million.
It also revealed that its operating expenses came in 4.1% lower than the previous quarter, largely due to reduced staff costs.
Alongside the trading update, the bank also announced the second phase of its Productivity Program to accelerate its progress towards its 2030 strategy.
The program is expected to help the bank evolve its operating model with a view to be simpler and more efficient. It is also accessing leading global capabilities to drive innovation for customers, and support operational excellence.
Bendigo Bank announced a partnership with Google in November last year. It has now added two more strategic partnerships with leading technology providers.
These include a seven-year technology service partnership with Infosys (NYSE: INFY) and a six-year business operations partnership with Genpact (NYSE: G).
The Infosys partnership is expected to help improve Bendigo Bank's IT service delivery capability and help drive innovation through better software engineering and access to AI talent.
Meanwhile, the Genpact partnership will help with optimisation to help drive productivity and improve risk management across the bank.
Bendigo Bank said it expects the partnerships will help drive an annual run rate expense benefit of approximately $65 million to $75 million by FY28.
Investors were clearly thrilled with the latest update. Many rushed to buy into the shares soon after the announcement.
Are the shares a buy, sell or hold?
Bendigo Bank's latest update injected some positive sentiment into investors, but it's unclear whether the share price increase is sustainable.
ASX bank stocks across the board have been strained recently as ongoing conflict in the Middle East, soaring fuel prices, and interest rate growth weigh heavily on investor sentiment.
Experts are now warning that Australia's inflation rate could keep climbing. Major banks widely predict another cash rate increase in May.
It's not too surprising then that analysts are relatively neutral on Bendigo Bank shares. While the bank has made some positive waves, the sector as a whole is still under pressure.
According to TradingView data, nine out of 14 analysts have a hold rating on Bendigo Bank shares. The average $10.43 target price, however, implies a potential 8% downside at the time of writing.
