Insider Trading March 10, 2026

Commerce Bancshares SVP Disposes of 861 Shares Amid Stock Weakness

Margaret M. Rowe sold $44,500 of CBSH stock; bank posts quarter beat, raises dividend and sets executive pay

By Maya Rios CBSH
Commerce Bancshares SVP Disposes of 861 Shares Amid Stock Weakness
CBSH

Margaret M. Rowe, Senior Vice President at Commerce Bancshares, sold 861 shares on March 5, 2026, for roughly $44,500. The bank's shares have since dipped toward their 52-week low. Commerce reported a modest earnings beat for the fourth quarter, recorded record quarterly revenue, raised its dividend by 5%, and disclosed executive base salaries and cash bonuses for 2026 and 2025, respectively.

Key Points

  • Margaret M. Rowe sold 861 Commerce Bancshares shares on March 5, 2026, for $51.685 each, totaling about $44,500 - impacts investor perception in the banking sector.
  • Commerce Bancshares reported Q4 EPS of $1.01, slightly above the $1.00 analyst estimate, with record quarterly revenue driven by net interest income and fee-based businesses - relevant to financials and regional banking.
  • The board raised the quarterly dividend by 5% to $0.275 per share and disclosed executive 2026 base salaries and 2025 cash bonuses, which affect corporate governance and investor returns.

Margaret M. Rowe, who serves as Senior Vice President at Commerce Bancshares, sold 861 shares of the company's common stock on March 5, 2026, a transaction disclosed in a Form 4 filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The shares changed hands at $51.685 each, producing a transaction value of approximately $44,500.

Since that sale, Commerce Bancshares shares have traded lower, at $49.60, moving near a 52-week low of $48.58.

Following the disposition, Rowe is reported to hold 5,742 shares directly. The filing also notes indirect ownership of 17,701 shares through a 401(k) account.


Company financials and shareholder returns

The $7.29 billion regional bank posted fourth-quarter earnings of $1.01 per share, narrowly topping analyst expectations of $1.00 per share. Management said the quarter delivered record revenue, supported by strength in net interest income and fee-based lines of business. Commerce’s board also approved a 5% increase in the quarterly dividend, raising it to $0.275 per share. That payment is scheduled for March 24, 2026, to shareholders of record as of March 6, 2026.

At current trading levels the bank is producing a price-to-earnings ratio of 12.15. InvestingPro analysis contained in the filing indicates that the stock appears undervalued at current levels and that the company is included on InvestingPro’s Most Undervalued list, with additional subscriber-only insights available through that platform.


Executive compensation actions

The company’s Compensation and Human Resources Committee approved base salaries for 2026 and performance-based cash bonuses for 2025 for its executive officers. President and Chief Executive Officer John W. Kemper will have a 2026 base salary of $1,050,000 and a cash bonus for 2025 of $2,313,108. Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Charles G. Kim will have a 2026 base salary of $619,126 and a 2025 cash bonus of $802,483.


Context and takeaway

The Form 4 filing documents a modest insider sale by a senior officer in the midst of a quarter that produced a small earnings beat, record revenue, and a raised dividend. The company’s valuation metrics and InvestingPro’s assessment are referenced in the filing. The regulatory disclosure also details the company’s approved compensation for key executives.

Readers should note that the filing specifies the transaction date, share count, sale price and post-transaction holdings, and the company-provided details on recent financial results, the dividend increase and executive pay.

Risks

  • The stock has fallen to $49.60, trading close to its 52-week low of $48.58, indicating downside risk for equity investors in the banking sector.
  • An insider sale, even modest in size, can be perceived negatively by the market and may influence investor sentiment toward this regional bank.
  • Changes and disclosures in executive compensation, including sizable cash bonuses, could create scrutiny from investors concerned with pay-for-performance alignment in financial services.

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