** Shares of regional lender Renasant RNST.N rise 0.7% to $31.33 premarket
** Raymond James upgrades RNST shares to "strong buy" from "outperform" following Q1 results
** Brokerage says its more positive view reflects the earlier-than-expected deal closing of its acquisition of rival First Bancshares as well as the strong start to the year
** RNST closed up 8.7% at $31.11 on Wednesday, after Q1 results topped market consensus
** Raymond James anticipates RNST will produce "top-tier" results over the next few quarters amid noise as the deal is integrated
** Brokerage's $40 PT on RNST represents a 28.6% upside to stock's last close
** Four of 6 brokerages rate the stock "buy" or higher and 2 "hold"; median PT is $41 - data compiled by LSEG
** As of last close, RNST shares down 13% YTD
(Reporting by Arasu Kannagi Basil in Bengaluru)
((ArasuKannagi.Basil@thomsonreuters.com;))
Disclaimer: Investing carries risk. This is not financial advice. The above content should not be regarded as an offer, recommendation, or solicitation on acquiring or disposing of any financial products, any associated discussions, comments, or posts by author or other users should not be considered as such either. It is solely for general information purpose only, which does not consider your own investment objectives, financial situations or needs. TTM assumes no responsibility or warranty for the accuracy and completeness of the information, investors should do their own research and may seek professional advice before investing.