** Piper Sandler assumes coverage of U.S. lender Banner BANR.O, gives "neutral" rating

** Brokerage sets PT of $70, an 11.4% upside to BANR's last close

** BANR is well-positioned to exceed long-term financial goals through 2027 and deliver above-average net interest margin near 4% with potential rate cuts, brokerage says

** Piper analysts expect EPS of $6.10 in 2026 and $6.70 in 2027, above Street estimates, driven by modest net interest margin expansion and lower credit costs

** Brokerage sees continued capital return and selective M&A within Pacific Northwest and California footprint

** 3 of 6 analysts rate stock "strong buy" or "buy" and 3 "hold", their median PT is $72 - data compiled by LSEG

** As of last close, BANR down 5.9% YTD

(Reporting by Pragyan Kalita in Bengaluru)

((Pragyan.Kalita@thomsonreuters.com))