Improved Net Interest Margin and Net Interest Income
Net interest margin improved to 3.82% (382 bps) in Q4, including a 26 bps lift from purchase accounting; net interest income was $199.7 million (which included $13.8 million of purchase accounting accretion).
Strong Operating Profitability Metrics
Operating results (excluding merger charges) produced operating earnings of $89.6 million (operating EPS $0.79), operating ROA of 1.13% (113 bps) and return on tangible equity of ~13.4%.
Solid Balance Sheet Scale and Liquidity
Combined company finished the quarter with $23.2 billion in assets, $19.5 billion in deposits and $18.0 billion in loans. Payroll-related deposits provided sizable liquidity (average payroll deposits ~$800M–$900M; quarter-end payroll deposits ~ $1.9B) and the firm maintained meaningful cash/short-term investments (~$2 billion).
Operating Efficiency and Capital Return
Q4 efficiency ratio was 56.7% (core efficiency ratio excluding noncash intangible amortization 52.8%). Board approved a quarterly dividend of $0.3225 per share (approximate yield ~4.5%), continuing capital return to shareholders.
Allowance and Reserve Position
Allowance for loan losses was ~$253 million (coverage ~140 bps). General reserve was ~$177 million (about 100 bps on the portfolio) and specific reserves were ~$76 million against ~$354 million of substandard loans (coverage ~22%).
Successful Early Adoption of FASB ASU Increased Equity
Early adoption of ASU 2025-08 removed a day-one hit on acquired PCD loans, increasing equity by roughly $49 million and adding about $0.55 to tangible book value per share on adoption.
Integration Progress and Near-Term Systems Conversion Plan
Management reports integration on course with core systems conversion scheduled for February 2026; management expects remaining cost synergies to materialize after conversion and is confident in client retention and operational readiness.