Strong Adjusted Earnings and Profitability
Q4 reported EPS $1.07 and adjusted EPS $1.16; FY reported EPS $2.45 and adjusted EPS $3.99. Q4 adjusted returns: return on average assets ~1.51% and return on average tangible common equity ~15.9%, with a TCE ratio near 10%.
Net Interest Income and Margin Strength
Net interest income of $150.6 million in the quarter with net interest margin of 3.98% (3 bps expansion vs. Q3). Guidance for Q1 2026 NIM (ex loan accretion) of 3.78%–3.83% and expected additional ~15 bps from loan accretion.
Low Credit Costs and Solid Credit Metrics
Provision expense was light at $1.2 million in Q4; annualized net charge-offs were only 5 basis points for the quarter. Allowance for loan losses totaled $186 million, or 1.5% of loans held for investment.
Large Balance Sheet Growth (Full Year)
Full-year growth driven by the Southern States acquisition and organic activity: loans held for investment grew 29% year-over-year and deposits were up 25% year-over-year.
Adjusted Profitability and Core Revenue
Pretax, pre-provision net revenue of $71.1 million ($77.1 million adjusted) and Q4 adjusted net income of $61.5 million (reported $57.0 million). Non-interest income improved due to stronger swap fees, investment services revenue and some non-recurring items.
Capital Deployment and Share Repurchase
Executed a large repurchase: just over 1.7 million shares (~3% of the company) purchased from the Ayers estate, demonstrating confidence in the franchise and effective capital deployment.
Expense Discipline and FY 2026 Guidance
Banking core non-interest expense was $88 million in Q4 and $298 million for the full year; 2026 banking expense guide $325M–$335M with expected efficiency ratio in the low 50s for the full year and ~50% by year-end 2026.
Competitive New Production Yields
New loan production yields in the quarter were ~6.75% and new deposit costs around 3%, indicating attractive pricing on new business.