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First Bancorp (FBP) (FBP)
NYSE:FBP

First Bancorp Puerto Rico (FBP) AI Stock Analysis

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FBP

First Bancorp Puerto Rico

(NYSE:FBP)

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Outperform 75 (OpenAI - 5.2)
Rating:75Outperform
Price Target:
$24.00
▲(17.70% Upside)
Action:ReiteratedDate:03/03/26
The score is driven primarily by strong financial performance (durable profitability, improved leverage, solid cash generation) and attractive valuation (low P/E with a healthy dividend yield). Earnings call guidance supports continued profitability and capital returns, while the main drag is weaker near-term technical momentum and noted margin/credit headwinds.
Positive Factors
Improved Leverage and Strong ROE
Material deleveraging and sustained ROE reduce financial risk and increase capital flexibility. Lower debt and a TCE expansion allow the bank to fund buybacks/dividends, absorb credit shocks, and pursue targeted investments while preserving earnings quality over the medium term.
Consistent Cash Generation
High operating cash flow and near-full free cash flow conversion underpin durable ability to fund dividends, repurchases, and strategic investments without relying on external financing. Strong cash conversion supports earnings credibility despite some year-to-year volatility.
Disciplined Capital Allocation & Guidance
Clear targets for modest loan growth, efficiency, and near‑full earnings return signal a disciplined capital-allocation framework. Backed by solid capital metrics (TCE ~10%) this provides predictable shareholder returns and a framework for prioritizing profitable growth and investment over the medium term.
Negative Factors
Stagnant Balance Sheet Growth
Flat asset growth constrains the bank's ability to scale net interest income organically and cedes share to faster-growing peers. With limited balance sheet expansion, management must rely more on margin improvement, fee income, or efficiency gains to sustain EPS growth, increasing strategy execution risk.
Margin Sensitivity from Loan Repricing
Significant floating-rate repricing demonstrates structural sensitivity of NII to market rate moves. Sustained margin recovery depends on reinvestment yields and deposit/loan mix shifts; adverse rate paths or slow reinvestment would restrain durable margin expansion and pressure medium-term profitability.
Credit Pockets and Nonperforming Inflows
Rising nonaccrual inflows and delinquency in commercial and auto segments indicate persistent credit pockets. Ongoing workouts and uncertain recoveries can elevate provision volatility, constrain capital deployment, and limit sustainable earnings if issues persist or broaden across portfolios.

First Bancorp Puerto Rico (FBP) vs. SPDR S&P 500 ETF (SPY)

First Bancorp Puerto Rico Business Overview & Revenue Model

Company DescriptionFirst BanCorp. operates as a bank holding company for FirstBank Puerto Rico that provides various financial services for retail, commercial, and institutional clients. The company operates through six segments: Commercial and Corporate Banking, Mortgage Banking, Consumer (Retail) Banking, Treasury and Investments, United States Operations, and Virgin Islands Operations. The Commercial and Corporate Banking segment offers commercial loans, including commercial real estate and construction loans and floor plan financings; and other products, such as cash management and business management services. The Mortgage Banking segment engages in the origination, sale, and servicing of various residential mortgage loans; acquisition and sale of mortgages in the secondary markets; and purchase of mortgage loans from other local banks and mortgage bankers. The Consumer (Retail) Banking segment provides auto, boat, credit card, and personal loans; lines of credit; deposit products comprising interest bearing and non-interest bearing checking and savings accounts, individual retirement accounts, and retail certificates of deposit (CDs); and finance leasing and insurance agency services. The Treasury and Investments segment offers funding and liquidity management services. The United States Operations segment provides checking, savings, and money market accounts, as well as retail CDs; traditional commercial and industrial, and commercial real estate loans; and internet banking, cash management, remote deposit capture, and automated clearing house, and transactions services. The Virgin Islands Operations segment is involved in consumer, commercial lending, and deposit-taking activities. The company operates 64 branches in Puerto Rico, 8 branches in the U.S. Virgin Islands and British Virgin Islands, and 11 branches in the state of Florida. First BanCorp. was founded in 1948 and is headquartered in San Juan, Puerto Rico.
How the Company Makes MoneyFirst Bancorp Puerto Rico generates revenue through various channels, primarily driven by interest income and non-interest income. The key revenue streams include net interest income from loans and investments, which constitutes the bulk of its earnings. The company earns interest from personal and commercial loans, as well as mortgage products. Non-interest income comes from service fees, transaction fees, and wealth management services. Additionally, First Bancorp benefits from strategic partnerships with other financial institutions and service providers, which enhance its product offerings and customer reach. The company also engages in treasury management and investment advisory services, contributing to its diversified revenue base.

First Bancorp Puerto Rico Earnings Call Summary

Earnings Call Date:Jan 27, 2026
(Q4-2025)
|
% Change Since: |
Next Earnings Date:Apr 23, 2026
Earnings Call Sentiment Positive
The call emphasized strong full-year performance with record revenue, robust profitability (ROA of 1.81%), substantial capital returns (buybacks and dividend increase), deposit growth, and improving asset quality. Management provided constructive 2026 guidance (loan growth, efficiency targets, and modest margin improvement) while candidly acknowledging pockets of credit inflows, margin pressure from floating-rate loan repricing, investments that will raise the expense base, and a weak auto market. Overall, positive operational momentum and capital flexibility outweigh the manageable headwinds and one-time items discussed.
Q4-2025 Updates
Positive Updates
Record Full-Year Revenue and Net Income
Full-year 2025 total revenues exceeded $1.0 billion; record net income of $345 million for 2025 and diluted EPS of $2.15 (GAAP). Adjusted net income was $325.3 million (non-GAAP), or $2.02 per share, an 8.6% increase over 2024.
Strong Profitability and Returns
Return on average assets (ROA) for 2025 was 1.81% (up from 1.58% in 2024), and the company sustained its multi-year target by surpassing the 1.50% ROA target for the fourth consecutive year.
Quarterly Earnings and Adjusted Performance
Q4 net income was $87.1 million. Excluding certain Q3/ongoing items (deferred tax asset valuation reversal and employee tax credit), adjusted pretax, pre-provision income was $129.2 million and adjusted EPS rose ~8% quarter-over-quarter.
Expense Discipline and Efficiency
Quarterly efficiency ratio improved to 49% (GAAP) for the quarter. Management expects to sustain a 52% or better efficiency ratio on a full-year GAAP basis for 2026 despite planned technology and business promotion investments.
Strong Capital Returns and Capital Metrics
Repurchased $50 million of common stock in the quarter and $150 million for the year; declared $28 million in dividends in Q4 and raised quarterly common dividend by 11% to $0.20/share starting 2026. Tangible book value per share increased 24% year-over-year to $12.29 and tangible common equity (TCE) ratio expanded to ~10%.
Deposit and Funding Improvements
Core customer deposits rose by $267 million in the quarter; noninterest-bearing deposits increased by roughly $170 million (a 3.2% pickup). Cost of government deposits declined ~31 basis points, contributing to a reduction in overall funding cost of about 5 basis points for the quarter.
Loan Origination and Loan Growth
Originated $1.4 billion in loans during the quarter; total loans grew by $80 million quarter-over-quarter, driven mainly by commercial segments. Management guides to 3%–5% organic loan growth for 2026.
Asset Quality Improvements
Nonperforming assets to total assets fell to an all-time low of 60 basis points. Allowance for credit losses increased modestly to $249 million (1.9% of loans) to reflect portfolio growth; net charge-offs held steady at 63 basis points of average loans for the quarter.
Investment Portfolio Reinvestment Upside
Management expects ~$848 million of securities cash flows in 2026 (average yield ~1.65%) available for reinvestment; investment income increased $4 million in the quarter with a 33-basis-point improvement in investment yields, expected to boost margin by ~2–3 basis points per quarter in 2026.
Revenue Diversification and Fee Income
Other income rose $3.5 million quarter-over-quarter, led by a $1.8 million gain from purchase tax credits and a $1.6 million increase in mortgage banking and card processing fees tied to volumes.
Negative Updates
Quarterly EPS and Reporting Inconsistency
Transcript contains conflicting EPS statements (CEO referenced $0.8055 per share while CFO clarified Q4 EPS was $0.55 per share). CFO noted Q3 included a $16.6 million DTA valuation allowance reversal and a $2.3 million employee tax credit; these one-time items complicate quarter-to-quarter comparisons.
Margin Pressure from Loan Repricing
Yield on the C&I portfolio declined 27 basis points quarter-over-quarter as floating-rate loans repriced down with reductions in prime and SOFR; overall loan yields declined ~7 basis points, partially offset by higher average loan balances and reinvestment gains.
Nonperforming Inflows and Delinquency in Commercial and Auto
Inflows to non-accrual increased to $46 million in the quarter (up $14 million). Two C&I loan cases (~$12 million) migrated to nonperforming; early delinquencies rose $2.1 million (notably auto delinquencies increased by ~$7 million).
Auto Loan Market Weakness and Portfolio Contraction
Auto retail market contracted roughly 10% year-over-year (second half contraction >15%); the bank's auto portfolio contracted about $6–7 million in the quarter. Management does not expect growth in the auto segment near-term without tariff/excise changes.
Expense Base to Rise in 2026
Management expects quarterly expense base for 2026 to be $128–130 million (ex-OREO volatility), reflecting continued technology investments and business promotion; guidance implies efficiency ratio may widen to 50%–52% even as income initiatives progress.
Asset Quality Concentration and Ongoing Workouts
Certain legacy or larger syndicated/club exposures (e.g., telecom participation) remain under resolution; while not large to the portfolio, timing and recovery remain uncertain and are being actively managed with syndicate lead banks.
Reliance on Repricing and Market Rate Path
Projected margin improvement (2–3 basis points per quarter) depends on reinvestment of maturing low-yield securities and assumed path of market rates; margin upside is therefore sensitive to timing of rate moves and loan/deposit mix shifts.
Company Guidance
Management reiterated 2026 guidance to drive 3–5% organic loan growth, sustain a ~52% (CEO: “52% or better”; CFO: GAAP view 50–52%) efficiency ratio while keeping a quarterly expense base around $128–$130 million ex‑OREO, and grow net interest margin by about 2–3 basis points per quarter; they plan to return close to 100% of annual earnings via dividends (quarterly dividend up 11% to $0.20) and share buybacks (~$50 million per quarter target), supported by strong capital and liquidity (TCE ~10%, tangible book value $12.29, ~$848 million of 2026 security cash flows at a 1.65% average yield with $494 million in H1); asset quality is expected to remain stable (NPAs 0.60% of assets, nonaccrual loans ~70 bps of loans, net charge‑offs ~63 bps, ACL ~1.9% of loans) while maintaining strong profitability (2025 ROA ~1.8%).

First Bancorp Puerto Rico Financial Statement Overview

Summary
Strong, consistent profitability with steady revenue growth and high cash conversion supports a solid fundamental profile. Balance sheet leverage improved materially and ROE remains strong, but recent margin compression versus 2021–2022, limited asset growth, and some cash flow volatility temper the score.
Income Statement
82
Very Positive
Revenue has grown steadily from $770M (2020) to $1.26B (2025), with the most recent year up ~4.1%. Profitability is strong and stable for a regional bank, with net margin in the mid-to-high 20s in 2023–2025 (2025: ~27.4%) and solid operating profitability (2025 operating margin ~33%). A notable weakness is that margins were meaningfully higher in 2021–2022 than in 2024–2025, indicating some profitability compression versus peak levels even as earnings have held up.
Balance Sheet
78
Positive
Leverage has improved materially: debt-to-equity declined from ~0.70 (2022) to ~0.15 (2025) as total debt fell to $290M while equity rose to ~$2.0B. Returns on equity remain strong (roughly 17–20% in 2023–2025; 2025: ~17.5%), supporting the quality of earnings. The main watch-out is that total assets have been roughly flat around ~$19B since 2020, suggesting limited balance sheet expansion and potentially more reliance on margin/efficiency than growth.
Cash Flow
74
Positive
Cash generation is healthy: operating cash flow increased to $445M (2025) from $298M (2020), and free cash flow is consistently high and closely tracks net income (about 94–98% across the period; 2025: ~97.5%), which supports earnings quality. Free cash flow growth has been uneven (notably negative in 2023), indicating some year-to-year volatility despite strong absolute levels. Operating cash flow relative to debt improved in 2025 alongside the lower debt balance, but it was low in prior years.
BreakdownDec 2025Dec 2024Dec 2023Dec 2022Dec 2021
Income Statement
Total Revenue1.26B1.19B1.12B953.89M882.02M
Gross Profit916.38M843.72M830.16M858.16M882.53M
EBITDA416.73M416.20M425.67M478.69M464.19M
Net Income344.87M298.72M302.86M305.07M281.02M
Balance Sheet
Total Assets19.13B19.29B18.91B18.63B20.79B
Cash, Cash Equivalents and Short-Term Investments657.15M5.72B5.89B6.00B8.68B
Total Debt364.37M561.70M661.70M933.89M683.76M
Total Liabilities17.17B17.62B17.41B17.31B18.68B
Stockholders Equity1.97B1.67B1.50B1.33B2.10B
Cash Flow
Free Cash Flow434.03M394.14M340.36M420.03M386.37M
Operating Cash Flow445.07M404.15M362.96M440.49M399.72M
Investing Cash Flow-166.90M136.23M-78.45M-681.46M-1.26B
Financing Cash Flow-778.98M-44.13M-101.85M-1.82B1.91B

First Bancorp Puerto Rico Technical Analysis

Technical Analysis Sentiment
Negative
Last Price20.39
Price Trends
50DMA
21.55
Negative
100DMA
20.81
Negative
200DMA
20.78
Negative
Market Momentum
MACD
-0.33
Positive
RSI
33.80
Neutral
STOCH
21.63
Neutral
Evaluating momentum and price trends is crucial in stock analysis to make informed investment decisions. For FBP, the sentiment is Negative. The current price of 20.39 is below the 20-day moving average (MA) of 21.72, below the 50-day MA of 21.55, and below the 200-day MA of 20.78, indicating a bearish trend. The MACD of -0.33 indicates Positive momentum. The RSI at 33.80 is Neutral, neither overbought nor oversold. The STOCH value of 21.63 is Neutral, not indicating any strong overbought or oversold conditions. Overall, these indicators collectively point to a Negative sentiment for FBP.

First Bancorp Puerto Rico Risk Analysis

First Bancorp Puerto Rico disclosed 64 risk factors in its most recent earnings report. First Bancorp Puerto Rico reported the most risks in the "Finance & Corporate" category.
Finance & Corporate - Financial and accounting risks. Risks related to the execution of corporate activity and strategy
Latest Risks Added 0 New Risks

First Bancorp Puerto Rico Peers Comparison

Overall Rating
UnderperformOutperform
Sector (68)
Financial Indicators
Name
Overall Rating
Market Cap
P/E Ratio
ROE
Dividend Yield
Revenue Growth
EPS Growth
75
Outperform
$3.17B9.6218.37%3.38%2.35%13.72%
74
Outperform
$3.20B9.0510.63%2.72%-1.59%9.34%
71
Outperform
$1.68B9.3115.21%2.73%3.98%6.75%
70
Outperform
$3.59B9.0511.71%3.52%9.60%20.38%
68
Neutral
$18.00B11.429.92%3.81%9.73%1.22%
65
Neutral
$3.68B17.626.21%3.05%11.05%-10.78%
54
Neutral
$4.45B44.962.22%2.72%-1.18%-89.13%
* Financial Sector Average
Performance Comparison
Ticker
Company Name
Price
Change
% Change
FBP
First Bancorp Puerto Rico
20.24
3.28
19.37%
CATY
Cathay General Bancorp
47.74
6.44
15.58%
FULT
Fulton Financial
19.94
2.81
16.39%
INDB
Independent Bank
75.33
16.04
27.05%
OFG
OFG Bancorp
39.04
0.28
0.71%
EBC
Eastern Bankshares
18.97
3.76
24.70%

First Bancorp Puerto Rico Corporate Events

Executive/Board Changes
First BanCorp Puerto Rico Announces CFO Retirement, Successor
Neutral
Feb 9, 2026

On February 9, 2026, First BanCorp. announced that longtime Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Orlando Berges will retire effective June 30, 2026, after joining the corporation in May 2009 and playing a key role in recapitalizing the institution, driving a turnaround, executing major acquisitions and integrations, and strengthening financial reporting and capital planning. The board named current Senior Vice President and Chief Accounting Officer Said Ortiz as his successor effective July 1, 2026, highlighting his 19 years of experience in accounting and financial management, his contributions to FirstBanCorp.’s reporting and controls, and the planned overlap between Berges and Ortiz to ensure a seamless transition and continuity in the bank’s financial strategy and governance.

The most recent analyst rating on (FBP) stock is a Hold with a $24.00 price target. To see the full list of analyst forecasts on First Bancorp Puerto Rico stock, see the FBP Stock Forecast page.

Glossary
BuyA stock rated as a "Buy" is expected to perform better than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock is likely to deliver higher returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
HoldA stock rated as a "Hold" is expected to perform in line with the overall market or a specific benchmark. This rating indicates that the stock is neither particularly compelling nor unfavorable for investment. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.
SellA stock rated as a "Sell" is expected to perform worse than the overall market or a specific benchmark over the near-to-medium term. This rating suggests the stock may deliver lower returns compared to other stocks in the same sector or market index. Note: This is not investment advice; please consult a financial advisor before making investment decisions.

Disclaimer

This AI Analyst Stock Report is automatically generated by our AI systems using advanced algorithms and publicly available financial, technical, and market data. While the information provided aims to be accurate and insightful, it is intended for informational purposes only and should not be considered financial advice. Any content created by an AI (Artificial Intelligence) system may contain inaccuracies and/or contain errors. Investing in stocks carries inherent risks, and past performance is not indicative of future results. This report does not account for your personal financial circumstances, objectives, or risk tolerance. Always conduct your own research or consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions. The analysis and recommendations provided are based on historical and current data and may not fully reflect future market conditions or unexpected developments. Neither the creators of this report nor its affiliated entities guarantee the accuracy, completeness, or reliability of the information presented. Use this report at your own discretion and risk.Date of analysis: Mar 03, 2026