Quarterly EPS Beat and Growth
Diluted EPS of $0.89 for Q4, a 7% increase versus the linked quarter and slightly above consensus of $0.88.
Full-Year Loan Growth
Full-year 2025 loan growth of 6% versus 2024, reaching the top end of prior guidance; quarter-over-quarter loan growth annualized at 2% with balances up nearly $30 million versus September 30 (commercial & industrial +$46M; construction +$40M).
Fee-Based Income Improvement
Fee-based income rose 5% in Q4 versus the linked quarter and grew 6% for the full year 2025 versus 2024, driven by higher lease income, deposit service charges, mortgage banking, and trust & investment income.
Capital and Book Value Progress
Tangible equity to tangible assets ratio improved 26 basis points to 8.8%; Common Equity Tier 1 and Tier 1 ratios each increased 18 basis points; book value per share increased 2% and tangible book value per share improved 3% to $22.77.
Proactive Funding and Funding-Cost Savings
Redeemed subordinated debt incurring a one-time ~ $800,000 loss but expected to save approximately $1.0M annually in funding costs; tangible book value earn-back period on the transaction estimated at under one year.
Risk Reduction in Small-Ticket Leasing
Small-ticket leasing balance materially reduced to $13.0M at year-end from $35.0M at year-end 2024; company has stopped originating these lease types to reduce future charge-off risk.
OREO and Nonperforming Asset Management
Sale of an OREO property (resulting in an $850,000 loss) meaningfully reduced nonperforming assets and lowered legacy OREO exposure.
Net Interest Income and Accretion Performance
Net interest income up 2% for full-year 2025 versus 2024 on a reported basis; Q4 accretion income was $1.8M (contributed ~8 bps to NIM), and excluding accretion income NII grew by over $22M with NIM expansion of 12 bps year-over-year on that basis.
Operational Investments and Culture Recognition
Continued investments in technology, automation, data integration, and talent; recognized by American Bankers' Best Banks to Work For for the fifth consecutive year (achievement attained by ~1% of U.S. banks).
Deposit and Balance Sheet Positives Year-over-Year
Compared to the prior year, total deposits excluding brokered CDs increased nearly $160M with non-interest-bearing deposits up $38M; loan-to-deposit ratio remained around 89% at year-end.