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Columbia Banking System, Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 22 January 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net income and diluted EPS rose: Net income was $215 million, against $96 million in the third quarter, and diluted EPS was $0.72, against $0.40. Source
  • Net interest income rose $122 million: Management attributed the $122 million increase largely to two additional months as a combined company, with lower funding costs also contributing. Source
  • Operating expense rose $66 million: Operating non-interest expense was $373 million, up $66 million; Pacific Premier added $62 million to the run rate, which includes deal-related cost savings. Source
  • Non-FinPac charge-offs rose: Net charge-offs outside FinPac were $16 million, against $6 million; FinPac net charge-offs were $14 million, against $16 million in the third quarter. Source
  • Repurchased $100 million of stock: The company repurchased $100 million of common stock in the quarter, 3.7 million shares at an average price of $27.07. Source
  • Cost savings due by June 30: Management said it continues to expect to realize all deal-related cost savings by June 30, 2026. Source
  • Stein elected Board Chair: Clint Stein, already President and CEO, was elected Chair of the Board effective January 22, 2026, as previously announced. Source

“Investments made throughout 2025 strengthened our western footprint and enhanced our long-term earnings power, and we entered 2026 with healthy pipelines, solid capital generation, and a clear path to continued operational improvement,”

Clint Stein, Chair, CEO & President of Columbia Banking System, Inc.

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Pacific Premier cost savings Sourceby June 30, 2026all related cost savings by June 30, 2026Kept

What changed from last quarter

  • New: Stein became Chair of the Board in addition to his President and CEO roles, effective January 22, 2026. Source
  • New: Ivan Seda assumed the Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer role effective December 31, 2025. Source
  • New: Maria Pope was appointed Lead Independent Director until the 2026 annual meeting, after which Luis Machuca succeeds her. Source
  • New guidance: Timing for a clean expense run rate is given as the third quarter; the prior release did not state it. Source
  • Guidance kept: Management said it continues to expect to realize all related cost savings by June 30, 2026. Source
  • New: The footprint description lists Texas among office states; the prior release listed locations without Texas. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Net income and diluted EPS rose: Net income was $215 million, against $96 million in the third quarter, and diluted EPS was $0.72, against $0.40. Source
  • Operating net income was $243 million: Operating net income was $243 million, against $204 million in the third quarter; operating diluted EPS was $0.82, against $0.85. Source
  • Pacific Premier's first full quarter: Management cited balance sheet management, customer relationships and the first full quarter of Pacific Premier. Pre-provision net revenue was $305 million, against $189 million. Source
  • Full-year net income was $550 million: Full-year net income was $550 million, against $534 million in 2024; full-year diluted EPS was $2.30, against $2.55. Source

Net interest income and margin

  • Net interest income rose $122 million: Management attributed the $122 million increase largely to two additional months as a combined company, with lower funding costs also contributing. Source
  • Margin rose 22 basis points: Management linked the rise to lower funding costs after a reduction in higher-cost funding; two additional months and a 3 basis point accelerated repayment benefit also contributed. Source
  • Pacific Premier deposit premium amortized: Amortization of a Pacific Premier time deposit premium added $12 million to net interest income, against $4 million in the third quarter, and lowered reported deposit costs. Source
  • Deposit cost excluding premium 2.20%: Excluding the premium, the cost of interest-bearing deposits was 2.20% for the quarter, against 2.09% for December and 2.06% at December 31, 2025. Source
  • Deposit rates managed ahead of cuts: Management said the decline in deposit costs reflected proactive management of deposit rates ahead of and following federal funds rate reductions. Source

“Our ability to generate relationship-based commercial business was strengthened by the addition of bankers from Pacific Premier,”

Tory Nixon, President of Columbia Bank

Non-interest income and expense

  • Fee income excluding fair value rose $16 million: Non-interest income was $90 million; excluding fair value and hedge items it was $88 million, with Pacific Premier adding $13 million and customer fee income also higher. Source
  • Operating expense rose $66 million: Operating non-interest expense was $373 million, up $66 million; Pacific Premier added $62 million to the run rate, which includes deal-related cost savings. Source
  • Two added months outweighed merger expense: Total non-interest expense was $412 million, up $19 million; management said two more months as a combined company more than offset lower merger expense. Source
  • Salaries and occupancy costs rose: Salaries and employee benefits were $201 million, against $171 million; occupancy and equipment was $67 million, against $54 million. Management also cited marketing and software costs. Source

Credit quality

  • Allowance near 1% of loans: The allowance was $485 million, or 1.02% of loans and leases, against $492 million, or 1.01%, at September 30. The provision reflects runoff, migration, charge-offs and forecasts. Source
  • Non-FinPac charge-offs rose: Net charge-offs outside FinPac were $16 million, against $6 million; FinPac net charge-offs were $14 million, against $16 million in the third quarter. Source
  • Non-performing loans at 0.41%: Non-performing loans and leases were 0.41% of total loans, against 0.40%. Government guarantees of $79 million are included in non-accrual and 90-plus-day loans. Source
  • Acquired special mention loans sold: Management said the company sold $45 million of acquired loans risk rated special mention during the quarter. Source

Loans and deposits

  • Commercial loans grew, transactional ran off: Commercial loans grew 6% annualized against September 30, while run-off in construction, development and below-market transactional loans reduced other portfolios. Source
  • Loan originations rose 17%: Origination volume rose 17% from the prior quarter and 22% for full-year 2025; Tory Nixon linked commercial growth to bankers added from Pacific Premier. Source
  • Brokered and public deposits reduced: Management cut brokered and select public deposits, saying alternative funding offered a better interest rate; seasonal customer outflows also contributed to the decline. Source
  • Customer deposit momentum carried forward: Management said momentum from the third quarter carried into the fourth; non-interest-bearing deposits were $17.4 billion, down from $17.8 billion. Source

Balance sheet and liquidity

  • Total assets fell to $66.8 billion: Total assets were $66.8 billion, against $67.5 billion; management attributed the decline to balance sheet optimization and accelerated loan repayments. Source
  • Liquidity covered 141% of uninsured deposits: Total available liquidity, including secured off-balance sheet lines of credit, was $27.9 billion, equal to 42% of total assets and 51% of total deposits. Source
  • Securities purchases of $246 million: Available-for-sale securities were $11.1 billion after a $246 million investment purchase, partly offset by paydowns. Source
  • Cash balances rose to $2.4 billion: Cash and cash equivalents were $2.4 billion, against $2.3 billion at September 30. Source

Capital and shareholder returns

  • Repurchased $100 million of stock: The company repurchased $100 million of common stock in the quarter, 3.7 million shares at an average price of $27.07. Source
  • Quarterly dividend of $0.37 declared: The quarterly cash dividend of $0.37 per common share was declared November 14, 2025 and paid December 15, 2025. Source
  • Total risk-based capital ratio 13.6%: Estimated total risk-based capital ratio was 13.6%, against 13.4%; the company said these ratios are estimates pending filing of regulatory reports. Source
  • Book value per share rose: Tangible book value per share was $19.11, against $18.57; accumulated other comprehensive loss narrowed to $(233) million from $(268) million. Source
  • Repurchase authorization expires November 2026: The $700 million repurchase plan authorized last quarter expires November 30, 2026, and may be suspended, terminated or modified by the Board.

Integration and footprint

  • Cost savings due by June 30: Management said it continues to expect to realize all deal-related cost savings by June 30, 2026. Source
  • Pacific Premier closed August 31: The Pacific Premier acquisition closed on August 31, 2025, and management said integration efforts continue to progress smoothly. Source
  • 2025 campaigns added $1.3 billion deposits: Three small business and retail campaigns in 2025 generated $1.3 billion in new deposits to the bank for the year. Source
  • Footprint lists Texas among office states: Columbia Bank describes its offices in nine states, including Texas; the prior release listed locations without Texas. Source

Leadership and governance

  • Stein elected Board Chair: Clint Stein, already President and CEO, was elected Chair of the Board effective January 22, 2026, as previously announced. Source
  • Ivan Seda became CFO: Ivan Seda took the CFO role effective December 31, 2025; he joined Columbia in August 2025 as Deputy Chief Financial Officer. Source
  • Pope serves as Lead Independent Director: Maria Pope, immediate past Chair, serves as Lead Independent Director until the 2026 annual meeting, after which Luis Machuca succeeds her. Source
  • Board cites alignment for combined roles: The Board said combining the Chair and CEO roles at this time enhances alignment between the Board and management. Source

Coming up, as management said on 22 January 2026

  • Deposit campaign starts in February: The next small business and retail deposit campaign begins in February. Source
  • Lead independent director change after annual meeting: Luis Machuca, Chair of the Nominating and Governance Committee, is to succeed Maria Pope as Lead Independent Director after the 2026 annual meeting. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Net interest margin Source4.06%
Net interest income Source$627 million
Loans and leases Source$47.8 billion
Deposits Source$54.2 billion
Cost of interest-bearing deposits Source2.08%
Provision for credit losses Source$23 million
Net charge-offs to average loans and leases (annualized) Source0.25%
Nonperforming assets to total assets Source0.30%
CET1 risk-based capital ratio Source11.8%
Efficiency ratio Source57.30%

Risks management discussed

  • Demand: Elevated prepayments in the fourth quarter and lower transactional loan balances offset part of commercial loan growth. Source
  • Financial: Deposit balances declined in late December from company distributions, tax payments and other year-end payouts. Source
  • Financial: Borrowings rose to $3.2 billion from $2.3 billion, used by management to supplement funding needs. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • On track: Management said it remains on track to complete the systems conversion and branch consolidations in the first quarter of 2026. Source
  • Met: The prior release expected full amortization by December 31, 2025; this release says the premium was fully amortized as of that date. Source

Other quarters

Summarised with AI from the documents the company filed with the SEC. Every point is checked against the filing before it is shown: management’s own words word for word, figures against the line or table row they come from. A point that fails the check is left out. Source opens the filing at that line.