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NBT Bancorp Inc.: Q3 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q3 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 27 October 2025: press release. Guidance figures: 1 raised, 1 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Record net income and earnings per share: Net income was $54.5 million, or $1.03 diluted EPS, against $38.1 million, or $0.80, a year earlier and $22.5 million, or $0.44, in the second quarter. ROA was 1.35% and ROTCE 17.35%. Source
  • Net interest income up on Evans: Net interest income was $134.7 million, up $10.4 million or 8.4% from the second quarter, mainly from a full quarter of Evans, with higher earning asset yields also contributing. Source
  • Net interest margin rose to 3.66%: Net interest margin on an FTE basis was 3.66%, up 7 bps from the second quarter, driven by higher earning asset yields and acquisition-related net accretion. It was up 39 bps from the third quarter of 2024. Source
  • Loans rose with Evans and organically: Period-end loans were $11.60 billion. Excluding run-off portfolios and Evans loans, loans rose $132.4 million, or 1.5%, from September 30, 2024. Source
  • Expenses rose; acquisition costs fell: Noninterest expense was $111.1 million, against $122.6 million in the second quarter, which included $17.2 million of acquisition expenses, and $95.7 million a year earlier. Excluding acquisition expenses, expense rose 4.4% from the second quarter. Source
  • Net charge-offs rose to 0.15%: Net charge-offs were 0.15% of average loans, up from 0.09% in the second quarter, on higher commercial and consumer charge-offs. Source
  • CET1 ratio rose to 11.80%: CET1 capital ratio was 11.80%, up from 11.37% at June 30, 2025. Leverage ratio was 9.34% and total risk-based capital ratio 13.97% at September 30, 2025. Source
  • Evans acquisition closed May 2: The Evans acquisition closed May 2, 2025, adding 200 employees, 18 banking locations in Western New York, $1.67 billion of loans and $1.86 billion of deposits. Source

“For the third quarter of 2025, we achieved record net income and earnings per share, and we reported a return on average assets of 1.35% and a return on average tangible common equity of 17.35%,”

NBT President and CEO Scott Kingsley

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Quarterly cash dividend SourceFourth quarter 2025$0.37 per shareKept
Share repurchase authorization SourceThrough December 31, 2027up to 2,000,000 sharesRaised from 1,992,400 shares available at June 30, 2025

What changed from last quarter

  • Guidance raised: Repurchase authorization amended on October 27, 2025 to up to 2,000,000 shares, with repurchases to be made by December 31, 2027. Source
  • Guidance kept: Fourth-quarter dividend of $0.37 per share matches the third-quarter dividend approved in the prior release.

Record quarter and earnings drivers

  • Record net income and earnings per share: Net income was $54.5 million, or $1.03 diluted EPS, against $38.1 million, or $0.80, a year earlier and $22.5 million, or $0.44, in the second quarter. ROA was 1.35% and ROTCE 17.35%. Source
  • Operating earnings rose from second quarter: Operating diluted EPS was $1.05, against $0.88 in the second quarter and $0.80 in the third quarter of 2024. Operating net income was $55.3 million, a non-GAAP measure. Source
  • Evans distorts period comparisons: Management said comparisons to the second quarter of 2025 and to the third quarter of 2024 are significantly affected by the Evans acquisition, completed May 2, 2025. Source

Net interest income and margin

  • Net interest income up on Evans: Net interest income was $134.7 million, up $10.4 million or 8.4% from the second quarter, mainly from a full quarter of Evans, with higher earning asset yields also contributing. Source
  • Net interest margin rose to 3.66%: Net interest margin on an FTE basis was 3.66%, up 7 bps from the second quarter, driven by higher earning asset yields and acquisition-related net accretion. It was up 39 bps from the third quarter of 2024. Source
  • Acquisition accretion lifted margin: Acquisition-related net accretion within FTE net interest income was $6.3 million, up $1.3 million from the second quarter. Source
  • Deposit costs edged up: Total cost of deposits was 1.52%, up 1 bp from the second quarter as Evans higher-cost accounts were partly offset by lower time deposit costs. It was down 16 bps from a year earlier. Source
  • Subordinated debt redeemed in July: The company redeemed $118 million of subordinated debt at a 5.45% weighted average rate using existing liquidity. Management said the debt would otherwise have converted to a floating rate above 9%. Source

“These results reflect productive growth in earning assets, deposits, and our sixth consecutive quarter of net interest margin improvement, including a full quarter of our merger with Evans Bancorp, Inc. completed in May.”

NBT President and CEO Scott Kingsley

Loans and deposits

  • Loans rose with Evans and organically: Period-end loans were $11.60 billion. Excluding run-off portfolios and Evans loans, loans rose $132.4 million, or 1.5%, from September 30, 2024. Source
  • Deposit mix shifted away from time: Total deposits were $13.66 billion. Excluding Evans deposits, deposits rose $250.1 million from December 31, 2024, with growth in demand, checking and money market accounts and a decline in time deposits. Source
  • Average earning assets up 17.6% year over year: Average earning assets rose $685.1 million, or 4.9%, from the second quarter and $2.20 billion, or 17.6%, from the third quarter of 2024, mainly from Evans interest-earning assets and organic growth. Source
  • Loan-to-deposit ratio at 84.9%: The loan-to-deposit ratio was 84.9%, compared to 86.3% at December 31, 2024 and 85.5% at September 30, 2024. Source

Noninterest income and fee businesses

  • Noninterest income rose 9.8%: Noninterest income excluding securities was $51.4 million, up 9.8% from the second quarter and 13.5% from the third quarter of 2024. The seasonally higher third quarter included a full quarter of Evans. Source
  • Retirement fees rose on asset values: Retirement plan administration fees were flat on the second quarter and up $1.3 million, or 9.2%, from the third quarter of 2024, on higher asset values and a 2024 third-party administrator acquisition. Source
  • Insurance revenue rose on renewals: Insurance revenues rose $1.2 million from the second quarter on seasonal renewals and 7.1% from a year earlier on organic growth. Wealth management fees rose 4.0% from the second quarter. Source
  • Bank-owned life insurance gain: Bank owned life insurance income included a $0.9 million gain in the third quarter, lifting it above the second quarter and the third quarter of 2024. Source
  • Service charges rose on Evans and accounts: Service charges on deposit accounts were above the second quarter and the third quarter of 2024, due mainly to Evans and new account growth. Source

“we approved a quarterly cash dividend for our shareholders of $0.37 per share, representing an increase of 8.8% over the prior year”

NBT President and CEO Scott Kingsley

Expenses and tax rate

  • Expenses rose; acquisition costs fell: Noninterest expense was $111.1 million, against $122.6 million in the second quarter, which included $17.2 million of acquisition expenses, and $95.7 million a year earlier. Excluding acquisition expenses, expense rose 4.4% from the second quarter. Source
  • Salaries rose on Evans staff: Salaries and benefits rose 3.9% from the second quarter, driven by the full quarter of Evans staff added in May, higher incentive compensation and higher medical costs. Source
  • Effective tax rate rose to 24.2%: The effective tax rate was 24.2%, up from 21.9% a year earlier. Management linked the increase mainly to nondeductible Evans acquisition expenses and lower tax-exempt income as a share of pretax income. Source

Credit quality and allowance

  • Net charge-offs rose to 0.15%: Net charge-offs were 0.15% of average loans, up from 0.09% in the second quarter, on higher commercial and consumer charge-offs. Source
  • Provision fell after second-quarter charge: Provision expense was $3.1 million, against $17.8 million in the second quarter, which included a $13.0 million acquisition-related provision. Source
  • Allowance ratio eased to 1.20%: The allowance was $139.0 million, or 1.20% of loans, against 1.21% in the second quarter. Management attributed the decrease to run-off portfolio mix, partly offset by a modest deterioration of the economic forecast. Source
  • Nonperforming assets rose to 0.33%: Nonperforming assets were 0.33% of total assets, up from 0.29% at June 30, 2025 and down from 0.38% at December 31, 2024. Source

Capital and shareholder returns

  • CET1 ratio rose to 11.80%: CET1 capital ratio was 11.80%, up from 11.37% at June 30, 2025. Leverage ratio was 9.34% and total risk-based capital ratio 13.97% at September 30, 2025. Source
  • Equity rose on Evans and earnings: Stockholders’ equity rose $327.0 million from December 31, 2024, mainly from the Evans acquisition and net income, partly offset by dividends declared and a change in accumulated other comprehensive loss. Source
  • Tangible book value per share rose: Tangible book value per share was $25.51, up from $24.57 at June 30, 2025 and $23.83 at September 30, 2024. Source
  • No shares repurchased in quarter: The company did not buy back any common stock during the third quarter of 2025. Source

Evans integration and investment

  • Evans acquisition closed May 2: The Evans acquisition closed May 2, 2025, adding 200 employees, 18 banking locations in Western New York, $1.67 billion of loans and $1.86 billion of deposits. Source
  • Technology spend timing and investment: Technology and data services rose $0.4 million from the second quarter and $1.3 million from a year earlier, attributed to Evans, timing of planned activities and enterprise technology initiatives. Source
  • Footprint of 175 banking locations: NBT Bank, N.A. operates 175 banking locations across seven states, alongside EPIC Retirement Plan Services and NBT Insurance Agency. Source

Coming up, as management said on 27 October 2025

  • Fourth-quarter dividend payment: The $0.37 dividend is payable December 15, 2025 to stockholders of record as of December 1, 2025. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Net interest margin (FTE) Source3.66%
Net interest income Source$134.7 million
Loans Source$11.60 billion
Loan growth excluding Evans and run-off portfolios Source1.5% from September 30, 2024
Deposits Source$13.66 billion
Total cost of deposits Source1.52%
Provision for loan losses Source$3.1 million
Net charge-offs to average loans Source0.15%
Nonperforming assets to total assets Source0.33%
CET1 ratio Source11.80%

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: Charge-offs rose in both commercial and consumer loans, the main driver of higher net charge-offs this quarter. Source
  • Financial: Management said acquired Evans deposits carried higher costs in interest-bearing checking and savings accounts, partly offset by lower time deposit costs. Source
  • External: The economic forecast deteriorated modestly, which partly offset the allowance decline from portfolio mix changes. Source
  • Demand: Residential solar and other consumer loans are in planned run-off, which reduces the loan balances reported on a comparable basis. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Met: Management said the dividend increase marks the thirteenth consecutive year of annual dividend increases. Source
  • Not stated: Management described the dividend increase as illustrating an ongoing commitment to favorable long-term returns. Source
  • Not stated: The prior release said integration plans led to a seamless transition after the May 2025 Evans closing.

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.