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Prosperity Bancshares Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 28 January 2026: press release. Guidance figures: 3 kept. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net income and EPS rose year over year: Fourth-quarter net income was $139.9 million, up 7.6% from $130.1 million; diluted EPS was $1.49, up 8.8% from $1.37. Source
  • Tax-equivalent margin widened to 3.30%: Tax-equivalent net interest margin was 3.30% in the quarter, up from 3.05% a year earlier. Source
  • Expense fell on 2024 FDIC reversal: Noninterest expense was $138.7 million, down $2.8 million from a year earlier, mainly from reversing the 2024 FDIC special assessment. Third-quarter expense was $138.6 million. Source
  • Deposits grew $700.4 million in quarter: Deposits reached $28.482 billion, up $700.4 million in the quarter, or 10.1% annualized, and up $101.1 million from a year earlier. Source
  • Nonperforming assets rose to $150.8 million: Nonperforming assets were $150.8 million, or 0.46% of average interest-earning assets, up from $119.6 million and 0.36% in the third quarter. Nonaccrual loans were $137.2 million. Source
  • Repurchased 2.0 million shares in fourth quarter: The company repurchased 2.0 million shares for $137.2 million in the quarter, at an average $67.10. Period-end shares outstanding fell to 93,058 thousand from 94,993 thousand. Source
  • Stellar deal: 0.3803 shares plus cash: Each Stellar share converts into 0.3803 Prosperity shares and $11.36 in cash. Total consideration was valued at about $2.002 billion at the January 27, 2026 closing price of $72.90. Source

“Importantly, Stellar Bancorp is a well-run bank with similar credit discipline and an envious noninterest-bearing deposit mix.”

David Zalman, Prosperity’s Senior Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Guidance

AreaPeriodFigureAgainst last quarter
Quarterly cash dividend Sourcefirst quarter 2026$0.60 per shareKept
Share repurchases Sourceone-year period expiring January 26, 2027up to 5%, or approximately 4.87 million sharesKept
Southwest acquisition effective date SourceSouthwest merger closingFebruary 1, 2026Kept

What changed from last quarter

  • New: Definitive merger agreement signed to acquire Stellar Bancorp, Inc., headquartered in Houston, Texas. Source
  • New: American Bank Holding Corporation acquisition completed January 1, 2026; it was pending in the third quarter release. Source
  • New: Southwest regulatory approvals received, and Southwest shareholders approved the transaction on January 22, 2026. Source
  • New: Board approved a 2026 stock repurchase program covering up to 5% of outstanding common stock. Source
  • Ended: 2025 stock repurchase program reached its expiry date of January 21, 2026.
  • New: Patt Wallace and Steve Rafaelle, CEO of American Bank, joined the Bank Board after the American merger. Source

Earnings and net income

  • Net income and EPS rose year over year: Fourth-quarter net income was $139.9 million, up 7.6% from $130.1 million; diluted EPS was $1.49, up 8.8% from $1.37. Source
  • Full-year earnings rose 13.2%: For 2025, net income was $542.8 million, up 13.2%, and diluted EPS was $5.72, up 13.3%. Management cited higher net interest income and lower merger-related and regulatory costs. Source
  • Linked-quarter net income and EPS rose: Compared with the third quarter of 2025, net income rose 1.7% and diluted EPS rose 2.8%, from $1.45 to $1.49. Source
  • Annualized returns on assets and equity: Annualized return on average assets was 1.49%, return on average common equity 7.30%, and return on average tangible common equity 13.61%. Source

Net interest margin and income

  • Tax-equivalent margin widened to 3.30%: Tax-equivalent net interest margin was 3.30% in the quarter, up from 3.05% a year earlier. Source
  • Borrowing costs and deposit rates drove margin: The margin change mainly reflected lower average balances and rates on other borrowings and lower rates on interest-bearing deposits, partly offset by lower loan and fed funds balances and rates. Source
  • Net interest income rose $1.5 million: Net interest income before provision was $275.0 million, up $1.5 million from the third quarter's $273.4 million. Source
  • Loan discount accretion declined for year: Full-year loan discount accretion was $5.1 million lower, and the average rate on loans also declined. Source

“Delivering shareholder value by prioritizing low-cost core deposits, operational efficiency, sound credit quality, and growth via opportunistic M&A,”

David Zalman, Prosperity’s Senior Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Costs and fee income

  • Expense fell on 2024 FDIC reversal: Noninterest expense was $138.7 million, down $2.8 million from a year earlier, mainly from reversing the 2024 FDIC special assessment. Third-quarter expense was $138.6 million. Source
  • Buyback excise tax added cost: Partly offsetting were a change in the net loss on sale or write-down of other real estate and an excise tax expense on stock repurchases. Source
  • Full-year expense fell $14.4 million: Full-year noninterest expense was $556.2 million, with lower regulatory assessments and FDIC insurance, lower other noninterest expense and lower merger-related expenses. Source
  • Noninterest income rose $2.9 million: Noninterest income was $42.8 million, up $2.9 million from a year earlier, mainly from other noninterest income and deposit service charges. It was $1.5 million above the third quarter. Source

Loans and deposits

  • Deposits grew $700.4 million in quarter: Deposits reached $28.482 billion, up $700.4 million in the quarter, or 10.1% annualized, and up $101.1 million from a year earlier. Source
  • Loans fell as warehouse balances rose: Total loans were $21.805 billion. Excluding Warehouse Purchase Program loans, they were $20.501 billion, down $249.0 million in the quarter and $567.7 million from a year earlier. Source
  • Energy loans declined in fourth quarter: Energy loans were $439.6 million, or 2.0% of total loans, down from $511.8 million at September 30, 2025. Source
  • Noninterest-bearing deposits share 33.2%: Noninterest-bearing demand deposits were $9.468 billion, 33.2% of total deposits, compared with 34.3% at September 30, 2025. Source

“Our combined Houston bank deposit rank increases from number 9 to number 5, making us the largest Texas-based bank in the market and 2nd largest by bank deposits in the state,”

David Zalman, Prosperity’s Senior Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Asset quality and reserves

  • Nonperforming assets rose to $150.8 million: Nonperforming assets were $150.8 million, or 0.46% of average interest-earning assets, up from $119.6 million and 0.36% in the third quarter. Nonaccrual loans were $137.2 million. Source
  • Allowance on loans declined: Allowance for credit losses on loans was $333.7 million, down from $339.6 million in the third quarter. Excluding Warehouse Purchase Program loans, the ratio was 1.63%. Source
  • Net charge-offs and PCD reserve releases: Fourth-quarter net charge-offs were $5.9 million, against $6.5 million in the third quarter. Full-year net charge-offs were $18.1 million; $3.9 million of PCD reserves were released in the quarter. Source

Capital, buybacks and dividend

  • CET1 ratio rose to 17.55%: Common equity tier 1 ratio was 17.55%, against 17.53% in the third quarter and 16.42% a year earlier. Total risk-based capital ratio was 18.80%. Source
  • Repurchased 2.0 million shares in fourth quarter: The company repurchased 2.0 million shares for $137.2 million in the quarter, at an average $67.10. Period-end shares outstanding fell to 93,058 thousand from 94,993 thousand. Source
  • Tangible book value per share rose: Tangible book value per common share was $43.64, up from $43.23 in the third quarter. Book value per common share was $81.84. Source
  • Dividends paid rose in 2025: Cash dividends paid per share were $2.34 for 2025, against $2.26 for 2024. The fourth-quarter dividend was $0.60, against $0.58 in each prior quarter of 2025. Source

Acquisitions and combined footprint

  • Stellar deal: 0.3803 shares plus cash: Each Stellar share converts into 0.3803 Prosperity shares and $11.36 in cash. Total consideration was valued at about $2.002 billion at the January 27, 2026 closing price of $72.90. Source
  • Stellar adds 52 Houston-area offices: The Stellar Bank network spans 52 offices in the Houston and Beaumont areas. Source
  • Southwest adds Central Texas offices: Texas Partners, Southwest's bank, has 11 banking offices in Central Texas. Southwest reported $2.426 billion in total assets at December 31, 2025. Source
  • American added 18 offices: American operated 18 banking offices and 2 loan production offices, with $2.506 billion in total assets at December 31, 2025. Source

Board, leadership and footprint

  • Charlie Amato joins bank board: Charlie Amato has joined the Bank Board; the release notes his past service on the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas San Antonio branch board. Gene Dawson, Interim Chairman of Southwest Bancshares, is also joining. Source
  • Footprint of 301 full-service locations: Locations include 62 in Houston, 61 in Dallas/Fort Worth and 45 in West Texas, with 18 operating as American Bank. Source
  • Employee count rose to 3,941: Full-time-equivalent employees, excluding overtime, rose to 3,941 from 3,937 in the third quarter. Source

Coming up, as management said on 28 January 2026

  • Stellar registration statement planned: Prosperity plans to file a Form S-4 registering the shares to be issued to Stellar shareholders. Source
  • Stellar proxy statement to shareholders: A proxy statement/prospectus will be sent to Stellar shareholders as part of the registration statement. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Net interest margin Source3.30%
Net interest income Source$1.081 billion
Total loans Source$21.805 billion
Total deposits Source$28.482 billion
Total cost of funds Source1.49%
Provision for credit losses Sourcenone
Net charge-offs Source$5.9 million
Nonperforming assets Source0.46% of average interest-earning assets
CET1 ratio Source17.55%
Efficiency ratio Source43.66%

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Earlier closing window for the American acquisition; the release reports completion on January 1, 2026.
  • Not stated: Earlier first-quarter 2026 closing window for Southwest; the release now expects it effective February 1, 2026.

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.