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Southside Bancshares Inc.: Q4 FY2025 earnings call

What management said about Q4 FY2025, from the documents filed with the SEC on 29 January 2026: press release. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Fourth quarter net income and EPS declined: Net income was $21.0 million and diluted EPS $0.70, against $21.8 million and $0.71 a year earlier. Management attributed the decrease to the net loss on sale of AFS securities, partly offset by higher net interest income. Source
  • Full-year earnings fell 21.8%: Full-year net income was $69.2 million and diluted EPS $2.29, against $88.5 million and $2.91 in 2024. The release ties the decline mainly to a $32.3 million net loss on sale of AFS securities. Source
  • Net interest margin rose four basis points: Tax-equivalent net interest margin was 2.98% for the quarter, up four basis points linked quarter. Management attributed the increase to lower funding costs; net interest income rose $1.5 million linked quarter. Source
  • Municipal securities sold at a loss: Management sold about $82 million of lower-yielding long-duration municipal securities at a loss of $7.3 million, all in late October. Proceeds were reinvested mainly in U.S. Agency mortgage-backed securities. Source
  • Deposits fell on brokered deposit run-off: Deposits ended the year at $6.87 billion, down $96.4 million linked quarter. The decline was mainly a $223.5 million drop in brokered deposits; public fund and retail deposits rose. Source
  • Nonperforming assets rose to 0.45%: Nonperforming assets rose $2.6 million linked quarter, mainly from a $2.5 million increase in nonaccrual loans. A $3.4 million rise in 1-4 family real estate accounted for the nonaccrual increase. Source
  • Common equity tier 1 ratio at 12.87%: Common equity tier 1 ratio was 12.87% at year end, against 12.97% at September 30, 2025. Total risk-based capital ratio was 18.54%. Source

“Our capital ratios and contingent liquidity sources remain solid.”

Southside Bancshares Inc., press release

What changed from last quarter

  • New: Keith Donahoe is named President and Chief Executive Officer in this release; the prior release named Lee R. Gibson as Chief Executive Officer. Source

Earnings and net interest margin

  • Fourth quarter net income and EPS declined: Net income was $21.0 million and diluted EPS $0.70, against $21.8 million and $0.71 a year earlier. Management attributed the decrease to the net loss on sale of AFS securities, partly offset by higher net interest income. Source
  • Full-year earnings fell 21.8%: Full-year net income was $69.2 million and diluted EPS $2.29, against $88.5 million and $2.91 in 2024. The release ties the decline mainly to a $32.3 million net loss on sale of AFS securities. Source
  • Net interest margin rose four basis points: Tax-equivalent net interest margin was 2.98% for the quarter, up four basis points linked quarter. Management attributed the increase to lower funding costs; net interest income rose $1.5 million linked quarter. Source
  • Full-year margin rose to 2.93%: Tax-equivalent net interest margin for 2025 was 2.93%, against 2.88% in 2024. The release gives the GAAP margin as 2.81% for the year, against 2.74%. Source

Securities portfolio restructuring

  • Municipal securities sold at a loss: Management sold about $82 million of lower-yielding long-duration municipal securities at a loss of $7.3 million, all in late October. Proceeds were reinvested mainly in U.S. Agency mortgage-backed securities. Source
  • Securities balance rose linked quarter: Total securities reached $2.70 billion at year end. The balance was down $109.4 million from a year earlier. Source
  • Third-quarter sale was larger: The prior release reported about $325 million of mainly municipal securities sold, with a combined taxable equivalent yield of about 3.28%, at a $24.4 million loss.

“We expect the redemption to have a positive impact on our net interest margin in the first quarter.”

Keith Donahoe, President and Chief Executive Officer

Loans, deposits and funding costs

  • Loans grew 3.4% over the year: Loans reached $4.82 billion, up $156.4 million from a year earlier. The linked-quarter increase of $52.7 million came mainly from construction and commercial real estate loans, partly offset by municipal loans. Source
  • Deposits fell on brokered deposit run-off: Deposits ended the year at $6.87 billion, down $96.4 million linked quarter. The decline was mainly a $223.5 million drop in brokered deposits; public fund and retail deposits rose. Source
  • Interest-bearing deposit cost eased: Cost of interest-bearing deposits was 2.73%, down nine basis points linked quarter. Cost of total deposits was 2.16%, also down nine basis points. Source
  • Full-year deposit cost down 13 basis points: Cost of total deposits for 2025 was 2.23%, down 13 basis points from 2.36% in 2024. Cost of interest-bearing deposits for the year fell 18 basis points. Source

Noninterest income, expense and tax

  • Fee income up 5.0% year on year: Noninterest income excluding securities losses was $12.9 million, with higher trust, deposit services, brokerage and BOLI income. Other noninterest income declined. Source
  • Quarterly expense down 1.8% year on year: Noninterest expense was $37.5 million, lower mainly on professional fees and other expense. Linked quarter it was down $57,000. Source
  • Full-year expense up 2.9%: Full-year noninterest expense was $151.4 million, with higher other, professional fee and advertising costs. Amortization of intangibles and communications expense declined. Source
  • Tax rate rose from prior quarter: Effective tax rate was 15.3% for the quarter, against 17.6% a year earlier. Management linked the rise from 3.7% in the third quarter to the prior quarter's securities loss and higher state income tax. Source

Asset quality and credit costs

  • Nonperforming assets rose to 0.45%: Nonperforming assets rose $2.6 million linked quarter, mainly from a $2.5 million increase in nonaccrual loans. A $3.4 million rise in 1-4 family real estate accounted for the nonaccrual increase. Source
  • Loan loss provision eased: Provision for loan losses was $0.6 million for the quarter, against $1.6 million a year earlier and $1.7 million in the third quarter. Source
  • Allowance at 0.94% of loans: The allowance was 0.94% of total loans, down from 0.96% a year earlier. Management attributed the year-on-year decrease to improvements in the economic forecast in the CECL model. Source
  • Full-year net charge-offs rose: Net charge-offs for 2025 were $2.8 million, against $1.9 million in 2024. Source

Capital, liquidity and buybacks

  • Common equity tier 1 ratio at 12.87%: Common equity tier 1 ratio was 12.87% at year end, against 12.97% at September 30, 2025. Total risk-based capital ratio was 18.54%. Source
  • Contingent liquidity of $2.78 billion: Contingent liquidity, net of outstanding borrowings, was $2.78 billion, drawn from FHLB advances, the Federal Reserve Discount Window and correspondent bank lines. Source
  • Fourth-quarter buybacks of 369,804 shares: Shares were repurchased at an average of $28.84 in the quarter. About 0.8 million authorized shares remained available, and no repurchases were made after year end. Source
  • Quarterly dividend held at $0.36: The fourth-quarter dividend was $0.36 per share, the same as each quarter of 2025 and 2024. Full-year cash dividends were $1.44 per share. Source
  • Subordinated notes issued in August: The prior release reported $150.0 million of subordinated debt issued in August, at 7.00% fixed to floating rate.

Strategy and leadership

  • Prior release led by Gibson: The third-quarter release was issued under Lee R. Gibson as Chief Executive Officer.
  • Restructuring aimed at future earnings: The prior release said the third-quarter restructuring was designed to enhance future earnings.
  • Donahoe named chief executive: This release quotes Keith Donahoe as President and Chief Executive Officer, speaking on the quarter's securities sales and results. Source

Coming up, as management said on 29 January 2026

  • Subordinated notes redemption: Management will redeem $93 million of 7.51% subordinated notes due 2030 on February 15, 2026. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Net interest margin Source2.98% tax-equivalent, Q4 2025
Net interest income Source$57.2 million, Q4 2025
Loans Source$4.82 billion at December 31, 2025
Deposits Source$6.87 billion at December 31, 2025
Deposit costs Source2.16% cost of total deposits, Q4 2025
Provision for credit losses Source$0.6 million, Q4 2025
Net charge-offs Source$0.8 million, Q4 2025
Nonperforming assets Source$38.2 million, 0.45% of total assets
CET1 ratio Source12.87% at December 31, 2025
Efficiency ratio Source52.28% (FTE), Q4 2025

Risks management discussed

  • Financial: A $27.5 million restructured commercial real estate loan had its maturity extended to allow for a longer lease-up period, and sits within nonperforming assets. Source
  • Financial: Management reports that estimated uninsured deposits make up 39.7% of total deposits. Source

Earlier plans management reported on

  • Not stated: Management said it continued restructuring part of the AFS portfolio in the fourth quarter, following the third-quarter program. 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.