greeksoup/ stock research

Zions Bancorporation, National Association: Q2 FY2026 earnings call

What management said about Q2 FY2026, from the documents filed with the SEC on 20 July 2026: press release. The quarter’s numbers.

Key takeaways

  • Net earnings and EPS both rose: Net earnings were $452 million, or $3.05 per diluted share, against $243 million and $1.63 a year earlier. Excluding notable items, diluted EPS was $1.74 against $1.58. Source
  • Net interest income rose 4%: Net interest income was $677 million, up $29 million from a year earlier, while the net interest margin was 3.27%, against 3.17% and flat on the prior quarter. Source
  • Visa share sale produced $215 million: The gain on Visa Class B-1 shares was $215 million, or $1.12 per share. Securities gains, net were $269 million, and total noninterest income was $460 million. Source
  • Loans up 3% from last year: Loans and leases were $62.5 billion, up 3% from a year earlier. Management cited annualized linked-quarter loan growth of 8%. Source
  • Classified loans fell 14%: Classified loans were $2.3 billion, or 3.72% of loans, down from $2.7 billion. The decline was driven mainly by lower classified commercial real estate exposures, largely from loan payoffs. Source
  • CET1 capital rose to $8.4 billion: Estimated CET1 capital was $8.4 billion, up 11% from $7.6 billion a year earlier. The estimated CET1 ratio was 11.8%. Source

“We’re very pleased with the quarterly results, as earnings per share, excluding net equity investment gains, increased 10% to $1.74, compared to $1.58 in the same period a year ago.”

Harris H. Simmons, Chairman and CEO of Zions Bancorporation

What changed from last quarter

  • New: A $215 million gain on sale of Visa Class B-1 shares was recognized this quarter. Source

Results and growth drivers

  • Net earnings and EPS both rose: Net earnings were $452 million, or $3.05 per diluted share, against $243 million and $1.63 a year earlier. Excluding notable items, diluted EPS was $1.74 against $1.58. Source
  • Adjusted PPNR rose 5%: Reported PPNR was $597 million, up 84%, including $252 million of pre-tax net gains. Adjusted PPNR was $332 million, up 5%. Source
  • Customer-related fees grew 11%: Customer-related noninterest income was $182 million, up 11%, with growth reported across nearly all revenue streams. Source

Net interest income and margin

  • Net interest income rose 4%: Net interest income was $677 million, up $29 million from a year earlier, while the net interest margin was 3.27%, against 3.17% and flat on the prior quarter. Source
  • Funding costs fell with rates: The rate paid on total deposits and interest-bearing liabilities fell to 1.69%, from 1.97% a year earlier. Cost of deposits declined to 1.48% from 1.68%. Source
  • Asset yields declined with rates: Yield on interest-earning assets was 4.90%, down from 5.11%. Loan yield fell 25 basis points to 5.61%, and money market yield fell 65 basis points to 4.03%. Source
  • Asset mix shifted toward loans: Average loans rose $1.4 billion while average investment securities fell $708 million. Average interest-bearing liabilities declined $2.1 billion, mainly from lower borrowed funds. Source

“We’re particularly pleased with the organic growth in customer-related noninterest income, which increased 11% over last year’s period, with particularly strong growth from capital markets activities, and solid growth in a variety of other categories.”

Harris H. Simmons, Chairman and CEO of Zions Bancorporation

Noninterest income and gains

  • Visa share sale produced $215 million: The gain on Visa Class B-1 shares was $215 million, or $1.12 per share. Securities gains, net were $269 million, and total noninterest income was $460 million. Source
  • SBIC unrealized gains rose: SBIC unrealized gains were $44 million, less a $7 million success fee accrual, for net gains of $37 million, or $0.19 per share. The prior year figure was $9 million, or $0.05 per share. Source
  • Capital markets fees rose $8 million: Capital markets fees and income reached $36 million, from higher real estate capital markets activity and increased investment banking advisory fees. Source
  • Mortgage sales lifted loan fees: Loan-related fees and income were $22 million, up $3 million, supported by higher residential mortgage loan sales activity. Source

Costs and efficiency

  • Noninterest expense rose 5%: Noninterest expense was $551 million. Adjusted noninterest expense was $546 million, up 5%, and the efficiency ratio was 62.2%, unchanged from a year earlier. Source
  • Incentive accruals raised pay costs: Salaries and employee benefits rose $8 million on higher incentive compensation accruals tied to improved profitability, plus higher employee benefits costs. Source
  • Outsourced services lifted professional fees: Professional and legal services rose $9 million, reflecting higher outsourced services and technology consulting costs. Technology expense rose $7 million on software and licensing costs. Source
  • Deposit insurance costs fell: Deposit insurance and regulatory expense fell $13 million, including a $6 million decrease from a lower FDIC special assessment estimate. Source

“While loan growth compared to last year’s quarter was modest at 3%, annualized linked-quarter growth was strong at 8%.”

Harris H. Simmons, Chairman and CEO of Zions Bancorporation

Loans and deposits

  • Loans up 3% from last year: Loans and leases were $62.5 billion, up 3% from a year earlier. Management cited annualized linked-quarter loan growth of 8%. Source
  • Commercial loans led growth: Commercial loans rose $1.0 billion, largely in commercial and industrial, and commercial real estate rose $452 million, mainly term loans. Source
  • Deposits grew on focused initiatives: Total deposits were $76.6 billion, up 4%. Interest-bearing deposits rose $2.0 billion, which management linked to focused deposit growth initiatives. The loan-to-deposit ratio was 82%. Source
  • Short-term borrowings fell; long-term debt rose: Short-term borrowings fell to $1.2 billion from $5.8 billion a year earlier. Long-term debt rose to $2.0 billion from $970 million. Source

Credit quality

  • Net charge-offs stayed low: Net loan and lease charge-offs were $9 million, or an annualized 0.06% of average loans, against $10 million and 0.07% a year earlier. The provision was $3 million. Source
  • Classified loans fell 14%: Classified loans were $2.3 billion, or 3.72% of loans, down from $2.7 billion. The decline was driven mainly by lower classified commercial real estate exposures, largely from loan payoffs. Source
  • Nonperforming assets stable at 0.48%: Nonperforming assets were $298 million, or 0.48% of loans and other real estate owned, against $313 million, or 0.51%. Concentration was in commercial and industrial, consumer 1-4 family, and owner-occupied loans. Source
  • Allowance ratio eased to 1.13%: The allowance for credit losses was $707 million, or 1.13% of loans, down from 1.20%. Management tied the decline to portfolio composition and lower CRE reserves, offset partly by economic forecasts. Source

Capital and shareholder returns

  • CET1 capital rose to $8.4 billion: Estimated CET1 capital was $8.4 billion, up 11% from $7.6 billion a year earlier. The estimated CET1 ratio was 11.8%. Source
  • Tangible book value up 22%: Tangible book value per common share rose to $44.74, driven by higher retained earnings and smaller unrealized losses in AOCI. Source
  • Buybacks and dividend held steady: The company repurchased 1.2 million common shares for $75 million, and the dividend was $0.45 per share. Total capital distributed to common shareholders was $142 million. Source
  • AOCI loss includes HTM transfers: AOCI was a net loss of $1.9 billion, mainly on fixed-rate AFS securities. It includes $1.5 billion of unrealized losses on securities moved from AFS to HTM, and AOCI improved $297 million from a year earlier. Source

Securities and loans held for sale

  • Securities portfolio shrank 4%: Investment securities were $17.7 billion, down 4% from the prior year quarter. Source
  • Loans held for sale declined: Loans held for sale were $77 million, down $95 million, reflecting higher loan sale activity including recurring flow and portfolio sales. Source

Figures management reported

FigureReported
Net interest margin Source3.27%
Net interest income Source$677 million
Loans and loan growth Source$62.5 billion, up 3%
Deposits Source$76.6 billion, up 4%
Deposit costs Source1.48%
Provision for credit losses Source$3 million
Net charge-offs Source0.06% annualized
Nonperforming assets Source$298 million, 0.48%
CET1 ratio Source11.8%
Efficiency ratio Source62.2%

Risks management discussed

  • Operational: Loan-related legal costs drove a $4 million rise in credit-related expense. Source
  • External: Management cited more adverse economic forecasts as a factor in the allowance for credit losses. Source
  • Financial: AOCI carries a $1.9 billion net loss from fixed-rate AFS securities, driven by changes in interest rates. Source
  • Financial: Nonperforming assets were concentrated in three loan portfolios. Source
  • External: Lower interest rates reduced the yield on interest-earning assets. 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.