Poplar Bluff, Missouri, Jan. 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc. (“Company”) (NASDAQ:SMBC), the parent corporation of Southern Bank (“Bank”), today announced preliminary net income for the second quarter of fiscal 2026 of $18.2 million, an increase of $3.5 million, or 23.9%, as compared to the same period of the prior fiscal year. The increase was attributable to an increase in net interest income, partially offset by increases in provision for credit loss (PCL) expense, and noninterest expense, and lower noninterest income. Preliminary net income was $1.62 per fully diluted common share for the second quarter of fiscal 2026, an increase of $0.32 as compared to the $1.30 per fully diluted common share reported for the same period of the prior fiscal year.
Highlights for the second quarter of fiscal 2026:
- Earnings per common share (diluted) was $1.62, up $0.32, or 24.6%, as compared to the same quarter a year ago, and up $0.24, or 17.4% from the first quarter of fiscal 2026, the linked quarter.
- Annualized return on average assets (“ROAA”) was 1.42%, while annualized return on average common equity was 12.8%, as compared to 1.20% and 11.4%, respectively, in the same quarter a year ago, and 1.24% and 11.3%, respectively, in the first quarter of fiscal 2026, the linked quarter.
- Net interest margin for the quarter was 3.57%, as compared to 3.34% reported for the year ago period, and as compared to 3.57% reported for the first quarter of fiscal 2026, the linked quarter. Net interest income increased $4.7 million, or 12.4%, as compared to the same quarter a year ago, and increased $452,000, or 1.1%, from the first quarter of fiscal 2026, the linked quarter.
- Gross loan balances as of December 31, 2025, increased by $34.8 million, or 0.8%, as compared to September 30, 2025, and by $199.6 million, or 5.0%, as compared to December 31, 2024.
- Tangible book value per share was $44.65, having increased by $5.74, or 14.8%, as compared to December 31, 2024.
- The Company repurchased 148,000 shares of its common stock in the second quarter of fiscal 2026 at an average price of $54.32 per share, for a total of $8.1 million. The average purchase price was 122% of our tangible book value as of December 31, 2025.
- The Board of Directors authorized a new share repurchase program for up to approximately 5% of outstanding common shares, following the near completion of the prior authorization.
Dividend Declared:
The Board of Directors, on January 20, 2026, declared a quarterly cash dividend on common stock of $0.25, payable February 27, 2026, to stockholders of record at the close of business on February 13, 2026, marking the 127th consecutive quarterly dividend since the inception of the Company. The Board of Directors and management believe the payment of a quarterly cash dividend enhances stockholder value and demonstrates our commitment to and confidence in our future prospects.
Share Repurchase Authorization:
On January 20, 2026, the Board of Directors approved a new authorization to repurchase up to 550,000 shares of the Company’s common stock, or approximately 5.0% of shares outstanding, following the near completion of the Company’s prior repurchase program announced on May 20, 2021. Repurchases may be made from time to time in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions, subject to market conditions and other factors. Any shares repurchased will be held as treasury shares for general corporate purposes.
As of January 21, 2026, the Company had repurchased nearly all shares authorized under the prior program at an average cost of $48.28 per share. The prior program permitted the repurchase of up to 445,000 shares.
Conference Call:
The Company will host a conference call to review the information provided in this press release on Thursday, January 22, 2026, at 9:30 a.m., central time. The call will be available live to interested parties by calling 1-833-470-1428. Participants should use participant access code 915129. Telephone playback will be available beginning one hour following the conclusion of the call through January 27, 2026. The playback may be accessed by dialing 1-866-813-9403, and using the conference passcode 450286.
Balance Sheet Summary:
The Company experienced balance sheet growth in the first six months of fiscal 2026, with total assets of $5.1 billion at December 31, 2025, reflecting an increase of $74.8 million, or 1.5%, as compared to June 30, 2025. Growth primarily reflected an increase in net loans receivable, partially offset by decreases in cash equivalents and time deposits and available for sale (AFS) securities.
Cash equivalents and time deposits were a combined $134.3 million at December 31, 2025, a decrease of $58.8 million, or 30.4%, as compared to June 30, 2025. The decrease was primarily the result of loan growth that outpaced deposit generation during the period. AFS securities were $445.0 million at December 31, 2025, down $15.9 million, or 3.4%, as compared to June 30, 2025, reflecting normal principal amortization as well as early redemptions from callable securities, which accelerated portfolio runoff during the period.
Loans, net of the allowance for credit losses (ACL), were $4.2 billion at December 31, 2025, increasing by $123.1 million, or 3.0%, as compared to June 30, 2025. The Company noted growth primarily in 1-4 family residential real estate, multi-family real estate, commercial and industrial, both non-owner and owner occupied commercial real estate, and agriculture real estate loan balances. This was somewhat offset by decreases in construction and land development loans, agricultural production loans, and consumer loans. The table below illustrates changes in loan balances by type over recent periods:
| Summary Loan Data as of: | Dec. 31, | Sep. 30, | June 30, | Mar. 31, | Dec. 31, | ||||||||||
| (dollars in thousands) | 2025 | 2025 | 2025 | 2025 | 2024 | ||||||||||
| 1-4 Family residential real estate | $ | 1,043,090 | $ | 1,021,300 | $ | 992,445 | $ | 978,908 | $ | 967,196 | |||||
| Non-owner occupied commercial real estate | 912,611 | 918,275 | 888,317 | 897,125 | 882,484 | ||||||||||
| Owner occupied commercial real estate | 460,064 | 454,265 | 442,984 | 440,282 | 435,392 | ||||||||||
| Multi-family real estate | 452,733 | 445,953 | 422,758 | 405,445 | 376,081 | ||||||||||
| Construction and land development | 298,412 | 283,912 | 332,405 | 323,499 | 393,388 | ||||||||||
| Agriculture real estate | 261,118 | 255,610 | 244,983 | 247,027 | 239,912 | ||||||||||
| Total loans secured by real estate | 3,428,028 | 3,379,315 | 3,323,892 | 3,292,286 | 3,294,453 | ||||||||||
| Commercial and industrial | 537,276 | 521,945 | 510,259 | 488,116 | 484,799 | ||||||||||
| Agriculture production | 202,892 | 229,338 | 206,128 | 186,058 | 188,284 | ||||||||||
| Consumer | 52,182 | 56,051 | 55,387 | 54,022 | 56,017 | ||||||||||
| All other loans | 6,178 | 5,094 | 5,102 | 3,216 | 3,628 | ||||||||||
| Total loans | 4,226,556 | 4,191,743 | 4,100,768 | 4,023,698 | 4,027,181 | ||||||||||
| Deferred loan fees, net | — | — | (178) | (189) | (202) | ||||||||||
| Gross loans | 4,226,556 | 4,191,743 | 4,100,590 | 4,023,509 | 4,026,979 | ||||||||||
| Allowance for credit losses | (54,465) | (52,081) | (51,629) | (54,940) | (54,740) | ||||||||||
| Net loans | $ | 4,172,091 | $ | 4,139,662 | $ | 4,048,961 | $ | 3,968,569 | $ | 3,972,239 | |||||
Loans anticipated to fund in the next 90 days totaled $159.1 million at December 31, 2025, as compared to $194.5 million at September 30, 2025, and $172.5 million at December 31, 2024.
The Bank’s concentration in non-owner occupied commercial real estate, as defined for regulatory purposes, is estimated at 289.4% of Tier 1 capital and ACL at December 31, 2025, as compared to 301.9% as of June 30, 2025, with these loans representing 39.4% of gross loans at December 31, 2025. Multi-family residential real estate, hospitality (hotels/restaurants), care facilities, strip centers, retail stand-alone, and storage units are the most common collateral types within the non-owner occupied commercial real estate loan portfolio. The multi-family residential real estate loan portfolio commonly includes loans collateralized by properties currently in the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) program or that have exited the program. The hospitality and retail stand-alone segments include primarily franchised businesses; care facilities consisting mainly of skilled nursing and assisted living centers; and strip centers, which can be defined as non-mall shopping centers with a variety of tenants. Non-owner-occupied office property types included 35 loans totaling $21.1 million, or 0.50% of gross loans at December 31, 2025, none of which were adversely classified, and are generally comprised of smaller spaces with diverse tenants. The Company continues to monitor its commercial real estate concentration and the individual segments closely.
Nonperforming loans (NPLs) were $29.7 million, or 0.70% of gross loans, at December 31, 2025, as compared to $23.0 million, or 0.56% of gross loans at June 30, 2025. Nonperforming assets (NPAs) were $31.2 million, or 0.61% of total assets, at December 31, 2025, as compared to $23.7 million, or 0.47% of total assets, at June 30, 2025. The change in NPAs was primarily attributable to the noted increase in NPLs. The increase in NPLs was primarily attributable to two borrower relationships: one consisting of multiple loans collateralized by commercial real estate and equipment; and the other, consisting of two related agricultural production loans secured by crops and equipment, partially offset by improvement in previously nonperforming loans and net charge-offs. Both relationships noted were placed on nonaccrual status during the second quarter of fiscal 2026, resulting in the reversal of $678,000 of accrued interest during the quarter, decreasing net interest income.
The ACL at December 31, 2025, totaled $54.5 million, representing 1.29% of gross loans and 184% of NPLs, as compared to an ACL of $51.6 million, representing 1.26% of gross loans and 224% of NPLs, at June 30, 2025. The Company has estimated its expected credit losses as of December 31, 2025, under ASC 326-20, and management believes the ACL as of that date was adequate based on that estimate. There remains, however, significant economic uncertainty despite recent reductions in short-term interest rates as labor market conditions soften, and inflation remains above target. The increase in the ACL was primarily attributable to management’s assessment of reserve adequacy amid an evolving economic environment, additions to individually reviewed loans, slightly higher reserves required for pooled loans, and loan growth. This was partially offset by net charge-offs. As a percentage of average loans outstanding, the Company recorded net recoveries of 0.07% (annualized) during the current quarter, as compared to net charge-offs of 0.02% for the same quarter of the prior fiscal year, and net charge-offs of 0.36% during the linked quarter. In the three-month period ended December 31, 2025, net recoveries were $704,000, which was primarily attributable to a $2.0 million recovery associated with a special-purpose CRE relationship, which was reserved for in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025 and charged off in the first quarter of fiscal 2026.
Total liabilities were $4.5 billion at December 31, 2025, an increase of $52.1 million, or 1.2%, as compared to June 30, 2025.
Deposits were $4.3 billion at December 31, 2025, an increase of $27.0 million, or 0.63%, as compared to June 30, 2025. The deposit portfolio saw year-to-date increases in nonmaturity deposit accounts, which was partially offset by a decrease in certificates of deposit. Nonmaturity deposit growth was primarily driven by savings, NOW, and non-interest bearing accounts. The decrease in certificates of deposit was largely driven by a $54.1 million reduction in brokered certificates compared to June 30, 2025. Brokered deposits totaled $182.2 million at December 31, 2025, a decrease of $52.9 million as compared to June 30, 2025. Public unit balances totaled $584.1 million at December 31, 2025, an increase of $33.3 million compared to June 30, 2025, primarily due to seasonal inflows. The average loan-to-deposit ratio for the second quarter of fiscal 2026 was 96.7%, as compared to 94.5% for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, and 96.4% for the same period of the prior fiscal year. The table below illustrates changes in deposit balances by type over recent periods:
| Summary Deposit Data as of: | Dec. 31, | Sep. 30, | June 30, | Mar. 31, | Dec. 31, | ||||||||||
| (dollars in thousands) | 2025 | 2025 | 2025 | 2025 | 2024 | ||||||||||
| Non-interest bearing deposits | $ | 526,569 | $ | 501,885 | $ | 508,110 | $ | 513,418 | $ | 514,199 | |||||
| NOW accounts | 1,167,626 | 1,098,921 | 1,132,298 | 1,167,296 | 1,211,402 | ||||||||||
| MMDAs – non-brokered | 317,987 | 334,492 | 329,837 | 345,810 | 347,271 | ||||||||||
| Brokered MMDAs | 2,636 | 20,024 | 1,414 | 2,013 | 3,018 | ||||||||||
| Savings accounts | 701,553 | 715,406 | 661,115 | 626,175 | 573,291 | ||||||||||
| Total nonmaturity deposits | 2,716,371 | 2,670,728 | 2,632,774 | 2,654,712 | 2,649,181 | ||||||||||
| Certificates of deposit – non-brokered | 1,412,394 | 1,409,332 | 1,414,945 | 1,373,109 | 1,310,421 | ||||||||||
| Brokered certificates of deposit | 179,569 | 200,430 | 233,649 | 233,561 | 251,025 | ||||||||||
| Total certificates of deposit | 1,591,963 | 1,609,762 | 1,648,594 | 1,606,670 | 1,561,446 | ||||||||||
| Total deposits | $ | 4,308,334 | $ | 4,280,490 | $ | 4,281,368 | $ | 4,261,382 | $ | 4,210,627 | |||||
| Public unit nonmaturity accounts | $ | 490,060 | $ | 424,391 | $ | 435,632 | $ | 472,010 | $ | 482,406 | |||||
| Public unit certificates of deposit | 94,039 | 112,963 | 115,204 | 103,741 | 83,506 | ||||||||||
| Total public unit deposits | $ | 584,099 | $ | 537,354 | $ | 550,836 | $ | 575,751 | $ | 565,912 | |||||
FHLB advances were $102.0 million at December 31, 2025, a decrease of $2.0 million, or 1.9%, as compared to June 30, 2025, due to maturing advances which were not renewed. For the quarter ended December 31, 2025, the Company continued to have no FHLB overnight borrowings at the end of the period.
The Company’s stockholders’ equity was $567.4 million at December 31, 2025, an increase of $22.7 million, or 4.2%, as compared to June 30, 2025. The increase was attributable primarily to earnings retained after cash dividends paid, in combination with a $2.7 million reduction in accumulated other comprehensive losses (AOCL) as the market value of the Company’s investments appreciated due to the decrease in market interest rates. The AOCL totaled $8.6 million at December 31, 2025 compared $11.4 million at June 30, 2025. The Company does not hold any securities classified as held-to-maturity. The increase in stockholders’ equity was partially offset by $8.5 million utilized for repurchase of 156,000 shares of the Company’s common stock year-to-date at an average price of $54.34 per share.
Quarterly Income Statement Summary:
The Company’s net interest income for the three-month period ended December 31, 2025, was $42.9 million, an increase of $4.7 million, or 12.4%, as compared to the same period of the prior fiscal year. The increase was attributable to a 5.0% increase in the average balance of interest-earning assets and a 23-basis point increase in the net interest margin, from 3.34% to 3.57%, as the cost of interest-bearing liabilities decreased by 33 basis points, partially offset by a six-basis point decrease in the yield earned on interest earning assets.
Loan discount accretion and liability premium amortization related to the November 2018 acquisition of First Commercial Bank, the May 2020 acquisition of Central Federal Savings & Loan Association, the February 2022 merger of FortuneBank, and the January 2024 acquisition of Citizens Bank & Trust resulted in $653,000 in net interest income for the three-month period ended December 31, 2025, as compared to $987,000 in net interest income for the same period a year ago. Combined, this component of net interest income contributed five basis points to net interest margin in the three-month period ended December 31, 2025, compared to nine basis points during the same period of the prior fiscal year, and as compared to a seven-basis point contribution in the linked quarter, ended September 30, 2025, when the net interest margin was 3.57%.
The Company recorded a PCL of $1.7 million in the three-month period ended December 31, 2025, as compared to a PCL of $932,000 in the same period of the prior fiscal year. The current period PCL had no provision attributable to the allowance for off-balance sheet credit exposures. The factors considered when estimating a required ACL and PCL for loan balances outstanding is detailed above in the “Balance Sheet Summary”.
The Company’s noninterest income for the three-month period ended December 31, 2025, was $6.8 million, a decrease of $89,000, or 1.3%, as compared to the same period of the prior fiscal year. The decrease was primarily attributable to other loan fees, reflecting a refinement of our fee recognition under ASC 310-20, Receivables – Nonrefundable Fees and Other Costs, with a greater portion now recognized in interest income over the life of the loan. The decrease was partially offset by an increase in bank card interchange income, deposit account charges and related fees, and wealth management fees.
Noninterest expense for the three-month period ended December 31, 2025, was $25.3 million, an increase of $394,000, or 1.6%, as compared to the same period of the prior fiscal year. The increase was primarily attributable to higher data processing, occupancy and equipment, and advertising expenses. Data processing costs increased due to higher transaction volumes and increased software licensing costs. Occupancy and equipment expense growth was primarily driven by elevated maintenance and repair costs, additional depreciation associated with a new branch and remodel projects, and higher real estate taxes. Advertising expense increased due to increased marketing activity and charitable contributions. These increases were partially offset by lower legal and professional fees, reduced intangible amortization as certain merger-related intangibles became fully amortized, and lower compensation and benefits expense, reflecting refinements in the application of ASC 310-20, under which a greater portion of loan origination costs, including related compensation, is deferred and recognized as a reduction of interest income over the life of the loan.
The efficiency ratio for the three-month period ended December 31, 2025, improved to 50.9%, as compared to 55.3% in the same period of the prior fiscal year. The improvement reflected positive operating leverage, as revenue growth driven by higher net interest income outpaced growth in operating expenses.
The income tax provision for the three-month period ended December 31, 2025, was $4.5 million, consistent with the same period in 2024. The effective tax rate for the current quarter was 20.0%, compared to 23.7% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024. The higher effective tax rate in the prior-year quarter primarily reflected adjustments to tax accruals related to completed merger and acquisition activity.
Forward-Looking Information:
Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed …