Group 1 - Continued net interest margin expansion is expected to be a key earnings catalyst for Capitol Federal Financial (NASDAQ: CFFN) this year [1] - There is a less optimistic outlook on residential mortgage demand compared to previous assessments [1] - Loan growth is anticipated to be maintained near historical levels [1]

Financial Performance - The Company reported net income of $15.4 million, or $0.12 per share, for the current quarter, compared to $2.5 million, or $0.02 per share, in the prior year quarter[113]. - Net income for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, was $15,431,000, compared to $2,543,000 for the same quarter in 2023, reflecting a significant year-over-year increase[204]. - Basic EPS for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, was $0.12, up from $0.02 for the same quarter in 2023[204]. - Income before income tax expense increased dramatically by 823.5% to $19.098 million, with net income rising by 506.8% to $15.431 million[246]. - The Company reported total dividends paid year-to-date of $44,275,000 for 2024, with a per share dividend of $0.340[201]. Interest Income and Margin - Total interest and dividend income for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, was $97,622,000, an increase from $91,692,000 for the same quarter in 2023[204]. - The net interest margin increased by 15 basis points to 1.86% due to higher yields on loans and securities, outpacing the increase in deposit costs[114]. - Total interest and dividend income rose to $97.622 million, up 6.5% from $91.692 million in the prior year quarter, with loans receivable increasing by 7.2% to $81.394 million[232]. - The net interest margin increased by six basis points from 1.80% in the prior quarter to 1.86% in the current quarter, primarily due to growth in the higher yielding commercial loan portfolio[213]. Loan Portfolio and Growth - The loan portfolio reached $7.95 billion, a $46.2 million increase from the previous quarter, with commercial loans growing by 36.5% on an annualized basis[117]. - Total loans receivable reached $7,981,231 thousand, with a yield of 4.05%, reflecting an increase from $7,939,973 thousand and a yield of 4.00% in the previous quarter[207]. - Loans receivable, net rose by $46.2 million during the current quarter, with a shift towards commercial loans, which grew by $137.5 million[132]. - Total originated, refinanced, and purchased loans reached $335,521 thousand, with an overall weighted average rate of 6.85%[140]. Deposits and Borrowings - Total deposits increased by $76.1 million to $6.21 billion, primarily in retail savings accounts due to high-yield offerings[118]. - The deposit portfolio balance increased to $6,206,117 thousand at December 31, 2024, compared to $6,129,982 thousand at September 30, 2024[181]. - Total borrowings decreased by $15.8 million to $2.16 billion, with $2.91 billion in additional liquidity available[119]. - Total borrowings were $2.16 billion, consisting of $1.96 billion in fixed-rate FHLB advances and $200 million in variable-rate advances tied to interest rate swaps[185]. Asset Quality and Delinquency - The Bank's asset quality remained strong, with loans 30 to 89 days delinquent at 0.40% and loans 90 or more days delinquent at 0.13%[121]. - The total amount of loans 90 or more days delinquent or in foreclosure was $10.140 million, representing 0.13% of total loans[160]. - The delinquent loans for 30 to 89 days increased to $31,965 thousand as of December 31, 2024, compared to $16,030 thousand in September 2024, reflecting a rise in delinquency rates[157]. - Total nonaccrual loans increased to $11,361,000 from $10,092,000, representing a rise of 12.5%[160]. Efficiency and Expenses - The efficiency ratio improved to 57.86% from 92.86% in the prior year quarter, with an operating expense ratio of 1.14% compared to 1.18%[115]. - Non-interest expense increased slightly to $27.1 million, a 0.4% increase from $27.0 million in the prior quarter, driven by higher salaries and employee benefits[222]. - The Company's efficiency ratio improved to 57.86% from 59.29% in the prior quarter, indicating a more efficient operation due to higher net interest income[223]. - The provision for credit losses for the current quarter was $677 thousand, compared to a provision release of $637 thousand in the prior quarter, reflecting a $2.0 million increase in the allowance for loans[218]. Future Plans and Strategies - Management plans to launch new checking products and digital banking services for small businesses in the second quarter of fiscal year 2025[127]. - The Company anticipates sufficient taxable income in fiscal year 2025 to allow for earnings distributions to the holding company in fiscal year 2026[198]. - The Company has $75 million authorized for stock repurchase, with plans to extend the repurchase program through February 2026[196].

Core Viewpoint - Capitol Federal Financial (CFFN) has been upgraded to a Zacks Rank 2 (Buy), indicating a positive outlook driven by an upward trend in earnings estimates [1][3]. Earnings Estimates and Stock Price Impact - The Zacks rating system emphasizes the importance of changing earnings estimates as a key factor influencing stock prices, with a strong correlation between earnings estimate revisions and near-term stock movements [4][6]. - An increase in earnings estimates typically leads to higher fair value calculations by institutional investors, resulting in buying or selling actions that affect stock prices [4]. Company Performance Indicators - Capitol Federal is projected to earn $0.46 per share for the fiscal year ending September 2025, reflecting a year-over-year increase of 24.3% [8]. - Over the past three months, the Zacks Consensus Estimate for Capitol Federal has risen by 2.2%, indicating a positive trend in earnings expectations [8]. Zacks Rating System Overview - The Zacks Rank system classifies stocks into five groups based on earnings estimates, with a proven track record of Zacks Rank 1 stocks generating an average annual return of +25% since 1988 [7]. - The upgrade of Capitol Federal to a Zacks Rank 2 places it in the top 20% of Zacks-covered stocks, suggesting potential for market-beating returns in the near term [10].

Group 1: Earnings Performance - Capitol Federal Financial (CFFN) reported quarterly earnings of $0.12 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.11 per share, and up from $0.10 per share a year ago [1] - The earnings surprise for this quarter was 9.09%, following a previous quarter where the company reported earnings of $0.09 per share against an expectation of $0.07, resulting in a surprise of 28.57% [2] - Over the last four quarters, Capitol Federal has surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times [2] Group 2: Revenue Performance - The company posted revenues of $46.92 million for the quarter ended December 2024, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.74%, compared to year-ago revenues of $30.7 million [3] - Capitol Federal has also topped consensus revenue estimates two times over the last four quarters [3] Group 3: Stock Performance and Outlook - Capitol Federal shares have declined approximately 3.4% since the beginning of the year, while the S&P 500 has gained 3.2% [4] - The company's earnings outlook is mixed, with the current consensus EPS estimate for the coming quarter at $0.11 on revenues of $47.33 million, and $0.45 on revenues of $191.46 million for the current fiscal year [8] - The Zacks Industry Rank for Financial - Savings and Loan is currently in the top 12% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating a favorable outlook for the sector [9] Group 4: Competitor Insights - Berkshire Hills Bancorp (BHLB), another company in the same industry, is expected to report quarterly earnings of $0.54 per share, reflecting a year-over-year change of +14.9% [10] - The expected revenues for Berkshire Hills Bancorp are $104.59 million, which is a decrease of 16.7% from the year-ago quarter [11]

Financial Performance - The company reported net income of $15.4 million, or $0.12 per share, for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $3.4 million from the previous quarter[6]. - Net income for the three months ended December 31, 2024, was $15.4 million, a 506.8% increase from $2.5 million in the prior year[38]. - Net income for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, was $15.431 million, an increase from $12.057 million in the previous quarter[60]. - The effective tax rate decreased to 19.2% from 37.2% in the prior quarter, resulting in a significant reduction in income tax expense[17]. Income and Expenses - Interest and dividend income totaled $97.622 million, a $755 thousand increase from the previous quarter, primarily driven by an increase in the average balance of the commercial loan portfolio[4]. - Non-interest income decreased to $4.693 million, down $93 thousand from the previous quarter, with deposit service fees declining by 4.3%[12]. - Total non-interest expense increased slightly to $27.148 million, with salaries and employee benefits rising by 8.8% due to the accrual of incentive compensation[14]. - The company's efficiency ratio improved to 57.86% from 59.29% in the prior quarter, indicating better cost management relative to revenue generation[15]. Loan Portfolio and Credit Losses - The provision for credit losses was recorded at $677 thousand, compared to a provision release of $637 thousand in the prior quarter, reflecting a $2.0 million increase in the allowance for credit losses for loans[10]. - The Company recorded a provision for credit losses of $677 thousand during the current quarter, compared to $123 thousand for the prior year quarter[30]. - The allowance for credit losses (ACL) increased to $24.997 million, with a ratio of ACL to loans receivable at 0.31% as of December 31, 2024[91]. - The ratio of non-performing loans to total loans was 0.13% as of December 31, 2024, up from 0.12% in the previous quarter[85]. Asset and Liability Management - Total assets increased by 0.4% to $9.54 billion as of December 31, 2024, from $9.53 billion at the end of the previous quarter[40]. - Total interest-earning assets increased to $9,088,947 thousand with a net interest income of $42,230 thousand for the three months ended December 31, 2024, reflecting a net interest margin of 1.86%[63]. - Total interest-bearing liabilities reached $7,815,163 thousand with an average rate of 2.79% as of December 31, 2024[119]. - The total amount of non-maturity deposits was $2,735,138 thousand with an average rate of 0.88%[119]. Securities and Investments - The Company initiated a securities strategy by selling $1.30 billion of securities, representing 94% of its securities portfolio, and recognized an impairment loss of $192.6 million[23]. - The securities portfolio's ending balance was $861.5 million with a weighted average yield of 5.62%[101]. - The weighted average life (WAL) of the securities portfolio was estimated at 4.8 years as of December 31, 2024[100]. Dividends and Stockholder Equity - The company announced a cash dividend of $0.085 per share, payable on February 21, 2025, to stockholders of record as of February 7, 2025[6]. - Stockholders' equity totaled $1.03 billion at December 31, 2024, a decrease of $5.3 million from September 30, 2024, primarily due to a decrease in accumulated other comprehensive income[48]. - The Company intends to pay a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.085 per share for fiscal year 2025, totaling $0.34 per share for the year[51]. Market and Economic Conditions - Single-family origination activity has slowed, with originated loan balances decreasing due to high interest rates and limited housing inventory, impacting the one- to four-family loan portfolio[42]. - The one- to four-family originated loan portfolio is expected to continue decreasing due to ongoing housing affordability challenges[42]. - The bank anticipates funding approximately $87.5 million in commercial real estate and construction loans during the March 2025 quarter[76]. Delinquency and Non-Performing Assets - The total amount of loans 30 to 89 days delinquent was $31.965 million, representing 0.40% of total loans receivable[84]. - Non-performing assets totaled $11.361 million, accounting for 0.12% of total assets as of December 31, 2024[85]. - The increase in 30-89 day delinquent commercial real estate loans was primarily due to a $15.5 million Community Reinvestment Act loan[83].

Financial Performance - The Company reported a net loss for tax purposes for fiscal year 2024 due to the sale of securities in October 2023, resulting in negative current and accumulated earnings and profits[100]. - The Bank's ability to pay dividends and repurchase shares is contingent upon generating sufficient earnings and cash availability at the holding company level[99]. - The increase in commercial loans exposes the Bank to greater lending and credit risks, potentially impacting financial condition and results of operations[77]. Taxation - As of September 30, 2024, the Bank had $75.9 million in pre-1988 bad debt reserves, resulting in an unrecorded deferred tax liability of $15.9 million[58]. - The Kansas privilege tax rate for fiscal year 2024 is set at 4.5% of earnings, which will decrease to 4.18% starting in fiscal year 2025[60]. - Capitol Federal Financial, Inc. files a consolidated Kansas corporate tax return with a corporate tax rate of 4.0% plus a 3.0% surcharge on earnings over $50,000[59]. - The Company intends not to distribute earnings from the Bank to the Company during fiscal year 2025 to minimize tax associated with bad debt recapture[103]. Employee and Community Engagement - The Bank's total employees increased to 659, with a full-time equivalent of 636, up from 632 in the previous year[63]. - The Bank recorded over 3,690 hours of volunteer time by employees for local organizations and charities during fiscal year 2024[64]. - The Company actively promotes diversity and inclusion, with initiatives supported by the Board of Directors and an Inclusion Task Force[67]. Regulatory and Competitive Environment - The Company faces strong competition from local, regional, and national banks, which may limit growth and profitability[92]. - The Company is subject to extensive regulation, which may impose restrictions on operations and increase compliance costs[93]. Risk Management and Cybersecurity - The Company faces increasing information security risks due to evolving technologies and cyber threats, which could adversely affect business operations and reputation[81]. - The Bank has implemented a comprehensive cybersecurity risk management program to protect sensitive information and mitigate threats[116]. - The Bank conducts regular assessments and testing of cybersecurity policies and practices, including audits and vulnerability testing, to ensure effectiveness[119]. - A third-party risk program is in place to manage information security and privacy risks associated with third-party relationships, including assessments during onboarding and throughout the relationship lifecycle[120]. - The Bank faces ongoing malicious cyber activities, including unauthorized access attempts and phishing, which could materially impact operations and financial condition[121]. - The Board of Directors oversees cybersecurity risk management and receives annual comprehensive updates on IT status and cyber incidents from the Chief Information Officer[122]. - As of September 30, 2024, there were no known cybersecurity incidents that materially affected the Bank's business strategies or financial condition[124]. - The Bank's risk management and compliance programs may not effectively mitigate all risks, potentially affecting business performance[105]. - The Company is vulnerable to increasing fraud and financial crimes, which could materially impact results of operations[107]. - The Company relies heavily on technology, and failures in technology initiatives could adversely affect business performance[91].

Group 1 - Capitol Federal Financial, Inc. (CFFN) has seen a 21.6% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings over the last 60 days [1] - Controladora Vuela Compañía de Aviación (VLRS) has experienced a 30.2% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings over the last 60 days [1] - NB Bancorp, Inc. (NBBK) has had an 11% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings over the last 60 days [2] - GeneDx Holdings Corp. (WGS) has seen a significant 68% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings over the last 60 days [2] - Isabella Bank Corporation (ISBA) has experienced a 10.6% increase in the Zacks Consensus Estimate for its current year earnings over the last 60 days [3]

Company Performance - Capitol Federal Financial (CFFN) reported quarterly earnings of $0.09 per share, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.07 per share, and up from $0.04 per share a year ago, representing an earnings surprise of 28.57% [1] - The company posted revenues of $45.61 million for the quarter ended September 2024, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.46%, and compared to year-ago revenues of $35.65 million [1] - Over the last four quarters, Capitol Federal has surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times and topped consensus revenue estimates just once [1] Market Performance - Capitol Federal shares have declined approximately 5% since the beginning of the year, while the S&P 500 has gained 22.7% [2] - The current Zacks Rank for Capitol Federal is 3 (Hold), indicating that shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future [4] Earnings Outlook - The current consensus EPS estimate for the coming quarter is $0.09 on revenues of $45.93 million, and for the current fiscal year, it is $0.37 on revenues of $188.41 million [4] - The estimate revisions trend for Capitol Federal is mixed, and changes in estimates for the coming quarters and current fiscal year are anticipated following the recent earnings report [4] Industry Context - The Financial - Savings and Loan industry, to which Capitol Federal belongs, is currently in the top 22% of over 250 Zacks industries, indicating a favorable outlook compared to the bottom 50% [5] - Another company in the same industry, Flushing Financial (FFIC), is expected to report quarterly earnings of $0.18 per share, reflecting a year-over-year decline of 41.9% [5]

Financial Performance - For the quarter ended September 30, 2024, Capitol Federal Financial reported a net income of $12.1 million, or $0.09 per share, compared to $9.6 million, or $0.07 per share for the previous quarter, representing a 26.0% increase in net income [2]. - The fiscal year 2024 net income was $38.0 million, or $0.29 per share, a significant recovery from a net loss of $101.7 million, or $(0.76) per share in the prior year [13]. - The company announced a cash dividend of $0.085 per share, payable on November 15, 2024, to stockholders of record as of November 1, 2024 [1]. - For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2024, net income was $38.01 million, a significant increase of $139.67 million or 137.4% compared to a net loss of $101.66 million in the prior year [26]. Interest Income and Margin - The net interest margin improved to 1.80% for the quarter, up from 1.77% in the previous quarter, driven by better performance in the loan portfolio [2]. - Total interest and dividend income for the quarter was $96.867 million, an increase of 2.0% from $94.995 million in the prior quarter [4]. - Interest and dividend income increased by $17.1 million, or 4.7%, to $376.8 million, driven by a 10.2% increase in loans receivable income [17]. - The net interest margin increased by 34 basis points from 1.43% in the prior year to 1.77% in the current year, primarily due to the absence of the leverage strategy which negatively impacted the prior year's margin by 12 basis points [15]. Credit Losses and Asset Quality - The provision for credit losses for the quarter was a release of $637 thousand, compared to a provision expense of $1.5 million in the previous quarter, indicating improved asset quality [7]. - The provision for credit losses decreased to $1.3 million from $6.8 million in the prior year, reflecting a $1.9 million increase in reserves for off-balance sheet credit exposures [20]. - The company reported a total of 76 nonaccrual loans amounting to $10,092 million as of September 30, 2024, compared to 57 loans totaling $8,603 million a year earlier, reflecting a significant increase [73]. - The total non-performing assets as a percentage of total assets was 0.11% as of September 30, 2024, unchanged from the previous quarter [73]. Expenses and Efficiency - The efficiency ratio improved to 59.29% for the current quarter, down from 62.07% in the prior quarter, reflecting lower non-interest expenses [11]. - Total non-interest expense decreased to $27.040 million, down 3.3% from $27.950 million in the previous quarter [10]. - The company's efficiency ratio improved to 66.91% from (626.63)% in the prior year, with an adjusted ratio of 61.97% excluding net losses from the securities strategy [25]. Assets and Liabilities - Total assets decreased to $9.53 billion, down $649.9 million or 6.4% from September 30, 2023, primarily due to a $528.2 million decrease in securities [30]. - Total liabilities at September 30, 2024, were $8.50 billion, a decrease of $638.1 million from the previous year, mainly due to a $699.6 million decrease in borrowings [31]. - Stockholders' equity totaled $1.03 billion, a decrease of $11.8 million from September 30, 2023, attributed to share repurchases and dividend payments [35]. Shareholder Actions - The Company intends to pay a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.085 per share for fiscal year 2025, totaling $0.34 per share for the year [37]. - The Company repurchased 3,280,110 shares of common stock at an average price of $5.87 per share during the current year, with $75.0 million authorized for future repurchases [38]. - The Board of Directors will consider additional dividends if earnings in fiscal year 2025 exceed $0.34 per share [37]. Loan Portfolio and Originations - Loan originations for one- to four-family and consumer loans totaled $102.08 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, with a rate of 6.56% [33]. - The bank originated commercial loans totaling $350.6 million during the year ended September 30, 2024, including $156.4 million in commercial construction real estate loans [61]. - The total gross loan amount as of September 30, 2024, was $1,379.3 million, an increase from $1,562.9 million as of September 30, 2023, reflecting a growth of approximately 14.7% [65]. Risk and Uncertainties - The company faces various risks and uncertainties that could affect future earnings and capital levels, including regulatory changes and market conditions [42]. - Management applied qualitative factors to account for large dollar commercial loan concentrations and potential downside market risks related to housing price appreciation [81][82]. Securities and Investments - The company initiated a securities strategy by selling $1.30 billion of securities, recognizing an impairment loss of $192.6 million, and redeploying proceeds into higher-yielding securities [16]. - Fixed-rate securities comprised 95% of the securities portfolio, with a total carrying value of $829.9 million and a weighted average yield of 5.63% as of September 30, 2024 [87].

Financial Performance - The Company recognized net income of $26.0 million, or $0.20 per share, for the current year period, down from $38.7 million, or $0.29 per share, in the prior year period [111]. - For the quarter ended June 30, 2024, the Company reported net income of $9.6 million, or $0.07 per share, down from $13.8 million, or $0.11 per share in the previous quarter [183]. - The company reported net income of $26.0 million, or $0.20 per share, for the nine months ended June 30, 2024, compared to $38.7 million, or $0.29 per share, for the same period in 2023 [199]. - Net income decreased to $9,648 thousand, down 29.9% from $13,762 thousand in the prior quarter, influenced by a higher income tax expense [192]. - The effective tax rate increased to 38.2% from 20.1% in the previous quarter, primarily due to recording $2.9 million of income taxes on earnings distributions [192]. Securities Transactions - The Company sold $1.30 billion of securities, representing 94% of its securities portfolio, and recognized an impairment loss of $192.6 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 [109]. - The Company completed the sale of securities and recognized an additional loss of $13.3 million ($10.0 million net of tax), or $0.08 per share, related to the sale [109]. - The net loss from securities transactions was $13,345 thousand [161]. - The company recorded a net loss from securities transactions of $13,345,000, with no similar transaction in the prior year [205]. Interest Income and Margin - The net interest margin increased by 27 basis points from 1.50% in the prior year period to 1.77% in the current year period, primarily due to higher yields on securities and loans [113]. - The net interest margin decreased from 1.82% to 1.77% due to rising costs of retail certificates of deposit [183]. - The net interest margin improved to 1.77%, up from 1.50% in the previous period [212]. - The average yield for total interest-earning assets was 4.20% as of June 30, 2024, with total interest-earning assets amounting to $9.18 billion [267]. Loan Portfolio - The loan portfolio was $7.93 billion, a decrease of $37.9 million, with a $214.4 million drop in one- to four-family loans, partially offset by a $177.9 million increase in commercial loans [115]. - Total originated, refinanced, and purchased/participations for the nine months ended June 30, 2024, amounted to $1,393,732, with a weighted average rate of 5.67% [132]. - The total fixed-rate loans for the nine months ended June 30, 2024, were $577,271, representing 35.7% of total loans, with a weighted average rate of 5.68% [132]. - The total adjustable-rate loans for the nine months ended June 30, 2024, were $816,461, accounting for 64.3% of total loans, with a weighted average rate of 5.66% [132]. Deposits and Borrowings - Total deposits increased by $78.4 million to $6.13 billion, driven mainly by retail certificates of deposit [116]. - Total borrowings decreased by $587.5 million to $2.29 billion, primarily due to the repayment of $500 million in borrowings under the BTFP [117]. - As of June 30, 2024, total deposits amounted to $6.13 billion, with a year-over-year increase in retail certificates of deposit to $2.77 billion, representing 45.2% of total deposits [162]. - Total borrowings at June 30, 2024, were $2.29 billion, including $1.99 billion in fixed-rate FHLB advances [164]. Efficiency and Expenses - The Company's efficiency ratio was 69.77% for the current year period compared to 61.78% for the prior year period, with a potential adjusted efficiency ratio of 62.87% excluding the net loss from the securities strategy [114]. - The efficiency ratio for the quarter was 62.07%, slightly up from 61.89% in the previous quarter [181]. - Total non-interest expense decreased to $27,950 thousand, down 1.7% from $28,445 thousand, reflecting lower costs in various categories [189]. - The efficiency ratio increased to 69.77% from 61.78%, primarily due to lower non-interest income [208]. Credit Quality and Losses - The total allowance for credit losses (ACL) ratio to loans receivable was 0.33% as of September 30, 2023 [152]. - The provision for credit losses was $2,133 thousand for the current period, down from $6,054 thousand in the prior year [154]. - The provision for credit losses increased to $1.472 million, reflecting growth in commercial loans [181]. - The total amount of non-performing assets was $8,603,000, which is 0.09% of total assets [148]. Digital Transformation and Services - The digital transformation implemented in August 2023 led to a 60% increase in online deposit accounts opened compared to the prior fiscal year [120]. - The integration of Zelle into the Bank's digital platform resulted in a 37% increase in settlement volume quarter over quarter [120]. - The Bank is now accepting credits from two instant payment networks, RTP® and FedNow®, enhancing consumer banking services [121]. Capital and Equity - Stockholders' equity totaled $1.02 billion at June 30, 2024, a decrease of $23.4 million from September 30, 2023, due to share repurchases and dividend payments [173]. - The Bank's community bank leverage ratio (CBLR) was 9.1% as of June 30, 2024, exceeding regulatory capital requirements [174]. - Approximately $751.2 million, or 12% of the bank's deposit balance, was uninsured as of June 30, 2024 [163].