Great Southern Bancorp(US:GSBC) ZACKSยท2025-04-23 11:15Core Viewpoint - Great Southern Bancorp, Inc. (GSBC) is currently on sale amid a stock market sell-off, with a Zacks Rank of 1 (Strong Buy) and expected earnings growth of 7.6% in 2025 [1][13]. Company Overview - Great Southern Bancorp is the holding company for Great Southern Bank, founded in 1923 in Springfield, Missouri, and has expanded to 97 offices across 12 states [1]. - The company has a market capitalization of $619 million [3]. Financial Performance - In the first quarter of 2025, Great Southern Bancorp reported preliminary earnings of $1.47, exceeding the Zacks Consensus estimate of $1.26 by $0.21 [4]. - The company has beaten earnings estimates in 4 out of the last 5 quarters [5]. - Net interest income for the quarter increased by $4.5 million, or approximately 10.1%, to $49.3 million compared to $44.8 million a year ago, driven by higher interest income on loans and lower interest expenses on deposits [5]. - Total interest income for the first quarter of 2025 was $80.2 million, reflecting higher earning asset levels and loan yields [8]. Asset Quality - As of March 31, 2025, non-performing assets totaled $9.5 million, or 0.16% of total assets, a slight decrease from $9.6 million as of December 31, 2024 [6]. - Problematic loans, including non-performing assets and potential problem loans, amounted to $17 million as of March 31, 2025, an increase from $16.6 million at the end of 2024 [5]. Shareholder Focus - In the first quarter of 2025, the company repurchased 175,000 shares and announced a new stock repurchase program of up to one million additional shares [10]. - The company currently pays a dividend with a yield of 3% [12]. Analyst Outlook - Analysts have revised their estimates for 2025, increasing the Zacks Consensus Estimate from $5.25 to $5.66, indicating an earnings growth of 7.6% from $5.26 in 2024 [13][14]. Valuation Metrics - Great Southern Bancorp's shares have pulled back in 2025, with a price-to-earnings ratio of 9.4, considered cheap [15][18]. - The company has a price-to-book ratio of 1.04, which is close to the threshold of 1.0, indicating a potentially attractive valuation [19].