Popular Q3 Earnings Beat on Strong NII & Fee Income Growth Y/Y

Core Insights - Popular, Inc. (BPOP) reported Q3 2025 EPS of $3.14, exceeding the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $3.04 and up from $2.16 in the same quarter last year [1][10] - The increase in earnings was driven by higher net interest income (NII), fee income, and loan balances, although challenges included lower deposit balances, increased operating expenses, and higher provisions [1][9] Financial Performance - Net income on a GAAP basis was $211.3 million, reflecting a 36% year-over-year increase [2] - Total quarterly revenues reached $817.7 million, an 11% increase from the previous year [3] - Quarterly NII was $646.5 million, up 12.9% year over year, with the net interest margin expanding by 27 basis points to 3.51% [3] - Non-interest income rose 4.3% year over year to $171.2 million, driven by increased service charges, mortgage banking activities, and other operating income [4] - Total operating expenses increased by 5.9% year over year to $495.3 million, primarily due to higher personnel costs and business promotion expenses [4] Loan and Deposit Trends - As of September 30, 2025, total loans held-in-portfolio increased by 1.3% sequentially to $37.9 billion [5] - Total deposits decreased by 1% from the previous quarter to $66.5 billion [5] Credit Quality - The provision for credit losses was $74.5 million, up 2.4% from the prior-year quarter [6] - Non-performing assets increased by 28.4% year over year to $545.1 million, with a non-performing assets to total assets ratio of 0.73% compared to 0.60% a year ago [6] Capital Ratios - As of September 30, 2025, the Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio and Tier 1 capital ratio were 15.79% and 15.84%, respectively, down from 16.42% and 16.48% in the previous year [7] Share Repurchase Activity - In the reported quarter, the company repurchased 1,000,862 shares of common stock for $119.4 million [8] Strategic Outlook - The company is positioned to benefit from business transformation initiatives and modernization of customer channels, although the decline in deposit balances and elevated expenses may impact near-term growth [9]