Capital One Shares Slide 6% After Brex Acquisition Plan and Earnings Miss

Core Viewpoint - Capital One Financial's shares dropped over 6% after announcing the acquisition of Brex Inc. for $5.15 billion and reporting fourth-quarter earnings that fell short of expectations [1][2]. Acquisition Details - Capital One has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Brex, a corporate credit card specialist, for $5.15 billion, structured as approximately 50% cash and 50% stock [2]. - This acquisition is seen as a strategic move to diversify Capital One's revenue sources beyond consumer lending, potentially enhancing resilience during economic downturns [2]. Fourth Quarter Earnings - For Q4 2025, Capital One reported adjusted earnings per share of $3.86, which was below the analyst consensus estimate of $4.17 [3]. - The company's revenue for the quarter totaled $15.6 billion, slightly exceeding expectations of $15.47 billion and higher than the same period last year [3]. Credit Losses and Loan Growth - The provision for credit losses increased by $1.4 billion to $4.1 billion, which includes $3.8 billion in net charge-offs and a $302 million increase in loan reserves [4]. - Loans held for investment rose by 2% to $453.6 billion, with credit card loans increasing by 3% to $279.6 billion [4]. - Total deposits grew by 1% to $475.8 billion [4]. Financial Ratios and Annual Performance - The net interest margin declined by 10 basis points from the previous quarter to 8.26% [5]. - As of December 31, 2025, the Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio was reported at 14.3% under the Basel III standardized framework [5]. - For the full year 2025, Capital One experienced a 37% increase in total net revenue to $53.4 billion, while total non-interest expenses rose by 42% to $30.5 billion [5].