Great Southern Bancorp(US:GSBC)2026-01-22 21:00Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - For Q4 2025, the company reported net income of $16.3 million or $1.45 per diluted common share, an increase from $14.9 million or $1.27 per diluted common share in Q4 2024 [3][10] - Full-year net income for 2025 totaled $71 million or $6.19 per diluted common share, up from $61.8 million or $5.26 per diluted common share in 2024 [10][18] - Net interest income for Q4 2025 was $49.2 million, a slight decrease of $371,000 or 0.7% compared to the prior year quarter [4][11] - The efficiency ratio improved to 63.89% in Q4 2025 from 65.43% in Q4 2024 [15] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Net loans receivable decreased to $4.336 billion at year-end, down $333.5 million or 7.1% from the previous year, with declines in multifamily residential, commercial construction, and commercial business loans [5][16] - Total deposits decreased by $122.8 million or 2.7% to $4.48 billion, primarily due to a decline in brokered deposits [16][17] - Non-interest income increased to $7.2 million in Q4 2025 from $6.9 million in Q4 2024, driven by higher late charges and fees [12][13] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Non-performing assets represented 0.15% of total assets at year-end, consistent with both the linked quarter and prior year quarter [7][17] - The company maintained strong liquidity with cash and cash equivalents totaling $189.6 million and access to approximately $1.63 billion of additional borrowing capacity [16] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company remains focused on preserving net interest margins, protecting credit quality, controlling non-interest expenses, and opportunistically repurchasing stock [3][9] - Management emphasized a conservative underwriting posture and a focus on pricing, structure, and borrower stream to navigate economic pressures [5][9] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management acknowledged that loan growth may remain challenging due to elevated payoffs and competitive market conditions, but expressed confidence in the company's conservative approach and sound balance sheet management [9][30] - The company did not record a provision for credit losses on outstanding loans in 2025, reflecting stable borrower performance [18] Other Important Information - Stockholders' equity increased to $636.1 million at year-end 2025, representing 11.4% of total assets, with a book value per common share of $57.50 [18][19] - The board declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.43 per common share, consistent with the previous quarter [20] Q&A Session Summary Question: Regarding the margin and its outlook for 2026 - Management noted that they performed better than expected in Q4 2025, managing funding costs proactively and seeing some loans redeployed at higher rates [25][26] Question: Expectations for loan growth and payoffs - Management indicated that loan growth would remain challenging, with good activity but elevated payoffs continuing to impact net growth [30][31] Question: Future expenses and potential increases - Management acknowledged that there would likely be an uptick in expenses due to annual increases in salaries and benefits [35]