Cullen/Frost Bankers(US:CFR)2026-01-29 20:00Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - In Q2 2025, Cullen Frost earned $155.3 million or $2.39 per share, compared to $143.8 million or $2.21 per share in Q2 2024, representing a year-over-year increase of 8.8% in earnings per share [4] - Return on average assets was 1.22% and return on average common equity was 15.64%, compared to 1.18% and 17.08% in the same quarter last year [4] - Average deposits increased by 3.1% to $41.8 billion from $40.5 billion year-over-year, while average loans grew by 7.2% to $21.1 billion from $19.7 billion [5] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Consumer deposits grew by 3.7% year-over-year, with checking household growth at an industry-leading rate of 5.4% [7][8] - The consumer real estate loan portfolio increased by $600 million year-over-year, achieving a growth rate of 22% [8] - Average loan balances in the commercial business grew by 4.9% year-over-year, with notable increases in commercial real estate (CRE) balances by 6.8% and energy balances by 22% [9] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Expansion efforts contributed to 37% of total loan growth and 44% of total deposit growth year-over-year [13] - The expansion now represents 9.6% of company loans and 6.6% of company deposits [7] - The company recorded 1,060 new commercial relationships in Q2, marking a 9% increase over Q1 [10] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company continues to focus on organic growth through expansion in Texas, having opened its 200th location [5][6] - Management emphasizes a durable and scalable strategy, with plans to continue identifying new locations to enhance customer value [6] - The company is not currently interested in pursuing M&A, preferring to focus on organic growth and customer service [80][82] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expects net interest income growth for the full year to be in the range of 6%-7%, despite anticipated Fed rate cuts [19] - The company anticipates that the rate of growth in expenses will decrease over time as investments in technology and expansion begin to pay off [41] - Management is optimistic about the economic outlook and believes that the legacy part of the business will benefit from an improving economy [43] Other Important Information - Non-performing assets decreased to $64 million from $85 million at year-end, indicating improved credit quality [11] - The net unrealized loss on the available-for-sale portfolio was $1.42 billion, slightly up from $1.4 billion in the previous quarter [15] - The company expects to maintain a stable effective tax rate of 16%-17% for the full year 2025 [20] Q&A Session Summary Question: What are the current trends in loan pricing and competition? - Management noted increased competition in commercial real estate, leading to price compression, but emphasized the importance of maintaining a strong balance sheet and protecting the portfolio [28][29] Question: How is the company approaching capital growth and utilization? - The focus remains on building capital, with a priority on protecting dividends. There are no immediate plans for stock repurchase [30][32] Question: When can shareholders expect to see benefits from recent investments? - Management expects accretion from expansion efforts to begin in 2026, with a gradual increase over time rather than a one-time boost [40] Question: What is the outlook for deposit growth and competition? - Management is optimistic about deposit growth returning to seasonal trends, with expectations for commercial customers to build up their DDA balances in the latter half of the year [47][48] Question: How does the company view M&A activity in the current market? - The company is not interested in pursuing M&A, preferring to focus on organic growth strategies that have proven effective [80][82]