Operating Highlights
Net interest income totaled $21.5 million for the third quarter of 2026, an increase of $862 thousand, or 4.2%, from $20.7 million for the second quarter of 2026, and an increase of $2.3 million, or 12.2% from the third quarter of 2025. The Company’s net interest margin increased by 4 basis points to 3.70% for the third quarter of 2026, compared to 3.66% for the second quarter of 2026, and increased 12 basis points from the third quarter of 2025.
The yield on average interest-earning assets for the third quarter of 2026 increased to 5.99% from 5.94% for the second quarter of 2026. This increase was primarily related to an overall yield increase in average interest-earning assets across the board, principally investment securities, LHFI and loans held-for-sale ("LHFS"). Compared to the third quarter of 2025, yields on earning assets decreased 15 basis points to 5.99% from 6.14%. The decrease was primarily attributable to interest rate cuts during 2025, notwithstanding $186.0 million of growth in average total earning assets.
The Company’s total cost of funds was 2.51% for the third quarter of 2026, an increase of 1 basis point compared to the second quarter of 2026, and a decrease of 28 basis points compared to the third quarter of 2025. Deposit costs were 2.48% for the third quarter of 2026, similar to 2.48% for the second quarter of 2026, and compared to 2.72% for the third quarter of 2025, a decrease of 24 basis points from the third quarter of 2025. The cost of interest-bearing deposits increased 2 basis points during the third quarter of 2026 to 2.97%, compared with 2.95% in the second quarter of 2026, reflecting continued repricing of our interest-bearing deposits to align with competitive rate pressure associated with the markets expectation of the Federal Reserve hiking rates during the third quarter of 2026.
Noninterest income totaled $3.3 million for the third quarter of 2026, an increase of $1.1 million, or 51.2%, from the second quarter of 2026, primarily attributable to an increase in gain on sale of government guaranteed loans by $1.3 million; offset by a net decrease in other categories within noninterest income. Noninterest expense totaled $13.7 million for the third quarter of 2026, an increase of $336 thousand, or 2.5%, from the second quarter of 2026. This increase was primarily due to higher salaries and employee benefits of $299 thousand, coupled with a net increase in other noninterest expense categories. The Company continues to focus on organic growth and expansion through banker recruiting across the franchise.
The Company’s effective tax rate for the third quarter of 2026 was 24.2%, compared to 17.0% for the second quarter of 2026, and 23.2% for the third quarter of 2025. The increase in effective tax rate from the second quarter of 2026 was primarily due to a reduction in the deferred tax asset related to state taxes during the third quarter of 2026 of approximately $641 thousand. Excluding discrete items related to this write-down and stock based compensation activity, the Company's effective tax rate at the end of the third quarter of 2026 was 20.05%.
Balance Sheet Trends
Total assets were $2.42 billion at September 30, 2026, an increase of approximately $117.2 million, or 5.1%, from $2.31 billion at December 31, 2025. LHFS were $142.4 million at September 30, 2026, a decrease of $28.5 million, or 16.7%, from $170.9 million at December 31, 2025. Gross LHFI were $1.79 billion at September 30, 2026, an increase of approximately $169.6 million, or 10.5%, from $1.62 billion at December 31, 2025.
Total deposits were $2.10 billion at September 30, 2026, an increase of $113.1 million, or 5.7%, from $1.99 billion at December 31, 2025. Noninterest-bearing deposits were $340.4 million at September 30, 2026, or 16.2% of total deposits, compared to $312.3 million, or 15.7% of total deposits, at December 31, 2025. Brokered certificates of deposit, a component of time deposits, were $257.0 million at September 30, 2026, as compared to $307.0 million at December 31, 2025, a decrease of $50.0 million, or 16.3%.
Credit Quality
During the third quarter of 2026, the Company recorded a recovery for credit losses of $429 thousand, compared to a provision for credit losses of $658 thousand and $653 thousand during the second quarter of 2026 and the third quarter of 2025, respectively. The recovery for credit losses recorded during the third quarter of 2026 was due to changes in the economic forecast and loan mix, offset by new loan production. The Company's annualized net charge-offs to average LHFI ratio was 0.01% for the third quarter of 2026 as compared to 0.01% and 0.03% during the second quarter of 2026 and the third quarter of 2025, respectively.
Nonperforming assets totaled $15.1 million, or 0.62% of total assets, at September 30, 2026 compared to $18.3 million, or 0.79% of total assets at December 31, 2025. The decrease in nonperforming loans was primarily due to a $4.2 million paydown of one nonaccrual senior housing loan, offset by modest additions to nonaccrual loans. Adjusted nonperforming assets3, which excludes the guaranteed portions of nonaccrual loans, was $10.9 million, or 0.45% of total assets, at September 30, 2026 compared to $14.2 million, or 0.62% of total assets, at December 31, 2025.