RUSTON, La., Oct. 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Century Next Financial Corporation (the "Company") (OTCQX: CTUY), the holding company of Century Next Bank, with $904.15 million in assets, today announced financial results for the 3rd quarter ended September 30, 2025.
Financial Performance
For the three months ended September 30, 2025, the Company had net income after tax of $4.27 million compared to net income of $3.02 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, an increase of $1.25 million or 41.3%. Earnings per share (EPS) for the three months ended September 30, 2025 were $2.33 per basic share and $2.30 per diluted share compared to $1.67 per basic and diluted share reported for the three months ended September 30, 2024.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2025, the Company had net income after tax of $11.66 million compared to net income of $8.75 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024, an increase of $2.91 million or 33.3%. Earnings per share (EPS) for the nine months ended September 30, 2025 were $6.38 per basic share and $6.31 per diluted share compared to $4.85 per basic and diluted share reported for the nine months ended September 30, 2024.
Balance Sheet
Overall, total assets increased by $34.75 million or 4.0% to $904.15 million at September 30, 2025 compared to $869.4 million at December 31, 2024.
Total cash and cash equivalents decreased from $125.7 million at December 31, 2024 to $92.1 million at September 30, 2025 for a decrease of $33.6 million or 26.7%. Investment securities, primarily available-for-sale, increased by $47.1 million to $145.5 million at September 30, 2025 from $98.5 million at December 31, 2024. The growth in available-for-sale investment securities for the nine months ending September 30, 2025 adds to the strength to the Company's liquidity position. In addition, investments provided a more stable yield from fixed rates compared to the floating rate on interest-bearing deposits in banks, primarily the Federal Reserve account as rates move up or down.
Loans, net of deferred fees and costs and allowance for credit losses, including loans held for sale, increased $19.4 million or 3.20% for the nine months ended September 30, 2025 compared to December 31, 2024. Total net loans at September 30, 2025 were $624.8 million compared to $605.4 million at December 31, 2024. Of total net loans outstanding for the nine-month ended September 30, 2025, residential 1-4 family loans increased $12.1 million, followed a $6.1 million increase in land loans, a $2.7 million increase in residential construction loans, a $2.4 million increase in consumer loans, a $2.0 million increase in multi-family loans, $1.7 million increase in commercial real estate loans, and a $1.4 million increase in residential 1-4 family held for sale loans. The increases were offset by decreases of $7.2 million in commercial loans and a combined decrease of $1.4 million in agriculture loans and home equity lines of credit loans for the nine months ended September 30, 2025.
Deposit growth was strong for the nine months ended September 30, 2025 as total deposits increased by $20.1 million or 2.6% to $790.8 million at September 30, 2025 compared to $770.7 million at December 31, 2024. Noninterest-bearing checking increased $32.3 million, money market increased $684,000, and savings increased $691,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2025. The increases were offset by decreases of $13.0 million in interest-bearing deposits and $679,000 in time deposit accounts for the nine months ended September 30, 2025.
Total long-term borrowings remained the same at $8.5 million at September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024.
Income Statement
Net interest income was $9.98 million for the three months ending September 30, 2025 compared to $8.5 million for the three months ending September 30, 2024 for an increase of $1.5 million, or 17.8%. Net interest income was $28.8 million for the nine months ending September 30, 2025 compared to $24.2 million for the nine months ending September 30, 2024 for an increase of $4.6 million, or 19.0%.
Several key operating ratios increased for the three- and nine-month periods ending September 30, 2025 compared to the same periods ending September 30, 2024 as displayed in the following table:
| Three Months Ended September 30 | Nine Months Ended September 30 | ||||||||||||||
| Select Operating Ratios | 2025 | 2024 | 2025 | 2024 | |||||||||||
| Average Yield on Interest-Earning Assets | 6.10 | % | 6.14 | % | 6.01 | % | 6.14 | % | |||||||
| Average Cost of Interest-Bearing Liabilities | 3.08 | % | 3.45 | % | 3.10 | % | 3.41 | % | |||||||
| Net Interest Margin | 4.51 | % | 4.19 | % | 4.39 | % | 4.15 | % | |||||||
The decrease in yield on earning assets and cost of interest-bearing liabilities were both the result of continuing slightly declining rates from new and renewing assets and liabilities over the comparative periods. The net interest margin improved significantly in both the three- and nine-month periods ending September 30, 2025 compared to the same periods in 2024.
For the three months ending September 30, 2025, a provision for credit losses of $265,000 was expensed. A provision for credit losses of $270,000 was expensed for the three months ending September 30,2024. For the nine months ending September 30, 2025, a provision for credit losses of $563,000 compared to $420,000 was expensed for the nine months ending September 30, 2024.
Total non-interest income was $1.15 million for the three months ending September 30, 2025 compared to $846,000 for the three months ending September 30, 2024, an increase of $300,000 or 35.5%. Total non-interest income was $2.57 million for the nine months ending September 30, 2024 compared to $2.83 million for the nine months ending September 30, 2025, an increase of $261,000 or 10.2%. The increases in non-interest income for the three- and nine-month periods ending September 30, 2025 were primarily from a gain on repossession of foreclosed assets as compared to a loss on the sale of foreclosed assets for the same periods in 2024.
Total non-interest expense increased by $304,000 or 5.8% to $5.56 million for the three months ending September 30, 2025 compared to $5.25 million for the three months ending September 30, 2024. Total non-interest expense increased by $1.0 million or 6.5% to $16.44 million for the nine months ending September 30, 2025 compared to $15.43 million for the nine months ending September 30, 2024. The increases in both the three- and nine-month periods ending September 30, 2025 was primarily due to increases in expenses from salaries and benefits, occupancy and equipment, data processing, advertising, and various other operating expenses as compared to the same periods in 2024.
The Company's efficiency ratio, a measure of expense as a percent of total income, decreased substantially to 49.96% for the three months ending September 30, 2025 compared to 56.38% for the three months ending September 30, 2024. For the nine months ending September 30, 2025, the efficiency ratio decreased to 51.97% compared to 57.67% for the nine months ending September 30, 2024. The increase in net interest income, as previously discussed above, for the comparative periods was the primarily driver of this reduction of the efficiency ratio.
Other Financial Information
Nonperforming assets, including loans past due 90 days or more, nonaccrual loans, and foreclosed assets, increased from $3.98 million at December 31, 2024 to $4.39 million at September 30, 2025, an increase of $415,000 or 10.4%. Total non-performing assets were 0.49% and 0.46% of total assets as of September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively. Included in the increase of non-performing assets was a repossession of commercial real estate property with a fair value of $2.9 million at the date of repossession. The aforementioned repossession includes a recognized gain on repossession of $255,000 before taxes. A sales contract has since been entered into for the sale of this property with an anticipated closing date of December 2025.
Allowance for credit losses under CECL was $6.91 million or 1.09% of total loans at September 30, 2025 compared to $6.54 million or 1.07% of total loans at December 31, 2024. Net charge offs for the nine months ending September 30, 2025 were $192,000, compared net recoveries of $67,000 for the nine months ending September 30, 2024. The ratio of net charge-offs to average loans outstanding was 0.031% at September 30, 2025 compared to the ratio of net recoveries to average loans outstanding was -0.011% for the same period of 2024.
Company Information
Century Next Financial Corporation is the holding company for Century Next Bank (the "Bank") which conducts business from its main office in Ruston, Louisiana. The Company was formed in 2010 and is subject to the regulatory oversight of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. The Bank is a wholly-owned subsidiary and is an insured federally-chartered covered savings association subject to the regulatory oversight of the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency. The Bank was established in 1905 and is headquartered in Ruston, Louisiana. The Bank is a full-service bank with four locations in Louisiana including two banking offices in Ruston, one banking office in Monroe, one banking office in West Monroe, and three locations in Arkansas including two banking offices in Crossett and one banking office in Hamburg. The Bank emphasizes professional and personal banking service directed primarily to small and medium-sized businesses, professionals, and individuals. The Bank provides a full range of banking services including its primary business of real estate lending to residential and commercial customers.
Statements contained in this news release which are not historical facts may be forward-looking statements as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They often include words like "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," and "intend" or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "would," "should," "could," or "may." We undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statements
Century Next Financial Corporation and Subsidiary
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (unaudited)
(In thousands, except per share data)
| September 30, 2025 | December 31, 2024 | |||||
| ASSETS | ||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | $ | 92,062 | $ | 125,675 | ||
| Investment securities | 146,436 | 100,623 | ||||
| Loans, net | 624,837 | 605,439 | ||||
| Other assets | 40,811 | 37,663 | ||||
| TOTAL ASSETS | $ | 904,146 | $ | 869,400 | ||
| LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY | ||||||
| Deposits | $ | 790,763 | $ | 770,710 | ||
| Long-term borrowings | 8,454 | 8,454 | ||||
| Other liabilities | 8,361 | 7,174 | ||||
| Total Liabilities | 807,578 | 786,338 | ||||
| Stockholders' equity | 96,568 | 83,062 | ||||
| TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY | $ | 904,146 | $ | 869,400 | ||
| Book Value per share | $ | 52.11 | $ | 45.10 | ||
| Tangible Book Value per share | $ | 50.50 | $ | 43.38 | ||
Century Next Financial Corporation and Subsidiary
Consolidated Statements of Income (unaudited)
(In thousands, except per share data)
| Three Months Ended September 30 | Nine Months Ended September 30 | ||||||||||||||
| 2025 | 2024 | 2025 | 2024 | ||||||||||||
| Interest Income | $ | 13,505 | $ | 12,412 | $ | 39,373 | $ | 35,842 | |||||||
| Interest Expense | 3,528 | 3,941 | 10,577 | 11,651 | |||||||||||
| Net Interest Income | 9,977 | 8,471 | 28,796 | 24,191 | |||||||||||
| Provision for Credit Losses | 265 | 270 | 563 | 420 | |||||||||||
| Net Interest Income after Provision for Credit Losses | 9,712 | 8,201 | 28,233 | 23,771 | |||||||||||
| Noninterest Income | 1,146 | 846 | 2,832 | 2,571 | |||||||||||
| Noninterest Expense | 5,557 | 5,253 | 16,437 | 15,433 | |||||||||||
| Income Before Taxes | 5,301 | 3,794 | 14,628 | 10,909 | |||||||||||
| Provision For Income Taxes | 1,031 | 773 | 2,970 | 2,163 | |||||||||||
| NET INCOME | $ | 4,270 | $ | 3,021 | $ | 11,658 | $ | 8,746 | |||||||
| EARNINGS PER SHARE | |||||||||||||||
| Basic | $ | 2.33 | $ | 1.67 | $ | 6.38 | $ | 4.85 | |||||||
| Diluted | $ | 2.30 | $ | 1.67 | $ | 6.31 | $ | 4.85 | |||||||
| Key Ratios: | |||||||||||||||
| Annualized Return on Average Assets | 1.71 | % | 1.44 | % | |||||||||||
| Annualized Return on Average Equity | 17.44 | % | 15.31 | % | |||||||||||
| Annualized Net Interest Margin | 4.39 | % | 4.15 | % | |||||||||||
| Efficiency Ratio | 51.97 | % | 57.67 | % | |||||||||||
| Three Months Ended September 30 | Nine Months Ended September 30 | ||||||||||||||
| Select Operating Ratios | 2025 | 2024 | 2025 | 2024 | |||||||||||
| Average Yield on Interest-Earning Assets | 6.10 | % | 6.14 | % | 6.01 | % | 6.14 | % | |||||||
| Average Cost of Interest-Bearing Liabilities | 3.08 | % | 3.45 | % | 3.10 | % | 3.41 | % | |||||||
| Net Interest Margin | 4.51 | % | 4.19 | % | 4.39 | % | 4.15 | % | |||||||
Century Next Financial Corporation Contact Information:
William D. Hogan, President & Chief Executive Officer or
Mark A. Taylor, CPA CGMA, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
(318) 255-3733
Company Website: www.cnext.bank
