RUSTON, La., Jan. 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Century Next Financial Corporation (the "Company") (OTCQX: CTUY), the holding company of Century Next Bank, with $876.9 million in assets, today announced financial results for the year ended December 31, 2025.
Financial Performance
For the year ended December 31, 2025, the Company had net income after tax of $15.53 million compared to net income of $12.14 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $3.38 million or 27.9%. Earnings per share (EPS) for the year ended December 31, 2025 were $8.48 per basic and $8.34 per diluted share compared to $6.72 per basic and $6.69 per diluted share reported for the year ended December 31, 2024.
Bill Hogan, President & CEO commented, "This year's performance was outstanding and exceeded our expectations in many areas. Net income set another all-time record for the Company. In addition, the net interest margin increased strongly. We are so proud of our Team! Our focus in 2025 was deploying our assets with the right mix to improve earnings for our shareholders. We were definitely successful in achieving this focus. At the same time, we worked to provide more opportunity for customers through access to lending and a greater choice in deposit products. Our Priority Checking, for those customers looking for a better return on their deposits, was the star of the deposit lineup with strong growth in 2025. We are ready as we enter 2026 to continue improving in all areas and providing great service to our customers while building more value for our shareholders."
Balance Sheet
Overall, total assets increased by $7.5 million or 0.9% to $876.9 million at December 31, 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 $48.3 million at December 31, 2025 for a decrease of $77.4 million or 61.6%. This use of cash and cash equivalents was deployed to higher yielding, more longer-term assets. Investment securities, primarily available-for-sale, increased by $43.6 million to $142.1 million at December 31, 2025 from $98.5 million at December 31, 2024. The growth in available-for-sale investment securities for the year ending December 31, 2025 continues to strengthen the Company's liquidity position.
Loans, net of deferred fees and costs and allowance for credit losses, including loans held for sale, increased $39.5 million or 6.5% for the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to December 31, 2024. Total net loans at December 31, 2025 were $644.9 million compared to $605.4 million at December 31, 2024. Of total net loans outstanding for the year ended December 31, 2025, loans secured by residential 1-4 family increased $26.9 million, commercial real estate loans increased $15.5 million, agricultural real estate loans increased $6.0 million, land loans increased $3.2 million, multi-family loans increased $1.3 million, consumer non-real estate loans increased a combined $1.0 million and residential 1-4 family - held for sale increased $22,000. The increases were offset by decreases of $7.6 million in residential construction loans, $6.2 million in commercial loans, $174,000 in home equity lines of credit and $47,000 in agricultural non-real estate loans for the year ended December 31, 2025.
Total deposits at December 31, 2025 decreased by $11.9 million or 1.5% to $758.9 million compared to $770.7 million at December 31, 2024. Noninterest-bearing checking decreased $3.7 million, interest-bearing checking decreased $4.8 million, money market decreased by $3.2 million and time deposits decreased by $1.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2025. The decreases were offset by an increase of $953,000 in savings accounts for the year ended December 31, 2025. Although year-over-year deposits growth declined slightly by 1.5%, the average total deposits balance for the year increased $69.6 million from $732.1 million for 2024 to $801.7 million for 2025 or 9.5% year over year. In addition, the rate on interest-bearing deposits decreased from 3.30% in 2024 to 2.99% in 2025.
Total long-term borrowings remained the same at $8.5 million at December 31, 2025 and 2024.
Income Statement
Net interest income was $38.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to $33.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. This was an increase of $5.6 million, or 17%. Of the increase of $5.6 million in net interest income, total interest income, including loan fees recognized, was up by $4.1 million and interest expense decreased $1.5 million the year ended December 31, 2025.
The following table shows key operating ratios for the year ending December 31, 2025 compared to the year ending December 31, 2024 as displayed in the following table:
| Years Ended December 31 | ||||||||
| Select Operating Ratios | 2025 | 2024 | ||||||
| Average Yield on Interest-Earning Assets | 6.00 | - | 6.12 | - | ||||
| Average Cost of Interest-Bearing Liabilities | 3.05 | - | 3.38 | - | ||||
| Net Interest Margin | 4.41 | - | 4.16 | - | ||||
As shown in the table above, the year-over-year decrease in yield on earning assets and cost of interest-bearing liabilities were both the result of declining rates from new and renewing assets and liabilities over the comparative periods. The net interest margin improved significantly for the year ending December 31, 2025 compared to the year ending December 31, 2024.
For the year ending December 31, 2025, a provision for credit losses of $563,000 compared to $420,000 for the year ending December 31,2024.
Total non-interest income amounted to $3.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to $3.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $234,000 or 6.9%. The net increase in total non-interest income was from net gain on sale/repossession of foreclosed assets of $136,000, other non-interest income of $100,000, and income from sale of loan servicing release fees and net gain on held-for-sale mortgage loans of $67,000. The increases were offset by a decrease of $69,000 in service charges on deposit accounts.
Total non-interest expense increased by $1.4 million or 6.9% to $22.4 million for the year ending December 31, 2025 compared to $20.9 million for the year ending December 31, 2024. The increase for 2025 over 2024 was primarily due to increases in salaries and benefits of $707,000, data processing of $271,000, other operating expense of $259,000, and various other non-interest expenses of $163,000.
The Company's efficiency ratio, a measure of expense as a percent of total income, decreased substantially to 52.91% for the year ending December 31, 2025 compared to 57.45% for the year ending December 31, 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 other foreclosed assets, increased from $3.98 million at December 31, 2024 to $4.21 million at December 31, 2025, an increase of $231,000. Total non-performing assets were 0.48% and 0.46% of total assets as of December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively.
Allowance for credit losses under CECL was $6.93 million or 1.06% of total loans at December 31, 2025 compared to $6.54 million or 1.07% of total loans at December 31, 2024. Net charge-offs for the year ending December 31, 2025 were $175,000, compared net recoveries of $67,000 for the year ending December 31, 2024. The ratio of net charge-offs to average loans outstanding was 0.03% at December 31, 2025 compared to the ratio of net recoveries to average loans outstanding was 0.01% at December 31, 2024.
Key Performance Ratios
Return on average assets was 1.71% for the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to 1.47% for the year ended December 31, 2024. Return on average equity increased from 15.58% for the year ended December 31, 2024 to 16.93% for the year ended December 31, 2025.
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) | |||||
| December 31 | |||||
| 2025 | 2024 | ||||
| ASSETS | |||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | - | 48,298 | - | 125,675 | |
| Investment securities | 143,017 | 100,623 | |||
| Loans, net | 644,907 | 605,439 | |||
| Other assets | 40,694 | 37,663 | |||
| TOTAL ASSETS | - | 876,916 | - | 869,400 | |
| LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY | |||||
| Deposits | - | 758,857 | - | 770,710 | |
| Long-term borrowings | 8,454 | 8,454 | |||
| Other liabilities | 8,634 | 7,174 | |||
| Total Liabilities | 775,945 | 786,338 | |||
| Stockholders' equity | 100,971 | 83,062 | |||
| TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY | - | 876,916 | - | 869,400 | |
| Book Value per share | - | 54.16 | - | 45.10 | |
| Tangible Book Value per share | - | 52.59 | - | 43.38 | |
| Century Next Financial Corporation and Subsidiary Consolidated Statements of Income (unaudited) | ||||||||
| (In thousands, except per share data) | ||||||||
| Years Ended December 31 | ||||||||
| 2025 | 2024 | |||||||
| Interest Income | - | 52,580 | - | 48,492 | ||||
| Interest Expense | 13,953 | 15,480 | ||||||
| Net Interest Income | 38,627 | 33,012 | ||||||
| Provision for Credit Losses | 563 | 420 | ||||||
| Net Interest Income after Provision for Credit Losses | 38,064 | 32,592 | ||||||
| Noninterest Income | 3,634 | 3,400 | ||||||
| Noninterest Expense | 22,359 | 20,920 | ||||||
| Income Before Taxes | 19,339 | 15,072 | ||||||
| Provision For Income Taxes | 3,811 | 2,928 | ||||||
| NET INCOME | - | 15,528 | - | 12,144 | ||||
| EARNINGS PER SHARE | ||||||||
| Basic | - | 8.48 | - | 6.72 | ||||
| Diluted | - | 8.34 | - | 6.69 | ||||
| Key Ratios: | ||||||||
| Annualized Return on Average Assets | 1.71 | - | 1.47 | - | ||||
| Annualized Return on Average Equity | 16.93 | - | 15.58 | - | ||||
| Annualized Net Interest Margin | 4.41 | - | 4.16 | - | ||||
| Efficiency Ratio | 52.91 | - | 57.45 | - | ||||
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
