RUSTON, La., April 22, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) --
Century Next Financial Corporation (the "Company") (OTCQX: CTUY), the holding company of Century Next Bank, with $913.7 million in assets, today announced financial results for the 1st quarter ended March 31, 2026.
Financial Performance
For the three months ended March 31, 2026, the Company had net income after tax of $3.55 million compared to net income of $3.45 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025, an increase of $99,000 or 2.9%. Earnings per share (EPS) for the three months ended March 31, 2026 were $1.92 per basic and $1.89 diluted share compared to $1.89 per basic and 1.88 per diluted share reported for the three months ended March 31, 2025.
Balance Sheet
Overall, total assets increased by $36.8 million or 4.2% to $913.7 million at March 31, 2026 compared to $876.9 million at December 31, 2025.
Total cash and cash equivalents increased from $48.3 million at December 31, 2025 to $79.9 million at March 31, 2026 for an increase of $31.6 million or 65.3%. Investment securities, primarily available-for-sale, decreased by $3.8 million or 2.7% to $139.2 million at March 31, 2026 from $143 million at December 31, 2025. The growth in cash and cash equivalents and available-for-sale investment securities combined for the first quarter ending March 31, 2026 increased the Company's liquidity position from 21.6% of total assets at December 31, 2025 to 23.6% of total assets at March 31, 2026.
Loans, net of deferred fees and costs and allowance for credit losses, including loans held for sale, increased $11.6 million or 1.8% for the three months ended March 31, 2026 compared to December 31, 2025. Total net loans at March 31, 2026 were $656.5 million compared to $644.9 million at December 31, 2025. Of total net loans outstanding for each period, commercial real estate loans increased by $20.2 million, commercial non-real estate loans increased by 3.8 million and residential 1-4 family held for sale loans increased by $261,000. The increases were offset by decreases of $5.3 million in land loans, $4.3 million in residential 1-4 family loans, $973,000 in residential construction loans, $940,000 in multi-family loans, and $1.0 million in all other loans for the three months ended March 31, 2026.
Total deposit increased by $33.5 million or 4.4% to $792.3 million at March 31, 2026 compared to $758.9 million at December 31, 2025. Of the increase, interest-bearing checking increased $15.7 million, money market checking increased $10.6 million, noninterest-bearing checking increased $4.6 million, and savings increased $3.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026. The increases were offset by a decrease of $885,000 in time deposits for the three months ended March 31, 2026.
Total long-term borrowings remained the same at $8.5 million at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025.
Income Statement
Net interest income was $9.87 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026 compared to $9.09 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025 for an increase of $783,000, or 8.6%. The average rate on earning assets increased to 6.04% at March 31, 2026 compared to 5.92% at March 31, 2025. The cost of interest-bearing liabilities decreased to 2.75% at March 31, 2026 compared to 3.10% at March 31, 2025. The increase in yield on earning assets was the result of slight increases in interest rates from new and renewing assets over the comparative periods. The decrease cost of interest-bearing liabilities was the result of slight declines in interest rates from new and renewing liabilities over the comparative periods. The net interest margin increased to 4.57% for the three months ended March 31, 2026 from 4.26% for the three months ended March 31, 2025.
For the three months ended March 31, 2026, $75,000 of provision for credit losses was expensed compared to $75,000 of provision for credit loss expensed for the three months ending March 31,2025.
Total non-interest income was $807,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2026 compared to $770,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2025, an increase of $37,000 or 4.8%. Of the increase, other non-interest income increased $47,000, income from sale of held-for-sale loans increased $26,000, and service charges on deposits decreased $36,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2026 as compared to the three months ended March 31, 2025.
Total non-interest expense increased by $642,000 or 11.9% to $6.06 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026 compared to $5.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025. The largest component contributing to the total increase was an increase in other operating expense of $244,000, salaries and employee benefits of $175,000, and foreclosed assets expense of $143,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2026 as compared to the same period in 2025.
The Company's efficiency ratio, a measure of expense as a percent of total income, increased to 56.7% for the year three months ended March 31, 2026 compared to 54.9% for the three months ended March 31, 2025. The increase in non-interest expense, as previously discussed above, for the comparative periods was the primarily driver of this increase of the efficiency ratio.
Other Financial Information
Nonperforming assets, including loans past due 90 days or more, nonaccrual loans, and other foreclosed assets, decreased from $4.6 million at December 31, 2025 to $1.5 million at March 31, 2026, a decrease of $3.14 million. Total non-performing assets were 0.16% and 0.52% of totals assets as of March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively.
Allowance for credit losses was $7.1 million or 1.07% of total loans at March 31, 2026 compared to $6.6 million or 1.02% of total loans at March 31, 2025. Net recoveries for the three months ended March 31, 2026 were $73,000, compared net recoveries of $15,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2025. The ratio of net recoveries to average loans outstanding was 0.011% at March 31, 2026 and 0.002% at March 31, 2025.
Dividend Declaration
The Board of Directors has approved a cash dividend of $1.00 per share payable on June 4, 2026 to shareholders of record as of May 21, 2026.
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) | ||||||||
| March 31, 2026 | December 31, 2025 | |||||||
| ASSETS | ||||||||
| Cash and cash equivalents | - | 79,856 | - | 48,298 | ||||
| Investment securities | 139,230 | 143,017 | ||||||
| Loans, net | 656,460 | 644,907 | ||||||
| Other assets | 38,156 | 40,694 | ||||||
| TOTAL ASSETS | - | 913,702 | - | 876,916 | ||||
| LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY | ||||||||
| Deposits | - | 792,327 | - | 758,857 | ||||
| Long-term borrowings | 8,454 | 8,454 | ||||||
| Other liabilities | 8,982 | 8,634 | ||||||
| Total Liabilities | 809,763 | 775,945 | ||||||
| Stockholders' equity | 103,939 | 100,971 | ||||||
| TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY | - | 913,702 | - | 876,916 | ||||
| Book Value per share | - | 55.73 | - | 54.16 | ||||
| Tangible Book Value per share | - | 54.19 | - | 52.59 | ||||
| Century Next Financial Corporation and Subsidiary Consolidated Statements of Income (unaudited) | ||||||||
| (In thousands, except per share data) | ||||||||
| Three Months Ended March 31 | ||||||||
| 2026 | 2025 | |||||||
| Interest Income | - | 13,042 | - | 12,616 | ||||
| Interest Expense | 3,170 | 3,527 | ||||||
| Net Interest Income | 9,872 | 9,089 | ||||||
| Provision for Credit Losses | 75 | 75 | ||||||
| Net Interest Income after Provision for Credit Losses | 9,797 | 9,014 | ||||||
| Noninterest Income | 807 | 770 | ||||||
| Noninterest Expense | 6,055 | 5,413 | ||||||
| Income Before Taxes | 4,549 | 4,371 | ||||||
| Provision For Income Taxes | 999 | 920 | ||||||
| NET INCOME | - | 3,550 | - | 3,451 | ||||
| EARNINGS PER SHARE | ||||||||
| Basic | - | 1.92 | - | 1.89 | ||||
| Diluted | - | 1.89 | - | 1.88 | ||||
| Key Ratios: | ||||||||
| Annualized Return on Average Assets | 1.58 | - | 1.56 | - | ||||
| Annualized Return on Average Equity | 13.95 | - | 16.34 | - | ||||
| Annualized Net Interest Margin | 4.57 | - | 4.26 | - | ||||
| Efficiency Ratio | 56.70 | - | 54.90 | - | ||||
| Three Months Ended March 31 | ||||||||
| Select Operating Ratios | 2026 | 2025 | ||||||
| Average Yield on Interest-Earning Assets | 6.04 | - | 5.92 | - | ||||
| Average Cost of Interest-Bearing Liabilities | 2.75 | - | 3.10 | - | ||||
| Net Interest Margin | 4.57 | - | 4.26 | - | ||||
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
