Eagle Bancorp (NASDAQ:EGBN) executives told investors the fourth quarter of 2025 marked an “inflection point” as the company’s balance sheet repositioning began to show clearer results in asset quality, funding mix, and capital metrics. Management emphasized that much of the quarter’s earnings impact reflected deliberate actions to reduce concentration risk—particularly within commercial real estate—while working through loan dispositions and elevated valuation-related expenses tied to held-for-sale credits.
Quarterly results swing back to profitability
Chief Financial Officer Eric Newell said the company reported net income of $7.6 million, or $0.25 per diluted share, compared with a $67.5 million loss, or $2.22 per share, in the prior quarter. President and CEO Susan Riel said the company spent 2025 taking steps to diversify the balance sheet, reduce risk, and strengthen franchise quality, and that those efforts became “clearly visible” in the fourth quarter.
Asset quality improves as nonperforming assets decline
Management pointed to broad improvement in credit metrics, while also stressing that the remediation process is not complete. At December 31, 2025, non-performing loans declined to $106.8 million, down $12 million from the prior quarter, and represented 1.47% of total loans. Total non-performing assets fell $24 million to $108.9 million, or 1.04% of total assets, compared with 1.23% in the prior quarter.
Special mention and substandard loans totaled $783.4 million at year-end, down $175.1 million from the prior quarter. That represented 10.6% of total loans at year-end versus 13.1% at September 30.
Provision for credit losses declined sharply, falling $97.7 million from the third quarter to $15.5 million in the fourth quarter. The allowance for credit losses ended the quarter at $159.6 million, or 2.19% of total loans. Newell said $73 million of reserves were associated with income-producing office loans, representing 13% of $577.1 million outstanding at year-end.
Net charge-offs totaled $12.3 million, down $128.6 million from the third quarter. Loans 30 to 89 days past due rose to $50 million at December 31, up $20.8 million from the prior quarter, which management attributed primarily to a participation loan that was in the process of being renewed and was booked for closure shortly after year-end.
Loan sales and held-for-sale activity drive expenses
Newell said the company had $90.7 million of loans held for sale at December 31, a decline of $45.9 million from the prior period. That amount included $8.4 million of mark-to-market adjustments based on updated valuations informed by proposed or under-contract dispositions. Eagle sold $77.9 million of loans during the quarter and recognized a $1.1 million loss on those sales.
In response to analyst questions on timing and valuation, Newell said approximately two-thirds of the held-for-sale portfolio was “under contract or negotiating to contract” and scheduled for resolution and disposition in the first quarter, though some could extend into the second quarter. He added that additional moves into held-for-sale remain possible on a case-by-case basis, though he said the company does not expect activity at the same pace as in 2025.
The company also reported progress with other real estate owned: a land loan transferred to OREO in the third quarter was sold during the fourth quarter with a $900,000 gain.
Funding mix shifts toward core deposits; capital metrics remain “strong”
Newell said net interest income increased slightly, rising $144,000 to $68.3 million, as declining deposit and borrowing costs outpaced a modest reduction in earning-asset income. Net interest margin declined five basis points to 2.38%, which management attributed primarily to a mix shift between loans and cash, partially offset by improved time deposit costs from reduced brokered time deposit usage.
Non-interest income increased to $12.2 million from $2.5 million the prior quarter, driven primarily by losses that did not recur and “other income” related to SBIC investments and the OREO sale gain, according to Newell. Non-interest expense rose $17.9 million to $59.8 million, reflecting the held-for-sale disposition costs and valuation adjustments.
On capital, Newell said Eagle’s ratios remained strong:
- Tangible common equity to tangible assets: 10.87%
- Tier 1 leverage ratio: 10.17%
- CET1: 13.83%
Tangible book value per share increased $0.59 to $37.59 as earnings added to capital. Management also emphasized funding resilience, noting $4.7 billion in available liquidity and “2x coverage of uninsured deposits.” During 2025, the company reduced brokered deposits by $602 million while increasing core deposits by $692 million, and Newell said further progress is expected in 2026.
In the Q&A, Newell said brokered deposits excluding “two-way deposits” totaled $1.56 billion at year-end with a weighted rate of 4%. He said $715 million of that was brokered CDs, and management’s goal is to reduce many of those CDs “down to close to zero” through 2026.
2026 outlook: margin expansion expected despite smaller average balance sheet
Looking ahead, Newell said the company expects average deposits, loans, and earning assets to decline year over year in 2026 as part of deliberate balance sheet repositioning and continued runoff of brokered funding. Despite that, management forecast a “meaningful expansion” in net interest margin to a range of 2.6% to 2.8%, driven largely by lower reliance on higher-cost brokered deposits.
Additional items in the company’s 2026 forecast discussed on the call included:
- Non-interest income: expected to increase approximately 15% to 25%
- Non-interest expense: expected to range from flat to down 4%, reflecting normalization after elevated fourth-quarter 2025 expense levels that management said are not expected to recur
Riel said the company’s focus is shifting from remediation to execution, while noting the company is “not yet where we want to be in terms of bottom-line performance.” On capital actions such as buybacks or dividend changes, management said it plans to remain prudent and would want to see multiple quarters of favorable trend and a lower level of criticized/classified loans before considering changes to its approach.
About Eagle Bancorp (NASDAQ:EGBN)
Eagle Bancorp, Inc is the bank holding company for EagleBank, a commercial bank headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland. Since its founding in 1998, the company has focused on serving businesses and consumers in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. EagleBank operates a network of full-service branches and commercial banking centers, providing personalized financial solutions to corporate, nonprofit, real estate and individual clients.
The company’s product portfolio includes commercial real estate lending, construction and land development financing, small business administration (SBA) loans, commercial and industrial credit facilities, and residential mortgage loans.
