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Axos Financial, Inc. (AX)·Q1 2026 Earnings Summary

Executive Summary

  • Axos delivered solid Q1 FY26 with GAAP EPS $1.94 and Adjusted EPS $2.07, driven by $1.6B net loan growth (incl. $1.0B from Verdant) and resilient credit; NIM compressed 9 bps QoQ to 4.75% largely from excess liquidity and a new sub-debt issue .
  • Versus S&P Global consensus, Axos posted a significant EPS beat (Primary EPS $2.07* vs $1.88*, +$0.19, +10.3%) but a revenue miss ($306.1M* vs $319.2M*, -$13.0M, -4.1%); note “revenue” is S&P’s definition and differs from company-reported NII+non-interest income of $323.4M .
  • Management raised loan growth outlook to low-to-mid-teens for the remainder of FY26; expects NIM to remain at high end of 4.25%–4.35% target, Verdant to add $150–$200M net new loans/leases per quarter, tax rate ~26–27% .
  • Key positives: deposit growth (+$1.4B QoQ to $22.3B), higher non-interest-bearing deposits (~$3.4B), AUC/AUA reached $43B, and better asset quality (NPAs/assets 0.64%) .
  • Stock catalysts: sustained low-teens loan growth from Verdant and floor plan lending, operating leverage from AI/tech modernization, and clarity on revenue trajectory vs consensus definitions .

What Went Well and What Went Wrong

What Went Well

  • Robust loan growth and deposit funding: $1.6B net loan growth (incl. $1.0B Verdant) and deposits up to $22.3B; non-interest-bearing deposits ~ $3.4B, aided by treasury management and client cash sorting .
  • Credit quality improved: NPAs/assets fell to 0.64% (from 0.71%); net charge-offs to avg loans down to 0.11% . CEO: “We continue to generate high returns… nearly 16% ROE and 1.8% ROA” .
  • Strategic M&A and tech: Verdant expected to be EPS accretive (2–3% FY26; 5–6% FY27); expanding AI use cases and launching Axos Professional Workstation to modernize securities platform .

What Went Wrong

  • Margin compression: NIM fell 9 bps QoQ to 4.75% due to ~7 bps drag from excess liquidity and ~1 bp from new $200M sub debt at 7% .
  • Lower fee run-rate QoQ: Non-interest income fell to $32.3M from $41.3M in Q4 (prior quarter benefited from a $12M mortgage loan sale gain) .
  • Efficiency ratio worsened to 48.32% (from 46.87%) as expenses rose (Verdant-related costs and project spend); Verdant expected to add ~$8.5M per quarter to non-interest expense .

Financial Results

Core P&L and Margin Trends

MetricQ3 2025Q4 2025Q1 2026
Net Interest Income ($M)$275.5 $280.2 $291.1
Non-Interest Income ($M)$33.4 $41.3 $32.3
Net Income ($M)$105.2 $110.7 $112.4
Diluted EPS (GAAP) ($)$1.81 $1.92 $1.94
Adjusted EPS (Non-GAAP) ($)$1.81 $1.94 $2.07
Net Interest Margin (%)4.78% 4.84% 4.75%
Efficiency Ratio (%)47.36% 46.87% 48.32%

YoY context (vs Q1 2025): NII $291.1M vs $292.0M (flat), Non-interest income $32.3M vs $28.6M (+13%), GAAP EPS $1.94 vs $1.93; Adjusted EPS $2.07 vs $1.96 .

Consensus vs Actuals (S&P Global definitions)

Metric (Q1 2026)EstimateActualSurprise
Primary EPS ($)1.88*2.07*+0.19 (+10.3%)
Revenue ($M)319.2*306.1*-13.0 (-4.1%)

Note: Company-reported “net revenues” (NII + non-interest income) were $323.4M in Q1 FY26, reflecting a different revenue definition than S&P Global’s .
Values marked with * are retrieved from S&P Global.

Segment Breakdown (Q1 2026)

($000s)Banking SegmentSecurities SegmentCorp/ElimsConsolidated
Net Interest Income287,200 8,194 (4,344) 291,050
Provision for Credit Losses17,255 17,255
Non-Interest Income12,375 29,457 (9,492) 32,340
Non-Interest Expense128,493 29,367 (1,614) 156,246
Income Before Taxes153,827 8,284 (12,222) 149,889

Key Performance Indicators

KPIQ3 2025Q4 2025Q1 2026
Loans, net ($B)$20.19 $21.05 $22.64
Deposits ($B)$20.14 $20.83 $22.26
NPAs / Assets (%)0.79% 0.71% 0.64%
Non-Accrual Loans / Loans (%)0.89% 0.79% 0.74%
Net Charge-offs / Avg Loans (%)0.09% 0.16% 0.11%
Net Interest Margin (%)4.78% 4.84% 4.75%
AUC/AUA ($B)$37.1 $39.4 $43.0
Book Value / Share ($)$45.79 $47.46 $49.31

Guidance Changes

MetricPeriodPrevious GuidanceCurrent GuidanceChange
Loan Growth (YoY)Remaining FY26High single-digits to low-teens (commentary) Low-to-mid-teens Raised
Net Interest Margin (Consolidated)FY26Target 4.25%–4.35% (high end) Maintain at high end of 4.25%–4.35% Maintained
Verdant Net New Loans/LeasesStarting Q2 FY26N/A$150–$200M per quarter New detail
Verdant EPS AccretionFY26 / FY27N/A+2–3% (FY26); +5–6% (FY27) New detail
Non-Interest Expense (Verdant)Run-rateN/A+~$8.5M per quarter New detail
Non-Interest Income (Verdant)Run-rateN/A“A few million per quarter” New detail
Corporate Tax RateOngoing~26–27% ~26–27% Maintained
Funding of Verdant SecuritizationsOngoingN/AReplace term securitizations with deposits when callable/advantageous Clarified

Earnings Call Themes & Trends

TopicPrevious Mentions (Q3 FY25, Q4 FY25)Current Period (Q1 FY26)Trend
Loan GrowthQ3: +$707M net growth with ABL, lender finance, equipment leasing strength ; Q4: +$856M net growth +$1.6B net growth incl. $1.0B Verdant; raised loan growth guide to low/mid-teens Accelerating
NIMQ3: 4.78% ; Q4: 4.84% 4.75%; 7 bps drag from excess liquidity; 1 bp from sub-debt; maintain high-end 4.25–4.35% target Near-term pressure; stable outlook
CreditQ3/Q4: Improving NPAs NPAs/assets 0.64%; non-accrual loans 0.74%; NCOs 0.11% Continued improvement
DepositsQ3/Q4: steady growth Total $22.3B; NIB ~ $3.4B; cash sorting $1.1B Strengthening funding mix
Verdant (M&A)Announced closing 9/30 Accretive EPS; $150–$200M quarterly production; plan to refinance securitizations with deposits Strategic expansion
AI/TechOngoing platform work Expanded AI across functions; Axos Professional Workstation rollout to BDs; enable cross-sell to RIAs/clients Execution progressing
Expenses/LeverageQ3/Q4: controlled growth Guardrail: personnel+prof services growth ≤30% of (NII+non-interest) growth; Verdant adds ~$8.5M/qtr Discipline reiterated

Management Commentary

  • “We had a strong start to our fiscal 2026… nearly 16% ROE and 1.8% ROA” .
  • “We expect our consolidated net interest margin… to stay at the high end of the 4.25% to 4.35% range” .
  • “We expect the Verdant acquisition to add an incremental $150–$200 million of net new loans and operating leases per quarter… Our expectation is this acquisition will be accretive to our earnings per share by 2–3% in fiscal 2026 and by 5–6% in fiscal 2027” .
  • “We have rapidly expanded the scope of workflows and use cases for artificial intelligence… to create greater operating leverage and improve the speed, quality, and cost of software development projects” .
  • Expense discipline: “We will not grow more than $0.30 [expenses] for every $1 of net interest and non-interest income growth” (personnel + professional services) .

Q&A Highlights

  • Credit/fraud risk controls: Management rejected high-profile deals due to weak structures; emphasized controls (e.g., direct verification with title insurers, noticing assignments) and vigilance across ABL/factoring/capital call lending .
  • Fee income outlook: No notable one-timers in Q1; Verdant to contribute “a few million” of non-interest income per quarter .
  • Verdant financing costs: On-balance sheet term securitizations carry ~5.5% cost, ~3.7 years WAM; plan to take out with deposits when feasible (cleanup calls ~10%) .
  • Capital/ratios: Comfortable letting capital ratios drift down modestly to support mid-teens loan growth given ~16% ROE and strong reserve position .
  • Floor plan lending: Pipeline building with MVRAs; several hundred million in assets and lines targeted by March 31 .
  • Securities platform: Axos Professional Workstation in beta with BDs; aims to embed banking products for RIAs/clients over a 6–7 month rollout .

Estimates Context

  • Q1 FY26 vs S&P Global: Primary EPS beat ($2.07* vs $1.88*), revenue miss ($306.1M* vs $319.2M*). Company’s reported “net revenues” (NII + non-interest income) were $323.4M, underscoring definitional differences in revenue reporting .
  • Forward look: Q2 FY26 Primary EPS consensus ~ $2.06* and revenue ~$344.6M*, reflecting expected Verdant contribution and seasonal growth. Values retrieved from S&P Global.

Key Takeaways for Investors

  • EPS quality strong: Adjusted EPS $2.07 benefited from core growth; non-GAAP adjustments primarily reflect Verdant “Day 1” ACL ($7.8M) and $1.3M acquisition costs, offset by tax effects .
  • NIM near-term drag (excess liquidity, sub-debt) is manageable; management aims to hold NIM at high end of 4.25–4.35% via funding mix and deposit pricing discipline .
  • Loan growth visibility improved: Verdant’s $150–$200M/qtr plus floor plan ramp support low-to-mid-teens growth guidance; operating leverage expected as AI initiatives scale .
  • Credit remains a differentiator: NPAs and charge-offs remain low; management highlighting structural discipline and anti-fraud measures amid industry headlines .
  • Securities/custody momentum: AUC/AUA reached $43B, with tech modernization positioning cross-sell of banking products to RIAs—a multi-year revenue synergy opportunity .
  • Watchlist for next quarter: pace of Verdant production and integration, progression of NIB deposits, NIM trajectory as excess liquidity normalizes, and expense growth within the 30% guardrail .
  • Trading angle: EPS upside vs consensus and raised loan growth guide are positive; revenue-definition mismatch vs consensus can create headline volatility—focus on NII, NIM drivers, and adjusted EPS sustainability .

Values marked with * in the Estimates sections are retrieved from S&P Global.