Sign in

You're signed outSign in or to get full access.

BF

Bank First Corp (BFC)·Q3 2025 Earnings Summary

Executive Summary

  • GAAP EPS $1.83 and adjusted EPS $1.91 grew sequentially (Q2: $1.71; Q1: $1.82) and year-over-year (Q3’24: $1.65); adjusted EPS beat S&P Global consensus of $1.81, while GAAP EPS implied an in-line to modest beat given non-GAAP adjustments . EPS consensus: $1.81*; actual (S&P methodology): $1.91*.
  • Net interest margin expanded 16 bps QoQ to 3.88% on higher loan yields and lower deposit costs (avg loan rate +10 bps QoQ; avg rate on interest-bearing liabilities -7 bps), lifting net interest income to $38.3M (+4.2% QoQ) .
  • “Total net revenue” (net interest income after provision + noninterest income) rose to $43.56M, essentially in line with S&P Global “Revenue” actual of $43.56M vs $44.15M consensus (slight miss) . Revenue consensus: $44.15M*; actual: $43.56M*.
  • Loans grew 5.5% annualized QoQ to $3.63B; credit remained clean with negligible net losses and NPAs/Assets 0.31% .
  • Dividend maintained at $0.45; Centre 1 Bancorp/First National Bank & Trust acquisition remains on track for Jan 1, 2026 closing; regulatory approvals received Oct 16, 2025 .

What Went Well and What Went Wrong

  • What Went Well

    • Margin expansion: NIM improved to 3.88% (Q2: 3.72%), driven by loan repricing and lower funding costs; NII increased to $38.3M (+$1.6M QoQ) .
    • Noninterest income recovery: $6.0M (Q2: $4.9M), aided by higher mortgage gains ($0.5M) and a positive MSR valuation adjustment ($0.3M) .
    • Management confidence: “We expect loan repricing to continue boosting our loan portfolio yields for some time to come.” – CEO Mike Molepske .
  • What Went Wrong

    • Higher operating costs: Noninterest expense rose to $21.1M, with outside service fees up $0.7M QoQ (including $0.9M M&A-related) .
    • Provision normalization: Provision for credit losses increased to $0.7M vs $0.2M in Q2 (Q3’24: $0.0M), reflecting loan growth rather than credit deterioration .
    • Slight revenue shortfall vs S&P consensus: S&P “Revenue” actual $43.56M vs $44.15M consensus, despite solid NIM and fee trends*.

Financial Results

MetricQ3 2024Q1 2025Q2 2025Q3 2025
Net Interest Income ($M)$35.88 $36.54 $36.70 $38.25
Provision for Credit Losses ($M)$0.00 $0.40 $0.20 $0.65
Net Interest Income after Provision ($M)$35.88 $36.14 $36.50 $37.60
Noninterest Income ($M)$4.89 $6.59 $4.92 $5.95
Total Net Revenue ($M) (NII after provision + Noninterest income)$40.78 $42.73 $41.42 $43.56
Noninterest Expense ($M)$20.10 $20.60 $20.76 $21.09
Pre-tax Income ($M)$20.68 $22.12 $20.67 $22.47
Net Income ($M)$16.55 $18.24 $16.88 $17.99
Diluted EPS (GAAP) ($)$1.65 $1.82 $1.71 $1.83
Adjusted EPS (non-GAAP) ($)$1.65 $1.82 $1.69 $1.91
Net Interest Margin (%)3.76% 3.65% 3.72% 3.88%
ROAA (%)1.56% 1.64% 1.54% 1.64%

Notes: S&P Global “Revenue” actual for Q3 2025 equals $43.56M* and ties to NII after provision ($37.60M) + Noninterest income ($5.95M) from the company’s 8-K table .

Segment/Loan Mix (Period-End, $M)

Loan CategoryQ1 2025Q2 2025Q3 2025
Commercial/Industrial$507.85 $628.53 $654.45
CRE – Owner Occupied$973.58 $841.75 $861.65
CRE – Non-Owner Occupied$460.08 $518.64 $510.54
Multifamily$355.00 $377.22 $372.03
Construction & Development$278.48 $249.86 $262.44
Residential 1-4 Family$903.28 $891.69 $897.52
Consumer & Other$69.81 $72.69 $71.04
Total Loans$3,548.07 $3,580.36 $3,629.66

Key Banking KPIs

KPIQ1 2025Q2 2025Q3 2025
Total Assets ($M)$4,505.07 $4,365.08 $4,420.41
Deposits – Interest-Bearing ($M)$2,666.69 $2,605.40 $2,539.48
Deposits – Noninterest-Bearing ($M)$1,007.53 $990.03 $999.29
NIB Deposits (% of Total)27.4% 27.5% 28.2%
NPLs / Total Loans (%)0.19% 0.38% 0.38%
NPAs / Total Assets (%)0.17% 0.31% 0.31%
Allowance / Total Loans (%)1.23% 1.24% 1.23%
Book Value / Share ($)$65.02 $62.27 $63.87
Tangible Book Value / Share ($)$45.46 $42.57 $44.30
Shares Outstanding (Period-End)9,973,276 9,833,476 9,834,083

Guidance Changes

MetricPeriodPrevious GuidanceCurrent GuidanceChange
Dividend per ShareNext payable$0.45 (declared Q2; paid Oct 8, 2025) $0.45 payable Jan 7, 2026 (record Dec 24, 2025) Maintained
Net Interest Margin / Loan Yields (Qualitative)Ongoing“Normalization of the yield curve benefits NIM” “Expect loan repricing to continue boosting loan yields” Positive qualitative bias
M&A – Centre 1/First National Bank & TrustClose date/system conversionAgreement signed; closing expected Q1’26; system conversion Q2’26 Regulatory approvals received; closing Jan 1, 2026 reaffirmed; conversion Q2’26 Timeline reaffirmed; approvals secured

Note: No formal quantitative revenue/EPS/expense guidance provided; commentary remains qualitative .

Earnings Call Themes & Trends

Note: No Q3 2025 earnings call transcript was available on the company’s IR site as of Nov 20, 2025; commentary below reflects press releases .

TopicPrevious Mentions (Q1 2025 and Q2 2025)Current Period (Q3 2025)Trend
Net Interest Margin / Yield CurveQ1: Cost of funds declined; NIM 3.65%; purchase accounting +10 bps . Q2: “Normalization of yield curve” benefits margin; NIM 3.72% .NIM 3.88%; loan yields +10 bps QoQ; rate paid on interest-bearing liabilities -7 bps .Improving
Loan GrowthQ1: Core loan growth resumed late 2024 into early 2025 . Q2: Loans +$63.2M YTD .Loans $3.63B; +5.5% annualized QoQ .Healthy
Deposit Pricing/MixQ1: Avg CD rates down 18 bps QoQ . Q2: Non-interest-bearing = 27.5% of total .NIB deposits 28.2% of total; funding costs declined 7 bps QoQ .Stable/mix supportive
Technology/DigitalQ2: Elevated data processing for digital banking upgrade .No new update; costs normalized in Q3 vs Q2 peak .Stabilizing
Branch/FootprintQ2: Multiple branch remodels; new Sturgeon Bay branch .Occupancy/equipment down $0.4M QoQ to $1.6M .Post-investment normalization
M&AQ2: Signed agreement to acquire Centre (First National) .Regulatory approvals obtained; closing Jan 1, 2026 .On track
Credit QualityQ1: NPA 0.17% after one-off charge-off . Q2: NPAs 0.31%; negligible net losses .NPAs 0.31%; negligible net losses .Steady/benign

Management Commentary

  • “We are pleased to report that earnings per share through the first three quarters of 2025 increased by nearly 13%... This continued growth in earnings was driven by mid-single-digit loan expansion and an increase in loan yields due to repricing. We expect loan repricing to continue boosting our loan portfolio yields for some time to come.” – Mike Molepske, Chairman & CEO .
  • Margin drivers: “A combination of yields on newly originated loans... and strong yield improvements on maturing loans that renewed... resulted in a 10 bp increase in the average rate earned... In addition, repricing of maturing certificates... led to a 7 bp decline in the average rate paid on... interest-bearing liabilities.” .
  • Prior quarter context: “Normalization of the yield curve... benefits the entire banking industry. If this move... continues, Bank First should see an improving net interest margin...” – CEO (Q2 release) .

Q&A Highlights

  • No Q3 2025 earnings call transcript was available; management disclosures were delivered via the 8-K and press release .

Estimates Context

MetricS&P Global ConsensusActual (Company/S&P methodology)Surprise
EPS (Primary)$1.81*$1.91* (non-GAAP adjusted EPS) +$0.10 (+5.5%)*
Revenue (S&P definition)$44.15M*$43.56M* (equals NII after provision $37.60M + Noninterest income $5.95M) -$0.59M (-1.3%)*

Notes: Asterisks indicate values retrieved from S&P Global. S&P “Revenue” aligns with net interest income after provision plus noninterest income per the company’s 8-K .

Key Takeaways for Investors

  • Margin momentum is the core narrative: NIM +16 bps QoQ to 3.88% with explicit drivers (loan repricing +10 bps; deposit costs -7 bps), supporting further EPS leverage if funding trends persist .
  • Clean credit and modest provisioning (growth-driven) reduce downside risk; NPAs/Assets at 0.31% with negligible net losses .
  • Fees stabilized: Mortgage-related income improved (gains + MSR valuation) and Ansay investment income ticked higher, diversifying revenue beyond NII .
  • Operating expense discipline is mostly intact; Q3 opex uptick linked to M&A-related outside services ($0.9M of $1.8M) and should abate post-close .
  • Capital return remains shareholder-friendly (regular $0.45 dividend) while capital was impacted by a prior special dividend and buybacks; TBV/share improved QoQ to $44.30 .
  • Centre 1/First National Bank & Trust deal is cleared to close Jan 1, 2026 and should expand scale, geographies, and capabilities; watch for 2026 pro forma updates and cost synergy cadence .
  • Near term, Street models may edge NIM/NII higher given management’s repricing commentary; revenue optics depend on S&P’s “post-provision revenue” methodology, but EPS trajectory remains favorable given spread dynamics .

Additional detail

Non-GAAP reconciliation highlights (Q3 2025):

  • Adjusted net income $18.78M vs GAAP $17.99M; add-backs include $0.862M acquisition-related expenses; adjusted EPS $1.91 vs GAAP $1.83 .
  • Book value/share $63.87; tangible book value/share $44.30 .

Balance sheet and funding:

  • Total assets $4.42B; loans $3.63B; deposits $3.54B; NIB deposits 28.2% of total; borrowings $221.9M .

Operating detail:

  • NII $38.3M (purchase accounting contribution ~$0.7M); noninterest income $6.0M (Ansay income $1.3M; mortgage gains $0.5M; MSR +$0.3M) .

Footnotes:

  • Values marked with an asterisk (*) are retrieved from S&P Global.