CF
CHOICEONE FINANCIAL SERVICES INC (COFS)·Q3 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q3 2025 delivered strong, merger‑driven operating momentum: diluted EPS rose to $0.97, up vs $0.90 in Q2 2025 and $0.85 in Q3 2024, with GAAP NIM expanding to 3.73% on higher net interest income and accretion from purchased loans . Versus S&P Global consensus, EPS beat by $0.11 at $0.97 vs $0.86*, and S&P-standardized revenue exceeded by ~$2.4M at $44.54M vs $42.15M* (3 estimates for EPS; 2 for revenue). Values retrieved from S&P Global.*
- Integration tailwinds persisted: net interest income rose to $37.6M (+85.7% y/y), aided by ~$3.6M accretion from purchased loans; cost of funds improved to 1.77%, while efficiency ratio improved y/y to 54.76% .
- Balance sheet quality remained solid: ACL/loans steady at 1.19%; NPLs/loans at 0.69% with 0.39% tied to PCD loans; uninsured deposits at 33.2% with $1.2B contingent borrowing capacity .
- Near-term catalysts: sustained NIM improvement and swap hedging discipline, accretion income visibility ($2.3M remainder 2025; $8.2M 2026 effective interest), and cost discipline post-merger; watch mix shift toward interest-bearing deposits and modest core loan contraction in Q3 .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
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What Went Well
- NIM and NII expansion: GAAP NIM improved to 3.73% (3.17% a year ago); net interest income rose to $37.6M (vs $20.2M y/y), with purchased loan accretion adding 36 bps to NIM and ~$3.6M to loan interest income .
- Operating leverage: Efficiency ratio improved to 54.76% vs 60.80% in Q3 2024 as revenue scale from the merger outpaced expense growth; noninterest income also increased y/y by $2.3M .
- Management confidence on integration: “With the Merger behind us, our team is focused on serving our clients and growing our core business” — CEO Kelly Potes .
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What Went Wrong
- Core loan growth paused: core loans declined $10.3M in Q3 (1.4% annualized), despite 12‑month organic growth of $65.3M (+4.5%) .
- Deposit mix shift pressured funding: noninterest-bearing deposits fell $39.9M q/q while interest-bearing demand rose $73.4M; uninsured deposits increased to 33.2% (from 29.6% in Q2), though average noninterest-bearing balances increased sequentially .
- Credit and NPL optics: NPLs/loans rose to 0.69% (0.19% a year ago), largely from acquired PCD loans (0.39% of loans), requiring continued monitoring though net charge-offs remained low at 0.03% annualized .
Financial Results
Headline results and estimates (periods in chronological order; consensus is S&P Global):
S&P Global standardized revenue and EPS figures marked with . Values retrieved from S&P Global.
Profit and loss components:
Balance sheet and ratios:
Loan composition (end of period, $M):
KPIs and operating metrics:
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Note: We did not find a Q3 2025 earnings call transcript; MarketBeat listed “Conference Call Date: N/A” for 10/24/2025 release .
Management Commentary
- Strategic focus and integration: “ChoiceOne continues to deliver exceptional results, driven by the strength of our strategic merger with Fentura and a focus on serving our communities” — Kelly Potes, CEO .
- Post-merger priorities: “With the Merger behind us, our team is focused on serving our clients and growing our core business” — Kelly Potes, CEO .
- Cost discipline and performance: “ChoiceOne continues to strive to optimize our cost structure while investing in opportunities that enhance our performance” .
Q&A Highlights
- No Q3 2025 earnings call transcript was located, and MarketBeat listed “Conference Call Date: N/A” for the 10/24/2025 announcement . As such, no management Q&A themes or clarifications were available from a call.
Estimates Context
- EPS: $0.97 actual vs $0.86 consensus (beat by $0.11); 3 estimates. Values retrieved from S&P Global.
- Revenue (S&P-standardized): $44.54M actual vs $42.15M consensus (beat by ~$2.4M); 2 estimates. Values retrieved from S&P Global.
- Implications: The beat reflects higher‑than‑modeled NIM and NII from merger scale and accretion ($3.6M), plus stronger noninterest income. Estimate revisions may trend higher for NIM/NII run‑rate and fee income, while funding mix (shift to interest‑bearing) and NPL optics could temper forward margin expansion assumptions .
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Integration delivering: Better NIM (3.73%) and efficiency (54.8%) underscore synergy capture and revenue scale; continued swap hedging supports NII stability across rate scenarios .
- Accretion visibility: ~$2.3M (remainder 2025) and ~$8.2M (2026) effective‑interest accretion provide earnings cushion; $51.1M accretable remains over loan life, with variability tied to prepayments .
- Funding mix to watch: q/q drop in noninterest‑bearing and higher uninsured deposits (33.2%) warrant monitoring, though capacity of ~$1.2B in secured lines provides liquidity backstop .
- Asset quality stable, but acquired PCD loans drive NPL optics: NPLs/loans at 0.69% with 0.39% from PCD; charge‑offs minimal at 0.03% annualized .
- Capital remains sound: Bank total risk‑based capital at 12.8% (“well‑capitalized”), even with larger CRE exposure; TCE/TA at 7.04% .
- Dividend sustained: $0.28/share maintained; payout covered by growing earnings power post‑merger .
- Near‑term setup: Continued NIM tailwinds and accretion can support EPS trajectory; investors should track core loan growth resumption, deposit mix normalization, and progress reducing brokered balances to enhance funding costs .
References and Sources:
- Q3 2025 8‑K and Exhibit 99.1 press release: ; .
- Q2 2025 press release: .
- Q1 2025 press release: .
- MarketBeat (conference call N/A): https://www.marketbeat.com/earnings/reports/2025-10-24-choiceone-financial-services-inc-stock/
S&P Global consensus and actuals (asterisked values in tables and Estimates Context) are Values retrieved from S&P Global.*