FI
FIRST INTERSTATE BANCSYSTEM INC (FIBK)·Q2 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- EPS of $0.69 beat consensus by ~20% while total net revenue was modestly below Street; margin expansion and lower borrowings drove earnings quality [*Primary EPS Consensus Mean: 0.5757; Revenue Consensus Mean: $253.1M. Values retrieved from S&P Global].
- Net interest margin rose 11 bps q/q to 3.30% (3.32% FTE; 3.26% adjusted FTE), supported by a $710M reduction in other borrowed funds and lower funding costs .
- Credit trends mixed: NCOs improved to 0.14% annualized and classified loans declined, but criticized loans rose to $1.203B (7.4% of loans), largely multifamily lease-up slippage; provision was a slight reversal .
- Guidance reset: FY25 NII growth trimmed to 2–3% (from 3.5–5.5%), FY25 noninterest expense lowered to 0–1% growth, Q4’25 NIM ex-PAA targeted at ~3.40%; management added high-single-digit NII growth outlook for FY26 .
- Near-term stock narrative catalysts: consistent NIM progress, capital accretion (CET1 13.43%), visibility on Arizona/Kansas branch sale (TBVPS ~+2% and CET1 +30–40 bps at close), offset by elevated criticized CRE/multifamily exposures .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- “Our net interest margin continued to improve as expected” with adjusted FTE NIM +12 bps q/q to 3.26%, driven by a $710M reduction in other borrowed funds and improving funding mix .
- Liquidity/capital strengthened: loan/deposit ratio fell to 72.3%; CET1 climbed 90 bps to 13.43% q/q; no brokered deposits and minimal short-term borrowings .
- Expense discipline: noninterest expense declined $5.5M q/q to $155.1M (efficiency ratio 61.1%), with lower payroll taxes/incentive accruals and tight staffing controls .
What Went Wrong
- Criticized loans increased 17.2% q/q to $1.203B (7.4% of loans), largely due to downgrades in CRE tied to slower multifamily lease-up; special mention rose notably .
- Total loans fell $1.024B q/q (transfer to HFS for AZ/KS sale, credit card outsourcing, indirect runoff, larger payoffs), tempering near-term NII vs prior outlook .
- Noninterest income (-$0.9M q/q) was pressured by a $7.3M valuation allowance on loans moved to HFS (rate mark) partially offset by a $4.3M gain on credit card portfolio outsourcing .
Financial Results
Core P&L and Margins
Q2 2025 Actual vs Wall Street Consensus (S&P Global)
Values with * retrieved from S&P Global.
Noninterest Income Breakdown
KPIs: Balance Sheet, Capital, Credit
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- CEO: “Our liquidity and capital levels are strong… This quarter, our results reflect a series of actions that position the bank for future success, including the outsourcing of our consumer credit card product” .
- CFO: “Our net interest margin was 3.32% on a fully tax equivalent basis, and excluding purchase accounting accretion, our net interest margin was 3.26%, an increase of 12 basis points from the prior quarter” .
- CEO on credit: “Criticized loans did increase, generally reflective of slower lease-up in our multifamily book… we are proactive in credit risk management” .
- CFO on outlook: “We anticipate fourth quarter net interest margin excluding purchase accounting accretion to approximate 3.4%… we have added commentary noting… high single digit NII increase in 2026” .
Q&A Highlights
- Loan stabilization timing: Management expects modestly lower loans in Q3, stabilization in Q4, then growth over the medium term; earning assets bottom in Q3 .
- Capital deployment: CET1 likely +40 bps upon branch sale; evaluating buybacks vs balance sheet restructuring while prioritizing organic growth; FY26 guide excludes capital actions .
- Criticized loans spike: Driven by multifamily lease-up delays; management comfortable with collateral/guarantors; proactive credit management continues .
- Expense cadence: 2H25 modestly higher than Q2 due to health insurance, salary timing, tech spend; FY25 expense growth reduced to 0–1% .
- Divestiture scope: Loans moved to HFS ($338M) were relationship-tied to branches; TBV accretion ~2% remains intact .
Estimates Context
- Q2 2025 EPS of $0.69 vs consensus $0.5757* → beat (~+$0.11, ~+20%); street likely raises FY25/FY26 EPS on margin trajectory and cost discipline [*Primary EPS Consensus Mean: 0.5757. Values retrieved from S&P Global].
- Q2 2025 Revenue of $248.6M* vs consensus $253.1M* → slight miss (~-1.8%), consistent with lower average earning assets and valuation allowance in other income [*Revenue Consensus Mean: $253.1M; Actual Revenue: $248.6M. Values retrieved from S&P Global].
- Coverage breadth: 7 EPS and 6 revenue estimates*; EBITDA consensus not available*, typical for banks [*Primary EPS - # of Estimates: 7; Revenue - # of Estimates: 6. Values retrieved from S&P Global].
Key Takeaways for Investors
- NIM expansion is intact and accelerating; Q4’25 NIM ex-PAA ~3.40% is a visible near-term catalyst for EPS trajectory .
- Funding risk sharply reduced (other borrowed funds now $250M); lower cost of interest-bearing liabilities supports further spread gains .
- Credit watch: multifamily lease-up risk lifted criticized loans to 7.4%; NPLs stable and NCOs low, but CRE monitoring remains crucial for valuation multiples .
- Expense discipline provides leverage; FY25 opex growth cut to 0–1% enhancing return profile even as loans trough .
- Capital optionality growing (CET1 13.43%; TBV accretion from branch sale); potential buybacks or balance sheet actions could add to TSR once credit overhang abates .
- Near-term trading setup: EPS beat with improving NIM vs modest revenue miss; watch Q3 confirmation of earning asset bottom and criticized loan trend for multiple expansion .
- Medium-term thesis: High-single-digit NII growth in 2026 on repricing and redeployment, stable deposits in growth markets, and focused franchise post-divestitures .