FN
FIRST NATIONAL CORP /VA/ (FXNC)·Q1 2025 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q1 2025 came in below Street on normalized EPS and revenue as integration costs, higher operating expenses, and elevated charge-offs offset healthy core spreads; normalized EPS was $0.35 vs S&P Global consensus $0.535, and revenue was $19.88M vs $22.00M consensus, while GAAP EPS was $0.18 due to $1.9M merger expenses and duplicative systems costs through late February *.
- Core banking trends remained solid: net interest margin FTE was 3.77% (down 6 bps q/q; up 53 bps y/y) as earning asset yields dipped 12 bps and cost of funds fell 6 bps; noninterest-bearing deposits were 30% of total (up ~40.7% y/y) .
- Asset quality mixed: NPAs improved to 0.24% of assets and ACL/NPAs rose to 303%, but net charge-offs increased to $2.4M, including $2.2M in C&I with $208K tied to a healthcare-professional loan pool .
- Integration of Touchstone is largely complete (systems conversion in 1Q) and management expects a return to its “efficient model” with scale from new markets, but near-term expenses (salary/benefits, FDIC, fraud) and amortization on early loan payoffs pressured q/q results .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- Completed operational merger with Touchstone; management: “We completed the Touchstone system conversion… Going forward we expect to return to our efficient model of banking and enjoy scale and growth from these new markets” .
- Funding mix and spreads: NIM FTE 3.77% (vs 3.24% in Q1’24), cost of funds down 6 bps q/q to 1.45% aided by deposit mix and late-2024 Fed cuts .
- Balance sheet and liquidity: deposits +1.2% q/q to $1.825B; liquidity sources $800.2M (vs $770.0M at 12/31/24); no other borrowings vs $50M a year ago .
What Went Wrong
- Earnings vs expectations: normalized EPS $0.35 vs S&P Global consensus $0.535; revenue $19.88M vs $22.00M; GAAP EPS $0.18 on $1.9M merger costs and elevated operating expense run-rate (salaries/benefits, FDIC, fraud losses) *.
- Sequential margin pressure: NIM FTE fell to 3.77% from 3.83% due to lower earning asset yields and amortization on early Touchstone loan payoffs; net interest income decreased $908K q/q to $17.5M .
- Credit costs remained elevated: net charge-offs rose to $2.4M (vs $1.3M in Q4), largely C&I-related; provision was $832K, with ACL/loans down to 1.02% mainly as specific reserves were charged off .
Financial Results
P&L and Per-Share Metrics
Key Ratios
Balance Sheet and Credit KPIs
Estimate Comparison (S&P Global)
Guidance Changes
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
No earnings call transcript was found for Q1 2025; themes below reflect company press releases and 8‑K disclosures.
Management Commentary
- Strategic integration: “We completed the Touchstone system conversion during the first quarter of 2025… Going forward we expect to return to our efficient model of banking and enjoy scale and growth from these new markets” — Scott Harvard, President & CEO .
- Margin dynamics: Net amortization expense related to acquisition accounting reduced NIM by ~1 bp in Q1’25 vs +22 bps accretion in Q4’24; earning asset yields fell 12 bps q/q to 5.18% while cost of funds fell 6 bps to 1.45% .
- Expense posture: Adjusted operating noninterest expense rose to $16.0M on higher salaries/benefits, fraud losses, and FDIC assessment (merger costs $1.9M in Q1 vs $7.3M in Q4) .
Q&A Highlights
- No Q1 2025 earnings call transcript was available in the filings database; no Q&A themes to report for this period [ListDocuments result: none].
Estimates Context
- Normalized EPS of $0.35 missed S&P Global consensus of $0.535 due to lower net interest income (amortization on early Touchstone payoffs) and higher adjusted OpEx (salaries/benefits, FDIC, fraud), with GAAP EPS at $0.18 reflecting $1.9M merger expenses *.
- Revenue of $19.88M missed S&P Global consensus of $22.00M; Street models likely assumed higher “operating revenue” after the merger, but Q1 saw lower earning asset yields and waived charges during the systems conversion *.
- S&P Global values were used for consensus and actuals in this section.
Note: Asterisked values retrieved from S&P Global.
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Near-term prints are integration-affected: normalized EPS and revenue missed Street; GAAP EPS reflects $1.9M merger costs and duplicative systems costs through late February *.
- Core franchise remains sound: NIM FTE 3.77% (up 53 bps y/y), NIB deposits 30%, liquidity $800.2M, and capital ratios stable post-merger .
- Watch credit: NPAs fell to 0.24% but NCOs rose to $2.4M (C&I concentration, including a healthcare-professional loan pool); ACL/loans eased to 1.02% as specific reserves were charged off .
- Expense normalization is the catalyst: as merger costs abate and systems duplication ends, efficiency should improve from 75%+ back toward pre-merger levels, aided by scale in new markets .
- Margin trajectory depends on mix and rates: q/q NIM drifted lower on yield compression and amortization; stabilization/improvement hinges on accretion/repayment dynamics and deposit mix management .
- Dividend held at $0.155; stable payout while integration completes .
- Potential stock reaction catalysts: evidence of OpEx normalization, sustained NIM stabilization, and steady credit trends (lower NCOs) could re-rate the shares; renewed credit noise or higher-than-expected fraud/FDIC costs would be negatives .
Additional Detail and Cross-Checks
- Revenue and earnings composition: Net interest income of $17.5M and noninterest income of $3.6M (total net revenue $21.1M) vs Q4 $24.8M that included a $2.9M bargain purchase gain; noninterest income ex-gain increased 2.5% q/q despite waived fees during conversion .
- Balance sheet scale (Touchstone): Assets $2.033B (+40.5% y/y), deposits $1.825B (+44.9% y/y), loans net $1.436B (+49.5% y/y) .
- Leadership update: New CFO Brad E. Schwartz (effective March 31, 2025) brings extensive Virginia banking and M&A experience, strengthening execution post-merger .
Footnote: Asterisked values in the Estimates section are retrieved from S&P Global consensus and actuals via SPGI.