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Bank OZK (OZK) Q3 2026 Earnings Call October 21, 2026 8:30 AM EDT

Company Participants

Jay Staley
George Gleason - Chairman & CEO
Tim Hicks - Chief Financial Officer
Paschall Hamblen - President
Jake Munn - President of Corporate & Institutional Banking

Conference Call Participants

Matt Olney - Stephens Inc., Research Division
Wood Lay - Keefe, Bruyette, & Woods, Inc., Research Division
Brian Martin - Brean Capital, LLC, Research Division
Sun Young Lee - TD Cowen, Research Division
Ryan Kenny - Morgan Stanley, Research Division
Nicholas Holowko - Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Research Division
Stephen Scouten - Piper Sandler & Co., Research Division
Timur Braziler - UBS Investment Bank, Research Division

Presentation

Operator

Good day, and thank you for standing by. Welcome to the Bank OZK Third Quarter 2026 Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] Please be advised that today's conference is being recorded. I'd now like to hand the conference over to Jay Staley, Managing Director of Investor Relations and Corporate Development. Please go ahead.

Jay Staley

Good morning. I'm Jay Staley, Managing Director of Investor Relations and Corporate Development for Bank OZK. Thank you for joining our call this morning and participating in our question-and-answer session. In today's Q&A session, we may make forward-looking statements about our expectations, estimates and outlook for the future. Please refer to our earnings release, management comments, financial supplement and other public filings for more information on the various factors and risks that may cause actual results or outcomes to vary from those projected in or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Joining me on the call to take your questions are George Gleason, Chairman and CEO; Brannon Hamblen, President; Tim Hicks, Chief Financial Officer; and Jake Munn, President, Corporate and Institutional Banking.

We will now open up the lines for your questions. Let me now ask our operator, Liz, to remind our listeners how to

For the quarter ended September 2026, Bank OZK (OZK - Free Report) reported revenue of $439.24 million, down 2.4% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $1.50, compared to $1.59 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue represents a surprise of +1.68% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $432 million. With the consensus EPS estimate being $1.45, the EPS surprise was +3.45%.

While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.

As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.

Here is how Bank OZK performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

Net interest margin (FTE): 4.2% compared to the 4.2% average estimate based on six analysts.Efficiency Ratio: 39.9% versus 39.2% estimated by six analysts on average.Net charge-offs to average loans: 0.5% versus the five-analyst average estimate of 0.6%.Average Balance - Total earning assets (FTE): $38.38 billion versus $38.29 billion estimated by four analysts on average.Non-accrual loans: $89.12 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $299.13 million.Total Non-Interest Income: $36.25 million compared to the $37.48 million average estimate based on six analysts.Net Interest Income (FTE): $409.99 million versus the five-analyst average estimate of $401.61 million.Net Interest Income: $402.99 million compared to the $395.08 million average estimate based on five analysts.Loan-related fees: $11.23 million versus $11.59 million estimated by four analysts on average.Deposit-related fees: $11.7 million versus $11.59 million estimated by four analysts on average.View all Key Company Metrics for Bank OZK here>>>

Shares of Bank OZK have returned -5.4% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +0.7% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.

Bank OZK has raised its dividend every single quarter since 2019, and the yield now sits above 4%. But the bank's massive construction loan book carries a warning that income investors cannot afford to ignore.

Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK | OZK Price Prediction) declared a quarterly dividend of $0.49 per share on October 1, up from $0.48. This equals $1.96 a year and a forward yield of 4.31%. The raise came to about 2.1%. Small increases are the whole method here: OZK adds about a penny every quarter.

A Higher Check Every Quarter Since 2019
The dividend record shows a larger payment each quarter, rising from $0.22 in January 2019 to today’s $0.49, a gain of about 123%. The increases continued through 2020, even if some were tiny, rising from $0.27 to $0.2725 to $0.275. The stock is up only 0.83% over the past year at $45.56, so most of the yield’s rise comes from the growing payout.

Earnings Cover the Dividend Three Times Over
Trailing 12-month EPS is $6.06, and the forward dividend uses about 32% of it. That share is the payout ratio, meaning the piece of profit sent to shareholders. At about a third, the bank keeps most of its earnings to absorb losses. Second-quarter EPS of $1.49 beat the $1.46 estimate but came in below the $1.58 from a year earlier. Over the past six quarters, quarterly EPS has stayed between $1.44 and $1.59.

Shares trade at 0.863 times book value of $54.47 per share and about 8 times trailing earnings. Chief Financial Officer Tim Hicks said OZK used about $175 million of a $200 million buyback authorization over four quarters, buying below tangible book value. OZK now has a new $200 million authorization in place.

Construction Lending Is the Real Test
OZK’s Real Estate Specialties Group (RESG) makes large construction loans, the riskiest part of commercial real estate lending. On the July 22 call, Chairman and CEO George Gleason said RESG repayments came to almost $10 billion over four quarters.

“The RESG portfolio is recycling in a constructive and healthy and normal way.”

Gleason said OZK is now below regulators’ concentration guideline for total commercial real estate. He expects construction loans to drop under the 100% guideline by year-end or early next year. On credit, special mention loans rose. These loans are flagged for closer monitoring but have not yet been marked as problems. OZK also charged off $22 million on a Seattle office building.

“I think there’ll be a few more bumps in the road and we’ll have a few more problem assets.”

Hicks said those losses had already been reserved for in advance: “I think we take a very cautious, prudent approach to building the ACL at the appropriate time.” The ACL, or allowance for credit losses, is the buffer a bank sets aside for loans it expects to go bad.

How OZK Compares With Two Southern Rivals
Prosperity Bancshares (NYSE:PB) pays $0.60 a quarter, about 37% of its second-quarter adjusted EPS of $1.62. It increases once a year. Cullen Zalman said the latest raise “reflects the continued confidence the Board has in our company and our markets.” Prosperity is also absorbing the Stellar deal, which closed July 1, 2026. Pinnacle Financial Partners (NYSE:PNFP) pays $0.24 a quarter against third-quarter 2025 EPS of $2.27, about 11%. That low payout keeps capital on hand for its Synovus merger.

Verdict for Income Investors
OZK’s 4.31% yield looks durable. A payout near one-third, steady quarterly earnings and a shrinking construction book give the board room to keep adding pennies. Credit is the main risk. If office or life-science loans go bad faster than reserves expect, the increases could slow. Management expects the newer corporate lending unit to match RESG in size in 2027, which would make the loan book less concentrated. Income investors should track special mention loans and charge-offs every quarter.

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Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Two bank dividends are closing their collection windows within days, but one of them carries a warning sign that most yield hunters will overlook until it is too late.

Two bank dividends have deadlines within days. Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK | OZK Price Prediction) goes ex-dividend on Tuesday, October 13, so today and Monday are the only two trading sessions left to buy in for its $0.49 quarterly payment. Norwood Financial (NASDAQ:NWFL) follows on Thursday, October 15. Both pass a payout-ratio test. One of them owes part of its yield to a falling share price.

How the deadline works: to collect a dividend, you must own the shares before the ex-dividend date. If you buy on the ex-date or later, the seller keeps the payment. Trades now settle in one business day, so a purchase on the last trading day before the ex-date settles in time. The pay date is simply the day the cash comes.

Bank OZK (OZK): Monday, October 12 Is the Last Day to Buy Bank OZK’s $0.49 dividend has an ex-date and record date of October 13. The payment date is October 20. Given $44.53, the annualized forward dividend of $1.96 works out to a 4.40% yield. This payment is up from $0.48 last quarter and $0.38 in January 2024, part of a run of quarter-after-quarter increases.

Earnings per share is the correct base for coverage at a bank. Trailing dividends of $1.86 against trailing EPS of $6.06 produce a payout ratio of 30.7%. The latest quarter tells the same story: the $1.49 in June-quarter EPS, which beat the $1.46 estimate, sets the new payment at 32.9% of earnings. Loan and deposit flows make bank cash flow statements noisy, so operating cash flow serves as a cross-check. That check also holds up: June-quarter operating cash flow of $204.95 million compared with $55.51 million in common dividends, or about 27.1%.

The share price is where things look wobblier. OZK fell 9.6% over the past month and 11.12% over the past year, which drives the yield higher. The selloff tracks earnings that have stopped rising: June-quarter EPS of $1.49 was below the $1.58 from a year earlier. The payout ratio leaves plenty of room. The open question is whether the bank can keep raising the dividend every quarter while profits stay flat.

Norwood Financial (NWFL): Wednesday, October 14 Is the Cutoff Norwood Financial, a Honesdale, Pennsylvania lender, declared a $0.32 quarterly dividend with an ex-date and record date of October 15 and a payment date of November 2. The last day to buy is Wednesday, October 14. With the stock near $34.20, the indicated annual dividend of $1.28 yields 3.74%. That yield is above average but smaller than OZK’s.

Coverage measured against EPS is comfortable. Trailing dividends of $1.27 against trailing EPS of $2.89 give a payout ratio of 43.9%. The current $0.32 payment matches 37.2% of June-quarter EPS of $0.86. A falling price has not inflated this yield. Shares trade near their 52-week high of $35.48, well above the low of $23.07.

The weak spot is earnings consistency. Norwood has missed expectations three quarters in a row: $0.86 versus $0.87, $0.72 versus $0.81, and $0.84 versus $0.85. It also posted a loss of $1.54 per share in the December 2024 quarter, a reminder that small-bank earnings can swing hard in a single quarter. The dividend is covered today, but there is less margin than at OZK.

Ex-Dividend Deadlines at a Glance Stock Dividend Ex-Date Last Day to Buy Pay Date Yield Payout Ratio (TTM EPS) Bank OZK $0.49 Oct. 13 Oct. 12 Oct. 20 4.40% 30.7% Norwood Financial $0.32 Oct. 15 Oct. 14 Nov. 2 3.74% 43.9% Before You Buy for One Payment Buying a stock to collect a single dividend does not work as a strategy on its own. On the ex-date, prices usually drop by about the dividend amount, so the payment largely sets off that drop. These two names deserve attention because their payouts take up less than half of earnings. Once the ex-date comes, that quarter’s payout goes to whoever held the shares the day before.

Contact [email protected] for any questions or corrections.

Bank stocks are considered some of the best options for dividends for a few reasons.

They are typically mature, stable companies with steady cash flows. They also must adhere to strict regulatory standards for holding cash to withstand downturns with plenty of liquidity.

Banks have slow, steady growth, which tends to moderate the gains in their share prices. With slower rising stock prices, they typically have higher dividend yields, since yields are calculated by dividing the annual dividend by the stock price. The lower the stock price, the higher the yield for a given payout amount.

Large bank stocks get a lot of attention for their dividends, but there are only a couple of large banks in the list of S&P 500 Dividend Kings, which are stocks of companies that have raised their dividends for 50 or more years in a row. There are also few banks in the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats® list, which are stocks with 25 years in a row or more of dividend increases (the term Dividend Aristocrats® is a registered trademark of Standard & Poor’s Financial Services LLC).

There are only a handful of banks in the S&P High Yield Dividend Aristocrats Index, which features stocks from the S&P Composite 1500 with 20 or more years of annual dividend raises. One of them is Bank OZK (OZK -4.31%), which used to be known as Bank of the Ozarks.

Image source: Getty Images.

Bank OZK, the best bank dividend stock The large banks have more stringent regulatory standards than many smaller regional and community banks, so they were barred from raising their dividends during the COVID-19 crash. Some held their dividends in check, but many had to reduce them.

But Little Rock, Arkansas-based Bank OZK, the 52nd-largest U.S. bank with $41.7 billion in assets, is not subject to the same capital requirements as the large banks. Thus, it was able to increase its dividend through the dot-com bear market, the Great Recession, and the COVID-19 crash.

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In fact, it has increased its annual dividend for 28 years straight.

But more remarkably, Bank OZK has increased its quarterly dividend for 65 quarters in a row. That means it has raised its dividend every quarter for the past 16-plus years. The most recent increase came last week when it raised its dividend to $0.49 per share.

Why Bank OZK can sustain its dividend Bank OZK stands alone among banks, and probably most other dividend stocks, in its consistency.

In addition to its streak of regularly increasing its dividends, it pays out a dividend yield of 4.2%, which is one of the highest yields you will find among banks.

Its sustainability is likely based on its low payout ratio of just 30%, meaning that just 30% of its earnings go toward its dividend. That also indicates that even if it has a difficult quarter where earnings take a hit, it has plenty of leeway to keep raising or maintaining its dividend.

Another major sign of its ability to maintain its dividend consistency is its $1.55 billion in cash and record $19.7 billion in primary and secondary liquidity. That includes $1.5 billion in cash, $3.2 billion in unpledged investment securities, $8.3 billion of available Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) borrowing capacity, $5.4 billion of Federal Reserve discount window borrowing availability, and $1.2 billion of available unsecured lines of credit.

In the second quarter, its common equity tier 1 (CET1) ratio, which regulators use to measure a bank's capital strength, rose to 11.8%, up from 11.6% in Q1. The regulatory minimum to be considered well-capitalized is 6.5%.

It all adds up to a fantastic dividend stock that is poised to maintain its status as one of the most consistent and reliable dividend stocks among banks.

Sixty-five consecutive quarters of quarterly common stock dividend increases  | Source: Bank OZK

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., Oct. 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bank OZK (the “Bank”) (Nasdaq: OZK) announced its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend on the Bank’s common stock of $0.49 per share, up $0.01, or 2.08% from the prior quarter. The common stock dividend is payable on October 20, 2026 to shareholders of record as of October 13, 2026. This marks the Bank’s 65th consecutive increase in its quarterly common stock dividend.

The Board of Directors also declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.28906 per share on the Bank’s 4.625% Series A Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock (“Series A Preferred Stock”) (Nasdaq: OZKAP) for the period covering August 15, 2026 through, but excluding November 15, 2026. The Series A Preferred Stock dividend is payable on November 16, 2026, to holders of record of the Series A Preferred Stock at the close of business on November 2, 2026.

Bank OZK’s consistent track record of increasing its common stock dividend has led to it being included in the S&P High Yield Dividend Aristocrats® index (Ticker: SPHYDA) since January 2018. The index consists of members of the S&P Composite 1500® that have followed a managed-dividends policy of consistently increasing common stock dividends every year for at least 20 years, and that meet minimum float-adjusted market capitalization and liquidity requirements. For more information on the index, visit www.spglobal.com/spdji.

GENERAL INFORMATION
Bank OZK (Nasdaq: OZK) is a regional bank providing innovative financial solutions delivered by expert bankers with a relentless pursuit of excellence. Established in 1903, Bank OZK conducts banking operations in 267 offices in nine states including Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Texas, North Carolina, Tennessee, New York, California and Mississippi and had $41.7 billion in total assets as of June 30, 2026. For more information, visit ozk.com.

Investor Relations Contact:Jay Staley (501) 906-7842Media Contact:Michelle Rossow (501) 906-3922  

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Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Readers are advised to fact-check thoroughly before committing any capital to this idea; this reflects the personal views of the author and should not be pursued as formal financial or investment advice in any manner. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, errors may exist in the data and financial projections presented. The author is not responsible for any financial gains or losses incurred from investments made based on this content.

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WesBanco (NASDAQ:WSBC – Get Free Report) and Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK – Get Free Report) are both mid-cap finance companies, but which is the superior investment? We will contrast the two companies based on the strength of their analyst recommendations, profitability, risk, institutional ownership, dividends, valuation and earnings.

Volatility & Risk WesBanco has a beta of 0.66, indicating that its share price is 34% less volatile than the S&P 500. Comparatively, Bank OZK has a beta of 0.88, indicating that its share price is 12% less volatile than the S&P 500.

Profitability This table compares WesBanco and Bank OZK’s net margins, return on equity and return on assets.

Net Margins Return on Equity Return on Assets WesBanco 23.35% 9.72% 1.34% Bank OZK 24.95% 11.87% 1.67% Earnings and Valuation This table compares WesBanco and Bank OZK”s top-line revenue, earnings per share (EPS) and valuation. Gross Revenue Price/Sales Ratio Net Income Earnings Per Share Price/Earnings Ratio WesBanco $1.44 billion 2.61 $223.10 million $3.44 11.39 Bank OZK $1.74 billion 3.08 $715.48 million $6.05 7.91 Bank OZK has higher revenue and earnings than WesBanco. Bank OZK is trading at a lower price-to-earnings ratio than WesBanco, indicating that it is currently the more affordable of the two stocks.

Institutional & Insider Ownership 61.4% of WesBanco shares are held by institutional investors. Comparatively, 86.2% of Bank OZK shares are held by institutional investors. 2.1% of WesBanco shares are held by insiders. Comparatively, 6.7% of Bank OZK shares are held by insiders. Strong institutional ownership is an indication that hedge funds, large money managers and endowments believe a stock is poised for long-term growth.

Dividends WesBanco pays an annual dividend of $1.52 per share and has a dividend yield of 3.9%. Bank OZK pays an annual dividend of $1.92 per share and has a dividend yield of 4.0%. WesBanco pays out 44.2% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Bank OZK pays out 31.7% of its earnings in the form of a dividend. Both companies have healthy payout ratios and should be able to cover their dividend payments with earnings for the next several years. WesBanco has raised its dividend for 14 consecutive years and Bank OZK has raised its dividend for 29 consecutive years. Bank OZK is clearly the better dividend stock, given its higher yield and longer track record of dividend growth.

Analyst Recommendations This is a breakdown of current ratings and price targets for WesBanco and Bank OZK, as provided by MarketBeat.

Sell Ratings Hold Ratings Buy Ratings Strong Buy Ratings Rating Score WesBanco 0 3 3 1 2.71 Bank OZK 3 5 3 0 2.00 WesBanco presently has a consensus target price of $43.20, suggesting a potential upside of 10.23%. Bank OZK has a consensus target price of $56.88, suggesting a potential upside of 18.89%. Given Bank OZK’s higher probable upside, analysts clearly believe Bank OZK is more favorable than WesBanco.

Summary Bank OZK beats WesBanco on 14 of the 17 factors compared between the two stocks.

About WesBanco (Get Free Report)

WesBanco, Inc. operates as the bank holding company for WesBanco Bank, Inc. that provides retail banking, corporate banking, personal and corporate trust, brokerage, mortgage banking, and insurance services to individuals and businesses in the United States. The company operates through two segments, Community Banking, and Trust and Investment Services. It offers commercial demand, individual demand, and time deposit accounts; commercial, mortgage and individual installment loans; retail loans, such as residential real estate mortgage loans, home equity lines of credit, and loans for other consumer purposes; installment loans to finance the purchase of automobiles, trucks, motorcycles, boats, and other recreational vehicles, as well as home equity installment loans, unsecured home improvement loans, and revolving lines of credit; and various non-traditional offerings, such as insurance and securities brokerage services. The company also provides trust services; and various alternative investment products, including mutual funds and annuities. In addition, it acts as an agency that specializes in property, casualty, life, and title insurance, as well as benefit plan sales and administration to personal and commercial clients; provides broker dealer and discount brokerage services; holds investment securities and loans; and holds and leases commercial real estate properties, as well as acts as an investment adviser to a family of mutual funds. WesBanco, Inc. was founded in 1870 and is headquartered in Wheeling, West Virginia.

About Bank OZK (Get Free Report)

Bank OZK provides various retail and commercial banking services for individuals and businesses in the United States. The company offers deposit services, including non-interest bearing checking, interest bearing transaction, business sweep, savings, money market, individual retirement, and other accounts, as well as time and reciprocal deposits. It also provides trust and wealth services, such as personal trusts, custodial accounts, investment management accounts, and retirement accounts, as well as corporate trust services, including trustee, paying agent and registered transfer agent services, and other related services. In addition, the company offers treasury management services comprising automated clearing house, wire transfer, transaction reporting, wholesale lockbox, remote deposit capture, automated credit line transfer, reconciliation, positive pay, commercial card, and other services, as well as zero balance and investment sweep accounts. Further, it provides real estate, consumer, small business, indirect recreational vehicle and marine, equipment, agricultural, commercial and industrial, government guaranteed, lines of credit, homebuilder, and affordable housing loans; lender and structured, business aviation, and subscription financing services; and mortgage and other lending products. Additionally, the company offers ATMs; telephone, online, and mobile banking services; credit and debit cards; safe deposit boxes; and other products and services. The company was formerly known as Bank of the Ozarks and changed its name to Bank OZK in July 2018. Bank OZK was founded in 1903 and is headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas.

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Bank OZK offers both undervalued common stock and a preferred with an unusually high, secure yield. OZK's diversification into corporate and institutional lending raises non-interest expenses but aims to reduce real estate concentration risk. Credit quality remains robust, with substandard loans at just 1.15% of the $32.5B portfolio, and loss provisions not signaling material weakness.

Posted by Defense World Staff on Aug 15th, 2026

Bank of America Corp DE grew its position in Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK – Free Report) by 33.0% in the first quarter, according to its most recent Form 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The institutional investor owned 774,253 shares of the company’s stock after buying an additional 192,237 shares during the quarter. Bank of America Corp DE owned 0.69% of Bank OZK worth $35,530,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds have also made changes to their positions in the business. BOKF NA purchased a new position in Bank OZK in the third quarter valued at $27,000. Bayforest Capital Ltd increased its position in shares of Bank OZK by 100.5% during the fourth quarter. Bayforest Capital Ltd now owns 766 shares of the company’s stock worth $35,000 after purchasing an additional 384 shares in the last quarter. Eurizon Capital SGR S.p.A. purchased a new stake in Bank OZK in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $36,000. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC grew its position in Bank OZK by 111.2% during the 4th quarter. Transamerica Financial Advisors LLC now owns 830 shares of the company’s stock worth $38,000 after purchasing an additional 437 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Atlas Capital Advisors Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Bank OZK during the fourth quarter worth about $47,000. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.18% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets A number of brokerages have commented on OZK. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and set a $61.00 price objective on shares of Bank OZK in a research report on Wednesday, July 22nd. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Bank OZK from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, June 29th. Weiss Ratings raised Bank OZK from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a research note on Tuesday, June 23rd. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price target on shares of Bank OZK from $52.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, August 10th. Finally, UBS Group raised their price target on Bank OZK from $50.00 to $51.00 and gave the stock a “neutral” rating in a research note on Tuesday, July 28th. Three equities research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $56.88.

Read Our Latest Stock Report on Bank OZK

Bank OZK Stock Up 0.5% OZK stock opened at $52.49 on Friday. The firm has a fifty day moving average price of $51.04 and a two-hundred day moving average price of $48.70. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a current ratio of 0.97 and a quick ratio of 1.00. Bank OZK has a 1-year low of $42.37 and a 1-year high of $53.66. The firm has a market cap of $5.87 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.68 and a beta of 0.89.

Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK – Get Free Report) last posted its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The company reported $1.49 EPS for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.48 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $430.02 million during the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $436.42 million. Bank OZK had a net margin of 24.95% and a return on equity of 11.87%. The company’s quarterly revenue was up .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business posted $1.47 EPS. Research analysts predict that Bank OZK will post 5.86 EPS for the current year.

Bank OZK declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a stock repurchase plan on Monday, June 29th that permits the company to buyback $200.00 million in shares. This buyback authorization permits the company to buy up to 3.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are usually an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.

Bank OZK Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 20th. Investors of record on Monday, July 13th were paid a dividend of $0.48 per share. This represents a $1.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.7%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 13th. This is an increase from Bank OZK’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. Bank OZK’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 31.74%.

About Bank OZK (Free Report)

Bank OZK, formerly known as Bank of the Ozarks, is a regional commercial bank headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. Established in 1903, the bank offers a full suite of banking products and services to both individual and corporate clients. Through a combination of organic growth and targeted acquisitions, Bank OZK has built a diversified lending portfolio and a strong deposit franchise.

The bank’s core operations focus on commercial real estate lending, including acquisition, development and construction financing.

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California Public Employees Retirement System grew its holdings in Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK – Free Report) by 11.8% in the 1st quarter, according to its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 231,654 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 24,485 shares during the quarter. California Public Employees Retirement System owned 0.21% of Bank OZK worth $10,631,000 as of its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Several other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of the stock. Ruffer LLP acquired a new stake in Bank OZK in the 4th quarter worth $3,137,000. UBS Group AG increased its holdings in shares of Bank OZK by 13.4% during the 4th quarter. UBS Group AG now owns 531,843 shares of the company’s stock worth $24,475,000 after purchasing an additional 63,051 shares during the period. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC raised its position in shares of Bank OZK by 21.5% during the fourth quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 284,258 shares of the company’s stock valued at $13,371,000 after buying an additional 50,258 shares during the last quarter. Van Berkom & Associates Inc. raised its position in shares of Bank OZK by 2.8% during the fourth quarter. Van Berkom & Associates Inc. now owns 1,869,432 shares of the company’s stock valued at $86,031,000 after buying an additional 50,985 shares during the last quarter. Finally, Tectonic Advisors LLC lifted its stake in shares of Bank OZK by 327.8% in the fourth quarter. Tectonic Advisors LLC now owns 64,882 shares of the company’s stock valued at $2,986,000 after buying an additional 49,716 shares during the period. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.18% of the company’s stock.

Bank OZK Price Performance NASDAQ:OZK opened at $50.33 on Friday. The company has a 50-day moving average of $50.01 and a 200-day moving average of $48.28. The company has a market capitalization of $5.63 billion, a price-to-earnings ratio of 8.32 and a beta of 0.89. Bank OZK has a 52 week low of $42.37 and a 52 week high of $53.66. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a current ratio of 0.97.

Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK – Get Free Report) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The company reported $1.49 earnings per share for the quarter, beating the consensus estimate of $1.48 by $0.01. The business had revenue of $430.02 million for the quarter, compared to analyst estimates of $436.42 million. Bank OZK had a net margin of 24.95% and a return on equity of 11.87%. The firm’s revenue was up .5% on a year-over-year basis. During the same period in the previous year, the business earned $1.47 EPS. As a group, equities research analysts anticipate that Bank OZK will post 5.94 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Bank OZK Increases Dividend The business also recently disclosed a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, July 20th. Shareholders of record on Monday, July 13th were issued a dividend of $0.48 per share. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Monday, July 13th. This is a positive change from Bank OZK’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. This represents a $1.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.8%. Bank OZK’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is presently 31.74%.

Bank OZK declared that its Board of Directors has initiated a share buyback program on Monday, June 29th that authorizes the company to repurchase $200.00 million in shares. This repurchase authorization authorizes the company to purchase up to 3.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares repurchase programs are often an indication that the company’s management believes its stock is undervalued.

Analyst Ratings Changes A number of research firms recently weighed in on OZK. Wall Street Zen downgraded Bank OZK from a “hold” rating to a “sell” rating in a research report on Saturday. TD Cowen cut their price target on Bank OZK from $53.00 to $52.00 and set a “hold” rating for the company in a report on Friday. UBS Group assumed coverage on Bank OZK in a research report on Tuesday, April 7th. They issued a “neutral” rating and a $48.00 price objective for the company. Morgan Stanley lifted their price objective on Bank OZK from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, June 29th. Finally, Wells Fargo & Company lifted their price objective on Bank OZK from $50.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, July 6th. Three analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have issued a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $56.00.

Check Out Our Latest Research Report on OZK

Bank OZK Profile (Free Report)

Bank OZK, formerly known as Bank of the Ozarks, is a regional commercial bank headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. Established in 1903, the bank offers a full suite of banking products and services to both individual and corporate clients. Through a combination of organic growth and targeted acquisitions, Bank OZK has built a diversified lending portfolio and a strong deposit franchise.

The bank’s core operations focus on commercial real estate lending, including acquisition, development and construction financing.

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Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK) executives used the company’s second-quarter 2026 earnings call to emphasize the bank’s ongoing shift toward a more diversified loan portfolio, with rapid growth in corporate and institutional banking helping offset elevated repayments in its real estate specialties group.

Chairman and CEO George Gleason said the corporate and institutional banking, or CIB, business is “a very important and rapidly growing and developing part” of the franchise. He said the bank is investing in the unit and hiring experienced leadership as it seeks to reduce concentration in commercial real estate and the real estate specialties group, or RESG.

“We want to make sure that we are not trading one concentration for another,” Gleason said, adding that diversification within CIB is important to long-term franchise value.

CIB Growth Adds Diversification Jake Munn, president of corporate and institutional banking, said CIB now includes more than seven major business lines, including corporate banking and sponsor finance, fund finance, lender finance, natural resources, franchise capital solutions, asset-based lending and equipment finance.

Munn also highlighted the bank’s emerging middle market group, which he said is intended to bridge the gap between the legacy community bank and the larger corporate banking and sponsor finance segment. The group will focus on family-owned businesses with roughly $15 million to $100 million in revenue, particularly within Bank OZK’s core footprint.

According to Munn, CIB currently represents more than 42 unique NAICS categories, giving the bank flexibility to adjust its emphasis across business lines as market conditions change. He said growth in the most recent quarter was led by corporate banking and sponsor finance, along with natural resources, while asset-based lending was less emphasized because of tighter pricing and more aggressive advance rates in that market.

Munn said the bank views CIB as more than a loan-growth engine, pointing to potential deposit opportunities and cross-selling in treasury management, private wealth management, commodity hedging, interest-rate hedging and capital markets services.

RESG Repayments Expected to Remain Elevated Executives said repayments in the RESG portfolio remained high in the second quarter and are expected to stay elevated through the rest of 2026 and into 2027. Gleason said repayments approached $3 billion in the second quarter and averaged about $2.5 billion per quarter over the trailing four quarters.

Gleason said the elevated repayment activity is tied to the natural cadence of loans originated during 2022, which he described as a record origination year. He said the bank expects repayments to taper somewhat in 2027 but remain elevated based on current projections.

President Brannon Hamblen said repayment timing can shift based on market conditions, sponsor strategies, refinancing activity, sales decisions and cap-rate changes. “A lot of it’s just the natural cadence of the portfolio moving through the pipe,” Hamblen said.

Despite the repayment headwind, Gleason said the bank continues to expect mid-single-digit loan growth for the full year. He said a wave of repayments early in the second quarter pressured average earning assets, making it difficult to catch up during the rest of the period.

“Hopefully those prepayments will be a little more levelized in Q3 and Q4,” Gleason said.

Net Interest Income Guidance Pressured by Average Earning Assets Asked about changes in net interest income commentary, Gleason said the principal factor was average earning assets rather than deposit competition or liability-side pressures. He said the bank had expected more linear growth during the year but experienced a pullback in the second quarter after early loan payoffs.

Gleason said Bank OZK had anticipated a competitive deposit environment at the start of the year, and that environment has continued. He said the bank’s view of net interest margin is broadly consistent with analyst consensus estimates and reiterated that management expects margin to be slightly below the first quarter’s 4.20% level.

On deposit costs, Gleason said the bank’s CD specials are roughly 10 basis points higher than their low point, reflecting expectations for more deposit growth in the third and fourth quarters to support loan growth. He said the second-quarter cost of interest-bearing deposits likely represented an inflection point and that modest increases are expected going forward.

Chief Financial Officer Tim Hicks said he expects average earning assets to increase in both the third and fourth quarters from the second-quarter level.

Credit Trends and Reserves Remain in Focus Credit quality was a major focus of the call, with analysts asking about special mention loans, life science exposure and charge-offs. Gleason said the increase in special mention loans should not be overinterpreted, noting that some loans enter the category while extension or recapitalization discussions are underway and later return to pass status.

“I think there are several of them that look like they’re going to work out favorably and be candidates for upgrade over the next couple of quarters, if not the next month or two,” Gleason said.

Hicks said Bank OZK had built its allowance for credit losses in recent years in anticipation of later charge-offs. As those charge-offs are realized, he said the bank has considered it appropriate to reduce the allowance over the last couple of quarters. He cited two Seattle buildings that moved into other real estate owned during the quarter, with charge-offs of $22 million on the office property and $3.7 million on the life science property, saying those amounts had already been reserved for in the prior quarter.

Hicks said provision expense has been below consensus estimates over the last several quarters and could continue to “drift down” if the economy maintains its resiliency and strength.

On life science, Gleason said the bank has a “pretty healthy” allowance for the portfolio given sector challenges. He said several life science assets are well leased, while one life science loan that was exited through a discounted payoff was, in his view, probably the least desirable single asset in the portfolio. Hamblen said tenant activity has improved in some markets, including interest from technology, AI and office users in addition to life science tenants.

Real Estate Concentration Continues to Decline Gleason said muted RESG origination volume and ongoing repayments will continue to reduce the bank’s real estate concentration. He said Bank OZK is now below the regulatory concentration guideline for total commercial real estate and expects to be below the 100% guideline for construction and development by the end of 2026 or early 2027.

Management expects the CIB and RESG portfolios to become roughly equal in size at some point in 2027. Gleason said that implies continued strong growth in CIB and continued paydowns in RESG. He also said the community banking, indirect and RV portfolios could show more positive momentum through 2027, resulting in a more balanced portfolio across major segments.

Asked about share repurchases, Hicks said the bank used about $175 million of its prior $200 million authorization over the last four quarters at an average price below tangible book value. He said the board has approved a new $200 million authorization for the next four quarters, with actual usage dependent on the stock price.

Gleason closed the call by saying management looks forward to updating investors again next quarter.

About Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK) Bank OZK, formerly known as Bank of the Ozarks, is a regional commercial bank headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. Established in 1903, the bank offers a full suite of banking products and services to both individual and corporate clients. Through a combination of organic growth and targeted acquisitions, Bank OZK has built a diversified lending portfolio and a strong deposit franchise.

The bank’s core operations focus on commercial real estate lending, including acquisition, development and construction financing.

Bank OZK (OZK) Q2 2026 Earnings Call July 22, 2026 8:30 AM EDT

Company Participants

Jay Staley
George Gleason - Chairman & CEO
Jake Munn - President of Corporate & Institutional Banking
Paschall Hamblen - President
Tim Hicks - Chief Financial Officer

Conference Call Participants

Stephen Scouten - Piper Sandler & Co., Research Division
Matt Olney - Stephens Inc., Research Division
Manan Gosalia - Morgan Stanley, Research Division
Catherine Mealor - Keefe, Bruyette, & Woods, Inc., Research Division
Brian Martin - Brean Capital, LLC, Research Division
Timur Braziler - UBS Investment Bank, Research Division
Sun Young Lee - TD Cowen, Research Division

Presentation

Operator

Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for standing by. Welcome to Bank OZK Second Quarter 2026 Earnings Conference Call. [Operator Instructions].

Please be advised that today's conference is being recorded.

I would like to turn the conference over to Jay Staley, Managing Director of Investor Relations and Corporate Development. Please go ahead.

Jay Staley

Good morning. I'm Jay Staley, Managing Director of Investor Relations and Corporate Development for Bank OZK. Thank you for joining our call this morning and participating in our question-and-answer session.

In today's Q&A session, we may make forward-looking statements about our expectations, estimates and outlook for the future. Please refer to our earnings release, management comments, financial supplement and other public filings for more information on the various factors and risks that may cause actual results or outcomes to vary from those projected in or implied by such forward-looking statements.

Joining me on the call to take your questions are George Gleason, Chairman and CEO; Brannon Hamblen, President; Tim Hicks, Chief Financial Officer; and Jake Munn, President, Corporate and Institutional Banking.

We'll now open up the lines for your questions. Let me now ask our operator, Michelle, to remind our listeners how to queue in for questions.

Question-and-Answer Session

Operator

3 high-yielding, small banks to buy on the dipBank OZK NASDAQ: OZK executives used the company’s second-quarter 2026 earnings call to emphasize the bank’s ongoing shift toward a more diversified loan portfolio, with rapid growth in corporate and institutional banking helping offset elevated repayments in its real estate specialties group.

Chairman and CEO George Gleason said the corporate and institutional banking, or CIB, business is “a very important and rapidly growing and developing part” of the franchise. He said the bank is investing in the unit and hiring experienced leadership as it seeks to reduce concentration in commercial real estate and the real estate specialties group, or RESG.

Get Bank OZK alerts:

“We want to make sure that we are not trading one concentration for another,” Gleason said, adding that diversification within CIB is important to long-term franchise value.

CIB Growth Adds Diversification Jake Munn, president of corporate and institutional banking, said CIB now includes more than seven major business lines, including corporate banking and sponsor finance, fund finance, lender finance, natural resources, franchise capital solutions, asset-based lending and equipment finance.

Munn also highlighted the bank’s emerging middle market group, which he said is intended to bridge the gap between the legacy community bank and the larger corporate banking and sponsor finance segment. The group will focus on family-owned businesses with roughly $15 million to $100 million in revenue, particularly within Bank OZK’s core footprint.

According to Munn, CIB currently represents more than 42 unique NAICS categories, giving the bank flexibility to adjust its emphasis across business lines as market conditions change. He said growth in the most recent quarter was led by corporate banking and sponsor finance, along with natural resources, while asset-based lending was less emphasized because of tighter pricing and more aggressive advance rates in that market.

Munn said the bank views CIB as more than a loan-growth engine, pointing to potential deposit opportunities and cross-selling in treasury management, private wealth management, commodity hedging, interest-rate hedging and capital markets services.

RESG Repayments Expected to Remain Elevated Executives said repayments in the RESG portfolio remained high in the second quarter and are expected to stay elevated through the rest of 2026 and into 2027. Gleason said repayments approached $3 billion in the second quarter and averaged about $2.5 billion per quarter over the trailing four quarters.

Gleason said the elevated repayment activity is tied to the natural cadence of loans originated during 2022, which he described as a record origination year. He said the bank expects repayments to taper somewhat in 2027 but remain elevated based on current projections.

President Brannon Hamblen said repayment timing can shift based on market conditions, sponsor strategies, refinancing activity, sales decisions and cap-rate changes. “A lot of it’s just the natural cadence of the portfolio moving through the pipe,” Hamblen said.

Despite the repayment headwind, Gleason said the bank continues to expect mid-single-digit loan growth for the full year. He said a wave of repayments early in the second quarter pressured average earning assets, making it difficult to catch up during the rest of the period.

“Hopefully those prepayments will be a little more levelized in Q3 and Q4,” Gleason said.

Net Interest Income Guidance Pressured by Average Earning Assets Asked about changes in net interest income commentary, Gleason said the principal factor was average earning assets rather than deposit competition or liability-side pressures. He said the bank had expected more linear growth during the year but experienced a pullback in the second quarter after early loan payoffs.

Gleason said Bank OZK had anticipated a competitive deposit environment at the start of the year, and that environment has continued. He said the bank’s view of net interest margin is broadly consistent with analyst consensus estimates and reiterated that management expects margin to be slightly below the first quarter’s 4.20% level.

On deposit costs, Gleason said the bank’s CD specials are roughly 10 basis points higher than their low point, reflecting expectations for more deposit growth in the third and fourth quarters to support loan growth. He said the second-quarter cost of interest-bearing deposits likely represented an inflection point and that modest increases are expected going forward.

Chief Financial Officer Tim Hicks said he expects average earning assets to increase in both the third and fourth quarters from the second-quarter level.

Credit Trends and Reserves Remain in Focus Credit quality was a major focus of the call, with analysts asking about special mention loans, life science exposure and charge-offs. Gleason said the increase in special mention loans should not be overinterpreted, noting that some loans enter the category while extension or recapitalization discussions are underway and later return to pass status.

“I think there are several of them that look like they’re going to work out favorably and be candidates for upgrade over the next couple of quarters, if not the next month or two,” Gleason said.

Hicks said Bank OZK had built its allowance for credit losses in recent years in anticipation of later charge-offs. As those charge-offs are realized, he said the bank has considered it appropriate to reduce the allowance over the last couple of quarters. He cited two Seattle buildings that moved into other real estate owned during the quarter, with charge-offs of $22 million on the office property and $3.7 million on the life science property, saying those amounts had already been reserved for in the prior quarter.

Hicks said provision expense has been below consensus estimates over the last several quarters and could continue to “drift down” if the economy maintains its resiliency and strength.

On life science, Gleason said the bank has a “pretty healthy” allowance for the portfolio given sector challenges. He said several life science assets are well leased, while one life science loan that was exited through a discounted payoff was, in his view, probably the least desirable single asset in the portfolio. Hamblen said tenant activity has improved in some markets, including interest from technology, AI and office users in addition to life science tenants.

Real Estate Concentration Continues to Decline Gleason said muted RESG origination volume and ongoing repayments will continue to reduce the bank’s real estate concentration. He said Bank OZK is now below the regulatory concentration guideline for total commercial real estate and expects to be below the 100% guideline for construction and development by the end of 2026 or early 2027.

Management expects the CIB and RESG portfolios to become roughly equal in size at some point in 2027. Gleason said that implies continued strong growth in CIB and continued paydowns in RESG. He also said the community banking, indirect and RV portfolios could show more positive momentum through 2027, resulting in a more balanced portfolio across major segments.

Asked about share repurchases, Hicks said the bank used about $175 million of its prior $200 million authorization over the last four quarters at an average price below tangible book value. He said the board has approved a new $200 million authorization for the next four quarters, with actual usage dependent on the stock price.

Gleason closed the call by saying management looks forward to updating investors again next quarter.

About Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK)Bank OZK, formerly known as Bank of the Ozarks, is a regional commercial bank headquartered in Little Rock, Arkansas. Established in 1903, the bank offers a full suite of banking products and services to both individual and corporate clients. Through a combination of organic growth and targeted acquisitions, Bank OZK has built a diversified lending portfolio and a strong deposit franchise.

The bank's core operations focus on commercial real estate lending, including acquisition, development and construction financing.

This instant news alert was generated by narrative science technology and financial data from MarketBeat in order to provide readers with the fastest reporting and unbiased coverage. Please send any questions or comments about this story to [email protected].

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For the quarter ended June 2026, Bank OZK (OZK - Free Report) reported revenue of $430.02 million, up 0.5% over the same period last year. EPS came in at $1.49, compared to $1.58 in the year-ago quarter.

The reported revenue compares to the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $432.02 million, representing a surprise of -0.46%. The company delivered an EPS surprise of +2.06%, with the consensus EPS estimate being $1.46.

While investors scrutinize revenue and earnings changes year-over-year and how they compare with Wall Street expectations to determine their next move, some key metrics always offer a more accurate picture of a company's financial health.

As these metrics influence top- and bottom-line performance, comparing them to the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated helps investors project a stock's price performance more accurately.

Here is how Bank OZK performed in the just reported quarter in terms of the metrics most widely monitored and projected by Wall Street analysts:

Net interest margin: 4.2% versus the five-analyst average estimate of 4.2%.Efficiency Ratio: 39.2% versus the five-analyst average estimate of 38.5%.Total Average Interest-Earning Assets (FTE): $37.6 billion versus $38.68 billion estimated by four analysts on average.Net charge-offs to average total loans: 0.7% compared to the 0.5% average estimate based on four analysts.Total Nonperforming loans: $300.42 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $292.3 million.Total Non-Interest Income: $37.87 million compared to the $34.49 million average estimate based on five analysts.Net Interest Income: $392.15 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $397.65 million.Net Interest Income (FTE): $397.93 million versus the four-analyst average estimate of $401.45 million.Deposit-related fees- All other service charges: $11.4 million compared to the $11.14 million average estimate based on three analysts.Loan-related fees: $12.48 million versus $9.21 million estimated by three analysts on average.Gains (losses) on sales of other assets: $0.97 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $0.61 million.Trust income: $3.04 million versus $3.02 million estimated by two analysts on average.View all Key Company Metrics for Bank OZK here>>>

Shares of Bank OZK have returned +3.2% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's -0.6% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold), indicating that it could perform in line with the broader market in the near term.

July 21, 2026 16:13 ET  | Source: Bank OZK

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., July 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bank OZK (the “Bank”) (Nasdaq: OZK) today announced that net income available to common stockholders for the second quarter of 2026 was $163.3 million, a decrease of 8.7% from $178.9 million for the second quarter of 2025, but an increase of 2.5% from $159.3 million for the first quarter of 2026. For the first six months of 2026, net income available to common stockholders was $322.6 million, a 7.0% decrease from $346.8 million for the first six months of 2025. Diluted earnings per common share (“EPS”) for the second quarter of 2026 were $1.49, a decrease of 5.7% from $1.58 for the second quarter of 2025, but an increase of 3.5% from $1.44 for the first quarter of 2026. EPS for the first six months of 2026 were $2.93, a 3.9% decrease from $3.05 for the first six months of 2025.

George Gleason, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “We are pleased to report our solid financial results for the quarter including EPS of $1.49, a 1.60% return on assets, a 4.24% net interest margin, a 39.2% efficiency ratio, strong increases in our book value and tangible book value per common share, and meaningful increases in our capital ratios. We continued to make significant progress with the strategic diversification of our loan portfolio. Our solid financial performance and steady progress on numerous strategic initiatives have us well-positioned for the future.”

MANAGEMENT COMMENTS, FINANCIAL SUPPLEMENT AND CONFERENCE CALL

In connection with this release, the Bank released its management comments on its quarterly results and a financial supplement, which are available at the Bank's investor relations website.

Management will conduct a conference call to take questions at 7:30 a.m. CT (8:30 a.m. ET) on Wednesday, July 22, 2026. Interested parties may access the conference call live via webcast on the Bank’s investor relations website, or may participate via telephone by registering using this online form. Upon registration, all telephone participants will receive the dial-in number along with a unique PIN number that can be used to access the call. A replay of the conference call webcast will be archived on the Bank’s website for at least 30 days.

GENERAL INFORMATION

Bank OZK (Nasdaq: OZK) is a regional bank providing innovative financial solutions delivered by expert bankers with a relentless pursuit of excellence. Established in 1903, Bank OZK conducts banking operations in 267 offices in nine states including Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Texas, North Carolina, Tennessee, New York, California and Mississippi and had $41.7 billion in total assets as of June 30, 2026. For more information, visit ozk.com.

The Bank files annual, quarterly and current reports, proxy materials, and other information required by the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”), copies of which are available electronically at the FDIC’s website and are also available on the Bank’s investor relations website at ir.ozk.com. Use this online form to receive automated email notifications for these materials.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release and other communications by the Bank and its management may include certain statements that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. Forward-looking statements often use words such as “anticipates,” “targets,” “expects,” “hopes,” “estimates,” “intends,” “plans,” “goals,” “believes,” " feels," “continue” and other similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “may,” “might,” “should,” “would” and “could.” Forward-looking statements represent the Bank’s current expectations, plans or forecasts of its future results, revenues, liquidity, net interest income, provision for credit losses, expenses, efficiency ratio, capital measures, strategy, deposits, assets, and future business and economic conditions more generally, and other future matters. These statements are not guarantees of future results or performance and involve certain known and unknown risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict and are often beyond the Bank’s control. Actual outcomes and results may differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, any of these forward-looking statements.

  Investor Contact:Jay Staley (501) 906-7842Media Contact:Michelle Rossow (501) 906-3922  

In this article series, I summarize dividend announcements of the past week. Only one stock (OZK) announced a dividend increase this week. The increase is modest at 2.1% but extends a remarkable record of 64 consecutive quarterly increases, compounding to an annual dividend growth rate of around 9%. OZK maintains a low 29% earnings payout ratio and a B+ Dividend Safety Grade, supporting ongoing dividend growth.

Sixty-four consecutive quarters of increased quarterly cash dividend on its common stock July 01, 2026 16:01 ET  | Source: Bank OZK

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., July 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bank OZK (the “Bank”) (Nasdaq: OZK) announced its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend on the Bank’s common stock of $0.48 per share, up $0.01, or 2.13% from the prior quarter. The common stock dividend is payable on July 20, 2026 to shareholders of record as of July 13, 2026. Bank OZK has increased its quarterly cash dividend on its common stock in each of the last sixty-four quarters.

The Board of Directors also declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.28906 per share on the Bank’s 4.625% Series A Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock (“Series A Preferred Stock”) (Nasdaq: OZKAP) for the period covering May 15, 2026 through, but excluding August 15, 2026. The Series A Preferred Stock dividend is payable on August 17, 2026, to the holders of record of the Series A Preferred Stock at the close of business on August 3, 2026.

Bank OZK’s consistent track record of increasing its common stock dividend has led to it being included in the S&P High Yield Dividend Aristocrats® index (Ticker: SPHYDA) since January 2018. The index consists of members of the S&P Composite 1500® that have followed a managed-dividends policy of consistently increasing common stock dividends every year for at least 20 years, and that meet minimum float-adjusted market capitalization and liquidity requirements. For more information on the index, visit www.spglobal.com/spdji.

GENERAL INFORMATION
Bank OZK (Nasdaq: OZK) is a regional bank providing innovative financial solutions delivered by expert bankers with a relentless pursuit of excellence. Established in 1903, Bank OZK conducts banking operations in more than 265 offices in nine states including Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Texas, North Carolina, Tennessee, New York, California and Mississippi and had $41.7 billion in total assets as of March 31, 2026. For more information, visit ozk.com.

Investor Relations Contact:Jay Staley (501) 906-7842Media Contact: Michelle Rossow (501) 906-3922

Key Takeaways Bank OZK authorized a new $200M share repurchase program effective July 1, 2026, through July 1, 2027.OZK repurchased 3.89M shares for about $176.6M under the prior $200M buyback program set to expire.Bank OZK backs buybacks and dividend growth with $1.7B cash and cash equivalents versus $813.9M debt. Bank OZK (OZK - Free Report) continues to demonstrate its commitment to enhancing shareholder value through a balanced capital return strategy. The company has authorized a new share repurchase program of up to $200 million, effective from July 1, 2026, through July 1, 2027.

The authorization succeeds the previous $200 million buyback program announced in June 2025, which expires tomorrow. Under that program, the bank repurchased 3.89 million shares for approximately $176.6 million.

Alongside share repurchases, Bank OZK has consistently rewarded shareholders through regular dividend increases. In April 2026, the company raised its quarterly dividend by 2.2%, from 46 cents to 47 cents per share, with the dividend paid out on April 20, to shareholders of record as of April 13.

The latest increase marked the bank’s 20th dividend hike in the past five years, translating into a robust five-year annualized dividend growth rate of 11.44%. Despite this strong growth, the company maintains a conservative dividend payout ratio of 30%, leaving ample room for future increases while supporting business expansion.

Bank OZK’s shareholder-friendly capital allocation is backed by a strong liquidity position and a healthy balance sheet. As of March 31, 2026, the company held $1.7 billion in cash and cash equivalents against $813.9 million in total debt, comprising other borrowings, subordinated notes and subordinated debentures. This sizable liquidity cushion provides significant financial flexibility, allowing the bank to meet funding needs, navigate periods of economic uncertainty and continue returning excess capital to its shareholders.

Bank OZK’s Price Performance & Zacks RankOver the past six months, OZK shares have gained 12.2% compared with the industry’s growth of 21%.

Image Source: Zacks Investment Research

Currently, the company carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.

Capital Distribution Plans of Other BanksFollowing the successful clearance of the 2026 stress test, large banks like JPMorgan (JPM - Free Report) and Morgan Stanley (MS - Free Report) have announced sizeable new buyback authorizations paired with dividend increases.

JPMorgan announced a plan to raise its quarterly dividend to $1.65 per share from $1.50 and authorized a massive $50 billion share repurchase program, one of the largest in the industry. JPM’s CEO Jamie Dimon emphasized the bank’s preparedness for a wide range of economic scenarios, underscoring its robust capital position and earnings power.

Morgan Stanley announced that it will boost dividend by 15% to $1.15 per share. Also, MS reauthorized a $20 billion share repurchase program, highlighting confidence in its capital generation capabilities.

Bank OZK is rated a buy, driven by strong Sunbelt expansion, robust loan growth, and leading ROE among regional peers. OZK's low debt/equity, rising investment yields, and superior dividend growth support a favorable risk profile and income thesis. Despite top-line strength, declining margins and near-term consensus for EPS declines temper a highly bullish case, resulting in a more modest bullish stance.

March 31, 2026 16:01 ET  | Source: Bank OZK

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., March 31, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bank OZK (the “Bank”) (Nasdaq: OZK) expects to report its first quarter 2026 earnings after the market closes on Tuesday, April 21, 2026. Management comments on the first quarter of 2026 will be released simultaneously with the earnings press release and financial supplement which will be available on the Bank’s investor relations website.   

Management will conduct a conference call to take questions at 7:30 a.m. CT (8:30 a.m. ET) on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. Interested parties may access the conference call live via webcast on the Bank’s investor relations website, or may participate via telephone by registering using this online form. Upon registration, all telephone participants will receive the dial-in number along with a unique PIN number that can be used to access the call. A replay of the conference call webcast will be archived on the Bank's website for at least 30 days.

GENERAL INFORMATION
Bank OZK (Nasdaq: OZK) is a regional bank providing innovative financial solutions delivered by expert bankers with a relentless pursuit of excellence. Established in 1903, Bank OZK conducts banking operations in 268 offices in nine states including Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Texas, North Carolina, Tennessee, New York, California and Mississippi and had $40.8 billion in total assets as of December 31, 2025. For more information, visit ozk.com.

Investor Relations Contact:Jay Staley (501) 906-7842Media Contact:Michelle Rossow (501) 906-3922  

Sixty-three consecutive quarters of increased quarterly cash dividend on its common stock April 01, 2026 16:01 ET  | Source: Bank OZK

LITTLE ROCK, Ark., April 01, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bank OZK (the “Bank”) (Nasdaq: OZK) announced its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend on the Bank’s common stock of $0.47 per share, up $0.01, or 2.17% from the prior quarter. The common stock dividend is payable on April 20, 2026 to shareholders of record as of April 13, 2026. Bank OZK has increased its quarterly cash dividend on its common stock in each of the last sixty-three quarters.

The Board of Directors also declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.28906 per share on the Bank’s 4.625% Series A Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock (“Series A Preferred Stock”) (Nasdaq: OZKAP) for the period covering February 15, 2026 through, but excluding May 15, 2026. The Series A Preferred Stock dividend is payable on May 15, 2026, to the holders of record of the Series A Preferred Stock at the close of business on May 1, 2026.

Bank OZK’s consistent track record of increasing its common stock dividend has led to it being included in the S&P High Yield Dividend Aristocrats® index (Ticker: SPHYDA) since January 2018. The index consists of members of the S&P Composite 1500® that have followed a managed-dividends policy of consistently increasing common stock dividends every year for at least 20 years, and that meet minimum float-adjusted market capitalization and liquidity requirements. For more information on the index, visit www.spglobal.com/spdji.

GENERAL INFORMATION
Bank OZK (Nasdaq: OZK) is a regional bank providing innovative financial solutions delivered by expert bankers with a relentless pursuit of excellence. Established in 1903, Bank OZK conducts banking operations in 268 offices in nine states including Arkansas, Georgia, Florida, Texas, North Carolina, Tennessee, New York, California and Mississippi and had $40.8 billion in total assets as of December 31, 2025. For more information, visit ozk.com.

Investor Relations Contact:Jay Staley (501) 906-7842Media Contact:Michelle Rossow (501) 906-3922  

Bank OZK presents solid fundamentals and growth but faces significant CRE loan exposure, tempering its upside potential. OZK's CRE exposure exceeds 54% of its loan portfolio, raising risk concerns despite management's claims of high-quality projects. I assign a 'hold' rating with a $125/share price target, reflecting insufficient risk/reward-adjusted upside at current valuations.