Fifth Third Bancorp grew its holdings in Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK – Free Report) by 2,971.0% during the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the SEC. The fund owned 33,627 shares of the company’s stock after acquiring an additional 32,532 shares during the quarter. Fifth Third Bancorp’s holdings in Bank OZK were worth $1,543,000 at the end of the most recent reporting period.
Other hedge funds and other institutional investors have also made changes to their positions in the company. Ruffer LLP purchased a new stake in Bank OZK in the fourth quarter valued at approximately $3,137,000. UBS Group AG grew its stake in Bank OZK by 13.4% in the fourth 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 grew its holdings in Bank OZK by 21.5% in the fourth quarter. Allspring Global Investments Holdings LLC now owns 284,258 shares of the company’s stock worth $13,371,000 after purchasing an additional 50,258 shares during the period. JPMorgan Chase & Co. increased its holdings in shares of Bank OZK by 21.8% during the third quarter. JPMorgan Chase & Co. now owns 285,876 shares of the company’s stock valued at $14,574,000 after acquiring an additional 51,171 shares in the last quarter. Finally, Van Berkom & Associates Inc. increased 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 acquiring an additional 50,985 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors and hedge funds own 86.18% of the company’s stock.
Bank OZK News Summary Here are the key news stories impacting Bank OZK this week:
Positive Sentiment: Management said Bank OZK is continuing to diversify its loan book, with real estate exposure dropping below 50% and the company outlining mid-single-digit loan growth for 2026, which could reduce concentration risk over time. Bank OZK drops real estate exposure below 50% Positive Sentiment: Bank OZK’s earnings call highlighted diversification gains and continued momentum in its commercial and industrial banking business, suggesting some parts of the franchise are offsetting weakness elsewhere. Bank OZK Earnings Call: Diversification Gains Amid Headwinds Positive Sentiment: Zacks Research raised earnings estimates for FY2026 and upcoming quarters, indicating some analysts see modestly better profitability ahead. Bank OZK Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates on Higher Fee Income, Shares Fall Neutral Sentiment: Morgan Stanley kept a Hold rating and a $56 price target, signaling a cautious but not bearish stance after the earnings update. Hold Rating Reiterated on Bank OZK as Earnings Headwinds Offset by CIB Momentum; $56 Price Target Unchanged Neutral Sentiment: The company also opened a new Denton location, a small expansion move that supports long-term footprint growth but is unlikely to drive the stock in the near term. Bank OZK to offer financial services at new Denton location Negative Sentiment: Q2 results showed earnings beat estimates, but revenue, net interest income, and credit quality trends were weaker than expected, which is weighing on sentiment and helping explain the stock’s recent weakness. Bank OZK Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates on Higher Fee Income, Shares Fall Negative Sentiment: Recent reports said quarterly net income and revenue declined, reinforcing concerns that near-term earnings pressure may persist despite the diversification strategy. Bank OZK posts quarterly declines in net income, revenue Analysts Set New Price Targets Several equities analysts have issued reports on the stock. Wells Fargo & Company upped their target price on shares of Bank OZK from $50.00 to $52.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, July 6th. Weiss Ratings raised Bank OZK from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. Piper Sandler restated an “overweight” rating and set a $61.00 price objective on shares of Bank OZK in a research report on Wednesday. Morgan Stanley lifted their target price on Bank OZK from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, June 29th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded shares of Bank OZK from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, May 17th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and an average price target of $56.12.
Read Our Latest Analysis on OZK
Bank OZK Stock Performance Bank OZK stock opened at $50.12 on Friday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $49.93 and its 200-day moving average price is $48.27. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 0.97 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08. The company has a market cap of $5.61 billion, a PE ratio of 8.28 and a beta of 0.89. Bank OZK has a twelve month low of $42.37 and a twelve month high of $53.66.
Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The company reported $1.49 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.48 by $0.01. The firm had revenue of $430.02 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate 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 for the quarter was up .5% compared to the same quarter last year. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.47 EPS. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Bank OZK will post 5.98 EPS for the current fiscal year.
Bank OZK announced that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Monday, June 29th that authorizes the company to buyback $200.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to reacquire up to 3.4% of its stock through open market purchases. Stock buyback plans are generally a sign 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. Stockholders of record on Monday, July 13th were paid a $0.48 dividend. This represents a $1.92 annualized dividend and a dividend yield of 3.8%. 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. Bank OZK’s dividend payout ratio is 31.27%.
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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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.
Dimensional Fund Advisors LP boosted its stake in Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK – Free Report) by 0.6% in the first quarter, according to the company in its most recent 13F filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The firm owned 6,625,660 shares of the company’s stock after purchasing an additional 38,592 shares during the period. Dimensional Fund Advisors LP owned approximately 5.92% of Bank OZK worth $304,045,000 at the end of the most recent quarter.
Other hedge funds have also added to or reduced their stakes in the company. Wasatch Advisors LP lifted its stake in shares of Bank OZK by 34.9% in the 3rd quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 7,437,646 shares of the company’s stock worth $379,171,000 after purchasing an additional 1,924,387 shares during the period. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Bank OZK in the 4th quarter worth $59,809,000. State Street Corp lifted its position in Bank OZK by 9.1% during the fourth quarter. State Street Corp now owns 6,556,105 shares of the company’s stock valued at $301,712,000 after purchasing an additional 546,785 shares in the last quarter. Fairholme Capital Management LLC grew its holdings in Bank OZK by 45.1% during the second quarter. Fairholme Capital Management LLC now owns 916,752 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,142,000 after purchasing an additional 285,150 shares during the period. Finally, Qube Research & Technologies Ltd purchased a new stake in Bank OZK in the third quarter worth about $13,014,000. 86.18% of the stock is currently owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Wall Street Analyst Weigh In Several equities research analysts recently issued reports on OZK shares. Wells Fargo & Company increased their target price on shares of Bank OZK from $50.00 to $52.00 and gave the stock an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, July 6th. Morgan Stanley raised their target price on shares of Bank OZK from $54.00 to $56.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a research note on Monday, June 29th. Weiss Ratings raised Bank OZK from a “buy (b-)” rating to a “buy (b)” rating in a report on Tuesday, June 23rd. TD Cowen downgraded Bank OZK from a “buy” rating to a “hold” rating and set a $53.00 target price on the stock. in a research report on Monday, July 6th. Finally, Wall Street Zen upgraded Bank OZK from a “sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a report on Sunday, May 17th. Three research analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, six have given a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to data from MarketBeat, the company presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $56.12.
Read Our Latest Analysis on OZK
Bank OZK Stock Performance Bank OZK stock opened at $50.97 on Thursday. The company’s 50-day moving average price is $49.87 and its 200-day moving average price is $48.25. Bank OZK has a twelve month low of $42.37 and a twelve month high of $53.66. The company has a quick ratio of 1.00, a current ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.14. The company has a market cap of $5.70 billion, a PE ratio of 8.42 and a beta of 0.89.
Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings results on Tuesday, July 21st. The company reported $1.49 EPS for the quarter, beating analysts’ consensus estimates of $1.48 by $0.01. Bank OZK had a net margin of 24.95% and a return on equity of 11.94%. The firm had revenue of $430.02 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $436.42 million. During the same quarter last year, the firm earned $1.47 EPS. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up .5% compared to the same quarter last year. On average, equities research analysts forecast that Bank OZK will post 6.03 EPS 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 given a dividend of $0.48 per share. This represents a $1.92 dividend on an annualized basis and a yield of 3.8%. This is a boost from Bank OZK’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.47. The ex-dividend date was Monday, July 13th. Bank OZK’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 31.27%.
Bank OZK declared that its board has authorized a stock buyback plan on Monday, June 29th that authorizes the company to buyback $200.00 million in outstanding shares. This buyback authorization authorizes the company to reacquire up to 3.4% of its shares through open market purchases. Shares buyback plans are often an indication that the company’s board believes its stock is undervalued.
Trending Headlines about Bank OZK Here are the key news stories impacting Bank OZK this week:
Positive Sentiment: Bank OZK beat Q2 earnings estimates, helped by higher fee income and record deposits, which supports the view that the core franchise remains healthy. Bank OZK (OZK) Tops Q2 Earnings Estimates Positive Sentiment: Several research updates from Zacks Research raised future earnings estimates for Bank OZK, suggesting analysts see room for longer-term profit growth. Analyst estimate updates Neutral Sentiment: Bank OZK announced its second-quarter 2026 earnings and held a conference call, giving investors more detail on the quarter and outlook. Bank OZK Announces Second Quarter 2026 Earnings Neutral Sentiment: The company is expanding its footprint with a new Denton location offering financial services, a modest growth move that is unlikely to drive the stock by itself. Bank OZK to offer financial services at new Denton location Negative Sentiment: Despite the earnings beat, shares are facing pressure because Q2 net interest income was weaker and credit quality concerns clouded the otherwise solid results. Bank OZK Q2 Earnings Beat Estimates on Higher Fee Income, Shares Fall 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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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.
Key Takeaways OZK posted Q2 EPS of $1.49, beating estimates, but shares fell nearly 1.3%.OZK's fee income rose 21%, while NII declined 1.2% year over year.Higher provisions, rising expenses and weaker credit quality remained key headwinds. Bank OZK (OZK - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2026 earnings per share (EPS) of $1.49, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.46. However, the bottom line declined 5.7% year over year from $1.58.
Results benefited from higher non-interest income and deposit balances. Progress in the strategic diversification of the loan portfolio also provided support. However, a higher provision for credit losses, rising expenses, lower net interest income (NII) and weakening credit quality were headwinds. Given the concern, OZK shares lost nearly 1.3% during yesterday's trading session.
Net income available to common shareholders was $163.3 million, down 8.7% from the year-ago quarter’s $178.9 million. Our estimate for the metric was $158.3 million.
OZK’s Revenues & Expenses RiseNet revenues were $430.02 million, up 0.5% year over year. The top line missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $432.02 million.
NII was $392.1 million, down 1.2% year over year. Our estimate for the metric was $397.3 million.
The net interest margin (NIM), on a fully-taxable-equivalent basis, contracted 12 basis points year over year to 4.24%. Our estimate for NIM was 4.13%.
Non-interest income was $37.9 million, up 21% from the year-ago quarter. The increase reflected growth in deposit-related fees, loan-related fees and other income. Our estimate for the metric was $32.7 million.
Non-interest expenses were $170.6 million, up 11.4% from the prior-year quarter. The increase was due to higher salaries and employee benefits, net occupancy and equipment costs and other operating expenses. We expected this metric to be $166.4 million.
Bank OZK’s efficiency ratio was 39.16%, up from 35.46% in the year-ago quarter, indicating reduced profitability.
OZK’s Loan Balances Decline & Deposits RiseAs of June 30, 2026, total loans were $32.6 billion, down 1.3% from the prior quarter. Total deposits were $34 billion, reflecting increases of 0.7% sequentially. Our estimates for total loans and deposits were $33.7 billion and $34.7 billion, respectively.
OZK’s Credit Quality WeakensNet charge-offs to average total loans grew to 0.69% from 0.10% in the year-ago quarter. Provision for credit losses was $45.6 million, rising 29.5% year over year. We projected provisions of $52.3 million.
The ratio of non-performing loans to total loans was 0.92% as of June 30, 2026, up from 0.18% a year ago. The non-performing assets-to-total assets ratio increased to 1.42% from 0.53%.
Profitability Ratios Decline for Bank OZKAt the end of the second quarter, return on average assets was 1.60%, down from 1.81% in the year-earlier quarter. Return on average common equity also declined to 11.14% from 12.98%.
Bank OZK’s Capital DeploymentDuring the second quarter, the company authorized a new $200 million share repurchase program through July 1, 2027, replacing the previous $200 million authorization announced in June 2025.
Bank OZK also increased its quarterly common stock dividend by 9.3% year over year to 47 cents per share, marking its 64th consecutive quarterly dividend increase.
Our Take on Bank OZKBank OZK continues to benefit from strong growth in non-interest income, record deposit balances and ongoing diversification of its loan portfolio, particularly through the expansion of its Corporate & Institutional Banking business. Management also remains optimistic about achieving stronger loan growth over the long term as diversification efforts continue. However, elevated operating expenses, higher provisions, declining NII and deteriorating asset quality remain key headwinds.
Bank OZK Price, Consensus and EPS SurpriseThe company currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Performances of Other BanksFirst Horizon Corporation (FHN - Free Report) posted second-quarter 2026 earnings per share of 54 cents, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 52 cents. This compares favorably with 45 cents in the year-ago quarter.
FHN’s results benefited from higher NII and non-interest income, along with a lower provision for credit losses. Higher loan and deposit balances also provided support. However, rising expenses and weaker capital ratios were headwinds.
Citizens Financial Group (CFG - Free Report) reported second-quarter 2026 earnings per share of $1.30, which surpassed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.25. The metric rose 41% from the year-ago quarter.
CFG’s results benefited from a rise in NII and non-interest income. Growth in loan and deposit balances and an improvement in credit quality were also encouraging. However, a rise in expenses and a weaker capital position were major headwinds.
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.
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“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.
Bank OZK (OZK - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $1.49 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.46 per share. This compares to earnings of $1.58 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.
This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +2.06%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this bank would post earnings of $1.46 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.44, delivering a surprise of -1.37%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates just once.
Bank OZK, which belongs to the Zacks Banks - Northeast industry, posted revenues of $430.02 million for the quarter ended June 2026, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.46%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $428.04 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates two times over the last four quarters.
The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.
Bank OZK shares have added about 11.8% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 8.7%.
What's Next for Bank OZK?While Bank OZK has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?
There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.
Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.
Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Bank OZK was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $1.54 on $442.37 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $6.02 on $1.74 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.
Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Banks - Northeast is currently in the top 35% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.
Another stock from the same industry, Princeton Bancorp (BPRN - Free Report) , has yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026.
This bank is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.90 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +800%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.
Princeton Bancorp's revenues are expected to be $21.84 million, up 3.7% from the year-ago quarter.
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.
Bank OZK remains highly profitable, with Q1 net income of $159.3M and robust coverage of preferred dividends. OZK's disciplined underwriting is reflected in a 46% average LTV ratio, manageable loan loss provisions, and transparent quarterly loan reviews. The $200M share buyback program and successful monetization of $150M in foreclosed assets support capital returns and future earnings.
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.
Key Takeaways Bank OZK increased its dividend 2.1% to 48 cents per share, marking its 64th consecutive hike.The bank launched a $200M buyback plan, reinforcing its shareholder-friendly capital allocation strategy.A strong liquidity position and conservative payout ratio provide flexibility to sustain capital returns. Bank OZK (OZK - Free Report) continues to reward shareholders through a disciplined capital return strategy. It announced a quarterly cash dividend of 48 cents per share, up 2.1% from the previous payout of 47 cents. The dividend will be paid out on July 20, 2026, to shareholders of record as of July 13.
Despite announcing the 64th consecutive quarterly dividend increase, Bank OZK shares fell 5.7% yesterday as the hike was largely anticipated and investors booked profits ahead of the bank’s second-quarter earnings release. Broader weakness in regional bank stocks and continued caution surrounding commercial real estate exposure probably weighed on investor sentiment.
Notably, the latest hike follows a 2.2% dividend increase announced in April 2026. Over the past five years, Bank OZK has raised its dividend 20 times, delivering an impressive five-year annualized dividend growth rate of 11.44%. The bank maintains a conservative dividend payout ratio of 30%, leaving ample room to support dividend growth while retaining capital for business expansion.
Beyond dividends, Bank OZK remains focused on enhancing shareholder value through share repurchases. Effective July 1, 2026, the company initiated a new $200-million share buyback authorization that will remain in place through July 1, 2027. The new authorization replaces the prior $200-million repurchase program announced in June 2025. Continued buybacks reduce the outstanding share count and complement dividend payments in boosting long-term shareholder returns.
The bank’s ability to sustain these capital returns is supported by a solid balance sheet and ample liquidity. As of March 31, 2026, Bank OZK held $1.7 billion in cash and cash equivalents, comfortably exceeding its total debt of $813.9 million, which includes other borrowings, subordinated notes and subordinated debentures.
Bank OZK’s Price Performance & Zacks RankOver the past six months, OZK shares have gained 5.8% compared with the industry’s growth of 20.4%.
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 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 would boost its dividend 15% to $1.15 per share. Also, MS reauthorized a $20-billion share repurchase program, highlighting confidence in its capital generation capabilities.
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.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark., June 30, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bank OZK (the “Bank”) (Nasdaq: OZK) expects to report its second quarter 2026 earnings after the market closes on Tuesday, July 21, 2026. Management comments on the second 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, 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 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.
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.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark., June 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bank OZK (the “Bank”) (Nasdaq: OZK) today announced that its Board of Directors has approved a stock repurchase program (the “Stock Repurchase Program”) authorizing the purchase of up to $200 million of outstanding common stock. The Stock Repurchase Program has received all necessary regulatory approvals and will become effective July 1, 2026, upon the expiration of the Bank’s current stock repurchase program, and will remain in effect through July 1, 2027, unless extended or shortened by the Board of Directors.
Under the Stock Repurchase Program, the Bank may repurchase shares of its common stock from time to time at prevailing market prices, through open market or privately negotiated transactions, or otherwise in accordance with applicable federal securities laws, including Rule 10b-18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”). In establishing parameters for repurchase price and share volume, management will consider a variety of factors including stock price, expected growth, capital position, alternative uses of capital, liquidity, financial performance, the current and expected macroeconomic environment, regulatory requirements and other factors. The Stock Repurchase Program does not obligate the Bank to repurchase any particular amount of common stock, and the program may be suspended, modified or discontinued at any time.
Under the previously approved stock repurchase program that expires on July 1, 2026, the Bank has repurchased 3.89 million shares of common stock for $176.6 million (including applicable federal excise tax) for an average price per share of $45.34.
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.
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.
Scott Kaufman from The Dividend Kings explains the large rotation from growth focused investments to being overwhelmingly focused on value. Strict valuation discipline, exiting quality names like Enbridge (ENB) when total return outlooks turn negative due to overvaluation.
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.
Burns Matteson Capital Management LLC purchased a new position in shares of Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK – Free Report) in the 4th quarter, according to the company in its most recent filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The institutional investor purchased 11,113 shares of the company’s stock, valued at approximately $511,000.
Other institutional investors and hedge funds have also bought and sold shares of the company. Wasatch Advisors LP boosted its holdings in Bank OZK by 34.9% during the 3rd quarter. Wasatch Advisors LP now owns 7,437,646 shares of the company’s stock worth $379,171,000 after acquiring an additional 1,924,387 shares during the last quarter. Norges Bank purchased a new stake in shares of Bank OZK in the second quarter valued at about $68,960,000. Fairholme Capital Management LLC raised its holdings in shares of Bank OZK by 45.1% in the second quarter. Fairholme Capital Management LLC now owns 916,752 shares of the company’s stock valued at $43,142,000 after purchasing an additional 285,150 shares during the last quarter. Qube Research & Technologies Ltd bought a new position in shares of Bank OZK during the third quarter valued at about $13,014,000. Finally, Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership lifted its position in shares of Bank OZK by 57.2% during the second quarter. Arrowstreet Capital Limited Partnership now owns 694,956 shares of the company’s stock valued at $32,705,000 after purchasing an additional 253,001 shares in the last quarter. 86.18% of the stock is owned by hedge funds and other institutional investors.
Analyst Ratings Changes OZK has been the subject of a number of recent analyst reports. Piper Sandler set a $62.00 price objective on shares of Bank OZK in a research report on Thursday, January 22nd. Citigroup reissued a “sell” rating on shares of Bank OZK in a research report on Monday, January 5th. Zacks Research upgraded Bank OZK from a “strong sell” rating to a “hold” rating in a research note on Wednesday, January 7th. Morgan Stanley upped their target price on Bank OZK from $57.00 to $61.00 and gave the company an “equal weight” rating in a report on Monday, March 2nd. Finally, UBS Group reaffirmed a “neutral” rating and set a $51.00 price target on shares of Bank OZK in a research report on Tuesday, January 6th. Five investment analysts have rated the stock with a Buy rating, five have assigned a Hold rating and one has given a Sell rating to the company. According to data from MarketBeat, the stock currently has an average rating of “Hold” and a consensus price target of $57.22.
Check Out Our Latest Stock Report on Bank OZK
Bank OZK Price Performance OZK opened at $45.89 on Wednesday. Bank OZK has a fifty-two week low of $35.71 and a fifty-two week high of $53.66. The firm has a 50-day moving average of $47.03 and a 200 day moving average of $47.37. The company has a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.08, a quick ratio of 1.02 and a current ratio of 1.02. The firm has a market cap of $5.13 billion, a P/E ratio of 7.44 and a beta of 0.93.
Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK – Get Free Report) last announced its quarterly earnings data on Tuesday, January 20th. The company reported $1.53 EPS for the quarter, missing the consensus estimate of $1.56 by ($0.03). The company had revenue of $436.29 million during the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $434.68 million. Bank OZK had a return on equity of 12.65% and a net margin of 25.50%.During the same period in the prior year, the firm posted $1.56 EPS. On average, research analysts expect that Bank OZK will post 6.02 EPS for the current year.
Bank OZK Increases Dividend The business also recently declared a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Tuesday, January 20th. Investors of record on Tuesday, January 13th were issued a $0.46 dividend. This is a boost from Bank OZK’s previous quarterly dividend of $0.45. The ex-dividend date of this dividend was Tuesday, January 13th. This represents a $1.84 dividend on an annualized basis and a dividend yield of 4.0%. Bank OZK’s payout ratio is presently 29.82%.
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.
Further Reading Five stocks we like better than Bank OZK Want to see what other hedge funds are holding OZK? Visit HoldingsChannel.com to get the latest 13F filings and insider trades for Bank OZK (NASDAQ:OZK – Free Report).
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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.
Key Takeaways OZK raised its quarterly dividend by 2.2% to 47 cents, marking its 63rd consecutive increase.Bank OZK has increased dividends 20 times in five years, with an 11.42% annualized growth rate.OZK maintains strong capital, supporting steady dividend hikes and a $200M share repurchase program. Bank OZK (OZK - Free Report) announced a quarterly cash dividend of 47 cents per share, indicating an increase of 2.2% from the prior payout. The dividend will be paid out on April 20, 2026, to shareholders of record as of April 13. This marks the 63rd consecutive quarter of a dividend hike by OZK.
Before this, the bank hiked its quarterly dividend by 2.2% to 46 cents per share. Over the past five years, OZK has increased its dividend 20 times. The bank has a five-year annualized dividend growth rate of 11.42%. At present, it has a dividend payout ratio of 29%.
Based on yesterday’s closing price of $46.17, Bank OZK currently has a dividend yield of 3.98%, compared with the industry average of 2.22%.
Bank OZK Dividend Yield (TTM)
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
Bank OZK’s strong track record of consistently increasing its dividend has earned it a place in the S&P High Yield Dividend Aristocrats Index since January 2018. This index comprises companies within the S&P Composite 1500 that have raised their common stock dividends annually for at least 20 consecutive years and meet the minimum float-adjusted market capitalization and liquidity criteria.
Apart from regular dividend hikes, Bank OZK continues to reward shareholders with share repurchases. In June 2025, the company’s board of directors authorized the repurchase of up to $200 million worth of shares. The program is set to expire on July 1, 2026. As of Dec. 31, 2025, $99 million worth of shares remained available under the existing authorization.
Bank OZK has a solid balance sheet. As of Dec 31, 2025, the company had total debt of $350 million, significantly lower than cash and cash equivalents of $2.8 billion as of the same date. Further, at the end of the fourth quarter of 2025, its common equity Tier-1 capital ratio of 11.7% and the total risk-based capital ratio of 14.8% were well above regulatory requirements.
With robust capital and liquidity positions, Bank OZK remains well-placed to sustain its capital distribution efforts and boost shareholder value.
Over the past six months, shares of Bank OZK fell 9.9% against 6% growth of the industry.
Image Source: Zacks Investment Research
OZK currently carries a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). You can see the complete list of today’s Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
Similar Steps by Other BanksLast week, BankUnited, Inc. (BKU - Free Report) increased its quarterly dividend by 6.1% to 33 cents per share. The dividend will be paid out on April 30, 2026, to shareholders of record as of April 10.
Previously, the company hiked its quarterly dividend by 6.8% to 31 cents per share in March 2025. Over the past five years, BKU has increased its dividend five times, with an annualized dividend growth rate of 7.41%.
In March, Independent Bank Corp.’s (INDB - Free Report) board of directors announced a dividend of 64 cents per share. This reflects an 8.5% hike from the previous payout. The dividend will be paid out on April 9, 2026, to shareholders of record as of March 30.
INDB has increased its dividend payout five times in the past five years. It last increased the dividend by 3.5% to 59 cents per share in March 2025.
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.
Bank OZK preferred stock offers a 7.3% yield with a wide margin of safety, even amid recent market volatility. OZK's common dividend has a 28-year growth streak and a conservative 29% payout ratio, supporting preferred dividend security. Short-term risks stem from Middle East conflict-driven inflation, but a prolonged crisis is unlikely given geopolitical pressures.
The market expects Bank OZK (OZK - Free Report) to deliver a year-over-year decline in earnings on higher revenues when it reports results for the quarter ended March 2026. This widely-known consensus outlook is important in assessing the company's earnings picture, but a powerful factor that might influence its near-term stock price is how the actual results compare to these estimates.
The earnings report, which is expected to be released on April 21, might help the stock move higher if these key numbers are better than expectations. On the other hand, if they miss, the stock may move lower.
While the sustainability of the immediate price change and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's discussion of business conditions on the earnings call, it's worth handicapping the probability of a positive EPS surprise.
Zacks Consensus EstimateThis bank is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.46 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of -0.7%.
Revenues are expected to be $421.86 million, up 3.1% from the year-ago quarter.
Estimate Revisions TrendThe consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.51% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. This is essentially a reflection of how the covering analysts have collectively reassessed their initial estimates over this period.
Investors should keep in mind that the direction of estimate revisions by each of the covering analysts may not always get reflected in the aggregate change.
Price, Consensus and EPS Surprise
Earnings WhisperEstimate revisions ahead of a company's earnings release offer clues to the business conditions for the period whose results are coming out. Our proprietary surprise prediction model -- the Zacks Earnings ESP (Expected Surprise Prediction) -- has this insight at its core.
The Zacks Earnings ESP compares the Most Accurate Estimate to the Zacks Consensus Estimate for the quarter; the Most Accurate Estimate is a more recent version of the Zacks Consensus EPS estimate. The idea here is that analysts revising their estimates right before an earnings release have the latest information, which could potentially be more accurate than what they and others contributing to the consensus had predicted earlier.
Thus, a positive or negative Earnings ESP reading theoretically indicates the likely deviation of the actual earnings from the consensus estimate. However, the model's predictive power is significant for positive ESP readings only.
A positive Earnings ESP is a strong predictor of an earnings beat, particularly when combined with a Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy), 2 (Buy) or 3 (Hold). Our research shows that stocks with this combination produce a positive surprise nearly 70% of the time, and a solid Zacks Rank actually increases the predictive power of Earnings ESP.
Please note that a negative Earnings ESP reading is not indicative of an earnings miss. Our research shows that it is difficult to predict an earnings beat with any degree of confidence for stocks with negative Earnings ESP readings and/or Zacks Rank of 4 (Sell) or 5 (Strong Sell).
How Have the Numbers Shaped Up for Bank OZK?For Bank OZK, the Most Accurate Estimate is lower than the Zacks Consensus Estimate, suggesting that analysts have recently become bearish on the company's earnings prospects. This has resulted in an Earnings ESP of -4.22%.
On the other hand, the stock currently carries a Zacks Rank of #4.
So, this combination makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Bank OZK will beat the consensus EPS estimate.
Does Earnings Surprise History Hold Any Clue?Analysts often consider to what extent a company has been able to match consensus estimates in the past while calculating their estimates for its future earnings. So, it's worth taking a look at the surprise history for gauging its influence on the upcoming number.
For the last reported quarter, it was expected that Bank OZK would post earnings of $1.56 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.53, delivering a surprise of -1.92%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has beaten consensus EPS estimates two times.
Bottom LineAn earnings beat or miss may not be the sole basis for a stock moving higher or lower. Many stocks end up losing ground despite an earnings beat due to other factors that disappoint investors. Similarly, unforeseen catalysts help a number of stocks gain despite an earnings miss.
That said, betting on stocks that are expected to beat earnings expectations does increase the odds of success. This is why it's worth checking a company's Earnings ESP and Zacks Rank ahead of its quarterly release. Make sure to utilize our Earnings ESP Filter to uncover the best stocks to buy or sell before they've reported.
Bank OZK doesn't appear a compelling earnings-beat candidate. However, investors should pay attention to other factors too for betting on this stock or staying away from it ahead of its earnings release.
Expected Results of an Industry PlayerAnother stock from the Zacks Banks - Northeast industry, Northeast Community Bancorp (NECB - Free Report) , is soon expected to post earnings of $0.75 per share for the quarter ended March 2026. This estimate indicates a year-over-year change of -3.9%. Revenues for the quarter are expected to be $26.42 million, up 3.6% from the year-ago quarter.
The consensus EPS estimate for Northeast Community Bancorp has been revised 4.8% lower over the last 30 days to the current level. However, an equal Most Accurate Estimate has resulted in an Earnings ESP of 0.00%.
This Earnings ESP, combined with its Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), makes it difficult to conclusively predict that Northeast Community Bancorp will beat the consensus EPS estimate. Over the last four quarters, the company surpassed consensus EPS estimates three times.
Stay on top of upcoming earnings announcements with the Zacks Earnings Calendar.
Organizations and Community Partners Celebrated the Opening at an Event
AUSTIN, Texas--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Austin, Texas, residents have new affordable housing options, thanks in part to a $2 million grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas) through member, Bank OZK. The banks joined Austin Housing Finance Corp. in celebrating the grand opening of The Roz, a 100-unit community of affordable apartments in South Austin.
The $24.3 million complex, developed by Austin Housing Finance Corp. and SGI Ventures, serves residents earning 30 to 60 percent of the area median income. The four-story apartment complex includes on-site case management and helps address the demand for affordable, service-enriched housing for individuals transitioning out of homelessness.
“The Roz will serve as a place of stability and well-being for our most vulnerable neighbors,” said Austin Housing Finance Corp. Treasurer Deletta Dean. “By combining housing with support services, this community meets people where they are and supports them for long-term success.”
The grant was part of $78.9 million FHLB Dallas awarded in 2024. All AHP grants are awarded through member financial institutions like Bank OZK.
“The Roz shows how thoughtful investment in affordable housing can create lasting stability for individuals exiting homelessness,” said Executive Vice President Patrick Russell, Bank OZK’s affordable housing relationship manager. “We value our collaboration with Austin Housing Finance Corp. and FHLB Dallas in supporting this development.”
AHP grants are awarded annually through FHLB Dallas member institutions to support the development and rehabilitation of affordable housing for low-income households. The 2026 application period closes April 30. Applications must be made through an FHLB Dallas member.
“The AHP grant provided meaningful support that helped move The Roz forward at a critical stage,” said Greg Hettrick, senior vice president and director of Community Investment at FHLB Dallas. “Through our relationship with Bank OZK, we are helping advance housing solutions that strengthen Texas communities.”
Bank OZK
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.
About the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas
The Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas is one of 11 district banks in the FHLBank System created by Congress in 1932. FHLB Dallas, with total assets of $108.5 billion as of December 31, 2025, is a member-owned cooperative that supports housing and community development by providing competitively priced loans and other credit products to approximately 800 members and associated institutions in Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, New Mexico and Texas. For more information, visit fhlb.com.
LITTLE ROCK, Ark., April 21, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bank OZK (the “Bank”) (Nasdaq: OZK) today announced that net income available to common stockholders for the first quarter of 2026 was $159.3 million, a 5.1% decrease from $167.9 million for the first quarter of 2025. Diluted earnings per common share (“EPS”) for the first quarter of 2026 were $1.44, a 2.0% decrease from $1.47 for the first quarter of 2025.
George Gleason, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, stated, “We are pleased to report our first quarter 2026 results, which provided a solid start to the year. Once again, our veteran team demonstrated our ability to effectively manage through a challenging macroeconomic and geopolitical environment and capitalize on opportunities. We believe we are well-positioned to continue to successfully execute on our strategic initiatives.”
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, 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 $41.7 billion in total assets as of March 31, 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.
Bank OZK (OZK - Free Report) came out with quarterly earnings of $1.44 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.46 per share. This compares to earnings of $1.47 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items.
This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of -1.49%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this bank would post earnings of $1.56 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.53, delivering a surprise of -1.92%.
Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates just once.
Bank OZK, which belongs to the Zacks Banks - Northeast industry, posted revenues of $418.1 million for the quarter ended March 2026, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 0.89%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $409.23 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates three times over the last four quarters.
The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call.
Bank OZK shares have added about 7% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 3.9%.
What's Next for Bank OZK?While Bank OZK has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock?
There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately.
Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions.
Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for Bank OZK was unfavorable. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to underperform the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here.
It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $1.49 on $427.37 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $6.09 on $1.73 billion in revenues for the current fiscal year.
Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Banks - Northeast is currently in the bottom 42% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1.
Citizens Financial Services (CZFS - Free Report) , another stock in the same industry, has yet to report results for the quarter ended March 2026.
This bank is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.98 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +23.8%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days.
Citizens Financial Services' revenues are expected to be $29.1 million, up 10.1% from the year-ago quarter.
Bank OZK (OZK - Free Report) reported $418.1 million in revenue for the quarter ended March 2026, representing a year-over-year increase of 2.2%. EPS of $1.44 for the same period compares to $1.47 a year ago.
The reported revenue represents a surprise of -0.89% over the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $421.86 million. With the consensus EPS estimate being $1.46, the EPS surprise was -1.49%.
While investors closely watch year-over-year changes in headline numbers -- revenue and earnings -- and how they compare to Wall Street expectations to determine their next course of action, some key metrics always provide a better insight into a company's underlying performance.
Since these metrics play a crucial role in driving the top- and bottom-line numbers, comparing them with the year-ago numbers and what analysts estimated about them helps investors better project a stock's price performance.
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 4.2% estimated by five analysts on average.Efficiency Ratio: 39% versus the five-analyst average estimate of 38.2%.Total Average Interest-Earning Assets (FTE): $37.66 billion compared to the $37.53 billion average estimate based on four analysts.Net charge-offs to average total loans: 0.6% versus 0.6% estimated by four analysts on average.Total Non-Interest Income: $32.53 million versus the five-analyst average estimate of $34.34 million.Net Interest Income: $385.57 million compared to the $387.24 million average estimate based on four analysts.Deposit-related fees- All other service charges: $7.65 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $9.66 million.Loan-related fees: $8.82 million versus the three-analyst average estimate of $9.1 million.Gains (losses) on sales of other assets: $0.81 million versus $0.75 million estimated by three analysts on average.Trust income: $3.04 million versus $3.07 million estimated by two analysts on average.Other non-interest (loss) income: $2.74 million versus $4.75 million estimated by two analysts on average.BOLI income: $6.06 million compared to the $6 million average estimate based on two analysts.View all Key Company Metrics for Bank OZK here>>>
Shares of Bank OZK have returned +11.5% over the past month versus the Zacks S&P 500 composite's +9.3% change. The stock currently has a Zacks Rank #4 (Sell), indicating that it could underperform the broader market in the near term.
Key Takeaways OZK's Q1 EPS missed estimates and fell 2% YoY as net income declined 5.1%.Revenues rose 2.2%, but NIM contracted and non-interest income declined.Credit quality weakened as provisions, charge-offs, and non-performing loans increased. Bank OZK (OZK - Free Report) reported first-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share of $1.44, which missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.46. Also, the bottom line declined 2% year over year.
Results were primarily hurt by higher provisions for credit losses and a rise in operating expenses. A decline in non-interest income also acted as a headwind. Nevertheless, solid net interest income (NII) growth supported the top line. Healthy loans and deposits balance provided support.
Net income available to common shareholders was $159.3 million, down 5.1% from the year-ago quarter’s $167.9 million. Our estimate for the metric was $162.4 million.
OZK’s Revenues & Expenses RiseNet revenues were $418.1 million, up 2.2% year over year. The top line missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $421.9 million.
NII was $385.6 million, up 3% year over year. Our estimate for the metric was $386.5 million.
The net interest margin (NIM), on a fully-taxable-equivalent basis, contracted 11 basis points year over year to 4.20%. Our estimate for NIM was 4.21%.
Non-interest income was $32.5 million, down 6.3% from the year-ago quarter. Our estimate for the metric was $35.4 million.
Non-interest expenses were $164.5 million, up 12% from the prior-year quarter. The increase was driven by higher salaries and employee benefits, net occupancy and equipment costs, and other operating expenses. We expected this metric to be $158.5 million.
Bank OZK’s efficiency ratio was 38.96%, up from 35.60% in the year-ago quarter, indicating reduced profitability.
OZK’s Loans & Deposits Balances IncreaseAs of March 31, 2026, total loans were $33 billion, up 2% from the prior quarter. Total deposits were $33.8 billion, reflecting a 1.1 % increase. Our estimates for total loans and deposits were $32.1 billion and $35.1 billion, respectively.
OZK’s Credit Quality WeakensNet charge-offs to average total loans grew to 0.57% from 0.25% in the year-ago quarter. Provision for credit losses was $41.9 million, rising 9.2% year over year. We projected provisions of $47.4 million.
The ratio of non-performing loans to total loans was 0.90% as of March 31, 2026, up from 0.20% a year ago.
Profitability Ratios Decline for Bank OZKAt the end of the first quarter, return on average assets was 1.58%, down from 1.77% in the year-earlier quarter. Return on average common equity also declined to 11.06% from 12.52%.
Our Take on Bank OZKBank OZK continues to benefit from steady loan growth and solid net interest income generation. However, elevated operating expenses, and worsening asset quality remain key near-term concerns.
Performances of Other BanksWaFd, Inc.’s (WAFD - Free Report) second-quarter fiscal 2026 (ended March 31) adjusted earnings of 83 cents per share beat the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 74 cents. The bottom line also jumped 27.7% year over year.
WAFD’s results reflected higher NII and non-interest income. However, elevated expenses and provisions were the undermining factors. A decline in loans and deposits was another headwind.
First Horizon Corporation (FHN - Free Report) posted first-quarter 2026 earnings per share of 53 cents, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of 49 cents. This compares favorably with 42 cents in the year-ago quarter.
FHN’s results benefited from higher NII and a rise in non-interest income, along with improved credit quality. However, the rise in expenses was a headwind.
Bank OZK remains a "Strong Buy" as CRE overhang fades and diversification accelerates. OZK's credit quality holds firm, with reserves covering over three years of current charge-offs and a CET1 ratio of 11.6%. Loan growth is muted near-term but expected to reaccelerate toward 10% by 2027 as real estate exposure declines.
A month has gone by since the last earnings report for Bank OZK (OZK - Free Report) . Shares have added about 1.6% in that time frame, underperforming the S&P 500.
Will the recent positive trend continue leading up to its next earnings release, or is Bank OZK due for a pullback? Well, first let's take a quick look at the most recent earnings report in order to get a better handle on the recent drivers for Bank OZK before we dive into how investors and analysts have reacted as of late.
Bank OZK Q1 Earnings Miss Estimates, Expenses & Provisions Rise Y/YBank OZK’s first-quarter 2026 adjusted earnings per share of $1.44 missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.46. Also, the bottom line declined 2% year over year.
Results were primarily hurt by higher provisions for credit losses and a rise in operating expenses. A decline in non-interest income also acted as a headwind. Nevertheless, solid net interest income growth supported the top line. Healthy loans and deposits balance provided support.
Net income available to common shareholders was $159.3 million, down 5.1% from the year-ago quarter’s $167.9 million. Our estimate for the metric was $162.4 million.
Revenues & Expenses RiseNet revenues were $418.1 million, up 2.2% year over year. The top line missed the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $421.9 million.
NII was $385.6 million, up 3% year over year. Our estimate for the metric was $386.5 million.
The net interest margin, on a fully-taxable-equivalent basis, contracted 11 basis points year over year to 4.20%. Our estimate for NIM was 4.21%.
Non-interest income was $32.5 million, down 6.3% from the year-ago quarter. Our estimate for the metric was $35.4 million.
Non-interest expenses were $164.5 million, up 12% from the prior-year quarter. The increase was driven by higher salaries and employee benefits, net occupancy and equipment costs, and other operating expenses. We expected this metric to be $158.5 million.
Bank OZK’s efficiency ratio was 38.96%, up from 35.60% in the year-ago quarter, indicating reduced profitability.
Loans & Deposit Balances IncreaseAs of March 31, 2026, total loans were $33 billion, up 2% from the prior quarter. Total deposits were $33.8 billion, reflecting a 1.1 % increase. Our estimates for total loans and deposits were $32.1 billion and $35.1 billion, respectively.
Credit Quality WeakensNet charge-offs to average total loans grew to 0.57% from 0.25% in the year-ago quarter. Provision for credit losses was $41.9 million, rising 9.2% year over year. We projected provisions of $47.4 million.
The ratio of non-performing loans to total loans was 0.90% as of March 31, 2026, up from 0.20% a year ago.
Profitability Ratios DeclineAt the end of the first quarter, return on average assets was 1.58%, down from 1.77% in the year-earlier quarter. Return on average common equity also declined to 11.06% from 12.52%.
OutlookIf there are rate cuts, the company’s loan yields are expected to decrease faster than its deposit costs, resulting in some decrease in NIM. Conversely, if there is a rate increase, loan yields are expected to increase faster than deposit costs, resulting in an increase in NIM.
NII is expected to be higher in each subsequent quarter of 2026 driven by increased days and growth in average earning assets.
During 2025, Bank OZK increased resources aimed at growing non-interest income, which includes increasing revenue from secondary market mortgage lending, trust and wealth, treasury management and CIB-related fee-generating businesses. These efforts are expected to contribute to a mid-to high-single digit percentage increase in non-interest income in 2026 and to contribute additional earnings growth in 2027 and subsequent years.
In 2026, non-interest expenses are expected to grow 8-9% compared to 2025, reflecting the company’s continued investments to support future growth and greater portfolio diversification.
RESG is expected to have elevated repayments in most quarters through 2026 and thus, RESG’s percentage of loans will likely continue to decline in 2026.
Management expects origination volumes in 2026 to be similar to the levels achieved in 2024 and 2025.
For 2026, management expects loan growth in the mid-single digit percentage rate, including strong CIB growth offset by significant RESG loan repayments. For 2027, loan growth is expected to accelerate to 10-11% with headwinds from RESG repayments subsiding while CIB and other lending teams expected to grow significantly.
As a result of the purchases made during the first quarter, the tax-equivalent yield on investment securities is expected to increase in the second quarter of 2026 to 4.6-4.7%.
2026 net charge-off ratio is expected to be roughly in line with 2025.
The effective tax rate is expected to be 23-24% in 2026.
How Have Estimates Been Moving Since Then?In the past month, investors have witnessed a downward trend in fresh estimates.
VGM ScoresCurrently, Bank OZK has a subpar Growth Score of D, though it is lagging a bit on the Momentum Score front with an F. However, the stock was allocated a grade of B on the value side, putting it in the second quintile for value investors.
Overall, the stock has an aggregate VGM Score of C. If you aren't focused on one strategy, this score is the one you should be interested in.
OutlookEstimates have been broadly trending downward for the stock, and the magnitude of these revisions indicates a downward shift. Interestingly, Bank OZK has a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold). We expect an in-line return from the stock in the next few months.
NEW YORK, June 03, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Greystone, a leading national commercial real estate finance company, announced today that it has arranged $141 million in construction financing on behalf of The Hampton Group for the ground-up development of IKONIC Scottsdale, a 14-story, 245-unit ultra-luxury multifamily tower located at 16640 North Scottsdale Road in Scottsdale, Arizona. The financing consists of a senior mortgage provided by Bank OZK and a mezzanine loan from Related Fund Management. Greystone’s team led by Drew Fletcher, Bryan Grover, and Jesse Kopecky, served as exclusive advisors on the transaction.
Located at the prominent intersection of North Scottsdale Road and Bell Road — adjacent to The Promenade and minutes from Kierland Commons and TPC Scottsdale — IKONIC Scottsdale is expected to become the tallest and most luxurious apartment tower in North Scottsdale upon completion. The project will feature a mix of one-, two-, and three-bedroom residences averaging approximately 1,062 square feet, each offering private balconies and panoramic views of the McDowell Mountains, downtown Scottsdale, and TPC Scottsdale. Designed by Gensler and constructed by Gilbane Building Company, the tower is anticipated to open in 2028.
IKONIC Scottsdale will feature a hospitality-inspired amenity package including a 24/7 concierge, resort-style rooftop pool and spa, state-of-the-art fitness center, co-working lounge, and dramatic double-height lobby. Residences will include quartz countertops, stainless steel appliances, wine refrigerators, in-unit washers and dryers, and expansive private balconies.
North Scottsdale remains one of the nation’s strongest luxury rental markets, supported by sustained population growth, rising household incomes, and continued in-migration of professionals attracted by major employers including Mayo Clinic, Axon Enterprise, Banner Health, and a growing concentration of technology and semiconductor companies across the Phoenix metropolitan area.
“IKONIC Scottsdale is exactly the type of transaction where sponsorship quality drives lender confidence,” said Drew Fletcher of Greystone. “The Hampton Group brings a unique combination of luxury multifamily development expertise and deep local market knowledge in Scottsdale, which gave lenders conviction in both the vision for the project and the team’s ability to execute.”
“We believe IKONIC Scottsdale will set a new benchmark for luxury multifamily living in North Scottsdale,” said John Berry, CEO of The Hampton Group. “From the location and design to the amenity experience, every aspect of the project has been carefully curated to deliver an exceptional residential offering. We are proud to partner with Bank OZK and Related Fund Management on a financing execution that reflects the strength of both the project and the market opportunity.”
About Greystone
Greystone is a private national commercial real estate finance company with an established reputation as a leader in multifamily and healthcare finance, having ranked as a top FHA, Fannie Mae, and Freddie Mac lender in these sectors. Loans are offered through Greystone Servicing Company LLC, Greystone Funding Company LLC and/or other Greystone affiliates. For more information, visit www.greystone.com.
About Bank OZK
Bank OZK (Nasdaq: OZK), through its Real Estate Specialties Group (RESG), provides financing on commercial real estate projects throughout the nation. RESG is considered a preeminent, market-leading construction lender focused on senior secured financing for a variety of property types including mixed use, multifamily housing, condominiums, office, hospitality, life sciences, industrial, cold storage, self-storage and retail. For the five years ended March 31, 2026, RESG originated approximately $39.13 billion in new loans. For more information, visit ozk.com.
About Related Fund Management:
Related Fund Management, LLC (RFM) is the investment management arm of Related Companies, a preeminent global real estate firm. The firm specializes in opportunistic real estate, debt origination, multifamily housing, and infrastructure-related investments. For more information, please visit Related Companies.
