SVB&T Corporation reports record 2026 earnings, announces 21.74% dividend increase

JASPER — SVB&T Corporation reports fourth quarter 2025 earnings of $2.00 million, or $1.82 per share, marking a 52.94% increase over the same period last year.

The parent company of Springs Valley Bank & Trust Company achieves a return on average assets of 1.24% for the quarter, compared to 0.83% in the fourth quarter of 2024. The board of directors has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.28 per share, payable 15 April 2026, to shareholders of record as of 16 March 2026.

The dividend represents a 21.74% annualized increase over the total dividend declared for fiscal year 2025.

Net interest income before provision expense reaches $5.66 million for the fourth quarter, up from $4.49 million in the same period of 2024. Interest income increases $476,000 compared to the prior year fourth quarter, driven primarily by increased loan balances and higher interest rates on loans as assets reprice from the low rates of 2020 loan originations.

Interest expense decreases $699,000 compared to the same quarter last year, largely because of lower rates on deposits resulting from the Federal Reserve’s federal funds rate reductions in the latter half of 2024 and 2025.

For the full year 2025, SVB&T reports earnings of $8.82 million, or $8.02 per share, a 43.99% increase over 2024 on a per share basis. The year-to-date performance translates to a return on average assets of 1.38%, compared to 1.00% in the prior year period.

“2025 was one of the best years in terms of earnings and profitability in the Bank’s history,” says President and CEO J. Craig Buse. “Margin expansion has been a significant tailwind driving net interest income higher, with yields on assets rising while cost of funds are decreasing because of a combination of the rate environment and the repricing structure of our assets.”

The company experiences net interest margin expansion of roughly 70 basis points when comparing the 2025 fourth quarter to the fourth quarter of 2024.

Total assets increase $4.92 million to $642.73 million on 31 December 2025, compared to $637.81 million on 31 December 2024. Total loans before allowance increase $14.29 million to $493.69 million, primarily from commercial loan growth in the fourth quarter.

Book value per share increases from $59.14 as of 31 December 2024 to $67.08 as of 31 December 2025, a 13.43% increase. The corporation’s stock closes at $59.00 per share on the OTCQX exchange on 31 December 2025.

The board reauthorized a share repurchase program in May 2025, allowing the corporation to repurchase up to $1.00 million in common stock through 1 June 2027. As of the end of the fourth quarter, the company has repurchased 2,100 shares under the plan at an average price of $47.03.

“The Bank continues to focus on quality in the credit portfolio, bolstering liquidity, and low cost core deposit growth,” Buse says. “Overall, our strategic focus hasn’t changed. Springs Valley continues to focus on relationship-oriented community banking to provide year-over-year financial performance for all stakeholders.”

Total deposits decrease $846,000 to $562.23 million on 31 December 2025, from $563.08 million on 31 December 2024. Noninterest-bearing deposits increase by approximately $661,000, while interest-bearing deposits decrease by approximately $1.51 million.

Noninterest expense decreases $401,000 to $5.19 million from $5.59 million in the fourth quarter, attributed to decreases in general operating expenses, including salaries, bonuses and health insurance claims expenditures.