Truist earnings for the third quarter of 2026 showed adjusted diluted profit of $1.16 per share, up 12% from a year earlier, while securities-sale losses pushed reported earnings down to $0.56. The October 16 results also detailed a completed loan sale, a separate agreement to sell LightStream loans and continued dividends and share repurchases.
Key Takeaways
- Adjusted earnings rose year over year, but reported profit fell sharply after portfolio-repositioning losses.
- The completed Regional Acceptance loan sale accounted for most of the quarterly decline in loans held for investment.
- Truist declared a $0.52 quarterly dividend and repurchased $1.2 billion of common stock.
Table of Contents
- Truist earnings separate operating performance from sale losses
- Loan sales reshape the consumer portfolio
- Interest income improves as deposits grow
- Capital returns continue alongside restructuring
- Conclusion
Truist earnings separate operating performance from sale losses
Truist’s third-quarter 2026 earnings release showed net income available to common shareholders of approximately $680 million, compared with $1.35 billion a year earlier. Reported diluted earnings fell from $1.04 to $0.56 per share.
Adjusted diluted earnings, which exclude selected items, increased from $1.04 a year earlier to $1.16, although they declined from $1.23 in the second quarter. The largest adjustment was a $1.4 billion pretax loss on the sale of available-for-sale securities.
The revenue distinction is equally important. Reported revenue was approximately $3.75 billion, down from $5.19 billion a year earlier. Adjusted revenue on a taxable-equivalent basis was $5.3 billion, which Truist described as stable compared with the second quarter. That adjusted figure should not be treated as reported revenue.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Q3 2026 taxable-equivalent net interest margin | 3.00%, up two basis points from Q2. |
| Q3 2026 wealth management income | $407 million, up 8.8% year over year. |
| Q3 2026 adjusted noninterest expense | $3.065 billion, up 0.3% from Q2. |
| Q3 2026 average liquidity coverage ratio | 110%, compared with a regulatory minimum of 100%. |
Loan sales reshape the consumer portfolio
Truist completed the Regional Acceptance Corporation loan sale during the quarter. Loans and leases held for investment ended September at $323.9 billion, down $5.9 billion from June 30, with $5.5 billion of that decline attributable to the transaction.
The sale therefore explains most, but not all, of the lower quarter-end loan balance. Truist also cited a decline in commercial and industrial loans, partly offset by growth in residential mortgages.
Separately, on October 14, 2026, Truist signed an agreement to sell $7.7 billion of unsecured consumer loans to Carlyle Group. Those loans represent substantially all assets of its LightStream lending platform. Unlike the Regional Acceptance sale, this transaction was described as an agreement, not a completed disposal.
Interest income improves as deposits grow
Taxable-equivalent net interest income increased 1.1% from the second quarter to $3.707 billion. Truist attributed the improvement to an additional day in the quarter and fixed asset and liability repricing, partly offset by lower loan balances.
Quarter-end deposits rose $3.9 billion to $413.2 billion, primarily reflecting growth in interest checking accounts. Average deposits also increased, although noninterest-bearing balances declined slightly.
Credit measures reflected the portfolio changes. Nonperforming loans fell to 0.40% of loans held for investment from 0.51% in June, primarily because of the Regional Acceptance sale. The transaction also affected charge-offs and loan-loss reserves, limiting straightforward comparisons with earlier quarters.
Capital returns continue alongside restructuring
Truist declared common dividends of $0.52 per share during the quarter and repurchased $1.2 billion of common stock. Those are confirmed distributions, rather than evidence that future dividends are guaranteed.
The preliminary common equity Tier 1 capital ratio declined to 10.7% from 10.9% in June. Truist attributed the decrease primarily to shareholder distributions and securities repositioning, partly offset by quarterly earnings and benefits from the Regional Acceptance sale.
Conclusion
The quarter combined higher year-over-year adjusted earnings with a substantial reported-profit hit from portfolio changes. The agreed LightStream loan sale is the next announced transaction to watch; its completion remains distinct from the Regional Acceptance sale already reflected in these results.
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