Century Next earnings increased 6.6% year over year to $4.55 million in the third quarter ended September 30, 2026, as lower funding costs helped lift net interest income. The company announced the results on October 22, reporting diluted earnings per share of $2.41, up from $2.30 a year earlier.
Key Takeaways
- Quarterly net interest income rose 5.1% as the net interest margin widened to 4.64%.
- Deposits increased $47.5 million from year-end 2025, outpacing net loan growth.
- Nonperforming assets fell to $1.53 million, with foreclosed-asset sales contributing to the decline.
Table of Contents
- Century Next earnings benefit from lower funding costs
- Lower non-interest income offsets part of the gain
- Deposit growth exceeds the increase in lending
- Nonperforming assets decline as foreclosed properties are sold
- Conclusion
Century Next earnings benefit from lower funding costs
Century Next Financial Corporation is the parent of Century Next Bank, based in Ruston, Louisiana. Its stock information page identifies the shares as trading on the OTCQX Best Market under the symbol CTUY.
Third-quarter net interest income—the difference between interest earned and interest paid—rose to $10.49 million from $9.98 million a year earlier. The average cost of interest-bearing liabilities fell to 2.72% from 3.08%, while the yield on interest-earning assets edged up to 6.12% from 6.10%.
That combination widened the quarterly net interest margin to 4.64% from 4.51%. The improvement came mainly from cheaper funding rather than a substantial increase in asset yields.
For the first nine months of 2026, net income increased 5.1% to $12.25 million. Diluted earnings per share rose to $6.49 from $6.31, while net interest income increased 6.1% to $30.55 million.
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Cash and cash equivalents | $76.12 million at September 30, 2026; $48.30 million at December 31, 2025. |
| Stockholders’ equity | $106.93 million at September 30, 2026; $100.97 million at December 31, 2025. |
| Book value per share | $57.34 at September 30, 2026; $54.16 at December 31, 2025. |
Lower non-interest income offsets part of the gain
Quarterly non-interest income declined 22.7% to $886,000. The company attributed the decline primarily to gains on repossessed foreclosed assets recorded in the comparable 2025 period.
Non-interest expense increased 1.4% to $5.63 million. Across the first nine months, expenses rose faster, increasing 5.4% to $17.33 million, with higher salaries and benefits, occupancy, equipment and data-processing costs among the contributors.
The quarterly efficiency ratio, which measures expenses relative to income, improved to 49.54% from 49.96%. The nine-month ratio edged higher to 52.05% from 51.97%, showing that the quarterly improvement did not extend across the full year-to-date period.
Deposit growth exceeds the increase in lending
Total deposits reached $806.4 million at September 30, up 6.3% from December 31, 2025. Interest-bearing checking and money-market accounts supplied most of the increase, while time deposits declined by $1.6 million.
Net loans rose 4.3% to $672.7 million over the same period. Commercial real estate and multifamily lending led growth, partly offset by declines in residential one-to-four-family and land loans.
Deposit growth exceeded the $27.8 million increase in net loans. The company said stronger deposits were the primary reason cash and cash equivalents increased.
Nonperforming assets decline as foreclosed properties are sold
Nonperforming assets fell to $1.53 million from $4.59 million at year-end 2025, reducing their share of total assets to 0.16% from 0.52%. The company attributed the reduction in foreclosed assets primarily to sales.
No credit-loss provision was recorded in the third quarter, compared with $265,000 a year earlier. The allowance for credit losses nevertheless increased to $7.38 million, or 1.08% of total loans, from $6.93 million, or 1.06%, at year-end.
Conclusion
Century Next’s nine-month results establish higher earnings, a wider interest margin and fewer nonperforming assets heading into the final quarter of 2026. The remaining quarter will determine the full-year outcome; the release did not provide a fourth-quarter earnings forecast.
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