Southern Missouri Bancorp (NASDAQ:SMBC) reported stronger quarterly and full-year earnings as net interest income improved, operating expenses declined and tax credit investments lowered its tax provision, executives said on the company’s fiscal fourth-quarter earnings call.
President and Chief Administrative Officer Matt Funke said the June quarter, which closed the company’s fiscal year, benefited from higher net interest income, higher non-interest income, lower non-interest expense and a reduced income tax provision
Those gains were partly offset by a higher provision for credit losses. For the quarter, Southern Missouri earned $1.83 per diluted share, up $0.23, or about 14%, from the linked March quarter and up $0.44, or about 32%, from the June 2025 quarter. For fiscal 2026, the company earned $6.43 per diluted share, compared with $5.18 in fiscal 2025.
Funke said the 24% year-over-year increase in full-year earnings was “predominantly driven by stronger net interest income,” which reflected margin expansion as funding costs declined, along with nearly 5% average earning asset growth. He said the company generated a return on assets of 1.41% for fiscal 2026. Loan Growth Remains Solid, But Management Expects Moderation Gross loan balances increased $69 million during the fourth quarter and were up $291 million, or 7.1%, from a year earlier.