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Year-over-year tone shift - average net-tone change across Risk Factors and MD&A vs the prior 10-K. This filing is -0.01pp more bearish than last year's.
Why YoY instead of absolute: the LM lexicon has ~6.6× more negative words than positive (legal/risk-disclosure language is heavy on hedging), so every 10-K reads bearish on raw tone. Year-over-year change strips that bias and surfaces the actual shift in management's framing.
Tone shift by section
The two components the gauge averages: how Risk Factors and MD&A each shifted in net tone versus last year's 10-K. The headline above is their average, so a green needle over a soft section just means the other section carried it.
Risk Factors
-0.03pp
Flat
Net-tone change vs last year's 10-K.
MD&A
+0.02pp
Flat
Net-tone change vs last year's 10-K.
Per-snippet highlights
Sentence-level sentiment highlighting with category and subcategory filters is coming once the snippet-scoring pipeline lands. For now, dig into the actual section text on the Sections tab.
Language change vs prior 10-K
Risk Factors (Item 1A) - words with the biggest YoY frequency increase
Negative rising
conflicts+1
Positive rising
No words rose this year.
Risk Factors (Item 1A)
9,056 words
Item 1A. Risk Factors.
Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information
Certain statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, and in other statements that we make from time to time in filings by the Company with the SEC, in press releases, and in oral and written statements made by or with the approval of the Company which are not statements of historical fact constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act, Section 21E of the Exchange Act, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Examples of forward-looking statements include: (a) projections of income or expense, earnings per share, the payment or non-payment of dividends, capital structure and other financial items; (b) statements of plans and objectives of the Company or our Board of Directors or management, including those relating to products and services; (c) statements of future economic performance; (d) statements of future customer attraction or retention; and (e) statements of assumptions underlying these statements. Forward-looking statements reflect our expectations, estimates or projections concerning future results or events. These statements are generally identified by the use of forward-looking words or phrases such as “anticipates”, “believes”, “estimates”, “expects”, “intends”, “may”, “plans”, “projects”, “should”, “will allow”, “will continue”, “will likely result”, “will remain”, “would be”, or similar expressions.
Language change vs prior 10-K
MD&A (Item 7) - words with the biggest YoY frequency increase
Negative rising
late+1
declining+1
Positive rising
improvement+1
MD&A (Item 7)
6,861 words
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
SB Financial Group, Inc. (“SB Financial”), is a financial holding company registered with the Federal Reserve Board and subject to regulation under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended. Through its direct and indirect subsidiaries, including The State Bank and Trust Company (“State Bank”), SB Financial is engaged in commercial and retail banking, wealth management and private client financial services.
The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the “Reform Act”) provides a “safe harbor” for forward-looking statements to encourage companies to provide prospective information so long as those statements are identified as forward-looking and are accompanied by meaningful cautionary statements identifying important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements. We desire to take advantage of the “safe harbor” provisions of the Reform Act.
Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those predicted by the forward-looking statements because of various factors and possible events, including those factors discussed in the Risk Factors below. There is also the risk that the Company’s management or Board of Directors incorrectly analyzes these risks and forces, or that the strategies the Company develops to address them are unsuccessful.
Forward-looking statements speak only as of that date on which they are made. Except as may be required by law, the Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the statement is made. All forward-looking statements attributable to the Company or any person acting on our behalf are qualified in their entirety by the following cautionary statements.
Risk Factors
The following sets forth certain risk factors that we believe are relevant to the Company and its business. These risk factors are not presented in any particular order and do not constitute all of the risks that may affect our business. Additional risks that are not presently known or that we currently deem to be immaterial could also have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
Economic, Market and Political Risks:
Changes in economic and political conditions could adversely affect our earnings through declines in deposits, loan demand, the ability of our customers to repay loans and the value of collateral securing our loans.
Our success depends to a large extent upon local and national economic conditions, as well as governmental fiscal and monetary policies. Conditions such as inflation, recession, unemployment, changes in interest rates, fiscal and monetary policy, an increasing federal government budget deficit, the failure of the federal government to raise the federal debt ceiling and/or possible future U.S. government shutdowns over budget disagreements, slowing gross domestic product, potential or imposed tariffs, a U.S. withdrawal from or significant renegotiation of trade agreements and other changes in the relationship of the U.S. and U.S. global partners, trade wars, and other factors beyond our control may adversely affect our deposit levels and composition, the quality of investment securities available for purchase, demand for loans, the ability of our borrowers to repay their loans, and the value of the collateral securing loans made by us. Disruptions in U.S. and global financial markets, and changes in oil production in the Middle East also affect the economy and stock prices in the U.S., which can affect our earnings capital, as well as the ability of our customers to repay loans. Because we have a significant amount of real estate loans, decreases in real estate values could adversely affect the value of property used as collateral and our ability to sell the collateral upon foreclosure. Adverse changes in the economy may also have a negative effect on the ability of our borrowers to make timely repayments of their loans, which would have an adverse impact on our earnings and cash flows. In addition, our lending and deposit gathering activities are concentrated primarily in Northwest and Central Ohio. As a result, our success depends in large part on the general economic conditions of these areas, particularly given that a significant portion of our lending relates to real estate located in this region. Therefore, adverse changes in the economic conditions in these areas could adversely impact our earnings and cash flows.
Instability in global economic conditions and geopolitical matters, as well as volatility in financial markets, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
The macroeconomic environment in the U.S. is susceptible to global events and volatility in financial markets. In addition, trade negotiations between the U.S. and other nations, including negotiations related to recent tariffs and threats of tariffs by the U.S., remain uncertain and could adversely impact economic and market conditions for the Company and our clients and counterparties. Instability in global economic conditions and geopolitical matters, such as military conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, as well as volatility in financial markets, could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition. For example, on February 24, 2022, Russian military forces invaded Ukraine, and sustained conflict and disruption in the region have occurred and remains likely to continue. In addition, the October 7, 2023, attack by Hamas in Israel has resulted in prolongedconflict and disruption in the Middle East. Further, there has been increased tension with Venezuela in recent months as well as increased trade competition with China. Although the length, impact and outcome of global conflicts are highly unpredictable, these conflicts have resulted, and could continue to result, in significant market and other disruptions, including significant volatility in commodity prices and supply of energy resources, instability in financial markets, supply chain interruptions, political and social instability, changes in consumer or purchaser preferences, as well as increases in cyberattacks and espionage. The extent and duration of the military action, sanctions and resulting market disruptions could be significant and could potentially have substantial impact on the global economy and the Company’s business for an unknown period of time. Any of the above-mentioned events or disruptions could affect our business, financial condition and operating results, and may also magnify the impact of other risks described in this Form 10-K.
We may be unable to manage interest rate risks, which could reduce our net interest income.
Our results of operations are affected principally by net interest income, which is the difference between interest earned on loans and investments and interest expense paid on deposits and other borrowings. The spread between the yield on our interest-earning assets and our overall cost of funds may be compressed, and our net interest income may continue to be adversely impacted by changing rates. We cannot predict or control changes in interest rates. National, regional and local economic conditions and the policies of regulatory authorities, including monetary policies of the FRB, affect the movement of interest rates and our interest income and interest expense. If the interest rates paid on deposits and other borrowed funds increase at a faster rate than the interest rates received on loans and other investments, our net interest income, and therefore earnings, could be adversely affected. Earnings could also be adversely affected in a declining rate environment if the interest paid for deposits decrease more slowly than the interest rates received on loans and other investments.
In addition, certain assets and liabilities may react in different degrees to changes in market interest rates. For example, interest rates on some types of assets and liabilities may fluctuate prior to changes in broader market interest rates, while interest rates on other types may lag behind. While the bulk of our variable rate commercial assets have interest rate floors, some of our assets, such as adjustable rate mortgages, have features that restrict changes in their interest rates, including rate caps.
We believe that the impact on our cost of funds will depend on a number of factors, including but not limited to, the competitive environment in the banking sector for deposit pricing, opportunities for clients to invest in other markets such as fixed income and equity markets, and the propensity of customers to invest in their businesses. The effect on our net interest income from a change in interest rates will ultimately depend on the extent to which the aggregate impact of loan re-pricings exceeds the impact of increases in our cost of funds.
Changes in interest rates may affect the level of voluntary prepayments on our loans and may also affect the level of financing or refinancing by customers. Changes in interest rates may also negatively affect the ability of the Company’s borrowers to repay their loans, particularly as interest rates rise and adjustable rate loans become more expensive.
Interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors that are beyond our control. Some of these factors include: inflation, recession, unemployment, money supply, international disorders, and instability in domestic and foreign financial markets. The Company’s management uses various measures to monitor interest rate risk and believes it has implemented effective asset and liability management strategies to reduce the potential adverse effects of changes in interest rates on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations. Management also periodically adjusts the mix of assets and liabilities to manage interest rate risk. However, any significant, unexpected, prolonged change in market interest rates could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to Our Business Operations:
If our actual credit losses exceed our allowance for credit losses, our net income will decrease.
Our loan customers may not repay their loans according to their terms, and the collateral securing the payment of these loans may be insufficient to pay any remaining loan balance. We may experience significant credit losses, which could have a material adverse effect on our operating results. In accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”), we maintain an ACL to provide for loan defaults and non-performance, which when combined, we refer to as the ACL. Our ACL may not be adequate to cover actual credit losses, and future provisions for credit losses could have a material adverse effect on our operating results. Our ACL is based on prior experience, as well as an evaluation of the risks in the current portfolio. The amount of future losses is susceptible to changes in economic, operating and other conditions, including changes in interest rates that may be beyond our control, and these losses may exceed current estimates. Federal regulatory agencies, as an integral part of their examination process, review our loans and ACL. We cannot guarantee that we will not further increase the ACL or that regulators will not require us to increase this allowance. Either of these occurrences could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Moreover, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the “FASB”) has changed its requirements for establishing the ACL. On June 16, 2016, the FASB issued Accounting Standard Update (“ASU”) 2016-13 “Financial Instruments - Credit Losses”, which replaced the incurred loss model with an expected loss model that is referred to as the CECL model. Under the incurred loss model, loans were recognized as impaired when there was no longer an assumption that future cash flows would be collected in full under the originally contracted terms. Under the CECL model, financial institutions are required to use historical information, current conditions and reasonable forecasts to estimate the expected loss over the life of the loan. The CECL model requires significantly greater data requirements and changes to methodologies to accurately account for expected losses under the new parameters. If the methodologies and assumptions that we use in the CECL model are proven to be incorrect or inadequate, the ACL may not be sufficient, resulting in the need for additional ACL to be established, which could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.
The Company adopted the new CECL guidance effective as of January 1, 2023. The Company recognized a one-time cumulative effect adjustment (increase) to the ACL of $1.4 million upon adoption as of January 1, 2023. In addition, the Company established a related reserve for unfunded commitments of $1.1 million as of January 1, 2023.
If real estate markets or the economy in general deteriorate, State Bank may experience increased delinquencies and credit losses. The ACL may not be sufficient to cover actual loan-related losses. Additionally, banking regulators may require State Bank to increase its ACL in the future, which could have a negative effect on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations. Additions to the ACL will result in a decrease in net earnings and capital and could hinder our ability to grow our assets.
Any significant increase in our ACL or loan charge offs, including increases required by applicable regulatory authorities, might have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.
Our success depends upon our ability to attract and retain key personnel.
Our success depends upon the continued service of our senior management team and upon our ability to attract and retain qualified financial services personnel. Competition for qualified employees is intense. We cannot guarantee that we will be able to retain our existing key personnel or attract additional qualified personnel. If we lose the services of our key personnel, or are unable to attract additional qualified personnel, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
We depend upon the accuracy and completeness of information about customers.
In deciding whether to extend credit or enter into other transactions with customers, we may rely on information provided to us by customers, including financial statements and other financial information. We may also rely on representations of customers as to the accuracy and completeness of that information and, with respect to financial statements, on reports of independent auditors. For example, in deciding whether to extend credit to a business, we may assume that the customer’s audited financial statements conform to U.S. GAAP and present fairly, in all material respects, the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows of the customer, and we may also rely on the audit report covering those financial statements. Our financial condition and results of operations could be negatively impacted to the extent we rely on financial statements that do not comply with U.S. GAAP or that are materially misleading.
We may not be able to grow, and if we do, we may have difficulty managing that growth.
Our business strategy is to continue to grow our assets and expand our operations, including through potential strategic acquisitions. Our ability to grow depends, in part, upon our ability to expand our market share, successfully attract core deposits, and to identify loan and investment opportunities as well as opportunities to generate fee-based income. We can provide no assurance that we will be successful in increasing the volume of our loans and deposits at acceptable levels and upon terms acceptable to us. We also can provide no assurance that we will be successful in expanding our operations organically or through strategic acquisitions while managing the costs and implementation risks associated with this growth strategy.
We expect to continue to experience growth in the number of our employees and customers and the scope of our operations, but we may not be able to sustain our historical rate of growth or continue to grow our business at all. Our success will depend upon the ability of our officers and key employees to continue to implement and improve our operational and other systems, to manage multiple, concurrent customer relationships, and to hire, train and manage our employees. In the event that we are unable to perform all these tasks and meet these challenges effectively, including continuing to attract core deposits, our operations, and consequently our earnings, could be adversely impacted.
Acquisitions or other expansion may adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations.
We have completed various acquisitions of other financial institutions and branches and assets of other financial institutions in the past, including our recent acquisition of Marblehead Bancorp, Inc. and its banking subsidiary, The Marblehead Bank, on January 17, 2025. In the future, we may acquire other financial institutions or branches or assets of other financial institutions. We may also open new branches, enter into new lines of business, or offer new products or services. Any such acquisition or expansion of our business will involve a number of expenses and risks, which may include some or all of the following:
the time and expense associated with identifying and evaluating potential acquisitions or expansions;
the potential inaccuracy of estimates and judgments used to evaluate credit, operations, management and market risk with respect to target institutions;
the time and costs of evaluating new markets, hiring local management and opening new offices, and the delay between commencing these activities and the generation of profits from the expansion;
any financing required in connection with an acquisition or expansion;
the diversion of management’s attention to the negotiation of a transaction and the integration of the operations and personnel of the combining businesses;
entry into unfamiliar markets and the introduction of new products and services into our existing business;
the possible impairment of goodwill associated with an acquisition and possible adverse short-term effects on our results of operations; and
the risk of loss of key employees and customers.
We may incur substantial costs to expand, and we can give no assurance that such expansion will result in the levels of profits we expect. Neither can we assure that integration efforts for any future acquisitions will be successful. We may also issue equity securities in connection with acquisitions, which could dilute the economic and voting interests of our existing shareholders.
We are exposed to a number of operational risks.
We are exposed to many types of operational risk, including reputational risk, legal and compliance risk, cybersecurity risk, the risk of fraud or theft by employees or outsiders, unauthorized transactions by employees or operational errors, including clerical or record-keeping errors or those resulting from faulty or disabled computer or telecommunications systems.
We rely heavily on communications and information systems to conduct our business. Any failure, interruption or breach in security of these systems could result in failures or disruptions in our customer relationship management, general ledger, deposit, loan and other systems.
Given the volume of transactions we process, certain errors may be repeated or compounded before they are discovered and successfully rectified. Our necessary dependence upon automated systems to record and process our transaction volume may further increase the risk that technical system flaws or employee tampering or manipulation of those systems will result in losses that are difficult to detect. We may also be subject to disruptions of our operating systems arising from events that are wholly or partially beyond our control (for example, cyberattacks or electrical or telecommunications outages), which may give rise to disruption of service to customers and to financial loss or liability. We are further exposed to the risk that our external vendors may be unable to fulfill their contractual obligations (or will be subject to the same risk of fraud or operational errors by their respective employees as we are) and to the risk that our (or our vendors’) consumer compliance, business continuity and data security systems prove to be inadequate.
Negative public opinion can result from our actual or alleged conduct in any number of activities, including lending practices, corporate governance, acquisitions, social media and other marketing activities, and from actions taken by governmental regulators and community organizations in response to any of the foregoing activities. Negative public opinion could adversely affect our ability to attract and keep customers, could expose us to potential litigation and regulatory action, and could have a material adverse effect on the price of our common shares or result in heightened volatility of our stock price.
Recent and future bank failures may adversely affect the Company’s business, earnings and financial condition.
The failure of other banks can have significant impacts on the national, regional and local banking industry and the business environment in which the Company operates. The bank failures of Silicon Valley Bank in California, Signature Bank in New York, and First Republic Bank in California during 2023 caused a degree of panic and uncertainty in the investor community and among bank customers generally. Similar bank failures may occur in the future, which could reduce customer confidence, affect sources of funding and liquidity (for example, by increasing the withdrawal or transfer of deposits by customers), increase regulatory requirements and costs, adversely affect financial markets and/or have a negative reputational ramification for the banking industry as a whole. The Company will continue to monitor future potential bank failures and/or volatility within the banking industry in general, along with any responsive measures taken by the banking regulators to mitigate or manage potential turmoil in the banking industry.
We could experience an unexpectedinability to obtain needed liquidity which could adversely affect our business, profitability, and viability a going concern.
Liquidity measures the ability to meet current and future cash flow needs as they become due. The liquidity of a financial institution reflects its ability to meet loan requests, to accommodate possible outflows in deposits, and to take advantage of interest rate market opportunities and is essential to a financial institution’s business. The ability of a financial institution to meet its current financial obligations is a function of its balance sheet structure, its ability to liquidate assets, and its access to alternative sources of funds. The bank failures in 2023 exemplify the potential serious results of the unexpectedinability of insured depository institutions to obtain needed liquidity to satisfy deposit withdrawal requests, including how quickly such requests can accelerate once uninsured depositors lose confidence in an institution’s ability to satisfy its obligations to depositors. We seek to ensure our funding needs are met by maintaining a level of liquidity through asset and liability management. If we become unable to obtain funds when needed, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Our information systems may experience an interruption or security breach.
We rely heavily on communications and information systems to conduct our business. Any failure, interruption or breach in security of these systems could result in failures or disruptions in our customer relationship management, general ledger, deposit, loan and other systems. While we have policies and procedures designed to prevent or limit the effect of the possible failure, interruption or security breach of our information systems, there can be no assurance that any such failure, interruption or security breach will not occur or, if they do occur, that they will be adequately addressed. The occurrence of any failure, interruption or security breach of our information systems could damage our reputation, result in a loss of customer business, subject us to additional regulatory scrutiny, or expose us to civil litigation and possible financial liability.
Unauthorized disclosure of sensitive or confidential client information, or breaches in security of our systems, could severelyharm our business.
We collect, process and store sensitive consumer data by utilizing computer systems and telecommunications networks operated by both third-party service providers and us. State Bank’s necessary dependence upon automated systems to record and process State Bank’s transactions poses the risk that technical system flaws, employee errors, tampering or manipulation of those systems, or attacks by third parties will result in losses and may be difficult to detect. We have security and backup and recovery systems in place, as well as a business continuity plan, to ensure the computer systems will not be inoperable, to the extent possible. We also routinely review documentation of such controls and backups related to third party service providers. Our inability to use or access these information systems at critical points in time could unfavorably impact the timeliness and efficiency of our business operations. In recent years, some banks have experienced cyberattacks with the goal and effect of disrupting the ability of the bank to process transactions. Other businesses and organizations have been victims of ransomware attacks in which the business becomes unable to access its own information and is presented with a demand to pay a ransom in order to once again have access to its information.
We could be adversely affected if one of our employees or a third-party service provider causes a significant operational breakdown or failure, either as a result of human error or where an individual purposefully sabotages or fraudulentlymanipulates our operations or systems. State Bank is further exposed to the risk that the third-party service providers may be unable to fulfill their contractual obligations (or will be subject to the same risks as we are). These disruptions may interfere with service to our customers, cause additional regulatory scrutiny and result in a financial loss or liability. We are also at risk of the impact of natural disasters, terrorism and international hostilities on our systems or for the effects of outages or other failures involving power or communications systems operated by others.
Misconduct by employees could include fraudulent, improper or unauthorized activities on behalf of clients or improper use of confidential information. We may not be able to prevent employee errors or misconduct, and the precautions we take to detect this type of activity might not be effective in all cases. Employee errors or misconduct could subject us to civil claims for negligence or regulatory enforcement actions, including fines and restrictions on our business.
In addition, there have been instances where financial institutions have been victims of fraudulent activity in which criminals pose as customers to initiate wire and automated clearinghouse transactions out of customer accounts. Although we have policies and procedures in place to verify the authenticity of our customers, we cannot assure that such policies and procedures will prevent all fraudulent transfers.
We have implemented security controls to prevent unauthorized access to our computer systems, and we require that our third-party service providers maintain similar controls. However, the Company’s management cannot be certain that these measures will be successful. A security breach of the computer systems and loss of confidential information, such as customer account numbers and related information, could result in a loss of customers’ confidence and, thus, loss of business. We could also lose revenue if competitors gain access to confidential information about our business operations and use it to compete with us. While we maintain specific “cyber” insurance coverage, which would apply in the event of various breach scenarios, the amount of coverage may not be adequate in any particular case. Furthermore, because cyber threat scenarios are inherently difficult to predict and can take many forms, some breaches may not be covered under our cyber insurance policies.
Further, we may be affected by data breaches at retailers and other third parties who participate in data interchanges with us and our customers that involve the theft of customer credit and debit card data, which may include the theft of our debit card PIN numbers and commercial card information used to make purchases at such retailers and other third parties. Such data breaches could result in us incurring significant expenses to reissue debit cards and cover losses, which could result in a material adverse effect on our results of operations.
There can be no assurance that we will not suffer such cyber-attacks or other information security breaches (or attempted breaches) or incur resulting losses in the future. Our risk and exposure to these matters remains heightened because of, among other things, the evolving nature of these threats, and our plans to continue to implement internet and mobile banking capabilities to meet customer demand. As cyber and other data security threats continue to evolve, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to continue to modify and enhance protective measures or to investigate and remediate any security vulnerabilities.
All of the types of cybersecurity incidents discussed above could result in damage to the Company’s reputation, loss of customer business, litigation, increased regulatory scrutiny and potential enforcement actions, repairs of system damage, increased investments in cybersecurity (such as obtaining additional technology, making organizational changes, deploying additional personnel, training personnel and engaging consultants), increased insurance premiums, and loss of investor confidence and a reduction in the price of our common shares, all of which could result in financial loss and material adverse effects on the Company’s results of operations and financial condition.
Our business could be adversely affected through third parties who perform significant operational services on our behalf.
The third parties performing operational services for the Company are subject to risks similar to those faced by the Company relating to cybersecurity, breakdowns or failures of their own systems, or misconduct of their employees. Like many other community banks, State Bank also relies, in significant part, on a single vendor for the systems which allow State Bank to provide banking services to State Bank’s customers.
One or more of the third parties utilized by us may experience a cybersecurity event or operational disruption and, if any such event does occur, it may not be adequately addressed, either operationally or financially, by such third party. Certain of these third parties may have limited indemnification obligations to us in the event of a cybersecurity event or operational disruption or may not have the financial capacity to satisfy their indemnification obligations.
Financial or operational difficulties of a third-party provider could also impair our operations if those difficultiesinterfere with such third party’s ability to serve the Company. If a critical third-party provider is unable to meet the needs of the Company in a timely manner, or if the services or products provided by such third party are terminated or otherwise delayed and if the Company is not able to develop alternative sources for these services and products quickly and cost-effectively, our business could be materially adversely affected.
Additionally, regulatory guidance adopted by federal banking regulators addressing how banks select, engage and manage their third-party relationships, affects the circumstances and conditions under which we work with third parties and the cost of managing such relationships.
Strong competition within our market area may reduce our ability to attract and retain deposits and originate loans.
We face competition both in originating loans and in attracting deposits within our market area. We compete for clients by offering personal service and competitive rates on our loans and deposit products. The type of institutions we compete with include large regional financial institutions, community banks, thrifts and credit unions operating within our market areas. Nontraditional sources of competition for loan and deposit dollars come from captive auto finance companies, mortgage banking companies, internet banks, brokerage companies, insurance companies, fintechs and direct mutual funds. As a result of their size and ability to achieve economies of scale, certain of our competitors offer a broader range of products and services than we offer. We expect competition to remain intense in the future due to legislative, regulatory and technological changes and the continuing trend of consolidation in the financial services industry. In addition, to stay competitive in our markets we may need to adjust the interest rates on our products to match the rates offered by our competitors, which could adversely affect our net interest margin. As a result, our profitability depends upon our continued ability to successfully compete in our market areas while achieving our investment objectives.
We may be required to repurchase loans we have sold or indemnify loan purchasers under the terms of the sale agreements, which could adversely affect our liquidity, results of operations and financial statements.
When State Bank sells a mortgage loan, it agrees to repurchase or substitute a mortgage loan if it is later found to have breached any representation or warranty State Bank made about the loan or if the borrower is later found to have committed fraud in connection with the origination of the loan. While we have underwriting policies and procedures designed to avoid breaches of representations and warranties as well as borrower fraud, there can be no assurance that no breach or fraud will ever occur. Required repurchases, substitutions or indemnifications could have an adverse impact on our liquidity, results of operations and financial statements.
We are subject to environmental liability risk associated with lending activities.
A significant portion of our loan portfolio is secured by real property. During the ordinary course of business, we foreclose on and take title to properties securing certain loans. In doing so, there is a risk that hazardous or toxic substances could be found on these properties. If hazardous or toxic substances are found, we may be liable for remediation costs, as well as for personal injury and property damage. Environmental laws and evolving regulation may require us to incur substantial expenses and may materially reduce the affected property’s value or limit our ability to use or sell the affected property. In addition, future laws and regulations or more stringent interpretations or enforcement policies with respect to existing laws or regulations may increase our exposure to environmental liability. Environmental reviews of real property before initiating foreclosure actions may not be sufficient to detect all potential environmental hazards. The remediation costs and any other financial liabilities associated with an environmental hazard could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Legislative, Legal and Regulatory Risks:
FDIC insurance premiums may increase materially, which could negatively affect our profitability.
The FDIC insures deposits at FDIC insured financial institutions, including State Bank. The FDIC charges the insured financial institutions premiums to maintain the DIF at a certain level. During 2008 and 2009, there were higher levels of bank failures which dramatically increased resolution costs of the FDIC and depleted the deposit insurance fund. The FDIC collected a special assessment in 2009 to replenish the DIF and also required a prepayment of an estimated amount of future deposit insurance premiums. In October 2022, the FDIC adopted a final rule increasing the assessment rate from three basis points to five basis points beginning with the first quarterly assessment period of 2023. The FDIC recently adopted rules revising the assessments in a manner benefiting banks with assets totaling less than $10 billion. There can be no assurance, however, that assessments will not be changed in the future.
We operate in a highly regulated industry, and the laws and regulations that govern our operations, corporate governance, executive compensation and financial accounting, or reporting, including changes in, or failure to comply with the same, may adversely affect the Company.
The banking industry is highly regulated. We are subject to supervision, regulation and examination by various federal and state regulators, including the FRB, the ODFI, the SEC, the CFPB, the FDIC, Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc. (“FINRA”), and various state regulatory agencies. The statutory and regulatory framework that governs the Company is generally designed to protect depositors and customers, the DIF, the U.S. banking and financial system, and financial markets as a whole and not to protect shareholders. These laws and regulations, among other matters, prescribe minimum capital requirements, impose limitations on our business activities (including foreclosure and collection practices), limit the dividends or distributions that we can pay, and impose certain specific accounting requirements that may be more restrictive and may result in greater or earlier charges to earnings or reductions in capital than would otherwise be required under U.S. GAAP. Compliance with laws and regulations can be difficult and costly, and changes to laws and regulations often impose additional compliance costs. Both the scope of the laws and regulations and the intensity of the supervision to which we are subject have increased in recent years in response to the perceived state of the financial services industry, as well as other factors such as technological and market changes. Such regulation and supervision may increase our costs and limit our ability to pursue business opportunities. Further, our failure to comply with these laws and regulations, even if the failure was inadvertent or reflects a difference in interpretation, could subject the Company to restrictions on business activities, fines, and other penalties, any of which could adversely affect results of operations, the capital base, and the price of our common shares. Further, any new laws, rules, or regulations could make compliance more difficult or expensive or otherwise adversely affect our business and financial condition.
Legislative or regulatory changes or actions could adversely impact our business.
The financial services industry is extensively regulated. We are subject to extensive state and federal regulation, supervision and legislation that govern almost all aspects of our operations. Laws and regulations may change from time to time and are primarily intended for the protection of consumers, depositors, borrowers, the DIF and the banking system as a whole, and not to benefit our shareholders.
Regulations affecting banks and financial services businesses are undergoing continuous change, and management cannot predict the effect of these changes. The impact of any changes to laws and regulations or other actions by regulatory agencies may negatively impact us or our ability to increase the value of our business. Regulatory authorities have extensive discretion in connection with their supervisory and enforcement activities, including the imposition of restrictions on the operation of a financial institution, the classification of assets held by a financial institution, the adequacy of a financial institution’s ACL and the ability to complete acquisitions. Additionally, actions by regulatory agencies against us could cause us to devote significant time and resources to defending our business and may lead to penalties that materially affect us and our shareholders. Even the reduction of regulatory restrictions could have an adverse effect on us and our shareholders if such lessening of restrictions increases competition within our industry or our market area.
Changes in accounting standards could influence our results of operations.
The accounting standard setters, including the FASB, the SEC and other regulatory bodies, periodically change the financial accounting and reporting standards that govern the preparation of our consolidated financial statements. These changes can be difficult to predict and can materially affect how we record and report our financial condition and results of operations. In some cases, we could be required to apply a new or revised standard retroactively, which would result in the restatement of our financial statements for prior periods.
The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make significant estimates that affect the financial statements. Due to the inherent nature of these estimates, actual results may vary materially from management’s estimates.
Noncompliance with the Bank Secrecy Act (BSA) and other anti-money laundering statutes and regulations could cause a material financial loss.
The BSA and the Patriot Act contain anti-money laundering and financial transparency provisions intended to detect and prevent the use of the U.S. financial system for money laundering and terrorist financing activities. The BSA, as amended by the Patriot Act, requires depository institutions and their holding companies to undertake activities including maintaining an anti-money laundering program, verifying the identity of clients, monitoring for and reporting suspicious transactions, reporting on cash transactions exceeding specified thresholds, and responding to requests for information by regulatory authorities and law enforcement agencies. The Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (“FinCEN”), a unit of the U.S. Department of the Treasury that administers the BSA, is authorized to impose significant civil money penalties for violations of those requirements and has recently engaged in coordinated enforcement efforts with the federal bank regulatory agencies, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration, and Internal Revenue Service. The AMLA is intended to be a comprehensive reform and modernization to U.S. bank secrecy and anti-money laundering laws, which includes a codified risk-based approach to anti-money laundering compliance for financial institutions; requires the development of standards for evaluating technology and internal processes for BSA compliance; expands enforcement-related and investigation-related authority, including increasing available sanctions for certain BSA violations and instituting BSA whistleblower incentives and protections.
There is also increased scrutiny of compliance with the rules enforced by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (“OFAC”). If the Company’s policies, procedures, and systems are deemed deficient, or if the policies, procedures, and systems of the financial institutions that the Company has already acquired or may acquire in the future are deficient, the Company may be subject to liability, including fines and regulatory actions such as restrictions on State Bank’s ability to pay dividends and the necessity to obtain regulatory approvals to proceed with certain planned business activities, including acquisition plans, which could negatively impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Failure to maintain and implement adequate programs to combat money laundering and terrorist financing could also have serious reputational consequences for the Company.
We may be the subject of litigation, which could result in legal liability and damage to our business and reputation.
From time to time, we may be subject to claims or legal action from customers, employees or others. Financial institutions like the Company and State Bank are facing a growing number of significant class actions, including those based on the manner of calculation of interest on loans and the assessment of overdraft fees. Future litigation could include claims for substantial compensatory and/or punitivedamages or claims for indeterminate amounts of damages. We are also involved from time to time in other reviews, investigations and proceedings (both formal and informal) by governmental and other agencies regarding our business. These matters also could result in adverse judgments, settlements, fines, penalties, injunctions or other relief. Like other large financial institutions, we are also subject to risk from potential employee misconduct, including non-compliance with policies and improper use or disclosure of confidential information.
Our insurance may not cover all claims that may be asserted against us, and any claims asserted against us, regardless of merit or eventual outcome, may harm our reputation. Should the ultimate judgments or settlements in any litigation exceed our insurance coverage, they could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. In addition, we may not be able to obtain appropriate types or levels of insurance in the future, nor may we be able to obtain adequate replacement policies with acceptable terms, if at all.
Risks Related to Our Capital and Common Shares:
Our ability to pay cash dividends is limited, and we may be unable to pay cash dividends in the future.
We are dependent primarily upon the earnings of our operating subsidiaries for funds to pay dividends on our common shares. The payment of dividends by us is also subject to regulatory restrictions. As a result, any payment of dividends in the future will be dependent, in large part, on our ability to satisfy these regulatory restrictions and our subsidiaries’ earnings, capital requirements, financial condition and other factors. There can be no assurance as to if or when the Company may pay dividends or as to the amount of any dividends which may be declared and paid to shareholders in future periods. Failure to pay dividends on our shares could have a material adverse effect on the market price of our shares.
A limited trading market exists for our common shares, which could lead to price volatility.
The ability to sell our common shares depends upon the existence of an active trading market for those shares. While our shares are listed for trading on the NASDAQ Capital Market, there is moderate trading volume in these shares. As a result, shareholders may be unable to sell our shares at the volume, price and time desired. The limited trading market for our shares may cause fluctuations in the market value of our shares to be exaggerated, leading to price volatility in excess of that which would occur in a more active trading market. In addition, even if a more active market of our shares should develop, we cannot guarantee that such a market will continue.
The market price of our common shares may be subject to fluctuations and volatility.
The market price of our common shares may fluctuate significantly due to, among other things, changes in market sentiment regarding our operations, financial results or business prospects, the banking industry generally or the macroeconomic outlook. Certain events or changes in the market or banking industry generally are beyond our control. In addition to the other risk factors contained or incorporated by reference herein, factors that could affect our trading price:
our actual or anticipated operating and financial results, including how those results vary from the expectations of management, securities analysts and investors;
changes in financial estimates or publications of research reports and recommendations by financial analysts or actions taken by rating agencies with respect to us or other financial institutions;
failure to declare dividends on our common shares from time to time;
reports in the press or investment community generally or relating to our reputation or the financial services industry;
developments in our business or operations or in the financial sector generally;
any future offerings by us of our common shares;
any future offerings by us of debt or preferred shares, which would be senior to our common shares upon liquidation and for purposes of dividend distributions;
legislative or regulatory changes affecting our industry generally or our business and operations specifically;
the operating and share price performance of companies that investors consider to be comparable to us;
announcements of strategic developments, acquisitions, restructurings, dispositions, financings and other material events by us or our competitors;
actions by our current shareholders, including future sales of common shares by existing shareholders, including our directors and executive officers;
proposed or final regulatory changes or developments;
anticipated or pending regulatory investigations, proceedings, or litigation that may involve or affect us; and
other changes in U.S. or global financial markets, global economies and general market conditions, such as interest or foreign exchange rates, stock, commodity, credit or asset valuations or volatility.
Equity markets in general and our common shares have experienced volatility over the past few years. The market price of our common shares may continue to be subject to volatility unrelated to our operating performance or business prospects, which could result in a decline in the market price of our common shares.
Investors could become subject to regulatory restrictions upon ownership of our common shares.
Under the federal Change in Bank Control Act, a person may be required to obtain prior approval from the Federal Reserve Board before acquiring 10 percent or more of our common shares or the power to directly or indirectly control our management, operations, or policies.
We have implemented anti-takeover devices that could make it more difficult for another company to purchase us, even though such a purchase may increase shareholder value.
In many cases, shareholders may receive a premium for their shares if we were purchased by another company. Ohio law and our Amended Articles of Incorporation, as amended, and Amended and Restated Regulations, as amended, make it difficult for anyone to purchase us without the approval of our Board of Directors. Consequently, a takeover attempt may prove difficult, and shareholders may not realize the highest possible price for their securities.
We may be compelled to seek additional capital in the future, but capital may not be available when needed.
We are required by federal and state regulatory authorities to maintain adequate levels of capital to support our operations. In addition, federal banking agencies have proposed extensive changes to their capital requirements, including raising required amounts and eliminating the inclusion of certain instruments from the calculation of capital. In addition, we may elect to raise additional capital to support our business or to finance acquisitions, if any, or we may otherwise elect to raise additional capital. Our ability to raise additional capital, if needed, will depend on conditions in the capital markets, economic conditions and a number of other factors, many of which are outside our control, and on our financial performance. Accordingly, we cannot be assured of our ability to raise additional capital if needed or on terms acceptable to us. If we cannot raise additional capital when needed, it may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations and prospects.
General Risk Factors:
Our earnings are significantly affected by the fiscal and monetary policies of the federal government and its agencies.
The policies of the FRB impact us significantly. The FRB regulates the supply of money and credit in the United States. Its policies directly and indirectly influence the rate of interest earned on loans and paid on borrowings and interest-bearing deposits and can also affect the value of financial instruments we hold. Those policies determine to a significant extent our cost of funds for lending and investing. Changes in those policies are beyond our control and are difficult to predict. FRB policies can also affect our borrowers, potentially increasing the risk that they may fail to repay their loans. For example, a tightening of the money supply by the FRB could reduce the demand for a borrower’s products and services. This could adversely affect the borrower’s earnings and ability to repay its loan, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Changes in tax laws could adversely affect our performance.
We are subject to extensive federal, state and local taxes, including income, excise, sales/use, payroll, franchise, withholding and ad valorem taxes. Changes to tax laws could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations; fair values of net deferred tax assets and obligations of state and political subdivisions held in our investment securities portfolio. In addition, our customers are subject to a wide variety of federal, state and local taxes. Changes in taxes paid by our customers may adversely affect their ability to purchase homes or consumer products, which could adversely affect their demand for our loans and deposit products. In addition, such negative effects on our customers could result in defaults on the loans we have made.
The preparation of our financial statements requires the use of estimates that may vary from actual results.
The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make significant estimates that affect the financial statements. Two of our most critical estimates are the level of the ACL and the accounting for goodwill and other intangibles. Because of the inherent nature of these estimates, we cannot provide assurance that we will not be required to adjust earnings for significant unexpected loan losses, nor that we will not recognize a material provision for impairment of our goodwill in the future. For additional information regarding these critical estimates, see Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations beginning on page 31 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
We may experience increasing scrutiny and evolving expectations from customers, regulators, investors, and other stakeholders with respect to the Company’s environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) practices.
Financial institutions are facing increasing scrutiny from customers, regulators, investors, and other stakeholders related to their ESG practices and disclosure. Investor advocacy groups, investment funds, and influential investors are also increasingly focused on these practices, especially as they relate to the environment, health and safety, diversity, labor conditions, and human rights. Increased ESG-related compliance costs for the Company as well as among our suppliers, vendors and various other parties within our supply chain could result in increases to our overall operational costs. Failure to adapt to or comply with regulatory requirements or investor or stakeholder expectations and standards could negatively impact our reputation, ability to do business with certain partners, access to capital, and the price of our common shares. New government regulations could also result in new or more stringent forms of ESG oversight and expanding mandatory and voluntary reporting, diligence, and disclosure.
We need to constantly update our technology in order to compete and meet customer demands.
The financial services market, including banking services, is undergoing rapid technological changes with frequent introductions of new technology-driven products and services. In addition to better serving customers, the effective use of technology increases efficiency and may enable us to reduce costs. Our future success will depend, in part, on our ability to use technology to provide products and services that provide convenience to customers and to create additional efficiencies in our operations. Some of our competitors have substantially greater resources to invest in technological improvements. We may not be able to effectively implement new technology-driven products and services or be successful in marketing these products and services to our customers. Failure to successfully keep pace with technological changes affecting the financial services industry could negatively affect our growth, revenue and profit.
Climate change, severe weather, natural disasters, acts of war or terrorism and other external events could significantly impact our business.
Natural disasters, including severe weather events of increasing strength and frequency due to climate change, acts of war or terrorism, and other adverse external events could have a significant impact on our ability to conduct business or upon third parties who perform operational services for us or our customers. Such events could affect the stability of our deposit base, impair the ability of borrowers to repay outstanding loans, impair the value of collateral securing loans, cause significant property damage, result in lost revenue or cause us to incur additional expenses.
The following discussion provides a review of the consolidated financial condition and results of operations of SB Financial and its subsidiaries (collectively, the “Company”). This discussion should be read in conjunction with the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements and related Notes as of and for the years ended December 31, 2025, and 2024 included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Strategic Discussion
The focus and strategic goal of the Company is to grow into and remain a top decile (>90 th percentile) independent financial services company, as measured by annual return on average assets compared to our defined peer group. The Company intends to achieve and maintain that goal by executing our five key initiatives.
Increase profitability through ongoing diversification of revenue streams: For the twelve months ended December 31, 2025, the Company generated $17.1 million in noninterest income, or 26.1 percent of total operating revenue, from fee-based products. These revenue sources include fees generated from saleable residential mortgage loans, retail deposit products, wealth management services, saleable business-based loans (small business and farm service) and title agency revenue. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, the Company generated $17.0 million in noninterest income, or 29.9 percent of total operating revenue, from fee-based products.
Strengthen our penetration in all markets served: Over our 123-year history of continuous operation in Northwest Ohio, we have established a significant presence in our traditional markets in Defiance, Fulton, Paulding and Williams counties in Ohio. In our newer markets of Bowling Green, Columbus, Findlay, Toledo (Ohio) and Ft. Wayne (Indiana), our current market penetration is minimal, but we believe our potential for growth is significant. Over the past few years, we have expanded and committed additional resources to our presence in the Findlay and Edgerton markets in particular; however, we continue to seek to expand the presence and penetration in all of our markets. On January 17, 2025, we established our presence in Ottawa County with the acquisition of The Marblehead Bank located in Marblehead, Ohio. In late 2025, we expanded our Loan Production office in Angola, Indiana into a full service retail location and we expanded into the neighboring community of Napoleon, Ohio with a hybrid retail location.
Expand product utilization by new and existing customers: As of December 31, 2025, we operated in 15 counties in Northwest Ohio, Central Ohio and Northeast Indiana with 27 full-service offices, 27 ATM’s and four loan production offices. Combined in the 15 counties of operation, we command 0.93 percent of the deposit market share, which has steadily grown. In our traditional markets of Northwest Ohio, the deposit market share is 4.63 percent, which is up from 4.40 percent in 2024.
Deliver gains in operational excellence: Our management team believes that becoming and remaining a high-performance financial services company will depend upon seamlessly and consistently delivering operational excellence, as demonstrated by the Company’s leadership in the origination and servicing of residential mortgage loans. As of December 31, 2025, the Company serviced 8,886 residential mortgage loans with an aggregate principal balance of $1.48 billion. As of December 31, 2024, the Company serviced 8,750 loans with an aggregate principal balance of $1.43 billion.
Sustain asset quality: As of December 31, 2025, the Company’s asset quality metrics remained strong. Specifically, total nonperforming assets were $4.7 million, or 0.30 percent of total assets. Total delinquent loans at December 31, 2025, were 0.49 percent of total loans. As of December 31, 2024, the Company had total nonperforming assets of $5.5 million, or 0.40 percent of total assets. Total delinquent loans at December 31, 2024, were 0.63 percent of total loans.
The successful execution of these five strategies has enabled the Company to improve financial performance across a broad series of metrics. These metrics over the last five years are outlined in the following table. Specifically, the Company has increased total assets by $286.2 million, or 22.7 percent. The growth has been on both sides of the balance sheet over the five-year period, with loans growing $307.9 million, or 35.3 percent and deposits growing $258.2 million, or 24.6 percent.
During the prior five-year period, the Company has raised capital through the issuance of debt securities to the market, which has improved capital significantly and expanded liquidity for potential strategic expansion. Strategic expansion has also occurred during the period with the acquisition of two small community banks (The Edon State Bank of Edon, Ohio in 2020 and The Marblehead Bank in January 2025), the opening of five branch offices and the acquisition of two full-service title agencies.
Financial Highlights
Year Ended December 31,
($ in thousands, except per share data)
Earnings
Interest income
Interest expense
Net interest income
Provision for loan losses
Noninterest income
Noninterest expense
Provision for income taxes
Net income
Net income available to common shareholders
Per Common Share Data
Basic earnings
Diluted earnings
Cash dividends declared
Total equity per share
Average Balances
Average total assets
Average equity
Ratios
Return on average total assets
Return on average equity
Cash dividend payout ratio 1
Average equity to average assets
Period End Totals
Total assets
Available-for-sale securities
Loans held for sale
Total loans & leases
Allowance for credit losses
Total deposits
Advances from FHLB
Trust preferred securities
Subordinated debt, net
Total equity
Cash dividends on common shares divided by net income available to common.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The accounting and reporting policies of the Company are in accordance with U.S. GAAP and conform to general practices within the banking industry. The Company’s significant accounting policies are described in detail in the Notes to the Company’s Consolidated Financial Statements for the years ended December 31, 2025, and 2024. The preparation of financial statements in conformity with U.S. GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions. The Company’s financial position and results of operations can be affected by these estimates and assumptions and are integral to the understanding of reported results. Critical accounting policies are those policies that management believes are the most important to the portrayal of the Company’s financial condition and results, and they require management to make estimates that are difficult, subjective or complex.
Allowance for Credit Losses: The Company believes the determination of the ACL involves a higher degree of judgment and complexity than its other significant accounting policies. The ACL is calculated with the objective of maintaining a reserve level believed by management to be sufficient to absorb estimated credit losses over the life of an asset or an off-balance sheet credit exposure. Management’s determination of the adequacy of the ACL is based on periodic evaluations of past events, including historical credit loss experience on financial assets with similar risk characteristics, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts that affect the collectability of the remaining cash flows over the contractual term of the financial assets. However, this evaluation has subjective components requiring material estimates, including expected default probabilities, the expected loss given default, the amounts and timing of expected future cash flows on individually evaluated loans, and estimated losses based on historical loss experience and forecasted economic conditions. All of these factors may be susceptible to significant change. To the extent that actual results differ from management estimates, additional provisions for credit losses may be required that would adversely impact earnings in future periods.
Goodwill and Other Intangibles: The Company records all assets and liabilities acquired in purchase acquisitions, including goodwill and other intangibles, at fair value as required. Goodwill is subject, at a minimum, to annual tests for impairment. Other intangible assets are amortized over their estimated useful lives using straight-line and accelerated methods, and are subject to impairment if events or circumstances indicate a possible inability to realize the carrying amount. The initial goodwill and other intangibles recorded and subsequent impairment analysis requires management to make subjective judgments concerning estimates of how the acquired asset will perform in the future. Events and factors that may significantly affect the estimates include, among others, customer attrition, changes in revenue growth trends, specific industry conditions and changes in competition.
Income Taxes: Income tax expense is the total of the current year income tax due or refundable and the change in deferred tax assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are the expected future tax amounts for the temporary differences between carrying amounts and tax bases of assets and liabilities, computed using enacted tax rates. A valuation allowance, if needed, reduces deferred tax assets to the amount expected to be realized. Realization of deferred tax assets is dependent upon the generation of a sufficient level of future taxable income and recoverable taxes paid in prior years. Although realization is not assured, management believes it is more likely than not that all of the deferred tax assets will be realized. The Company recognizes interest and/or penalties related to income tax matters in income tax expense.
An effective tax rate of 21% is used to determine after-tax components of other comprehensive income (loss) included in the statements of shareholders’ equity.
A tax position is recognized as a benefit only if it is “more likely than not” that the tax position would be sustained in a tax examination, with a tax examination being presumed to occur. The amount recognized is the largest amount of tax benefit that is greater than 50% likely of being realized on examination. For tax positions not meeting the “more likely than not” test, no tax benefit is recorded.
Changes in Financial Condition
Total assets at December 31, 2025, were $1.55 billion, compared to $1.38 billion at December 31, 2024. Loans (excluding loans held for sale) were $1.18 billion at December 31, 2025, compared to $1.05 billion at December 31, 2024. Total deposits were $1.31 billion at December 31, 2025, compared to $1.15 billion at December 31, 2024. The Company continued to allocate the reductions in our bond portfolio, from scheduled amortization, into higher yielding loan balances.
The following are the condensed average balance sheets of the Company for the years ending December 31, which include the interest earned or paid, and the average interest rate, on each asset and liability:
($ in thousands)
Average
Average
Average
Average
Average
Average
Balance
Interest
Rate
Balance
Interest
Rate
Balance
Interest
Rate
Assets
Taxable securities/cash
Non-taxable securities
Overnight Cash
Loans, net 1
Total earning assets
Cash and due from banks
Allowance for credit losses
Premises and equipment
Other assets
Total assets
Liabilities
Savings and interest-bearing demand deposits
Time deposits
Repurchase agreements & other
Advances from FHLB
Trust preferred securities
Subordinated debt
Total interest-bearing liabilities
Demand deposits
Other liabilities
Total liabilities
Shareholders’ equity
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity
Net interest income (tax equivalent basis)
Net interest income as a percent of average interest-earning assets - GAAP measure
Net interest income as a percent of average
interest-earning assets - Non-GAAP measure 2
-- Computed on a fully tax equivalent basis (FTE)
Nonaccruing loans and loans held for sale are included in the average balances.
Interest on tax exempt securities and loans is computed on a tax equivalent basis using a 21 percent statutory tax rate, and added to the net interest income. The tax equivalent adjustment was $0.13, $0.14 and $0.14 million in 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
The following table sets forth the effect of volume and rate changes on interest income and expense for the periods indicated. For purposes of these tables, changes in interest due to volume and rate were determined as follows:
Volume variance - change in volume multiplied by the previous year’s rate.
Rate variance - change in rate multiplied by the previous year’s volume.
Rate/volume variance - change in volume multiplied by the change in rate. This variance allocates the volume variance and rate variance in proportion to the relationship of the absolute dollar amount of the change in each.
Total
Variance
Variance Attributable To
($ in thousands)
Volume
Rate
Interest income
Taxable securities
Overnight Cash
Non-taxable securities 1
Loans, net of unearned income and deferred fees 1
Total interest income
Interest expense
Savings and interest-bearing demand deposits
Time deposits
Repurchase agreements & other
Advances from FHLB
Trust preferred securities
Subordinated debt
Total interest expense
Net interest income
Interest on non-taxable securities and loans has been adjusted to fully tax equivalent
The maturity distribution and weighted-average interest rates of debt securities available-for-sale at December 31, 2025, are set forth in the table below. The weighted-average interest rates are based on coupon rates for securities purchased at par value and on effective interest rates considering amortization or accretion for securities purchased at a premium or discount:
Maturing
Weighted
Weighted
Weighted
Weighted
Weighted
Within
Average
Average
Average
After
Average
Average
($ in thousands)
1 Year
Yield
Years
Yield
Years
Yield
10 Years
Yield
Total
Yield
Available-for-sale:
U.S. Treasury and Government agencies
Mortgage-backed securities
State and political subdivisions
Other corporate securities
Total securities by maturity
($ in thousands)
Years Ended December 31,
Total loans
% Change
Commercial business & agriculture
Commercial real estate
Residential real estate
Consumer & other
Total loans
Net deferred costs (fees)
Total loans, net deferred costs (fees)
Loans held for sale
Total deposits
% Change
Noninterest bearing demand
Interest-bearing demand
Savings & money market
Time deposits
Total deposits
Total shareholders’ equity
Loans held for investment (“HFI”) increased $133.9 million, or 12.8 percent, to $1.18 billion at December 31, 2025, which was due to an increase in commercial real estate and agricultural lending during 2025. The Company allowed its residential real estate portfolio to amortize with minimal new production generated on the balance sheet during 2025.
Concentrations of Credit Risk : The Company makes commercial, real estate and installment loans to customers located mainly in the Tri-State region of Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. Commercial loans are expected to be repaid from cash flow from operations of businesses and include loans collateralized by commercial real estate, business assets and, in the case of agricultural loans, crops and farm equipment. As of December 31, 2025, commercial business and agricultural loans made up approximately 16.1 percent of the HFI loan portfolio while commercial real estate loans accounted for approximately 50.6 percent of the HFI loan portfolio. As of December 31, 2025, residential first mortgage loans, which are secured by first mortgages on residential real estate, made up approximately 25.8 percent of the HFI portfolio, while consumer loans to individuals, which are primarily secured by consumer assets, made up approximately 7.5 percent of the HFI loan portfolio.
Maturities and Sensitivities of Loans to Changes in Interest Rates: The following table shows the maturity distribution of loans outstanding as of December 31, 2025. The amounts have been categorized between loans with a fixed or floating interest rate (floating rate loans have an adjustable interest rate that changes based on a rate index).
Maturities and Sensitivities of Loans to Changes in Interest Rates
As of December 31, 2025
($ in thousands)
Within one year
After one, but within five years
After five, but within fifteen years
After fifteen years
Total
Loans with fixed interest rates:
Commercial & industrial
Commercial real estate - owner occupied
Commercial real estate - nonowner occupied
Agricultural
Residential real estate
HELOC
Consumer
Total
Loans with floating interest rates:
Commercial & industrial
Commercial real estate - owner occupied
Commercial real estate - nonowner occupied
Agricultural
Residential real estate
HELOC
Consumer
Total
Total loans:
Commercial & industrial
Commercial real estate - owner occupied
Commercial real estate - nonowner occupied
Agricultural
Residential real estate
HELOC
Consumer
Total loans
Total deposits increased $154.6 million, or 13.4 percent, to $1.31 billion at December 31, 2025. Inclusive of that growth was approximately $47 million in acquired deposits.
The average amount of deposits and weighted-average rates paid are summarized as follows for the years ended December 31:
Average
Average
Average
Average
Average
Average
($ in thousands)
Amount
Rate
Amount
Rate
Amount
Rate
Savings and interest bearing demand deposits
Time deposits
Non interest bearing demand deposits
Totals
Time deposits that exceeded the FDIC insurance limit of $250,000 are summarized as follows:
($ in thousands)
Three months or less
Over three months through six months
Over six months and through twelve months
Over twelve months
Total
Shareholders’ equity at December 31, 2025, was $141.2 million, or 9.1 percent of total assets compared to $127.5 million or 9.2 percent of total assets, at December 31, 2024. Retained earnings increased during the year due to earnings of $14.0 million less dividends paid to common shareholders of $3.8 million and repurchases of Company common shares of $5.4 million. The fair market value of the bond portfolio increased during 2025 due to the valuation adjustment on the portfolio, which resulted in accumulated other comprehensive loss (“AOCI”) declining to $21.5 million at December 31, 2025, from $30.2 million at December 31, 2024.
The Company continued to repurchase its own common shares during the year under the Company’s publicly announced share repurchase program. Specifically, the Company repurchased 283,490 shares during 2025 at an average price of $19.47 per share. On December 18, 2024, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a share repurchase program authorizing the repurchase of 500,000 shares through December 31, 2026. As of December 31, 2025, the Company had repurchased a total of 300,950 shares, and 199,050 shares remained available for purchase, under this program.
Asset Quality
Years Ended December 31,
($ in thousands)
% Change
Nonaccruing loans
Foreclosed assets and other assets held for sale, net
Nonperforming assets
Net charge-offs/(recoveries)
Provision for credit losses
Allowance for credit losses
Nonaccruing loans/total loans
Allowance/nonaccruing loans
Nonperforming assets/total assets
Net charge offs/average loans
Allowance/loans
Allowance/nonperforming loans
Nonperforming assets totaled $4.7 million, or 0.30 percent of total assets, at December 31, 2025, a decrease of $0.8 million, or 15.1 percent, from December 31, 2024. The Company had total net charge-offs on loans of $261,000 in 2025, as compared to net charge-offs of $250,000 in 2024. The Company’s ACL at December 31, 2025, now covers nonperforming loans at 351.9 percent, up from 273.7 percent at December 31, 2024.
The following schedule presents an analysis of the ACL, average loan data and related ratios at December 31 for the years indicated:
($ in thousands)
Provision for
Credit Losses
Net (Chargeoffs)
Recoveries
Average Loans
Ratio of
annualized net
(chargeoffs)
recoveries to
average loans
December 31, 2025
Commercial & industrial
Commercial real estate - owner occupied
Commercial real estate - nonowner occupied
Agricultural
Residential real estate
HELOC
Consumer
Total
December 31, 2024
Commercial & industrial
Commercial real estate - owner occupied
Commercial real estate - nonowner occupied
Agricultural
Residential real estate
HELOC
Consumer
Total
December 31, 2023
Commercial & industrial
Commercial real estate - owner occupied
Commercial real estate - nonowner occupied
Agricultural
Residential real estate
HELOC
Consumer
Total
The ACL balance and the provision for credit losses are determined by management based upon periodic reviews of the loan portfolio. In addition, management considers the level of charge offs on loans, as well as the fluctuations of charge offs and recoveries on loans, in the factors which caused these changes. Estimating the risk of loss and the amount of loss is necessarily subjective. Accordingly, the allowance is maintained by management at a level considered adequate to cover losses that are currently anticipated based on past loss experience, economic conditions, information about specific borrower situations, including their financial position and collateral values, and other factors and estimates which are subject to change over time.
The Company has substantially increased its reserve level over the last several years. Specifically, the Company’s ACL balance has increased from $12.6 million at December 31, 2020, to $16.1 million at December 31, 2025, which reflects an increase of $3.5 million, or 28 percent. This increase was the result of $2.8 million in provision expense during the period and $0.4 million in net charge-offs over the five-year period. The reserve increased during 2023 due to the one-time CECL adjustment of $1.4 million taken in January of 2023 upon the Company’s adoption of the CECL methodology.
The following schedule provides a breakdown of the ACL allocated by type of loan and related ratios at December 31 for the years indicated:
Percentage
Percentage
Percentage
of Loans
of Loans
of Loans
In Each
In Each
In Each
Category
Category
Category
Allowance
to Total
Allowance
to Total
Allowance
to Total
Amount
Loans
Amount
Loans
Amount
Loans
($ in thousands)
Commercial & industrial
Commercial real estate - owner occupied
Commercial real estate - nonowner occupied
Agricultural
Residential real estate
HELOC
Consumer
Regulatory capital reporting is required for State Bank only, as the Company is currently exempt from quarterly regulatory capital level measurement pursuant to the Small Bank Holding Company Policy Statement. As of December 31, 2025, State Bank met all regulatory capital levels required to be considered well-capitalized (see Note 16 to the Consolidated Financial Statements).
On May 27, 2021, the Company issued and sold $20.0 million in aggregate principal amount of its 3.65% Fixed to Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2031 in a private placement exempt from the registration requirements under the Securities Act. The Subordinated Notes bear interest at a fixed rate of 3.65% through May 31, 2026. From June 1, 2026 to the maturity date or earlier redemption of the Subordinated Notes, the interest rate will reset quarterly to an interest rate per annum, equal to the then-current-three-month Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) provided by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York plus 296 basis points. The Subordinated Notes have a maturity of 10 years.
Earnings Summary – 2025 vs. 2024
Net income for 2025 was $14.0 million, or $2.19 per diluted common share, compared with net income of $11.5 million, or $1.72 per diluted common share, for 2024. State Bank reported net income for 2025 of $15.9 million, which was up from the $13.0 million of net income in 2024. SBFG Title reported net income for 2025 of $0.58 million, which was up from net income of $0.36 million for 2024.
Positive results for 2025 included loan growth of $133.9 million, with deposits higher by $154.6 million. Loan and deposit growth were supplemented by our acquisition of The Marblehead Bank in the first quarter of 2025, adding $18 million and $47 million of loans and deposits, respectively. Residential real estate loan production was $277.7 million, with $5.0 million of revenue from gains on sale. The level of mortgage origination was up from the $261.3 million in 2024. The Company’s loans serviced for others ended the year at $1.48 billion, up from $1.43 billion at December 31, 2024.
Operating revenue was higher at $65.6 million in 2025, compared to $56.9 million in 2024 as balance sheet growth and margin improvement drove net interest income higher, supplemented by higher mortgage revenues. SBFG Title revenue expanded by $0.4 million compared to the prior year.
Operating expense increased by $4.0 million, or 9.4 percent, from $43.0 million in 2024 to $47.0 million in 2025, due to higher incentive and commission levels. Operating expense included conversion expenses of $0.8 million and almost a full year of Marblehead operations.
Results of Operations
Years Ended December 31,
($ in thousands, except per share data)
% Change
Total assets
Total investments
Loans held for sale
Loans, net of unearned income
Allowance for credit losses
Total deposits
Total operating revenue 1
Net interest income
Loan loss provision
Noninterest income
Noninterest expense
Net income
Diluted earnings per share
Operating revenue equals net interest income plus noninterest income.
Net interest income was $48.4 million for 2025 and increased by 21 percent from net interest income of $40.0 million for 2024. Average earning assets increased to $1.40 billion in 2025, compared to $1.31 billion in 2024, primarily due to the increase in our loan portfolio, with higher overnight cash offset by lower securities. The consolidated 2025 full year net interest margin on a fully-taxable equivalent (“FTE”) basis was 3.47 percent compared to 3.06 percent for the full year of 2024.
Provision for credit losses was taken in 2025 in the amount of $1.31 million compared to $0.12 million taken during 2024. For 2025, net charge-offs totaled $0.26 million, or 0.02 percent of average loans, compared to net charge-offs of $0.25 million, or 0.02 percent of average loans, for 2024.
Noninterest Income
Years Ended December 31,
($ in thousands)
% Change
Wealth management fees
Customer service fees
Gains on sale of residential loans & OMSR’s
Mortgage loan servicing fees, net
Gain on sale of non-mortgage loans
Title insurance income
Other
Total noninterest income
Total noninterest income was $17.1 million for 2025 compared to $17.0 million for 2024, representing an increase of $0.17 million, or 0.5 percent, year-over-year. Gains on sale of residential mortgage loans was up from 2024 by $0.45 million, or 9.9 percent. The Company sold $250.4 million of originated mortgages into the secondary market in 2025, which due to being higher than the amortization on the serviced portfolio, increased the size of our serviced loan portfolio to $1.48 billion at December 31, 2025 from $1.43 billion at December 31, 2024. Sales of non-mortgage loans (small business and farm credits) in 2025 was just $1.0 million, resulting in gain on sale of $0.14 million. The Company saw its wealth management assets under management increase by $18.3 million to $566.0 million at December 31, 2025, with total wealth management fees of $3.5 million.
Noninterest Expense
Years Ended December 31,
($ in thousands)
% Change
Salaries & employee benefits
Net occupancy expense
Equipment expense
Data processing fees
Professional fees
Marketing expense
Telephone and communications
Postage and delivery expense
State, local and other taxes
Employee expense
Other expense
Total noninterest expense
Total noninterest expense was $47.0 million for 2025 compared to $43.0 million for 2024, representing a $4.0 million, or 9.4 percent, increase year-over-year. Included in the 2025 expense levels are $0.8 million in one-time conversion expenses and almost a full year of Marblehead operations. Total full-time equivalent employees ended 2025 at 252, which was flat from year end 2024.
Earnings Summary – 2024 vs. 2023
Net income for 2024 was $11.5 million, or $1.72 per diluted common share, compared with net income of $12.1 million, or $1.75 per diluted common share, for 2023. State Bank reported net income for 2024 of $13.0 million, which was down slightly from the $13.3 million of net income in 2023. SBFG Title reported net income for 2024 of $0.36 million, which was up from net income of $0.24 million for 2023.
Positive results for 2024 included loan growth of $46.5 million, with deposits higher by $82.4 million. Deposit growth was boosted by the Company’s participation in the State of Ohio’s Homebuyer Plus program. For the full year of 2024, residential real estate loan production was $261.3 million, with $4.6 million of revenue from gains on sale. The level of mortgage origination was up from the $215.5 million in 2023. The Company’s loans serviced for others ended the year at $1.427 billion, up slightly from $1.367 billion at December 31, 2023.
Operating revenue for 2024 was steady at $57.0 million, as increased mortgage volume offset the sale of Visa B shares that occurred in 2023 of $1.4 million. SBFG Title revenue also remained level at $1.64 million.
Operating expense increased by $1.0 million, or 2.4 percent, from $42.0 million in 2023 to $43.0 million in 2024, due to higher incentive and commission levels, which were partially offset by moving higher medical costs to SB Captive.
Goodwill, Intangibles and Capital Purchases
The Company completed its most recent annual goodwill impairment review as of December 31, 2025. Due to declines in the Company’s share price, a quantitative evaluation of goodwill was completed as of September 30, 2024, which revealed that impairment was not warranted. No triggering events have occurred since that assessment, which would warrant impairment. At December 31, 2025, the Company concluded that it was more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit exceeded its carrying value, resulting in no impairment. The Company’s goodwill is further discussed in Note 6 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Management plans to continue from time to time to purchase additional premises and equipment and improve current facilities to meet the current and future needs of the Company’s customers. These purchases will include buildings, leasehold improvements, furniture and equipment. Management expects that cash on hand and cash generated from current operations will fund these capital expenditures and purchases.
Liquidity
Liquidity relates primarily to the Company’s ability to fund loan demand, meet deposit customers’ withdrawal requirements and provide for operating expenses. Sources used to satisfy these needs consist of cash and due from banks, interest-bearing deposits in other financial institutions, securities available-for-sale, loans held for sale, and borrowings from various sources. These assets, excluding the borrowings, are commonly referred to as liquid assets. Liquid assets were $263.1 million at December 31, 2025, which included pledged available-for-sale securities of $141.2 million, compared to liquid assets of $235.9 million at December 31, 2024.
The Company does not have material cash requirements for capital expenditures over the next year. Any cash needs for capital requirements would be funded by cash existing at the Company.
The Company’s commercial real estate, first mortgage residential, agricultural and multi-family mortgage portfolio of $978.2 million at December 31, 2025, can and is readily used to collateralize borrowings, which is an additional source of liquidity. Management believes the Company’s current liquidity level, without these borrowings, is sufficient to meet its current and anticipated liquidity needs. At December 31, 2025, all eligible commercial real estate, residential first, multi-family mortgage and agricultural loans were pledged under a FHLB blanket lien.
Significant additional off balance-sheet liquidity is available in the form of FHLB advances, unused federal funds lines from correspondent banks and the national certificate of deposit market. Management expects the risk of changes in off-balance-sheet arrangements to be immaterial to earnings. Based on the current collateralization requirements of the FHLB, approximately $159.9 million of additional borrowing capacity existed at December 31, 2025.
At December 31, 2025, and 2024, the Company had $41.0 million in federal funds lines available. The Company also had $47.4 million in unpledged securities at December 31, 2025, available for additional borrowings.
The cash flow statements for the periods presented provide an indication of the Company’s sources and uses of cash as well as an indication of the ability of the Company to maintain an adequate level of liquidity. A discussion of the cash flow statements for 2025 and 2024 follows:
The Company experienced positive cash flows from operating activities in 2025 and 2024. Net cash from operating activities was $24.0 million and $9.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2025, and 2024, respectively. Significant operating items for 2025 included gain on sale of loans of $5.2 million and net income of $14.0 million. Cash provided by the sale of loans held for sale was $251.7 million. Cash used in the origination of loans held for sale were $244.0 million.
The Company experienced negative cash flows from investing activities in 2025 and 2024. Net cash used in investing activities was $68.1 million and $28.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2025, and 2024, respectively. A net increase in loans of $115.6 million was the primary change in 2025. The primary change for 2024 was a net increase in loans of $46.8 million. The Company had proceeds from repayments, maturities, sales and calls of securities of $53.8 million and $18.8 million in 2025 and 2024, respectively.
The Company experienced positive cash flows from financing activities in 2025 and 2024. Net cash provided by financing activities was $89.7 million and $22.5 million for the years ended December 31, 2025, and 2024, respectively. The increase in deposits of $101.6 million and $82.4 million attributed to the positive cash flows in 2025 and 2024, respectively.
The Company uses an Economic Value of Equity (“EVE”) analysis to measure risk in the balance sheet incorporating all cash flows over the estimated remaining life of all balance sheet positions. The EVE analysis calculates the net present value of the Company’s assets and liabilities in rate shock environments that range from -400 basis points to +400 basis points. The results of this analysis are reflected in the following table, which reflects the Company’s neutral balance sheet that directionally is trending to a liability sensitive position:
