Amerant Bancorp delivered fourth-quarter earnings of $0.53 per share, outperforming the consensus estimate of $0.43 and up from $0.50 in the year-ago quarter. Net income for the period climbed 12% year-over-year to $28.6 million, driven by higher fee income and disciplined cost management. This marks the third consecutive quarter in which the bank has exceeded analyst expectations on the bottom line.

Total revenues for Q4 rose 9% year-over-year to $152.4 million, led by net interest income growth of 8% to $112.3 million. The net interest margin expanded 10 basis points sequentially to 3.12%, reflecting a favorable mix shift toward higher-yielding commercial loan products. Non-interest income also increased by 12%, supported by strong performance in treasury services and wealth management fees.

Amerant’s loan portfolio grew 5% from a year earlier to $4.25 billion, with commercial real estate and middle-market lending each contributing roughly half of the increase. Asset quality remained stable, as the non-performing asset ratio held at 0.70% and net charge-offs represented just 0.15% of average loans. Provision expense declined to $4.2 million, reflecting continued credit stability across the portfolio.

The bank finished the quarter with a CET1 capital ratio of 10.8% and a leverage ratio of 8.9%, both comfortably above regulatory minimums. Amerant’s interim CEO reaffirmed guidance for low-double-digit loan growth in 2026 and projected the net interest margin to remain in a 3.00%–3.20% range. The company also authorized a new $25 million share repurchase program, signaling confidence in its capital generation and return of excess capital to shareholders.