First Financial Bankshares posts record Q3 profit as interest margin widens

what happened

Texas-based regional lender First Financial Bankshares reported record net income of $74.31 million for the third quarter of 2026, up from $52.27 million a year earlier, Company Talk reported. The bank linked the gain mainly to a wider net interest margin, which reached 3.91% on a tax-equivalent basis versus 3.80% in the same quarter of 2025.

Net interest income rose to $138.51 million from $127 million, while average interest-earning assets grew to $14.43 billion from $13.60 billion. Earnings per share came in at $0.52, and the credit loss provision fell to $2.03 million, sharply lower than a year earlier, when a large fraud-related charge-off was booked.

Wealth management fees increased on new accounts and higher mineral fee income tied to oil and gas prices. Mortgage income declined as volumes and margins suffered from a spike in long-term rates. The company gave no specific guidance for current or future periods.

why it matters

For markets, the quarter shows net interest income doing the heavy lifting at a regional bank, while the mortgage business felt pressure from higher long-term rates and fee income benefited from energy-linked mineral payments. Investors will watch whether the margin holds, since the company offered no forward guidance.

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