Equity Bancshares Q3: Core EPS $1.40, 22% Dividend Hike, Q4 Margin Rebound Guided
EQBK sits 21% above its 52-week low of $38.6.
Summary
Equity Bancshares reported Q3 core EPS of $1.40, raised its dividend 22%, and guided Q4 net interest margin back to 4.25-4.35% as the Lincoln Bancorp merger progresses toward closing.
Key Events · Earnings and Guidance · EQBK
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Q3 Core EPS Beats at $1.40
Net income of $26.8M ($1.29 diluted EPS); core EPS of $1.40 exceeded consensus. Core net income was $29.1M, up from $29.4M in Q2.
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Dividend Raised 22% to $0.22
Quarterly dividend increased 22% to $0.22 per share on common stock outstanding as of September 30, 2026. Year-to-date payout ratio is 17.3%, within the 10-20% target.
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NIM Compressed to 4.20%
Net interest margin fell 16 bps from 4.36% in Q2 as deposit costs rose and earning-asset yields declined. Management expects a rebound to 4.25-4.35% in Q4, excluding Lincoln impact.
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Q4 2026 Guidance Issued
Q4 outlook (ex-Lincoln): NIM 4.25-4.35%, non-interest income $10-11M, non-interest expense $47-48M, effective tax rate 21.5-22.5%.
Analysis · EQBK · Finance
Equity Bancshares delivered a solid quarter with core EPS of $1.40, beating consensus, and raised its dividend 22% to $0.22 per share. Net interest margin compressed to 4.20% from 4.36% as deposit costs rose, but management guided a rebound to 4.25-4.35% in Q4, excluding the pending Lincoln Bancorp merger. The results reinforce the franchise's earning power ahead of the $123.8M Lincoln acquisition, which is expected to close in Q4 2026.
How filings like this one have moved
In the 30 days to Oct 30, 2026, 30.6% of the 1584 measured filings Wiseek scored 7 moved their stock by 5% or more by the next session's close. The median move was -0.02%. These are measured outcomes after filings of this importance, not a forecast for this one.
Measured one observation per ticker per day, after exclusions. Current figures: Filing Impact Tracker · open dataset
At the time of this filing, EQBK was trading at $46.73 on NYSE in the Finance sector, with a market capitalization of approximately $959M. The 52-week trading range was $38.60 to $52.27. This filing was assessed with positive market sentiment and an importance score of 7 out of 10.