Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida (SBCF) 2025 Q2 法說會逐字稿

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  • Operator

  • Welcome to Seacoast Banking Corporation's second-quarter 2025 earnings conference call.

  • My name is [Angela]. I will be your operator. (Operator Instructions)

  • Before we begin, I have been asked to direct your attention to the statement at the end of the company's press release regarding forward-looking statements. Seacoast will be discussing issues that constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities and Exchange Act. Its comments today are intended to be covered within the meaning of the act.

  • Please note that this conference is being recorded.

  • I will now turn the call over to Chuck Shaffer, Chairman and CEO of Seacoast Bank. Mr. Shaffer, you may begin.

  • Charles Shaffer - Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer

  • Okay. Thank you, Angela. Good morning, everyone.

  • As we proceed with our presentation, we'll refer to the second-quarter earnings slide deck available at seacoastbanking.com.

  • Joining me today are Tracey Dexter, our Chief Financial Officer; Michael Young, our Treasurer, Head of Corporate Development, and Investor Relations; and James Stallings, our Chief Credit Officer.

  • The Seacoast team delivered exceptional results in the second quarter of 2025, reflecting the strength of our growing franchise, the discipline and focus of our team, and the momentum we continue to build across all of our markets.

  • This quarter was highlighted by a substantial increase in net income, up 36% from the prior quarter, largely driven by a 10 basis points expansion in the net interest margin. This was the result of robust loan growth and disciplined deposit cost management.

  • We also delivered solid performance in non-interest income and continued to demonstrate effective expense control. Profitability improved across the board.

  • We made meaningful progress in our strategic priorities. Annualized loan growth reached 6.4%, supported by a strong commercial pipeline, an outcome of a multi-year strategy to attract top talent from larger institutions. This talent continues to drive high-quality loan production and deepen customer relationships.

  • We also successfully closed the Heartland Bancshares transaction a few weeks ago and remain on track to close the Villages Bank Corporation acquisition in the fourth quarter. Both franchises bring high-quality deposit bases and complementary balance sheets. Once fully integrated, we expect these transactions to significantly enhance Seacoast's profitability profile.

  • Turning to credit, asset quality remains sound; non-performing loans declined to 0.61% of total loans; and net charge-offs were just $2.5 million, reflecting our continued focus on disciplined underwriting and proactive risk management. Criticized and classified loans remain stable.

  • In closing, I want to express my sincere appreciation to our dedicated associates for their commitment to advancing our growth and profitability goals. Their focus and execution continue to drive our success. We remain very confident in our strategic direction. We're enthusiastic about the opportunities that lie ahead.

  • With that, I'll turn it over to Tracey to walk through our financial results. Tracey?

  • Tracey Dexter - Chief Financial Officer, Executive Vice President

  • Thank you, Chuck. Good morning, everyone.

  • Directing your attention to second quarter results, beginning with slide 4, the Seacoast team delivered a strong quarter with net income of $42.7 million or $0.50 per share, increasing 36% from the prior quarter; and adjusted net income, which excludes merger-related charges, increasing 39% sequentially to $44.5 million or $0.52 per share.

  • Profitability metrics are all improved and include a return on assets of 1.08%; return on tangible common equity of 12.8%; and an improvement in the efficiency ratio, which, excluding merger-related charges, was 55%.

  • Loan production was solid, with growth in balances over 6% on an annualized basis. Net interest income was $126.9 million, an increase of 7% from the prior quarter. Net interest margin expanded 10 basis points to 3.58%. Excluding accretion on acquired loans, net interest margin expanded 5 basis points to 3.29%.

  • Contributing to the NIM improvement is a decline in deposit costs from 1.93% in the prior quarter to 1.8% in the second quarter, reflecting our continued focus on relationship-based funding and disciplined pricing.

  • Tangible book value per share of $17.19 represents a 12% year-over-year increase. Our capital position continues to be very strong. Seacoast Tier 1 capital ratio is 14.6%. The ratio of tangible common equity to tangible assets is 9.75%.

  • We completed our acquisition of Heartland Bancshares on July 11, adding four branches and approximately $777 million in assets. We announced our proposed acquisition of Villages Bank Corporation, which will add a significant additional presence in Central Florida and approximately $4.1 billion in assets. That acquisition is expected to close in late October 2025.

  • Turning to slide 5, net interest income increased by $8.4 million during the quarter, driven by loan growth and by lower deposit costs; the net interest margin expanded 10 basis points to 3.58%, and excluding accretion on acquired loans, expanded 5 basis points to 3.29%.

  • In the securities portfolio, yields decreased 1 basis points to 3.87%. Loan yields expanded 8 basis points to 5.98%. Excluding accretion, loan yields were flat compared to the prior quarter. Through proactive deposit cost management, we've brought the cost of deposits down by 13 basis points during the quarter to 1.8%.

  • With strong momentum in loan growth, deposit costs now lower and stabilizing, additional liquidity and accretive acquisitions, we expect net interest income to continue to grow through the remainder of the year.

  • Additionally, we continue to expect to exit the year with a core net interest margin of approximately 3.35%, inclusive of one expected rate cut in September and one in December. With the two acquisitions, that could add approximately 10 basis points to that figure.

  • Moving to slide 6, non-interest income, excluding securities activity, was $24.5 million, increasing 10% from the second quarter of 2024. Fee revenue continues to benefit from our expansion of treasury management services to commercial customers.

  • Our wealth and insurance businesses provide consistent strong results. Saleable mortgages originated during the quarter generated gains of $0.7 million. BOLI income increased to $3.4 million in the second quarter and included a $0.9 million benefit. Other income totaled $7.5 million and included a $3 million payroll tax credit received during the quarter, claimed by a bank that we previously acquired.

  • Looking ahead to the third quarter, we expect non-interest income in a range from $20 million to $22 million.

  • Moving to slide 7, our Wealth division continued its strong growth, adding $215 million in new assets under management so far this year, with total AUM increasing 16% compared to this time last year.

  • Moving to slide 8, non-interest expense in the second quarter was $91.7 million, an increase of $1.1 million. The current quarter includes $2.4 million in merger-related expenses. Higher salaries and wages reflect annual merit increases and performance-driven incentives. Other categories of expenses are in line with our expectations and reflect our continued focus on profitability and performance.

  • Our adjusted efficiency ratio improved to 55.4%, down from 59.5% in the first quarter, demonstrating continued operating leverage. We continue with that focus. With the addition of the Heartland franchise, we expect adjusted expenses for the third quarter, which excludes direct merger-related costs, to be in a range of $92 million to $94 million.

  • Turning to slide 9, loan outstandings increased at an annualized 6.4%, with production of $854 million in the second quarter. Pipelines remain strong at $921 million. We continue to see strong demand across our markets. Loan yields expanded 8 basis points, with higher accretion on acquired loans resulting from elevated payoffs.

  • Looking forward, the pipeline is very strong. We expect continued mid- to high single-digit organic loan growth in the coming quarter and for the full-year 2025, though the impact of tariffs may add some uncertainty.

  • Turning to slide 10, portfolio diversification in terms of asset mix, industry, and loan type has been a critical element of the company's lending strategy. Exposure is broadly distributed. We continue to be vigilant in maintaining our disciplined, conservative credit culture.

  • Non-owner-occupied commercial real estate loans represent 34% of all loans and are distributed across industries and collateral types.

  • As we have for many years, we consistently manage our portfolio to keep construction and land development loans and commercial real estate loans well below regulatory guidance. These measures are significantly below the peer group at 33% and 221% of consolidated risk-based capital, respectively. We've managed our loan portfolio with diverse distribution across categories and retaining granularity to manage risk.

  • Moving on to credit topics on slide 11, the allowance for credit losses totaled $142.2 million or 1.34% of total loans, with no change in allowance coverage compared to the prior quarter. Our allowance estimation process includes consideration of recent volatility in the markets and macroeconomic environment. We continue to closely monitor the potential impact of economic and fiscal policy decisions on our borrowers.

  • The allowance for credit losses, combined with the $108.5 million remaining unrecognized discount on acquired loans, totals $250.6 million or 2.36% of total loans that's available to cover potential losses, providing substantial loss absorption capacity.

  • Moving to slide 12, looking at quarterly trends and credit metrics, credit quality remains strong. We recorded net charge-offs of $2.5 million during the quarter or 9 basis points annualized. Non-performing loans declined by $6.8 million during the quarter and represent only 0.61% of total loans. Accruing past due loans moved lower to 0.13% of total loans. The level of criticized and classified loans declined slightly to 2.39% of total loans.

  • Moving to slide 13, on the investment securities portfolio, we leveraged wholesale funding to purchase securities in the first half of the year in advance of the Heartland acquisition, adding primarily agency securities to the portfolio with an average book yield near 5%. Interest rate swaps that had been beneficial to prior quarters matured in April with the impact to the overall portfolio yield, offset by the new purchases. Net unrealized losses in the AFS portfolio improved by $16 million during the quarter, driven by changes in long-term rates.

  • Turning to slide 14, on the deposit portfolio, total deposits dipped $77 million, reflecting, as expected, typical seasonal slowness and a strategic focus on exiting very high-rate deposit relationships. We took proactive steps to manage down the cost of deposits, which declined 13 basis points to 1.8%. This funding will be replaced with lower cost core franchise deposits from Heartland, improving our margin outlook.

  • We continue to onboard new relationships and build market share with a focus on core deposits. We expect low single-digit organic deposit growth for the full-year 2025.

  • On slide 15, Seacoast continues to benefit from a diverse deposit base. Customer transaction accounts represent 47% of total deposits, which continues to highlight our longstanding relationship-focused approach. Our customers are highly engaged and have a long history with us. Low average balances reflect the granular relationship nature of our franchise.

  • Finally, on slide 16, our capital position continues to be very strong. We're committed to maintaining our fortress balance sheet. Tangible book value per share has grown to $17.19. The ratio of tangible common equity to tangible assets is exceptionally strong at 9.8%.

  • We saw meaningful improvements in return on equity measures and our risk-based and Tier 1 capital ratios remain among the highest in the industry.

  • As a reminder, we'll be putting some of this capital to work in the Heartland and Villages transactions, which will materially improve our return on capital.

  • In summary, results this quarter reflect the strength of our core franchise and disciplined execution across the organization. We remain confident in our ability to deliver strong sustainable performance.

  • Our balance sheet is well positioned. Our capital position is strong. We'll continue to execute on our organic growth and profitability goals, as we integrate recent acquisitions and grow the franchise.

  • I'll now turn the call back to you, Chuck.

  • Charles Shaffer - Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer

  • All right. Thank you, Tracey. Operator, we'll take some questions.

  • Operator

  • (Operator Instructions)

  • David Feaster, Raymond James.

  • David Feaster - Analyst

  • I want to start on the growth side. Really encouraged by the growth trends that you've been seeing over the past few quarters and the continued strength of the pipeline. I just wanted to get a sense, first off, on the competitive landscape from your standpoint in Florida and then, some of the drivers behind this growth.

  • Is the growth, like, increased demand and activity from your clients as maybe things have settled down or less maybe the worst-case scenario with trade wars is off the table? Or is this the hires that you've made really just gaining share and that's the biggest driver?

  • Just curious on some of those dynamics.

  • Charles Shaffer - Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer

  • Thanks, David. I'll start with the drivers of growth and then, come back around to the competitive landscape.

  • Obviously, we've had a very focused approach to take advantage of the ability to recruit bankers across all of our markets. We've had significant success with that over the last two or three years and have built, as I've described in the past, what I think is an exceptionally strong commercial and treasury management team across our organization. That is driving growth as we continue to onboard clients from that recruiting effort. That's one driver.

  • The second driver is economic conditions remain really strong across the footprint. Demand for credit remains strong. The impact of tariffs, at this point, has been fairly limited. Really, we've not seen any confidence weaken or anything along those lines. The market remains. It still is focused as it has been.

  • The pipeline going into the third quarter continues to be strong. And so I feel confident in our ability to deliver that mid- to high single-digit growth rate, at least over the next few quarters and into 2026.

  • Team is doing exceptionally well. And so I feel very confident, David, on our path forward there. It is largely driven by talent. It's also driven by demand in the marketplace.

  • On the other side of the big beautiful bill, it seems like we've gotten past any lack of confidence in the forward direction. And I think that's all supportive of growth as we move forward in the coming quarters and into the coming year.

  • The competitive landscape, I would say, continues to, probably, increasingly get more competitive. We saw, particularly in commercial real estate, a lot of the large banks pull out of the space in '23 and '24, in particular; and now, have come back in in a material way.

  • It's as competitive as it's ever been across the board, across all of our markets. So it's full-on competitive at this point. But we continue to do well there. We pick our spots carefully. I'm pleased with the growth this quarter and pleased with the outlook for growth.

  • David Feaster - Analyst

  • That's great. That's helpful. Maybe just switching gears to the other side of the balance sheet, right? You've done a great job actively managing funding costs, continue to push deposit costs lower.

  • Obviously, we've got the Heartland and the Villages deal coming online. But, at a high level, how do you think about funding costs? Is there much deposit cost leverage left? Where do you see the most opportunity to drive the core deposit growth that you were talking about?

  • Charles Shaffer - Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer

  • I'll let Michael take the deposit cost side and I'll maybe come back with a few comments around driving growth. Michael, do you want to talk a little bit about the outlook for deposit costs?

  • Michael Young - Executive Vice President, Treasurer and Director of Investor Relations

  • Sure, David. We had a great quarter. Great work by the team -- just proactive management. We've been speaking to the fact that we were very customer-friendly through the liquidity-constrained environment in '23 and '24; we've been bringing deposit costs down as the Fed cut rates; and then, just some proactive and tactical moves this quarter that really moved the needle for us and improved the ROA that we've been focused on.

  • So we've done a lot of that work. I think we want to be judicious here. We don't want to constrain growth. So we're going to balance between growth in volume and rate management from here.

  • But I think, really, the opportunity, at this, point, is growing those core operating accounts and blending down our cost of funds through DDA growth over time. With all the bankers we've added, that's been really beneficial to them bringing over relationships and full relationships that should be additive to that.

  • On the volume side, just as a reminder, we're at the seasonal low point for us, with public funds at seasonal low points. And then, we had the tax-related outflows at the end of the first quarter headed into the second quarter. So we should also see the seasonal trends turn to tailwinds from headwinds in the second half.

  • Charles Shaffer - Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer

  • Yeah. The only thing I'd add to that, Michael -- I think you answered that really well -- is we don't have any deposit verticals or any wholesale deposits in the franchise. We win deposits and loans, customer by customer.

  • The entire balance sheet is relationship-based. And so as we move forward, as we onboard customers and prospects, particularly those coming off the balance sheets of the larger banks, we'll continue to add to our core deposit franchise.

  • We're not focused on driving high rate deposits and more transactional-based deposits. It is about net new checking core accounts and driving business growth over time.

  • David Feaster - Analyst

  • Okay. That's good. And then, just curious -- maybe some balance sheet optimization thoughts. You guys have been very active. We've got these two deals. It gives you a ton of financial flexibility and optionality. You've already done some pre-purchasing for the Heartland deal. You touched on some of the moves with swaps.

  • I'm just curious, with these two deals and anticipation of Fed cuts and just where we are today, how do you think about -- has your plans to manage and optimize the balance sheet changed? Just some of your priorities here.

  • Michael Young - Executive Vice President, Treasurer and Director of Investor Relations

  • Sure, David. This is Michael.

  • I think the long-term plan is the same. These acquisitions are super valuable deposit franchises. We're super glad to have them as part of the overall Seacoast franchise. It looks a lot like who we are and who we've always been. And so it will just continue to add ballast to the balance sheet and keep us very steady through various rate cycles that may emerge.

  • Obviously, there's a lot of different permutations and outcomes that may transpire in terms of interest rates over the medium term. We're just very focused on managing that interest rate risk appropriately. But I think it really gives us a lot of raw material and opportunity to optimize earnings and profitability for the franchise as we move forward.

  • Particularly, as time progresses, we've talked a lot about just the fixed rate repricing trends on our balance sheet and even, the acquired balance sheet. So we're stepping into margin expansion assets, repricing higher; and then, this really core sticky deposit franchise that I think we've re-evidenced through the second quarter. That will be positive for us.

  • So we'll get an initial lift as we reposition the securities portfolios here in the back half of '25. And then, the upside comes from that low [70%s] loan-to-deposit ratio remixing up towards 80% and eventually 85% loan-to-deposit ratio, as we deploy that with banker hires and loan growth over the coming years.

  • Charles Shaffer - Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer

  • Yeah. I would point investors and shareholders back to the deck we put out on the Villages transaction that contemplated both bank deals in the forward direction of Seacoast. What you can see in that deck is [130-plus] ROA emerges fairly very strong return on tangible common equity. That's the result of that repositioning. So we believe we're right on track with what we presented in the Villages deck there.

  • We also put some earnings guidance in there as well. So if you're looking for where we think we're headed, just go back to that deck, that's the outlook.

  • All right. Operator, I think we're ready for another question.

  • Operator

  • Woody Lay, KBW.

  • Wood Lay - Analyst

  • I wanted to follow up on deposit costs. I think, so far, through the easing cycle, your interest-bearing deposit beta is around 80%. Obviously, there's been some one-time corrections in there stemming from 2023. But how do you think about the deposit beta, going forward, with incremental rate cuts?

  • Michael Young - Executive Vice President, Treasurer and Director of Investor Relations

  • Yeah. Hey, Woody. This is Michael. I'll take that one.

  • I think what we had articulated is that we were aggressive late in the cycle on betas on the way up to protect liquidity. We expect it to be aggressive on the way down -- and re-establishing -- because we do think we have a very strong deposit franchise: those lower deposit costs that Seacoast is known for.

  • I think we've evidenced that here through this quarter. So I think you've seen the more aggressive move down in betas. And then, from here, we'll return to more normalized betas as we have incremental Fed cuts potentially through next year.

  • We had a 45% cumulative beta this cycle versus prior cycles, closer in the low 30%s. I would expect we return to that low 30%s top-of-the-house beta, again, not on interest-bearing, just total deposits as we see incremental Fed cuts move in from here.

  • Wood Lay - Analyst

  • Got it. And then, I can't remember off the top of my head what -- or if you even specified what the beta assumptions were at the start of the year for the 3.35% core NIM for Seacoast but it feels like you would have outperformed expectations a little bit.

  • Have there been any offsets on the asset side -- that maintaining that core NIM guidance at 3.35% or could there be potential upside?

  • Michael Young - Executive Vice President, Treasurer and Director of Investor Relations

  • Yeah. It's a good question, Woody. I think we certainly moved more on the deposit side than where we may be expected to be at this point. But also, the Fed cuts are occurring later in the year. Maybe, we'll only have one instead of two.

  • And so if you think about it that way, we're ahead of the game. But where we'll land at the end of the year is maybe just slightly different because the delay in the Fed cuts doesn't change the cumulative outcome.

  • And then, the one other thing I would just call out is on the asset yield side, we've had those benefits from the pay fixed swaps in 2024 handed off to some higher pre-payment and interest recovery benefits as we work through some credit resolution in the first half of this year.

  • And then, we'll expect that continued back book fixed rate repricing to really take the lead in the second half of the year combined with, I think, balance sheet growth. And so I think we're just leaning a little more towards growth versus margin optimization in the back half, which should land us in a similar spot.

  • And then, we basically spoke to the deals we'll add roughly once we close the deal, just about 10 basis points to the margin at that point in time. And so just a little bit cagey on when that will close, if that will be early in the fourth quarter or late in the fourth quarter will dictate how much margin expansion we get there.

  • Wood Lay - Analyst

  • Got it. Super helpful. And then, just last for me. I know over the past year, investing in the -- you've been toggling between investing in the franchise while recognizing the profitability improvement story. We got a pretty notable inflection in the second quarter. I know there's a couple of one-time items that might have benefited. But profitability is still at a really nice level.

  • Just given that and given some of the disruption we've seen in your backyard, how do you think about reinvesting into the franchise?

  • Charles Shaffer - Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer

  • Yes. That's a great question, Woody. We'll see what opportunities present their self. Obviously, last time there was significant disruption. We materially capitalized on that disruption. You're seeing the benefits of that now pull through our financials.

  • As we move forward, we'll opportunistically look at opportunity. We'll weigh that against delivering what we've committed to shareholders in terms of returns.

  • I'd say my primary focus is delivering what we have in our Villages deck and getting our profitability up to where I think it needs to be. But if unique opportunities present themselves, we'll obviously look at them.

  • Operator

  • David Bishop, Hovde Group.

  • David Bishop - Analyst

  • We keep hearing about -- and I think maybe you alluded to in the preamble or one of the questions about large banks coming back into the commercial real estate market and such. Just curious what you're seeing out there in terms of loan pricing and spreads, how they've trended over the past 90 days or so.

  • Charles Shaffer - Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer

  • It's been tough. I don't know. James Stallings, you want to talk about what you're seeing? He's our Chief Credit Officer. He's looking at deals every day, commercial real estate pricing.

  • James Stallings - Executive Vice President, Chief Credit Officer

  • Yeah. Thanks, Chuck. Thanks, David. It's a good question.

  • We are seeing -- I think for the top-tier sponsors and for really quality assets, we're continuing to see increased competition, where we probably didn't see as many banks bidding as aggressively 18, 24 months ago.

  • That has changed in the last 90 days. I would say we're starting to see some spread compression below a two handle. We're seeing 180 basis points, 190 basis points spreads on some really quality transactions.

  • And then, there's some pressure on structure. We're seeing sponsors really push for longer IO periods, even with stabilized properties to try to drive their cash-on-cash returns for their investors.

  • So there's some competition. But the good news is that the credit quality is holding up. And so it's still supportive of the structures that we're having to do to win business.

  • Charles Shaffer - Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer

  • Yeah. So we're carefully walking the line there of getting the right risk-based returns. But I don't think -- I think our growth outlook remains very stable. But we'll pick our spots carefully.

  • We're always thoughtful and disciplined as how we approach credit. And we'll continue to be.

  • As pricing compresses, we'll pick our spots there, too. Obviously, we'll support our high-quality Tier 1 sponsors as we have in the past. But we'll be thoughtful as we move through time.

  • It's definitely more competitive than it was a year ago.

  • David Bishop - Analyst

  • Got it. That's a good segue, Chuck, maybe to the next question here -- or sticking with credit. Unusually low loss content this quarter. I think charge-offs were sub-10 basis points. Just curious as you look across the horizon, just maybe any thoughts where you think you see net charge-offs stabilizing here in the near term?

  • Charles Shaffer - Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer

  • Yeah. Credit quality remains very stable. Our outlook is for it to remain stable.

  • We're not seeing any deterioration across the portfolio. If anything, we're seeing it clean up as we've moved through past some of the M&A from '22 and '23.

  • So what I can tell you is I feel pretty good about our outlook on asset quality. I think it does remain very stable, moving forward.

  • Michael Young - Executive Vice President, Treasurer and Director of Investor Relations

  • David, this is Michael. Just as a reminder: in 2024, we had the consumer fintech portfolio that we've called out before that we largely liquidated in the fourth quarter that had added about 8 basis points to net charge-offs. So that's removed and gone. And so you're seeing the benefits of that pull through.

  • But longer term, we expect mid-cycle to be 20 basis points to 25 basis points. It's just a mid-cycle level for us.

  • David Bishop - Analyst

  • Got it. And then, one housekeeping question, Mike. I know into the Heartland deal, you had the securities in front of that. Should we expect that to unwind here in the third quarter and have some run-off on both the securities and borrowing side?

  • Michael Young - Executive Vice President, Treasurer and Director of Investor Relations

  • Yeah. Not on securities side because those wouldn't have been a part of our financials. The securities balances will remain fairly consistent. But we will delever a little bit or plan to on the wholesale funding side so we'll have a little higher brokered and FHLB borrowings in the second quarter.

  • You'll see those likely come down depending on the path forward for us into the Villages. But that's really the plan as we stand here today.

  • Operator

  • Russell Gunther, Stephens Inc.

  • Russell Gunther - Equity Analyst

  • I wanted -- maybe just following up on the loan growth discussion a little bit to make sure I understand. I think, more recently, you committed to being able to keep with this mid- to high single-digit pace as you look ahead to '26, even on the bigger balance sheet with these deals. I want to make sure that's the case.

  • And then, maybe just address the transaction specifically that transpired last night, what type of opportunity you think that might represent and how Seacoast would plan to try to capitalize on dislocation?

  • Charles Shaffer - Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer

  • Yeah, sure. Thanks, Russell.

  • Just to reiterate, we still feel very confident in our mid- to high single-digit growth rate on the loan side going into back half of this year and into '26. So I think that guidance remains sound. And I'm confident in our ability to deliver that.

  • And then, the transaction last night, obviously, like I mentioned earlier, any disruption is always beneficial. We'll see how that all plays out and see where opportunities may come to us.

  • We operate with a very sound, strong capital position in a differentiated way. We are going to have a lot of liquidity to put to work over the coming years and have a really strong culture inside the organization of supporting frontline bankers.

  • And as you see from a lot of the awards we've won around Best Places to Work, et cetera, we've got a very strong, capable, sustainable business here. I think it will be attractive to banking talent over time.

  • And as that opportunities come up, we'll look at them. Any time there's upstream disruption that's beneficial and even beyond the transaction announced last night, I suspect there will be more over time. And so we'll look to take advantage of that across all our markets.

  • Russell Gunther - Equity Analyst

  • Yeah. I appreciate that, Chuck. A good point, certainly on excess liquidity, capital, and culture.

  • And then, I had a follow-up on the margin expectation, just to make sure I heard you right. So core 3.35% NIM for the back half of the year. And then, as you fold in the two deals, is the guide for a reported margin of 3.45% in the back half of the year?

  • Charles Shaffer - Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer

  • Core margin would be 3.45%. We're guiding to core accretion income -- can come in high or low, quarter to quarter. So we're just guiding off the core.

  • 3.35% in the fourth quarter, with the guide with acquisitions adding about 10 basis points to the margin from the lower cost of funding that those will bring in.

  • Russell Gunther - Equity Analyst

  • So the step-up was for the quarter?

  • Charles Shaffer - Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer

  • Yeah. Just to make it really clear: 3.45%, inclusive of the transactions, plus accretion gets you to the margin.

  • Operator

  • There are no further questions.

  • I would now like to turn the call back over to Mr. Shaffer for closing remarks.

  • Charles Shaffer - Chairman of the Board, President, Chief Executive Officer

  • All right. Thank you, Angela.

  • I just want to say thank you to the Seacoast team. We've got a very focused effort here to grow in that high single-digit range over time and deliver upper-quartile returns. The team is heads-down focused on that this quarter. I think this quarter evidences the outcome of that. And I feel really good about where we're headed here into the coming years. So I appreciate everybody on the Seacoast team for all their hard work.

  • Welcome to the Heartland team joining the franchise here in the last few weeks. Looking forward to the conversion.

  • We're looking forward to the Villages transaction in the fourth quarter. We've had a lot of great interaction with that team. It's been a really solid cultural combination. And we're super excited about what that looks like later this year.

  • So, thank you to everybody on our team. You guys did an awesome job.

  • We'll be around if anybody has questions on the quarter.

  • That will conclude our call.

  • Operator

  • Ladies and gentlemen, that concludes today's conference call.

  • Thank you all for joining.

  • You may now disconnect.