Company Website: https://www.pathward.com/
SIOUX FALLS, S.D. -- (Business Wire)

Pathward Financial, Inc.^{(“Pathward Financial” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: CASH), a U.S.-based financial holding company driven by its purpose to power financial inclusion for all, today reported its results for the 2026 fiscal second quarter. The Company reported net income of $72.9 million, or $3.35 per share, for the three months ended March 31, 2026, compared to net income of $75.0 million, or $3.14 per share, for the three months ended March 31, 2025.}

CEO Brett Pharr said, "At the midpoint of our fiscal year, we continue to make good progress on our goals and execute on our long-term strategy — being the trusted platform that enables our partners to thrive. Our tax season is going very well with tax-related products leading the way in revenue growth for the quarter. Additionally, new and existing partnerships announced last year are developing nicely and the Partner Solutions pipeline remains robust. Net interest income from our commercial finance loans also increased significantly as well. All in all, our core businesses remain healthy and we are pleased with the results achieved in the quarter."

Company Highlights

• The Company's subsidiary Pathward^®, N.A. announced it became Certified™ by Great Place To Work^® for the fourth year in a row. This year, 88% of employees surveyed said Pathward is a Great Place To Work^® – 31 points higher than the typical U.S. company. Great Place to Work^® describes itself as the global authority on workplace culture, employee experience, and the leadership behaviors proven to deliver market-leading revenue, employee retention and increased innovation.

Financial Highlights for the 2026 Fiscal Second Quarter

All highlights are compared to the same fiscal quarter in the prior year period.

• Total revenue was $276.3 million, which was driven by a 9% increase in noninterest income. This was primarily driven by growth in card and deposit fees of 22%, refund advance and other tax fee income of 18%, and refund transfer product fees of 7%. Noninterest income represented 55% of total revenue.
• New loan originations, excluding tax services, increased from $902 million to $1.31 billion, primarily driven by the new contract announced during fiscal 2025 within consumer finance.
• Annualized return on average assets was 3.56% and return on average tangible equity was 54.41%.
• The Company repurchased 855,201 shares of common stock at an average share price of $84.15. As of March 31, 2026, there were 3,430,811 shares available for repurchase under the current common stock share repurchase program.

Tax Season

All reported numbers are for the six months ended March 31, 2026 and are compared to the same fiscal period in the prior year.

Total tax services product revenue was $95.7 million, an increase of 13% compared to the prior year. This was driven by an increase in the number of refund advances, as well as higher origination volumes and an increase in refund transfers. Total tax services product fee income increased by $10.6 million and net interest income on tax services loans increased $0.2 million. Total tax services product expense increased $0.8 million when compared to the prior year.

Provision for credit losses for the tax services portfolio decreased $4.4 million when compared to the prior year as a result of the continued work on enhancing underwriting models and data analytics capabilities.

Total tax services product income, net of losses and direct product expenses, increased 30% to $62.0 million from $47.6 million. This increase is the result of significant work to grow this business, increase market share and evolve the underwriting model.

For the 2026 tax season through March 31, 2026, the Company originated $1.87 billion in refund advance loans compared to $1.66 billion during the 2025 tax season.

Net Interest Income

Net interest income for the second quarter of fiscal 2026 was $125.1 million, a decrease of 8% compared to the same quarter in fiscal 2025, which was primarily driven by decreases in interest income of $12.8 million on the consumer finance portfolio and $4.2 million of cash and fed funds sold. Interest income on the consumer finance portfolio was impacted by the sale of a portfolio in October 2025 that was previously accounted for using a gross accounting methodology, and therefore, recorded at higher yields with offsetting entries not included in net interest income. Partially offsetting that decrease, interest income from commercial finance loans and leases increased $8.4 million over that same period.

The Company’s average interest-earning assets for the second quarter of fiscal 2026 decreased by $107.4 million to $7.65 billion compared to the same quarter in fiscal 2025 due to decreases in the average outstanding balances in cash and fed funds sold and total investments securities. The decrease was partially offset by an increase in the average outstanding balance of total loans and leases. These results are expected as the Company continues to shift the balance sheet toward higher returning assets. The second quarter average outstanding balance of loans and leases increased $437.9 million compared to the same quarter of the prior fiscal year due to increases in the commercial finance and tax services portfolios, partially offset by decreases in the consumer finance and warehouse finance portfolios.

Fiscal 2026 second quarter net interest margin ("NIM") decreased to 6.63% from 7.12% in the second fiscal quarter of 2025 primarily due to the aforementioned sale of the consumer finance portfolio in October 2025. When including contractual, rate-related processing expense associated with deposits on the Company's balance sheet and excluding the gross interest income on consumer finance loans, NIM would have been 5.32% in the fiscal 2026 second quarter compared to 5.09% during the fiscal 2025 second quarter. See non-GAAP reconciliation table at the end of the press release. The overall reported tax-equivalent yield (“TEY”) on average interest-earning assets decreased 48 basis point to 6.95% compared to the prior year quarter. The yield on the loan and lease portfolio was 8.43% compared to 9.54% for the comparable period last year and the TEY on the securities portfolio was 3.06% compared to 3.11% over that same period. The decreases in the TEY on average interest-earning assets and the yield on the loan and lease portfolio were also primarily driven by the aforementioned sale of the consumer finance portfolio.

The Company's cost of funds for all deposits and borrowings averaged 0.33% during the fiscal 2026 second quarter, as compared to 0.32% during the prior year quarter. The Company's overall cost of deposits was 0.25% in the fiscal second quarter of 2026, as compared to 0.23% during the prior year quarter. When including contractual, rate-related processing expense associated with deposits on the Company's balance sheet, the Company's overall cost of deposits was 1.63% in the fiscal 2026 second quarter, a decrease from 1.75% during the prior year quarter primarily reflecting a lower rate environment. See non-GAAP reconciliation table at the end of the press release.

Noninterest Income

Fiscal 2026 second quarter noninterest income increased 9% to $151.2 million, compared to $138.5 million for the same period of the prior year. The increase was driven by increases in refund advance and other tax fee income, card and deposit fees, and refund transfer product fees, partially offset by decreases in secondary market revenue and rental income. Secondary market revenue in the prior year period was elevated by the gain from a portfolio sale within working capital. That gain was partially offset by a loss on sale of securities and a loss on divestiture that were also recognized in the prior year period.

Servicing fee income on custodial deposits totaled $7.8 million during the 2026 fiscal second quarter, as compared to $3.4 million for the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2025, and $6.5 million for the same period of the prior year. The sequential and year-over-year increases in servicing fee income on custodial deposit balances held at partner banks was due to higher quarterly average deposits balances held at partner banks.

Noninterest Expense

Noninterest expense decreased 3% to $143.5 million in the second quarter of fiscal 2026, compared to $148.2 million for the same quarter last year. The decrease was primarily attributable to reductions in card processing and other expense, partially offset by increases in compensation and benefits and building and software expense. We believe that the Company continues to manage expenses well while simultaneously investing in people, processes and systems to execute on its long-term strategy.

Card processing expense is primarily driven by rate-related agreements with Partner Solutions relationships. The amount of expense paid under those agreements is based on an agreed upon rate index that varies depending on the deposit levels, floor rates, market conditions, and other performance conditions. Generally, this rate index is based on a percentage of the effective federal funds rate ("EFFR") and reprices immediately upon a change in the EFFR. Approximately 66% of the deposit portfolio was subject to these rate-related processing expenses during the fiscal 2026 second quarter. For the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2026, contractual, rate-related processing expense was $25.4 million, as compared to $23.8 million for the fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2025, and $28.4 million for the fiscal quarter ended March 31, 2025.

Income Tax Expense

The Company recorded an income tax expense of $14.2 million, representing an effective tax rate of 16.2% for the fiscal 2026 second quarter, compared to an income tax expense of $16.2 million, representing an effective tax rate of 17.7%, for the second quarter last fiscal year. The current quarter decrease in income tax expense compared to the prior year quarter was primarily driven by research tax credits.

The Company originated $8.0 million in renewable energy leases during the fiscal 2026 second quarter, resulting in $2.0 million in total net investment tax credits. During the second quarter of fiscal 2025, the Company originated $1.9 million in renewable energy leases resulting in $0.5 million in total net investment tax credits. For the six months ended March 31, 2026, the Company originated $27.7 million in renewable energy leases, compared to $11.2 million for the comparable prior year period. Investment tax credits related to renewable energy leases are recognized ratably based on income throughout each fiscal year.

The Company's investment security balances at March 31, 2026 totaled $1.30 billion, as compared to $1.34 billion at December 31, 2025 and $1.44 billion at March 31, 2025. The year-over-year decrease was primarily related to normal paydown activity of investment security balances and the sale of investment securities AFS during the fourth quarter of fiscal 2025.

Total gross loans and leases totaled $4.87 billion at March 31, 2026, as compared to $4.98 billion at December 31, 2025 and $4.46 billion at March 31, 2025. The drivers for the sequential quarter decrease were decreases in the consumer finance, warehouse finance, and the commercial finance portfolios. The year-over-year increase was due to growth in the commercial finance and seasonal tax services portfolios, partially offset by a decrease in the consumer finance portfolio due to the aforementioned loan sale within that portfolio in October 2025, as well as a decrease in the warehouse finance portfolio.

Commercial finance loans, which comprised 84% of the Company's loan and lease portfolio, totaled $4.11 billion at March 31, 2026, reflecting a decrease of $34.6 million, or 1%, from December 31, 2025 and an increase of $587.8 million, or 17%, from March 31, 2025. The sequential quarter decrease in the commercial finance portfolio was primarily driven by a decrease of $66.5 million in other commercial finance, partially offset by a $30.9 million increase in asset-based lending. The year-over-year increase was primarily driven by an increase of $735.4 million in term lending and an increase of $117.7 million in asset-based lending, partially offset by a decrease of $165.1 million in SBA/USDA and a decrease of $81.0 million in other commercial finance. These changes are primarily the result of the Company's efforts to optimize the balance sheet.

Asset Quality

The Company’s allowance for credit losses ("ACL") totaled $98.3 million at March 31, 2026, an increase compared to $58.8 million at December 31, 2025 and a decrease compared to $102.9 million at March 31, 2025. The sequential increase in the ACL was primarily due to an increase of $34.2 million in the allowance related to the seasonal tax services portfolio and an increase of $7.7 million in the allowance related to the commercial finance portfolio, partially offset by a $2.5 million decrease in the allowance related to the consumer finance portfolio.

The $4.6 million year-over-year decrease in the ACL was primarily driven by a decrease in the allowance related to the consumer finance portfolio of $23.1 million, partially offset by a $17.0 million increase in the allowance related to the commercial finance portfolio and a $1.5 million increase in the allowance related to the seasonal tax services portfolio.

The following table presents the Company's ACL as a percentage of its total loans and leases.

The Company's ACL as a percentage of total loans and leases increased to 2.02% at March 31, 2026 from 1.18% at December 31, 2025 and decreased from 2.30% at March 31, 2025. The sequential increase in the total loans and leases coverage ratio was primarily driven by the seasonality in the tax services portfolio, along with an increase in the ACL related to the commercial finance portfolio. The year-over-year decrease in the total loans and leases coverage ratio was primarily driven by the decrease in the ACL related to the decrease in the consumer finance portfolio due to the aforementioned sale of the consumer finance portfolio in October 2025. The year-over-year decrease in the total loans and leases coverage ratio was partially offset by an increase in the ACL related to the commercial finance portfolio.

Activity in the ACL for the periods presented was as follows.

The Company recognized a provision for credit losses of $45.6 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, compared to $35.3 million for the comparable period in the prior fiscal year. The year-over-year increase was primarily due to increases in the commercial finance portfolio of $19.0 million, partially offset by decreases in the consumer finance portfolio of $6.9 million and the tax services portfolio of $1.7 million. The Company recognized net charge-offs of $5.8 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, compared to net charge-offs of $6.4 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. Net charge-offs attributable to the commercial finance portfolio and consumer finance portfolio were $14.5 million and $1.1 million, respectively, while net recoveries of $9.7 million were recognized in the seasonal tax services portfolio. Net charge-offs attributable to the commercial finance portfolio and consumer finance portfolio for the same quarter of the prior year were $6.9 million and $6.3 million, respectively, while net recoveries of $6.8 million were recognized in the tax services portfolio.

The Company's past due loans and leases were as follows for the periods presented.

The Company's nonperforming assets at March 31, 2026 were $119.8 million, representing 1.68% of total assets, compared to $111.5 million, or 1.47% of total assets at December 31, 2025 and $41.6 million, or 0.59% of total assets at March 31, 2025.

The increase in the nonperforming assets as a percentage of total assets at March 31, 2026, compared to December 31, 2025, was driven by an increase in nonperforming loans in the commercial finance portfolio. When comparing the current period to the same period of the prior year, the increase was driven by an increase in nonperforming loans in the commercial finance portfolio, partially offset by a decrease in nonperforming loans in the consumer finance portfolio.

The Company's nonperforming loans and leases at March 31, 2026, were $117.7 million, representing 2.39% of total gross loans and leases, compared to $109.1 million, or 2.15% of total gross loans and leases at December 31, 2025 and $39.8 million, or 0.88% of total gross loans and leases at March 31, 2025.

Deposits, Borrowings and Other Liabilities

The average balance of total deposits and interest-bearing liabilities was $7.14 billion for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, compared to $7.30 billion for the same period in the prior fiscal year. Total average deposits for the fiscal 2026 second quarter decreased by $160.3 million to $7.02 billion compared to the same period in fiscal 2025. The decrease in average deposits was primarily due to a decrease in noninterest-bearing deposits, partially offset by an increase in wholesale deposits and money market deposits.

Total end-of-period deposits increased 1% to $5.85 billion at March 31, 2026, from $5.82 billion at March 31, 2025. The increase in end-of-period deposits was primarily driven by an increase in money market deposits of $33.0 million and interest bearing checking of $32.9 million, partially offset by a decrease in noninterest-bearing deposits of $24.3 million.

As of March 31, 2026, the Company managed $1.07 billion of customer deposits at other banks in its capacity as custodian, compared to $1.05 billion as of December 31, 2025 and $1.12 billion as of March 31, 2025. These deposits provide the Company with the ability to earn servicing fee income, typically reflective of the EFFR.

Regulatory Capital

The Company and its subsidiary Pathward^®, N.A. (the "Bank") remained above the federal regulatory minimum capital requirements at March 31, 2026, and continued to be classified as well-capitalized, and in good standing with the regulatory agencies. Regulatory capital ratios of the Company and the Bank are stated in the table below. The decrease in Tier 1 leverage capital ratio for the period as compared to the sequential quarter is the result of higher quarterly average assets related to the Company's seasonal tax business. The Bank's Tier 1 leverage capital ratio using end-of-period assets of 10.35% better reflects the expected capital position of the Company post-tax season. See non-GAAP reconciliation table below. Regulatory capital is not affected by the unrealized loss on accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”). The securities portfolio is primarily comprised of amortizing securities that should provide consistent cash flow.

The tables below include certain non-GAAP financial measures that are used by investors, analysts and bank regulatory agencies to assess the capital position of financial services companies. Management reviews these measures along with other measures of capital as part of its financial analysis.

The following table provides the non-GAAP financial measures used to compute certain of the ratios included in the table above, as well as a reconciliation of such non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable financial measure in accordance with GAAP:

Conference Call

The Company will host a conference call and earnings webcast with a corresponding presentation at 4:00 p.m. Central Time (5:00 p.m. Eastern Time) on Wednesday, April 22, 2026. The live webcast of the call can be accessed from Pathward’s Investor Relations website at www.pathwardfinancial.com. Telephone participants may access the conference call by dialing 1-833-461-5787 approximately 10 minutes prior to start time and reference meeting ID 222526753.

The quarterly investor presentation prepared for use in connection with the Company's conference call and earnings webcast is available under the Presentations link in the Investor Relations - Events & Presentations section of the Company's website at www.pathwardfinancial.com. A webcast replay will also be archived at www.pathwardfinancial.com for one year.

About Pathward Financial, Inc.

Pathward Financial, Inc. (Nasdaq: CASH) is a U.S.-based financial holding company driven by its purpose to power financial inclusion for all. Through our subsidiary, Pathward^®, N.A., we strive to increase financial availability, choice, and opportunity across our Partner Solutions and Commercial Finance business lines. These strategic business lines provide support to individuals and businesses. Learn more at www.pathwardfinancial.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

The Company and the Bank may from time to time make written or oral “forward-looking statements,” including statements contained in this press release, the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), the Company’s reports to stockholders, and in other communications by the Company and the Bank, which are made in good faith by the Company pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

You can identify forward-looking statements by words such as “may,” “hope,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “could,” “future,” "target," or the negative of those terms, or other words of similar meaning or similar expressions. You should carefully read statements that contain these words because they discuss our future expectations or state other “forward-looking” information. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to us and assumptions about future events, and include statements with respect to the Company’s beliefs, expectations, estimates, and intentions, which are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, and are subject to change based on various factors, some of which are beyond the Company’s control. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause our actual growth, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, performance and business prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements. Such statements address, among others, the following subjects: future operating results, including our performance expectations and fiscal 2026 financial guidance; our fiscal 2026 goals and strategy; progress on key strategic initiatives; future performance and business prospects, including our Partner Solutions pipeline; our value proposition, including opportunities for revenue growth; expected results of our partnerships; impacts of our improved data analytics, underwriting and monitoring processes; impacts of our evolved operating model; expected nonperforming loan resolutions and net charge-off rates; the performance of our securities portfolio; the impact of card balances related to government stimulus programs; customer retention; loan and other product demand; new products and services; credit quality; the level of net charge-offs and the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses; and technology, including impacts of technology investments. The following factors, among others, could cause the Company's financial performance and results of operations to differ materially from the expectations, estimates, and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements: maintaining our executive management team; expected growth opportunities may not be realized or may take longer to realize than expected; our ability to successfully implement measures designed to reduce expenses and increase efficiencies; changes in trade, monetary, and fiscal policies and laws, including actual changes in interest rates and the Fed Funds rate and changes in international trade policies, tariffs, and treaties affecting imports and exports, and their related impacts on macroeconomic conditions, customer behavior, funding costs and loan and securities portfolios; changes in tax laws; trade disputes, barriers to trade or the emergence of trade restrictions; the strength of the United States' economy and the local economies in which the Company operates; adverse developments in the financial services industry generally such as bank failures, responsive measures to mitigate and manage such developments, related supervisory and regulatory actions and costs, and related impacts on customer behavior; inflation, market, and monetary fluctuations; our liquidity and capital positions, including the sufficiency of our liquidity; the timely and efficient development of new products and services offered by the Company or its strategic partners, as well as risks (including reputational and litigation) attendant thereto, and the perceived overall value and acceptance of these products and services by users; the Bank's ability to maintain its Durbin Amendment exemption; the risks of dealing with or utilizing third parties, including, in connection with the Company’s prepaid card and tax refund advance businesses; the risk of reduced volume of refund advance loans as a result of reduced customer demand for or usage of the Bank's strategic partners’ refund advance products; our relationship with, and any actions, which may be initiated by our regulators, and any related increases in compliance and other costs; changes in financial services laws and regulations, including laws and regulations relating to the tax refund industry; technological changes, including, but not limited to, the protection of our electronic systems and information; the impact of acquisitions and divestitures; litigation risk; the growth of the Company’s business, as well as expenses related thereto; continued maintenance by the Bank of its status as a well-capitalized institution; changes in consumer borrowing, spending and saving habits; losses from fraudulent or illegal activity; technological risks and developments and cyber threats, attacks, or events; emerging external focus among regulators and other officials related to risks in connection with the development and use of artificial intelligence; the success of the Company at maintaining its high quality asset level and managing and collecting assets of borrowers in default should problem assets increase; and the potential adverse effects of unusual and infrequently occurring events, including the impact on financial markets from geopolitical conflicts such as the military conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East, government shutdowns, weather-related disasters, or public health events, such as pandemics, and any governmental or societal responses thereto.

The foregoing list of factors is not exclusive. We caution you not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this press release speak only as of the date hereof. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to us or any person acting on our behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this section. Additional discussions of factors affecting the Company’s business and prospects are reflected under the caption “Risk Factors” and in other sections of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, as amended, for the Company’s fiscal year ended September 30, 2025, and in the Company's other filings made with the SEC. The Company expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update, revise or clarify any forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the Company or its subsidiaries, whether as a result of new information, changed circumstances, or future events or for any other reason.

Average Balances, Interest Rates and Yields

The following table presents, for the periods indicated, the total dollar amount of interest income from average interest-earning assets and the resulting yields, as well as the interest expense on average interest-bearing liabilities, expressed both in dollars and in rates. Only the yield/rate reflects tax-equivalent adjustments. Nonaccruing loans and leases have been included in the table as loans carrying a zero yield.