What Management Said
Read the full Q3 2025 transcript ↗Happily, this is one of the best in a long history of beaten-raised quarters. That's largely attributable to our ability to recruit and retain proven revenue producers and consolidate their relationships. We expect balance sheet growth to continue based on the revenue producers that are currently on our payroll, but have not yet completed consolidating their books to us. We've continued hiring at a similar pace in 2025, which should help to continue to further produce balance sheet growth.
More on future balance sheet growth expectations and hiring in a minute. I don't think there could be a better descriptor of Pinnacle over time than accelerated and sustained growth. For us, that hedgehog strategy, that disciplined and consistent effort in the right direction, is our continuous recruitment and retention of market-leading revenue producers. I've developed in previous quarterly investor calls how that hiring translates into the kind of sustainable balance sheet growth you saw on the previous slide.
Hopefully, this illustrates our excitement about the ongoing matchup, our ability to continue rapid balance sheet growth, and ultimately to produce outsized revenue and EPS growth. franchise, the growth of revenue producers and therefore the growth in revenue should be extraordinary. As our fourth quarter pipelines and quarter-to-date results are in great shape, we will continue to lean on our new markets and new revenue producers to provide the punch for our loan growth. Given third quarter results and fourth quarter pipelines, we've adjusted our end-of-period loan outlook range to consider 9%-10% growth this year.
What went well
- The third quarter delivered strong linked-quarter annualized growth of 31.5% for revenue and 54% for adjusted EPS, described as one of the best quarters in the firm's history.
- Non-interest-bearing deposits grew at a 14.5% linked-quarter annualized rate and core deposits at 10.6%, a meaningful tailwind to spread income heading into the fourth quarter and 2026.
- End-of-period loans increased 8.9% linked-quarter annualized, a strong effort with fourth quarter pipelines in great shape.
- The net interest margin finished up three basis points at 3.26%, ahead of the anticipated modest increase.
- BHG had an exceptional third quarter, providing over $40 million of fee revenue with strong production and improved credit, prompting the firm to raise BHG's 2025 earnings growth estimate to approximately 85%-90% over 2024.
- Net charge-offs decreased to 18 basis points from 20 basis points in the second quarter.
- The firm raised its 2025 non-interest income growth guidance from 12%-15% to 20%-22% and its net interest income growth outlook to approximately 13%-14% over 2024.
- Hiring momentum held post-announcement, with the firm adding almost exactly the average number of revenue producers as the first two pre-announcement quarters and a job-offer kill rate of 91.6% versus 91.5% pre-announcement.
- Associate retention remained solid at 93%, consistent with the prior 12 months and the pre-announcement quarters.
- FDIC data underscored major market-share vulnerability among targeted competitors alongside Pinnacle's effective share gains across Southeastern markets.
What went wrong
- End-of-period loan growth of 8.9% linked-quarter annualized was a little less than the firm anticipated.
- End-of-period deposit growth came in at 6.4% linked-quarter annualized.
- The firm increased its estimated 2025 provision-to-average-loans outlook to 26-27 basis points, partially attributable to an increase in the reserve for unfunded commitments tied to higher outstanding unfunded lines.
- BHG's fourth quarter results are anticipated to be lower than the third quarter at approximately $30 million, reflecting caution around potential year-end personnel and other costs at the private company.
- There was a pickup in classified and potential problem loans, primarily attributed to one healthcare client that recently installed a turnaround-specialist CEO.
- The CRE book saw approximately $560 million in early payoffs, offsetting nearly 18% C&I growth within total loan growth of 8.9%.
Guidance Changes
| Metric | Period | Current guidance |
|---|---|---|
| End-of-period loan growth | FY2025 | 9%-10% |
| Total end-of-period deposit growth | FY2025 | 8%-10% (low end raised) |
| Net interest income growth | FY2025 | 13%-14% over 2024 |
| Net charge-offs | FY2025 | approximately 18-20 basis points |
| Provision to average loans | FY2025 | 26-27 basis points |
| Non-interest income growth | FY2025 | 20%-22% |
| BHG earnings growth | FY2025 | approximately 85%-90% over 2024 |
| BHG fee contribution | Q4 2025 | approximately $30 million |
| Total expenses | FY2025 | $1.15 billion-$1.155 billion |
| Associate incentive payout | FY2025 | 125% of target (as of September 30) |
| Effective tax rate | FY2025 | low 18% range |
| Pre-provision net revenue growth | FY2025 | 7%-8% year over year |
| Fed funds rate assumption | FY2025 | rate cuts in October and December |
Performance Breakdown
| Metric | YoY | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Revenue | +31.5% linked-quarter annualized | Sustained balance sheet growth from recruiting and consolidation of relationships |
| Adjusted EPS | +54% linked-quarter annualized | Operating leverage on strong revenue growth and BHG contribution |
| Non-interest-bearing deposits | +14.5% linked-quarter annualized | Emphasis on operating accounts and small business, work by revenue producers, treasury professionals, and specialty deposit units |
| Core deposits | +10.6% linked-quarter annualized | New markets and new relationship managers |
| Loans | +8.9% linked-quarter annualized | New markets and new revenue producers; nearly 18% C&I growth offset by ~$560 million CRE early payoffs |
| BHG fee revenue | over $40 million in the quarter | Strong production run through credit aggregators, holdover inventory, high demand, and off-balance-sheet loan sale spreads in excess of 10% |
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
| Topic | Previous mention | Current period | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pending Synovus merger | Deal announced | Rapidly progressing toward an anticipated first quarter close, with special shareholder meeting November 6 and org chart completed by November 10; key leadership and system decisions largely made | — |
| Post-announcement momentum | Concerns about loss of momentum post-announcement | No loss of financial or hiring momentum in Q3; kill rate on job offers unchanged at 91.6% | — |
| Market-share takeaway strategy | Long-targeted share leaders in Southeastern markets | FDIC and Greenwich data show major competitor vulnerability and a combined near-80 Net Promoter Score positioning post-merger | — |
| BHG optionality | Interest in a liquidity event expressed in prior periods | Optionality as high as it has been in years given rapid growth increasing attractiveness to acquirers | — |
| CRE re-entry | Lowered concentration limits, hit targets | Weighted back into the market; CRE expected to become a meaningful loan-volume increment going forward | — |
| NDFI portfolio | — | Granular book averaging about $4 million per account; management comfortable and more diligent on non-lead positions | — |
Q&A Summary
On the 2020-2024 hire cohort yielding approximately $19 billion in loan growth, and if rules changed would there be appetite for M&A?
Terry Turner confirmed the cohort math (roughly $65 million book on each side of the balance sheet per RM) and reaffirmed the organic model, noting only six acquisitions in company history (~$12 billion of $55 billion) and reluctance to take on integration risk simply to grow faster.
What is customer sentiment and appetite for growth among existing clients and RMs?
Harold Carpenter said a survey of over 1,100 clients (about $13 billion in commitments) showed a cautious posture, with clients not worried but keeping the clutch in until tariff and macro clarity improves; growth is coming from new hires rather than utilization.
What is driving the improved second-half BHG outlook, and what caused the equity method investment to decline?
Harold Carpenter attributed the outlook to both stronger production and better credit, calling credit the bigger surprise; the equity investment declined due to a sizable dividend received from BHG.
Will the existing Pinnacle hiring strategy remain successful after the deal doubles the asset base?
Terry Turner said he could not see what would interrupt the referral-based cycle, citing the prior BNC acquisition where skepticism proved unfounded as hiring continued and the balance sheet compounded at a double-digit rate.
What drove the increase in classified and potential problem loans?
Terry Turner said it was primarily one healthcare credit the firm had been watching, which recently installed a seasoned turnaround-specialist CEO, and expressed comfort with the situation; the NDFI book remains granular and well-managed.
What are the tailwinds supporting a more bullish fourth quarter margin?
Terry Turner cited deposit beta room as the Fed lowers rates, growth in non-interest-bearing accounts, and repricing of fixed-rate credits (currently a negative beta), emphasizing the work relationship managers do to maintain and expand margins.
More on Pinnacle Financial Partners, Inc.
Reported 2025-10-16 · figures from the Pinnacle Financial Partners, Inc. Q3 2025 earnings call.
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