Pathward Financial, Inc. Announces Results for 2026 Fiscal Second Quarter

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.