How did OBK's Q4 earnings surprise impact investor sentiment?

**Origin Bancorp's (OBK) Q4 earnings surprise had a negative impact on investor sentiment**, as evidenced by several key indicators:

1. **Earnings Miss and Negative Surprise**: OBK's Q4 earnings fell short of expectations, with the company reporting $0.60 per share, missing the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.66 per share. This represented a significant negative surprise, given that the company had surpassed consensus EPS estimates two times over the previous four quarters.
2. **Revenue Fall and Miss**: In addition to the earnings miss, OBK's revenues came in at $90.79 million for the quarter, which was below the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $93.4 million. This decline of 1.6% year-over-year further contributed to the negative sentiment surrounding the earnings report.
3. **Share Price Reaction**: Following the release of the earnings report, OBK's shares experienced a decline, with a 4.2% drop to $31.21 in the past week. This decline suggests that investors were disappointed with the earnings outcome and potentially concerned about the company's future performance.
4. **Analyst Sentiment**: The sentiment among analysts appeared to be mixed but leaning towards caution. While there was no major change in revenue estimates for next year, there was a slight dip in earnings per share forecasts. The consensus price target remained stable at $37.20, which might indicate a belief that the lower earnings projections would not significantly affect the stock's valuation in the near term.
5. **Challenges and Uncertainties**: The earnings report highlighted challenges facing OBK, including higher-than-anticipated deposit costs impacting net interest margin and an increase in net charge-offs. These factors likely contributed to the negative sentiment, as investors may have concerns about the company's profitability and asset quality.

In conclusion, OBK's Q4 earnings surprise, characterized by an earnings miss and a decline in revenues, has likely led to a negative perception among investors. The company's challenges with net interest margin and asset quality may have further exacerbated this sentiment, leading to a decline in share prices and a cautious outlook from analysts.