What can investors expect from OSBC's 2025 earnings?

**Old Second Bancorp (OSBC) is poised for a strong 2025 earnings report**, despite some challenges highlighted in their 2024 Q4 performance. Here's a detailed analysis:

1. **Earnings Projection**: Analysts anticipate that OSBC will report earnings per share (EPS) of approximately $0.49 for Q1 2025, which represents a 16.7% increase year-over-year. This suggests a robust profitability period for the bank.

2. **Revenue Expectations**: Concurrently, revenues are projected to reach $69.85 million, marking a slight decline of 0.2% from the same quarter in the previous year. This minor contraction does not overshadow the positive earnings outlook.
3. **Stock Performance and Strategic Moves**: Following the earnings call, OSBC's stock experienced a dip due to missing EPS forecasts in Q4 2024. However, the bank's strong overall performance and favorable market conditions suggest that investors may rebound as the positive earnings outlook is realized.
4. **Analyst Sentiments**: Despite the challenges, including credit issues and loan contractions, analysts like Raymond James and Baird maintain a positive outlook on OSBC. This sentiment is bolstered by the favorable merger and acquisition environment and the bank's return capital strategy, including potential buybacks.
5. **Market Positioning**: OSBC's positioning in a favorable M&A environment and its commitment to returning capital to shareholders through buybacks could enhance shareholder value as the 2025 earnings are realized.

In conclusion, investors can expect OSBC to deliver solid earnings in 2025, with EPS growth outpacing revenue growth slightly. While there are challenges, the overall outlook remains positive, supported by analyst optimism and the bank's strategic responses to market conditions.