Contradictions Unveiled: Examining Loan Growth, Deposit Strategies, and Tariff Impacts in Recent Earnings Calls

ROA Improvement and Earnings Enhancement:
- Origin Bancorp achieved approximately $34 million in annual earnings improvement on a pretax pre-provision basis.
- This was driven by efficiencies within the branch network, improved commercial banking profitability, and restructuring of the mortgage business.

Net Interest Margin and Margin Expansion:
- Origin's net interest margin expanded by 17 basis points during Q2 to 3.61%.
- The expansion was aided by disciplined loan pricing and deposit costs trending in line with historical beta trends.

Loan Growth and Tariff Impact:
- On an annualized basis, C&I loans grew by nearly 13%, although this was offset by large paydowns in the final weeks of the quarter.
- The slowdown in loan growth was partially due to economic uncertainty around tariffs and interest rate levels.

Argent Financial Ownership and Income:
- Origin increased its ownership of Argent Financial to 20%, triggering the equity method of accounting.
- This is expected to contribute an additional $6 million in income annually from 2026 onwards.

Capital Management and Share Repurchase:
- Origin's tangible book value grew sequentially to $33.33, and the TCE ratio ended the quarter at 10.9%.
- The company repurchased 136,399 shares and announced a new $50 million share repurchase plan.