Live Oak Bancshares Q4 2024: Discrepancies in SBA Loan Performance, Net Interest Margin, and Deposit Betas

Loan and Deposit Growth:
- Live Oak Bankshares reported a 4% linked quarter loan growth and 17% growth year-over-year, supported by strong loan production and consistent loan pipelines.
- The growth in loan and deposit balances is driven by the company's ability to replenish pipelines and its focus on extending leadership in SBA lending.

Provision and Credit Trends:
- The company experienced an elevated provision in the fourth quarter due to increased defaults, which led to a provision increase in the fourth quarter to $34 million.
- This trend was a result of rising industry default rates, particularly in the latter part of the fourth quarter, and a proactive approach to address impairments and reserving for potential losses.

Net Interest Income and Margin:
- Despite an 18 basis point compression in NIM, net interest income remained flat to Q3 2024 and was 9% above the prior year.
- This stability in net interest income was attributed to the company's strong loan production and growth outlook, despite temporary timing issues related to deposit repricing.

Checking Account and Relationship Expansion:
- The percentage of customers with both a loan and deposit account reached 14%, more than triple that of the end of 2023.
- This growth in checking account balances and full relationships with customers was driven by the company's focused efforts on capturing new avenues of revenue growth and expanding into commercial banking efforts.