Five-bank peer benchmark, FY-2023–FY-2025
Where do these five mid-size US banks stand on growth, profitability, capital, and credit quality — and how have those positions shifted over the past three years?
Competitive landscape brief for M&A and partnership decisions
These five mid-size US banks operate in similar size ranges and regulatory regimes (commercial banks, SIC 6022) — except BankUnited, a thrift (SIC 6035), included for visibility but warranting comparability caveats. Horizon: FY-2023 through FY-2025.
Over FY-2023–FY-2025, the peer group experienced material rotation in overall ranking. United Bankshares lost the rank-1 position it held entering the horizon and now sits at #4 on CET1 capital ratio. Home Bancshares consolidated leadership through net interest margin. BankUnited held #5 across the horizon; BankUnited is a thrift (SIC 6035) operating in a different regulatory regime than the 4 commercial banks in the peer group.
5 banks · FY-2023 – FY-2025 · ranked by overall peer-group position at FY-2025
How each bank compares on each metric across the analysis horizon. Bars show year-by-year values per bank.
- NPA % has drifted against the peer group across the horizon — a cohort-wide softening, not a single-name story.
- COLB has built on its lead in net income — the favorable gap to the peer group has widened.
- BKU sits persistently above the peer-group line on NPA % — reading more as a business-model difference than peer-relative performance.
- COLB shows the strongest NPA %, though softening over the horizon.
- Net Income shows a steady upward trend across the peer group.
- HOMB consistently leads in net interest margin across all three years.
Each bank's rank within the peer group at the most recent period, grouped by sector. Color scale runs from Excellent (top of the peer group) to Poor (bottom).
- Spread between top and bottom of the peer group on Net Income is wide ($296M) — large enough to matter for capital allocation.
- COLB posts the strongest net income in the peer group — $148M ahead of the cohort average suggests earnings scale.
- HOMB has held the net interest margin lead across the horizon — durable pricing power rather than a single-period read.
- COLB trails the cohort on CET1 Ratio by 3.0 points — the question is whether capital discipline reflects a cycle position or a structural read.
- CET1 Ratio has trended up across the peer group from FY-2023 to FY-2025 — the wind is at the cohort's back, not against it.
- BKU sits 55 bps from the cohort line on NPA % — consistent with the business-mix difference noted in the scorecard, not a credit-quality call.
Each bank is scored on each metric against the peer-group average for that metric. Ranks 1–5 reflect that standing — lower is better for NPA %; higher is better for NIM, CET1, and Net Income. Sectors group related metrics: Profitability covers Net Income and NIM; Capital covers CET1; Credit covers NPA %.
Framed for M&A and partnership decisions. Each item names the relevant decision, the supporting evidence, and the specific next question for the team.
Sits at #1 of 5 on overall peer-group standing, supported by net interest margin (4.51%). Pricing power is the durable signal here — the question for the team is whether the FY-2025 read is repeatable. Validate sustainability in 2026 earnings before scaling the position.
Climbed 1 position to #2 of 5. Earnings scale is the lever — net income ($550M) carried the move. Confirm the trajectory holds in 2026 earnings before treating the lead as durable.
Climbed 1 position to #3 of 5. Loss-absorption capacity is the lever — CET1 capital ratio (19.99%) carried the move. Confirm the trajectory holds in 2026 earnings before treating the lead as durable.
Slipped 3 positions to #4 of 5 across the horizon. The drag is on CET1 capital ratio (13.44%) — the question for the team is capital discipline, not last quarter's number. Investigate the driver before further exposure or scoring.
Sits at #5 of 5 across the horizon — held the bottom rank without a recent decline. The drag is on NPA ratio (1.08%), and underwriting question is the question for the team. Confirm the underlying driver before treating the position as durable.