Oct 22, 2026 earnings call — Partnership growth and fee revenue outlook
Company guided fourth quarter fee revenue of approximately $750 million and said NIM should be approximately flat in Q4.
Revenue $2.8B (est $2.8B) · EPS $0.38 (est $0.35)
Key quotes
"Our partnerships continue to perform very well. Cost synergies have been achieved as planned. Revenue synergies are tracking, and the partnerships are expanding our ability to acquire customers and deepen relationships across Texas and the South."
"Value added fee revenues increased more than 15% year over year on a reported basis, inclusive of the Veritex and Cadence partnerships."
"Our aggregate moderate to low risk appetite remains fundamental to how we operate. Our liquidity position remains robust. Credit performance remains top tier, we are allocating capital only where opportunities meet our risk adjusted return hurdles."
Analyst Q&A 7
Are earnings cuts finished and why they happened
Q (Erika Najarian · UBS): Are you done cutting guidance for 2027? What did you get wrong when you set the 2027 goal besides rate pass-through?
A: Management said they are confident in the earnings outlook and explained the environment changed: higher rates, more inflation and stronger competition. They cited faster-than-expected adjustments in areas like indirect auto, home mortgage and commercial real estate as the reasons for the reset.
"So we feel very, very confident about delivering the 1.75 to 1.83 next year." — Eric Edmund Wasserstrom
Loan growth pace and credit concerns
Q (Jon Arfstrom · RBC): What would change your lending stance and what is the right pace of loan growth given new markets? Is this a competitive issue or a credit issue?
A: Management said they will keep a moderate to low risk appetite and be cautious because rates may stay higher and markets are volatile. They emphasized the pullback is a capital-allocation and pricing decision, not a change in underwriting or credit standards.
"We are we are making a strategic credit capital allocation in terms of commercial real estate." — Stephen D. Steinour (CEO·CHAIR)
Credit outlook, reserves, buybacks
Q (Ken Usdin · Autonomous): How do you see credit in the bridge to 2027? Will reserves be released? Any change to tax rate or buyback plan?
A: Management said credit performance is stable and they are confident in the portfolio, with charge-offs at 27 basis points through 9 months. They said they do not expect any reserve release in 2027 and plan to continue the articulated share repurchase program of about $1.8 billion to $1.9 billion.
"We continue to feel very confident in the both the construct and our execution around the credit portfolio." — Brendan Lawlor
Retention after Texas acquisitions
Q (John Pancari · Evercore): How are banker and relationship retention in the Texas deals after integration? Has competition affected pricing there?
A: Management said retention of leaders and bankers met expectations and they intentionally onboarded many leaders before the announcement. They reported success retaining top leadership from Cadence and said customer retention was within expectations, supporting optimism about opportunities in the new markets.
"And I would say we have been very successful at retaining the top leadership within the Cadence organization." — Brantley J. Standridge (PRESIDENT)
Deposit pricing and deposit beta outlook
Q (John Pancari): How are deposit costs moving across products and regions? What deposit beta do you expect for future Fed moves?
A: Management said deposit pricing has stabilized since September but remains competitive, with CD pricing under the most pressure and the Midwest being the most competitive region for new deposit dollars. They expect a deposit beta around 50 to 60% and feel that 60% is well grounded given current market dynamics and peers' experience.
"I would say it is relatively stable since September still very competitive, but we believe rational." — Brantley J. Standridge (PRESIDENT)
Sources of commercial loan growth and NIM outlook
Q (Manan Gosalia · Morgan Stanley): Where will C&I growth come from if rates rise further — new geographies, share gains, or new industries? And is NIM likely to expand?
A: Management said commercial demand is constructive with healthy pipelines and growth will come from both core markets and new geographies, plus specialty verticals and national commercial expansion. For NIM, they are anchoring to stable NIM, noting modest asset sensitivity and potential upside if curve shape or competition changes, but baseline is flat.
"And that is the beauty of the opportunity that we have in front of us is that we have multiple potential growth levers." — Brantley J. Standridge (PRESIDENT)
Where Huntington wants to compete on pricing
Q (TD Cowen): Philosophically, where will Huntington aim to play on loan and deposit pricing — leader, middle, or laggard?
A: Management said they want to trade value for value with customers and optimize funding and pricing to create appropriate NIM and returns. They will be disciplined on asset pricing and capital allocation, taking less volume when returns do not meet their standards.
"What we want to do with our customers is exchange value for value." — Brantley J. Standridge (PRESIDENT)