Atlantic Union earnings paired solid balance-sheet growth with renewed funding-cost pressure in the third quarter. The Richmond-based bank released the results on October 20, 2026, reporting adjusted diluted operating EPS of $0.96.

Loan growth outpaces the deposit increase

Loans held for investment reached $29.297 billion, up $624 million from $28.673 billion in the second quarter and $1.936 billion from a year earlier. Deposits increased $498 million quarter over quarter to $30.966 billion, compared with $30.665 billion a year earlier.

Atlantic Union Q3 2026 quarter-over-quarter additions ($ millions)

Loans held for investment — +$624M
 

Deposits — +$498M
 

Source: Atlantic Union Bankshares third-quarter 2026 results. Deposit bar is scaled to the loan increase.

The expansion adds another regional-bank data point after recent results from Regions Financial and Truist. It also gives investors a fresh comparison for the broader list of bank stocks under earnings scrutiny.

Funding costs push net interest margin lower

Net interest income rose $3.3 million from the second quarter to $328.4 million. However, net interest margin fell seven basis points to 3.82%, and the fully taxable equivalent measure declined six basis points to 3.88%.

The cost of funds rose seven basis points to 2.01%, offsetting some of the benefit from higher balances. The result shows why loan growth alone does not guarantee wider bank margins when deposit and wholesale funding costs are also moving higher.

Credit quality improves as buybacks continue

Nonperforming assets declined to 0.37% of loans held for investment, two basis points lower than the prior quarter and 12 basis points below the year-earlier level. Net charge-offs were $2.3 million, or 0.03% annualized, while the provision for credit losses fell to $5.7 million from $11.7 million in the second quarter.

Atlantic Union repurchased 1.5 million shares for $62.5 million at an average price of $41.38, leaving $177.5 million under its authorization. The company also issued $250 million of 6.25% subordinated notes and redeemed $168 million of older notes, recording a $2.7 million pre-tax debt-extinguishment loss.

The complete income statement, balance-sheet figures and management commentary are available in Atlantic Union Bankshares’ official October 20 earnings release.

Sharron Kendi is a seasoned crypto market analyst and writer with over three years of experience decoding blockchain trends, price movements, and market dynamics. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce (Finance) from Kenyatta University, blending a solid academic foundation with a sharp eye for technical analysis and a deep understanding of on-chain data. Her work delivers clear, data-driven insights that empower investors to navigate the fast-evolving digital asset space with confidence.