Byline Bancorp Posts 11 Percent Q2 Gain

Key Points

• - GAAP revenue rose 11.2% year over year to $110.453 million in Q2 2025, ahead of the $107.0 million GAAP estimate.

• - The adjusted efficiency ratio (non-GAAP) improved to 48.20%.

• - Non-performing assets and credit loss provisions increased, signaling continued vigilance over credit quality.

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Byline Bancorp (NYSE:BY), a commercial banking institution based mainly in the Chicago area, released its second quarter 2025 earnings on July 24, 2025. The most notable news was a strong beat on GAAP revenue, which rose to $110.5 million—exceeding analyst expectations of $107.0 million. While the reported GAAP EPS of $0.66 fell just short of the $0.67 estimate, non-GAAP adjusted EPS reached $0.75, outperforming expectations. Loan and deposit growth was driven by the completed integration of First Security Bancorp, but credit quality pressures and higher provisions were evident. Overall, the quarter reflected robust business expansion with some warning signs in asset quality.

Source: Analyst estimates for the quarter provided by FactSet.

Overview of Byline Bancorp's Business

Byline Bancorp is a regional banking company focusing on commercial and community banking, serving mainly the Chicago and Milwaukee metropolitan areas. Its business is anchored in traditional banking with a broad suite of financial products. These include commercial loans, equipment leasing, government-guaranteed lending programs like Small Business Administration (SBA) loans, and wealth management services. Given its focus on commercial customers, Byline operates 45 branches, working to offer localized, high-touch service.

Recent strategic priorities have centered on expanding the company's reach and capabilities through acquisitions, such as the headline First Security Bancorp purchase completed this quarter. Long-term success for Byline hinges on three main factors: expanding its customer and deposit base, growing through diversified revenue streams—especially non-interest income—and managing risk and credit quality as its balance sheet grows.

Quarterly Performance and Key Developments

The period saw significant growth from the integration of the First Security Bancorp acquisition, which added momentum to both loan and deposit levels. Loans and leases increased by $306.7 million from last quarter and $449.3 million from Q2 2024. Deposits rose $257.2 million quarter over quarter and $463.3 million from Q2 2024, up 6.3% year over year. This helped boost the GAAP revenue figure beyond expectations, and reflected strong activity in both commercial real estate and industrial lending.

Byline's core lending business is now supported by an expanded customer base and deeper presence in the Chicago area. The company continued to be one of the most active SBA lenders in Illinois, selling $73.0 million in government guaranteed loans during the quarter. The gain on sales of these loans, which feeds non-interest income, was $5.4 million—an increase of 9.7% from last quarter. However, non-interest income overall slipped $381,000 from the previous quarter, mainly due to lower revaluation of loan servicing assets and smaller fair value gains on certain securities.

The adjusted efficiency ratio (non-GAAP) improved to 48.20%, showing better cost management even as merger-related expenses from the First Security integration reached $4.45 million. Net interest income (GAAP) climbed to $95.97 million, up 11.0% over Q2 2024, Net interest margin—an indicator of profitability in lending—expanded to 4.18%, a gain of 20 basis points from the prior year quarter.

Despite these successes, there were areas of concern related to credit quality. Provisions for credit losses, which are funds set aside to cover potential borrower defaults, rose to $11.9 million (GAAP). This was driven by individual loan relationships and some weakness in macroeconomic forecasts. Non-performing assets totaled $72.5 million, increasing from $59.9 million for Q1 2025. Management emphasized these issues were concentrated in isolated cases, rather than a systemic trend.

Products and Service Lines—Context for Non-Specialists

The lending groups cover commercial and industrial loans (loans to business borrowers for working capital or expansion), commercial real estate (loans secured by business property), and equipment leasing (offered via Byline Financial Group). The company also participates heavily in U.S. government-guaranteed lending—mainly SBA loans—which provide lower-risk, government-backed credit to businesses. Additionally, the company has a wealth management and trust business serving affluent customers and business owners.

The company's product mix is a factor in the performance of non-interest income—a key focus area. This includes fees from loan servicing, transaction charges, trust services, and gains on loan sales, mainly from SBA government-guaranteed loan programs. While gains on loan sales supported fee income, management acknowledged that expanding beyond SBA-related income through offerings like wealth management remains a long-term objective.

Looking Ahead: Guidance and Future Trends

Management did not provide firm or quantitative financial guidance for the rest of fiscal 2025, supported by loan growth, margin management, and expense discipline.

Investors are likely to watch several key areas going forward: asset quality, especially amid increased non-performing assets and higher provisions, and the company's ability to increase fee income outside SBA lending. Byline also continues to return capital to shareholders, maintaining a $0.10 quarterly dividend per share—flat from Q1 2025, but up from $0.09 in Q2 2024.

Revenue and net income presented using U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) unless otherwise noted.

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