Higher net interest income and stable credit quality highlight a strong start for 2026

ST. PAUL, Minn., May 7, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, St. Paul-based AgriBank announced financial results for the first quarter of 2026, with strong profitability, credit quality, and liquidity and capital.

Highlights:

• Profitability: Net income remained strong at $294.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026. AgriBank's year-to-date return on assets (ROA) ratio of 58 basis points was above the target of 50 basis points.
• Credit quality: Total loan portfolio credit quality remained strong, with 99.2 percent of loans classified as acceptable at March 31, 2026.
• Liquidity and capital: End-of-the-quarter liquidity was 149 days, well above the regulatory requirement. Capital also remained well above the regulatory minimums and company targets.

"Our solid performance in the first quarter reflects AgriBank's focus on serving our Farm Credit Association‑owners," said AgriBank CEO Jeffrey Swanhorst. "We again delivered strong profitability, credit quality and liquidity—strengths that support the dependable funding and financial solutions the Associations use as they serve farmers, ranchers and other rural customers."

2026 Results of Operations

Net interest income was $320.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026, an increase of $50.6 million, or 18.8 percent, compared to the same period of the prior year. The increase was primarily driven by the positive impact of wholesale and asset pool portfolio loan growth. Market conditions also enabled AgriBank to generate additional income through funding actions.

Non-interest income was $45.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026, an increase of $16.1 million, or 55.3 percent, compared to the same period of the prior year. The increase was primarily related to a larger Allocated Insurance Reserve Accounts (AIRAs) distribution received from the Farm Credit System Insurance Corporation (FCSIC) during the first quarter of 2026. The AIRAs were established by the FCSIC when premiums collected increased the level of the insurance fund beyond the required secured base amount of 2 percent of insured debt. Additionally, higher wholesale conversion fees increased loan fee income during the three months ended March 31, 2026.

Non-interest expense was $62.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2026, an increase of $7.2 million, or 13.1 percent, compared to the same period of the prior year primarily due to an increase in salaries and incentive compensation expense. This was the result of increased headcount, merit increases, and incentive plan outperformance. Contractor fees also added to increased operating expense related to additional resources for technology projects.

Loan Portfolio

Total loans were $177.7 billion at March 31, 2026, a slight decrease of $183.8 million, or 0.1 percent, compared to December 31, 2025. This decrease was primarily attributable to retail loan repayments, largely offset by wholesale loan growth.

AgriBank's credit quality reflects the overall financial strength of District Associations and their underlying portfolios of retail loans. AgriBank's portfolio was composed of 99.2 percent acceptable loans at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025. Loans classified as acceptable represent the highest-quality assets. The credit quality of AgriBank's retail loan portfolio decreased slightly to 94.5 percent classified as acceptable at March 31, 2026, compared to 94.9 percent acceptable at December 31, 2025.

Agricultural Conditions

On February 5, 2026, the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Economic Research Service (USDA-ERS) released its initial forecast of the U.S. aggregate farm income and financial conditions for 2026 and updated its 2025 forecast. The revised 2025 net farm income forecast of $154.5 billion represents a $27.0 billion increase from the 2024 level, up 21.2 percent, driven by increasing direct government payments and animal and animal product cash receipts, which more than offset rising expenses. When adjusting for inflation, the 2025 net farm income forecast is $28.4 billion, or 22.0 percent, above the 10-year average (2015-2024) net farm income in 2026 dollars. The initial 2026 net farm income projection of $153.4 billion represents a decrease of $1.2 billion, or 0.7 percent, from the revised 2025 net farm income forecast, and if realized, would be $24.3 billion, or 18.8 percent, above the 10-year average net farm income in 2026 dollars.

Many factors, including weather, trade, government and monetary policy, global agricultural production levels, and pathogenic outbreaks in livestock and poultry, may keep agriculture market volatility elevated. Implementation of cost-saving technologies, marketing methods, and risk management strategies will continue to cause a wide range of results among the respective agricultural producers.

Capital Resources and Liquidity

Total capital remained strong at $10.6 billion as of March 31, 2026, an increase of $72.9 million compared to December 31, 2025. The increase was driven primarily by AgriBank's strong net income, which was partially offset by cash patronage declared, consistent with AgriBank's capital plan. AgriBank exceeded all regulatory capital minimum requirements, including additional regulatory buffers.

Cash, cash equivalents, and investments totaled $27.8 billion and $25.4 billion at March 31, 2026, and December 31, 2025, respectively. AgriBank's end-of-the-period liquidity position represented 149 days coverage of maturing debt obligations, which supports operational demands, and was well above the 90-day minimum established by AgriBank's regulator.

About AgriBank

AgriBank is part of the customer-owned, nationwide Farm Credit System. Under Farm Credit's cooperative structure, AgriBank is primarily owned by local Farm Credit Associations, which provide financial products and services to rural communities and agriculture. AgriBank obtains funds and provides funding and financial solutions to those Associations. AgriBank and those Associations compose the AgriBank District. The District covers a 15-state area stretching from Wyoming to Ohio and Minnesota to Arkansas. For more information, visit www.AgriBank.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Any forward-looking statements in this press release are based on current expectations and are subject to uncertainty and changes in circumstances. Actual results may differ materially from expectations due to a number of risks and uncertainties. More information about these risks and uncertainties is contained in AgriBank's annual report, which is available approximately 75 days following the end of the year. AgriBank undertakes no duty to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

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SOURCE AgriBank