Live Oak Bancshares CEO Sells 20,000 Shares
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Mar 01 2026
0mins
Should l Buy LOB?
Source: NASDAQ.COM
- Executive Sell-off: James S. Mahan III, CEO of Live Oak Bancshares, sold 20,000 shares indirectly on February 18 and 19, 2026, for approximately $804,000 at an average price of $40.18 per share, raising concerns about the company's future performance in the market.
- Continued Growth: Despite the sell-off, Live Oak Bancshares reported $150.93 million in revenue for Q4 FY 2025, a 61.75% increase year-over-year, indicating strong growth potential in the small business banking sector.
- Market Position: The company was recognized by the U.S. Small Business Administration as the most active SBA 7(a) lender in the nation, securing 2,280 loan approvals in FY 2025, providing over $2.8 billion in funding, which underscores its leadership in small business financing.
- Investor Attention: Although the company shows strong performance in the small business banking sector, it was not included in the Motley Fool Stock Advisor's current list of top investment stocks, which may affect investor confidence in its future investment value.
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Analyst Views on LOB
Wall Street analysts forecast LOB stock price to rise
3 Analyst Rating
2 Buy
1 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 37.700
Low
35.00
Averages
42.67
High
50.00
Current: 37.700
Low
35.00
Averages
42.67
High
50.00
About LOB
Live Oak Bancshares, Inc. is the bank holding company for Live Oak Banking Company (the Bank). The Bank specializes in providing lending and deposit-related services to small businesses nationwide. The Bank operates a national online platform for small business lending and deposit gathering. In addition to the Bank, the Company directly or indirectly holds wholly owned subsidiaries, including Live Oak Ventures, Inc. (Live Oak Ventures), Live Oak Grove, LLC (Grove), and Government Loan Solutions, Inc. (GLS). Live Oak Ventures has an investment in Synply, Inc. (Synply). Synply is a cloud-based technology platform designed to simplify the loan syndication process for financial institutions. The Grove provides Company employees and business visitors with on-site dining at the Company’s Wilmington, North Carolina headquarters. GLS is a management and technology consulting firm that advises and offers solutions and services to participants in the government-guaranteed lending sector.
About the author

Emily J. Thompson
Emily J. Thompson, a Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) with 12 years in investment research, graduated with honors from the Wharton School. Specializing in industrial and technology stocks, she provides in-depth analysis for Intellectia’s earnings and market brief reports.
- State Street Financials: State Street's net cash position stands at $94.96 billion, representing 227% of its market cap, yet its 4.6% annual revenue growth over the past five years lags behind other financial firms, indicating potential growth challenges.
- Live Oak Bancshares Risks: Live Oak Bancshares holds a net cash of $716.6 million, which is 41.4% of its market cap, but its net interest margin of only 3.3% leads to lower profitability, with earnings per share declining by 2.3% annually over the last five years, suggesting financial instability.
- Tradeweb Markets Investment Opportunity: Tradeweb Markets boasts a net cash position of $1.95 billion, or 8% of its market cap, with impressive annual revenue growth of 23.8% and earnings per share growth of 24.2% over the last two years, indicating strong market share gains and making it a compelling investment.
- Market Environment Analysis: While cash-heavy, State Street and Live Oak Bancshares exhibit insufficient growth potential, warranting caution from investors, whereas Tradeweb Markets stands out as a noteworthy investment due to its sustained high growth.
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- Earnings Beat: Live Oak Bancshares reported a Q1 GAAP EPS of $0.60, exceeding expectations by $0.06, indicating a stable profitability trend amidst market fluctuations.
- Revenue Miss: The company achieved a revenue of $145 million, reflecting a 15.0% year-over-year growth; however, it fell short of expectations by $4.47 million, highlighting challenges in market competition and business expansion.
- Cautious Market Sentiment: Analysts express a cautious outlook on Live Oak Bancshares, suggesting that the challenges faced may hinder optimistic sentiment, potentially affecting future investment decisions.
- Historical Performance Review: Analyzing historical earnings data reveals significant volatility in Live Oak Bancshares' performance, prompting investors to closely monitor its long-term profitability and market adaptability.
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- Earnings Announcement Date: Live Oak Bancshares (LOB) is set to release its Q1 2023 earnings on April 22 after market close, with a consensus EPS estimate of $0.58, reflecting a substantial year-over-year increase of 176.2%, indicating significant improvement in profitability.
- Revenue Expectations: The anticipated revenue for Q1 is $149.47 million, representing an 18.5% year-over-year growth, which highlights the company's positive performance in loan business and customer base expansion, despite facing market challenges.
- Performance Prediction Stability: Over the past year, LOB has beaten EPS and revenue estimates 50% of the time, indicating a degree of stability in financial performance, although recent downward revisions in EPS and revenue forecasts suggest potential caution.
- Market Sentiment and Outlook: Despite no upward revisions in EPS estimates and three downward adjustments in revenue forecasts, the company's 17% loan growth and target of $1 billion in Live Oak Express production may provide some investor confidence, suggesting that the company is actively seeking growth opportunities.
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