Civista Bancshares Completes Merger with The Farmers Savings Bank, Expanding Community Banking Footprint in Northeast Ohio
Written by Emily J. Thompson, Senior Investment Analyst
Updated: Nov 06 2025
0mins
Source: PRnewswire
Merger Announcement: Civista Bancshares, Inc. has successfully completed its merger with The Farmers Savings Bank, expanding its presence in Medina and Lorain Counties, Ohio.
Financial Impact: The merger adds two branches and approximately $236 million in low-cost deposits, resulting in a combined total of about $4.4 billion in assets for Civista.
Leadership Statements: Civista's CEO emphasized the merger's role in enhancing community banking services, while Farmers Savings Bank's CEO highlighted the benefits of expanded resources for their customers.
Transition Plan: The system conversion for Farmers Savings Bank customers is set for the first quarter of 2026, with ongoing support provided during the transition period.
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Analyst Views on CIVB
Wall Street analysts forecast CIVB stock price to rise over the next 12 months. According to Wall Street analysts, the average 1-year price target for CIVB is 26.50 USD with a low forecast of 26.00 USD and a high forecast of 27.00 USD. However, analyst price targets are subjective and often lag stock prices, so investors should focus on the objective reasons behind analyst rating changes, which better reflect the company's fundamentals.
2 Analyst Rating
2 Buy
0 Hold
0 Sell
Moderate Buy
Current: 24.630
Low
26.00
Averages
26.50
High
27.00
Current: 24.630
Low
26.00
Averages
26.50
High
27.00
About CIVB
Civista Bancshares, Inc. is a financial holding company. The Company, through its subsidiary, Civista Bank, is engaged in providing full-service banking, commercial lending, mortgage and wealth management services. Civista Bank, through its locations in Ohio counties of Erie, Crawford, Champaign, Cuyahoga, Franklin, Huron, Logan, Madison, Montgomery, Ottawa, Richland, Henry, Wood and Summit, in the Indiana counties of Dearborn and Ripley and in the Kentucky county of Kenton, conducts a general banking business that involves collecting customer deposits, making loans, purchasing securities, and offering Trust services. It is also engaged in a general equipment leasing and financing business through its Civista Leasing & Financing (CLF) division. Civista Wealth Management division offers investment advisory services to individuals, families, businesses, and non-profits with personalized investment management, 401(k) advisory services for employers, financial planning, and trust services.
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.
Civista Bancshares Reports 24% Net Income Growth in Q4 2025
- Net Income Growth: Civista Bancshares reported a net income of $12.3 million for Q4 2025, marking a 24% increase over the same quarter in 2024, indicating a significant enhancement in profitability that boosts investor confidence.
- Interest Income Increase: The net interest income for the quarter reached $36.5 million, reflecting a 5.5% increase from the previous quarter and a 16% increase year-over-year, with the net interest margin expanding to 3.69%, showcasing strong performance in interest revenue.
- Dividend Increase: The company announced an increase in its quarterly dividend to $0.18 per share, representing a $0.01 increase over the prior quarter, which reflects confidence in future earnings potential and helps attract more investors.
- Efficiency Ratio Improvement: The efficiency ratio improved from 68.3% in the prior year's fourth quarter to 57.7%, demonstrating effective cost management that further enhances overall operational efficiency.
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Civista Bancshares Q4 2025 Earnings Call Highlights
- Net Income Growth: Civista Bancshares reported a net income of $12.3 million for Q4 2025, translating to $0.61 per diluted share, which represents a $2.4 million or 24% increase compared to Q4 2024, indicating sustained improvement in profitability.
- Acquisition Impact: The completion of the Farmers Savings Bank acquisition added $106 million in loans and $236 million in low-cost deposits, although the associated nonrecurring expenses impacted net income by $3.4 million, the overall business expansion remains positive.
- Interest Income Increase: Net interest income for the quarter totaled $36.5 million, reflecting a $1.9 million or 5.5% increase from the linked quarter and a $5.1 million or 16% increase year-over-year, showcasing the company's robust performance in interest income.
- Future Outlook: Management anticipates mid-single-digit loan growth in 2026 while aiming to maintain a loan-to-deposit ratio within the 90% to 95% range, leveraging the excess deposits from the acquisition to support organic growth.
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