First Bancorp Posts Higher Net Interest Income in Q3 2026
First Bancorp reported rising net interest income of $114.8M in Q3 2026, up from $102.5M a year earlier, as interest expenses declined year-over-year.
First Bancorp reported third-quarter 2026 net interest income of $114.8 million, a notable increase from $102.5 million recorded in the same period a year ago, according to financial results released by the bank.
Total interest income climbed to $154.0 million in the third quarter, compared with $144.2 million in Q3 2025, reflecting continued growth in earning assets. On a sequential basis, interest income also rose from $148.3 million posted in the second quarter of 2026.
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Interest expenses, a key cost driver for lenders, fell to $39.2 million from $41.7 million in the year-ago quarter, suggesting the bank has benefited from a shifting rate environment that reduced funding costs compared with 2025 levels. Quarter-over-quarter, however, interest expenses edged higher from $37.0 million in Q2 2026.
The improvement in net interest income — the spread between what a bank earns on loans and pays on deposits — is a closely watched profitability metric. First Bancorp's year-over-year expansion of more than $12 million in that figure indicates strengthening core lending margins heading into the final stretch of 2026.
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