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Bank of the Ozarks Named Top-Performer In Nation For Its Size

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Bank of the Ozarks (Nasdaq: OZRK) of Little Rock has been named the top-performing bank in the nation for its asset size category, $5 billion to $50 billion, by Bank Director magazine.

Three other Arkansas banks made the magazine’s list.

Two were ranked in the same category as Bank of the Ozarks. Home BancShares Inc. of Conway was No. 8 out of 117, and Simmons First National Corp. of Pine Bluff was 48th.

Home BancShares on Friday announced that the magazine ranked it second in core return on assets at a 1.91 percent return and fifth in core return on average equity at a 14.51 percent return.

Also, Stonegate Bank, which Home BancShares is set to acquire in the fourth quarter of 2017, ranked 12th among banks with assets between $1 billion and $5 billion. 

“We are honored Home BancShares has been recognized nationally among the top-performing banks of our size,” Chairman John Allison said in a news release. “This recognition is a nice reward for sound decision-making through the years across our organization. We are proud of our ability to continue improving shareholder value and financial performance for our investors.”

Bear State Financial Inc. of Little Rock made the list too, as a top-performer in the $1 billion to $5 billion in assets category. It came in at 108th out of 161 institutions that were ranked for that asset category.

Bank of the Ozarks said this is its fifth consecutive year to be recognized by the magazine, and the announcement marks 11 times in seven consecutive years that national organizations have named it first in the nation.

Bank Director’s annual bank performance scorecard includes five key metrics related to profitability, capital strength and asset quality, the bank said. 

“These are important measures, but the central element of our success is our employees,” George Gleason, CEO and chairman of the board, said in a news release. “Their teamwork, discipline and commitment to excellence at all times drive our continued success.

“I tell everyone that it is my privilege and honor to lead a diverse group of highly skilled and talented people who resist the temptation to be average but, instead, relentlessly pursue excellence in everything we do. Our culture of excellence means we deliver excellent customer service while maintaining the highest standards of character, ethics, integrity and fair dealing.”

Gleason told Arkansas Business on Monday to expect an announcement soon about the bank’s plans for a new headquarters in west Little Rock.

Bank Director’s Bank Performance Scorecard has ranked Bank of the Ozarks first in its size category for five consecutive years, 2013-2017. The scorecard evaluates and ranks the 300 largest publicly traded U.S. banks and separates them into three asset size categories.

In addition, S&P Global Market Intelligence (formerly SNL Financial) named Bank of the Ozarks the nation’s top-performing regional bank in 2012, 2015, 2016 and this year. The ABA Banking Journal, in 2011 and 2012, also named it No. 1 among banks in its asset size category.

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