Little Rock’s Bank OZK continued to distinguish itself among Arkansas banks when it comes to financial efficiency.
The $38.2 billion-asset lender had an efficiency ratio of 33.25% during 2024.
In other words, the largest bank based in Arkansas spent 33.25 cents for every dollar of revenue generated last year.
George Gleason, chairman and CEO of Bank OZK, doesn’t see any change in that business-as-usual performance.
“I would expect us to continue to be in that sort of mid-30s, low 30s sort of efficiency ratio going forward,” Gleason said in the company’s fourth-quarter 2024 conference call with analysts on Jan. 17.
Bank OZK deploys a staff of 3,028 across its nine-state footprint: Texas, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, North Carolina, California, New York and Mississippi.
Among the 25 largest Arkansas banks, two others produced sub-50% efficiency ratios last year: Conway’s Centennial Bank at 41.13% and Searcy’s First Security Bank, 43.57%.
At the other end of the efficiency spectrum among the state’s biggest banks were four lenders with ratios greater than 80%: Jacksonville’s First Arkansas Bank & Trust at 83.89%, Fayetteville’s Arvest Bank at 87.93%, West Memphis’ Evolve Bank & Trust at 89.42% and Little Rock’s Encore Bank at 95.03%.
Double-Digit ROE
Of the 25 largest banks in Arkansas, 14 generated double-digit returns on equity for 2024. El Dorado’s First Financial Bank led the way at 15.59%.
A staff of 340 supports the $1.8 billion-asset lender’s operations in Arkansas and Mississippi.
Five of the state’s biggest banks produced an ROE north of 13% last year: Magnolia’s Farmers Bank & Trust at 14.37%, Green Forest’s Anstaff Bank at 14.25%, Fort Smith’s First National Bank at 13.56%, Bank OZK at 13.21% and Batesville’s First Community Bank at 13.15%.
25 Largest Arkansas Banks
(Ranked by 2024 Efficiency Ratio)
Banks |
Ratio |
ROE* |
Total Assets |
| Bank OZK, Little Rock | 33.25% | 13.21% | $38,258,852 |
| Centennial Bank, Conway | 41.13% | 11.22% | $22,418,169 |
| First Security Bank, Searcy | 43.57% | 11.69% | $7,956,839 |
| First National Bank, Fort Smith | 52.80% | 13.56% | $2,190,635 |
| Chambers Bank, Danville | 56.63% | 12.65% | $1,407,844 |
| Farmers Bank & Trust, Magnolia | 57.64% | 14.37% | $2,941,699 |
| Generations Bank, Rogers | 59.70% | 12.07% | $965,242 |
| First Financial Bank, El Dorado | 60.99% | 15.59% | $1,821,994 |
| Relyance Bank, White Hall | 61.17% | 8.97% | $1,450,661 |
| Stone Bank, Mountain View | 62.40% | 12.91% | $839,584 |
| First National Bank, Paragould | 63.06% | 9.18% | $2,472,253 |
| Simmons Bank, Pine Bluff | 63.31% | 5.35% | $26,843,102 |
| Anstaff Bank, Green Forest | 64.20% | 14.25% | $1,064,233 |
| Citizens Bank, Batesville | 64.73% | 11.95% | $1,486,851 |
| First Community Bank, Batesville | 65.13% | 13.15% | $2,967,891 |
| Farmers & Merchants Bank, Stuttgart | 70.77% | 7.26% | $1,812,990 |
| Signature Bank of Arkansas, Fayetteville | 72.15% | 7.49% | $1,289,197 |
| Diamond Bank, Murfreesboro | 73.23% | 11.06% | $836,272 |
| FNBC Bank, Ash Flat | 73.83% | 12.61% | $805,145 |
| Legacy National Bank, Springdale | 74.39% | 6.57% | $1,078,409 |
| Southern Bancorp Bank, Arkadelphia | 74.74% | 6.12% | $2,780,941 |
| First Arkansas Bank & Trust, Jacksonville | 83.89% | 8.20% | $1,113,951 |
| Arvest Bank, Fayetteville | 87.93% | 2.96% | $26,894,931 |
| Evolve Bank & Trust, West Memphis | 89.42% | 6.40% | $1,812,062 |
| Encore Bank, Little Rock | 95.03% | 1.54% | $3,735,333 |
*Return On Equity. All dollars in thousands. (Source: Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.)
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