First Community Bankshares Inc

First Community Bankshares delivered a stronger-than-expected third quarter, posting adjusted earnings of $0.70 per diluted share against a consensus estimate of $0.63, a beat of 11.11%, while revenue of $42.19 million cleared the $40.40 million estimate by 4.42%. The results came despite a 6.0% year-over-year revenue decline, as a drop in average loan balances weighed on interest income, with average loans falling $116.18 million or 4.73% from the prior-year period. Nonetheless, a resilient net interest margin of 4.43% on a fully taxable equivalent basis, up 2 basis points from a year ago, helped anchor profitability, and asset quality improved meaningfully, with nonperforming assets declining to $16.90 million from $20.54 million at year-end 2024. The company also declared its regular quarterly dividend of $0.31 per share, extending a four-decade streak of consecutive annual dividend payments. Looking ahead, management is pressing forward with the pending acquisition of Hometown Bank, anticipated to close in January 2026, having absorbed $787,000 in merger-related expenses during the quarter.