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Two leading experts in the field of carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) — Howard J. Herzog, a senior research engineer in the MIT Energy Initiative, and Niall Mac Dowell, a professor in energy systems engineering at Imperial College London — explore methods for removing carbon dioxide already in the atmosphere in their new book, “Carbon Removal.” Published in October, the book is part of the Essential Knowledge series from the MIT Press, which consists of volumes “synthesizing specialized subject matter for nonspecialists” and includes Herzog’s 2018 book, “Carbon Capture.”

Burning fossil fuels, as well as other human activities, cause the release of carbon dioxide (CO₂) into the atmosphere, where it acts like a blanket that warms the Earth, resulting in climate change. Much attention has focused on mitigation technologies that reduce emissions, but in their book, Herzog and Mac Dowell have turned their attention to “carbon dioxide removal” (CDR), an approach that removes carbon already present in the atmosphere.

In this new volume, the authors explain how CO₂ naturally moves into and out of the atmosphere and present a brief history of carbon removal as a concept for dealing with climate change. They also describe the full range of “pathways” that have been proposed for removing CO₂ from the atmosphere. Those pathways include engineered systems designed for “direct air capture” (DAC), as well as various “nature-based” approaches that call for planting trees or taking steps to enhance removal by biomass or the oceans. The book offers easily accessible explanations of the fundamental science and engineering behind each approach.

The authors compare the “quality” of the different pathways based on the following metrics:

Accounting. For public acceptance of any carbon-removal strategy, the authors note, the developers need to get the accounting right — and that’s not always easy. “If you’re going to spend money to get CO₂ out of the atmosphere, you want to get paid for doing it,” notes Herzog. It can be tricky to measure how much you have removed, because there’s a lot of CO₂ going in and out of the atmosphere all the time. Also, if your approach involves, say, burning fossil fuels, you must subtract the amount of CO₂ that’s emitted from the total amount you claim to have removed. Then there’s the timing of the removal. With a DAC device, the removal happens right now, and the removed CO₂ can be measured. “But if I plant a tree, it’s going to remove CO₂ for decades. Is that equivalent to removing it right now?” Herzog queries. How to take that factor into account hasn’t yet been resolved.

Permanence. Different approaches keep the CO₂ out of the atmosphere for different durations of time. How long is long enough? As the authors explain, this is one of the biggest issues, especially with nature-based solutions, where events such as wildfires or pestilence or land-use changes can release the stored CO₂ back into the atmosphere. How do we deal with that?

Cost. Cost is another key factor. Using a DAC device to remove CO₂ costs far more than planting trees, but it yields immediate removal of a measurable amount of CO₂ that can then be locked away forever. How does one monetize that trade-off?

Additionality. “You’re doing this project, but would what you’re doing have been done anyway?” asks Herzog. “Is your effort additional to business as usual?” This question comes into play with many of the nature-based approaches involving trees, soils, and so on.

Permitting and governance. These issues are especially important — and complicated — with approaches that involve doing things in the ocean. In addition, Herzog points out that some CCS projects could also achieve carbon removal, but they would have a hard time getting permits to build the pipelines and other needed infrastructure.

The authors conclude that none of the CDR strategies now being proposed is a clear winner on all the metrics. However, they stress that carbon removal has the potential to play an important role in meeting our climate change goals — not by replacing our emissions-reduction efforts, but rather by supplementing them. However, as Herzog and Mac Dowell make clear in their book, many challenges must be addressed to move CDR from today’s speculation to deployment at scale, and the book supports the wider discussion about how to move forward. Indeed, the authors have fulfilled their stated goal: “to provide an objective analysis of the opportunities and challenges for CDR and to separate myth from reality.”

INDIANAPOLIS, Oct. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Elanco Animal Health, Inc. (NYSE: ELAN) will host an Investor Day on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, from approximately 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. Eastern Time in New York City. The event will feature presentations from Elanco’s senior leadership team on the company’s strategic priorities, financial outlook, and innovation pipeline – defining Elanco’s new era of growth.

Advance registration for the in-person event is required; institutional investors and analysts interested in attending should contact [email protected]. Registration and access for the live webcast and related materials will be available on Elanco’s Investor Events and Presentations website. A replay will be available on the website following the event.

ABOUT ELANCO
Elanco Animal Health Incorporated (NYSE: ELAN) is a global leader in animal health dedicated to innovating and delivering products and services to prevent and treat disease in farm animals and pets, creating value for farmers, pet owners, veterinarians, stakeholders, and society as a whole. With 70 years of animal health heritage, we are committed to breaking boundaries and going beyond to help our customers improve the health of animals in their care, while also making a meaningful impact on our local and global communities. At Elanco, we are driven by our vision of Food and Companionship Enriching Life and our purpose – all to Go Beyond for Animals, Customers, Society, and Our People. Learn more at www.elanco.com.

Investor Contact: Tiffany Kanaga (765) 740-0314 [email protected]
Media Contact: Colleen Parr Dekker (317) 989-7011 [email protected] 

SOURCE Elanco Animal Health

George Makris, Jr., Simmons’ Chairman and CEO, commented on third quarter 2025 results:

The third quarter was transformative for Simmons. With overwhelming investor support we successfully raised $327 million of equity capital to reposition our balance sheet and unlock our future earnings stream. We effectively addressed a negative arbitrage between long-term bond yields and shorter-term funding costs which freed up capital for future growth. While the one-time loss on the sale of the bonds was significant, the financial strength of our company coupled with the positive sentiment from investors allowed us that opportunity. 

Although the benefit of the repositioning was only partially realized in the quarter based on the timing of the transactions, our results demonstrated the exceptional improvement in our profitability, and the results from the month of September are very encouraging for our future performance.

I believe we are now well positioned to deliver stronger organic growth throughout our franchise which includes some of the most dynamic markets in the country. Our team is prepared, and I am optimistic about Simmons’ future.

PINE BLUFF, Ark., Oct. 16, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Simmons First National Corporation (NASDAQ: SFNC) (Simmons or Company) today reported a net loss of $562.8 million for the third quarter of 2025, compared to net income of $54.8 million in the second quarter of 2025 and $24.7 million in the third quarter of 2024. Diluted earnings per share were $(4.00) for the third quarter of 2025, compared to $0.43 in the second quarter of 2025 and $0.20 for the third quarter of 2024. Adjusted earnings¹ for the third quarter of 2025 were $64.9 million, compared to $56.1 million in the second quarter of 2025 and $46.0 million in the third quarter of 2024. Adjusted diluted earnings per share¹ for the third quarter of 2025 were $0.46, compared to $0.44 in the second quarter of 2025 and $0.37 in the third quarter of 2024.

As previously disclosed, on July 22, 2025, the Company announced the pricing of its public offering of the Company’s Class A common stock that generated net proceeds of approximately $327 million. Proceeds from the offering were subsequently utilized to support a balance sheet repositioning that included the sale of approximately $2.4 billion (fair value) of low-yielding investment securities at an after-tax loss of approximately $626 million. Proceeds from the sale of the investment securities were primarily used to deleverage the balance sheet through the pay-down of higher rate, non-relationship wholesale and public fund deposits, as well as higher rate other borrowings primarily consisting of FHLB advances. The pay-down of higher rate funding was completed throughout the third quarter of 2025, and thus the benefits (including interest expense savings) are only partially reflected in the results for the quarter.

The table below summarizes the impact of the loss on the sale of securities, as well as other certain items, consisting primarily of branch right sizing costs, early retirement program costs and loss on early extinguishment of debt. These items are also described in further detail in the “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” tables contained in this press release.

Impact of Certain Items on Earnings and Diluted Earnings Per Share (EPS)

The Financial Highlights table below summarizes key financial metrics for the third quarter of 2025, the second quarter of 2025 and the third quarter of 2024.

Net Interest Income
Net interest income for the third quarter of 2025 totaled $186.7 million, up $14.8 million, or 9 percent, compared to $171.8 million in the second quarter of 2025 and up $28.9 million, or 18 percent, from $157.7 million in the third quarter of 2024. Interest income totaled $313.4 million for the third quarter of 2025, compared to $315.0 million in the second quarter of 2025 and $334.3 million in the third quarter of 2024. The decrease in interest income on a linked quarter basis was primarily due to a decline in the level of interest income derived from investment securities resulting from the balance sheet repositioning undertaken in the third quarter of 2025 that included the sale of lower-yielding investment securities, that was offset by increases in interest income from loans and other earning assets. Interest expense totaled $126.8 million for the third quarter of 2025, compared to $143.2 million in the second quarter of 2025 and $176.6 million in the third quarter of 2024. The decrease in interest expense on a linked quarter basis was primarily due to a reduction of higher rate, non-relationship wholesale and public fund deposits as part of the balance sheet repositioning.

Noninterest Income
Noninterest income for the third quarter of 2025 was $(756.2) million, compared to $42.4 million in the second quarter of 2025 and $17.1 million in the third quarter of 2024. Included in third quarter 2025 results was a $801.5 million pre-tax loss on the sale of low-yielding securities that were sold in connection with the previously mentioned balance sheet repositioning and $0.6 million loss on the early extinguishment of debt. The third quarter of 2024 included a $28.4 million pre-tax loss on the sale of low-yielding securities. Excluding these items (which are described in the “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” tables below), adjusted noninterest income¹ was $45.9 million for the third quarter of 2025, $42.4 million in the second quarter of 2025 and $45.5 million in the third quarter of 2024. The increase in adjusted noninterest income on a linked quarter basis was broad based, led by an increase in mortgage lending income and a Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) negative valuation adjustment in the second quarter of 2025, which is included in other income in the table below.

Noninterest Expense
Noninterest expense for the third quarter of 2025 was $142.0 million, compared to $138.6 million in the second quarter of 2025 and $137.2 million in the third quarter of 2024. Included in noninterest expense are certain items consisting of branch right sizing costs, early retirement program costs and termination of vendor and software services. Collectively, these items totaled $2.3 million in the third quarter of 2025, $1.8 million in the second quarter of 2025 and $0.4 million in the third quarter of 2024. Excluding these items (which are described in the “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” tables below), adjusted noninterest expense¹ was $139.7 million for the third quarter of 2025, and $136.8 million in both the second quarter of 2025 and third quarter of 2024. The increase in adjusted noninterest expense on a linked quarter basis primarily reflected salary and employee benefits accrual adjustments given the Company’s financial performance through the third quarter of 2025 and a $1.6 million fraud recovery in the third quarter of 2025.

Loans and Unfunded Loan Commitments
Total loans at the end of the third quarter of 2025 were $17.2 billion, up 2 percent on a linked quarter annualized basis. The increase in total loans was driven by increases in mortgage warehouse, real estate – construction and agricultural, offset in part by declines in real estate – commercial and commercial portfolios. Unfunded loan commitments at the end of the third quarter of 2025 were $4.0 billion, compared to $3.9 billion at the end of the second quarter of 2025. This marked the fourth consecutive quarterly increase in unfunded loan commitments. The commercial loan pipeline totaled $1.6 billion at the end of the third quarter of 2025, and ready to close commercial loans totaled $490 million with a weighted average rate of 7.19 percent.

Deposits and Other Borrowings
Total deposits at the end of the third quarter of 2025 were $19.8 billion, compared to $21.8 billion at the end of the second quarter of 2025 and $21.9 billion at the end of the third quarter of 2024. The decrease in total deposits reflects a reduction of higher rate, non-relationship wholesale and public fund deposits as part of the balance sheet repositioning previously mentioned. At the same time, the overall mix of deposits improved with noninterest bearing deposits representing 22.1 percent of total deposits at the end of the third quarter of 2025, compared to 20.5 percent at the end of the second quarter of 2025. Interest bearing transaction accounts (excluding interest bearing public funds) represent 42.8 percent of total deposits at the end of the third quarter of 2025, compared to 39.0 percent at the end of the second quarter of 2025.

Other borrowings at the end of the third quarter of 2025 were $18.8 million, compared to $634.3 million at the end of the second quarter of 2025 and $1.0 billion at the end of the third quarter of 2024. The decrease in other borrowings on a linked quarter basis and year-over-year basis reflected the pay down of higher cost wholesale funding, primarily FHLB advances, as part of the balance sheet repositioning.  

Asset Quality
Total nonperforming loans at the end of the third quarter of 2025 totaled $153.9 million, compared to $157.2 million at the end of the second quarter of 2025 and $101.7 million at the end of the third quarter of 2024. The decrease in nonperforming loans on a linked quarter basis primarily reflected declines in commercial and real estate – single family loan portfolios, offset in part by an increase in the real estate – commercial portfolio. The increase in nonperforming loans on a year-over-year basis was primarily due to two specific credit relationships that were placed on nonaccrual at the end of first quarter of 2025. The nonperforming loan coverage ratio ended the third quarter of 2025 at 168 percent, compared to 161 percent at the end of the second quarter of 2025 and 229 percent at the end of the third quarter of 2024. Total nonperforming assets as a percentage of total assets were 66 basis points at the end of the third quarter of 2025, compared to 62 basis points at the end of the second quarter of 2025 and 38 basis points at the end of the third quarter of 2024. 

Provision for credit losses on loans totaled $15.2 million for the third quarter of 2025, compared to $11.9 million in the second quarter of 2025 and $12.1 million in the third quarter of 2024. The allowance for credit losses on loans at the end of the third quarter of 2025 was $258.0 million, compared to $253.5 million at the end of the second quarter of 2025 and $233.2 million at the end of the third quarter of 2024. The allowance for credit losses on loans as a percentage of total loans was 1.50 percent at the end of the third quarter of 2025, compared to 1.48 percent at the end of the second quarter of 2025 and 1.35 percent at the end of the third quarter of 2024.

Net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans for the third quarter of 2025 were 25 basis points, unchanged from second quarter 2025 levels and up slightly from 22 basis points in the third quarter of 2024. Provision for credit losses on loans exceeded net charge-offs by $4.5 million in the third quarter of 2025, $1.4 million in the second quarter of 2025 and $2.8 million in the third quarter of 2024.

Capital and Subordinated Debt
Total stockholders’ equity at the end of the third quarter was $3.4 billion, compared to $3.5 billion at the end of both the second quarter of 2025 and the third quarter of 2024. The decrease on a linked quarter basis and year-over-year basis was primarily due to a decline in undivided profits, reflecting the loss on sale of securities, offset in part by net proceeds of approximately $327 million from a common equity offering completed prior to commencement of the balance sheet repositioning. Book value per share at the end of the third quarter of 2025 was $23.18, compared to $28.17 at the end of the second quarter of 2025 and $28.11 at the end of the third quarter of 2024. Tangible book value per share¹ at the end of the third quarter of 2025 was $13.45, compared to $16.97 at the end of the second quarter of 2025 and $16.78 at the end of the third quarter of 2024. The decrease in book value per share and tangible book value per share was due to the loss on the sale of investment securities.

Total stockholders’ equity as a percentage of total assets at the end of the third quarter of 2025 was 13.9 percent, compared to 13.3 percent at the end of the second quarter of 2025 and 12.9 percent at the end of the third quarter of 2024. Tangible common equity as a percentage of tangible assets¹ was 8.5 percent at the end of both the third quarter of 2025 and second quarter of 2025, and 8.2 percent at the end of the third quarter of 2024. Each of the applicable regulatory capital ratios for Simmons and its principal subsidiary, Simmons Bank, continue to significantly exceed “well-capitalized” regulatory guidelines.

During the third quarter of 2025, the Company completed the offering and sale of $325 million in aggregate principal amount of its 6.25% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2035 (the “Notes”). The Notes were priced at par. The Company used the net proceeds from the offering, along with cash on hand, to repay in full the Company’s outstanding $330 million principal amount of its Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2028, which was completed on October 1, 2025. Additionally, on July 31, 2025, the Company completed the redemption of the Company’s outstanding $37 million principal amount of its Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Notes due 2030.

Share Repurchase Program
During the third quarter of 2025, Simmons did not repurchase shares under its stock repurchase program that was authorized in January 2024 (2024 Program), which replaced its former repurchase program that was authorized in January 2022. Remaining authorization under the 2024 Program as of September 30, 2025, was approximately $175 million. The timing, pricing and amount of any repurchases under the 2024 Program will be determined by Simmons’ management at its discretion based on a variety of factors including, but not limited to, market conditions, trading volume and market price of Simmons’ common stock, Simmons’ capital needs, Simmons’ working capital and investment requirements, other corporate considerations, economic conditions, and legal requirements.  The 2024 Program does not obligate Simmons to repurchase any common stock and may be modified, discontinued or suspended at any time without prior notice.

Conference Call 
Management will conduct a live conference call to review this information beginning at 7:30 a.m. Central Time on Friday, October 17, 2025. Interested persons can listen to this call by dialing toll-free 1-844-481-2779 (North America only) and asking for the Simmons First National Corporation conference call, conference ID 10203266. In addition, the call will be available live or in recorded version on Simmons’ website at simmonsbank.com for at least 60 days following the date of the call.

Simmons First National Corporation
Simmons First National Corporation (NASDAQ: SFNC) is a Mid-South based financial holding company that has paid cash dividends to its shareholders for 116 consecutive years. Its principal subsidiary, Simmons Bank, operates more than 220 branches in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. Founded in 1903, Simmons Bank offers comprehensive financial solutions delivered with a client-centric approach. Recently, Simmons Bank was recognized by Newsweek as one of America’s Greatest Workplaces 2025 in Arkansas. In 2024, Simmons Bank was recognized by Newsweek as one of America’s Best Regional Banks 2025, by U.S. News & World Report as one of the 2024-2025 Best Companies to Work For in the South and by Forbes as one of America’s Best-In-State Banks 2024 in Tennessee and America’s Best-In-State Employers 2024 in Missouri. Additional information about Simmons Bank can be found on our website at simmonsbank.com, by following @Simmons_Bank on X (formerly Twitter) or by visiting our newsroom.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This press release contains financial information determined by methods other than in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The Company’s management uses these non-GAAP financial measures in their analysis of the Company’s performance. These measures adjust GAAP performance measures to, among other things, include the tax benefit associated with revenue items that are tax-exempt, as well as exclude from net income (including on a per share diluted basis), pre-tax, pre-provision earnings, net charge-offs, income available to common shareholders, noninterest income, and noninterest expense certain income and expense items attributable to, for example, losses on sale of securities, net branch right-sizing initiatives, early retirement program, termination of vendor and software services and losses on early extinguishment of debt.

In addition, the Company also presents certain figures based on tangible common stockholders’ equity, tangible assets and tangible book value, which exclude goodwill and other intangible assets. The Company further presents certain figures that are exclusive of the impact of deposits and/or loans acquired through acquisitions, mortgage warehouse loans, and/or energy loans, or gains and/or losses on the sale of securities, or the aforementioned two specific credit relationships. The Company’s management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors because they, among other things, present the results of the Company’s ongoing operations without the effect of mergers or other items not central to the Company’s ongoing business, as well as normalize for tax effects and certain other effects. Management, therefore, believes presentations of these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful supplemental information that is essential to a proper understanding of the operating results of the Company’s ongoing businesses, and management uses these non-GAAP financial measures to assess the performance of the Company’s ongoing businesses as related to prior financial periods. These non-GAAP disclosures should not be viewed as a substitute for operating results determined in accordance with GAAP, nor are they necessarily comparable to non-GAAP performance measures that may be presented by other companies. Where non-GAAP financial measures are used, the comparable GAAP financial measure, as well as the reconciliation to the comparable GAAP financial measure, can be found in the tables of this release.

Forward-Looking Statements
Certain statements in this press release may not be based on historical facts and should be considered “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, statements made in Mr. Makris’s quote, may be identified by reference to future periods or by the use of forward-looking terminology, such as “believe,” “budget,” “expect,” “foresee,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “indicate,” “target,” “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “continue,” “contemplate,” “positions,” “prospects,” “predict,” or “potential,” by future conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “might” or “may,” or by variations of such words or by similar expressions. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements relating to Simmons’ future growth, business strategies, lending capacity and lending activity, loan demand, revenue, assets, asset quality, profitability, dividends, net interest margin, non-interest revenue, share repurchase program, acquisition strategy, digital banking initiatives, the Company’s ability to recruit and retain key employees, the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses, future economic conditions and interest rates, and the adequacy of reserve levels for loans. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this press release, and Simmons undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date of this press release. By nature, forward-looking statements are based on various assumptions and involve inherent risk and uncertainties. Various factors, including, but not limited to, changes in economic conditions, changes in credit quality, changes in interest rates and related governmental policies, the effects of a government shutdown, changes in loan demand, changes in deposit flows, changes in real estate values, changes in the assumptions used in making the forward-looking statements, changes in the securities markets generally or the price of Simmons’ common stock specifically, changes in information technology affecting the financial industry, and changes in customer behaviors, including consumer spending, borrowing, and saving habits; changes in tariff policies; general economic and market conditions; changes in governmental administrations; market disruptions including pandemics or significant health hazards, severe weather conditions, natural disasters, terrorist activities, financial crises, political crises, war and other military conflicts (including the ongoing military conflicts between Russia and Ukraine) or other major events, or the prospect of these events; the soundness of other financial institutions and any indirect exposure related to the closings of other financial institutions and their impact on the broader market through other customers, suppliers and partners, or that the conditions which resulted in the liquidity concerns experienced by closed financial institutions may also adversely impact, directly or indirectly, other financial institutions and market participants with which the Company has commercial or deposit relationships; increased inflation; the loss of key employees; increased competition in the markets in which the Company operates and from non-bank financial institutions; increased unemployment; labor shortages; claims, damages, and fines related to litigation or government actions; changes in accounting principles relating to loan loss recognition (current expected credit losses); fraud that results in material losses or that we have not discovered yet that may result in material losses; the Company’s ability to manage and successfully integrate its mergers and acquisitions and to fully realize cost savings and other benefits associated with acquisitions; increased delinquency and foreclosure rates on commercial real estate loans; significant increases in nonaccrual loan balances; cyber or other information technology threats, attacks or events; reliance on third parties for key services; government legislation; and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, could cause actual results to differ materially from those projected in or contemplated by the forward-looking statements. In addition, there can be no guarantee that the board of directors (Board) of Simmons will approve a quarterly dividend in future quarters, and the timing, payment, and amount of future dividends (if any) is subject to, among other things, the discretion of the Board and may differ significantly from past dividends. Additional information on factors that might affect the Company’s financial results is included in the Company’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company’s Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, and other reports that the Company has filed with or furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), all of which are available from the SEC on its website, www.sec.gov.

SOURCE Simmons First National Corporation