By Jorge Mercado Monday, May 4th, 2026

Sierra Bancorp, the parent company of Bank of the Sierra, announced its results for the first quarter of 2026 on April 28, noting that consolidated net income was $12.5 million for the quarter, up from $9.3 million in the same quarter a year ago.

Bank of the Sierra is headquartered in Porterville but has 10 branches in the tri-county area.

For the quarter ended June 30, Sierra Bank recognized that diluted earnings per share increased 47% year-over-year.

Gross loans decreased $80.1 million, due to a $39.9 million seasonal decrease in mortgage warehouse line utilization, coupled with declines in line utilization and new credit extended.

Deposits increased by $49.4 million, or 2%. The increase in deposits came from a $56.8 million increase in core customer deposits, partially offset by a $7.7 million decline in customer time deposits.

“I am extremely proud to report a strong start to 2026!” stated Kevin McPhaill, CEO and President.

“Profitability remains our top strategic priority as shown by our consistently high ROAA of 1.39%. Furthermore, this was our fifth consecutive quarter of improvement to our efficiency ratio, which is directly attributable to ongoing expense management discipline.”

“We have redoubled our community banking efforts within our branch network, resulting in an increase of 2% in core customer deposits during the first quarter. We are extremely proud of these continued strong results, and I believe the remainder of 2026 will further demonstrate our discipline, drive, and commitment to excellence,” he said.