Farmers & Merchants Bank of Long Beach in California expects to report a net loss in the third quarter after restructuring its balance sheet.
The bank said in a press release that it sold about $1 billion of low-yielding municipal bonds at a pretax loss of about $85 million. A portion of the proceeds were used to pay down higher-yielding debt to improve funding costs.
The remaining proceeds will provide funding capacity for loans over time.
“The balance sheet repositioning reflects the disciplined approach that has defined F&M for more than a century,” W. Henry Walker, F&M’s CEO, said in the release.
“We executed this transaction from a position of strength to enhance earning asset yields, expand net interest margin, and further strengthen our balance sheet,” he added. “The result is a more efficient balance sheet with greater capacity to support customer borrowing needs and future growth.”
The loss recognized on the sale will offset one-time gains realized in 2026, including $14 million recognized in the second quarter.