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Investing.com -- Moody’s Ratings has confirmed Simmons First National Corporation’s Baa2 long-term local currency issuer rating and changed the outlook to stable from ratings under review, concluding a review for downgrade initiated on May 20.
The rating agency also confirmed the Baa2 long-term local currency issuer rating and baa1 baseline credit assessment of Simmons Bank, the company’s banking subsidiary. Additionally, Moody’s confirmed Simmons Bank’s A2/Prime-1 long-term and short-term local currency bank deposit ratings.
According to Moody’s, the confirmation reflects expectations that Simmons’ announced common equity raise and planned balance sheet restructuring will improve profitability and strengthen its economic capital position to levels comparable with similarly rated peers.
The bank’s capitalization serves as an important mitigant for asset risk, particularly given its substantial commercial real estate concentration. Simmons reported a common equity tier 1 (CET 1) capital ratio of 12.4% in the second quarter of 2025, which Moody’s considers solid compared to peers.
While the equity raise and balance sheet restructuring are expected to reduce risk-based capital ratios by approximately 90 basis points, Moody’s anticipates improved earnings will help rebuild the CET 1 ratio above 12% in the short to medium term. The agency expects Simmons’ return on average assets to exceed 1% following the transaction.
The restructuring also reduces the bank’s reliance on wholesale funding, particularly brokered deposits, improving its overall funding structure. The securities slated for sale are primarily long-dated municipal securities, which Moody’s had attributed limited liquidity value to, making the impact on the bank’s liquid resources credit neutral.
Moody’s noted that recent credit issues in Simmons’ commercial loan portfolio are isolated to two credit relationships, one involving fraud. Despite these issues, the agency views the bank’s overall credit performance as good, citing net charge-offs below 25 basis points of average loans for each of the past three years.
An upgrade of Simmons’ ratings is unlikely in the next 12-18 months, according to Moody’s. The ratings could face downward pressure if the tangible common equity to risk-weighted assets ratio fails to rebuild above 12% over the medium term, or if the bank experiences significant credit quality deterioration.
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