Merchants & Planters' Bank: how it compares with its peers
Against 35 AR banks with half to twice its assets, Merchants & Planters' Bank's strongest measure in Q2 2026 is net interest margin (3.98% vs. a 4.14% peer median). Its weakest relative measure is efficiency ratio (74.81% vs. 59.35%).
| Measure | Merchants & Planters' Bank | Peer median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return on assets Annualized net income over average assets. | 0.95% | 1.22% | Bottom third Ahead of 20% of peers |
| Net interest margin Annualized net interest income over earning assets. | 3.98% | 4.14% | Middle third Ahead of 34% of peers |
| Efficiency ratio Noninterest expense per dollar of revenue. Lower is better. | 74.81% | 59.35% | Bottom third Ahead of 11% of peers |
| Assets per employee Total assets over full-time-equivalent staff. | $4.6M | $6.1M | Bottom third Ahead of 14% of peers |
| Loans to deposits Net loans and leases over total deposits. | 52.84% | 80.91% | Context |
What it means for lending operations
Its efficiency ratio of 74.81% is above the 59.35% peer median: it spends more to earn each dollar of revenue than most banks its size. Staff time on manual borrower verification (collecting pay stubs, bank statements, and employment letters, then re-keying them) is one of the larger controllable costs behind that number.
Banks closest in size
- Commercial Bank & Trust Company Monticello, AR · $364M
- Union Bank & Trust Company Monticello, AR · $356M
- Today's Bank Huntsville, AR · $351M
- Partners Bank Helena, AR · $417M
- Bank of 1889 Berryville, AR · $339M
- Bank of England England, AR · $332M
Questions about Merchants & Planters' Bank
How big is Merchants & Planters' Bank?
Merchants & Planters' Bank, established in 1946, is headquartered in Newport, AR. It reported $379M in total assets in its Q2 2026 FDIC call report and operates 12 offices.
What is Merchants & Planters' Bank's return on assets?
0.95% annualized in Q2 2026, against a 1.22% median for 35 AR banks with half to twice its assets, ahead of 20% of them.
What is Merchants & Planters' Bank's efficiency ratio?
74.81% in Q2 2026: it spent about 75 cents in noninterest expense for each dollar of revenue. The peer median is 59.35%, and lower is better.
Is Merchants & Planters' Bank growing its loans?
Net loans grew 2.5% over the year to Q2 2026, while deposits grew 14.6%.
Sources and method
Figures are from the FDIC’s public call report data for the quarter ending 06/30/2026, via FDIC BankFind. Return on assets and net interest margin are annualized year to date. Peers are AR banks with half to twice its assets in the same quarter, excluding this bank. The page refreshes daily, so new quarters appear as banks file. Compare another bank or see every Arkansas bank ranked.