Ascent Bank: how it compares with its peers
Against 13 MT banks with half to twice its assets, Ascent Bank's strongest measure in Q2 2026 is net interest margin (4.56% vs. a 4.17% peer median). Its weakest relative measure is return on assets (1.24% vs. 1.52%).
| Measure | Ascent Bank | Peer median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return on assets Annualized net income over average assets. | 1.24% | 1.52% | Bottom third Ahead of 23% of peers |
| Net interest margin Annualized net interest income over earning assets. | 4.56% | 4.17% | Middle third Ahead of 62% of peers |
| Efficiency ratio Noninterest expense per dollar of revenue. Lower is better. | 57.58% | 53.04% | Bottom third Ahead of 23% of peers |
| Assets per employee Total assets over full-time-equivalent staff. | $6.9M | $7.3M | Middle third Ahead of 46% of peers |
| Loans to deposits Net loans and leases over total deposits. | 88.06% | 62.37% | Context |
What it means for lending operations
Its efficiency ratio of 57.58% is above the 53.04% 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
- Garfield County Bank Jordan, MT · $108M
- Bank of Bozeman Bozeman, MT · $108M
- First Security Bank of Roundup Roundup, MT · $95M
- Belt Valley Bank Belt, MT · $90M
- First Security Bank of Deer Lodge Deer Lodge, MT · $81M
- Pioneer State Bank Deer Lodge, MT · $134M
Questions about Ascent Bank
How big is Ascent Bank?
Ascent Bank, established in 1970, is headquartered in Helena, MT. It reported $104M in total assets in its Q2 2026 FDIC call report and operates 2 offices.
What is Ascent Bank's return on assets?
1.24% annualized in Q2 2026, against a 1.52% median for 13 MT banks with half to twice its assets, ahead of 23% of them.
What is Ascent Bank's efficiency ratio?
57.58% in Q2 2026: it spent about 58 cents in noninterest expense for each dollar of revenue. The peer median is 53.04%, and lower is better.
Is Ascent Bank growing its loans?
Net loans grew 0.6% over the year to Q2 2026, while deposits shrank 1.6%.
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 MT 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 Montana bank ranked.