First Southern Bank: how it compares with its peers
Against 31 MS banks with half to twice its assets, First Southern Bank's strongest measure in Q2 2026 is return on assets (1.89% vs. a 1.15% peer median). Its weakest relative measure is assets per employee ($4.7M vs. $5.3M).
| Measure | First Southern Bank | Peer median | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Return on assets Annualized net income over average assets. | 1.89% | 1.15% | Top third Ahead of 81% of peers |
| Net interest margin Annualized net interest income over earning assets. | 4.70% | 4.02% | Top third Ahead of 81% of peers |
| Efficiency ratio Noninterest expense per dollar of revenue. Lower is better. | 61.56% | 65.42% | Top third Ahead of 68% of peers |
| Assets per employee Total assets over full-time-equivalent staff. | $4.7M | $5.3M | Bottom third Ahead of 26% of peers |
| Loans to deposits Net loans and leases over total deposits. | 54.18% | 71.79% | Context |
What it means for lending operations
Its efficiency ratio of 61.56% is better than the 65.42% peer median. Banks that already run lean usually find their next gains in loan growth: faster digital applications and fewer borrowers abandoning a slow document chase.
Banks closest in size
- Bank of Yazoo City Yazoo City, MS · $318M
- Copiah Bank Hazlehurst, MS · $332M
- Bank of Franklin Meadville, MS · $302M
- The Bank of Forest Forest, MS · $296M
- The Commercial Bank De Kalb, MS · $295M
- The Cleveland State Bank Cleveland, MS · $340M
Questions about First Southern Bank
How big is First Southern Bank?
First Southern Bank, established in 1960, is headquartered in Columbia, MS. It reported $317M in total assets in its Q2 2026 FDIC call report and operates 6 offices.
What is First Southern Bank's return on assets?
1.89% annualized in Q2 2026, against a 1.15% median for 31 MS banks with half to twice its assets, ahead of 81% of them.
What is First Southern Bank's efficiency ratio?
61.56% in Q2 2026: it spent about 62 cents in noninterest expense for each dollar of revenue. The peer median is 65.42%, and lower is better.
Is First Southern Bank growing its loans?
Net loans grew 0.1% over the year to Q2 2026, while deposits shrank 10.1%.
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 MS 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 Mississippi bank ranked.