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ServisFirst Bancshares, Inc. (SFBS) Q1 2026 Earnings Call April 20, 2026 5:15 PM EDT

Company Participants

Davis Mange – Vice President Investor Relations Accounting Manager
Thomas Broughton – Chairman, President & CEO
Jim Harper – Senior VP & Chief Credit Officer
David Sparacio – Executive VP & CFO

Conference Call Participants

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Stephen Scouten – Piper Sandler & Co., Research Division
Stephen Moss – Raymond James & Associates, Inc., Research Division
David Bishop – Hovde Group, LLC, Research Division

Presentation

Operator

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Greetings, and welcome to the ServisFirst Bancshares First Quarter Earnings Conference Call. [Operator Instructions]. It’s now my pleasure to turn the call over to Davis Mange, Director of Investor Relations. Davis, please go ahead.

Davis Mange
Vice President Investor Relations Accounting Manager

Good afternoon, and welcome to our first quarter earnings call. We’ll have Tom Broughton, our CEO; Jim Harper, our Chief Credit Officer; and David Sparacio, our CFO, covering some highlights from the quarter and then take your questions. I’ll now cover our forward-looking statements disclosure.

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Some of the discussion in today’s earnings call may include forward-looking statements. Actual results may differ from any projections shared today due to factors described in our most recent 10-K and 10-Q filings. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and ServisFirst assumes no duty to update them. With that, I’ll turn the call over to Tom.

Thomas Broughton
Chairman, President & CEO

Davis, thank you. Good afternoon, and thank you for joining our first quarter conference call. We’re really pleased with our start to the year, and I’m going to highlight a few things before I turn it over to Jim Harper to give credit update.

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On the loan side, we had pretty solid loan growth for the quarter. Loan growth is usually not very robust in the first quarter, but we did see

The Gaydon-based luxury marque is pressing ahead with trademark action against the Chinese conglomerate that owns a sizeable slice of its share register, in a dispute that underscores the delicate politics of cross-border automotive investment.

Aston Martin Lagonda has launched legal proceedings against Zhejiang Geely Holding Group, the Hangzhou-headquartered motor group that holds a 17 per cent stake in the British carmaker, over a winged emblem the luxury marque claims is too close for comfort to its own storied badge.

The case, which pits Britain’s most famous sports car manufacturer against one of its largest shareholders, centres on a logo Geely intends to roll out on vehicles produced by its London EV Company (LEVC) subsidiary, the Coventry-based maker of the capital’s black cabs. The design features a horse’s head set within a pair of outstretched wings, and Aston Martin contends that the overall impression sails far too close to the slender winged motif that has adorned its bonnets since 1927.

The row is not a new one, Aston Martin first raised objections in 2022, when Geely sought to register the marks with the UK Intellectual Property Office. The Gaydon firm formally opposed the application the following year, arguing infringement, only for the hearing officer to side with the Chinese group on the basis that consumers were unlikely to mistake an electric taxi for a £150,000-plus grand tourer.

That ruling did little to cool tempers at Aston Martin, and the latest legal salvo suggests the board is prepared to press the point despite the awkward shareholder dynamic. Geely acquired its 17 per cent holding for roughly $310m (£245m) in 2023, making it one of the marque’s most significant backers alongside executive chairman Lawrence Stroll’s Yew Tree consortium and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund.

For Geely, the London taxi business is a strategically important British asset. The group has been quietly assembling a portfolio of UK marques over the past decade, with Lotus now firmly in its stable alongside LEVC. Its involvement at Aston Martin was initially welcomed as a source of both capital and potential manufacturing expertise at a moment when the British firm has been burning through cash to fund its electrification programme.

The dispute also comes at a bruising time for Aston Martin’s brand stewardship. The company recently saw 007 defect to the silver screen behind the wheel of a BYD, a coup for the rival Chinese electric-vehicle maker and a blow to a marque whose cultural cachet has long been bound up with the James Bond franchise.

In public, both parties are playing down the significance of the row. Aston Martin has declined to comment further on live proceedings, while Geely has characterised the matter as a routine trademark dispute and insisted it remains committed to a professional working relationship with the Gaydon marque as both business partner and investor.

Trademark lawyers watching the case note that the outcome will hinge on whether the courts accept that the average buyer, whether of an Aston Martin DB12 or an LEVC electric cab, could be confused or whether Aston’s goodwill in the wings motif is being unfairly exploited. What is already clear is that having a Chinese partner on the share register is no guarantee of a quiet life in the intellectual property courts.

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SoftBank-backed digital-commerce ecosystem AceVector Ltd has filed updated draft papers with markets regulator Sebi for an initial public offering (IPO), which will include a fresh issue of shares worth Rs 300 crore.

In addition to the fresh issue, the IPO will also involve an offer-for-sale (OFS) of 6.38 crore shares by existing shareholders, according to the updated draft red herring prospectus (UDRHP).

As part of the OFS, promoter Starfish I Pte Ltd and other shareholders Nexus, Wonderful Star Pte Ltd, Kenneth Stuart Glass, Jason Ashok Kothari, Priyanka Shreevar Kheruka, Rupen Investment and Industries, and Centaurus Trading and Investments will offload their holdings.

Despite the share sale by several investors, AceVector’s promoters and founders Kunal Bahl and Rohit Bansal, who together hold a 23.56 per cent stake, will not participate in the OFS. However, another promoter entity Starfish, which owns 30.68 per cent stake in the company, will be divesting part of its stake.

The company plans to use the IPO proceeds to strengthen technology infrastructure, support marketing and business promotion for Snapdeal, pursue inorganic growth through acquisitions, and meet general corporate requirements.

The Gurugram-based company operates Snapdeal, a value-focused lifestyle e-commerce marketplace; Unicommerce, an e-commerce enablement SaaS platform; and Stellaro Brands, an omnichannel consumer brands arm.
Financially, AceVector reported operating revenue of Rs 244 crore in H1 FY26, up 34 per cent from Rs 181 crore in H1 FY25. During the same period, its adjusted EBITDA loss narrowed significantly to Rs 9.2 crore from Rs 28 crore a year earlier.

AceVector had initiated its IPO journey earlier this year by filing confidential draft papers with Sebi in July and subsequently securing approval in November. By opting for the confidential pre-filing route, the company gained the flexibility to delay public disclosure of IPO details until the later stages.

Warren Buffett and Michael Burry, two investors closely watched across global markets, are taking diametrically opposite positions on the artificial intelligence frenzy, setting up a rare, high-stakes clash over whether Silicon Valley’s hottest trade is a once-in-a-generation opportunity or a bubble waiting to burst. Their positions, revealed in recent disclosures and letters, come as concerns about an AI bubble gain mainstream attention while investors continue pouring capital into the sector.

Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway last month unveiled a large new stake in Alphabet, instantly propelling the Google parent into Berkshire Hathaway’s top 10 holdings. The move is widely seen as an endorsement of Alphabet’s heavy AI investments and the market’s view of the company as a frontrunner in the AI race.

The investment comes at a moment of transition for Berkshire. Buffett announced in May that he will step down as CEO at the end of this year, though he will retain his stock, handing the reins to vice chairman Greg Abel after decades at the helm of a company that began as a Nebraska textile mill and grew into one of the most influential conglomerates in American finance.

Burry doubles down on his skepticism

Michael Burry, however, is moving in the opposite direction. The investor who famously profited from betting against the U.S. housing market in 2008 has taken new short positions in Palantir and Nvidia, two of the highest-profile beneficiaries of the AI boom.He has been particularly critical of accounting practices across Big Tech, arguing that companies “have been systematically increasing the useful lives of chips and servers, for depreciation purposes, as they invest hundreds of billions of dollars in graphics chips with accelerating planned obsolescence.”

Burry is also in a period of transition. Scion Asset Management, his hedge fund, will close by year-end. In a recent investor letter, he wrote that his “estimation of value in securities is not now, and has not been for some time, in sync with the markets.” He has since launched a financial newsletter, Cassandra Unchained, where he continues to express skepticism about the AI boom.

A market split as AI hype peaks

Their opposing moves come as even industry leaders begin to acknowledge stretched expectations. Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has voiced concerns about the pace and scale of speculative fervor surrounding artificial intelligence.
Still, capital continues to flood the sector, and the disagreement between two investors of such high reputation underscores the uncertainty in the market. Buffett turned Berkshire Hathaway into one of the most recognizable names in American investing, while Burry inspired Michael Lewis’s The Big Short and the film adaptation starring Christian Bale.Now, with both navigating turning points in their own careers, the divergence in their AI positions is emerging as one of the most closely watched splits in the market—one that could signal whether the boom is built on solid ground or heading toward another historic correction.

(Disclaimer: Recommendations, suggestions, views and opinions given by the experts are their own. These do not represent the views of The Economic Times)

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Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, and no plans to initiate any such positions within the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Readers are advised to fact-check thoroughly before committing any capital to this idea; this reflects the personal views of the author and should not be pursued as formal financial or investment advice in any manner. While every effort has been made to ensure accuracy, errors may exist in the data and financial projections presented. The author is not responsible for any financial gains or losses incurred from investments made based on this content. For any additional information regarding the company or any clarification, feel free to comment. Happy to discuss anything further with regard to the presented investment thesis

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This article was written by

Analyst’s Disclosure: I/we have no stock, option or similar derivative position in any of the companies mentioned, but may initiate a beneficial Short position through short-selling of the stock, or purchase of put options or similar derivatives in CHD over the next 72 hours. I wrote this article myself, and it expresses my own opinions. I am not receiving compensation for it (other than from Seeking Alpha). I have no business relationship with any company whose stock is mentioned in this article.

Seeking Alpha’s Disclosure: Past performance is no guarantee of future results. No recommendation or advice is being given as to whether any investment is suitable for a particular investor. Any views or opinions expressed above may not reflect those of Seeking Alpha as a whole. Seeking Alpha is not a licensed securities dealer, broker or US investment adviser or investment bank. Our analysts are third party authors that include both professional investors and individual investors who may not be licensed or certified by any institute or regulatory body.

Apple CEO Tim Cook is stepping down in a major leadership shakeup, the tech giant announced Monday.

He will transition to executive chairman of the company’s board of directors and will be succeeded by longtime Apple veteran John Ternus, the company’s senior vice president of Hardware Engineering, effective Sept. 1. 

“It has been the greatest privilege of my life to be the CEO of Apple and to have been trusted to lead such an extraordinary company,” Cook said. 

“I love Apple with all of my being, and I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to work with a team of such ingenious, innovative, creative, and deeply caring people who have been unwavering in their dedication to enriching the lives of our customers and creating the best products and services in the world.”

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The company said the transition followed a “thoughtful, long-term succession planning process” and was unanimously approved by the board of directors.

The announcement follows Cook last month downplaying retirement rumors, saying he “can’t imagine life without Apple” after 28 years with the company, CNBC reported. Cook first joined Apple in 1998 as senior vice president of Worldwide Operations before eventually being named permanent CEO in 2011, weeks before the death of co-founder Steve Jobs.

In his new role as executive chairman, Cook will continue to assist with select company matters, with a particular focus on engagement with global policymakers. He will also work closely with Ternus throughout the transition period.

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Cook also expressed complete confidence in his successor, describing the longtime Apple executive, who has been with the company for nearly three decades, as a “visionary” best fit to lead Apple into its next chapter. 

“John Ternus has the mind of an engineer, the soul of an innovator, and the heart to lead with integrity and with honor,” Cook said. 

“He is a visionary whose contributions to Apple over 25 years are already too numerous to count, and he is without question the right person to lead Apple into the future. I could not be more confident in his abilities and his character, and I look forward to working closely with him on this transition and in my new role as executive chairman.” 

Ternus, who will also join the board of directors on Sept. 1, has built an extensive legacy in hardware engineering since joining Apple’s product design team in 2001, eventually rising to senior vice president of Hardware Engineering in 2021.

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He has made numerous contributions across Apple’s hardware ecosystem, playing a key role in the development of successive generations of the iPhone, Mac and Apple Watch, as well as the iPad and AirPods product lines.

Beyond specific devices, Ternus has also championed key innovations in product sustainability, including the use of 3D-printed titanium in the Apple Watch Ultra 3 and efforts to improve device repairability to extend overall product lifespans.

Ticker	Security	Last	Change	Change %
AAPL	APPLE INC.	273.05	+2.82	+1.04%

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Apple also announced on Monday additional leadership changes alongside Cook’s departure and Ternus’ promotion.

Arthur Levinson, who has served as Apple’s non-executive chairman for the past 15 years, will transition to lead independent director on Sept. 1, 2026.

Johny Srouji, who held the role of senior vice president of Hardware Technologies, has been promoted to chief hardware officer, effective immediately.