FDIC certificate 17863
Sterling State Bank
Austin, Minnesota · 1419 1st Ave Sw 55912
Hunter Score
This bank ranks below the middle of its size group.
Up 1 point from last quarter.
Compared with 1,424 banks with $300 million to $1 billion in assets.
A high score is not a recommendation to buy or sell.
What stands out
Sterling State Bank has a Hunter Score of 38 out of 100 for Q2 2026, ending June 30, 2026. This bank ranks below the middle of its size group. The comparison is with banks with $300 million to $1 billion in assets.
The FDIC reported return on equity of 14.53% (field ROE). Among banks with $300 million to $1 billion in assets, the peer rank for this measure is 63 out of 100. A rank of 50 is typical.
The FDIC reported efficiency ratio of 74.23% (field EEFFR). Among banks with $300 million to $1 billion in assets, the peer rank for this measure is 19 out of 100. A rank of 50 is typical.
Warning flags
These are factual readings from FDIC fields. A flag is a reason to read the number, not a finding that the bank is unsafe.
- Commercial real estate loans are at least 300% of capitalConstruction loans, multifamily loans, and other nonfarm nonresidential loans (not the owner-occupied ones) totaled $136,664,000, which is 312% of total risk-based capital. The 2006 supervisory guidance uses 300% as a level to look at more closely. From 2023-06-30 to this quarter, the same loan group was up 17%. That is below the 50% growth the guidance also mentions.
- Unrealized securities loss is at least a quarter of equityAvailable-for-sale securities were $125,787,000 at fair value and $134,089,000 at amortized cost (FDIC fields SCAF and SCAA). The difference is an unrealized loss of $8,302,000, equal to 26% of total equity. We flag this at 25% of equity. It is not an FDIC limit. Held-to-maturity unrealized losses are not included, because this file does not publish a held-to-maturity cost we can subtract from fair value without guessing.
Held-to-maturity unrealized losses are not flagged. The FDIC file does not publish a held-to-maturity cost that we can subtract from fair value without guessing.
Similar banks
Other banks in Minnesota with $300 million to $1 billion in assets, ordered by Hunter Score.
- Sherburne Bank90out of 100
- Midwest Bank88out of 100
- First National Bank North84out of 100
- EntreBank79out of 100
- Premier Bank Minnesota79out of 100
Top Hunter Scores in Minnesota · Top scores with $300 million to $1 billion in assets
The five measures
Numbers below are for Q2 2026, ending June 30, 2026. They are copied from the FDIC. We do not recalculate them.
Return on equity (ROE)
14.53%
Profit for each dollar of the bank's capital. Higher is stronger.
Peer rank 63 out of 100. Near the middle of similar-sized banks.
More about this number
The FDIC reports this as ROE. A common benchmark is above 10%. The benchmark is only a guide. The Hunter Score uses the peer rank, not the benchmark.
Return on assets (ROA)
0.98%
Profit for each dollar of assets. Higher is stronger.
Peer rank 30 out of 100. Weaker than most similar-sized banks.
More about this number
The FDIC reports this as ROA. A common benchmark is above 1%. The benchmark is only a guide. The Hunter Score uses the peer rank, not the benchmark.
Net interest margin (NIM)
3.54%
The gap between what the bank earns on loans and securities and what it pays for funding. Higher means a wider gap.
Peer rank 29 out of 100. Weaker than most similar-sized banks.
More about this number
The FDIC reports this as NIMY. A common benchmark is above 3%. The benchmark is only a guide. The Hunter Score uses the peer rank, not the benchmark.
Efficiency ratio
74.23%
What the bank spends to produce a dollar of revenue. Lower is leaner.
Peer rank 19 out of 100. Weaker than most similar-sized banks.
More about this number
The FDIC reports this as EEFFR. A common benchmark is below 60%. The benchmark is only a guide. The Hunter Score uses the peer rank, not the benchmark.
Noncurrent loans
0.47%
Loans that are past due or no longer accruing interest, as a share of all loans. Lower is safer.
Peer rank 48 out of 100. Near the middle of similar-sized banks.
More about this number
The FDIC reports this as NCLNLSR. A common benchmark is below 1%. The benchmark is only a guide. The Hunter Score uses the peer rank, not the benchmark.
Recent quarters
- Q2 2026, ending June 30, 202638 out of 100
- Q1 2026, ending March 31, 202637 out of 100
- Q4 2025, ending December 31, 202526 out of 100
- Q3 2025, ending September 30, 202534 out of 100
- Q2 2025, ending June 30, 202533 out of 100
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About this bank
- Total assets
- $461.9 million
- Deposits
- $359.5 million
- Equity
- $31.8 million
- Tangible equity
- $31.8 millionBank-level FDIC equity minus goodwill and other intangible assets (FDIC fields EQ and INTANGW). This is not the holding company's tangible book, and it is not per share.
- Offices
- 6
- Charter
- State bank, not a Federal Reserve member
- Specialty
- Commercial Lending Specialization
- Community bank
- Yes, by the FDIC definition
- Net income
- $2.3 millionYear-to-date, as reported. Not annualized.
Holding company and stock symbol
Holding company: Sterling Financial Group Inc, Rochester, MN. Federal Reserve RSSD 1123410.
We do not have a verified stock symbol for this bank. Many community banks are not publicly traded. A symbol is shown only after it matches an SEC filing, or after it is added to the reviewed list.
What is this bank worth per share?
Where it is
1419 1st Ave Sw, Austin, MN 55912
Showing the main office reported to the FDIC. Use the plus and minus buttons on the map to zoom. Map data is from OpenStreetMap.