COLB, US1972361026

Columbia Banking System stock gets $1.2 billion buyback boost

Published on 11/12/2026 at 01:05 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWS

Columbia Banking System stock is backed by a new capital-return plan after a solid third quarter. The move follows completed prior repurchases.

Buyback plan reshapes capital returns

The board authorized a new repurchase program after the prior authorization was completed.
Columbia Banking System repurchased 23.3 million shares between November 2025 and September 30, 2026.
Capital ratios and deposits supported the bank's funding position at the end of the third quarter.

COLB, US1972361026, Illustration mit AI erstellt.

Columbia Banking System is expanding its capital-return strategy after the third quarter. Its board authorized a new share repurchase program in October 2026, according to Zacks Equity Research.

Capital return enters next phase

The authorization allows Columbia Banking System to repurchase up to 1.2 billion US dollars of common stock. It follows the completion of the company's previous authorization and gives management additional flexibility to return capital while continuing its integration work.

Between November 2025 and September 30, 2026, the bank repurchased 23.3 million shares at an average price of 29.88 US dollars. Those purchases represented 7.8 percent of shares outstanding as of September 30, 2025. Including dividends, the company returned more than 1 billion US dollars to shareholders over the preceding year.

Third-quarter strength supports plan

Columbia Banking System reported third-quarter 2026 net income of 220 million US dollars and diluted earnings per share of 0.78 US dollars in its filing. Net interest income reached 615 million US dollars, while the tax-equivalent net interest margin rose to 4.11 percent, according to the third-quarter results summarized by The Globe and Mail.

The bank's common equity Tier 1 ratio stood at 11.5 percent on September 30, 2026, while total risk-based capital was 13.8 percent. Deposits increased to 52.7 billion US dollars from 52.1 billion US dollars in the preceding quarter. The planned pace of future repurchases will depend on earnings, capital requirements and market conditions.

Regional banking platform

Columbia Banking System, headquartered in Tacoma, Washington, is the parent company of Columbia Bank. It provides retail and commercial banking, Small Business Administration lending, institutional and corporate banking, equipment leasing, investment and wealth management, healthcare banking and private banking across markets including Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Texas, Utah and Washington.

Within regional banking, Columbia competes with institutions such as U.S. Bancorp, KeyCorp and Zions Bancorporation. Columbia is a regional lender with a Pacific Northwest base and a broader western U.S. footprint, while those peers operate larger or differently concentrated regional banking networks.