Item 9A. Controls and Procedures
Item 9A. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
As of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K, the Company carried out an evaluation, under the supervision and with the participation of its management, including its Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, of the effectiveness of the design and operation of its disclosure controls and procedures. Based upon that evaluation, the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) under the Exchange Act) were not effective as of the end of the period covered by this Annual Report on Form 10-K because of the material weakness in internal control over financial reporting described below. Notwithstanding the material weakness, based on additional analyses and other procedures performed, management believes that the consolidated financial statements included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K fairly present, in all material respects, the Company’s financial position, results of operations, and cash flows as of and for the periods presented, in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”).
Management's Report on Internal Control over Financial Reporting
The Company’s management is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act). The Company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the Company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with GAAP, and that receipts and expenditures of the Company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the Company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the Company’s financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting might not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
The Company’s management, with participation of the CEO and CFO, under the oversight of the Company’s Board of Directors, evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2025, based on the framework established in “Internal Control-Integrated Framework (2013),” issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (“COSO”) of the Treadway Commission. A material weakness (as defined in Rule 12b-2 under the Exchange Act) is a deficiency or combination of deficiencies in internal control over financial reporting such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement in the Company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.
Based on the assessment, management concluded that the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was not effective as of December 31, 2025, as management did not sufficiently maintain effective control activities related to accounting for and classification of loan participation activity within the Consolidated Statements of Income (“SOI”) and the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (“SCF”).
The ineffective controls over the accounting for and presentation of loan participation activity impacted (1) the SOI classification of deferred loan costs being classified as non-interest expense instead of as an offset to gains on sale of loans, which resulted in misstatements between non-interest income and non-interest expense with no impact to net income and (2) the SCF classification of cash flows between operating and investing activities associated with the proceeds received from the sale of loan participations which resulted in quantitively material misstatements to participation loan activities between operating and investing activities within the SCF.
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Management concluded that this material weakness was primarily due to (1) insufficient oversight of the control environment as it relates to inadequate training of employees relative to internal controls over financial reporting over the review of loan participation activity within the SOI and SCF, and (2) lack of effective risk assessment process and monitoring activities responsive to the classification of cash proceeds from the sale of loan participations in the SCF and SOI in compliance with applicable GAAP requirements.
This control deficiency creates a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement to the consolidated financial statements would not be prevented or detected on a timely basis. Therefore, we concluded that this deficiency represents a material weakness in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting and the Company’s internal control over financial reporting was not effective as of December 31, 2025.
KPMG LLP, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, audited the 2024 consolidated financial statements of the Company included in this Annual Report on Form 10-K and has issued an adverse opinion on the effectiveness of the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2025. KPMG LLP’s report entitled “Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm” appears in Item 8.
Remediation Status of Reported Material Weakness
The Company is currently working to remediate the material weakness described above, including assessing the need for additional remediation steps and implementing additional measures to remediate the underlying causes that gave rise to the material weakness. The Company is committed to maintaining a strong internal control environment and to ensuring that proper oversight and a consistent tone is communicated throughout the organization. The Company expects that existing deficiencies will be remediated through implementation of processes and controls designed to ensure compliance with GAAP.
Specifically, we are in the process of strengthening our internal control over loan participation activity as follows:
• Enhance cash flow preparation and review controls to ensure underlying participation loan information used is complete and accurate, is representative of business activities and is aligned with disclosure requirements.
• Provide training specific to loan participation accounting and related SCF classification to ensure compliance with GAAP for lending activities, including internal control considerations with a focus on risk assessment, design and monitoring.
• Enhance oversight of loan participation activities to ensure accounting accuracy particularly related to sale transactions.
We believe that these actions will remediate the material weakness. The material weakness will not be considered remediated, however, until the applicable controls operate for a sufficient period of time and management has concluded, through testing, that these controls are operating effectively.
Remediation of Previously Reported Material Weakness
With oversight from the Audit Committee and input from the Board of Directors, we devoted substantial resources to implement internal controls over financial reporting to enhance the control environment and strengthen communication protocols related to the loan review process. The Company's remediation efforts focused on enhancing the depth and breadth of the independent loan review function coupled with internal control trainings for individuals responsible for the risk assessment, design, monitoring and documentation of the Company's loan review process and increased reporting to the Company's Risk Committee of the Board of Directors through the Company's independent loan review function.
Management has completed testing of the implemented controls and found them to be operating effectively. As a result, management has concluded that the material weakness in internal control over financial reporting related to the loan review process has been remediated as of December 31, 2025.
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Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting
Except for the loan review process remediation and the material weakness in internal control over financial reporting described above related to loan participation activity, there have not been any changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) under the Exchange Act) that occurred during the quarter ended December 31, 2025, that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.
Item 9B. OTHER INFORMATION
(b) Insider Trading Arrangements - During the quarter ended December 31, 2025, none of our directors or officers (as defined in Rule 16a-1(f) under the Exchange Act) adopted , modified, or terminated a “Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” or a “non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” as such terms are defined in Item 408 of Regulation S-K.
Item 9C. DISCLOSURE REGARDING FOREIGN JURISDICTIONS THAT PREVENT INSPECTIONS
Not applicable.
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PART III
Item 10. DIRECTORS, EXECUTIVE OFFICERS AND CORPORATE GOVERNANCE
The information required by Item 10 will be included in the Company’s definitive proxy statement for the 2026 Annual Meeting of Shareholders (the “Proxy Statement”), under the headings “Proposal 1: Election of Directors,” “Qualifications of Directors,” “Code of Ethics and Conflict of Interest Policy,” “Director Relationships,” “Committees of the Board or Directors,” “Executive Officers,” “Report of the Audit Committee,” “Insider Trading Policy,” and “Delinquent Section 16(a) Reports” and is incorporated herein by reference. The Proxy Statement will be filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission pursuant to Regulation 14A within 120 days of the end of our 2025 fiscal year.
Item 11. EXECUTIVE COMPENSATION
The information required by Item 11 will be included in the section of the Proxy Statement entitled “Executive Compensation and Other Matters” under the following headings and is incorporated herein by reference: “Compensation Discussion and Analysis,” “Compensation Committee Report,” “Summary Compensation and Other Tables,” “Potential Payments upon Termination or Change in Control,” “Principal Executive Officer Pay Ratio,” and “Director Compensation,” and in the section of the Proxy Statement entitled “Corporate Governance” under the heading “Compensation Committee Interlocks and Insider Participation.”
Item 12. SECURITY OWNERSHIP OF CERTAIN BENEFICIAL OWNERS AND MANAGEMENT AND RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS
The information required by Item 12 will be included in the Proxy Statement under the headings “Beneficial Ownership of Our Common Stock” and “Executive Compensation and Other Matters - Equity Compensation Plan Information” and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 13. CERTAIN RELATIONSHIPS AND RELATED TRANSACTIONS, AND DIRECTOR INDEPENDENCE
The information required by Item 13 will be included in the Corporate Governance section of the Proxy Statement under the headings “Director Independence,” "Director Relationships,” “Indebtedness of and Transactions with Management,” and “Certain Relationships and Related Person Transactions” and is incorporated herein by reference.
Item 14. PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTANT FEES AND SERVICES
The information required by Item 14 will be included in the Proxy Statement under the heading “Proposal 3: Ratification of Independent Auditors” and is incorporated herein by reference.
The Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for 2025 and 2024 is KPMG LLP (Public Company Accounting Oversight Board Firm ID No. 185 ) located in Charlotte, North Carolina .
The Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm for 2023 was Forvis Mazars, LLP (Public Company Accounting Oversight Board Firm ID No. 686) located in Greenville, North Carolina.
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PART IV
Item 15. EXHIBITS AND FINANCIAL STATEMENT SCHEDULES
(a)(1) Financial Statements. The following financial statements are filed as part of this Report.
Reports of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firms
Consolidated Balance Sheets as of December 31, 2025 and 2024
Consolidated Statements of Income for the Years Ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023
Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income for the Years Ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023
Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity for the Years Ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023
Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows for the Years Ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023
Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements
(a)(2) Financial Statement Schedules. All applicable financial statement schedules required under Regulation S-X have been included in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
(a)(3) Exhibits. The exhibits listed below are filed or furnished as a part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Exhibit No. Description of Exhibit
3.1 Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation of Live Oak Bancshares, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.1 of the registration statement on Form S-1, filed on June 19, 2015)
3.2 Articles of Amendment designating the 8.375% Fixed Rate Series A Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 of the Form 8-A, filed on August 4, 2025)
3.3 Amended Bylaws of Live Oak Bancshares, Inc. (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 3.2 of the amended registration statement on Form S-1, filed on July 13, 2015)
4.1 Form of Common Stock Certificate (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the registration statement on Form S-1, filed on June 19, 2015)
4.2 Deposit Agreement, by and among Live Oak Bancshares, Inc., and Broadridge Corporate Issuer Solutions, LLC, and the Holders from time to time of the depositary receipts described therein (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.1 of the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed on August 4, 2025)
4.3 Form of Depositary Receipt representing the Depositary Shares (included as Exhibit A to Exhibit 4.2 hereto) (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 4.2 of the Current Report on Form 8-K, filed on August 4, 2025)
4.4 Description of Securities Registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act *
10.1 2008 Incentive Stock Option Plan, as amended (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the registration statement on Form S-1, filed on June 19, 2015) #
10.2.1 2008 Nonstatutory Stock Option Plan, as amended (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the registration statement on Form S-1, filed on June 19, 2015) #
10.2.2 Amendment to 2008 Nonstatutory Stock Option Plan effective July 1, 2019 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the quarterly report on Form 10-Q, filed on August 6, 2019) #
10.3.1 Second Amended and Restated Employee Stock Purchase Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the current report on Form 8-K , filed on May 12, 2021) #
10.3.2 Amendment to Second Amended and Restated 2014 Employee Stock Purchase Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the registration statement on Form S-8, filed on August 6, 2024) #
10.4.1 2015 Omnibus Stock Incentive Plan as Amended and Restated effective May 24, 2016 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the current report on Form 8-K , filed on May 27, 2016) #
10.4.2 Amendment to 2015 Omnibus Stock Incentive Plan dated May 15, 2018 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the current report on Form 8-K , filed on May 18, 2018) #
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10.4.3 Amendment to 2015 Omnibus Stock Incentive Plan dated May 11, 2021 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the current report on Form 8-K , filed on May 12, 2021) #
10.4.4
A mendment to the 2015 Om nibus Stock Incentive Plan dated May 16, 2023 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4 of the registration statement on Form S- 8, filed on August 4 , 2023 ) #
10.4.5
Amendment to 2015 Omnibus Stock Incentive Plan dated November 14 , 2023 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.4.4 of the annual report on Form 10-K, filed on February 22, 2024) #
10.5.1
Form of Stock Option Award Agreement for executive officers under the 2015 Omnibus Stock Incentive Plan (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.8 of the 2015 10-K) #
10.5.2
Form of RSU Award Agreement for certain executive officers (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.2 of the current report on Form 8-K , filed on February 24, 2021) #
10.5.3
RSU Award Agreement for William C. Losch, III (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.2 of the quarterly report on Form 10-Q , filed on November 3, 2021) #
10.5.4
Form of RSU Award Agreement for certain executive officers (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 of the current report on Form 8-K , filed on February 18, 2022) #
10.5.5
Form of RSU Award Agreement for certain executive officers (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 of the current report on Form 8-K , filed on February 17, 2023) #
10.5.6
Form of RSU Award Agreement for certain executive officers (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 of the current report on Form 8-K , filed on February 16, 2024) #
10.5.7
Letter Amendment to Form of RSU Award Agreements for certain executive officers (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.6.9 of the annual report on Form 10-K , filed February 22, 2024) #
10.5.8
Form of 2024 RSU Award Agreement for non-employee directors (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the quarterly report on Form 10-Q , filed on August 6, 2024) #
10.5.9
Form of RSU Award Agreement for certain executive officers (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 of the current report on Form 8-K , filed on February 14, 2025)#
10.5.10
Form of 2025 RSU Award for non-employee directors (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the quarterly report on Form 10-Q , filed on August 5, 2025) #
10.5.11
RSU Award Agreement for Mark M. Moroz *
10.5.12
RSU Award Agreement for Walter J. Phifer (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 10.1 of the quarterly report on Form 10-Q , filed on November 17, 2025) #
10.5.13
Form of RSU Award Agreeme nt for certa in executive officers (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 99.1 of the current report on Form 8-K , filed on February 13 , 2026 #
16.1 Letter from Forvis Mazars, LLP dated August 9, 2024 (incorporated by reference to Exhibit 16.1 of the current report on Form 8-K , filed on August 9, 2024)
19.1 Live Oak Bancshares, Inc. Insider Trading Policy *
21.1 Subsidiaries of the Registrant*
23.1 Consent of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm - KPMG, LLP*
23.2 Consent of the Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm - Forvis Mazars, LLP*
31.1 Certification of Principal Executive Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002*
31.2 Certification of Principal Financial Officer Pursuant to Section 302 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002*
32 Certification Pursuant to Section 906 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002**
97 Live Oak Bancshares, Inc. Clawback Policy *
101.INS Inline XBRL Instance Document (the instance document does not appear in the Interactive Data File because its XBRL tags are embedded within the Inline XBRL document)
101.SCH Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Schema Document
101.CAL Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Calculation Linkbase Document
101.DEF Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Definition Linkbase Document
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101.LAB Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Label Linkbase Document
101.PRE Inline XBRL Taxonomy Extension Presentation Linkbase Document
104 Cover Page Interactive Data File (formatted as inline XBRL and contained in Exhibit 101)
* Indicates a document being filed with this Form 10-K.
** Furnished herewith. This exhibit shall not be deemed “filed” for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, or otherwise subject to the liability of that Section. Such exhibit shall not be deemed incorporated into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933 or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934.
# Denotes management contract or compensatory plan.
Item 16. FORM 10-K SUMMARY
Registrants may voluntarily include a summary of information required by Form 10-K under this Item 16. We have elected not to include such summary information.
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SIGNATURES
Pursuant to the requirements of the Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.
Live Oak Bancshares, Inc.
(Registrant)
Date: February 26, 2026
By: /s/ James S. Mahan III
James S. Mahan III
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer)
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Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, this report has been signed by the following persons on behalf of the Registrant and in the capacities and on the dates indicated.
Date
/s/ James S. Mahan III
James S. Mahan III February 26, 2026
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
(Principal Executive Officer)
/s/ Walter J. Phifer
Walter J. Phifer February 26, 2026
Chief Financial Officer
(Principal Financial Officer)
/s/ J. Wesley Sutherland
J. Wesley Sutherland February 26, 2026
Chief Accounting Officer
(Principal Accounting Officer)
/s/ William L. Williams III
William L. Williams III February 26, 2026
Vice Chairman of the Board of Directors
/s/ Tonya W. Bradford
Tonya W. Bradford February 26, 2026
Director
/s/ William H. Cameron
William H. Cameron February 26, 2026
Director
/s/ David G. Lucht
David G. Lucht February 26, 2026
Director
/s/ Jeffrey W. Lunsford
Jeffrey W. Lunsford February 26, 2026
Director
/s/ Patrick T. McHenry
Patrick T. McHenry February 26, 2026
Director
/s/ Miltom E. Petty
Miltom E. Petty February 26, 2026
Director
/s/ Neil L. Underwood
Neil L. Underwood February 26, 2026
Director
/s/ Yousef A. Valine
Yousef A. Valine February 26, 2026
Director
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