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mttssn research · Nordic Deep Dive
Aurskog Sparebank (AURG.OL)
Financials · Small eastern-Norway savings bank (equity certificates) · FY2025
Analysis date: 2026-06-09
Price at analysis: NOK 255.00
Method: mttssn_streamlined_v1
Conviction: LOW
HOLD
Conviction: LOW
A small, fortress-capitalised local Norwegian savings bank (Aurskog) — CET1 19.0%, a 6.7% yield — but a marginal value creator: ROE ~11.2% barely beats a 10% COE (residual income only +NOK 1.6m), and the EC ownership fraction is falling (36.5% -> 33.6%). At 1.39x book it sits ~18% above a through-cycle Gordon anchor (~NOK 210). Fairly-to-fully valued, thinly traded. HOLD, low conviction; base NOK 230.
Return on Equity
10.1%
Cost of equity ~10.0%
Price / Book
0.46×
1.39x book (rich for an ~11% ROE)
Fair P/B (Gordon)
1.02×
(ROE−g)/(COE−g); g 3%
Price / Target
NOK 255 → NOK 230
-10% base; HOLD
Price / Earnings
4.6×
~13.6x earnings
P / TBV
0.46×
Price / tangible book
Economic Profit
+NOK 2M
Residual income +NOK 1.6M; ROE ~11.2% ~= 10% COE (marginal)
Equity (book)
NOK 2.6B
EC fraction 36.5%->33.6%; CET1 19.0%
Thesis

Aurskog Sparebank is a small local savings bank in eastern Norway, with the listed equity certificate representing a 36.5% ownership fraction (which fell to 33.6% at Q1 2026 as the foundation retained more 2025 profit, diluting the EC's relative claim). It is fortress-capitalised (CET1 19.0% consolidated, ~3.3-3.8pp above requirement) with a 6.7% dividend yield (88% payout), but it is a marginal value creator: ROE ~11.2% (FY2025) / ~10.9% (LTM) barely beats a 10% cost of equity — residual income is only +NOK 1.6m.

On bank primitives it trades at 1.39x book and ~13.6x earnings. On a through-cycle ~10% ROE the Gordon fair P/B is ~1.14x -> ~NOK 210 (-18%), so the EC trades ~18% above the anchor — the ~1pp ROE-COE spread does not justify 1.4x book. The attraction is the 6.7% yield off a fortress balance sheet; the binding constraints are the thin value creation, the falling EC fraction, and very thin liquidity (~NOK 1.18bn cap, concentrated holders). Fairly-to-fully valued, modestly rich. HOLD, low conviction.

Valuation · residual income (equity frame) & scenarios

Gordon fair P/B = (ROE-g)/(COE-g) with COE 10%, g 3%: a through-cycle ~10% ROE -> ~1.14x -> ~NOK 210 (-18%). Current 1.39x book, ~13.6x earnings, 6.7% yield — modestly rich for the return.

Base NOK 230 (between the anchor and the current price; yield support); bull NOK 270 if ROE holds ~11%+ and the EC fraction stabilizes; bear NOK 200 on a de-rate toward the Gordon anchor.

Market-implied ROE
6.2%
sustainable ROE the price already demands — vs 10.1% observed
Current → Fair P/B
0.46× → 1.02×
at a sustained 10.1% ROE, Ke 10.0%, g 3%
Excess-return premium
NOK 9 / sh
value above NOK 552.67 book from the +0.1pp ROE−Ke spread

The operating reverse-DCF (NOPAT / invested capital / WACC) does not apply to a balance-sheet business — leverage is the raw material and "net debt" is not meaningful. The equity is valued on residual income: book equity plus the present value of returns above the cost of equity, discounted at Ke; the single-stage lens is the Gordon fair price-to-book, (ROE−g)/(Ke−g). The market prices in a sustainable ROE of 6.2% vs 10.1% currently earned; at a sustained 10.1% ROE the warranted P/B is 1.02× (NOK 561/sh, +120%).

Scenario24m targetImpl. ROEUpsideProb.Driver
BullNOK 2706%+6%25%ROE holds ~11%+; EC fraction stabilizes
BaseNOK 2306%-10%45%Between the anchor and price; yield support
BearNOK 2006%-22%30%De-rate toward the Gordon anchor
Prob-weightedNOK 231-9%100%Scenario-weighted expected value

Sensitivity — fair value / share at Ke × ROE

Ke \ ROE10%14%18%22%26%30%34%
8.50%703110515071909231127133115
9.25%61997313261680203423882741
10.00% (base)55386811841500181621322448
10.75%49978410701355164019252211
11.50%4557159751235149517562016

Green = fair value above the current price of NOK 255.00. For a financial the surface is dominated by cost of equity and sustainable ROE — not unit growth.

Method & data. ROE 10.1% and book equity are observed (net income / total equity). Cost of equity 10.0% and terminal g 3% are assumptions, shown explicitly and overridable.

⤓ Download the full model (.xlsx) — formula-driven sheets; flex the blue input cells and the model cascades in Excel.

Key drivers

1. Fortress capital

CET1 19.0% consolidated — ample buffer.

2. High yield

6.7% dividend yield (88% payout).

3. Local franchise

Entrenched relationships in the Aurskog area.

4. Benign credit

Low loan losses.

Key risks
Conclusion

Aurskog Sparebank is a fortress-capitalised (CET1 19.0%) small Norwegian savings bank with a 6.7% yield, but a marginal value creator (RI +NOK 1.6m) trading ~18% above its through-cycle Gordon anchor at 1.39x book, very thinly traded. HOLD, low conviction; base NOK 230.

Own it (if at all) for the yield off fortress capital; the thin returns + falling EC fraction + illiquidity cap the case.

Footnote evidence & sources

Every adjustment traces to the cited note/page in the source filing — click to open it there. Source reports archived locally.

Adjustment / figureValueSourceWhy mttssn treats it this way
Net income after tax (FY2025)260Totalresultat (income statement) p.29Whole-bank profit after tax NOK 259,862k. LTM net income 258.26 = 51.02 + 259.86 - 52.62.
Net interest income (FY2025)365Totalresultat p.29 (Netto rente- og kredittprovisjonsinntekter)Core bank revenue NOK 365,448k; -2.6% YoY (375,337) as more mortgage growth was placed with Eika Boligkreditt off balance. LTM 365.58.
Net commission income (FY2025)78.32Totalresultat p.29Provisjonsinntekter 87,757 less provisjonskostnader 9,442 = NOK 78,315k; up sharply (62,442 prior) on EBK volume commissions.
Profit after tax (Q1 2026)51.02Resultatregnskap (interim income statement) p.9Q1 2026 net income NOK 51,021k vs 52,623k Q1 2025; used to roll the LTM window.
Total equity (31.12.2025)2,555Balanse (balance sheet) p.30 (Sum egenkapital)Whole-bank equity NOK 2,554,770k = EC capital 462.26 + premium/comp 92.05 + hybrid 225.00 + Grunnfondet 1,303.81 + equalisation 144.26 + other 327.39. Bank invested-capital base.
Hybrid (AT1 / fondsobligasjon) capital225Balanse p.30 (Fondsobligasjonskapital)AT1 hybrid NOK 225,000k sits INSIDE IFRS equity for this bank; stripped to reach common equity ex hybrid 2,329.77 for ROE/BVPS per the bank's own definition.
Equity-certificate ownership fraction (eierbrokt, FY2025)0.365Note 38 Egenkapitalbevis p.79EC holders' economic share of equity/profit = 36.48% (avg for the 2025 distribution; 36.35% at 31.12.2025). The rest accrues to the self-owned primary-capital foundation. Fell to 33.60% at 31.03.2026.
EC count4,622,601Note 38 Egenkapitalbevis p.794,622,601 equity certificates outstanding, unchanged YoY; used for per-EC metrics and market cap.
Book value per EC (FY2025)184Nokkeltall - Bokfort egenkapital pr egenkapitalbevis p.85(Sum equity 2,554.77 - hybrid 225.00) x eierbrokt 36.48% / 4,622,601 EC = NOK 183.88. P/B base. Q1 2026 fell to 166.57 on the dividend + lower eierbrokt.
EPS per EC (FY2025)19.36Totalresultat p.29 / Note 38Available dividend / earnings per EC NOK 19.36 (after hybrid coupon, x eierbrokt). LTM EPS 18.73 = 3.49 + 19.36 - 4.12. No options -> diluted = basic.
CET1 ratio consolidated (31.12.2025)0.19Ansvarlig kapital / kapitaldekning p.49Common equity tier 1 19.0% consolidated (21.2% parent/morbank), vs 17.5% prior year. Requirement 15.2% consolidated -> ~3.8pp surplus. Total capital 24.1% consolidated.
CET1 ratio consolidated (Q1 2026)0.185Nokkeltall - Ren kjernekapitaldekning konsolidert p.11CET1 slipped to 18.5% consolidated at 31.03.2026 (21.1% parent) — still ~3.3pp above the 15.2% requirement. Strong capitalisation.
Cost/income ratio (FY2025)0.347Hovedtall / Kostnadsprosent p.7Cost ratio 34.7% FY2025 (32.9% prior; LTM Q1 2026 35.6%). Lean for a small bank but creeping up on personnel cost growth (+16.8% YoY).
Loan-loss charge (FY2025)7.03Totalresultat p.29 (Kredittap)Credit losses NOK 7,032k, only ~0.04% of gross loans; down from 14,821k. Low cost of risk; loans well-secured on residential property.
Non-performing-loan ratio (FY2025)0.004Hovedtall / Misligholdsandel p.7Gross NPLs 0.4% of gross loans (0.5% prior); rose to 0.6% at Q1 2026. Low and well-secured, but trending up modestly.
Dividend per EC (FY2025)17Note 38 (kontantutbytte pr egenkapitalbevis) p.79Cash dividend NOK 17.00 per EC for FY2025 (15.00 FY2024), paid 8 Apr 2026; ~88% of per-EC profit. Yield 6.7% on NOK 255.
Share price at year-end / P-B (FY2025)270Nokkeltall - Borskurs / P/B p.85Report's own 31.12.2025 EC close NOK 270.15 -> P/B 1.47x, P/E 13.95x. Current verified price NOK 255.00 (9 Jun 2026) used for live multiples (P/B 1.39x).
Analysis history

How the mttssn view has evolved — each prior dated note is preserved.

Quality · Buffett tenets9 / 15
Understandable business
Aurskog Sparebank — a small Norwegian local savings bank (Aurskog, eastern Norway); listed equity certificates; legible.
Durable moat
Low: a small single-region savings bank; local relationships, no scale moat; very thinly traded.
Able & honest management
Conservative, high payout; the EC ownership fraction is falling (foundation retaining more profit).
Financial strength
Fortress: CET1 19.0% consolidated (~3.3-3.8pp surplus).
Margin of safety
None: 1.39x book is ~18% above a through-cycle anchor where ROE barely beats COE (RI only +NOK 1.6m); 6.7% yield.