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mttssn research · Nordic Deep Dive
Sparebanken Ost (SPOG.OL)
Financials · Buskerud/eastern-Norway savings bank (equity certificates) · FY2025
Analysis date: 2026-06-15
Price at analysis: NOK 72.80
Method: mttssn_streamlined_v1
Conviction: MEDIUM
HOLD
Conviction: MEDIUM
A small, fortress-capitalised eastern-Norway savings bank (Buskerud; distinct from the larger SpareBank 1 Ostlandet) — CET1 22.76%, a 9.5% yield. But FY2025 ROE 11.8% is a high-water mark (5-yr avg only ~9.8%, normalized ~10%) flattered by lumpy financial income, loan growth is negative (-2.25%), and EC holders own just 28.6% of equity. At 1.13x book it sits ~at a through-cycle anchor where ROE barely covers COE. HOLD/modest reduce; base NOK 70.
Return on Equity
10.0%
Cost of equity ~10.0%
Price / Book
0.30×
1.13x book (modestly rich for a ~10% through-cycle ROE)
Fair P/B (Gordon)
1.01×
(ROE−g)/(COE−g); g 3%
Price / Target
NOK 73 → NOK 70
-4% base; HOLD
Price / Earnings
3.0×
~10.7x earnings
P / TBV
0.32×
Price / tangible book
Economic Profit
+NOK 74M
Residual income ~NOK 0; normalized ROE ~10% ~= 10% COE
Equity (book)
NOK 5.0B
EC ratio 28.6%; CET1 22.76% (fortress)
Thesis

Sparebanken Ost is a small savings bank in Buskerud/eastern Norway (NOT the larger SpareBank 1 Ostlandet / SPOL — a common conflation). It is fortress-capitalised — CET1 22.76%, total capital 27.83% — and pays a fat 9.5% yield. But the quality is modest: FY2025 ROE 11.8% is a high-water mark (the 5-year average is only ~9.8%, normalized ~10%), flattered by lumpy financial-investment income; loan growth was negative (-2.25%); and the listed equity certificate represents just a 28.6% ownership fraction (with large charitable gift distributions to the foundation).

On bank primitives it trades at 1.13x book, 1.20x tangible and ~10.7x earnings. On a normalized 10% ROE the Gordon fair value is ~NOK 64.68 (-11%); only if the FY2025 peak ROE persists does it reach ~NOK 81 (+11%). At a normalized ROE that barely covers the 10% COE, the 1.13x book is modestly rich despite the fortress capital + high yield. HOLD with a modest-reduce lean.

Valuation · residual income (equity frame) & scenarios

Gordon fair P/B = (ROE-g)/(COE-g) with COE 10%, g 3%: a normalized 10% ROE -> ~NOK 64.68 (-11%); the FY2025 peak 11.8% ROE -> ~NOK 81 (+11%). Current 1.13x book, ~10.7x earnings, 9.5% yield.

Base NOK 70 (~current; modestly rich vs a through-cycle anchor); bull NOK 81 if the peak ROE persists; bear NOK 60 on financial-income normalization + the negative loan-growth trend.

Market-implied ROE
5.1%
sustainable ROE the price already demands — vs 10.0% observed
Current → Fair P/B
0.30× → 1.00×
at a sustained 10.0% ROE, Ke 10.0%, g 3%
Excess-return premium
NOK 1 / sh
value above NOK 243.22 book from the +0.0pp 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 5.1% vs 10.0% currently earned; at a sustained 10.0% ROE the warranted P/B is 1.00× (NOK 244/sh, +236%).

Scenario24m targetImpl. ROEUpsideProb.Driver
BullNOK 815%+11%25%FY2025 peak ROE persists
BaseNOK 705%-4%45%Modestly rich vs a through-cycle anchor
BearNOK 605%-18%30%Financial-income normalization + negative loan growth
Prob-weightedNOK 70-4%100%Scenario-weighted expected value

Sensitivity — fair value / share at Ke × ROE

Ke \ ROE10%14%18%22%26%30%34%
8.50%310486663840101711941371
9.25%27242858473989510511206
10.00% (base)2433825216607999381077
10.75%220345471596722847973
11.50%200315429544658773887

Green = fair value above the current price of NOK 72.80. For a financial the surface is dominated by cost of equity and sustainable ROE — not unit growth.

Method & data. ROE 10.0% 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 22.76% / total 27.83% — huge buffer.

2. High yield

9.5% dividend yield.

3. Rate/financial income

Financial-investment income can lift ROE in good quarters.

4. Cost discipline

A small, low-cost regional operation.

Key risks
Conclusion

Sparebanken Ost is a fortress-capitalised (CET1 22.76%) small eastern-Norway savings bank with a 9.5% yield, but a through-cycle ROE (~10%) that barely covers COE, negative loan growth and a minority EC claim leave it modestly rich at 1.13x book. HOLD/modest reduce; base NOK 70.

Own it (if at all) for the capital + yield; the negative loan growth + earnings-quality are the cautions. (Distinct from SPOL/SpareBank 1 Ostlandet.)

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 (group, FY2025)523Resultatregnskap hovedtall p.3 / Q1 2026 Hovedtall p.2 (Aaret 2025 column)Reported FY2025 group result after tax (aarsresultat). Confirmed identically in the Q1 2026 report's FY2025 column.
Result attributable to EC + grunnfond (FY2025)494Resultatregnskap konsern p.10 (Aaret 2025 column)Group result less hybrid-capital holders' share 28.5; this is the common-equity (EC+grunnfond) result used for ROE and per-EC result.
Net interest income (FY2025)868Resultatregnskap hovedtall p.3Core revenue line for a bank. NII fell from 931.6 in 2024 on lower rates and -2.25% loan growth; 1.85% of average total assets.
Net commission income (FY2025)44.8Resultatregnskap hovedtall p.3 (commission income 95.2 - commission cost 50.4)Thin fee base — only ~4% of total income; the bank is overwhelmingly a spread (NII) lender with little fee diversification.
Total net income (FY2025)1,038Resultatregnskap hovedtall p.3 (sum netto inntekter)NII 867.5 + net commission 44.8 + net financial 120.9 + other 4.7. The 120.9 financial line is large and volatile (62.9 in 2024, -28.7 in 2022) and flatters 2025.
Total common equity ex-hybrid (31 Dec 2025)4,691Note K1 Kapitaldekning / Balanse konsern p.11-12 (sum egenkapital 5,042.3 less hybrid 351.2)ROE base. Total IFRS equity 5,042.3 includes hybrid capital 351.2; common equity ex-hybrid 4,691.1 is the bank's own 'sum egenkapital eksklusiv hybridkapital'.
Intangibles (goodwill-in-investments + other)301Note K1 Kapitaldekning p.12 (goodwill 270.3 + immaterielle 30.8)Goodwill embedded in significant investments 270.3 + other intangible assets 30.8, deducted from common equity to reach tangible common equity 4,390.0 for ROTCE / P-TBV.
ROE (egenkapitalrentabilitet, FY2025)0.118Noekkeltall p.4 (Loennsomhet)Bank return measure: result to EC+grunnfond / average common equity ex-hybrid. FY2025 11.77% (= 2024 11.77%); a high-water mark vs 5-yr average 9.78% and the bank's >10% target.
Five-year ROE history0.098Noekkeltall p.4Through-cycle ROE: 11.77 / 11.77 / 9.87 / 6.65 / 8.86% (2025-2021). Average 9.78% — below the 10% COE in 3 of 5 years. Supports a normalised ~10% (target) used in the Gordon fair-P/B.
Common equity tier 1 ratio (CET1, FY2025)0.228Noekkeltall p.4 (Soliditet) / Q1 2026 p.2Fortress capital: CET1 22.76% (FY2025), 22.31% (Q1 2026), vs a ~14.84% total CET1 requirement; total capital ratio 27.83%. Among Norway's most solid banks.
Cost/income ratio (FY2025)0.36Noekkeltall p.4 (Kostnader i % av inntekter)Reported C/I 35.99% (below the bank's <40% target) BUT flattered by the 120.9 financial-asset gains; ex financial investments C/I is 40.74% (FY2025) and rose to 46.38% in Q1 2026 as those gains normalised.
Loan-loss ratio (FY2025)0Noekkeltall p.4 (Tap i % av netto utlaan)Near-zero cost of risk: 0.04% of net loans (FY2025), 0.03% Q1 2026. Very low non-performing loans; conservative, secured, mostly residential-mortgage lending.
Equity-certificate ratio (eierbrok, morbank)0.286Noekkeltall p.4 / Note 41 (eierbrok per 01.01.26)EC holders own only 28.59% of total equity (eierandelskapital); 71.41% is community-owned primary capital (grunnfondskapital). Defines how much of book value and profit accrues to the listed instrument.
Number of equity certificates20,731,183Noekkeltall p.4 (Antall egenkapitalbevis)20,731,183 ECs outstanding (unchanged 5 years); used for per-EC book value, P/B, P/E and EC market cap.
Book equity per EC (FY2025)64.68Noekkeltall p.4 (Bokfoert egenkapital pr. bevis)Per-EC book value (eierandelskapital / EC count, incl. proposed dividend). NOK 64.68 -> P/B 1.13x at price 72.80. The bank's own published BVPS for the listed instrument.
Result per EC (FY2025)6.82Noekkeltall p.4 (Resultat pr. egenkapitalbevis)Per-EC earnings -> P/E 10.7x at price 72.80. 5-yr history 6.82 / 6.80 / 5.67 / 3.83 / 5.16 confirms the cyclicality of the franchise.
Dividend per EC (FY2025)6.9Styrets beretning / utbytte p.2 (Q4 2025 p.2)Proposed cash dividend NOK 6.90/EC (up from 6.40), total NOK 143.0m; plus NOK 357.3m charitable gifts to community. EC dividend yield 9.5% on 72.80. Total payout 98.9% of parent result.
EC price end-FY2025 (report)80.19Q1 2026 Hovedtall p.2 (Kurs, Aaret 2025) / 31 Mar 2026 close 77.21Bank's own EC close NOK 80.19 at 31 Dec 2025 and NOK 77.21 at 31 Mar 2026. Current verified price NOK 72.80 (9 Jun 2026) used for live multiples; the EC has drifted ~9% below year-end.
Average common equity (FY2025)4,199Q1 2026 Hovedtall p.2 (Gjennomsnittlig egenkapital, Aaret 2025)Bank's reported average equity (adjusted for hybrid and proposed dividends); denominator for ROE 11.77% and the residual-income capital charge.
Analysis history

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

Quality · Buffett tenets10 / 15
Understandable business
Sparebanken Ost — Norwegian savings bank (Buskerud/eastern Norway); listed equity certificates (note: a DIFFERENT, smaller bank than SpareBank 1 Ostlandet/SPOL); legible.
Durable moat
Moderate regional franchise, but small with negative loan growth (-2.25%) and lumpy financial-income-flattered earnings.
Able & honest management
Very low EC ownership fraction (28.6%); large charitable gifts; EC holders' claim is minority.
Financial strength
Fortress: CET1 22.76% (total capital 27.83%).
Margin of safety
Limited: 1.13x book ~at a through-cycle anchor where an ~10% ROE barely covers COE; 9.5% yield.