Esquire Bank Named a Top Deposit Franchise by S&P Global Market Intelligence for Third Consecutive Year

In 2026 S&P Global rankings of the top 100 banks under $3B in assets, Esquire Bank earned the third straight deposit-franchise spot as ESQ’s Signature deal closed.

Rhea-AI Summary

Esquire Financial Holdings (ESQ) announced that Esquire Bank has been named one of S&P Global Market Intelligence’s top U.S. community bank deposit franchises for the third consecutive year.

The 2026 rankings cover the top 100 banks with less than $3 billion in assets, based on data as of June 30, 2026, and use a weighted mix of eight metrics focused on stable, low-cost, and efficiently managed deposits. The recognition coincides with Esquire’s recently closed acquisition of Signature Bancorporation, completed on August 1, 2026, creating a combined company with approximately $4.8 billion in assets, $3.3 billion in loans, and $4.0 billion in deposits. Management links the ranking and the merger to the strength and scalability of Esquire’s relationship-based, client-centric deposit franchise.

Positive

• Top deposit franchise recognition for third consecutive year by S&P Global Market Intelligence
• Completion of Signature Bancorporation acquisition creating a $4.8 billion-asset combined company
• Post-merger balance sheet of $3.3 billion in loans and $4.0 billion in deposits

Negative

• None.

Argus Sep 2 session 24 alerts

+2.61% close to close 2.9x rel. volume Open Argus

Details

News Market Reaction – ESQ

+2.4% Peak in 2 hr 53 min

$1.48B Mkt Cap at Peak Alert

On Sep 2, the day this news came out, ESQ closed 2.61% above the previous close. Argus tracked a peak move of +2.4% during that session. Our momentum scanner recorded 24 alerts in the available session data. Relative volume reached 2.9x the daily average during tracking.

Data tracked by StockTitan Argus for the Sep 2 session.

Key Figures

Recognition duration: third consecutive year Ranked deposit franchises: top 100 Asset-size threshold: less than $3 billion +5 more

Recognition duration

third consecutive year

S&P Global Market Intelligence deposit rankings

Ranked deposit franchises

top 100

U.S. community banks

Asset-size threshold

less than $3 billion

Ranking eligibility

Ranking data date

June 30, 2026

Data used for this year's rankings

Signature closing date

August 1, 2026

Recent acquisition referenced in the announcement

Combined assets

approximately $4.8 billion

Following the Signature closing

Combined loans

$3.3 billion

Following the Signature closing

Combined deposits

$4.0 billion

Following the Signature closing

Historical Context

5 past events · Latest: Aug 25

5 events

1. Aug 25

   Bank ranking

   24h Move

   -1.7%

   Ranked third among top-performing publicly traded U.S. banks after completing the Signature acquisition.

2. Aug 03

   Acquisition completion

   24h Move

   -0.1%

   Completed Signature Bancorporation acquisition, expanding assets, loans, deposits, and geographic reach.

3. Jul 30

   Dividend declaration

   24h Move

   -0.3%

   Declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per common share.

4. Jul 23

   Quarterly earnings

   24h Move

   -4.1%

   Reported higher net income and diluted EPS despite merger expenses and elevated credit loss provision.

5. Jul 14

   Earnings scheduling

   24h Move

   +0.5%

   Scheduled second-quarter results release and conference call for July 23, 2026.

24h Move is the share-price change in the day after each event; other market factors may also have contributed.

Key Terms

noninterest-bearing deposit concentration, deposit betas, cost of interest-bearing deposits

3 terms

noninterest-bearing deposit concentration financial

"including noninterest-bearing deposit concentration, cost of interest-bearing deposits"

The proportion of a bank’s funding that comes from noninterest-bearing accounts (like checking accounts that do not pay interest) combined with how much of that balance is held with a small number of customers or sources. It matters to investors because noninterest-bearing deposits are a low-cost, stable funding source, but if those deposits are heavily concentrated in a few accounts, the bank is more vulnerable if those customers withdraw funds—like a shop that depends on one big buyer.

deposit betas financial

"deposit betas, deposit efficiency and overall growth"

Deposit betas measure how much a bank changes the interest rates it pays on deposits when market interest rates move, expressed as the percentage of a market rate change that is passed through to depositors. Think of it as how quickly and how much a bank shares higher or lower market rates with savers; it matters to investors because it influences a bank’s funding costs and therefore its interest margins and profitability.

cost of interest-bearing deposits financial

"cost of interest-bearing deposits, deposit betas, deposit efficiency"

The cost of interest-bearing deposits is the interest expense a bank pays to customers for funds kept in accounts like savings, money market, and time deposits. It matters to investors because it reduces a bank’s profit margin: higher deposit costs mean the bank must earn more from loans or investments to maintain the same net income, similar to how a business’s higher rent raises its break‑even point.

AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

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JERICHO, N.Y., Sept. 2, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: ESQ) ("Esquire"), the parent company for Esquire Bank, National Association ("Esquire Bank" or the "Bank") (collectively "Esquire"), today announced the Bank's inclusion in S&P Global Market Intelligence's annual U.S. Community Bank Deposit Rankings for the third consecutive year. This year's rankings recognize the top 100 deposit franchises among banks with less than $3 billion in assets based on data as of June 30, 2026.

S&P Global Market Intelligence launched the U.S. Community Bank Deposit Rankings in 2024 to identify banks with the most valuable and resilient deposit franchises. The rankings are based on a weighted average of eight key metrics, including noninterest-bearing deposit concentration, cost of interest-bearing deposits, deposit betas, deposit efficiency and overall growth, placing a premium on stable funding and efficient operations.

The recognition comes amid a period of sustained momentum for Esquire and reflects the strength of its deposit franchise ahead of its recent acquisition of Signature Bancorporation, Inc., the parent company of Signature Bank of Chicago ("Signature"). Following the Signature closing on August 1, 2026, the combined company has approximately $4.8 billion in assets, $3.3 billion in loans and $4.0 billion in deposits.

"Earning this recognition for the third consecutive year underscores the strength of our deposit franchise and the long-term client relationships that underpin our business," said Andrew C. Sagliocca, Vice Chairman, Chief Executive Officer and President. "By deeply understanding the national markets and clients we serve, we have built long-term relationships that allow our clients to grow, while concurrently generating strong organic deposit growth. The Signature merger extends both our client-centric approaches to a larger, more diversified client base, positioning Esquire for future industry leading growth."

About Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc.:

Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc. is a financial holding company headquartered in Jericho, New York. Its wholly owned subsidiary, Esquire Bank, is a full-service commercial bank, with branch offices in Jericho, New York, Los Angeles, California, Chicago, Illinois, as well as an administrative office in Boca Raton, Florida. The Bank is dedicated to serving the financial needs of the litigation industry and small businesses nationally, as well as commercial and retail customers in the New York, Los Angeles and Chicago metropolitan areas. The Bank offers tailored financial and payment processing solutions to the litigation community and their clients as well as dynamic and flexible payment processing solutions to small business owners. For more information, visit www.esquirebank.com.

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SOURCE Esquire Financial Holdings, Inc.

FAQ

AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.

What did Esquire Financial Holdings (ESQ) announce on September 2, 2026?

Esquire Financial Holdings announced that Esquire Bank was named among S&P Global Market Intelligence’s top U.S. community bank deposit franchises for the third consecutive year, recognizing the strength and efficiency of its deposit base.

How does S&P Global Market Intelligence rank Esquire Bank’s deposit franchise for ESQ?

Esquire Bank is included in S&P Global Market Intelligence’s 2026 U.S. Community Bank Deposit Rankings, which list the top 100 deposit franchises among banks with less than $3 billion in assets as of June 30, 2026.

What criteria are used in the S&P community bank deposit rankings that include Esquire Bank (ESQ)?

The rankings use a weighted average of eight metrics, including noninterest-bearing deposit concentration, cost of interest-bearing deposits, deposit betas, deposit efficiency, and overall growth, emphasizing stable funding and efficient operations.

How large is Esquire Financial Holdings (ESQ) after the Signature Bancorporation acquisition?

Following the Signature Bancorporation closing on August 1, 2026, the combined company has approximately $4.8 billion in assets, $3.3 billion in loans, and $4.0 billion in deposits.

When did Esquire Financial (ESQ) complete its acquisition of Signature Bancorporation?

Esquire Financial completed the acquisition of Signature Bancorporation, the parent of Signature Bank of Chicago, on August 1, 2026, and the new scale is referenced alongside the S&P deposit franchise recognition.

What business focus does Esquire Bank, the subsidiary of ESQ, have?

Esquire Bank is a full-service commercial bank focused on serving the litigation industry and small businesses nationally, as well as commercial and retail customers in the New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago metropolitan areas.

How does Esquire Financial (ESQ) describe the impact of the Signature merger on its growth?

The company states that the Signature merger extends its client-centric approach to a larger, more diversified client base, which it believes positions Esquire for future “industry leading growth.”