Stellar Bancorp is the holding company for Stellar Bank, a Texas-based community bank focused on serving SMBs, professionals, and individuals in the Houston and Dallas metro areas. Stellar was formed in October 2022 through a merger of equals between Allegiance Bancshares and CBTX, creating one of the largest banks headquartered in Houston. Stellar operates 52 banking centers, primarily in Houston and Beaumont, and sells directly through a team of relationship bankers. Management views banker quality — hiring and retaining seasoned local bankers — as its primary growth engine. Stellar's core business is relationship-based commercial banking: making loans and taking deposits from local businesses. Its loan book spans CRE, C&I, construction and development, SBA-guaranteed small business loans, and retail mortgages, with an average funded loan size of roughly $533K. Like all commercial banks, Stellar earns the spread between its deposit costs and loan yields (NIM). A key competitive advantage is its high proportion of non-interest bearing deposits — roughly 37-39% of total deposits — which lowers funding costs and expands NIM. Stellar emphasizes winning full banking relationships (loans plus operating accounts) rather than just placing loans. Fee income is modest, and expense discipline is a focus after crossing the $10B asset threshold, which brought higher regulatory costs. In January 2026, Stellar agreed to merge into Prosperity Bancshares, with the deal expected to close in Q2 2026.