BB&T Corp. reported higher-than-expected earnings of $749 million for the first quarter in a release filed Thursday.

Adjusted for merger-related and restructuring charges of $80 million, BB&T earned a net income of $813 million.

Earnings per share for the Winston-Salem-based bank hit $1.05 per share — excluding charges for the merger with Atlanta-based SunTrust Banks Inc. — 2 cents above the $1.03 per share analysts expected.

“Our businesses continue to perform well, with record quarterly insurance revenues, increased net interest margin, solid loan growth, strong expense control, excellent asset quality, and strong capital and liquidity,” CEO Kelly King said in a statement.

The bank’s return on assets fell slightly to 1.43 percent, down 2 basis points since December 2018. Across the banking industry, the St. Louis Fed reported an average return on assets of 1.35 for the fourth quarter ended December.

Return on equity also dropped for BB&T, dipping to 11.08 percent from 12.13 percent in the same time period.

BB&T’s net interest margin — a measure of the difference between money lent and money borrowed — grew 2 basis points to 3.51 percent from a quarter prior. Competitors Regions Financial Corp. and U.S. Bancorp hit 3.50 percent and 3.16 percent, respectively.

In spite of the $80 million merger-related charge, BB&T’s noninterest expenses fell $16 million to $1.8 billion for the quarter.

BB&T’s stock price fell 15 cents Thursday to $49.66.