Shares of Live Oak Bancshares (LOB) plummeted 6.93% in pre-market trading on Thursday following the release of its third-quarter earnings report. The sharp decline comes as the company's financial results fell short of analysts' expectations, marking the fourth consecutive quarter of missed estimates.

Live Oak Bancshares reported earnings of $0.55 per diluted share for the quarter ended September 30, up from $0.28 in the same period last year. However, this figure missed the consensus estimate of $0.60 per share projected by four analysts polled by FactSet. The company's revenue also fell short, coming in at $146.1 million, below the expected $148.1 million.

Despite the earnings miss, Live Oak Bancshares showed year-over-year growth, with revenue increasing by 12.4% from $129.9 million in the previous year. The company reported a quarterly net income of $25.56 million. However, investors appear to be focusing on the missed estimates and the trend of underperformance relative to analyst expectations. The mean earnings estimate for Live Oak Bancshares has fallen by about 8.7% over the last three months, reflecting growing concerns about the company's ability to meet market expectations in the current economic environment.