Ponce Financial Group, Inc. Reports First Quarter 2025 Results

NEW YORK, April 25, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ponce Financial Group, Inc., (the “Company”) (NASDAQ: PDLB), the holding company for Ponce Bank (the “Bank”), today announced results for the first quarter of 2025.

First Quarter 2025 Highlights (Compared to Prior Periods):

• Net income available to common stockholders was $5.7 million, or $0.25 per diluted share for the three months ended March 31, 2025, as compared to net income available to common stockholders of $2.7 million, or $0.12 per diluted share for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and net income available to common stockholders of $2.4 million, or $0.11 per diluted share for the three months ended March 31, 2024. Total net income for the three months ended March 31, 2025 was $6.0 million. The Company paid dividends of $0.3 million on its preferred stock during the three months ended March 31, 2025.
• Included in the $5.7 million of net income available to common stockholders for the first quarter of 2025 results is $44.0 million in interest and dividend income, $2.4 million in non-interest income and $0.3 million in benefit for credit losses, offset by $21.8 million in interest expense, $16.9 million in non-interest expense, $2.0 million in provision for income taxes and $0.3 million in dividends on preferred shares.
• Net interest income of $22.2 million for the first quarter of 2025 increased $1.5 million, or 7.11%, from the prior quarter and increased $3.4 million, or 17.96%, from the same quarter last year. 
• Net interest margin was 2.98% for the first quarter of 2025, versus 2.80% for the prior quarter and 2.71% for the same quarter last year.
• Non-interest income for the three months ended March 31, 2025 was $2.4 million, an increase of $0.3 million, or 13.54%, from $2.1 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024, and an increase of $0.7 million, or 39.48%, from $1.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024.
• Non-interest expense for the three months ended March 31, 2025 was $16.9 million, a decrease of $0.6 million, or 3.30%, from $17.5 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024, and an increase of $0.1 million, or 0.61%, compared to $16.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024.
• Cash and equivalents were $129.9 million as of March 31, 2025, a decrease of $9.9 million, or 7.11%, from $139.8 million as of December 31, 2024.
• Securities totaled $461.6 million as of March 31, 2025, a decrease of $11.3 million, or 2.39%, from $472.9 million as of December 31, 2024 primarily due to regular principal payments and the call of one available-for-sale security in the amount of $1.0 million.
• Net loans receivable were $2.37 billion as of March 31, 2025, an increase of $84.3 million, or 3.69%, from $2.29 billion as of December 31, 2024.
• Deposits were $2.00 billion as of March 31, 2025, an increase of $120.1 million, or 6.37%, from $1.88 billion as of December 31, 2024.

President and Chief Executive Officer’s Comments

Carlos P. Naudon, Ponce Financial Group, Inc.’s President and CEO, stated “We continued executing well our strategy of focusing on net interest margin, operating expenses and fee income, which translated into several positive trends this quarter. Our net interest margin this quarter increased by 18 basis points, reflecting both our high-yielding construction loans and our decreasing borrowing costs. In fact, our loan yields rose by 9 basis points while our cost of funds decreased by 10 basis points. Our operating expenses have decreased quarter over quarter, and our non-interest income compares favorably to prior periods. All-in-all, a very good quarter in these turbulent and uncertain times.”

Executive Chairman’s Comment

Steven A. Tsavaris, Ponce Financial Group’s Executive Chairman added “Most of our high-yielding construction lending has an additional benefit – it qualifies as Deep Impact lending under the U.S. Treasury’s Emergency Capital Investment Program and serves to lower the dividends payable on our preferred stock to the U.S. Treasury. Importantly, our construction initiatives also reflect our conservative underwriting, high developer equity requirements and short duration. Of our 64 on-going projects, more than 43 percent already have at least a temporary certificate of occupancy and 80 percent are at least halfway through construction.” 

The table below indicate the Key Metrics at or for the three months ended:

(1) Annualized where appropriate.
(2) Net interest margin represents net interest income divided by average total interest-earning assets.
(3) Efficiency ratio represents noninterest expense divided by the sum of net interest income and noninterest income.

Summary of Results of Operations

Net income for the three months ended March 31, 2025 was $6.0 million compared to net income of $2.9 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and net income of $2.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024.

The $3.0 million increase of net income for the three months ended March 31, 2025 compared to the three months ended December 31, 2024 was attributed mainly to increases of $1.5 million in net interest income, an increase of $1.2 million in benefit for credit losses, a decrease of $0.6 million in non-interest expense and an increase of $0.3 million in non-interest income; partially offset by an increase of $0.5 million in provision for income taxes.

The $3.5 million increase of net income for the three months ended March 31, 2025 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2024 was largely due to increases of $3.4 million in net interest income, $0.7 million in non-interest income and $0.3 million in benefit for credit losses, partially offset by increases of $0.7 million in provision for income taxes and $0.1 million in non-interest expense

Net Interest Income and Net Margin

Net interest income for the three months ended March 31, 2025, increased $1.5 million, or 7.11%, to $22.2 million compared to $20.7 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and increased $3.4 million, or 17.96%, compared to $18.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024.

The $1.5 million increase in net interest income from the three months ended December 31, 2024 was attributable to an increase of $1.1 million in total interest and dividend income and a decrease of $0.4 million in total interest expense.

The $3.4 million increase in net interest income from the three months ended March 31, 2024 was attributable to an increase of $4.3 million in total interest and dividend income, offset by an increase of $0.9 million in total interest expense.

For the three months ended March 31, 2025, benefit for credit losses amounted to $0.3 million, compared to $0.9 million in provision for credit losses for the prior quarter and a credit loss benefit on loans of less than $0.1 million during the first quarter of 2024.

Net interest margin was 2.98% for the three months ended March 31, 2025 compared to 2.80% for the prior quarter, an increase of 18bps and 2.71% for the same period last year, an increase of 27bps.

Non-interest Income

Non-interest income for the three months ended March 31, 2025, was $2.4 million, an increase of $0.3 million, or 13.54%, compared to $2.1 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and an increase of $0.7 million, or 39.48%, compared to $1.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024.

The $0.3 million increase in non-interest income from the three months ended December 31, 2024 was largely attributable to increases of $0.4 million in late and prepayment charges and $0.3 million in income on sale of SBA loans, partially offset by decreases of $0.2 million in other non-interest income and $0.1 million in income on sale of mortgage loans.

The $0.7 million increase in non-interest income from the three months ended March 31, 2024 was largely attributable to increases of $0.4 million in income on sale of SBA loans and $0.3 million in late and prepayment charges, partially offset by a decrease of $0.2 million in income on the sale of mortgage loans.

Non-interest Expense

Non-interest expense for the three months ended March 31, 2025, was $16.9 million, a decrease of $0.6 million, or 3.30%, compared to $17.5 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and an increase of $0.1 million, or 0.61%, compared to $16.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024.

The $0.6 million decrease in non-interest expense from the three months ended December 31, 2024 was mainly attributable to decreases of $0.3 million in professional fees, $0.2 million in marketing and promotional expenses, $0.2 million in direct loan expenses, $0.1 million in office supplies, telephone and postage, partially offset by an increase of $0.1 million in compensation and benefits.

The $0.1 million increase in non-interest expense from the three months ended March 31, 2024 was mainly attributable to increases of $0.5 million in other operating expense and $0.2 million in occupancy and equipment, partially offset by decreases of $0.4 million in professional fees and $0.3 million in direct loan expenses.

Credit Quality:

Non-performing loans were $32.0 million at March 31, 2025 compared to $32.1 million at December 31, 2024 and $22.4 million at March 31, 2024.

During the three months ended March 31, 2025, a credit loss benefit of $0.3 million on loans was recorded, consisting of $0.7 million charged on the funded portion and a benefit of $1.0 million on the unfunded portion on loans. During the three months ended December 31, 2024, a credit loss provision of $0.9 million on loans were recorded, consisting of $1.1 million charged on the funded portion and a benefit of $0.2 million on unfunded portion on loans. During the three months ended March 31, 2024, a credit loss benefit of $0.1 million on loans were recorded, consisting of $0.3 million benefit on the funded portion and a $0.2 million charged on the on unfunded portion on loans.

Balance Sheet Summary

Total assets increased $49.9 million, or 1.64%, to $3.09 billion as of March 31, 2025 from $3.04 billion as of December 31, 2024. The increase in total assets is largely attributable to increases of $84.3 million in net loans receivable, $1.2 million in accrued interest receivable and $0.4 million in right of use assets, partially offset by decreases of $9.9 million in cash and cash equivalents, $9.9 million in held-to-maturity securities, $8.4 million in other assets, $3.4 million in Federal Home Loan Bank of New York stock, $2.2 million in mortgage loans held for sale and $1.4 million in available-for-sale securities.

Total liabilities increased $41.5 million, or 1.64%, to $2.58 billion as of March 31, 2025 from $2.53 billion as of December 31, 2024. The increase in total liabilities was largely attributable to an increase of $120.1 million in deposits, $2.6 million in advance payments by borrowers for taxes, $0.9 million in accrued interest payable, $0.4 million in operating lease liabilities, partially offset by decreases of $75.0 million in borrowings and $7.5 million in other liabilities.

Total stockholders’ equity increased $8.4 million, or 1.66%, to $513.9 million as of March 31, 2025, from $505.5 million as of December 31, 2024. The $8.4 million increase in stockholders’ equity was largely attributable to $6.0 million in net income, $1.8 million in other comprehensive income, $0.5 million impact to additional paid in capital as a result of share-based compensation and $0.4 million from release of ESOP shares, offset by $0.3 million in dividends on preferred shares.

About Ponce Financial Group, Inc.

Ponce Financial Group, Inc. is the holding company for Ponce Bank. Ponce Bank is a Minority Depository Institution, a Community Development Financial Institution, and a certified Small Business Administration lender. Ponce Bank’s business primarily consists of taking deposits from the general public and to a lesser extent alternative funding sources and investing those funds, together with funds generated from operations and borrowings, in mortgage loans, consisting of 1-4 family residences (investor-owned and owner-occupied), multifamily residences, nonresidential properties, construction and land, and, to a lesser extent, in business and consumer loans. Ponce Bank also invests in securities, which consist of U.S. Government and federal agency securities and securities issued by government-sponsored or government-owned enterprises, as well as, mortgage-backed securities, corporate bonds and obligations, and Federal Home Loan Bank stock.

Forward Looking Statements

Certain statements herein constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Exchange Act and are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements may be identified by words such as “believes,” “will,” “would,” “expects,” “project,” “may,” “could,” “developments,” “strategic,” “launching,” “opportunities,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “intends,” “plans,” “targets” and similar expressions. These statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements as a result of numerous factors. Factors that could cause such differences to exist include, but are not limited to, adverse conditions in the capital and debt markets and the impact of such conditions on business activities; changes in interest rates; competitive pressures from other financial institutions; the effects of general economic conditions on a national basis or in the local markets in which Ponce Bank operates, including changes that adversely affect borrowers’ ability to service and repay Ponce Bank’s loans; changes in U.S. trade policies, including the imposition of tariffs and retaliatory tariffs, and their related impacts on the economy; changes in the value of securities in the investment portfolio; changes in loan default and charge-off rates; fluctuations in real estate values; the adequacy of loan loss reserves; decreases in deposit levels necessitating increased borrowing to fund loans and investments; operational risks including, but not limited to, cybersecurity, fraud and natural disasters; changes in government regulation; changes in accounting standards and practices; the risk that intangibles recorded in the financial statements will become impaired; demand for loans in Ponce Bank’s market area; Ponce Bank’s ability to attract and maintain deposits; risks related to the implementation of acquisitions, dispositions, and restructurings; the risk that Ponce Financial Group, Inc. may not be successful in the implementation of its business strategy; changes in assumptions used in making such forward-looking statements and the risk factors described in Ponce Financial Group, Inc.’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”), which are available at the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release. Ponce Financial Group, Inc. disclaims any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect changes in underlying assumptions or factors, new information, future events or other changes, except as may be required by applicable law or regulation.

Ponce Financial Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition
(Dollars in thousands, except for share data)

Ponce Financial Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Operations
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)

(1) For the three months ended December 31, 2024, September 30, 2024, June 30, 2024, and March 31, 2024, (benefit) provision for contingencies in the amounts of ($0.2 million), ($0.3 million), ($0.5 million) and $0.2 million were reclassified from total non-interest expense to (benefit) provision for credit losses.

(2) For the three months ended September 30, 2024, June 30, 2024, and March 31, 2024, $0.3 million of federal deposit insurance was reclassified from other operating expenses to federal deposit insurance and regulatory assessments and $0.1 million of directors’ fees were reclassified from federal deposit insurance and regulatory assessments to other operating expenses for each periods.

Ponce Financial Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Operations
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)

(1) For the three months ended March 31, 2024, provision for contingencies in the amount of $0.2 million were reclassified from total non-interest expense to benefit for credit losses.

(2) For the three months ended March 31, 2024, $0.3 million of federal deposit insurance was reclassified from other operating expenses to federal deposit insurance and regulatory assessments and $0.1 million of directors’ fees were reclassified from federal deposit insurance and regulatory assessments to other operating expenses.  

Ponce Financial Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Loans Receivable excluding Mortgage Loans Held for Sale

(1)   As of September 30, 2024, June 30, 2024, and March 31, 2024, consumer loans include $3.0 million, $4.3 million, and $5.7 million, respectively, of microloans originated by the Bank. As of December 31, 2024, these microloans were charged-off.

Ponce Financial Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Allowance for Credit Losses on Loans

Ponce Financial Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Deposits

(1) As of September 30, 2024, June 30, 2024 and March 31, 2024, $36.2 million, $33.5 million and $37.2 million, respectively, were reclassified from all other certificates of deposit less than $250K to certificates of deposit of $250K or more.

(2) There were no individual listing service deposits amounting to $250,000 or more. There was one brokered certificates of deposit in the amount of $1.5 million amounting to $250,000 or more. All other brokered certificates of deposit individually amounted to less than $250,000.

Ponce Financial Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Nonperforming Assets

(1) Balances include both modifications to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty, in accordance with ASU 2022-02 adopted on January 1, 2023, and previously existing troubled debt restructurings.

(2) Includes nonperforming mortgage loans held for sale.

Ponce Financial Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Average Balance Sheets

(1) Annualized where appropriate.
(2) Loans include loans and mortgage loans held for sale, at fair value.
(3) Securities include available-for-sale securities and held-to-maturity securities.
(4) Includes FHLBNY demand account, FHLBNY stock dividends and FRBNY demand deposits.
(5) Net interest rate spread represents the difference between the weighted average yield on interest-earning assets and the weighted average rate of interest-bearing liabilities.
(6) Net interest-earning assets represent total interest-earning assets less total interest-bearing liabilities.
(7) Net interest margin represents net interest income divided by average total interest-earning assets.

Ponce Financial Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Other Data

Contact:
Sergio J. Vaccaro
sergio.vaccaro@poncebank.net
718-931-9000