Ponce Financial Group, Inc. Reports First Quarter 2024 Results

NEW YORK, April 30, 2024 (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 2024.

First Quarter 2024 Highlights (Compared to Prior Periods):

• Net income of $2.4 million, or $0.11 per diluted share for the three months ended March 31, 2024, as compared to net income of $0.5 million, or $0.02 per diluted share for the three months ended December 31, 2023 and net income of $0.3 million, or $0.01 per diluted share for the three months ended March 31, 2023.
• Included in the $2.4 million of net income for the first quarter of 2024 results is $39.7 million in interest and dividend income, $1.7 million in non-interest income and $0.2 million in benefit for credit losses, offset by $20.8 million in interest expense and $17.0 million in non-interest expense.
• Net interest income of $18.8 million for the first quarter of 2024 increased $1.6 million, or 9.46%, from the prior quarter and increased $3.6 million, or 23.47%, from the same quarter last year.
• Net interest margin was 2.71% for the first quarter of 2024, increased from 2.66% for the prior quarter and decreased from 2.75% for the same quarter last year.
• Non-interest income for the three months ended March 31, 2024 was $1.7 million, increased $0.4 million, or 32.84%, from $1.3 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023 and decreased $0.1 million, or 6.16%, from $1.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023.
• Non-interest expense for the three months ended March 31, 2024 was $17.0 million, decreased $0.9 million, or 5.29%, compared to $17.9 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023 and increased $0.6 million, or 3.60% compared to $16.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023.
• Cash and equivalents were $134.7 million as of March 31, 2024, decreased $4.5 million, or 3.21%, from December 31, 2023.
• Securities totaled $569.0 million as of March 31, 2024, decreased $12.7 million, or 2.18%, from December 31, 2023 primarily due to regular principal payments.
• Net loans receivable were $1.98 billion as of March 31, 2024, increased $85.5 million, or 4.51%, from December 31, 2023.
• Deposits were $1.59 billion as of March 31, 2024, increased $78.2 million, or 5.18%, from December 31, 2023.

President and Chief Executive Officer’s Comments

Carlos P. Naudon, Ponce Financial Group’s President and CEO, stated “Despite the challenging operating environment, we continue to make progress: net interest income grew for the fourth quarter in a row, and net interest margin grew for the second quarter in a row. Book value per share is now $11.29 (up $0.39 vs last year) and total equity per share stands at $20.75. We’re also making progress on the expense side and have reduced headcount by 7% year over year. We continue to show strong levels of capital and liquidity. On the capital front, our total capital ratio at Ponce Bank stands at 23.33%, well in excess of regulatory requirements. In terms of liquidity, our liquid assets plus borrowing capacity at the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York ("FHLBNY") stands at $724.1 million, approximately 1.7 times of our uninsured deposits of $416.9 million. We remain committed to the communities we serve, our Minority Depository Institution (“MDI”)/Community Development Financial Institutions ("CDFI") status and continuing to invest in our people and in technology to improve our efficiency."

Executive Chairman’s Comment

Steven A. Tsavaris, Ponce Financial Group’s Executive Chairman added “We continue to grow both loans and deposits while maintaining credit quality. While we see resiliency in our client base, our prudent approach might result in lower growth in the coming quarters as we prioritize sound underwriting practices and balance sheet management over loan growth.”

Selected performance metrics are as follows (refer to “Key Metrics” for additional information):

(1)  Annualized where appropriate.(2)  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.(3)  Net interest margin represents net interest income divided by average total interest-earning assets.(4)  Efficiency ratio represents noninterest expense divided by the sum of net interest income and noninterest income.(5)  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.

Summary of Results of Operations

Net income for the three months ended March 31, 2024 was $2.4 million compared to net income of $0.5 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023 and net income of $0.3 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023.

The increase of net income for the three months ended March 31, 2024 compared to the three months ended December 31, 2023 was attributed mainly to an increase in net interest income, a decrease in non-interest expense and an increase in non-interest income, partially offset by an increase in provision for income taxes and a decrease in benefit for credit losses.

The increase of net income for the three months ended March 31, 2024 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2023 was largely due to increases in net interest income, partially offset by increases in provision for income taxes and non-interest expense and a decrease in non-interest income.

Net Interest Income and Net Margin

Net interest income for the three months ended March 31, 2024, increased $1.6 million, or 9.46%, to $18.8 million compared to $17.2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023 and increased $3.6 million, or 23.47%, compared to $15.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023. Included in this increase was a recovery of $1.0 million in interest income from a construction loan that was previously nonperforming.

For the three months ended March 31, 2024, benefit for credit losses amounted to $0.2 million consists of a benefit for credit losses on loans in the amount of $0.3 million and a provision on credit losses on held-to-maturity securities in the amount of $0.1 million. The $0.3 million benefit for credit losses on loans for the three months ended March 31, 2024 resulted from a benefit of $0.8 million related to micro loans originated by Grain and a provision of $0.5 million related to non-micro loans.

Net interest margin was 2.71% for the three months ended March 31, 2024 compared to 2.66% for the prior quarter, an increase of 5bps and 2.75% for the same period last year, a decrease of 4bps. The decrease in net interest margin for the three months ended March 31, 2024 when compared to the same period last year was a result of an increase in the cost of funds driven by higher interest rates.

Non-interest Income

Non-interest income for the three months ended March 31, 2024, was $1.7 million, an increase of $0.4 million, or 32.84%, compared to the three months ended December 31, 2023 and a decrease of $0.1 million, or 6.16%, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2023.

The $0.4 million increase in non-interest income for the three months ended March 31, 2024 compared to the three months ended December 31, 2023 was largely attributable to an increase of $0.8 million in other non-interest income partially offset by a grant of $0.4 million received in the fourth quarter of 2023 from the U.S. Treasury. No grants were received in the first quarter of 2024.

The $0.1 million decrease in non-interest income for the three months ended March 31, 2024 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2023 was largely attributable to a decrease of $0.4 million in late and prepayment charges, partially offset by increases of $0.2 million in income on sale of mortgage loans and $0.1 million in other non-interest income.

Non-interest Expense

Non-interest expense for the three months ended March 31, 2024, was $17.0 million, a decrease of $0.9 million, or 5.29%, compared to $17.9 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023 and an increase of $0.6 million, or 3.60%, compared to $16.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023.

The $0.9 million decrease from the three months ended December 31, 2023 was mainly attributable to decreases of $0.4 million in compensation and benefits, $0.3 million in provision for contingencies, $0.3 million in professional fees and $0.2 million in other operating expense, partially offset by an increase of $0.3 million in direct loan expense.

The $0.6 million increase from the three months ended March 31, 2023 was mainly attributable to a decrease of $0.9 million in Grain recoveries, increases of $0.4 million in compensation and benefits, $0.3 million in direct loan expenses and $0.3 million in professional fees, partially offset by decreases of $0.8 million in provision for contingencies, $0.3 million in other operating expense  and $0.2 million in office supplies, telephone and postage.

Balance Sheet Summary

Total assets increased $68.0 million, or 2.47%, to $2.82 billion as of March 31, 2024 from $2.75 billion as of December 31, 2023.  The increase in total assets is largely attributable to increases of $85.5 million in net loans receivable, $4.5 million in Federal Home Loan Bank of New York stock and $1.3 million in premises and equipment, partially offset by decreases of $8.8 million in held-to-maturity securities, $4.5 million in cash and cash equivalents, $3.9 million in available-for-sale securities. $3.6 million in other assets and $2.1 million in mortgage loans held for sale.

Total liabilities increased $65.7 million, or 2.91%, to $2.33 billion as of March 31, 2024 from $2.26 billion as of December 31, 2023. The increase in total liabilities was largely attributable to increases of $78.2 million in deposits and $2.5 million in advance payments by borrowers for taxes and insurance, partially offset by decreases of $7.7 million in accrued interest payable, $4.0 million in borrowings and $3.0 million in other liabilities.

Total stockholders’ equity increased $2.3 million, or 0.47%, to $493.7 million as of March 31, 2024, from $491.4 million as of December 31, 2023. This increase in stockholders’ equity was largely attributable to $2.4 million in net income, $0.5 million impact to additional paid in capital as a result of share-based compensation and $0.3 million from release of ESOP shares, offset by $0.9 million in other comprehensive loss.

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; anticipated losses with respect to the Company's investment in Grain; 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 SubsidiariesConsolidated Statements of Financial Condition(Dollars in thousands, except for share data)

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

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

Ponce Financial Group, Inc. and SubsidiariesKey Metrics

(1)  Annualized where appropriate.(2)  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.(3)  Net interest margin represents net interest income divided by average total interest-earning assets.(4)  Efficiency ratio represents noninterest expense divided by the sum of net interest income and noninterest income.(5)  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.

Ponce Financial Group, Inc. and SubsidiariesSecurities Portfolio

(1)  Comprised of Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“FHLMC”), Federal National Mortgage Association (“FNMA”) and Ginnie Mae (“GNMA”) issued securities.

The following table presents the activity in the allowance for credit losses for held-to-maturity securities.

Ponce Financial Group, Inc. and SubsidiariesLoan Portfolio

(1)  As of March 31, 2024, December 31, 2023, September 30, 2023, June 30, 2023 and March 31, 2023, consumer loans include $5.7 million, $8.0 million, $9.3 million, $11.2 million and $13.4 million, respectively, of loans originated by the Bank pursuant to its arrangement with Grain.

Ponce Financial Group, Inc. and SubsidiariesGrain Loan Exposure

(1) Excludes $1.6 million of security deposits by Grain originated borrowers reported in deposits in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Financial Conditions.(2) Total remaining exposure to Grain borrowers. These loans are now serviced by the Bank.

On November 1, 2023, Ponce Financial Group, Inc. and Grain signed a Perpetual Software License Agreement in order for the Bank to assume the servicing of the remaining Grain loans. In order to facilitate the transfer of the servicing responsibilities to the Bank, Grain granted the Bank a perpetual right and license to use the Grain software, including the source code to service the remaining loans.

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

Ponce Financial Group, Inc. and SubsidiariesDeposits

(1)  As of December 31, 2023, September 30, 2023, June 30, 2023 and March 31, 2023, $58.2 million, $51.5 million, $41.4 million and $46.6 million, respectively, were reclassified from demand to NOW/IOLA accounts.(2)  As of June 30, 2023 and March 31, 2023, $150.6 million and $115.3 million, respectively, of SaveBetter deposits were reclassified from money market accounts to certificates of deposits. $36.4 million and $37.1 million, respectively, were reclassified to Certificates of deposits of $250K or more and $114.2 million and $78.2 million, respectively, were reclassified to certificates of deposit less than $250K.(3)  As of March 31, 2024, December 31, 2023, September 30, 2023, June 30, 2023 and March 31, 2023, there were $1.5 million, $0.3 million, $0.3 million, $3.3 million and $9.5 million, respectively, in individual listing service deposits amounting to $250,000 or more. All brokered certificates of deposit individually amounted to less than $250,000.

Ponce Financial Group, Inc. and SubsidiariesBorrowings

Ponce Financial Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries Nonperforming Assets