Strong Core Profitability Growth
EPS increased to $0.28, with a significant improvement in core profitability and higher profitability metrics across the board.
Net Interest Margin Expansion
Net interest margin (NIM) expanded by 135 basis points year-over-year, with a current NIM of 3.04%, expected to grow to 3.20%-3.30% in 2025 assuming no further Fed rate cuts.
Reduction in Wholesale Funding and Cost Synergies
Wholesale funding was reduced from nearly 17% in Q4 2023 to 10.3% of assets. Noninterest operating expenses decreased by 36% from a normalized Q4 2023.
Loan Growth and Portfolio Diversification
C&I loans grew to 30.1% of the core loan portfolio from 25.6% a year ago. New loan production rates were above 7%.
Improved Deposit Mix
NIB grew to 29.1% of total average deposits, up nearly 7% from a year ago, and cost of deposits declined 28 basis points to 2.26%.