Loan Growth and Margin Expansion
Loan investment grew by $90 million or 12% on an annualized basis, driven by growth in commercial, SBA, and SFR balances. Net interest margin increased by 12 basis points to 2.88% due to a decline in the cost of interest-bearing deposits.
Successful Mortgage Origination
The in-house mortgage origination business originated $112 million in mortgages in the first quarter, contributing to total first quarter loan originations of $201 million at a blended yield of 6.77%.
Reduction in Non-Performing Assets
Non-performing assets were reduced by 20%, with net exposure to non-performing loans decreasing by 32% to $51 million. NPLs decreased by $20.7 million or 25%, representing 1.92% of loans held for investment at quarter end.
Strong Deposit Growth
Total deposits increased at an 8% annualized rate from the fourth quarter to $3.14 billion, with growth in money market accounts and CDs more than offsetting the decline in non-interest-bearing accounts.