BayFirst Financial Corp. Reports First Quarter 2025 Results

Core Points - BayFirst Financial Corp. reported a net loss of $0.3 million, or $0.17 per common share, for Q1 2025, a significant decrease from a net income of $9.8 million in Q4 2024 [1][5][27] - The company experienced net interest margin expansion to 3.77%, up 17 basis points from Q4 2024, and 35 basis points from Q1 2024 [3][6][27] - Total loans held for investment increased by $18.3 million, or 1.7%, during Q1 2025, and by $149.9 million, or 16.0%, year-over-year [3][13][27] - Noninterest income decreased to $8.8 million in Q1 2025 from $22.3 million in Q4 2024, primarily due to lower borrower demand and a significant gain on sale of branch properties in the previous quarter [9][10][27] - The company announced a share repurchase program allowing for the repurchase of up to $2.0 million of outstanding shares [21] - A second quarter cash dividend of $0.08 per common share was declared, continuing the company's history of quarterly dividends since 2016 [22] Financial Performance - Net interest income from continuing operations was $11.0 million in Q1 2025, an increase from $10.7 million in Q4 2024 and $8.7 million in Q1 2024 [6][8][27] - Noninterest expense increased to $15.8 million in Q1 2025 from $15.3 million in Q4 2024, but decreased from $17.8 million in Q1 2024 [10][27] - The provision for credit losses was $4.4 million in Q1 2025, compared to $4.5 million in Q4 2024 and $4.1 million in Q1 2024 [15][27] Asset Quality - The ratio of allowance for credit losses (ACL) to total loans held for investment was 1.61% as of March 31, 2025, slightly up from 1.54% at the end of 2024 [16][27] - Net charge-offs for Q1 2025 were $3.3 million, a decrease from $3.4 million in Q4 2024 and $3.7 million in Q1 2024 [17][27] - Nonperforming assets increased to 2.08% of total assets as of March 31, 2025, compared to 1.50% at the end of 2024 [17][27] Balance Sheet - Total assets increased by $3.7 million, or 0.3%, during Q1 2025, reaching $1.29 billion, driven by loan growth [12][27] - Total deposits decreased by $15.0 million, or 1.3%, during Q1 2025, but increased by $121.0 million, or 12.0%, year-over-year [14][27] - The company had $20.0 million of borrowings from the Federal Home Loan Bank as of March 31, 2025, compared to no borrowings at the end of 2024 [20][27] Strategic Initiatives - The company aims to grow recurring revenue through net interest income, reducing reliance on gains from government guaranteed loans [2][3] - A focus on expanding low-cost deposit accounts to fund the growing loan portfolio is part of the strategic plan [2][3]