Dime(US:DCOM) Yahoo Finance·2026-01-21 14:31Core Insights - The company reported a strong loan pipeline exceeding $1.3 billion with a weighted average interest rate between 6.25% and 6.5% [1] - Core EPS for Q4 was $0.79, marking an 88% increase year-over-year, driven by record total revenues of $124 million [3][13] - The company is focused on organic growth strategies and has successfully reduced its cost of funds while increasing non-interest-bearing deposits to 31% of total deposits [2][40] Financial Performance - Total deposits increased by approximately $800 million compared to the previous quarter, with core deposit growth of around $400 million when excluding seasonal and municipal deposits [15][40] - The net interest margin (NIM) rose to 3.11%, benefiting from a 10 basis point increase and a significant back book loan repricing opportunity [3][19] - Core cash operating expenses for Q4 were below guidance at $62.3 million, while noninterest income exceeded expectations at $11.5 million [17][24] Strategic Initiatives - The company is expanding its commercial banking platform and industry verticals, with a focus on healthcare, lender finance, and sponsor finance [8][12] - A new chief credit officer has been appointed to enhance the management of diversified commercial portfolios [10] - The company aims to reduce its commercial real estate (CRE) concentration ratio to the mid-350% area while continuing to grow business loans [22][24] Future Outlook - The company anticipates modest NIM expansion in the first half of 2026, with more substantial growth expected in the latter half due to loan repricing [18][21] - Loan growth is projected to be in the low single digits for 2026, with a flat balance sheet expected in the first half and growth in the second half [22][23] - The company is targeting a core cash operating expense range of $255 million to $257 million for 2026, reflecting the impact of new locations and banking teams [23]