OceanFirst Financial Q4 Earnings Call Highlights

Core Insights - OceanFirst Financial reported a strong fourth quarter for 2025, highlighting organic growth, strong asset quality, and expense management initiatives [6] Financial Performance - Pre-tax, pre-provision core earnings increased by 9%, or $3 million, compared to the previous quarter, driven by growth in earning assets [2] - Earnings per share were reported at $0.23 on a fully diluted GAAP basis and $0.41 on a core basis, marking a fifth consecutive quarter of net interest income (NII) growth, which rose by $5 million, or 5%, from the prior quarter [5] - Total loans increased by $474 million for the quarter, representing an 18% annualized growth rate, with quarterly originations exceeding $1 billion [4] Deposit and Funding - Total deposits increased by $528 million in the fourth quarter, with $323 million attributed to organic growth across multiple business lines [3] - The weighted average cost of the Premier deposit portfolio declined by 36 basis points to 2.28% as of December 31 [3] Asset Quality - Classified loans rated special mention and substandard decreased by 10% to $112 million, representing about 1% of total loans, with non-performing loans at 0.2% of total loans [8] - Net charge-offs remained low at five basis points of total loans, indicating strong credit performance [8] Expenses and Capital - GAAP operating expenses were $84 million, including $13 million related to residential outsourcing and merger costs, while core operating expenses were $71 million, down 2% from the previous quarter [11] - The estimated Common Equity Tier 1 (CET1) capital ratio was 10.7%, and tangible book value per share increased to $19.79 [13] Merger and Future Outlook - The company announced a merger agreement with Flushing Financial Corporation, aimed at enhancing organic growth initiatives in New York [14] - Management expects mid- to high-single-digit growth in loans and deposits, with NII and net interest margin (NIM) projected to improve, potentially exceeding 3% during the year [16]