Meridian (US:MRBK) Globenewswire·2026-01-29 19:48Core Viewpoint - Meridian Corporation reported strong financial performance for the fourth quarter of 2025, with net income increasing by 7.9% quarter-over-quarter and 33.6% year-over-year, driven by growth in loan portfolios and improved net interest margins [2][5]. Financial Performance - Net income for Q4 2025 was $7.2 million, or $0.61 per diluted share, up from $6.7 million in Q3 2025 and $5.6 million in Q4 2024 [5][7]. - Pre-provision net revenue (PPNR) for the quarter was $12.6 million, an increase of 13% from Q4 2024 [5][8]. - The net interest margin improved to 3.77%, while the loan yield declined to 7.15% and the cost of funds decreased to 3.23% [5][33]. Loan and Deposit Growth - Commercial loans, excluding leases, increased by $35.2 million, or 2%, from the prior quarter [5][24]. - Total assets grew to $2.6 billion, a 0.8% increase from the previous quarter, with total deposits rising by $27 million, or 1.3% [22][24]. Non-Interest Income and Expenses - Total non-interest income increased by $662 thousand, or 6.7%, primarily due to gains on investment securities and increased fee income [18][19]. - Non-interest expenses were relatively flat, with a slight increase of 0.5% quarter-over-quarter, totaling $21.7 million [20][21]. Asset Quality - Non-performing loans decreased to $55.1 million, with the ratio of non-performing loans to total loans decreasing to 2.50% [26][27]. - Net charge-offs increased to $3.5 million, or 0.16% of total average loans, compared to 0.09% in the previous quarter [27][28]. Strategic Outlook - The company aims to leverage its consistent organic growth and strategic acquisitions to capitalize on market disruptions in 2026 [6].