Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Net income for the fourth quarter was $3.9 million, with diluted EPS of $0.63, up $0.08 or approximately 15% year-over-year [4] - For the full year, GAAP EPS was $2.19, a 27% increase from $1.72 in 2024, marking the second-highest per-share earnings performance in the last 20 years [4] - Tangible book value per share increased to $18, up from $16 last year, representing a 12.5% increase [5] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Net interest income for the quarter totaled $12.7 million, a nearly 17% increase from $10.9 million in Q4 2024 [5] - Loan growth for the quarter was $70 million, an annualized increase of 25%, with year-over-year growth of $133.9 million or 12.8% [6] - Non-interest income decreased by 18.6% year-over-year to $3.7 million, primarily due to decreased mortgage servicing rates [12] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Total deposits increased by $45 million or 14% on an annualized basis in the quarter, with year-over-year growth of nearly $155 million or 13% [7] - Mortgage originations for the quarter were $72.4 million, down from the prior year but up compared to the linked quarter [9] - The company held approximately $50 million in excess liquidity and had access to $160 million in outstanding debt capacity [8] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to support prudent growth and long-term value creation through a well-capitalized balance sheet and diversified business lines [4] - Strategic initiatives focus on growing and diversifying revenue, operational excellence, and maintaining asset quality [10] - The Marblehead acquisition has transitioned from integration to execution, providing a foundation for organic growth [14] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism about the loan pipeline and the stability of the core deposit base, which supports performance improvement [30] - The company anticipates a gradual decrease in net interest margin in 2026 due to higher funding costs [38] - Management expects to maintain a positive operating leverage of 1.5-2 times in 2026, with a focus on expense control [55] Other Important Information - The company announced a dividend of $0.155 per share, marking the thirteenth consecutive year of increasing annual dividend payouts [30] - Total assets reached $3.6 billion, with a diversified asset base providing revenue diversification [8] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you comment on margin and outlook? - Management noted that deposit pricing is a concern due to competitive pressures, forecasting a gradual decrease in net interest margin in 2026 [38] Question: What is the outlook for mortgage production? - Management expects low to mid single-digit growth in mortgage production for 2026, with potential for higher volumes if additional lenders are added [50][51] Question: How do you view expense growth for 2026? - Management anticipates expense growth to be maintained in the 3.5%-4% range, with a focus on improving operating leverage [54][56] Question: What is the current state of credit quality? - Management expects continued improvement in credit quality as existing credits are resolved, maintaining a robust internal loan review process [66]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Net income for Q4 2025 was $3.9 million, with diluted EPS of $0.63, up $0.08 or approximately 15% year-over-year [4] - For the full year, GAAP EPS was $2.19, a 27% increase over 2024 EPS of $1.72 [4] - Tangible book value per share increased to $18, up from $16 last year, representing a 12.5% increase [5] - Net interest income for Q4 totaled $12.7 million, a nearly 17% increase from $10.9 million in Q4 2024 [5] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Loan growth for Q4 was $70 million, a 25% annualized increase, with year-over-year growth of $133.9 million or 12.8% [6] - Total deposits increased by $45 million in Q4, a 14% annualized increase, and year-over-year deposit growth was nearly $155 million or 13% [7] - Non-interest income decreased by 18.6% year-over-year to $3.7 million, primarily due to decreased mortgage servicing rates [12] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Mortgage originations for Q4 were $72.4 million, down from the prior year but up compared to the linked quarter [9] - The company achieved a loan-to-deposit ratio of 90.3%, which remains within the targeted operating range of 90%-95% [26] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to leverage its well-capitalized balance sheet and diversified business lines to support prudent growth and long-term value creation [4] - Strategic initiatives focus on growing and diversifying revenue, enhancing operational efficiency, and maintaining asset quality [10] - The Marblehead acquisition has transitioned from integration to execution, providing a foundation for organic growth [14] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism about the loan pipeline and the stability of the core deposit base, which supports performance improvement [29] - The company anticipates a gradual decline in net interest margin (NIM) in 2026 due to higher funding costs [38] - Management expects to maintain a positive operating leverage of 1.5-2 times in 2026, despite anticipated expense growth of 3.5%-4% [54] Other Important Information - The company announced a dividend of $0.155 per share, marking the thirteenth consecutive year of increasing annual dividend payouts [29] - The allowance for credit losses remained robust at 1.36% of total loans, providing 352% coverage of non-performing assets [19] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you elaborate on margin and outlook? - Management noted that deposit pricing is a concern due to competitive pressures, forecasting a gradual decline in NIM by 5-7 basis points in 2026 [38] Question: What is the outlook for mortgage production growth? - Management anticipates low to mid single-digit growth in mortgage production for 2026, with potential to reach $310-$375 million depending on staffing and market conditions [50][51] Question: How do you view expense growth for 2026? - Management expects expense growth to be maintained at 3.5%-4%, with a focus on improving operating leverage [54]

Core Insights - Bank of the James Financial Group, Inc. reported record quarterly earnings driven by loan growth, stable funding costs, and exceptional asset quality [1][3][4] Financial Performance - Earnings per share for Q3 2025 were $0.61, up from $0.44 in Q3 2024, while year-to-date earnings per share remained stable at $1.39 [2][32] - Total interest income increased to $11.77 million in Q3 2025, a 1.8% rise from $11.56 million in Q3 2024, and $34.64 million for the first nine months of 2025, up 4.9% from $33.01 million in the same period last year [2][5] - Net interest income rose 10.5% to $8.30 million in Q3 2025, compared to $7.51 million in Q3 2024, and increased 12.62% to $24.27 million for the first nine months of 2025 [2][4][32] - Interest expense decreased by 14.3% to $3.47 million in Q3 2025 from $4.05 million in Q3 2024, reflecting effective rate management [7][32] Asset Quality and Growth - Loans, net of the allowance for credit losses, grew to $653.29 million at September 30, 2025, from $636.55 million at December 31, 2024, with commercial real estate loans leading the growth [2][15][19] - The ratio of nonperforming loans to total loans was 0.29% at September 30, 2025, indicating strong asset quality [19][20] - Total assets reached $1.02 billion at September 30, 2025, up from $979.24 million at December 31, 2024, primarily due to loan growth and increases in securities [13][22] Shareholder Value - Stockholders' equity increased to $76.97 million at September 30, 2025, from $64.87 million at December 31, 2024, with a book value per share rising to $16.94 [23][30] - The Company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.10 per common share, reflecting its commitment to returning value to shareholders [2][3] Revenue Streams - Noninterest income for Q3 2025 was $4.17 million, compared to $3.82 million in Q3 2024, driven by strong contributions from commercial treasury services and wealth management [10][32] - The balanced revenue stream from various services has provided financial stability, even amid economic uncertainty [4][10]