Blue Foundry Bancorp(US:BLFY)2025-10-29 16:00Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported a quarterly net loss of $1.9 million, an improvement from a $2 million loss in the prior quarter [2][6] - Pre-provision net loss was $1.3 million, also showing improvement compared to the previous quarter [2] - Net interest income increased by $551,000 to $12.2 million, driven by an 11.8% annualized increase in interest income [6][4] - Tangible book value per share increased to $15.14 [4] - Non-performing loans rose to $11.4 million, or 66 basis points of total loans, up from $6.3 million, or 38 basis points in the prior quarter [9] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Loan growth totaled $41.9 million, with commercial real estate and consumer loan portfolios driving this increase [3][9] - The commercial loan portfolio grew by $7.2 million, with strong origination activity of $81.3 million [3] - Consumer loan portfolio increased by $38 million, supported by purchases of unsecured consumer loans [3] - Core deposits grew by over 10% year-to-date, while commercial deposits increased by over 17% [3] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The net interest margin expanded by six basis points to 2.34%, supported by a nine basis point increase in asset yields [4][6] - The cost of average interest-bearing liabilities declined to 2.72% [6] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on growing core deposits, diversifying the loan portfolio, and expanding the net interest margin [2] - A relationship-driven approach has been emphasized to enhance loan growth and deposit acquisition [3][21] - The company plans to de-emphasize CDs in favor of money market products to manage funding costs [12][13] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expects downward rate movements to benefit funding costs and net interest margin over time [5] - The company anticipates a relatively flat margin in Q4, with a significant pickup expected in 2026 due to repricing activities [17][18] - Credit quality remains sound, with minimal charge-offs and a disciplined approach to risk management [8][9] Other Important Information - The company repurchased over 837,000 shares at a weighted average price of $9.09 per share, with a total of 8.65 million shares repurchased since the program's inception [4] - Liquidity and capital remain strong, with $423 million in borrowing capacity and $178 million in unencumbered securities [4] Q&A Session Summary Question: Margin outlook and response to rate cuts - Management discussed strategies to manage funding costs and expectations for matching Fed rate cuts [12][13] Question: Loan growth outlook and consumer loan portfolio - Management confirmed a target growth range of 7% to 8% for the structured consumer loan portfolio [26] Question: Buyback activity and future expectations - Management indicated that the recent buyback activity may not be a sustainable run rate, but they still have shares available for repurchase [27][28]