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The overall cost of interest-bearing liabilities was 2.60% for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 compared to 1.93% for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023. The cost of funds increased 55 basis points to 1.99% for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 from 1.44% for the same period of 2023. The FTE yield on interest-earning assets was 4.62% for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of 44 basis points from the 4.18% for the same period of 2023. The Company’s FTE (non-GAAP measurement) net interest spread was 2.02% for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024, a decrease of 23 basis points from the 2.25% recorded for the same period of 2023. FTE net interest margin decreased by 9 basis points to 2.72% for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 from 2.81% for the same 2023 period due to the increase of 67 basis points in rates paid on interest-bearing liabilities growing at a faster pace than the increase of 44 basis points in yields on interest-earning assets.

For the year ended December 31, 2024, the provision for credit losses on loans was $1.3 million and the provision for credit losses on unfunded commitments was $0.1 million, compared to a $1.5 million provision for credit losses on loans and a $0.2 million net benefit for the provision for unfunded commitments for the year ended December 31, 2023. For the year ended December 31, 2024, the decrease in the provision for credit losses on loans compared to the prior year period was due to lower net charge-offs coupled with improved economic forecast assumptions. For the year ended December 31, 2024, the increase in the provision for credit losses on unfunded commitments compared to the prior period was due to growth in unfunded commitments, specifically in commercial construction commitments.

Total non-interest income for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $19.0 million, an increase of $7.6 million, or 67%, from $11.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. The primary driver of the large increase was a $6.5 million loss recognized on the sale of securities during 2023. The remaining $1.1 million increase resulted from increases of $0.6 million in additional trust fiduciary fees, $0.3 million in additional service charges on loans, $0.2 million more in debit card interchange fees and $0.1 million higher fees from financial services. Partially offsetting these increases, the Company received $0.3 million in recoveries from acquired charged-off loans during 2023. Additionally, the Company experienced a decrease of $0.2 million in fees from commercial loans with interest rate hedges compared to 2023.

Non-interest expenses increased to $55.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $3.6 million, or 7%, from $51.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2023. Salaries and benefits expense increased $3.2 million due to an increase in employees and incentive-based compensation throughout the year ended December 31, 2024. There were additional increases throughout the period in professional fees of $0.6 million, and PA shares tax of $0.3 million. The increases were partially offset by $0.5 million less in fraud losses and $0.3 million less advertising and marketing expenses.

The provision for income taxes increased $1.0 million during 2024 compared to 2023 due to $3.6 million higher income before taxes.

Consolidated Fourth Quarter Operating Results Overview

Net interest income was $16.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, a 10% increase over the $14.9 million earned for the fourth quarter of 2023. The $1.5 million increase in net interest income resulted from the increase of $3.2 million in interest income primarily due to a $131.7 million increase in the average balance of interest-earning assets and a 32 basis point increase in the FTE yield. The loan portfolio had the biggest impact, producing a $3.2 million increase in interest income from $132.1 million in higher quarterly average balances and an increase of 37 basis points in the FTE loan yield. Slightly offsetting the higher interest income is a $1.7 million increase in interest expense due to a 24 basis point increase in the rates paid on interest-bearing liabilities coupled with a $152.4 million quarter-over-quarter increase in average interest-bearing deposit balances. The largest contributor to the increase in interest expense was due to growth in average balances and a 31 basis point increase in the rates paid on interest-bearing deposits.

The overall cost of interest-bearing liabilities was 2.60% for the fourth quarter of 2024, an increase of 24 basis points from the 2.36% paid for the fourth quarter of 2023. The cost of funds increased 21 basis points to 2.00% for the fourth quarter of 2024 from 1.79% for the fourth quarter of 2023. The Company’s FTE (non-GAAP measurement) net interest spread was 2.08% for the fourth quarter of 2024, up 8 basis points from the 2.00% recorded for the fourth quarter of 2023. FTE net interest margin increased by 12 basis points to 2.78% for the three months ended December 31, 2024 from 2.66% for the same 2023 period due to the increase of 32 basis points in the yields on interest-earning assets growing slightly faster than increase of 24 basis points in rates paid on interest-bearing liabilities.

For the three months ended December 31, 2024, the provision for credit losses on loans was $0.2 million partially offset by a $0.1 million net benefit in the provision for unfunded commitments, compared to a $0.1 million provision for credit losses on loans and a $0.1 million net benefit in the provision for credit losses on unfunded loan commitments for the three months ended December 31, 2023. For the three months ended December 31, 2024, the increase in the provision for credit losses on loans compared to the prior year period was due to higher net charge-offs compared to the same period of 2023. For the three months ended December 31, 2024, the $0.1 million net benefit for credit losses on unfunded commitments, which was unchanged from the prior year period, was due to a reduction in unfunded commitments as funds were advanced during the quarter.

Total non-interest income increased $6.8 million to $4.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to the same period of 2023 primarily due to the $6.5 million loss recognized on the sale of securities during the fourth quarter of 2023. Additionally, the Company experienced an increase of $0.2 million in trust fiduciary activities revenue.

Non-interest expenses increased $1.6 million, or 12%, for the fourth quarter of 2024 to $14.4 million from $12.8 million for the same quarter of 2023. The increase in non-interest expenses was primarily due to $1.2 million increase in salaries and benefits expense from higher salaries related to new hires and banker incentives. There were also increases in professional services of $0.3 million, data center services of $0.1 million, and PA shares tax of $0.1 million.

The provision for income taxes increased $1.2 million during the fourth quarter of 2024 primarily due to the higher level of operating income compared to the fourth quarter of 2023.

Consolidated Balance Sheet & Asset Quality Overview

The Company’s total assets grew to $2.6 billion as of December 31, 2024, an increase of $81.5 million from December 31, 2023. The increase resulted from $114.3 million in growth in the loans and leases portfolio during the twelve months ended December 31, 2024. Asset growth was offset by a decline in cash and cash equivalents by $28.6 million and a decrease in the investment portfolio by $11.1 million. The decline in the investment portfolio was primarily due to $22.0 million in paydowns partially offset by a $15.4 million in purchases within the available-for-sale securities portfolio. As of December 31, 2024, the market value of held-to-maturity securities decreased by $2.6 million compared to December 31, 2023, bringing the portfolio down to a $31.2 million unrealized loss position.

During the same time period, total liabilities increased $67.0 million, or 3%. Deposit growth of $182.4 million was utilized to fund loan growth and pay-off of short-term borrowings as of December 31, 2024. The Company experienced an increase of $110.4 million in money market deposits and an increase of $125.9 million in time deposits due to promotional rates offered as a result of market competition. The growth in these products was partially offset by a decrease of $53.9 million in checking and savings account balances as of December 31, 2024. This decrease resulted primarily from declines experienced in average balances per checking and saving account, even though the number of accounts in each product grew throughout 2024. Also as of December 31, 2024, checking deposit balances remained at more than half of total deposits. As of December 31, 2024, the ratio of insured and collateralized deposits to total deposits was approximately 76%.

Shareholders’ equity increased $14.5 million, or 8%, to $204.0 million at December 31, 2024 from $189.5 million at December 31, 2023. The increase was caused by $11.9 million higher retained earnings from net income of $20.8 million plus a $0.9 million, after tax, improvement in accumulated other comprehensive income from lower net unrealized losses recorded on available-for-sale securities, partially offset by $8.9 million in cash dividends paid to shareholders. An additional $1.7 million was recorded from the issuance of common stock under the Company’s stock plans and stock-based compensation expense. At December 31, 2024, there were no credit losses on available-for-sale and held-to-maturity debt securities. Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) is excluded from regulatory capital ratios. The Company remains well capitalized with Tier 1 capital at 9.22% of total average assets as of December 31, 2024. Total risk-based capital was 14.78% of risk-weighted assets and Tier 1 risk-based capital was 13.60% of risk-weighted assets as of December 31, 2024. Tangible book value per share was $31.98 at December 31, 2024 compared to $29.57 at December 31, 2023. Tangible common equity was 7.16% of total assets at December 31, 2024 compared to 6.79% at December 31, 2023.

Asset Quality

Total non-performing assets were $7.8 million, or 0.30% of total assets at December 31, 2024, compared to $3.3 million, or 0.13% of total assets at December 31, 2023. Past due and non-accrual loans to total loans were 0.71% at December 31, 2024 compared to 0.46% at December 31, 2023. Net charge-offs to average total loans were 0.03% at December 31, 2024 compared to 0.04% at December 31, 2023.

About Fidelity D & D Bancorp, Inc. and The Fidelity Deposit and Discount Bank

Fidelity D & D Bancorp, Inc. has built a strong history as trusted financial advisor to the clients served by The Fidelity Deposit and Discount Bank (“Fidelity Bank”). Fidelity Bank continues its mission of exceeding client expectations through a unique banking experience. It operates 21 full-service offices throughout Lackawanna, Luzerne, Lehigh and Northampton Counties and a Fidelity Bank Wealth Management Office in Schuylkill County. Fidelity Bank provides a digital banking experience online at www.bankatfidelity.com, through the Fidelity Mobile Banking app, and in the Client Care Center at 1-800-388-4380. Additionally, the Bank offers full-service Wealth Management & Brokerage Services, a Mortgage Center, and a full suite of personal and commercial banking products and services. Part of the Company’s vision is to serve as the best bank for the community, which was accomplished by having provided over 5,960 hours of volunteer time and over $1.3 million in donations to non-profit organizations directly within the markets served throughout 2024. Fidelity Bank's deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation up to the full extent permitted by law.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The Company uses non-GAAP financial measures to provide information useful to the reader in understanding its operating performance and trends, and to facilitate comparisons with the performance of other financial institutions. Management uses these measures internally to assess and better understand our underlying business performance and trends related to core business activities. The Company’s non-GAAP financial measures and key performance indicators may differ from the non-GAAP financial measures and key performance indicators other financial institutions use to measure their performance and trends. Non-GAAP financial measures should be supplemental to GAAP used to prepare the Company’s operating results and should not be read in isolation or relied upon as a substitute for GAAP measures. Reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to GAAP are presented in the tables below.

Interest income was adjusted to recognize the income from tax exempt interest-earning assets as if the interest was taxable, fully-taxable equivalent ("FTE"), in order to calculate certain ratios within this document. This treatment allows a uniform comparison among yields on interest-earning assets. Interest income was FTE adjusted, using the corporate federal tax rate of 21% for 2024 and 2023.

Forward-looking statements

Certain of the matters discussed in this press release constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and as such may involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the Company to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The words “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “believe,” “estimate,” and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements.

The Company’s actual results may differ materially from the results anticipated in these forward-looking statements due to a variety of factors, including, without limitation:

The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect analyses only as of the date of this release. The Company has no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release.

For more information please visit our investor relations web site located through www.bankatfidelity.com.

* Non-GAAP Financial Measures - see reconciliations below