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First BanCorp. Announces Earnings for the Quarter Ended March 31, 2025

In This Article:

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico, April 24, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--First BanCorp. (the "Corporation" or "First BanCorp.") (NYSE: FBP), the bank holding company for FirstBank Puerto Rico ("FirstBank" or "the Bank"), today reported a net income of $77.1 million, or $0.47 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2025, compared to $75.7 million, or $0.46 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2024, and $73.5 million, or $0.44 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2024.

 

 

 

 

 

Q1

 

Q4

 

Q1

 

 

 

 

2025

 

2024

 

2024

 

 

 

Financial Highlights (1)

 

Aurelio Alemán, President and Chief Executive Officer of First BanCorp, commented: "We began the year with another quarter of strong performance for the franchise highlighted by encouraging margin expansion, positive operating leverage, and solid profitability metrics. We produced $77 million in net income, grew pre-tax pre-provision income by 7% to $125 million, and posted a return on average assets of 1.64%. We enter 2025 from a position of strength, with strong capital levels, and ample experience navigating economic uncertainty while serving our clients and communities across all environments.

 

Core customer deposits were up by $29 million during the quarter, inclusive of a $70 million increase in non-interest-bearing deposits. Consistent with our strategy, stable deposit trends enabled us to redeploy investment portfolio cash flows towards higher-yielding assets while improving our funding profile by paying down higher-cost wholesale borrowings. Total loans were slightly down on a linked-quarter basis mostly due to the expected repayments of commercial loans during the quarter. Credit performance remained relatively stable, and we continue to see consumer credit normalization trends, with consumer loans in early delinquency down when compared to the prior quarter.

 

Finally, as good stewards of capital, we first and foremost seek to use our capital to support business growth opportunities and franchise investments for future growth. This quarter, our strong capital generation profile allowed us to execute on capital action priorities by redeeming approximately $50.0 million of junior subordinated debentures, resuming our common share repurchase program, and sustaining a competitive dividend payout ratio. Despite increased concerns about global trade, tariffs, and other potential policy changes that will affect markets everywhere, we remain focused on our disciplined approach of delivering consistent results and creating value for all our stakeholders. Our teams have been tested by multiple challenges over the past decade and have a proven track record of successfully managing unforeseen conditions."

 

 

Net interest income

$212,397

 

 

$209,267

 

 

$196,520

 

 

 

 

Provision for credit losses

24,810

 

 

20,904

 

 

12,167

 

 

 

 

Non-interest income

35,734

 

 

32,199

 

 

33,983

 

 

 

 

Non-interest expenses

123,022

 

 

124,533

 

 

120,923

 

 

 

 

Income before income taxes

100,299

 

 

96,029

 

 

97,413

 

 

 

 

Income tax expense

23,240

 

 

20,328

 

 

23,955

 

 

 

 

Net income

$77,059

 

 

$75,701

 

 

$73,458

 

 

 

 

 

Q1
2025

 

Q4
2024

 

Q1
2024

 

 

 

 

Selected Financial Data (1)

 

 

 

Net interest margin

4.52

%

 

4.33

%

 

4.16

%

 

 

 

Efficiency ratio

49.58

%

 

51.57

%

 

52.46

%

 

 

 

Earnings per share - diluted

$0.47

 

 

$0.46

 

 

$0.44

 

 

 

 

Book value per share

$10.91

 

 

$10.19

 

 

$8.88

 

 

 

 

Tangible book value per share (2)

$10.64

 

 

$9.91

 

 

$8.58

 

 

 

 

Return on average equity

17.90

%

 

17.77

%

 

19.56

%

 

 

 

Return on average assets

1.64

%

 

1.56

%

 

1.56

%

Results for the First Quarter of 2025 compared to the Fourth Quarter of 2024

Profitability

 

Net income – $77.1 million, or $0.47 per diluted share compared to $75.7 million, or $0.46 per diluted share.

Income before income taxes $100.3 million compared to $96.0 million.

Adjusted pre-tax, pre-provision income (Non-GAAP)(2) $125.1 million compared to $116.9 million.

Net interest income – $212.4 million compared to $209.3 million. The increase is net of a reduction of approximately $2.7 million associated with the effect of two less days in the first quarter of 2025. Net interest margin increased by 19 basis points to 4.52%, driven by a change in asset mix from lower-yielding investment securities to higher-yielding interest-earning assets and a decrease in the cost of interest-bearing deposits.

Provision for credit losses – $24.8 million compared to $20.9 million. The increase was mainly in the provision for the commercial and construction loan portfolios due to a deterioration in the economic outlook of the forecasted commercial real estate ("CRE") price index, partially offset by a decrease in the provision for the consumer loan and finance lease portfolios, which included $2.4 million in recoveries associated with a bulk sale of fully charged-off consumer loans and finance leases. The provision for the first quarter of 2025 also includes the impact of higher qualitative adjustments due to the uncertainty in the economic environment.

Non-interest income – $35.7 million compared to $32.2 million. The increase was driven by $3.3 million in seasonal contingent insurance commissions recorded in the first quarter of 2025.

Non-interest expenses – $123.0 million compared to $124.5 million. The efficiency ratio was 49.58%, compared to 51.57%.

Income taxes – $23.2 million compared to $20.3 million. The fourth quarter of 2024 includes a reduction in income tax expense due to a higher actual than forecasted proportion of exempt income to taxable income for the year 2024.

 

 

 

Balance

Sheet

 

Total loans – decreased by $71.7 million to $12.7 billion, mainly due to the payoff of a $73.8 million commercial mortgage loan in the Puerto Rico region. Total loan originations, other than credit card utilization activity, of $1.1 billion, down $463.1 million, mainly in commercial and construction loans.

Core deposits (other than brokered and government deposits) – increased by $29.0 million to $12.9 billion, which consists of growth of $75.0 million in the Puerto Rico region and $38.9 million in the Virgin Islands region, partially offset by a decrease of $84.9 million in the Florida region. This increase includes a $69.8 million increase in non-interest-bearing deposits.

Government deposits (fully collateralized) – decreased by $82.1 million to $3.4 billion, driven by a decline of $142.2 million in the Puerto Rico region, partially offset by a $57.4 million increase in the Virgin Islands region.

 

 

 

Asset

Quality

 

Allowance for credit losses ("ACL") coverage ratio – amounted to 1.95%, compared to 1.91%.

Annualized net charge-offs to average loans ratio decreased to 0.68%, compared to 0.78%, mainly due to an 8 basis points decrease due to the aforementioned bulk sale of fully charged-off consumer loans and finance leases.

Non-performing assets – increased by $11.1 million to $129.4 million, mainly due to the inflow to nonaccrual status of a $12.6 million commercial mortgage loan in the Florida region in the hospitality industry during the first quarter of 2025.

 

 

 

Liquidity

and

Capital

 

Liquidity – Cash and cash equivalents amounted to $1.3 billion, compared to $1.2 billion. When adding $1.4 billion of free high-quality liquid securities that could be liquidated or pledged within one day and $862.2 million in available lending capacity at the Federal Home Loan Bank ("FHLB"), available liquidity amounted to 18.76% of total assets, compared to 17.27%.

Capital – Redeemed $50.6 million of junior subordinated debentures, repurchased $21.8 million in common stock and declared $29.6 million in common stock dividends. Capital ratios exceeded required regulatory levels. The Corporation’s estimated total capital, common equity tier 1 ("CET1") capital, tier 1 capital, and leverage ratios were 17.96%, 16.62%, 16.62%, and 11.20%, respectively, as of March 31, 2025. On a non-GAAP basis, the tangible common equity ratio(2) increased to 9.10% when compared to 8.44%, driven by earnings less dividends and repurchases of common stock and an $84.1 million increase in the fair value of available-for-sale debt securities due to changes in market interest rates, which is recognized as part of accumulated other comprehensive loss.

 

 

 

 

 

(1) In thousands, except per share information and financial ratios.

(2) Represents non-GAAP financial measures. Refer to Non-GAAP Disclosures - Non-GAAP Financial Measures for the definition of and additional information about these non-GAAP financial measures.

NET INTEREST INCOME

The following table sets forth information concerning net interest income for the last five quarters: