BankFinancial Corporation Reports Financial Results for the First Quarter 2024

BURR RIDGE, Ill., May 09, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- BankFinancial Corporation (Nasdaq – BFIN) (“BankFinancial”) filed its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2024, and a Quarterly Financial and Statistical Supplement in Form 8-K with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) today.

BankFinancial reported net income for the three months ended March 31, 2024, of $1.7 million, or $0.14 per common share. At March 31, 2024, BankFinancial had total assets of $1.480 billion, total loans of $1.008 billion, total deposits of $1.259 billion and stockholders' equity of $156 million.

In the first quarter of 2024, interest income increased by $422,000 due to our investment of scheduled loan and lease portfolio payments into short-term liquidity investments.  Interest expense increased by $327,000 due to higher interest rates paid on deposit accounts, as certain depositors sought to benefit from increases in short-term market rates. Our net interest margin increased to 3.59%, compared to 3.48% on a tax-equivalent basis.

Noninterest income decreased by $164,000 due to a seasonal decline in VISA debit interchange income and a decline in other income compared to the fourth quarter of 2023. The decrease was partially offset by an increase in Trust and Insurance income and a gain on the repurchase of $1.0 million of Subordinated notes.

Noninterest expense increased by $887,000 due in part to seasonal increases in employment benefits expenses ($280,000) and snow removal expenses ($198,000). Nonperforming assets expenses increased by $232,000, primarily due to a $225,000 expense for the final resolution of pending litigation and an inter-creditor tax liability related to a middle market equipment finance transaction.   These expense items total approximately $703,000 or $0.04 per share on an after-tax basis. 

Cash & Cash Equivalent Assets

For the quarter ended March 31, 2024, cash and cash equivalent assets were 9% of total assets, compared to 12% of total assets at December 31, 2023. 

Investment Securities Portfolio

For the quarter ended March 31, 2024, total investment securities increased by $86.3 million due to $125 million in new investments in U.S. government-sponsored agencies at an average tax-equivalent yield of 5.72% and an average duration of 1.5 years. The investment securities portfolio had a weighted-average term to maturity of 1.4 years as of March 31, 2024, with an after-tax unrealized loss of $2.3 million or 1.5% of Tier 1 capital.  The new investment securities improved our interest rate risk balance and reduced our exposure to declining interest rates over the medium term.