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FLUSHING FINANCIAL CORP (FFIC)·Q3 2025 Earnings Summary

Executive Summary

  • Q3 2025 delivered sequential NIM expansion (GAAP NIM FTE 2.64%, +10 bps QoQ; Core NIM FTE 2.62%, +10 bps QoQ) and stable credit, with GAAP EPS $0.30 and Core EPS $0.35 .
  • Street comparison: Core EPS beat the S&P Global Primary EPS consensus ($0.35 vs $0.303*) while revenue missed ($57.0M vs $58.7M*)—a positive EPS surprise despite softer top-line* [GetEstimates].
  • Deposit mix improved: average noninterest-bearing deposits rose 5.7% YoY and 2.1% QoQ to 12.2% of total; the company cut rates 20–25 bps on ~$1.8B deposits late September, with full benefit expected in Q4 .
  • Management reiterated 2025 expense and tax guidance, emphasized embedded NII tailwinds from ~$2.0B of loan repricings through 2027, and highlighted minimal office exposure (0.48% of gross loans), sustaining conservative credit posture .
  • Near-term catalysts: further deposit cost relief (CD maturities $770M at 3.98%), back-to-back swap loan pipeline ($59M) and BOLI income ($2M/quarter) supporting noninterest income; activist/buyback debate surfaced but capital prioritized for dividend and growth .

What Went Well and What Went Wrong

What Went Well

  • Net interest margin expanded on both GAAP and core bases (+10 bps QoQ), aided by asset repricing and improving deposit mix; “turning point” in results per CEO commentary .
  • Credit stability: NPAs fell to 70 bps of assets (from 75 bps in Q2); net charge-offs declined to 7 bps; allowance/loans at 0.63%—consistent with conservative underwriting .
  • Management highlighted embedded earnings power: “approximately $2 billion” of loans scheduled to reprice through 2027; retained ~80% of repricing loans at +222 bps higher rates, confirming franchise stickiness .

Quotes:

  • “These quarterly results marked a turning point for the Company… successful execution of our strategic priorities” — John R. Buran, CEO .
  • “Core net interest income increased by $8.6 million, or a little over 19% year over year… loan pricing should drive NIM expansion” — Susan K. Cullen, CFO .

What Went Wrong

  • Noninterest income declined QoQ (to $4.7M) driven by negative fair value adjustments (–$1.8M) and lower net gains vs Q2; core noninterest income dipped 1.9% QoQ .
  • GAAP noninterest expense rose QoQ (+7.5%) to $43.4M, including ~+$1.05M of non-recurring professional expenses tied to strategic planning, with “more to follow” in Q4 .
  • Revenue (net interest + noninterest) tracked below S&P consensus*, producing a mixed headline—EPS beat but revenue miss* [GetEstimates].

Analyst concerns:

  • NIM reliance on “episodic items” (9 bps in Q3 vs 6 bps in Q2); CFO cautioned these could normalize lower next quarter .
  • Buyback hesitancy despite valuation discount; management prioritizes dividend and growth vs repurchases, prompting questions about near-term ROTCE improvement and activist risk .

Financial Results

MetricQ3 2024Q4 2024Q1 2025Q2 2025Q3 2025
Net Interest Income ($USD Millions)$45.603 $51.235 $52.989 $53.209 $53.828
Provision for Credit Losses ($USD Millions)$1.727 $6.440 $4.318 $4.194 $1.531
Noninterest Income ($USD Millions)$6.277 $(71.022) $5.074 $10.277 $4.746
Noninterest Expense ($USD Millions)$38.696 $45.630 $59.676 $40.356 $43.365
Income Before Taxes ($USD Millions)$11.457 $(71.857) $(5.931) $18.936 $13.678
Net Income ($USD Millions)$8.906 $(49.245) $(9.796) $14.203 $10.447
Diluted EPS (GAAP, $)$0.30 $(1.64) $(0.29) $0.41 $0.30
Core Net Income ($USD Millions)$7.723 $4.209 $7.931 $11.162 $11.957
Core EPS ($)$0.26 $0.14 $0.23 $0.32 $0.35
Margins and EfficiencyQ3 2024Q4 2024Q1 2025Q2 2025Q3 2025
NIM FTE (%)2.10 2.39 2.51 2.54 2.64
Core NIM FTE (%)2.07 2.25 2.49 2.52 2.62
Yield on Interest-Earning Assets (%)5.63 5.60 5.51 5.59 5.70
Cost of Average Interest-Bearing Liabilities (%)4.10 3.75 3.50 3.58 3.62
Efficiency Ratio (Core, %)77.20 79.01 72.21 67.69 71.03
Credit & Capital KPIsQ3 2024Q4 2024Q1 2025Q2 2025Q3 2025
NPAs / Assets (%)0.59 0.57 0.71 0.75 0.70
NCOs / Avg Loans (%)0.18 0.28 0.27 0.15 0.07
ACL / Loans (%)0.59 0.60 0.59 0.62 0.63
TCE / TA (%)7.00 7.82 7.79 8.04 8.01
Leverage Ratio (%)7.91 8.04 8.12 8.31 8.64
Deposits & LoansQ3 2024Q4 2024Q1 2025Q2 2025Q3 2025
Avg Deposits ($USD Billions)$7.5 $7.4 $7.6 $7.6 $7.3
Avg Noninterest-Bearing Deposits (% of Total)11.3% 11.5% 12.2%
Avg Loans ($USD Billions)$6.7 $6.8 $6.7 $6.7 $6.6
CDs ($USD Billions, Avg)$2.88 $2.68 $2.59 $2.48 $2.42
Dividend per Share ($)$0.22 $0.22 $0.22 $0.22 $0.22
Loan Composition (Period-End, $USD Millions)Q3 2024Q4 2024Q1 2025Q2 2025Q3 2025
Multifamily Residential$2,638.9 $2,527.2 $2,531.6 $2,487.6 $2,442.6
Commercial Real Estate$1,929.1 $1,973.1 $1,953.7 $1,987.5 $1,960.0
1–4 Family Mixed Use$515.5 $511.2 $501.6 $493.8 $482.9
1–4 Family Residential$252.3 $244.3 $269.5 $258.6 $335.6
Construction$63.7 $60.4 $63.5 $46.8 $51.6
Commercial Business & Other$1,388.0 $1,401.6 $1,396.6 $1,407.8 $1,372.6
Gross Loans$6,806.8 $6,737.8 $6,731.2 $6,697.7 $6,656.8

Guidance Changes

MetricPeriodPrevious GuidanceCurrent GuidanceChange
Core Noninterest Expense GrowthFY 2025 vs 2024 base4.5%–5.5% (Q2 call) 4.5%–5.5% (Q3 call) Maintained
Effective Tax RateRemainder of 202524.5%–26.5% (Q2 call) 24.5%–26.5% (Q3 call) Maintained
BOLI IncomeQuarterly run-rate~$2.0M/quarter (Q3 call) Newly specified
CD MaturitiesQ4 2025~$391M at 3.93% (Q3 maturity cited in Q2) ~$770M retail CDs at 3.98% to mature in Q4 Increased upcoming maturities
Deposit Rate ActionsQ4 2025 starting point20–25 bps rate cuts on ~$1.8B deposits in late Sept; full benefit in Q4 New action
DividendOngoing$0.22/share paid in Q2 $0.22/share paid in Q3 Maintained

Earnings Call Themes & Trends

TopicPrevious Mentions (Q1 & Q2)Current Period (Q3)Trend
NIM & Asset RepricingNIM expansion back to ~2.50% (Q1); +3 bps QoQ (Q2). Repricing tailwinds: $373M 2H’25 at +136 bps; $2.1B through 2027 .GAAP/Core NIM +10 bps QoQ; ~$175M repricing in Q4 (+128 bps); ~$2B through 2027; NIM exit Sep ~2.68% .Improving, visible multi-year tailwinds.
Deposits & Funding CostsCost of deposits up to ~3.1% in Q2; CD retention ~80% with lower rates; NIB initiatives began .NIB deposits +5.7% YoY and +2.1% QoQ; late-September rate cuts 20–25 bps on ~$1.8B deposits; CDs $2.4B; Q4 maturities ~$770M @3.98% .Mix improving; cost moderation into Q4.
Credit QualityMultifamily NPLs halved in Q2; investor CRE issues concentrated in office; stress metrics robust .NPAs 70 bps; NCOs 7 bps; investor CRE NPLs 111 bps; multifamily NPLs 53 bps; LTVs <35% .Stable to improving; conservative posture.
Asian Community StrategyDeposits $1.3–$1.4B; de novo branch plans (Jackson Heights, Chinatown) .Deposits $1.4B; 11.3% CAGR since Q3’22; ~1/3 branches in Asian communities .Ongoing targeted growth.
Capital Allocation & BuybacksBuilding capital; cautious on repurchases despite discount (Q2) .Prioritizing dividend and growth; buyback skepticism; activist risk acknowledged; double-digit ROTCE by late 2027 targeted .Focus on organic earnings, ROTCE improvement.
Macro/Yield Curve SensitivityNIM benefits from positive slope; liability sensitivity noted; tariffs/regulatory watch (Q1/Q2) .Slight liability sensitivity; deposit beta to mirror Fed path; curve slope still key .Cautious; curve-dependent.

Management Commentary

  • CEO: “These quarterly results marked a turning point… successful execution of our strategic priorities… tangible common equity ratio of 8.01%… strong loan pipeline of $345.6 million and substantial liquidity position of $3.9 billion” .
  • CFO: “Core net interest income increased by $8.6 million, or a little over 19% year over year… long term, loan pricing should drive NIM expansion” .
  • CFO: “In late September, we reduced the rate on approximately $1.8 billion of deposits 20 to 25 basis points, with the full benefit expected to be recognized in the fourth quarter” .
  • CEO: “Our Manhattan office buildings exposure is minimal at 0.48% of gross loans” .

Q&A Highlights

  • NIM outlook: episodic items were elevated (9 bps vs 6 bps); CFO expects some normalization; September exit NIM at ~2.68% .
  • Deposit beta: Non-maturity deposit betas expected to track Fed moves; recent rate cuts on $1.8B deposits not fully captured in Q3 average NIM .
  • Buybacks vs capital: Management prefers maintaining dividend and growth optionality over buybacks despite valuation discount; activist risk acknowledged, ROTCE double-digit goal by late 2027 .
  • Swaps: ~$480M swaps with maturities beginning next year; partial repurchases and ~$180M forwards to mitigate roll-off; margin impact modest in context of balance sheet .
  • Securities/loans dynamics: CLO calls and pre-funding; loan closings/pipeline up, with investment book relief as loan growth resumes .

Estimates Context

MetricS&P Global Consensus*ActualSurprise
Primary EPS (Q3 2025)$0.303*$0.35 (Core EPS) +$0.047 (Beat)
Revenue (Q3 2025)$58.74M*$57.04M –$1.70M (Miss)
Primary EPS – # of Estimates3*
Revenue – # of Estimates2*

Notes: S&P “Primary EPS actual” appears to reflect Core EPS ($0.35) vs GAAP EPS ($0.30), given FFIC’s non-GAAP adjustments disclosed in the release . Values retrieved from S&P Global.*

Key Takeaways for Investors

  • Core earnings quality: EPS beat vs consensus despite revenue miss—driven by NIM expansion and lower provision; watch sustainability as episodic NIM items normalize* .
  • Near-term NIM support: Q4 benefits from deposit rate cuts (20–25 bps on ~$1.8B) and ~$770M CDs maturing at 3.98%, plus ~$175M loans repricing +128 bps—likely incremental margin tailwind .
  • Credit resilience: Low NCOs (7 bps), stable NPAs (70 bps), and minimal office exposure support downside protection as repricing proceeds .
  • Capital & payout: Dividend maintained ($0.22/share) with leverage ratio 8.64% and TCE/TA ~8.01%; buyback unlikely near term as management prioritizes growth and ROTCE trajectory .
  • Medium-term thesis: ~$2B of repricing through 2027 and Asian community growth ($1.4B deposits, 11.3% CAGR since Q3’22) underpin earnings power expansion .
  • Trading implications: Positive EPS surprise and margin expansion are supportive; monitor Q4 for deposit cost capture and noninterest income from swap loan closings (~$59M pipeline) .
  • Risk watch: Curve slope and deposit betas, fair value marks in noninterest income, and execution on repricing retention rates; activism pressure possible if ROTCE progress stalls .

References: Q3 2025 8-K/press release and statistical tables ; Q3 2025 earnings call transcript ; Q2/Q1 2025 calls . Values retrieved from S&P Global for estimates.*