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SF

SECURITY FEDERAL CORP (SFDL)·Q1 2025 Earnings Summary

Executive Summary

  • Q1 2025 delivered stronger profitability: net income available to common shareholders rose 47.8% year over year to $2.6M and EPS to $0.81, driven by higher net interest income, modest non-interest income growth, and no provision for credit losses, partially offset by higher OpEx and preferred dividends .
  • Net interest margin expanded to 3.05% (vs. 2.75% in Q1 2024), with interest expense falling on lower-cost funding and repayment of Federal Reserve borrowings; deposits grew $21.5M in the quarter .
  • Credit quality stable-to-improving: non-performing assets fell quarter-over-quarter to 0.46% of assets and ACL coverage of gross loans edged up to 1.99% .
  • Capital ratios remain strong (CET1 18.9%, Tier 1 leverage 10.6%); common book value per share rose to $32.57; quarterly cash dividend maintained at $0.15 (paid June 15), plus a $0.10 special dividend announced in March—ongoing capital return underpinning the stock narrative .
  • Near-term catalysts: margin trajectory as rates evolve, sustained deposit inflows and funding mix optimization, and continued capital return; lack of Street estimates reduces headline “beat/miss” trading setups .

What Went Well and What Went Wrong

What Went Well

  • Net interest income rose 12.5% YoY to $11.2M, supported by a widening spread and lower interest expense from FRB debt repayment; NIM reached 3.05% .
  • Non-interest income increased 5.3% YoY to $2.4M, helped by rental income and gain on land sale; management noted the multi-tenant property is intended as a future full-service branch site .
  • Credit provisioning tailwind: zero provision in Q1 2025 vs. $335K in Q1 2024; non-performing assets declined to 0.46% of assets .
  • “As a result of our continued profitability, we are very pleased to provide this additional payment to our shareholders,” said CEO J. Chris Verenes regarding the $0.10 special dividend .

What Went Wrong

  • Operating expenses rose 2.1% YoY, largely from compensation and benefits (+$255K) and higher data processing/cloud costs, partially offset by lower advertising and equipment costs .
  • Deposit interest expense increased $748K YoY on a higher average balance of interest-bearing deposits, reflecting mix shift toward higher-cost CDs, even as overall interest expense fell due to FRB repayment .
  • Modest loan growth: total loans receivable, net increased only $2.0M QoQ (+0.3%); commercial & agricultural loans declined $5.4M QoQ .

Financial Results

MetricQ3 2024Q4 2024Q1 2025
Total interest income ($USD)$19.531M $20.235M $19.233M
Total interest expense ($USD)$9.121M $8.982M $8.004M
Net interest income ($USD)$10.410M $11.253M $11.229M
Non-interest income ($USD)$2.625M $2.847M $2.443M
Total net revenue (=NII + non-interest) ($USD)$13.035M $14.100M $13.672M
Net income ($USD)$2.410M $3.418M $3.006M
EPS (basic) ($USD)$0.62 $0.94 $0.81
Net income margin (% of total net revenue)18.5% 24.2% 22.0%
Net interest margin (NIM) %3.05%

Non-interest income breakdown (YoY):

Non-interest Income Item ($USD)Q1 2024Q1 2025
Gain on sale of loans$131K $128K
Service fees on deposits$319K $302K
Insurance commissions$183K $217K
Trust income$522K $453K
BOLI income$173K $178K
ATM and check card fees$822K $866K
Other$171K $299K
Total$2.321M $2.443M

Key balance sheet and credit KPIs:

KPI3/31/202412/31/20243/31/2025
Total assets ($USD)$1,518.214M $1,611.773M $1,584.027M
Cash & equivalents ($USD)$92.775M $178.277M $133.080M
Loans receivable, net ($USD)$646.007M $687.149M $689.111M
Investment securities ($USD)$691.554M $660.823M $674.569M
Deposits ($USD)$1,205.879M $1,324.033M $1,345.548M
Borrowings ($USD)$125.383M $92.964M $39.391M
Non-performing assets ($USD)$6.635M $7.636M $7.264M
NPA / total assets (%)0.44% 0.47% 0.46%
ACL ($USD)$12.842M $13.894M $14.005M
ACL / gross loans (%)1.95% 1.98% 1.99%
CET1 ratio (%)18.01% 18.71% 18.90%
Tier 1 leverage (%)9.91% 9.88% 10.58%
Common BVPS ($USD)$28.41 $31.21 $32.57

Guidance Changes

MetricPeriodPrevious GuidanceCurrent GuidanceChange
Quarterly common dividendOngoing$0.15 per share (Q1 indicated on financials) $0.15 per share; payable ~June 15 to holders of record May 31 Maintained
Special dividendQ2 2025 (paid April 15)None$0.10 per share, paid April 15 to holders of record March 31 New (one-time)

No formal revenue/EPS/margin guidance was issued in Q1 2025 materials .

Earnings Call Themes & Trends

Note: No earnings call transcript was available for Q1 2025; themes are synthesized from Q1 press release and 10-Q, and prior-quarter releases.

TopicPrevious Mentions (Q3 2024)Previous Mentions (Q4 2024)Current Period (Q1 2025)Trend
Funding costs & FRB borrowingsHigher interest expense YoY; FRB BTFP borrowings decreased during 9M 2024 FRB borrowings $50.0M outstanding at year-end FRB borrowings repaid; other borrowings reduced; interest expense down Improving
Deposit growth & mixDeposits +$62.3M YTD; growth across categories Year-end deposits +$129.0M YoY Deposits +$21.5M QoQ; higher-cost CDs and money market drove growth Stable growth; mix higher-cost
Credit provisioning & quality9M 2024 total provision $1.1M; ACL 1.95% 2024 total provision $1.37M; ACL 1.98% No provision; ACL 1.99%; NPA 0.46% of assets Improving/stable
Margin & asset yieldsNII +10% YoY; rate environment elevated NII +7.8% YoY; rates elevated NIM 3.05%; spread 2.35%; taxable investments yield down slightly Improving
Capital ratios & BVPSCET1 17.96%; common BVPS $31.97 CET1 18.71%; BVPS $31.21 CET1 18.9%; BVPS $32.57 Improving
Investment securities strategyInvestment securities decreased in 9M 2024 Investments down YoY; paydowns > purchases Investments up $13.7M QoQ; AFS purchases > paydowns; unrealized losses improved Repositioning toward growth

Management Commentary

  • “Net interest income increased $1.2 million, or 12.5%, to $11.2 million as interest income increased and interest expense decreased.” (Company press release for Q1 2025) .
  • “Total interest income increased $514,000… while total interest expense decreased $733,000… due to lower market interest rates and the payoff of outstanding borrowings with the Federal Reserve.” (Q1 press release) .
  • “Net interest margin was 3.05% for the quarter ended March 31, 2025 compared to 2.75% for the comparable quarter in 2024.” (Q1 10-Q MD&A) .
  • “As a result of our continued profitability, we are very pleased to provide this additional payment to our shareholders.” — J. Chris Verenes, CEO, on special dividend .

Q&A Highlights

  • No earnings call transcript or Q&A were available for Q1 2025 based on our document search and public sources .

Estimates Context

  • S&P Global consensus estimates for Q1 2025 EPS and revenue were unavailable; no coverage counts returned (microcap OTCBB listing often lacks Street coverage). Actuals: EPS $0.81 and total net revenue $13.672M (net interest + non-interest). Consensus: N/A* .
  • Implication: With no formal Street consensus, “beat/miss” trading signals are muted; investors should anchor on margin trajectory, funding costs, and credit outcomes .

Values marked with * are from S&P Global data services where available; consensus was unavailable.

Key Takeaways for Investors

  • Margin expansion with reduced funding costs is the core earnings driver; watch deposit mix and the pace of FRB/wholesale borrowing usage as rates evolve .
  • Deposit growth resumed (+$21.5M QoQ), but mix skew to CDs lifts deposit cost; continued migration to noninterest-bearing/checking would be accretive to NIM .
  • Credit quality trends are favorable (no provision, lower NPA%); stable ACL at 1.99% provides cushion as loan growth remains modest .
  • Capital remains robust (CET1 18.9%, leverage 10.6%); book value per share rising and ongoing dividends (plus a recent special dividend) support total return and valuation floor .
  • Securities portfolio repositioning (AFS purchases > paydowns; improved AOCI) offers potential OCI tailwinds if rates decline further, but reinvestment yields on taxable investments ticked lower QoQ—monitor asset yields .
  • Loan growth is selective (residential/commercial real estate up; commercial & ag down); expect lending mix shifts to influence risk-weighted assets and capital ratios .
  • With limited Street coverage, trading setups hinge on company-reported catalysts: NIM prints, deposit inflows/uninsured deposit disclosures, capital actions (dividends, buybacks), and any updates on ECIP preferred repurchase options path .