04/21/2026 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 04/21/2026 14:39
Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. Reports First Quarter 2026 Results
Strong Financial Performance and Successful Follow on Equity offering Highlight First Quarter Results
Financial Highlights
1 Non-GAAP financial measure. See Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures on page 11.
NEW YORK, April 21, 2026 ‒ Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. (the "Company") (NYSE: MCB), the holding company for Metropolitan Commercial Bank (the "Bank"), reported net income of $31.4 million, or $2.92 per diluted common share, for the first quarter of 2026 compared to $28.9 million, or $2.77 per diluted common share, for the fourth quarter of 2025 and $16.4 million, or $1.45 per diluted common share, for the first quarter of 2025.
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Mark DeFazio, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented,
"Our first quarter results reflect the continued strength and momentum of our business model. Driven by disciplined balance sheet management and continued growth across our core client base, we delivered diluted earnings per share of $2.92, strong core margin expansion, and solid returns on equity. Net interest income increased more than 28% year over year, reflecting disciplined loan pricing, funding mix optimization, and consistent execution in a dynamic interest-rate environment.
Loan and deposit growth was robust during the quarter, highlighting the durability of our franchise and the deepened relationships we continue to build with our clients. Total loans increased to $7.0 billion, while deposits grew to $7.7 billion, demonstrating our ability to grow prudently with core funding while maintaining strong credit discipline.
We also strengthened our capital position with the successful completion of our follow-on public equity offering. Our robust capital position provides us with the ability to support significant future growth while enhancing the strength of our balance sheet. In addition, the Board's decision to increase the quarterly dividend underscores our confidence in the Company's earnings power and long-term outlook.
We enter the remainder of 2026 well positioned, with strong capital levels, a proven operating model, and a clear strategic focus on delivering sustainable growth and long-term value for our shareholders."
Balance Sheet
Total loans, net of deferred fees and unamortized costs, were $7.0 billion at March 31, 2026, an increase of $236.3 million, or 3.5%, from December 31, 2025, and an increase of $704.4 million, or 11.1%, from March 31, 2025. Loan production was $428.3 million for the first quarter of 2026 compared to $510.9 million for the prior linked quarter and $409.8 million for the prior year period. The increase in total loans from December 31, 2025 was due primarily to an increase of $233.1 million in commercial real estate ("CRE") loans (including owner-occupied). The increase in total loans from March 31, 2025 was due primarily to an increase of $840.3 million in CRE loans (including owner-occupied), partially offset by a decrease of $143.5 million in commercial and industrial loans.
Total deposits were $7.7 billion at March 31, 2026, an increase of $362.5 million, or 4.9%, from December 31, 2025, and an increase of $1.3 billion, or 20.0%, from March 31, 2025. Deposit growth for the quarter was broadly distributed across the Bank's various deposit verticals.
The Company raised approximately $196.6 million of capital through the issuance of approximately 2.3 million shares of its common stock at a public offering price of $85.00 per share. The Company plans to use the proceeds from the offering, which, net of underwriting discounts and commissions, amounts to approximately $186.8 million, to support its organic growth initiatives, investments in the Bank, working capital for ongoing operations, and general corporate purposes.
The Bank's liquidity position remains robust. At March 31, 2026, cash on deposit with the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and available secured funding capacity totaled $3.7 billion, which represented 200% of our estimated uninsured deposits. Total cash and cash equivalents were $672.4 million at March 31, 2026.
The Company and Bank have total risk-based capital ratios well above regulatory minimums. The Bank is "well capitalized" under all applicable regulatory guidelines. Total non-owner-occupied CRE loans were 299.5% of total risk-based capital at March 31, 2026, compared to 376.5% and 367.0% at December 31, 2025 and March 31, 2025, respectively. The CRE loan concentration ratio declined from December 31, 2025 primarily owing to the completion of the Company's public equity offering of common stock in the first quarter of 2026.
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Income Statement
Financial Highlights
|
|
Three months ended |
|||||||||
|
Mar. 31, |
Dec. 31, |
Mar. 31, |
||||||||
|
(dollars in thousands, except per share data) |
2026 |
2025 |
2025 |
|||||||
|
Total revenues(1) |
$ |
88,490 |
$ |
88,408 |
$ |
70,590 |
||||
|
Net income (loss) |
$ |
31,426 |
$ |
28,857 |
$ |
16,354 |
||||
|
Diluted earnings (loss) per common share |
$ |
2.92 |
$ |
2.77 |
$ |
1.45 |
||||
|
Return on average assets(2) |
1.49 |
% |
1.38 |
% |
0.89 |
% |
||||
|
Return on average equity(2) |
15.4 |
% |
15.6 |
% |
9.0 |
% |
||||
|
Return on average tangible common equity(2), (3) |
15.6 |
% |
15.8 |
% |
9.1 |
% |
||||
|
(1) |
Total revenues equal net interest income plus non-interest income. |
|
(2) |
Ratios are annualized. |
|
(3) |
Determined by dividing net income by average tangible common equity. Return on average tangible common equity is a Non-GAAP financial measure. See Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Measures on page 11. |
Net Interest Income
Net interest income for the first quarter of 2026 was $85.9 million compared to $85.3 million for the prior linked quarter and $67.0 million for the prior year period. The modest increase in net interest income from the prior linked quarter was primarily due to elevated loan payoffs at the end of December 2025, that were offset by $428.3 million of new loan originations made during the first quarter. The $19.0 million increase from the prior year period was due primarily to an increase in the average balance of loans and overnight deposits and a decrease in the cost of funds, partially offset by an increase in the average balance of interest-bearing deposits.
Net Interest Margin
Net interest margin for the first quarter of 2026 was 4.08% compared to 4.10% and 3.68% for the prior linked quarter and prior year period, respectively. The total cost of funds for the first quarter of 2026 was 261 basis points compared to 279 basis points and 319 basis points for the prior linked quarter and prior year period, respectively. The decrease from the prior linked quarter and from the prior year period primarily reflects the decline in short-term interest rates.
Non-Interest Income
Non-interest income was $2.6 million for the first quarter of 2026, a decrease of $502,000 from the prior linked quarter and a decrease of $1.1 million from the prior year period. The decrease from the prior linked quarter was due primarily to a $674,000 gain on the sale of securities in the fourth quarter of 2025. The decrease from the prior year period was driven primarily by the absence of one-time non-refundable program fees of $822,000 reflected in the prior year period.
Non-Interest Expense
Non-interest expense was $46.4 million for the first quarter of 2026, an increase of $2.0 million from the prior linked quarter and an increase of $3.7 million from the prior year period. The increase from the prior linked quarter was primarily due to an increase of $3.8 million in compensation and benefits, partially offset by a $1.8 million decrease in technology costs. The $3.7 million increase from the prior year period was due primarily to a $2.6 million increase in deposit related program fees, $2.4 million increase in compensation and benefits and $2.0 million increase in technology costs, partially offset by a $1.8 million decrease in professional fees and a $1.1 million decrease in the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") assessment.
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Income Tax Expense
The effective tax rate for the first quarter of 2026 was 29.2% compared to 29.9% for the prior linked quarter and 30.0% for the prior year period.
Asset Quality
The ratio of non-performing loans to total loans was 1.01% at March 31, 2026 and 1.28% at December 31, 2025 and 0.54% at March 31, 2025. The decrease in the non-performing loan ratio from the prior linked quarter primarily reflects the charge-off of three loans totaling $12.5 million. The increase in the non-performing loan ratio from the prior year period is primarily attributable to a single out-of-market CRE multi-family loan relationship that was classified as non-performing in the third quarter of 2025.
The allowance for credit losses was $82.1 million at March 31, 2026, a decrease of $15.0 million from December 31, 2025, and an increase of $14.3 million from March 31, 2025. The decrease from December 31, 2025 primarily reflects the aforementioned charge-offs, along with enhancements made to the Bank's allowance for credit loss estimation process, and changes in the outlook for certain macroeconomic variables resulting in a net provision release of $2.6 million. The increase from March 31, 2025 was primarily due to a single out-of-market CRE multi-family loan relationship that was classified as non-performing in the third quarter of 2025 as well as loan growth, partially offset by the aforementioned charge-offs in the first quarter of 2026.
Conference Call
The Company will conduct a conference call at 9:00 a.m. ET on Wednesday, April 22, 2026, to discuss the results. To access the event by telephone, please dial 800-245-3047 (US), 203-518-9765 (INTL), and provide conference ID: MCBQ126 approximately 15 minutes prior to the start time (to allow time for registration).
The call will also be broadcast live over the Internet and accessible at MCB Quarterly Results Conference Call and in the Investor Relations section of the Company's website at MCB News. To listen to the live webcast, please visit the site at least 15 minutes prior to the start time to register, download and install any necessary audio software.
For those unable to join for the live presentation, a replay of the webcast will also be available later that day accessible at MCB Quarterly Results Conference Call.
About Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp.
Metropolitan Bank Holding Corp. (NYSE: MCB) is the parent company of Metropolitan Commercial Bank (the "Bank"), a New York City based full-service commercial bank. The Bank provides a broad range of business, commercial and personal banking products and services to individuals, small businesses, private and public middle-market corporate enterprises and institutions, municipalities, and local government entities.
Metropolitan Commercial Bank was named one of Newsweek's Best Regional Banks in 2024 and 2025. The Independent Community Bankers of America ranked the Bank as a top ten loan producer in 2024 among commercial banks with more than $1 billion in assets. Kroll affirmed a BBB+ (investment grade) deposit rating in January 2026. For the fourth time, MCB has earned a place in the Piper Sandler Bank Sm-All Stars Class of 2024.
The Bank is a New York State chartered commercial bank, a member of the Federal Reserve System and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and an equal housing lender. For more information, please visit the Bank's website at MCBankNY.com.
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