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  • MIL-OSI Russia: Results of the International Festival of the Merry and Inventive: the Scientific and Methodological Center of KVN will open at the State University of Management

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: State University of Management – Official website of the State –

    From January 21 to 25 this year, the fourth All-Russian forum “KVN – School of Leaders” was held in Sochi as part of the International Festival “KiViN-2025”. The event was organized by the Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation, the State University of Management and the Television Creative Association “AMiK”.

    The goal of the Forum is to strengthen and further develop the youth movement of the Club of the Merry and Resourceful among employees of federal and regional executive authorities involved in the implementation of youth policy and educational work, as well as specialists from higher education institutions involved in programs in the same areas.

    The central event of the Forum was the panel discussion “KVN – School of Leaders”. The participants were greeted via videoconference by Deputy Minister of Science and Higher Education Olga Petrova. The speakers of the panel discussion were:

    — Tatyana Omelchuk – representative of the Department for Public Projects of the Presidential Administration; — Vladimir Stroyev – rector of the State University of Management; — Alexander Maslyakov – general director of TTO “AMiK”; — Anton Serikov – general director of the Mashuk Knowledge Center; — Ruben Partevyan – deputy general director of TTO “AMiK”; — Pavel Pavlovsky – vice-rector of the State University of Management.

    The participants discussed the scale of the KVN movement in Russian universities, which involves about 22 thousand activists from all over the country, who played about 650 games at their universities last year. “KiViN-2025” brought together more than 550 teams in Sochi. All of them represent enormous potential for the development of youth policy and creative industry in their regions.

    In order to develop the university movement of the cheerful and resourceful, with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia, it was decided to create a Scientific and Methodological Center for KVN on the basis of the State University of Management, which will help everyone who wants to organize their games, leagues and cups, teach them how to interact with the management of universities, seek financial support outside of universities, and set the right vector for the development of student KVN in Russia.

    The Forum program was rich and diverse. Key tasks and goals were presented at the introductory session. During the first day, participants also had a unique opportunity to meet with the management of TTO “AMiK”, discuss the prospects for the development of the KVN movement, and exchange their experiences with each other in an informal setting.

    The second day opened with a lecture on the role and importance of the movement of the cheerful and resourceful in achieving the national goal – revealing the potential of each person, developing their talents and nurturing patriotism and social responsibility. Later, the participants had the opportunity to talk with the head of the Safe Internet League Ekaterina Mizulina. During the day, master classes were held on the legal aspects of organizing KVN games, as well as issues of interaction between official children’s leagues and regional branches of the “Movement of the First”.

    The third day of the forum included a workshop on “Creative and motivational aspects of organizing Club games in educational institutions.” A strategic session on new forms of integrating the KVN movement into state youth policy was also held with the participation of representatives of the Department of State Youth Policy and Educational Activities of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation.

    The last, fourth day, January 24, gave the participants the opportunity to attend a lecture on the formation of federal standards for organizing KVN games and training teams of various levels. This was followed by a strategic session dedicated to children’s KVN, issues of its development and interaction at the local level.

    The organizers expressed confidence that the Forum will be an important step towards strengthening and further developing the KVN youth movement in Russia, contributing to the formation of a new generation of leaders capable of making a significant contribution to the future of the country.

    At the International Festival “KiViN-2025” the State University of Management was represented by four teams: “Singlplayer”, “Ikhnie”, “Fildepersovye” and “Kontora”. The guys coped with dignity, showing brilliant performances and a high level of training.

    “Singlplayer” once again made it to the second round of the festival and eventually received an invitation to the show “League of Cities” on TNT. “Fildepersovye” made it to the second round for the first time, performed in front of Alexander Maslyakov and got the opportunity to play in the Central Leagues of the International Union of KVN. “Kontora” made a successful debut at the Sochi festival and received an “increased rating”, which is a significant achievement for newcomers and gives the right to perform in the Central Leagues.

    Moreover, these three teams were nominated for the “Break of the Day” after their performances in the first round. The editors only award this nomination to 5 out of 80-90 teams whose performances were the funniest and most memorable.

    The KiViN-2025 festival for the teams of the KVN League of the State University of Management was incredibly successful. We are proud of the guys for their work, creativity and desire to win. Congratulations to everyone and wish them great success in the next season!

    Subscribe to the TG channel “Our GUU” Date of publication: 01/28/2025

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: The ensemble “Zori Rossii” in the cultural center of F.A. Iskander – library No. 36

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    A concert by the ensemble “Zori Rossii” under the direction of Antonina Melnik, former soloist of the State Academic Russian Folk Choir named after M.E. Pyatnitsky, will be held in the F.A. Iskander Cultural Center – Library No. 36.

    The program will feature Russian folk songs, including famous pieces that have long been part of the national culture. After the concert, guests will be able to chat with the band members and take memorable photos.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/afisha/event/330025257/

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: “Origami. Funny animals” in the club “Atom”

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    The Atom club will host an origami master class. Participants will create animal figures — from playful kittens to graceful cranes — and, under the guidance of an experienced teacher, will learn the basics of this ancient art. The class will tell you about the best types of paper, useful tools, and important techniques that will help you achieve excellent results. The crafts you create can become both an original decoration for your home and a touching gift.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    Please Note; This Information is Raw Content Directly from the Information Source. It is access to What the Source Is Stating and Does Not Reflect

    https: //vv.mos.ru/afisha/event/330027257/

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Changes Coming for Two Disaster Recovery Centers in Georgia

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency 2

    he Disaster Recovery Center in Jefferson County will close permanently at 6 p.m. Thursday, Jan.  30. The recovery center in Coffee County will close at its current location at 6 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 29, and reopen at a new location at 10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 30. 
    The centers’ standard hours are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday, except Fulton County center, where the hours are 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, closed Saturday. All centers are closed on Sundays.
    Jefferson County (closing permanently 6 p.m. Jan. 30)
    National Guard Bid-EOC
    1841 Hwy. 24 West
    Louisville, GA 30434
    Coffee County (location through 6 p.m. Jan. 29)
    The Atrium         
    114 N. Peterson Ave
    Douglas, GA 31533
    Coffee County (new location as of 10 a.m. Jan. 30)
    Coffee County Service Center         
    1115 West Baker Hwy
    Douglas, GA 31533
    Residents can visit any open center. They can find the center closest to them by going to fema.gov/drc. All centers are accessible to people with disabilities or access and functional needs and are equipped with assistive technology. 
    FEMA provides help to all disaster survivors, regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion, age, disability, English proficiency or economic status. Our top priority is ensuring that disaster assistance is reaching people in need.
    Homeowners and renters in Appling, Atkinson, Bacon, Ben Hill, Berrien, Brantley, Brooks, Bryan, Bulloch, Burke, Butts, Camden, Candler, Charlton, Chatham, Clinch, Coffee, Colquitt, Columbia, Cook, Dodge, Echols, Effingham, Elbert, Emanuel, Evans, Fulton, Glascock, Glynn, Hancock, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Jefferson, Jenkins, Johnson, Lanier, Laurens, Liberty, Lincoln, Long, Lowndes, McDuffie, McIntosh, Montgomery, Newton, Pierce, Rabun, Richmond, Screven, Stephens, Taliaferro, Tattnall, Telfair, Thomas, Tift, Toombs, Treutlen, Ware, Warren, Washington, Wayne, Wheeler and Wilkes counties can visit any open center to meet with representatives of FEMA, the State of Georgia and the U.S. Small Business Administration. No appointment is needed.
    If you are in an affected county, you are encouraged to apply for FEMA disaster assistance. The quickest way to apply is online at DisasterAssistance.gov. You can also apply using the FEMA App for mobile devices or calling toll-free 800-621-3362. The telephone line is open every day and help is available in most languages.
    For an accessible video on how to apply for assistance go to FEMA Accessible: Applying for Individual Assistance – YouTube.
    For the latest information about Georgia’s recovery, visit fema.gov/helene/georgia. Follow FEMA Region 4 @FEMARegion4 on X or follow FEMA on social media at: FEMA Blog on fema.gov, @FEMA or @FEMAEspanol on X, FEMA or FEMA Espanol on Facebook, @FEMA on Instagram, and via FEMA YouTube channel Also, follow Acting Administrator Cameron Hamilton on X @FEMA_Cam.
    ###
    FEMA’s mission is helping people before, during and after disasters.
    Learn more at fema.gov/helene/georgia
     

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: FEMA To Offer Tips for Home Repair and Rebuilding in the Upstate

    Source: US Federal Emergency Management Agency

    Headline: FEMA To Offer Tips for Home Repair and Rebuilding in the Upstate

    FEMA To Offer Tips for Home Repair and Rebuilding in the Upstate

    COLUMBIA, S.C. – Residents repairing and rebuilding following Hurricane Helene can visit two Home Depot locations in Spartanburg County to get tips and advice on making homes stronger and safer against storms and other hazards. The Federal Emergency Management Agency mitigation specialists will be available Jan. 27-Jan. 31, 9 a.m.- 6 p.m., to answer questions and share home-improvement tips and other proven building methods to prevent or lessen damage from future disasters. They will also share techniques for rebuilding hazard-resistant homes. This free information is geared toward do-it-yourselfers and general contractors.The locations are:Home Depot, 121 Dorman Center Drive, Spartanburg, SC 29301 Home Depot, 2300 E. Main St., Spartanburg, SC 29307FEMA specialists can answer questions and discuss topics such as:Techniques for home repair and rebuilding.Methods for preventing damage from future disasters.Tips for reducing your disaster risk – whether you own or rent a home.FEMA is encouraging South Carolinians affected by Hurricane Helen to apply for federal disaster assistance as soon as possible. The deadline to apply is Jan. 28, just one day away. The quickest way to apply is to go online to DisasterAssistance.gov. You can also visit a Disaster Recovery Center, apply using the FEMA App for mobile devices or by calling toll-free 800-621-3362. The telephone line is open every day, and the help is available in many languages. If you use a relay service, such as Video Relay Service (VRS), captioned telephone or other service, give FEMA your number for that service. For a video with American Sign Language, voiceover and open captions about how to apply for FEMA assistance, select this link.FEMA programs are accessible to survivors with disabilities and others with access and functional needs. 
    martyce.allenjr
    Tue, 01/28/2025 – 14:15

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI: Netcompany – Reporting of transactions made by persons discharging managerial responsibilities

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Company announcement
    No. 07/2025

                                                     28 January 2025

    Reporting of transactions made by persons discharging managerial responsibilities
    Pursuant to the Market Abuse Regulation, Article 19, Netcompany Group A/S, CVR no. 39 48 89 14 (“Netcompany”), hereby notifies receipt of information of the following transactions made by persons discharging managerial responsibilities in Netcompany in connection with automatic vesting of Restricted Stock Units (“RSUs”) granted under the terms of the Long-Term Incentive Plan (the “LTIP”).

    1. Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated  
    a) Name  André Rogaczewski
    2. Reason for the notification
    a) Position/status  CEO
    b) Initial notification/Amendment  Initial notification
    3. Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
    a) Name  Netcompany Group A/S, CVR no. 39488914 
    b) LEI  5299006DEGAWX1Z1X779
    4. Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted
    a) Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument

    Identification code

     Shares

     DK0060952919

    b) Nature of the transaction Acquisition following the automatic vesting of 1,935 RSUs granted   under the terms of the LTIP, resulting in the delivery of 1,935 shares previously held by Netcompany as treasury shares
    c) Price(s) and volume(s)   Price(s)         Volume(s)
      DKK 0            1,935
    d) Aggregated information

    • Aggregated volume
    • Price
     

     N/A

    e) Date of the transaction  28 January 2025
    f) Place of the transaction  Outside a trading venue (XOFF)
    1. Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated  
    a) Name  Claus Jørgensen
    2. Reason for the notification
    a) Position/status  COO
    b) Initial notification/Amendment  Initial notification
    3. Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
    a) Name  Netcompany Group A/S, CVR no. 39488914 
    b) LEI  5299006DEGAWX1Z1X779
    4. Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted
    a) Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument

    Identification code

     Shares

     DK0060952919

    b) Nature of the transaction Acquisition following the automatic vesting of 1,935 RSUs granted under the terms of the LTIP, resulting in the delivery of 1,935 shares previously held by Netcompany as treasury shares
    c) Price(s) and volume(s)   Price(s)         Volume(s)
      DKK 0            1,935
    d) Aggregated information

    • Aggregated volume
    • Price
     

     N/A

    e) Date of the transaction  28 January 2025
    f) Place of the transaction  Outside a trading venue (XOFF)
    1. Details of the person discharging managerial responsibilities/person closely associated  
    a) Name  Thomas Johansen
    2. Reason for the notification
    a) Position/status  CFO
    b) Initial notification/Amendment  Initial notification
    3. Details of the issuer, emission allowance market participant, auction platform, auctioneer or auction monitor
    a) Name  Netcompany Group A/S, CVR no. 39488914 
    b) LEI  5299006DEGAWX1Z1X779
    4. Details of the transaction(s): section to be repeated for (i) each type of instrument; (ii) each type of transaction; (iii) each date; and (iv) each place where transactions have been conducted
    a) Description of the financial instrument, type of instrument

    Identification code

     Shares

     DK0060952919

    b) Nature of the transaction Acquisition following the automatic vesting of 1,075 RSUs granted under the terms of the LTIP, resulting in the delivery of 1,075 shares previously held by Netcompany as treasury shares
    c) Price(s) and volume(s)  Price(s)         Volume(s)
     DKK 0            1,075
    d) Aggregated information

    • Aggregated volume
    • Price
     

     N/A

    e) Date of the transaction  28 January 2025
    f) Place of the transaction  Outside a trading venue (XOFF)

    Additional information
    For additional information, please contact:

    Netcompany Group A/S
    Thomas Johansen, CFO, +45 51 19 32 24
    Frederikke Linde, Head of IR, +45 60 62 60 87

    Attachment

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Coastal Financial Corporation Announces Fourth Quarter 2024 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    EVERETT, Wash., Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Coastal Financial Corporation (Nasdaq: CCB) (the “Company”, “Coastal”, “we”, “our”, or “us”), the holding company for Coastal Community Bank (the “Bank”), through which it operates a community-focused bank with an industry leading banking as a service (“BaaS”) segment, today reported unaudited financial results for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, including net income of $13.4 million, or $0.94 per diluted common share, compared to $13.5 million, or $0.97 per diluted common share, for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and $45.2 million, or $3.26 per diluted common share, for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $44.6 million, or $3.27 per diluted common share for the year ended December 31, 2023.

    Management Discussion of the Quarter and Full-year Results

    “2024 was highlighted by the completion of our $98.0 million capital raise during the fourth quarter, which we will utilize to support growth of the Bank including in our CCBX segment,” said CEO Eric Sprink. “We saw high quality net loan growth of $67.7 million despite selling $845.5 million in loans during the fourth quarter, and our CCBX program fee income continued to increase which was up 56.9% for full-year 2024 relative to the prior year. We continue to invest heavily in CCBX to support future growth, and we are pleased to have three letters of intent (“LOI”) signed going into 2025 with an active pipeline.”

    Key Points for Fourth Quarter and Our Go-Forward Strategy

    • Completed Capital Raise Allows CCBX Growth to Continue. During the fourth quarter of 2024, we completed a $98.0 million common equity raise, which was priced at $71.00/share. Proceeds will be used for general corporate purposes and to support growth of the Bank including in our CCBX segment. As of December 31, 2024 we had three signed LOIs and continue to have an active pipeline for 2025. The growth in common-equity tier 1 and total risk-based capital to 12.04% and 14.67%, respectively, includes the benefit of the capital raise.
    • Strong Annual Growth in CCBX Program Fees. Total BaaS program fee income was $25.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $9.3 million, or 56.9%, from the year ended December 31, 2023, and is representative of growth in partner transaction activity and expanded product offerings within our CCBX operating segment. Trends in CCBX noninterest income were also positive during the quarter, with total program fees of $8.2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $1.8 million, or 27.6%, from the three months ended September 30, 2024.
    • Investments for Growth Continues. Total non-interest expense of $64.2 million was down $1.4 million, or 2.1%, as compared to $65.6 million in the third quarter of 2024, mainly driven by lower BaaS loan expense, partially offset by higher salaries and employee benefits, point of sale expense, and legal and professional expenses. As we increase the number of new CCBX partners and programs launching in 2025, we expect that expenses will tend to be front-loaded with a focus on compliance and operational risk before any new program reaches significant revenues.
    • Off Balance Sheet Activity Update. During the fourth quarter of 2024, we sold $845.5 million of loans, the majority of which were credit card receivables, and swept $273.2 million of deposits off balance-sheet. We are able to retain a portion of the fee income on these sold credit card loans. As of December 31, 2024 there were 182,449 credit cards with fee earning potential, an increase of 101,023 compared to the quarter ended September 30, 2024 and an increase of 172,400 from December 31, 2023.
    • Continued Monitoring of CCBX Risk. We remain fully indemnified against fraud and 98.7% indemnified against credit risk with our CCBX partners as of year-end of 2024.

    Fourth Quarter 2024 Financial Highlights

    The tables below outline some of our key operating metrics.

      Three Months Ended
    (Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data; unaudited) December 31,
    2024
      September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      March 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
    Income Statement Data:                  
    Interest and dividend income $ 96,587     $ 105,079     $ 97,487     $ 90,472     $ 88,243  
    Interest expense   30,071       32,892       31,250       29,536       28,586  
    Net interest income   66,516       72,187       66,237       60,936       59,657  
    Provision for credit losses   61,867       70,257       62,325       83,158       60,789  
    Net interest (expense)/ income after provision for credit losses   4,649       1,930       3,912       (22,222 )     (1,132 )
    Noninterest income   76,756       80,068       69,918       86,955       64,694  
    Noninterest expense   64,206       65,616       58,809       56,018       51,703  
    Provision for income tax   3,832       2,926       3,425       1,915       2,847  
    Net income   13,367       13,456       11,596       6,800       9,012  
                       
      As of and for the Three Month Period
      December 31,
    2024
      September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      March 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
    Balance Sheet Data:                  
    Cash and cash equivalents $ 452,513     $ 484,026     $ 487,245     $ 515,128     $ 483,128  
    Investment securities   47,321       48,620       49,213       50,090       150,364  
    Loans held for sale   20,600       7,565             797        
    Loans receivable   3,486,565       3,418,832       3,326,460       3,199,554       3,026,092  
    Allowance for credit losses   (176,994 )     (170,263 )     (147,914 )     (139,258 )     (116,958 )
    Total assets   4,121,208       4,065,821       3,961,546       3,865,258       3,753,366  
    Interest bearing deposits   3,057,808       3,047,861       2,949,643       2,888,867       2,735,161  
    Noninterest bearing deposits   527,524       579,427       593,789       574,112       625,202  
    Core deposits (1)   3,123,434       3,190,869       3,528,339       3,447,864       3,342,004  
    Total deposits   3,585,332       3,627,288       3,543,432       3,462,979       3,360,363  
    Total borrowings   47,884       47,847       47,810       47,771       47,734  
    Total shareholders’ equity   438,704       331,930       316,693       303,709       294,978  
                       
    Share and Per Share Data (2):                  
    Earnings per share – basic $ 0.97     $ 1.00     $ 0.86     $ 0.51     $ 0.68  
    Earnings per share – diluted $ 0.94     $ 0.97     $ 0.84     $ 0.50     $ 0.66  
    Dividends per share                            
    Book value per share (3) $ 29.37     $ 24.51     $ 23.54     $ 22.65     $ 22.17  
    Tangible book value per share (4) $ 29.37     $ 24.51     $ 23.54     $ 22.65     $ 22.17  
    Weighted avg outstanding shares – basic   13,828,605       13,447,066       13,412,667       13,340,997       13,286,828  
    Weighted avg outstanding shares – diluted   14,268,229       13,822,270       13,736,508       13,676,917       13,676,513  
    Shares outstanding at end of period   14,935,298       13,543,282       13,453,805       13,407,320       13,304,339  
    Stock options outstanding at end of period   186,354       198,370       286,119       309,069       354,969  

    See footnotes that follow the tables below

      As of and for the Three Month Period
      December 31,
    2024
      September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      March 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
    Credit Quality Data:                  
    Nonperforming assets (5) to total assets   1.52 %     1.63 %     1.34 %     1.42 %     1.43 %
    Nonperforming assets (5) to loans receivable and OREO   1.80 %     1.94 %     1.60 %     1.71 %     1.78 %
    Nonperforming loans (5) to total loans receivable   1.80 %     1.94 %     1.60 %     1.71 %     1.78 %
    Allowance for credit losses to nonperforming loans   282.5 %     256.5 %     278.1 %     253.8 %     217.2 %
    Allowance for credit losses to total loans receivable   5.08 %     4.98 %     4.45 %     4.35 %     3.86 %
    Gross charge-offs $ 61,585     $ 53,305     $ 55,207     $ 58,994     $ 47,652  
    Gross recoveries $ 5,646     $ 4,069     $ 1,973     $ 1,776     $ 2,781  
    Net charge-offs to average loans (6)   6.51 %     5.65 %     6.57 %     7.34 %     5.92 %
                       
    Capital Ratios:                  
    Company                  
    Tier 1 leverage capital   10.78 %     8.40 %     8.31 %     8.24 %     8.10 %
    Common equity Tier 1 risk-based capital   12.04 %     9.24 %     9.03 %     8.98 %     9.10 %
    Tier 1 risk-based capital   12.14 %     9.34 %     9.13 %     9.08 %     9.20 %
    Total risk-based capital   14.67 %     11.89 %     11.70 %     11.70 %     11.87 %
    Bank                  
    Tier 1 leverage capital   10.64 %     9.29 %     9.24 %     9.19 %     9.06 %
    Common equity Tier 1 risk-based capital   11.99 %     10.34 %     10.15 %     10.14 %     10.30 %
    Tier 1 risk-based capital   11.99 %     10.34 %     10.15 %     10.14 %     10.30 %
    Total risk-based capital   13.28 %     11.63 %     11.44 %     11.43 %     11.58 %

    (1) Core deposits are defined as all deposits excluding brokered and time deposits.
    (2) Share and per share amounts are based on total actual or average common shares outstanding, as applicable.
    (3) We calculate book value per share as total shareholders’ equity at the end of the relevant period divided by the outstanding number of our common shares at the end of each period.
    (4) Tangible book value per share is a non-GAAP financial measure. We calculate tangible book value per share as total shareholders’ equity at the end of the relevant period, less goodwill and other intangible assets, divided by the outstanding number of our common shares at the end of each period. The most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is book value per share. We had no goodwill or other intangible assets as of any of the dates indicated. As a result, tangible book value per share is the same as book value per share as of each of the dates indicated.
    (5) Nonperforming assets and nonperforming loans include loans 90+ days past due and accruing interest.
    (6) Annualized calculations.

    Key Performance Ratios

    Return on average assets (“ROA”) was 1.30% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 compared to 1.34% and 0.97% for the quarters ended September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively.  ROA for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, decreased 0.04% and increased 0.33% compared to September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively. Noninterest expenses were lower for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 compared to the quarter ended September 30, 2024 largely due to a decrease in BaaS loan expense, which is directly related to the amount of interest earned on CCBX loans, and higher than the quarter ended December 31, 2023 largely due to an increase in salaries and employee benefits, data processing and software licenses, legal and professional expenses and point of sale expenses, all of which are related to the growth of Company and investments in technology and risk management.

    Yield on earning assets and yield on loans receivable decreased 1.14% and 0.99%, respectively, for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 compared to the quarter ended September 30, 2024. This decrease is due to a combination of factors. We continue to refine our credit approach with partners, widening the scope of loans that we are moving to nonaccrual, which decreased loan interest income in the quarter ended December 31, 2024 as compared to prior quarters. Average loans receivable as of December 31, 2024 decreased $45.4 million compared to September 30, 2024 as we continue to sell CCBX loans as part of our on-going strategy to manage the loan portfolio and credit quality. New loans are being booked with enhanced credit standards, which typically results in a lower interest rate than some of the higher risk loans that have paid off or we have chosen to sell.

    The following table shows the Company’s key performance ratios for the periods indicated.  

        Three Months Ended   Twelve Months Ended
    (unaudited)   December 31,
    2024
      September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      March 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
      December 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
                                 
    Return on average assets (1)   1.30%   1.34%   1.21%   0.73%   0.97%   1.15%   1.28%
    Return on average equity (1)   14.90%   16.67%   15.22%   9.21%   12.35%   14.11%   16.41%
    Yield on earnings assets (1)   9.65%   10.79%   10.49%   10.07%   9.77%   10.25%   9.82%
    Yield on loans receivable (1)   10.44%   11.43%   11.23%   10.85%   10.71%   10.99%   10.60%
    Cost of funds (1)   3.24%   3.62%   3.60%   3.52%   3.39%   3.49%   2.91%
    Cost of deposits (1)   3.21%   3.59%   3.58%   3.49%   3.36%   3.46%   2.87%
    Net interest margin (1)   6.65%   7.41%   7.13%   6.78%   6.61%   6.99%   7.10%
    Noninterest expense to average assets (1)   6.23%   6.54%   6.14%   6.04%   5.56%   6.24%   5.90%
    Noninterest income to average assets (1)   7.45%   7.98%   7.30%   9.38%   6.95%   8.00%   5.97%
    Efficiency ratio   44.81%   43.10%   43.19%   37.88%   41.58%   42.21%   45.92%
    Loans receivable to deposits (2)   97.82%   94.46%   93.88%   92.42%   90.05%   97.8%   90.1%

    (1) Annualized calculations shown for quarterly periods presented.
    (2) Includes loans held for sale.

    Management Outlook; CEO Eric Sprink

    “As we look forward to 2025, our strategy involves selectively expanding our current base of CCBX partners while continuing to invest in and enhance our technology and risk management infrastructure. This will enable us to support the next phase of growth within CCBX more efficiently. Additionally, we are focused on growing noninterest income through increased transaction activity and new product offerings with our established partners. We plan to continue selling credit card loans while retaining a portion of the fee income for our role in processing transactions, which offers an additional source of noninterest income without adding on-balance-sheet risk. We believe that by increasing noninterest income, we can mitigate the uncertainties associated with fluctuating interest rates and provide a more stable income stream in the future.” said CEO Eric Sprink.

    Coastal Financial Corporation Overview

    The Company has one main subsidiary, the Bank which consists of three segments: CCBX, the community bank and treasury & administration.  The CCBX segment includes all of our BaaS activities, the community bank segment includes all community banking activities, and the treasury & administration segment includes treasury management, overall administration and all other aspects of the Company.  

    CCBX Performance Update

    Our CCBX segment continues to evolve, and we have 24 relationships, at varying stages, including three signed letters of intent as of December 31, 2024.  We continue to refine the criteria for CCBX partnerships, exploring relationships with larger more established partners, with experienced management teams, existing customer bases and strong financial positions and will continue to exit relationships where it makes sense for us to do so.

    As we explore relationships with new partners we plan to continue expanding product offerings with our existing CCBX partners. As we become more proficient in the BaaS space we aim to cultivate new relationships that align with our long-term goals. We believe that a strategy of adding new partnerships and launching new products with existing partners positions us to reach a wide and established customer base with a modest increase in regulatory risk given that we have already vetted existing partners and have an operational history. Increases in partner activity/transaction counts is positively impacting noninterest income and we expect that trend to continue as products launched earlier in the year gain traction. We plan to continue selling loans as part of our strategy to balance partner and lending limits, and manage the loan portfolio and credit quality. We retain a portion of the fee income for our role in processing transactions on sold credit card balances, and plan to continue this strategy to provide an on-going and passive revenue stream with no on balance sheet risk.

    The following table illustrates the activity and evolution in CCBX relationships for the periods presented.

      As of
    (unaudited) December 31,
    2024
    September 30,
    2024
    December 31,
    2023
    Active 19 19 19
    Friends and family / testing 1 1 1
    Implementation / onboarding 1 1 1
    Signed letters of intent 3 1 0
    Wind down – active but preparing to exit relationship 0 0 0
    Total CCBX relationships 24 22 21
           

    CCBX loans increased $82.3 million, or 5.4%, to $1.60 billion despite selling $845.5 million loans during the three months ended December 31, 2024. In accordance with the program agreement for one partner, effective April 1, 2024, the portion of the CCBX portfolio that we are responsible for losses on decreased from 10% to 5%. At December 31, 2024 the portion of this portfolio for which we are responsible represented $20.6 million in loans.

    The following table details the CCBX loan portfolio:

    CCBX   As of
        December 31, 2024   September 30, 2024   December 31, 2023
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   Balance   % to Total   Balance   % to Total   Balance   % to Total
    Commercial and industrial loans:                        
    Capital call lines   $ 109,017     6.8 %   $ 103,924     6.8 %   $ 87,494     7.3 %
    All other commercial & industrial loans     33,961     2.1       36,494     2.4       54,298     4.5  
    Real estate loans:                        
    Residential real estate loans     267,707     16.7       265,402     17.5       238,035     19.9  
    Consumer and other loans:                        
    Credit cards     528,554     33.0       633,691     41.6       505,837     42.3  
    Other consumer and other loans     664,780     41.4       482,228     31.7       310,574     26.0  
    Gross CCBX loans receivable     1,604,019     100.0 %     1,521,739     100.0 %     1,196,238     100.0 %
    Net deferred origination (fees) costs     (442 )         (447 )         (300 )    
    Loans receivable   $ 1,603,577         $ 1,521,292         $ 1,195,938      
    Loan Yield – CCBX (1)(2)     15.28 %         17.35 %         17.36 %    
                             

    (1) CCBX yield does not include the impact of BaaS loan expense.  BaaS loan expense represents the amount paid or payable to partners for credit enhancements and originating & servicing CCBX loans. See reconciliation of the non-GAAP measures at the end of this earnings release for the impact of BaaS loan expense on CCBX loan yield.
    (2) Loan yield is annualized for the three months ended for each period presented and includes loans held for sale and nonaccrual loans.

    The increase in CCBX loans in the quarter ended December 31, 2024, includes an increase of $77.4 million or 6.9%, in consumer and other loans, an increase of $5.1 million, or 4.9%, in capital call lines as a result of normal balance fluctuations and business activities, and an increase of $2.3 million, or 0.9%, in residential real estate loans. We continue to monitor and manage the CCBX loan portfolio, and sold $845.5 million in CCBX loans during the quarter ended December 31, 2024 compared to sales of $423.7 million in the quarter ended September 30, 2024. We continue to reposition ourselves by managing CCBX credit and concentration levels in an effort to optimize our loan portfolio and generate off balance sheet fee income.

    CCBX loan yield decreased 2.06% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 compared to the quarter ended September 30, 2024 as a result of our widening the scope of loans that we are moving to nonaccrual, which decreased loan interest income in the quarter ended December 31, 2024. Also contributing to the decrease are lower interest rates on new CCBX loans, which are replacing higher risk and higher rate loans that have paid off or were sold as part of our strategy to manage the loan portfolio and credit quality. The recent decrease in the Fed funds interest rate further contributed to the change.

    The following chart show the growth in credit card accounts that we are able to generate fee income from. This includes accounts with balances, which are included in our loan totals, and accounts that have been sold and have no corresponding balance in our loan totals, but that we are still able to generate fee income on.

    The following table details the CCBX deposit portfolio:

    CCBX   As of
        December 31, 2024   September 30, 2024   December 31, 2023
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   Balance   % to Total   Balance   % to Total   Balance   % to Total
    Demand, noninterest bearing   $ 55,686     2.7 %   $ 60,655     2.9 %   $ 63,630     3.4 %
    Interest bearing demand and
    money market
        1,958,459     94.9       1,991,858     94.6       1,794,168     96.3  
    Savings     5,710     0.3       5,204     0.3       4,964     0.3  
    Total core deposits     2,019,855     97.9       2,057,717     97.8       1,862,762     100.0  
    Other deposits     44,233     2.1       47,046     2.2            
    Total CCBX deposits   $ 2,064,088     100.0 %   $ 2,104,763     100.0 %   $ 1,862,762     100.0 %
    Cost of deposits (1)     4.19 %         4.82 %         4.90 %    

    (1)  Cost of deposits is annualized for the three months ended for each period presented.

    CCBX deposits decreased $40.7 million, or 1.9%, in the three months ended December 31, 2024 to $2.06 billion as a result of normal balance fluctuations. This excludes the $273.2 million in CCBX deposits that were transferred off balance sheet for increased Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) insurance coverage and sweep purposes, compared to $214.5 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024. Amounts in excess of FDIC insurance coverage are transferred, using a third party facilitator/vendor sweep product, to participating financial institutions.

    Community Bank Performance Update

    In the quarter ended December 31, 2024, the community bank saw net loans decrease $14.6 million, or 0.8%, to $1.88 billion.

    The following table details the Community Bank loan portfolio:

    Community Bank   As of
        December 31, 2024   September 30, 2024   December 31, 2023
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   Balance   % to Total   Balance   % to Total   Balance   % to Total
    Commercial and industrial loans   $ 150,395     8.0 %   $ 152,161     8.0 %   $ 149,502     8.2 %
    Real estate loans:                        
    Construction, land and land development loans     148,198     7.8       163,051     8.6       157,100     8.5  
    Residential real estate loans     202,064     10.7       212,467     11.2       225,391     12.3  
    Commercial real estate loans     1,374,801     72.8       1,362,452     71.5       1,303,533     70.9  
    Consumer and other loans:                        
    Other consumer and other loans     13,542     0.7       14,173     0.7       1,628     0.1  
    Gross Community Bank loans receivable     1,889,000     100.0 %     1,904,304     100.0 %     1,837,154     100.0 %
    Net deferred origination fees     (6,012 )         (6,764 )         (7,000 )    
    Loans receivable   $ 1,882,988         $ 1,897,540         $ 1,830,154      
    Loan Yield(1)     6.53 %         6.64 %         6.32 %    

    (1) Loan yield is annualized for the three months ended for each period presented and includes loans held for sale and nonaccrual loans.

    Community bank loans decreased $14.9 million in construction, land and land development loans, decreased $1.8 million in commercial and industrial loans and decreased $631,000 in consumer and other loans, and were partially offset by an increase in commercial real estate loans of $12.3 million during the quarter ended December 31, 2024.

    The following table details the community bank deposit portfolio:

    Community Bank   As of
        December 31, 2024   September 30, 2024   December 31, 2023
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   Balance   % to Total   Balance   % to Total   Balance   % to Total
    Demand, noninterest bearing   $ 471,838     31.0 %   $ 518,772     34.1 %   $ 561,572     37.5 %
    Interest bearing demand and money market     570,625     37.5       552,108     36.3       846,072     56.5  
    Savings     61,116     4.0       62,272     4.1       71,598     4.8  
    Total core deposits     1,103,579     72.5       1,133,152     74.5       1,479,242     98.8  
    Other deposits     400,118     26.3       373,681     24.5       1     0.0  
    Time deposits less than $100,000     5,920     0.4       6,305     0.4       8,109     0.5  
    Time deposits $100,000 and over     11,627     0.8       9,387     0.6       10,249     0.7  
    Total Community Bank deposits   $ 1,521,244     100.0 %   $ 1,522,525     100.0 %   $ 1,497,601     100.0 %
    Cost of deposits(1)     1.86 %         1.92 %         1.57 %    

    (1) Cost of deposits is annualized for the three months ended for each period presented.

    Community bank deposits decreased $1.3 million, or 0.1%, during the three months ended December 31, 2024 to $1.52 billion as result of normal balance fluctuations. The community bank segment includes noninterest bearing deposits of $471.8 million, or 31.0%, of total community bank deposits, resulting in a cost of deposits of 1.86%, which compared to 1.92% for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, largely due to the decreases in the Fed funds rate late in the third quarter and during the fourth quarter of 2024. The cost of community bank deposits are projected to decline further as the Fed funds rate had a decrease of 0.25%, which occurred in December 2024 and the full quarterly effect of that decrease will not be recognized until the first quarter of 2025.

    Net Interest Income and Margin Discussion

    Net interest income was $66.5 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, a decrease of $5.7 million, or 7.9%, from $72.2 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, and an increase of $6.9 million, or 11.5%, from $59.7 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The decrease in net interest income compared to September 30, 2024, was a result of a decrease in average loans receivable as a result of selling $845.5 million in CCBX loans during the quarter ended December 31, 2024, the recent decrease in the Fed funds interest rate, and continued enhancements to our partner credit practices that resulted in a reduction of interest income on loans. The increase in net interest income compared to December 31, 2023 was largely related to increased yield on loans resulting from higher interest rates and growth in higher yielding loans, partially offset by an increase in cost of funds relating to higher interest rates and growth in interest bearing deposits.  

    Net interest margin was 6.65% for the three months ended December 31, 2024, compared to 7.41% for the three months ended September 30, 2024, largely due to lower loan yield. Net interest margin, net of BaaS loan expense, (A reconciliation of the non-GAAP measures are set forth in the Non-GAAP Financial Measures section of this earnings release.) was 4.16% for the three months ended December 31, 2024, compared to 4.06% for the three months ended September 30, 2024. Net interest margin was 6.61% for the three months ended December 31, 2023. The increase in net interest margin for the three months ended December 31, 2024 compared to the three months ended December 31, 2023 was largely due to an increase in loan yield, partially offset by higher interest rates on interest bearing deposits. Interest and fees on loans receivable decreased $9.9 million, or 9.9%, to $89.7 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024, compared to $99.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, as a result of loan sales and a decrease in the Fed funds interest rate. Additionally, as we continue to refine our credit approach with partners, we are widening the scope of loans that we are moving to nonaccrual which decreased interest income in the quarter ended December 31, 2024 and lowered loan yield and net interest margin; however this also decreased BaaS loan expense (which is in noninterest expense) resulting in no impact to net income. Interest and fees on loans receivable increased $8.6 million, or 10.5%, compared to $81.2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023, due to an increase in outstanding balances and higher interest rates. Net interest margin, net of Baas loan expense (A reconciliation of the non-GAAP measures are set forth in the Non-GAAP Financial Measures section of this earnings release.) increased 0.10% for the three months ended December 31, 2024, compared to the three months ended September 30, 2024 and increased 0.25% compared the three months ended December 31, 2023.

    The following tables illustrate how net interest margin and loan yield is affected by BaaS loan expense:

    Consolidated   As of and for the Three Months Ended As of and for the Twelve
    Months Ended
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   December 31
    2024
      September 30
    2024
      December 31
    2023
    December 31
    2024
      December 31
    2023
    Net interest margin, net of BaaS loan expense:              
    Net interest margin (1)     6.65 %     7.41 %     6.61 %   6.99 %     7.10 %
    Earning assets     3,980,078       3,875,911       3,581,772     3,802,275       3,364,406  
    Net interest income (GAAP)     66,516       72,187       59,657     265,876       238,727  
    Less: BaaS loan expense     (24,859 )     (32,612 )     (24,310 )   (111,384 )     (86,900 )
    Net interest income, net of BaaS loan expense(2)   $ 41,657     $ 39,575     $ 35,347   $ 154,492     $ 151,827  
    Net interest margin, net of BaaS loan expense (1)(2)     4.16 %     4.06 %     3.92 %   4.06 %     4.51 %
    Loan income net of BaaS loan expense divided by average loans:         
    Loan yield (GAAP)(1)     10.44 %     11.43 %     10.71 %   10.99 %     10.60 %
    Total average loans receivable   $ 3,419,476     $ 3,464,871     $ 3,007,289   $ 3,320,582     $ 2,936,908  
    Interest and earned fee income on loans (GAAP)     89,714       99,590       81,159     364,869       311,441  
    BaaS loan expense     (24,859 )     (32,612 )     (24,310 )   (111,384 )     (86,900 )
    Net loan income(2)   $ 64,855     $ 66,978     $ 56,849   $ 253,485     $ 224,541  
    Loan income, net of BaaS loan expense, divided by average loans (1)(2)     7.55 %     7.69 %     7.50 %   7.63 %     7.65 %

    (1) Annualized calculations shown for periods presented.
    (2) A reconciliation of the non-GAAP measures are set forth at the end of this earnings release.

    Average investment securities decreased $820,000 to $48.2 million compared to the three months ended September 30, 2024 and decreased $101.5 million compared to the three months ended December 31, 2023 as a result of principal paydowns and maturing securities.

    Cost of funds was 3.24% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, a decrease of 38 basis points from the quarter ended September 30, 2024 and a decrease of 16 basis points from the quarter ended December 31, 2023. Cost of deposits for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 was 3.21%, compared to 3.59% for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, and 3.36% for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. The decreased cost of funds and deposits compared to September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023 was largely due to the recent reductions in the Fed funds rate.

    The following table summarizes the average yield on loans receivable and cost of deposits:

      For the Three Months Ended
      December 31, 2024   September 30, 2024   December 31, 2023
      Yield on
    Loans (2)
      Cost of
    Deposits (2)
      Yield on
    Loans (2)
      Cost of
    Deposits (2)
      Yield on
    Loans (2)
      Cost of
    Deposits (2)
    Community Bank 6.53%   1.86%   6.64%   1.92%   6.32%   1.57%
    CCBX (1) 15.28%   4.19%   17.35%   4.82%   17.36%   4.90%
    Consolidated 10.44%   3.21%   11.43%   3.59%   10.71%   3.36%

    (1) Annualized calculations for periods shown for credit and fraud enhancements and originating & servicing CCBX loans.  To determine Net BaaS loan income earned from CCBX loan relationships, the Company takes BaaS loan interest income and deducts BaaS loan expense to arrive at Net BaaS loan income which can be compared to interest income on the Company’s community bank loans. See reconciliation of the non-GAAP measures at the end of this earnings release for the impact of BaaS loan expense on CCBX loan yield.
    (2) Annualized calculations for periods shown.

    The following table illustrates how BaaS loan interest income is affected by BaaS loan expense resulting in net BaaS loan income and the associated yield:

        For the Three Months Ended
        December 31, 2024   September 30, 2024   December 31, 2023
    (dollars in thousands, unaudited)   Income /
    Expense
      Income /
    expense divided
    by average
    CCBX loans
    (2)
      Income /
    Expense
      Income /
    expense divided
    by average
    CCBX loans
    (2)
      Income /
    Expense
      Income /
    expense divided
    by average
    CCBX loans
    (2)
    BaaS loan interest income   $ 58,671   15.28%   $ 67,692   17.35 %   $ 52,327   17.36%
    Less: BaaS loan expense     24,859   6.48%     32,612   8.36 %     24,310   8.06%
    Net BaaS loan income (1)   $ 33,812   8.81%   $ 35,080   8.99 %   $ 28,017   9.30%
    Average BaaS Loans(3)   $ 1,527,178       $ 1,552,443       $ 1,196,137    

    (1) A reconciliation of the non-GAAP measures are set forth at the end of this earnings release.
    (2) Annualized calculations shown for quarterly periods presented.
    (3) Includes loans held for sale.

    Noninterest Income Discussion

    Noninterest income was $76.8 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024, a decrease of $3.3 million from $80.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, and an increase of $12.1 million from $64.7 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023. The decrease in noninterest income for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 as compared to the quarter ended September 30, 2024 was primarily due to a decrease of $3.3 million in total BaaS income. The $3.3 million decrease in total BaaS income included an $8.0 million decrease in BaaS credit enhancements related to the provision for credit losses, partially offset by a a $3.0 million increase in BaaS fraud enhancements and an increase of $1.8 million in BaaS program income. The $1.8 million increase in BaaS program income is largely due to higher reimbursement of expenses as well as an increase in transaction fees and interchange fees, our primary BaaS source for recurring fee income, as well as higher reimbursement of expenses (see “Appendix B” for more information on the accounting for BaaS allowance for credit losses and credit and fraud enhancements).

    The $12.1 million increase in noninterest income over the quarter ended December 31, 2023 was primarily due to a $7.9 million increase in BaaS credit and fraud enhancements and an increase of $3.8 million in BaaS program income.

    Noninterest Expense Discussion
    Total noninterest expense decreased $1.4 million to $64.2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024, compared to $65.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, and increased $12.5 million from $51.7 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023. The decrease in noninterest expense for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, as compared to the quarter ended September 30, 2024, was primarily due to a $4.8 million decrease in BaaS expense from a $7.8 million decrease in BaaS loan expense, partially offset by a $3.0 million increase in BaaS fraud expense. BaaS loan expense represents the amount paid or payable to partners for credit enhancements, fraud enhancements, and originating & servicing CCBX loans. BaaS fraud expense represents non-credit fraud losses on partner’s customer loan and deposit accounts. A portion of this expense is realized during the quarter in which the loss occurs, and a portion is estimated based on historical or other information from our partners. Other variances that partially offset the net decrease in noninterest expense include an increase of $1.4 million in point of sale expenses as a result of increased partner transaction activity, an increase of $893,000 in salaries and employee benefits and an increase of $1.0 million in legal and professional fees as part of our continued investments in technology and risk management.

    The increase in noninterest expenses for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 compared to the quarter ended December 31, 2023 was largely due to an increase of $4.8 million in BaaS partner expense primarily from a $4.3 million increase in BaaS fraud expense, a $549,000 increase in BaaS loan expense, a $2.0 million increase in legal and professional expenses, a $1.8 million increase in point of sale expenses, a $1.5 million increase in salary and employee benefits, and a $1.2 million increase in data processing and software licenses due to enhancements in technology.

    Certain noninterest expenses are reimbursed by our CCBX partners. In accordance with GAAP we recognize all expenses in noninterest expense and all reimbursement of expenses from our CCBX partner in noninterest income. The following table reflects the portion of noninterest expenses that are reimbursed by partners to assist the understanding of how the increases in noninterest expense are related to expenses incurred for and reimbursed by CCBX partners:

        Three Months Ended
        December 31,   September 30,   December 31,
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   2024   2024   2023
    Total noninterest expense (GAAP)   $ 64,206   $ 65,616   $ 51,703
    Less: BaaS loan expense     24,859     32,612     24,310
    Less: BaaS fraud expense     5,043     2,084     779
    Less: Reimbursement of expenses (Baas)     3,468     1,843     1,076
    Noninterest expense, net of Baas loan expense, BaaS fraud expense and reimbursement of expenses (BaaS) (1)   $ 30,836   $ 29,077   $ 25,538

    (1) A reconciliation of the non-GAAP measures are set forth at the end of this earnings release.

    Provision for Income Taxes

    The provision for income taxes was $3.8 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024, $2.9 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and $2.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2023.  The income tax provision was higher for the three months ended December 31, 2024 compared to the quarter ended September 30, 2024 as a result of the deductibility of certain equity awards which reduced tax expense during the quarter ended September 30, 2024 compared to the quarter ended December 31, 2024 despite net income being higher fairly even, and higher than the quarter ended December 31, 2023, primarily due to higher net income compared to that quarter, partially offset by the deductibility of certain equity awards.

    The Company is subject to various state taxes that are assessed as CCBX activities and employees expand into other states, which has increased the overall tax rate used in calculating the provision for income taxes in the current and future periods. The Company uses a federal statutory tax rate of 21.0% as a basis for calculating provision for federal income taxes and 2.63% for calculating the provision for state income taxes.

    Financial Condition Overview

    Total assets increased $55.4 million, or 1.4%, to $4.12 billion at December 31, 2024 compared to $4.07 billion at September 30, 2024.  The increase is primarily due to stronger loan growth, partially offset by lower cash balances. Total loans receivable increased $67.7 million to $3.49 billion at December 31, 2024, from $3.42 billion at September 30, 2024.

    As of December 31, 2024, the Company had the capacity to borrow up to a total of $642.1 million from the Federal Reserve Bank discount window and Federal Home Loan Bank, and an additional $50.0 million from a correspondent bank. There were no borrowings outstanding on these lines as of December 31, 2024.

    The Company completed a $98.0 million capital raise during the quarter ended December 31, 2024. After contributing $50.0 million to the Bank, the Company had a cash balance of $47.7 million as of December 31, 2024, which is retained for general operating purposes, including debt repayment, and for funding $480,000 in commitments to bank technology investment funds.  

    Uninsured deposits were $543.0 million as of December 31, 2024, compared to $542.2 million as of September 30, 2024.

    Total shareholders’ equity as of December 31, 2024 increased $106.8 million since September 30, 2024.  The increase in shareholders’ equity was primarily due to an increase of $93.4 million in common stock outstanding as a result of the aforementioned capital raise and, to a lessor extent, equity awards exercised during the three months ended December 31, 2024 combined with $13.4 million in net earnings.

    The Company and the Bank remained well capitalized at December 31, 2024, as summarized in the following table.

    (unaudited)   Coastal Community
    Bank
      Coastal Financial
    Corporation
      Minimum Well
    Capitalized Ratios
    under Prompt
    Corrective Action
    (1)
    Tier 1 Leverage Capital (to average assets)   10.64%   10.78%   5.00%
    Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (to risk-weighted assets)   11.99%   12.04%   6.50%
    Tier 1 Capital (to risk-weighted assets)   11.99%   12.14%   8.00%
    Total Capital (to risk-weighted assets)   13.28%   14.67%   10.00%

    (1) Presents the minimum capital ratios for an insured depository institution, such as the Bank, to be considered well capitalized under the Prompt Corrective Action framework. The minimum requirements for the Company to be considered well capitalized under Regulation Y include to maintain, on a consolidated basis, a total risk-based capital ratio of 10.0 percent or greater and a tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 6.0 percent or greater.

    Asset Quality

    The total allowance for credit losses was $177.0 million and 5.08% of loans receivable at December 31, 2024 compared to $170.3 million and 4.98% at September 30, 2024 and $117.0 million and 3.86% at December 31, 2023. The allowance for credit loss allocated to the CCBX portfolio was $158.1 million and 9.86% of CCBX loans receivable at December 31, 2024, with $18.9 million of allowance for credit loss allocated to the community bank or 1.00% of total community bank loans receivable.

    The following table details the allocation of the allowance for credit loss as of the period indicated:

        As of December 31, 2024   As of September 30, 2024   As of December 31, 2023
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   Community
    Bank
      CCBX   Total   Community
    Bank
      CCBX   Total   Community
    Bank
      CCBX   Total
    Loans receivable   $ 1,882,988     $ 1,603,577     $ 3,486,565     $ 1,897,540     $ 1,521,292     $ 3,418,832     $ 1,830,154     $ 1,195,938     $ 3,026,092  
    Allowance for credit losses     (18,924 )     (158,070 )     (176,994 )     (20,132 )     (150,131 )     (170,263 )     (21,595 )     (95,363 )     (116,958 )
    Allowance for credit losses to total loans receivable     1.00 %     9.86 %     5.08 %     1.06 %     9.87 %     4.98 %     1.18 %     7.97 %     3.86 %
                                                                             

    Net charge-offs totaled $55.9 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, compared to $49.2 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 and $44.9 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. Net charge-offs as a percent of average loans increased to 6.51% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 compared to 5.65% for the quarter ended September 30, 2024. CCBX partner agreements provide for a credit enhancement that covers the net-charge-offs on CCBX loans and negative deposit accounts by indemnifying or reimbursing incurred losses, except in accordance with the program agreement for one partner where the Company was responsible for credit losses on approximately 5% of a $324.6 million loan portfolio. At December 31, 2024, our portion of this portfolio represented $20.6 million in loans. Net charge-offs for this $20.6 million in loans were $1.1 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024, compared to $1.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and $1.5 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023.

    The following table details net charge-offs for the community bank and CCBX for the period indicated:

        Three Months Ended
        December 31, 2024   September 30, 2024   December 31, 2023
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   Community
    Bank
      CCBX   Total   Community
    Bank
      CCBX   Total   Community
    Bank
      CCBX   Total
    Gross charge-offs   $ 139     $ 61,446     $ 61,585     $ 398     $ 52,907     $ 53,305     $ 2     $ 47,650     $ 47,652  
    Gross recoveries     (3 )     (5,643 )     (5,646 )     (3 )     (4,066 )     (4,069 )     (4 )     (2,777 )     (2,781 )
    Net charge-offs   $ 136     $ 55,803     $ 55,939     $ 395     $ 48,841     $ 49,236     $ (2 )   $ 44,873     $ 44,871  
    Net charge-offs to average loans (1)     0.03 %     14.54 %     6.51 %     0.08 %     12.52 %     5.65 %     0.00 %     14.88 %     5.92 %

    (1) Annualized calculations shown for periods presented.

    During the quarter ended December 31, 2024, a $63.7 million provision for credit losses was recorded for CCBX partner loans, compared to the $72.1 million provision for credit losses was recorded for CCBX partner loans for the quarter ended September 30, 2024, the provision was based on management’s analysis, bringing the CCBX allowance for credit losses to $158.1 million at December 31, 2024 compared to $150.1 million at September 30, 2024. The increase in the allowance is due to the addition of new loans, partially offset by loan sales. CCBX loans have a higher level of expected losses than our community bank loans, which is reflected in the factors for the allowance for credit losses. Agreements with our CCBX partners provide for a credit enhancement which protects the Bank by indemnifying or reimbursing incurred losses.

    In accordance with accounting guidance, we estimate and record a provision for expected losses for these CCBX loans and reclassified negative deposit accounts. When the provision for CCBX credit losses and provision for unfunded commitments is recorded, a credit enhancement asset is also recorded on the balance sheet through noninterest income (BaaS credit enhancements). Expected losses are recorded in the allowance for credit losses. The credit enhancement asset is relieved when credit enhancement recoveries are received from the CCBX partner. If our partner is unable to fulfill their contracted obligations then the Bank could be exposed to additional credit losses. Management regularly evaluates and manages this counterparty risk.

    The factors used in management’s analysis for community bank credit losses indicated that a provision recapture of $1.1 million and was needed for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 compared to a provision recapture of $519,000 and provision of $277,000 for the quarters ended September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively. The recapture in the current period was due to the decrease in the community bank loan portfolio combined with an improvement in the forward look, which is driven by the future projected unemployment and GDP curves, which flattened since last quarter, lessening the impact of this factor.

    The following table details the provision expense/(recapture) for the community bank and CCBX for the period indicated:

        Three Months Ended
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   December 31,
    2024
      September 30,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
    Community bank   $ (1,071 )   $ (519 )   $ 277
    CCBX     63,741       72,104       60,467
    Total provision expense   $ 62,670     $ 71,585     $ 60,744

    A recapture for unfunded commitments of $803,000 was recorded for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 as a result of a decrease in the overall available balance combined with an improvement in the reserve rates.

    At December 31, 2024, our nonperforming assets were $62.7 million, or 1.52%, of total assets, compared to $66.4 million, or 1.63%, of total assets, at September 30, 2024, and $53.8 million, or 1.43%, of total assets, at December 31, 2023. These ratios are impacted by nonperforming CCBX loans that are covered by CCBX partner credit enhancements. As of December 31, 2024, $60.8 million of the $62.6 million in nonperforming CCBX loans were covered by CCBX partner credit enhancements described above.

    Nonperforming assets decreased $3.7 million during the quarter ended December 31, 2024, compared to the quarter ended September 30, 2024. This change is due to a decrease in CCBX and community bank nonaccrual loans. Community bank nonperforming loans decreased $1.0 million from September 30, 2024 to $100,000 as of December 31, 2024, and CCBX nonperforming loans decreased $2.7 million to $62.6 million from September 30, 2024. The decrease in CCBX nonperforming loans is due to an decrease of $570,000 in nonaccrual loans from September 30, 2024 to $19.5 million. Some CCBX partners have a collection practice that places certain loans on nonaccrual status to improve collectability. $17.2 million of these loans are less than 90 days past due as of December 31, 2024. Additionally, there was a $2.2 million decrease in CCBX loans that are past due 90 days or more and still accruing interest. As a result of the type of loans (primarily consumer loans) originated through our CCBX partners we anticipate that balances 90 days past due or more and still accruing will generally increase as those loan portfolios grow. Installment/closed-end and revolving/open-end consumer loans originated through CCBX lending partners will continue to accrue interest until 120 and 180 days past due, respectively and are reported as substandard, 90 days or more days past due and still accruing. There were no repossessed assets or other real estate owned at December 31, 2024. Our nonperforming loans to loans receivable ratio was 1.80% at December 31, 2024, compared to 1.94% at September 30, 2024, and 1.78% at December 31, 2023.

    For the quarter ended December 31, 2024, there were $136,000 community bank net charge-offs and $55.8 million in net charge-offs were recorded on CCBX loans. These CCBX loans have a higher level of expected losses than our community bank loans, which is reflected in the factors for the allowance for credit losses.

    The following table details the Company’s nonperforming assets for the periods indicated.

    Consolidated As of
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited) December 31,
    2024
      September 30,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
    Nonaccrual loans:          
    Commercial and industrial loans $ 334     $ 531     $  
    Real estate loans:          
    Residential real estate         44       170  
    Commercial real estate         831       7,145  
    Consumer and other loans:          
    Credit cards   10,262       7,987        
    Other consumer and other loans   8,967       11,713        
    Total nonaccrual loans   19,563       21,106       7,315  
    Accruing loans past due 90 days or more:          
    Commercial & industrial loans   1,006       1,566       2,086  
    Real estate loans:          
    Residential real estate loans   2,608       3,025       1,115  
    Consumer and other loans:          
    Credit cards   34,490       34,562       34,835  
    Other consumer and other loans   4,989       6,111       8,488  
    Total accruing loans past due 90 days or more   43,093       45,264       46,524  
    Total nonperforming loans   62,656       66,370       53,839  
    Real estate owned                
    Repossessed assets                
    Total nonperforming assets $ 62,656     $ 66,370     $ 53,839  
    Total nonaccrual loans to loans receivable   0.56 %     0.62 %     0.24 %
    Total nonperforming loans to loans receivable   1.80 %     1.94 %     1.78 %
    Total nonperforming assets to total assets   1.52 %     1.63 %     1.43 %
                           

    The following tables detail the CCBX and community bank nonperforming assets which are included in the total nonperforming assets table above.

    CCBX As of
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited) December 31,
    2024
      September 30,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
    Nonaccrual loans:          
    Commercial and industrial loans:          
    All other commercial & industrial loans $ 234     $ 333     $  
    Consumer and other loans:          
    Credit cards   10,262       7,987        
    Other consumer and other loans   8,967       11,713        
    Total nonaccrual loans   19,463       20,033        
    Accruing loans past due 90 days or more:          
    Commercial & industrial loans   1,006       1,566       2,086  
    Real estate loans:          
    Residential real estate loans   2,608       3,025       1,115  
    Consumer and other loans:          
    Credit cards   34,490       34,562       34,835  
    Other consumer and other loans   4,989       6,111       8,488  
    Total accruing loans past due 90 days or more   43,093       45,264       46,524  
    Total nonperforming loans   62,556       65,297       46,524  
    Other real estate owned                
    Repossessed assets                
    Total nonperforming assets $ 62,556     $ 65,297     $ 46,524  
    Total CCBX nonperforming assets to total consolidated assets   1.52 %     1.61 %     1.24 %
    Community Bank As of
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited) December 31,
    2024
      September 30,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
    Nonaccrual loans:          
    Commercial and industrial loans $ 100   $ 198     $  
    Real estate:          
    Residential real estate       44       170  
    Commercial real estate       831       7,145  
    Total nonaccrual loans   100     1,073       7,315  
    Accruing loans past due 90 days or more:          
    Total accruing loans past due 90 days or more              
    Total nonperforming loans   100     1,073       7,315  
    Other real estate owned              
    Repossessed assets              
    Total nonperforming assets $ 100   $ 1,073     $ 7,315  
    Total community bank nonperforming assets to total consolidated assets < 0.01%     0.03 %     0.19 %
                       

    About Coastal Financial

    Coastal Financial Corporation (Nasdaq: CCB) (the “Company”), is an Everett, Washington based bank holding company whose wholly owned subsidiaries are Coastal Community Bank (“Bank”) and Arlington Olympic LLC.  The $4.12 billion Bank provides service through 14 branches in Snohomish, Island, and King Counties, the Internet and its mobile banking application.  The Bank provides banking as a service to broker-dealers, digital financial service providers, companies and brands that want to provide financial services to their customers through the Bank’s CCBX segment.  To learn more about the Company visit www.coastalbank.com.

    CCB-ER

    Contact

    Eric Sprink, Chief Executive Officer, (425) 357-3659
    Joel Edwards, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer, (425) 357-3687

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This earnings release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to, among other things, future events and our financial performance. Any statements about our management’s expectations, beliefs, plans, predictions, forecasts, objectives, assumptions or future events or performance are not historical facts and may be forward-looking. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as “anticipate,” “believes,” “can,” “could,” “may,” “predicts,” “potential,” “should,” “will,” “estimate,” “plans,” “projects,” “continuing,” “ongoing,” “expects,” “intends” and similar words or phrases. Any or all of the forward-looking statements in this earnings release may turn out to be inaccurate. The inclusion of or reference to forward-looking information in this earnings release should not be regarded as a representation by us or any other person that the future plans, estimates or expectations contemplated by us will be achieved. We have based these forward-looking statements largely on our current expectations and projections about future events and financial trends that we believe may affect our financial condition, results of operations, business strategy and financial needs. Our actual results could differ materially from those anticipated in such forward-looking statements as a result of risks, uncertainties and assumptions that are difficult to predict. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the risks and uncertainties discussed under “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the most recent period filed and in any of our subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

    If one or more events related to these or other risks or uncertainties materialize, or if our underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results may differ materially from what we anticipate. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Further, any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and we undertake no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events, except as required by law.

    COASTAL FINANCIAL CORPORATION
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
    (Dollars in thousands; unaudited)

    ASSETS
      December 31,
    2024
      September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      March 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
    Cash and due from banks $ 36,533     $ 45,327     $ 59,995     $ 32,790     $ 31,345  
    Interest earning deposits with other banks   415,980       438,699       427,250       482,338       451,783  
    Investment securities, available for sale, at fair value   35       38       39       41       99,504  
    Investment securities, held to maturity, at amortized cost   47,286       48,582       49,174       50,049       50,860  
    Other investments   10,800       10,757       10,664       10,583       10,227  
    Loans held for sale   20,600       7,565             797        
    Loans receivable   3,486,565       3,418,832       3,326,460       3,199,554       3,026,092  
    Allowance for credit losses   (176,994 )     (170,263 )     (147,914 )     (139,258 )     (116,958 )
    Total loans receivable, net   3,309,571       3,248,569       3,178,546       3,060,296       2,909,134  
    CCBX credit enhancement asset   181,890       167,251       143,485       137,276       107,921  
    CCBX receivable   14,138       16,060       11,520       10,369       9,088  
    Premises and equipment, net   27,431       25,833       24,526       22,995       22,090  
    Lease right-of-use assets   5,219       5,427       5,635       5,756       5,932  
    Accrued interest receivable   21,104       23,664       23,617       24,681       26,819  
    Bank-owned life insurance, net   13,375       13,255       13,132       12,991       12,870  
    Deferred tax asset, net   3,600       3,083       2,221       2,221       3,806  
    Other assets   13,646       11,711       11,742       12,075       11,987  
    Total assets $ 4,121,208     $ 4,065,821     $ 3,961,546     $ 3,865,258     $ 3,753,366  
                       
    LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
    LIABILITIES                  
    Deposits $ 3,585,332     $ 3,627,288     $ 3,543,432     $ 3,462,979     $ 3,360,363  
    Subordinated debt, net   44,293       44,256       44,219       44,181       44,144  
    Junior subordinated debentures, net   3,591       3,591       3,591       3,590       3,590  
    Deferred compensation   332       369       405       442       479  
    Accrued interest payable   962       1,070       999       1,061       892  
    Lease liabilities   5,398       5,609       5,821       5,946       6,124  
    CCBX payable   29,171       39,188       34,536       33,095       33,651  
    Other liabilities   13,425       12,520       11,850       10,255       9,145  
    Total liabilities   3,682,504       3,733,891       3,644,853       3,561,549       3,458,388  
    SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY                  
    Common Stock   228,177       134,769       132,989       131,601       130,136  
    Retained earnings   210,529       197,162       183,706       172,110       165,311  
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax   (2 )     (1 )     (2 )     (2 )     (469 )
    Total shareholders’ equity   438,704       331,930       316,693       303,709       294,978  
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $ 4,121,208     $ 4,065,821     $ 3,961,546     $ 3,865,258     $ 3,753,366  

    COASTAL FINANCIAL CORPORATION
    CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
    (Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts; unaudited)

      Three Months Ended
      December 31,
    2024
      September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      March 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
    INTEREST AND DIVIDEND INCOME                  
    Interest and fees on loans $ 89,714   $ 99,590   $ 90,944     $ 84,621     $ 81,159  
    Interest on interest earning deposits with other banks   6,021     4,781     5,683       4,780       5,687  
    Interest on investment securities   661     675     686       1,034       1,225  
    Dividends on other investments   191     33     174       37       172  
    Total interest income   96,587     105,079     97,487       90,472       88,243  
    INTEREST EXPENSE                  
    Interest on deposits   29,404     32,083     30,578       28,867       27,916  
    Interest on borrowed funds   667     809     672       669       670  
    Total interest expense   30,071     32,892     31,250       29,536       28,586  
    Net interest income   66,516     72,187     66,237       60,936       59,657  
    PROVISION FOR CREDIT LOSSES   61,867     70,257     62,325       83,158       60,789  
    Net interest income/(expense) after provision for credit losses   4,649     1,930     3,912       (22,222 )     (1,132 )
    NONINTEREST INCOME                  
    Service charges and fees   932     952     946       908       957  
    Loan referral fees                 168        
    Unrealized gain (loss) on equity securities, net   1     2     9       15       80  
    Other income   473     486     257       308       60  
    Noninterest income, excluding BaaS program income and BaaS indemnification income   1,406     1,440     1,212       1,399       1,097  
    Servicing and other BaaS fees   1,043     1,044     1,525       1,131       1,015  
    Transaction fees   1,783     1,696     1,309       1,122       1,006  
    Interchange fees   1,916     1,853     1,625       1,539       1,272  
    Reimbursement of expenses   3,468     1,843     1,637       1,033       1,076  
    BaaS program income   8,210     6,436     6,096       4,825       4,369  
    BaaS credit enhancements   62,097     70,108     60,826       79,808       58,449  
    BaaS fraud enhancements   5,043     2,084     1,784       923       779  
    BaaS indemnification income   67,140     72,192     62,610       80,731       59,228  
    Total noninterest income   76,756     80,068     69,918       86,955       64,694  
    NONINTEREST EXPENSE                  
    Salaries and employee benefits   17,994     17,101     17,005       17,984       16,490  
    Occupancy   958     964     985       1,029       976  
    Data processing and software licenses   4,010     4,297     3,625       3,381       2,781  
    Legal and professional expenses   4,606     3,597     3,631       3,672       2,649  
    Point of sale expense   2,745     1,351     852       869       899  
    Excise taxes   778     762     (706 )     320       449  
    Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”) assessments   750     740     690       683       665  
    Director and staff expenses   683     559     470       400       478  
    Marketing   28     67     14       53       138  
    Other expense   1,752     1,482     1,383       1,867       1,089  
    Noninterest expense, excluding BaaS loan and BaaS fraud expense   34,304     30,920     27,949       30,258       26,614  
    BaaS loan expense   24,859     32,612     29,076       24,837       24,310  
    BaaS fraud expense   5,043     2,084     1,784       923       779  
    BaaS loan and fraud expense   29,902     34,696     30,860       25,760       25,089  
    Total noninterest expense   64,206     65,616     58,809       56,018       51,703  
    Income before provision for income taxes   17,199     16,382     15,021       8,715       11,859  
    PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES   3,832     2,926     3,425       1,915       2,847  
    NET INCOME $ 13,367   $ 13,456   $ 11,596     $ 6,800     $ 9,012  
    Basic earnings per common share $ 0.97   $ 1.00   $ 0.86     $ 0.51     $ 0.68  
    Diluted earnings per common share $ 0.94   $ 0.97   $ 0.84     $ 0.50     $ 0.66  
    Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:                  
    Basic   13,828,605     13,447,066     13,412,667       13,340,997       13,286,828  
    Diluted   14,268,229     13,822,270     13,736,508       13,676,917       13,676,513  

    COASTAL FINANCIAL CORPORATION
    AVERAGE BALANCES, YIELDS, AND RATES – QUARTERLY
    (Dollars in thousands; unaudited)

      For the Three Months Ended
      December 31, 2024   September 30, 2024   December 31, 2023
      Average
    Balance
      Interest &
    Dividends
      Yield /
    Cost (1)
      Average
    Balance
      Interest &
    Dividends
      Yield /
    Cost (1)
      Average
    Balance
      Interest &
    Dividends
      Yield /
    Cost (1)
    Assets                                  
    Interest earning assets:                                  
    Interest earning deposits with other banks $ 501,654     $ 6,021   4.77 %   $ 350,915     $ 4,781   5.42 %   $ 413,127     $ 5,687   5.46 %
    Investment securities, available for sale (2)   39               40               100,204       546   2.16  
    Investment securities, held to maturity (2)   48,126       661   5.46       48,945       675   5.49       49,469       679   5.45  
    Other investments   10,783       191   7.05       11,140       33   1.18       11,683       172   5.84  
    Loans receivable (3)   3,419,476       89,714   10.44       3,464,871       99,590   11.43       3,007,289       81,159   10.71  
    Total interest earning assets   3,980,078       96,587   9.65       3,875,911       105,079   10.79       3,581,772       88,243   9.77  
    Noninterest earning assets:                                  
    Allowance for credit losses   (156,687 )             (151,292 )             (95,391 )        
    Other noninterest earning assets   277,922               268,903               204,052          
    Total assets $ 4,101,313             $ 3,993,522             $ 3,690,433          
                                       
    Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity                                  
    Interest bearing liabilities:                                  
    Interest bearing deposits $ 3,068,357     $ 29,404   3.81 %   $ 2,966,527     $ 32,083   4.30 %   $ 2,660,235     $ 27,916   4.16 %
    FHLB advances and other borrowings         1         9,717       140   5.73       3          
    Subordinated debt   44,272       599   5.38       44,234       598   5.38       44,121       598   5.38  
    Junior subordinated debentures   3,591       67   7.42       3,591       71   7.87       3,590       72   7.96  
    Total interest bearing liabilities   3,116,220       30,071   3.84       3,024,069       32,892   4.33       2,707,949       28,586   4.19  
    Noninterest bearing deposits   577,453               588,178               640,424          
    Other liabilities   50,824               60,101               52,450          
    Total shareholders’ equity   356,816               321,174               289,612          
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $ 4,101,313             $ 3,993,522             $ 3,690,435          
    Net interest income     $ 66,516           $ 72,187           $ 59,657    
    Interest rate spread         5.82 %           6.46 %           5.59 %
    Net interest margin (4)         6.65 %           7.41 %           6.61 %

    (1) Yields and costs are annualized.
    (2) For presentation in this table, average balances and the corresponding average rates for investment securities are based upon historical cost, adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts.
    (3) Includes loans held for sale and nonaccrual loans.
    (4) Net interest margin represents net interest income divided by the average total interest earning assets.

    COASTAL FINANCIAL CORPORATION
    SELECTED AVERAGE BALANCES, YIELDS, AND RATES – BY SEGMENT – QUARTERLY
    (Dollars in thousands; unaudited)

      For the Three Months Ended
      December 31, 2024   September 30, 2024   December 31, 2023
    (dollars in thousands, unaudited) Average
    Balance
      Interest &
    Dividends
      Yield /
    Cost (1)
      Average
    Balance
      Interest &
    Dividends
      Yield /
    Cost (1)
      Average
    Balance
      Interest &
    Dividends
      Yield /
    Cost (1)
    Community Bank                                  
    Assets                                  
    Interest earning assets:                                  
    Loans receivable (2) $ 1,892,298   $ 31,043   6.53 %   $ 1,912,428   $ 31,898   6.64 %   $ 1,811,152   $ 28,832   6.32 %
    Total interest earning assets   1,892,298     31,043   6.53       1,912,428     31,898   6.64       1,811,152     28,832   6.32  
    Liabilities                                  
    Interest bearing liabilities:                                
    Interest bearing deposits   1,029,346     7,161   2.77 %     982,280     7,264   2.94 %     951,148     6,090   2.54 %
    Intrabank liability   357,442     4,290   4.77       406,641     5,540   5.42       275,995     3,799   5.46  
    Total interest bearing liabilities   1,386,788     11,451   3.28       1,388,921     12,804   3.67       1,227,143     9,889   3.20  
    Noninterest bearing deposits   505,510             523,507             584,009        
    Net interest income     $ 19,592           $ 19,094           $ 18,943    
    Net interest margin(3)         4.12 %           3.97 %           4.15 %
                                       
    CCBX                                  
    Assets                                  
    Interest earning assets:                                  
    Loans receivable (2)(4) $ 1,527,178   $ 58,671   15.28 %   $ 1,552,443   $ 67,692   17.35 %   $ 1,196,137   $ 52,327   17.36 %
    Intrabank asset   583,776     7,007   4.78       496,475     6,764   5.42       569,365     7,837   5.46  
    Total interest earning assets   2,110,954     65,678   12.38       2,048,918     74,456   14.46       1,765,502     60,164   13.52  
    Liabilities                                  
    Interest bearing liabilities:                            
    Interest bearing deposits   2,039,011     22,243   4.34 %     1,984,247     24,819   4.98 %     1,709,087     21,826   5.07 %
    Total interest bearing liabilities   2,039,011     22,243   4.34       1,984,247     24,819   4.98       1,709,087     21,826   5.07  
    Noninterest bearing deposits   71,943             64,671             56,415        
    Net interest income     $ 43,435           $ 49,637           $ 38,338    
    Net interest margin(3)         8.19 %           9.64 %           8.62 %
    Net interest margin, net of Baas loan expense (5)         3.50 %           3.31 %           3.15 %
      For the Three Months Ended
      December 31, 2024   September 30, 2024   December 31, 2023
    (dollars in thousands, unaudited) Average
    Balance
      Interest &
    Dividends
      Yield /
    Cost (1)
      Average
    Balance
      Interest &
    Dividends
      Yield /
    Cost (1)
      Average
    Balance
      Interest &
    Dividends
      Yield /
    Cost (1)
    Treasury & Administration                            
    Assets                                  
    Interest earning assets:                                  
    Interest earning deposits with other banks $ 501,654   $ 6,021   4.77 %   $ 350,915   $ 4,781   5.42 %   $ 413,127   $ 5,687   5.46 %
    Investment securities, available for sale (6)   39             40             100,204     546   2.16  
    Investment securities, held to maturity (6)   48,126     661   5.46       48,945     675   5.49       49,469     679   5.45  
    Other investments   10,783     191   7.05       11,140     33   1.18       11,683     172   5.84  
    Total interest earning assets   560,602     6,873   4.88 %     411,040   5,489   5.31 %     574,483     7,084   4.89 %
    Liabilities                                  
    Interest bearing liabilities:                                  
    FHLB advances and borrowings $   $ 1   %     9,717     140   5.73 %     3       %
    Subordinated debt   44,272     599   5.38 %     44,234     598   5.38 %     44,121     598   5.38 %
    Junior subordinated debentures   3,591     67   7.42       3,591     71   7.87       3,590     72   7.96  
    Intrabank liability, net (7)   226,334     2,717   4.78       89,834     1,224   5.42       293,370     4,038   5.46  
    Total interest bearing liabilities   274,197     3,384   4.91       147,376     2,033   5.49       341,084     4,708   5.48  
    Net interest income     $ 3,489           $ 3,456           $ 2,376    
    Net interest margin(3)         2.48 %           3.34 %           1.64 %

    (1) Yields and costs are annualized.
    (2) Includes loans held for sale and nonaccrual loans.
    (3) Net interest margin represents net interest income divided by the average total interest earning assets.
    (4) CCBX yield does not include the impact of BaaS loan expense. BaaS loan expense represents the amount paid or payable to partners for credit enhancements, fraud enhancements and originating & servicing CCBX loans. See reconciliation of the non-GAAP measures at the end of this earnings release for the impact of BaaS loan expense on CCBX loan yield.
    (5) Net interest margin, net of BaaS loan expense, includes the impact of BaaS loan expense. BaaS loan expense represents the amount paid or payable to partners for credit enhancements, fraud enhancements, originating & servicing CCBX loans. See reconciliation of the non-GAAP measures at the end of this earnings release.
    (6) For presentation in this table, average balances and the corresponding average rates for investment securities are based upon historical cost, adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts.
    (7) Intrabank assets and liabilities are consolidated for period calculations and presented as intrabank asset, net or intrabank liability, net in the table above.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    The Company uses certain non-GAAP financial measures to provide meaningful supplemental information regarding the Company’s operational performance and to enhance investors’ overall understanding of such financial performance.

    However, these non-GAAP financial measures are supplemental and are not a substitute for an analysis based on GAAP measures. As other companies may use different calculations for these adjusted measures, this presentation may not be comparable to other similarly titled adjusted measures reported by other companies.

    The following non-GAAP measures are presented to illustrate the impact of BaaS loan expense on net loan income and yield on loans and CCBX loans and the impact of BaaS loan expense on net interest income and net interest margin.

    Loan income, net of BaaS loan expense, divided by average loans, is a non-GAAP measure that includes the impact BaaS loan expense on loan income and the yield on loans. The most directly comparable GAAP measure is yield on loans.

    Net BaaS loan income divided by average CCBX loans is a non-GAAP measure that includes the impact BaaS loan expense on net BaaS loan income and the yield on CCBX loans. The most directly comparable GAAP measure is yield on CCBX loans.

    Net interest income, net of BaaS loan expense, is a non-GAAP measure that includes the impact BaaS loan expense on net interest income. The most directly comparable GAAP measure is net interest income.

    CCBX net interest margin, net of BaaS loan expense, is a non-GAAP measure that includes the impact of BaaS loan expense on net interest rate margin. The most directly comparable GAAP measure is CCBX net interest margin.

    Reconciliations of the GAAP and non-GAAP measures are presented below.

    CCBX   As of and for the Three Months Ended As of and for the Twelve Months Ended
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   December 31
    2024
      September 30
    2024
      December 31
    2023
    December 31
    2024
      December 31
    2023
    Net BaaS loan income divided by average CCBX loans:      
    CCBX loan yield (GAAP)(1)     15.28 %     17.35 %     17.36 %   16.89 %     16.89 %
    Total average CCBX loans receivable   $ 1,527,178     $ 1,552,443     $ 1,196,137   $ 1,427,571     $ 1,210,413  
    Interest and earned fee income on CCBX loans (GAAP)     58,671       67,692       52,327     241,134       204,458  
    BaaS loan expense     (24,859 )     (32,612 )     (24,310 )   (111,384 )     (86,900 )
    Net BaaS loan income   $ 33,812     $ 35,080     $ 28,017   $ 129,750     $ 117,558  
    Net BaaS loan income divided by average CCBX loans (1)     8.81 %     8.99 %     9.30 %   9.09 %     9.71 %
    CCBX net interest margin, net of BaaS loan expense:              
    CCBX net interest margin (1)     8.19 %     9.64 %     8.62 %   8.87 %     9.65 %
    CCBX earning assets     2,110,954       2,048,918       1,765,502     1,999,695       1,574,334  
    Net interest income (GAAP)     43,435       49,637       38,338     177,320       151,883  
    Less: BaaS loan expense     (24,859 )     (32,612 )     (24,310 )   (111,384 )     (86,900 )
    Net interest income, net of BaaS loan expense   $ 18,576     $ 17,025     $ 14,028   $ 65,936     $ 64,983  
    CCBX net interest margin, net of BaaS loan expense (1)     3.50 %     3.31 %     3.15 %   3.30 %     4.13 %
    Consolidated   As of and for the Three Months Ended As of and for the Twelve Months Ended
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   December 31
    2024
      September 30
    2024
      December 31
    2023
    December 31
    2024
      December 31
    2023
    Net interest margin, net of BaaS loan expense:              
    Net interest margin (1)     6.65 %     7.41 %     6.61 %   6.99 %     7.10 %
    Earning assets     3,980,078       3,875,911       3,581,772     3,802,275       3,364,406  
    Net interest income (GAAP)     66,516       72,187       59,657     265,876       238,727  
    Less: BaaS loan expense     (24,859 )     (32,612 )     (24,310 )   (111,384 )     (86,900 )
    Net interest income, net of BaaS loan expense   $ 41,657     $ 39,575     $ 35,347   $ 154,492     $ 151,827  
    Net interest margin, net of BaaS loan expense (1)     4.16 %     4.06 %     3.92 %   4.06 %     4.51 %
    Loan income net of BaaS loan expense divided by average loans:          
    Loan yield (GAAP)(1)     10.44 %     11.43 %     10.71 %   10.99 %     10.60 %
    Total average loans receivable   $ 3,419,476     $ 3,464,871     $ 3,007,289   $ 3,320,582     $ 2,936,908  
    Interest and earned fee income on loans (GAAP)     89,714       99,590       81,159     364,869       311,441  
    BaaS loan expense     (24,859 )     (32,612 )     (24,310 )   (111,384 )     (86,900 )
    Net loan income   $ 64,855     $ 66,978     $ 56,849   $ 253,485     $ 224,541  
    Loan income, net of BaaS loan expense, divided by average loans (1)     7.55 %     7.69 %     7.50 %   7.63 %     7.65 %

    (1) Annualized calculations for periods presented.

    The following non-GAAP measure is presented to illustrate the impact of BaaS loan expense, BaaS fraud expense and reimbursement of expenses (BaaS) on noninterest expense. The most comparable GAAP measure is noninterest expense.

        As of and for the Three Months Ended
    (dollars in thousands, unaudited)   December 31,
    2024
      September 30,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
    Noninterest expense, net of reimbursement of expenses (BaaS)
    Noninterest expense (GAAP)   $ 64,206   $ 65,616   $ 51,703
    Less: BaaS loan expense     24,859     32,612     24,310
    Less: BaaS fraud expense     5,043     2,084     779
    Less: Reimbursement of expenses     3,468     1,843     1,076
    Noninterest expense, net of BaaS loan expense, BaaS fraud expense and reimbursement of expenses   $ 30,836   $ 29,077   $ 25,538


    APPENDIX A –

    As of December 31, 2024

    Industry Concentration

    We have a diversified loan portfolio, representing a wide variety of industries. Our major categories of loans are commercial real estate, consumer and other loans, residential real estate, commercial and industrial, and construction, land and land development loans. Together they represent $3.49 billion in outstanding loan balances. When combined with $1.96 billion in unused commitments the total of these categories is $5.46 billion.

    Commercial real estate loans represent the largest segment of our loans, comprising 39.4% of our total balance of outstanding loans as of December 31, 2024. Unused commitments to extend credit represents an additional $34.2 million, and the combined total in commercial real estate loans represents $1.41 billion, or 25.8% of our total outstanding loans and loan commitments.

    The following table summarizes our loan commitment by industry for our commercial real estate portfolio as of December 31, 2024:

    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   Outstanding
    Balance
      Available
    Loan
    Commitments
      Total
    Outstanding
    Balance &
    Available
    Commitment
      % of Total
    Loans

    (Outstanding
    Balance &

    Available
    Commitment)
      Average Loan
    Balance
      Number of
    Loans
    Apartments   $ 405,561   $ 4,953   $ 410,514   7.5 %   $ 3,937   103
    Hotel/Motel     154,691     68     154,759   2.8       6,726   23
    Convenience Store     139,735     575     140,310   2.6       2,329   60
    Office     122,897     7,687     130,584   2.4       1,366   90
    Retail     103,312     414     103,726   1.9       993   104
    Warehouse     103,130         103,130   1.9       1,748   59
    Mixed use     91,607     5,365     96,972   1.8       1,160   79
    Mini Storage     80,837     10,183     91,020   1.7       3,674   22
    Strip Mall     43,894         43,894   0.8       6,271   7
    Manufacturing     37,617     1,200     38,817   0.7       1,297   29
    Groups < 0.70% of total     91,520     3,777     95,297   1.7       1,173   78
    Total   $ 1,374,801   $ 34,222   $ 1,409,023   25.8 %   $ 2,102   654
                                       

    Consumer loans comprise 34.6% of our total balance of outstanding loans as of December 31, 2024. Unused commitments to extend credit represents an additional $735.8 million, and the combined total in consumer and other loans represents $1.94 billion, or 35.6% of our total outstanding loans and loan commitments. As illustrated in the table below, our CCBX partners bring in a large number of mostly smaller dollar loans, resulting in an average consumer loan balance of just $1,000. CCBX consumer loans are underwritten to CCBX credit standards and underwriting of these loans is regularly tested, including quarterly testing for partners with portfolio balances greater than $10.0 million.

    The following table summarizes our loan commitment by industry for our consumer and other loan portfolio as of December 31, 2024:

    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   Outstanding
    Balance
      Available
    Loan
    Commitments
    (1)
      Total
    Outstanding
    Balance &
    Available
    Commitment
    (1)
      % of Total
     Loans

    (Outstanding
    Balance &

    Available
    Commitment)
      Average Loan
    Balance
      Number of
    Loans
    CCBX consumer loans
    Credit cards   $ 528,554   $ 717,198   $ 1,245,752   22.8 %   $ 1.8   301,799
    Installment loans     656,797     15,806     672,603   12.3       1.0   690,596
    Lines of credit     722     1     723   0.0       1.4   524
    Other loans     7,261         7,261   0.1         163,026
    Community bank consumer loans
    Installment loans     1,917     2     1,919   0.1       68.5   28
    Lines of credit     181     344     525   0.0       5.7   32
    Other loans     11,444     2,400     13,844   0.3       30.6   374
    Total   $ 1,206,876   $ 735,751   $ 1,942,627   35.6 %   $ 1.0   1,156,379

    (1)  Total exposure on CCBX loans is subject to CCBX partner/portfolio maximum limits.

    Residential real estate loans comprise 13.4% of our total balance of outstanding loans as of December 31, 2024. Unused commitments to extend credit represents an additional $499.5 million, and the combined total in residential real estate loans represents $969.3 million, or 17.8% of our total outstanding loans and loan commitments.

    The following table summarizes our loan commitment by industry for our residential real estate loan portfolio as of December 31, 2024:

    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   Outstanding
    Balance
      Available
    Loan
    Commitments
    (1)
      Total
    Outstanding
    Balance &
    Available
    Commitment
    (1)
      % of Total 
    Loans

    (Outstanding
    Balance &

    Available
    Commitment)
      Average Loan
    Balance
      Number of
    Loans
    CCBX residential real estate loans
    Home equity line of credit   $ 267,707   $ 453,369   $ 721,076   13.2 %   $ 27   10,092
    Community bank residential real estate loans
    Closed end, secured by first liens     165,433     2,080     167,513   3.1       537   308
    Home equity line of credit     25,506     43,102     68,608   1.3       109   234
    Closed end, second liens     11,125     965     12,090   0.2       371   30
    Total   $ 469,771   $ 499,516   $ 969,287   17.8 %   $ 44   10,664

    (1) Total exposure on CCBX loans is subject to CCBX partner/portfolio maximum limits.

    Commercial and industrial loans comprise 8.4% of our total balance of outstanding loans as of December 31, 2024. Unused commitments to extend credit represents an additional $645.5 million, and the combined total in commercial and industrial loans represents $938.9 million, or 17.2% of our total outstanding loans and loan commitments. Included in commercial and industrial loans is $109.0 million in outstanding capital call lines, with an additional $550.9 million in available loan commitments which is limited to a $350.0 million portfolio maximum. Capital call lines are provided to venture capital firms through one of our CCBX BaaS clients. These loans are secured by the capital call rights and are individually underwritten to the Bank’s credit standards and the underwriting is reviewed by the Bank on every capital call line.

    The following table summarizes our loan commitment by industry for our commercial and industrial loan portfolio as of December 31, 2024:

    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   Outstanding
    Balance
      Available
    Loan
    Commitments
    (1)
      Total
    Outstanding
    Balance &
    Available
    Commitment
    (1)
      % of Total
    Loans

    (Outstanding
    Balance &

    Available
    Commitment)
      Average Loan
    Balance
      Number of
    Loans
    Consolidated C&I loans
    Capital Call Lines   $ 109,017   $ 550,948   $ 659,965   12.1 %   $ 808   135
    Construction/Contractor Services     24,367     36,343     60,710   1.1       121   202
    Financial Institutions     48,648         48,648   0.9       4,054   12
    Retail     28,533     5,664     34,197   0.6       14   2,052
    Manufacturing     5,604     4,581     10,185   0.2       147   38
    Medical / Dental / Other Care     7,074     2,641     9,715   0.2       544   13
    Groups < 0.20% of total     70,130     45,360     115,490   2.1       55   1,275
    Total   $ 293,373   $ 645,537   $ 938,910   17.2 %   $ 79   3,727

    (1)  Total exposure on CCBX loans is subject to CCBX partner/portfolio maximum limits.

    Construction, land and land development loans comprise 4.2% of our total balance of outstanding loans as of December 31, 2024. Unused commitments to extend credit represents an additional $47.8 million, and the combined total in construction, land and land development loans represents $196.0 million, or 3.6% of our total outstanding loans and loan commitments.

    The following table details our loan commitment for our construction, land and land development portfolio as of December 31, 2024:

    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   Outstanding
    Balance
      Available
    Loan
    Commitments
      Total
    Outstanding
    Balance &
    Available
    Commitment
      % of Total
    Loans

    (Outstanding
    Balance &

    Available
    Commitment)
      Average Loan
    Balance
      Number of
    Loans
    Commercial construction   $ 83,216   $ 30,500   $ 113,716   2.1 %   $ 6,935   12
    Residential construction     40,940     10,873     51,813   0.9       2,408   17
    Developed land loans     8,305     456     8,761   0.2       489   17
    Undeveloped land loans     8,665     4,816     13,481   0.2       619   14
    Land development     7,072     1,157     8,229   0.2       643   11
    Total   $ 148,198   $ 47,802   $ 196,000   3.6 %   $ 2,087   71
                                       

    Exposure and risk in our construction, land and land development portfolio is declining compared to previous periods as indicated in the following table:

        Outstanding Balance as of
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   December 31,
    2024
      September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      March 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
    Commercial construction   $ 83,216   $ 97,792   $ 110,372   $ 102,099   $ 81,489
    Residential construction     40,940     35,822     34,652     28,751     34,213
    Undeveloped land loans     8,665     8,606     8,372     8,190     7,890
    Developed land loans     8,305     14,863     13,954     14,307     20,515
    Land development     7,072     5,968     5,714     7,515     12,993
    Total   $ 148,198   $ 163,051   $ 173,064   $ 160,862   $ 157,100
                                   

    Commitments to extend credit total $1.96 billion at December 31, 2024,   however we do not anticipate our customers using the $1.96 billion that is showing as available due to CCBX partner and portfolio limits.

    The following table presents outstanding commitments to extend credit as of December 31, 2024:

    Consolidated    
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   As of December 31, 2024
    Commitments to extend credit:    
    Commercial and industrial loans   $ 94,589
    Commercial and industrial loans – capital call lines     550,948
    Construction – commercial real estate loans     36,873
    Construction – residential real estate loans     10,929
    Residential real estate loans     499,516
    Commercial real estate loans     34,222
    Credit cards     717,198
    Consumer and other loans     18,553
    Total commitments to extend credit   $ 1,962,828
           

    We have individual CCBX partner portfolio limits with our each of our partners to manage loan concentration risk, liquidity risk, and counter-party partner risk. For example, as of December 31, 2024, capital call lines outstanding balance totaled $109.0 million, and while commitments totaled $550.9 million, the commitments are limited to a maximum of $350.0 million by agreement with the partner. If a CCBX partner goes over their individual limit, it would be a breach of their contract and the Bank may impose penalties and would have the choice to fund the loan.

    See the table below for CCBX portfolio maximums and related available commitments:

    CCBX                
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   Balance   Percent of CCBX
    loans receivable
    Available
    Commitments
    (1)
      Maximum Portfolio
    Size
    Cash
    Reserve/Pledge
    Account Amount
    (2)
    Commercial and industrial loans:            
    Capital call lines   $ 109,017     6.8 % $ 550,948   $ 350,000 $
    All other commercial & industrial loans     33,961     2.1     19,104     480,000   834
    Real estate loans:                
    Home equity lines of credit (3)     267,707     16.7     453,369     375,000   36,241
    Consumer and other loans:            
    Credit cards – cash secured     211              
    Credit cards – unsecured     528,343         717,198       26,742
    Credit cards – total     528,554     33.0     717,198     807,484   26,742
    Installment loans – cash secured     127,014         15,806      
    Installment loans – unsecured     529,783               5,332
    Installment loans – total     656,797     40.9     15,806     1,787,118   5,332
    Other consumer and other loans     7,983     0.5     1     5,398   196
    Gross CCBX loans receivable     1,604,019     100.0 %   1,756,426     3,805,000 $ 69,345
    Net deferred origination fees     (442 )            
    Loans receivable   $ 1,603,577              

    (1) Remaining commitment available, net of outstanding balance.
    (2) Balances are as of January 8, 2025.
    (3) These home equity lines of credit are secured by residential real estate and are accessed by using a credit card, but are classified as 1-4 family residential properties per regulatory guidelines.

    APPENDIX B –
    As of December 31, 2024

    CCBX – BaaS Reporting Information

    During the quarter ended December 31, 2024, $62.1 million was recorded in BaaS credit enhancements related to the provision for credit losses – loans and reserve for unfunded commitments for CCBX partner loans and negative deposit accounts. Agreements with our CCBX partners provide for a credit enhancement provided by the partner which protects the Bank by indemnifying or reimbursing incurred losses. In accordance with accounting guidance, we estimate and record a provision for expected losses for these CCBX loans, unfunded commitments and negative deposit accounts. When the provision for credit losses – loans and provision for unfunded commitments is recorded, a credit enhancement asset is also recorded on the balance sheet through noninterest income (BaaS credit enhancements) in recognition of the CCBX partner legal commitment to indemnify or reimburse losses. The credit enhancement asset is relieved as credit enhancement payments and recoveries are received from the CCBX partner or taken from the partner’s cash reserve account. Agreements with our CCBX partners also provide protection to the Bank from fraud by indemnifying or reimbursing incurred fraud losses. BaaS fraud includes noncredit fraud losses on loans and deposits originated through partners. Fraud losses are recorded when incurred as losses in noninterest expense, and the enhancement received from the CCBX partner is recorded in noninterest income, resulting in a net impact of zero to the income statement. Many CCBX partners also pledge a cash reserve account at the Bank which the Bank can collect from when losses occur that is then replenished by the partner on a regular interval. Although agreements with our CCBX partners provide for credit enhancements that provide protection to the Bank from credit and fraud losses by indemnifying or reimbursing incurred credit and fraud losses, if our partner is unable to fulfill their contracted obligation then the bank would be exposed to additional loan and deposit losses if the cash flows on the loans were not sufficient to fund the reimbursement of loan losses, as a result of this counterparty risk. If a CCBX partner does not replenish their cash reserve account the Bank may consider an alternative plan for funding the cash reserve. This may involve the possibility of adjusting the funding amounts or timelines to better align with the partner’s specific situation. If a mutually agreeable funding plan is not agreed to, the Bank could declare the agreement in default, take over servicing and cease paying the partner for servicing the loan and providing credit enhancements. The Bank would evaluate any remaining credit enhancement asset from the CCBX partner in the event the partner failed to determine if a write-off is appropriate. If a write-off occurs, the Bank would retain the full yield and any fee income on the loan portfolio going forward, and our BaaS loan expense would decrease once default occurred and payments to the CCBX partner were stopped.

    The Bank records contractual interest earned from the borrower on CCBX partner loans in interest income, adjusted for origination costs which are paid or payable to the CCBX partner. BaaS loan expense represents the amount paid or payable to partners for credit and fraud enhancements and originating & servicing CCBX loans. To determine net revenue (Net BaaS loan income) earned from CCBX loan relationships, the Bank takes BaaS loan interest income and deducts BaaS loan expense to arrive at Net BaaS loan income (A reconciliation of the non-GAAP measures are set forth in the preceding section of this earnings release.) which can be compared to interest income on the Company’s community bank loans.

    The following table illustrates how CCBX partner loan income and expenses are recorded in the financial statements:

    Loan income and related loan expense   Three Months Ended
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   December 31,
    2024
      September 30,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
    Yield on loans (1)     15.28 %     17.35 %     17.36 %
    BaaS loan interest income   $ 58,671     $ 67,692     $ 52,327  
    Less: BaaS loan expense     24,859       32,612       24,310  
    Net BaaS loan income (2)   $ 33,812     $ 35,080     $ 28,017  
    Net BaaS loan income divided by average BaaS loans (1)(2)     8.81 %     8.99 %     9.30 %

    (1) Annualized calculation for quarterly periods shown.
    (2) A reconciliation of the non-GAAP measures are set forth in the preceding section of this earnings release.

    A decrease in average CCBX loans receivable resulted in decreased interest income on CCBX loans during the quarter ended December 31, 2024 compared to the quarter ended September 30, 2024. The decrease in average CCBX loans receivable was primarily due to loan sales in the CCBX loan portfolio as part of our strategy to optimize the CCBX loan portfolio and strengthen our balance sheet through originating higher quality new loans and enhanced credit standards. These higher quality loans also have lower stated rates and expected losses. As a result, our yield on loans and our BaaS loan expense decrease by similar amounts. We continue to reposition ourselves by managing CCBX credit and concentration levels in an effort to optimize our loan portfolio and generate off balance sheet fee income. Growth in CCBX loans and deposits has resulted in increases in interest income and expense for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 compared to the quarter ended December 31, 2023.

    The following tables are a summary of the interest components, direct fees, and expenses of BaaS for the periods indicated and are not inclusive of all income and expense related to BaaS.

    Interest income   Three Months Ended
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   December 31,
    2024
      September 30,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
    Loan interest income   $ 58,671   $ 67,692   $ 52,327
    Total BaaS interest income   $ 58,671   $ 67,692   $ 52,327
    Interest expense   Three Months Ended
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   December 31,
    2024
      September 30,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
    BaaS interest expense   $ 22,243   $ 24,819   $ 21,826
    Total BaaS interest expense   $ 22,243   $ 24,819   $ 21,826
    BaaS income   Three Months Ended
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   December 31,
    2024
      September 30,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
    BaaS program income:            
    Servicing and other BaaS fees   $ 1,043   $ 1,044   $ 1,015
    Transaction fees     1,783     1,696     1,006
    Interchange fees     1,916     1,853     1,272
    Reimbursement of expenses     3,468     1,843     1,076
    BaaS program income     8,210     6,436     4,369
    BaaS indemnification income:            
    BaaS credit enhancements     62,097     70,108     58,449
    BaaS fraud enhancements     5,043     2,084     779
    BaaS indemnification income     67,140     72,192     59,228
    Total noninterest BaaS income   $ 75,350   $ 78,628   $ 63,597

    Servicing and other BaaS fees decreased $1,000 in the quarter ended December 31, 2024 compared to the quarter ended September 30, 2024 while transaction fees and interchange fees increased $87,000 and $63,000, respectively. We expect servicing and other BaaS fees to decrease and transaction and interchange fees to increase as partner activity grows and contracted minimum fees are replaced with recurring fees and then exceed those minimum fees. Increases in BaaS reimbursement of fees offsets increases in noninterest expense from BaaS expenses covered by CCBX partners.

    BaaS loan and fraud expense:   Three Months Ended
    (dollars in thousands; unaudited)   December 31,
    2024
      September 30,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
    BaaS loan expense   $ 24,859   $ 32,612   $ 24,310
    BaaS fraud expense     5,043     2,084     779
    Total BaaS loan and fraud expense   $ 29,902   $ 34,696   $ 25,089

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/20c5a089-a44b-483e-acb5-fccbbe07fc10

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Golar LNG Limited – Q4 2024 results presentation

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Golar LNG’s 4th Quarter 2024 results will be released before the NASDAQ opens on Thursday, February 27, 2025. In connection with this a webcast presentation will be held at 1:00 P.M (London Time) on Thursday February 27, 2025. The presentation will be available to download from the Investor Relations section at www.golarlng.com

    We recommend that participants join the conference call via the listen-only live webcast link provided. Sell-side analysts interested in raising a question during the Q&A session that will immediately follow the presentation should access the event via the conference call by clicking on this link. We recommend connecting 10 minutes prior to the call start. Information on how to ask questions will be given at the beginning of the Q&A session. There will be a limit of two questions per participant.

    a. Listen-only live webcast link
    Go to the Investors, Results Centre section at www.golarlng.com and click on the link to “Webcast”. To listen to the conference call from the web, you need to have a sound card on your computer, but no special plug ins are required to access the webcast.  There is a “Help” link available on the webcast pages for anyone who may have issues accessing.

    b. Teleconference

    Conference call participants should register to obtain their dial in and passcode details. This process eliminates wait times when joining the call.

    When you log in, you can either dial in using the provided numbers and your unique PIN, or select the “Call me” option and type in your phone number to be instantly connected to the call. Use the following link to register.

    Please download the presentation material from www.golarlng.com (Investors, Results Centre) to view it while listening to the conference.

    If you are not able to listen at the time of the call, you can assess a replay of the event audio for a limited time on www.golarlng.com (Investors, Results Centre).

    This information is subject to the disclosure requirements pursuant to Section 5-12 the Norwegian Securities Trading Act

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: WISDOMTREE MULTI ASSET ISSUER PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY (a public company incorporated with limited liability in Ireland) WISDOMTREE NASDAQ 100® 3X DAILY SHORT SECURITIES ISIN: IE00BLRPRJ20

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    28 January 2025

    LSE Code: QQQS

    WISDOMTREE MULTI ASSET ISSUER PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY
    (a public company incorporated with limited liability in Ireland)
    WISDOMTREE NASDAQ 100® 3X DAILY SHORT SECURITIES
    ISIN: IE00BLRPRJ20

    RESULTS OF MEETING OF THE ETP SECURITYHOLDERS

    WisdomTree Multi Asset Issuer Public Limited Company (the “Issuer”) wishes to announce that the Extraordinary Resolution regarding the reduction in the principal amount of the WisdomTree NASDAQ 100® 3x Daily Short Securities (the “Affected Securities”) from USD 1.218 to USD 0.1218, as set out in a notice to holders of the Affected Securities dated 11 December 2024, was passed at an adjourned meeting of the holders of the Affected Securities held at 11am on 28 January 2025.

    As a result, the Deed of Amendment has been duly executed by the Issuer, the Manager and the Trustee to put the proposed amendments to the Trust Deed into effect from 28 January 2025.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Economics: “Risks in Focus 2025” – Climate change, geopolitics and a weak economy could put pressure on Germany’s financial system

    Source: Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht – In English

    In 2025, companies in the German financial sector should ensure that their risk management incorporates more comprehensive Information on the consequences of climate change. According to BaFin, physical risks such as extreme weather or natural disasters in the form of major fires, droughts or floods could have a much greater impact on banks’ loan portfolios and insurers’ loss amounts in future.
    In this year’s “Risks in Focus”, BaFin describes these increasing physical risks as a relevant trend for the financial sector. At a press conference to mark the publication, BaFin President Mark Branson explained: “The environment in which companies in the financial sector have to operate is highly challenging because, for many risk drivers – such as climate change, geopolitical upheavals and quantum leaps in technological progress – we lack relevant historical experience. This makes it all the more important for companies in the financial sector to think in terms of scenarios, manage risks wisely and prepare themselves for potential shocks with well-stocked capital and liquidity buffers.”

    In 2025, BaFin will focus particularly on six risks

    In its outlook on risks, BaFin explains at the beginning of each year where the financial system in Germany is particularly vulnerable and which risks are most capable of jeopardising financial stability or the integrity of German financial markets. BaFin also highlights what it considers to be relevant trends that companies in the financial sector should be paying attention to. For financial institutions, the outlook provides a useful guideline for their own risk management. It also gives an overview of BaFin’s supervisory priorities for the current year.

    In total, BaFin is focusing on six risks and three trends for the German financial sector:

    Opportunities and risks from three trends

    Alongside these risks, BaFin has identified three trends that offer opportunities for the economy and the financial sector, but that also harbour considerable risks: sustainability issues, digitalisation and geopolitical upheavals. In addition to the physical risks of advancing climate change, BaFin also sees risks in the uncertainties and costs associated with the transition to a low-carbon economy (transition risks). In BaFin’s view, “greenwashing”, i.e. attempts to sell products based on unfounded claims that they are particularly environmentally friendly or responsible, also still poses risks.

    Digitalisation and geopolitics

    When it comes to digitalisation, BaFin is concerned with increasing cyber risks, the responsible use of artificial intelligence, volatility in the market valuation of cryptoassets and, most recently, the future use of quantum computers. Although high-performance quantum computers have yet to be used on a mass scale, in the interests of IT security, financial companies should already be preparing for their potential application. In the future, quantum computers will be able to crack data encryption methods that are currently considered secure. Criminals could therefore steal data now to decrypt later with the aid of quantum computing. The development of protection plans is therefore crucial.

    According to Branson, “Many companies are aware of all these risks and have invested in their IT security. It is important to us that companies continuously monitor current developments and threats. They must also prepare for crisis situations and adapt their security measures. This is what we expect of them. It is also what their customers expect of them.”

    In terms of geopolitics, clear trends towards market fragmentation and increasing tensions between countries were observed in 2024. This could continue, with repercussions for the entire financial system. Although they are not an independent risk type, geopolitical crises can influence and exacerbate other relevant risks. The German financial system is particularly susceptible because of Germany’s close international trade links and the high export dependency of its economy.

    Contact:Jacque­line Juk­nat

    Head of Communications
    Phone: +49 (0) 228 / 4108 – 4629

    Contact:Christoph Blu­men­thal

    Head of Press Relations and Social Media
    Phone: +49 (0) 228 4108-7094

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI: Wintrust Financial Corporation Completes Integration with LPL Platform

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SAN DIEGO, Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — LPL Financial LLC, a subsidiary of LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: LPLA), today announced that Wintrust Financial Corporation (Nasdaq: WTFC) has transitioned support of the wealth management business of Wintrust Investments and certain private client business at Great Lakes Advisors (collectively “Wintrust”) to LPL Financial and its Institution Services platform.     

    “This strategic relationship with LPL Financial is a significant step forward for Wintrust and our mission to provide exceptional wealth management advice and superior service to our clients across the country,” said Tom Zidar, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer at Wintrust Wealth Management. “By leveraging LPL’s enhanced platform, we will deliver a more streamlined and personalized experience to our clients and a more intuitive, integrated experience for our advisors.”   

    “Wintrust’s advisors now have the capabilities, technology and centralized support to differentiate their service offering and grow their practices,” said Christopher Cassidy, Senior Vice President, Head of Institution Business Development at LPL. “This strategic relationship reflects the value LPL brings to help financial institutions scale their wealth management businesses and deliver personalized experiences for their clients.”    

    LPL and Wintrust Financial Corporation signed an agreement in February 2024. On January 25, about $15 billion of brokerage and advisory assets were onboarded to LPL. The remaining $1 billion of assets are expected to onboard over the next several months.   

    About Wintrust    

    Wintrust is a financial holding company with approximately $64.9 billion in assets whose common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. Guided by its “Different Approach, Better Results®” philosophy, Wintrust offers the sophisticated resources of a large bank while providing a community banking experience to each customer. Wintrust operates more than 200 retail banking locations through 16 community bank subsidiaries in the greater Chicago, southern Wisconsin, west Michigan, northwest Indiana, and southwest Florida market areas. In addition, Wintrust operates various non-bank business units, providing residential mortgage origination, wealth management, commercial and life insurance premium financing, short-term accounts receivable financing/outsourced administrative services to the temporary staffing services industry, and qualified intermediary services for tax-deferred exchanges.  

    About LPL Financial   

    LPL Financial Holdings Inc. (Nasdaq: LPLA) is among the fastest growing wealth management firms in the U.S. As a leader in the financial advisor-mediated marketplace, LPL supports more than 28,000 financial advisors and the wealth management practices of approximately 1,200 financial institutions, servicing and custodying approximately $1.8 trillion in brokerage and advisory assets on behalf of 6 million Americans. The firm provides a wide range of advisor affiliation models, investment solutions, fintech tools and practice management services, ensuring that advisors and institutions have the flexibility to choose the business model, services, and technology resources they need to run thriving businesses. For further information about LPL, please visit www.lpl.com.  

    Securities and advisory services offered through LPL Financial (LPL), a registered investment advisor and broker dealer, member FINRA/SIPC.  

    LPL Financial and its affiliated companies provide financial services only from the United States. LPL Financial and Wintrust are not affiliated.  

    Throughout this communication, the terms “financial advisors” and “advisors” are used to refer to registered representatives and/or investment advisor representatives affiliated with LPL Financial.   

    We routinely disclose information that may be important to shareholders in the “Investor Relations” or “Press Releases” section of our website.    

    Forward-Looking Statements  

    Certain of the statements included in this release, such as those regarding the expected onboarding of assets associated with the strategic relationship and the benefits anticipated of the relationship, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Words such as “expects,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “plans,” “assumes,” “estimates,” “projects,” “intends,” “should,” “will,” “shall” or variations of such words are generally part of forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are made based on current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects upon Wintrust, LPL or both. In particular, no assurance can be provided that the assets reported as serviced by financial advisors affiliated with Wintrust will translate into assets serviced by LPL or that the benefits that are expected to accrue to Wintrust, LPL and advisors as a result of the strategic relationship will materialize. These forward-looking statements are not a guarantee of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, including economic, legislative, regulatory, competitive and other factors, and there are certain important factors that could cause actual results or the timing of events to differ, possibly materially, from expectations or estimates expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include: difficulties or delays of LPL in transitioning advisors affiliated with Wintrust, or in onboarding Wintrust’s clients and businesses or transitioning their assets from Wintrust’s current third-party custodian to LPL; the inability of LPL to sustain revenue and earnings growth or to fully realize revenue or expense synergies or the other expected benefits of the transaction, which depend in part on LPL’s success in onboarding assets currently served by Wintrust’s advisors; disruptions to Wintrust’s or LPL’s businesses due to transaction-related uncertainty or other factors making it more difficult to maintain relationships with financial advisors and clients, employees, other business partners or governmental entities; the inability of LPL or Wintrust to implement onboarding plans; the choice by clients of Wintrust-affiliated advisors not to open brokerage and/or advisory accounts at LPL; changes in general economic and financial market conditions, including retail investor sentiment; fluctuations in the value of assets under custody; and the effects of competition in the financial services industry, including competitors’ success in recruiting Wintrust-affiliated advisors. Certain additional important factors that could cause actual results or the timing of events to differ, possibly materially, from expectations or estimates expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements can be found in the “Risk Factors” and “Forward Looking Statements” (in the case of Wintrust) or the “Risk Factors” and “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” (in the case of LPL) sections included in each of Wintrust’s and LPL’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K. Except as required by law, Wintrust and LPL do not undertake to update any particular forward-looking statement included in this document as a result of developments occurring after the date of this press release.   

    Contacts  

    LPL Media Relations   
    media.relations@lplfinancial.com   
    (704) 996-1840

    LPL Investor Relations   
    investor.relations@lplfinancial.com   

    Wintrust  
    David A. Dykstra 
    Vice Chairman & Chief Operating Officer 
    (847) 939-9000 

    Tracking: 686437 

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Verity and Landus Announce Agreement to Track and Verify Sustainable Agriculture Attributes at Soybean Facility

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ENGLEWOOD, Colo., Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Verity Holdings, LLC (“Verity”), a subsidiary of Gevo, Inc. (NASDAQ: GEVO), and Landus are pleased to announce a new agreement aimed at unlocking added value for farmers through sustainability premiums via export markets. This collaboration leverages Verity’s advanced platform to track and verify the attributes of agricultural products, enabling Landus to document and assign value metrics for soybeans processed at its soybean facility in Ralston, Iowa.

    This farmer-centric agreement reinforces Verity and Landus’ commitment to expanding opportunities in international markets for sustainably certified products, such as those derived from regeneratively grown soybeans and corn. By streamlining the certification and data-verification process, the partnership aims to deliver measurable premiums to farmers meeting program requirements while incentivizing processors to adopt efficiency-enhancing systems that drive long-term sustainable outcomes.

    “Landus and Verity will work together to capture and verify key attribute data that drives value throughout the supply chain,” said Paul Bloom, Chief Business Officer for Gevo. “As a leader in the industry, Landus recognizes the importance of collecting trustworthy, verifiable data to document agriculture attributes and connect them to finished products through the supply chain. Farmers and customers are realizing the power of collaboration across the supply chain to drive meaningful and scalable impact.”

    As part of this partnership, Landus and Verity plan to expand data-verification efforts to additional Landus facilities and pilot innovative market solutions. By sharing regular progress updates, they remain committed to building trust and transparency with farmer-owners and stakeholders.

    “Our focus on quality, a unique soybean supply chain, and our commitment to creating value-added opportunities for farmer-owners have always set us apart,” said Craig Mouchka, Director of Strategic Partnerships and Sustainability at Landus. “Verity equips us with the tools to maximize sustainability premiums through export markets while fulfilling our promise to deliver innovative solutions and new opportunities for our farmer-owners.”

    Farmer-owners interested in participating in sustainability initiatives or learning more about market premiums can contact their local Landus representative.

    “We are partnering with organizations that prioritize scalable solutions and sustainable agriculture done right,” said Bloom. “Landus and Verity are demonstrating the value of collaboration from field to finished product, ensuring that sustainability premiums benefit farmers, processors, and their customers alike—particularly in the growing export markets for differentiated agricultural goods.”

    About Gevo
    Gevo’s mission is to convert renewable energy and biogenic carbon into sustainable fuels and chemicals with a net zero or better carbon footprint. Gevo’s innovative technology can be used to make a variety of products, including sustainable aviation fuel (“SAF”), motor fuels, chemicals, and other materials. Gevo’s business model includes developing, financing, and operating production facilities for these renewable fuels and other products. It currently runs one of the largest dairy-based renewable natural gas (“RNG”) facilities in the United States. It also owns the world’s first production facility for specialty alcohol-to-jet (“ATJ”) fuels and chemicals. Gevo emphasizes the importance of sustainability by tracking and verifying the carbon footprint of its business systems through its Verity subsidiary.
    For more information, see www.gevo.com.

    About Verity
    Verity is at the forefront of creating the ability to track, verify, and empirically value carbon intensity across the full carbon lifecycle. Verity Holdings, LLC is a wholly owned subsidiary of Gevo, Inc. For more information, see www.veritytracking.com.

    About Landus
    Landus is a forward-thinking agriculture solutions company that keeps the farmer at the center of every decision it makes. The company connects thousands of farmer-owners with the world through grain, agronomy, and distribution, deploying traditional and nontraditional methods fueled by innovation and sustainability. Landus’ businesses touch 34 states and 16 countries. To learn more about Landus, and the company’s commitment to solving critical issues for the farmer of tomorrow, please visit landus.ag.

    Forward Looking Statement
    Certain statements in this press release may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements relate to a variety of matters, including, without limitation, Verity’s technology and platform, the commercial benefits of using the Verity platform, and the attributes of Verity’s platform, the value of sustainability premiums and other statements that are not purely statements of historical fact. These forward-looking statements are made based on the current beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the management of Gevo and are subject to significant risks and uncertainty. Investors are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. All such forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and Gevo undertakes no obligation to update or revise these statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Although Gevo believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, these statements involve many risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from what may be expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. For a further discussion of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from those expressed in these forward-looking statements, as well as risks relating to the business of Gevo in general, see the risk disclosures in the Annual Report on Form 10-K of Gevo for the year ended December 31, 2023, and in subsequent reports on Forms 10-Q and 8-K and other filings made with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission by Gevo.

    Media Contact
    Heather Manuel
    VP, Stakeholder Engagement & Partnerships
    PR@gevo.com

    Kaylie Tighe
    Communications Manager
    Kaylie.tighe@trailrunnerint.com

    IR Contact
    Eric Frey
    VP, Finance & Strategy
    IR@Gevo.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Rightworks joins Wolters Kluwer’s CCH® Marketplace

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NASHUA, N.H., Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Rightworks, the only intelligent cloud services provider purpose-built for accounting firms and professionals, today announced it has joined Wolters Kluwer’s CCH® Marketplace. The collaboration empowers accounting firms using Wolters Kluwer solutions to give their employees secure, remote access to all their tax apps, including CCH Axcess™, thus enabling them to work from anywhere. Additionally, using Rightworks OneSpace, Wolters Kluwer’s users can simplify firm operations, secure their data, connect with clients and scale their practice—all in one place.

    “We are excited to welcome Rightworks into our CCH® Marketplace,” said Cathy Rowe, Senior Vice President and Segment Leader, US Professional Market, Wolters Kluwer Tax & Accounting North America. “Accounting firms will be able to make the most of our suite of offerings from within Rightworks’ intelligent cloud, elevating the user experience and ultimately working with their clients securely and more collaboratively.”

    Rightworks OneSpace helps accounting firms resolve staffing, technology and security challenges while enabling them to leverage a simplified, fully managed cloud with quick access to every application. With this latest collaboration, accounting professionals have the flexibility to work remotely with secure web-based access to desktop and cloud apps within Wolters Kluwer’s CCH® ProSystem fx® and CCH Axcess™ Suite supporting modules that span audit, tax and firm management.

    “Part of creating a future-forward accounting practice is ensuring firms have access to the profession’s best tools that help them, in turn, offer the superior experiences that their clients increasingly expect,” said Piyum Samaraweera, Chief Product Officer at Rightworks. “Our relationship with Wolters Kluwer gives firms access to a cloud platform that is purpose-built for the accounting profession.”

    To learn more about Rightworks on CCH Marketplace, click here.

    Connect with Rightworks
    Visit our newsroom; read our blog; and follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

    About Rightworks
    Rightworks enables accounting firms and businesses to significantly simplify operations and expand their value to clients via our award-winning intelligent cloud and learning resources. This is possible with Rightworks OneSpace, the only secure cloud environment purpose-built for the accounting and tax profession, and Rightworks Academy, the premier community for firm optimization, growth and professional development. The Academy offers access to thought leadership, events, peer communities and extensive learning resources. Founded in 2002, we’ve grown to serve over 10,000 accounting firms in the US—from single practitioners to Top 10 firms. For more information, please visit rightworks.com or follow us on LinkedIn, Facebook and Instagram.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Ushur Welcomes Deepak Vedarthan as SVP of Customer Success to Accelerate Growth in AI-Driven Solutions for Regulated Enterprises

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SANTA CLARA, Calif., Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ushur, the leader in Customer Experience Automation for regulated industries, is thrilled to announce the appointment of Deepak Vedarthan as Senior Vice President of Customer Success. In his new role, Deepak will oversee all post-sales customer functions, including onboarding, implementation, professional and managed services, customer success management, customer operations and customer support.

    “Joining Ushur at this pivotal moment in its evolution is incredibly exciting,” said Deepak Vedarthan. “The company’s groundbreaking AI-first approach to experience automation is reshaping how enterprises engage with their customers. As we continue to push the boundaries of innovation, I am thrilled to collaborate with the talented Ushur team to build a world-class customer success organization that delivers exceptional outcomes, accelerates time to value and empowers customers to unlock new opportunities. Together, we’ll elevate customer experiences to new heights, ensuring organizations thrive in an increasingly digital world.”

    Deepak joins Ushur with over 22 years of experience driving digital transformation for global enterprises. His expertise spans intelligent automation, business process management and workflow optimization. Most recently, Deepak served as Global Vice President of Professional Services at GRM and VisualVault, where he led transformative initiatives that elevated operational excellence, expanded market presence and launched the company into new verticals. Prior to that, he spent 17 years at Pegasystems, leading high-performing, cross-functional teams in delivering groundbreaking solutions to some of the world’s most iconic brands.

    Deepak holds a bachelor’s degree in computer science, an MBA and executive certifications from Cornell, Harvard and Stanford, where he completed the prestigious Learn, Engage, Accelerate and Disrupt (LEAD) Executive Leadership Program as a distinguished scholar.

    With a proven track record as a trusted advisor and thought leader, Deepak brings a wealth of knowledge and leadership to Ushur. His extensive experience and strategic vision will be instrumental in delivering impactful strategies and meaningful outcomes for Ushur’s customers.

    “Building a world-class post-sales customer success charter is an essential prerequisite for our growth journey,” said Simha Sadasiva, Co-Founder and CEO of Ushur. “We could not have found a better leader than Deepak to help chart this next phase of our business. His deep expertise, leadership acumen and customer-centric approach make him the ideal choice to lead our customer success organization. We’re excited to have Deepak join the Ushur team and strengthen our mission of delivering exceptional value to our customers.”

    About Ushur: Ushur delivers the world’s first Customer Experience Automation platform built specifically for regulated industries. Purpose-built for delivering ideal self-service, Ushur infuses intelligence into digital experiences for the most delightful and impactful customer engagements. Equipped with guardrails and compliance-ready infrastructure, Ushur powers vertical AI Agents for healthcare, financial services and insurance use cases. Designed for rapid code-less deployment with flexible, advanced capabilities for IT and business teams, enterprises can transform customer and employee journeys at scale in the fastest time to value.

    Media Contact
    Anthony Stipa
    anthony@scribewise.com
    (610) 420-1724

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/025f8557-4bcc-4cab-9e8c-ac6b5997d08e

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Broadcom Delivers Industry’s First Quantum Resistant Network Encryption, Enabling Real-time Ransomware Detection

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALO ALTO, Calif., Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ:AVGO) today announced an industry-first — the new, innovative Emulex Secure Fibre Channel Host Bus Adapters (HBA) — a cost-effective, easy-to-manage solution that encrypts all data as it moves between servers and storage.

    Encrypting mission-critical data is no longer a nice-to-have, but a must-have. The cost of ransomware attacks continues to rise with attacks in 2024 costing USD $5.37 million1 on average per attack. Upcoming generative AI and quantum computers magnify the risk if data is not encrypted at all points in the data center including the network.

    To address these cybersecurity issues, governments have responded with mandates, including the United States’ Commercial National Security Algorithm (CNSA) 2.0, the European Union’s Network and Information Security (NIS) 2, Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA) and more that require enterprises to modernize their IT infrastructures with post-quantum cryptographic encryption algorithms and zero trust architecture.

    Today, data centers have the option of deploying application encryption or network encryption to protect their data. Network encryption offers several important advantages versus application-based encryption including preserving storage array services such as dedupe and compression, which is destroyed when using application-based encryption. Network encryption also enables real-time ransomware detection while application-based encryption hides ransomware attacks. Additional highlights of this solution include no encryption performance penalty and simple, session-based key management.

    “Customers are seeking ways to protect themselves against crippling and expensive ransomware attacks as well as complying with new government regulations mandating all data be encrypted,” said Jeff Hoogenboom, vice president and general manager, Emulex Connectivity Division, Broadcom. “The Emulex Secure Host Bus Adapter meets these needs by providing an elegantly simple solution that once installed, encrypts all data across all applications.”

    “As enterprises face an ever-growing wave of cybersecurity threats, the Emulex Secure HBA stands out as a simple drop-in solution that enhances SAN security without compromising performance,” said Brian Beeler, president, StorageReview.com. “In our testing, we found these HBAs excelled at securing in-flight SAN data encryption while seamlessly complementing existing security technologies. We’re excited to see these adapters become a standard layer of improved SAN security in 2025, providing enterprises with an essential tool to safeguard their critical data.”

    Emulex Secure HBAs Feature:

    • Security Built on Zero Trust, Post-Quantum Cryptography
      • Encryption algorithms support CNSA 2.0, DORA and NIS2 mandates.
      • Secures data in-flight between host servers and storage arrays.
      • Zero Trust platform with Security Protocol and Data Model (SPDM). cryptographic authentication of endpoints, and silicon root-of-trust authentication.
      • Compliance with the NIST 800-193 framework — secure boot, digitally signed drivers, T10-DIF, and more.
    • Cost effective encryption: Dedupe/compression storage services remain intact; protects all data across all applications versus application-specific solutions.
    • Runs on existing Fibre Channel infrastructure.
    • Maximum application performance: Cryptography offloaded to hardware, providing encryption with no performance impact.
    • Easy to manage and deploy: Simple session-based key management with on-demand key generation; transparent runs with existing operating systems, applications and SAN management tools.

    Emulex 32G and 64G Secure HBAs are available in 1, 2, and 4 port configurations and are shipping now. For further information please visit Broadcom.com here, and StorageReview.com here.

    About Broadcom
    Broadcom Inc. (NASDAQ: AVGO) is a global technology leader that designs, develops, and supplies a broad range of semiconductor, enterprise software and security solutions. Broadcom’s category-leading product portfolio serves critical markets including cloud, data center, networking, broadband, wireless, storage, industrial, and enterprise software. Our solutions include service provider and enterprise networking and storage, mobile device and broadband connectivity, mainframe, cybersecurity, and private and hybrid cloud infrastructure. Broadcom is a Delaware corporation headquartered in Palo Alto, CA. For more information, go to www.broadcom.com.

    Broadcom, the pulse logo, and Connecting everything are among the trademarks of Broadcom. The term “Broadcom” refers to Broadcom Inc., and/or its subsidiaries. Other trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

    Cost of a Data Breach Report 2024, Ponemon Institute

    Press Contact:
    Jon Piazza
    Global Communications
    press.relations@broadcom.com
    Telephone: +1 310 498 5254

    Industry Quotes

    Mark Jones, President Emeritus, Fibre Channel Industry Association (FCIA)
    “A standards-based solution to network security ensures industry-wide interoperability and gives customers the assurance of a working ecosystem that has been the hallmark of the Fibre Channel industry for over 30 years. The Emulex Secure HBA is leveraging the new INCITS FC-SP-3 standard; this security protocol will ensure that Fibre Channel will continue to be the most secure choice of storage network transport far into the future.”

    Dave Pearson, Vice President, Infrastructure Research, IDC
    “Cybersecurity ‘defense-in-depth’ best practices for enterprises means going beyond just data-at-rest encryption, but the tradeoff has traditionally meant losing data compression and deduplication capabilities. Secure HBAs aim to solve this problem by enabling in-flight encryption with full data compression.”

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: The Apache Software Foundation Announces New Top-Level Projects

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Wilmington, DE, Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The Apache Software Foundation (ASF), the all-volunteer developers, stewards, and incubators of more than 320 active open source projects and initiatives, today announced that Apache Answer™ and Apache StreamPark™  have graduated from incubation and are now Top-Level Projects (TLP). 

    Apache Answer is a modern, open source Q&A platform designed to help organizations build their knowledge base and community. The software enables teams and communities to collaboratively create, share, and discover knowledge in a structured and efficient way. To learn more about Answer, visit https://answer.apache.org/

    “Apache Answer’s graduation as a Top-Level Project marks a significant milestone in our journey,” said Ning Qi, Vice President of Apache Answer. “This achievement reflects the dedication of our community and the maturity of our platform in providing a Q&A platform solution for knowledge management and community engagement.”

    Apache StreamPark is an easy-to-use streaming application development framework and operation platform. StreamPark supports Apache Flink® and Apache Spark™ providing full lifecycle support for stream processing applications. To learn more about StreamPark, visit https://streampark.apache.org/

    “Becoming an Apache Software Foundation Top-Level Project is a significant milestone and one that would not be possible without the dedication and hard work of the StreamPark community,” said Huajie Wang, Vice President of Apache StreamPark. “We look forward to continued technical and community growth under the ASF’s stewardship.” 

    Open source projects need healthy communities to thrive. The ASF provides projects with services and mentorship for building resilient and durable communities throughout their lifecycle. The Apache Incubator provides services to incoming projects (called podlings) that want to enter the ASF and adopt the Apache Way. 

    About The Apache Software Foundation (ASF)
    Founded in 1999, the Apache Software Foundation exists to provide software for the public good with support from more than 75 sponsors. ASF’s open source software is used ubiquitously around the world with more than 8,400 committers contributing to 320+ active projects including Apache Superset, Apache Camel, Apache Flink, Apache HTTP Server, Apache Kafka, and Apache Airflow. The Foundation’s open source projects and community practices are considered industry standards, including the widely adopted Apache License 2.0, the podling incubation process, and a consensus-driven decision model that enables projects to build strong communities and thrive. https://apache.org

    ASF’s annual Community Over Code event is where open source technologists convene to share best practices and use cases, forge critical relationships, and learn about advancements in their field. https://communityovercode.org/ 

    © The Apache Software Foundation. “Apache” is a registered trademark or trademark of the Apache Software Foundation in the United States and/or other countries. All other brands and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

    Media Contact
    press@apache.org 

    ###

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Anjuna Security Recognized as a Tech Innovator in Preemptive Cybersecurity by Gartner®

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PALO ALTO, Calif., Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Anjuna, creator of Anjuna Seaglass, the only Universal Confidential Computing Platform, and Anjuna Northstar, the first AI Fusion Clean Room, announced today that it has been named a Tech Innovator in Preemptive Cybersecurity in the 2024 Gartner Emerging Tech: Tech Innovators in Preemptive Cybersecurity report. Anjuna views this as a recognition of its pioneering role in enabling enterprises to proactively defend against increasingly sophisticated AI-enabled cyber threats.

    “We are proud about being named as a Tech Innovator by Gartner. We think this recognition underscores the growing demand for Confidential Computing in the evolving cybersecurity landscape, and reaffirms our commitment to innovating in this space.” said Ayal Yogev, CEO of Anjuna.

    Cybersecurity for the AI Era
    According to Gartner, “Emerging GenAI-driven threats are challenging traditional detection and response strategies. Preemptive cybersecurity technologies, like advanced deception and predictive threat intelligence, offer enriched insights that significantly enhance existing security controls and improve cyber defense capabilities.” .

    Anjuna Seaglass enables organizations to embrace this approach through Confidential Computing. By enabling hardware-assisted security to protect workloads during processing, it isolates data, code, and AI models from looming threats.

    Anjuna helps customers in a wide range of industries, including finserv and healthcare. A prominent finserv institution used Anjuna Seaglass to implement a data clean room, ensuring compliance while enabling secure AI-driven innovation.

    Preemptive Strategies: A Must-Have for Modern Security
    As AI-driven attacks grow, enterprises increasingly rely on preemptive cybersecurity. Anjuna Seaglass simplifies adoption by providing:

    • Proactive hardware-backed defense against emerging threats
    • Seamless integration with existing IT infrastructure
    • Scalability for enterprises of all sizes

    According to Gartner, “Organizations across several industry verticals and markets such as banking and financial services, healthcare and biosciences, and critical infrastructure and government can all benefit from this new innovative flexibility in adopting confidential computing
    within their business operations.”

    Read the full Gartner report here

    Gartner, Emerging Tech: Tech Innovators in Preemptive Cybersecurity, Luis CastilloIsy Bangurah, 8 January 2025
    GARTNER is a registered trademark and service mark of Gartner, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and internationally and is used herein with permission. All rights reserved.
    Gartner does not endorse any vendor, product or service depicted in its research publications, and does not advise technology users to select only those vendors with the highest ratings or other designation. Gartner research publications consist of the opinions of Gartner’s research organization and should not be construed as statements of fact. Gartner disclaims all warranties, expressed or implied, with respect to this research, including any warranties of merchantability or fitness for a particular purpose.

    About Anjuna
    Anjuna unlocks secure, AI-driven innovation with two groundbreaking solutions. Anjuna Seaglass, the Universal Confidential Computing Platform, delivers ubiquitous data privacy and intrinsic cloud security. Anjuna Northstar, the AI Data Fusion Clean Room, builds on Seaglass to provide an out-of-the-box, private environment for limitless AI-driven data collaboration and value discovery. Anjuna works with enterprises around the globe, including financial services, government, healthcare and SaaS. Anjuna is backed by prominent investors, including Playground Global, Insight Partners, M Ventures, and SineWave Ventures.

    Media Contact:
    Mauricio Barra, VP of Marketing for Anjuna
    Email: mauricio.barra@anjuna.io 

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/f75b9b82-ae54-4170-b787-e2668d5f7e3f

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Illumio Research Reveals 58% of Companies Hit With Ransomware Have Been Forced to Halt Operations

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    SUNNYVALE, Calif., Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Ransomware attacks are disrupting and undermining business operations and draining revenue streams, according to new research from the Ponemon Institute, commissioned by Illumio, Inc., the leader in breach containment.

    Findings from The Global Cost of Ransomware Study reveal that 58% of organizations had to shut down operations following a ransomware attack, up from 45% in 2021. Forty percent reported a significant loss of revenue (up from 22% in 2021); 41% lost customers; and 40% had to eliminate jobs.

    The research examined the scope of ransomware threats confronting organizations and the measures being implemented to reduce the risks and their impacts. Key findings include:

    • Attackers are reaching critical systems to cause maximum disruption: Ransomware attacks impacted 25% of critical systems, with systems down for 12 hours on average.
    • Organizations continue to spend significant time and money containing ransomware: On average, it took 17.5 people, 132 hours each to contain and remediate their largest ransomware attack.
    • Costs associated with reputation and brand damage now exceed those from legal and regulatory actions: 35% experienced significant brand damage from an attack (up from 21% in 2021).
    • Failure to prioritize investments that boost resilience is costing businesses: 44% lack the ability to quickly identify and contain attacks, and only 27% have implemented microsegmentation – a vital control for stopping the spread of breaches.

    “Ransomware is more pervasive and impactful than ever, with more organizations forced to suspend operations or experiencing major business failure because of attacks,” said Trevor Dearing, Director of Critical Infrastructure at Illumio. “Organizations need operational resilience and controls like microsegmentation that stop attackers from reaching critical systems. By containing attacks at the point of entry, organizations can protect critical systems and data, and save millions in downtime, lost business, and reputational damage.”

    Cloud and hybrid environments remain weak links, with attackers exploiting unpatched systems
    The increased connectivity of business systems and devices is making it harder for organizations to defend against ransomware attacks. Organizations perceive the cloud as being the most vulnerable, and 35% say a lack of visibility across hybrid environments makes it difficult to respond to ransomware attacks.

    Desktops and laptops remain the most compromised devices (50%), with phishing and Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) cited as top entry points for ransomware. Most attacks moved across the network to infect other devices. In over half of these cases (52%), attackers exploited unpatched systems to move laterally and escalate system privileges; up significantly from 33% in 2021.

    Organizations are investing heavily in ransomware defense, but efforts are falling short
    According to the research, nearly a third of IT budgets (29%) are allocated to staff and technologies meant to prevent, detect, contain, and resolve ransomware attacks, yet attacks are still successful. Eighty-eight percent of organizations have fallen victim to a ransomware attack, despite 54% being confident in their security posture.

    Organizations are also taking a chance on ransomware recovery and failing. Fifty-two percent of respondents believe having a full and accurate backup is a sufficient defense against ransomware. Yet only 13% were able to recover all impacted data following a ransomware attack.

    The report also found larger organizational challenges in defending against ransomware including:

    • Ransomware reporting is still not happening: 72% of those that experienced a ransomware attack didn’t report it to law enforcement. Top reasons for not reporting include fear of publicizing the incident (39%); a payment deadline (38%); and fear of retaliation (38%). 
    • Employees are more security conscious, but still a weak link: 40% are confident in the ability of employees to detect social engineering lures (up from 30% in 2021), however, insider negligence is the top challenge when responding to ransomware attacks.
    • Organizations are slow to adopt AI to combat ransomware: Only 42% have specifically adopted AI to help combat ransomware. More (51%) are concerned their organization may experience an AI-generated ransomware attack.

    To learn more, download the full Global Cost of Ransomware Study here or check out the blog here.

    Research Methodology  
    The research was conducted by Ponemon Institute on behalf of Illumio among 2,547 IT and cybersecurity practitioners in the US, UK, Germany, France, Australia and Japan. All participants have responsibility for addressing ransomware attacks within their organizations.

    About Illumio  
    Illumio, the most comprehensive Zero Trust solution for ransomware and breach containment, protects organizations from cyber disasters and enables operational resilience without complexity. By visualizing traffic flows and automatically setting segmentation policies, the Illumio Zero Trust Segmentation Platform reduces unnecessary lateral movement across the multi-cloud and hybrid infrastructure, protecting critical resources and preventing the spread of cyberattacks. 

    Contact Information 
    Comms-team@illumio.com 

    About Ponemon Institute 
    Ponemon Institute is dedicated to independent research and education that advances responsible information and privacy management practices within business and government. Our mission is to conduct high quality, empirical studies on critical issues affecting the management and security of sensitive information about people and organizations.

    We uphold strict data confidentiality, privacy and ethical research standards. We do not collect any personally identifiable information from individuals (or company identifiable information in our business research). Furthermore, we have strict quality standards to ensure that subjects are not asked extraneous, irrelevant or improper questions.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Exela Technologies Announces Strategic Partnership with Michael Page

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    IRVING, Texas, Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Exela Technologies, Inc. (“Exela” or the “Company”) (OTC: XELA, XELAP), a global business process automation (BPA) leader, has announced a strategic partnership between its Finance and Accounting Outsourcing (FAO) Business Unit and Michael Page, a leading recruitment firm specializing in leadership hiring for large enterprises.

    Michael Page, through this partnership, plans to expand Exela’s successful Center of Excellence across various corporate functions, including Finance Shared Services, by deploying Build-Operate-Transfer, Captive, and Business Processes as a Service to their enterprise customers. This collaboration is expected to further strengthen Exela’s position as a trusted partner for delivering tailored, scalable financial solutions.

    “Partnering with Michael Page opens up exciting new avenues for us,” said Sandeep Sapru, President, APAC, Exela Technologies. “This collaboration allows us to bring our deep expertise in finance outsourcing to a wider global audience, helping enterprise clients streamline operations, drive efficiency, and enhance financial outcomes.”

    The partnership reflects a rigorous, strategic process showcasing Exela’s expertise in consulting and executing BOT and captive models. Michael Page’s confidence in Exela was bolstered by the success of its Shared Services Center (SSC) and Full-Service Play (FSP) model, demonstrating Exela’s ability to meet the unique needs of enterprise clients.

    “India continues to be a hub of exceptional talent, with enterprises seeking innovative solutions to optimize their operations and drive strategic growth,” said Anshul Lodha, Managing Director of Michael Page India. “Our partnership with Exela Technologies combines our deep expertise in leadership recruitment with their proven capabilities in finance outsourcing, enabling us to deliver tailored solutions that meet the evolving needs of the Indian business landscape. Together, we are well-positioned to help organizations in India and beyond build resilient, high-performing teams that drive long-term success.”

    As Exela enters FY25, the partnership underscores its commitment to driving growth, innovation, and impactful collaborations that redefine finance outsourcing and shared services.

    About Exela

    Exela Technologies is a business process automation (BPA) leader, leveraging a global footprint and proprietary technology to provide digital transformation solutions enhancing quality, productivity, and end-user experience. With decades of experience operating mission-critical processes, Exela serves a growing roster of more than 4,000 customers throughout 50 countries, including over 60% of the Fortune® 100. Utilizing foundational technologies spanning information management, workflow automation, and integrated communications, Exela’s software and services include multi-industry, departmental solution suites addressing finance and accounting, human capital management, and legal management, as well as industry-specific solutions for banking, healthcare, insurance, and the public sector. Through cloud-enabled platforms, built on a configurable stack of automation modules, and approximately 15,000 employees operating in 21 countries, Exela rapidly deploys integrated technology and operations as an end-to-end digital journey partner.

    To automatically receive Exela financial news by email, please visit the Exela Investor Relations website, http://investors.exelatech.com/, and subscribe to Email Alerts.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain statements included in this press release are not historical facts but are forward-looking statements for purposes of the safe harbor provisions under The Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally are accompanied by words such as “may”, “should”, “would”, “plan”, “intend”, “anticipate”, “believe”, “estimate”, “predict”, “potential”, “seem”, “seek”, “continue”, “future”, “will”, “expect”, “outlook” or other similar words, phrases or expressions. These forward-looking statements include statements regarding our industry, future events, estimated or anticipated future results and benefits, future opportunities for Exela, and other statements that are not historical facts. These statements are based on the current expectations of Exela management and are not predictions of actual performance. These statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, and those discussed under the heading “Risk Factors” in our Annual Report and in subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). In addition, forward-looking statements provide expectations, plans or forecasts of future events and views as of the date of this communication. Exela anticipates that subsequent events and developments will cause assessments to change. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing Exela’s assessments as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.

    For more Exela news, commentary, and industry perspectives, visit:

    Website: https://investors.exelatech.com/
    X: @ExelaTech
    LinkedIn: /exela-technologies
    Facebook: @exelatechnologies
    Instagram: @exelatechnologies

    Investor and/or Media Contacts:

    ir@exelatech.com

    Source: Exela Technologies, Inc.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Finance Teams Prioritize ESG Reporting but Lack Adequate Technology, Finds insightsoftware Report

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    RALEIGH, N.C., Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — insightsoftware, the most comprehensive provider of solutions for the Office of the CFO, today released its 2025 ESG Insights and Challenges Report. The report highlights the growing complexities that global organizations face in ESG reporting, including the challenges finance leaders experience gathering, integrating, and analyzing data from multiple sources.

    With the Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) set to take effect in the EU in 2025, the research explores how unprepared organizations are to meet the new regulatory requirements. Notably, 52% of businesses rely on data from more than five sources for ESG reporting, underscoring significant hurdles to achieving compliance.

    This report reveals that while many organizations across the EU and the UK express confidence in their ability to comply with regulations like the CSRD, they struggle to find the right tools to accomplish the necessary compliance tasks. In fact, 58% of organizations are already exploring new technology to enhance their ESG reporting capabilities. Complying with regulations like the CSRD and overcoming reporting roadblocks remain highly important for global organizations to meet their ESG goals.

    Key findings from the report include:

    • Technology capabilities are lacking: With 92% of organizations concerned that their ESG reporting processes won’t scale to meet future regulatory demands, organizations are finding it increasingly difficult to identify the necessary tools tailored to their operational needs. They cite data security and privacy concerns as the most prevalent issue (59%), given the sensitive nature of ESG data and regulatory scrutiny.
    • The compliance path forward is uncertain: Companies that do business in the EU need to comply with CSRD, however more than half of decision-makers remain heavily uncertain and confused about its requirements (52%). The primary goal of ESG reporting is to improve transparency and stakeholder engagement say 49%, and 86% of ESG decision-makers overwhelmingly value data visualization and dashboards as the most valuable features in an ESG technology solution.
    • Complex, timely processes hinder ESG reporting success: Amidst the digitalization wave, organizations fight against a steady influx of data. Data collection is the biggest hurdle, responded 95% of decision-makers. In fact, over half (52%) report spending more than four weeks each year solely on collecting data.

    “Without the proper tools, global businesses risk hampering their organization’s ability to comply with ESG regulatory requirements,” said insightsoftware General Manager, EPM & Controllership, Monica Boydston. “This is why tools like the insightsoftware ESG Reporting Solution are crucial to enable teams to seamlessly collect, consolidate, analyze, and disclose ESG data from any source, reducing the risk of non-compliance and costly reporting errors.”

    Leveraging established technologies in close and consolidation, disclosure management, and business intelligence (BI) that are trusted by thousands of customers worldwide, insightsoftware ESG provides the controls, audit trails, and security necessary for delivering investor-grade data and meeting regulatory filing requirements. It enables businesses to effectively measure the impact of their ESG initiatives, helping to attract ESG-focused investors.

    Download the complete findings of the 2025 ESG Insights & Challenges Report here to learn how finance decision-makers can begin to address their ESG reporting challenges.

    To explore insightsoftware ESG and how it can better support an organization’s sustainability goals from data collection to compliance and stakeholder communication, visit here.

    Research Methodology
    insightsoftware’s 2025 ESG Insights & Challenges report was developed in coordination with Hanover Research. It was conducted to gain insights into the current trends and challenges facing finance leaders. To achieve this objective, a quantitative survey was administered to a sample of 400 ESG decision-makers across France, Germany, Finland, Sweden, and the UK. The survey targeted professionals at the director level or higher from organizations with over 500 employees, spanning accounting, finance, compliance, executive teams, regulatory affairs, and sustainability roles.

    About insightsoftware

    insightsoftware is a global provider of comprehensive solutions for the Office of the CFO. We believe an actionable business strategy begins and ends with accessible financial data. With solutions across financial planning and analysis (FP&A), accounting, and operations, we transform how teams operate, empowering leaders to make timely and informed decisions. With data at the heart of everything we do, insightsoftware enables automated processes, delivers trusted insights, boosts predictability, and increases productivity. Learn more at insightsoftware.com.

    Media Contacts
    Inkhouse for insightsoftware
    insightsoftware@inkhouse.com  

    Daniel Tummeley
    Corporate Communications Manager
    PR@insightsoftware.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Data Storage Corporation’s CloudFirst Subsidiary Partners with Pulsant to Drive Platform Growth

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    MELVILLE, N.Y., Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Data Storage Corporation (Nasdaq: DTST) (“DSC” and the “Company”), a leading provider of multi-cloud hosting, managed cloud services, disaster recovery, cybersecurity, and IT automation, that integrates with AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud, today announced that its subsidiary, CloudFirst Europe, has entered into a strategic partnership with Pulsant, the most geographically diverse UK provider of edge infrastructure and data centres.

    This partnership aligns with CloudFirst’s ongoing growth strategy to strengthen its global footprint. The CloudFirst platform currently operates in six data centers, across three countries, serving more than 400 clients. The partnership will extend the platform across Pulsant facilities in the UK.

    The partnership is driven by a shared vision to address the unique cloud-based hosting and disaster recovery needs of IBM customers. Many businesses encounter challenges with IBM environments, and this collaboration allows CloudFirst to deliver its specialized expertise to Pulsant’s extensive customer base. By leveraging Pulsant’s local infrastructure and trusted relationships, CloudFirst can extend its reach to new markets while providing tailored solutions to customers across Europe and the UK, including American enterprises with operations in the region.

    “The UK and Ireland remain strategically important markets for IBM, and demand from businesses looking to modernise legacy systems continues to grow,” said Wendy Shearer, Director of Partnerships and Ecosystems at Pulsant. “Many organisations still haven’t found the right way forward. Our partnership with CloudFirst gives these companies the deep IBM expertise and a close, reliable network infrastructure. This combination makes it easier, simpler and faster for them to evolve their IBM environments, eliminating complexities and extending the return on their IBM investment.”

    The expertise of the teams within both CloudFirst and Pulsant is a key strength of this collaboration. Pulsant’s skilled data center professionals and CloudFirst’s IBM specialists are working closely to ensure the partnership delivers seamless service and exceptional value to customers. This alignment of expertise and commitment illustrates the quality of the relationship and its potential to drive long-term success.

    “At the core of this partnership is our ability to meet the demands of IBM platform users who need specialized expertise,” added, Hal Schwartz, President of CloudFirst. “By combining Pulsant’s extensive local infrastructure and trusted client relationships with CloudFirst’s focus on IBM platform solutions, we’re creating a robust and dynamic offering that allows us to address the critical needs of mid-market and enterprise customers.”

    About Pulsant
    Pulsant is the UK’s leading regional edge infrastructure. Our platformEDGE infrastructure connects 12 strategically located data centres through a low-latency network fabric, providing access to cloud, connectivity, and compute services across the UK and beyond.

    Pulsant enables regional businesses and service providers to leverage the power of edge computing to improve application performance and user experience, reach new markets, and build innovative use cases. platformEDGE allows businesses to scale IT workloads in line with their ambitions, both locally and nationally, while ensuring continuous availability of data and applications through diverse connectivity options.

    By choosing Pulsant, clients can optimise costs with local, secure infrastructure and access to an ecosystem of suppliers and partners, delivering exceptional time to value and supporting their digital ambitions. With almost three decades of experience and more than 1,200 clients who put their trust in our sustainable network infrastructure, we are committed to our ESG goals, holding multiple accreditations, including ISO27001 and PCI DSS, to deliver the highest standards of security and compliance.

    About Data Storage Corporation
    Data Storage Corporation (Nasdaq: DTST) through its subsidiaries is a leading provider of multi-cloud hosting, fully managed cloud services, disaster recovery, cybersecurity, IT automation, and voice & data solutions. Recognizing that data migration is a critical step in transitioning from on-premises systems to the cloud, DTST provides comprehensive migration services to ensure seamless, secure, and efficient data transfer, minimizing downtime and optimizing performance.

    Through its CloudFirst platform, built on IBM Power Cloud infrastructure, DTST delivers high-performance, scalable, and secure cloud solutions with interoperability across its infrastructure partners, AWS, Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud.

    With data centers supporting cloud platform deployments across the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, DTST provides mission-critical cloud services to a diverse clientele, including Fortune 500 companies, government agencies, educational institutions, and healthcare organizations.

    As a leader in the multi-billion-dollar cloud hosting and business continuity market, DTST is recognized for its expertise in cloud infrastructure, IT modernization, and data migration, enabling clients to transition to the cloud with confidence and operational continuity.

    For more information, please visit www.dtst.com or follow us on X @DataStorageCorp.

    Safe Harbor Provision

    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, that are intended to be covered by the safe harbor created thereby. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Statements preceded by, followed by or that otherwise include the words “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “projects,” “estimates,” “plans” and similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “should,” “would,” “may” and “could” are generally forward-looking in nature and not historical facts, although not all forward-looking statements include the foregoing. The forward looking statements in this press release include statements such as the expected contribution of Mr. Freeman, the Company’s expansion of its innovative cloud business into the European market and solving the challenges the Company’s customers face today while delivering services that keep their businesses fully operational at all times by specializing in the migration of mission-critical workloads into the Company’s secure, enterprise managed cloud infrastructure providing complete recovery to guarantee service performance. Although the Company believes that the expectations reflected in such forward-looking statements are reasonable, it can provide no assurance that such expectations will prove to have been correct. These forward-looking statements are based on management’s expectations and assumptions as of the date of this press release and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations and assumptions from those set forth or implied by any forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from current expectations include the Company’s ability to grow its presence in Europe. These risks should not be construed as exhaustive and should be read together with the other cautionary statements included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it was initially made. Except as required by law, the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, changed circumstances or otherwise.

    Contact:
    Crescendo Communications, LLC
    212-671-1020
    DTST@crescendo-ir.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: The Trade Anything Vision: Unlocking Instant Liquidity and Infinite Markets on dYdX in 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — The dYdX Foundation reflects on 2024 achievements, including $270B+ in trading volume, 175 markets, and $79M+ USDC in MegaVault, while highlighting the 2025 roadmap.
    The dYdX Foundation (“the Foundation”), an organization focused on supporting and growing the dYdX protocol ecosystem, today released the 2024 dYdX Ecosystem Report and highlighted dYdX Trading’s 2025 software roadmap built around the ecosystem’s “Trade Anything” vision. The report showcases a notable year of growth for dYdX, with $270B in trading volume, pushing the total cumulative volume to $1.46T since 2021. The Unlimited upgrade, launched in November 2024, proved to be a significant catalyst for the protocol, introducing MegaVault, a liquidity tool that surpassed $79M USDC in TVL to support the over 175 markets available on dYdX, many of which have been added through the new instant market listings feature. 
    The traction behind decentralized trading, especially within perpetual markets, continues to project favorably in 2025 and beyond. Up 132% to $1.5T in 2024, the total perp DEX volumes skyrocketed – dYdX’s 2024 trading volume alone would’ve amounted to over one-third of the entire industry’s volume in 2023, and the exchange has remained at the forefront of what is projected to be one of the fastest growing sectors in the space in 2025. This momentum is reflected in the dYdX community with the number of DYDX holders increasing by 290% to 53,000 in 2024. To remain at the cutting edge of the market, dYdX is going all-in on its “Trade Anything” vision, seeking to empower users to trade thousands of markets with instant liquidity through the growth and evolution of MegaVault.  
    “dYdX is breaking barriers to enable a permissionless future where any asset can be traded instantly with immediate liquidity. In 2024, we saw transformative growth driven by our community, through upgrades, DAO proposals, grants, and the Affiliate Program. We’re carrying this momentum into 2025” said Charles d’Haussy, CEO of the dYdX Foundation.
    The launch of dYdX Unlimited in November 2024 introduced innovative features like Instant Market Listings and MegaVault, unlocking hundreds of new markets. Over 150 have already been launched permissionless by the dYdX community, including the pioneering Trump prediction market perpetual ahead of the U.S. election, as well as perps on FX markets like the Turkish Lira and the Euro. In just six weeks, MegaVault reached a TVL of over $70M with an APR exceeding 40%, showcasing a strong product-market fit. As MegaVault continues to mature, liquidity across all markets will continue to improve, solidifying dYdX as DeFi’s pro trading platform for markets of all sizes. 
    According to the team, looking ahead, the community can anticipate instant deposits, an enhanced mobile UX, and various onboarding upgrades, all geared to onboard a slew of new traders entering the space in the new year. Trading enhancements, including permissioned keys and optimized execution speeds, are set to go live imminently. 
    “With institutional and retail interest continuing to evolve, we’re confident that dYdX is positioned as the go-to-market option for derivatives trading, catering to investors of all levels. Alongside the community, we’re excited about the enhancements coming to the protocol in 2025 to make the trading experience on dYdX best-in-market in terms of simplicity and efficiency”, added d’Haussy.
    On the governance front, the number of DYDX holders increased by 290% to 53,000 in 2024, adding more voices to shape the future of the ecosystem. With the launch of a revamped Trading Rewards Program allowing traders to gain back a portion of the fees they pay in the form of rewards distributed in $DYDX, traders received over $63 million in rewards and incentives (excluding staking rewards), including instant rewards paid out by the protocol and the monthly Chaos Labs incentive program.
    Looking ahead to 2025, trading rewards will continue at the protocol level, with an additional $1.5 million allocated for the monthly Chaos Labs incentive program. The DAO will focus on infrastructure optimization, comprehensive documentation, and quality assurance as key priorities in 2025.
    To review the full report, users can visit here
    About dYdX Foundation
    The dYdX Foundation‘s purpose is to support and grow the dYdX protocol ecosystem by enabling communities, developers, and decentralized governance.
    The dYdX Chain software is open-source software to be used or implemented by any party in accordance with the applicable license. At no time should the dYdX Chain or its software be deemed to be a product or service provided or made available in any way by the dYdX Foundation. Interactions with the dYdX Chain software or any implementation thereof are permissionless and disintermediated, subject to the terms of the applicable licenses and code. Users who interact with the dYdX Chain software (or any implementations thereof) will not be interacting with the dYdX Foundation in any way whatsoever.
    The dYdX Foundation does not make any representations, warranties, or covenants in connection with the dYdX Chain software (or any implementations and/or components thereof), including (without limitation) with regard to their technical properties or performance, as well as their actual or potential usefulness or suitability for any particular purpose. Nothing in this post should be used or considered as legal, financial, tax, or any other advice, nor as an instruction or invitation to act by anyone. The dYdX Foundation makes no recommendation as to how to vote on any proposal in dYdX governance or to take any action whatsoever. The dYdX community is sovereign to make decisions freely and at its sole discretion, in accordance with the governance rules, principles, and mechanisms adopted by the dYdX DAO. The dYdX Foundation does not participate in governance decisions to be made by the dYdX community, including, without limitation, by voting on governance proposals. The dYdX Foundation makes no guarantees and is under no obligation to undertake any of the activities contemplated herein.
    Nothing in this post should be considered as financial, investment or any other advice. Crypto-assets can be highly volatile and trading crypto-assets involves risk of loss, particularly when using leverage. Investment into crypto-assets may not be regulated and may not be adequate for retail investors. Do your own research and due diligence before engaging in any activity involving crypto-assets. 
    Media Contact 
    M Group Strategic Communications (on behalf of dYdX Foundation)
    dydx@mgroupsc.com

    Contact

    Dillon Arace
    darace@mgroupsc.com

    A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/1a75c40a-28bc-405e-afbe-b7d34a9df4b5

     

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: DMG Blockchain Solutions Inc. Announces Systemic Trust’s Registration as a Digital Asset Trust Company

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    VANCOUVER, British Columbia, Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — DMG Blockchain Solutions Inc. (TSX-V: DMGI) (OTCQB US: DMGGF) (FRANKFURT: 6AX) (“DMG”), a leading independent data center technology and blockchain solutions provider, has received registration for its wholly owned subsidiary, Alberta-based, Systemic Trust Company (“Systemic Trust” or “STC”), to operate as a special purpose trust company under the Loan and Trust Corporations Act (Alberta) with Alberta’s Treasury Board and Finance (“ATBF”).

    Lawrence Truong, CEO of Systemic Trust, remarked, “We are grateful to our parent company, DMG, for its unwavering support throughout this process and for providing the capital needed to operate as a Qualified Custodian. We extend our thanks to our regulators for their efforts and guidance, which made the licensing process so efficient. Receiving our certificate of registration marks a significant milestone that will enable us to increase the adoption of blockchain technology and build trust in the Canadian cryptocurrency ecosystem by offering a highly secure, independent custody solution. Alberta’s pragmatic, open-for-business attitude attracts talent, innovation and fintech companies like Systemic Trust to establish its headquarters in the province. We are proud to be part of Alberta’s vibrant and growing technology sector. With crypto-friendly regulatory changes underway beyond our borders, our team is preparing for what we believe will be greater adoption of our services in Canada.”

    Nate Horner, President of Treasury Board and Minister of Finance, remarked, “The registration of Systemic Trust Company marks another exciting milestone for Alberta’s growing financial services sector, giving investors more options to secure cryptocurrency. Alberta continues to lead the way in driving innovation and creating the ideal environment for forward-thinking companies to thrive. With the support of our financial services concierge, innovative businesses can efficiently navigate regulations and establish themselves in the province. By fostering growth in this dynamic sector, we are attracting investments, creating new opportunities for Albertans and building a stronger, more innovative economy.”

    Sheldon Bennett, DMG’s CEO, added, “This milestone is an important achievement towards realizing the full potential of DMG’s Core+ software and services strategy. We are proud of the team at Systemic Trust for successfully navigating the complexities of delivering the licensing for this prudentially regulated business and grateful for our shareholders’ support. Systemic Trust is proud to be the only Canadian Qualified Custodian to leverage Fireblocks’ industry-leading wallet infrastructure. Recognized globally as the foremost institutional-grade wallet platform, Fireblocks has managed over 250 million wallets and secured the transfer of more than $6 trillion in digital assets. This collaboration positions Systemic Trust as the trusted choice for Canadian institutions seeking a secure, compliant and scalable digital asset custody solution.”

    About Alberta’s Treasury Board and Finance

    Alberta’s Treasury Board and Finance (“ATBF”) is a key ministry within the Government of Alberta, Canada, responsible for overseeing the province’s financial and economic affairs. In addition to its roles in budget planning, financial management and economic analysis, ATBF regulates various financial sectors, including loan and trust corporations operating within Alberta. ATBF’s regulatory framework for loan and trust corporations is established under the Loan and Trust Corporations Act. This legislation sets out the requirements for registration, operation and supervision of these entities to ensure their soundness and the protection of consumers. ATBF’s regulatory activities authorize the registration of special purpose trusts under the Loan and Trust Corporations Act, enabling them to serve as a Qualified Custodian for digital assets. Through such regulatory oversight, ATBF aims to maintain the integrity and stability of Alberta’s financial system, fostering a secure environment for both financial institutions and consumers.

    About DMG Blockchain Solutions Inc.

    DMG is a publicly traded and vertically integrated blockchain and data center technology company that manages, operates and develops end-to-end digital solutions to monetize the digital asset and artificial intelligence compute ecosystems. Systemic Trust Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of DMG, is an integral component of DMG’s carbon neutral Bitcoin ecosystem, which enables financial institutions to move bitcoin in a sustainable and regulatory compliant manner.

    For additional information about DMG Blockchain Solutions and its initiatives, please visit www.dmgblockchain.com. Follow @dmgblockchain on X, LinkedIn and Facebook, and subscribe to the DMG YouTube channel to stay updated with the latest developments and insights.

    For further information, please contact:

    On behalf of the Board of Directors,

    Sheldon Bennett, CEO & Director
    Tel: +1 (778) 300-5406
    Email: investors@dmgblockchain.com
    Web: www.dmgblockchain.com

    For Investor Relations:
    investors@dmgblockchain.com

    For Media Inquiries:
    Chantelle Borrelli
    Head of Communications
    chantelle@dmgblockchain.com

    Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Service Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this news release.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Information

    This news release contains forward-looking information or statements based on current expectations. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release include statements regarding DMG’s strategies and plans, the development of Systemic Trust and the expected outcomes and benefits, delivering products that enable the monetization of bitcoin transactions, developing and executing on the Company’s products and services, increasing self-mining, the launch of products and services, events, courses of action, and the potential of the Company’s technology and operations, among others, are all forward-looking information.

    Future changes in the Bitcoin network-wide mining difficulty rate or Bitcoin hash rate may materially affect the future performance of DMG’s production of bitcoin, and future operating results could also be materially affected by the price of bitcoin and an increase in hash rate mining difficulty.

    Forward-looking statements consist of statements that are not purely historical, including any statements regarding beliefs, plans, expectations, or intentions regarding the future. Such information can generally be identified by the use of forwarding-looking wording such as “may”, “expect”, “estimate”, “anticipate”, “intend”, “believe” and “continue” or the negative thereof or similar variations. The reader is cautioned that assumptions used in the preparation of any forward-looking information may prove to be incorrect. Events or circumstances may cause actual results to differ materially from those predicted, as a result of numerous known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, including but not limited to, market and other conditions, volatility in the trading price of the common shares of the Company, business, economic and capital market conditions; the ability to manage operating expenses, which may adversely affect the Company’s financial condition; the ability to remain competitive as other better financed competitors develop and release competitive products; regulatory uncertainties; access to equipment; market conditions and the demand and pricing for products; the demand and pricing of bitcoins; security threats, including a loss/theft of DMG’s bitcoins; DMG’s relationships with its customers, distributors and business partners; the inability to add more power to DMG’s facilities; DMG’s ability to successfully define, design and release new products in a timely manner that meet customers’ needs; the ability to attract, retain and motivate qualified personnel; competition in the industry; the impact of technology changes on the products and industry; failure to develop new and innovative products; the ability to successfully maintain and enforce our intellectual property rights and defend third-party claims of infringement of their intellectual property rights; the impact of intellectual property litigation that could materially and adversely affect the business; the ability to manage working capital; and the dependence on key personnel. DMG may not actually achieve its plans, projections, or expectations. Such statements and information are based on numerous assumptions regarding present and future business strategies and the environment in which the Company will operate in the future, including the demand for its products, the ability to successfully develop software, that there will be no regulation or law that will prevent the Company from operating its business, anticipated costs, the ability to secure sufficient capital to complete its business plans, the ability to achieve goals and the price of bitcoin. Given these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, you should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The securities of DMG are considered highly speculative due to the nature of DMG’s business. For further information concerning these and other risks and uncertainties, refer to the Company’s filings on www.sedarplus.ca. In addition, DMG’s past financial performance may not be a reliable indicator of future performance.

    Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include, failure to obtain regulatory approval, the continued availability of capital and financing, equipment failures, lack of supply of equipment, power and infrastructure, failure to obtain any permits required to operate the business, the impact of technology changes on the industry, the impact of viruses and diseases on the Company’s ability to operate, secure equipment, and hire personnel, competition, security threats including stolen bitcoins from DMG or its customers, consumer sentiment towards DMG’s products, services and blockchain technology generally, failure to develop new and innovative products, litigation, adverse weather or climate events, increase in operating costs, increase in equipment and labor costs, equipment failures, decrease in the price of bitcoin, failure of counterparties to perform their contractual obligations, government regulations, loss of key employees and consultants, and general economic, market or business conditions. Forward-looking statements contained in this news release are expressly qualified by this cautionary statement. The reader is cautioned not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking information. The forward-looking statements contained in this news release are made as of the date of this news release. Except as required by law, the Company disclaims any intention and assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Additionally, the Company undertakes no obligation to comment on the expectations of or statements made by third parties in respect of the matters discussed above.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Harel and Amitim to Acquire 44% of a Partnership Holding a Cluster of Enlight Projects Comprising 69 MW Solar Generation and 448 MWh of Energy Storage Capacity

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    The transaction is based on a valuation of $114 million for the entire Cluster, comprised of a $102 million base and an additional $12 million in deferred consideration upon fulfillment of the conditions of its payment

    Enlight will recognize a profit of $94 million upon fulfillment of the conditions of the deferred consideration, and will continue to operate and develop projects in the Cluster

    The partnership provides Harel and Amitim exposure to renewable energy infrastructure, with the potential for high returns and financial strength over time, while diversifying their investment portfolios and reinforcing their commitment to positive impacts on the Israeli economy and environment

    TEL AVIV, Israel, Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Enlight Renewable Energy (“Enlight”, or the “Company”, NASDAQ: ENLT, TASE: ENLT.TA), a leading renewable energy platform, announces the signing of an agreement to sell 44% of a partnership (the “Partnership”), which holds the Sunlight cluster of Israeli renewable energy projects to Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd. and Amitim Senior Pension Funds (the “Investors”, “the Sale Agreement”), who will acquire a 25% and 19% stake respectively.

    The Investors will purchase 44% of the Partnership for a total investment of $50 million1 in cash, of which $45 million will be paid upfront, and $5 million will be deferred consideration to be paid by the Investors upon fulfillment of certain conditions set forth in the Sale Agreement. Upon completion of the transaction, which is expected to occur during the first quarter of 2025, the Company will cease to consolidate the financial results of the Partnership in its financial statements, and will accordingly recognize a profit of $94 million.

    The Sunlight Cluster consists of operational and pre-construction projects totaling 69 MW of solar generation and 448 MWh of energy storage capacity, and accounts for 5% of the capacity of Enlight’s total portfolio in Israel and 1% of the capacity of Enlight’s total global portfolio2. The Investors will acquire 44% of the Limited Partner rights in the Partnership and a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company will act as the General Partner in the Partnership. Completion of the transaction is contingent upon obtaining approval of the Israeli Competition Authority.

    In conjunction with the Sale Agreement, the parties have entered into a number of additional commercial arrangements:

    1. The parties commit to future investments in projects under construction.
     
    2. The Company will have the exclusive right to purchase all the electricity produced by the Cluster under a 20-year availability agreement whose commercial terms were set between the parties.
     
    3. The Company’s commitment to the duration and minimal level of holdings in the Limited Partnership.
     
    4. The right of the Investors to mandate the sale of 50% of the Company’s holdings in the General Partner to a third party and terminate the management agreements with the Company.
     

    More financial information regarding the Sale Agreement can be found here.

    The Herzog Fox & Neeman law firm and the Giza Singer Even consulting firm advised the Company on the transaction. The Piron law firm advised both Harel and Amitim, and the Escola consulting firm advised Amitim on the transaction.

    1 Amounts in U.S. dollars are calculated based on a U.S. dollar to Israeli Shekel conversion rate of 1 to 3.71, as reported in the Company’s financial statements for the period ending September 30, 2024.

    2 Enlight’s global projects consist of 19.2 GW of generation and 31.8 GWh of energy storage capacity, located in Israel, Europe, and the United States, and allocated into Mature, Advanced Development, and Development portfolios.

    Itzik Tawill, Deputy Director of the Investment Department and Director of the credit and real estate division at Harel, commented, “Harel selects its investments with thoroughness and professionalism, and is proud to continue investing in green energy and infrastructure in Israel. Our cooperation with leading companies such as Enlight diversify our investment portfolio in a stable sector, providing our fund members with attractive and long-term financial performance along with a positive environmental impact.”

    Nir Gavish, Head of Investments at Amitim Senior Pension Funds, commented, “The Sunlight transaction is a direct implementation of our strategy to invest in infrastructure assets in Israel, and in particular in renewable energy, with a commitment to delivering optimal returns for our fund members over time. Amitim has a long-standing relationship with Enlight, and we are pleased to deepen our collaboration with this investment.”

    Gilad Yaavetz, CEO of Enlight, commented, “We are very proud to extend our long-standing partnership with Harel and Amitim, some of Israel’s leading institutional investors, in the innovative field of integrated solar generation and energy storage facilities. The projects generate clean electricity at a competitive price, and the production will be sold by Enlight Enterprise, the Company’s supplier unit, to some of the most prestigious consumers in Israel.

    “We are proud of the asset value implied by the transaction, which reflects the quality of the projects and energy management system we have developed at Enlight. The transaction highlights the competitive advantage that the Company has in optimizing and establishing attractive funding sources to deliver on our significant growth plan.”

    About Enlight Renewable Energy

    Founded in 2008, Enlight is a global leader in initiating, developing, financing, setting up and operating renewable energy projects on a global scale. Enlight operates across the three largest renewable energy sectors today: solar, wind and energy storage. As a global company, Enlight operates in the United States, Israel and 9 countries throughout Europe. Enlight is currently a dual public company, with no controlling interest, that has been traded on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange since 2010 (TASE: ENLT).TA) and the U.S. Nasdaq Stock Exchange where it was successfully issued in 2023 (NASDAQ: ENLT).

    About Harel

    Harel Insurance Investments & Financial Services Ltd is the largest insurance and finance group in Israel, operating in a variety of insurance, asset management and credit fields, with 90 years of experience. Assets under management amounted to approximately ILS 490 billion and premiums amounted to approximately NIS 31.2 billion in the first nine months of 2024. The transaction was led on behalf of Harel by Itzik Taweel, director of the credit and real estate division, and Inesa Laron, manager of the project and infrastructure financing department.

    About Amitim Senior Pension Funds

    Amitim Senior Pension Funds, managed by Ephi Senderov, is one of the largest institutional investors in Israel, managing approximately ILS 350 billion of assets in Israel and abroad through a variety of investment strategies. The transaction was led on behalf of Amitim by Ziv Frenkel, head of the credit division, and Roni Horvitz, credit manager. In recent years, Amitim’s credit division has led and participated in transactions worth billions of Shekels in the infrastructure sector in general and in the energy sector in particular.

    Investor Contact

    Yonah Weisz
    Director IR
    investors@enlightenergy.co.il

    Erica Mannion or Mike Funari
    Sapphire Investor Relations, LLC
    +1 617 542 6180
    investors@enlightenergy.co.il

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We intend such forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements as contained in Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements contained in this press release other than statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements regarding the Company’s expectations relating to the Project, the PPA and the related interconnection agreement and lease option, and the completion timeline for the Project, are forward-looking statements. The words “may,” “might,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “target,” “seek,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “contemplate,” “possible,” “forecasts,” “aims” or the negative of these terms and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements, though not all forward-looking statements use these words or expressions. These statements are neither promises nor guarantees, but involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other important factors that may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the following: our ability to site suitable land for, and otherwise source, renewable energy projects and to successfully develop and convert them into Operational Projects; availability of, and access to, interconnection facilities and transmission systems; our ability to obtain and maintain governmental and other regulatory approvals and permits, including environmental approvals and permits; construction delays, operational delays and supply chain disruptions leading to increased cost of materials required for the construction of our projects, as well as cost overruns and delays related to disputes with contractors; our suppliers’ ability and willingness to perform both existing and future obligations; competition from traditional and renewable energy companies in developing renewable energy projects; potential slowed demand for renewable energy projects and our ability to enter into new offtake contracts on acceptable terms and prices as current offtake contracts expire; offtakers’ ability to terminate contracts or seek other remedies resulting from failure of our projects to meet development, operational or performance benchmarks; various technical and operational challenges leading to unplanned outages, reduced output, interconnection or termination issues; the dependence of our production and revenue on suitable meteorological and environmental conditions, and our ability to accurately predict such conditions; our ability to enforce warranties provided by our counterparties in the event that our projects do not perform as expected; government curtailment, energy price caps and other government actions that restrict or reduce the profitability of renewable energy production; electricity price volatility, unusual weather conditions (including the effects of climate change, could adversely affect wind and solar conditions), catastrophic weather-related or other damage to facilities, unscheduled generation outages, maintenance or repairs, unanticipated changes to availability due to higher demand, shortages, transportation problems or other developments, environmental incidents, or electric transmission system constraints and the possibility that we may not have adequate insurance to cover losses as a result of such hazards; our dependence on certain operational projects for a substantial portion of our cash flows; our ability to continue to grow our portfolio of projects through successful acquisitions; changes and advances in technology that impair or eliminate the competitive advantage of our projects or upsets the expectations underlying investments in our technologies; our ability to effectively anticipate and manage cost inflation, interest rate risk, currency exchange fluctuations and other macroeconomic conditions that impact our business; our ability to retain and attract key personnel; our ability to manage legal and regulatory compliance and litigation risk across our global corporate structure; our ability to protect our business from, and manage the impact of, cyber-attacks, disruptions and security incidents, as well as acts of terrorism or war; changes to existing renewable energy industry policies and regulations that present technical, regulatory and economic barriers to renewable energy projects; the reduction, elimination or expiration of government incentives for, or regulations mandating the use of, renewable energy; our ability to effectively manage our supply chain and comply with applicable regulations with respect to international trade relations, tariffs, sanctions, export controls and anti-bribery and anti-corruption laws; our ability to effectively comply with Environmental Health and Safety and other laws and regulations and receive and maintain all necessary licenses, permits and authorizations; our performance of various obligations under the terms of our indebtedness (and the indebtedness of our subsidiaries that we guarantee) and our ability to continue to secure project financing on attractive terms for our projects; limitations on our management rights and operational flexibility due to our use of tax equity arrangements; potential claims and disagreements with partners, investors and other counterparties that could reduce our right to cash flows generated by our projects; our ability to comply with tax laws of various jurisdictions in which we currently operate as well as the tax laws in jurisdictions in which we intend to operate in the future; the unknown effect of the dual listing of our ordinary shares on the price of our ordinary shares; various risks related to our incorporation and location in Israel; the costs and requirements of being a public company, including the diversion of management’s attention with respect to such requirements; certain provisions in our Articles of Association and certain applicable regulations that may delay or prevent a change of control; and other risk factors set forth in the section titled “Risk factors” in our Annual Report on Form 20-F for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) and our other documents filed with or furnished to the SEC.

    These statements reflect management’s current expectations regarding future events and speak only as of the date of this press release. You should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee that future results, levels of activity, performance and events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or will occur. Except as may be required by applicable law, we undertake no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, after the date on which the statements are made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Economics: François Villeroy de Galhau: For a high speed and safe journey into the financial future

    Source: Bank for International Settlements

    Ladies and gentlemen,
    It is a great pleasure to welcome you to this high-level conference organised by the Banque de France on speed and innovation, and how they could be disruptive for financial markets and market infrastructures. Let me thank Emmanuelle Assouan and her teams for setting up this event. I would also like to extend my warm thanks to all participants from industry, public authorities and central banks who will give their views during three roundtables today, including my colleagues and friends Andrea Maechler, Piero Cipollone and Naoto Shimoda.

    It is a première for a Banque de France conference to be held here at the Cinémathèque française, which is definitely an excellent venue for our theme of today: we are here in the place where speed is made art. As you know, cinema was invented in France by the Lumière brothers in the late 19th century. During the projection in 1896 of one of their very first movies, The arrival of a train at La Ciotat station, the audience was so overwhelmed by the moving image of a train coming directly at them that people ran away. But we do not fear speed anymore, on the contrary: it has become a key success factor in financial markets and market infrastructures, yielding high benefits. Transactions and their settlement have already become dramatically swifter over the last decades – notably in France, which was at the forefront in dematerialising securities – and will continue gathering speed. I will first elaborate on the reasons why, in a fast-moving environment, resilience must be preserved in order to ensure financial stability (I). Our public-private partnership has to evolve, with a view to enhancing cross-border payments and the holistic project of creating a shared ledger (II). 

    I. A fast-moving financial system whose resilience must be preserved in order to ensure financial stability

    Markets are undergoing structural changes, all driven by increased speed aimed at achieving higher efficiency. Automation and high-frequency trading are driving a rise in daily trading volumes; new participants have emerged, and incumbents have evolved. Nowadays, robots and algorithms are unlocking new possibilities, while artificial intelligence offers the promise of value added in trading, customer relationships and investment decisions. From photography to digital movies, from local theatres to global web platforms, cinematography has gone through technological revolutions over the years. However, whether it’s in cinema or finance, speed is not a goal per se. The social utility of certain accelerations such as high-frequency trading remains to be seen, and they carry risks. We must reflect on new guardrails to protect against possible increased market volatility – and even potential flash crashes caused by poorly coordinated algorithms that can amplify massive sell-offs.
     
    Post-market processes are keeping pace with this acceleration in trading: settlement is getting ever faster. A few years ago, implementing T+2 (i.e. ensuring settlement within two days of transaction execution) was a major step forward for all players, as enshrined in the European CSDR regulation.i Nowadays we are once again aiming for more ambitious targets, with an objective of T+1 in Europe in 2027 – as has already been the case in the United States, Canada and Mexico since end-May last year. Interestingly, across the Atlantic, this evolution was driven by market players, who saw in the shortening of the settlement cycle an opportunity to further reduce liquidity, counterparty and operational risks. The American experience also shows that T+1 yields direct financial benefits, in particular a significant lowering of CCP margins. T+1 therefore received overall support in ESMA’s and the Commission’s public consultations. I trust that we are all well aware of the operational requirements and challenges to be met:ii  preparatory work must start now, with the adaptation of IT systems and further automation of processes. It is also important to coordinate with the United Kingdom and Switzerland, and to pay due attention to the consequences in terms of shorter cut-offs – notably for FX transactions.
     
    The tokenisation of assets is obviously another groundswell movement, which could further enhance the straight-through processing of trade and post-trade activities, and paves the way for yet another acceleration with a widespread implementation of T+0. It has the potential to generate even greater savings both for the financial industry and end-users. To date, the nascent DLTiii  finance has used new forms of commercial bank money as settlement assets, such as tokenised deposits or so-called stablecoins. As experience has shown in the last few years, they are far from immune, and Europe has made the right step by adopting the MiCA regulation. Failing to regulate crypto-assets and non-banks today would merely sow the seeds for tomorrow’s financial crisis.
     
    Beyond these regulatory issues, it has become more and more apparent that we currently lack the anchor provided by central bank money, which drastically reduces counterparty and liquidity risks, and crucially ensures the finality of payments. A wholesale central bank digital currency would ensure convertibility between tokenised assets, exactly as central banks currently ensure convertibility between commercial bank monies, allowing for delivery-versus-payment and payment-versus-payment. In short, tokenised central bank money would provide a “safety pivot”, and serve as a reliable basis of trust on which these new technologies could realise their full potential.

    II. A step further with the interlinking of fast-payment systems and a European shared ledger to meet the challenges of transition and growth

     
    Central banks must therefore keep up with these developments,iv  in order to explore the potential of DLT and foster innovation while preserving the anchoring role of central bank money. Building among others on the Banque de France’s pioneering experiments between 2020 and 2023,v  the Eurosystem conducted a series of new experiments on wholesale CBDC between April and November 2024,vi  with the active involvement of the Banque de France, Banca d’Italia and Bundesbank as solution providers. We witnessed active industry participation in the Eurosystem experiments, and I would like to take the opportunity to pay tribute to your strong commitment – which, I believe, also reflects the growing awareness of the need for a safe settlement asset.
     
    Together, we successfully tested numerous and very diverse use cases, ranging from primary issues to cross-currency payments, repos, margin calls and asset management, to give a few examples. Actual settlement was even tested for the lifecycle management of securities and secondary market transactions. With this ambitious programme, we have further delivered on our learning-by-doing approach, which is of the essence. As announced, the Eurosystem will draw lessons from the exploratory work, including on how to facilitate the provision of central bank money settlement for wholesale asset transactions on DLT platforms. Clearly, it is in the interest of both European commercial banks and the public sector to work together towards a tokenised European framework: money is and will remain a public-private partnership, which has to evolve.
     
    As regards cross-border payments, the Eurosystem has launched initiatives to help improve them, including exploratory work on linking TIPS with other fast-payment systems such as UPI in India. We thereby support the G20 roadmap for creating a faster, cheaper, more transparent and accessible global payments ecosystem, while ensuring secure and reliable instant payments. The G20 roadmap also foresees, in the longer term, the use of tokenisation to further enhance cross-border payments.
     
    We now need to bring all these advances together to create a global motion picture, in a holistic manner. Here, the idea of a “unified ledger” put forward by the BISvii  looks like more than a promising technology: a rallying concept, or even a utopia. This next-generation market infrastructure would take one day in the future the shape of a shared, seamless and programmable platform that integrates central bank money, commercial bank money and tokenised financial assets – which would call for redefined and improved public-private partnerships. Accordingly, in April 2024 the BIS launched Project Agorá,viii  to explore the tokenisation of cross-border payments to improve the existing correspondent banking model. This major project brings together seven central banks worldwide, including the Banque de France which represents the Eurosystem, and a large group of private financial firms. But a first and necessary step towards such a global infrastructure should be to build regional shared ledgers – one of which would be European.
     
    A European shared ledger could prove an efficient means to overcome European market fragmentation and current inefficiencies, by facilitating the provision of seamlessly connected services across Europe. It would therefore act as a catalyst for a Savings and Investments Union, and provide tools such as green bonds and securities to finance the green transition, at a time where we have to mobilise Europe’s private savings surplus of more than EUR 300 billion a year. In short, it would be an important lever for achieving our climate but also digital transformations, which are among our main challenges; it would also help Europe to gain in both size – by unifying its single market – and speed. Achieving this ambitious vision requires moving forward step by step, in a phased approach. Rather than replacing existing infrastructures which have already helped to reduce fragmentation in Europe – like the harmonised settlement system T2S –, this new shared infrastructure would tackle markets which still rely on manual processes and lack standardisation, such as OTC markets and unlisted stocks. A crucial first step will be to make central bank money available on this infrastructure: this makes it all the more important to offer a wholesale CBDC solution in the short term to prepare this long term target.

    Let me conclude with Billy Wilder, the director of Some like it hot. He once gave this sound piece of advice: “If you have a problem with the third act, the real problem is in the first act.” This leads me to a twofold conclusion: first, that it is the right time to engage in the design and experimentation of market infrastructures of the future; second, that fast-paced transformations should not be at the expense of past achievements in financial stability, and increase risks. Central bank money must remain the settlement asset at the core of the financial system, whether tokenised or not. Under this condition, our common technological breakthroughs could contribute to meeting our major challenges. Thank you for your attention. 


    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Economics: Making Everyday Life Special With Galaxy AI

    Source: Samsung

    Returning home after an exciting trip doesn’t mean the very next day can’t be special. With the power of Galaxy AI1, every day becomes a day to treasure. Samsung Newsroom delved into how the Galaxy S25 series can fill your daily life with joy and meaning as you cook, draw or spend time with your friends and family.
    Save Special Moments in Videos as GIFs
    ▲ AI Select can isolate a specific moment in the middle of video to be downloaded as a GIF.
    Sometimes there can be a certain moment in the middle of a video you’re watching that you simply want to save separately or watch on repeat. Downloading the whole video, finding that exact part and editing it, however, can be quite a time-consuming task. Whether you want to capture a warm moment with your family to cherish the memory or analyze your golf swing in detail to practice over and over again, AI Select can get the job done. While watching the video, simply open the quick panel, tap the AI Select icon and save the desired portion as a GIF.

    Scan What’s in Your Fridge, Receive Recipe Recommendations and Save Them as a Samsung Note
    ▲ The Galaxy S25’s AI agents analyze the contents of a refrigerator and recommend recipes.
    For those who enjoy cooking, there’s nothing more exciting than trying out a new recipe. When you’re out of ideas for what to cook, the Galaxy S25 series can be just the solution you need. Use the camera to snap a photo of what’s in your fridge, and Galaxy AI will analyze the items, recommend recipes and thoroughly guide you through the cooking process so you can transform ordinary ingredients into extraordinary dishes.

    Enter Some Text and Watch Galaxy AI Draw a Masterpiece
    ▲ Drawing Assist generates an image of a cat watching fireworks using text input.
    With visual content increasing in importance by the day, the tough job of synthesizing and producing high-quality images in bulk has never been in higher demand. It’s only natural to imagine a dream world where AI could dramatically streamline the workload by generating all kinds of vivid images by typing text? That world is no longer an imagination with the Galaxy S25 series’ Drawing Assist and its limitless possibilities. With Drawing Assist, anyone can easily create stunning images using simple text input. For example, typing “watching fireworks” after drawing a very rough sketch of a cat with your finger or an S Pen and will generate images of a cat watching fireworks in a variety of styles, including visual aids, 3D and illustrations. These images can then be used for social media content, visual training materials presentations and more.

    1 Galaxy AI features by Samsung are free through 2025 and require Samsung account login.

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Global: 4 steps to building a healthier relationship with your phone

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Jamie Gruman, Professor of Organizational Behaviour, University of Guelph

    Being constantly connected to your electronic devices, and the social media they enable, may be bad for your health and well-being and working remotely only compounds these challenges.

    Until very recently, I didn’t have a smartphone. In 2018, I wrote an article outlining the benefits of not being connected to the world through a phone. I was perfectly content living a largely disconnected life.

    However, since that time, things have changed.

    It is increasingly difficult to manage life without a smartphone. I recently took my family to a baseball game and would have been unable to access the ballpark without a smartphone because the phone serves as your tickets. Without a phone, I might not be able to enter a concert I bought tickets for, and it is increasingly difficult to order takeout. Reluctantly, I now own a smartphone.


    Ready to make a change? The Quarter Life Glow-up is a new, six-week newsletter course from The Conversation’s UK and Canada editions.

    Every week, we’ll bring you research-backed advice and tools to help improve your relationships, your career, your free time and your mental health – no supplements or skincare required. Sign up here to start your glow-up at any time.


    Working from home, or remotely, has only magnified these challenges. Being constantly electronically connected can make it difficult to separate work from home, leading you to being constantly “on call.” This can further keep you in a perpetual state of activation.

    In general, excessive smartphone use is associated with anxiety and depression and compromised sleep. Further evidence suggests that being in contact with work when physically outside of the workplace can lead to higher levels of distress as opposed to those who leave the workplace behind them when they depart.

    So how can you manage if your home is your remote workplace? These four tactics can help you establish a clear boundary between work and home.

    1. Create physical boundaries

    Use physical space or objects to create a separation between work and home. For example, closing or locking the door to a home office creates a physical and psychological barrier that keeps you away from your laptop and helps you split your work life from your home life.

    If you do not have a home office, you may have a dedicated work area. Erecting a divider, such as a folding screen or even an unused bed sheet, can serve the same purpose.

    To maintain a strict separation of work and home, consider getting a work phone to separate work from personal communications. Outside of work, consider leaving your phone at home when going out for leisure activities in the evening or on weekends to help you escape electronics completely — though be sure to let trusted individuals know where you will be if you plan on disconnecting for an extended period of time.

    Simply put, keep your work space separate and view your phone as nothing more than a highly advanced landline of old, plugged into a specific area of your home and unable to be taken further.

    2. Create temporal boundaries

    Set boundaries around when you will address things, and how much time you will devote to work. It is more and more common to see messages in email signatures noting the days and hours during which people will respond to messages. This is a positive development.

    You can also block out time in your schedule to address work and non-work issues. If you have a phone that you use exclusively for work, turn it off and charge it during the times you don’t intend to be working. Protecting your time with such tactics is an effective way to promote work-life balance and maintain a healthy relationship with technology.

    3. Create behavioural boundaries

    Establish behaviours which help you separate work from home. Turning off the ringer and buzzer on your phone prevents you from being distracted and disturbed when enjoying leisure time.

    If your work involves social media, then try using different social media platforms for work and non-work to help you avoid being inadvertently drawn into work-related matters when you are trying to enjoy personal time. Or, consider switching to one of the many new “dumbphones” entering the market.




    Read more:
    Does being away from your smartphone cause you anxiety? The fact that it makes you available 24/7 could be the reason


    You can also team up with others. In the same way that doctors in a clinic will schedule one partner to be on call at a time so that the other partners can fully escape from work after hours, you can join forces with others who do similar work and redirect calls on a rotating basis so you do not have to worry about always being contacted.

    4. Create communication boundaries

    Once these tactics have been established, you should communicate them. Establish expectations about when you will and won’t be available. Note that this may require some negotiation.

    If people contact you out of ignorance of your personal policy, simply advise them of it. If they intentionally violate your boundary, consider your relationship with the violator before addressing them. You don’t want to rebuke your boss, but you should be firm in protecting your boundaries.

    Stay in control

    In the end, you need to ensure that you own your phone and not the other way around.

    When used excessively, electronic devices can become a chain that shackles us, as opposed to a tool that enables us. Our phones can become an addiction. Like any other form of addiction, we lose control of our phones when they make demands of us that we feel compelled to answer.

    There are times when work or urgent situations require us to be electronically available. However, outside of the times you must be available, any time you feel your phone making a demand of you, turn it off.




    Read more:
    What millennials and gen Z professionals need to know about developing a meaningful career


    Now that I have a smartphone, some things in life are easier and more pleasant. I can avoid traffic jams when driving. My wife and I can discuss purchases before buying, and I can play games on my phone while waiting for a friend to arrive at a restaurant. But I don’t allow the phone to dictate how I live.

    Acquaintances of mine will sometimes get upset when they text me. Because I don’t keep my phone on my hip, I usually don’t respond right away. If they voice their displeasure, I’m secretly pleased; it reminds me that I have a healthy relationship with my phone. I’m in command of it. It’s not in command of me.

    Jamie Gruman does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    ref. 4 steps to building a healthier relationship with your phone – https://theconversation.com/4-steps-to-building-a-healthier-relationship-with-your-phone-235920

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Global: $Trump and $Melania crypto tokens illustrate the risks posed by trendy meme coins

    Source: The Conversation – Canada – By Anwar Sheluchin, PhD Candidate, Political Science, McMaster University

    An image on a Trump meme coin website. (GetTrumpMemes.com)

    Meme coins like the ones recently launched by United States President Donald Trump and his wife, Melania, are a hot trend in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. The rise of these digital tokens reflects the influence of internet culture and community-driven hype on the market, distinguishing them from more traditional cryptocurrencies with well-defined uses or technical foundations.

    The value of a meme coin is often driven by social media hype, community engagement and celebrity endorsements. But political meme coins seem to offer a new use: the potential to turn civic engagement into speculative assets.

    As someone who researches financial governance and digital currencies, I want to delve into various cryptocurrency initiatives. This is not intended as financial advice.

    Politics meets crypto

    In recent years, the cryptocurrency landscape has witnessed the emergence of political meme coins, digital tokens centred around political figures or movements.

    During the 2024 U.S. presidential election, a number of political meme coins emerged, inspired by political figures like Trump, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris. These coins, often unaffiliated with the politicians they reference, typically have misspelled names (for example, Jeo Boden instead of Joe Biden).

    Political meme coins merge finance, technology and politics in an unprecedented way, potentially serving as a gauge of public sentiment and political trends.

    Trump’s official $Trump token is a prime example of how cryptocurrencies can transform political support into a financial product. However, the value of a meme coin is highly speculative, as it often relies on public perception and market demand, among other things, rather than any intrinsic worth.

    According to the terms and conditions on the site where the coins are sold, “Trump Memes are intended to function as an expression of support” and come with “absolutely no promise or guarantee that the Trump Memes will increase in value or maintain the same value as the amount you paid.”

    This disclaimer highlights the speculative nature of such tokens while also raising ethical concerns about the potential to exploit political supporters for financial gain.

    MAGA credit card

    Trump’s meme coin isn’t his first venture into crypto. Previously, he released a series of digital trading cards (NFTs) that enabled cardholders to have dinner with the president.
    Third parties are building on the hype around Trump and his brand, releasing products like the limited-edition MAGA Card.

    Described as “a collector’s item and the ultimate way to spend your $TRUMP tokens,” the credit card claims to integrate Trump’s meme coin with everyday financial transactions in a bid to appeal to supporters of the president’s MAGA movement.

    However, The American Patriot’s Card — the company behind the credit card — does not appear to have any affiliation with Trump. Unlike the $Trump token, which clearly discloses its connection to Trump, the MAGA Card lacks such transparency, illustrating how the door has been opened to misrepresentation and opportunistic marketing schemes that exploit political supporters.

    Regulatory environment

    The cryptocurrency industry spent millions during the 2024 U.S. election backing crypto-friendly candidates and selling the story that crypto voters are an important voting bloc.

    This investment aimed to shape political discourse, leading presidential candidates to make promises and propose policies that aligned with the interests of the cryptocurrency industry.

    While Trump has signalled his intention to provide clear regulatory guidelines for the cryptocurrency industry, the launch of his meme coin — coupled with low public understanding of cryptoassets — could lead to financial losses from risky and speculative investments.

    Take for example, what are known as pump-and-dump schemes that have become relatively common in the cryptocurrency ecosystem. These schemes involve artificially inflating the price of an asset to sell it at a profit. After the asset is “dumped,” the price crashes, leaving investors with significant losses.

    Without appropriate guardrails in place, the need to protect investors becomes increasingly urgent.

    Relevance to Canada

    The Canadian government has expressed some concern over the role of cryptocurrency in politics. Compared to the U.S., Canada has strict campaign financing rules aimed at preventing the undue influence of money in politics and ensuring a fair and transparent democratic process.

    This means that the cryptocurrency industry likely won’t be able to influence Canadian elections in the same way they might have south of the border. Canada’s existing regulatory framework has already led to several cryptocurrency exchanges leaving the country.

    Currently, political entities in Canada can only accept cryptocurrency contributions if Elections Canada can verify the public wallet addresses and transaction amounts involved.

    However, Bill C-65 — the Electoral Participation Act — proposes regulatory requirements related to contributions that are “difficult to trace.” Specifically, political parties and candidates would be prohibited from accepting contributions in the form of “a cryptoasset, money order or prepaid payment method.” The recent prorogation of Parliament has shelved the amendments proposed in C-65, but these concerns remain relevant for future legislation.

    Risky convergence

    Discussions in the House of Commons on Bill C-65, particularly regarding cryptoasset donations, emphasize the need for a ban to prevent foreign entities from influencing Canadian elections.

    This was likely a response to concerns about foreign entities financially supporting the so-called Freedom Convoy through cryptocurrency donations, despite CSIS stating that the money did not appear to be coming from foreign states, organizations or citizens.

    The rise of political meme coins demonstrates how politics, finance and technology are merging in new and sometimes risky ways. While these coins may seem like a joke or a new way to engage with politics, the absence of proper regulations could leave political supporters vulnerable to exploitation for financial gain.

    Anwar Sheluchin receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.

    ref. $Trump and $Melania crypto tokens illustrate the risks posed by trendy meme coins – https://theconversation.com/trump-and-melania-crypto-tokens-illustrate-the-risks-posed-by-trendy-meme-coins-247781

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Global: Donors are down, but dollars are up – how US charitable giving is changing

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Una Osili, Professor of Economics and Philanthropic Studies; Associate Dean for Research and International Programs, Lilly Family School of Philanthropy, Indiana University

    Although the pie is shrinking, the remaining slices are giving more.
    Say-Cheese/iStock via Getty Images Plus

    Although the US$557 billion Americans gave to charity in 2023 marked a 2.1% decline in inflation-adjusted terms, U.S. donations have increased significantly over the past two decades. Giving has grown by about 42% since 2003, according to the annual Giving USA report – which our team at the Indiana University Lilly Family School of Philanthropy researches and writes in partnership with the Giving USA Foundation.

    While overall charitable funds have expanded according to the most recent data available, the share of Americans who give to charitable causes has fallen. It plummeted from 66.2% of all U.S. adults in 2000 to 45.8% in 2020, our team determined in a different study we released in 2024. In short, the number of dollars is up, while the share of Americans who are donors is down.

    As the second Trump administration gets underway, having fewer people donating more is one reason why scholars of philanthropy like us are watching how the federal government handles tax policy and other measures that could influence charitable giving.

    Decline continued when the COVID-19 pandemic began

    Our latest study regarding the donors’ side of the American giving equation included data from 2020 – the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

    We found that a long-term decline in Americans’ participation in charitable giving accelerated during the first year of the pandemic. The share of Americans who gave to charity fell from 49.6% in 2018, the prior year for which data is available, to 45.8% in 2020 – a nearly 4-percentage-point decline in two years. This data is only available for every other year.

    Those findings may appear to contradict many anecdotal reports about charitable activity and other acts of generosity being on the rise at that time.

    The share of Americans who give to charity had fallen by 3.5 percentage points in the prior two-year period – a sign that the pandemic may have sped up the decline in the giving participation rate.

    Giving is growing more concentrated

    How can the total amount contributed rise while the share of donors declines?

    The answer is simple: The donors who still give to charity are giving more than they used to, even after adjusting for inflation.

    The total amount the typical U.S. donor gave in a year rose from $3,131 in 2018 to $3,651 in 2020. That’s an 16.6% increase in just two years.

    We also found that American donors with higher incomes, more education and more wealth are giving larger amounts than they used to.

    Bouts of economic volatility and, in recent years, inflation running at levels not seen since the 1980s may have left many American families with less money to donate to charities.

    Other factors include cultural shifts, a decline in religious affiliation and a loss of trust in institutions of all kinds.

    What’s around the corner

    Changes enacted during the first Trump administration have been reverberating in recent years, and the second Trump administration’s policies are also likely to influence giving trends.

    Most of the taxpayers who had previously been able to take advantage of the charitable deduction, which reduces taxable income in accordance to the value of a taxpayer’s donations, stopped itemizing and instead took advantage of the standard deduction after President Donald Trump signed the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act into law in late 2017.

    That’s because the 2017 tax reforms increased the standard deduction. As a result, many people stopped itemizing their tax returns and started using the standard deduction instead.

    About 30% of taxpayers itemized in 2017, which meant they could benefit from the charitable deduction. But since 2018, only about 10% of them have been itemizing. A recent study one of us worked on determined that the tax changes reduced charitable giving by $20 billion in 2018 alone.

    The White House could attempt to address the sustained decline in the share of Americans making charitable donations by considering policies that have the potential to encourage more people to give to charity.

    The shrinking ranks of American donors matters because philanthropy plays a prominent role in fulfilling Americans’ spiritual, intellectual and material needs and aspirations for people of all backgrounds.

    Una Osili receives funding from Bill and Melinda Foundation, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Fidelity Charitable Catalyst Fund, John Templeton Foundation, Google.org

    Xiao “Jimmy” Han receives funding from Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, Charles Stewart Mott Foundation, Fidelity Charitable Catalyst Fund, Google.org Charitable Giving Fund, and the John Templeton Foundation.

    ref. Donors are down, but dollars are up – how US charitable giving is changing – https://theconversation.com/donors-are-down-but-dollars-are-up-how-us-charitable-giving-is-changing-246473

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Global: Canada and Greenland aren’t likely to join the US anytime soon – but ‘GrAmeriCa’ is a revealing thought experiment

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Peter A. Coclanis, Professor of History and Director of the Global Research Institute, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill

    For some time now, pundits have been debating whether to take Donald Trump “seriously” or “literally,” as the clever binary coined by journalist Salena Zito in 2016 has it.

    This choice comes to mind when I think about the 47th president’s frequent comments recently about incorporating Greenland and Canada into the United States. A few cases in point: Before delivering an inaugural address in which he vaguely but forcefully expressed a desire for the U.S. to expand its territory, Trump raised the issue on a confrontational phone call with the prime minister of Denmark, which handles Greenland’s international affairs. More recently, he spoke of Canada becoming a U.S. state to reporters on Air Force One.

    It’s hard to imagine a plausible scenario in which either, let alone both, joins the United States. The governments of Canada and Greenland alike have made it clear that they’re not for sale.

    But as an economic historian, I believe that thought experiments can be a useful way of understanding truths about the world. And one such truth is that Greenland and Canada play a key role in the global economy. If the U.S. were to absorb either or both, it would be a strategic, economic and political game changer.

    So, for a moment, let’s take Trump both seriously and literally. Below, I’ve laid out some very rough measures of how a reconstituted megastate including the U.S., Canada or Greenland would look in comparison to other leading countries and blocs.

    Bigger, but not more crowded

    At first glance, the most obvious thing to note about the new country would be its physical size. Today the U.S. is the third-largest nation-state in terms of area – about 57.5% of the size of Russia, by far the world’s largest country.

    By incorporating Canada, the second-largest country in the world in terms of area, the U.S., so reconstituted, would be 14% larger than Russia. If both Canada and Greenland became part of the reconstituted U.S., the country would be 22% larger than Russia.

    How about China? Today, China is slightly smaller than the U.S. in area, but China would be less than half the size of a combined U.S. and Canada, and only about 44% of the size of the U.S.-Canada-Greenland. And the European Union? It would be less than 20% of the size of a U.S.-Canada-Greenland combo.

    Incorporating Canada and Greenland into the U.S would have less of an impact in demographic terms, adding just under 40 million people to the current U.S. total of 342 million.

    Similarly, if the U.S. absorbed Canada and Greenland — two countries that are wealthy, but not nearly as wealthy as the U.S. — it wouldn’t have much of an impact on gross domestic product per capita. Why not? Because the U.S. would comprise about 90% of the total population of the new megastate. Given the figures for GDP per capita (PPP, international dollars) in Canada and Greenland and weighting for population, GDP per capita in the megastate would be about $79,000.

    A strategic shift

    The biggest effects of absorbing either country into the U.S. would come in the geopolitical, strategic and resource realms. Here, the changes would be seismic. First, by incorporating both countries into the U.S., the new entity would not only consolidate its already considerable power in the Western Hemisphere, but it would also establish a much more formidable position in the Arctic region. This is increasingly important as sea lanes are opening up with climate change.

    By adding territory, the U.S. could potentially enhance its strategic and defense posture, forcing its principal adversaries, Russia and China, to pursue more cautious tacks. These geopolitical and strategic effects would be magnified by the bounty of natural resources in the new megastate.

    Consider that the U.S. is already the largest oil-producing country in the world – producing over 13.3 million barrels a day in 2023 – and Canada is No. 4, with 5 million. Together, the two countries produced over 18 million barrels per day in 2023, while Russia produced about 10.3 million, Saudi Arabia about 9 million, and China 4.2 million. In other words, the U.S. and Canada together produce 8 million barrels of oil more than Russia does each day – a staggering differential.

    The U.S. is also by far the largest producer of natural gas in the world, with Russia a distant second. Incorporating Canada, currently the fifth-largest producer, would add considerably to the U.S. lead.

    Nor does the resource bounty begin and end with oil and natural gas. Greenland is rich in minerals of all types, particularly the rare earth elements in such demand for batteries, electronics and the like.

    And perhaps most important of all is the impact of integration regarding freshwater resources. Integrating the U.S. and Canada would bring that new entity into a virtual tie with Brazil as the leading repository of freshwater resources in the world. Canada and the U.S. are currently Nos. 3 and 4, respectively, in the world in freshwater resources; together, their freshwater stock far surpasses Russia, which is currently No. 2.

    And this doesn’t factor in Greenland, with its massive – if declining – freshwater ice shield. In any case, given the increasing demand for water around the world, control over freshwater resources will prove more and more important for the overall security posture of the U.S. going forward.

    So what do we make of this little exercise? One thing seems clear: “GrAmeriCa” would be amazingly rich in resources, as the president likely knows well. But should we take Trump literally or seriously – or both – on this issue? It may be a case of “Too soon to tell,” to invoke Zhou Enlai’s famous line about one or another revolutionary upheaval in France. But the world will know soon enough.

    Peter A. Coclanis does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    ref. Canada and Greenland aren’t likely to join the US anytime soon – but ‘GrAmeriCa’ is a revealing thought experiment – https://theconversation.com/canada-and-greenland-arent-likely-to-join-the-us-anytime-soon-but-gramerica-is-a-revealing-thought-experiment-248214

    MIL OSI – Global Reports