Category: housing

  • MIL-OSI Africa: African Energy Meets Mining: Top 5 Reasons to Attend African Mining Week (AMW) 2025

    Source: Africa Press Organisation – English (2) – Report:

    CAPE TOWN, South Africa, January 29, 2025/APO Group/ —

    African Mining Week (AMW) 2025 – held under the theme, From Extraction to Beneficiation: Unlocking Africa’s Mineral Wealth – will highlight the continent’s focus on advancing local beneficiation and industrial development. Organized by Energy Capital & Power (www.EnergyCapitalPower.com), AMW brings together global mining and energy stakeholders to explore and maximize the opportunities arising from the energy-mining nexus within Africa.

    Explore Africa’s Mining Potential

    Africa is home to 30% of the world’s critical minerals, including lithium, cobalt and copper, along with a significant share of traditional minerals such as gold, diamonds and iron ore. This makes the continent an unparalleled destination for investors, manufacturers and developers. AMW 2025 will offer insights into recent mineral discoveries, available exploration basins and innovative infrastructure projects designed to strengthen Africa’s position in global supply chains. From exploration to processing and manufacturing, AMW will demonstrate Africa’s capacity for sustainable economic growth through value addition.

    Connect Energy and Mining Stakeholders Under One Roof

    Held concurrently with the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energies conference, AMW 2025 will emphasize the crucial link between the energy and mining sectors. By bringing these stakeholders together, AMW will showcase how both industries are leveraging traditional and emerging energy solutions to enhance mining operations. Discussions will focus on how the synergy between energy and mining can unlock new opportunities for the development of local and regional economies, as well as share insights into energy-efficient technologies and renewable energy solutions. 

    Gain Exclusive Insights and Opportunities

    AMW 2025 will feature country spotlights, mineral showcases and technology displays, providing attendees with the latest information on exploration opportunities and available basins in Africa. The event will also include a Ministerial Forum and an Investment Forum, offering firsthand access to African ministers, investment banks and project developers. This will give delegates the unique chance to discuss strategic projects and collaborations directly with key decision-makers.

    Forge Strategic Partnerships

    With countries such as Zimbabwe, Angola, Botswana, Ghana, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Mali securing new investments, AMW 2025 will serve as an ideal platform for these markets to build on the increasing investment flow. Focused on unlocking Africa’s mineral wealth and capital influx, AMW 2025 provides a prime setting for deal signings and the formation of new partnerships. Delegates will be able to network with a wide range of industry leaders and innovators, creating opportunities for cross-sector collaborations.

    Discover Cutting-Edge Technologies and Innovations

    AMW 2025 will feature a variety of technological showcases and discussions highlighting the latest innovations in mining and energy. Attendees will have the chance to explore advancements in mining equipment, automation and energy-efficient technologies that are transforming the industry. By engaging with technology providers and solution developers, participants will gain a competitive edge in understanding how these innovations can be applied to enhance operational efficiency and sustainability.

    African Mining Week serves as a premier platform for exploring the full spectrum of mining opportunities across Africa. The event is held alongside the African Energy Week: Invest in African Energy 2025 conference (www.AECWeek.com) from October 1 -3. in Cape Town. Sponsors, exhibitors and delegates can learn more by contacting sales@EnergyCapitalPower.com

    MIL OSI Africa

  • MIL-OSI: Hanover Bancorp, Inc. Reports 2024 Full Year And Fourth Quarter Results Highlighted by Fourth Quarter Robust Margin Expansion and Record Non-interest Income

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Fourth Quarter Performance Highlights

    • Net Income: Net income for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 totaled $3.9 million or $0.52 per diluted share (including Series A preferred shares).
    • Record Non-interest Income: The Company reported record non-interest income of $4.2 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $0.2 million or 5.89% from the quarter ended September 30, 2024 and $0.9 million or 28.67% from the quarter ended December 31, 2023.
    • Net Interest Income: Net interest income was $13.8 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $0.7 million or 5.39% from the quarter ended September 30, 2024 and $1.1 million, or 9.08% from the quarter ended December 31, 2023.
    • Net Interest Margin: The Company’s net interest margin during the quarter ended December 31, 2024 increased to 2.53% from 2.37% in the quarter ended September 30, 2024 and 2.40% in the quarter ended December 31, 2023.
    • Strong Liquidity Position: At December 31, 2024, undrawn liquidity sources, which include cash and unencumbered securities and secured and unsecured funding capacity, totaled $713.1 million, or approximately 283% of uninsured deposit balances.
    • Deposit Activity: Core deposits, consisting of Demand, NOW, Savings and Money Market, increased $3.1 million or 0.84% annualized from September 30, 2024 and $74.1 million or 5.36% from December 31, 2023. Demand deposits increased $5.3 million or 10.33% annualized from September 30, 2024 and $3.9 million or 1.86% from December 31, 2023. Total deposits increased $49.7 million or 2.61% from December 31, 2023. Insured and collateralized deposits, which include municipal deposits, accounted for approximately 87% of total deposits at December 31, 2024.
    • Loan Diversification Strategy: The continued success in loan diversification resulted in C&I loans increasing by $61.0 million, or 56.52%, year over year, increasing to 8.51% of total loans at December 31, 2024. In addition, the commercial real estate concentration ratio improved, declining from 432% of capital at December 31, 2023 to 385% of capital at December 31, 2024. The Company continues to focus loan growth primarily in residential loan products originated for sale to specific buyers in the secondary market, C&I and SBA loans, which strategically enhances our management of liquidity and capital while producing additional non-interest income.
    • Asset Quality: At December 31, 2024, the Bank’s asset quality remained solid with non-performing loans totaling $16.4 million, representing 0.82% of the total loan portfolio, while the allowance for credit losses was 1.15% of total loans. Loans secured by office space accounted for 2.45% of the total loan portfolio with a total balance of $48.7 million, of which less than 1% is located in Manhattan.
    • Banking Initiatives: At December 31, 2024, the Company’s banking initiatives reflected continuing momentum:
      • SBA & USDA Banking: Gains on sale of SBA loans totaled $2.5 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, representing a 9.76% increase over the comparable 2023 quarter. Total SBA loans sold were $30.9 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, representing a 3.98% increase over the comparable 2023 quarter. Premiums earned on the sale of SBA loans increased to 9.06% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 from 8.26% for the quarter ended December 31, 2023.
      • C&I Banking/Hauppauge Business Banking Center: The C&I Banking Team and the Hauppauge Business Banking Center increased deposits to $96.4 million as of December 31, 2024 from $44.9 million at December 31, 2023. This growth has continued since year end, with these deposits reaching $104 million at January 27, 2025. Loan originations tied to this office were $33.5 million during the fourth quarter of 2024 and $88.4 million for the full year. Momentum continues to build with deposit and C&I loan pipelines related to this office of $43 million and $112 million, respectively.
      • Residential Lending: The Bank continues to originate loans for its portfolio and for sale in the secondary market under its recently developed flow origination program. Of the $26.1 million in closed loans originated in the quarter ended December 31, 2024, $11.7 million were originated for the Bank’s portfolio and reflected a weighted average yield of 6.88% before origination and other fees, which average 50-100 bps per loan, and a weighted average LTV of 62%. The remaining $14.4 million of closed loans were originated for sale in the secondary market. Under this program, the Bank produced total gains of $0.5 million and a resulting premium of 2.42% in the fourth quarter of 2024.
    • Technology: The Company expects to complete a core processing system conversion from its existing provider to FIS Horizon on or about February 15, 2025. This conversion is expected to deliver immediate and tangible benefits to the Bank’s operations and customers, offering material improvements in user interfaces, functionality and efficiency that will better support our commitment to a digital forward future on better financial terms.
    • Tangible Book Value Per Share: Tangible book value per share (including Series A preferred shares) was $23.86 at December 31, 2024, an increase of 9.97% annualized from $23.28 at September 30, 2024 and 6.00% from $22.51 at December 31, 2023.
    • Quarterly Cash Dividend: The Company’s Board of Directors approved a $0.10 per share cash dividend on both common and Series A preferred shares payable on February 19, 2025 to stockholders of record on February 12, 2025.

    MINEOLA, N.Y., Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Hanover Bancorp, Inc. (“Hanover” or “the Company” – NASDAQ: HNVR), the holding company for Hanover Community Bank (“the Bank”), today reported results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2024 and the declaration of a $0.10 per share cash dividend on both common and Series A preferred shares payable on February 19, 2025 to stockholders of record on February 12, 2025.

    Earnings Summary for the Quarter Ended December 31, 2024

    The Company reported net income for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 of $3.9 million or $0.52 per diluted share (including Series A preferred shares), versus $3.8 million or $0.51 per diluted share (including Series A preferred shares) in the quarter ended December 31, 2023. Returns on average assets, average stockholders’ equity and average tangible equity were 0.70%, 7.98% and 8.87%, respectively, for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, versus 0.69%, 8.10% and 9.06%, respectively, for the comparable quarter of 2023.

    While net interest income and non-interest income increased during the quarter ended December 31, 2024 compared to the quarter ended December 31, 2023, these gains were partially offset by an increase in non-interest expenses, particularly compensation and benefits. The increase in non-interest income is primarily related to the increases in the gain on sale of loans held-for-sale and loan servicing and fee income. This increase is reflective of the strengthening of secondary market premiums in connection with sales of SBA loans and the gains on the recently developed residential loan flow program. The increase in compensation and benefits expense in the fourth quarter of 2024 versus the comparable 2023 quarter was primarily related to lower deferred loan origination costs that were offset by lower incentive compensation expense resulting from reduced lending activity.

    Net interest income was $13.8 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $1.1 million, or 9.08%, versus the comparable 2023 quarter due to improvement of the Company’s net interest margin to 2.53% in the 2024 quarter from 2.40% in the comparable 2023 quarter. The yield on interest earning assets increased to 6.06% in the 2024 quarter from 5.91% in the comparable 2023 quarter, an increase of 15 basis points that was partially offset by a 5 basis point increase in the cost of interest-bearing liabilities to 4.24% in 2024 from 4.19% in the fourth quarter of 2023. The increase in the net interest margin was a result of the recent reductions in the Fed Funds effective rate and the liability sensitive nature of the Bank’s balance sheet.

    Earnings Summary for the Year Ended December 31, 2024

    For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company reported net income of $12.3 million or $1.66 per diluted share (including Series A preferred shares), versus $13.6 million or $1.84 per diluted share (including Series A preferred shares) a year ago.

    The decrease in net income recorded for the year ended December 31, 2024 from the comparable 2023 period resulted from an increase in the provision for credit losses and an increase in non-interest expense, which were partially offset by an increase in non-interest income. The year-over-year increase in the provision for credit losses was primarily related to the recording of a $4.0 million provision for credit losses in the June 2024 quarter that was mainly attributable to an ACL on an individually evaluated loan of $2.5 million and $1.1 million related to ongoing enhancements to the CECL model. The increase in non-interest income is primarily related to the increases in the gain on sale of loans held-for-sale and loan servicing and fee income which were partially offset by a decrease in other operating income. In September 2023, the Company settled ongoing litigation and received a settlement payment of $975 thousand which was recorded in other operating income. The increase in non-interest expense was primarily attributed to additional staff for the SBA, C&I Banking and Operations teams. The Company’s effective tax rate decreased to 24.62% for the year ended December 31, 2024 from 25.85% in the comparable 2023 period.

    Net interest income was $53.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $1.2 million, or 2.32% from the comparable 2023 period. The Company’s net interest margin was 2.44% in 2024 and 2.59% in 2023. The yield on interest earning assets increased to 6.12% in 2024 from 5.67% in 2023, an increase of 45 basis points that was offset by a 72 basis point increase in the cost of interest-bearing liabilities to 4.40% in 2024 from 3.68% in 2023 due to the rapid and significant rise in market interest rates.

    Our imminent core system conversion is expected to position us to compete more effectively across all lines of business, as customers expect greater convenience and technological capabilities, and will enable the Bank to realize operational efficiencies while maximizing our customer appeal. The substantial improvement in features and functionality expected with the conversion will be achieved on better financial terms than under our current system, enabling us to realize a material gain in performance with no adverse impact to operating expenses.

    Michael P. Puorro, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented on the Company’s quarterly results: “We are pleased with fourth-quarter results. Notable increases in net interest margin, tangible book value, returns on average assets and average tangible equity complemented further improvement in our CRE concentration ratio and sound credit quality, bringing 2024 to a well-rounded conclusion. Building on this momentum, we enter 2025 with strong loan and deposit pipelines across our critical verticals, including C&I, SBA and Residential Banking and the benefit of diversified income streams. Ongoing performance will be enhanced by our pending core system conversion, which will deliver tangible operational efficiencies and customer benefits, and could be positively impacted by further Federal Open Market Committee (“FOMC”) rate decreases, an improved yield curve, a favorable banking environment and potential qualification for the Russell 2000, which would increase institutional ownership and enhance the liquidity of our stock. We continue to focus on scaling our key verticals while maintaining prudent expense management, which we believe will increase shareholder value through enhanced performance.”

    Balance Sheet Highlights

    Total assets at December 31, 2024 were $2.31 billion versus $2.27 billion at December 31, 2023. Total securities available for sale at December 31, 2024 were $83.8 million, an increase of $22.3 million from December 31, 2023, primarily driven by growth in U.S. Treasury securities, corporate bonds and mortgage-backed securities.

    Total deposits at December 31, 2024 were $1.95 billion, an increase of $49.7 million or 2.61%, compared to $1.90 billion at December 31, 2023. Our loan to deposit ratio was 102% at December 31, 2024 and 103% at December 31, 2023.

    The Company had $509.3 million in total municipal deposits at December 31, 2024, at a weighted average rate of 3.72% versus $528.1 million at a weighted average rate of 4.62% at December 31, 2023. The Company’s municipal deposit program is built on long-standing relationships developed in the local marketplace. This core deposit business will continue to provide a stable source of funding for the Company’s lending products at costs lower than those of consumer deposits and market-based borrowings. The Company continues to broaden its municipal deposit base and currently services 39 customer relationships.

    Total borrowings at December 31, 2024 were $107.8 million, with a weighted average rate and term of 4.11% and 23 months, respectively. At December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company had $107.8 million and $126.7 million, respectively, of term FHLB advances outstanding. The Company had no FHLB overnight borrowings outstanding at December 31, 2024 and 2023. At December 31, 2024 the Company had no borrowings outstanding from the Federal Reserve’s Paycheck Protection Program Liquidity Facility (“PPPLF”), while at December 31, 2023 the Company had $2.3 million in borrowings from the PPPLF. The Company had no borrowings outstanding under lines of credit with correspondent banks at December 31, 2024 and 2023.

    Stockholders’ equity was $196.6 million at December 31, 2024 compared to $184.8 million at December 31, 2023. The $11.8 million increase was primarily due to an increase of $9.4 million in retained earnings and a decrease of $1.1 million in accumulated other comprehensive loss. The increase in retained earnings was due primarily to net income of $12.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, which was offset by $2.9 million of dividends declared. The accumulated other comprehensive loss at December 31, 2024 was 0.68% of total equity and was comprised of a $1.0 million after tax net unrealized loss on the investment portfolio and a $0.3 million after tax net unrealized loss on derivatives.

    Loan Portfolio

    For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Bank’s loan portfolio grew to $1.99 billion, an increase of $28.3 million or 1.45%. Growth was concentrated primarily in residential, SBA and C&I loans. At December 31, 2024, the Company’s residential loan portfolio (including home equity) amounted to $729.3 million, with an average loan balance of $483 thousand and a weighted average loan-to-value ratio of 57%. Commercial real estate and multifamily loans totaled $1.09 billion at December 31, 2024, with an average loan balance of $1.5 million and a weighted average loan-to-value ratio of 59%. As will be discussed below, approximately 37% of the multifamily portfolio is subject to rent regulation. The Company’s commercial real estate concentration ratio continued to improve, decreasing to 385% of capital at December 31, 2024 from 432% of capital at December 31, 2023, with loans secured by office space accounting for 2.45% of the total loan portfolio and totaling $48.7 million. The Company’s loan pipeline with executed term sheets at December 31, 2024 is approximately $237 million, with approximately 89% being niche-residential, conventional C&I and SBA & USDA lending opportunities.

    The Bank’s investments in diversification continue to deliver results, with the volume of SBA & USDA loans originated for sale and the volume of residential loans originated for sale sustaining momentum. During the quarter ended December 31, 2024, the Company sold $19.1 million of residential loans under this program and recorded gains on sale of loans held-for-sale of $0.5 million. During the quarters ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, the Company sold approximately $30.9 million and $29.7 million, respectively, in the government guaranteed portion of SBA loans and recorded gains on sale of loans held-for-sale of $2.5 million and $2.3 million, respectively. We expect the volume of activity to increase in 2025. Because we continue to prioritize the management of liquidity and capital, new business development with respect to residential and SBA & USDA lending is largely focused on originations for sale over portfolio growth. Conversely, portfolio growth is the primary focus of our C&I Banking initiative, which continues to drive deposit and loan growth at our Hauppauge Business Banking Center and will expand with the pending launch of our Port Jefferson branch.

    Commercial Real Estate Statistics

    A significant portion of the Bank’s commercial real estate portfolio consists of loans secured by Multi-Family and CRE-Investor owned real estate that are predominantly subject to fixed interest rates for an initial period of 5 years. The Bank’s exposure to Land/Construction loans is minor at $13.5 million, all at floating interest rates, and CRE-owner occupied loans have a mix of floating rates. As shown below, 23% of the loan balances in these combined portfolios will mature in 2025 and 2026, with another 55% maturing in 2027.

    Multi-Family Market Rent Portfolio Fixed Rate Reset/Maturity Schedule   Multi-Family Stabilized Rent Portfolio Fixed Rate Reset/Maturity Schedule
    Calendar Period   # Loans   Total O/S ($000’s omitted)   Avg O/S ($000’s omitted)   Avg Interest Rate   Calendar Period   # Loans   Total O/S ($000’s omitted)   Avg O/S ($000’s omitted)   Avg Interest Rate
                                                     
    2025   10   $ 16,416   $ 1,642   4.30 %   2025   14   $ 19,527   $ 1,395   4.82 %
    2026   36     118,503     3,292   3.66 %   2026   20     42,901     2,145   3.67 %
    2027   71     176,490     2,486   4.30 %   2027   53     124,773     2,354   4.22 %
    2028   18     29,858     1,659   6.15 %   2028   12     10,221     852   7.14 %
    2029   6     4,957     826   7.70 %   2029   4     4,346     1,087   6.38 %
    2030+   2     639     320   4.47 %   2030+   4     1,169     292   5.41 %
    Fixed Rate   143     346,863     2,426   4.29 %   Fixed Rate   107     202,937     1,897   4.36 %
    Floating Rate   3     716     239   9.22 %   Floating Rate             %
    Total   146   $ 347,579   $ 2,381   4.30 %   Total   107   $ 202,937   $ 1,897   4.36 %
    CRE Investor Portfolio Fixed Rate Reset/Maturity Schedule
    Calendar Period   # Loans   Total O/S ($000’s omitted)   Avg O/S ($000’s omitted)   Avg Interest Rate
                           
    2025   30   $ 23,439   $ 781   6.12 %
    2026   33     44,679     1,354   4.87 %
    2027   90     163,358     1,815   5.03 %
    2028   30     31,803     1,060   6.63 %
    2029   4     2,378     595   7.03 %
    2030+   12     5,745     479   6.24 %
    Fixed Rate   199     271,402     1,364   5.33 %
    Floating Rate   10     27,103     2,710   8.95 %
    Total CRE-Inv.   209   $ 298,505   $ 1,428   5.66 %


    Rental breakdown of Multi-Family portfolio

    The table below segments our portfolio of loans secured by Multi-Family properties based on rental terms and location. As shown below, 63% of the combined portfolio is secured by properties subject to free market rental terms, which is the dominant tenant type. Both the Market Rent and Stabilized Rent segments of our portfolio present very similar average borrower profiles. The portfolio is primarily located in the New York City boroughs of Brooklyn, the Bronx and Queens.

    Multi-Family Loan Portfolio – Loans by Rent Type
    Rent Type   # of Notes   Outstanding Loan Balance   % of Total Multi-Family   Avg Loan Size   LTV   Current DSCR   Avg # of Units
            ($000’s omitted)         ($000’s omitted)              
                                         
    Market   146   $ 347,579   63 %   $ 2,381   61.6 %   1.39   11
    Location                                    
    Manhattan   7   $ 17,840   3 %   $ 2,549   51.9 %   1.62   15
    Other NYC   93   $ 244,408   44 %   $ 2,628   61.2 %   1.38   10
    Outside NYC   46   $ 85,331   16 %   $ 1,855   64.8 %   1.39   13
                                         
    Stabilized   107   $ 202,937   37 %   $ 1,897   62.4 %   1.39   12
    Location                                    
    Manhattan   6   $ 9,035   2 %   $ 1,506   44.7 %   1.59   17
    Other NYC   89   $ 174,888   32 %   $ 1,965   63.2 %   1.38   11
    Outside NYC   12   $ 19,014   3 %   $ 1,584   64.4 %   1.40   16

    Office Property Exposure

    The Bank’s exposure to the Office market is minor at $49 million. The pool has a 1.28x weighted average DSCR, a 53% weighted average LTV and less than $400,000 of exposure in Manhattan.

    Asset Quality and Allowance for Credit Losses

    At December 31, 2024, the Bank’s asset quality remained solid with non-performing loans totaling $16.4 million which represented 0.82% of total loans outstanding. Non-performing loans were $14.5 million at December 31, 2023 and $15.4 million at September 30, 2024.

    During the fourth quarter of 2024, the Bank recorded a provision for credit losses expense of $0.4 million. The December 31, 2024, allowance for credit losses balance was $22.8 million versus $19.7 million at December 31, 2023 and $23.4 million at September 30, 2024. The allowance for credit losses as a percent of total loans was 1.15% at December 31, 2024 and 1.17% at September 30, 2024, inclusive of a $3.2 million allowance on individually analyzed loans, versus 1.00% at December 31, 2023, which does not include the aforementioned $3.2 million allowance.

    Net Interest Margin

    The Bank’s net interest margin increased to 2.53% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024 compared to 2.37% in the quarter ended September 30, 2024 and 2.40% in the quarter ended December 31, 2023 due to the recent reductions in the Fed Funds effective rate and the liability sensitive nature of the Bank’s balance sheet.

    About Hanover Community Bank and Hanover Bancorp, Inc.

    Hanover Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: HNVR), is the bank holding company for Hanover Community Bank, a community commercial bank focusing on highly personalized and efficient services and products responsive to client needs. Management and the Board of Directors are comprised of a select group of successful local businesspeople who are committed to the success of the Bank by knowing and understanding the metro-New York area’s financial needs and opportunities. Backed by state-of-the-art technology, Hanover offers a full range of financial services. Hanover offers a complete suite of consumer, commercial, and municipal banking products and services, including multi-family and commercial mortgages, residential loans, business loans and lines of credit. Hanover also offers its customers access to 24-hour ATM service with no fees attached, free checking with interest, telephone banking, advanced technologies in mobile and internet banking for our consumer and business customers, safe deposit boxes and much more. The Company’s corporate administrative office is located in Mineola, New York where it also operates a full-service branch office along with additional branch locations in Garden City Park, Hauppauge, Forest Hills, Flushing, Sunset Park, Rockefeller Center and Chinatown, New York, and Freehold, New Jersey, with a new branch opening in Port Jefferson, New York in the first quarter of 2025.

    Hanover Community Bank is a member of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and is an Equal Housing/Equal Opportunity Lender. For further information, call (516) 548-8500 or visit the Bank’s website at www.hanoverbank.com.

    Non-GAAP Disclosure

    This discussion includes non-GAAP financial measures, including the Company’s tangible common equity (“TCE”) ratio, TCE, tangible assets, tangible book value per share, return on average tangible equity and efficiency ratio. A non-GAAP financial measure is a numerical measure of historical or future performance, financial position or cash flows that excludes or includes amounts that are required to be disclosed in the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”). The Company’s management believes that the presentation of non-GAAP financial measures provides both management and investors with a greater understanding of the Company’s operating results and trends in addition to the results measured in accordance with GAAP, and provides greater comparability across time periods. While management uses non-GAAP financial measures in its analysis of the Company’s performance, this information is not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the numbers prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP or considered to be more important than financial results determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The Company’s non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other financial institutions.

    With respect to the calculations of and reconciliations of TCE, tangible assets, TCE ratio and tangible book value per share, reconciliations to the most comparable U.S. GAAP measures are provided in the tables that follow.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This release may contain certain “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and may be identified by the use of such words as “may,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “should,” “plan,” “estimate,” “predict,” “continue,” and “potential” or the negative of these terms or other comparable terminology. Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, estimates with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business of Hanover Bancorp, Inc. Any or all of the forward-looking statements in this release and in any other public statements made by Hanover Bancorp, Inc. may turn out to be incorrect. They can be affected by inaccurate assumptions that Hanover Bancorp, Inc. might make or by known or unknown risks and uncertainties, including those discussed in our Annual Report on Form 10-K under Item 1A – Risk Factors, as updated by our subsequent filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Further, the adverse effect of health emergencies or natural disasters on the Company, its customers, and the communities where it operates may adversely affect the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition for an indefinite period of time. Consequently, no forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. Hanover Bancorp, Inc. does not intend to update any of the forward-looking statements after the date of this release or to conform these statements to actual events.

    Investor and Press Contact:
    Lance P. Burke
    Chief Financial Officer
    (516) 548-8500

    HANOVER BANCORP, INC.            
    STATEMENTS OF CONDITION (unaudited)            
    (dollars in thousands)            
                   
                   
        December 31,   September 30,   December 31,  
          2024       2024       2023    
    Assets              
    Cash and cash equivalents $ 162,857     $ 141,231     $ 177,207    
    Securities-available for sale, at fair value   83,755       98,359       61,419    
    Investments-held to maturity   3,758       3,828       4,041    
    Loans held for sale   12,404       16,721       8,904    
                   
    Loans, net of deferred loan fees and costs   1,985,524       2,005,813       1,957,199    
    Less: allowance for credit losses   (22,779 )     (23,406 )     (19,658 )  
    Loans, net   1,962,745       1,982,407       1,937,541    
                   
    Goodwill     19,168       19,168       19,168    
    Premises & fixed assets   15,337       16,373       15,886    
    Operating lease assets   8,337       8,776       9,754    
    Other assets   43,749       40,951       36,140    
      Assets $ 2,312,110     $ 2,327,814     $ 2,270,060    
                   
    Liabilities and stockholders’ equity            
    Core deposits $ 1,456,513     $ 1,453,444     $ 1,382,397    
    Time deposits   497,770       504,100       522,198    
    Total deposits   1,954,283       1,957,544       1,904,595    
                   
    Borrowings   107,805       125,805       128,953    
    Subordinated debentures   24,689       24,675       24,635    
    Operating lease liabilities   9,025       9,472       10,459    
    Other liabilities   19,670       17,979       16,588    
      Liabilities   2,115,472       2,135,475       2,085,230    
                   
    Stockholders’ equity   196,638       192,339       184,830    
      Liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 2,312,110     $ 2,327,814     $ 2,270,060    
                   
    HANOVER BANCORP, INC.                
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (unaudited)              
    (dollars in thousands, except per share data)                
                       
        Three Months Ended   Year Ended  
        12/31/2024   12/31/2023   12/31/2024   12/31/2023  
                       
    Interest income $ 33,057   $ 31,155   $ 133,022   $ 113,626  
    Interest expense   19,249     18,496     79,930     61,739  
      Net interest income   13,808     12,659     53,092     51,887  
    Provision for credit losses   400     200     4,940     2,132  
      Net interest income after provision for credit losses   13,408     12,459     48,152     49,755  
                       
    Loan servicing and fee income   981     778     3,690     2,809  
    Service charges on deposit accounts   136     85     469     297  
    Gain on sale of loans held-for-sale   3,014     2,326     10,940     5,841  
    Gain on sale of investments   27         31      
    Other operating income   29     65     209     1,744  
      Non-interest income   4,187     3,254     15,339     10,691  
                       
    Compensation and benefits   6,699     5,242     25,600     21,562  
    Occupancy and equipment   1,810     1,746     7,222     6,628  
    Data processing   536     530     2,096     2,063  
    Professional fees   782     729     3,079     3,191  
    Federal deposit insurance premiums   375     375     1,418     1,476  
    Other operating expenses   2,198     2,048     7,697     7,200  
      Non-interest expense   12,400     10,670     47,112     42,120  
                       
      Income before income taxes   5,195     5,043     16,379     18,326  
    Income tax expense   1,293     1,280     4,033     4,737  
                       
      Net income $ 3,902   $ 3,763   $ 12,346   $ 13,589  
                       
    Earnings per share (“EPS”):(1)                
    Basic $ 0.53   $ 0.51   $ 1.67   $ 1.85  
    Diluted $ 0.52   $ 0.51   $ 1.66   $ 1.84  
                       
    Average shares outstanding for basic EPS (1)(2)   7,427,583     7,324,133     7,403,758     7,326,903  
    Average shares outstanding for diluted EPS (1)(2)   7,456,471     7,383,529     7,432,741     7,386,299  
                       
    (1) Calculation includes common stock and Series A preferred stock.              
    (2) Average shares outstanding before subtracting participating securities.              
                       
    Note: Prior period information has been adjusted to conform to current period presentation.          
    HANOVER BANCORP, INC.                    
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (unaudited)                  
    QUARTERLY TREND                    
    (dollars in thousands, except per share data)                    
                           
        Three Months Ended  
        12/31/2024   9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024   12/31/2023  
                           
    Interest income $ 33,057   $ 34,113   $ 33,420   $ 32,432   $ 31,155  
    Interest expense   19,249     21,011     20,173     19,497     18,496  
      Net interest income   13,808     13,102     13,247     12,935     12,659  
    Provision for credit losses   400     200     4,040     300     200  
      Net interest income after provision for credit losses   13,408     12,902     9,207     12,635     12,459  
                           
    Loan servicing and fee income   981     960     836     913     778  
    Service charges on deposit accounts   136     123     114     96     85  
    Gain on sale of loans held-for-sale   3,014     2,834     2,586     2,506     2,326  
    Gain on sale of investments   27         4          
    Other operating income   29     37     82     61     65  
      Non-interest income   4,187     3,954     3,622     3,576     3,254  
                           
    Compensation and benefits   6,699     6,840     6,499     5,562     5,242  
    Occupancy and equipment   1,810     1,799     1,843     1,770     1,746  
    Data processing   536     547     495     518     530  
    Professional fees   782     762     717     818     729  
    Federal deposit insurance premiums   375     360     365     318     375  
    Other operating expenses   2,198     1,930     1,751     1,818     2,048  
      Non-interest expense   12,400     12,238     11,670     10,804     10,670  
                           
      Income before income taxes   5,195     4,618     1,159     5,407     5,043  
    Income tax expense   1,293     1,079     315     1,346     1,280  
                           
      Net income $ 3,902   $ 3,539   $ 844   $ 4,061   $ 3,763  
                           
    Earnings per share (“EPS”):(1)                    
    Basic $ 0.53   $ 0.48   $ 0.11   $ 0.55   $ 0.51  
    Diluted $ 0.52   $ 0.48   $ 0.11   $ 0.55   $ 0.51  
                           
    Average shares outstanding for basic EPS (1)(2)   7,427,583     7,411,064     7,399,816     7,376,227     7,324,133  
    Average shares outstanding for diluted EPS (1)(2)   7,456,471     7,436,068     7,449,110     7,420,926     7,383,529  
                           
    (1) Calculation includes common stock and Series A preferred stock.                  
    (2) Average shares outstanding before subtracting participating securities.                  
                           
    Note: Prior period information has been adjusted to conform to current period presentation.              
    HANOVER BANCORP, INC.                
    SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA (unaudited)              
    (dollars in thousands)                
                     
                     
      Three Months Ended   Year Ended  
      12/31/2024   12/31/2023   12/31/2024   12/31/2023  
    Profitability:                
    Return on average assets   0.70 %     0.69 %     0.55 %     0.66 %  
    Return on average equity (1)   7.98 %     8.10 %     6.45 %     7.44 %  
    Return on average tangible equity (1)   8.87 %     9.06 %     7.18 %     8.33 %  
    Pre-provision net revenue to average assets   1.00 %     0.97 %     0.95 %     0.99 %  
    Yield on average interest-earning assets   6.06 %     5.91 %     6.12 %     5.67 %  
    Cost of average interest-bearing liabilities   4.24 %     4.19 %     4.40 %     3.68 %  
    Net interest rate spread (2)   1.82 %     1.72 %     1.72 %     1.99 %  
    Net interest margin (3)   2.53 %     2.40 %     2.44 %     2.59 %  
    Non-interest expense to average assets   2.21 %     1.97 %     2.11 %     2.04 %  
    Operating efficiency ratio (4)   69.01 %     67.05 %     68.88 %     67.31 %  
                     
    Average balances:                
    Interest-earning assets $ 2,169,595     $ 2,090,839     $ 2,174,000     $ 2,004,634    
    Interest-bearing liabilities   1,804,700       1,751,330       1,818,110       1,678,464    
    Loans   2,003,686       1,910,409       2,005,524       1,829,586    
    Deposits   1,853,828       1,767,753       1,840,378       1,675,913    
    Borrowings   153,126       170,793       174,327       182,307    
                     
                     
    (1) Includes common stock and Series A preferred stock.              
    (2) Represents the difference between the yield on average interest-earning assets and the cost of average interest-bearing liabilities.
    (3) Represents net interest income divided by average interest-earning assets.          
    (4) Represents non-interest expense divided by the sum of net interest income and non-interest income excluding gain on sale of securities available for sale.
    HANOVER BANCORP, INC.                
    SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA (unaudited)                
    (dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)              
                     
      At or For the Three Months Ended  
      12/31/2024   9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024  
    Asset quality:                
    Provision for credit losses – loans (1) $ 400     $ 200     $ 3,850     $ 300    
    Net (charge-offs)/recoveries   (1,027 )     (438 )     (79 )     (85 )  
    Allowance for credit losses   22,779       23,406       23,644       19,873    
    Allowance for credit losses to total loans (2)   1.15 %     1.17 %     1.17 %     0.99 %  
    Non-performing loans $ 16,368     $ 15,365     $ 15,828     $ 14,878    
    Non-performing loans/total loans   0.82 %     0.77 %     0.79 %     0.74 %  
    Non-performing loans/total assets   0.71 %     0.66 %     0.68 %     0.64 %  
    Allowance for credit losses/non-performing loans   139.17 %     152.33 %     149.38 %     133.57 %  
                     
    Capital (Bank only):                
    Tier 1 Capital $ 201,744     $ 198,196     $ 195,703     $ 195,889    
    Tier 1 leverage ratio   9.13 %     8.85 %     8.89 %     8.90 %  
    Common equity tier 1 capital ratio   13.32 %     12.99 %     12.78 %     12.99 %  
    Tier 1 risk based capital ratio   13.32 %     12.99 %     12.78 %     12.99 %  
    Total risk based capital ratio   14.58 %     14.24 %     14.21 %     14.19 %  
                     
    Equity data:                
    Shares outstanding (3)   7,427,127       7,428,366       7,402,163       7,392,412    
    Stockholders’ equity $ 196,638     $ 192,339     $ 190,072     $ 189,543    
    Book value per share (3)   26.48       25.89       25.68       25.64    
    Tangible common equity (3)   177,220       172,906       170,625       170,080    
    Tangible book value per share (3)   23.86       23.28       23.05       23.01    
    Tangible common equity (“TCE”) ratio (3)   7.73 %     7.49 %     7.38 %     7.43 %  
                     
    (1) Excludes $0, $0, $190 thousand and $0 provision for credit losses on unfunded commitments for the quarters ended 12/31/24,
    9/30/24, 6/30/24 and 3/31/24, respectively.                
    (2) Calculation excludes loans held for sale.                
    (3) Includes common stock and Series A preferred stock.                
                     
    Note: Prior period information has been adjusted to conform to current period presentation.          
    HANOVER BANCORP, INC.                
    STATISTICAL SUMMARY                
    QUARTERLY TREND                
    (unaudited, dollars in thousands, except share data)              
                       
        12/31/2024   9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024  
                       
    Loan distribution (1):                
    Residential mortgages $ 702,832     $ 719,037     $ 733,040     $ 730,017    
    Multifamily     550,570       557,634       562,503       568,043    
    Commercial real estate   536,288       529,948       549,725       556,708    
    Commercial & industrial   168,909       171,899       139,209       123,419    
    Home equity   26,422       26,825       27,992       26,879    
    Consumer     503       470       485       449    
                       
    Total loans $ 1,985,524     $ 2,005,813 $ 2,012,954     $ 2,005,515    
                       
    Sequential quarter growth rate   -1.01 %     -0.35 %     0.37 %     2.47 %  
                       
    CRE concentration ratio   385 %     397 %     403 %     416 %  
                       
    Loans sold during the quarter $ 53,499     $ 43,537     $ 35,302     $ 26,735    
                       
    Funding distribution:                
    Demand   $ 211,656     $ 206,327     $ 199,835     $ 202,934    
    N.O.W.     692,890       621,880       661,998       708,897    
    Savings     48,885       53,024       44,821       48,081    
    Money market   503,082       572,213       571,170       493,123    
    Total core deposits   1,456,513       1,453,444       1,477,824       1,453,035    
    Time     497,770       504,100       464,105       464,227    
    Total deposits   1,954,283       1,957,544       1,941,929       1,917,262    
    Borrowings   107,805       125,805       148,953       148,953    
    Subordinated debentures   24,689       24,675       24,662       24,648    
                       
    Total funding sources $ 2,086,777     $ 2,108,024 $ 2,115,544     $ 2,090,863    
                       
    Sequential quarter growth rate – total deposits   -0.17 %     0.80 %     1.29 %     0.67 %  
                       
    Period-end core deposits/total deposits ratio   74.53 %     74.25 %     76.10 %     75.79 %  
                       
    Period-end demand deposits/total deposits ratio   10.83 %     10.54 %     10.29 %     10.58 %  
                       
    (1) Excluding loans held for sale                
    HANOVER BANCORP, INC.                    
    RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (1)(unaudited)          
    (dollars in thousands, except share and per share amounts)              
                         
                         
      12/31/2024   9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024   12/31/2023  
    Tangible common equity                    
    Total equity (2) $ 196,638     $ 192,339     $ 190,072     $ 189,543     $ 184,830    
    Less: goodwill   (19,168 )     (19,168 )     (19,168 )     (19,168 )     (19,168 )  
    Less: core deposit intangible   (250 )     (265 )     (279 )     (295 )     (311 )  
    Tangible common equity (2) $ 177,220     $ 172,906     $ 170,625     $ 170,080     $ 165,351    
                         
    Tangible common equity (“TCE”) ratio                  
    Tangible common equity (2) $ 177,220     $ 172,906     $ 170,625     $ 170,080     $ 165,351    
    Total assets   2,312,110       2,327,814       2,331,098       2,307,508       2,270,060    
    Less: goodwill   (19,168 )     (19,168 )     (19,168 )     (19,168 )     (19,168 )  
    Less: core deposit intangible   (250 )     (265 )     (279 )     (295 )     (311 )  
    Tangible assets $ 2,292,692     $ 2,308,381     $ 2,311,651     $ 2,288,045     $ 2,250,581    
    TCE ratio (2)   7.73 %     7.49 %     7.38 %     7.43 %     7.35 %  
                         
    Tangible book value per share                    
    Tangible equity (2) $ 177,220     $ 172,906     $ 170,625     $ 170,080     $ 165,351    
    Shares outstanding (2)   7,427,127       7,428,366       7,402,163       7,392,412       7,345,012    
    Tangible book value per share (2) $ 23.86     $ 23.28     $ 23.05     $ 23.01     $ 22.51    
                         
    (1) A non-GAAP financial measure is a numerical measure of historical or future financial performance, financial position or cash flows that excludes or includes amounts that are required to be disclosed in the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“U.S. GAAP”). The Company’s management believes the presentation of non-GAAP financial measures provide investors with a greater understanding of the Company’s operating results in addition to the results measured in accordance with U.S. GAAP. While management uses non-GAAP measures in its analysis of the Company’s performance, this information should not be viewed as a substitute for financial results determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP or considered to be more important than financial results determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP.  
                         
    (2) Includes common stock and Series A preferred stock.  
    HANOVER BANCORP, INC.                      
    NET INTEREST INCOME ANALYSIS                      
    For the Three Months Ended December 31, 2024 and 2023                    
    (unaudited, dollars in thousands)                      
                           
                           
        2024       2023  
      Average       Average   Average       Average
      Balance   Interest   Yield/Cost Balance   Interest   Yield/Cost
                           
    Assets:                      
    Interest-earning assets:                      
    Loans $ 2,003,686   $ 30,753   6.11 %   $ 1,910,409   $ 28,394   5.90 %
    Investment securities   94,886     1,381   5.79 %     56,834     940   6.56 %
    Interest-earning cash   62,850     747   4.73 %     114,033     1,570   5.46 %
    FHLB stock and other investments   8,173     176   8.57 %     9,563     251   10.41 %
    Total interest-earning assets   2,169,595     33,057   6.06 %     2,090,839     31,155   5.91 %
    Non interest-earning assets:                      
    Cash and due from banks   8,973             7,429        
    Other assets   50,068             50,677        
    Total assets $ 2,228,636           $ 2,148,945        
                           
    Liabilities and stockholders’ equity:                      
    Interest-bearing liabilities:                      
    Savings, N.O.W. and money market deposits $ 1,152,755   $ 11,916   4.11 %   $ 1,039,062   $ 11,547   4.41 %
    Time deposits   498,819     5,642   4.50 %     541,475     5,231   3.83 %
    Total savings and time deposits   1,651,574     17,558   4.23 %     1,580,537     16,778   4.21 %
    Borrowings   128,446     1,365   4.23 %     146,167     1,392   3.78 %
    Subordinated debentures   24,680     326   5.25 %     24,626     326   5.25 %
    Total interest-bearing liabilities   1,804,700     19,249   4.24 %     1,751,330     18,496   4.19 %
    Demand deposits   202,254             187,216        
    Other liabilities   27,168             26,031        
    Total liabilities   2,034,122             1,964,577        
    Stockholders’ equity   194,514             184,368        
    Total liabilities & stockholders’ equity $ 2,228,636           $ 2,148,945        
    Net interest rate spread         1.82 %           1.72 %
    Net interest income/margin     $ 13,808   2.53 %       $ 12,659   2.40 %
                           
    HANOVER BANCORP, INC.                      
    NET INTEREST INCOME ANALYSIS                      
    For the Years Ended December 31, 2024 and 2023                    
    (unaudited, dollars in thousands)                      
                           
                           
        2024       2023  
      Average       Average   Average       Average
      Balance   Interest   Yield/Cost Balance   Interest   Yield/Cost
                           
    Assets:                      
    Interest-earning assets:                      
    Loans $ 2,005,524   $ 122,970 6.13 %   $ 1,829,586   $ 103,975 5.68 %
    Investment securities   98,238     5,992   6.10 %     26,171     1,534   5.86 %
    Interest-earning cash   60,868     3,191   5.24 %     139,006     7,243   5.21 %
    FHLB stock and other investments   9,370     869   9.27 %     9,871     874   8.85 %
    Total interest-earning assets   2,174,000     133,022   6.12 %     2,004,634     113,626   5.67 %
    Non interest-earning assets:                      
    Cash and due from banks   8,567             8,034        
    Other assets   50,461             52,953        
    Total assets $ 2,233,028           $ 2,065,621        
                           
    Liabilities and stockholders’ equity:                      
    Interest-bearing liabilities:                      
    Savings, N.O.W. and money market deposits $ 1,160,115   $ 51,457   4.44 %   $ 1,029,415   $ 39,430   3.83 %
    Time deposits   483,668     21,060   4.35 %     466,742     14,888   3.19 %
    Total savings and time deposits   1,643,783     72,517   4.41 %     1,496,157     54,318   3.63 %
    Borrowings   149,667     6,109   4.08 %     157,701     6,124   3.88 %
    Subordinated debentures   24,660     1,304   5.29 %     24,606     1,297   5.27 %
    Total interest-bearing liabilities   1,818,110     79,930   4.40 %     1,678,464     61,739   3.68 %
    Demand deposits   196,595             179,756        
    Other liabilities   27,000             24,701        
    Total liabilities   2,041,705             1,882,921        
    Stockholders’ equity   191,323             182,700        
    Total liabilities & stockholders’ equity $ 2,233,028           $ 2,065,621        
    Net interest rate spread         1.72 %           1.99 %
    Net interest income/margin     $ 53,092   2.44 %       $ 51,887   2.59 %
                           

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Global: Pharmacies sell some products that have little or no evidence of working – so why do they do it?

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Colin Davidson, Professor of Neuropharmacology, University of Central Lancashire

    Under the UK’s Pharmacy First initiative, people are encouraged to see their pharmacist before consulting their GP – especially for minor ailments. It’s a tough four-year course to become a pharmacist in the UK, so you’re in good hands if you seek their advice.

    However, on stepping in to any community pharmacy, you might be surprised by the welter of products on sale – from decongestant drugs to homeopathic remedies – that have little or no evidence to support their effectiveness.

    For example, oral phenylephrine has been shown to be ineffective as a nasal decongestant. Following a review of the evidence, late last year, the US Food and Drug Administration advised that oral versions of the drug (pills, soluble powders and syrups) should no longer be sold as a treatment for a blocked nose.

    Phenylephrine is the main decongestant ingredient in many over-the-counter cold remedies.

    Meanwhile, the UK’s Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency’s chief safety officer, Alison Cave, said there are “no safety concerns” over phenylephrine products and “people can continue to use as directed”. Although safety is not what’s in question. Effectiveness is.

    The flu drug oseltamivir also has little evidence of effectiveness – at least in otherwise healthy people. The UK government, however, still recommends its use in seasonal flu outbreaks.

    A recent meta-analysis of 33 clinical trials, with a combined 19,000 patients, showed that oseltamivir, and similar antivirals, might be useful if given to patients who are at a high risk of severe disease. However, they only worked if given within 48 hours of exposure to the flu virus. These drugs had little or no effect on most people who are at low risk or who look for treatments after the 48-hour window.

    In 2017, the World Health Organization (WHO) downgraded the status of oseltamivir from “essential” to “complementary”.

    The WHO strongly advises against giving oseltamivir to people with “suspected or confirmed non-severe seasonal influenza virus infection”. The drug doesn’t seem to help people at low risk of severe flu and can have unpleasant side-effects.

    What about supplements and other non-medicines?

    Of course, pharmacies don’t just sell drugs. They also sell supplements, such as vitamins and minerals, herbal medicines and homeopathic remedies.

    Although more than half the UK population takes a multivitamin or dietary supplement, scientists still debate their benefits. A recent large study found that taking a daily multivitamin doesn’t appear to be associated with a mortality benefit.

    On the other hand, taking a vitamin D supplement is recommended for those with a deficiency – especially during the dark winter months. Studies have shown that it may reduce the risk of heart attacks and strokes in older people. And people with periods can benefit from vitamin C as it helps with iron absorption.

    Medicines in the UK must demonstrate safety, quality and efficacy – but these criteria don’t apply to supplements, herbal medicines and homeopathic products. These products only have to demonstrate safety and quality.

    The Royal Pharmaceutical Society states that there is “no evidence from randomised controlled trials for the efficacy of homoeopathy over placebo, and no scientific basis for homoeopathy”. However, it was only as recently as 2017 that the NHS agreed to cease providing homeopathic treatments.

    If the evidence says that they don’t work, why do people take these products?

    Placebo effects may be part of the reason. The person may believe that the treatment will work and this may lead to them thinking that they feel better. Most of these products are sold for self-limiting conditions and are aimed at helping people feel better while they recover.

    Many of these products are sold for self-limiting conditions.
    fizkes/Shutterstock

    Pharmacies have always sold complementary therapies, although these products have changed with the times. You won’t find tonic wine anymore, and there’s much less call for malt extract with cod liver oil.

    So why do UK pharmacies sell products with little or no evidence of effectiveness?

    Data from Community Pharmacy England suggests that 90% of the income of the average pharmacy comes from the NHS. But, over the last ten years, that funding has seen a 30% real-term cut, even in the face of new services, such as Pharmacy First.

    Is it any wonder then that community pharmacies are moving into private services, such as weight loss, and expanding the range of lifestyle products they sell?

    Also, many pharmacists work for larger companies and these companies might value profit over evidence-based treatments. Their shops can be crammed with dubious products with high profitability.

    This conflict between pharmacies making a profit and providing the best treatment options and advice is not new and is something that Australia struggled with quite recently, leading to calls for pharmacies to drop products that lack evidence.

    As long as pharmacies face NHS spending cuts and have to rely on the sale of products that have little or no evidence for their efficacy to remain afloat, the situation is unlikely to change. In the meantime, ask questions about anything you are considering buying. You can be reassured that if a product isn’t right for your condition, your pharmacist will tell you.

    The Conversation offered the Royal Pharmaceutical Society the right of reply and Elen Jones, the society’s director for England and Wales wrote:

    “Community pharmacies are the ideal place for open conversations with patients to ensure they make informed decisions about their health, including discussing any questions about the evidence of a product’s clinical effectiveness …

    “In the case of homeopathy, the RPS is clear that it has no scientific evidence to support its clinical efficacy beyond a placebo effect and does not endorse it as a form of treatment. Pharmacists should advise people considering homeopathic products about their lack of efficacy beyond placebo and also advise that individuals do not stop taking their prescribed medicines when considering using a homeopathic product.

    “Offering a variety of products can be an opportunity for patients to access the pharmacy as a ‘gateway to healthcare,’ encouraging them to seek advice for conditions because they trust their pharmacist. Pharmacists play a crucial role in providing evidence-based care daily, guiding patients towards treatments that are safe and clinically effective, with patient care and safety always as the highest priority.”

    Colin Davidson has previously received funding from the NIH (USA) and the European Community for projects related to drug abuse. He is currently a consultant on novel psychoactive substances for the UK Defence Science Technology Labs and is a member of the Advisory Council on the Misuse of Drugs (UK). He was Head of School of Pharmacy & Biomedical Sciences at the University of Central Lancashire from 2017-2023.

    Cathryn Brown is a pharmacist and a member of the Royal Pharmaceutical Society. She is currently a member of the Labour party, and regularly donates to Sense about Science.

    ref. Pharmacies sell some products that have little or no evidence of working – so why do they do it? – https://theconversation.com/pharmacies-sell-some-products-that-have-little-or-no-evidence-of-working-so-why-do-they-do-it-246847

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Global: How Victorian melodrama turned the sweet music of gothic into something dark and sinister

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Emma McEvoy, Senior Lecturer in English Literature, University of Westminster

    In 1764, Horace Walpole published the first gothic novel, The Castle of Otranto, set in a labyrinthine castle surrounded by woods. The novel features the supernatural, with a dark secret from the past at its core. Today, 260 years later, gothic is still with us in the form of “contemporary gothic” plays, fiction, films, music and computer games.

    Central to the popularity of gothic is the way it affects its audiences. It is supposed to unsettle, to make the flesh creep and provoke feelings of claustrophobia. Soundtracks for gothic films are integral to creating such effects, building suspense and unease while amplifying the visceral impact of sudden jump scares.

    Alejandro Amenábar’s soundtrack for The Others (2001), for example, weirds its listeners out. The hollow but reverberant timbre of brushed piano strings evokes the spaces of the house, conjuring up the old-fashioned alienness of the place. Action, set and music sympathetically resonate.


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    The soundtrack for The Substance (2024) shrieks with the strings and sudden dissonances of The Nightmare and Dawn (taken from Bernard Herrmann’s score for Hitchcock’s 1958 masterpiece, Vertigo). Then, it deepens the sense of disquiet with the sinister incantations and medieval-sounding harmonies of Swedish composer Anna von Hausswolff‘s Ugly and Vengeful.

    Both soundtracks impressively succeed in doing what we expect gothic music to do: provoke unease, create suspense and drive home the horror elements.

    But has the music of the gothic always been called upon to unsettle and scare? Has it always sounded so, well, gothic? These are questions I explore in my new book The Music of the Gothic 1789–1820.

    Over the last few years, I’ve been rummaging through archives in London, Oxford and Dublin searching for settings of songs from novels and music associated with gothic plays such as The Mysteries of the Castle (1795). I uncovered many treasures, some of which probably haven’t been performed for a couple of centuries.

    Thanks to a grant from the British Academy and the Leverhulme Trust, I was able to bring some of this music to audiences once more with the help of a group of wonderful musicians, headed by Seb Gillot, who performed the tracks you can hear in this article. You can see them performing live below.

    The gothic novels and plays of the 1790s were populated by sweet-singing heroines and heroes. Among the music I encountered was a song by the composer and singer Harriet Abrams (c. 1758-1821), in which a woman imprisoned in a madhouse sweetly pleads with her cold-hearted jailer.

    I also found music for gothic plays by the Northumbrian William Shield (1748-1829) and the Irish tenor Michael Kelly (1762-1826), who wrote songs about jolly mariners , comic poachers_ and young peasant girls on their way back from market.

    None of this material sounded remotely what we would now describe as gothic. Even the music accompanying the entrance of a blood-covered ghost in The Castle Spectre (1798) was warm and stately – and singularly unterrifying.

    I realised that none of the music from the 1790s – a period when gothic was phenomenally popular – was intended to scare. On the contrary, it was called upon to provide relief from the scare. In late 18th-century gothic plays such as The Italian Monk (1797), music was associated with romance, comedy and sublime religious experience, but not horror or terror.

    At what point then did the kind of gothic music we know today come into being? The evidence can be found in books such as Remick Folio of Moving Picture Music (1914) which contains music for silent film accompanists. With names like Mysterioso, or Forboding and Wind Storm, or Hurry, they were evidently designed for scenes of suspense and mystery.

    Such music is indebted to the music of Victorian melodrama, but what I wanted to know was when melodrama acquired its distinctive gothic sounds.

    Digging into the past of gothic

    Very often in research you discover that things happen gradually. There is trial and experiment, a series of influences, a slow accumulation of examples, and then a tipping point. But when it comes to gothic music, that is not the case. There is a definite date when a specific kind of music erupted onto the entertainment scene. The date was 1802, and the occasion a new dramatic production – a “melo-drame” or musical drama called A Tale of Mystery with music by Thomas Busby.

    Busby’s music was conceptualised very differently to the music of the 1790s. For a start it was intended to add to, not to provide relief from, the gothic elements of the play.

    Most crucially, it was not part of the imagined world of the drama. The fictional characters did not sing it – they did not even “hear” it: Busby’s music was directed at the audience. Instrumental music calculated to disturb, it was chaotic and unnerving, with lots of fast, disjointed short phrases, disturbing chords and cliffhanger endings.

    Instantly recognised as new and revolutionary, it caused a sensation. After audiences had a taste of the new gothic in A Tale of Mystery, music on the page and on the stage soon became something darker and more troubling.

    The older kind of music didn’t disappear overnight, of course, but melodrama took hold and the music of gothic was transformed. Not just on stage but also on the page. Gothic music was no longer uplifting but sinister.

    As seen in The Woman in Black (2012), there’s nothing like a music box in a deserted house to terrify audiences. And who doesn’t thrill to the sound of the diabolically thundering organ in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera?

    Emma McEvoy received a research grant from the British Academy and Leverhulme Trust for the project “The Music of Gothic Literature and Theatre 1790-1820”.

    ref. How Victorian melodrama turned the sweet music of gothic into something dark and sinister – https://theconversation.com/how-victorian-melodrama-turned-the-sweet-music-of-gothic-into-something-dark-and-sinister-246797

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI USA: UConn’s Unique Landscape Architecture Program Reaccredited

    Source: US State of Connecticut

    The landscape architecture program in UConn’s College of Agriculture, Health and Natural Resources (CAHNR) has been re-accredited for four more years by the Landscape Architecture Accreditation Board (LAAB), a national accrediting body.

    UConn’s landscape architecture program is a professional degree program that prepares students to work as landscape architects.

    “It’s a program that’s unique to UConn in that it offers this professionally accredited program,” Jill Desimini, director and associate professor of landscape architecture, says. “It means that as an undergraduate, you earn a professional degree, and you can go on to enter the profession without additional study.”

    To work as a landscape architect, one path is to attend an accredited undergraduate or graduate landscape architecture program. After completing the program, graduates work with a landscape architect in the field before sitting for the exam they must pass to become a licensed landscape architect.

    The program at UConn has been accredited since 1998. The accreditation process involves the program submitting a self-evaluation report ahead of a visit from a LAAB team who observes the program and verifies the information provided by the program.

    UConn’s is one of the few landscape architecture programs in the country that are aligned with a plant science program. At UConn, landscape architecture is part of the Department of Plant Science and Landscape Architecture (PSLA).

    This provides students with the opportunity to learn about both design principles central to landscape architecture, applicable science, and the plant species at their disposal.

    “Students come out with a strong understanding of design principles, but also a strong understanding of the underlying science,” Desimini says.

    UConn’s landscape architecture students also have the opportunity to work on experiential learning projects that take advantage of the resources at UConn like the PSLA research farm and UConn Forest. Students also work on service learning projects that benefit Connecticut communities.

    “Because it’s a land grant institution and is home to UConn Extension, we’re able to have more long-term relationships with communities and support work that is happening across the state,” Desimini says. “Our students are working on real-world projects and real-world designs with communities, and they can hit the ground running with those skills and that experience.”

    Many faculty in the landscape architecture program are also active researchers, giving students additional opportunities to gain experience conducting work in the studio, lab, and field. This area will only become more important as landscape architects continue to be confronted with equity and climate change-related challenges, says Desimini.

    “Our program is in a new and exciting chapter,” Desimini says. “The focus is on work that combines STEM and design for the betterment of our communities and landscapes.”

    This work relates to CAHNR’s Strategic Vision area focused on Fostering Sustainable Landscapes at the Urban-Rural Interface.

    Follow UConn CAHNR on social media

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Economics: W&T Offshore Announces Closing of $350 Million Senior Second Lien Notes Offering And Additional Strengthening of Balance Sheet

    Source: W & T Offshore Inc

    Headline: W&T Offshore Announces Closing of $350 Million Senior Second Lien Notes Offering And Additional Strengthening of Balance Sheet

    HOUSTON, Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — W&T Offshore, Inc. (NYSE: WTI) (“W&T Offshore” or the “Company”) today announced the closing, on January 28, 2025, of its previously announced offering of $350 million in aggregate principal amount of 10.750% Senior Second Lien Notes due 2029 (the “Notes”) at par in a private offering that is exempt from registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”), and receipt of proceeds from a previously-announced insurance settlement. In conjunction with the issuance of the Notes, the Company entered into a credit agreement with certain lenders and other parties which provides the Company a revolving credit facility of $50 million.

    • Closed $350 million of Notes;
      • Lowered the interest rate from the previous 11.750% Senior Second Lien Notes due 2026 (the “2026 Senior Second Lien Notes”) by one hundred basis points;
      • Repaid $114.2 million outstanding under the term loan provided by Munich Re Risk Financing, Inc., as lender (the “MRE Term Loan”);
    • Entered into a new credit agreement for a $50 million revolving credit facility through July 2028 that is undrawn and replaces the previous credit facility provided by Calculus Lending, LLC; and
    • Received in cash $58.2 million of the previously announced $58.5 million insurance settlement related to the Mobile Bay 78-1 well, with the remainder expected shortly, which further bolsters W&T’s balance sheet.

    Tracy W. Krohn, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “We have begun 2025 with several positive events that improve W&T’s financial position. Over the past month, we have strengthened the balance sheet by closing the new senior second lien notes offering, entering into a new revolving credit facility and collecting our insurance settlement. I would like to thank our banks for running such a smooth process. The new senior second lien notes, which received improved credit ratings from S&P and Moody’s, had a broad distribution. This included international investors and was significantly oversubscribed, further demonstrating the investment community’s confidence in W&T’s underlying asset base. We are likewise pleased to now have access to the bank revolver market again. With pathways in place to bring additional fields back online and our successful actions to enhance our balance sheet, we are well-positioned for success moving forward.”

    The Company has used a portion of the proceeds from the Notes offering, along with cash on hand to, (i) purchase for cash pursuant to a tender offer, such of the Company’s outstanding 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes that were validly tendered pursuant to the terms thereof (the “Tender Offer”), (ii) repay outstanding amounts under the MRE Term Loan, (iii) fund the full redemption amount for an August 1, 2025 redemption of the remaining 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes not validly tendered and accepted for purchase in the Tender Offer and (iv) pay premiums, fees and expenses related to the offering of Notes, the Tender Offer, the redemption of the remaining 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes, the satisfaction and discharge of the indenture governing the 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes and the repayment of the MRE Term Loan. On the closing date of the offering of the Notes, the Company completed all actions necessary to satisfy and discharge the indenture governing the 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes.

    On January 28, 2025, in conjunction with the issuance of the Notes, the Company entered into a credit agreement (the “Credit Agreement”), by and among the Company, as borrower, Texas Capital Bank, as Administrative Agent, lender and L/C Issuer, TCBI Securities, Inc., doing business as Texas Capital Securities, as Lead Arranger and Bookrunner, the other lenders named therein and other parties thereto which provides the Company a revolving credit and letter of credit facility (the “Credit Facility”), with initial lending commitments of $50 million with a letter of credit sublimit of $10 million. The Credit Facility matures on July 28, 2028.

    The Credit Facility is guaranteed by each of the Company’s wholly owned direct and indirect subsidiaries (the “Guarantors”) and is secured by a first-priority lien on substantially all of the natural gas and oil properties and personal property assets of the Company and the Guarantors, other than the Company’s membership interest in its Unrestricted Subsidiaries (as defined in the Credit Agreement) and minority ownership in certain joint venture entities. Certain future-formed or acquired majority-owned domestic subsidiaries of the Company may also be required to guarantee the Credit Facility and grant a security interest in substantially all of their natural gas and oil properties and personal property assets to secure the obligations under the Credit Facility.

    This press release is being issued for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to purchase or a solicitation of an offer to sell the 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes, and it does not constitute a notice of redemption of the 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes.

    The Notes and the related guarantees have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act or any other securities laws, and the Notes and the related guarantees may not be offered or sold except pursuant to an exemption from, or in a transaction not subject to, the registration requirements of the Securities Act and any other applicable securities laws. The Notes and the related guarantees are being offered only to persons reasonably believed to be qualified institutional buyers in the United States under Rule 144A and to non-U.S. investors outside the United States pursuant to Regulation S.

    This press release is being issued for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy, or a sale of the Notes, the related guarantees, or any other securities, nor does it constitute an offer to sell, a solicitation of an offer to buy or a sale in any jurisdiction in which such offer, solicitation or sale is unlawful.

    ABOUT W&T OFFSHORE

    W&T Offshore, Inc. is an independent oil and natural gas producer with operations offshore in the Gulf of Mexico and has grown through acquisitions, exploration and development. As of September 30, 2024, the Company had working interests in 53 fields in federal and state waters (which include 46 fields in federal waters and 7 in state waters). The Company has under lease approximately 673,100 gross acres (515,400 net acres) spanning across the outer continental shelf off the coasts of Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama, with approximately 514,000 gross acres on the conventional shelf, approximately 153,500 gross acres in the deepwater and 5,600 gross acres in Alabama state waters. A majority of the Company’s daily production is derived from wells it operates.

    FORWARD-LOOKING AND CAUTIONARY STATEMENTS

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this release regarding the Company’s financial position, operating and financial performance, and potential to return fields back to production are forward-looking statements. When used in this release, forward-looking statements are generally accompanied by terms or phrases such as “estimate,” “project,” “predict,” “believe,” “expect,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “target,” “could,” “plan,” “intend,” “seek,” “goal,” “will,” “should,” “may” or other words and similar expressions that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. Items contemplating or making assumptions about actual or potential future production and sales, prices, market size, and trends or operating results also constitute such forward-looking statements.

    These forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations and assumptions about future events and speak only as of the date of this release. While management considers these expectations and assumptions to be reasonable, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, regulatory and other risks, contingencies and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company’s control. Accordingly, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as results actually achieved may differ materially from expected results described in these statements. The Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims, any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of such statements, unless required by law.

    Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially including, among other things, the regulatory environment, including availability or timing of, and conditions imposed on, obtaining and/or maintaining permits and approvals, including those necessary for drilling and/or development projects; the impact of current, pending and/or future laws and regulations, and of legislative and regulatory changes and other government activities, including those related to permitting, drilling, completion, well stimulation, operation, maintenance or abandonment of wells or facilities, managing energy, water, land, greenhouse gases or other emissions, protection of health, safety and the environment, or transportation, marketing and sale of the Company’s products; inflation levels; global economic trends, geopolitical risks and general economic and industry conditions, such as the global supply chain disruptions and the government interventions into the financial markets and economy in response to inflation levels and world health events; volatility of oil, NGL and natural gas prices; the global energy future, including the factors and trends that are expected to shape it, such as concerns about climate change and other air quality issues, the transition to a low-emission economy and the expected role of different energy sources; supply of and demand for oil, natural gas and NGLs, including due to the actions of foreign producers, importantly including OPEC and other major oil producing companies (“OPEC+”) and change in OPEC+’s production levels; disruptions to, capacity constraints in, or other limitations on the pipeline systems that deliver the Company’s oil and natural gas and other processing and transportation considerations; inability to generate sufficient cash flow from operations or to obtain adequate financing to fund capital expenditures, meet the Company’s working capital requirements or fund planned investments; price fluctuations and availability of natural gas and electricity; the Company’s ability to use derivative instruments to manage commodity price risk; the Company’s ability to meet the Company’s planned drilling schedule, including due to the Company’s ability to obtain permits on a timely basis or at all, and to successfully drill wells that produce oil and natural gas in commercially viable quantities; uncertainties associated with estimating proved reserves and related future cash flows; the Company’s ability to replace the Company’s reserves through exploration and development activities; drilling and production results, lower–than–expected production, reserves or resources from development projects or higher–than–expected decline rates; the Company’s ability to obtain timely and available drilling and completion equipment and crew availability and access to necessary resources for drilling, completing and operating wells; changes in tax laws; effects of competition; uncertainties and liabilities associated with acquired and divested assets; the Company’s ability to make acquisitions and successfully integrate any acquired businesses; asset impairments from commodity price declines; large or multiple customer defaults on contractual obligations, including defaults resulting from actual or potential insolvencies; geographical concentration of the Company’s operations; the creditworthiness and performance of the Company’s counterparties with respect to its hedges; impact of derivatives legislation affecting the Company’s ability to hedge; failure of risk management and ineffectiveness of internal controls; catastrophic events, including tropical storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, pandemics and other world health events; environmental risks and liabilities under U.S. federal, state, tribal and local laws and regulations (including remedial actions); potential liability resulting from pending or future litigation; the Company’s ability to recruit and/or retain key members of the Company’s senior management and key technical employees; information technology failures or cyberattacks; and governmental actions and political conditions, as well as the actions by other third parties that are beyond the Company’s control, and other factors discussed in W&T Offshore’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q found at www.sec.gov or at the Company’s website at www.wtoffshore.com under the Investor Relations section.

    CONTACT:

    Al Petrie
    Investor Relations Coordinator
    investorrelations@wtoffshore.com
    713-297-8024

    Sameer Parasnis
    Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
    sparasnis@wtoffshore.com
    713-513-8654

    Source: W&T Offshore, Inc.

    Source: W&T Offshore, Inc.

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Banking: Monetary developments in the euro area: December 2024

    Source: European Central Bank

    29 January 2025

    Components of the broad monetary aggregate M3

    The annual growth rate of the broad monetary aggregate M3 decreased to 3.5% in December 2024 from 3.8% in November, averaging 3.6% in the three months up to December. The components of M3 showed the following developments. The annual growth rate of the narrower aggregate M1, which comprises currency in circulation and overnight deposits, increased to 1.8% in December from 1.5% in November. The annual growth rate of short-term deposits other than overnight deposits (M2-M1) decreased to 4.5% in December from 6.1% in November. The annual growth rate of marketable instruments (M3-M2) decreased to 16.3% in December from 17.0% in November.

    Chart 1

    Monetary aggregates

    (annual growth rates)

    Data for monetary aggregates

    Looking at the components’ contributions to the annual growth rate of M3, the narrower aggregate M1 contributed 1.1 percentage points (up from 1.0 percentage points in November), short-term deposits other than overnight deposits (M2-M1) contributed 1.3 percentage points (down from 1.8 percentage points) and marketable instruments (M3-M2) contributed 1.0 percentage points (as in the previous month).

    Among the holding sectors of deposits in M3, the annual growth rate of deposits placed by households stood at 3.5% in December, unchanged from the previous month, while the annual growth rate of deposits placed by non-financial corporations increased to 2.9% in December from 2.3% in November. Finally, the annual growth rate of deposits placed by investment funds other than money market funds decreased to 7.4% in December from 7.9% in November.

    Counterparts of the broad monetary aggregate M3

    The annual growth rate of M3 in December 2024, as a reflection of changes in the items on the monetary financial institution (MFI) consolidated balance sheet other than M3 (counterparts of M3), can be broken down as follows: net external assets contributed 3.6 percentage points (as in the previous month), claims on the private sector contributed 1.7 percentage points (up from 1.2 percentage points), claims on general government contributed -0.4 percentage points (down from -0.3 percentage points), longer-term liabilities contributed -1.8 percentage points (down from -1.6 percentage points), and the remaining counterparts of M3 contributed 0.5 percentage points (down from 0.9 percentage points).

    Chart 2

    Contribution of the M3 counterparts to the annual growth rate of M3

    (percentage points)

    Data for contribution of the M3 counterparts to the annual growth rate of M3

    Claims on euro area residents

    The annual growth rate of total claims on euro area residents increased to 0.9% in December 2024 from 0.7% in the previous month. The annual growth rate of claims on general government was -1.0% in December, compared with -0.7% in November, while the annual growth rate of claims on the private sector increased to 1.7% in December from 1.3% in November.

    The annual growth rate of adjusted loans to the private sector (i.e. adjusted for loan transfers and notional cash pooling) increased to 2.0% in December from 1.5% in November. Among the borrowing sectors, the annual growth rate of adjusted loans to households increased to 1.1% in December from 0.9% in November, while the annual growth rate of adjusted loans to non-financial corporations increased to 1.5% in December from 1.0% in November.

    Chart 3

    Adjusted loans to the private sector

    (annual growth rates)

    Data for adjusted loans to the private sector

    Notes:

    • Data in this press release are adjusted for seasonal and end-of-month calendar effects, unless stated otherwise.
    • “Private sector” refers to euro area non-MFIs excluding general government.
    • Hyperlinks lead to data that may change with subsequent releases as a result of revisions. Figures shown in annex tables are a snapshot of the data as at the time of the current release.

    MIL OSI Global Banks

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: ISRO’s 100th Launch Marks a Quantum Leap in India’s Space journey, Says Dr. Jitendra Singh

    Source: Government of India

    ISRO’s 100th Launch Marks a Quantum Leap in India’s Space journey, Says Dr. Jitendra Singh

    Dr. Jitendra Singh says, Privileged to Be associated with the Department of Space at This Juncture

    Posted On: 29 JAN 2025 4:17PM by PIB Delhi

     In his first response to the Indian Space Research Organisation’s  successful 100th launch from Sriharikota this morning, Union Minister of State for Space Dr Jitendra Singh  said, “the launch of GSLV-F15/NVS-02 Mission is not simply another landmark milestone but this launch, being the 100th one, marks a quantum leap in India’s Space journey.

    Dr. Jitendra Singh expressed his deep sense of privilege in being associated with the Department of Space at such a momentous time when the world is amazed by a series of extraordinary achievements registered by the ISRO one after the other and highlighted the remarkable transformation of ISRO under the visionary leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

    Union Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh briefing the media about the 100th launch of GSLV from Sriharikota.

    Dr. Jitendra Singh emphasized that while ISRO was established in 1969, it took more than two decades to set up the first launch pad in 1993. The second launch pad came up only in 2004, marking another decade-long gap. However, in the last 10 years, India’s space sector has undergone unprecedented expansion, both in terms of infrastructure and investment. “This 100th launch marks a quantum leap in the space sector, which did not happen in the last six decades. We are now building a third launch pad in Sriharikota, and for the first time, expanding beyond Sriharikota with a new launch site in Tamil Nadu’s Tuticorin district, where the foundation stone was laid by Prime Minister Modi last year in February,” he stated.

    The Minister also underlined the rapid rise of private sector participation in space. “In 2021, we had barely a single-digit number of space startups. Today, we are nearing 300, many of which are world-class enterprises and entrepreneurial success stories. India is positioning itself as a frontline player in the global private space sector,” he noted. This growth has translated into real economic impact—investment in the sector has surged, with Rs 1,000 crore invested in 2023 alone. The space economy, currently valued at $8 billion, is projected to reach $44 billion in the next decade, further cementing India’s role as a global space powerhouse.

    Dr. Jitendra Singh also highlighted India’s growing dominance in commercial space launches. “Today, 90% of foreign satellite launches are being carried out through ISRO, reflecting the global confidence in our capabilities,” he said. The reforms initiated in the past decade, including the unlocking of the space sector for private players, have led to greater innovation, investment, and international collaborations.

    Taking to social media, Dr. Jitendra Singh congratulated the Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) for its unwavering commitment to excellence and its ability to consistently raise the bar in space exploration. He stated, “100th Launch: Congratulations ISRO for achieving the landmark milestone of 100th launch from Sriharikota. It’s a privilege to be associated with the Department of Space at this historic moment. Team ISRO, you have once again made India proud with the successful launch of GSLV-F15/NVS-02 Mission.”

    Reflecting on the remarkable journey of India’s space program, Dr. Jitendra Singh underscored the visionary contributions of early pioneers like Vikram Sarabhai and Satish Dhawan, whose efforts laid the foundation for India’s burgeoning space sector.

    The 100th launch from Sriharikota, therefore, is not just a numerical milestone but a symbol of India’s accelerated progress in space exploration. From decades of gradual development to a decade of transformational growth, ISRO’s journey stands as a testament to India’s technological prowess and its aspirations to lead in the global space economy. With new infrastructure, increased private participation, and record-breaking investments, India is poised for even greater achievements in the years to come.

    *****

    NKR/PSM

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    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Asia-Pac: English rendering of PM’s speech at the opening ceremony of 38th National Games in Dehradun, Uttarakhand

    Source: Government of India (2)

    Posted On: 28 JAN 2025 9:36PM by PIB Delhi

    Long live Mother India! 

    Governor of Devbhoomi Uttarakhand Gurmeet Singh Ji, young Chief Minister Pushkar Dhami Ji, my cabinet colleagues Ajay Tamta Ji, Raksha Khadse Ji, Speaker of Uttarakhand Assembly Ritu Khanduri Ji, Sports Minister Rekha Arya Ji, President of Commonwealth Games Chris Jenkins Ji, President of IOA P.T. Usha Ji, MP Mahendra Bhatt Ji, all the players from across the country who have come to participate in the National Games, and other dignitaries!

    Today, Devbhoomi has become more divine with the energy of youth. With the blessings of Baba Kedarnath, Badrinath ji, Maa Ganga, the National Games are starting today. This year is the 25th year of the formation of Uttarakhand. In this young state, thousands of youth from every corner of the country are going to show their capabilities. A very beautiful picture of Ek Bharat-Shreshtha Bharat is visible here. This time too, many indigenous traditional games have been included in the National Games. This time’s National Games are also Green Games in a way. Environment-friendly things are being used a lot in it. All the medals and trophies received in the National Games are also made of e-waste. A tree will also be planted here in the name of the medal winning players. This is a very good initiative. I wish all the players the best for their excellent performance. I congratulate Dhami ji and his entire team, every citizen of Uttarakhand for this wonderful event.

    Friends, 

    We often hear that gold becomes pure after being tested. We are also creating more and more opportunities for players so that they can further improve their capabilities. Today, many tournaments are being organized throughout the year. Many new tournaments have been added to the Khelo India series. Due to the Khelo India Youth Games, young players have got a chance to move forward. University Games are giving new opportunities to university students. The performance of para athletes through Khelo India Para Games is achieving new things. Just a few days ago, the fifth edition of Khelo India Winter Games started in Ladakh. Last year itself, we organized Beach Games. 

    And comrades,

    It is not that only the government is doing all these works. Today, hundreds of BJP MPs are organizing MP sports competitions in their areas to bring forward new talent. I am also an MP from Kashi. If I talk only about my parliamentary constituency, then every year in the MP sports competition, about 2.5 lakh youth in the Kashi parliamentary constituency are getting a chance to play and flourish. That is, a beautiful bouquet of sports has been prepared in the country, in which flowers bloom in every season, and tournaments are held continuously.

    Friends,

    We consider sports as a major medium for the all-round development of India. When a country progresses in sports, the credibility of the country also increases, the profile of the country also increases. Therefore, today sports are being linked to the development of India. We are linking it to the self-confidence of the youth of India. Today, India is moving towards becoming the third largest economic power in the world, it is our endeavor that sports should have a major part of the economy in this. You know, not only a player plays in any sport, there is a whole ecosystem behind it. There are coaches, trainers, people who focus on nutrition and fitness, doctors, equipment. That is, there is scope for both service and manufacturing in it. India is becoming a quality manufacturer of these different sports equipment used by players from all over the world. Meerut is not very far from here. There are more than 35 thousand small and big factories manufacturing sports equipment there. More than three lakh people are working in them. Today the country is working towards creating these ecosystems in every corner of the country.

    Friends,

    Some time ago, I had the opportunity to meet the Olympic team at my residence in Delhi. During the conversation, a friend gave me a new definition of PM. He said that the country’s players do not consider me as PM or Prime Minister, but as their Param Mitra. This belief of yours gives me energy. I have full faith in all of you, in your talent and capabilities. We are trying our best to increase your capabilities and improve your game. Look at the last 10 years, we have constantly focused on supporting your talent. The sports budget that was there 10 years ago has more than tripled today. Under the TOPS scheme, hundreds of crores of rupees are being invested on dozens of players of the country. Under the Khelo India program, modern sports infrastructure is being built across the country. Today, sports have been mainstreamed even in schools. The country’s first sports university is also being built in Manipur.

    Friends,

    We are seeing the results of these efforts of the government on the ground, it is visible in the medal tally. Today Indian players are flying their flag in every international event. Our players have performed so well in the Olympics and Paralympics. Many players from Uttarakhand have also won medals. I am happy that many medal winners have come here to this venue today to encourage you.

    Friends, 

    The old glory days of hockey are returning. Just a few days ago, our Kho-Kho team won the World Cup. The world was surprised when our Gukesh D. won the World Chess Championship title. Koneru Humpy became the Women’s World Rapid Chess Champion, this success shows how sports in India is no longer just an extra-curricular activity. Now our youth are considering sports as a major career choice. 

    Friends,

    Just like our players always move ahead with big goals, our country is also moving ahead with big resolutions. You all know that India is making all efforts to host the 2036 Olympics. When the Olympics will be held in India, it will take Indian sports to new heights. Olympics is not just an event of a game, in whichever country of the world the Olympics are held, many sectors get a boost. The sports infrastructure that is built for the Olympics also creates employment. Better facilities are created for the players in the future. New connectivity infrastructure is built in the city where the Olympics are held. This strengthens the construction related industry, and the transport related sector progresses. And the biggest benefit is to the tourism of the country. Many new hotels are built, people from all over the world come to participate in the Olympics and watch the games. The entire country benefits from this. Like this National Games is being organized here in Devbhoomi Uttarakhand. The spectators who come here from other parts of the country will also go to other parts of Uttarakhand. This means that a sports event not only benefits the players, but the economy of many other sectors also grows due to it.

    Friends,

    Today the world is saying that the 21st century is the century of India. And after visiting Baba Kedarnath, it suddenly came out of my mouth, from my heart – this is the decade of Uttarakhand. I am happy that Uttarakhand is progressing rapidly. Just yesterday, Uttarakhand became the state of the country that implemented the Uniform Civil Code, I sometimes also call it Secular Civil Code. Uniform Civil Code will become the basis for the dignified life of our daughters, mothers and sisters. Uniform Civil Code will strengthen the spirit of democracy, the spirit of the Constitution will be strengthened. And today I am here in this sports event, so I also see it connected to you. Sportsmanship takes us away from every feeling of discrimination, the mantra behind every victory, every medal is – Sabka Prayas. Sports inspires us to play with team spirit. The same spirit is there in Uniform Civil Code also. No discrimination against anyone, everyone is equal. I congratulate the BJP government of Uttarakhand for this historic step. 

    Friends,

    For the first time in Uttarakhand, such a national event is being organized on such a large scale. This is a big deal in itself. This will also create more employment opportunities here, the youth here will get work here. Uttarakhand will have to create more new ways for its development. Now the economy of Uttarakhand cannot depend only on the Char Dham Yatras. Today the government is continuously increasing the attraction of these Yatras by increasing facilities. The number of devotees is also making new records every season. But this is not enough. It is also important to encourage winter spiritual journeys in Uttarakhand. I am happy that some new steps have been taken in Uttarakhand in this direction too. 

    Friends, 

    Uttarakhand is my second home in a way. I also wish to be a part of winter travel. I would also like to tell the youth of the country to definitely visit Uttarakhand in winter. At that time, the number of devotees was not that much. There is a lot of scope for adventure activities for you here. All you athletes should also definitely find out about them after the National Games and if possible, enjoy the hospitality of Devbhoomi for more days. 

    Friends,

    All of you represent your respective states. In the coming days, you will compete fiercely here. Many national records will be broken, new records will be made. You will give your 100% according to your full potential, but I also have some requests for you. These National Games are not just a sporting competition, it is also a strong platform for Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat. This is an event to celebrate the diversity of India. You should try to ensure that your medals also reflect the shine of India’s unity and superiority. You should go from here with better knowledge of the language, food, songs and music of different states of the country. I also have a request regarding cleanliness. Due to the efforts of the residents of Devbhoomi, Uttarakhand is working hard towards becoming plastic free, trying to move forward. The resolution of plastic free Uttarakhand cannot be fulfilled without your support. Do contribute in making this campaign a success.

    Friends, 

    All of you understand the importance of fitness. That is why today I want to talk about a challenge which is very important. Statistics say that the problem of obesity is increasing rapidly in our country. Every age group of the country, and even the youth, are being badly affected by it. And this is also a matter of concern because obesity increases the risk of diseases like diabetes, heart disease. I am satisfied that today the country is becoming aware of fitness and healthy lifestyle through the Fit India Movement. These national games also teach us how important physical activity, discipline and balanced life are. Today I would like to tell the countrymen to definitely focus on two things. These two things are related to exercise and diet. Every day, take out some time and do exercise. From walking to working out, do whatever is possible. Secondly, focus on your diet. Your focus should be on balanced intake and the food should be nutritious. 

    There can be one more thing. Reduce unhealthy fat and oil in your food. Now in our normal homes, ration comes at the beginning of the month. Till now, if you used to bring home two liters of cooking oil every month, then reduce it by at least 10 percent. Reduce the amount of oil we use every day by 10 percent. We will have to find some ways to avoid obesity. Taking such small steps can bring a big change in your health. And this is what our elders used to do. They used to eat fresh food, natural things, and balanced meals. Only a healthy body can create a healthy mind and a healthy nation. I will also ask the state governments, schools, offices and community leaders to spread awareness about this, all of you have a lot of practical experience. I want you to continuously spread the information about correct nutrition to the people. Come, let us all together create a ‘Fit India’, with this call. 

    Friends, 

    Although it is my responsibility to start the National Games, today I want to do it by involving all of you. So for the inauguration of these games, turn on the flash lights of your mobiles, all of you. All of you turn on the flash lights of your mobiles. Everyone’s mobile flash lights should be turned on, everyone’s mobile flash lights should be turned on. Together with all of you, I declare the start of the 38th National Games. Once again, best wishes to all of you.

    Thank you !

    DISCLAIMER: This is the approximate translation of PM’s speech. Original speech was delivered

    MIL OSI Asia Pacific News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: REPORT on European Central Bank – annual report 2024 – A10-0003/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    MOTION FOR A EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT RESOLUTION

    on European Central Bank – annual report 2024

    (2024/2054(INI))

    The European Parliament,

     having regard to the 2023 Annual Report of the European Central Bank (ECB),

     having regard to the ECB’s feedback of 18 April 2024 on the input provided by Parliament as part of its resolution on the ECB’s 2022 Annual Report[1],

     having regard to the Statute of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB) and of the ECB, in particular Articles 2, 15 and 21 thereof,

     having regard to Articles 119, 123(1), 125, 127(1) and (2), 130, 282(2) and 284(3) of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (TFEU),

     having regard to Articles 3 and 13 of the Treaty on European Union (TEU),

     having regard to the Eurosystem staff macroeconomic projections for the euro area of 7 March 2024, 6 June 2024, 12 September 2024, and 12 December 2024,

     having regard to the decisions taken by the ECB Governing Council of 25 January 2024, 7 March 2024, 11 April 2024, 6 June 2024, 18 July 2024, 12 September 2024, 17 October 2024 and 12 December 2024,

     having regard to Eurostat’s inflation estimate of 18 December 2024,

     having regard to the Commission’s Autumn 2024 Economic Forecast published on 26 November 2024,

     having regard to the World Economic Outlook of the International Monetary Fund (IMF) of October 2024,

     having regard to the monetary dialogues with the President of the ECB, Christine Lagarde, of 15 February 2024, 30 September 2024 and 4 December 2024,

     having regard to its decision of 1 June 2023 on the arrangements in the form of an exchange of letters between the European Parliament and the ECB on structuring the practices for interaction in the area of central banking[2],

     having regard to the European Pillar of Social Rights,

     having regard to the approval of the transmission protection instrument (TPI) by the ECB Governing Council of 21 July 2022,

     having regard to the Commission proposal of 28 June 2023 for a regulation of the European Parliament and of the Council on the establishment of the digital euro (COM(2023)0369),

     having regard to the ECB’s first progress report of 24 June 2024 and second progress report of 2 December 2024 on the digital euro preparation phase,

     having regard to the four ECB progress reports of 13 July 2023, 24 April 2023, 21 December 2022 and 29 September 2022 on the digital euro investigation phase,

     having regard to the ECB monetary policy strategy review launched on 23 January 2020 and concluded on 8 July 2021, and to the upcoming 2025 monetary policy strategy assessment,

     having regard to the ECB’s operational framework review published on 13 March 2024,

     having regard to the ECB annual report on the international role of the euro of June 2024,

     having regard to the results of the ECB’s first-ever cyber resilience stress test of 26 July 2024,

     having regard to the ECB’s Financial Stability Review published on 20 November 2024,

     having regard to the publication of the revised Capital Requirements Regulation[3] (‘CRR III’) and Capital Requirements Directive[4] (‘CRD VI’) in the Official Journal of the European Union on 19 June 2024,

     having regard to the results of the ECB’s climate risk stress test of 8 July 2022,

     having regard to the 2024 update of the ECB’s Environmental Statement,

     having regard to the ECB’s Climate and Nature Plan 2024-2025,

     having regard to Rule 142(1) of its Rules of Procedure,

     having regard to Rule 55 of its Rules of Procedure,

     having regard to the report of the Committee on Economic and Monetary Affairs (A10-0003/2025),

    A. whereas, according to Eurostat, harmonised index of consumer prices (HICP) inflation reached a level of 2.2 % in the euro area in November 2024;

    B. whereas, according to the December 2024 Eurosystem staff macroeconomic projections for the euro area, HICP inflation is projected to decline to 2.1 % in 2025, 1.9 % in 2026, and to increase to 2.1 % in 2027[5];

    C. whereas the ECB’s primary objective is to maintain price stability, which it has defined as a level of inflation of 2 % over the medium term;

    D. whereas the ECB should support the general economic policies of the EU, thereby contributing to the achievement of the objectives of the EU as laid down in Article 3 TEU;

    E. whereas the ECB is politically independent, which means that neither EU institutions and agencies nor Member State governments should seek to influence it;

    F. whereas the ECB can take decisions to fulfil its primary objective of maintaining price stability without political interference other than being held accountable;

    G. whereas political independence requires the ECB to refrain from taking political actions;

    H. whereas Article 123 TFEU and Article 21 of the Statute of the ESCB and of the ECB prohibit the direct monetary financing of governments; whereas the ECB may purchase debt securities on the secondary market if this is necessary to pursue its objectives;

    I. whereas the Eurosystem has been built on the principle of monetary dominance;

    J. whereas the principal payments from maturing securities purchased under the asset purchase programme (APP) are no longer reinvested and the principal payments from maturing securities purchased under the pandemic emergency purchase programme (PEPP) will no longer be reinvested from January 2025;

    K. whereas bank reserves held by credit institutions at the ECB amounted to EUR 3 trillion in December 2024;

    L. whereas the euro is the second most important currency globally;

    M. whereas the ECB is accountable to Parliament as the EU institution representing EU citizens; whereas this accountability has been maintained at the highest level, with the regular organisation of the Monetary Dialogue, the ECB President’s regular appearances at Parliament plenary sittings and various visits and meetings between Members of Parliament and ECB board members;

    General overview

    1. Welcomes the role of the ECB in safeguarding monetary and financial stability, which is a necessary precondition for growth and economic stability; underlines that the ECB is the institution responsible for maintaining price stability in the euro area in this regard; notes that, ‘without prejudice to the objective of price stability, the ESCB shall support the general economic policies in the Union’ as laid down in Article 127 TFEU;

    2. Underlines that the statutory independence of the ECB, as laid down in the Treaties, is a prerequisite for it to fulfil its mandate, which is to maintain price stability in the euro area and thereby contribute to economic growth, competitiveness and job creation;

    3. Highlights the importance of the ECB’s political independence, which should remain untouched; stresses that this independence requires the ECB to in turn refrain from taking political actions; welcomes the institutional cooperation, thereby stressing the importance of the corresponding level of accountability to Parliament;

    4. Invites the ECB and the European Parliament to make full use of the accountability and transparency arrangements and, where possible, further enhance these arrangements, without prejudice to the ECB’s independence;

    5. Recognises the ECB’s efforts to bring inflation back down to levels commensurate with its target of 2 % over the medium term;

    6. Stresses that both the ECB’s monetary policy, delivering on its mandate, and fiscal policies, should work in tandem to help European citizens and households, as well as small businesses;

    7. Takes note of the disparities between Member States with regard to inflation levels above or below the ECB’s 2 % target; emphasises that inflation diminishes the purchasing power of fixed incomes, savings and pensions and that it distorts the signalling function of prices, that ensures an efficient allocation of resources, thereby having a negative impact on economic stability;

    8. Stresses that inflation triggered a ‘cost of living crisis’ for EU citizens; emphasises therefore the imperative of reducing inflation to its target rate of 2 %; notes that high inflation levels disproportionally affect lower-income households that spend a higher proportion of their budget on necessities; stresses that bringing headline and core inflation back down to their target levels is therefore also important to maintaining social cohesion;

    9. Regrets that core inflation still remains high in the euro area (2.7 % in November 2024), with only one euro area Member State reporting core inflation rates below 2 % in November 2024; recalls that this situation generates economic uncertainty, discourages savings and increases citizens’ living costs, particularly affecting those on fixed and limited incomes;

    10. Stresses that keeping interest rates too high could harm economic growth; calls on the ECB not to lower interest rates too quickly, given the risk that inflation levels could start increasing again while inflation is already above 2 %; highlights the key role that inflation expectations play and that excessive volatility in inflation rates might distort inflation expectations; invites the ECB to assess the impact of interest rate changes on different economic sectors, among them capital-intensive sectors;

    11. Acknowledges that the monetary policy decisions taken by the Governing Council of the ECB since the inflation crisis stemming from the rise in energy prices have put inflation on a path which is compatible with the achievement of the objective of price stability, while avoiding a serious deterioration in economic activity or employment;

    12. Recalls that the Eurosystem was built on the principle of monetary dominance and that the economic and monetary union therefore requires solid fiscal policies in the Member States in order to be able to respond to external shocks; recalls the need for adequate implementation of the new fiscal framework to ensure the credibility of fiscal policies at the level of the economic and monetary union; notes that sufficient fiscal space also allows Member States to respond to external shocks; notes the flexibility provided by the new fiscal rules in this regard; points out that Member States can enhance their resilience to external shocks through fiscal measures as well as with growth-enhancing reforms;

    13. Recalls that prudent fiscal policies by the Member States can complement the ECB’s efforts to keep inflation low and thereby protect incomes; highlights that addressing excessive public deficit and debt levels is crucial to maintaining a stable economy, sustainable growth and to having the policy space available for governments to respond to adverse shocks; notes in this respect the recent findings of the Financial Stability Review concerning high levels of national debt;

    14. Notes that the ECB’s monetary policies aimed at delivering its primary mandate are subject to a proportionality assessment; notes that the proportionality assessment takes into account the impact of monetary policy measures on the broader economy and economic policies;

    Monetary policy

    15. Strongly welcomes the fact that headline inflation has come down from its peak of 10.6 % in October 2022 to 2.2 % in November 2024;

    16. Welcomes the decrease in core inflation from its peak of 7.6 % in March 2023 to 2.7 % in November 2024, but expresses its unease at its historically and persistently high level; notes with concern that high core inflation could translate into higher headline inflation numbers;

    17. Notes that it has taken the ECB more than three years to achieve a level of inflation that is commensurate with its target level of 2 %; recalls in this regard the ECB’s incorrect assessment that inflation was expected to be only transitory;

    18. Stresses that supply shocks, primarily originating from external sources, were among the key drivers of the inflation surges; recognises that monetary policy has a more direct effect on inflation levels when it stems primarily from demand factors rather than supply factors;

    19. Welcomes the ECB’s efforts to regularly update its models; invites the ECB to  continue reviewing and improving its models and their role in its policymaking in light of the subpar performance of the models in recent years, in order to learn from previous crises, particularly to better distinguish between demand-driven and supply-side sources of inflation; stresses that economic supply shocks can arise from many sources, among others geopolitical events, climate-related or natural disasters and cyberattacks;

    20. Stresses that the inclusion of owner-occupied housing (OOH) in the HICP is desirable for reasons of both representativeness and comparability across countries in the euro area; calls for an acceleration of the roadmap in order to ensure the rapid inclusion of OOH data in the HICP; welcomes the Governing Council of the ECB’s commitment to consider both in its monetary policy assessments and decisions also the available inflation measures regarding the quarterly stand-alone OOH index;

    21. Supports the ECB’s decision to scale back its asset purchase programmes, so as to balance market liquidity conditions and inflation levels, in view of the excess liquidity in the market and decreased levels of inflation; welcomes the fact that the asset portfolio under the ECB’s purchasing programmes has been on a downward trend since 2023;

    22. Underlines that interest on commercial banks’ holdings of bank reserves resulted  in the Eurosystem paying more than EUR 120 billion interest to credit institutions in 2023, amounting to at least 0.8 % of euro area GDP; considers this is a significant subsidy to the banking sector; asks the ECB to mitigate this issue;

    23. Stresses that the ECB’s purchase programmes are unconventional policies applicable only during crisis periods that, if not carefully implemented, risk contravening the prohibition on monetary financing under Article 123(1) TFEU; invites the ECB to continue monitoring the gradual reduction of its balance sheet, to limit prolonged potential destabilising effects in the euro area, while monitoring the growth and competitiveness of the EU’s economy; invites the ECB to share insights on the impact of the purchasing programmes on the functioning of financial markets, including the impact on pension funds and pension insurance cooperation;

    24. Stresses that an even transmission of monetary policy is vital to the achievement of the ECB’s price stability mandate; underlines that excessive divergence in sovereign yields makes credit conditions inconsistent with the uniform transmission of monetary policy and makes reducing public debt exceedingly difficult; takes note of the establishment of the transmission protection instrument (TPI) in July 2022 as a tool to support the effective transmission of monetary policy;

    25. Stresses that diverging interest rates in the euro area are – in the absence of any serious financial disturbances – generally the result of different risk premiums on government bonds reflecting, among other factors, different approaches to fiscal policy; notes that TPI interventions may conceal underlying fiscal challenges; stresses that TPI should be used under the conditions set by the ECB only to address financial market stress unrelated to economic fundamentals; calls on Member States to conduct responsible fiscal policies and ensure sustainable debt levels, thereby ensuring their resilience against current and future shocks;

    Digital euro

    26. Welcomes the ECB’s progress on the digital euro project and its ongoing dialogue with Parliament; underscores that the digital euro should deliver clear added value to European citizens, including enhanced strategic autonomy in payments, a higher level of competition in the retail payment market, potential to foster innovation in payments and finance, improved financial inclusion and a reliable offline backup payment system; calls on the ECB to clearly communicate these benefits in order to foster public trust and awareness; notes that the EU co-legislators will need to strike the right balance, among others, on holding limits, privacy concerns, competition with private payment solutions and usability in a business context;

    27. Considers that the digital euro will only become a success story if it provides tangible added value for European citizens that they can understand; notes that currently many European citizens either have not heard about the digital euro project or remain sceptical; invites the ECB, together with relevant stakeholders, to launch a broad information campaign on the digital euro in order to allay citizens’ concerns;

    28. Reiterates that the digital euro will serve as complement to physical cash, that it should not replace cash and that cash will remain widely available and accessible at all times in order to ensure a plurality of means of payment; welcomes, in that context, the proposal for a regulation on the use of euro cash as legal tender;

    29. Stresses the need for a cost-based compensation model for the banking sector, which is tasked with the practical implementation of the digital euro project; recalls that the compensation model must guarantee a euro that is free of charge for its users;

    30. Calls on the ECB to take due account of financial stability concerns and potential changes in the structure of the financial sector resulting from the introduction of the digital euro; recalls the importance of holding limits, in order not to create additional risks for banks’ balance sheets, especially during crises;

    31. Calls on the ECB to prioritise robust privacy safeguards, establishing them as a gold standard for privacy for central bank digital currency (CBDC), to secure public confidence and address citizens’ concerns regarding data protection and autonomy;

    Secondary objectives

    32. Stresses that the EU’s secondary objectives are indeterminate as currently specified by the Treaties; notes that the supportive nature of the ECB’s secondary objectives complements the primary mandate; according to the Treaties, the EU’s aim is to promote peace, its values and the well-being of its peoples, create balanced economic growth and price stability, a highly competitive social market economy, aiming at full employment and social progress, and a high level of protection and improvement of the quality of the environment;

    33. Recalls that without prejudice to the ECB’s primary mandate, the Treaties require it to support the general economic policies of the Union; calls on the ECB to adhere to its mandate when interpreting or acting upon its secondary objectives; stresses that overstepping this mandate touches on the independence of the ECB; considers that maintaining price stability and stable macroeconomic conditions is conducive to creating the right conditions for the implementation of the EU’s general economic policy objectives;

    34. Stresses that the ECB’s secondary objectives are best achieved when operating in a stable macroeconomic environment based on predictable price levels that encourages investment; calls on the ECB to include a specific chapter in its annual report explaining how it has interpreted and implemented its secondary objectives;

    35. Stresses that the ECB should prevent distortions in the signalling function of prices that ensures an efficient allocation of resources; invites the ECB to further assess to what extent climate change affects its ability to maintain price stability;

    36. Insists that the ECB respect the market neutrality approach in its monetary operations;

    37. Notes that the ECB’s actions to decarbonise its corporate bond holdings have not strictly followed a market neutral approach;

    38. Invites the ECB to review its policies to ensure that these measures promote EU competitiveness whereas such actions should in no way jeopardise the primary objective of the ECB;

    39. Calls on the ECB to use all its available tools to ensure that banks take all financial and external risks, including climate and geopolitical risks, seriously; welcomes the ECB’s activities to further enhance the Eurosystem’s risk assessment tools and capabilities in order to better include climate- and environment-related risks, particularly because climate change and extreme weather phenomena could lead to greater price volatility, especially in the agri-food sector; invites the ECB to continue its work on climate risk stress tests developed to assess the resilience of banks and corporations in the face of climate transition risk;

    40. Notes the Climate and nature plan 2024-2025; invites the ECB to draft a Geopolitics plan 2025-2030 in order to better understand the implications of war and conflict on price stability and treat all potential sources of external shocks equally;

    Other aspects

    41. Underlines that a strengthened international role of the euro would lead to lower interest rates in the euro area, increased status for the EU on the international stage and enhanced macroeconomic stability; recalls that strengthening the international role of the euro would contribute to enhancing the EU’s strategic autonomy;

    42. Calls on the ECB to look into strengthening the international role of the euro with a view to enhancing its attractiveness as a reserve currency and support market-driven shifts in this direction; notes that the completion of the economic and monetary union could foster the international role of the euro;

    43. Notes the ECB’s support for the establishment of a fully fledged European deposit insurance scheme; acknowledges that risk-sharing and risk-reduction are interlinked;

    44. Welcomes the attention that the ECB pays to the risks of cyberattacks; calls on the ECB to ensure the safety and security of the monetary system for its users, especially in the light of ongoing geopolitical developments;

    45. Considers that financial stability is a prerequisite for effective monetary policy and a resilient financial system; welcomes the finalisation of the Basel III framework and its implementation from 1 January 2025, as it has the potential to strengthen the resilience of the banking sector in this regard; notes, however, the delays in implementation and lack of clarity with regard to implementation by a certain number of other jurisdictions, resulting in an uneven level playing field at the global level;

    46. Acknowledges the ECB’s concern regarding the rise of the shadow banking sector and the risk it may pose to financial stability;

    47. Encourages collaboration with the Member States and national central banks on financial literacy programmes to empower individuals and businesses to make informed financial decisions;

    48. Regrets that only two members of the ECB’s Executive Board and Governing Council are women; reiterates that the nominations to the Executive Board should be gender-balanced, with shortlists submitted to Parliament; urges the euro area Member States to improve the principles of gender equality in their appointment procedures, so that both genders have equal opportunities to serve as governors of their respective national central banks;

    49. Reiterates that ECB appointments should be based on objective merit and competence assessment processes;

    50. Supports the aim of the ECB to increase female representation by encouraging women to advance in this field; therefore welcomes initiatives such as the ECB Women in Economics Scholarship;

    51. Highlights that the latest Financial Stability Review released by the ECB in November 2024 raises concerns over the possibility of an AI-related asset price bubble given the concentration among a few large AI beneficiary firms;

    52. Calls for the further enhancement of the ECB’s internal whistleblowing framework to bring it into line with the EU Whistleblower Directive;

    53. Invites the ESCB to continue and strengthen its dialogues with national parliaments, which it believes would strengthen the legitimacy and policies of the ESCB;

    °

    ° °

    54. Instructs its President to forward this resolution to the Council, the Commission and the European Central Bank.

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Written question – European Commission interference in the annulment of the Romanian presidential elections – E-000200/2025

    Source: European Parliament

    Question for written answer  E-000200/2025
    to the Commission
    Rule 144
    Georgiana Teodorescu (ECR), Adrian-George Axinia (ECR), Gheorghe Piperea (ECR), Claudiu-Richard Târziu (ECR), Şerban Dimitrie Sturdza (ECR)

    In an interview with the RMC channel on 10 January 2025, former European Commissioner Thierry Breton stated: ‘Let’s enforce our laws in Europe when they are at risk being circumvented and when they could, if not enforced, lead to interference. We did it in Romania, and we will obviously do it if necessary in Germany’, when asked about possible external interference, especially by Elon Musk.

    The French politician’s statements cast doubt on the European Union’s position on democratic principles and its respect for the sovereignty of the Member States, especially in the context of the recent elections in Romania and the implications for future electoral processes throughout the Union.

    Given that a former European Commissioner made this statement, we ask the following questions:

    • 1.What specifically does the European Commission’s involvement in national elections in a Member State consist of?
    • 2.What are the reasons why ‘the law was enforced’ and the presidential elections in Romania were annulled?

    Submitted: 17.1.2025

    Last updated: 29 January 2025

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Climate: Federal Council approves new reduction targets under the Paris Agreement

    Source: Switzerland – Department of Foreign Affairs in English

    At its meeting on 29 January, the Federal Council approved Switzerland’s new reduction target under the Paris Agreement. This corresponds to the reduction path of the Swiss Climate and Innovation Act. By 2035, Switzerland should reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by at least 65 per cent compared to 1990 levels, and by 59 per cent on average between 2031 and 2035. The objectives are to be achieved primarily through domestic measures. At the same time, the Federal Council approved an amendment to the long-term climate strategy.

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Transport and growth update: airport expansion and transition to greener aviation

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Outlines the government’s position on airport expansion and work being done on sustainable aviation fuels.

    I wish to update the House on the government’s position regarding airport expansion and the transition to greener aviation.

    The government recognises that air connectivity plays a vital role in supporting economic growth across the country, contributing £14 billion to our GDP in 2023 and over 140,000 jobs across the UK in 2022.

    However, capacity constraints are hindering the country’s ability to reap the growth benefits of aviation. There is a particular capacity challenge in the south east of England. Heathrow Airport, the largest airport in Europe by passenger traffic, the most internationally connected airport in the world and the UK’s only hub airport, plays a critical role in enabling international connectivity for both passengers and freight. This supports productivity and economic growth. Around 75% of UK long haul flights go from Heathrow and 60% of UK air freight goes through Heathrow. But Heathrow is running at nearly full capacity, which is limiting our potential to compete with major European hubs and holding back growth.

    Tackling capacity constraints at Heathrow Airport could unlock growth benefits that a world-class aviation sector can provide. That’s why the government supports and is inviting proposals for a third runway at Heathrow, to be brought forward by the summer.

    Expansion could inject billions into our economy, create over 100,000 extra jobs, strengthen Heathrow’s status as a global passenger and air freight hub, and deliver major benefits for passengers, including lower fares and reduced delays.

    Once proposals have been received, the government will move at speed to review the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS), which provides the basis for decision making on granting development consent for a new runway at Heathrow. Any scheme must be delivered in line with the UK’s legal, climate, and environmental obligations.

    The government is committed to ensuring that the economic benefits of airport expansions are delivered in a way that considers and addresses environmental and social responsibilities. We are already making great strides in transitioning to greener aviation. Earlier this month, the Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF) Mandate became law, requiring 2% of this year’s aviation fuel supply to be from sustainable sources, with the targets reaching 10% in 2030 and 22% in 2040. SAF is one of the key measures required to reach net zero emissions from aviation by 2050: it reduces GHG emissions by around 70% on average when replacing fossil kerosene (jet fuel).

    Today (29 January 2025), I am pleased to announce that we will invest £63 million over the next year for the Advanced Fuels Fund, supporting SAF producers across the UK including in areas like Teesside. We have also published today the government’s response to the consultation on a revenue certainty mechanism (RCM), which, once implemented, will encourage investment into the nascent UK SAF industry. Next steps on the RCM will be set out imminently.

    Taken together, our SAF commitments will support thousands of jobs, bring down our transport emissions, support our energy security and make the UK a clean energy superpower.

    Updates to this page

    Published 29 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Security: Criminals smuggling 1.5 billion untaxed cigarettes stopped

    Source: Eurojust

    The investigation into the smuggling group started in May 2020, when three containers arrived in Belgium filled with undeclared cigarettes instead of the supposed construction material destined for Germany. The group tried to avoid suspicion by filling one of the three containers with the declared goods and presenting it correctly to customs. The building materials would then be loaded into the second and third containers to get them through customs. The smuggling did not go unnoticed as customs officers discovered that the containers were filled with undeclared cigarettes.

    With the support of the European Anti-Fraud Office, Belgian and German customs launched a cross-border investigation into the criminal group. They discovered that the same method had been used to smuggle over 150 containers filled with cigarettes into the EU. During the investigation, customs authorities also learned that the group was now also unloading cigarettes at warehouses in the Netherlands. The Dutch customs authorities joined the international investigation to take down the smuggling operation.

    The cigarettes were manufactured in Türkiye and Iran, then exported to ports worldwide, reloaded and brought into EU ports using forged sea freight documents. The criminal group is suspected of smuggling 150 containers into the EU. The fiscal loss of the smuggling scheme is estimated at EUR 550 million.

    The four-year long investigation culminated in an action day coordinated from Eurojust’s headquarters in The Hague. Authorities executed arrest warrants in three countries, leading to two arrests in Belgium, one in the Netherlands and seven in Germany. Seventeen locations and one vehicle were searched where authorities seized multiple phones laptops and paper documents.

    The following authorities carried out the operations:

    • Germany: Public Prosecutor’s Office Bielefeld; Customs Investigation Office Hanover
    • Belgium: Public Prosecution Office Namur; Public Prosecution Office Charleroi; Federal Police Namur; Federal Police Charleroi; Belgian Customs Authorities
    • The Netherlands: National Public Prosecutors Office for Economic and Environmental Crimes; Fiscal Intelligence and Investigation Service
    • European Anti-Fraud Office (OLAF)

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-OSI: YieldMax™ ETFs Announces Distributions on PLTY ($2.9826), MARO ($2.1002), NVDY ($0.8294), YMAX ($0.1469), YMAG ($0.1898) and Others

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    CHICAGO and MILWAUKEE and NEW YORK, Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — YieldMax™ today announced distributions for the YieldMax™ Weekly Payers and Group B ETFs listed in the table below.

    ETF
    Ticker
    1
    ETF Name Reference
    Asset
    Distribution
    per Share
    Distribution
    Frequency
    Ex-Date & R
    ecord Date
    Payment
    Date
    GPTY* YieldMax™ AI & Tech
    Portfolio Option
    Income ETF
    Multiple Weekly
    LFGY YieldMax™ Crypto
    Industry & Tech
    Portfolio Income ETF
    Multiple $0.6294 Weekly 1/30/2025 1/31/2025
    YMAX YieldMax™ Universe
    Fund of Option
    Income ETFs
    Multiple $0.1469 Weekly 1/30/2025 1/31/2025
    YMAG YieldMax™
    Magnificent 7 Fund of
    Option Income ETFs
    Multiple $0.1898 Weekly 1/30/2025 1/31/2025
    NVDY YieldMax™ NVDA
    Option Income
    Strategy ETF
    NVDA $0.8294 Every 4 Weeks 1/30/2025 1/31/2025
    DIPS YieldMax™ Short
    NVDA Option Income
    Strategy ETF
    NVDA $0.5026 Every 4 Weeks 1/30/2025 1/31/2025
    FBY YieldMax™ META
    Option Income
    Strategy ETF
    META $0.6390 Every 4 Weeks 1/30/2025 1/31/2025
    GDXY YieldMax™ Gold
    Miners Option Income
    Strategy ETF
    GDX® $0.5937 Every 4 Weeks 1/30/2025 1/31/2025
    BABO YieldMax™ BABA
    Option Income
    Strategy ETF
    BABA $0.4693 Every 4 Weeks 1/30/2025 1/31/2025
    JPMO YieldMax™ JPM
    Option Income
    Strategy ETF
    JPM $0.6929 Every 4 Weeks 1/30/2025 1/31/2025
    MRNY YieldMax™ MRNA O
    ption Income
    Strategy ETF
    MRNA $0.2730 Every 4 Weeks 1/30/2025 1/31/2025
    PLTY YieldMax™ PLTR
    Option Income
    Strategy ETF
    PLTR $2.9826 Every 4 Weeks 1/30/2025 1/31/2025
    MARO YieldMax™ MARA
    Option Income
    Strategy ETF
    MARA $2.1002 Every 4 Weeks 1/30/2025 1/31/2025
    Weekly Payers & Group C ETFs scheduled for next week: GPTY LFGY YMAX YMAG CONY FIAT MSFO AMDY NFLY ABNY PYPY ULTY

    Note: DIPS, FIAT, CRSH and YQQQ are hereinafter referred to as the “Short ETFs.

    You are not guaranteed a distribution under the ETFs. Distributions for the ETFs (if any) are variable and may vary significantly from period to period and may be zero.

    Investors in the Funds will not have rights to receive dividends or other distributions with respect to the underlying reference asset(s).

    *The inception date for GPTY is January 22, 2025.

    1 Each ETF’s strategy (except those of the Short ETFs) will cap potential gains if its reference asset’s shares increase in value, yet subjects an investor to all potential losses if the reference asset’s shares decrease in value. Such potential losses may not be offset by income received by the ETF. Each Short ETF’s strategy will cap potential gains if its reference asset decreases in value, yet subjects an investor to all potential losses if the reference asset increases in value. Such potential losses may not be offset by income received by the ETF.
       
      Each Fund has a limited operating history and while each Fund’s objective is to provide current income, there is no guarantee the Fund will make a distribution. Distributions are likely to vary greatly in amount.
       

    Important Information

    Investors should consider the investment objectives, risks, charges and expenses carefully before investing. For a prospectus or summary prospectus with this and other information about each Fund, visit our website at www.YieldMaxETFs.com. Read the prospectus or summary prospectus carefully before investing.

    There is no guarantee that any Fund’s investment strategy will be properly implemented, and an investor may lose some or all of its investment in any such Fund.

    Tidal Financial Group is the adviser for all YieldMax™ ETFs.

    THE FUND, TRUST, AND ADVISER ARE NOT AFFILIATED WITH ANY UNDERLYING REFERENCE ASSET.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable to all YieldMax ETFs referenced above, except the Short ETFs)

    YMAX, YMAG, FEAT and FIVY generally invest in other YieldMax™ ETFs. As such, these two Funds are subject to the risks listed in this section, which apply to all the YieldMax™ ETFs they may hold from time to time.

    Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible.

    Call Writing Strategy Risk. The path dependency (i.e., the continued use) of the Fund’s call writing strategy will impact the extent that the Fund participates in the positive price returns of the underlying reference asset and, in turn, the Fund’s returns, both during the term of the sold call options and over longer periods.

    Counterparty Risk. The Fund is subject to counterparty risk by virtue of its investments in options contracts. Transactions in some types of derivatives, including options, are required to be centrally cleared (“cleared derivatives”). In a transaction involving cleared derivatives, the Fund’s counterparty is a clearing house rather than a bank or broker. Since the Fund is not a member of clearing houses and only members of a clearing house (“clearing members”) can participate directly in the clearing house, the Fund will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members.

    Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive value from the underlying reference asset or assets, such as stocks, bonds, or funds (including ETFs), interest rates or indexes. The Fund’s investments in derivatives may pose risks in addition to, and greater than, those associated with directly investing in securities or other ordinary investments, including risk related to the market, imperfect correlation with underlying investments or the Fund’s other portfolio holdings, higher price volatility, lack of availability, counterparty risk, liquidity, valuation and legal restrictions.

    Options Contracts. The use of options contracts involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The prices of options are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying instrument, including the anticipated volatility, which are affected by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political, changes in the actual or implied volatility or the reference asset, the time remaining until the expiration of the option contract and economic events.

    Distribution Risk. As part of the Fund’s investment objective, the Fund seeks to provide current income. There is no assurance that the Fund will make a distribution in any given period. If the Fund does make distributions, the amounts of such distributions will likely vary greatly from one distribution to the next.

    High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may actively and frequently trade all or a significant portion of the Fund’s holdings. A high portfolio turnover rate increases transaction costs, which may increase the Fund’s expenses.

    Liquidity Risk. Some securities held by the Fund, including options contracts, may be difficult to sell or be illiquid, particularly during times of market turmoil.

    Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is “non-diversified,” it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund.

    New Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors do not have a track record or history on which to base their investment decisions.

    Price Participation Risk. The Fund employs an investment strategy that includes the sale of call option contracts, which limits the degree to which the Fund will participate in increases in value experienced by the underlying reference asset over the Call Period.

    Single Issuer Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment in the Fund to be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment which diversifies risk or the market generally. The value of the Fund, which focuses on an individual security (ARKK, TSLA, AAPL, NVDA, AMZN, META, GOOGL, NFLX, COIN, MSFT, DIS, XOM, JPM, AMD, PYPL, SQ, MRNA, AI, MSTR, Bitcoin ETP, GDX®, SNOW, ABNB, BABA, TSM, SMCI, PLTR, MARA), may be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole.

    Inflation Risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions, if any, may decline.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to GPTY)

    Artificial Intelligence Risk. Issuers engaged in artificial intelligence typically have high research and capital expenditures and, as a result, their profitability can vary widely, if they are profitable at all. The space in which they are engaged is highly competitive and issuers’ products and services may become obsolete very quickly. These companies are heavily dependent on intellectual property rights and may be adversely affected by loss or impairment of those rights. The issuers are also subject to legal, regulatory and political changes that may have a large impact on their profitability. A failure in an issuer’s product or even questions about the safety of the product could be devastating to the issuer, especially if it is the marquee product of the issuer. It can be difficult to accurately capture what qualifies as an artificial intelligence company.

    Technology Sector Risk. The Fund will invest substantially in companies in the information technology sector, and therefore the performance of the Fund could be negatively impacted by events affecting this sector. Market or economic factors impacting technology companies, and companies that rely heavily on technological advances could have a significant effect on the value of the Fund’s investments. The value of stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology is particularly vulnerable to rapid changes in technology product cycles, rapid product obsolescence, government regulation and competition, both domestically and internationally, including competition from foreign competitors with lower production costs. Stocks of information technology companies and companies that rely heavily on technology, especially those of smaller, less-seasoned companies, tend to be more volatile than the overall market. Information technology companies are heavily dependent on patent and intellectual property rights, the loss or impairment of which may adversely affect profitability.

    Risk Disclosure (applicable only to MARO)

    Digital Assets Risk: The Fund does not invest directly in Bitcoin or any other digital assets. The Fund does not invest directly in derivatives that track the performance of Bitcoin or any other digital assets. The Fund does not invest in or seek direct exposure to the current “spot” or cash price of Bitcoin. Investors seeking direct exposure to the price of Bitcoin should consider an investment other than the Fund. Digital assets like Bitcoin, designed as mediums of exchange, are still an emerging asset class. They operate independently of any central authority or government backing and are subject to regulatory changes and extreme price volatility.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to BABO and TSMY)

    Currency Risk: Indirect exposure to foreign currencies subjects the Fund to the risk that currencies will decline in value relative to the U.S. dollar. Currency rates in foreign countries may fluctuate significantly over short periods of time for a number of reasons, including changes in interest rates and the imposition of currency controls or other political developments in the U.S. or abroad.

    Depositary Receipts Risk: The securities underlying BABO and TSMY are American Depositary Receipts (“ADRs”). Investment in ADRs may be less liquid than the underlying shares in their primary trading market.

    Foreign Market and Trading Risk: The trading markets for many foreign securities are not as active as U.S. markets and may have less governmental regulation and oversight.

    Foreign Securities Risk: Investments in securities of non-U.S. issuers involve certain risks that may not be present with investments in securities of U.S. issuers, such as risk of loss due to foreign currency fluctuations or to political or economic instability, as well as varying regulatory requirements applicable to investments in non-U.S. issuers. There may be less information publicly available about a non-U.S. issuer than a U.S. issuer. Non-U.S. issuers may also be subject to different regulatory, accounting, auditing, financial reporting and investor protection standards than U.S. issuers.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to GDXY)

    Risk of Investing in Foreign Securities. The Fund is exposed indirectly to the securities of foreign issuers selected by GDX®’s investment adviser, which subjects the Fund to the risks associated with such companies. Investments in the securities of foreign issuers involve risks beyond those associated with investments in U.S. securities.

    Risk of Investing in Gold and Silver Mining Companies. The Fund is exposed indirectly to gold and silver mining companies selected by GDX®’s investment adviser, which subjects the Fund to the risks associated with such companies.

    The Fund invests in options contracts based on the value of the VanEck Gold Miners ETF (GDX®), which subjects the Fund to some of the same risks as if it owned GDX®, as well as the risks associated with Canadian, Australian and Emerging Market Issuers, and Small-and Medium-Capitalization companies.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to YBIT)

    YBIT does not invest directly in Bitcoin or any other digital assets. YBIT does not invest directly in derivatives that track the performance of Bitcoin or any other digital assets. YBIT does not invest in or seek direct exposure to the current “spot” or cash price of Bitcoin. Investors seeking direct exposure to the price of Bitcoin should consider an investment other than YBIT.

    Bitcoin Investment Risk: The Fund’s indirect investment in Bitcoin, through holdings in one or more Underlying ETPs, exposes it to the unique risks of this emerging innovation. Bitcoin’s price is highly volatile, and its market is influenced by the changing Bitcoin network, fluctuating acceptance levels, and unpredictable usage trends.

    Digital Assets Risk: Digital assets like Bitcoin, designed as mediums of exchange, are still an emerging asset class. They operate independently of any central authority or government backing and are subject to regulatory changes and extreme price volatility. Potentially No 1940 Act Protections. As of the date of this Prospectus, there is only a single eligible Underlying ETP, and it is an investment company subject to the 1940 Act.

    Bitcoin ETP Risk: The Fund invests in options contracts that are based on the value of the Bitcoin ETP. This subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it owned shares of the Bitcoin ETP, even though it does not. Bitcoin ETPs are subject, but not limited, to significant risk and heightened volatility. An investor in a Bitcoin ETP may lose their entire investment. Bitcoin ETPs are not suitable for all investors. In addition, not all Bitcoin ETPs are registered under the Investment Company Act of 1940. Those Bitcoin ETPs that are not registered under such statute are therefore not subject to the same regulations as exchange traded products that are so registered.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to the Short ETFs)

    Investing involves risk. Principal loss is possible.

    Price Appreciation Risk. As part of the Fund’s synthetic covered put strategy, the Fund purchases and sells call and put option contracts that are based on the value of the underlying reference asset. This strategy subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it shorted the underlying reference asset, even though it does not. By virtue of the Fund’s indirect inverse exposure to changes in the value of the underlying reference asset, the Fund is subject to the risk that the value of the underlying reference asset increases. If the value of the underlying reference asset increases, the Fund will likely lose value and, as a result, the Fund may suffer significant losses.

    Put Writing Strategy Risk. The path dependency (i.e., the continued use) of the Fund’s put writing (selling) strategy will impact the extent that the Fund participates in decreases in the value of the underlying reference asset and, in turn, the Fund’s returns, both during the term of the sold put options and over longer periods.

    Purchased OTM Call Options Risk. The Fund’s strategy is subject to potential losses if the underlying reference asset increases in value, which may not be offset by the purchase of out-of-the-money (OTM) call options. The Fund purchases OTM calls to seek to manage (cap) the Fund’s potential losses from the Fund’s short exposure to the underlying reference asset if it appreciates significantly in value. However, the OTM call options will cap the Fund’s losses only to the extent that the value of the underlying reference asset increases to a level that is at or above the strike level of the purchased OTM call options. Any increase in the value of the underlying reference asset to a level that is below the strike level of the purchased OTM call options will result in a corresponding loss for the Fund. For example, if the OTM call options have a strike level that is approximately 100% above the then-current value of the underlying reference asset at the time of the call option purchase, and the value of the underlying reference asset increases by at least 100% during the term of the purchased OTM call options, the Fund will lose all its value. Since the Fund bears the costs of purchasing the OTM calls, such costs will decrease the Fund’s value and/or any income otherwise generated by the Fund’s investment strategy.

    Counterparty Risk. The Fund is subject to counterparty risk by virtue of its investments in options contracts. Transactions in some types of derivatives, including options, are required to be centrally cleared (“cleared derivatives”). In a transaction involving cleared derivatives, the Fund’s counterparty is a clearing house rather than a bank or broker. Since the Fund is not a member of clearing houses and only members of a clearing house (“clearing members”) can participate directly in the clearing house, the Fund will hold cleared derivatives through accounts at clearing members.

    Derivatives Risk. Derivatives are financial instruments that derive value from the underlying reference asset or assets, such as stocks, bonds, or funds (including ETFs), interest rates or indexes. The Fund’s investments in derivatives may pose risks in addition to, and greater than, those associated with directly investing in securities or other ordinary investments, including risk related to the market, imperfect correlation with underlying investments or the Fund’s other portfolio holdings, higher price volatility, lack of availability, counterparty risk, liquidity, valuation and legal restrictions.

    Options Contracts. The use of options contracts involves investment strategies and risks different from those associated with ordinary portfolio securities transactions. The prices of options are volatile and are influenced by, among other things, actual and anticipated changes in the value of the underlying reference asset, including the anticipated volatility, which are affected by fiscal and monetary policies and by national and international political changes in the actual or implied volatility or the reference asset, the time remaining until the expiration of the option contract and economic events.

    Distribution Risk. As part of the Fund’s investment objective, the Fund seeks to provide current income. There is no assurance that the Fund will make a distribution in any given period. If the Fund does make distributions, the amounts of such distributions will likely vary greatly from one distribution to the next.

    High Portfolio Turnover Risk. The Fund may actively and frequently trade all or a significant portion of the Fund’s holdings.

    Liquidity Risk. Some securities held by the Fund, including options contracts, may be difficult to sell or be illiquid, particularly during times of market turmoil.

    Non-Diversification Risk. Because the Fund is “non-diversified,” it may invest a greater percentage of its assets in the securities of a single issuer or a smaller number of issuers than if it was a diversified fund.

    New Fund Risk. The Fund is a recently organized management investment company with no operating history. As a result, prospective investors do not have a track record or history on which to base their investment decisions.

    Price Participation Risk. The Fund employs an investment strategy that includes the sale of put option contracts, which limits the degree to which the Fund will participate in decreases in value experienced by the underlying reference asset over the Put Period.

    Single Issuer Risk. Issuer-specific attributes may cause an investment in the Fund to be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment which diversifies risk or the market generally. The value of the Fund, for any Fund that focuses on an individual security (e.g., TSLA, COIN, NVDA), may be more volatile than a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole and may perform differently from the value of a traditional pooled investment or the market as a whole.

    Inflation Risk. Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. As inflation increases, the present value of the Fund’s assets and distributions, if any, may decline.

    Risk Disclosures (applicable only to YQQQ)

    Index Overview. The Nasdaq 100 Index is a benchmark index that includes 100 of the largest non-financial companies listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market, based on market capitalization.

    Index Level Appreciation Risk. As part of the Fund’s synthetic covered put strategy, the Fund purchases and sells call and put option contracts that are based on the Index level. This strategy subjects the Fund to certain of the same risks as if it shorted the Index, even though it does not. By virtue of the Fund’s indirect inverse exposure to changes in the Index level, the Fund is subject to the risk that the Index level increases. If the Index level increases, the Fund will likely lose value and, as a result, the Fund may suffer significant losses. The Fund may also be subject to the following risks: innovation and technological advancement; strong market presence of Index constituent companies; adaptability to global market trends; and resilience and recovery potential.

    Index Level Participation Risk. The Fund employs an investment strategy that includes the sale of put option contracts, which limits the degree to which the Fund will benefit from decreases in the Index level experienced over the Put Period. This means that if the Index level experiences a decrease in value below the strike level of the sold put options during a Put Period, the Fund will likely not experience that increase to the same extent and any Fund gains may significantly differ from the level of the Index losses over the Put Period. Additionally, because the Fund is limited in the degree to which it will participate in decreases in value experienced by the Index level over each Put Period, but has significant negative exposure to any increases in value experienced by the Index level over the Put Period, the NAV of the Fund may decrease over any given period. The Fund’s NAV is dependent on the value of each options portfolio, which is based principally upon the inverse of the performance of the Index level. The Fund’s ability to benefit from the Index level decreases will depend on prevailing market conditions, especially market volatility, at the time the Fund enters into the sold put option contracts and will vary from Put Period to Put Period. The value of the options contracts is affected by changes in the value and dividend rates of component companies that comprise the Index, changes in interest rates, changes in the actual or perceived volatility of the Index and the remaining time to the options’ expiration, as well as trading conditions in the options market. As the Index level changes and time moves towards the expiration of each Put Period, the value of the options contracts, and therefore the Fund’s NAV, will change. However, it is not expected for the Fund’s NAV to directly inversely correlate on a day-to-day basis with the returns of the Index level. The amount of time remaining until the options contract’s expiration date affects the impact that the value of the options contracts has on the Fund’s NAV, which may not be in full effect until the expiration date of the Fund’s options contracts. Therefore, while changes in the Index level will result in changes to the Fund’s NAV, the Fund generally anticipates that the rate of change in the Fund’s NAV will be different than the inverse of the changes experienced by the Index level.

    YieldMax™ ETFs are distributed by Foreside Fund Services, LLC. Foreside is not affiliated with Tidal Financial Group, YieldMax™ ETFs.

    © 2025 YieldMax™ ETFs

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Virtu Announces Fourth Quarter 2024 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Virtu Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: VIRT), a leading provider of financial services and products that leverages cutting edge technology to deliver innovative, transparent trading solutions to its clients and liquidity to the global markets, today reported results for the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2024.

    Fourth Quarter and Full Year Selected Highlights

    Fourth Quarter 2024:

    • Net income of $176.1 million; Normalized Adjusted Net Income1 of $182.2 million
    • Basic and diluted earnings per share of $1.03; Normalized Adjusted EPS1 of $1.14
    • Total revenues of $834.3 million; Trading income, net, of $544.0 million; Net income Margin of 21.1%2
      • Adjusted Net Trading Income1 of $457.7 million
    • Adjusted EBITDA1 of $283.5 million; Adjusted EBITDA Margin1 of 61.9%
    • Share buybacks of $57.1 million, or 1.7 million shares, under the Share Repurchase Program3

    Full Year 2024:

    • Net income of $534.5 million; Normalized Adjusted Net Income1 of $573.9 million
    • Basic and diluted earnings per share of $2.98 and $2.97, respectively; Normalized Adjusted EPS1 of $3.55
    • Total revenues of $2,876.9 million; Trading income, net of $1,822.4 million; Net income Margin of 18.6%2
      • Adjusted Net Trading Income1 of $1,597.7 million
    • Adjusted EBITDA1 of $918.7 million; Adjusted EBITDA Margin1 of 57.5%
    • Share buybacks of $172.2 million, or 6.7 million shares, under the Share Repurchase Program3

    The Virtu Financial, Inc. Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.24 per share. This dividend is payable on March 17, 2025 to shareholders of record as of February 28, 2025.

    Note 1: Non-GAAP financial measures. Please see “Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Other Items” for more information.
    Note 2: Calculated by dividing Net income by Total revenue
    Note 3: Shares repurchased calculated on a settlement date basis.

    Financial Results

    Fourth Quarter 2024:

    Total revenues increased 55.7% to $834.3 million for this quarter, compared to $536.0 million for the same period in 2023. Trading income, net, increased 104.0% to $544.0 million for the quarter compared to $266.6 million for the same period in 2023. Net income totaled $176.1 million for this quarter, compared to net income of $6.7 million in the prior year quarter.

    Basic and diluted earnings per share for this quarter were $1.03, compared to basic and diluted earnings per share of $0.05 for the same period in 2023.

    Adjusted Net Trading Income increased 75.4% to $457.7 million for this quarter, compared to $260.9 million for the same period in 2023. Adjusted EBITDA increased 186.4% to $283.5 million for this quarter, compared to $99.0 million for the same period in 2023. Normalized Adjusted Net Income, removing one-time and non-cash items, increased 313.5% to $182.2 million for this quarter, compared to $44.1 million for the same period in 2023.

    Assuming all non-controlling interests had been exchanged for common stock, and the Company’s Normalized Adjusted Net Income before income taxes was subject to corporation taxes, Normalized Adjusted EPS was $1.14 for this quarter, compared to $0.27 for the same period in 2023.

    Full Year 2024:

    Total revenues increased 25.4% to $2,876.9 million for this year, compared to $2,293.4 million for 2023. Trading income, net, increased 40.0% to $1,822.4 million for this year, compared to $1,301.3 million for 2023. Net income totaled $534.5 million for this year, compared to net income of $263.9 million for 2023.

    Basic and diluted earnings per share were $2.98 and $2.97, respectively, for 2024, compared to basic and diluted earnings per share of $1.42 for 2023.

    Adjusted Net Trading Income increased 32.0% to $1,597.7 million for this year, compared to $1,210.7 million for 2023. Adjusted EBITDA increased 61.7% to $918.7 million for this year, compared to $568.0 million for 2023. Normalized Adjusted Net Income increased 86.3% to $573.9 million for this year, compared to $308.1 million for 2023.

    Assuming all non-controlling interests had been exchanged for common stock, and the Company’s Normalized Adjusted Net Income before income taxes was subject to corporation taxes, Normalized Adjusted EPS was $3.55 for 2024, compared to $1.84 for 2023.

    Operating Segment Information

    The Company has two operating segments: Market Making and Execution Services; and one non-operating segment: Corporate.

    Market Making principally consists of market making in the cash, futures and options markets across global equities, fixed income, currencies, cryptocurrencies, and commodities. As a market maker, the Company commits capital on a principal basis by offering to buy securities from, or sell securities to, broker dealers, banks and institutions.

    Execution Services comprises agency-based trading and trading venues, offering execution services in global equities, options, futures and fixed income on behalf of institutions, banks and broker dealers. The Company also provides proprietary technology and infrastructure, workflow technology, and trading analytics services to select third parties. The segment also includes the results of the Company’s capital markets business, in which the Company acts as an agent for issuers in connection with at-the-market offerings and buyback programs.

    Corporate contains the Company’s investments, principally in strategic trading-related opportunities, and maintains corporate overhead expenses.

    The following tables show the trading income, net, total revenues and Adjusted Net Trading Income by segment for the three months and full years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.

    Total revenues by segment
    (in thousands, unaudited)

        Three Months Ended December 31, 2024   Three Months Ended December 31, 2023
        Market Making   Execution Services   Corporate   Total   Market Making   Execution Services   Corporate   Total
    Trading income, net   $ 534,728   $ 9,222     $     $ 543,950   $ 262,501   $ 4,079     $   $ 266,580
    Commissions, net and technology services     13,173     127,277             140,450     6,894     107,481           114,375
    Interest and dividends income     121,151     2,632             123,783     151,773     2,877           154,650
    Other, net     37,594     (2,476 )     (9,016 )     26,102     833     (7,940 )     7,479     372
    Total Revenues   $ 706,646   $ 136,655     $ (9,016 )   $ 834,285   $ 422,001   $ 106,497     $ 7,479   $ 535,977
                                                           
                                     
        Year Ended December 31, 2024   Year Ended December 31, 2023
        Market Making   Execution Services   Corporate   Total   Market Making   Execution Services   Corporate   Total
    Trading income, net   $ 1,798,942   $ 23,495     $     $ 1,822,437   $ 1,283,680   $ 17,664     $   $ 1,301,344
    Commissions, net and technology services     42,376     474,407             516,783     29,571     426,027           455,598
    Interest and dividends income     451,329     10,741             462,070     451,859     10,707           462,566
    Other, net     81,449     (1,413 )     (4,377 )     75,659     78,413     (7,856 )     3,308     73,865
    Total Revenues   $ 2,374,096   $ 507,230     $ (4,377 )   $ 2,876,949   $ 1,843,523   $ 446,542     $ 3,308   $ 2,293,373
                                                           

    Reconciliation of trading income, net to Adjusted Net Trading Income by operating segment
    (in thousands, unaudited)

        Three Months Ended December 31, 2024   Three Months Ended December 31, 2023
        Market Making   Execution Services   Corporate   Total   Market Making   Execution Services   Corporate   Total
    Trading income, net   $ 534,728     $ 9,222     $   $ 543,950     $ 262,501     $ 4,079     $   $ 266,580  
    Commissions, net and technology services     13,173       127,277           140,450       6,894       107,481           114,375  
    Interest and dividends income     121,151       2,632           123,783       151,773       2,877           154,650  
    Brokerage, exchange, clearance fees and payments for order flow, net     (179,228 )     (27,867 )         (207,095 )     (96,740 )     (20,380 )         (117,120 )
    Interest and dividends expense     (141,958 )     (1,428 )         (143,386 )     (156,941 )     (630 )         (157,571 )
    Adjusted Net Trading Income   $ 347,866     $ 109,836     $   $ 457,702     $ 167,487     $ 93,427     $   $ 260,914  
                                                                 
        Year Ended December 31, 2024   Year Ended December 31, 2023
        Market Making   Execution Services   Corporate   Total   Market Making   Execution Services   Corporate   Total
    Trading income, net   $ 1,798,942     $ 23,495     $   $ 1,822,437     $ 1,283,680     $ 17,664     $   $ 1,301,344  
    Commissions, net and technology services     42,376       474,407           516,783       29,571       426,027           455,598  
    Interest and dividends income     451,329       10,741           462,070       451,859       10,707           462,566  
    Brokerage, exchange, clearance fees and payments for order flow, net     (573,382 )     (101,044 )         (674,426 )     (420,608 )     (87,750 )         (508,358 )
    Interest and dividends expense     (524,158 )     (5,019 )         (529,177 )     (497,895 )     (2,572 )         (500,467 )
    Adjusted Net Trading Income   $ 1,195,107     $ 402,580     $   $ 1,597,687     $ 846,607     $ 364,076     $   $ 1,210,683  
                                                                 

    Financial Condition

    As of December 31, 2024, Virtu had $914.0 million in cash, cash equivalents and restricted cash, and total long-term debt outstanding in an aggregate principal amount of $1,767.3 million.

    Share Repurchase Program

    Since inception of the program in November 2020 through settlement date January 27, 2025, the Company repurchased approximately 50.7 million shares of Class A Common Stock and Virtu Financial Units for approximately $1,296.2 million. The Company has approximately $423.8 million remaining capacity for future purchases of shares of Class A Common Stock and Virtu Financial Units under the program.

    Earnings Conference Call Information

    Virtu Financial will host a conference call to review its fourth quarter 2024 financial performance today, January 29th, at 8:30 a.m. ET. Members of the public may listen to the conference call through an audio webcast through the Investor Relations section of the firm’s website ir.virtu.com/investor-relations. 

    Website Information

    We routinely post important information for investors on the Investor Relations section of our website, ir.virtu.com/investor-relations and also from time to time may use social media channels, including our X account (x.com/virtufinancial) and our LinkedIn account (linkedin.com/company/virtu-financial), as an additional means of disclosing public information to investors, the media and others interested in us. It is possible that certain information we post on our website and on social media could be deemed to be material information, and we encourage investors, the media and others interested in us to review the business and financial information we post on our website and on the social media channels identified above, in addition to following our press releases, SEC filings, public conference calls, presentations and webcasts. The information contained on, or that may be accessed through, our website and our social media channels is not incorporated by reference into, and is not a part of, this document.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures and Other Items

    To supplement our unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), we use the following non-GAAP measures of financial performance:

    • “Adjusted Net Trading Income”, which is the amount of revenue we generate from our market making activities, or trading income, net, plus commissions, net and technology services, plus interest and dividends income and expense, net, less direct costs associated with those revenues, including brokerage, exchange, clearance fees and payments for order flow, net. Management believes that this measurement is useful for comparing general operating performance from period to period. Although we use Adjusted Net Trading Income as a financial measure to assess the performance of our business, the use of Adjusted Net Trading Income is limited because it does not include certain material costs that are necessary to operate our business. Our presentation of Adjusted Net Trading Income should not be construed as an indication that our future results will be unaffected by revenues or expenses that are not directly associated with our core business activities.
    • “EBITDA”, which measures our operating performance by adjusting Net Income to exclude Financing interest expense on long-term borrowings, Debt issue cost related to debt refinancing, prepayment, and commitment fees, Depreciation and amortization, Amortization of purchased intangibles and acquired capitalized software, and Income tax expense, and “Adjusted EBITDA”, which measures our operating performance by further adjusting EBITDA to exclude severance, transaction advisory fees and expenses, termination of office leases, charges related to share-based compensation and other expenses, which includes reserves for legal matters, and Other, net, which includes gains and losses from strategic investments and the sales of businesses.
    • “Normalized Adjusted Net Income”, “Normalized Adjusted Net Income before income taxes”, “Normalized provision for income taxes”, and “Normalized Adjusted EPS”, which we calculate by adjusting Net Income to exclude certain items, and other non-cash items, assuming that all vested and unvested Virtu Financial Units have been exchanged for Class A Common Stock, and applying an effective tax rate, which was approximately 24%.
    • “Adjusted Operating Expenses”, which we calculate by adjusting total operating expenses to exclude severance, share based compensation, reserves for legal matters, termination of office leases, connectivity early termination and write-down of assets.

    Adjusted Net Trading Income, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, Normalized Adjusted Net Income, Normalized Adjusted Net Income before income taxes, Normalized provision for income taxes, and Normalized Adjusted EPS and Adjusted Operating Expenses are non-GAAP financial measures used by management in evaluating operating performance and in making strategic decisions. Additional information provided regarding the breakdown of Total Adjusted Net Trading Income by category is also a non-GAAP financial measure but is not used by the Company in evaluating operating performance and in making strategic decisions. In addition, these non-GAAP financial measures or similar non-GAAP measures are used by research analysts, investment bankers and lenders to assess our operating performance. Management believes that the presentation of Adjusted Net Trading Income, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, Normalized Adjusted Net Income, Normalized Adjusted Net Income before income taxes, Normalized provision for income taxes and Normalized Adjusted EPS provide useful information to investors regarding our results of operations because they assist both investors and management in analyzing and benchmarking the performance and value of our business. Adjusted Net Trading Income, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, Normalized Adjusted Net Income, Normalized Adjusted Net Income before income taxes, Normalized provision for income taxes and Normalized Adjusted EPS provide indicators of general economic performance that are not affected by fluctuations in certain costs or other items. Accordingly, management believes that these measurements are useful for comparing general operating performance from period to period. Furthermore, our credit agreement contains tests based on metrics similar to Adjusted EBITDA. Other companies may define Adjusted Net Trading Income, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, Normalized Adjusted Net Income, Normalized Adjusted Net Income before income taxes, Normalized provision for income taxes and Normalized Adjusted EPS differently, and as a result our measures of Adjusted Net Trading Income, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, Normalized Adjusted Net Income, Normalized Adjusted Net Income before income taxes, Normalized provision for income taxes and Normalized Adjusted EPS may not be directly comparable to those of other companies. Although we use these non-GAAP financial measures as financial measures to assess the performance of our business, such use is limited because they do not include certain material costs necessary to operate our business.

    Adjusted Net Trading Income, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Normalized Adjusted Net Income before income taxes, Normalized provision for income taxes, Normalized Adjusted Net Income and Normalized Adjusted EPS should be considered in addition to, and not as a substitute for, Net Income in accordance with U.S. GAAP as a measure of performance. Our presentation of Adjusted Net Trading Income, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA Margin, Normalized Adjusted Net Income, Normalized Adjusted Net Income before income taxes, Normalized provision for income taxes and Normalized Adjusted EPS should not be construed as an indication that our future results will be unaffected by unusual or nonrecurring items. Adjusted Net Trading Income, Normalized Adjusted Net Income, Normalized Adjusted Net Income before income taxes, Normalized provision for income taxes, Normalized Adjusted EPS and our EBITDA-based measures have limitations as analytical tools, and you should not consider them in isolation or as substitutes for analysis of our results as reported under U.S. GAAP. Some of these limitations are:

    • they do not reflect every cash expenditure, future requirements for capital expenditures or contractual commitments;
    • our EBITDA-based measures do not reflect the significant interest expense or the cash requirements necessary to service interest or principal payment on our debt;
    • although depreciation and amortization are non-cash charges, the assets being depreciated and amortized will often have to be replaced or require improvements in the future, and our EBITDA-based measures do not reflect any cash requirement for such replacements or improvements;
    • they are not adjusted for all non-cash income or expense items that are reflected in our statements of cash flows;
    • they do not reflect the impact of earnings or charges resulting from matters we consider not to be indicative of our ongoing operations; and
    • they do not reflect limitations on our costs related to transferring earnings from our subsidiaries to us.

    Because of these limitations, Adjusted Net Trading Income, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Normalized Adjusted Net Income before income taxes, Normalized provision for income taxes, Normalized Adjusted Net Income and Normalized Adjusted EPS are not intended as alternatives to Net Income as indicators of our operating performance and should not be considered as measures of discretionary cash available to us to invest in the growth of our business or as measures of cash that will be available to us to meet our obligations. We compensate for these limitations by using Adjusted Net Trading Income, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, Normalized Adjusted Net Income before income taxes, Normalized provision for income taxes, Normalized Adjusted Net Income and Normalized Adjusted EPS along with other comparative tools, together with U.S. GAAP measurements, to assist in the evaluation of operating performance. These U.S. GAAP measurements include Net Income, cash flows from operations and cash flow data. See below a reconciliation of each non-GAAP measure to the most directly comparable GAAP measure.

    Virtu Financial, Inc. and Subsidiaries
    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income (Unaudited)

        Three Months Ended
    December 31,
      Year Ended
    December 31,
    (in thousands, except share and per share data)     2024       2023       2024       2023  
                     
    Revenues:                
    Trading income, net   $ 543,950     $ 266,580     $ 1,822,437     $ 1,301,344  
    Interest and dividends income     123,783       154,650       462,070       462,566  
    Commissions, net and technology services     140,450       114,375       516,783       455,598  
    Other, net     26,102       372       75,659       73,865  
    Total revenues     834,285       535,977       2,876,949       2,293,373  
                     
    Operating Expenses:                
    Brokerage, exchange, clearance fees and payments for order flow, net     207,095       117,120       674,426       508,358  
    Communication and data processing     59,336       59,923       236,446       230,760  
    Employee compensation and payroll taxes     120,638       97,825       434,823       394,039  
    Interest and dividends expense     143,386       157,571       529,177       500,467  
    Operations and administrative     27,656       26,768       97,002       98,972  
    Depreciation and amortization     17,176       16,230       65,816       63,306  
    Amortization of purchased intangibles and acquired capitalized software     11,783       15,953       50,471       63,960  
    Termination of office leases     16,174       141       16,224       455  
    Debt issue cost related to debt refinancing, prepayment and commitment fees     1,739       2,573       29,479       8,317  
    Transaction advisory fees and expenses     49       284       313       314  
    Financing interest expense on long-term borrowings     26,648       24,795       97,802       99,294  
    Total operating expenses     631,680       519,183       2,231,979       1,968,242  
                     
    Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest     202,605       16,794       644,970       325,131  
    Provision for income taxes     26,518       10,093       110,435       61,210  
    Net income   $ 176,087     $ 6,701     $ 534,535     $ 263,921  
                     
    Noncontrolling interest     (82,027 )     (1,163 )     (258,120 )     (121,885 )
                     
    Net income available for common stockholders   $ 94,060     $ 5,538     $ 276,415     $ 142,036  
                     
    Earnings per share:                
    Basic   $ 1.03     $ 0.05     $ 2.98     $ 1.42  
    Diluted   $ 1.03     $ 0.05     $ 2.97     $ 1.42  
                     
    Weighted average common shares outstanding                
    Basic     85,662,686       90,217,295       87,482,162       94,076,165  
    Diluted     86,066,968       90,217,295       87,821,576       94,076,165  
                     
    Comprehensive income:                
    Net income   $ 176,087     $ 6,701     $ 534,535     $ 263,921  
    Other comprehensive income                
    Foreign exchange translation adjustment, net of taxes     (12,793 )     4,787       (9,048 )     4,957  
    Net change in unrealized cash flow hedges gain (loss), net of taxes     (1,320 )     (24,381 )     (32,251 )     (36,993 )
    Comprehensive income   $ 161,974     $ (12,893 )   $ 493,236     $ 231,885  
    Less: Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest     (75,941 )     11,151       (240,931 )     (104,406 )
    Comprehensive income available for common stockholders   $ 86,033     $ (1,742 )   $ 252,305     $ 127,479  
                                     

    Virtu Financial, Inc. and Subsidiaries
    Reconciliation to Non-GAAP Operating Data (Unaudited)

    The following tables reconcile Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income to arrive at Adjusted Net Trading Income, EBITDA, Adjusted EBITDA, and selected Operating Margins.

        Three Months Ended
    December 31,
      Year Ended
    December 31,
    (in thousands, except percentages)     2024       2023       2024       2023  
                     
    Reconciliation of Trading income, net to Adjusted Net Trading Income                
    Trading income, net   $ 543,950     $ 266,580     $ 1,822,437     $ 1,301,344  
    Commissions, net and technology services     140,450       114,375       516,783       455,598  
    Interest and dividends income     123,783       154,650       462,070       462,566  
    Brokerage, exchange, clearance fees and payments for order flow, net     (207,095 )     (117,120 )     (674,426 )     (508,358 )
    Interest and dividends expense     (143,386 )     (157,571 )     (529,177 )     (500,467 )
    Adjusted Net Trading Income   $ 457,702     $ 260,914     $ 1,597,687     $ 1,210,683  
                     
    Reconciliation of Net Income to EBITDA and Adjusted EBITDA                
    Net income     176,087       6,701       534,535       263,921  
    Financing interest expense on long-term borrowings     26,648       24,795       97,802       99,294  
    Debt issue cost related to debt refinancing, prepayment and commitment fees     1,739       2,573       29,479       8,317  
    Depreciation and amortization     17,176       16,230       65,816       63,306  
    Amortization of purchased intangibles and acquired capitalized software     11,783       15,953       50,471       63,960  
    Provision for income taxes     26,518       10,093       110,435       61,210  
    EBITDA   $ 259,951     $ 76,345     $ 888,538     $ 560,008  
    Severance     4,279       3,537       7,930       8,793  
    Transaction advisory fees and expenses     49       284       313       314  
    Termination of office leases     16,174       141       16,224       455  
    Other     (21,461 )     1,860       (69,795 )     (65,536 )
    Share based compensation     24,534       16,825       75,475       63,933  
    Adjusted EBITDA   $ 283,526     $ 98,992     $ 918,685     $ 567,967  
                     
    Selected Operating Margins                
    GAAP Net income Margin (1)     21.1 %     1.3 %     18.6 %     11.5 %
    Non-GAAP Net income Margin (2)     38.5 %     2.6 %     33.5 %     21.8 %
    EBITDA Margin (3)     56.8 %     29.3 %     55.6 %     46.3 %
    Adjusted EBITDA Margin (4)     61.9 %     37.9 %     57.5 %     46.9 %
                     
    1 Calculated by dividing Net income by Total revenue.                
    2 Calculated by dividing Net income by Adjusted Net Trading Income.                
    3 Calculated by dividing EBITDA by Adjusted Net Trading Income.                
    4 Calculated by dividing Adjusted EBITDA by Adjusted Net Trading Income.                
                     

    Virtu Financial, Inc. and Subsidiaries
    Reconciliation to Non-GAAP Operating Data (Unaudited)
    (Continued)

    The following tables reconcile Condensed Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income to arrive at Normalized Adjusted Net Income before income taxes, Normalized provision for income taxes, Normalized Adjusted Net Income and Normalized Adjusted EPS.

        Three Months Ended
    December 31,
      Year Ended
    December 31,
    (in thousands, except share and per share data)     2024       2023     2024       2023  
                     
    Reconciliation of Net Income to Normalized Adjusted Net Income                
    Net income   $ 176,087     $ 6,701   $ 534,535     $ 263,921  
    Provision for income taxes     26,518       10,093     110,435       61,210  
    Income before income taxes and noncontrolling interest   $ 202,605     $ 16,794   $ 644,970     $ 325,131  
    Amortization of purchased intangibles and acquired capitalized software     11,783       15,953     50,471       63,960  
    Debt issue cost related to debt refinancing, prepayment and commitment fees     1,739       2,573     29,479       8,317  
    Severance     4,279       3,537     7,930       8,793  
    Transaction advisory fees and expenses     49       284     313       314  
    Termination of office leases     16,174       141     16,224       455  
    Other     (21,461 )     1,860     (69,795 )     (65,536 )
    Share based compensation     24,534       16,825     75,475       63,933  
    Normalized Adjusted Net Income before income taxes   $ 239,702     $ 57,967   $ 755,067     $ 405,367  
    Normalized provision for income taxes (1)     57,529       13,912     181,217       97,286  
    Normalized Adjusted Net Income   $ 182,173     $ 44,055   $ 573,850     $ 308,081  
                     
    Weighted Average Adjusted shares outstanding (2)     160,183,679       163,869,845     161,845,371       167,782,513  
                     
    Normalized Adjusted EPS   $ 1.14     $ 0.27   $ 3.55     $ 1.84  
                     
    (1) Reflects U.S. federal, state, and local income tax rate applicable to corporations of approximately 24% for all periods presented.
    (2) Assumes that (1) holders of all vested and unvested non-vesting Virtu Financial Units (together with corresponding shares of the Company’s Class C common stock, par value $0.00001 per share (the “Class C Common Stock”)) have exercised their right to exchange such Virtu Financial Units for shares of Class A Common Stock on a one-for-one basis, (2) holders of all Virtu Financial Units (together with corresponding shares of the Company’s Class D common stock, par value $0.00001 per share (the “Class D Common Stock”)) have exercised their right to exchange such Virtu Financial Units for shares of the Company’s Class B common stock, par value $0.00001 per share (the “Class B Common Stock”) on a one-for-one basis, and subsequently exercised their right to convert the shares of Class B Common Stock into shares of Class A Common Stock on a one-for-one basis. Includes additional shares from the dilutive impact of options, restricted stock units and restricted stock awards outstanding under the Amended and Restated 2015 Management Incentive Plan during the three months and full years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023.
     

    Virtu Financial, Inc. and Subsidiaries
    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition (Unaudited)

    (in thousands, except share data)   December 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
             
    Assets        
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 872,513   $ 820,436  
    Cash and securities segregated under regulations and other     41,478     35,024  
    Securities borrowed     2,294,529     1,722,440  
    Securities purchased under agreements to resell     983,941     1,512,114  
    Receivables from broker-dealers and clearing organizations     1,054,378     737,724  
    Receivables from customers     149,804     106,245  
    Trading assets, at fair value     7,802,652     7,358,611  
    Property, equipment and capitalized software, net     91,415     100,365  
    Operating lease right-of-use assets     175,046     229,499  
    Goodwill     1,148,926     1,148,926  
    Intangibles (net of accumulated amortization)     203,188     257,520  
    Deferred taxes     135,046     133,760  
    Assets of business held for sale     4,615      
    Other assets     386,811     303,720  
    Total assets     15,344,342     14,466,384  
             
    Liabilities and equity        
    Liabilities        
    Short-term borrowings, net     38,541      
    Securities loaned     2,431,878     1,329,446  
    Securities sold under agreements to repurchase     1,271,788     1,795,994  
    Payables to broker-dealers and clearing organizations     901,165     1,167,712  
    Payables to customers     46,112     23,229  
    Trading liabilities, at fair value     6,440,971     6,071,352  
    Tax receivable agreement obligations     196,592     216,480  
    Accounts payable and accrued expenses and other liabilities     558,100     451,293  
    Operating lease liabilities     229,825     278,317  
    Long-term borrowings, net     1,740,467     1,727,205  
    Liabilities of business held for sale     1,526      
    Total liabilities     13,856,965     13,061,028  
             
    Total equity     1,487,377     1,405,356  
             
    Total liabilities and equity   $ 15,344,342   $ 14,466,384  
             
        As of December 31, 2024
    Ownership of Virtu Financial LLC Interests:   Interests   %
    Virtu Financial, Inc. – Class A Common Stock and Restricted Stock Units     90,540,857     56.9 %
    Non-controlling Interests (Virtu Financial LLC)     68,653,710     43.1 %
    Total Virtu Financial LLC Interests     159,194,567     100.0 %
                   

    About Virtu Financial, Inc.

    Virtu is a leading financial services firm that leverages cutting-edge technology to provide execution services and data, analytics and connectivity products to its clients and deliver liquidity to the global markets. Leveraging its global market making expertise and infrastructure, Virtu provides a robust product suite including offerings in execution, liquidity sourcing, analytics and broker-neutral, multi-dealer platforms in workflow technology. Virtu’s product offerings allow clients to trade on hundreds of venues across 50+ countries and in multiple asset classes, including global equities, ETFs, foreign exchange, futures, fixed income and myriad other commodities. In addition, Virtu’s integrated, multi-asset analytics platform provides a range of pre and post-trade services, data products and compliance tools that clients rely upon to invest, trade and manage risk across global markets.

    Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release may contain “forward-looking statements” made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements regarding Virtu Financial, Inc.’s (“Virtu’s”, the “Company’s” or “our”) business that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements should not be read as a guarantee of future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indications of the times at, or by which, such performance or results will be achieved. The Company assumes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect actual results, changes in assumptions or changes in other factors affecting forward-looking information, and if the Company does update one or more forward-looking statements, no inference should be drawn that the Company will make additional updates with respect thereto or with respect to other forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are based on information available at the time and/or management’s good faith belief with respect to future events, and is subject to risks and uncertainties, some or all of which are not predictable or within Virtu’s control, that could cause actual performance or results to differ materially from those expressed in the statements. Those risks and uncertainties include, without limitation: risks relating to fluctuations in trading volume and volatilities in the markets in which we operate; the ability of our trading counterparties, clients, and various clearing houses to perform their obligations to us; the performance and reliability of our customized trading platform; the risk of material trading losses from our market making activities; swings in valuations in securities or other instruments in which we hold positions; increasing competition and consolidation in our industry; the risk that cash flow from our operations and other available sources of liquidity will not be sufficient to fund our various ongoing obligations, including operating expenses, short-term funding requirements, margin requirements, capital expenditures, debt service and dividend payments; potential consequences of pending SEC proposals by the prior administration focused on equity markets which may, if adopted, result in reduced overall and off-exchange trading volumes and market making opportunities, impose additional or heightened regulatory obligations on market makers and other market participants, and generally increase the implicit and explicit cost as well as the complexity of the U.S. equities eco-system for all participants; regulatory and legal uncertainties and potential changes associated with our industry, particularly in light of increased attention from media, regulators and lawmakers to market structure and related issues including but not limited to the retail trading environment, wholesale market making and off exchange trading more generally and payment for order flow arrangements; potential adverse results from legal or regulatory proceedings; our ability to remain technologically competitive and to ensure that the technology we utilize is not vulnerable to security risks, hacking and cyber-attacks; risks associated with third party software and technology infrastructure. For a discussion of the risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ from those contained in forward-looking statements, see Virtu’s Securities and Exchange Commission filings, including but not limited to Virtu’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC.

    CONTACT         

    Investor & Media Relations
    Andrew Smith
    investor_relations@virtu.com
    media@virtu.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: First Northwest Bancorp Reports Fourth Quarter 2024 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    PORT ANGELES, Wash., Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — First Northwest Bancorp (Nasdaq: FNWB) (“First Northwest” or the “Company”) today reported a net loss of $2.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to a net loss of $2.0 million for the third quarter of 2024 and a net loss of $5.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2023. Basic and diluted loss per share were $0.32 for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to basic and diluted loss per share of $0.23 for the third quarter of 2024 and basic and diluted loss per share of $0.62 for the fourth quarter of 2023.

    In the fourth quarter of 2024, the Company recorded adjusted pre-tax, pre-provision net revenue (“PPNR”)(1) of $1.2 million, compared to a $49,000 adjusted PPNR loss for the preceding quarter and adjusted PPNR of $327,000 for the fourth quarter of 2023.

    The Board of Directors of First Northwest declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.07 per common share, payable on February 28, 2025, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on February 14, 2025.

    Quote from First Northwest President and CEO, Matthew P. Deines:
    “Although financial results in 2024 were adversely impacted by elevated credit costs, we are optimistic for continued improvement in asset quality in early 2025. During the fourth quarter, our pre-provision net revenue (1) grew to $1.2 million with modest margin improvement as we successfully reduced FHLB borrowings. As we look ahead to 2025, we are laser focused on growing core commercial and retail customer relationships while resolving problem assets, improving profitability and maintaining our strong capital position. Highlights for 2024 include the termination of our compliance Consent Order with the FDIC, reduction of core operating expenses and improvement in our liquidity position with the loan to deposit ratio below 100% at year-end. I’d like to thank all our employees for their efforts and contributions in 2024, and for making a positive impact in the communities we serve.”

    Key Points for Fourth Quarter and Going Forward

    Provision for credit losses:

    • The Company recorded a $3.8 million provision for credit losses on loans in the fourth quarter of 2024, primarily due to charge-offs of six commercial business loans. This compares to loan credit loss provisions of $3.1 million for the preceding quarter and $1.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2023. 
    • We believe the reserve on individually analyzed loans does not represent a universal decline in the collectability of all loans in the portfolio. We continue to work on resolution plans for all troubled borrowers. The provision for credit losses on loans had a significant negative impact on net income for the fourth quarter of 2024.

    First Fed Bank’s (“First Fed” or the “Bank”) balance sheet restructure continues to have a positive impact:

    • The fair value hedge on loans, tied to the compounded overnight index swap using the secured overnight financing rate index, which was established in the first quarter of 2024, added $1.1 million to interest income for the year. The hedge successfully reduced the Bank’s liability sensitivity, and lowered the overall interest rate risk profile. The hedge also enhanced earnings due to a favorable contract position during the 2024 interest rate environment. The Bank expects to maintain a positive carry on its derivative for up to an additional 25-basis points of rate cuts. 
    • During 2024, bank-owned life insurance policies (“BOLI”) were reinvested into higher yielding products. In the fourth quarter of 2024, a $8.5 million policy was surrendered and reinvested into a policy earning 6.01% and a $922,000 policy earning 1.64% was exchanged and reinvested into a policy earning 3.99%. Total policy conversions during 2024 increased the annual pre-tax net yield earned on the total BOLI portfolio by 74-basis points. The remaining surrender transaction is expected to be completed during the first quarter of 2025. 
    • Investment security purchases during the fourth quarter of 2024 totaled $47.1 million, carrying a weighted-average yield of 6.7% at purchase and a weighted-average life of 3.1 years. The annualized interest income on these securities is anticipated to provide $2.6 million in revenue for 2025.

    (1) See reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures later in this release.

    Selected Quarterly Financial Ratios:

      As of or For the Quarter Ended  
      December 31,
    2024
      September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      March 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
     
    Performance ratios: (1)                              
    Return on average assets   -0.51 %   -0.36 %   -0.40 %   0.07 %   -1.03 %
    Adjusted PPNR return on average assets (2)   0.22     -0.01     0.10     0.34     -0.06  
    Return on average equity   -6.92     -4.91     -5.47     0.98     -14.05  
    Net interest margin (3)   2.73     2.70     2.76     2.76     2.84  
    Efficiency ratio (4)   92.2     100.3     72.3     88.8     150.8  
    Equity to total assets   6.89     7.13     7.17     7.17     7.42  
    Book value per common share $ 16.45   $ 17.17   $ 16.81   $ 17.00   $ 16.99  
    Tangible performance ratios: (1)                              
    Tangible common equity to tangible assets (2)   6.83 %   7.06 %   7.10 %   7.10 %   7.35 %
    Return on average tangible common equity (2)   -6.99     -4.96     -5.53     0.99     -14.20  
    Tangible book value per common share (2) $ 16.29   $ 17.00   $ 16.64   $ 16.83   $ 16.83  
    Capital ratios (First Fed): (5)                              
    Tier 1 leverage   9.4 %   9.4 %   9.4 %   9.7 %   9.9 %
    Common equity Tier 1 capital   12.4     12.2     12.4     12.6     13.1  
    Total risk-based   13.6     13.4     13.5     13.6     14.1  
    (1 ) Performance ratios are annualized, where appropriate.
    (2 ) See reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures later in this release.
    (3 ) Net interest income divided by average interest-earning assets.
    (4 ) Total noninterest expense as a percentage of net interest income and total other noninterest income.
    (5 ) Current period capital ratios are preliminary and subject to finalization of the FDIC Call Report.


    Adjusted Pre-tax, Pre-Provision Net Revenue 
    (1)

    Adjusted PPNR for the fourth quarter of 2024 increased $1.3 million to $1.2 million, compared to an adjusted PPNR loss of $49,000 for the preceding quarter, and increased $1.5 million from an adjusted PPNR $327,000 loss in the fourth quarter one year ago.

        For the Quarter Ended   For the Year Ended  
    (Dollars in thousands)   December 31,
    2024
      September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      March 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
      December 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
     
    Net interest income   $ 14,137   $ 14,020   $ 14,235   $ 13,928   $ 14,195   $ 56,320   $ 61,432  
    Total noninterest income     1,300     1,779     7,347     2,188     (2,929 )   12,614     4,020  
    Total revenue     15,437     15,799     21,582     16,116     11,266     68,934     65,452  
    Total noninterest expense     14,233     15,848     15,609     14,303     16,990     59,993     61,454  
    PPNR (1)     1,204     (49 )   5,973     1,813     (5,724 )   8,941     3,998  
    Selected nonrecurring adjustments to PPNR                                            
    Less: Net gain on sale of premises and equipment             7,919             7,919      
    Sale leaseback taxes and assessments included in occupancy and equipment             (359 )           (359 )    
    Net loss on sale of investment securities             (2,117 )       (5,397 )   (2,117 )   (5,397 )
    Adjusted PPNR (1)   $ 1,204   $ (49 ) $ 530   $ 1,813   $ (327 ) $ 3,498   $ 9,395  

    (1) See reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures later in this release.

    • Total interest income was relatively unchanged at $28.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to the previous quarter, and increased $1.9 million compared to $26.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2023. Interest income decreased in the fourth quarter of 2024 primarily due to a decrease in the income earned on the securities derivative combined with lower FHLB dividends and reduced interest income received on Company deposit accounts. Higher yields on performing loans during the fourth quarter of 2024 were partially offset by nonaccrual interest adjustments totaling $46,000. Interest and fees on loans increased year-over-year as the loan portfolio grew. Loan yields increased over the prior year due to higher rates on new originations as well as the repricing of variable and adjustable-rate loans.
    • The net interest margin increased to 2.73% for the fourth quarter of 2024, from 2.70% for the prior quarter, and decreased 11-basis points from 2.84% for the fourth quarter of 2023. The Company reported reduced rates and declining volume of borrowings during the quarter which lowered costs; however, these savings were partially offset by an increase in cost due to a higher volume of customer deposits. The decrease in net interest margin from the same quarter one year ago is due to higher funding costs for deposits and borrowed funds. 
    • Noninterest income included a $1.8 million write down on an equity investment in an organization that is involved in a lawsuit, partially offset by a $1.5 million BOLI death benefit payment received due to the passing of an employee. 
    • Noninterest expense for the fourth quarter of 2024 decreased mainly due to a $1.2 million reduction in compensation related to nonrecurring payouts in the previous quarter combined with a reduced incentive accrual and lower headcount in the fourth quarter of 2024. FDIC assessment, state taxes, advertising and other discretionary spending also decreased from the previous quarter.

    Allowance for Credit Losses on Loans (“ACLL”) and Credit Quality

    The allowance for credit losses on loans (“ACLL”) decreased $1.5 million to $20.5 million at December 31, 2024, from $22.0 million at September 30, 2024. The ACLL as a percentage of total loans was 1.21% at December 31, 2024, a decrease from 1.27% at September 30, 2024, and an increase from 1.05% one year earlier. The pooled loan reserve decreased $1.5 million during the fourth quarter of 2024, primarily due to the decreases in multi-family, construction, and consumer loan balances combined with decreases resulting from lower loss factors applied to commercial business and commercial real estate loans, partially offset by higher loss factors applied to one-to-four family and other consumer loans.

    Nonperforming loans totaled $30.5 million at December 31, 2024, an increase of $139,000 from September 30, 2024. ACLL to nonperforming loans decreased to 67% at December 31, 2024, from 72% at September 30, 2024, and 94% at December 31, 2023. This ratio continued to decline as higher balances of real estate loans are included in nonperforming assets with no significant corresponding increase to the ACLL as these collateral dependent loans were considered adequately reserved for based on information available at each period end.

    Classified loans decreased $4.4 million to $42.5 million at December 31, 2024, from $46.9 million at September 30, 2024, primarily due to charge-offs totaling $3.9 million on six commercial business loans during the fourth quarter. An $11.4 million construction loan relationship, which became a classified loan in the fourth quarter of 2022; an $8.1 million commercial construction loan relationship, which became classified in the second quarter of 2024; and a $6.2 million commercial loan relationship, which became classified in the fourth quarter of 2023, account for 61% of the classified loan balance at December 31, 2024. The Bank has exercised legal remedies, including the appointment of a third-party receiver and foreclosure actions, to liquidate the underlying collateral to satisfy the real estate loans in two of these three collateral-dependent relationships. The Bank is also closely monitoring a group of commercial business loans that have similar collateral, with 15 loans totaling $2.2 million included in classified loans at December 31, 2024, and an additional eight loans totaling $2.8 million included in the special mention risk grading category.

      For the Quarter Ended  
    ACLL ($ in thousands) December 31,
    2024
      September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      March 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
     
    Balance at beginning of period $ 21,970   $ 19,343   $ 17,958   $ 17,510   $ 16,945  
    Charge-offs:                              
    Construction and land   (411 )       (3,978 )        
    Home equity                   1  
    Auto and other consumer   (364 )   (492 )   (832 )   (806 )   (655 )
    Commercial business   (4,596 )   (24 )   (2,643 )   (33 )    
    Total charge-offs   (5,371 )   (516 )   (7,453 )   (839 )   (654 )
    Recoveries:                              
    One-to-four family       42         2     5  
    Commercial real estate   2                  
    Home equity                   10  
    Auto and other consumer   52     24     198     46     42  
    Commercial business   36                  
    Total recoveries   90     66     198     48     57  
    Net loan charge-offs   (5,281 )   (450 )   (7,255 )   (791 )   (597 )
    Provision for credit losses   3,760     3,077     8,640     1,239     1,162  
    Balance at end of period $ 20,449   $ 21,970   $ 19,343   $ 17,958   $ 17,510  
                                   
    Average total loans   1,708,232     1,718,402     1,717,830     1,678,656     1,645,418  
    Annualized net charge-offs to average outstanding loans   1.23 %   0.10 %   1.70 %   0.19 %   0.14 %
    Asset Quality ($ in thousands) December 31,
    2024
      September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      March 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
     
    Nonaccrual loans:                              
    One-to-four family $ 1,477   $ 1,631   $ 1,750   $ 1,237   $ 1,844  
    Multi-family           708     708      
    Commercial real estate   5,598     5,634     14     22     28  
    Construction and land   19,544     19,382     19,292     14,440     14,986  
    Home equity   55     116     118     121     123  
    Auto and other consumer   700     894     746     1,012     786  
    Commercial business   3,141     2,719     1,003     1,941     877  
    Total nonaccrual loans   30,515     30,376     23,631     19,481     18,644  
    Other real estate owned                    
    Total nonperforming assets $ 30,515   $ 30,376   $ 23,631   $ 19,481   $ 18,644  
                                   
    Nonaccrual loans as a % of total loans (1)   1.80 %   1.75 %   1.39 %   1.14 %   1.12 %
    Nonperforming assets as a % of total assets (2)   1.37     1.35     1.07     0.87     0.85  
    ACLL as a % of total loans   1.21     1.27     1.14     1.05     1.05  
    ACLL as a % of nonaccrual loans   67.01     72.33     81.85     92.18     93.92  
    Total past due loans to total loans   1.98     1.92     1.45     1.91     0.94  
    (1 ) Nonperforming loans consists of nonaccruing loans and accruing loans more than 90 days past due.
    (2 ) Nonperforming assets consists of nonperforming loans (which include nonaccruing loans and accruing loans more than 90 days past due), real estate owned and repossessed assets.


    Financial Condition and Capital

    Investment securities increased $29.5 million, or 9.5%, to $340.3 million at December 31, 2024, compared to $310.9 million three months earlier, and increased $44.7 million compared to $295.6 million at December 31, 2023. The market value of the portfolio decreased $5.8 million during the fourth quarter of 2024. The estimated average life of the securities portfolio was approximately 6.9 years at December 31, 2024, 7.4 years at the prior quarter end and 7.7 years at the end of the fourth quarter of 2023. The effective duration of the portfolio was approximately 3.9 years at December 31, 2024, compared to 3.9 years at the prior quarter end and 4.8 years at the end of the fourth quarter of 2023. Investment purchases at the beginning of 2024 were primarily floating rate securities to take advantage of higher short-term rates above those offered on cash at that time and to reduce our liability sensitivity. Purchases in the fourth quarter were primarily fixed to rebalance our securities portfolio position for 2025.

    Investment Securities ($ in thousands)  December 31,
    2024
       September 30,
    2024
       December 31,
    2023
      Three Month
    % Change
      One Year
    % Change
     
    Available for Sale at Fair Value                          
    Municipal bonds $ 77,876   $ 81,363   $ 87,761   -4.3 % -11.3 %
    U.S. government agency issued asset-backed securities (ABS agency)   12,876     13,296     11,782   -3.2   9.3  
    Corporate issued asset-backed securities (ABS corporate)   16,122     16,391     5,286   -1.6   205.0  
    Corporate issued debt securities (Corporate debt)   54,491     54,058     51,454   0.8   5.9  
    U.S. Small Business Administration securities (SBA)   8,666     9,317       -7.0   100.0  
    Mortgage-backed securities:                          
    U.S. government agency issued mortgage-backed securities (MBS agency)   98,697     78,549     63,247   25.7   56.1  
    Non-agency issued mortgage-backed securities (MBS non-agency)   71,616     57,886     76,093   23.7   -5.9  
    Total securities available for sale $ 340,344   $ 310,860   $ 295,623   9.5   15.1  

    Net loans, excluding loans held for sale, decreased $39.2 million, or 2.3%, to $1.68 billion at December 31, 2024, from $1.71 billion at September 30, 2024, and increased $32.7 million, or 2.0%, from $1.64 billion one year prior. Construction loans that converted into fully amortizing loans during the quarter totaled $18.3 million. Loan payoffs of $73.9 million, regular payments of $35.3 million and charge-offs totaling $5.3 million outpaced new loan funding totaling $55.6 million and draws on existing loans totaling $19.7 million.

    Loans ($ in thousands)  December 31,
    2024
       September 30,
    2024
       December 31,
    2023
      Three Month
    % Change
      One Year
    % Change
     
    Real Estate:                          
    One-to-four family $ 395,315   $ 395,792   $ 378,432   -0.1 % 4.5 %
    Multi-family   332,596     353,813     333,094   -6.0   -0.1  
    Commercial real estate   390,379     376,008     387,983   3.8   0.6  
    Construction and land   78,110     95,709     129,691   -18.4   -39.8  
    Total real estate loans   1,196,400     1,221,322     1,229,200   -2.0   -2.7  
    Consumer:                          
    Home equity   79,054     76,960     69,403   2.7   13.9  
    Auto and other consumer   268,876     281,198     249,130   -4.4   7.9  
    Total consumer loans   347,930     358,158     318,533   -2.9   9.2  
    Commercial business   151,493     155,327     112,295   -2.5   34.9  
    Total loans receivable   1,695,823     1,734,807     1,660,028   -2.2   2.2  
    Less:                          
    Derivative basis adjustment   188     (1,579 )     111.9   100.0  
    Allowance for credit losses on loans   20,449     21,970     17,510   -6.9   16.8  
    Total loans receivable, net $ 1,675,186   $ 1,714,416   $ 1,642,518   -2.3   2.0  

    Total deposits decreased $23.6 million to $1.69 billion at December 31, 2024, compared to $1.71 billion at September 30, 2024, and increased $11.1 million, or 0.7%, compared to $1.68 billion one year ago. During the fourth quarter of 2024, total customer deposit balances decreased $2.8 million and brokered deposit balances decreased $20.8 million. Overall, the current rate environment continues to contribute to greater competition for deposits. As a result, the Bank continues offering deposit rate specials to attract new funds.

    Deposits ($ in thousands)  December 31,
    2024
       September 30,
    2024
       December 31,
    2023
      Three Month
    % Change
      One Year
    % Change
     
    Noninterest-bearing demand deposits $ 256,416   $ 252,999   $ 252,083   1.4 % 1.7 %
    Interest-bearing demand deposits   164,891     167,202     169,418   -1.4   -2.7  
    Money market accounts   413,822     433,307     362,205   -4.5   14.3  
    Savings accounts   205,055     212,763     242,148   -3.6   -15.3  
    Certificates of deposit, customer   464,928     441,665     443,412   5.3   4.9  
    Certificates of deposit, brokered   182,914     203,705     207,626   -10.2   -11.9  
    Total deposits $ 1,688,026   $ 1,711,641   $ 1,676,892   -1.4   0.7  

    Total shareholders’ equity decreased to $153.9 million at December 31, 2024, compared to $160.8 million three months earlier, due to a decrease in the after-tax fair market values of the available-for-sale investment securities portfolio of $4.5 million, a net loss of $2.8 million and dividends declared of $656,000, partially offset by an increase in the after-tax fair market values of derivatives of $952,000.

    Capital levels for both the Company and its operating bank, First Fed, remain in excess of applicable regulatory requirements and the Bank was categorized as “well-capitalized” at December 31, 2024. Preliminary calculations of Common Equity Tier 1 and Total Risk-Based Capital Ratios at December 31, 2024, were 12.4% and 13.6%, respectively.

    First Northwest continued to return capital to our shareholders through cash dividends during the fourth quarter of 2024. The Company paid cash dividends totaling $656,000 in the fourth quarter of 2024. No shares of common stock were repurchased under the Company’s April 2024 Stock Repurchase Plan (“Repurchase Plan”) during the quarter ended December 31, 2024. There are 846,123 shares that remain available for repurchase under the Repurchase Plan.

    Awards/Recognition
    The Company received several accolades as a leader in the community in the last year.

    In September 2024, the First Fed team was recognized in the 2024 Best of Olympic Peninsula surveys, winning Best Bank and Best Lender in Clallam County; Best Bank and Best Financial Advisor in the West End; and Best Lender in Jefferson County. First Fed was also a finalist for Best Bank, Best Customer Service, Best Employer and Best Financial Advisor in Jefferson County; Best Customer Service, Best Employer and Best Financial Advisor in Clallam County; and Best Customer Service and Best Employer in the West End.
    In May 2024, First Fed, along with the First Fed Community Foundation, were honored to be ranked second on the Puget Sound Business Journal Midsize Corporate Philanthropists list.
    In October 2023, the First Fed team was honored to bring home the Gold for Best Bank in the Best of the Northwest survey hosted by Bellingham Alive for the second year in a row.
    In September 2023, the First Fed team was recognized in the 2023 Best of Olympic Peninsula surveys as a finalist for Best Employer in Kitsap County and Best Bank and Best Financial Institution in Bainbridge.


    We recommend reading this earnings release in conjunction with the Fourth Quarter 2024 Investor Presentation, located at http://investor.ourfirstfed.com/quarterly-reports and included as an exhibit to our January 29, 2025, Current Report on Form 8-K.

    About the Company
    First Northwest Bancorp (Nasdaq: FNWB) is a financial holding company engaged in investment activities including the business of its subsidiary, First Fed Bank. First Fed is a Pacific Northwest-based financial institution which has served its customers and communities since 1923. Currently First Fed has 16 locations in Washington state including 12 full-service branches. First Fed’s business and operating strategy is focused on building sustainable earnings by delivering a full array of financial products and services for individuals, small businesses, non-profit organizations and commercial customers. In 2022, First Northwest made an investment in The Meriwether Group, LLC, a boutique investment banking and accelerator firm. Additionally, First Northwest focuses on strategic partnerships to provide modern financial services such as digital payments and marketplace lending. First Northwest Bancorp was incorporated in 2012 and completed its initial public offering in 2015 under the ticker symbol FNWB. The Company is headquartered in Port Angeles, Washington.

    Forward-Looking Statements
    Certain matters discussed in this press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, expectations of the business environment in which we operate, projections of future performance, perceived opportunities in the market, potential future credit experience, including our ability to collect, the outcome of litigation and statements regarding our mission and vision, and include, but are not limited to, statements about our plans, objectives, expectations and intentions that are not historical facts, and other statements often identified by words such as “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” or similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are based upon current management beliefs and expectations and may, therefore, involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond our control. Our actual results, performance, or achievements may differ materially from those suggested, expressed, or implied by forward-looking statements as a result of a wide variety of factors including, but not limited to: increased competitive pressures; changes in the interest rate environment; the credit risks of lending activities; pressures on liquidity, including as a result of withdrawals of deposits or declines in the value of our investment portfolio; changes in general economic conditions and conditions within the securities markets; legislative and regulatory changes; and other factors described in the Companys latest Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q under the section entitled “Risk Factors,” and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”),which are available on our website at www.ourfirstfed.com and on the SECs website at www.sec.gov.

    Any of the forward-looking statements that we make in this press release and in the other public statements we make may turn out to be incorrect because of the inaccurate assumptions we might make, because of the factors illustrated above or because of other factors that we cannot foresee. Because of these and other uncertainties, our actual future results may be materially different from those expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements made by or on our behalf and the Company’s operating and stock price performance may be negatively affected. Therefore, these factors should be considered in evaluating the forward-looking statements, and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. We do not undertake and specifically disclaim any obligation to revise any forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statements. These risks could cause our actual results for 2024 and beyond to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements by, or on behalf of, us and could negatively affect the Companys operations and stock price performance.

    For More Information Contact:
    Matthew P. Deines, President and Chief Executive Officer
    Geri Bullard, EVP, Chief Financial Officer and Chief Operating Officer
    IRGroup@ourfirstfed.com
    360-457-0461

    FIRST NORTHWEST BANCORP AND SUBSIDIARY
    CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
    (Dollars in thousands, except share data) (Unaudited)
     
        December 31,
    2024
      September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      March 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
     
    ASSETS                                
    Cash and due from banks   $ 16,811   $ 17,953   $ 19,184   $ 15,562   $ 19,845  
    Interest-earning deposits in banks     55,637     64,769     63,995     61,784     103,324  
    Investment securities available for sale, at fair value     340,344     310,860     306,714     325,955     295,623  
    Loans held for sale     472     378     1,086     988     753  
    Loans receivable (net of allowance for credit losses on loans $20,449, $21,970, $19,343, $17,958, and $17,510)     1,675,186     1,714,416     1,677,764     1,692,774     1,642,518  
    Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) stock, at cost     14,435     14,435     13,086     15,876     13,664  
    Accrued interest receivable     8,159     8,939     9,466     8,909     7,894  
    Premises held for sale, net                 6,751     18,049  
    Premises and equipment, net     10,129     10,436     10,714     11,028      
    Servicing rights on sold loans, at fair value     3,281     3,584     3,740     3,820     3,793  
    Bank-owned life insurance, net     41,150     41,429     41,113     34,681     40,578  
    Equity and partnership investments     13,229     14,912     15,085     15,121     14,794  
    Goodwill and other intangible assets, net     1,082     1,083     1,084     1,085     1,086  
    Deferred tax asset, net     13,738     10,802     12,216     12,704     13,001  
    Right-of-use (“ROU”) asset, net     17,001     17,315     17,627     5,841     6,047  
    Prepaid expenses and other assets     21,352     24,175     23,088     27,141     20,828  
    Total assets   $ 2,232,006   $ 2,255,486   $ 2,215,962   $ 2,240,020   $ 2,201,797  
                                     
    LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY                                
    Deposits   $ 1,688,026   $ 1,711,641   $ 1,708,288   $ 1,666,624   $ 1,676,892  
    Borrowings     336,014     334,994     302,575     371,455     320,936  
    Accrued interest payable     3,295     2,153     3,143     2,830     3,396  
    Lease liability, net     17,535     17,799     18,054     6,227     6,428  
    Accrued expenses and other liabilities     31,770     25,625     23,717     29,980     29,545  
    Advances from borrowers for taxes and insurance     1,484     2,485     1,304     2,398     1,260  
    Total liabilities     2,078,124     2,094,697     2,057,081     2,079,514     2,038,457  
                                     
    Shareholders’ Equity                                
    Preferred stock, $0.01 par value, authorized 5,000,000 shares, no shares issued or outstanding                      
    Common stock, $0.01 par value, 75,000,000 shares authorized; issued and outstanding at each period end: 9,353,348; 9,365,979; 9,453,247; 9,442,796; and 9,611,876     93     94     94     94     96  
    Additional paid-in capital     93,357     93,218     93,985     93,763     95,784  
    Retained earnings     97,198     100,660     103,322     106,202     107,349  
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax     (30,172 )   (26,424 )   (31,597 )   (32,465 )   (32,636 )
    Unearned employee stock ownership plan (ESOP) shares     (6,594 )   (6,759 )   (6,923 )   (7,088 )   (7,253 )
    Total shareholders’ equity     153,882     160,789     158,881     160,506     163,340  
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 2,232,006   $ 2,255,486   $ 2,215,962   $ 2,240,020   $ 2,201,797  
    FIRST NORTHWEST BANCORP AND SUBSIDIARY
    CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF OPERATIONS
    (Dollars in thousands, except per share data) (Unaudited)
     
        For the Quarter Ended   For the Year Ended  
        December 31,
    2024
      September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      March 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
      December 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
     
    INTEREST INCOME                                            
    Interest and fees on loans receivable   $ 23,716   $ 23,536   $ 23,733   $ 22,767   $ 22,083   $ 93,752   $ 84,614  
    Interest on investment securities     3,658     3,786     3,949     3,632     3,393     15,025     13,279  
    Interest on deposits in banks     550     582     571     645     581     2,348     2,126  
    FHLB dividends     273     302     358     282     252     1,215     880  
    Total interest income     28,197     28,206     28,611     27,326     26,309     112,340     100,899  
    INTEREST EXPENSE                                            
    Deposits     11,175     10,960     10,180     10,112     8,758     42,427     27,019  
    Borrowings     2,885     3,226     4,196     3,286     3,356     13,593     12,448  
    Total interest expense     14,060     14,186     14,376     13,398     12,114     56,020     39,467  
    Net interest income     14,137     14,020     14,235     13,928     14,195     56,320     61,432  
    PROVISION FOR CREDIT LOSSES                                            
    Provision for credit losses on loans     3,760     3,077     8,640     1,239     1,162     16,716     2,357  
    (Recapture of) provision for credit losses on unfunded commitments     (105 )   57     99     (269 )   (10 )   (218 )   (1,034 )
    Provision for credit losses     3,655     3,134     8,739     970     1,152     16,498     1,323  
    Net interest income after provision for credit losses     10,482     10,886     5,496     12,958     13,043     39,822     60,109  
    NONINTEREST INCOME                                            
    Loan and deposit service fees     1,054     1,059     1,076     1,102     1,068     4,291     4,341  
    Sold loan servicing fees and servicing rights mark-to-market     (115 )   10     74     219     276     188     676  
    Net gain on sale of loans     52     58     150     52     33     312     438  
    Net loss on sale of investment securities             (2,117 )       (5,397 )   (2,117 )   (5,397 )
    Net gain on sale of premises and equipment             7,919             7,919      
    Increase in cash surrender value of bank-owned life insurance     328     315     293     243     260     1,179     928  
    Income from death benefit on bank-owned life insurance, net     1,536                     1,536      
    Other (loss) income     (1,555 )   337     (48 )   572     831     (694 )   3,034  
    Total noninterest income     1,300     1,779     7,347     2,188     (2,929 )   12,614     4,020  
    NONINTEREST EXPENSE                                            
    Compensation and benefits     7,367     8,582     8,588     8,128     7,397     32,665     31,209  
    Data processing     2,065     2,085     2,008     1,944     2,107     8,102     8,170  
    Occupancy and equipment     1,559     1,553     1,799     1,240     1,262     6,151     4,858  
    Supplies, postage, and telephone     296     360     317     293     351     1,266     1,433  
    Regulatory assessments and state taxes     460     548     457     513     376     1,978     1,635  
    Advertising     362     409     377     309     235     1,457     2,706  
    Professional fees     813     698     684     910     1,119     3,105     3,738  
    FDIC insurance premium     491     533     473     386     418     1,883     1,357  
    Other expense     820     1,080     906     580     3,725     3,386     6,348  
    Total noninterest expense     14,233     15,848     15,609     14,303     16,990     59,993     61,454  
    Loss before provision (benefit) for income taxes     (2,451 )   (3,183 )   (2,766 )   843     (6,876 )   (7,557 )   2,675  
    Provision (benefit) for income taxes     359     (1,203 )   (547 )   447     (1,354 )   (944 )   549  
    Net (loss) income   $ (2,810 ) $ (1,980 ) $ (2,219 ) $ 396   $ (5,522 ) $ (6,613 ) $ 2,286  
                                                 
    Basic and diluted (loss) earnings per common share   $ (0.32 ) $ (0.23 ) $ (0.25 ) $ 0.04   $ (0.62 ) $ (0.75 ) $ 0.26  
                                                 
    FIRST NORTHWEST BANCORP AND SUBSIDIARY
    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
    (Dollars in thousands) (Unaudited)
     
    Selected Loan Detail   December 31,
    2024
      September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      March 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
     
    Construction and land loans breakout                                
    1-4 Family construction   $ 39,319   $ 43,125   $ 56,514   $ 69,075   $ 68,029  
    Multifamily construction     15,407     29,109     43,341     45,776     50,431  
    Nonresidential construction     16,857     17,500     1,015     3,374     3,756  
    Land and development     6,527     5,975     6,403     7,122     7,475  
    Total construction and land loans   $ 78,110   $ 95,709   $ 107,273   $ 125,347   $ 129,691  
                                     
    Auto and other consumer loans breakout                                
    Triad Manufactured Home loans   $ 128,231   $ 129,600   $ 110,510   $ 105,525   $ 105,057  
    Woodside auto loans     117,968     126,129     131,151     128,072     124,401  
    First Help auto loans     14,283     15,971     17,427     8,326     4,516  
    Other auto loans     1,647     2,064     2,690     3,313     4,158  
    Other consumer loans     6,747     7,434     23,845     23,598     10,998  
    Total auto and other consumer loans   $ 268,876   $ 281,198   $ 285,623   $ 268,834   $ 249,130  
                                     
    Commercial business loans breakout                                
    Northpointe Bank MPP   $ 36,230   $ 38,155   $ 9,150   $ 15,047   $ 9,502  
    Secured lines of credit     35,701     37,686     28,862     41,014     35,815  
    Unsecured lines of credit     1,717     1,571     1,133     1,001     456  
    SBA loans     7,044     7,219     7,146     8,944     9,115  
    Other commercial business loans     70,801     70,696     70,803     70,291     57,407  
    Total commercial business loans   $ 151,493   $ 155,327   $ 117,094   $ 136,297   $ 112,295  
    Loans by Collateral and Unfunded Commitments   December 31,
    2024
      September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      March 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
     
    One-to-four family construction   $ 44,468   $ 51,607   $ 49,440   $ 70,100   $ 60,211  
    All other construction and land     34,290     45,166     58,346     55,286     69,484  
    One-to-four family first mortgage     466,046     469,053     434,840     436,543     426,159  
    One-to-four family junior liens     15,090     14,701     13,706     12,608     12,250  
    One-to-four family revolving open-end     51,481     48,459     44,803     45,536     42,479  
    Commercial real estate, owner occupied:                                
    Health care     29,129     29,407     29,678     29,946     22,523  
    Office     17,756     17,901     19,215     17,951     18,468  
    Warehouse     14,948     11,645     14,613     14,683     14,758  
    Other     78,170     64,535     56,292     55,063     61,304  
    Commercial real estate, non-owner occupied:                                
    Office     49,417     49,770     50,158     53,099     53,548  
    Retail     49,591     49,717     50,101     50,478     51,384  
    Hospitality     61,919     62,282     62,628     66,982     67,332  
    Other     81,640     82,573     84,428     93,040     94,822  
    Multi-family residential     333,419     354,118     350,382     339,907     333,428  
    Commercial business loans     77,381     86,904     79,055     90,781     76,920  
    Commercial agriculture and fishing loans     21,833     15,369     14,411     10,200     5,422  
    State and political subdivision obligations     369     404     405     405     405  
    Consumer automobile loans     133,789     144,036     151,121     139,524     132,877  
    Consumer loans secured by other assets     131,429     132,749     129,293     122,895     108,542  
    Consumer loans unsecured     3,658     4,411     5,209     6,415     7,712  
    Total loans   $ 1,695,823   $ 1,734,807   $ 1,698,124   $ 1,711,442   $ 1,660,028  
                                     
    Unfunded commitments under lines of credit or existing loans   $ 163,827   $ 166,446   $ 155,005   $ 148,736   $ 149,631  
    FIRST NORTHWEST BANCORP AND SUBSIDIARY
    NET INTEREST MARGIN ANALYSIS
    (Dollars in thousands) (Unaudited)
     
        Three Months Ended December 31,  
        2024   2023  
        Average   Interest         Average   Interest        
        Balance   Earned/   Yield/   Balance   Earned/   Yield/  
        Outstanding   Paid   Rate   Outstanding   Paid   Rate  
        (Dollars in thousands)  
    Interest-earning assets:                                      
    Loans receivable, net (1) (2)   $ 1,688,239   $ 23,716     5.59 % $ 1,628,718   $ 22,083     5.38 %
    Investment securities     313,759     3,658     4.64     297,020     3,393     4.53  
    FHLB dividends     11,762     273     9.23     12,514     252     7.99  
    Interest-earning deposits in banks     45,358     550     4.82     41,974     581     5.49  
    Total interest-earning assets (3)     2,059,118     28,197     5.45     1,980,226     26,309     5.27  
    Noninterest-earning assets     146,384                 147,429              
    Total average assets   $ 2,205,502               $ 2,127,655              
    Interest-bearing liabilities:                                      
    Interest-bearing demand deposits   $ 162,954   $ 210     0.51   $ 172,013   $ 197     0.45  
    Money market accounts     442,481     2,773     2.49     362,366     1,351     1.48  
    Savings accounts     206,605     721     1.39     247,744     963     1.54  
    Certificates of deposit, customer     461,136     4,925     4.25     424,722     4,197     3.92  
    Certificates of deposit, brokered     192,018     2,546     5.27     172,214     2,050     4.72  
    Total interest-bearing deposits (4)     1,465,194     11,175     3.03     1,379,059     8,758     2.52  
    Advances     236,576     2,491     4.19     256,560     2,962     4.58  
    Subordinated debt     39,504     394     3.97     39,425     394     3.96  
    Total interest-bearing liabilities     1,741,274     14,060     3.21     1,675,044     12,114     2.87  
    Noninterest-bearing deposits (4)     256,715                 259,845              
    Other noninterest-bearing liabilities     45,953                 36,795              
    Total average liabilities     2,043,942                 1,971,684              
    Average equity     161,560                 155,971              
    Total average liabilities and equity   $ 2,205,502               $ 2,127,655              
                                           
    Net interest income         $ 14,137               $ 14,195        
    Net interest rate spread                 2.24                 2.40  
    Net earning assets   $ 317,844               $ 305,182              
    Net interest margin (5)                 2.73                 2.84  
    Average interest-earning assets to average interest-bearing liabilities     118.3 %               118.2 %            

    (1) The average loans receivable, net balances include nonaccrual loans.
    (2) Interest earned on loans receivable includes net deferred fees (costs) of $103,000 and ($151,000) for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
    (3) Includes interest-earning deposits (cash) at other financial institutions.
    (4) Cost of all deposits, including noninterest-bearing demand deposits, was 2.58% and 2.12% for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
    (5) Net interest income divided by average interest-earning assets.

    FIRST NORTHWEST BANCORP AND SUBSIDIARY
    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
    (Dollars in thousands) (Unaudited)

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures
    This press release contains financial measures that are not in conformity with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”). Non-GAAP measures are presented where management believes the information will help investors understand the Company’s results of operations or financial position and assess trends. Where non-GAAP financial measures are used, the comparable GAAP financial measure is also provided. These disclosures should not be viewed as a substitute for operating results determined in accordance with GAAP, and are not necessarily comparable to non-GAAP performance measures that may be presented by other companies. Other banking companies may use names similar to those the Company uses for the non-GAAP financial measures the Company discloses, but may calculate them differently. Investors should understand how the Company and other companies each calculate their non-GAAP financial measures when making comparisons. Reconciliations of the GAAP and non-GAAP measures are presented below.

    Calculations Based on PPNR and Adjusted PPNR:

        For the Quarter Ended   For the Year Ended  
    (Dollars in thousands)   December 31,
    2024
      September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      March 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
      December 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
     
    Net (loss) income   $ (2,810 ) $ (1,980 ) $ (2,219 ) $ 396   $ (5,522 ) $ (6,613 ) $ 2,286  
    Plus: provision for credit losses     3,655     3,134     8,739     970     1,152     16,498     1,323  
    Provision (benefit) for income taxes     359     (1,203 )   (547 )   447     (1,354 )   (944 )   549  
    PPNR (1)     1,204     (49 )   5,973     1,813     (5,724 )   8,941     4,158  
    Selected nonrecurring adjustments to PPNR                                            
    Less: Net gain on sale of premises and equipment             7,919             7,919      
    Sale leaseback taxes and assessments included in occupancy and equipment             (359 )           (359 )    
    Net loss on sale of investment securities             (2,117 )       (5,397 )   (2,117 )   (5,397 )
    Adjusted PPNR (1)   $ 1,204   $ (49 ) $ 530   $ 1,813   $ (327 ) $ 3,498   $ 9,555  
                                                 
    Average total assets   $ 2,205,502   $ 2,209,333   $ 2,219,370   $ 2,166,187   $ 2,127,655   $ 2,200,138   $ 2,109,200  
    Return on average assets (GAAP)     -0.51 %   -0.36 %   -0.40 %   0.07 %   -1.03 %   -0.30 %   0.11 %
    Adjusted PPNR return on average assets (Non-GAAP) (1)     0.22 %   -0.01 %   0.10 %   0.34 %   -0.06 %   0.16 %   0.45 %
    (1) We believe these non-GAAP metrics are useful to evaluate the relative strength of the Company’s performance.
    FIRST NORTHWEST BANCORP AND SUBSIDIARY
    ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
    (Dollars in thousands) (Unaudited)
     
    Calculations Based on Tangible Common Equity:
     
        For the Quarter Ended   For the Year Ended  
        December 31,
    2024
      September 30,
    2024
      June 30,
    2024
      March 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
      December 31,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
     
        (Dollars in thousands, except per share data)  
    Total shareholders’ equity   $ 153,882   $ 160,789   $ 158,881   $ 160,506   $ 163,340   $ 153,882   $ 163,340  
    Less: Goodwill and other intangible assets     1,082     1,083     1,084     1,085     1,086     1,082     1,086  
    Disallowed non-mortgage loan servicing rights     423     489     517     489     481     423     481  
    Total tangible common equity   $ 152,377   $ 159,217   $ 157,280   $ 158,932   $ 161,773   $ 152,377   $ 161,773  
                                                 
    Total assets   $ 2,232,006   $ 2,255,486   $ 2,215,962   $ 2,240,020   $ 2,201,797   $ 2,232,006   $ 2,201,797  
    Less: Goodwill and other intangible assets     1,082     1,083     1,084     1,085     1,086     1,082     1,086  
    Disallowed non-mortgage loan servicing rights     423     489     517     489     481     423     481  
    Total tangible assets   $ 2,230,501   $ 2,253,914   $ 2,214,361   $ 2,238,446   $ 2,200,230   $ 2,230,501   $ 2,200,230  
                                                 
    Average shareholders’ equity   $ 161,560   $ 160,479   $ 163,079   $ 161,867   $ 155,971   $ 161,742   $ 159,413  
    Less: Average goodwill and other intangible assets     1,083     1,084     1,085     1,085     1,086     1,084     1,087  
    Average disallowed non-mortgage loan servicing rights     489     517     489     481     608     494     670  
    Total average tangible common equity   $ 159,988   $ 158,878   $ 161,505   $ 160,301   $ 154,277   $ 160,164   $ 157,656  
                                                 
    Net (loss) income   $ (2,810 ) $ (1,980 ) $ (2,219 ) $ 396   $ (5,522 ) $ (6,613 ) $ 2,286  
    Common shares outstanding     9,353,348     9,365,979     9,453,247     9,442,796     9,611,876     9,353,348     9,611,876  
    GAAP Ratios:                                            
    Equity to total assets     6.89 %   7.13 %   7.17 %   7.17 %   7.42 %   6.89 %   7.42 %
    Return on average equity     -6.92 %   -4.91 %   -5.47 %   0.98 %   -14.05 %   -4.09 %   1.43 %
    Book value per common share   $ 16.45   $ 17.17   $ 16.81   $ 17.00   $ 16.99   $ 16.45   $ 16.99  
    Non-GAAP Ratios:                                            
    Tangible common equity to tangible assets (1)     6.83 %   7.06 %   7.10 %   7.10 %   7.35 %   6.83 %   7.35 %
    Return on average tangible common equity (1)     -6.99 %   -4.96 %   -5.53 %   0.99 %   -14.20 %   -4.13 %   1.45 %
    Tangible book value per common share (1)   $ 16.29   $ 17.00   $ 16.64   $ 16.83   $ 16.83   $ 16.29   $ 16.83  
    (1 ) We believe these non-GAAP metrics provide an important measure with which to analyze and evaluate financial condition and capital strength. In addition, we believe that use of tangible equity and tangible assets improves the comparability to other institutions that have not engaged in acquisitions that resulted in recorded goodwill and other intangibles.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Visitor Levy Consultation – Public encouraged to have their say

    Source: Scotland – Highland Council

    A series of engagement events have been set up so members of the public can take part in the current consultation process on the proposed Visitor Levy Scheme for Highland.

    The events come in a number of formats, including face-to-face informal drop-in sessions held in libraries and other civic spaces, to make it as convenient for people as possible to get involved and have their say.

    The Highland Council Convener, Councillor Bill Lobban said: “We are getting feedback from businesses in the tourism sector but we also need to hear the voices of individual members of the public. It is very important that the consultation is as encompassing as possible and all voices are heard.

    “We have set up these sessions in different formats at different times of day, to make it as easy as possible for people to have their say. We have also put together helpful FAQs on our website which explain aspects of the the proposal and are a good starting point for anyone wanting to find out more before filling in the on-line consultation document.”

    The Public Library Community Drop-in Events will  be an informal in-person drop-in opportunity to chat with Council staff on the proposed Visitor Levy Scheme and ask questions about the proposal or the consultation process. Public access computers will also be available on-site for members of the public to fill in the online consultation document, if required.

    • Nairn Library – 7 February 2025, 10:30-12:30
    • Thurso Library – 18 February 2025, 14:00-19:30 (As part of a place-based planning event)
    • Fortrose Community Library – 19 February 2025, 10:00-12:00
    • Fort William Library – 26 February 2025, 11:00-13:00
    • Ullapool Community Library – 27 February 2025, 11:00 – 13:00
    • Brora Library – 28 February 2025, 10:30 – 12:30

    The Community Drop-in Events are as follows:

    • Inverness Archive Centre – 11 February 2025, 13:00 – 15:00
    • Wick (Pulteney Centre) – 12 February 2025, 10:30 – 15:30 (As part of a place-based planning event)
    • Kingussie Courthouse – 13 February 2025, 1:30-3:00
    • Kyle of Lochalsh Service Point – 20 February 2025, 11:00 – 13:00

    They too will provide an informal in-person drop-in opportunity for members of the public to chat with Council staff on the proposed Visitor Levy Scheme and ask questions about the proposal or the consultation process.

    As well as these face-to-face events, two Community Webinars will take place. These will all begin with a formal online presentation from Council staff on the proposed Visitor Levy Scheme followed by the opportunity to ask questions about the proposal or the consultation process.

    • 25 February 2025, 16:00-17:00
    • 13 March 2025, 11:00-12:00

    The Council is asking people to regularly check the Visitor Levy website as further details and additional venues will be confirmed and registration links to online events will be published.In addition to these public engagement events, the Council will be hosting a Webinar specifically for Community Council members and will be taking part in a series of Chambers of Commerce Business Events.

    Councillor Lobban added: “We want the consultation to be as inclusive as possible, ensuring that it fairly and accurately captures opinion and feedback from across all communities. This is why I encourage people to take up this opportunity to drop-in and have an informal chat with staff on the proposals and then pass on their views via the on-line consultation.”

    The consultation runs up until 31 March 2025. In addition to the online survey, there is  a phoneline to request a paper copy of the consultation 01349 781020 and a dedicated email address to answer any queries and provide support: visitorlevyconsultation@highland.gov.uk

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Europe: AFRICA/DR CONGO – “Did the flight of the military leadership facilitate the capture of Goma?”

    Source: Agenzia Fides – MIL OSI

    Kinshasa (Agenzia Fides) – “In Goma there are 2 million people in need,” local Church sources, who asked not to be named for security reasons, told Fides. “At least a million of them are displaced from other areas of North Kivu previously affected by the war.”On the capture of the capital of North Kivu (eastern province of the Democratic Republic of Congo) by the M23 troops supported by Rwanda, the observers report: “The collapse of the Congolese army (FARDC) began on Sunday evening, when the commanders left the city on several boats, heading from the port of Goma on Lake Kivu to Bukavu (capital of South Kivu), about 100 kilometers away. From there, the military leaders boarded a plane that took them to Kinshasa. The troops, which no longer had a commander, were faced with well-equipped M23 rebels and soldiers of the Rwandan army. The M23 rebels and the Rwandans quickly took over the city’s main points: the center, the port and the airport. Several Congolese soldiers surrendered to the rebels or handed themselves over to the MONUSCO peacekeepers.” “The conquest of Goma was bloody, with several dead, many of whom are still lying in the streets of the city. There are at least a thousand injured, which is putting additional pressure on the health system, which is overwhelmed by the lack of water, electricity, food and medicine,” the observers continued.Today, January 29, “the situation in Goma appears to be calming down, although isolated shootings have been reported in some districts,” the observers continued. “But food warehouses, including that of the World Food Programme (WFP), and markets have been looted. There is a lack of electricity because the high-voltage pylons have been knocked down; As a result, there is a shortage of water, which is pumped from Lake Kivu and then purified in special plants that cannot function without electricity. The plundering of supplies and the interruption of deliveries from the surrounding area have led to a food shortage that is becoming more dramatic by the hour.” On the political level, Corneille Nangaa, the leader of the Congo River Alliance, which also includes the M23 movement, announced that they intended to overthrow the government in Kinshasa. “This had already happened in 1997, when rebels supported by Rwanda and Uganda, starting from the east of what was then Zaire, took Kinshasa and forced then President Mobutu to flee,” our observers said. It is suspected “that the M23 will march on Bukavu, trying to cause as few casualties as possible, because Nangaa is a Congolese politician who is trying to exploit the discontent among the soldiers who feel betrayed by their commanders; among other things, despite the army’s spending, the soldiers are poorly equipped and do not even have the right clothing to face the cold, bearing in mind that we are here at an altitude of 1,500 to 1,700 meters,” the observers conclude.Corneille Nangaa was president of the Independent National Electoral Commission (CENI) from 2015 to 2021, but was sentenced to death for treason in August 2024 after founding the Congo River Alliance in 2023. (L.M.) (Agenzia Fides, 29/1/2025)
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    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: “Expanding Heathrow in the face of a climate emergency is the definition of irresponsible.” say Greens

    Source: Green Party of England and Wales

    Responding to the news that Rachel Reeves is backing the expansion of Heathrow Airport, Green Party MP, Sian Berry MP said,

    “The Chancellor talked about the ‘costs of irresponsibility’ but expanding Heathrow in the face of a climate emergency is the definition of irresponsible.”

    “Worst still, we’re also expecting formal planning decisions from ministers on Gatwick and Luton airport expansion, which the Chancellor pre-empted today. Giving these permissions in the month before vital new advice is expected from the Climate Change Committee, today’s speech is nothing short of reckless.

    “The carbon cost of expanding Heathrow, Luton, and Gatwick together will cancel out the benefits of Labour’s keystone clean energy plan, making Net Zero minister Ed Miliband’s task almost impossible.

    “The Chancellor’s stated goal is ‘raising living standards in every part of the UK’ but more and bigger airports will serve only the very richest aviation bosses and the most frequent flyers whose wealth doesn’t help people’s daily lives get better.

    “Tackling inequality and building a greener future should go hand in hand. That must mean investment in warmer homes, green energy and the local transport people use every day, not these bleak proposals.”

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Government backs Heathrow expansion to kickstart economic growth

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Lift-off for growth as government backs expansion at Britain’s busiest and only hub airport.

    • Plan could create over 100,000 direct jobs, boost a better-connected British economy by billions, and lead to cheaper fares and fewer delays for families as part of Plan for Change.
    • Expansion must be delivered in line with UK’s legal, environmental and climate obligations.

    Working people and businesses across Britain will benefit from a government going “further and faster” to kickstart economic growth, as the Chancellor today [29 January] announced the government’s support for a third runway at Heathrow.

    Speaking to an audience of business chiefs at Siemens in North Oxfordshire this morning, the Chancellor set out the government’s latest set of reforms to kickstart economic growth and drive up living standards across the UK by driving investment, getting Britain building and tackling regulatory barriers. This included the announcement that the government supports and is inviting proposals for a third runway at Heathrow.

    The Chancellor confirmed that the government will move at speed to review the Airports National Policy Statement (ANPS). This provides the basis for decision making on granting development consent for a new runway at Heathrow, to ensure that any scheme is delivered in line with our legal, environmental and climate obligations.

    In her speech, Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves said:

    I have always been clear that a third runway at Heathrow would unlock further growth, boost investment, increase exports, and make the UK more open and more connected as part of our Plan for Change.

    And now the case is stronger than ever because our reforms to the economy – like speeding up our planning system, and our strengthened plans to modernise UK airspace – mean the delivery of this project is set up for success.

    So I can confirm today that this Government supports a third runway at Heathrow and is inviting proposals to be brought forward by the summer.

    As well as creating over 100,000 jobs in the local area and many more indirectly, research published today by Frontier Economics finds that 60% of the economic boost from a third runway would be felt by areas outside of London and the South East – putting more money in the pockets of working people across the UK through lower fares and greater choice for passengers as part of our Plan for Change.

    During the speech, Reeves announced that the Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander is expected to take decisions on expansion plans at Gatwick and Luton shortly, and that the government will work with Doncaster Council and the Mayor of South Yorkshire to support their efforts to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport as a thriving regional airport.

    The Chancellor also announced that a new partnership between global logistics giant Prologis and East Midlands Airport to build a new advanced manufacturing park within the East Midlands Freeport zone to unlock £1 billion of investment and 2,000 jobs. It follows this government’s swift approval of similarly stalled plans for London City Airport to expand to nine million passengers per year by 2031 and a £1.1 billion investment at Stansted Airport to extend its terminal and create 5,000 jobs.

    After delivering stability to the public finances and wider economy as the basic precondition for economic growth, the pace of investment and reform demonstrates the government’s willingness to secure the future of the UK’s world-class aviation sector and the sustainable growth it can provide. Air freight represented 57% of the UK’s non-EU exports by value in 2023, with over 60% of freight coming through the UK doing so through Heathrow. International connectivity also supports vital tourism and business links, with overseas visitors spending £31 billion on their visits to the UK in 2023 and 15 million business travellers using Heathrow in the same year.

    It comes after reforms to speed up the planning system and a presumption to ‘back the builders over the blockers’ were set out by the Prime Minister Keir Starmer last week. The government has committed to making decisions on 150 major economic infrastructure applications over this Parliament, having already made decisions on multiple significant projects within its first six months spanning airports, data centres, energy farms, and major housing developments. The Planning and Infrastructure Bill to be introduced in Spring will enact further sweeping reforms and take an axe to the red tape that slows down approval of infrastructure projects.

    Alongside these reforms and plans to modernise UK airspace, the government is taking great strides in transitioning to greener aviation. Sustainable Aviation Fuel reduces CO2 emissions compared to fossil jet fuel by around 70% and the Chancellor announced that the government is supporting UK producers by investing £63 million in 2025-26 into the Advanced Fuels Fund and setting out details of a Revenue Certainty Mechanism. This will support investment and high-skilled green jobs in plants across the UK – with previous winners of the Fund ranging from across the north of England to South Wales – and follows the Sustainable Aviation Fuel Mandate coming into law at the start of 2025. Taken together, our commitments to SAF will support thousands of jobs in places like Teesside and Humberside, bring down our transport emissions, and help make the UK a clean energy superpower as part of our Plan for Change.

    The government is also assessing options for privately financing the Lower Thames Crossing, which will improve connectivity across vital ports and alleviate congestion as goods to be exported come from across the country to markets overseas. 

    In further recognition that the Government’s clean energy superpower mission is helping to drive the UK’s economic growth mission, Reeves announced that the government will designate new Marine Protected Areas to enable offshore wind, whilst protecting our marine environment. In doing so, barriers to 16 gigawatts of offshore wind will be unblocked – as much electricity as was produced by all gas power plants in 2024 – and up to £30 billion of private investment in homegrown clean power will be unlocked, creating thousands of good clean energy jobs in the offshore wind sector in areas like East Anglia and Yorkshire.

    A new approach to the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor – a centre of innovation which could become Europe’s answer to Silicon Valley – will be spearheaded by Sir Patrick Vallance as a Ministerial Champion. The economic potential of this region will be unlocked through leveraging the strengths it boasts in sectors across Britain’s new modern Industrial Strategy, from life sciences and tech to advanced manufacturing.

    The Chancellor set out the government’s plans to increase investment across the whole of the UK. She stressed that the government would do more to support city regions and local leaders outside of London and the South East, in recognition that bringing the productivity of major cities like Manchester, Birmingham and Leeds to the national average would deliver an extra £33 billion in output for the UK economy.

    Reeves confirmed the backing of the Mayor of Greater Manchester’s plans for the regeneration of the area around Old Trafford, including new housing and commercial development, and the new approach to planning decisions on land around stations, changing the default to yes. The Office for Investment is expanding its support to local leaders across the UK to help develop and promote their investment plans, and new strategic partnerships from the National Wealth Fund (NWF) will provide deeper, more focused support for city regions starting in Glasgow, West Yorkshire, the West Midlands, and Greater Manchester.

    NWF and Aviva have today invested £65 million in Connected Kerb to back plans for the electric vehicle smart charging infrastructure company to expand its UK EV charging network towards 40,000 sockets – up from 9,000 as of the end of 2024. This substantial investment into the UK’s public charging infrastructure – one of the NWF’s priority sectors – is crucial for delivering the forecast requirement of at least 300,000 public EV chargers by 2030. NWF is also investing £28 million in Cornish Metals to provide the raw materials to be used in solar panels, wind turbines and electric vehicles, supporting growth and jobs in the South West of England.

    Reeves announced that the Treasury will review the Green Book and how it is being used to provide objective, transparent advice on public investment across the country, including outside London and the South East. There were also further details announced on Investment Zones, with the Wrexham and Flintshire Investment Zone to focus on the area’s strengths in advanced manufacturing. Backed by the likes of Airbus and JCB, this is expected to crowd in £1 billion of private investment over a decade and create up to 6,000 jobs.

    The Chancellor said that the Business and Trade Secretary Jonathan Reynolds will visit India next month to relaunch talks on a free-trade agreement and bilateral investment treaty, She set out that the guiding principle the government will take in its approach to trade is acting in the national interest of Britain’s economy, its businesses and working people. A trade deal with India, as one of the fastest growing economies in the world and one which is projected to be the fourth largest global importer by 2035, is in line with this approach.

    Notes to Editors

    • The Chancellor’s speech can be found on gov.uk later today here.
    • As part of the ANPS review, government will engage the Climate Change Committee on how aviation expansion can be made consistent with our net zero framework.

    Stakeholder reaction

    Kenton Jarvis, CEO of easyJet, said:

    I welcome the Government’s pro-growth agenda and their recognition of the importance of aviation and the crucial role it plays as an enabler of economic growth. As an island nation, this industry provides much-needed connectivity as well as creating many skilled jobs which contribute to the wider prosperity of the country. 

    Expansion at Heathrow will provide consumer and economic benefits and represents a unique opportunity for easyJet to operate from the airport at scale for the first time and bring with it lower fares for consumers.

    Paul Weston, Regional Head of Prologis UK said:

    The Chancellor’s announcements reflect a drive to support enhanced UK economic growth, which underscores Prologis’ global partnership with East Midlands Airport to unlock investment at the nation’s only inland Freeport site.

    We are focused on delivering a new Advanced Manufacturing and Logistics park at pace and in partnership, harnessing the site’s unique potential.

    Prologis, as a partner of choice, continues to commit to opportunities across the UK that underpin growth, building the foundations that support economic opportunities and on-the-ground benefits, with central, regional and local government.

    Gordon Sanghera, Chief Executive Officer, Oxford Nanopore Technologies said:

    The attention given to the innovation potential in the Oxford-Cambridge Growth Corridor is welcome. This is an opportunity to strengthen the UK’s tech infrastructure, expand access to talent, and attract investment—the foundations of innovation—so we can turn more pioneering UK life science start-ups into global scale-ups. The UK can be the best place in the world for breakthrough technologies.

    Tim Knowles, Founder and Managing Director of FI Real Estate Management, said:

    As an investor in Wrexham for almost 20 years, we’re delighted to see the announcement that Wrexham and Flintshire will receive Advanced Manufacturing Investment Zone status, with three of our schemes on Wrexham Industrial Estate – Wrexham 1M, Wrexham 152, and Bridgeway Centre – forming part of the designated zone.

    Across these sites, we’ll be investing £115m to create new, high-quality industrial accommodation, supporting the creation of over 1,000 new jobs and delivering an estimated economic value of £1.2bn in Wrexham over the next 10 years.

    Mark Turner, JCB’s Chief Operating Officer said:

    JCB has been a prominent feature of the industrial and economic landscape in Wrexham and Flintshire for over 45 years. Innovation is the lifeblood of our business and we welcome the creation of an Investment Zone in North Wales and hope that it will attract many other businesses to the area. As an advanced manufacturer of precision engineering components, JCB Transmissions looks forward to other advanced manufacturing businesses coming to the area. This could go a long way towards building the supply chain resilience of existing manufacturing businesses in the area, such as JCB.

    We place a lot of values on skills in our business and we look forward to the Investment Zone positively supporting skills development in the future. JCB continues to invest in our business in Wrexham and today’s IZ announcement bodes well for the economic development of the area in the future.

    Updates to this page

    Published 29 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Economics: W&T Offshore Announces Initial Results of Cash Tender Offer and Consent Solicitation

    Source: W & T Offshore Inc

    Headline: W&T Offshore Announces Initial Results of Cash Tender Offer and Consent Solicitation

    HOUSTON, Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — W&T Offshore, Inc. (NYSE: WTI) (“W&T” or the “Company”) announced today the initial results of its previously announced cash tender offer (the “Tender Offer”) relating to any and all of its outstanding 11.750% senior second lien notes due 2026 (the “2026 Senior Second Lien Notes”) pursuant to its Offer to Purchase and Consent Solicitation dated January 13, 2025 (the “Offer to Purchase”). In conjunction with the Tender Offer, the Company also solicited consents (the “Consent Solicitation”) from the holders of the 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes for the adoption of proposed amendments (the “Proposed Amendments”), which, among other things, eliminated substantially all of the restrictive covenants, as well as various events of default and related provisions contained in the indenture governing the 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes (the “Indenture”).

    As of 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on January 27, 2025, the Company had received the requisite tenders and consents to the Proposed Amendments. The Proposed Amendments became effective on January 27, 2025 upon execution of a supplemental indenture to the indenture governing the 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes.

    On January 28, 2025 (the “Early Settlement Date”), the Company accepted and purchased $269,741,000 aggregate principal amount of the outstanding 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes (or approximately 98.09% of the outstanding principal amount of 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes) for a purchase price equal to $1,036.25, plus accrued and unpaid interest, for each $1,000 principal amount of the 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes purchased. After giving effect to the purchase of 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes on the Early Settlement Date, an aggregate $5,259,000 principal amount of the 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes will remain outstanding.

    W&T’s tender offer for the 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes will expire at 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on February 11, 2025, unless the Tender Offer is extended by the Company in its sole discretion (the “Expiration Time”). Holders of the 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes who validly tender their 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes on or prior to the Expiration Time, and whose 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes are accepted for purchase, will receive consideration of $1,006.25 per $1,000 principal amount of the 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes tendered. In addition, the Company will pay accrued and unpaid interest on the principal amount of 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes accepted for purchase from the most recent interest payment date on the 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes to, but not including, February 13, 2025, the final settlement date.

    Also on January 28, 2025, the Company mailed a notice of redemption to each remaining holder of 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes. The notice of redemption calls for the redemption of any 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes that remain outstanding on August 1, 2025. Such redemption is being made in accordance with the “optional redemption” provision of the Indenture, at a redemption price equal to 100.000% of the aggregate principal amount of the 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes, plus accrued and unpaid interest up to, but excluding, the date of redemption.

    Because the withdrawal deadline of 5:00 p.m. (New York City time) on January 27, 2025 has passed, previously tendered 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes may no longer be withdrawn, and holders who tender 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes after the withdrawal deadline will not have withdrawal rights.

    W&T engaged Morgan Stanley & Co. LLC to act as dealer manager for the Tender Offer and as solicitation agent for the Consent Solicitation and can be contacted at (212) 761-1057 (collect) or (800) 624-1808 (toll-free) with questions regarding the Tender Offer and Consent Solicitation.

    Copies of the Offer to Purchase are available to holders of 2026 Second Senior Lien Notes from D.F. King & Co., Inc., the information agent and tender agent for the Tender Offer and the Consent Solicitation. Requests for copies of the Offer to Purchase should be directed to D.F. King at (866) 620-2535 (toll free), (212) 269-5550 (banks and brokers) or wtoffshore@dfking.com

    Neither the Offer to Purchase nor any related documents have been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), nor have any such documents been filed with or reviewed by any federal or state securities commission or regulatory authority of any country. No authority has passed upon the accuracy or adequacy of the Offer to Purchase or any related documents, and it is unlawful and may be a criminal offense to make any representation to the contrary.

    The Tender Offer and the Consent Solicitation were made solely on the terms and conditions set forth in the Offer to Purchase. Under no circumstances shall this press release constitute an offer to buy or the solicitation of an offer to sell the 2026 Second Senior Lien Notes or any other securities of the Company or any of its subsidiaries. The Tender Offer and the Consent Solicitation are not being made to, nor will the Company accept tenders of 2026 Second Senior Lien Notes or deliveries of consents from, holders in any jurisdiction in which the Tender Offer and the Consent Solicitation or the acceptance thereof would not be in compliance with the securities of blue sky laws of such jurisdiction. This press release also is not a solicitation of consents to the Proposed Amendments to the indenture governing the 2026 Second Senior Lien Notes. No recommendation is made as to whether holders should tender their 2026 Second Senior Lien Notes or deliver their consents with respect to the 2026 Second Senior Lien Notes. Holders should carefully read the Offer to Purchase because it contains important information, including the terms and conditions of the Tender Offer and the Consent Solicitation.

    About W&T Offshore

    W&T Offshore, Inc. is an independent oil and natural gas producer, active in the exploration, development and acquisition of oil and natural gas properties in the Gulf of Mexico. As of September 30, 2024, the Company had working interests in 53 producing offshore fields in federal and state waters (which include 46 fields in federal waters and seven in state waters). The Company has under lease approximately 673,100 gross acres (515,400 net acres) spanning across the outer continental shelf off the coasts of Louisiana, Texas, Mississippi and Alabama, with approximately 514,000 gross acres on the conventional shelf, approximately 153,500 gross acres in the deepwater and 5,600 gross acres in Alabama state waters. A majority of the Company’s daily production is derived from wells it operates. For more information on W&T, please visit the Company’s website at www.wtoffshore.com.

    Forward-Looking and Cautionary Statements

    This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. All statements other than statements of historical facts included in this release regarding the Company’s financial position, operating and financial performance, timing and completion of the Tender Offer and Consent Solicitation are forward-looking statements. When used in this release, forward-looking statements are generally accompanied by terms or phrases such as “estimate,” “project,” “predict,” “believe,” “expect,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “target,” “could,” “plan,” “intend,” “seek,” “goal,” “will,” “should,” “may” or other words and similar expressions that convey the uncertainty of future events or outcomes, although not all forward-looking statements contain such identifying words. Items contemplating or making assumptions about actual or potential future production and sales, prices, market size, and trends or operating results also constitute such forward-looking statements.

    These forward-looking statements are based on the Company’s current expectations and assumptions about future events and speak only as of the date of this release. While management considers these expectations and assumptions to be reasonable, they are inherently subject to significant business, economic, competitive, regulatory and other risks, contingencies and uncertainties, most of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the Company’s control. Accordingly, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, as results actually achieved may differ materially from expected results described in these statements. The Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims, any obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of such statements, unless required by law.

    Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially including, among other things, the regulatory environment, including availability or timing of, and conditions imposed on, obtaining and/or maintaining permits and approvals, including those necessary for drilling and/or development projects; the impact of current, pending and/or future laws and regulations, and of legislative and regulatory changes and other government activities, including those related to permitting, drilling, completion, well stimulation, operation, maintenance or abandonment of wells or facilities, managing energy, water, land, greenhouse gases or other emissions, protection of health, safety and the environment, or transportation, marketing and sale of the Company’s products; inflation levels; global economic trends, geopolitical risks and general economic and industry conditions, such as the global supply chain disruptions and the government interventions into the financial markets and economy in response to inflation levels and world health events; volatility of oil, NGL and natural gas prices; the global energy future, including the factors and trends that are expected to shape it, such as concerns about climate change and other air quality issues, the transition to a low-emission economy and the expected role of different energy sources; supply of and demand for oil, natural gas and NGLs, including due to the actions of foreign producers, importantly including OPEC and other major oil producing companies (“OPEC+”) and change in OPEC+’s production levels; disruptions to, capacity constraints in, or other limitations on the pipeline systems that deliver the Company’s oil and natural gas and other processing and transportation considerations; inability to generate sufficient cash flow from operations or to obtain adequate financing to fund capital expenditures, meet the Company’s working capital requirements or fund planned investments; price fluctuations and availability of natural gas and electricity; the Company’s ability to use derivative instruments to manage commodity price risk; the Company’s ability to meet the Company’s planned drilling schedule, including due to the Company’s ability to obtain permits on a timely basis or at all, and to successfully drill wells that produce oil and natural gas in commercially viable quantities; uncertainties associated with estimating proved reserves and related future cash flows; the Company’s ability to replace the Company’s reserves through exploration and development activities; drilling and production results, lower–than–expected production, reserves or resources from development projects or higher–than–expected decline rates; the Company’s ability to obtain timely and available drilling and completion equipment and crew availability and access to necessary resources for drilling, completing and operating wells; changes in tax laws; effects of competition; uncertainties and liabilities associated with acquired and divested assets; the Company’s ability to make acquisitions and successfully integrate any acquired businesses; asset impairments from commodity price declines; large or multiple customer defaults on contractual obligations, including defaults resulting from actual or potential insolvencies; geographical concentration of the Company’s operations; the creditworthiness and performance of the Company’s counterparties with respect to its hedges; impact of derivatives legislation affecting the Company’s ability to hedge; failure of risk management and ineffectiveness of internal controls; catastrophic events, including tropical storms, hurricanes, earthquakes, pandemics and other world health events; environmental risks and liabilities under U.S. federal, state, tribal and local laws and regulations (including remedial actions); potential liability resulting from pending or future litigation; the Company’s ability to recruit and/or retain key members of the Company’s senior management and key technical employees; information technology failures or cyberattacks; and governmental actions and political conditions, as well as the actions by other third parties that are beyond the Company’s control, and other factors discussed in W&T Offshore’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q found at www.sec.gov or at the Company’s website at www.wtoffshore.com under the Investor Relations section.

    Disclaimer

    This press release must be read in conjunction with the Offer to Purchase. This announcement and the Offer to Purchase contain important information which must be read carefully before any decision is made with respect to the Tender Offer and the Consent Solicitation. If any holder of 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes is in any doubt as to the actions it should take, it is recommended to seek its own legal, tax, accounting and financial advice, including as to any tax consequences, immediately from its stockbroker, bank manager, attorney, accountant or other independent financial or legal adviser. Any individual or company whose 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes are held on its behalf by a broker, dealer, bank, custodian, trust company or other nominee or intermediary must contact such entity if it wishes to participate in the Offer to Purchase. None of the Company, the dealer manager and solicitation agent, the information agent and tender agent and any person who controls, or is a director, officer, employee or agent of such persons, or any affiliate of such persons, makes any recommendation as to whether holders of 2026 Senior Second Lien Notes should participate in the Tender Offer.

         
    CONTACT: Al Petrie Sameer Parasnis
      Investor Relations Coordinator Executive VP and CFO
      investorrelations@wtoffshore.com sparasnis@wtoffshore.com
      713-297-8024 713-513-8654

    Source: W&T Offshore, Inc.

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Russia: In 2024, 34 non-residential buildings were erected in the west of the capital using extra-budgetary funds

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    In 2024, 34 non-residential real estate objects were built in the west of the capital using extra-budgetary funds. They appeared in seven districts of the city. This was reported by the Deputy Mayor of Moscow for Urban Development Policy and Construction Vladimir Efimov.

    “Last year, 34 non-residential real estate objects with a total area of 416 thousand square meters were built in the districts of Kuntsevo, Dorogomilovo, Ramenki, Krylatskoye, Ochakovo-Matveyevskoye, Troparevo-Nikulino and Mozhaysky. Among them are student dormitory buildings, a church, a hotel complex, business and sports infrastructure facilities, as well as five educational institutions with more than 1.4 thousand places. About 3.3 thousand jobs were created in the new objects,” Vladimir Efimov noted.

    In ZAO, the territory near the Skolkovo Institute of Science and Technology is actively developing, where a student campus with dormitories is being created. Social, business, commercial and sports facilities are also appearing in other areas of the district.

    “Over the past year, four kindergartens for a total of 640 children were built in the west of the capital. One of them appeared on the territory of the residential area “Michurinsky Park” in the Ochakovo-Matveyevskoye district. It is designed for 250 places. The three-story building with an area of 5.8 thousand square meters provides a swimming pool, 10 group cells, a medical and a full-cycle food unit, sports and music halls. The construction of the kindergarten was carried out by a capital developer, upon completion of the work, the facility was transferred to the capital’s education system,” said the Minister of the Moscow Government, Head of the Department of Urban Development Policy of the capital

    Vladislav Ovchinsky.

    On the instructions of the Mayor of Moscow, the city is paying special attention to the quality of construction.

    As the Chairman of the Moscow State Construction Supervision Authority said Anton Slobodchikov, the department’s specialists carried out 174 control and supervisory activities at the sites with the participation of employees of the Center for Expertise, Research and Testing in Construction. The inspectors took samples of the materials used and checked the samples’ compliance with the approved design solutions in laboratory conditions.

    The past January holidays in Moscow once again emphasized the importance of developing the hospitality industry and creating additional places for city guests to relax. The tourist turnover during this period is estimated at 136.8 billion rubles, and the volume of revenues to the city budget is 18.7 billion rubles.

    First Deputy Head of the Office of the Mayor and the Government of Moscow, Chairman of the Moscow Tourism Committee Evgeniy Kozlovnoted that the tourist flow is growing every year. Travelers expect Moscow to provide them with opportunities for comfortable accommodation, so it is important for the city to regularly open new three-star, four-star and five-star hotels. Thanks to high-quality hotel infrastructure, the image of the capital is enhanced and revenues to its budget increase.

    Earlier Sergei Sobyanin toldthat by 2024, 81 new educational, healthcare, cultural and sports facilities will appear in Moscow.

    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/nevs/ite/149438073/

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Sobyanin: Construction of a school on the territory of the Tushino airfield has been completed

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Moscow Government – Government of Moscow –

    A school has been completed on the territory of the former Tushino airfield. The building on Volokolamsk Highway has created a comfortable and safe space for 825 children to study. This was reported in his telegram channel written by Sergei Sobyanin.

    “Universal and specialized classrooms were created for teachers and students, as well as a creative space similar to a university campus with laboratory and research complexes. The central element of the school is the atrium, which can be used as an assembly hall or an event venue. The building’s design is the winner of the 2023 Moscow Architecture and Urban Development Award in the educational facilities category,” said Sergei Sobyanin.

    Source: Sergei Sobyanin’s Telegram channel @mos_sobyanin

    The construction of a new school building at 75v Volokolamskoe Shosse began in May 2022 and was completed in January 2025. It was built at the expense of the investor, Asterus, the developer of the Ália residential complex, which is implementing a project to create a modern residential area with an educational hub on the territory of the former Tushino airfield.

    In addition to the school building, it will include children’s educational routes and a Coastal Park, organized according to the concept of a forest school, where adults and young city residents will be able to gain a variety of experiences interacting with living nature.

    The investor will donate the new educational building to the capital’s education system free of charge; it will become part of the complex of School No. 58.

    School with atrium

    The building was constructed according to the design of an architectural bureau that won the 2023 Moscow City Prize in architecture and urban planning in the nomination “Best Architectural and Urban Planning Solution for a School”.

    The building has four floors and one underground floor. Its area is more than 12 thousand square meters. It has created a comfortable and safe space for studying for 825 schoolchildren of grades 1-11, including a barrier-free environment for children with disabilities.

    The school building fits harmoniously into the surrounding landscape. Visually, it consists of two blocks – for primary and secondary schools. The facades with panoramic windows were made in yellow, white and gray colors to emphasize the features of the complex volumetric composition and highlight large elements in the structure of the building, assembled like a construction set.

    The design of the classrooms differs depending on the age of the students: a more formal design was created for older students and a brighter one for younger students. The walls of the school are decorated with images of function graphs, chains of molecules and diagrams of sound waves. Cryptograms were used in the design of the corridors, which facilitate navigation around the building.

    The central element of the building is the atrium — a multifunctional and multi-light space with increased ceiling height. It can be used as a lecture hall, an assembly hall or a venue for events. In addition, the atrium can serve as a comfortable space for relaxation. In fact, it will become a kind of heart of the school. At the same time, special acoustic panels will absorb possible noise, so neither loud music nor children’s laughter in the atrium will interfere with classes in the classrooms.

    In addition to 33 universal and specialized classrooms, students and teachers will have access to a creative space similar to a university campus, including laboratory and research complexes. The building also houses a media library, creative workshops, gyms, and much more.

    A sports core was set up on the school grounds: circular and straight running tracks, playgrounds for playing sports (basketball, football, volleyball), as well as recreation areas with a playground for students in grades 5-11, where a shade canopy and small play equipment were installed. In addition, an educational and experimental unit with greenhouses was located next to the school.

    The new school is scheduled to accept its first students on September 1, 2025.

    “Mathematical vertical” and pre-professional classes

    The new educational space will feature a combination of classical programs of in-depth training in the academic model of specialized education with practice-oriented engineering and technical classes, which the school implements jointly with partners (STEM approach) in the context of integrated support from a strong psychological service. Close attention will be paid to the involvement of children in sports, the use of available sports infrastructure, and the development of a school sports club.

    The school’s partners in developing the engineering and technical direction will be the state corporation Rostec and leading technical universities: Bauman Moscow State Technical University, MIREA – Russian Technological University and Moscow Aviation Institute (National Research University).

    The school plans to open classes with a mathematical and natural science focus as part of the city project “Mathematical Vertical” for students in grades seven through nine, as well as pre-professional classes (10th and 11th) as part of the city projects “Engineering Class in a Moscow School” and “IT Class in a Moscow School”.

    The focus on practical tasks and project work will be a special feature of the profile training of schoolchildren. The educational process provides for an individual approach to the children.

    Thus, the plans include introducing students to advanced professions in the field of engineering and motivating them to master professions that are in demand in the metropolis labor market. It is also planned to implement practice-oriented training based on additional pre-professional training courses, partnerships with universities and employers as part of the Rostec state corporation. In addition, it is planned to involve children in project and research activities in the field of modern engineering. Excursions, guest classes, master classes and the like will be held for schoolchildren, for example, off-site classes at the enterprises of the Rostec state corporation, as well as scientific events.

    Graduates of the school who have completed pre-profile engineering classes are planned to be considered as a priority for further training within the framework of targeted programs of the Rostec state corporation, such as Wings of Rostec, Code of Rostec, Rostec. Biotechmed.

    Medalists and winners of the Olympics

    School No. 58, created in 2019, currently includes two educational buildings on Tvardovskogo and Letnaya streets — a school building and a preschool building. It has 741 students, including 598 schoolchildren and 143 preschoolers. The workforce consists of 82 employees, including 60 teaching staff.

    The system of additional education includes programs of various focus areas: natural science, technical, physical education and sports, and social and humanitarian. The coverage of students by additional education is 95 percent.

    In the 2023/2024 academic year, 71 eleventh-graders graduated. Of these, 23 people (32 percent) were awarded the federal medal “For Special Achievements in Studies” (gold and silver), 11 people (15 percent) – the Moscow medal “For Special Achievements in Studies”. Based on the results of the Unified State Exam, 31 graduates (44 percent) received 250 points or higher in three subjects. Two graduates scored 100 points in English and mathematics.

    Last academic year, 60 children were also awarded diplomas of winners and prize winners of the municipal stage of the All-Russian School Olympiad. 34 students took part in the regional stage, of which 10 people became prize winners. Eight children received the title of prize winners of the Moscow School Olympiad. Teams of 10th and 11th grades became winners and prize winners of programming Olympiads (for example, PROD) and various hackathons.

    New schools and kindergartens

    Since 2011, 648 educational facilities have been built in Moscow, including 450 kindergartens and 198 schools. Of these, 327 were financed from the city budget and 321 from extra-budgetary funds. Plans call for the construction of about 200 new educational facilities by 2027.

    Sergei Sobyanin spoke about the development of the territory of the former Tushino airfield

    Program “My District”. Pokrovskoe-Streshnevo

    Program “My area”, developed on the initiative of Sergei Sobyanin, is the largest project for the comprehensive improvement and development of urban areas. Its goal is to create comfortable living conditions for Muscovites, regardless of their place of residence.

    More than 67 thousand people live in Pokrovskoe-Streshnevo, located in the North-West Administrative District. In recent years, much has been done here to improve the quality of life of the townspeople.

    The ground metro has arrived here — the second Moscow Central Diameter with the stations Trikotazhnaya, Tushinskaya and the city stations Shchukinskaya and Streshnevo. Convenient approaches and approaches from residential buildings have been arranged to them. At Shchukinskaya and Tushinskaya, you can transfer to the Tagansko-Krasnopresnenskaya metro line, and from Streshnevo — transfer to the station of the same name on the Moscow Central Circle.

    The reconstruction of Volokolamskoe Shosse with a radical upgrade of the interchange on the Moscow Ring Road has been completed. As a result, traffic has accelerated on one of the busiest outbound highways, and it has also improved on the northwestern section of the Moscow Ring Road. And thanks to the new U-turn overpass on Volokolamskoe Shosse towards Shchukino, it has been possible to significantly reduce the excess mileage of vehicles. In addition, Volokolamskoe Shosse has been improved – it has turned into a highway with comfortable transfers with convenient stops and pedestrian crossings.

    Seven new ground transportation routes were organized in the district. More than 50 modern bus stops were installed.

    Three charging stations of the Energy of Moscow project have been equipped for electric vehicles. Fans of cycling can use 44 bicycle parking areas and three city bike rental stations.

    The Skhodnya River Bank Park was improved, where water obstacles for rowers to train were installed on the territory of the rowing base. The Khimki River Valley Park, the embankment along the Skhodnensky Canal (left bank) from the Western Bridge to the Moscow Canal, as well as the squares near the Gzhel Moscow State Academic Dance Theater and in front of the S.G. Stroganov Russian State University of Art and Industry were put in order. In addition, 43 courtyards were improved.

    Water obstacles for slalom have been installed at the rowing base in the Skhodnya River Bank ParkMajor improvement works on Volokolamsk highway completed

    A large and significant project was the development of the natural and historical park “Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo”. During the work, the idea of its conditional division into several functional zones was implemented. Thus, a natural, ecological and educational, leisure and recreational, sports and historical and cultural parks appeared. The main and central part of “Pokrovskoye-Streshnevo” remained a natural reserve zone, and the places of active recreation were moved closer to residential areas and transport highways. In the park, the outdated infrastructure was updated and new infrastructure was created for a comfortable and safe stay of city residents, including the arrangement of 16 playgrounds, 23 sports areas, 16 gazebos for picnics.

    In the historical and cultural part of the park, the restoration of the estate ensemble is currently underway. The regular garden has been recreated, the facade work on the main house, the greenhouse and the fence with turrets has been completed, and the interiors are being restored. All elements of the architectural ensemble will be carefully restored using archival photos and drawings and adapted for modern use.

    Parquet flooring to be recreated in Pokrovskoe-Streshnevo estate

    An important event for the development of healthcare was the opening of a new treatment and diagnostic complex of the Infectious Diseases Clinical Hospital No. 1. These are three buildings with Meltzer boxes, which have no analogues in the country in terms of equipment and level of comfort.

    Sergei Sobyanin announced the imminent opening of a new complex of infectious diseases hospital No. 1The new complex of the Infectious Diseases Hospital No. 1 will become the best specialized hospital in Russia – Sergei Sobyanin

    As part of the modernization of the outpatient sector, a comprehensive reconstruction of the main building of Children’s Clinic No. 94 (Vishnevaya Street, Building 20, Building 2) has been completed and work is underway in Branch No. 3 of Clinic No. 115 (Dolgov Street, Building 1, Building 4).

    The multifunctional sports complex “Chkalov Arena” is popular with the city residents. It houses an ice arena, a universal sports hall, choreography halls and other areas where professionals and amateurs train. The new physical culture and health complex on Tushinskaya Street (house 16a) is also in demand among the residents of the district.

    Completed a comprehensive renovation of the sports and fitness complex on Gabrichevsky Street with modern sports equipment. They plan to build a multifunctional Sports Palace with an ice arena, a swimming pool, a multi-purpose hall and a gym at the address: Volokolamskoe Shosse, Building 71/10.

    For communication, leisure and creativity of the older generation, the Moscow Longevity Center of the Pokrovskoe-Streshnevo district was opened at the address: Svobody Street, Building 8/4, Building 1. Routine repairs were carried out at Children’s Libraries No. 232 (1st Tushinsky Proezd, Building 4), No. 236 (Bolshaya Naberezhnaya Street, Building 15) and Library No. 234 (Gabrichevsky Street, Building 8).

    Renovation in Pokrovskoe-Streshnevo

    In Pokrovskoe-Streshnevo, 48 buildings are included in the renovation program; about 8.3 thousand Muscovites will move into new modern apartments. The stages of resettlement have been determined:

    — first stage (2020–2024) — three houses have been resettled and demolished (the task has been fully completed);

    — the second stage (2025–2028) — resettlement of another 25 houses (eight of them are in the process of resettlement);

    — the third stage (2029–2032) — resettlement of 20 houses.

    Eight territories have been selected for resettlement of residents. Residential complexes have already been built on two of them. Design and urban planning documentation is being prepared for another six sites.

    Sergei Sobyanin included nine new sites in the renovation programA house will appear in Pokrovskoe-Streshnevo under the renovation program

    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/mayor/tkhemes/12326050/

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Russia must end its war and return to dialogue: UK Statement to the OSCE

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    Ambassador Holland reiterates the UK’s support to Ukraine, and calls on Russia to end its war and return to dialogue and risk reduction – including in the Forum for Security Cooperation.

    Thank you Mr Chair, dear Cristobal, and to your Foreign Minister, for setting out Spain’s priorities for the Forum for Security Co-operation this Trimester.  You can count on the UK’s steadfast support, as you Chair our Forum at this crucial time for Euro-Atlantic Security. 

    Over the winter period, many of us marked Christmas and the New Year.  But the people of Ukraine have had no rest.  Today marks 1069 days of their ongoing defence of their homeland, from a full-scale invasion which continues to violate the UN Charter and to contravene the Helsinki Final Act’s core principles, including those on sovereignty, territorial integrity and the non-use of force.   

    That is why each week, we have met in this Forum to support Ukraine and to hold Russia accountable for breaching its commitments.  And that is why we particularly welcome Spain’s proposed FSC topic on Women, Peace & Security. 

    Mr Chair, our Ministers mandated the Forum to hold a weekly politico-military dialogue, with tasks that include risk-reduction.  They mandated the Chair to ‘ensure the good order and smooth running of meetings’.  To set the agenda.  And to select and invite guest speakers.  We fully support the Chair’s prerogative to execute its mandate. 

    Unfortunately, at the closing session last Trimester, we had to condemn the Russian delegation – for a fourth Trimester in a row – for its attempts to disrupt the FSC from functioning at all.  Once again, I express my thanks to Denmark, and to other previous Chairs, for keeping the Forum functional, despite Russia’s attempts to prevent it. 

    As we said repeatedly, there remains another path.  If the Russian state’s professed wish for peace is genuine, it must end this war by withdrawing all of its forces to outside of Ukraine’s internationally recognised borders.  And from Georgia and Moldova.  If the Russian state is serious about dialogue and risk reduction, it must stop trying to undermine our Ministerial mandate of this Forum meeting each week.   

    I wish to conclude by welcoming Estonia to the FSC Troika, and to thank Croatia for their work as they leave the Troika.  And most importantly, I wish you, Mr Chair, and your able teams here in Vienna and in Madrid the best of luck this Trimester.  You can count on the support of the UK delegation.

    Updates to this page

    Published 29 January 2025

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Tell us about your experience of home educating

    Source: City of Plymouth

    We’re looking to get a better understanding of local families’ experiences of home educating and the reasons they chose to do so.

    We’re working with researchers at the University of Plymouth to better understand how schools can meet the diverse needs of families, while recognising the various reasons they may choose home education.

    We would like to know what is going well for you when educating at home, what you are finding difficult, and what could be done to support you if your child(ren) want to return to school.

    Questionnaires have been designed to give both parents and children the opportunity to share your views of home education.

    Complete the survey

    Please select the appropriate survey, for:

    All information collected will be anonymised and will only be used for the purposes of this research project.

    The survey is open until 14 February.

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: December 2024 Retail Prices Index published29 January 2025 ​​​Statistics Jersey have today published the December 2024 Retail Prices Index report. The All Items Retail Prices Index (RPI) is the main measure of inflation in Jersey. It measures the change from quarter… Read more

    Source: Channel Islands – Jersey

    29 January 2025

    ​​​Statistics Jersey have today published the December 2024 Retail Prices Index report.

    The All Items Retail Prices Index (RPI) is the main measure of inflation in Jersey. It measures the change from quarter to quarter in the price of the goods and services purchased by an average household in Jersey. 

    ​The December report shows:​

    • the All Items Retail Prices Index (RPI) for Jersey increased by 2.5% to stand at 233.8 (June 2000 = 100)
    • the increase in the RPI was less than that to September 2024 (3.0%); hence the annual rate of inflation decreased by 0.5 percentage points (pp) since last quarter
    • half of the groups contributed to the decrease in the annual rate of inflation, including the housing, fuel and light and fares and other travel groups
    • prices in most groups increased and these increases were similar to or less than those over the 12 months to September 2024, which resulted in an overall downward contribution to the annual rate of inflation
    • leisure services which includes entertainment, sport and leisure fees and off-Island holidays, was the price group that made the largest contribution to the annual rate of inflation, contributing +0.6 pp to the rate
      • the price change in the leisure services price group was lower compared with the 12 months to September 2024, hence its contribution to the change in rate of the RPI was  0.1 pp
    • the increase in the RPI was 5.0 pp smaller than a year ago (7.5% in December 2023)
    • RPI(Y), which measures underlying inflation, increased by 3.0%, which was 0.3 pp smaller than the September 2024 rate (down from 3.3%)
    • RPI(X) increased by 3.2%
    • RPI Pensioners increased by 3.0%
    • RPI Low Income increased by 3.4%
    • annual changes in RPI(X), RPI(Y) and RPI Pensioners were 0.3 to 0.6 pp smaller than those in September 2024 and RPI Low Income was essentially unchanged from September 2024
    • the rate of inflation in Jersey as measured by the RPI, was 1.0 pp lower than the UK CPIH, which is the broadly comparable headline rate of inflation for the UK; this marks the first time since June 2022 that the Jersey RPI rate has been lower than the UK CPIH 

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Children’s services need some improvements, says Ofsted

    Source: City of Leicester

    A NEW report from Ofsted says that children’s services in Leicester require some improvements to be consistently good, despite identifying some very strong areas.

    Inspectors visited Leicester City Council in September last year to review all aspects of children’s social care, including adoption and fostering, early help services, staff development and out-of-hours responses.

    They noted the ‘supportive environment’ leaders have maintained for staff, ensuring that caseloads remain at manageable levels. They found that handovers happened clearly and swiftly; staff knew how to escalate children’s cases appropriately and that social workers ‘know their children well and speak about them with knowledge and sensitivity.’ The use of child protection plans and processes to bring children into the care of the local authority were appropriate.

    The council’s fostering service was also highlighted as an area of significant strength, with carers receiving ‘very good’ support.

    Their report says that in order to achieve a judgement of ‘good’, leaders in children’s services need to improve the information they have to evaluate performance, and that care plans and responses to some referrals also need to be more consistent if all children are to have the best possible outcomes. An improvement plan has been produced to address the points raised by Ofsted.

    Inspectors also said that arrangements to support the very small group of most vulnerable children in care and care leavers could be improved, as well as support for young adult care leavers in prison or facing homelessness – areas which have been swiftly addressed by the authority since the inspection.

    Deputy city mayor with responsibility for social care, Cllr Sarah Russell, said: “This report was conducted back in September, which means we’ve already completed, or are working on, many of the actions and helpful points that were raised.

    “I’m very proud that inspectors identified that our staff are well-supported, our workforce is stable and our social workers know their children well. It shows that we have a good baseline for improvement and the foundations of our social work practice are good.

    “However, we also felt we couldn’t engage with Ofsted inspectors in the way we wanted to. We are experienced at undergoing inspections, but felt that the process this time was extremely difficult, with a lack of recognition of areas of good practice. Where things need to be improved, it is usually the case that very small numbers of children experience less than good support from us. This was not reflected in the final report.

    “We are taking up these issues with Ofsted, but in the meantime our focus is firmly on ensuring that our staff are supported, children in Leicester are kept safe, and that we continue to work really hard to provide the best possible service for every child and family that needs our help.”

    Laurence Jones, the city council’s strategic director of social care and education, added: “We are disappointed in this report, which we feel does not accurately reflect our service due to issues in the inspection process. However, it has confirmed some areas of focused improvement which were already known to the leadership team.  Having stabilised our workforce and created a supportive environment for staff, we are now absolutely determined to offer a consistently good service to every child and family we work with. This commitment is demonstrated by the actions we have already put in place, and we will continue to work to achieve this.”  

    More information about support for children and young people can be found at https://www.leicester.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/support-for-children-and-young-people/

    The full report can be found on the Ofsted website.

    ENDS

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI: Southside Bancshares, Inc. Announces Financial Results for the Fourth Quarter and Year Ended December 31, 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    • Fourth quarter net income of $21.8 million;
    • Fourth quarter earnings per diluted common share of $0.71;
    • Annualized return on fourth quarter average assets of 1.03%;
    • Annualized return on fourth quarter average tangible common equity of 14.12%(1); and
    • Nonperforming assets decreased to 0.04% of total assets.

    TYLER, Texas, Jan. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Southside Bancshares, Inc. (“Southside” or the “Company”) (NYSE: SBSI) today reported its financial results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2024.  Southside reported net income of $21.8 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $4.5 million, or 25.8%, compared to $17.3 million for the same period in 2023.  Earnings per diluted common share increased $0.14, or 24.6%, to $0.71 for the three months ended December 31, 2024, from $0.57 for the same period in 2023.  The annualized return on average shareholders’ equity for the three months ended December 31, 2024, was 10.54%, compared to 9.31% for the same period in 2023.  The annualized return on average assets was 1.03% for the three months ended December 31, 2024, compared to 0.85% for the same period in 2023.

    “For the year ended December 31, 2024, net income increased $1.8 million to $88.5 million when compared to 2023, earnings per share increased $0.09 to $2.91, and the return on average tangible common equity was 14.92%. For 2024, loan growth was 3.0% and linked quarter loans increased $83.5 million, or 7.3% annualized, most of which occurred in December,” stated Lee R. Gibson, Chief Executive Officer of Southside.  “We recorded losses of $540,000 associated with two branch closures during 2024. Linked quarter our net interest margin decreased 12 basis points. Asset quality metrics remain solid with the nonperforming assets to total assets ratio decreasing to 0.04%.  Late fourth quarter loan growth combined with anticipated mid-single digit 2025 loan growth should lead to an increasing net interest margin during 2025.”

    Operating Results for the Three Months Ended December 31, 2024

    Net income was $21.8 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024, compared to $17.3 million for the same period in 2023, an increase of $4.5 million, or 25.8%.  Earnings per diluted common share were $0.71 and $0.57 for the three months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.  The increase in net income was a result of the increase in noninterest income and the decrease in the provision for credit losses, partially offset by increases in noninterest expense and income tax expense and a decrease in net interest income.  Annualized returns on average assets and average shareholders’ equity for the three months ended December 31, 2024 were 1.03% and 10.54%, respectively, compared to 0.85% and 9.31%, respectively, for the three months ended December 31, 2023.  Our efficiency ratio and tax-equivalent efficiency ratio(1) were 56.08% and 54.00%, respectively, for the three months ended December 31, 2024, compared to 53.30% and 50.86%, respectively, for the three months ended December 31, 2023, and 53.94% and 51.90%, respectively, for the three months ended September 30, 2024. 

    Net interest income for the three months ended December 31, 2024 was $53.7 million, a decrease of $0.8 million, or 1.4%, from the same period in 2023.  The decrease in net interest income was due to the decrease in the average yield of interest earning assets and increases in the average rate paid on and average balance of our interest bearing liabilities, partially offset by the increase in the average balance of interest earning assets.  Linked quarter, net interest income decreased $1.8 million, or 3.2%, compared to $55.5 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, due to the decrease in the average yield of interest earning assets, partially offset by the decrease in the average rate paid on our interest bearing liabilities, the increase in the average balance of interest earning assets and the change in the mix of our interest bearing liabilities.

    Our net interest margin and tax-equivalent net interest margin(1) decreased to 2.70% and 2.83%, respectively, for the three months ended December 31, 2024, compared to 2.83% and 2.99%, respectively, for the same period in 2023.  Linked quarter, net interest margin and tax-equivalent net interest margin(1) decreased from 2.82% and 2.95%, respectively, for the three months ended September 30, 2024.

    Noninterest income was $12.3 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $9.8 million, or 391.0%, compared to $2.5 million for the same period in 2023. The increase was due to a decrease in net loss on sale of securities available for sale (“AFS”) and an increase in other noninterest income, partially offset by a decrease in bank owned life insurance (“BOLI”) income. The decrease in net loss on sale of securities AFS was due to a net loss of $10.4 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023, related to the strategic repositioning of the securities portfolio. On a linked quarter basis, noninterest income increased $4.1 million, or 50.3%, compared to the three months ended September 30, 2024.  The increase was primarily due to an increase in other noninterest income and a decrease in net loss on sale of securities AFS.  The increase in other noninterest income was primarily due to an increase in swap fee income for the three months ended December 31, 2024, and an impairment charge of $868,000 on the sale of approximately $10 million of AFS municipal securities and the unwind of the related fair value swaps realized during the three months ended September 30, 2024.

    Noninterest expense increased $3.0 million, or 8.5%, to $38.2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024, compared to $35.2 million for the same period in 2023, due to increases in salaries and employee benefits, other noninterest expense, professional fees and software and data processing expense, partially offset by decreases in advertising, travel and entertainment expense.  On a linked quarter basis, noninterest expense increased by $1.8 million, or 5.0%, compared to the three months ended September 30, 2024, due to increases in salaries and employee benefits expense, other noninterest expense and professional fees.

    Income tax expense increased $2.5 million, or 111.2%, for the three months ended December 31, 2024, compared to the same period in 2023.  On a linked quarter basis, income tax expense increased $0.3 million, or 6.1%.  Our effective tax rate (“ETR”) increased to 17.6% for the three months ended December 31, 2024, compared to 11.3% for the three months ended December 31, 2023.  On a linked quarter basis, the ETR was 17.6% for both the three months ended September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2024.  The higher ETR for the three months ended December 31, 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, was primarily due to a decrease in net tax-exempt income as a percentage of pre-tax income.

    Operating Results for the Year Ended December 31, 2024

    Net income was $88.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $86.7 million for the same period in 2023, an increase of $1.8 million, or 2.1%.  Earnings per diluted common share were $2.91 for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $2.82 for the same period in 2023, an increase of 3.2%.  The increase in net income was primarily a result of the increase in noninterest income, decrease in provision for credit losses and the increase in net interest income, partially offset by the increases in noninterest expense and income tax expense.  Returns on average assets and average shareholders’ equity for the year ended December 31, 2024 were 1.06% and 11.03%, respectively, compared to 1.11% and 11.50%, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2023.  Our efficiency ratio and tax-equivalent efficiency ratio(1) were 55.69% and 53.52%, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to 53.81% and 51.30%, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2023. 

    Net interest income was $216.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $215.0 million for the same period in 2023, an increase of $1.1 million, or 0.5%, due to increases in the average balance and the average yield of interest earning assets, partially offset by increases in the average rate paid on and average balance of our interest bearing liabilities.

    Our net interest margin and tax-equivalent net interest margin(1) were 2.74% and 2.88%, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to 2.92% and 3.09%, respectively, for the same period in 2023.

    Noninterest income was $41.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, an increase of $5.9 million, or 16.5%, compared to $35.8 million for the same period in 2023.  The increase was primarily due to a decrease in net loss on sale of securities AFS and an increase in brokerage services income, partially offset by decreases in the net gain on sale of equity securities, BOLI income and deposit services income.

    Noninterest expense was $147.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $140.6 million for the same period in 2023, an increase of $6.6 million, or 4.7%.  The increase was primarily due to increases in salaries and employee benefits, software and data processing expense and other noninterest expense, partially offset by decreases in advertising, travel and entertainment expense and amortization of intangibles.

    Income tax expense increased $4.4 million, or 30.8%, for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to the same period in 2023.  Our ETR was approximately 17.6% and 14.3% for the year ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.  The higher ETR for the year ended December 31, 2024, as compared to the same period in 2023, was primarily due to a decrease in net tax-exempt income as a percentage of pre-tax income.

    Balance Sheet Data

    At December 31, 2024, Southside had $8.52 billion in total assets, compared to $8.28 billion at December 31, 2023 and $8.36 billion at September 30, 2024.

    Loans at December 31, 2024 were $4.66 billion, an increase of $137.1 million, or 3.0%, compared to $4.52 billion at December 31, 2023.  Linked quarter, loans increased $83.5 million, or 1.8%, due to increases of $157.1 million in commercial real estate loans and $4.3 million in commercial loans. These increases were partially offset by decreases of $48.0 million in construction loans, $15.0 million in 1-4 family residential loans, $11.1 million in municipal loans and $3.8 million in loans to individuals.

    Securities at December 31, 2024 were $2.81 billion, an increase of $209.8 million, or 8.1%, compared to $2.60 billion at December 31, 2023.  Linked quarter, securities increased $116.3 million, or 4.3%, from $2.70 billion at September 30, 2024. 

    Deposits at December 31, 2024 were $6.65 billion, an increase of $104.6 million, or 1.6%, compared to $6.55 billion at December 31, 2023.  Linked quarter, deposits increased $218.5 million, or 3.4%, from $6.44 billion at September 30, 2024.  During the three months ended December 31, 2024, public fund deposits increased $156.8 million, or 14.6%, compared to September 30, 2024.

    At December 31, 2024, we had 178,662 total deposit accounts with an average balance of $33,000.  Our estimated uninsured deposits were 38.1% of total deposits as of December 31, 2024.  When excluding affiliate deposits (Southside-owned deposits) and public fund deposits (all collateralized), our total estimated deposits without insurance or collateral was 19.5% as of December 31, 2024.  Our noninterest bearing deposits represent approximately 20.4% of total deposits. Linked quarter, our cost of interest bearing deposits decreased nine basis points from 3.01% in the prior quarter to 2.92%.  Linked quarter, our cost of total deposits decreased seven basis points from 2.38% in the prior quarter to 2.31%.

    Our cost of interest bearing deposits increased 64 basis points, from 2.34% for the year ended December 31, 2023, to 2.98% for the year ended December 31, 2024. Our cost of total deposits increased 59 basis points, from 1.77% for the year ended December 31, 2023, to 2.36% for the year ended December 31, 2024.

    Capital Resources and Liquidity

    Our capital ratios and contingent liquidity sources remain solid.  During the fourth quarter ended December 31, 2024, we did not purchase any common stock pursuant to our Stock Repurchase Plan.  Under this plan, repurchases of our outstanding common stock may be carried out in open market purchases, privately negotiated transactions or pursuant to any trading plan that might be adopted in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 of The Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended.  The Company has no obligation to repurchase any shares under the Stock Repurchase Plan and may modify, suspend or discontinue the plan at any time.  We have not purchased any common stock pursuant to the Stock Repurchase Plan subsequent to December 31, 2024. 

    As of December 31, 2024, our total available contingent liquidity, net of current outstanding borrowings, was $2.23 billion, consisting of FHLB advances, Federal Reserve Discount Window and correspondent bank lines of credit.

    Asset Quality

    Nonperforming assets at December 31, 2024 were $3.6 million, or 0.04% of total assets, a decrease of $0.4 million, or 10.3%, compared to $4.0 million, or 0.05% of total assets, at December 31, 2023.  Linked quarter, nonperforming assets decreased $4.1 million, or 53.1%, from $7.7 million at September 30, 2024 due to a $4.1 million decrease in nonaccrual loans primarily from the payoff of one commercial real estate loan. Classified loans totaled $48.0 million on December 31, 2024, compared to $42.0 million at September 30, 2024 and $19.2 million at December 31, 2023.

    The allowance for loan losses totaled $44.9 million, or 0.96% of total loans, at December 31, 2024, compared to $44.3 million, or 0.97% of total loans, at September 30, 2024.  The allowance for loan losses was $42.7 million, or 0.94% of total loans, at December 31, 2023.

    For the three months ended December 31, 2024, we recorded a provision for credit losses for loans of $1.6 million, compared to a provision of $2.2 million and $2.3 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023 and September 30, 2024, respectively. Net charge-offs were $1.0 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024, compared to net charge-offs of $1.3 million and $0.4 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023 and September 30, 2024, respectively. Net charge-offs were $1.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to net charge-offs of $2.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.

    We recorded a reversal of provision for credit losses on off-balance-sheet credit exposures of $0.2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024, compared to a provision for credit losses on off-balance-sheet credit exposures $0.1 million for both of the three-month periods ended December 31, 2023 and September 30, 2024.  We recorded a reversal of provision for credit losses for off-balance-sheet credit exposures of $0.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to a provision for credit losses on off-balance-sheet credit exposures of $0.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023.  The balance of the allowance for off-balance-sheet credit exposures was $3.1 million and $3.9 million at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and is included in other liabilities.

    Dividend

    Southside Bancshares, Inc. declared a fourth quarter cash dividend of $0.36 per share on November 7, 2024, which was paid on December 6, 2024, to all shareholders of record as of November 21, 2024.

    _______________

    (1)  Refer to “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below and to “Non-GAAP Reconciliation” at the end of the financial statement tables in this Earnings Release for more information and for a reconciliation of this non-GAAP financial measure to the nearest GAAP financial measure.

    Conference Call

    Southside’s management team will host a conference call to discuss its fourth quarter and year ended December 31, 2024 financial results on Wednesday, January 29, 2025 at 11:00 a.m. CST.  The conference call can be accessed by webcast, for listen-only mode, on the company website, https://investors.southside.com, under Events.

    Those interested in participating in the question and answer session, or others who prefer to call-in, can register at https://register.vevent.com/register/BI54b435198f6143e589b32994aed51233 to receive the dial-in number and unique code to access the conference call seamlessly. While not required, it is recommended that those wishing to participate, register 10 minutes prior to the conference call to ensure a more efficient registration process.

    For those unable to attend the live event, a webcast recording will be available on the company website, https://investors.southside.com, for at least 30 days, beginning approximately two hours following the conference call.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    Our accounting and reporting policies conform to generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) in the United States and prevailing practices in the banking industry.  However, certain non-GAAP measures are used by management to supplement the evaluation of our performance.  These include the following fully taxable-equivalent measures (“FTE”): (i) Net interest income (FTE), (ii) net interest margin (FTE), (iii) net interest spread (FTE), and (iv) efficiency ratio (FTE), which include the effects of taxable-equivalent adjustments using a federal income tax rate of 21% to increase tax-exempt interest income to a tax-equivalent basis.  Interest income earned on certain assets is completely or partially exempt from federal income tax.  As such, these tax-exempt instruments typically yield lower returns than taxable investments.

    Net interest income (FTE), net interest margin (FTE) and net interest spread (FTE).  Net interest income (FTE) is a non-GAAP measure that adjusts for the tax-favored status of net interest income from certain loans and investments and is not permitted under GAAP in the consolidated statements of income.  We believe that this measure is the preferred industry measurement of net interest income and that it enhances comparability of net interest income arising from taxable and tax-exempt sources.  The most directly comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with GAAP is our net interest income.  Net interest margin (FTE) is the ratio of net interest income (FTE) to average earning assets.  The most directly comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with GAAP is our net interest margin.  Net interest spread (FTE) is the difference in the average yield on average earning assets on a tax-equivalent basis and the average rate paid on average interest bearing liabilities.  The most directly comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with GAAP is our net interest spread.

    Efficiency ratio (FTE).  The efficiency ratio (FTE) is a non-GAAP measure that provides a measure of productivity in the banking industry.  This ratio is calculated to measure the cost of generating one dollar of revenue.  The ratio is designed to reflect the percentage of one dollar which must be expended to generate that dollar of revenue.  We calculate this ratio by dividing noninterest expense, excluding amortization expense on intangibles and certain nonrecurring expense by the sum of net interest income (FTE) and noninterest income, excluding net gain (loss) on sale of securities available for sale and certain nonrecurring impairments.  The most directly comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with GAAP is our efficiency ratio.

    These non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered alternatives to GAAP-basis financial statements and other bank holding companies may define or calculate these non-GAAP measures or similar measures differently.  Whenever we present a non-GAAP financial measure in an SEC filing, we are also required to present the most directly comparable financial measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP and reconcile the differences between the non-GAAP financial measure and such comparable GAAP measure.

    Management believes adjusting net interest income, net interest margin and net interest spread to a fully taxable-equivalent basis is a standard practice in the banking industry as these measures provide useful information to make peer comparisons.  Tax-equivalent adjustments are reflected in the respective earning asset categories as listed in the “Average Balances with Average Yields and Rates” tables.

    A reconciliation of our non-GAAP financial measures to the comparable GAAP financial measures is included at the end of the financial statement tables.

    About Southside Bancshares, Inc.

    Southside Bancshares, Inc. is a bank holding company with approximately $8.52 billion in assets as of December 31, 2024, that owns 100% of Southside Bank.  Southside Bank currently has 53 branches in Texas and operates a network of 72 ATMs/ITMs.  

    To learn more about Southside Bancshares, Inc., please visit our investor relations website at https://investors.southside.com.  Our investor relations site provides a detailed overview of our activities, financial information and historical stock price data.  To receive email notification of company news, events and stock activity, please register on the website under Resources and Investor Email Alerts.  Questions or comments may be directed to Lindsey Bailes at (903) 630-7965, or lindsey.bailes@southside.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Certain statements of other than historical fact that are contained in this press release and in other written materials, documents and oral statements issued by or on behalf of the Company may be considered to be “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of and subject to the safe harbor protections of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, nor should they be relied upon as representing management’s views as of any subsequent date.  These statements may include words such as “expect,” “estimate,” “project,” “anticipate,” “appear,” “believe,” “could,” “should,” “may,” “might,” “will,” “would,” “seek,” “intend,” “probability,” “risk,” “goal,” “target,” “objective,” “plans,” “potential,” and similar expressions.  Forward-looking statements are statements with respect to the Company’s beliefs, plans, expectations, objectives, goals, anticipations, assumptions, estimates, intentions and future performance and are subject to significant known and unknown risks and uncertainties, which could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from the results discussed in the forward-looking statements.  For example, benefits of the Share Repurchase Plan, trends in asset quality, capital, liquidity, the Company’s ability to sell nonperforming assets, expense reductions, planned operational efficiencies and earnings from growth and certain market risk disclosures, including the impact of interest rates and our expectations regarding rate increases, tax reform, inflation, the impacts related to or resulting from other economic factors are based upon information presently available to management and are dependent on choices about key model characteristics and assumptions and are subject to various limitations.  By their nature, certain of the market risk disclosures are only estimates and could be materially different from what actually occurs in the future.  Accordingly, our results could materially differ from those that have been estimated.  The most significant factor that could cause future results to differ materially from those anticipated by our forward-looking statements include the ongoing impact of higher inflation levels, interest rate fluctuations and general economic concerns, all of which could impact economic growth and could cause a reduction in financial transactions and business activities, including decreased deposits and reduced loan originations, our ability to manage liquidity in a rapidly changing and unpredictable market, labor shortages and changes in interest rates by the Federal Reserve.

    Additional information concerning the Company and its business, including additional factors that could materially affect the Company’s financial results, is included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, under “Part I – Item 1. Forward Looking Information” and “Part I – Item 1A. Risk Factors” and in the Company’s other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  The Company disclaims any obligation to update any factors or to announce publicly the result of revisions to any of the forward-looking statements included herein to reflect future events or developments.

    Southside Bancshares, Inc.
    Consolidated Financial Summary (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
       
      As of
        2024       2023  
      Dec 31,   Sep 30,   Jun 30,   Mar 31,   Dec 31,
    ASSETS                  
    Cash and due from banks $        91,409     $      130,147     $      114,283     $        96,744     $      122,021  
    Interest earning deposits          281,945              333,825              272,469              307,257              391,719  
    Federal funds sold            52,807                22,325                65,244                65,372                46,770  
    Securities available for sale, at estimated fair value       1,533,894           1,408,437           1,405,944           1,405,221           1,296,294  
    Securities held to maturity, at net carrying value       1,279,234           1,288,403           1,305,975           1,306,898           1,307,053  
    Total securities       2,813,128           2,696,840           2,711,919           2,712,119           2,603,347  
    Federal Home Loan Bank stock, at cost            33,818                40,291                32,991                27,958                11,936  
    Loans held for sale              1,946                     768                  1,352                     756                10,894  
    Loans       4,661,597           4,578,048           4,589,365           4,577,368           4,524,510  
    Less: Allowance for loan losses          (44,884 )            (44,276 )            (42,407 )            (43,557 )            (42,674 )
    Net loans       4,616,713           4,533,772           4,546,958           4,533,811           4,481,836  
    Premises & equipment, net          141,648              138,811              138,489              139,491              138,950  
    Goodwill          201,116              201,116              201,116              201,116              201,116  
    Other intangible assets, net              1,754                  2,003                  2,281                  2,588                  2,925  
    Bank owned life insurance          138,313              137,489              136,903              136,604              136,330  
    Other assets          142,851              124,876              133,697              130,047              137,070  
    Total assets $   8,517,448     $   8,362,263     $   8,357,702     $   8,353,863     $   8,284,914  
                       
    LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY                  
    Noninterest bearing deposits $   1,357,152     $   1,377,022     $   1,366,924     $   1,358,827     $   1,390,407  
    Interest bearing deposits       5,297,096           5,058,680           5,129,008           5,186,933           5,159,274  
    Total deposits       6,654,248           6,435,702           6,495,932           6,545,760           6,549,681  
    Other borrowings and Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings          808,352              865,856              763,700              770,151              722,468  
    Subordinated notes, net of unamortized debt
    issuance costs
               92,042                92,006                91,970                93,913                93,877  
    Trust preferred subordinated debentures, net of unamortized debt issuance costs            60,274                60,273                60,272                60,271                60,270  
    Other liabilities            90,590              103,172              144,858                95,846                85,330  
              Total liabilities       7,705,506           7,557,009           7,556,732           7,565,941           7,511,626  
    Shareholders’ equity          811,942              805,254              800,970              787,922              773,288  
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $   8,517,448     $   8,362,263     $   8,357,702     $   8,353,863     $   8,284,914  
    Southside Bancshares, Inc.
    Consolidated Financial Highlights (Unaudited)
    (Dollars and shares in thousands, except per share data)
       
      Three Months Ended
        2024       2023  
      Dec 31,   Sep 30,   Jun 30,   Mar 31,   Dec 31,
    Income Statement:                  
    Total interest and dividend income $    101,689     $ 105,703     $ 104,186     $ 102,758     $    98,939  
    Total interest expense          47,982          50,239          50,578           49,410            44,454  
    Net interest income          53,707          55,464          53,608           53,348            54,485  
    Provision for (reversal of) credit losses            1,384            2,389             (485 )                58              2,281  
    Net interest income after provision for (reversal of) credit losses          52,323          53,075          54,093           53,290            52,204  
    Noninterest income                  
    Deposit services            6,084            6,199            6,157             5,985              6,305  
    Net gain (loss) on sale of securities available for sale                 —          (1,929  )           (563 )              (18 )        (10,386 )
    Gain (loss) on sale of loans               138               115               220              (436 )               178  
    Trust fees            1,773            1,628            1,456             1,336              1,431  
    Bank owned life insurance               848               857            1,767                784              2,602  
    Brokerage services            1,054            1,068            1,081             1,014                 944  
    Other            2,384               233            1,439             1,059              1,427  
    Total noninterest income          12,281            8,171          11,557             9,724              2,501  
    Noninterest expense                  
    Salaries and employee benefits          22,960          22,233          21,984           23,113            21,152  
    Net occupancy            3,629            3,613            3,750             3,362              3,474  
    Advertising, travel & entertainment               884               734               795                950              1,127  
    ATM expense               378               412               368                325                 318  
    Professional fees            1,645            1,206            1,075             1,154              1,315  
    Software and data processing            2,931            2,951            2,860             2,856              2,644  
    Communications               320               423               410                449                 435  
    FDIC insurance               931               939               977                943                 892  
    Amortization of intangibles               249               278               307                337                 370  
    Other            4,232            3,543            3,239             3,392              3,456  
    Total noninterest expense          38,159          36,332          35,765           36,881            35,183  
    Income before income tax expense          26,445          24,914          29,885           26,133            19,522  
    Income tax expense            4,659            4,390            5,212             4,622              2,206  
    Net income $      21,786     $ 20,524     $ 24,673     $   21,511     $    17,316  
                       
    Common Share Data:      
    Weighted-average basic shares outstanding          30,343          30,286          30,280           30,262            30,235  
    Weighted-average diluted shares outstanding          30,459          30,370          30,312           30,305            30,276  
    Common shares outstanding end of period          30,379          30,308          30,261           30,284            30,249  
    Earnings per common share                  
    Basic $          0.72     $      0.68     $      0.81     $       0.71     $        0.57  
    Diluted              0.71              0.68              0.81               0.71                 0.57  
    Book value per common share            26.73            26.57            26.47             26.02              25.56  
    Tangible book value per common share            20.05            19.87            19.75             19.29              18.82  
    Cash dividends paid per common share              0.36              0.36              0.36               0.36                0.37  
                       
    Selected Performance Ratios:                  
    Return on average assets   1.03 %     0.98 %     1.19 %     1.03 %     0.85 %
    Return on average shareholders’ equity   10.54       10.13       12.46       11.02       9.31  
    Return on average tangible common equity (1)   14.12       13.69       16.90       15.07       13.10  
    Average yield on earning assets (FTE) (1)   5.24       5.51       5.45       5.38       5.30  
    Average rate on interest bearing liabilities   3.12       3.28       3.32       3.22       3.04  
    Net interest margin (FTE) (1)   2.83       2.95       2.87       2.86       2.99  
    Net interest spread (FTE) (1)   2.12       2.23       2.13       2.16       2.26  
    Average earning assets to average interest bearing liabilities   129.55       128.51       128.62       127.71       131.65  
    Noninterest expense to average total assets   1.80       1.73       1.72       1.77       1.73  
    Efficiency ratio (FTE) (1)   54.00       51.90       52.71       55.54       50.86  
    (1) Refer to “Non-GAAP Reconciliation” at the end of the financial statement tables in this Earnings Release for a reconciliation of this non-GAAP financial measure to the nearest GAAP financial measure.
    Southside Bancshares, Inc.
    Consolidated Financial Highlights (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
       
      Three Months Ended
        2024       2023  
      Dec 31,   Sep 30,   Jun 30,   Mar 31,   Dec 31,
    Nonperforming Assets: $      3,589     $         7,656     $         6,918     $         7,979     $         4,001  
    Nonaccrual loans          3,185                 7,254                 6,110                 7,709                 3,889  
    Accruing loans past due more than 90 days               —                      —                      —                      —                      —  
    Restructured loans                 2                      —                    145                    151                      13  
    Other real estate owned             388                    388                    648                    119                      99  
    Repossessed assets               14                      14                      15                      —                      —  
                       
    Asset Quality Ratios:                  
    Ratio of nonaccruing loans to:                  
    Total loans   0.07 %     0.16 %     0.13 %     0.17 %     0.09 %
    Ratio of nonperforming assets to:                  
    Total assets   0.04       0.09       0.08       0.10       0.05  
    Total loans   0.08       0.17       0.15       0.17       0.09  
    Total loans and OREO   0.08       0.17       0.15       0.17       0.09  
    Ratio of allowance for loan losses to:                  
    Nonaccruing loans   1,409.23       610.37       694.06       565.01       1,097.30  
    Nonperforming assets   1,250.60       578.32       613.00       545.90       1,066.58  
    Total loans   0.96       0.97       0.92       0.95       0.94  
    Net charge-offs (recoveries) to average loans outstanding   0.08       0.04       0.02       0.03       0.11  
                       
    Capital Ratios:                  
    Shareholders’ equity to total assets   9.53       9.63       9.58       9.43       9.33  
    Common equity tier 1 capital   13.04       13.07       12.72       12.43       12.28  
    Tier 1 risk-based capital   14.07       14.12       13.76       13.47       13.32  
    Total risk-based capital   16.49       16.59       16.16       15.92       15.73  
    Tier 1 leverage capital   9.67       9.61       9.40       9.22       9.39  
    Period end tangible equity to period end tangible assets (1)   7.33       7.38       7.33       7.17       7.04  
    Average shareholders’ equity to average total assets   9.76       9.67       9.52       9.35       9.13  
    (1) Refer to the “Non-GAAP Reconciliation” at the end of the financial statement tables in this Earnings Release for a reconciliation of this non-GAAP financial measure to the nearest GAAP financial measure.
    Southside Bancshares, Inc.
    Consolidated Financial Highlights (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
       
      Three Months Ended
        2024       2023  
    Loan Portfolio Composition Dec 31,   Sep 30,   Jun 30,   Mar 31,   Dec 31,
    Real Estate Loans:                  
    Construction $         537,827     $         585,817     $         546,040     $         599,464     $        789,744  
    1-4 Family Residential             740,396                 755,406                 738,037                 720,508                696,738  
    Commercial          2,579,735              2,422,612              2,472,771              2,413,345             2,168,451  
    Commercial Loans             363,167                 358,854                 359,807                 358,053                366,893  
    Municipal Loans             390,968                 402,041                 416,986                 427,225                441,168  
    Loans to Individuals               49,504                   53,318                   55,724                   58,773                  61,516  
    Total Loans $      4,661,597     $      4,578,048     $      4,589,365     $      4,577,368     $     4,524,510  
                       
    Summary of Changes in Allowances:                  
    Allowance for Loan Losses                  
    Balance at beginning of period $           44,276     $           42,407     $           43,557     $           42,674     $          41,760  
    Loans charged-off               (1,232 )                    (773 )                    (721 )                    (634 )                (1,572 )
    Recoveries of loans charged-off                    277                        365                        444                        347                       284  
      Net loans (charged-off) recovered                  (955 )                    (408 )                    (277 )                    (287 )                (1,288 )
    Provision for (reversal of) loan losses                 1,563                     2,277                      (873 )                   1,170                    2,202  
    Balance at end of period $           44,884     $           44,276     $           42,407     $           43,557     $          42,674  
                       
    Allowance for Off-Balance-Sheet Credit Exposures                  
    Balance at beginning of period $             3,320     $             3,208     $             2,820     $             3,932     $            3,853  
    Provision for (reversal of) off-balance-sheet credit exposures                  (179 )                      112                        388                   (1,112 )                       79  
    Balance at end of period $             3,141     $             3,320     $             3,208     $             2,820     $            3,932  
    Total Allowance for Credit Losses $           48,025     $           47,596     $           45,615     $           46,377     $          46,606  
    Southside Bancshares, Inc.
    Consolidated Financial Highlights (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
       
      Year ended
      December 31,
        2024       2023  
    Income Statement:      
    Total interest and dividend income $        414,336     $        359,741  
    Total interest expense            198,209                144,714  
    Net interest income            216,127                215,027  
    Provision for (reversal of) credit losses                3,346                    9,154  
    Net interest income after provision for (reversal of) credit losses            212,781                205,873  
    Noninterest income      
    Deposit services              24,425                  25,497  
    Net gain (loss) on sale of securities available for sale              (2,510 )              (15,976 )
    Net gain on sale of equity securities                     —                    5,058  
    Gain (loss) on sale of loans                     37                       563  
    Trust fees                6,193                    5,910  
    Bank owned life insurance                4,256                    5,823  
    Brokerage services                4,217                    3,305  
    Other                5,115                    5,654  
    Total noninterest income              41,733                  35,834  
    Noninterest expense      
    Salaries and employee benefits              90,290                  85,625  
    Net occupancy              14,354                  14,694  
    Advertising, travel & entertainment                3,363                    4,093  
    ATM expense                1,483                    1,351  
    Professional fees                5,080                    5,351  
    Software and data processing              11,598                    9,395  
    Communications                1,602                    1,469  
    FDIC insurance                3,790                    3,558  
    Amortization of intangibles                1,171                    1,697  
    Other              14,406                  13,345  
    Total noninterest expense            147,137                140,578  
    Income before income tax expense            107,377                101,129  
    Income tax expense              18,883                  14,437  
    Net income $          88,494     $          86,692  
    Common Share Data:      
    Weighted-average basic shares outstanding              30,293                  30,704  
    Weighted-average diluted shares outstanding              30,369                  30,759  
    Common shares outstanding end of period              30,379                  30,249  
    Earnings per common share      
    Basic $              2.92     $              2.82  
    Diluted                  2.91                      2.82  
    Book value per common share                26.73                    25.56  
    Tangible book value per common share                20.05                    18.82  
    Cash dividends paid per common share                  1.44                      1.42  
           
    Selected Performance Ratios:      
    Return on average assets   1.06 %     1.11 %
    Return on average shareholders’ equity   11.03       11.50  
    Return on average tangible common equity (1)   14.92       16.03  
    Average yield on earning assets (FTE) (1)   5.40       5.06  
    Average rate on interest bearing liabilities   3.24       2.64  
    Net interest margin (FTE) (1)   2.88       3.09  
    Net interest spread (FTE) (1)   2.16       2.42  
    Average earning assets to average interest bearing liabilities   128.60       134.07  
    Noninterest expense to average total assets   1.76       1.80  
    Efficiency ratio (FTE) (1)   53.52       51.30  
    (1) Refer to the “Non-GAAP Reconciliation” at the end of the financial statement tables in this Earnings Release for a reconciliation of this non-GAAP financial measure to the nearest GAAP financial measure.
    Southside Bancshares, Inc.
    Consolidated Financial Highlights (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
       
      Year ended
      December 31,
        2024       2023  
    Nonperforming Assets: $           3,589     $           4,001  
    Nonaccrual loans               3,185                   3,889  
    Accruing loans past due more than 90 days                    —                        —  
    Restructured loans                      2                        13  
    Other real estate owned                  388                        99  
    Repossessed assets                    14                        —     
           
    Asset Quality Ratios:      
    Ratio of nonaccruing loans to:      
    Total loans   0.07 %     0.09 %
    Ratio of nonperforming assets to:      
    Total assets   0.04       0.05  
    Total loans   0.08       0.09  
    Total loans and OREO   0.08       0.09  
    Ratio of allowance for loan losses to:      
    Nonaccruing loans   1,409.23       1,097.30  
    Nonperforming assets   1,250.60       1,066.58  
    Total loans   0.96       0.94  
    Net charge-offs (recoveries) to average loans outstanding   0.04       0.06  
           
    Capital Ratios:      
    Shareholders’ equity to total assets   9.53       9.33  
    Common equity tier 1 capital   13.04       12.28  
    Tier 1 risk-based capital   14.07       13.32  
    Total risk-based capital   16.49       15.73  
    Tier 1 leverage capital   9.67       9.39  
    Period end tangible equity to period end tangible assets (1)   7.33       7.04  
    Average shareholders’ equity to average total assets   9.58       9.63  
    (1) Refer to the “Non-GAAP Reconciliation” at the end of the financial statement tables in this Earnings Release for a reconciliation of this non-GAAP financial measure to the nearest GAAP financial measure.
      Year ended
      December 31,
    Loan Portfolio Composition   2024       2023  
    Real Estate Loans:      
    Construction $        537,827     $        789,744  
    1-4 Family Residential            740,396                696,738  
    Commercial         2,579,735             2,168,451  
    Commercial Loans            363,167                366,893  
    Municipal Loans            390,968                441,168  
    Loans to Individuals              49,504                  61,516  
    Total Loans $     4,661,597     $     4,524,510  
           
    Summary of Changes in Allowances:      
    Allowance for Loan Losses      
    Balance at beginning of period $          42,674     $          36,515  
    Loans charged-off               (3,360 )                (4,204 )
    Recoveries of loans charged-off                1,433                    1,454  
      Net loans (charged-off) recovered               (1,927 )                (2,750 )
    Provision for (reversal of) loan losses                4,137                    8,909  
    Balance at end of period $          44,884     $          42,674  
           
    Allowance for Off-Balance-Sheet Credit Exposures      
    Balance at beginning of period $            3,932     $            3,687  
    Provision for (reversal of) off-balance-sheet credit exposures                  (791 )                     245  
    Balance at end of period $            3,141     $            3,932  
    Total Allowance for Credit Losses $          48,025     $          46,606  

    The tables that follow show average earning assets and interest bearing liabilities together with the average yield on the earning assets and the average rate of the interest bearing liabilities for the periods presented.  The interest and related yields presented are on a fully taxable-equivalent basis and are therefore non-GAAP measures.  See “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and “Non-GAAP Reconciliation” for more information.

    Southside Bancshares, Inc.
    Average Balances and Average Yields and Rates (Annualized) (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
     
      Three Months Ended
      December 31, 2024   September 30, 2024
      Average Balance   Interest   Average Yield/Rate   Average Balance   Interest   Average Yield/Rate
    ASSETS                      
    Loans (1) $   4,604,175     $        70,155   6.06 %   $   4,613,028     $        72,493   6.25 %
    Loans held for sale             1,562                       23   5.86 %                   871                      11   5.02 %
    Securities:                      
    Taxable investment securities (2)          784,321                  6,949   3.52 %            791,914                 7,150   3.59 %
    Tax-exempt investment securities (2)       1,138,271                10,793   3.77 %         1,174,445                11,825   4.01 %
    Mortgage-backed and related securities (2)       1,031,187                12,043   4.65 %            886,325                11,976   5.38 %
    Total securities       2,953,779                29,785   4.01 %         2,852,684                30,951   4.32 %
    Federal Home Loan Bank stock, at cost, and equity investments            37,078                     591   6.34 %              41,159                    582   5.63 %
    Interest earning deposits          273,656                  3,160   4.59 %            281,313                 3,798   5.37 %
    Federal funds sold            43,121                     508   4.69 %              33,971                    488   5.71 %
    Total earning assets       7,913,371              104,222   5.24 %         7,823,026              108,323   5.51 %
    Cash and due from banks          102,914                      100,578          
    Accrued interest and other assets          454,387                      455,091          
    Less:  Allowance for loan losses          (44,418 )                     (42,581 )        
    Total assets $   8,426,254             $   8,336,114          
    LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY                      
    Savings accounts $      594,196                  1,456   0.97 %   $      598,116                 1,490   0.99 %
    Certificates of deposit       1,187,800                13,537   4.53 %         1,087,613                12,647   4.63 %
    Interest bearing demand accounts       3,459,122                23,468   2.70 %         3,409,911                24,395   2.85 %
    Total interest bearing deposits       5,241,118                38,461   2.92 %         5,095,640                38,532   3.01 %
    Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings          572,993                  5,557   3.86 %            618,708                 6,488   4.17 %
    Subordinated notes, net of unamortized debt issuance costs            92,024                     945   4.09 %              91,988                    937   4.05 %
    Trust preferred subordinated debentures, net of unamortized debt issuance costs            60,274                  1,095   7.23 %              60,273                 1,180   7.79 %
    Repurchase agreements            80,891                     782   3.85 %              83,297                    899   4.29 %
    Other borrowings            61,196                  1,142   7.42 %            137,482                 2,203   6.37 %
    Total interest bearing liabilities       6,108,496                47,982   3.12 %         6,087,388                50,239   3.28 %
    Noninterest bearing deposits       1,383,204                   1,344,165          
    Accrued expenses and other liabilities          112,320                        98,331          
    Total liabilities       7,604,020                   7,529,884          
    Shareholders’ equity          822,234                      806,230          
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $   8,426,254             $   8,336,114          
    Net interest income (FTE)     $        56,240           $        58,084    
    Net interest margin (FTE)         2.83 %           2.95 %
    Net interest spread (FTE)         2.12 %           2.23 %
    1. Interest on loans includes net fees on loans that are not material in amount.
    2. For the purpose of calculating the average yield, the average balance of securities is presented at historical cost.

    Note:  As of December 31, 2024 and September 30, 2024, loans totaling $3.2 million and $7.3 million, respectively, were on nonaccrual status.  Our policy is to reverse previously accrued but unpaid interest on nonaccrual loans; thereafter, interest income is recorded to the extent received when appropriate.

    Southside Bancshares, Inc.
    Average Balances and Average Yields and Rates (Annualized) (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
     
      Three Months Ended
      June 30, 2024   March 31, 2024
      Average
    Balance
      Interest   Average Yield/
    Rate
      Average
    Balance
      Interest   Average Yield/
    Rate
    ASSETS                      
    Loans (1) $   4,595,980     $        70,293   6.15 %   $   4,559,602     $        68,849   6.07 %
    Loans held for sale             1,489                       24   6.48 %                8,834                      18   0.82 %
    Securities:                      
    Taxable investment securities (2)          783,856                  7,009   3.60 %            780,423                 6,967   3.59 %
    Tax-exempt investment securities (2)       1,254,097                12,761   4.09 %         1,285,922                13,168   4.12 %
    Mortgage-backed and related securities (2)          830,504                11,084   5.37 %            764,713                10,119   5.32 %
    Total securities       2,868,457                30,854   4.33 %         2,831,058                30,254   4.30 %
    Federal Home Loan Bank stock, at cost, and equity investments            40,467                     573   5.69 %              40,063                    333   3.34 %
    Interest earning deposits          300,047                  4,105   5.50 %            380,181                 5,202   5.50 %
    Federal funds sold            75,479                  1,021   5.44 %              62,599                    838   5.38 %
    Total earning assets       7,881,919              106,870   5.45 %         7,882,337              105,494   5.38 %
    Cash and due from banks          110,102                      114,379          
    Accrued interest and other assets          424,323                      441,783          
    Less:  Allowance for loan losses          (43,738 )                     (42,973 )        
    Total assets $   8,372,606             $   8,395,526          
    LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY                      
    Savings accounts $      604,753                  1,454   0.97 %   $      604,529                 1,424   0.95 %
    Certificates of deposit       1,020,099                11,630   4.59 %            941,947                10,341   4.42 %
    Interest bearing demand accounts       3,513,068                25,382   2.91 %         3,634,936                26,433   2.92 %
    Total interest bearing deposits       5,137,920                38,466   3.01 %         5,181,412                38,198   2.97 %
    Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings          606,851                  6,455   4.28 %            607,033                 5,950   3.94 %
    Subordinated notes, net of unamortized debt issuance costs            92,017                     936   4.09 %              93,895                    956   4.10 %
    Trust preferred subordinated debentures, net of unamortized debt issuance costs            60,271                  1,171   7.81 %              60,270                 1,175   7.84 %
    Repurchase agreements            88,007                     955   4.36 %              92,177                    967   4.22 %
    Other borrowings          143,169                  2,595   7.29 %            137,287                 2,164   6.34 %
    Total interest bearing liabilities       6,128,235                50,578   3.32 %         6,172,074                49,410   3.22 %
    Noninterest bearing deposits       1,346,274                   1,338,384          
    Accrued expenses and other liabilities          101,399                      100,014          
    Total liabilities       7,575,908                   7,610,472          
    Shareholders’ equity          796,698                      785,054          
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $   8,372,606             $   8,395,526          
    Net interest income (FTE)     $        56,292           $        56,084    
    Net interest margin (FTE)         2.87 %           2.86 %
    Net interest spread (FTE)         2.13 %           2.16 %
    1. Interest on loans includes net fees on loans that are not material in amount.
    2. For the purpose of calculating the average yield, the average balance of securities is presented at historical cost.

    Note:  As of June 30, 2024 and March 31, 2024, loans totaling $6.1 million and $7.7 million, respectively, were on nonaccrual status.  Our policy is to reverse previously accrued but unpaid interest on nonaccrual loans; thereafter, interest income is recorded to the extent received when appropriate.

    Southside Bancshares, Inc.
    Average Balances and Average Yields and Rates (Annualized) (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
     
      Three Months Ended
      December 31, 2023
      Average
    Balance
      Interest   Average Yield/
    Rate
    ASSETS          
    Loans (1) $   4,473,618     $        67,886   6.02 %
    Loans held for sale             1,858                       27   5.77 %
    Securities:          
    Taxable investment securities (2)          852,023                  7,970   3.71 %
    Tax-exempt investment securities (2)       1,456,187                15,688   4.27 %
    Mortgage-backed and related securities (2)          581,548                  6,865   4.68 %
    Total securities       2,889,758                30,523   4.19 %
    Federal Home Loan Bank stock, at cost, and equity investments            24,674                     296   4.76 %
    Interest earning deposits          150,763                  2,054   5.41 %
    Federal funds sold            93,149                  1,286   5.48 %
    Total earning assets       7,633,820              102,072   5.30 %
    Cash and due from banks          110,380          
    Accrued interest and other assets          374,120          
    Less:  Allowance for loan losses          (41,822 )        
    Total assets $   8,076,498          
    LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY          
    Savings accounts $      610,453                  1,432   0.93 %
    Certificates of deposit          910,759                  9,691   4.22 %
    Interest bearing demand accounts       3,469,120                24,498   2.80 %
    Total interest bearing deposits       4,990,332                35,621   2.83 %
    Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings          262,709                  1,430   2.16 %
    Subordinated notes, net of unamortized debt issuance costs            93,859                     965   4.08 %
    Trust preferred subordinated debentures, net of unamortized debt issuance costs            60,269                  1,195   7.87 %
    Repurchase agreements            96,622                  1,008   4.14 %
    Other borrowings          294,683                  4,235   5.70 %
    Total interest bearing liabilities       5,798,474                44,454   3.04 %
    Noninterest bearing deposits       1,424,961          
    Accrued expenses and other liabilities          115,388          
    Total liabilities       7,338,823          
    Shareholders’ equity          737,675          
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $   8,076,498          
    Net interest income (FTE)     $        57,618    
    Net interest margin (FTE)         2.99 %
    Net interest spread (FTE)         2.26 %
    1. Interest on loans includes net fees on loans that are not material in amount.
    2. For the purpose of calculating the average yield, the average balance of securities is presented at historical cost.

    Note:  As of December 31, 2023, loans totaling $3.9 million were on nonaccrual status.  Our policy is to reverse previously accrued but unpaid interest on nonaccrual loans; thereafter, interest income is recorded to the extent received when appropriate.

    Southside Bancshares, Inc.
    Average Balances and Average Yields and Rates (Unaudited)
    (Dollars in thousands)
     
      Year ended
      December 31, 2024   December 31, 2023
      Average
    Balance
      Interest   Average Yield/
    Rate
      Average
    Balance
      Interest   Average Yield/
    Rate
    ASSETS                      
    Loans (1) $ 4,593,280     $    281,790   6.13 %   $ 4,300,138     $    247,431   5.75 %
    Loans held for sale            3,179                     76   2.39 %              1,681                     96   5.71 %
    Securities:                      
    Taxable investment securities (2)        785,145              28,075   3.58 %          845,907              31,186   3.69 %
    Tax-exempt investment securities (2)     1,212,844              48,547   4.00 %       1,554,519              64,568   4.15 %
    Mortgage-backed and related securities (2)        878,623              45,222   5.15 %          470,692              19,450   4.13 %
    Total securities     2,876,612            121,844   4.24 %       2,871,118            115,204   4.01 %
    Federal Home Loan Bank stock, at cost, and equity investments          39,688                2,079   5.24 %            24,971                1,185   4.75 %
    Interest earning deposits        308,628              16,265   5.27 %            83,343                4,364   5.24 %
    Federal funds sold          53,709                2,855   5.32 %            79,948                4,124   5.16 %
    Total earning assets     7,875,096            424,909   5.40 %       7,361,199            372,404   5.06 %
    Cash and due from banks        106,965                    107,018          
    Accrued interest and other assets        443,733                    397,860          
    Less:  Allowance for loan losses         (43,428 )                   (37,890 )        
    Total assets $ 8,382,366             $ 7,828,187          
    LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY                      
    Savings accounts $    600,375                5,824   0.97 %   $    636,603                5,633   0.88 %
    Certificates of deposit     1,059,793              48,155   4.54 %          862,211              30,906   3.58 %
    Interest bearing demand accounts     3,503,878              99,678   2.84 %       3,122,319              71,618   2.29 %
    Total interest bearing deposits     5,164,046            153,657   2.98 %       4,621,133            108,157   2.34 %
    Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings        601,366              24,450   4.07 %          276,584                6,777   2.45 %
    Subordinated notes, net of unamortized debt issuance costs          92,478                3,774   4.08 %            96,024                3,920   4.08 %
    Trust preferred subordinated debentures, net of unamortized debt issuance costs          60,272                4,621   7.67 %            60,267                4,504   7.47 %
    Repurchase agreements          86,071                3,603   4.19 %            91,132                3,431   3.76 %
    Other borrowings        119,672                8,104   6.77 %          345,544              17,925   5.19 %
    Total interest bearing liabilities     6,123,905            198,209   3.24 %       5,490,684            144,714   2.64 %
    Noninterest bearing deposits     1,353,065                 1,485,896          
    Accrued expenses and other liabilities        102,778                      97,509          
    Total liabilities     7,579,748                 7,074,089          
    Shareholders’ equity        802,618                    754,098          
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $ 8,382,366             $ 7,828,187          
    Net interest income (FTE)     $    226,700           $    227,690    
    Net interest margin (FTE)         2.88 %           3.09 %
    Net interest spread (FTE)         2.16 %           2.42 %
    1. Interest on loans includes net fees on loans that are not material in amount.
    2. For the purpose of calculating the average yield, the average balance of securities is presented at historical cost.

    Note:  As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, loans totaling $3.2 million and $3.9 million, respectively, were on nonaccrual status. Our policy is to reverse previously accrued but unpaid interest on nonaccrual loans; thereafter, interest income is recorded to the extent received when appropriate.

    The following tables set forth the reconciliation of return on average common equity to return on average tangible common equity, book value per share to tangible book value per share, net interest income to net interest income adjusted to a fully taxable-equivalent basis assuming a 21% marginal tax rate for interest earned on tax-exempt assets such as municipal loans and investment securities, along with the calculation of total revenue, adjusted noninterest expense, efficiency ratio (FTE), net interest margin (FTE) and net interest spread (FTE) for the applicable periods presented.

    Southside Bancshares, Inc.
    Non-GAAP Reconciliation (Unaudited)
    (Dollars and shares in thousands, except per share data)
     
        Three Months Ended   Year ended
          2024       2023       2024       2023  
        Dec 31,   Sep 30,   Jun 30,   Mar 31,   Dec 31,   Dec 31,   Dec 31,
    Reconciliation of return on average common
    equity to return on average tangible common
    equity:
                               
    Net income   $     21,786     $     20,524     $     24,673     $     21,511     $     17,316     $     88,494     $     86,692  
    After-tax amortization expense               196                 220                 243                 266                 292                 925              1,341  
    Adjusted net income available to common shareholders   $     21,982     $     20,744     $     24,916     $     21,777     $     17,608     $     89,419     $     88,033  
                                 
    Average shareholders’ equity   $   822,234     $   806,230     $   796,698     $   785,054     $   737,675     $   802,618     $   754,098  
    Less: Average intangibles for the period       (203,020 )       (203,288 )       (203,581 )       (203,910 )       (204,267 )       (203,448 )       (204,887 )
       Average tangible shareholders’ equity   $   619,214     $   602,942     $   593,117     $   581,144     $   533,408     $   599,170     $   549,211  
                                 
    Return on average tangible common equity     14.12 %     13.69 %     16.90 %     15.07 %     13.10 %     14.92 %     16.03 %
                                 
    Reconciliation of book value per share to tangible book value per share:                            
    Common equity at end of period   $   811,942     $   805,254     $   800,970     $   787,922     $   773,288     $   811,942     $   773,288  
    Less: Intangible assets at end of period       (202,870 )       (203,119 )       (203,397 )       (203,704 )       (204,041 )       (202,870 )       (204,041 )
    Tangible common shareholders’ equity at end of period   $   609,072     $   602,135     $   597,573     $   584,218     $   569,247     $   609,072     $   569,247  
                                 
    Total assets at end of period   $ 8,517,448     $ 8,362,263     $ 8,357,702     $ 8,353,863     $ 8,284,914     $ 8,517,448     $ 8,284,914  
    Less: Intangible assets at end of period       (202,870 )       (203,119 )       (203,397 )       (203,704 )       (204,041 )       (202,870 )       (204,041 )
    Tangible assets at end of period   $ 8,314,578     $ 8,159,144     $ 8,154,305     $ 8,150,159     $ 8,080,873     $ 8,314,578     $ 8,080,873  
                                 
    Period end tangible equity to period end tangible assets     7.33 %     7.38 %     7.33 %     7.17 %     7.04 %     7.33 %     7.04 %
                                 
    Common shares outstanding end of period           30,379            30,308             30,261            30,284             30,249             30,379             30,249  
    Tangible book value per common share   $      20.05     $      19.87     $      19.75     $      19.29     $      18.82     $      20.05     $      18.82  
                                 
    Reconciliation of efficiency ratio to efficiency ratio (FTE), net interest margin to net interest margin (FTE) and net interest spread to net interest spread (FTE):                            
    Net interest income (GAAP)   $     53,707     $     55,464     $     53,608     $     53,348     $     54,485     $   216,127     $   215,027  
    Tax-equivalent adjustments:                            
    Loans               598                 608                 633                 656                 680              2,495              2,724  
    Tax-exempt investment securities            1,935              2,012              2,051              2,080              2,453              8,078              9,939  
    Net interest income (FTE) (1)           56,240             58,084             56,292             56,084             57,618           226,700           227,690  
    Noninterest income           12,281              8,171             11,557              9,724              2,501             41,733             35,834  
    Nonrecurring income (2)               (25 )            2,797                (576 )                 18              8,376              2,214              7,370  
    Total revenue   $     68,496     $     69,052     $     67,273     $     65,826     $     68,495     $   270,647     $   270,894  
                                 
    Noninterest expense   $     38,159     $     36,332     $     35,765     $     36,881     $     35,183     $   147,137     $   140,578  
    Pre-tax amortization expense              (249 )              (278 )              (307 )              (337  )              (370 )           (1,171 )           (1,697 )
    Nonrecurring expense (3)              (919 )              (219 )                   2                   17                   22             (1,119 )                 78  
    Adjusted noninterest expense   $     36,991     $     35,835     $     35,460     $     36,561     $     34,835     $   144,847     $   138,959  
                                 
    Efficiency ratio     56.08 %     53.94 %     54.90 %     57.95 %     53.30 %     55.69 %     53.81 %
    Efficiency ratio (FTE) (1)     54.00 %     51.90 %     52.71 %     55.54 %     50.86 %     53.52 %     51.30 %
                                 
    Average earning assets   $ 7,913,371     $ 7,823,026     $ 7,881,919     $ 7,882,337     $ 7,633,820     $ 7,875,096     $ 7,361,199  
                                 
    Net interest margin     2.70 %     2.82 %     2.74 %     2.72 %     2.83 %     2.74 %     2.92 %
    Net interest margin (FTE) (1)     2.83 %     2.95 %     2.87 %     2.86 %     2.99 %     2.88 %     3.09 %
                                 
    Net interest spread     1.99 %     2.10 %     2.00 %     2.02 %     2.10 %     2.02 %     2.25 %
    Net interest spread (FTE) (1)     2.12 %     2.23 %     2.13 %     2.16 %     2.26 %     2.16 %     2.42 %
    1. These amounts are presented on a fully taxable-equivalent basis and are non-GAAP measures.
    2. These adjustments may include net gain or loss on sale of securities available for sale, net gain on sale of equity securities, BOLI income related to death benefits realized and other investment income or loss in the periods where applicable.
    3. These adjustments may include foreclosure expenses and branch closure expenses, in the periods where applicable.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Street racing review hearing to be held next month

    Source: City of Wolverhampton

    The injunction, led by the City of Wolverhampton Council on behalf of Dudley Council, Sandwell Council and Walsall Council and supported by West Midlands Police, prohibits people from participating, as a driver, rider or passenger, in a gathering of 2 or more people where some of those present engage in car racing, vehicular stunts or other dangerous or obstructive driving.

    It also prohibits people from promoting, organising or publicising gatherings, or from participating in a gathering as a spectator with the intention or expectation that some of those present will engage in street racing.

    The injunction covers the whole of the boroughs of Wolverhampton, Dudley, Sandwell and Walsall and anyone found to be breaching it will be in contempt of court and may be imprisoned, fined or have their assets seized. They may also be ordered to pay the council’s legal costs of any hearing.

    The High Court ordered that the injunction and power of arrest should remain in force until at least 2027 subject to annual review, with the next hearing taking place on Wednesday 26 February, 2025, at 10.30am at the High Court of Justice, King’s Bench Division, Birmingham District Registry at Birmingham Civil and Family Justice Centre, The Priory Courts, 33 Bull Street, Birmingham B4 6DS.

    Any existing defendants who wish to file any evidence in respect of the review hearing must do so by next Friday (7 February, 2025). To contact the claimants, write to: FAO: Black Country Car Cruise, Legal Services, City of Wolverhampton Council, Civic Centre, St Peter’s Square, Wolverhampton WV1 1RG. Alternatively, email litigation@wolverhampton.gov.uk or call 01902 556556. Anyone wishing to be joined as a defendant to proceedings may apply to the High Court, as provided for by paragraph 11 of the injunction.

    For more information, including a copy of the injunction and the power of arrest, the notice of review hearing, and updated documents and evidence for the review hearing, please visit the street racing pages of the applicants – Wolverhampton, Walsall, Sandwell, or Dudley.

    Incidents of street racing should be reported via asbu@wolverhamptonhomes.org.uk or to West Midlands Police on 101. In an emergency, always dial 999.

    Police are also inviting members of the public to submit dash cam or mobile phone footage of street racing events or dangerous driving via its Op Snap website

    MIL OSI United Kingdom