Waterstone Financial, Inc. Announces Results of Operations for the Quarter and Six Months Ended June 30, 2025 

Wauwatosa, WI – 7/22/2025 – Waterstone Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: WSBF), holding company for WaterStone Bank, reported net income of $7.7 million, or $0.43 per diluted share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 compared to $5.7 million, or $0.31 per diluted share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2024. Net income per diluted share was $0.59 for the six months ended June 30, 2025 compared to net income per diluted share of $0.47 for the six months ended June 30, 2024.

“We are pleased with our performance during the quarter, which resulted in our highest quarterly earnings per share since the quarter ended December 31, 2021,” said William Bruss, Chief Executive Officer of Waterstone Financial, Inc. “The Community Banking segment achieved $2.4 million of growth in net interest income compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2024, primarily due to continued improvement in our cost of funds. We continue to maintain strong asset quality and experience minimal loan loss activity, resulting in releases from our allowance for credit losses. The Mortgage Banking segment recorded pre-tax income as seasonal loan origination volumes expanded during the quarter and professional fees normalized following the finalization of our legal settlement during the prior quarter. On a consolidated level, we continued to add to book value per share through strong earnings and an active share repurchase program.”

Highlights of the Quarter Ended June 30, 2025 

Waterstone Financial, Inc. (Consolidated)
 
● Consolidated net income of Waterstone Financial, Inc. totaled $7.7 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 compared to net income of $5.7 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2024.
● Consolidated return on average assets (annualized) was 1.39% for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 and 1.02% for the quarter ended June 30, 2024.
● Consolidated return on average equity (annualized) was 9.04% for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 and 6.84% for the quarter ended June 30, 2024.
● Dividends declared during the quarter ended June 30, 2025 totaled $0.15 per common share.
● During the quarter ended June 30, 2025, we repurchased approximately 508,000 shares at a cost (including the federal excise tax) of $6.5 million, or $12.80 per share. The share repurchases increased book value approximately $0.14 during the quarter ended June 30, 2025.
● Nonperforming assets as a percentage of total assets was 0.37% at June 30, 2025, 0.35% at March 31, 2025, and 0.25% at June 30, 2024. 
● Past due loans as a percentage of total loans was 0.69% at June 30, 2025, 0.67% at March 31, 2025, and 0.76% at June 30, 2024.
● Book value per share was $18.19 at June 30, 2025 and $17.53 at December 31, 2024.

Community Banking Segment
 
● Pre-tax income totaled $7.6 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, which represents a $2.6 million, or 50.4%, increase compared to $5.1 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2024.
● Net interest income totaled $13.6 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, which represents a $2.4 million, or 21.4%, increase compared to $11.2 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2024.
● Average loans held for investment totaled $1.67 billion during the quarter ended June 30, 2025, which represents a decrease of $1.5 million, or 0.1%, compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2024. The decrease was primarily due to a decrease in single-family mortgages offset by increases in commercial real estate and multi-family mortgages. Average loans held for investment decreased $8.1 million compared to $1.67 billion for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. The decrease was primarily due to decrease in single-family mortgages.
● Net interest margin increased 59 basis points to 2.60% for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 compared to 2.01% for the quarter ended June 30, 2024, which was primarily driven by an increase in weighted average yield on loans receivable and held for sale and decreases in the cost of borrowings and weighted average cost of deposits. Net interest margin increased 13 basis points compared to 2.47% for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, which was primarily driven by an increase in weighted average yield on loans receivable and held for sale and decreases in cost of borrowings and weighted average cost of deposits. 
● Past due loans at the community banking segment totaled $8.9 million at June 30, 2025, $7.6 million at March 31, 2025, and $9.3 million at June 30, 2024.
● The segment had a negative provision for credit losses related to funded loans of $125,000 for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 compared to a negative provision for credit losses related to funded loans of $197,000 for the quarter ended June 30, 2024. The current quarter decrease was primarily due to decreases in multi-family qualitative risk factors, offset by an increase in the single-family loan qualitative factors primarily related to increases in internal asset quality risk factors and an increase in construction loan balances. The provision for credit losses related to unfunded loan commitments was $106,000 for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 compared to a negative provision for credit losses related to unfunded loan commitments of $82,000 for the quarter ended June 30, 2024. The provision for credit losses related to unfunded loan commitments for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 was due primarily to an increase in the loans approved that are currently waiting to close compared to the prior quarter end. 
● The efficiency ratio, a non-GAAP ratio, was 50.40% for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, compared to 62.37% for the quarter ended June 30, 2024.
● Average core retail deposits (excluding brokered and escrow accounts) totaled $1.31 billion during the quarter ended June 30, 2025, an increase of $91.7 million, or 7.5%, compared to $1.22 billion during the quarter ended June 30, 2024. Average deposits increased $32.9 million, or 10.3% annualized, compared to $1.28 billion for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. The increases were primarily due to increases in checking, money market, and certificates of deposit balances. The segment had an average of $72.5 million in brokered certificate of deposits during the quarter ended June 30, 2025.

Mortgage Banking Segment
 
● Pre-tax income totaled $2.0 million for the quarters ended June 30, 2025 and June 30, 2024.
● Loan originations decreased $45.3 million, or 7.1%, to $588.8 million during the quarter ended June 30, 2025, compared to $634.1 million during the quarter ended June 30, 2024. Origination volume relative to purchase activity accounted for 91.7% of originations for the quarter ended June 30, 2025 compared to 92.7% of total originations for the quarter ended June 30, 2024.
● Mortgage banking non-interest income decreased $2.4 million, or 9.7%, to $22.6 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, compared to $25.1 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2024.
● Gross margin on loans sold totaled 3.84% for the quarter ended June 30, 2025, compared to 3.93% for the quarter ended June 30, 2024. 
● Total compensation, payroll taxes and other employee benefits decreased $574,000, or 3.4%, to $16.3 million during the quarter ended June 30, 2025 compared to $16.9 million during the quarter ended June 30, 2024. The decrease primarily related to decreased commission expense and salary expense offset by an increase in health insurance expense.

About Waterstone Financial, Inc.
Waterstone Financial, Inc. is the savings and loan holding company for WaterStone Bank, a community-focused financial institution established in 1921. WaterStone Bank offers a comprehensive suite of personal and business banking products and operates 14 branch locations across southeastern Wisconsin. WaterStone Bank is also the parent company of WaterStone Mortgage Corporation, a national lender licensed in 48 states.

With a long-standing commitment to innovation, integrity, and community service, Waterstone Financial, Inc. supports the financial and homeownership goals of customers nationwide. For more information about WaterStone Bank, go to http://www.wsbonline.com.
 
Forward-Looking Statements 
This press release contains statements or information that may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding expected financial and operating activities and results that are preceded by, followed by, or that include words such as “may,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates” or “believes.” Any such statements are based upon current expectations that involve a number of risks and uncertainties and are subject to important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such a difference include changes in interest rates; demand for products and services; the degree of competition by traditional and nontraditional competitors; changes in banking regulation or actions by bank regulators; changes in tax laws; the impact of technological advances; governmental and regulatory policy changes; the outcomes of contingencies; trends in customer behavior as well as their ability to repay loans; changes in local real estate values; changes in the national and local economies; and other factors, including risk factors referenced in Item 1A. Risk Factors in Waterstone’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and as may be described from time to time in Waterstone’s subsequent SEC filings, which factors are incorporated herein by reference. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which reflect only Waterstone’s belief as of the date of this press release.
 
Non-GAAP Financial Measures 
Management uses non-GAAP financial information in its analysis of the Company’s performance. Management believes that this non-GAAP measure provides a greater understanding of ongoing operations and enhances comparability of results of operations with prior periods. The Company’s management believes that investors may use this non-GAAP measure to analyze the Company’s financial performance without the impact of unusual items or events that may obscure trends in the Company’s underlying performance. This non-GAAP data should be considered in addition to results prepared in accordance with GAAP, and is not a substitute for, or superior to, GAAP results. Limitations associated with non-GAAP financial measures include the risks that persons might disagree as to the appropriateness of items included in this measure and that different companies might calculate this measure differently.