RALEIGH, N.C.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--First Carolina Financial Services, Inc. (NYSE: FCBM) (“First Carolina,” the “Company,” “we,” “our,” or “us”), today reported net income of $7.9 million, or $0.26 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2026, compared to a loss of $2.0 million, or a loss of $0.08 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2025. These results reflect a $9.9 million increase in net income compared to the third quarter of 2025. All per share data has been adjusted to reflect the two-for-one stock split completed on June 17, 2026.

“This was a pivotal quarter for First Carolina,” said Ron Day, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer. “Last quarter we strengthened our core funding base, and this quarter we demonstrated what that foundation makes possible. On a linked-quarter basis, net income was up $2.8 million, or 55%. Our net interest margin expanded to 3.38% for the quarter, driven by continued loan repricing, higher yields on new originations, and well-managed funding costs even as rates have risen. Deepening treasury management relationships with our commercial clients continues to drive valuable operating deposit growth, which supports our discipline on funding costs. We also redeemed our 2019 subordinated debt issuance in early September, which should positively impact interest expense in coming periods. Most importantly, we have done all of this while keeping our eye on credit quality, and nonperforming assets held steady.”

“In payments, we are making significant progress in expanding our service offerings. At the end of the quarter, we began offering prepaid cards as a payment modality for universities participating in our pilot program, which gives our higher-education clients and their students a broader set of disbursement options. We continue penetrating the broader banking opportunity in higher education, which remains a strategic growth vertical for us. More broadly, we feel demand for First Carolina has never been higher. Customers have responded well to our becoming a public company, and the strength and range of our Commercial Banking, Payments, Consumer Banking and Wealth Management businesses position us to meet that demand across every stage of our clients’ financial journeys. We are very pleased with these accomplishments and believe they reflect the durable earnings power of our franchise as we head into the remainder of the year.”

Third Quarter 2026 Performance Highlights:

• Net income of $7.9 million, an increase of $9.9 million from the third quarter of 2025.
• Generated $154.1 million of loan growth in the quarter, representing an annualized growth rate of 22.3%.
• Expanded net interest margin by 32 basis points on a year-over-year comparative-quarter basis to 3.38%.
• Increased third quarter net interest income by 10.0% compared to the third quarter of 2025.
• Decreased third quarter non-interest expense by 19.6%, or $6.3 million compared to the third quarter of 2025.
• Reduced higher-cost certificates of deposit by 15.7% during the quarter and 58.8% over the past year, supporting funding cost improvements.
• Brokered deposits declined to 14.3% of total deposits at September 30, 2026 compared to 31.0% of total deposits a year ago.
• Continued strong capital levels with average shareholders' equity representing 12.33% of average assets.
• Nonperforming assets declined to 0.60% of total assets compared to 0.63% a year ago.
• Ended the quarter with book value per share of $13.93 and tangible book value per share¹ of $11.73.
• Return on average assets (“ROAA”) of 0.89%.
• Return on average equity (“ROAE”) of 7.24%; Return on average tangible common equity (“ROATCE”)¹ of 8.61%.

Operating Highlights

Net interest income totaled $28.1 million for the third quarter of 2026, an increase of $2.6 million, or 10.0%, over the third quarter of 2025, reflecting continued balance sheet strength and revenue generation. The Company's net interest margin was 3.38% for the third quarter of 2026, representing a 32 basis point improvement over the prior year period, driven primarily by lower interest-bearing deposit costs. Net interest margin increased by 15 basis points from the second quarter of 2026, largely attributable to the seasonality in deposits generated by the Company’s Payments business. Noninterest-bearing deposits in the Payments business regularly increase in the third quarter of each fiscal year from the preceding second quarter period, primarily due to the educational calendar. Beyond these areas, deposit repricing initiatives and stronger yields on loans remain meaningful drivers of the Company’s performance.

The yield on average interest-earning assets was 5.97% for the third quarter of 2026, compared to 6.02% for the third quarter of 2025, a decrease of 5 basis points, primarily reflecting lower yield on the securities portfolio and short-term, floating rate investments. The yield on average interest-earning assets increased to 5.97% in the third quarter of 2026, from 5.92% in the second quarter of 2026, primarily driven by higher loan yields. The improvement reflects the strength of the Company's lending franchise and its disciplined approach to loan pricing, and it more than offset the decline in the yield on securities available for sale. As a result, the Company delivered meaningful growth in net interest income and year-over-year expansion in net interest margin.

The Company’s total cost of funds was 2.81% for the third quarter of 2026, a decrease of 31 basis points compared to the third quarter of 2025. Deposit costs were 2.71% for the third quarter of 2026, compared to 3.04% for the third quarter of 2025, a decrease of 33 basis points, and compared to 2.75% for the second quarter of 2026, a decrease of 4 basis points. The cost of interest-bearing liabilities was 3.58% for the third quarter of 2026, a decrease of 39 basis points compared to 3.97% for the third quarter of 2025, and no change compared to 3.58% for the second quarter of 2026, reflecting the strategic shift of deposits from time deposits to money market and savings accounts. Management believes the year-over-year decrease in total cost of funds, deposit costs, and cost of interest-bearing liabilities in the third quarter of 2026 versus the third quarter of 2025 are particularly meaningful, as this comparison eliminates the impact of the seasonal deposit flows in the Payments business that affect linked-quarter comparisons.

Noninterest income totaled $6.7 million for the third quarter of 2026, a decrease of $6.2 million, or 48.0%, from the third quarter of 2025. The decrease primarily reflects the planned discontinuation of a banking-as-a-service partnership inherited through the BM Technologies’ acquisition that was not consistent with the Company's long-term strategic focus and accounts for $3.6 million of the decrease from the third quarter of 2025. The decrease also reflects the non-recurring nature of the $1.7 million in net gains on sale of securities in the third quarter of 2025. Accordingly, results for the third quarter of 2026 are not directly comparable to those for the third quarter of 2025. Noninterest expense totaled $25.8 million for the third quarter of 2026, a decrease of $6.3 million, or 19.6%, from the third quarter of 2025. The decrease reflects lower salaries and employee benefits expense following the post-acquisition realignment of BM Technologies’ workforce, along with lower data processing costs and other professional fees. These results demonstrate the Company's ongoing commitment to disciplined cost control and operational efficiency.

The Company's effective tax rate was 20.7% for the third quarter of 2026, compared to 18.6% for the third quarter of 2025 and 21.5% for the second quarter of 2026. The higher effective tax rate compared to the prior-year quarter was primarily attributable to a higher state income effective tax rate due to a change in allocation of income before taxes between the Company, the Bank, and BM Technologies.

Balance Sheet Trends

Total assets were $3.67 billion at September 30, 2026, reflecting an increase of $154.1 million, or 4.4%, compared to September 30, 2025. Gross loans were $2.90 billion at September 30, 2026, an increase of $201.3 million, or 7.5%, compared to September 30, 2025, and an increase of $154.1 million, or 5.6%, from $2.74 billion at June 30, 2026.

Total deposits were $3.16 billion at September 30, 2026, reflecting an increase of $92.6 million, or 3.0%, compared to September 30, 2025. The Company continues to shift its deposit mix away from higher-cost certificates of deposit (brokered and non-brokered) and toward lower-cost core deposits. Certificates of deposit were $571.7 million at September 30, 2026, a $815.3 million, or 58.8%, decrease compared to September 30, 2025, and a $106.6 million, or 15.7%, decrease compared to June 30, 2026.

Credit Quality

During the third quarter of 2026, the Company recorded a net release of the provision for credit losses of $1.0 million, compared to a provision for credit losses of $9.4 million in the third quarter of 2025, and a provision for credit losses of $273 thousand during the second quarter of 2026. The release recorded during the third quarter of 2026 was primarily attributable to the migration of construction loans to permanent financing, which carry lower expected loss rates, the reduction in unfunded commitments, an improvement in economic factors, and limited loan charge-offs for the period. The provision for credit losses in the third quarter of 2025 was impacted by the charge-off of a held-to-maturity security with an amortized cost basis of $5.8 million and a $1.9 million charge-off on a commercial loan. The Company's annualized net charge-offs to average loans held for investment ratio was 0.01% for the third quarter of 2026, 0.00% for the preceding quarter, and 0.07% one year prior.

Nonperforming assets totaled $21.9 million, or 0.60% of total assets, at September 30, 2026, compared to $22.3 million, or 0.63% of total assets, at September 30, 2025, and $22.3 million, or 0.65% of total assets at June 30, 2026.

About First Carolina Financial Services, Inc.

First Carolina Financial Services, Inc. (NYSE: FCBM) operates as a bank holding company for First Carolina Bank that provides financial services for businesses, higher education institutions, and individuals. First Carolina offers a range of deposit and loan products and trust services. First Carolina is headquartered in Raleigh, North Carolina with full-service banking offices in Rocky Mount, Raleigh, Wilmington, Cary, and Reidsville, North Carolina; Virginia Beach, Virginia; Columbia and Greenville, South Carolina; and Atlanta, Georgia. For more information, please visit firstcarolinabank.com. The information contained in, or that can be accessed through, our website is not incorporated by reference in, and is not part of, this press release. The inclusion of our website address in this press release is only as an inactive textual reference.

Company Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains, and future oral and written statements by us and our management may contain, forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include discussion of plans, estimates, objectives, goals, guidelines, expectations, intentions, projections, and statements of the Company’s beliefs concerning future events, business plans, objectives, expected operating results and the assumptions upon which those statements are based. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements that may predict, forecast, indicate or imply future results, performance or achievements, and are typically identified with words such as “see,” “may,” “could,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “aim,” “intend,” “plan” or words or phrases of similar meaning. We caution that the forward-looking statements are based largely on our expectations and are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that are subject to change based on factors which are, in many instances, beyond our control and could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: adverse developments in our borrowers’ industries and, in particular, declines in real estate values; our ability to maintain compliance with federal and state laws that regulate our business and capital levels; our ability to raise capital as needed by our business; our ability to manage growth; the loss of any of our key employees; changes in the interest rates affecting our deposits, loans, and securities portfolio; our ability to maintain adequate liquidity and control our cost of funds; the strength of the economy in our current and future market areas, as well as general economic, market, or business conditions; negative developments in the financial industry and credit markets; an insufficient allowance for credit losses as a result of inaccurate assumptions or otherwise; the ability of our current and any future markets to weather a downturn in the economy; our potential growth, including loans, deposits, and our entrance or expansion into new markets or products, including our prepaid card offering being piloted at certain universities; the opportunities that may be presented to and pursued by us and the need for sufficient capital to support that growth; changes in our competitive position, competitive actions by other financial institutions and the competitive nature of the financial services industry and our ability to compete effectively against other financial institutions in our banking markets; changes in laws, regulations and the policies of federal or state regulators and agencies or interpretations thereof; governmental monetary and fiscal policies, including the policies of the Federal Reserve; our ability to maintain internal control over financial reporting and an effective risk management framework; our effective use of technology or an interruption or breach in security of our information systems; our reliance on secondary sources, such as FHLB advances, sales of securities and loans, federal funds lines of credit from correspondent banks and out-of-market time deposits, to meet our liquidity needs; inaccurate or incomplete information about our clients; our ability to assess and manage our asset quality; natural disasters, pandemics or other public health crises, war, terrorist activities or civil unrest and their effects on the economic and business environments in which we operate; risks associated with unauthorized access, cyber-crime and other threats to data security; and other risks and uncertainties described under “Risk Factors” of our Registration Statement on Form S-1 and subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. We assume no obligation and do not intend to update these forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Some of the financial measures discussed or presented in this press release or the accompanying financial tables are not measures recognized under accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) and therefore are considered non-GAAP financial measures. In accordance with SEC rules, we classify a financial measure as being a non-GAAP financial measure if that financial measure excludes or includes amounts, or is subject to adjustments that have the effect of excluding or including amounts, that are included or excluded, as the case may be, in the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP.

Our accounting and reporting policies conform to GAAP and the prevailing practices in the banking industry. However, we also evaluate our performance based on certain additional non-GAAP financial measures. Management uses these non-GAAP financial measures because it believes they may provide useful supplemental information for evaluating our operations and performance over periods of time, as well as in managing and evaluating our business and in discussions about our operations and performance. Management believes these non-GAAP financial measures may also provide users of our financial information with a meaningful measure for assessing our financial results and credit trends, as well as a comparison to financial results for prior periods. These non-GAAP financial measures should be viewed in addition to, and not as an alternative to or substitute for, measures determined in accordance with GAAP and are not necessarily comparable to other similarly titled measures used by other companies.

Tangible common equity is defined as total shareholders’ equity less goodwill and other intangible assets.

Tangible book value per share is defined as tangible common equity divided by total common shares outstanding. We believe this measure is important because it shows changes from period to period in book value per share exclusive of changes in intangible assets.

Tangible common equity to tangible assets is defined as the ratio of tangible common equity divided by total tangible assets. We believe this measure is important because it shows relative changes from period to period in equity and total assets, each exclusive of changes in intangible assets.

Return on average tangible common equity (ROATCE) is defined as the ratio of net income to average tangible common equity (as defined above).

Efficiency ratio is defined as total noninterest expense divided by the sum of net interest income and noninterest income, excluding only gains from securities transactions. We believe this measure is important as an indicator of productivity because it shows the amount of revenue generated for each dollar spent.

Pre-tax pre-provision return (PPR) is defined as net income plus income tax expense plus provision (minus recovery) for credit losses.

We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to management and investors that is supplementary to our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows computed in accordance with GAAP. However, we acknowledge that our non-GAAP financial measures have a number of limitations. As such, these disclosures should not be considered as a substitute for results determined in accordance with GAAP, and they are not necessarily comparable to non-GAAP financial measures that other banking companies use. Other banking companies may use names similar to those we disclose for the non-GAAP financial measures, but may calculate them differently.