WAUWATOSA, Wis. – 01/28/2021 – Waterstone Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ: WSBF), holding company for WaterStone Bank, reported net income of $27.8 million, or $1.17 per diluted share for the quarter ended December 31, 2020 compared to $8.8 million, or $0.34 per diluted share for the quarter ended December 31, 2019. Net income per diluted share was $3.30 for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to net income per diluted share of $1.37 for the year ended December 31, 2019.

“Our financial results continue to be outstanding, as we have just completed our third consecutive quarter of record profits”, said Douglas Gordon, Chief Executive Officer of Waterstone Financial, Inc. “The turbulent environment of 2020 demonstrated the synergies, and profitability, a community bank and its mortgage subsidiary can achieve working in harmony.  Waterstone’s entire team navigated the rocky seas presented by a pandemic, achieving record results, and enhancing shareholders with dividends of $1.28 per share paid during the year.”

Highlights of the Quarter Ended December 31, 2020

Waterstone Financial, Inc. (Consolidated)

• Consolidated net income of Waterstone Financial, Inc. totaled $27.8 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2020, compared to $8.8 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2019.
• Consolidated return on average assets was 4.96% for the quarter ended December 31, 2020 compared to 1.75% for the quarter ended December 31, 2019.
• Consolidated return on average equity was 27.11% for the quarter ended December 31, 2020 and 8.91% for the quarter ended December 31, 2019.
• Dividends declared totaled $0.50 per share, which included a quarterly dividend of $0.20 per share and a special dividend of $0.30 per share.  The quarterly dividend declared during the quarter represents an increase of $0.08, or 66.7%, compared to quarterly dividend rate paid in previous quarters during 2020. 
• We repurchased approximately 203,000 shares at a cost of $3.5 million during the quarter ended December 31, 2020.

Community Banking Segment

• Pre-tax income totaled $8.7 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2020, which represents a 4.8% increase compared to $8.3 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2019.
• Net interest income totaled $14.5 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2020, which represents an 8.0% increase compared to $13.5 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2019.
• Average loans held for investment totaled $1.40 billion during the quarter ended December 31, 2020, which represents an increase of $21.6 million, or 1.6%, compared to $1.38 billion for the quarter ended December 31, 2019. The Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans originated during the year ended December 31, 2020, contributed to the growth. Average loans held for investment decreased $26.6 million, or 7.5% annualized, compared to $1.43 billion for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 as PPP loans started to pay off during the fourth quarter.
• The PPP loans totaled $18.1 million as of December 31, 2020. 
• Net interest margin decreased six basis points to 2.73% for the quarter ended December 31, 2020 compared to 2.79% for the quarter ended December 31, 2019, which was a result of the decrease in yield of interest-earning assets as rates on loans, investments, and cash decreased. Net interest margin increased 10 basis points compared to 2.63% for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, driven by lower average rates on deposits.
• The segment had no provision for loan losses for the quarter ended December 31, 2020 compared to a negative provision for loan losses of $200,000 for the quarter ended December 30, 2019. Net charge-offs totaled $51,000 for the quarter ended December 31, 2020, compared to net recoveries of $10,000 for the quarter ended December 31, 2019. 
• The efficiency ratio was 46.15% for the quarter ended December 31, 2020, compared to 46.23% for the quarter ended December 31, 2019.
• Average deposits (excluding escrow accounts) totaled $1.19 billion during the quarter ended December 31, 2020, an increase of $137.9 million, or 13.1%, compared to $1.06 billion during the quarter ended December 31, 2019. Average deposits increased $13.0 million, or 4.4% annualized compared to the $1.18 billion for the quarter ended September 30, 2020.
• Nonperforming assets as percentage of total assets was 0.27% at December 31, 2020, 0.31% at September 30, 2020, and 0.39% at December 31, 2019.
• Past due loans as percentage of total loans was 0.57% at December 31, 2020, 0.39% at September 30, 2020, and 0.47% at December 31, 2019.
• The Company held approximately $9.2 million in loans, representing 0.7% of the total loan portfolio as of December 31, 2020, which had been modified as either a deferment of principal or principal and interest since the beginning of the pandemic. Of the $9.2 million in loans, $1.2 million qualify as modifications under the CARES Act. The remaining $8.0 million represents three loans that are classified as troubled debt restructurings. 

Mortgage Banking Segment

• Pre-tax income totaled $28.3 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2020, compared to $3.4 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2019.
• Loan originations increased $505.2 million, or 65.0%, to $1.28 billion during the quarter ended December 31, 2020, compared to $777.1 million during the quarter ended December 31, 2019. Origination volume relative to purchase activity accounted for 59.2% of originations for the quarter ended December 31, 2020 compared to 72.1% of total originations for the quarter ended December 31, 2019.
• Mortgage banking income increased $36.1 million, or 111.2%, to $68.5 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2020, compared to $32.4 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2019.
• Gross margin on loans sold increased to 5.40% for the quarter ended December 31, 2020, compared to 4.27% for the quarter ended December 31, 2019. 

Recent Developments:

COVID-19 Pandemic and the CARES Act
The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (“CARES”) Act, signed into law at the end of March 2020, allowed for a temporary delay in the adoption of accounting guidance under Accounting Standards Codification Topic 326, “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (“CECL”) until the earlier of December 31, 2020 or the end of the COVID-19 national emergency.  During the quarter ended March 31, 2020, pursuant to the CARES Act and guidance from the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) and Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”), we elected to delay adoption of CECL.  On December 27, 2020, the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2021 was signed into law.  Among other provisions, this Act extended the temporary delay on the adoption of CECL until the earlier of January 1, 2022 or the end of the COVID-19 national emergency.  We have elected to delay adoption of CECL.  As a result, our financial statements for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2020 include an allowance for loan losses that was prepared under the existing incurred loss methodology.

About Waterstone Financial, Inc.
Waterstone Financial, Inc. is the savings and loan holding company for WaterStone Bank. WaterStone Bank was established in 1921 and offers a full suite of personal and business banking products. The Bank has branches in Wauwatosa/State St, Brookfield, Fox Point/North Shore, Franklin/Hales Corners, Germantown/Menomonee Falls, Greenfield/Loomis Rd, Milwaukee/Oklahoma Ave, Oak Creek/27th St, Oak Creek/Howell Ave, Oconomowoc/Lake Country, Pewaukee, Waukesha, West Allis/Greenfield Ave, and West Allis/National Ave, Wisconsin. WaterStone Bank is the parent company to Waterstone Mortgage, which has the ability to lend in 48 states. 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, including significant disruption to financial market and other economic activity caused by the outbreak of COVID-19; 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.

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