Dime Community Bancshares, Inc. - DCOM STOCK NEWS

Dime Community Bancshares (Nasdaq: DCOM) has announced a quarterly cash dividend declaration for its Series A Preferred Stock. The Board of Directors has approved a dividend of $0.34375 per share on the company's 5.50% Fixed-Rate Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series A. The dividend will be payable on February 13, 2025, to shareholders who are recorded as holders as of February 6, 2025.

Dime Community Bancshares (NASDAQ: DCOM) reported a net loss of $22.2 million ($0.54 per diluted share) for Q4 2024, compared to net income of $11.5 million in Q3 2024. The full year 2024 net income was $21.8 million ($0.55 per share), down from $88.8 million in 2023.

Q4 2024 results were impacted by a $42.8 million pre-tax loss on securities sales, $1.3 million in severance expenses, and $1.2 million related to pension plan termination. The quarter showed positive trends with total deposits increasing by $268.8 million and core deposits growing by $513.4 million compared to Q3 2024.

Key metrics improved with net interest margin expanding to 2.79% from 2.50% in Q3, and the Common Equity Tier 1 Ratio increasing to 11.07%. The bank successfully completed a common equity offering, raising $135.8 million in net proceeds to strengthen its capital base and reposition its securities portfolio.

Dime Community Bancshares (Nasdaq: DCOM) announced it will continue as the lead sponsor of the Dime McCarren 5K for the 6th consecutive year in 2025. The event supports St Nick's Alliance, an organization focused on affordable housing and educational programs for underprivileged youth in Brooklyn.

Dime Community Bancshares (NASDAQ: DCOM) has announced it will release its earnings report for Q4 2024 (quarter ended December 31, 2024) before U.S. markets open on Thursday, January 23, 2025. The company will host a conference call at 8:30 a.m. ET on the same day, featuring President and CEO Stuart Lubow discussing the company's fourth quarter financial performance.

The earnings call will include a Q&A session and can be accessed via webcast or telephone. Telephone participants must register in advance to receive dial-in details and a unique PIN. Participants are advised to dial in 10 minutes before the start time. A replay of both the conference call and webcast will be available on-demand for 12 months.

Dime Community Bancshares (NASDAQ: DCOM) has received an 'Outstanding' Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) rating from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, achieving the highest possible score across all three evaluation components: Lending Test, Investment Test, and Service Test.

The bank demonstrated leadership in several areas, including: community development loans, innovative lending practices, qualified community development investments and grants, and community development services. The Federal Reserve highlighted Dime's excellent responsiveness to credit and community development needs within its assessment area, particularly in Low-to-Moderate Income neighborhoods.

This achievement validates Dime's 160-year commitment to supporting local community growth through lending, investing, and services.

Dime Community Bancshares (NASDAQ: DCOM) announced that Michael P. Devine will retire from the Board of Directors before the next annual shareholders meeting. Devine's career with Dime spans over 40 years, beginning in 1971 at The Dime Savings Bank of Williamsburgh. Throughout his tenure, he served as President, Chief Operating Officer, Director, and Vice Chairman.

Devine played a important role in the company's transition from a mutual to a stock-owned bank in 1996 and continued serving as director following the company's merger of equals transaction in 2021. Chairman Kenneth J. Mahon praised Devine's contributions, highlighting his progression from auditor to executive leadership and his valuable counsel to senior officers.

Dime Community Bancshares (Nasdaq: DCOM) has announced its Board of Directors' declaration of a quarterly cash dividend of $0.25 per share of Common Stock. The dividend will be paid on January 24, 2025 to stockholders of record as of January 17, 2025. The company maintains its track record of consistent dividend payments to shareholders.

Dime Community Bancshares (NASDAQ: DCOM) has completed a strategic repositioning of its available-for-sale investment securities portfolio in Q4 2024. The company sold $379 million of lower-yielding securities with a 1.20% weighted average yield and 3.3-year duration, replacing them with new securities offering a 5.08% weighted average yield and 4.2-year duration. This repositioning will result in a one-time pre-tax loss of approximately $43 million in Q4 2024.

Additionally, DCOM initiated the termination of a legacy pension plan, expecting a $1 million expense in Q4 2024 and an additional $2 million expense in Q1 2025 when remaining benefit obligations are distributed.

Dime Community Bancshares (Nasdaq: DCOM) has successfully closed its public offering of 4,492,187 shares of common stock at $32.00 per share, including 585,937 additional shares from the underwriters' fully exercised option. The offering generated gross proceeds of approximately $144 million, with net proceeds of $136 million after underwriting discounts. The company plans to use the proceeds for general corporate purposes, including working capital, investments in its bank subsidiary, and potential balance sheet optimization strategies. Raymond James & Associates and Keefe, Bruyette & Woods served as joint book-running managers for the offering.