Unity Bancorp reports Q4 EPS 96c, consensus 86c

James Hughes, President and CEO, commented on the financial results: “I am proud to share with you the outstanding financial results of Unity Bancorp Inc. for the 2023 fiscal year, a period that was marked by unprecedented challenges in the banking sector. We achieved a record year of earnings with $39.7 million in net income, or $3.84 per diluted share. For the fourth quarter, we generated $9.8 million in net income, or $0.96 per diluted share. In the fourth quarter, we saw NIM expansion, partially attributable to core deposit growth allowing us to pay down more expensive wholesale funding sources. We also benefited from higher interest rates on our loan portfolio. Moreover, we improved our loan to deposit ratio to approximately 113% at the end of 2023, compared to approximately 118% at the end of 2022. We faced a turbulent operating environment in 2023, with persistent inflation and an inverted yield curve. We successfully navigated these headwinds by staying focused on delivering top-notch financial products and best-in-class customer service. We remain confident that we have a solid foundation for continued growth and profitability in 2024. We will remain true to our values of customer satisfaction, community engagement and employee empowerment. We will seek to continue to manage our risks prudently, while pursuing our strategic objectives, including generating industry leading returns for our shareholders.”