Eastern Bankshares, Inc. Reports First Quarter 2025 Financial Results

Completed $1.3 Billion Investment Portfolio Repositioning

Announces 8% Increase to Quarterly Dividend

• Net loss of $217.7 million, or $1.08 per diluted share, included non-operating loss related to investment portfolio repositioning.
• Operating net income of $67.5 million, or $0.34 per diluted share.
• Net interest margin on a fully tax equivalent basis expanded 33 basis points to 3.38%, due to higher asset yields and lower cost of funds.
• Non-performing loans of $91.6 million or 0.51% of total loans, an improvement from $135.8 million or 0.76% at year-end 2024.
• Strong balance sheet with robust capital and reserve levels. Quarter-end CET1 ratio of 14.15%⁽²⁾ and allowance coverage to total loans of 1.25%.
• Repurchased approximately 2.9 million shares for $48.7 million.

Eastern Bankshares, Inc. (the "Company") (NASDAQ:EBC), the holding company of Eastern Bank, today announced its first quarter 2025 financial results.

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

"For over 200 years, Eastern has been committed to building deep relationships with customers and communities," said Bob Rivers, Executive Chair and Chair of the Board of Directors. "This long-standing commitment is more than a testament to stability; it's a competitive advantage that sets us apart in the markets we serve. Our extensive local knowledge and steadfast community support continue to attract new clients and strengthen connections with existing ones. We are greater Boston's leading local bank and remain focused on helping all people prosper in the region."

Denis Sheahan, Chief Executive Officer, added, "Our first quarter performance marked a solid start to the year. Operating income of $67.5 million generated an operating return on average tangible common equity of 11.7%. The results benefited from a 33-basis point expansion in net interest margin to 3.38%, and further improvement in the operating efficiency ratio to 53.7% driven by both higher revenues and lower expenses. In addition, the loan portfolio increased nearly 3% annualized primarily due to higher C&I balances. We are well-positioned to serve customers and continually seek ways to drive growth, including the addition of growth-oriented talent. As we capitalize on synergies from the Cambridge merger, we are particularly pleased with the deepening alignment between our wealth management and banking businesses. Assets under management ended the quarter at $8.4 billion."

"Our successful repositioning of $1.3 billion of securities will enhance income generation and provide greater flexibility in portfolio management," said David Rosato, Chief Financial Officer. "The transaction improved the total portfolio yield and is expected to provide pre-tax earnings accretion of approximately $35 million for 2025. Capital levels remain robust, and we continue to return capital to shareholders as evidenced by $48.7 million worth of shares repurchased during the quarter. Additionally, today we announced an increase to the quarterly dividend for the fifth consecutive year."

NET INTEREST INCOME

Net interest income was $188.9 million for the first quarter, an increase of $9.7 million, primarily driven by net interest margin expansion.

• The net interest margin on a FTE basis expanded 33 basis points to 3.38%, due to higher asset yields and lower funding costs.
• The yield on total interest-earning assets increased 16 basis points from the prior quarter to 4.72%, primarily due to higher investment yields, partially offset by a decline in loan yields.
• Total interest-bearing liabilities cost decreased 28 basis points to 2.05%, due primarily to deposit pricing decreases.
• Net interest income included net discount accretion of $12.2 million in connection with the Cambridge merger, compared to $12.9 million in the prior quarter.

NONINTEREST INCOME

Noninterest loss was $236.1 million, compared to noninterest income of $37.3 million in the prior quarter. The decrease was primarily due to pre-tax non-operating losses on the sale of available-for-sale securities of $269.6 million related to the investment portfolio repositioning in the first quarter.

Operating noninterest income was $34.2 million, a decrease of $2.7 million.

• Investment advisory fees decreased $1.5 million to $16.4 million. The fourth quarter 2024 included a favorable one-time item of $1.2 million.
• Income from investments held in rabbi trust accounts decreased $1.3 million due to equity market performance.
• Customer swap income decreased $0.7 million to $0.5 million.

NONINTEREST EXPENSE

Noninterest expense was $130.1 million, a decrease of $7.4 million. The Company did not incur any merger-related costs in the first quarter, compared to $3.6 million in the prior quarter. Operating noninterest expense was also $130.1 million, a decrease of $3.8 million.

• Technology and data processing expense decreased $3.4 million to $18.0 million.
• Office and occupancy expense decreased $2.1 million to $10.6 million, primarily driven by a $1.9 million reduction in merger-related costs.
• Marketing expenses decreased $1.1 million to $1.7 million.
• Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insurance decreased $0.6 million to $3.3 million.
• Other noninterest expense decreased $1.3 million to $5.9 million.
• Salaries and benefits expense increased $1.0 million to $79.9 million.

Please refer to Appendix E for additional detail on merger charges.

BALANCE SHEET

Total assets were $25.0 billion at March 31, 2025, a decrease of $571.8 million from year-end 2024.

• Loans totaled $18.2 billion, an increase of $125.4 million primarily driven by higher C&I balances, partially offset by payoffs.
• Securities were $4.4 billion, consistent with year-end.
• Cash and equivalents were $0.4 billion, a decrease of $638.1 million primarily due to lower deposit balances.

Deposits totaled $20.8 billion, a decrease of $522.2 million, primarily driven by seasonal outflows and runoff of high-cost certificates of deposit.

Book value per share and tangible book value per share ended the quarter at $16.94 and $12.01, respectively.

Please refer to Appendix D for a roll-forward of tangible shareholders' equity.

ASSET QUALITY

Non-performing loans totaled $91.6 million, or 0.51% of total loans, compared to $135.8 million, or 0.76% of total loans, at year-end 2024.

Total net charge-offs were $11.2 million, or 0.26% of average total loans, compared to $31.7 million, or 0.71% in the prior quarter.

Provision for loan losses totaled $6.6 million compared to $6.8 million in the prior quarter.

The allowance for loan losses was $224.3 million at March 31, 2025, or 1.25% of total loans, compared to $229.0 million, or 1.29% of total loans, at year-end 2024.

DIVIDENDS AND SHARE REPURCHASES

The Company's Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.13 per common share, representing a $0.01, or 8%, increase. The dividend will be payable on June 16, 2025 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on June 3, 2025.

The Company repurchased 2,875,530 shares of common stock during the first quarter at a weighted average price of $16.62, for an aggregate purchase price of $48.7 million.

CONFERENCE CALL AND PRESENTATION INFORMATION

A conference call and webcast covering Eastern's first quarter 2025 earnings will be held on Friday, April 25, 2025 at 9:00 a.m. Eastern Time. To join by telephone, participants can call the toll-free dial-in number (800) 549-8228 from within the U.S. and reference conference ID 70523. The conference call will be simultaneously webcast. Participants may join the webcast on the Company's Investor Relations website at investor.easternbank.com. A presentation providing additional information for the quarter is also available at investor.easternbank.com. A replay of the webcast will be available on this site.

ABOUT EASTERN BANKSHARES, INC.

Eastern Bankshares, Inc. is the holding company for Eastern Bank. Founded in 1818, Eastern Bank is Greater Boston's leading local bank with 109 branch locations serving communities in eastern Massachusetts, southern and coastal New Hampshire, Rhode Island and Connecticut. As of March 31, 2025, Eastern had approximately $25.0 billion in assets. Eastern provides a full range of banking and wealth management solutions for consumers and businesses of all sizes including through its Cambridge Trust Wealth Management division, the largest bank-owned independent investment advisor in Massachusetts with $8.4 billion in assets under management, and takes pride in its outspoken advocacy and community support that includes more than $240 million in charitable giving since 1994. An inclusive company, Eastern is comprised of deeply committed professionals who value relationships with their customers, colleagues and communities. For investor information, visit investor.easternbank.com.

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

*Denotes a non-GAAP financial measure used in the press release.

A non-GAAP financial measure is defined as a numerical measure of the Company's historical or future financial performance, financial position or cash flows that excludes (or includes) amounts, or is subject to adjustments that have the effect of excluding (or including) amounts that are included in the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States ("GAAP") in the Company's statement of income, balance sheet or statement of cash flows (or equivalent statements).

The Company presents non-GAAP financial measures, which management uses to evaluate the Company's performance, and which exclude the effects of certain transactions that management believes are unrelated to its core business and are therefore not necessarily indicative of its current performance or financial position. Management believes excluding these items facilitates greater visibility for investors into the Company's core business as well as underlying trends that may, to some extent, be obscured by inclusion of such items in the corresponding GAAP financial measures.

There are items in the Company's financial statements that impact its financial results, but which management believes are unrelated to the Company's core business. Accordingly, the Company presents noninterest income on an operating basis, total operating revenue, noninterest expense on an operating basis, operating net income, operating earnings per share, operating return on average assets, operating return on average shareholders' equity, operating return on average tangible shareholders' equity (discussed further below), and the operating efficiency ratio. Each of these figures excludes the impact of such applicable items because management believes such exclusion can provide greater visibility into the Company's core business and underlying trends. Such items that management does not consider to be core to the Company's business include (i) gains and losses on sales of securities available for sale, net, (ii) gains and losses on the sale of other assets, (iii) impairment charges on tax credit investments and associated tax credit benefits, (iv) other real estate owned ("OREO") gains, (v) merger and acquisition expenses, including the "day-2" provision for allowance for loan losses for non-PCD acquired loans, (vi) certain discrete tax items. Return on average tangible shareholders' equity, operating return on average tangible shareholders' equity as well as the operating efficiency ratio also further exclude the effect of amortization of intangible assets.

Management also presents tangible assets, tangible shareholders' equity, average tangible shareholders' equity, tangible book value per share, the ratio of tangible shareholders' equity to tangible assets, return on average tangible shareholders' equity, and operating return on average shareholders' equity (discussed further above), each of which excludes the impact of goodwill and other intangible assets and in the case of tangible net income (loss), return on average tangible shareholders' equity and operating return on average tangible shareholders' equity excludes the after-tax impact of amortization of intangible assets, as management believes these financial measures provide investors with the ability to further assess the Company's performance, identify trends in its core business and provide a comparison of its capital adequacy to other companies. The Company includes the tangible ratios because management believes that investors may find it useful to have access to the same analytical tools used by management to assess performance and identify trends.

In the third quarter of 2024, the Company changed its (loss) return on average tangible shareholders' equity and operating return on average tangible shareholders' equity computations to utilize tangible net (loss) income from continuing operations and tangible operating net income, respectively, in the numerators of the computations. Tangible net (loss) income from continuing operations excludes the amortization of intangible assets and the related tax effect and tangible operating net income excludes, in addition to the adjustments to derive operating net income, the amortization of intangible assets and related tax effect. In addition, in the third quarter of 2024, the Company changed the computation of our operating efficiency ratio to exclude, in addition to the adjustments made to operating net income, the amortization of intangible assets. Management believes the changes to such ratios result in a more meaningful measure of our financial performance and such measures are used by management when analyzing corporate performance.

In the first quarter of 2025, the Company changed its computation of operating net income to include income from investments held in rabbi trust and rabbi trust employee benefit expense. Management believes these changes result in a more meaningful measure of the Company's financial performance and allow for better comparability to peer companies.

These non-GAAP financial measures presented in this press release should not be considered an alternative or substitute for financial results or measures determined in accordance with GAAP or as an indication of the Company's cash flows from operating activities, a measure of its liquidity position or an indication of funds available for its cash needs. An item which management considers to be non-core and excludes when computing these non-GAAP measures can be of substantial importance to the Company's results for any particular period. In addition, management's methodology for calculating non-GAAP financial measures may differ from the methodologies employed by other banking companies to calculate the same or similar performance measures, and accordingly, the Company's reported non-GAAP financial measures may not be comparable to the same or similar performance measures reported by other banking companies. Please refer to Appendices A-E for reconciliations of the Company's GAAP financial measures to the non-GAAP financial measures in this press release.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding anticipated future events and can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. You can identify these statements from the use of the words "may," "will," "should," "could," "would," "plan," "potential," "estimate," "project," "believe," "intend," "anticipate," "expect," "target", "outlook" and similar expressions. Forward-looking statements, by their nature, are subject to risks and uncertainties. There are many factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expected results described in the forward-looking statements.

Certain factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expected results include; adverse developments in the level and direction of loan delinquencies and charge-offs and changes in estimates of the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses; increased competitive pressures; changes in interest rates and resulting changes in competitor or customer behavior, mix or costs of sources of funding, and deposit amounts and composition; risks associated with the Company's implementation of the merger, including that revenue or expense synergies may not fully materialize for the Company in the timeframe expected or at all, or may be more costly to achieve; that Eastern's business may not perform as expected in the years following the merger; that Eastern's expansion of services or capabilities resulting from the merger may be more challenging than anticipated; and disruptions arising from transitions in management personnel; adverse national or regional economic conditions or conditions within the securities markets or banking sector; legislative and regulatory changes and related compliance costs that could adversely affect the business in which the Company and its subsidiaries, including Eastern Bank, are engaged, including the effect of, and changes in, monetary and fiscal policies and laws, such as the interest rate policies of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; market and monetary fluctuations, including inflationary or recessionary pressures, interest rate sensitivity, liquidity constraints, increased borrowing and funding costs, and fluctuations due to actual or anticipated changes to federal tax laws; the realizability of deferred tax assets; the Company's ability to successfully implement its risk mitigation strategies; asset and credit quality deterioration, including adverse developments in local or regional real estate markets that decrease collateral values associated with existing loans; operational risks such as cybersecurity incidents, natural disasters, and pandemics and the failure of the Company to execute its planned share repurchases. For further discussion of such factors, please see the Company's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"), which are available on the SEC's website at www.sec.gov.

You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, which reflect the Company's expectations only as of the date of this press release. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update forward-looking statements.

EASTERN BANKSHARES, INC.

SELECTED FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

Certain information in this press release is presented as reviewed by the Company's management and includes information derived from the Company's Consolidated Statements of Income, non-GAAP financial measures, and operational and performance metrics. For information on non-GAAP financial measures, please see the section titled "Non-GAAP Financial Measures."