FUNC

First United Corporation (FUNC) came out with quarterly earnings of $1.13 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $1.05 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.92 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +7.62%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this company would post earnings of $0.92 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.02, delivering a surprise of +10.87%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times. First United, which belongs to the Zacks Banks - Northeast industry, posted revenues of $23.99 million for the quarter ended June 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 1.33%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $21.85 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. First United shares have added about 21.1% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 8.9%. While First United has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for First United was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $1.15 on $24.33 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $4.40 on $95.96 million in revenues for the current fiscal year. Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Banks - Northeast is currently in the top 39% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. OFG Bancorp (OFG), another stock in the same industry, has yet to report results for the quarter ended June 2026. The results are expected to be released on July 21. This financial holding company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $1.18 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +2.6%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days. OFG Bancorp's revenues are expected to be $183.49 million, up 0.6% from the year-ago quarter. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report First United Corporation (FUNC) : Free Stock Analysis Report OFG Bancorp (OFG) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

OAKLAND, Md., July 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- First United Corporation (the "Corporation", "we", "us", and "our") (NASDAQ: FUNC), a bank holding company and the parent company of First United Bank & Trust (the "Bank"), today announced financial results for the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2026. Consolidated net income was $5.7 million on a Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP") basis for the second quarter of 2026, or $0.87 per diluted share, compared to $6.0 million, or $0.92 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2025 and $6.7 million, or $1.03 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2026. Net income for the first six months of 2026 was $12.3 million, or $1.90 per diluted share, compared to $11.8 million, or $1.81 per diluted share, for the same period of 2025. Non-GAAP net income was $7.3 million and $13.9 million for the three- and six-months ended June 30, 2026, respectively. Annualized Return on Average Assets and Return on Average Equity for the six-month period ended June 30, 2026 were 1.20% and 11.92%, respectively. According to Jason Rush, President and CEO, "We delivered solid results this quarter. Earnings benefited from a stronger net interest margin and steady growth in income from our wealth franchise. While we recorded a one-time consulting expense of approximately $2.2 million, we believe the investment in technology and pricing initiatives will position us for improved efficiency in future years to come. Loan growth was steady in the second quarter and our loan pipelines remain robust going into the third quarter. Expense control will continue to be a focus across the organization." Second Quarter Financial Highlights: Net interest margin, on a non-GAAP, fully tax equivalent ("FTE") basis, was 3.98% for the second quarter of 2026, reflecting increased loan yields and reduced funding costs. Strong loan production during the quarter, with $66.0 million in commercial loan originations and $33.9 million in residential mortgage originations. Provision expense was $0.8 million in the second quarter, as a result of continued economic and political uncertainty and modest loan growth, slightly offset by improved qualitative factors. Operating expenses increased by $2.1 million when compared to the linked quarter driven by a one-time, non-GAAP $1.7 million, net of tax, expense related to consulting fees incurred for contract negotiations with our core processor in the second quarter of 2026. A cash dividend of $0.26 per share was declared in the second quarter. Income Statement Overview On a GAAP basis, net income for the second quarter of 2026 was $5.7 million, inclusive of a $1.7 million, net of tax, third party consulting expense incurred for core contract negotiations. This compares to $6.7 million in the first quarter of 2026 and $6.0 million for the second quarter of 2025. Excluding this expense item, net income was $7.3 million on a non-GAAP basis. Second Quarter 2026 Compared to Second Quarter 2025 Consolidated net income decreased by $0.3 million for the second quarter of 2026 when compared to the second quarter of 2025. The decrease was driven by an increase in other expense as a result of a one-time, non-GAAP $1.7 million, net of tax, consulting expense related to the core contract negotiations. This increase was partially offset by a $1.9 million increase in net interest income, an increase of $0.3 million in non-interest income, inclusive of gains, and a $0.1 million decrease in provision for credit losses. Comparing the second quarter of 2026 to the same period of 2025, interest and fees on loans increased by $1.5 million as a result of new loans booked at higher rates and the continued repricing of adjustable-rate loans. Interest expense decreased by $0.6 million when comparing year-over-year quarterly expense as a result of the repayment of a $25.0 million brokered certificate of deposit in January 2026 and $65.0 million in Federal Home Loan Bank ("FHLB") borrowings in March 2026. Other operating income increased by $0.3 million driven by an increase in trust and brokerage income of $0.3 million as a result of increased production and favorable market values on assets under management. Other operating expenses increased by $2.8 million driven by the one-time, non-GAAP item discussed above, a $0.8 million increase in salaries and benefits as a result of filling open positions in late 2025 and 2026, normal merit increases in April 2026 and increased incentive payouts, partially offset by reduced life and health insurance expense due to reduced claims and an increase in the reduction of costs associated with loan originations related to increased loan production. Second Quarter 2026 Compared to First Quarter 2026 Compared to the linked quarter, net income decreased by $1.0 million driven by the increased other expenses as a result of the one-time expense discussed above, partially offset by an increase in net interest income of $0.5 million and a $0.1 million decrease in provision expense. Non-interest income was stable when comparing the second quarter of 2026 to the first quarter of 2026. Year to date 2026 compared to Year to date 2025 Net income for the six months ended June 30, 2026 was $12.3 million on a GAAP basis, inclusive of a $1.7 million, net of tax, consulting fee incurred on core contract negotiations completed in the second quarter, and $13.9 million on a non-GAAP basis compared to GAAP and non-GAAP basis income of $11.8 million for the six months ended June 30, 2025. The year-over-year increase of $0.5 million was attributable to a $3.9 million increase in net interest income an increase in other non-interest income of $0.7 million, inclusive of net gains, as a result of increased trust and brokerage income of $0.5 million, increased bank owned life insurance ("BOLI") income of $0.2 million related to a one-time death benefit received in the first quarter of 2026, partially offset by an increase in other operating expenses of $3.9 million driven by the aforementioned consulting fee, increased salaries and benefits of $1.7 million and an increase in data processing expenses of $0.3 million. Salaries and benefits increased due to increased salaries as a result of new hires and annual merit increases in April 2026 and increased incentive payouts, partially offset by an increase in the reduction of costs associated with loan originations related to increased loan production. Net Interest Income and Net Interest Margin Second Quarter 2026 Compared to Second Quarter 2025 Net interest income, on a non-GAAP, FTE basis, increased by $1.9 million for the second quarter of 2026 when compared to the second quarter of 2025. This increase was driven by an increase of $1.3 million in interest income. Interest income on loans increased by $1.5 million due to the increase of 15 basis points in overall yield on the loan portfolio as new loans were booked at higher rates during 2025 and 2026 as well as the upward repricing of adjustable-rate loans. Investment income remained stable as management continued to reinvest cashflows back into the portfolio resulting in an increase in yield of 12 basis points. Interest income on federal funds sold decreased by $0.3 million due to a decrease of $22.2 million in average cash balances held at the Federal Reserve Bank as a result of loan growth in the second quarter of 2026. Interest expense decreased by $0.6 million in the second quarter of 2026 when compared to the second quarter of 2025. Interest on deposits increased slightly by $0.2 million despite an $84.4 million increase in average deposit balances, primarily in interest bearing demand and money market deposits. Long-term borrowing interest expense decreased $0.8 million due to a decrease of average balances of $90.0 million for the second quarter of 2026 when compared to the same period of 2025 primarily related to the repayment of $65.0 million and $25.0 million of FHLB advances at their maturities in March of 2026 and September of 2025, respectively. Second Quarter 2026 Compared to First Quarter 2026 Comparing the second quarter of 2026 to the first quarter of 2026, net interest income, on a non-GAAP, FTE basis, increased by $0.5 million. Interest income increased by $0.5 million driven by an increase in average loan balances of $66.1 million in the second quarter of 2026. Interest expense was stable when comparing the second quarter of 2026 to the first quarter of 2026. Long-term borrowing expense decreased by $0.5 million due to the repayment of $65.0 million in maturing FHLB advances in March of 2026. Management's strategic focus on margin management during the second quarter of 2026 resulted in a 15 basis point increase in the net interest margin to 3.98% compared to 3.83% for the first quarter of 2026. Year to date 2026 compared to Year to date 2025 Comparing the six months ended June 30, 2026 to the six months ended June 30, 2025, net interest income, on a non-GAAP, FTE basis, increased by $4.0 million. Interest income increased by $3.0 million, primarily driven by an increase of $2.3 million on interest and fees on loans as average loan balances increased by $39.9 million and an increase in yield by 14 basis points. Interest expense on deposits increased slightly by $0.2 million despite an increase in average deposit balances of $89.7 million driven by increases of $26.5 million in demand deposit accounts, $86.2 million in retail money market balances, partially offset by decreases in savings balances of $10.8 million and $15.0 million in brokered time deposits. Interest expense on short-term borrowings remained stable and interest expense on long-term borrowings decreased by $1.2 million as a result of a decrease in average balances of $62.0 million, primarily due to the repayment of $65.0 million of FHLB advances at their maturities in March 2026. The net interest margin for the six months ended June 30, 2026 was 3.89% compared to 3.61% for the six months ended June 30, 2025. Non-Interest Income Second Quarter 2026 Compared to Second Quarter 2025 Other operating income increased by $0.4 million driven by an increase in trust and brokerage income of $0.3 million as a result of increased production of new accounts as well as favorable market values in assets under management. Net gains decreased by $0.1 million as new residential mortgage production was booked in house as compared to selling to secondary market outlets. Second Quarter 2026 Compared to First Quarter 2026 On a linked quarter basis, other operating income, including net gains, remained flat. Net gains decreased by $0.1 million related to the gain on the sale of a branch office recognized in the first quarter of 2026. BOLI income decreased by $0.2 million and was attributable to the receipt of a one-time death benefit received in the first quarter of 2026. These decreases were offset by an increase in debit card income of $0.1 million due to normal fluctuations and an increase in trust and brokerage income of $0.1 million. Year to date 2026 compared to Year to date 2025 Comparing the six months ended June 30, 2026 to the same period of 2025, other operating income, inclusive of net gains, increased by $0.7 million, driven by an increase in trust and brokerage income of $0.5 million as a result of increased production of new business as well as favorable market values in assets under management, as well as an increase in BOLI income of $0.2 million as previously mentioned. Non-Interest Expense Second Quarter 2026 Compared to Second Quarter 2025 Other operating expenses increased by $2.8 million driven by a $0.8 million increase in salaries and benefits as a result of filling open positions throughout 2025, normal merit increases in April 2026 and increased incentive payouts, partially offset by reduced life and health insurance expense due to reduced claims and increased reductions in costs associated with loan originations. Professional services expenses increased by $2.1 million due to the $1.7 million, net of tax, third party consulting fee discussed above. These increases were partially offset by reductions in check fraud-related expenses and OREO expenses. Second Quarter 2026 Compared to First Quarter 2026 Other operating expenses increased by $2.1 million driven by the one-time, non-GAAP $1.7 million, net of tax, consulting fee incurred with core contract negotiations. All other expenses were stable when comparing the second quarter of 2026 to the first quarter of 2026 as we continue a strategic focus on expense control. Year to date 2026 compared to Year to date 2025 Comparing the six months ended June 30, 2026 to the same period of 2025, other operating expenses increased by $3.9 million driven by the one-time, non-GAAP expense previously discussed, a $1.7 million increase in salaries and benefits as a result of new hires late in 2025 and early 2026, normal merit increases in April 2026 and increased incentive payouts, partially offset by reduced life and health insurance expense due to reduced claims and increased reductions in costs associated with loan originations and a $0.3 million increase in equipment, occupancy and data processing expenses as a result of new software implementation. These increases were partially offset by reductions in OREO expenses and other miscellaneous expenses such as check fraud expenses, employee benefits expenses and miscellaneous expense related to share repurchase tax recorded in the second quarter of 2025. The effective income tax rates, as a percentage of income, for the six-month periods ended June 30, 2026 and 2025 were 24.1% and 24.7%, respectively. Balance Sheet Overview Total assets at June 30, 2026 were $2.1 billion, representing a $5.4 million decrease since December 31, 2025. During the six months of 2026, cash and interest-bearing deposits in other banks decreased by $46.4 million. The investment portfolio decreased by $0.2 million. The decreases were partially offset by increases in gross loans of $50.4 million as well as an increase in pension assets of $3.2 million due to increased market values. Total liabilities at June 30, 2026 were $1.9 billion, representing a $14.1 million decrease since December 31, 2025. Total deposits increased by $0.4 million when compared to December 31, 2025. In January 2026, a $25.0 million brokered certificate of deposit with an interest rate of 4.23% matured and was repaid. Savings and money market accounts increased by $27.6 million due primarily to the expansion of current and new relationships throughout the first six months of 2026. Non-interest-bearing demand deposits decreased by $11.6 million and interest-bearing demand deposits increased by $13.3 million. Retail time deposits decreased by $3.9 million since December 31, 2025. Short-term borrowings increased by $50.0 million at June 30, 2026 compared to December 31, 2025 as a result of overnight borrowings in anticipation of loan funding. These borrowings were subsequently fully repaid in July. Outstanding loans of $1.6 billion at June 30, 2026 reflected a $50.4 million increase since December 31, 2025. Since December 31, 2025, commercial real estate loans increased by $55.0 million as a result of new business relationships as well as additional growth in existing relationships; acquisition and development loans increased by $11.9 million; commercial and industrial loans decreased by $35.0 million as a result of payoffs related to approximately $15.0 million due to competitive pricing, approximately $5.3 million related to sales of businesses, approximately $8.0 million as a result of a refinance to another institution, and the payoff of a floorplan line of credit. Residential mortgage loans increased by $10.2 million as a result of robust mortgage production booked in house as opposed to the selling to the secondary market outlets, offset slightly by normal amortization; and consumer loans increased by $8.3 million related to the purchase of a consumer loan pool in the second quarter of 2026. New commercial loan production for the second quarter of 2026 was approximately $66.0 million. The pipeline of commercial loans as of June 30, 2026 was robust, and unfunded committed commercial construction loans totaled approximately $42.0 million. Commercial amortization and payoffs were approximately $71.6 million through June 30, 2026, due primarily to pay-offs of short-term commercial loans as well as normal amortizations of the commercial loan portfolio. New consumer mortgage loan production for the second quarter of 2026 was approximately $33.9 million, with most of this production comprised of in-house mortgages. The pipeline of in-house, portfolio loans as of June 30, 2026 was $20.0 million. Unfunded commitments related to residential construction loans totaled $20.7 million at June 30, 2026. Total deposits of $1.7 billion at June 30, 2026 remained flat when compared to December 31, 2025. In January 2026, a $25.0 million brokered certificate of deposit, with an interest rate of 4.23%, was repaid at its maturity. Savings and money market accounts increased by $27.6 million due primarily to the expansion of current and new relationships throughout the first six months of 2026. Non-interest-bearing demand deposits decreased by $11.6 million, offset by an increase in interest-bearing demand deposits of $13.3 million, primarily related to municipality accounts. Retail time deposits decreased by $3.9 million since December 31, 2025. The book value of the Corporation's common stock was $32.91 per share at June 30, 2026 compared to $31.33 per share at December 31, 2025. At June 30, 2026, there were 6,453,836 basic outstanding shares and 6,462,604 diluted outstanding shares of common stock. The increase in the book value at June 30, 2026 was due to the undistributed net income of $9.0 million for the first six months of 2026. Asset Quality The allowance for credit losses ("ACL") was $20.6 million at June 30, 2026 compared to $19.0 million at June 30, 2025 and $19.5 million at December 31, 2025. The provision for credit losses was $0.8 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 compared to $0.9 million for both the quarters ended March 31, 2026 and June 30, 2025. Provision for credit losses was $1.7 million and $1.5 million for the first six months of 2026 and 2025, respectively. Asset quality remained strong during the first six months of 2026. Net charge-offs of $0.1 million were recorded for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 compared to net charge-offs of $0.2 million for both the quarter ended June 30, 2025 and the quarter ended March 31, 2026. The ratio of the ACL to loans outstanding was 1.31% at June 30, 2026 compared to 1.28% at December 31, 2025 and 1.27% at June 30, 2025. The ratio of net charge offs to average loans was 0.04% and 0.07% for the six-month periods ended June 30, 2026 and 2025, respectively. The commercial and industrial portfolio had net charge offs of (0.10%) and (0.25%) for the six-month periods ended June 30, 2026 and 2025, respectively. Net charge offs in consumer loans decreased in the first six months of 2026 when compared to the first six months of 2025 from (0.96%) to (0.86%). The decrease was primarily driven by charge-offs in unsecured consumer loans in 2025. Details of the ratios, by loan type, are shown below. Our special assets team continues to actively collect on charged-off loans, resulting in overall low net charge-off ratios. Non-accrual loans totaled $4.5 million at June 30, 2026 compared to $4.2 million at December 31, 2025. The slight increase in non-accrual balances at June 30, 2026 was related to one commercial loan moving to non-accrual status in the first quarter. Non-accrual loans that have been subject to partial charge-offs totaled $0.1 million at June 30, 2026 and $0.2 million at December 31, 2025. Loans secured by 1-4 family residential real estate properties in the process of foreclosure totaled $1.2 million at June 30, 2026 and $0.5 million at December 31, 2025. The increase was due to one mortgage loan of approximately $1.1 million that moved in the second quarter. As a percentage of the loan portfolio, accruing loans past due 30 days or more increased to 0.50% at June 30, 2026 compared to 0.32% at December 31, 2025 and 0.27% as of June 30, 2025. This increase was attributable to one large commercial loan. ABOUT FIRST UNITED CORPORATION First United Corporation is a Maryland corporation chartered in 1985 and a financial holding company registered with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended, that elected financial holding company status in 2021. The Corporation's primary business is serving as the parent company of the Bank, First United Statutory Trust I ("Trust I") and First United Statutory Trust II ("Trust II" and together with Trust I, "the Trusts"), both Connecticut statutory business trusts. The Trusts were formed for the purpose of selling trust-preferred securities that qualified as Tier 1 capital. The Bank has two consumer finance company subsidiaries- Oak First Loan Center, Inc., a West Virginia corporation, and OakFirst Loan Center, LLC, a Maryland limited liability company – and one subsidiary that it uses to hold real estate acquired through foreclosure or by deed in lieu of foreclosure – First OREO Trust, a Maryland statutory trust. In addition, the Bank owns 99.9% of the limited partnership interests in Liberty Mews Limited Partnership, a Maryland limited partnership formed for the purpose of acquiring, developing and operating low-income housing units in Garrett County, Maryland, and a 99.9% non-voting membership interest in MCC FUBT Fund, LLC, an Ohio limited liability company formed for the purpose of acquiring, developing and operating low-income housing units in Allegany County, Maryland and Mineral County, West Virginia. The Corporation's website is www.mybank.com FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements do not represent historical facts, but are statements about management's beliefs, plans and objectives about the future, as well as its assumptions and judgments concerning such beliefs, plans and objectives. These statements are evidenced by terms such as "anticipate," "estimate," "should," "expect," "believe," "intend," and similar expressions. Although these statements reflect management's good faith beliefs and projections, they are not guarantees of future performance and they may not prove true. The beliefs, plans and objectives on which forward-looking statements are based involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those addressed in the forward-looking statements. For a discussion of these risks and uncertainties, see the section of the periodic reports that First United Corporation files with the Securities and Exchange Commission entitled "Risk Factors". In addition, investors should understand that the Corporation is required under generally accepted accounting principles to evaluate subsequent events through the filing of the consolidated financial statements included in its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended June 30, 2026 and the impact that any such events have on our critical accounting assumptions and estimates made as of June 30, 2026, which could require us to make adjustments to the amounts reflected in this press release. $ 1.02 $ 1.10$ 1.07$ 0.92$ 0.89Dividends declared per share$ 0.26$ 0.26$ 0.26$ 0.26$ 0.22$ 0.22Book value$ 32.91$ 31.84$ 31.33$ 30.65$ 29.43$ 28.35Diluted book value$ 32.86$ 31.78$ 31.27$ 30.59$ 29.38$ 28.27Tangible book value per share$ 31.16$ 30.08$ 29.56$ 28.87$ 27.64$ 26.55Diluted Tangible book value per share$ 31.12$ 30.02$ 29.50$ 28.82$ 27.59$ 26.47Closing market value$ 44.11$ 36.64$ 37.19$ 36.77$ 31.01$ 30.02Market Range: High$ 45.98$ 40.53$ 40.79$ 38.41$ 32.09$ 41.61 Low$ 36.27$ 35.02$ 33.63$ 32.02$ 25.90$ 29.38Shares outstanding at period end: Basic 6,453,8366,446,7176,499,4766,496,9086,494,6116,478,634Shares outstanding at period end: Diluted6,462,6046,459,1556,511,3586,508,7906,506,4936,497,454Performance ratios: (Year to Date Period End, annualized)Return on average assets1.20 %1.29 %1.21 %1.24 %1.20 %1.19 %Adjusted return on average assets (1)1.36 %1.28 %1.28 %1.24 %1.20 %1.19 %Return on average shareholders' equity11.92 %13.06 %12.70 %13.23 %12.78 %12.83 %Adjusted return on average shareholders' equity (1)13.49 %12.99 %13.39 %13.23 %12.78 %12.83 %Net interest margin (Non-GAAP), includes tax exempt income of $138 and $1033.89 %3.83 %3.67 %3.64 %3.61 %3.56 %Net interest margin GAAP3.87 %3.82 %3.66 %3.63 %3.60 %3.55 %Efficiency ratio - non-GAAP (2)57.49 %58.45 %58.19 %58.73 %59.66 %59.95 %(1) See reconciliation of this non-GAAP financial measure provided elsewhere herein.(2) Efficiency ratio is a non-GAAP measure calculated by dividing total operating expenses by the sum of tax equivalent net interest income and other operating income, less gains/(losses) on sales of securities and/or fixed assets and costs incurred on core contractrenewal.June 30,March 31,December 31,September 30,June 30,March 31,202620262025202520252025Financial Condition at period end:Assets$ 2,082,092$ 2,039,010$ 2,087,453$ 2,023,974$ 2,007,471$ 1,979,753Earning assets$ 1,854,045$ 1,810,557$ 1,807,780$ 1,784,056$ 1,789,747$ 1,762,891Gross loans$ 1,572,131$ 1,525,466$ 1,521,704$ 1,496,762$ 1,502,481$ 1,479,869Commercial Real Estate$ 625,821$ 609,491$ 570,808$ 554,418$ 550,717$ 532,764Acquisition and Development$ 102,211$ 97,785$ 90,272$ 93,968$ 98,937$ 94,063Commercial and Industrial$ 242,013$ 246,192$ 277,034$ 279,079$ 281,484$ 282,370Residential Mortgage$ 547,118$ 526,314$ 536,912$ 521,317$ 521,968$ 520,072Consumer$ 54,968$ 45,684$ 46,678$ 47,980$ 49,375$ 50,600Investment securities$ 279,300$ 282,711$ 279,534$ 278,898$ 279,541$ 275,143Total deposits$ 1,735,513$ 1,750,703$ 1,735,149$ 1,678,902$ 1,614,207$ 1,623,574Noninterest bearing$ 441,365$ 451,303$ 453,036$ 429,986$ 425,784$ 422,415Interest bearing$ 1,294,148$ 1,299,400$ 1,282,113$ 1,248,916$ 1,188,423$ 1,201,159Shareholders' equity$ 212,374$ 205,262$ 203,634$ 199,099$ 191,147$ 183,694Capital ratios:Tier 1 to risk weighted assets15.26 %15.82 %15.36 %15.59 %15.22 %14.87 %Common Equity Tier 1 to risk weighted assets13.48 %13.94 %13.52 %13.68 %13.32 %12.97 %Tier 1 Leverage12.70 %12.23 %12.21 %12.10 %12.08 %11.94 %Total risk based capital16.51 %17.07 %16.61 %16.84 %16.47 %16.10 %Asset quality:Net (charge-offs)/recoveries for the quarter$ (96)$ (198)$ (99)$ (435)$ (151)$ (360)Nonperforming assets: (Period End)Nonaccrual loans$ 4,514$ 4,695$ 4,192$ 3,825$ 3,813$ 4,026Loans 90 days past due and accruing39166477801535233Total nonperforming loans and 90 day past due$ 4,905$ 4,761$ 4,669$ 4,626$ 4,348$ 4,259Other real estate owned$ -$ 1,083$ 1,083$ 2,718$ 3,035$ 3,062Other repossessed assets$ 2,780$ 2,692$ 2,802$ 3,043$ 2,802$ 2,802Modified/restructured loans$ 1,199$ 1,955$ 1,209$ 998$ 1,198$ 1,021Allowance for credit losses to gross loans1.31 %1.31 %1.28 %1.28 %1.27 %1.25 %Allowance for credit losses to non-accrual loans456.16 %424.94 %464.46 %499.06 %499.45 %458.69 %Allowance for credit losses to non-performing assets267.94 %233.73 %227.61 %183.78 %186.98 %182.43 %Non-performing and 90 day past due loans to total loans0.31 %0.31 %0.31 %0.31 %0.29 %0.29 %Non-performing loans and 90 day past due loans to total assets0.24 %0.23 %0.22 %0.23 %0.22 %0.22 %Non-accrual loans to total loans0.29 %0.31 %0.28 %0.26 %0.25 %0.27 %Non-performing assets to total assets0.37 %0.42 %0.41 %0.51 %0.51 %0.51 % View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/first-united-corporation-announces-second-quarter-2026-financial-results-302829966.html

OAKLAND, Md., April 20, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- First United Corporation (the "Corporation, "we", "us", and "our") (NASDAQ: FUNC), a bank holding company and the parent company of First United Bank & Trust (the "Bank"), today announced financial results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2026. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP") net income was $6.7 million for the first quarter of 2026, or $1.03 per diluted share, compared to $5.8 million, or $0.89 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2025 and $5.8 million, or $0.89 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2025. Non-GAAP net income was $6.6 million, or $1.02 per diluted share, for the first quarter of 2026 compared to $5.8 million, or $0.89 per diluted share for the first quarter of 2025 and $7.2 million, or $1.10 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2025. Return on Average Assets and Return on Average Equity for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, were 1.29% and 13.06%, respectively. According to Jason Rush, President and CEO, "We delivered strong earnings this quarter, driven by continued margin expansion. While overall growth was again tempered by elevated loan payoffs and paydowns, we maintained solid credit performance and believe our balance sheet is well-positioned. Our focus on operational efficiency and prudent risk management continues to yield results, positioning us well as we enter 2026 with positive momentum." First Quarter Financial Highlights: Net interest margin, on a non-GAAP, fully tax equivalent ("FTE") basis, was 3.83% for the first quarter of 2026, reflecting increased loan yields and reduced funding costs. Strong loan production during the quarter, with $98.0 million in commercial loan originations and $16.0 million in residential mortgage originations. Provision expense was $0.9 million in the first quarter, as a result of continued economic and political uncertainty and increased off-balance sheet loan commitments, slightly offset by improved qualitative factors. Deposits increased by $15.5 million, inclusive of the repayment of a $25.0 million brokered certificate of deposit. Operating income, including net gains, increased slightly by $0.1 million when compared to the linked quarter. Operating expenses decreased by $1.2 million when compared to the linked quarter related to a $1.2 million, net of tax, write-down on an other real estate owned ("OREO") property in the fourth quarter 2025. A cash dividend of $0.26 per common share was declared in the first quarter. Income Statement Overview On a GAAP basis, net income for the first quarter of 2026 was $6.7 million. This compares to $5.8 million in the first and fourth quarters of 2025. First Quarter 2026 Compared to First Quarter 2025 The $0.9 million increase in quarterly net income when compared to the first quarter of 2025 was primarily driven by a $2.1 million increase in net interest income, an increase of $0.4 million in non-interest income, inclusive of gains, partially offset by a $0.2 million increase in provision for credit losses as a result of increased off-balance sheet loan commitments, an increase in non-interest expense of $1.1 million, and an increase in income tax expense of $0.3 million. Comparing the first quarter of 2026 to the same period of 2025, interest and fees on loans increased by $0.7 million resulting from new loans booked at higher rates late in 2025 and the repricing of adjustable-rate loans. Interest expense decreased by $0.4 million when comparing year-over-year quarterly expense, resulting from the repayment of a $25.0 million brokered certificate of deposit in January 2026 and $65.0 million in Federal Home Loan Bank ("FHLB") borrowings in March 2026. Other operating income increased by $0.4 million, driven by an increase in trust and brokerage income of $0.2 million resulting from increased production and a $0.2 million increase in bank owned life insurance ("BOLI") related to a one-time death benefit received in the first quarter of 2026. Other operating expenses increased by $1.1 million driven by a $0.9 million increase in salaries and benefits as a result of filling open positions throughout 2025, normal merit increases in April 2025 and increased incentive payouts, partially offset by reduced life and health insurance expense due to reduced claims and an increase in the reduction of costs associated with loan originations related to increased loan production. Professional services expenses increased by $0.1 million and data processing expenses increased by $0.2 million. These increases were partially offset by reductions in other expenses such as miscellaneous loan fees and net periodic pension expenses. First Quarter 2026 Compared to Fourth Quarter 2025 Compared to the linked quarter, net income increased by $0.9 million primarily due to reduced non-interest expenses, partially offset by a $0.2 million increase in provision expense. Net interest income and non-interest income were stable when comparing the first quarter of 2026 to the fourth quarter of 2025. Other operating expenses decreased by $1.2 million primarily driven by the $1.2 million, net of tax, write-down on an OREO property in the fourth quarter of 2025. This decrease was partially offset by a $1.1 million increase in salaries and benefit expenses driven by increased salaries of $0.2 million related to new hires in 2026, an increase of $0.4 million in incentive expense as a result of the reversal of incentives in the fourth quarter of 2025 related to slower loan growth than budgeted, an increase of $0.3 million as a result of maximum payouts in executive incentive plans, and an increase in taxes of $0.2 million associated with these increases. Net Interest Income and Net Interest Margin First Quarter 2026 Compared to First Quarter 2025 Net interest income, on a non-GAAP, FTE basis, increased by $2.1 million for the first quarter of 2026 when compared to the first quarter of 2025. This increase was driven by an increase of $1.7 million in interest income. Interest income on loans increased by $0.7 million due to the increase of 21 basis points in overall yield on the loan portfolio as new loans were booked at higher rates during 2025 as well as the upward repricing of adjustable-rate loans. Investment income increased slightly by $0.1 million as management continues to reinvest cashflows back into the portfolio resulting in an increase in yield of 14 basis points. Interest income on federal funds sold increased by $0.8 million due to an increase of $87.2 million in average cash balances held at the Federal Reserve Bank as a result of strong deposit growth in 2025. Interest expense, in the first quarter of 2026, decreased by $0.4 million when compared to the first quarter of 2025. Interest on deposits remained stable despite a $95.9 million increase in average deposit balances, primarily in interest bearing demand and money market deposits. Long-term borrowing expense decreased by $0.3 million for the first quarter of 2026 when compared to the same period of 2025 due to the repayment of $65.0 million of FHLB advances at their maturity in March of 2026. First Quarter 2026 Compared to Fourth Quarter 2025 Comparing the first quarter of 2026 to the fourth quarter of 2025, net interest income, on a non-GAAP, FTE basis, remained stable. Interest income decreased by $0.4 million driven by a decrease in average loan balances of $26.4 million in the first quarter of 2026 as a result of elevated loan payoffs during the first quarter of 2026. The decrease in interest income was partially offset by a decrease in interest expense of $0.5 million. Interest on deposits decreased by $0.4 million, driven by a decline in rate paid of 13 basis points despite an increase in average deposit balances of $28.4 million. Long-term borrowing expense decreased by $0.1 million due to the repayment of $65.0 million in March 2026. Management's strategic focus on margin management during the first quarter of 2026 resulted in an 8 basis point increase in the net interest margin to 3.83% as compared to 3.75% for the fourth quarter of 2025. Non-Interest Income First Quarter 2026 Compared to First Quarter 2025 Other operating income increased by $0.4 million, driven by an increase in trust and brokerage income of $0.2 million, resulting from increased production as well as favorable increases in market values in assets under management, and a $0.2 million increase in BOLI related to a one-time death benefit received in the first quarter of 2026. First Quarter 2026 Compared to Fourth Quarter 2025 On a linked quarter basis, other operating income, including net gains, increased slightly by $0.1 million. Net gains increased by $0.2 million related to the loss on the sale of a branch office recognized in the fourth quarter of 2025. BOLI income increased by $0.2 million attributable to the receipt of a one-time death benefit as discussed above. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in debit card income of $0.2 million due to an annual incentive payment received in the fourth quarter of 2025. Non-Interest Expense First Quarter 2026 Compared to First Quarter 2025 Other operating expenses increased by $1.1 million driven by a $0.9 million increase in salaries and benefits as a result of filling open positions throughout 2025, normal merit increases in April 2025 and increased incentive payouts, partially offset by reduced life and health insurance expense because of reduced claims and increased reductions in costs associated with loan originations. Professional services expenses increased by $0.1 million and data processing expenses increased by $0.2 million. These increases were partially offset by reductions in miscellaneous loan fees and net periodic pension expenses. First Quarter 2026 Compared to Fourth Quarter 2025 Other operating expenses decreased by $1.2 million driven by the $1.2 million, net of tax, write-down on an OREO property and a $0.2 million, net of tax, contracted sale of a retail branch office in the fourth quarter of 2025. These decreases were partially offset by a $1.1 million increase in salaries and benefit expenses driven by increased salaries of $0.2 million related to new hires in 2026, an increase of $0.4 million in incentive expense related to the reversal of incentives in the fourth quarter of 2025 as a result of slower loan growth than budgeted,, an increase of $0.3 million related to maximum payouts on executive incentive plans, and an increase in payroll taxes of $0.2 million associated with the aforementioned salary increases. The effective income tax rates, as a percentage of income, for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2026 and 2025 were both 24.6%. Balance Sheet Overview Total assets at March 31, 2026 were $2.0 billion, representing a $48.4 million decrease since December 31, 2025. During the first quarter of 2026, cash and interest-bearing deposits in other banks decreased by $41.8 million. The investment portfolio increased by $3.2 million as cashflows of the bonds were reinvested in the first quarter of 2026 in an effort to gain yield before long-term rates decline. Gross loans increased slightly by $3.8 million. While loan production was strong during the quarter, amortization and unusually high payoffs exceeded growth levels. Pension assets decreased by $0.8 million due to decreased market values. Total liabilities at March 31, 2026 were $1.8 billion, representing a $50.1 million decrease since December 31, 2025. Total deposits increased by $15.5 million when compared to December 31, 2025. In January 2026, a $25.0 million brokered certificate of deposit with an interest rate of 4.23% matured and was repaid. Savings and money market accounts increased by $44.4 million due primarily to the expansion of current and new relationships throughout the first three months of 2026. Non-interest-bearing demand deposits decreased by $1.7 million and interest-bearing demand deposits decreased by $1.4 million due primarily to seasonal fluctuations in municipal and commercial account balances and increased spending by businesses and consumers. Retail time deposits decreased by $0.8 million since December 31, 2025. Outstanding loans of $1.5 billion at March 31, 2026 reflected a $3.8 million increase since December 31, 2025. Since December 31, 2025, commercial real estate loans increased by $38.7 million as a result of new customer relationships, acquisition and development loans increased by $7.5 million, commercial and industrial loans decreased by $30.8 million as a result of payoffs related to approximately $15.0 million due to competitive pricing, approximately $5.3 million related to sales of businesses, and approximately $8.0 million as a result of a refinance to another institution, residential mortgage loans decreased by $10.6 million as a result of normal amortization, and consumer loans decreased by $1.0 million. New commercial loan production for the three months ended March 31, 2026 was approximately $98.0 million. The pipeline of commercial loans as of March 31, 2026 was robust, and unfunded committed commercial construction loans totaled approximately $43.0 million. Commercial amortization and payoffs were approximately $43.0 million through March 31, 2026, due primarily to pay-offs of short-term commercial loans as well as normal amortizations of the commercial loan portfolio. New consumer mortgage loan production for the first quarter of 2026 was approximately $16.0 million, with most of this production comprised of in-house mortgages. The pipeline of in-house, portfolio loans as of March 31, 2026 was $17.5 million. Unfunded commitments related to residential construction loans totaled $14.4 million at March 31, 2026. Total deposits at March 31, 2026 increased by $15.5 million when compared to December 31, 2025. In January 2026, a $25.0 million brokered certificate of deposit, with an interest rate of 4.23%, was repaid at its maturity. Savings and money market accounts increased by $44.4 million due primarily to the expansion of current and new relationships throughout the first three months of 2026. Non-interest-bearing demand deposits decreased by $1.7 million and interest-bearing demand deposits decreased by $1.4 million due primarily to seasonal fluctuations in municipal and commercial account balances and increased spending by businesses and consumers. Retail time deposits decreased by $0.8 million since December 31, 2025. The book value of the Corporation's common stock was $31.84 per share at March 31, 2026 compared to $31.33 per share at December 31, 2025. At March 31, 2026, there were 6,446,717 basic outstanding shares and 6,459,155 diluted outstanding shares of common stock. The increase in the book value at March 31, 2026 was due to the undistributed net income of $5.0 million for the first quarter of 2026. Asset Quality The allowance for credit losses ("ACL") was $20.0 million at March 31, 2026 compared to $18.5 million recorded at March 31, 2025 and $19.5 million at December 31, 2025. The provision for credit losses was $0.9 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 compared to $0.7 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2025 and the fourth quarter of 2025. Asset quality remained strong during the first quarter of 2026. Net charge-offs of $0.2 million were recorded for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 compared to net charge-offs of $0.4 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. The ratio of the ACL to loans outstanding was 1.31% at March 31, 2026 compared to 1.28% at December 31, 2025 and 1.25% at March 31, 2025. The ratio of net charge offs to average loans was 0.05% for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 and 0.10% for the quarter ended March 31, 2025. The commercial and industrial portfolio had net charge offs of 0.11% and 0.50% for the quarters ended March 31, 2026 and 2025, respectively. Net charge offs in consumer loans increased in the first quarter of 2026 when compared to the first quarter of 2025, from 0.65% to 1.23% . The increase was primarily driven by an increase in charge-offs in unsecured consumer loans. Details of the ratios, by loan type, are shown below. Our special assets team continues to actively collect on charged-off loans, resulting in overall low net charge-off ratios. Non-accrual loans totaled $4.7 million at March 31, 2026 compared to $4.2 million at December 31, 2025. The increase in non-accrual balances at March 31, 2026 was related to one commercial loan moving to non-accrual status in the first quarter. Non-accrual loans that have been subject to partial charge-offs totaled $0.1 million at March 31, 2026 and $0.2 million at December 31, 2025. There were no loans secured by 1-4 family residential real estate properties in the process of foreclosure at March 31, 2026. Loans secured by 1-4 family residential real estate properties in the process of foreclosure totaled $0.5 million at December 31, 2025. As a percentage of the loan portfolio, accruing loans past due 30 days or more increased slightly to 0.35% at March 31, 2026 compared to 0.32% at December 31, 2025 and 0.42% as of March 31, 2025. ABOUT FIRST UNITED CORPORATION First United Corporation is a Maryland corporation chartered in 1985 and a financial holding company registered with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended, that elected financial holding company status in 2021. The Corporation's primary business is serving as the parent company of the Bank, First United Statutory Trust I ("Trust I") and First United Statutory Trust II ("Trust II" and together with Trust I, "the Trusts"), both Connecticut statutory business trusts. The Trusts were formed for the purpose of selling trust preferred securities that qualified as Tier 1 capital. The Bank has two consumer finance company subsidiaries- Oak First Loan Center, Inc., a West Virginia corporation, and OakFirst Loan Center, LLC, a Maryland limited liability company – and one subsidiary that it uses to hold real estate acquired through foreclosure or by deed in lieu of foreclosure – First OREO Trust, a Maryland statutory trust. In addition, the Bank owns 99.9% of the limited partnership interests in Liberty Mews Limited Partnership, a Maryland limited partnership formed for the purpose of acquiring, developing and operating low-income housing units in Garrett County, Maryland, and a 99.9% non-voting membership interest in MCC FUBT Fund, LLC, an Ohio limited liability company formed for the purpose of acquiring, developing and operating low-income housing units in Allegany County, Maryland and Mineral County, West Virginia. The Corporation's website is www.mybank.com FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements do not represent historical facts, but are statements about management's beliefs, plans and objectives about the future, as well as its assumptions and judgments concerning such beliefs, plans and objectives. These statements are evidenced by terms such as "anticipate," "estimate," "should," "expect," "believe," "intend," and similar expressions. Although these statements reflect management's good faith beliefs and projections, they are not guarantees of future performance and they may not prove true. The beliefs, plans and objectives on which forward-looking statements are based involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those addressed in the forward-looking statements. For a discussion of these risks and uncertainties, see the section of the periodic reports that First United Corporation files with the Securities and Exchange Commission entitled "Risk Factors". In addition, investors should understand that the Corporation is required under generally accepted accounting principles to evaluate subsequent events through the filing of the consolidated financial statements included in its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended March 31, 2026 and the impact that any such events have on our critical accounting assumptions and estimates made as of March 31, 2026, which could require us to make adjustments to the amounts reflected in this press release. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/first-united-corporation-announces-first-quarter-2026-financial-results-302747749.html

First United Corporation (FUNC) came out with quarterly earnings of $1.02 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.92 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.89 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +10.87%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this company would post earnings of $0.96 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.1, delivering a surprise of +14.58%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times. First United, which belongs to the Zacks Banks - Northeast industry, posted revenues of $23.34 million for the quarter ended March 2026, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.23%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $20.89 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. First United shares have added about 0.5% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 4.1%. While First United has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for First United was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $1.00 on $23.4 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $4.25 on $95.25 million in revenues for the current fiscal year. Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Banks - Northeast is currently in the bottom 41% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. Eastern Bankshares, Inc. (EBC), another stock in the same industry, has yet to report results for the quarter ended March 2026. The results are expected to be released on April 23. This company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.44 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +29.4%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has been revised 0.4% higher over the last 30 days to the current level. Eastern Bankshares, Inc.'s revenues are expected to be $299.63 million, up 34.7% from the year-ago quarter. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report First United Corporation (FUNC) : Free Stock Analysis Report Eastern Bankshares, Inc. (EBC) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

OAKLAND, Md., Feb. 4, 2026 /PRNewswire/ -- First United Corporation (the "Corporation", "we", "us", and "our") (NASDAQ: FUNC), a bank holding company and the parent company of First United Bank & Trust (the "Bank"), today announced financial results for the three- and twelve-month periods ended December 31, 2025. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP") net income was $24.5 million for the year, or $3.77 per diluted share compared to $20.6 million, or $3.15 per diluted share for the same period of 2024. GAAP net income was $5.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2025, or $0.89 per diluted share, compared to $6.2 million, or $0.95 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2024 and $6.9 million, or $1.07 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2025. Non-GAAP net income, exclusive of losses on contracted sale of a retail branch office, write-downs of other real estate owned ("OREO"), and net gains on sales of investments, was $25.8 million, or $3.97 per diluted share yielding record core earnings for the year ended December 31, 2025. Non-GAAP net income, exclusive of accelerated depreciation of fixed assets associated with branch closures, was $21.0 million, or $3.21 per diluted share for the year ended December 31, 2024. Non-GAAP net income was $7.2 million, or $1.10 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2025 compared to $6.2 million, or $0.95 per diluted share for the fourth quarter of 2024 and $6.9 million, or $1.07 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2025. GAAP Return on Average Assets and Return on Average Equity for the year ended December 31, 2025, were 1.21% and 12.70%, respectively. According to Carissa L. Rodeheaver, Executive Chairman of the Board, "2025 was a truly remarkable year for First United as we celebrated our 125th anniversary—an extraordinary milestone in our history. Throughout the year, we had the privilege of honoring the relationships we've built with our clients while highlighting our ongoing commitment to future generations through trust, innovation, and meaningful community impact. In addition to commemorating our legacy, we delivered a record year of core earnings, excluding a non‑recurring markdown on a foreclosure property. Our performance was driven by a strong net interest margin, robust loan, deposit and trust production, and our continued disciplined approach to expense management. As we look to the future, I am pleased to recognize Jason B. Rush as First United's newly appointed President and Chief Executive Officer. We are confident that Jason will continue to advance our mission and uphold our uncommon commitment to exceptional service and comprehensive financial solutions for our clients and communities." Fourth Quarter Financial Highlights: Net interest margin, on a non-GAAP, fully tax equivalent ("FTE") basis, was 3.75% for the fourth quarter of 2025, reflecting increased loan yields and stable funding costs. Strong loan production during the quarter, with $108.0 million in commercial loan originations and $25.3 million in residential mortgage originations, offset by unusually high payoffs in the commercial loan portfolio. Provision expense was $0.7 million in the fourth quarter resulting from increased loan growth and increased off-balance sheet loan commitments, partially offset by improved qualitative factors. Operating income, including net gains/(losses), for the fourth quarter decreased slightly by $0.1 million when compared to the linked quarter. Operating expenses for the fourth quarter increased by $1.9 million when compared to the linked quarter related to a write-down of $1.6 million on a legacy loan participation now residing in other real estate owned ("OREO"). A cash dividend of $0.26 per share was declared in the fourth quarter. Income Statement Overview On a GAAP basis, net income for the fourth quarter of 2025 was $5.8 million, which was inclusive of a $1.2 million, net of tax, write-down on an OREO property and a $0.2 million, net of tax, contracted sale of a retail branch office compared to $6.9 million, which was inclusive of $0.1 million, net of tax, in net gains on sales of investment securities for the third quarter of 2025 and $6.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2024. The write-down was attributable to a legacy participation loan, originated in 2013, that was taken into OREO several years ago. The property is serviced by another lender and, following the cancellation of a previous contract, the Company made the decision, alongside other participants, to entertain a new letter of intent and to mark the property based on the new fair value. Exclusive of these items, net income for the fourth quarter of 2025 was $7.2 million on a non-GAAP basis. Fourth Quarter 2025 Compared to Fourth Quarter 2024 On a GAAP basis, the $0.4 million decrease in quarterly net income when compared to the fourth quarter of 2024 was primarily driven by increases in provision expense of $0.2 million and non-interest expense of $2.8 million, offset by a $2.3 million increase in net interest income, primarily attributable to disciplined loan and deposit pricing and repricing of adjustable-rate loans and a $0.2 million increase in non-interest income. Interest and fees on loans increased by $1.9 million primarily due to the repricing of adjustable-rate loans and new production booked at higher rates. Quarterly interest expense increased slightly by $0.1 million on a year-over-year basis despite strong growth in deposits. This minimal increase was a result of our strategic focus on reducing deposit costs along with the rate cuts by the Federal Reserve as well as reduced interest expense of $0.3 million on long-term borrowings due to the repayment of a $25.0 million Federal Home Loan Bank ("FHLB") advance at its maturity in September 2025. Other operating income increased by $0.2 million primarily driven by a $0.4 million increase in wealth management income offset by a $0.2 million increase in net losses on the contracted sale of a retail branch office. Other operating expenses increased by $2.8 million due to a $0.7 million increase in salaries and benefit expenses, a $0.3 million increase in equipment and occupancy expenses, a $0.2 million increase in professional services, and a $1.8 million increase in OREO expenses primarily driven by the $1.6 million fair value write-down discussed above. These increases were partially offset by reductions in investor relations and other miscellaneous expenses, such as miscellaneous loan fees and employee benefits expenses. Fourth Quarter 2025 Compared to Third Quarter 2025 Compared to the linked quarter, net income decreased by $1.2 million. Net interest income increased by $0.6 million due to an increase in interest and fees on loans of $0.2 million, an increase in interest on Federal Funds sold of $0.2 million, and a decrease of interest expense on long-term borrowings of $0.2 million. Provision for credit losses increased by $0.2 million due to increased loan growth and an increase in unfunded loan commitment balances quarter over quarter. Other operating income decreased by $0.1 million as a result of increases in wealth management income of $0.2 million and debit card income of $0.2 million, offset by a $0.2 million loss on the contracted sale of a retail branch office in the fourth quarter of 2025 and a decrease in other income of $0.1 million. Non-interest expense increased by $1.9 million when comparing the fourth quarter to the linked quarter and was driven by the $1.6 million write-down and related expenses of the OREO property discussed above, slight increases in occupancy, data processing, marketing and professional services, offset by decreased salaries and benefits. Income tax expense decreased by $0.4 million. Year to Date 2025 Compared to Year to Date 2024 For the year ended December 31, 2025, net income increased by $3.9 when compared to the year ended December 31, 2024. Net interest income increased by $8.1 million due to an $8.6 million increase in interest and fees on loans resulting from loans repricing at higher rates and new loan production booked at higher rates. Interest expense increased by only $0.7 million despite strong deposit growth, driven by a $1.7 million increase in interest on deposits related to the strong growth in existing balances and new deposit accounts, primarily our money market product, and the purchase of a $50.0 million brokered certificate of deposit in January 2025. Interest expense on long-term borrowings increased by $0.4 million as a result of new borrowings late in the third quarter of 2024. These increases were partially offset by a reduction in short-term borrowing costs of $1.4 million resulting from the repayment of $40.0 million in Bank Term Funding Program ("BTFP") balances late in the third quarter of 2024. Provision for credit losses decreased by $0.2 million due primarily to strong credit quality, lower charge-offs, and lower loan growth in 2025 when compared to 2024. Other operating income increased by $0.7 million primarily due to a $0.7 million increase in wealth management income driven by strong production. Net gains were stable year over year, as a $0.2 million increase on gains from the sales of residential mortgages and investment securities was offset by a $0.2 million loss on the sale of a retail branch office. These increases were partially offset by a $3.8 million increase in other operating expenses that was attributable to increases of $1.3 million in salaries and employee benefits related to growth of our sales teams, $0.5 million in data processing expenses related to software agreements, $0.2 million in marketing expenses related to increased awareness of our 125th Anniversary, $0.5 million in professional services expenses from increased audit fees, and $1.9 million in net OREO expenses driven by the fair value write-down of $1.6 million as discussed above. These increases were partially offset by a $0.5 million decrease in equipment and occupancy expenses as a result of accelerated depreciation expense related to the closure of four branches early in 2024. Net Interest Income and Net Interest Margin Fourth Quarter 2025 Compared to Fourth Quarter 2024 Net interest income, on a non-GAAP, FTE basis, increased by $2.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2025 when compared to the fourth quarter of 2024. This increase was driven by an increase of $2.4 million in interest income due primarily to a $1.9 million increase in interest and fees on loans that resulted from an increase of 26 basis points in the overall yield on the loan portfolio. This increase in yield was attributable to upward repricing of adjustable-rate loans and an increase in average balances of $57.3 million. Interest income on investment securities increased by $0.2 million due to an increase in average balances of $9.9 million and an increase in yield of 17 basis points. The increase in the investment portfolio resulted from management's strategic decision to reinvest cashflows in the higher rate environment to increase the yield on the portfolio. Interest income from Federal funds sold increased by $0.3 million due to an increase of $31.3 million in average balances, partially offset by a decrease of 30 basis points in average rates. Interest expense increased by $0.1 million when compared to the fourth quarter of 2024. Interest expense paid on deposits increased by $0.5 million related to a $107.3 million increase in average balances driven by growth in money market accounts and the purchase of a $50.0 million brokered certificate of deposit in January 2025, partially offset by a decrease of 6 basis points on the rate paid. Interest paid on long-term borrowings decreased by $0.3 million when compared to the fourth quarter of 2024 due to a $25.0 million decrease in average balances related to the repayment of a $25.0 million FHLB advance at its maturity in the third quarter of 2025 and a decrease of 4 basis points on rates paid. Fourth Quarter 2025 Compared to Third Quarter 2025 Comparing the fourth quarter of 2025 to the third quarter of 2025, net interest income, on a non-GAAP, FTE basis, increased by $0.6 million. This increase was driven by a $0.4 million increase in interest income as a result of an increase in interest and fees on loans of $0.2 million, as average loan balances increased by $7.8 million and average yield increased by 1 basis point. Interest income from Federal funds sold increased by $0.2 million due to an increase of $17.1 million in average balances and an increase of 21 basis points in average rates. Cash balances increased during the quarter due to repayment of loans late in the year and loan closings that were anticipated to occur in the fourth quarter of 2025 but were delayed until the first quarter of 2026. Interest expense decreased by $0.2 million when compared to the third quarter of 2025. Interest expense paid on deposits was stable as a $38.1 million increase in average balances was partially offset by a decrease of 6 basis points on the rate paid. Interest paid on long-term borrowings decreased by $0.2 million when compared to the third quarter of 2025 due to a $21.7 million decrease in average balances related to the repayment of a $25.0 million FHLB advance at its maturity late in the third quarter, partially offset by an increase of 8 basis points on rates paid. Year to Date 2025 Compared to Year to Date 2024 Comparing the year ended December 31, 2025, to the year ended December 31, 2024, net interest income, on a non-GAAP, FTE basis, increased by $8.1 million. Interest income increased by $8.8 million driven by an increase of $8.6 million on interest and fees on loans, as average loan balances increased by $68.8 million and the overall yield increased by 31 basis points in correlation with upward repricing of adjustable-rate loans. Interest income on the investment portfolio increased by $0.5 million as a result of reinvesting the cashflow back into the portfolio in an effort to increase the overall yield in the current rate environment. The overall yield on the investment portfolio increased 17 basis points. Interest expense increased by $0.7 million as a result of a $1.7 million increase in interest on deposits, as the average deposit balances increased by $90.0 million, driven by a $70.9 million increase in retail money market average balances and $30.9 million increase in average brokered time deposits, partially offset by decreases in average savings balances of $14.8 million. The overall rate paid on deposits decreased 3 basis points. Interest expense on short-term borrowings decreased by $1.4 million due to the Bank's utilization of the BTFP program in 2024 and subsequent repayment of the balances due under that program late in the third quarter of 2024. Long-term borrowing costs increased by $0.4 million as a result of an increase of $21.6 million in FHLB average balances due to borrowings obtained in the third quarter of 2024 and subsequent repayment of a $25.0 million advance at its maturity in September 2025, partially offset by a decrease in rate paid of 60 basis points. The net interest margin was 3.67% and 3.38% for the years ending December 31, 2025, and 2024, respectively. Management continues to place a strong focus on margin management as we move into 2026. Higher cash levels at December 31, 2025, should allow us to repay outstanding debt and brokered deposits at their maturities. In January 2026, a $25.0 million brokered certificate of deposit was repaid at its maturity. Non-Interest Income Fourth Quarter 2025 Compared to Fourth Quarter 2024 Other operating income, including net gains, for the fourth quarter of 2025 increased by $0.2 million when compared to the same period of 2024. This increase was driven by a $0.4 million increase in wealth management income, reflecting higher market valuations and expanded relationships with both new and existing clients. This was partially offset by a $0.2 million increase in net losses related to the sale of a retail branch office due to the relocation to a more convenient site in Morgantown, WV, to better serve our customers. Fourth Quarter 2025 Compared to Third Quarter 2025 On a linked quarter basis, other operating income, including net gains, decreased by $0.1 million. A $0.2 million loss on the sale of the retail branch office was recognized in the fourth quarter of 2025, and net gains on sales of investment securities decreased by $0.1 million due to a gain on sales of available-for-sale securities recognized in the third quarter of 2025. Wealth management income increased by $0.2 million and debit card income increased by $0.2 million due primarily to the receipt of an annual VISA cash incentive in the fourth quarter of 2025. Year to Date 2025 Compared to Year to Date 2024 Other operating income for the year ended December 31, 2025 increased by $0.7 million when compared to the same period of 2024. This increase was attributable to a $0.7 million increase in wealth management income, driven by improving market conditions, increased annuity sales, and growth in new and existing customer relationships. Net gains were stable year over year, as a $0.2 million increase in gains from the sales of residential mortgages and investment securities was offset by a $0.2 million loss on the sale of a retail office. Service charge and debit card income were both stable when comparing the year ended December 31, 2025 to the same period of 2024. Non-Interest Expense Fourth Quarter 2025 Compared to Fourth Quarter 2024 Operating expenses increased by $2.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2025 when compared to the fourth quarter of 2024. Net OREO expenses increased by $1.8 million as a result of the $1.6 million fair value write-down discussed above and an additional expense of $0.2 million associated with the same OREO property in 2025. Salaries and employee benefits increased by $0.6 million due to a $0.4 million increase in salary expense related to normal merit increases effective April 1, 2025 and increased staffing levels, as we enhanced our sales presence in Morgantown, WV, and a $0.1 million increase in incentive expense, partially offset by decreases in employee life and health insurance expense due to decreased claims. Additionally, occupancy and equipment expenses increased by $0.3 million and professional services increased by $0.2 million. Fourth Quarter 2025 Compared to Third Quarter 2025 Compared to the linked quarter, operating expenses increased by $1.9 million. Net OREO expenses increased by $1.8 million related to the $1.6 million fair value write-down and an additional expense of $0.2 million associated with the same OREO property in the fourth quarter. Equipment and occupancy expense increased by $0.2 million. These increases were partially offset by a $0.5 reduction in salaries and employee benefits due primarily to reduced incentive expense and reduced health insurance costs on account of decreased claims. Year to Date 2025 Compared to Year to Date 2024 For the year ended December 31, 2025, non-interest expense increased by $3.8 million when compared to the year ended December 31, 2024. Salaries and employee benefits increased by $1.3 million related to normal merit increases effective April 1, 2025, increased salary expense as a result of increased staffing levels as we enhanced our sales presence in Morgantown, WV, increases in incentives, and 401(k) expenses, offset by reduced life and health insurance costs related to reduced claims in 2025. Net OREO expenses increased by $2.0 million due to the previously mentioned fair value write-down and expenses recorded in the fourth quarter of 2025. Data processing expenses increased by $0.5 million due primarily to increased software agreements, and professional services expenses increased by $0.5 million driven by increased audit fees. These increases were partially offset by a $0.5 million decrease in occupancy and equipment expenses related to accelerated depreciation expense related to branch closures that were recognized in the first quarter of 2024. The effective income tax rates as a percentage of income for the years ended December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024 remained stable at 24.6% and 24.5%, respectively. Balance Sheet Overview Total assets at December 31, 2025 were $2.1 billion, representing a $114.4 million increase since December 31, 2024. During the year, the investment portfolio increased by $9.5 million as bonds were purchased to lock in yield in anticipation of potential declines in long-term rates. Gross loans increased by $40.9 million as new production during the year was mitigated by amortization and unusually high payoffs in the commercial portfolio. These payoffs were a result of sales of businesses of approximately $10.5 million and approximately $33.5 million related to refinancings and balance sheet restructurings. Other assets, including deferred taxes, premises and equipment, bank owned life insurance, pension assets, accrued trust income receivable, and accrued interest receivable, increased by $13.6 million. Total liabilities at December 31, 2025 were $1.9 billion, representing a $90.1 million increase since December 31, 2024. Total deposits increased by $160.3 million when compared to December 31, 2024. Brokered time deposits increased by $50.0 million as new brokered time deposits were obtained in January 2025 to fund the repayment of the $50.0 million in overnight borrowings outstanding at December 31, 2024. In addition, savings and money market accounts increased by $70.2 million, retail time deposits increased by $7.8 million, and non-interest-bearing deposits increased by $26.3 million. Interest-bearing demand deposits, primarily our IntraFi Cash Service product, increased by $6.0 million due primarily to seasonal fluctuations in municipal deposit accounts. Short-term borrowings decreased by $47.7 million due to the purchase of the brokered time deposit mentioned above, which was partially offset by increases in the overnight investment sweep product. Long-term borrowings decreased by $25.0 million due to the full repayment of a matured $25.0 million FHLB borrowing in September 2025. Outstanding loans of $1.5 billion at December 31, 2025 reflected a $40.9 million increase since December 31, 2024. Since December 31, 2024, commercial real estate loans increased by $44.4 million, acquisition and development loans decreased by $5.0 million as construction projects were completed and rolled into permanent financing, commercial and industrial loans decreased by $10.5 million, residential mortgage loans increased by $18.1 million, and consumer loans decreased by $6.1 million as production continued to be outpaced by amortization. Commercial growth was offset during 2025 by unusually high payoffs as a result of clients utilizing cash to repay or consolidate debt. New commercial loan production for the fourth quarter of 2025 was approximately $108.0 million. Commercial production for the year ended December 31, 2025 was approximately $247.0 million, which compares to $189.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. The commercial pipeline continued to be strong at December 31, 2025 at $61.0 million, and unfunded, commercial construction loans totaled approximately $46.5 million. Commercial amortization and payoffs were approximately $79.1 million for the three months ended December 31, 2025. New consumer mortgage loan production for the fourth quarter of 2025 was approximately $25.3 million, most of which was comprised of in-house mortgages booked to our portfolio. The pipeline of in-house, portfolio loans at December 31, 2025 was $4.5 million. Unfunded commitments related to residential construction loans totaled $15.3 million at December 31, 2025. Total deposits at December 31, 2025 increased by $160.3 million when compared to December 31, 2024. In January 2025, $50.0 million in brokered time deposits with an average interest rate of 4.24% were obtained to fund the repayment of $50.0 million in overnight borrowings that were outstanding on December 31, 2024. Savings and money market accounts increased by $70.2 million due primarily to the expansion of current and new relationships throughout 2025. Non-interest-bearing checking deposits increased by $26.3 million due primarily to seasonal fluctuations of deposit balances of two commercial customers in the healthcare sector, and interest-bearing checking deposits increased by $6.0 million as we experienced seasonal fluctuations in municipal and commercial account balances. Retail time deposits increased by $7.8 million since December 31, 2024. Subsequently in January 2026, a $25.0 million brokered certificate of deposit was fully repaid at its maturity. The book value of the Corporation's common stock was $31.33 per share at December 31, 2025 compared to $27.71 per share at December 31, 2024. At December 31, 2025, there were 6,499,476 basic outstanding shares of common stock and 6,511,358 diluted outstanding shares of common stock. The increase in the book value at December 31, 2025 was primarily due to the undistributed net income of $18.3 million. The Board of Directors of the Corporation increased the quarterly dividend to $0.26 per share in the third quarter of 2025. Asset Quality The allowance for credit losses ("ACL") was $19.5 million at December 31, 2025 compared to $18.2 million at December 31, 2024. The provision for credit losses was $0.7 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2025 compared to $0.5 million for both of the quarters ended December 31, 2024 and September 30, 2025. Provision for credit losses was $2.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2025 and $2.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. The decreased provision expense in 2025 was primarily related to charge-offs in our commercial and consumer loan portfolios during 2024, partially offset by growth in our loan portfolio and an increase of $18.7 million in unfunded loan commitments during 2025. Asset quality remained strong during the fourth quarter of 2025. The ratio of the ACL to loans outstanding remained stable at 1.28% at both December 31, 2025 and September 30, 2025 and 1.23% at December 31, 2024. The ratio of net charge offs to average loans was 0.07% for the year ended December 31, 2025 and 0.16% for the year ended December 31, 2024. The commercial and industrial portfolio had net charge offs of 0.33% and 0.50% for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, due primarily to charge offs on one non-accrual commercial relationship. The acquisition and development portfolio had net recoveries of 0.33% and 0.06% for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. This shift was due primarily to recoveries recognized in 2025 related to one relationship previously charged off in 2016 as additional collateral was brought into OREO in the third quarter of 2025. The decrease in net charge offs in consumer loans in 2025 was primarily driven by approximately $0.3 million in charge offs of demand deposit balances during the first quarter of 2024. Details of the ratios, by loan type, are shown below. Our special assets team continues to actively collect on charged-off loans, resulting in overall low net charge-off ratios. Non-accrual loans totaled $4.2 million at December 31, 2025 compared to $4.9 million at December 31, 2024. The decrease in non-accrual balances at December 31, 2025 was due to principal paydowns and the charge-off of $0.6 million related to a non-accrual commercial and industrial relationship that was recorded during the second half of 2025. Non-accrual loans that have been subject to partial charge-offs totaled $0.2 million and $0.7 million at December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively. Loans secured by 1-4 family residential real estate properties in the process of foreclosure totaled $0.5 million and $1.6 million at December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively. As a percentage of the loan portfolio, accruing loans past due 30 days or more were 0.32% at both December 31, 2025 and 2024. ABOUT FIRST UNITED CORPORATION First United Corporation is a Maryland corporation chartered in 1985 and a financial holding company registered with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended, that elected financial holding company status in 2021. The Corporation's primary business is serving as the parent company of the Bank, First United Statutory Trust I ("Trust I") and First United Statutory Trust II ("Trust II" and together with Trust I, "the Trusts"), both Connecticut statutory business trusts. The Trusts were formed for the purpose of selling trust preferred securities that qualified as Tier 1 capital. The Bank has two consumer finance company subsidiaries- Oak First Loan Center, Inc., a West Virginia corporation, and OakFirst Loan Center, LLC, a Maryland limited liability company – and one subsidiary that it uses to hold real estate acquired through foreclosure or by deed in lieu of foreclosure – First OREO Trust, a Maryland statutory trust. In addition, the Bank owns 99.9% of the limited partnership interests in Liberty Mews Limited Partnership, a Maryland limited partnership formed for the purpose of acquiring, developing and operating low-income housing units in Garrett County, Maryland, and a 99.9% non-voting membership interest in MCC FUBT Fund, LLC, an Ohio limited liability company formed for the purpose of acquiring, developing and operating low-income housing units in Allegany County, Maryland and Mineral County, West Virginia. The Corporation's website is www.mybank.com FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements do not represent historical facts, but are statements about management's beliefs, plans and objectives about the future, as well as its assumptions and judgments concerning such beliefs, plans and objectives. These statements are evidenced by terms such as "anticipate," "estimate," "should," "expect," "believe," "intend," and similar expressions. Although these statements reflect management's good faith beliefs and projections, they are not guarantees of future performance and they may not prove true. The beliefs, plans and objectives on which forward-looking statements are based involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those addressed in the forward-looking statements. For a discussion of these risks and uncertainties, see the section of the periodic reports that First United Corporation files with the Securities and Exchange Commission entitled "Risk Factors". In addition, investors should understand that the Corporation is required under generally accepted accounting principles to evaluate subsequent events through the filing of the consolidated financial statements included in its Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 and the impact that any such events have on our critical accounting assumptions and estimates made as of December 31, 2025, which could require us to make adjustments to the amounts reflected in this press release. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/first-united-corporation-announces-fourth-quarter-2025-financial-results-302679416.html

First United Corporation (FUNC) came out with quarterly earnings of $1.1 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.96 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.95 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +14.58%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this company would post earnings of $0.89 per share when it actually produced earnings of $1.07, delivering a surprise of +20.22%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times. First United, which belongs to the Zacks Banks - Northeast industry, posted revenues of $23.28 million for the quarter ended December 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 2.28%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $20.62 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. First United shares have added about 6.1% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 1.1%. While First United has outperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for First United was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.97 on $22.59 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $4.20 on $94.09 million in revenues for the current fiscal year. Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Banks - Northeast is currently in the top 22% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. One other stock from the same industry, Isabella Bank Corporation (ISBA), is yet to report results for the quarter ended December 2025. This company is expected to post quarterly earnings of $0.74 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +42.3%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days. Isabella Bank Corporation's revenues are expected to be $20.8 million, up 12.3% from the year-ago quarter. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report First United Corporation (FUNC) : Free Stock Analysis Report Isabella Bank Corporation (ISBA) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research

OAKLAND, Md., Oct. 20, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- First United Corporation (the "Corporation", "we", "us", and "our") (NASDAQ: FUNC), a bank holding company and the parent company of First United Bank & Trust (the "Bank"), today announced financial results for the three- and nine-month periods ended September 30, 2025. Net income was $6.9 million for the third quarter of 2025, or $1.07 per diluted common share, compared to $5.8 million, or $0.89 per diluted common share, for the third quarter of 2024 and $6.0 million, or $0.92 per diluted common share, for the second quarter of 2025. Net income for the first nine months of 2025 was $18.7 million, or $2.88 per diluted common share, compared to $14.4 million, or $2.19 per diluted common share, for the same period of 2024. Annualized Return on Average Assets and Return on Average Equity for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2025 were 1.24% and 13.23%, respectively. According to Carissa Rodeheaver, Chairman, President and CEO, "We are pleased to report another strong quarter, once again driven by increased net interest margin and expense control. Our commercial, mortgage and wealth relationship managers continue to deliver strong production, and our entire team remains focused on controlling expenses. The strong income allowed us to increase our dividend this quarter. " Third Quarter Financial Highlights: Net interest margin, on a non-GAAP, fully tax equivalent ("FTE") basis, was 3.69% for the third quarter of 2025, reflecting increased loan yields and stable funding costs. Strong loan production during the quarter, with $29.8 million in commercial loan originations and $20.8 million in residential mortgage originations, offset by unusually high payoffs. Provision expense was $0.5 million in the third quarter resulting from reduced loan growth and a charge-off related to one non-accrual commercial relationship, partially offset by improved qualitative factors. Operating income, including net gains, increased slightly by $0.2 million when compared to the linked quarter. Operating expenses were stable compared to the linked quarter. A cash dividend of $0.26 per common share was declared in the third quarter. Income Statement Overview On a GAAP basis, net income for the third quarter of 2025 was $6.9 million. This compares to $6.0 million for the second quarter of 2025 and $5.8 million for the third quarter of 2024. The $1.2 million increase in quarterly net income when compared to the third quarter of 2024 was primarily driven by a $2.2 million increase in net interest income and a $0.3 million increase in non-interest income, partially offset by increases in provision expense of $0.2 million, non-interest expense of $0.7 million and income tax expense of $0.4 million. Comparing the third quarter of 2025 to the same period of 2024, interest and fees on loans increased by $2.0 million primarily due to the repricing of adjustable-rate loans and new production booked at higher rates. Quarterly interest expense increased by $0.3 million on a year-over-year basis. This increase was attributable to growth in our municipal deposit balances, offset slightly by reduced interest expense on short-term borrowings related to the repayment of $40.0 million in Bank Term Funding Program ("BTFP") balances in September 2024. Other operating income increased by $0.3 million due to increases in wealth management income and net gains as a result of an investment sale transaction. Other operating expenses increased by $0.7 million due to a $0.4 million increase in salaries and benefit expenses, a $0.2 million increase in professional services, and a $0.2 million increase in data processing costs. These increases were offset by slight reductions in equipment, other real estate owned ("OREO") and investor relations expenses. Compared to the linked quarter, net income increased by $1.0 million as net interest income increased by $0.7 million due to an increase in interest and fees on loans of $0.8 million, a decrease in provision expense of $0.4 million, and an increase in other operating income of $0.2 million related to net gains on sales of investment securities, trust department income, and an incentive received on check fees. Non-interest expenses remained stable when comparing the linked quarter to the third quarter. Income tax expense increased by $0.3 million. Net income for the first nine months of 2025 was $18.7 million compared to $14.4 million for the same period in 2024. Net interest income increased by $5.8 million due to a $6.4 million increase in interest income due to loans repricing at higher rates and new loan production booked at higher rates. Interest expense increased by $0.6 million driven by a $1.2 million increase in interest on deposits related to growth in our municipal balances, partially offset by a net reduction in borrowing costs of $0.7 million resulting from the repayment of $40.0 million in BTFP balances late in the third quarter of 2024. Provision for credit losses decreased by $0.4 million due primarily to strong credit quality, lower charge-offs and lower loan growth during the first nine months of 2025 when compared to the same time period in 2024. Other operating income increased by $0.6 million primarily due to a $0.4 million increase in trust department income and a $0.2 million increase on gains from the sales of residential mortgages and investment securities.. These increases were partially offset by a $1.0 million increase in other operating expenses that were primarily related to a $0.7 million increase in salaries and employee benefits as a result of increased salary expense as we continue to build our sales teams, a $0.5 million increase in data processing expenses related to software agreements, and a $0.3 million increase in professional services expenses from increased audit fees. These increases were partially offset by a $0.8 million decrease in equipment and occupancy expenses due primarily to reduced depreciation expense related to the closure of four branches early in 2024. Net Interest Income and Net Interest Margin Net interest income, on a non-GAAP, FTE basis, increased by $2.2 million for the third quarter of 2025 when compared to the third quarter of 2024. This increase was driven by an increase of $2.5 million in interest income due to a $2.0 million increase in interest income on loans resulting from an increase of 25 basis points in the overall yield on the loan portfolio. This increase in yield was attributable to upward repricing of adjustable-rate loans and an increase in average balances of $68.4 million. Interest income on investment securities increased by $0.2 million due to an increase in average balances of $9.0 million and an increase in yield of 17 basis points. The increase in the investment portfolio resulted from management's strategic decision to reinvest cashflows in the higher rate environment to increase yield on the portfolio. Interest income on Federal funds sold increased by $0.2 million due to an increase of $37.4 million in average balances, partially offset by a decrease of 147 basis points in average rates. Interest expense increased by $0.3 million when compared to the third quarter of 2024. Interest expense paid on deposits increased by $0.4 million related to a $100.5 million increase in average balances, partially offset by a decrease of 6 basis points on the rate paid. Interest paid on short-term borrowings decreased by $0.5 million when compared to the same period of 2024 due to the repayment of the $40.0 million borrowing from the BTFP late in the third quarter of 2024. Interest paid on long-term borrowings increased by $0.4 million when compared to the third quarter of 2024 due to a $43.8 million increase in average balances, partially offset by a decrease of 80 basis points on rates paid. Comparing the third quarter of 2025 to the second quarter of 2025, net interest income, on a non-GAAP, FTE basis, increased by $0.7 million. This increase was driven by a $0.9 million increase in interest income as a result of an increase in interest and fees on loans of $0.8 million as average loan balances increased by $12.4 million and average yield increased by 8 basis points. Interest expense increased by $0.2 million due to a $0.2 million increase in interest paid on deposits attributable to a $21.9 million increase in average balances and a slight increase in average yield of 1 basis point. Interest expense on borrowing costs remained stable when comparing the third quarter of 2025 to the linked quarter. Comparing the nine months ended September 30, 2025 to the nine months ended September 30, 2024, net interest income, on a non-GAAP, FTE basis, increased by $5.8 million. Interest income increased by $6.4 million and was driven by an increase of $6.6 million on interest and fees on loans as average loan balances increased by $72.6 million and the overall yield increased by 32 basis points in correlation with upward repricing of adjustable-rate loans. Interest expense on deposits increased by $1.2 million as the average deposit balances increased by $87.6 million, driven by increases of $6.3 million in demand deposit accounts, $73.6 million in money market balances and $24.4 million in brokered time deposits, partially offset by decreases in savings balances of $15.2 million and $1.5 million in retail time deposits. Interest expense on short-term borrowings decreased by $1.4 million due to the Bank's utilization of the BTFP program in 2024 and subsequent repayment late in the third quarter of 2024. Long-term borrowing costs increased $0.7 million as a result of an increase of $37.3 million in FHLB average balances, partially offset by a decrease in rate paid of 85 basis points. The net interest margin for the nine months ended September 30, 2025 was 3.64% compared to 3.34% for the nine months ended September 30, 2024. Non-Interest Income Other operating income, including net gains, for the third quarter of 2025 increased by $0.3 million when compared to the same period of 2024. This increase was driven by a $0.2 million increase in wealth management income, reflecting higher market valuations and expanded relationships with both new and existing clients. Additionally, $0.1 million in net gains from the sale of available-for-sale investments was recognized in the third quarter of 2025. On a linked quarter basis, other operating income, including net gains, increased by $0.2 million. The increase was attributable to a $0.1 million cash incentive received in connection with check fees and $0.1 million in net gains from the sale of available-for-sale investments. Wealth management income was stable when compared to the prior quarter. Other operating income for the nine months ended September 30, 2025 increased by $0.6 million when compared to the same period of 2024. This increase was attributable to a $0.4 million increase in wealth management income, driven by improving market conditions, increased annuity sales and growth in new and existing customer relationships. Gains on sales of residential mortgages increased by $0.1 million and gains on sales of investment securities increased by $0.1 million. Service charge and debit card income were both stable when comparing the first nine months of 2025 to the same period of 2024. Non-Interest Expense Operating expenses increased by $0.7 million in the third quarter of 2025 when compared to the third quarter of 2024. Salaries and employee benefits increased by $0.4 million due to a $0.4 million increase in salary expense related to normal merit increases effective April 1, 2025 and increased staffing levels as an effort to build out our West region and a $0.1 million increase in incentive expense, partially offset by decreases in employee life and health insurance expense due to decreased claims. Additionally, data processing and professional services expenses each increased by $0.2 million year-over-year. Compared to the linked quarter, operating expenses were stable. Net OREO expenses decreased by $0.1 million, and data processing expenses and investor relations expenses each decreased by $0.1 million. These decreases were partially offset by a $0.3 million increase in salaries and employee benefits related to increased salary and incentive expense. For the nine months ended September 30, 2025, non-interest expense increased by $1.0 million when compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2024. Salaries and employee benefits increased by $0.7 million related to normal merit increases effective April 1, 2025, increased salary expense as a result of increased staffing levels as we continue to expand our West region, increases in incentives, and 401K expenses offset by reduced life and health insurance costs related to reduced claims in 2025. Net OREO expenses increased by $0.1 million. Data processing expenses increased by $0.5 million primarily due to increased software agreements and professional services expenses increased by $0.3 million as a result of increased audit fees. These increases were partially offset by a $0.8 million decrease in occupancy and equipment expenses related to accelerated depreciation expense recognized in the first quarter of 2024 related to branch closures. The effective income tax rates as a percentage of income for the nine-month periods ended September 30, 2025 and September 30, 2024 remained stable at 24.7% and 24.6%, respectively. Balance Sheet Overview Total assets at September 30, 2025 were $2.0 billion, representing a $51.0 million increase since December 31, 2024. During the first nine months of 2025, the investment portfolio increased by $8.9 million as bonds were purchased to lock in yield in anticipation of potential declines in long-term rates. Gross loans increased by $16.0 million as new production during the nine months of 2025 was mitigated by amortization and increased payoffs. Other assets, including deferred taxes, premises and equipment, bank owned life insurance, pension assets, accrued trust income receivable, and accrued interest receivable, increased by $11.3 million. Total liabilities at September 30, 2025 were $1.8 billion, representing a $31.1 million increase since December 31, 2024. Total deposits increased by $104.1 million when compared to December 31, 2024. The increase in deposits was primarily driven by $50.0 million in new brokered time deposits obtained in January 2025 to fund the repayment of the $50.0 million in overnight borrowings outstanding at December 31, 2024. In addition, savings and money market accounts increased by $42.0 million, retail time deposits increased by $9.7 million, and non-interest-bearing deposits increased by $3.2 million. Interest-bearing demand deposits, primarily our ICS product, decreased slightly by $0.8 million due primarily to seasonal fluctuations in municipal deposit accounts. Short-term borrowings decreased by $45.2 million due to the purchase of the brokered time deposit mentioned previously which was partially offset by increases in the overnight investment sweep product. Long-term borrowings decreased by $25.0 million due to the full repayment of a matured $25.0 million Federal Home Loan Bank borrowing in September 2025. Outstanding loans of $1.5 billion at September 30, 2025 reflected a $16.0 million increase since December 31, 2024. Since December 31, 2024, commercial real estate loans increased by $28.1 million, acquisition and development loans decreased by $1.3 million, commercial and industrial loans decreased by $8.5 million, residential mortgage loans increased by $2.5 million, and consumer loans decreased by $4.8 million. New commercial loan production for the third quarter of 2025 was approximately $29.8 million. Year to date commercial production was approximately $139.0 million, which compares to $117.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024. The commercial pipeline was strong as of September 30, 2025 at $50.4 million, and unfunded, commercial construction loans totaled approximately $42.8 million. Commercial amortization and payoffs were unusually high at approximately $29.4 million for the three months ended September 30, 2025. Included in that amount were payoffs of approximately $20.9 million during the third quarter primarily attributable to four relationships either utilizing cash to repay or consolidating debt. New consumer mortgage loan production for the third quarter of 2025 was approximately $20.8 million, most of which was comprised of in-house mortgages booked to our portfolio. The pipeline of in-house, portfolio loans as of September 30, 2025 was $23.0 million. Unfunded commitments related to residential construction loans totaled $12.1 million at September 30, 2025. Total deposits at September 30, 2025 increased by $104.1 million when compared to December 31, 2024. In January 2025, $50.0 million in brokered time deposits with an average interest rate of 4.24% were obtained to fund the repayment of $50.0 million in overnight borrowings that were outstanding on December 31, 2024. Savings and money market accounts increased by $42.0 million due primarily to the expansion of current and new relationships throughout the first nine months of 2025. Non-interest-bearing checking deposits increased by $3.2 million and interest-bearing checking deposits decreased by $0.8 million as we experienced seasonal fluctuations in municipal and commercial account balances and increased spending by businesses and consumers related to inflation. Retail time deposits increased by $9.7 million since December 31, 2024. The book value of the Corporation's common stock was $30.65 per share at September 30, 2025 compared to $27.71 per share at December 31, 2024. At September 30, 2025, there were 6,496,908 basic outstanding shares and 6,508,790 diluted outstanding shares of common stock. The increase in the book value at September 30, 2025 was due to the undistributed net income of $14.2 million for the first nine months of 2025. Asset Quality The allowance for credit losses ("ACL") was $19.1 million at September 30, 2025 compared to $18.0 million at September 30, 2024 and $18.2 million at December 31, 2024. The provision for credit losses was $0.5 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2025 compared to $0.3 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2024 and $0.9 million for the second quarter of 2025. The increased provision expense recorded in the third quarter of 2025 when compared to the same period in 2024 resulted from increased net charge-offs of $0.4 million in the third quarter of 2025 compared to $0.1 million in the third quarter of 2024. The decrease in provision expense compared to the linked quarter was due to decreases in the overall loan portfolio and improved qualitative factors, partially offset by the increased net charge-offs primarily related to one non-accrual commercial and industrial relationship. Asset quality remained strong during the third quarter of 2025. The ratio of the ACL to loans outstanding remained stable at 1.28%at September 30, 2025 compared to 1.27% at June 30, 2025 and 1.24% at September 30, 2024. The ratio of net charge offs to average loans was 0.08% for the nine months ended September 30, 2025, and 0.18% for the nine months ended September 30, 2024. The commercial and industrial portfolio had net charge offs of 0.41% and 0.53% for the nine-month periods ended September 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively, due primarily to charge offs on one non-accrual commercial relationship. The acquisition and development portfolio had net recoveries of 0.42% and 0.08% for the nine-month periods ended September 30, 2025 and 2024, respectively. This shift was due primarily to recoveries recognized in 2025 related to one relationship previously charged off in 2016. The decrease in net charge offs in consumer loans in the first nine months of 2025 was primarily driven by approximately $0.3 million in charge offs of demand deposit balances during the first quarter of 2024. Details of the ratios, by loan type, are shown below. Our special assets team continues to actively collect on charged-off loans, resulting in overall low net charge-off ratios. Non-accrual loans totaled $3.8 million at September 30, 2025 compared to $4.9 million at December 31, 2024. The decrease in non-accrual balances at September 30, 2025 was related to principal paydowns and the charge-off of $0.5 million of related to a non-accrual commercial and industrial relationship that was recorded during the third quarter of 2025. Non-accrual loans that have been subject to partial charge-offs totaled $0.3 million and $0.7 million at September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively. Loans secured by 1-4 family residential real estate properties in the process of foreclosure totaled $0.2 million and $1.6 million at September 30, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively. As a percentage of the loan portfolio, accruing loans past due 30 days or more were 0.26% at September 30, 2025 compared to 0.32% at December 31, 2024 and 0.37% as September 30, 2024. ABOUT FIRST UNITED CORPORATION First United Corporation is a Maryland corporation chartered in 1985 and a financial holding company registered with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended, that elected financial holding company status in 2021. The Corporation's primary business is serving as the parent company of the Bank, First United Statutory Trust I ("Trust I") and First United Statutory Trust II ("Trust II" and together with Trust I, "the Trusts"), both Connecticut statutory business trusts. The Trusts were formed for the purpose of selling trust preferred securities that qualified as Tier 1 capital. The Bank has two consumer finance company subsidiaries- Oak First Loan Center, Inc., a West Virginia corporation, and OakFirst Loan Center, LLC, a Maryland limited liability company – and one subsidiary that it uses to hold real estate acquired through foreclosure or by deed in lieu of foreclosure – First OREO Trust, a Maryland statutory trust. In addition, the Bank owns 99.9% of the limited partnership interests in Liberty Mews Limited Partnership, a Maryland limited partnership formed for the purpose of acquiring, developing and operating low-income housing units in Garrett County, Maryland, and a 99.9% non-voting membership interest in MCC FUBT Fund, LLC, an Ohio limited liability company formed for the purpose of acquiring, developing and operating low-income housing units in Allegany County, Maryland and Mineral County, West Virginia. The Corporation's website is www.mybank.com. FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS This press release contains forward-looking statements as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements do not represent historical facts, but are statements about management's beliefs, plans and objectives about the future, as well as its assumptions and judgments concerning such beliefs, plans and objectives. These statements are evidenced by terms such as "anticipate," "estimate," "should," "expect," "believe," "intend," and similar expressions. Although these statements reflect management's good faith beliefs and projections, they are not guarantees of future performance and they may not prove true. The beliefs, plans and objectives on which forward-looking statements are based involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those addressed in the forward-looking statements. For a discussion of these risks and uncertainties, see the section of the periodic reports that First United Corporation files with the Securities and Exchange Commission entitled "Risk Factors". In addition, investors should understand that the Corporation is required under generally accepted accounting principles to evaluate subsequent events through the filing of the consolidated financial statements included in its Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2025 and the impact that any such events have on our critical accounting assumptions and estimates made as of September 30, 2025, which could require us to make adjustments to the amounts reflected in this press release. View original content to download multimedia:https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/first-united-corporation-announces-third-quarter-2025-financial-results-302589378.html

First United Corporation (FUNC) came out with quarterly earnings of $1.07 per share, beating the Zacks Consensus Estimate of $0.89 per share. This compares to earnings of $0.89 per share a year ago. These figures are adjusted for non-recurring items. This quarterly report represents an earnings surprise of +20.22%. A quarter ago, it was expected that this company would post earnings of $0.84 per share when it actually produced earnings of $0.92, delivering a surprise of +9.52%. Over the last four quarters, the company has surpassed consensus EPS estimates four times. First United, which belongs to the Zacks Banks - Northeast industry, posted revenues of $22.8 million for the quarter ended September 2025, surpassing the Zacks Consensus Estimate by 3.01%. This compares to year-ago revenues of $20.14 million. The company has topped consensus revenue estimates four times over the last four quarters. The sustainability of the stock's immediate price movement based on the recently-released numbers and future earnings expectations will mostly depend on management's commentary on the earnings call. First United shares have added about 0.9% since the beginning of the year versus the S&P 500's gain of 13.3%. While First United has underperformed the market so far this year, the question that comes to investors' minds is: what's next for the stock? There are no easy answers to this key question, but one reliable measure that can help investors address this is the company's earnings outlook. Not only does this include current consensus earnings expectations for the coming quarter(s), but also how these expectations have changed lately. Empirical research shows a strong correlation between near-term stock movements and trends in earnings estimate revisions. Investors can track such revisions by themselves or rely on a tried-and-tested rating tool like the Zacks Rank, which has an impressive track record of harnessing the power of earnings estimate revisions. Ahead of this earnings release, the estimate revisions trend for First United was mixed. While the magnitude and direction of estimate revisions could change following the company's just-released earnings report, the current status translates into a Zacks Rank #3 (Hold) for the stock. So, the shares are expected to perform in line with the market in the near future. You can see the complete list of today's Zacks #1 Rank (Strong Buy) stocks here. It will be interesting to see how estimates for the coming quarters and the current fiscal year change in the days ahead. The current consensus EPS estimate is $0.95 on $22.73 million in revenues for the coming quarter and $3.65 on $87.59 million in revenues for the current fiscal year. Investors should be mindful of the fact that the outlook for the industry can have a material impact on the performance of the stock as well. In terms of the Zacks Industry Rank, Banks - Northeast is currently in the top 29% of the 250 plus Zacks industries. Our research shows that the top 50% of the Zacks-ranked industries outperform the bottom 50% by a factor of more than 2 to 1. Blue Foundry Bancorp (BLFY), another stock in the same industry, has yet to report results for the quarter ended September 2025. The results are expected to be released on October 29. This company is expected to post quarterly loss of $0.08 per share in its upcoming report, which represents a year-over-year change of +57.9%. The consensus EPS estimate for the quarter has remained unchanged over the last 30 days. Blue Foundry Bancorp's revenues are expected to be $12.53 million, up 32.3% from the year-ago quarter. Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report First United Corporation (FUNC) : Free Stock Analysis Report Blue Foundry Bancorp (BLFY) : Free Stock Analysis Report This article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com). Zacks Investment Research