Valley National Bancorp Announces First Quarter 2026 Results

NEW YORK, April 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Valley National Bancorp (NASDAQ:VLY), the holding company for Valley National Bank, today reported net income for the first quarter 2026 of $163.9 million, or $0.28 per diluted common share, as compared to the fourth quarter 2025 net income of $195.4 million, or $0.33 per diluted common share, and net income of $106.1 million, or $0.18 per diluted common share, for the first quarter 2025. Excluding all non-core income and charges, our adjusted net income (a non-GAAP measure) was $168.9 million, or $0.29 per diluted common share, for the first quarter 2026, $180.2 million, or $0.31 per diluted common share, for the fourth quarter 2025, and $106.1 million, or $0.18 per diluted common share, for the first quarter 2025. See further details below, including a reconciliation of our non-GAAP adjusted net income, in the "Consolidated Financial Highlights" tables.

Ira Robbins, CEO, commented, "We continue to execute on our strategic priorities by growing low-cost core deposits and further diversifying our loan portfolio. These efforts have strengthened our balance sheet metrics and enhanced the sustainability of our earnings and profitability. Through targeted hiring efforts of strategically focused bankers, we are positioned to build on the momentum that we have established in recent years."

Mr. Robbins continued, "We simultaneously acknowledge that the banking landscape is evolving rapidly as artificial intelligence adoption accelerates. I believe that Valley is well-positioned to differentiate itself as a beneficiary from these changes. We invested early in AI talent, and continue to devote resources and focus to solutions that can augment the capabilities of our associates. Client relationships sit at the heart of our mission, and we firmly believe that AI can enhance the client experience and the efficiency of our delivery efforts."

Key financial highlights for the first quarter 2026:

• Net Interest Margin and Income: Our net interest margin on a tax equivalent basis of 3.17 percent for the first quarter 2026 remained unchanged from the fourth quarter 2025 and increased 21 basis points compared to the first quarter 2025. Net interest income on a tax equivalent basis of $472.8 million for the first quarter 2026 increased $6.7 million and $51.4 million compared to the fourth quarter 2025 and first quarter 2025, respectively. The increase in net interest income from the fourth quarter 2025 was mainly driven by an 18 basis point decline in our cost of total average deposits due to our disciplined deposit pricing and continued runoff of higher-cost indirect customer deposits. See additional details in the "Net Interest Income and Margin" section below.

• Deposits: Total deposit balances increased $676.5 million to $52.9 billion at March 31, 2026 as compared to $52.2 billion at December 31, 2025. During the quarter, our direct customer deposits increased $955.0 million which enabled us to reduce total indirect (brokered) customer deposits by $278.5 million at March 31, 2026. Direct customer deposit growth was driven by strength in the savings, NOW and money market deposit category primarily as a result of new commercial and online customer deposits. Non-Interest bearing deposits also increased $95.5 million reflecting inflows from both commercial and retail customers during the first quarter 2026. See the "Deposits" section below for more details.

• Loan Portfolio: Total loans increased $692.1 million, or 5.5 percent on an annualized basis, to $50.8 billion at March 31, 2026 from December 31, 2025 mostly due to increases of $466.0 million and $142.6 million in total commercial real estate (CRE) loans and commercial and industrial (C&I) loans, respectively. New owner occupied loans continued to drive a disproportionate amount of growth within the CRE loan portfolio during the first quarter 2026 while loan originations from a range of relationship-driven small to midsize clients contributed to the increase in C&I loans at March 31, 2026. Our CRE loan concentration ratio (defined as total CRE loans held for investment and held for sale, excluding owner occupied loans, as a percentage of total risk-based capital) continued to modestly decline to approximately 329 percent at March 31, 2026 from 333 percent at December 31, 2025. See the "Loans" section below for more details.

• Allowance and Provision for Credit Losses for Loans: The allowance for credit losses for loans totaled $599.8 million and $596.1 million at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively, representing 1.18 percent and 1.19 percent of total loans at each respective date. During the first quarter 2026, we recorded a provision for credit losses for loans of $21.2 million as compared to $20.0 million and $62.7 million for the fourth quarter 2025 and first quarter 2025, respectively. See the "Credit Quality" section below for more details.

• Credit Quality: Net loan charge-offs totaled $17.5 million for the first quarter 2026 as compared to $22.6 million and $41.9 million for the fourth quarter 2025 and first quarter 2025, respectively. Total accruing past due loans (i.e., loans past due 30 days or more and still accruing interest) decreased $13.4 million to $127.9 million, or 0.25 percent of total loans, at March 31, 2026 as compared to $141.3 million, or 0.28 percent of total loans, at December 31, 2025. Non-accrual loans totaled $432.6 million, or 0.85 percent of total loans, at March 31, 2026 as compared to $433.9 million, or 0.87 percent of total loans, at December 31, 2025. See the "Credit Quality" section below for more details.

• Non-Interest Income: Non-interest income decreased $7.5 million to $68.8 million for the first quarter 2026 as compared to the fourth quarter 2025 mainly driven by expected decreases of $5.1 million, $3.2 million and $2.2 million in capital markets, other income, and wealth management and trust fees, respectively. The decreases were mostly due to a lower volume of capital markets transactions, a decline in net gains related to the valuation of certain fintech investments and lower transaction-related tax credit advisory fees during the first quarter 2026. These decreases were partially offset by increases in both service charges on deposit accounts and net gains on sales of loans as compared to the fourth quarter 2025.

• Non-Interest Expense: Non-interest expense increased $10.5 million to $309.9 million for the first quarter 2026 as compared to the fourth quarter 2025 largely due to an increase of $11.1 million in salary and employee benefits expense. The increase in salary and employee benefits expense was mainly driven by normal seasonal increases in both salary and payroll taxes during the first quarter 2026, as well as a $5.1 million increase in severance charges during the first quarter 2026. The FDIC insurance assessment expense also increased $4.8 million during the first quarter 2026 as compared to the fourth quarter 2025. The FDIC assessment expense for the fourth quarter 2025 was net of a $5.7 million decrease in our estimated special assessment losses at December 31, 2025. These increases were partially offset by a decline of $4.4 million in other non-interest expense largely caused by elevated fourth quarter 2025 variable expenses within the category, including those related to charitable contributions, seasonal travel and events and other real estate owned expenses. Additionally, professional and legal fees also decreased $1.7 million mostly due to a moderate decline in consulting fees related to our operational transformation efforts.

• Efficiency Ratio: Our efficiency ratio was 53.10 percent for the first quarter 2026 as compared to 53.49 percent and 55.87 percent for the fourth quarter 2025 and first quarter 2025, respectively. See the "Consolidated Financial Highlights" tables below for additional information regarding our non-GAAP measures.

• Performance Ratios: Annualized return on average assets (ROA), shareholders’ equity (ROE) and tangible common shareholders' equity (ROTCE) were 1.02 percent, 8.35 percent and 11.56 percent for the first quarter 2026, respectively. Annualized ROA, ROE, and ROTCE, adjusted for non-core income and charges, were 1.05 percent, 8.60 percent and 11.92 percent for the first quarter 2026, respectively. See the "Consolidated Financial Highlights" tables below for additional information regarding our non-GAAP measures.
  
  

Net Interest Income and Margin

Net interest income on a tax equivalent basis of $472.8 million for the first quarter 2026 increased $6.7 million and $51.4 million compared to the fourth quarter 2025 and the first quarter 2025, respectively, largely resulting from a decline in the cost of average deposits and, to a lesser extent, lower average long-term borrowings and additional interest income from higher average overnight interest bearing cash balances. Interest income on a tax equivalent basis decreased $13.0 million to $804.0 million for the first quarter 2026 as compared to the fourth quarter 2025. The decrease was mostly the result of two fewer days in the first quarter 2026 and downward repricing of adjustable rate loans, partially offset by the additional interest income from interest bearing cash balances in the first quarter 2026. Total interest expense decreased $19.7 million to $331.2 million for the first quarter 2026 as compared to the fourth quarter 2025. The decrease was mainly the result of lower costs on most interest bearing deposit products and the maturity and repayment of higher-cost time deposits as well as certain long-term borrowings during the first quarter 2026. See the "Deposits" and "Other Borrowings" sections below for more details.

Net interest margin on a tax equivalent basis of 3.17 percent for the first quarter 2026 remained unchanged as compared to the fourth quarter 2025 and increased 21 basis points from 2.96 percent for the first quarter 2025. The yield on average interest earning assets decreased by 17 basis points to 5.39 percent on a linked quarter basis largely due to downward repricing of our adjustable rate loans and the lower yield on overnight interest bearing cash balances, partially offset by the higher level of yields on new loans and investment securities during the first quarter 2026. The overall cost of average interest bearing liabilities decreased by 24 basis points to 3.06 percent for the first quarter 2026 as compared to the fourth quarter 2025 largely due to disciplined management of our deposit pricing in the current market environment. Our cost of total average deposits was 2.27 percent for the first quarter 2026 as compared to 2.45 percent and 2.65 percent for the fourth quarter 2025 and first quarter 2025, respectively.

Loans, Deposits and Other Borrowings

Loans. Total loans increased $692.1 million, or 5.5 percent on an annualized basis, to $50.8 billion at March 31, 2026 from December 31, 2025. C&I loans increased by $142.6 million, or 5.2 percent on an annualized basis, to $11.1 billion at March 31, 2026 from December 31, 2025 largely driven by new originations from a range of relationship-driven small to midsize clients as a result of our continued focus on expansion of new loan production within this category. Total CRE (including construction) loans increased $466.0 million to $29.7 billion at March 31, 2026 from December 31, 2025 mostly due to solid customer demand and loan originations within the owner occupied category. Non-owner occupied loans decreased $67.3 million from December 31, 2025 mainly due to our continued targeted runoff of transactional/non-relationship loans in the first quarter 2026. Residential mortgage and total consumer loans increased $42.9 million and $40.7 million, respectively, at March 31, 2026 from December 31, 2025 due to modest broad-based growth in these products.

Loans held for sale decreased $15.0 million to $11.2 million at March 31, 2026 from December 31, 2025 due, in part, to the sale of a non-performing CRE loan relationship totaling $9.1 million to an unrelated party during the first quarter 2026. The non-performing loan sale resulted in a net gain of $767 thousand recognized within net gains on sales of loans for the first quarter 2026.

Deposits. Actual ending balances for deposits increased $676.5 million to $52.9 billion at March 31, 2026 from December 31, 2025 mainly due to additional commercial and online customer deposit balances within the savings, NOW and money market deposit category. The non-interest bearing deposits increased $95.5 million to $12.3 billion at March 31, 2026 as compared to December 31, 2025 largely driven by deposit inflows from a blend of commercial and retail customers during the first quarter 2026. Total indirect customer deposits (consisting of brokered time and money market deposits) totaled $5.1 billion and $5.4 billion at March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025, respectively. The decrease in indirect customer deposits from December 31, 2025 was mainly related to lower brokered money market deposit balances at March 31, 2026. Non-interest bearing deposits; savings, NOW and money market deposits; and time deposits represented approximately 23 percent, 55 percent and 22 percent of total deposits at both March 31, 2026 and December 31, 2025.

Other Borrowings. Short-term borrowings, consisting of securities sold under repurchase agreements, decreased $27.6 million to $63.9 million at March 31, 2026 from December 31, 2025. Long-term borrowings totaled $2.6 billion at March 31, 2026 and decreased $347.7 million as compared to December 31, 2025 due to the maturity and repayment of certain FHLB advances.

Credit Quality

Non-Performing Assets (NPAs). NPAs, consisting of non-accrual loans, other real estate owned (OREO) and other repossessed assets, totaled $439.6 million at March 31, 2026 and remained relatively unchanged as compared to December 31, 2025. Non-accrual loans decreased $1.3 million to $432.6 million, or 0.85 percent of total loans at March 31, 2026 as compared to $433.9 million, or 0.87 percent of total loans, at December 31, 2025. The decrease was primarily driven by a decline in non-accrual CRE loans, partially offset by higher non-accrual C&I and, to a lesser extent, residential mortgage loans. Non-accrual CRE loans decreased $10.8 million at March 31, 2026 from December 31, 2025 mainly due to the sale of the $9.1 million non-performing loan relationship that was classified as held for sale at December 31, 2025.

Accruing Past Due Loans. Total accruing past due loans (i.e., loans past due 30 days or more and still accruing interest) decreased $13.4 million to $127.9 million, or 0.25 percent of total loans, at March 31, 2026 as compared to $141.3 million, or 0.28 percent of total loans, at December 31, 2025.

Loans 30 to 59 days past due decreased $11.6 million to $108.4 million at March 31, 2026 as compared to December 31, 2025 largely due to lower delinquencies across all loan categories and a C&I loan relationship totaling $3.5 million that migrated from this past due category at December 31, 2025 to loans 90 days or more past due and still accruing at March 31, 2026. Loans 60 to 89 days past due decreased $7.9 million to $8.8 million at March 31, 2026 as compared to December 31, 2025 primarily due to lower residential mortgage and consumer loan delinquencies. Loans 90 days or more past due and still accruing interest increased $6.1 million to $10.7 million at March 31, 2026 as compared to December 31, 2025 largely due to higher residential mortgage loans delinquencies and the migration of the aforementioned C&I loan relationship from the 30 to 59 days past due delinquency category during the first quarter of 2026. All loans 90 days or more past due and still accruing interest are well-secured and in the process of collection.

Allowance for Credit Losses for Loans and Unfunded Commitments. The following table summarizes the allocation of the allowance for credit losses to loan categories and the allocation as a percentage of each loan category at March 31, 2026, December 31, 2025, and March 31, 2025:

Our loan portfolio, totaling $50.8 billion at March 31, 2026, had net loan charge-offs totaling $17.5 million for the first quarter 2026 as compared to $22.6 million and $41.9 million for the fourth quarter 2025 and the first quarter 2025, respectively. Gross loan charge-offs totaled $19.8 million for the first quarter 2026 and were mostly driven by the partial charge-offs of non-performing loan relationships within the CRE loan category.

The allowance for credit losses for loans, comprised of our allowance for loan losses and unfunded credit commitments, as a percentage of total loans was 1.18 percent at March 31, 2026, 1.19 percent at December 31, 2025, and 1.22 percent at March 31, 2025. For the first quarter 2026, the provision for credit losses for loans totaled $21.2 million as compared to $20.0 million and $62.7 million for the fourth quarter 2025 and first quarter 2025, respectively. The first quarter 2026 provision was mainly impacted by (i) increases in the economic forecast and non-economic qualitative components of our reserve and (ii) commercial loan growth, partially offset by (iii) lower quantitative reserves in certain loan categories at March 31, 2026.

Capital Adequacy

Valley's total risk-based capital, Tier 1 capital, common equity tier 1 capital, and Tier 1 leverage capital ratios were 13.66 percent, 11.60 percent, 10.91 percent and 9.56 percent, respectively, at March 31, 2026 as compared to 13.77 percent, 11.69 percent, 10.99 percent and 9.63 percent, respectively, at December 31, 2025. During the first quarter 2026, we repurchased 4.0 million shares of our common stock at an average price of $12.95 under our current stock repurchase plan.

Investor Conference Call

Valley’s CEO, Ira Robbins, will host a conference call with investors and the financial community at 8:30 AM (ET) today to discuss Valley's first quarter 2026 earnings and related matters. Interested parties should preregister using this link: https://register.vevent.com/register to receive the dial-in number and a personal PIN, which are required to access the conference call. The teleconference will also be webcast live: https://edge.media-server.com and archived on Valley’s website through Monday, May 25, 2026. Investor presentation materials will be made available prior to the conference call at www.valley.com.

About Valley

As the principal subsidiary of Valley National Bancorp (NASDAQ: VLY), Valley National Bank is a regional financial institution with over $64 billion in assets. Founded in 1927, Valley has more than 200 offices nationwide and serves clients across New Jersey, New York, Florida, Alabama, California, Illinois, Pennsylvania and Arizona. Valley delivers a full range of consumer, commercial, and wealth management solutions designed to support everything from homeownership and business growth to long-term financial planning. Big enough to support complex financial needs and small enough to stay deeply connected, Valley is grounded in a relationship-led approach focused on understanding people first. That same relationship-led approach guides Valley’s commitment to community investment and responsible corporate citizenship. To learn more, visit www.valley.com or call the Valley Customer Care Center at 800-522-4100.

Forward-Looking Statements

The foregoing contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are not historical facts and include expressions about management’s confidence and strategies and management’s expectations about our business, new and existing programs and products, acquisitions, relationships, opportunities, taxation, technology, market conditions and economic expectations. These statements may be identified by forward-looking terminology such as “intend,” “should,” “expect,” “believe,” “position,” “view,” “opportunity,” “allow,” “continues,” “reflects,” “would,” “could,” “typically,” “usually,” “anticipate,” “may,” “estimate,” “outlook,” “project” or similar statements or variations of such terms. Such forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated in these forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:

• the impact of market interest rates and monetary and fiscal policies of the U.S. federal government and its agencies in connection with prolonged inflationary pressures, which could have a material adverse effect on our clients, our business, our employees, and our ability to provide services to our customers;

• the impact of unfavorable macroeconomic conditions or downturns, including instability or volatility in financial markets resulting from the impact of tariffs/import fees and other trade policies and practices, any retaliatory actions, related market uncertainty, or other factors; U.S. government debt default or rating downgrade; unanticipated loan delinquencies; loss of collateral; decreased service revenues; increased business disruptions or failures; reductions in employment; and other potential negative effects on our business, employees or clients caused by factors outside of our control, such as new legislation and policy changes under the current U.S. presidential administration, any shutdown of the U.S federal government, geopolitical instabilities or events, including ongoing conflicts in the Middle East, natural and other disasters, including severe weather events and other climate-related risks, health emergencies, acts of terrorism, or other external events;

• the impact of any potential instability within the U.S. financial sector or future bank failures, including the possibility of a run on deposits by a coordinated deposit base, and the impact of any actual or perceived concerns regarding the soundness, or creditworthiness, of other financial institutions, including any resulting disruption within the financial markets, increased expenses, including FDIC insurance assessments, or adverse impact on our stock price, deposits or our ability to borrow or raise capital;

• the impact of negative public opinion regarding Valley or banks in general that damages our reputation and adversely impacts business and revenues;

• changes in the statutes, regulations, policies, enforcement priorities, or composition of the federal bank regulatory agencies;

• the loss of or decrease in lower-cost funding sources within our deposit base;

• investigations, damage verdicts, settlements or restrictions related to existing or potential class action litigation or individual litigation arising from claims of violations of laws or regulations, contractual claims, breach of fiduciary responsibility, negligence, fraud, environmental laws, patent, trademark or other intellectual property infringement, misappropriation or other violation, employment-related claims, and other matters;

• a prolonged downturn and contraction in the economy, as well as any decline in commercial real estate values collateralizing a significant portion of our loan portfolio;

• higher or lower than expected income tax expense or tax rates, including increases or decreases resulting from changes in uncertain tax position liabilities, tax laws, regulations, and case law;

• the inability to grow customer deposits to keep pace with the level of loan growth;

• a material change in our allowance for credit losses due to forecasted economic conditions and/or unexpected credit deterioration in our loan and investment portfolios;

• the need to supplement debt or equity capital to maintain or exceed internal capital thresholds;

• changes in our business, strategy, market conditions or other factors that may negatively impact the estimated fair value of our goodwill and other intangible assets and result in future impairment charges;

• greater than expected technology-related costs due to, among other factors, prolonged or failed implementations, additional project staffing and obsolescence caused by continuous and rapid market innovations;

• increased competitive challenges and competitive pressure on pricing of our products and services;

• our ability to stay current with rapid technological changes and evolving legal and regulatory requirements in the financial services industry, including developments relating to the use of artificial intelligence, blockchain, and related regulatory developments, as well as our ability to effectively assess and monitor the effects of, and risks associated with, the implementation and use of such technology;

• cyberattacks, ransomware attacks, computer viruses, malware or other cybersecurity incidents that may breach the security of our or our third-party service providers’ websites or other systems or networks to obtain unauthorized access to personal, confidential, proprietary or sensitive information, destroy data, disable or degrade service, or sabotage our systems or networks, and the increasing sophistication of such attacks and use of targeted tactics against the financial services industry;

• any disruption of our systems and network, or those of our third-party service providers, resulting from events that are wholly or partially beyond our control, including, for example, electrical, telecommunications, or other major service outages, or actions by employees, which may give rise to financial loss or liability;

• results of examinations by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Federal Reserve Bank, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and other regulatory authorities, including the possibility that any such regulatory authority may, among other things, require us to increase our allowance for credit losses, write-down assets, reimburse customers, change the way we do business, or limit or eliminate certain other banking activities;

• application of heightened regulatory standards for certain large insured national banks, and the expenses we will incur to develop policies, programs, and systems that comply with the enhanced standards applicable to us;

• our inability or determination not to pay dividends at current levels, or at all, because of inadequate earnings, regulatory restrictions or limitations, changes in our capital requirements, or a decision to increase capital by retaining more earnings;

• unanticipated loan delinquencies, loss of collateral, decreased service revenues, and other potential negative effects on our business caused by severe weather and other climate-related risks, pandemics or other public health crises, acts of terrorism or other external events;

• our ability to successfully execute our business plan and strategic initiatives; and

• unexpected significant declines in the loan portfolio due to the lack of economic expansion, increased competition, large prepayments, risk mitigation strategies, changes in regulatory lending guidance or other factors.
  
  

A detailed discussion of factors that could affect our results is included in our SEC filings, including Item 1A. "Risk Factors" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025.

We undertake no duty to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in our expectations, except as required by law. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements.

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