FAIR LAWN, N.J., Feb. 02, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Columbia Financial, Inc. (the “Company”) (NASDAQ: CLBK), the mid-tier holding company for Columbia Bank ("Columbia"), reported net income of $15.7 million, or $0.15 per basic and diluted share, for the quarter ended December 31, 2025, as compared to a net loss of $21.2 million, or $0.21 per basic and diluted share, for the quarter ended December 31, 2024. Earnings for the quarter ended December 31, 2025 reflected higher net interest income due to both an increase in interest income and a decrease in interest expense, a decrease in provision for credit losses and higher non-interest income, partially offset by higher income tax expense. During the fourth quarter of 2024, as previously disclosed, the Company restructured its balance sheet by selling debt securities available for sale and prepaying higher cost borrowings, which resulted in a pre-tax loss of $37.9 million. For the quarter ended December 31, 2025, the Company reported core net income of $15.9 million, an increase of $4.5 million, or 39.6%, compared to core net income of $11.4 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2024. (Refer to "Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures" for a reconciliation of GAAP net income to core net income.) The positive impact of the balance sheet repositioning transaction in 2024 significantly contributed to the net interest margin expansion in the 2025 period.