Northfield Bancorp (NASDAQ:NFBK) Sets New 12-Month High Following Earnings Beat

Northfield Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ:NFBK)’s stock price reached a new 52-week high during mid-day trading on Monday following a better than expected earnings announcement. The company traded as high as $13.87 and last traded at $13.5040, with a volume of 10025 shares trading hands. The stock had previously closed at $12.32.

The bank reported $0.34 earnings per share (EPS) for the quarter, topping the consensus estimate of $0.28 by $0.06. Northfield Bancorp had a net margin of 0.30% and a return on equity of 5.86%. The firm had revenue of $41.34 million for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $39.48 million.

Northfield Bancorp Announces Dividend

The firm also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which will be paid on Wednesday, February 25th. Shareholders of record on Thursday, February 12th will be paid a dividend of $0.13 per share. This represents a $0.52 annualized dividend and a yield of 3.8%. The ex-dividend date is Thursday, February 12th. Northfield Bancorp’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is currently 53.61%.

Key Stories Impacting Northfield Bancorp

Here are the key news stories impacting Northfield Bancorp this week:

• Positive Sentiment: Merger agreement — Columbia Financial agreed to acquire Northfield in a transaction valued at about $597 million, offering Northfield shareholders a choice of cash or shares of the new holding company; the deal is expected to create the third‑largest regional bank in NJ and was described as accretive to Columbia’s EPS. Columbia and Northfield merger press release
• Positive Sentiment: Dividend and shareholder cash return — Northfield’s board declared a $0.13 quarterly cash dividend (payable Feb 25), which supports near‑term shareholder income while the deal/transition progresses. Q4 results & dividend announcement
• Positive Sentiment: Improving core margin and funding — Management reported materially higher net interest income and a stronger net interest margin (NIM up ~16–52 bps, depending on period), plus growth in core (non‑brokered) deposits — signs of operating improvement underneath the one‑time charge. Q4 results & commentary
• Neutral Sentiment: Heavy trading / news halt — NFBK trading was temporarily halted around the announcement and intraday volume is well above average, reflecting heightened event risk and potential volatility around the merger mechanics. Press release & trading halt note
• Negative Sentiment: Large non‑cash goodwill impairment — Northfield recorded a $41.0M goodwill impairment that drove a $27.4M Q4 net loss (≈$0.69/sh), materially reducing GAAP earnings for the quarter even though management says asset quality and capital were not impaired. Q4 results & impairment details
• Negative Sentiment: Shareholder litigation risk — Multiple law firms have opened investigations into whether the merger consideration and process are fair to Northfield shareholders, introducing legal and timing uncertainty that could complicate or delay the deal. Class action investigation notices

Wall Street Analysts Forecast Growth

Several equities research analysts recently commented on NFBK shares. Keefe, Bruyette & Woods dropped their price objective on Northfield Bancorp from $13.00 to $12.00 and set a “market perform” rating on the stock in a research report on Tuesday, October 28th. Weiss Ratings reaffirmed a “hold (c)” rating on shares of Northfield Bancorp in a report on Monday, December 29th. One equities research analyst has rated the stock with a Buy rating and two have given a Hold rating to the stock. According to data from MarketBeat, Northfield Bancorp presently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and an average target price of $13.00.

Institutional Investors Weigh In On Northfield Bancorp

Several hedge funds and other institutional investors have recently made changes to their positions in the business. Cullen Frost Bankers Inc. purchased a new position in shares of Northfield Bancorp in the second quarter worth approximately $31,000. Signaturefd LLC raised its position in Northfield Bancorp by 41.6% in the fourth quarter. Signaturefd LLC now owns 3,019 shares of the bank’s stock worth $35,000 after acquiring an additional 887 shares during the period. Russell Investments Group Ltd. boosted its stake in shares of Northfield Bancorp by 1,195.9% during the 3rd quarter. Russell Investments Group Ltd. now owns 3,447 shares of the bank’s stock worth $41,000 after acquiring an additional 3,181 shares during the last quarter. Quadrant Capital Group LLC purchased a new position in shares of Northfield Bancorp during the 3rd quarter worth $77,000. Finally, Cornerstone Planning Group LLC grew its position in shares of Northfield Bancorp by 30,922.6% during the 4th quarter. Cornerstone Planning Group LLC now owns 9,617 shares of the bank’s stock valued at $114,000 after acquiring an additional 9,586 shares during the period. Hedge funds and other institutional investors own 65.51% of the company’s stock.

Northfield Bancorp Price Performance

The firm has a 50 day moving average price of $11.79 and a 200 day moving average price of $11.35. The stock has a market capitalization of $570.15 million, a PE ratio of 1,364.00 and a beta of 0.85. The company has a current ratio of 1.00, a quick ratio of 1.00 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 1.31.

Northfield Bancorp Company Profile

Northfield Bancorp is the bank holding company for Northfield Bank, a New Jersey‐based community bank offering a full range of financial products and services. Headquartered in New Jersey, the company serves individuals, families and small to mid‐sized businesses across Northern and Central New Jersey. Northfield Bancorp focuses on building lasting customer relationships through a combination of personalized service and technology‐driven solutions.

Through its subsidiary, Northfield Bank provides personal banking services such as checking and savings accounts, consumer loans, mortgage products and home equity lines of credit.