Hanover Bancorp, Inc. /MD (HNVR)

ITEM 2. - MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements - This document contains a number of forward-looking statements, including statements about the financial condition, results of operations, earnings outlook and prospects of the Company. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words such as “should,” “likely,” “plan,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “outlook,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “target,” “project,” “goal” and other similar words and expressions. The forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties. The ability of the Company to predict results or the actual effects of its plans and strategies is subject to inherent uncertainty.

Factors that may cause actual results or earnings to differ materially from such forward-looking statements include those set forth in Part I, Item 1A. Risk Factors in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025, as updated by the Company’s subsequent filings with the SEC and, among others, the following:

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Because these forward-looking statements are subject to assumptions and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed or implied by these forward-looking statements. You are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these statements, which speak only as of the date of this document. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements concerning matters addressed in this document and attributable to the Company or any person acting on its behalf are expressly qualified in their entirety by the cautionary statements contained or referred to in this document. Except to the extent required by applicable law or regulation, the Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of this document or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

Non-GAAP Disclosure - This discussion includes discussions of the Company’s tangible common equity (“TCE”) ratio, TCE, tangible assets and efficiency ratio, all of which are non-GAAP financial measures. A non-GAAP financial measure is a numerical measure of historical or future financial performance, financial position or cash flows that excludes or modifies amounts that are required to be disclosed in the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with U.S. GAAP. The Company believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide both management and investors a more complete understanding of the underlying operational results and trends and the Company’s marketplace performance. The presentation of this additional information is not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the numbers prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP and may not be comparable to similarly titled measures used by other financial institutions.

With respect to the calculations and reconciliations of TCE, tangible assets and the TCE ratio, please see Liquidity and Capital Resources contained herein for a reconciliation to the most directly comparable GAAP measure.

Executive Summary – The Company is a one-bank holding company incorporated in 2016. The Company operates as the parent for its wholly owned subsidiary, the Bank, which commenced operations in 2008. The income of the Company is primarily derived through the operations of the Bank. Unless the context otherwise requires, references herein to the Company include the Company and the Bank on a consolidated basis.

The Company completed its core processing system conversion to FIS Horizon in February 2025. This conversion, coupled with our refreshed corporate logo, exemplifies our momentum towards a more technologically advanced, modern and digitally forward-thinking bank.

The Company was added to the Russell 2000 Index in late June 2025. The Russell 2000 Index tracks 2,000 small-cap U.S.-traded stocks by objective, market-capitalization rankings, and style attributes. The Russell Indexes are widely used by investment managers and institutional investors for index funds and as benchmarks for active investment strategies.

The Bank operates as a locally headquartered, community-oriented bank serving customers throughout the New York metro area from offices in Nassau, Suffolk, Queens, Kings (Brooklyn) and New York (Manhattan) Counties, New York, and Freehold, Monmouth County, New Jersey. We opened the Bank’s Hauppauge Business Banking Center in Hauppauge, Suffolk County, New York in May 2023. This location is the nexus of our expanded commercial lending and deposit activities that are integral to the ongoing diversification of our balance sheet as we fill the void left by the diminishing number of commercial banks in the NYC Metro area. In June 2025, we opened a full-service branch in Port Jefferson, Suffolk County, New York to serve the thriving Suffolk County area. Our new full-service branch in downtown Riverhead, New York is currently scheduled to open for business in the third quarter of 2026. We offer personal and business loans on a secured and unsecured basis, SBA and USDA guaranteed loans, revolving lines of credit, commercial mortgage loans, and one- to four-family non-qualified mortgages secured by primary and secondary residences that may be owner occupied or investment properties, home equity loans, bridge loans and other personal purpose loans.

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The Bank works to provide more direct, personal attention to customers than management believes is offered by competing financial institutions, the majority of which are headquartered outside of the Bank’s primary trade area and are represented locally by branch offices. By striving to employ professional, responsive and knowledgeable staff, the Bank believes it offers a superior level of service to its customers. As a result of senior management’s availability for consultation on a daily basis, the Bank believes it offers customers quicker responses on loan applications and other banking transactions, as well as greater and earlier certainty as to whether these transactions will actually close, than competitors, whose decisions may take longer and be made in distant headquarters.

Historically, the Bank has generated additional income by strategically originating and selling residential and government guaranteed loans to other financial institutions at premiums, while also retaining servicing rights in some sales. However, with the higher market interest rates experienced in recent years, the appetite among the Bank’s purchasers of residential loans for pools of loans declined, eliminating the Bank’s ability to sell residential loans in its portfolio on desirable terms. In response, the Bank developed a flow origination program under which the Bank originates individual loans for sale to specific buyers, thereby positioning the Bank to resume residential loan sales and generate fee income to complement sale premiums earned from the sale of the guaranteed portion of SBA loans. The Bank is an approved SBA Preferred Lender, enabling the Bank to process SBA applications under delegated authority from the SBA and enhancing the Bank’s ability to compete more effectively for SBA lending opportunities.

The Bank remains focused on expanding its core verticals and continues to originate loans for its portfolio and for sale in the secondary market under its residential flow origination program. During the quarters ended June 30, 2026 and 2025, the Company sold $27.2  million and $23.7 million, respectively, of residential loans under its flow origination program and recorded gains on sale of loans held-for-sale of $0.7 million and $0.5 million, respectively.

During the quarters ended June 30, 2026 and 2025, the Company sold approximately $8.3 million and $22.3 million, respectively, of government guaranteed SBA loans and recorded gains on sale of loans held-for-sale of $0.7 million and $1.8 million, respectively. SBA loan originations and gains on sale continue to be lower due to a less favorable economic outlook for many business owners along with the Bank’s ongoing prudent decision to tighten credit. Together, these factors contributed to lower SBA loan volume, approval levels, and related gain-on-sale income.

In February 2026, the Bank executed a proactive wholesale funding optimization strategy, restructuring five FHLB advances maturing in 2027 and 2028 and totaling $60.3 million in two new advances of equal principal with embedded put features to enhance balance sheet flexibility. The transaction reduced the weighted average all-in borrowing cost from 4.27% to 3.47%, generating approximately $40 thousand in monthly interest expense savings while preserving appropriate term funding and call protection.

On March 12, 2026, the Company issued $35 million of 10-year fixed-to-floating rate subordinated notes with a fixed coupon rate of 7.25% for the first five years. The Company used the net proceeds to provide capital to support growth of the consolidated entity and redeemed in full its previously outstanding $25 million of 8.54% floating rate subordinated notes on April 15, 2026, thereby reducing the Company’s cost of funds.

As previously announced on July 20, 2026, Kevin O’Connor has been named to the position of President of the Company and the Bank e

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ITEM 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

The following is a discussion of our financial condition and results or our operations for the years ended December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. The purpose of this discussion is to focus on information about our financial condition and results of operations which is not otherwise apparent from our consolidated financial statements. Unless the context otherwise specifies or requires, references herein to “we” or “us” include Hanover Bancorp, Inc. and Hanover Bank on a consolidated basis.

Business Overview

The Company is a Maryland corporation and is the holding company for the Bank. The Bank, a community commercial bank focusing on highly personalized and efficient services and products responsive to local needs, commenced operations in 2009 and is incorporated under the laws of the State of New York. As a New York State chartered bank, the Bank is subject to regulation by the DFS and the FDIC. As a bank holding company, the Company is subject to regulation and examination by the FRB.

The Company completed its core processing system conversion to FIS Horizon in February 2025. This conversion, coupled with our recently refreshed corporate logo, exemplifies our momentum towards a more technologically advanced, modern and digitally forward-thinking bank.

The Company was added to the Russell 2000 Index in June 2025. The Russell 2000 Index encompasses the 2,000 largest U.S.-traded stocks by objective, market-capitalization rankings, and style attributes. The Russell Indexes are widely used by investment managers and institutional investors for index funds and as benchmarks for active investment strategies.

The Bank offers a full range of financial services including a complete suite of consumer, commercial, and municipal banking products and services, including multifamily and commercial mortgages, government guaranteed loans, residential loans, business loans and lines of credit. The Bank also offers its customers, among other things, access to 24-hour ATM service with no fees, free checking with interest, telephone banking, advanced technologies in mobile and internet banking for its consumer and business customers and safe deposit boxes. Our corporate administrative office is located in Mineola, New York where the Bank also operates a full-service branch office. Additional branches are located in Garden City Park, Hauppauge, Port Jefferson, Forest Hills, Flushing, Sunset Park, Rockefeller Center and Bowery, New York and Freehold, New Jersey. It is expected that the Company will once again expand its geographic footprint with the opening of a full-service branch in a state-of-the-art facility in downtown Riverhead, New York. Business development staff have already joined the Company in anticipation of the opening of this location. Subject to regulatory approvals, the Bank expects to open the branch in late 2026. The Company expects that a temporary office location in Riverhead will be operational by the end of the first quarter of 2026.

At December 31, 2025, on a consolidated basis we had $2.38 billion in total assets, $200.3 million in total stockholders’ equity, $2.00 billion in total loans, $2.03 billion in total deposits and 194 full-time equivalent employees.

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Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

We prepare our consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP. The preparation of these consolidated financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amount of revenues and expenses during the reporting period. Actual results could differ significantly from those estimates. Our significant accounting policies and effects of new accounting pronouncements are discussed in detail in Note 1, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” to the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements contained in Item 8. Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant changes relate to the determination of the allowance for credit losses and goodwill.

Allowance for Credit Losses

The allowance for credit losses (“ACL”) is a valuation allowance for management’s estimate of expected credit losses in the loan portfolio. The process to determine expected credit losses utilizes analytic tools and judgment and is reviewed on a quarterly basis. When management is reasonably certain that a loan balance is not fully collectable, an analysis is completed and an allowance may be established or a full or partial charge-off could be recorded against the allowance. Subsequent recoveries, if any, are credited to the allowance. Management estimates the allowance balance via a quantitative analysis which considers available information from internal and external sources related to past loan loss and prepayment experience and current conditions, as well as the incorporation of reasonable and supportable forecasts. Management evaluates a variety of factors including available published economic information in arriving at its forecast. Expected credit losses are estimated over the contractual term of the loans and adjusted for expected prepayments when appropriate. Also included in the allowance for credit losses are qualitative reserves that are expected, but, in management’s assessment, may not be adequately represented in the quantitative analysis or the forecasts described above. Factors may include changes in lending policies and procedures, size and composition of the portfolio, experience and depth of lending management and the effect of external factors such as competition, legal and regulatory requirements, among others. The allowance is available for any loan that, in management’s judgment, should be charged-off. Although management uses the best information available, the level of the allowance for credit losses remains an estimate, which is subject to significant judgment and short-term change. Various regulatory agencies, as an integral part of their examination process, periodically review the Bank’s allowance for credit losses. Such agencies may require the Company to make additional provisions for credit losses based upon information available to them at the time of their examination. The Bank considers its primary lending area to be the New York metro area. A substantial portion of the Bank’s loans are secured by real estate in this area. Accordingly, the ultimate collectability of the loan portfolio is susceptible to changes in market and economic conditions in this region. Future adjustments to the provision for credit losses and allowance for credit losses may be necessary due to economic, operating, regulatory and other conditions beyond the Company’s control.

Goodwill

Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the net fair value of the acquired businesses. Goodwill is not amortized, but is tested for impairment at the reporting unit level, at least annually or more frequently whenever events or circumstances occur that indicate that it is more-likely-than-not that an impairment loss has occurred. In assessing impairment, the Company has the option to perform a qualitative analysis to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more-likely-than-not that the fair value of the reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If, after assessing the totality of such events or circumstances, we determine it is not more-likely-than-not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount, then we would not be required to perform an impairment test.

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The quantitative impairment analysis requires a comparison of each reporting unit’s fair value to its carrying value to identify potential impairment. Goodwill impairment exists when a reporting unit’s carrying value of goodwill exceeds its implied fair value. Significant judgment is applied when goodwill is assessed for impairment. This judgment includes, but may not be limited to, the selection of appropriate discount rates, the identification of relevant market comparables and the development of cash flow projections. The selection and weighting of the various fair value techniques may result in a higher or lower fair value. Judgment is applied in determining the weightings that are most representative of fair value. As of November 30, 2025, the Company elected to proceed to a quantitative calculation to compare the reporting unit's fair value with its carrying value. The results of the evaluation indicated that fair value exceeded the carrying value of the reporting unit.

Annual goodwill impairment testing was performed as of November 30 and no impairment charges were incurred. Future unfavorable conditions could result in goodwill impairment. We continue to evaluate our qualitative assessment assumptions, which are subject to risks and uncertainties, including: (1) general macroeconomic conditions such as a deterioration in general economic conditions, limitations on accessing capital, fluctuations in foreign exchange rates, or other developments in equity and credit markets; (2) industry and market conditions such as a deterioration in the environment in which we operate, an increased competitive environment, a decline in market-dependent multiples or metrics (in both absolute terms and relative to peers), a change in the market for our products or services, or a regulatory or political development; (3) changes in cost factors such as increases in labor, or other costs that have a negative effect on earnings and cash flows; (4) overall financial performance for both actual and expected performance; (5) Entity and reporting unit–specific events such as changes in management, key personnel, strategy, or customers; contemplation of bankruptcy; litigation; or a change in the composition or carrying amount of net assets; and (6) a sustained decrease in share price in both absolute terms and relative to peers, if applicable. See Note 1, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” and Note 10, “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets” to the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements contained in Item 8 for further details.

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Results of Operations for the year ended December 31, 2025 compared to the year ended December 31, 2024

For the year ended December 31, 2025, we recognized net income of $7.5 million, or $1.00 per diluted share (including Series A preferred shares), compared to net income of $12.3 million, or $1.66 per diluted share (including Series A preferred shares) for the year ended December 31, 2024. The decrease in net income recorded for the year ended December 31, 2025 from the year ended December 31, 2024 resulted from an increase in the provision for credit losses, a decrease in non-interest income, and an increase in non-interest expense. These were partially offset by an increase in net interest income. The increase in the provision for credit losses was largely impacted by $14.2 million in net charge-offs in 2025. The decrease in non-interest income is primarily related to the decrease in the gain on sale of loans held-for-sale which was partially offset by the increases in loan servicing and fee income and service charges on deposit accounts. The increase in non-interest expense was primarily related to the increase in salaries and employees benefits and the one-time core system conversion expenses.

Set forth below are our selected consolidated financial and other data. Our business is primarily the business of our Bank. This financial data is derived in part from, and should be read in conjunction with, our consolidated financial statements.

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