Net Income. Net income was $2.1 million or $0.21 per diluted share, for the three months ended March 31, 2025 compared to $2.6 million, or $0.24 per diluted share, for the three months ended March 31, 2024.
Interest Income. Interest income increased $877,000, or 8.0%, to $11.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025 from $11.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024. The increase was due primarily to an increase in interest income on loans, partially offset by a decrease in other interest income on cash and cash equivalents. Interest income on loans increased $959,000 or 9.8%, to $10.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025 from $9.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024 due to increases in the portfolio and in the average yield on loans. The average balance of loans increased $31.3 million, or 4.4%, to $739.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025 from $708.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024. The weighted average yield on loans increased 35 basis points to 5.89% for the three months ended March 31, 2025 compared to 5.54% for the three months ended March 31, 2024, as variable rate loans reset to higher interest rates and the rates on new loans exceeded the rates on paid off loans due to the higher interest rate environment. Other interest income decreased related to interest income on cash and cash equivalents $81,000 to $743,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2025 from $824,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2024 due to a decrease in the yield of 76 basis points, offset by a $4.2 million increase in the average balance of cash and cash equivalents.
Interest Expense. Interest expense increased $197,000 or 6.5% to $3.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025 from $3.0 million at March 31, 2024. Interest expense on deposits increased $615,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2025 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2024, as rates paid increased and depositors moved money into higher-cost certificates of deposit and money market accounts, offset by a decrease in interest expense on borrowings of $418,000.
The increase in interest expense on deposits was due to a 40 basis point increase in the average rate, as well as a $30.9 million increase in the average balance of interest-bearing deposits to $522.9 million at March 31, 2025 from $492.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024. The average rate on interest-bearing deposits was 2.02% for the three months ended March 31, 2025 compared to 1.62% for the three months ended March 31, 2024.
Interest expense on FHLB advances for the three months ended March 31, 2025 was $171,000 compared to $0 for the three months ended March 31, 2024 due to $15.0 million in new borrowings in 2025.
Interest expense on subordinated debentures decreased $589,000, or 55.8%, to $466,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2025 compared to $1.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024. The decrease was due primarily to the pay-off in the first quarter of 2024 of $3.0 million in junior subordinated debt assumed in a prior acquisition and the concurrent write-off of the purchase accounting adjustment on that debt.
Net Interest Income. Net interest income was $8.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2025 compared to $8.0 million in the three months ended March 31, 2024. The net interest margin for the three months ended March 31, 2025 was 4.12% compared to 3.91% for the three months ended March 31, 2024. The net interest spread for the three months ended March 31, 2025 was 3.37% compared to 3.10% for the three months ended March 31, 2024.
Provision for Credit Losses.
We recorded a provision for credit losses of $297,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2025 compared to a provision for credit losses of $18,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2024. Our allowance for credit losses was $8.9 million at March 31, 2025 compared to $8.5 million at March 31, 2024. The ratio of our allowance for credit losses to total loans was 1.18% at March 31, 2025 compared to 1.20% at March 31, 2024, while the allowance for credit losses to non-performing loans was 183.9% at March 31, 2025 compared to 79.2% at March 31, 2024. The Company had net recoveries on previously charged off loans of $15,000 in the quarter ended March 31, 2025 as compared to net recoveries of $85,000 in the quarter ended March 31, 2024.
Non-interest Income. For the three months ended March 31, 2025, noninterest income totaled $530,000 compared to $578,000 in the quarter ended March 31, 2024.
Non-interest Expense. For the three months ended March 31, 2025, noninterest expense totaled $6.2 million compared to $4.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024. Compensation and benefits expenses increased $1.4 million, or 44.6%, due to increases in salaries and the $1.2 million cost of the equity awards granted after the stockholders approved the 2024 Equity Incentive Plan. Professional fees increased $119,000, or 106.3%, primarily due to a recovery in 2024 of previously expensed legal fees of $109,000 on the disposition of a problem loan. Other expenses decreased $271,000 or 43.2%.