Despite expenses related to tax reform and merger costs, the parent company of East Boston Savings Bank escaped 2017 with positive net income in the fourth quarter and strong growth on the year.

Meridian Bancorp reported net income of $9 million in the fourth quarter of 2017, or $0.17 per diluted share, down from $11.3 million, or $0.22 per diluted share, for the quarter ended Dec. 31, 2016.

Annual net income was $42.9 million, or $0.82 per diluted share, up from $34.2 million, or $0.65 per diluted share, for the year ended Dec. 31, 2016.

The solid earnings came after a $7 million charge due to a recalculation of the company’s deferred tax assets, which adjust down with the change in the corporate tax rate.

They also came after non-recurring merger and acquisition expenses totaling $1.8 million for the quarter and $2.1 million for the year related to Meridian’s acquisition of Meetinghouse Bancorp and Meetinghouse Bank.

The acquisition, completed at the very end at the very end of the fourth quarter, will add $120 million in assets, including $76 million in loans, $94 million in deposits and two branches in the Boston neighborhoods of Dorchester and Roslindale.

“Meridian earned record net income of $42.9 million for the year 2017, up $8.8 million, or 26 percent, from the prior record set in 2016, even after the $7 million tax charge resulting from the Tax Act and $2.1 million of acquisition expenses,” Richard J. Gavegnano, chairman, president and CEO of the company, said in a statement. “Without these non-recurring expenses, our net income for 2017 would have been $51 million, up 50 percent from 2016. The strong organic loan and deposit growth that continues to drive our earnings to new records also increased total assets to $5.3 billion during the year.”

The company’s net interest income for the year was $146.2 million, an increase of $23.6 million from 2016. The net interest margin ended the year at 3.23 percent, down from 3.34 percent at the end of 2016.

Annual non-interest income increased $23.1 million, up from $14.2 million from 2016, primarily due to a $6.3 million increase in gain on sale of securities, net, the $1.7 million gain on a life insurance distribution, and a $1.1 million increase in loan fees.

Total loans reached $4.67 billion, up more than $700 million year-over-year, lead by increases in every category, with strong increases in multi-family mortgage loans, commercial real estate and construction loans.

For the year, the provision for loan losses was $4.9 million compared to $7.2 million in 2016. The allowance for loan losses was $45.2 million or 0.97 percent of total loans at year’s end, compared to $40.1 million or 1.02 percent of total loans at the end of 2016.

The also intends to add six new branches to its network in 2018.