Valley National Bancorp Reports a 45 Percent Increase in Third Quarter 2022 Earnings With Strong Net Interest Income and Margin

NEW YORK, Oct. 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Valley National Bancorp (NASDAQ:VLY), the holding company for Valley National Bank, today reported net income for the third quarter 2022 of $178.1 million, or $0.34 per diluted common share, as compared to the third quarter 2021 earnings of $122.6 million, or $0.29 per diluted common share, and net income of $96.4 million, or $0.18 per diluted common share, for the second quarter 2022. Excluding all non-core charges, our adjusted net income (a non-GAAP measure) was $181.5 million, or $0.35 per diluted common share, for the third quarter 2022, $124.7 million, or $0.30 per diluted common share, for third quarter 2021, and $165.8 million, or $0.32 per diluted common share, for the second quarter 2022. See further details below, including a reconciliation of our non-GAAP adjusted net income in the "Consolidated Financial Highlights" tables.

Key financial highlights for the third quarter:

• Net Interest Income and Margin: Net interest income on a tax equivalent basis of $455.3 million for the third quarter 2022 increased $35.7 million and $153.6 million as compared to the second quarter 2022 and third quarter 2021, respectively, reflecting a well-positioned balance sheet and continued organic loan growth in the current rising interest rate environment. Our net interest margin on a tax equivalent basis remained strong and increased by 17 basis points to 3.60 percent in the third quarter 2022 as compared to 3.43 percent for the second quarter 2022. See the "Net Interest Income and Margin" section below for more details.
• Loan Portfolio: Total loans increased $1.6 billion to $45.2 billion at September 30, 2022 from June 30, 2022 primarily due to strong organic loan growth. Our loan portfolio increased 15 percent on an annualized basis during the third quarter 2022 from the second quarter 2022 as a result of solid commercial loan volumes and a continued increase in new residential mortgage loans originated for investment rather than sale. During the third quarter 2022, we sold only $48.4 million of residential mortgage loans. See the "Loans, Deposits and Other Borrowings" section below for more details.
• Allowance and Provision for Credit Losses for Loans: The allowance for credit losses for loans totaled $498.4 million and $491.0 million at September 30, 2022 and June 30, 2022, respectively, representing 1.10 percent and 1.13 percent of total loans at each respective date. During the third quarter 2022, the provision for credit losses for loans totaled $1.8 million as compared to $43.7 million and $3.5 million for the second quarter 2022 and third quarter 2021, respectively. The second quarter 2022 provision included $41.0 million related to non-PCD loans and unfunded credit commitments acquired from Bank Leumi Le-Israel Corporation (Bank Leumi USA) on April 1, 2022.
• Credit Quality: Non-accrual loans represented 0.65 percent and 0.72 percent of total loans at September 30, 2022 and June 30, 2022, respectively. Net recoveries of loan charge-offs totaled $5.6 million for the third quarter 2022 as compared to net loan charge-offs of $2.3 million for the second quarter 2022. Total accruing past due loans increased $25.2 million to $98.7 million, or 0.22 percent of total loans, at September 30, 2022 as compared to $73.5 million, or 0.17 percent of total loans, at June 30, 2022. See the "Credit Quality" section below for more details.
• Non-Interest Income: Non-interest income decreased $2.3 million to $56.2 million for the third quarter 2022 as compared to the second quarter 2022 primarily due to the decline in sales of residential mortgage loans. Net gains on sales of loans decreased $2.7 million to $922 thousand for the third quarter 2022 as compared to $3.6 million for the second quarter 2022.
• Non-Interest Expense: Non-interest expense decreased $38.1 million to $261.6 million for the third quarter 2022 as compared to the second quarter 2022. The decrease was largely due to $54.5 million of merger expenses incurred during the second quarter 2022 as compared to only $4.7 million during the third quarter 2022 resulting from the Bank Leumi USA acquisition. Salary and employee benefits expense included $1.3 million and $28.0 million of the merger expenses for the third quarter 2022 and second quarter 2022, respectively. Within salary and employee benefits expense, non-merger related expense increased $6.5 million in the third quarter 2022 as compared to the second quarter 2022 partially due to the impact of competitive labor markets and higher incentive compensation accruals. The third quarter 2022 also included a $2.0 million contribution to the Valley Bank Charitable Fund which will enable Valley to further support local nonprofit and community organizations.
• Efficiency Ratio: Our efficiency ratio was 49.76 percent for the third quarter 2022 as compared to 50.78 percent and 49.16 percent for the second quarter 2022 and third quarter 2021, respectively. See the "Consolidated Financial Highlights" tables below for additional information regarding our non-GAAP measures.
• Performance Ratios: Annualized return on average assets (ROA), shareholders’ equity (ROE) and tangible ROE were 1.30 percent, 11.39 percent, and 17.21 percent for the third quarter 2022, respectively. Annualized ROA, ROE, and tangible ROE, adjusted for non-core charges, were 1.32 percent, 11.60 percent and 17.54 percent for the third quarter 2022, respectively. See the "Consolidated Financial Highlights" tables below for additional information regarding our non-GAAP measures.

Ira Robbins, CEO commented, “The third quarter’s exceptional results were highlighted by continued profitability improvement and very strong credit quality metrics. Our asset sensitive balance sheet continues to grow and benefit from rising interest rates despite the increased funding pressure that is evident across the industry. We are pleased with our ongoing net interest margin enhancement and consistent net interest income growth. Despite a reduction in origination activity, loan growth remained strong as payoffs slowed meaningfully during the quarter. Additionally, a handful of positive credit resolutions led to approximately $6 million of net loan recoveries during the third quarter 2022 and a reduction in non-accrual loan balances at September 30, 2022. Valley’s asset quality and consistent underwriting criteria remain a hallmark of our organization and have driven solid performance across various economic environments.”

Mr. Robbins continued, “While the environment around us is uncertain and rapidly changing, I am incredibly proud of Valley’s ability to continually execute on strategic growth opportunities. As Valley continues to evolve, our unique relationship-focused commercial bank stands out in an increasingly commoditized financial service landscape.”

Net Interest Income and Margin

Net interest income on a tax equivalent basis totaling $455.3 million for the third quarter 2022 increased $35.7 million as compared to the second quarter 2022 and increased $153.6 million from the third quarter 2021. Interest income on a tax equivalent basis in the third quarter 2022 increased $83.7 million to $538.0 million as compared to the second quarter 2022. The increase was mostly due to higher average loan balances driven by our organic loan growth and increased yields on both new originations and adjustable rate loans in our portfolio. Interest expense of $82.7 million for the third quarter 2022 increased $47.9 million as compared to the second quarter 2022 largely due to higher interest rates on both non-maturity deposits and short-term borrowings, as well as a $1.5 billion increase in average interest bearing liabilities.

Our net interest margin on a tax equivalent basis of 3.60 percent for the third quarter 2022 increased by 17 basis points and 45 basis points from 3.43 percent and 3.15 percent for the second quarter 2022 and third quarter 2021, respectively. The yield on average interest earning assets increased by 54 basis points on a linked quarter basis mostly due to the aforementioned higher yields on new and adjustable rate loans in the third quarter 2022 as compared to the second quarter 2022. The yield on average loans increased by 57 basis points to 4.48 percent for the third quarter 2022 as compared to the second quarter 2022 largely due to the higher level of market interest rates. The yields on average taxable and non-taxable investments also increased 9 basis points and 25 basis points, respectively, from the second quarter 2022 largely due to investment maturities and prepayments redeployed into new higher yielding securities, as well as lower premium amortization expense caused by a decline in prepayments on mortgage-backed securities during the third quarter 2022. Our cost of total average deposits increased to 0.59 percent for the third quarter 2022 from 0.19 percent for the second quarter 2022. The overall cost of average interest bearing liabilities also increased 59 basis points to 1.06 percent for the third quarter 2022 as compared to the second quarter 2022. The increased cost of funds was mainly due to higher interest rates on most of our interest bearing deposit products combined with greater utilization of brokered and retail CDs in our funding mix during the third quarter 2022.

Loans, Deposits and Other Borrowings

Loans. Loans increased $1.6 billion to approximately $45.2 billion at September 30, 2022 from June 30, 2022 largely due to strong organic loan growth and slower paydowns of existing loans. Commercial and industrial, total commercial real estate (including construction), and residential mortgage increased 9 percent, 17 percent and 14 percent, respectively, on an annualized basis during the third quarter 2022. SBA Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans within the commercial and industrial category totaled $85.8 million at September 30, 2022 compared to $136.0 million at June 30, 2022. Solid organic commercial loan production continued to be experienced across most of our geographic footprints and supported by our market expansion efforts resulting from the Bank Leumi USA acquisition in the second quarter 2022. Residential mortgage loans increased $172.1 million during the third quarter 2022 almost entirely due to new loan activity in the purchased home market and higher levels of such loans originated for investment rather than sale. Residential mortgage loans held for sale at fair value totaled only $6.1 million and $18.3 million at September 30, 2022 and June 30, 2022, respectively.

Deposits. Total deposits increased $1.4 billion to approximately $45.3 billion at September 30, 2022 from June 30, 2022 largely due to growth in our retail and brokered CD portfolios. Total brokered deposits, consisting of money market and time deposit accounts, increased to $3.7 billion at September 30, 2022 as compared to $2.3 billion at June 30, 2022. Non-interest bearing deposits; savings, NOW and money market deposits; and time deposits represented approximately 34 percent, 52 percent and 14 percent of total deposits as of September 30, 2022, respectively, as compared to 37 percent, 54 percent and 9 percent of total deposits as of June 30, 2022, respectively. The increase in time deposits within our overall deposit mix is a result of strategic retail CD campaigns and higher brokered CDs at September 30, 2022.

Other Borrowings. Short-term borrowings decreased $603.5 million to $919.3 million at September 30, 2022 as compared to June 30, 2022 largely due to the maturity of FHLB advances during the third quarter 2022 and our increased utilization of brokered deposits, as a favorable funding alternative at September 30, 2022. Long-term borrowings increased to approximately $1.5 billion at September 30, 2022 as compared to $1.4 billion at June 30, 2022 primarily due to the issuance of new subordinated notes during the third quarter 2022. On September 20, 2022, Valley issued $150 million of 6.25 percent fixed-to-floating rate subordinated notes due September 30, 2032. At September 30, 2022, the subordinated notes had a carrying value of $147.5 million, net of unamortized debt issuance costs.

Credit Quality

Non-Performing Assets (NPAs). Total NPAs, consisting of non-accrual loans, other real estate owned (OREO) and other repossessed assets decreased $19.9 million to $294.8 million at September 30, 2022 as compared to June 30, 2022 mostly due to declines in non-accrual commercial and industrial and commercial real estate loans mainly caused by a few large loan repayments, and, to a lesser extent, loan charge-offs during the third quarter 2022. Non-accrual loans represented 0.65 percent of total loans at September 30, 2022 compared to 0.72 percent at June 30, 2022.

Non-performing Taxi Medallion Loan Portfolio. Our non-performing taxi medallion loans within the non-accrual commercial and industrial loan category decreased $4.1 million to $76.3 million at September 30, 2022 from June 30, 2022 mostly due to partial loan charge-offs related to one borrower during the third quarter 2022. At September 30, 2022, all taxi medallion loans were on non-accrual status and had related reserves of $51.4 million, or 67.3 percent of such loans, within the allowance for loan losses.

Accruing Past Due Loans. Total accruing past due loans (i.e., loans past due 30 days or more and still accruing interest) increased $25.2 million to $98.7 million, or 0.22 percent of total loans, at September 30, 2022 as compared to $73.5 million, or 0.17 percent of total loans at June 30, 2022.

Loans 60 to 89 days past due increased $11.2 million as compared to June 30, 2022 mostly due to two construction loan relationships totaling $13.0 million included in this delinquency category at September 30, 2022.

Loans 90 days or more past due and still accruing interest increased $14.2 million as compared to June 30, 2022 mainly due to two commercial real estate loan relationships totaling $9.7 million and $5.4 million, respectively, included in this delinquency category at September 30, 2022. All loans 90 days or more past due and still accruing interest are well-secured and in the process of collection.

Allowance for Credit Losses for Loans and Unfunded Commitments. The following table summarizes the allocation of the allowance for credit losses to loan categories and the allocation as a percentage of each loan category at September 30, 2022, June 30, 2022 and September 30, 2021:

Our loan portfolio, totaling $45.2 billion at September 30, 2022, had net recoveries of loan charge-offs totaling $5.6 million for the third quarter 2022 as compared to net loan charge-offs of $2.3 million (excluding $62.4 million of immediate PCD loan charge-offs related to the Bank Leumi USA acquisition) and $293 thousand for the second quarter 2022 and third quarter 2021, respectively. Gross loan charge-offs of taxi medallion loans totaled $3.8 million for the third quarter 2022 as compared to $143 thousand and $2.7 million during the third quarter 2021 and the second quarter 2022, respectively.

The allowance for credit losses for loans, comprised of our allowance for loan losses and unfunded credit commitments, as a percentage of total loans was 1.10 percent at September 30, 2022 as compared to 1.13 percent and 1.09 percent at June 30, 2022 and September 30, 2021, respectively. During the third quarter 2022, the provision for credit losses for loans totaled $1.8 million as compared to $43.7 million and $3.5 million for the second quarter 2022 and third quarter 2021, respectively. The second quarter 2022 provision was largely elevated due to $41 million of provision related to non-PCD loans and unfunded credit commitments acquired from Bank Leumi USA. Overall, an increased economic forecast reserve component of our CECL model was largely offset by lower expected quantitative loss experience at September 30, 2022.

Capital Adequacy

Valley's total risk-based capital, common equity Tier 1 capital, Tier 1 capital and Tier 1 leverage capital ratios were 11.84 percent, 9.09 percent, 9.56 percent, and 8.31 percent, respectively, at September 30, 2022.

Investor Conference Call

Valley will host a conference call with investors and the financial community at 11:00 AM Eastern Daylight Savings Time, today to discuss the third quarter 2022 earnings and related matters.

Those wishing to participate in the call may dial toll-free 800-715-9871 Conference Id: 9870349. The teleconference will also be webcast live: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/ybx28825 and archived on Valley’s website through Monday, November 28, 2022. Investor presentation materials will be made available prior to the conference call at www.valley.com  and archived on Valley’s website through Monday, November 28, 2022.

About Valley

As the principal subsidiary of Valley National Bancorp, Valley National Bank is a regional bank with nearly $56 billion in assets. Valley is committed to giving people and businesses the power to succeed. Valley operates many convenient branch locations and commercial banking offices across New Jersey, New York, Florida, Alabama, California, and Illinois, and is committed to providing the most convenient service, the latest innovations and an experienced and knowledgeable team dedicated to meeting customer needs. Helping communities grow and prosper is the heart of Valley’s corporate citizenship philosophy. To learn more about Valley, go to www.valley.com or call our Customer Care Center at 800-522-4100.

Forward Looking Statements

The foregoing contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are not historical facts and include expressions about management’s confidence and strategies and management’s expectations about our business, new and existing programs and products, acquisitions, relationships, opportunities, taxation, technology, market conditions and economic expectations. These statements may be identified by such forward-looking terminology as “intend,” “should,” “expect,” “believe,” “view,” “opportunity,” “allow,” “continues,” “reflects,” “would,” “could,” “typically,” “usually,” “anticipate,” “may,” “estimate,” “outlook,” “project,” or similar statements or variations of such terms. Such forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:

• the inability to realize expected cost savings and synergies from the Bank Leumi USA acquisition in the amounts or timeframe anticipated;
• greater than expected costs or difficulties relating to Bank Leumi USA integration matters;
• the inability to retain customers and qualified employees of Bank Leumi USA;
• greater than expected non-recurring charges related to the Bank Leumi USA acquisition;
• the continued impact of COVID-19 on the U.S. and global economies, including business disruptions, reductions in employment, supply chain interruptions, inflation, Federal Reserve actions impacting the level of market interest rates and an increase in business failures, specifically among our clients;
• the continued impact of COVID-19 on our employees and our ability to provide services to our customers and respond to their needs as more cases and new variants of COVID-19 may arise in our primary markets;
• continued deterioration in general business and economic conditions or turbulence in domestic or global financial markets;
• the impact of forbearances or deferrals we are required or agree to as a result of customer requests and/or government actions, including, but not limited to our potential inability to recover fully deferred payments from the borrower or the collateral;
• the risks related to the discontinuation of the London Interbank Offered Rate and other reference rates, including increased expenses and litigation and the effectiveness of hedging strategies;
• damage verdicts or settlements or restrictions related to existing or potential class action litigation or individual litigation arising from claims of violations of laws or regulations, contractual claims, breach of fiduciary responsibility, negligence, fraud, environmental laws, patent or trademark infringement, employment related claims, and other matters;
• a prolonged downturn in the economy, mainly in New Jersey, New York, Florida, Alabama, California, and Illinois, as well as an unexpected decline in commercial real estate values within our market areas;
• higher or lower than expected income tax expense or tax rates, including increases or decreases resulting from changes in uncertain tax position liabilities, tax laws, regulations and case law;
• the inability to grow customer deposits to keep pace with loan growth;
• a material change in our allowance for credit losses under CECL due to forecasted economic conditions and/or unexpected credit deterioration in our loan and investment portfolios;
• the need to supplement debt or equity capital to maintain or exceed internal capital thresholds;
• greater than expected technology related costs due to, among other factors, prolonged or failed implementations, additional project staffing and obsolescence caused by continuous and rapid market innovations;
• the loss of or decrease in lower-cost funding sources within our deposit base, including our inability to achieve deposit retention targets under Valley's branch transformation strategy;
• cyber-attacks, ransomware attacks, computer viruses or other malware that may breach the security of our websites or other systems to obtain unauthorized access to confidential information, destroy data, disable or degrade service, or sabotage our systems;
• results of examinations by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Federal Reserve Bank (FRB), the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and other regulatory authorities, including the possibility that any such regulatory authority may, among other things, require us to increase our allowance for credit losses, write-down assets, reimburse customers, change the way we do business, or limit or eliminate certain other banking activities;
• our inability or determination not to pay dividends at current levels, or at all, because of inadequate earnings, regulatory restrictions or limitations, changes in our capital requirements or a decision to increase capital by retaining more earnings;
• unanticipated loan delinquencies, loss of collateral, decreased service revenues, and other potential negative effects on our business caused by severe weather, the COVID-19 pandemic or other external events; and
• unexpected significant declines in the loan portfolio due to the lack of economic expansion, increased competition, large prepayments, changes in regulatory lending guidance or other factors.

A detailed discussion of factors that could affect our results is included in our SEC filings, including the “Risk Factors” section of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021.

We undertake no duty to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in our expectations. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. 

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VALLEY NATIONAL BANCORP
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

NOTES TO SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

Non-GAAP Reconciliations to GAAP Financial Measures

Non-GAAP Reconciliations to GAAP Financial Measures (Continued)

VALLEY NATIONAL BANCORP
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
(in thousands, except for share data)

VALLEY NATIONAL BANCORP
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (Unaudited)
(in thousands, except for share data)

VALLEY NATIONAL BANCORP
Quarterly Analysis of Average Assets, Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity and
Net Interest Income on a Tax Equivalent Basis

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(1)   Interest income is presented on a tax equivalent basis using a 21 percent federal tax rate.
(2)   Loans are stated net of unearned income and include non-accrual loans.
(3)   The yield for securities that are classified as available for sale is based on the average historical amortized cost.
(4)   Includes junior subordinated debentures issued to capital trusts which are presented separately on the consolidated statements of condition.
(5)   Interest rate spread represents the difference between the average yield on interest earning assets and the average cost of interest bearing liabilities and is presented on a fully tax equivalent basis.
(6)   Net interest income as a percentage of total average interest earning assets.