Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Overview
The following presents management’s discussion and analysis (“MD&A”) of the more significant factors that affected the Company's financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared to December 31, 2023. For a comparison of 2023 results to 2022 and other 2022 information not included herein, refer to “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” under Part II, Item 7 of the 2023 Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 22, 2024 . This discussion should be read in conjunction with the financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K/A. Results of operations for the periods included in this review are not necessarily indicative of results to be obtained during any future period.
Dollar amounts in tables are stated in thousands, except for per share amounts.
Nature of Operations
Live Oak Bancshares, Inc. (collectively with its subsidiaries including Live Oak Banking Company, the “Company”) is a financial holding company and a bank holding company headquartered in Wilmington, North Carolina, incorporated under the laws of North Carolina in December 2008. The Company conducts business operations primarily through its commercial bank subsidiary, Live Oak Banking Company (the “Bank”). The Bank was incorporated in February 2008 as a North Carolina-chartered commercial bank. The Bank specializes in providing lending and deposit related services to small businesses nationwide. A significant portion of the loans originated by the Bank are partially guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) under the 7(a) Loan program and the U.S. Department of Agriculture (“USDA”) Rural Energy for America Program (“REAP”), Water and Environmental Program (“WEP”), Business & Industry (“B&I”) and Community Facilities loan programs. These loans are to small businesses and professionals with what the Bank believes are lower risk characteristics. Industries, or “verticals,” on which the Bank focuses its lending efforts are carefully selected. The Bank also lends more broadly to select borrowers outside of those verticals.
As of December 31, 2024, the Company’s wholly owned material subsidiaries were the Bank, Government Loan Solutions (“GLS”), Live Oak Grove, LLC (“Grove”) and Live Oak Ventures, Inc. (“Live Oak Ventures”). GLS is a management and technology consulting firm that advises and offers solutions and services to participants in the government guaranteed lending sector. GLS primarily provides services in connection with the settlement, accounting, and securitization processes for government guaranteed loans, including loans originated under the SBA 7(a) loan programs and USDA guaranteed loans. The Grove provides Company employees and business visitors with on-site dining at the Company’s Wilmington, North Carolina headquarters. Live Oak Ventures’ purpose is investing in businesses that align with the Company's strategic initiative to be a leader in financial technology. Canapi Advisors, LLC (“Canapi Advisors”) was a wholly owned subsidiary providing investment advisory services to a series of funds (the “Canapi Funds”) focused on providing venture capital to new and emerging financial technology companies. During the third quarter of 2024, the Canapi Funds were restructured and Canapi Advisors voluntarily withdrew as an investment advisor to the funds. Canapi Advisors was subsequently dissolved in the fourth quarter of 2024. As of December 31, 2024, Live Oak Ventures consolidated its investment in Synply, Inc. as a result of its controlling interest in that entity. Synply is a cloud-based technology platform designed to simplify the loan syndication process for financial institutions and discloses the non-controlling interest according to the Company’s consolidation policy.
As of December 31, 2024, the Bank’s wholly owned subsidiaries were Live Oak Number One, Inc., Live Oak Clean Energy Financing LLC (“LOCEF”), Live Oak Private Wealth, LLC (“Live Oak Private Wealth”) and Tiburon Land Holdings, LLC (“TLH”). Live Oak Number One, Inc. holds properties foreclosed on by the Bank. LOCEF provides financing to entities for renewable energy applications. Live Oak Private Wealth provides high-net-worth individuals and families with strategic wealth and investment management services. During the first quarter of 2022, Jolley Asset Management, LLC (“JAM”) was merged into Live Oak Private Wealth. JAM was previously a wholly owned subsidiary of Live Oak Private Wealth. TLH holds land adjacent to the Bank's headquarters consisting of wetlands and other protected property for the use and enjoyment of the Bank's employees and customers.
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The Company generates revenue primarily from net interest income and secondarily through the origination and sale of government guaranteed loans. Income from the retention of loans consists principally of interest income. Income from the sale of loans consists of loan servicing revenue and revaluation of related servicing assets along with net gains on sales of loans. Offsetting these revenues are the cost of funding sources, provision for credit losses, any costs related to foreclosed assets and other operating costs such as salaries and employee benefits, travel, professional services, advertising and marketing and tax expense. The Company also has less routinely generated gains and losses arising from its financial technology investments.
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Executive Summary
The table below sets forth selected consolidated financial data as of the dates or for the periods indicated.
As of and for the Year Ended December 31,
2024 2023 2022
Income Statement Data
Net income attributable to Live Oak Bancshares, Inc. $ 77,474 $ 73,898 $ 176,208
Per Common Share
Net income, diluted $ 1.69 $ 1.64 $ 3.92
Dividends declared 0.12 0.12 0.12
Book value 22.12 20.23 18.41
Tangible book value (1)
22.05 20.15 18.32
Performance Ratios
Return on average assets 0.65 % 0.69 % 1.96 %
Return on average equity 7.94 8.66 21.92
Net interest margin 3.27 3.35 3.87
Efficiency ratio (1)
62.89 70.65 55.57
Noninterest income to total revenue 24.77 24.45 42.09
Dividend payout ratio 6.97 7.20 2.99
Selected Loan Metrics
Loans and leases originated $ 5,155,244 $ 3,946,873 $ 4,007,621
Outstanding balance of sold loans serviced 4,715,895 4,238,328 3,481,885
Asset Quality Ratios
Allowance for credit losses to loans and leases held for investment (2)
1.69 % 1.53 % 1.41 %
Net charge-offs (2)
$ 46,692 $ 21,373 $ 7,961
Net charge-offs to average loans and leases held for investment (2) (3)
0.52 % 0.28 % 0.14 %
Nonperforming loans and leases at historical cost (2)
Unguaranteed $ 81,412 $ 39,285 $ 18,784
Guaranteed 222,885 95,678 54,608
Total 304,297 134,963 73,392
Unguaranteed nonperforming historical cost loans and leases, to loans and leases held for investment (2)
0.82 % 0.48 % 0.27 %
Nonperforming loans at fair value (4)
Unguaranteed $ 9,115 $ 7,230 $ 6,678
Guaranteed 54,873 41,244 38,212
Total 63,988 48,474 44,890
Unguaranteed nonperforming fair value loans to loans held for investment (4)
2.77 % 1.86 % 1.35 %
Consolidated Capital Ratios
Common equity tier 1 capital (to risk-weighted assets) 11.04 % 11.73 % 12.47 %
Tier 1 leverage capital (to average assets) 8.21 8.58 9.26
(1) See "Non-GAAP Measures" presented at the conclusion of this Item 7 for more information and a reconciliation to the most closely related GAAP measure.
(2) Loans and leases at historical cost only (excludes loans measured at fair value).
(3) Annual net charge-offs as a percentage of annual average loans and leases held for investment, at amortized cost.
(4) Loans accounted for under the fair value option only (excludes loans and leases carried at historical cost).
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The following is a summary of the Company's financial highlights and events for 2024:
• Record year of loan production with total loans and leases held for sale and investment increasing by $1.56 billion, or 17.3%. Total loan originations in 2024 were $5.16 billion compared to $3.95 billion in 2023, an increase of 30.6%. Substantial loan production in 2024 was the primary driver of growth in total assets which increased to $12.94 billion at December 31, 2024 as compared to $11.27 billion at December 31, 2023 , for an increase of $1.67 billion, or 14.8%.
• Supporting loan growth, total deposits increased by $1.49 billion, or 14.5%, to $11.76 billion at the end of 2024.
• Net income attributable to Live Oak Bancshares, Inc. increased $3.6 million, or 4.8%, from $73.9 million, or $1.64 per diluted share, to $77.5 million, or $1.69 per diluted share, largely due to the following items.
• Net interest income increased by $30.6 million, or 8.9%, largely the result of robust loan growth, partially offset by higher funding costs which were reflected in a decline in net interest margin to 3.27% for 2024 as compared to 3.35% for 2023.
• The provision for credit losses increased $44.9 million, or 87.5%, driven by record loan growth combined with the impacts of the current macroeconomic environment. Total nonperforming unguaranteed loans and leases as a percentage of total loans and leases held for investment, excluding loans measured at fair value, increased from 0.48% at the end of 2023 to 0.82% at the end of 2024. Net charge-offs as a percentage of average held for investment loans and leases carried at historical cost, for the years ended December 31, 2024 and 2023 , were 0.52% and 0.28%, respectively.
• Increased total noninterest income of $12.0 million, or 10.8%, and decreased total noninterest expense of $8.6 million, or 2.7%. A detailed overview of key drivers of year-over-year changes in reported net income is outlined more fully in the opening to the section titled “Results of Operations.”
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Statements included in this management's discussion and analysis include non-GAAP financial measures and should be read along with the accompanying tables, which provide a reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to GAAP financial measures. The reconciliation of non-GAAP measures is presented at the conclusion of this Item 7.
Management believes that non-GAAP financial measures provide additional useful information that allows readers to evaluate the ongoing performance of the Company without regard to certain transactional activities. Non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered as an alternative to any measure of performance or financial condition as reported under GAAP, and investors should consider the Company's performance and financial condition as reported under GAAP and all other relevant information when assessing the performance or financial condition of the Company. Non-GAAP financial measures have limitations as analytical tools, and investors should not consider them in isolation or as a substitute for analysis of the Company's results or financial condition as reported under GAAP. Management’s non-GAAP measures are not necessarily comparable to similarly named measures represented by other companies, as they may be calculated differently.
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Results of Operations
The Company reported net income attributable to Live Oak Bancshares, Inc. of $77.5 million, or $1.69 per diluted share, for 2024 compared to $73.9 million, or $1.64 per diluted share, for 2023.
The increase in net income was largely due to the following items:
• Increased net interest income of $30.6 million, or 8.9%;
• Increased net gains on sales of loans of $14.4 million, or 30.8%, principally the result of higher loan sale volumes combined with improving premiums in 2024;
• Increased other noninterest income of $14.0 million, largely related to the combination of a $2.4 million gain from the sale of a building in the third quarter of 2024, a $6.7 million gain arising from the sale of one of the Company’s aircraft in the second quarter of 2024 and a $5.7 million gain in the first quarter of 2024 arising from the increased fair value of a certain equity warrant asset.
• Decreased impairment charges of $14.1 million, arising from a fourth quarter of 2023 renewable energy tax credit investment.
Key factors partially offsetting the year-over-year increase in net income were a combination of increased provision for credit losses of $44.9 million, increased net loss on the loan servicing asset revaluation of $17.0 million and increased salaries and employee benefits of $8.2 million.
Net Interest Income and Margin
Net interest income represents the difference between the income that the Company earns on interest-earning assets and the cost of interest-bearing liabilities. The Company’s net interest income depends upon the volume of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities and the interest rates that the Company earns or pays on them, respectively. Net interest income is affected by changes in the amount and mix of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities, referred to as “volume changes.” It is also affected by changes in yields earned on interest-earning assets and rates paid on interest-bearing deposits and other borrowed funds, referred to as “rate changes.” As a bank without a branch network, the Bank gathers deposits over the Internet and in the community in which it is headquartered. Due to the nature of a branchless bank and the relatively low overhead required for deposit gathering, the rates the Bank offers are generally above the industry average.
For 2024, net interest income increased $30.6 million, or 8.9%, to $375.9 million compared to $345.3 million for 2023. This increase was principally due to the growth in the held for investment loan and lease portfolio outpacing growth in interest-bearing liabilities offset by an increase in average cost of funds which exceeded the increase in average yield on interest-earning assets. Average interest-earning assets increased by $1.20 billion, or 11.6%, to $11.50 billion for 2024 , compared to $10.30 billion for 2023, while the yield on average interest-earning assets increased 39 basis points to 7.07%. The cost of funds on interest-bearing liabilities for 2024 increased 52 basis points to 4.11%, and the average balance of interest-bearing liabilities increased by $1.08 billion, or 11.3%, over 2023. The increase in cost of funds was largely influenced by repricing of short-term certificates of deposit with the average cost of funds increasing from 3.31% in 2023 to 4.17% for in 2024.
The increase in average interest-bearing liabilities was largely driven by funding for significant loan originations and growth as well as maintenance of the Company's target liquidity profile. As indicated in the rate/volume table below, the overall increase discussed above is reflected in increased interest income of $124.1 million outpacing growth in interest expense of $93.5 million for 2024 compared to 2023. The net interest margin decreased from 3.35% for 2023 to 3.27% for 2024 .
In January 2025, the Federal Reserve decided to maintain the federal funds upper target rate at 4.5%. The Federal Reserve released its most current federal funds target rate midpoint projections at its previous meeting in December 2024 which implied a decrease of approximately 50 basis points to 3.9% by the end of 2025. There can be no assurance that any further decreases or increases in the Federal Funds rate will occur, and if they do, the amount and timing of actual adjustments are subject to change. See Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk for information about the Company’s sensitivity to interest rates.
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Average Balances and Yields. The following table presents information regarding average balances for assets and liabilities, the total dollar amounts of interest income from average interest-earning assets, the total dollar amount of interest expense on average interest-bearing liabilities, and the resulting average yields and costs. The yields and costs for the periods indicated are derived by dividing the income or expense by the average balances for assets or liabilities, respectively, for the periods presented. Loan fees are included in interest income on loans.
2024 2023 2022
Average
Balance Interest Average
Yield/Rate Average
Balance Interest Average
Yield/Rate Average
Balance Interest Average
Yield/Rate
Interest-earning assets:
Interest-earning balances in other banks $ 556,108 $ 29,118 5.24 % $ 584,691 $ 29,487 5.04 % $ 228,866 $ 3,465 1.51 %
Federal funds sold — — — 34,529 1,624 4.70 109,473 2,796 2.55
Investment securities 1,283,161 38,413 2.99 1,237,458 33,497 2.71 995,481 19,667 1.98
Loans held for sale 372,803 34,903 9.36 539,197 48,235 8.95 952,606 58,943 6.19
Loans and leases held for investment (1)
9,285,908 709,938 7.65 7,905,875 575,432 7.28 6,174,763 359,602 5.82
Total interest-earning assets 11,497,980 812,372 7.07 10,301,750 688,275 6.68 8,461,189 444,473 5.25
Less: Allowance for credit losses on loans and leases (138,766) (110,855) (67,234)
Noninterest-earning assets 557,297 493,968 576,524
Total assets $ 11,916,511 $ 10,684,863 $ 8,970,479
Interest-bearing liabilities:
Interest-bearing checking $ 326,410 $ 17,692 5.42 % $ 231,413 $ 12,718 5.50 % $ — $ — — %
Savings 4,934,818 198,612 4.02 4,428,306 171,151 3.86 3,903,151 57,740 1.48
Money market accounts 131,636 739 0.56 125,279 721 0.58 100,684 303 0.30
Certificates of deposit 5,133,511 213,844 4.17 4,695,161 155,617 3.31 3,849,203 56,992 1.48
Total deposits 10,526,375 430,887 4.09 9,480,159 340,207 3.59 7,853,038 115,035 1.46
Other borrowings 94,512 5,580 5.90 61,743 2,763 4.48 122,946 1,937 1.58
Total interest-bearing liabilities 10,620,887 436,467 4.11 9,541,902 342,970 3.59 7,975,984 116,972 1.47
Noninterest-bearing deposits 239,078 215,327 125,062
Noninterest-bearing liabilities 80,549 74,046 65,619
Shareholders' equity 975,215 853,588 803,814
Non-controlling interest 782 — —
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $ 11,916,511 $ 10,684,863 $ 8,970,479
Net interest income and interest rate spread $ 375,905 2.96 % $ 345,305 3.09 % $ 327,501 3.78 %
Net interest margin 3.27 % 3.35 % 3.87 %
Ratio of average interest-earning assets to average interest-bearing liabilities 108.26 % 107.96 % 106.08 %
(1) Average loan and lease balances include non-accruing loans and leases.
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Rate/Volume Analysis. The following table sets forth the effects of changing rates and volumes on net interest income. The rate column shows the effects attributable to changes in rate (changes in rate multiplied by prior period volume). The volume column shows the effects attributable to changes in volume (changes in volume multiplied by prior period rate). The total column represents the sum of the prior columns. For purposes of this table, changes attributable to changes in both rate and volume that cannot be segregated have been allocated proportionally based on the changes due to rate and the changes due to volume.
2024 vs. 2023
2023 vs. 2022
Increase (Decrease) Due to Increase (Decrease) Due to
Rate Volume Total Rate Volume Total
Interest income:
Interest-earning balances in other banks $ 1,100 $ (1,469) $ (369) $ 14,356 $ 11,666 $ 26,022
Federal funds sold — (1,624) (1,624) 1,547 (2,719) (1,172)
Investment securities 3,613 1,303 4,916 8,165 5,665 13,830
Loans held for sale 1,900 (15,232) (13,332) 20,573 (31,281) (10,708)
Loans and leases held for investment 31,529 102,977 134,506 102,422 113,408 215,830
Total interest income 38,142 85,955 124,097 147,063 96,739 243,802
Interest expense:
Interest-bearing checking (211) 5,185 4,974 — 12,718 12,718
Savings 7,480 19,981 27,461 99,378 14,033 113,411
Money market accounts (18) 36 18 310 108 418
Certificates of deposit 41,833 16,394 58,227 78,343 20,282 98,625
Other borrowings 1,116 1,701 2,817 2,678 (1,852) 826
Total interest expense 50,200 43,297 93,497 180,709 45,289 225,998
Net interest income $ (12,058) $ 42,658 $ 30,600 $ (33,646) $ 51,450 $ 17,804
Provision for Credit Losses
The provision for credit losses represents the amount necessary to be charged against the current period’s earnings to maintain the allowance for credit losses (“ACL”) on loans and leases at a level that the Company believes is appropriate in relation to the estimated losses inherent in the loan and lease portfolio. Beginning in the second quarter of 2024, expense related to off-balance sheet credit exposures was also included in the provision for credit losses in response to growth in the amount of loans with applicable off-balance sheet credit risk. See Note 1 under the subheading Allowance for Off-Balance Sheet Credit Exposures for additional information.
Losses inherent in loan relationships are mitigated if a portion of the loan is guaranteed by the SBA or USDA. Typical SBA 7(a) and USDA guarantees range from 50% to 90% depending on loan size and type, which serve to reduce the risk profile of these loans. The Company believes that its focus on compliance with regulations and guidance from the SBA and USDA are key factors to managing this risk.
For 2024, the provision for credit losses was $96.2 million compared to $51.3 million in 2023, an increase of $44.9 million. The 2024 increase in provision was primarily the result of record loan growth combined with the impacts of the current macroeconomic environment, which adversely affected some borrowers’ performance.
Loans and leases held for investment at historical cost were $9.90 billion as of De cember 31, 2024, an increase of $1.66 billion , or 20.1%, c ompared to December 31, 2023.
Net charge-offs for loans and leases carried at historical cost were $46.7 million, or 0.52% of average loans and leases held for investment at amortized cost, excluding loans measured at fair value, for 2024, compared to net charge-offs of $21.4 million, or 0.28%, for 2023, an increase of $25.3 million, or 118.5%. The increase in net charge-offs for 2024 was primarily related to an increase in activity within five verticals, Search Fund Lending, General Lending, Government Contracting, Community Facilities and Wine & Craft Beverage. The increase was largely due to the high interest rate environment and inflationary pressures, which increased financial strain on borrowers. Net charge-offs are a key element of historical experience in the Company's estimation of the allowance for credit lo sses on loans and leases.
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In addition, nonperforming loans and leases not guaranteed by the SBA or USDA, excluding $9.1 million and $7.2 million accounted for under the fair value option at December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, totaled $81.4 million, which was 0.82% of the held for investment loan and lease portfolio carried at historical cost at December 31, 2024, compared to $39.3 million, or 0.48% of loans and leases held for investment carried at historical cost at December 31, 2023.
Noninterest Income
Noninterest income is principally comprised of net gains from the sale of SBA and USDA-guaranteed loans along with servicing revenue and related revaluation of the servicing asset . Revenue from the sale of loans depends upon the volume, maturity structure and rates of underlying loans as well as the pricing and availability of funds in the secondary markets prevailing in the period between completed loan funding and closing of sale. In addition, the loan servicing asset revaluation is significantly impacted by changes in market rates and other underlying assumptions such as prepayment speeds. Net gain (loss) on loans accounted for under the fair value option is also significantly impacted by changes in market rates, prepayment speeds and inherent credit risk. Other less consistent elements of noninterest income include gains and losses on investments.
The following table shows the components of noninterest income and the dollar and percentage changes for the periods presented.
Years Ended December 31, 2023/2024 Increase
(Decrease)
2022/2023 Increase
(Decrease)
2024 2023 2022 Amount Percent Amount Percent
Noninterest income
Loan servicing revenue $ 31,535 $ 27,399 $ 25,359 $ 4,136 15.1 % $ 2,040 8.0 %
Loan servicing asset revaluation (12,155) 4,886 (16,577) (17,041) (348.8) 21,463 129.5
Net gains on sales of loans 60,899 46,545 43,244 14,354 30.8 3,301 7.6
Net gain (loss) on loans accounted for under the fair value option 2,403 (3,539) 1,046 5,942 167.9 (4,585) (438.3)
Equity method investments (loss) income (10,921) (5,994) 144,250 (4,927) (82.2) (150,244) (104.2)
Equity security investments gains (losses), net 553 (969) 3,355 1,522 157.1 (4,324) (128.9)
Lease income 9,756 10,007 10,084 (251) (2.5) (77) (0.8)
Management fee income 7,658 13,324 10,090 (5,666) (42.5) 3,234 32.1
Other noninterest income 34,053 20,074 17,141 13,979 69.6 2,933 17.1
Total noninterest income $ 123,781 $ 111,733 $ 237,992 $ 12,048 10.8 % $ (126,259) (53.1) %
Years ended December 31, 2024 vs. 2023
For 2024 , noninterest income increased by $12.0 million, or 10.8%, compared to 2023 . The increase over the prior year is primarily a result of higher servicing revenue of $4.1 million, increased net gains on sales of loans of $14.4 million, a $5.9 million increase in the net gain on loans accounted for under the fair value option and increased other noninterest income of $14.0 million. The increase in other noninterest income was largely related to the previously mentioned $2.4 million gain from the sale of a building in the third quarter of 2024 combined with a $6.7 million gain arising from the sale of one of the Company’s aircraft in the second quarter of 2024 and a $5.7 million gain in the first quarter of 2024 arising from the increased fair value of a certain equity warrant asset. Partially offsetting the increase in total noninterest income over the prior year-to-date period were higher losses of $17.0 million related to the servicing asset revaluation, $4.9 million in higher flow-through losses of equity method investments and a $5.7 million decrease in management fee income due to the restructuring of the Canapi Funds in the third quarter of 2024.
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The tables below reflect loan and lease production, sales of guaranteed loans and the aggregate balance in guaranteed loans sold that are being serviced. These components are key drivers of the Company's noninterest income.
Three months ended
December 31, Three months ended
September 30, Three months ended
June 30, Three months ended
March 31,
2024 2023 2024 2023 2024 2023 2024 2023
Amount of loans and leases originated $ 1,421,118 $ 981,703 $ 1,757,856 $ 1,073,255 $ 1,171,141 $ 861,033 $ 805,129 $ 1,030,882
Guaranteed portions of loans sold 277,546 239,066 266,307 225,585 250,466 245,074 186,654 167,826
Outstanding balance of guaranteed loans sold (1)
3,379,477 2,986,959 3,300,524 2,909,343 3,177,629 2,808,200 3,057,641 2,695,757
Years ended December 31,
2024 2023 2022 2021 2020
Amount of loans and leases originated $ 5,155,244 $ 3,946,873 $ 4,007,621 $ 4,480,725 $ 4,450,198
Guaranteed portions of loans sold 980,973 877,551 580,889 668,462 542,596
Outstanding balance of guaranteed loans sold (1)
3,379,477 2,986,959 2,668,110 2,756,915 2,819,625
(1) This represents the outstanding principal balance of guaranteed loans serviced, as of the last day of the applicable period, which have been sold into the secondary market.
Changes in various components of noninterest income are discussed in more detail below.
Loan Servicing Asset Revaluation: The Company revalues its serviced loan portfolio at least quarterly. The valuation model incorporates assumptions that market participants would use in estimating future net servicing income, such as adequate compensation for servicing, the discount rate, the custodial earnings rate, ancillary income, prepayment speeds and default rates and losses, with prepayment speed and discount rate being the most sensitive assumptions. For 2024, there was a net loss on loan servicing asset revaluation of $12.2 million compared to a net gain of $4.9 million for 2023, resulting in a negative change of $17.0 million. The negative change in valuation of the servicing asset compared to 2023 was principally the result of the third quarter of 2023 change in valuation techniques used to estimate the fair value of servicing rights.
The fair value of servicing rights is highly sensitive to changes in underlying assumptions. Changes in prepayment speed and discount rate assumptions typically have the most significant impacts on the fair value of servicing rights. Generally, as interest rates rise on variable rate loans, loan prepayments increase due to an increase in refinance activity, which results in a decrease in the fair value of servicing assets, however, weakening economic conditions or significant declines in interest rates can also increase loan prepayment activity. The discount rate used in the estimation process is tied to a benchmark risk-free rate with a risk premium added using a build-up method. Measurement of fair value is limited to the conditions existing and the assumptions used as of a particular point in time, and those assumptions may not be appropriate if they are applied at a different time.
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At December 31, 2024, the key assumptions used to determine the fair value of the Company’s servicing rights included a weighted average prepayment speed equal to 15.6% and a weighted average discount rate equal to 13.5%. The table below reflects the sensitivity of the current fair value of servicing assets to immediate adverse changes in the above key assumptions with all other assumptions remaining static:
As of December. 31, 2024 As of December. 31, 2023
Fair value of servicing rights $55,788 $48,186
Incremental Increase (Decrease) in Value Incremental Increase (Decrease) in Value
Prepayment Speed
20% increase ($3,459) ($2,815)
10% increase (1,785) (1,452)
Discount Rate
200 basis point increase (2,603) (2,186)
100 basis point increase (1,331) (1,117)
The sensitivity calculations above are hypothetical and should not be considered to be predictive of future performance. As indicated, changes in fair value based on changes in assumptions generally cannot be extrapolated because the relationship of the change in assumption to the change in fair value may not be linear. Also, in this table, the effect of a variation in a particular assumption on the fair value of the servicing rights is calculated without changing any other assumption. Changes in one factor may result in changes in another.
See Note 5. Servicing Assets in the notes to consolidated financial statements for further details of the factors considered by the Company in estimating the fair value of servicing assets.
Net Gains on Sales of Loans: For 2024, net gains on sales of loans increased $14.4 million, or 30.8%, compared to 2023. The volume of guaranteed loans sold increased $103.4 million, or 11.8%, over 2023 while the average net gain on loan sale premium increased from 105% to 107% in 2023 and 2024, respectively. The increase in net gains on sales of loans over 2023 was principally related to a higher loan sale volume combined with improving premium.
Net Gain (Loss) on Loans Accounted for Under the Fair Value Option : For 2024, the Company had a net gain on loans accounted for under the fair value option of $2.4 million compared to a net loss of $3.5 million for 2023, a positive change of $5.9 million. The carrying amount of loans accounted for under the fair value option at December 31, 2024 and 2023 was $328.7 million (all classified as held for investment) and $388.0 million (all classified as held for investment), respectively, a decrease of $59.3 million, or 15.3%. The increased levels of net gains arising from the valuation of loans accounted for under the fair value option was principally due to the third quarter of 2023 change in valuation techniques used to estimate the fair value of loans.
Noninterest Expense
Noninterest expense comprises all operating costs of the Company, such as employee-related costs, travel, professional services, advertising and marketing expenses, exclusive of interest and income tax expense.
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The following table shows the components of noninterest expense and the related dollar and percentage changes for the periods presented.
Years Ended December 31, 2023/2024 Increase
(Decrease)
2022/2023 Increase
(Decrease)
2024 2023 2022 Amount Percent Amount Percent
Noninterest expense
Salaries and employee benefits $ 183,268 $ 175,052 $ 170,822 $ 8,216 4.7 % $ 4,230 2.5 %
Non-employee expenses:
Travel expense 9,738 8,922 8,499 816 9.1 423 5.0
Professional services expense 11,023 7,737 11,737 3,286 42.5 (4,000) (34.1)
Advertising and marketing expense 11,148 12,559 10,543 (1,411) (11.2) 2,016 19.1
Occupancy expense 10,000 8,490 11,088 1,510 17.8 (2,598) (23.4)
Technology expense 34,206 31,858 28,434 2,348 7.4 3,424 12.0
Equipment expense 13,826 14,997 15,120 (1,171) (7.8) (123) (0.8)
Other loan origination and maintenance expense 17,254 14,804 13,168 2,450 16.5 1,636 12.4
Renewable energy tax credit investment impairment 530 14,644 16,217 (14,114) (96.4) (1,573) (9.7)
FDIC insurance 10,835 16,670 9,756 (5,835) (35.0) 6,914 70.9
Contributions and donations — — 6,462 — — (6,462) (100.0)
Other expense 12,411 17,152 12,380 (4,741) (27.6) 4,772 38.5
Total non-employee expenses 130,971 147,833 143,404 (16,862) (11.4) 4,429 3.1
Total noninterest expense $ 314,239 $ 322,885 $ 314,226 $ (8,646) (2.7) % $ 8,659 2.8 %
Total noninterest expense for 2024 decreased $8.6 million, or 2.7%, compared to 2023. The decrease in noninterest expense was predominately driven by the following items.
Salaries and employee benefits : Total personnel expense for 2024 increased by $8.2 million, or 4.7%, compared to 2023 . The increase in salaries and employee benefits was principally related to continued investment in human resources to support strategic and growth initiatives. Total full-time equivalent employees increased from 952 at December 31, 2023 to 1,014 at December 31, 2024 . Salaries and employee benefits expense included $26.4 million of stock-based compensation for 2024 , compared to $17.9 million for 2023 . Expenses related to the employee stock purchase program, stock grants, stock option compensation and restricted stock expense are all considered stock-based compensation.
Renewable energy tax credit investment impairment: Renewable energy tax credit investment impairment decreased $14.1 million which was the result of a renewable energy tax credit investment in the fourth quarter of 2023 which resulte d in $14.6 million in impairment charges during that year. Investments of this type generate a return primarily through the realization of income tax credits and other benefits; accordingly, impairment of the investment amount is recognized in conjunction with the realization of related tax benefits
FDIC insurance: FDIC insurance decreased $5.8 million, or 35.0%, compared to 2023 . This decrease is largely the product of favorable changes in the Company’s FDIC assessment rates in 2024.
Other expense: Other expense decreased $4.7 million, or 27.6%, compared to 2023 . This decrease was largely related to reserves for unfunded commitments, historically being presented in other expense. Beginning in the second quarter of 2024, this expense was classified in the provision for credit losses.
Income Tax Expense
Income tax expense and related effective tax rate in 2024 was $11.8 million and 13.2% compared to $8.9 million and 10.8% in 2023. The higher level of income tax expense for 2024 was primarily the result of lower levels of anticipated investment tax credits in 2024 as compared to the prior year.
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Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition
Total assets at December 31, 2024 were $12.94 billion, an increase of $1.67 billion, or 14.8%, compared to total assets of $11.27 billion at December 31, 2023 . The growth in total assets was principally driven by the growth in total loans and leases held for investment of $1.60 billion, or 18.5%, from $8.63 billion at December 31, 2023, to $10.23 billion at December 31, 2024.
Total deposits were $11.76 billion at December 31, 2024 , an increase of $1.49 billion, or 14.5%, from $10.28 billion at December 31, 2023 . The increase in total deposits from the prior period was to support growth in the loan and lease portfolio as well as the Company's targeted liquidity levels. At December 31, 2024, the Bank’s total uninsured deposits were approximately $1.71 billion, or 14.5%, of total deposits.
Borrowings increased to $112.8 million at December 31, 2024 from $23.4 million at December 31, 2023 . This increase was principally due to entering into a new loan agreement in the first quarter of 2024 to strategically enhance Bank capital levels in order to accommodate future growth expectations. See Note 8. Borrowings in the accompanying Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for a discussion of current sources of available debt capacity.
Shareholders’ equity at December 31, 2024 was $1.00 billion as compared to $902.7 million at December 31, 2023 . The book value per share was $22.12 at December 31, 2024 compared to $20.23 at December 31, 2023 . Average equity to average assets was 8.2% for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to 8.0% for the year ended December 31, 2023 . The increase in shareholders’ equity for 2024 was principally the result of $77.5 million in net income and stock-based compensation expense of $26.4 million.
Regulatory Impact of Asset Growth
General . In the first quarter of 2023, the Company and the Bank each first exceeded $10 billion in total assets. As of December 31, 2024 , the Company and the Bank each had total assets of $12.94 billion and $12.86 billion . The Dodd-Frank Act and its implementing regulations impose various additional requirements on bank holding companies and banks with $10 billion or more in total consolidated asset
Consumer Financial Laws. Under the Dodd-Frank Act, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) has near-exclusive supervision authority, including examination authority, to assess compliance with federal consumer financial laws for a bank and its affiliates if the bank has total assets of more than $10 billion. This provision becomes applicable to a bank following the fourth consecutive quarter where the total assets of the bank, as reported in its quarterly Call Report, exceed $10 billion and afterwards remains applicable to the bank unless the bank has reported total assets of $10 billion or less in its quarterly Call Report for four consecutive quarters. This provision became applicable to the Bank in the first quarter of 2024.
Deposit Insurance Assessments. Also under the Dodd-Frank Act, the DIF reserve ratio was increased from 1.15 percent to 1.35 percent and the FDIC is required, in setting deposit insurance assessments, to offset the effect of the increase on institutions with assets of less than $10 billion, which results in institutions with assets greater than $10 billion paying higher assessments. In addition, following the fourth consecutive quarter where the total assets of a bank exceeds $10 billion, as reported in its quarterly Call Report, the FDIC utilizes a different method for determining deposit insurance assessments. This large bank method is based on a bank’s ability to withstand asset- and funding-related stress, its regulatory ratings, and potential losses to the FDIC in the event of the bank’s failure, subject to discretionary adjustments by the FDIC. The Bank became subject to the large bank method for determining its deposit insurance assessments in 2024.
Volcker Rule. Under provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act referred to as the “Volcker Rule,” certain limitations are placed on the ability of insured depository institutions and their affiliates to engage in sponsoring, investing in and transacting with certain investment funds, known as “covered funds” under the rule. There are a number of exclusions from the definition of “covered funds,” including for investments in Small Business Investment Companies, or SBICs, and certain qualifying venture capital funds. The Volcker Rule also places restrictions on proprietary trading, which could impact certain hedging activities.
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Limits on Interchange Fees. The Durbin Amendment to the Dodd-Frank Act gave the Federal Reserve Board the authority to establish rules regarding interchange fees charged for electronic debit transactions by a payment card issuer that, together with its affiliates, has assets of $10 billion or more, as of December 31 of the preceding calendar year, and to enforce a new statutory requirement that such fees be reasonable and proportional to the actual cost of a transaction to the issuer. The Federal Reserve Board has adopted rules under this provision that limit the swipe fees that a debit card issuer can charge a merchant for a transaction to the sum of 21 cents and five basis points times the value of the transaction, plus up to one cent for fraud prevention costs. The Bank exceeded $10 billion in assets at December 31, 2023. This triggered a reduction of annual pre-tax income from debit card interchange fees beginning July 1, 2024. Additional information regarding the Durbin Amendment is presented in Item 1A. Risk Factors.
Loans Held for Sale & Serviced Portfolio
Any loan or portion of a loan that the Company has the intent and ability to sell is classified as held for sale. The average age of the held for sale portfolio as of December 31, 2024 was 6.9 months from origination date. Approximately 3.3% of the current held for sale portfolio is older than two years. The majority of held for sale loans over one year old are composed of construction loans or other loans that have yet to fully fund. Construction loans typically have extended build out periods that inherently result in longer lead times between origination and the ultimate sale date. Approximately 27.0% of the held for sale portfolio is aged between one and two years.
As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the cumulative total outstanding balance of loans sold since May 2007 totaled $4.72 billion and $4.24 billion, respectively. The Company generally continues to service loans after the date of sale. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023, the total outstanding balance of loans and leases, including those serviced for others, was $15.32 billion and $13.28 billion, respectively.
Loan and Lease Maturity
As of December 31, 2024, $13.10 billion, or 85.5%, of the total outstanding balance of loans and leases, including those at fair value and those serviced for others, were variable rate loans that adjust at specified dates based on the prime lending rate or other variable indices. As of December 31, 2024, $9.05 billion, or 59.1%, of total outstanding balance of loans and leases, including those at fair value and those serviced for others, were variable rate loans that adjust on either a calendar monthly or calendar quarterly basis using the prime lending rate or other variable indices.
At December 31, 2024, 88.1%, or $9.36 billion, of the combined held for sale and held for investment loan and lease portfolio, including those at fair value, were composed of variable rate loans.
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At December 31, 2024, $3.75 billion, or 36.6%, of loans held for investment, including those at fair value, matures in less than five years. Loans and leases maturing in greater than five years total $6.51 billion of the total $10.26 billion. The variable rate portion of the total held for investment loans and leases is 87.9%, which reflects the Company’s strategy to minimize interest rate risk through the use of variable rate products.
At December 31, 2024
Remaining Contractual Maturity of Total Held for
Investment Loans and Leases
One Year
or Less After One
Year
and Through
Five Years After Five
Years and Through Fifteen Years After Fifteen Years Total (1)
Fixed rate loans and leases:
Commercial & Industrial
Small Business Banking $ 6,499 $ 108,594 $ 177,111 $ 2,852 $ 295,056
Commercial Banking 9,130 78,156 82,485 187,154 356,925
Paycheck Protection Program 551 1,176 635 — 2,362
Total 16,180 187,926 260,231 190,006 654,343
Construction & Development
Small Business Banking 5,732 6,161 431 2,132 14,456
Total 5,732 6,161 431 2,132 14,456
Commercial Real Estate
Small Business Banking 5,759 65,736 22,945 140,098 234,538
Commercial Banking 228 33,303 3,059 5,558 42,148
Total 5,987 99,039 26,004 145,656 276,686
Commercial Land
Small Business Banking 14,416 181,411 80,186 17,917 293,930
Total 14,416 181,411 80,186 17,917 293,930
Total fixed rate loans and leases 42,315 474,537 366,852 355,711 1,239,415
Variable rate loans and leases:
Commercial & Industrial
Small Business Banking 28,471 293,120 1,749,285 78,369 2,149,245
Commercial Banking 337,615 1,245,125 210,825 356,638 2,150,203
Total 366,086 1,538,245 1,960,110 435,007 4,299,448
Construction & Development
Small Business Banking 6,006 29,386 38,055 431,051 504,498
Commercial Banking — 85,456 — — 85,456
Total 6,006 114,842 38,055 431,051 589,954
Commercial Real Estate
Small Business Banking 53,093 148,621 397,025 2,147,731 2,746,470
Commercial Banking 172,821 737,398 42,314 80,187 1,032,720
Total 225,914 886,019 439,339 2,227,918 3,779,190
Commercial Land
Small Business Banking 4,636 94,885 100,911 154,915 355,347
Total 4,636 94,885 100,911 154,915 355,347
Total variable rate loans and leases 602,642 2,633,991 2,538,415 3,248,891 9,023,939
Total held for investment loans and leases $ 644,957 $ 3,108,528 $ 2,905,267 $ 3,604,602 $ 10,263,354
(1) Excludes retained loan discount and net deferred costs.
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Commercial Real Estate
Commercial real estate loans as indicated by the FDIC include loans secured by the following: construction, land development, multifamily property and nonfarm, nonresidential real property. The following table provides information with respect to commercial real estate loans as of December 31, 2024.
Guaranteed Unguaranteed Total (1)
Held for Investment Loans:
Owner Occupied
Small Business Banking $ 1,250,540 $ 1,124,834 $ 2,375,374
Commercial Banking 20,698 27,084 47,782
Total 1,271,238 1,151,918 2,423,156
Non-Owner Occupied
Small Business Banking 388,242 595,426 983,668
Commercial Banking 38,246 1,075,267 1,113,513
Total 426,488 1,670,693 2,097,181
Total Held for Investment Commercial Real Estate $ 1,697,726 $ 2,822,611 $ 4,520,337
Held for Sale Loans:
Owner Occupied
Small Business Banking $ 47,730 $ — $ 47,730
Total 47,730 — 47,730
Non-Owner Occupied
Small Business Banking 168,033 — 168,033
Total 168,033 — 168,033
Total Held for Sale Commercial Real Estate $ 215,763 $ — $ 215,763
Total Commercial Real Estate Loans $ 1,913,489 $ 2,822,611 $ 4,736,100
% of Total Commercial Real Estate Loans 40.4 % 59.6 % 100.0 %
(1) Excludes retained loan discount and net deferred costs.
Asset Quality
Management considers asset quality to be of primary importance. A formal loan review function, independent of loan origination, is used to identify and monitor problem loans. This function reports directly to the Risk Committee of the Board of Directors.
Nonperforming Assets
The Bank places loans and leases on nonaccrual status when they become 90 days past due as to principal or interest payments, or prior to that if management has determined based upon current information available to them that the timely collection of principal or interest is not probable. When a loan or lease is placed on nonaccrual status, any interest previously accrued as income but not actually collected is reversed and recorded as a reduction of loan or lease interest and fee income. Typically, collections of interest and principal received on a nonaccrual loan or lease are applied to the outstanding principal as determined at the time of collection of the loan or lease.
Total nonperforming assets, including loans measured at fair value, at December 31, 2024 were $371.7 million, which represented a $179.5 million, or 93.4%, increase from December 31, 2023. These nonperforming assets, at December 31, 2024 were comprised of $369.8 million in nonaccrual loans and leases and $1.9 million in foreclosed assets. Of the $371.7 million of nonperforming assets, $280.1 million carried a government guarantee, leaving an unguaranteed exposure of $91.6 million in total nonperforming assets at December 31, 2024. This represents an increase of $40.4 million, or 78.9%, from an unguaranteed exposure of $51.2 million at December 31, 2023.
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The following table provides information with respect to nonperforming assets, excluding loans measured at fair value, at the dates indicated.
2024 (1)
2023 (1)
Nonaccrual loans and leases:
Total nonperforming loans and leases (all on nonaccrual) $ 304,297 $ 134,963
Foreclosed assets 1,944 6,481
Total nonperforming assets $ 306,241 $ 141,444
Allowance for credit losses on loans and leases $ 167,516 $ 125,840
Total nonperforming loans and leases to total loans and leases held for investment 3.07 % 1.64 %
Total nonperforming loans and leases to total assets 2.41 % 1.24 %
Allowance for credit losses on loans and leases to loans and leases held for investment 1.69 % 1.53 %
Allowance for credit losses on loans and leases to total nonperforming loans and leases 55.05 % 93.24 %
Nonaccrual loans and leases guaranteed by U.S. government:
Total nonperforming loans and leases guaranteed by the U.S. government (all on nonaccrual) $ 222,885 $ 95,678
Foreclosed assets guaranteed by the U.S. government 1,753 3,670
Total nonperforming assets guaranteed by the U.S. government $ 224,638 $ 99,348
Allowance for credit losses on loans and leases $ 167,516 $ 125,840
Total nonperforming loans and leases not guaranteed by the U.S. government to total held for investment loans and leases 0.82 % 0.48 %
Total nonperforming loans and leases not guaranteed by the U.S. government to total assets 0.65 % 0.36 %
Allowance for credit losses on loans and leases to total nonperforming loans and leases not guaranteed by the U.S government 205.76 % 320.33 %
(1) Excludes loans measured at fair value.
Nonperforming assets, excluding loans measured at fair value, at December 31, 2024 were $306.2 million, which represented a $164.8 million, or 116.5%, increase from December 31, 2023 . These nonperforming assets, at December 31, 2024 were comprised of $304.3 million in nonaccrual loans and leases and $1.9 million in foreclosed assets. Of the $306.2 million of nonperforming assets, $224.6 million carried a government guarantee, leaving an unguaranteed exposure of $81.6 million in total nonperforming assets at December 31, 2024 . This represents an increase of $39.5 million, or 93.8%, from an unguaranteed exposure of $42.1 million at December 31, 2023 .
See the below discussion related to the change in potential problem and impaired loans and leases for management’s overall observations regarding the change in total nonperforming loans and leases.
As a percentage of the Bank’s total capital, nonperforming loans and leases, excluding loans measured at fair value, repres ented 26.7% at December 31, 2024, compared to 14.6% at December 31, 2023. Adjusting the ratio to include only the unguaranteed portion of nonperforming loans and leases at historical cost to reflect management’s belief that the greater magnitude of risk resides in this portion, the ratio at December 31, 2024 and 2023 was 7.2% and 4.3%, respectively.
As of December 31, 2024 , and December 31, 2023 , potential problem (also referred to as criticized) and classified loans and leases, excluding loans measured at fair value, totaled $1.04 billion and $785.2 million, respectively. The following is a discussion of these loans and leases. Risk Grades 50 through 80 represent the spectrum of criticized and classified loans and leases. For a complete description of the risk grading system, see “Credit Quality Indicators” in Note 3 to the notes to consolidated financial statements. At December 31, 2024 , the portion o f criticized and classified loans and leases guaranteed by the SBA or USDA totaled $518.7 million and total portfolio unguaranteed exposure risk was $523.3 million, or 7.8% of total held for investment unguaranteed exposure carried at historic al cost. This compares to the December 31, 2023 portion of criticized and classified loans and leases guaranteed by the SBA or USDA which totaled $344.8 million and total portfolio unguaranteed exposure risk was $440.3 million, or 8.3% of total held for investment unguaranteed exposure carried at historical cost.
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As of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, loans and leases carried at historical cost within the following verticals comprise the largest portion of the tot al potential problem and classified loans and leases:
As of December 31, 2024 As of December 31, 2023
Vertical % of Criticized and Classified Loans and Leases
Vertical % of Criticized and Classified Loans and Leases
General Lending 15.1% Senior Housing 16.5%
Bioenergy 11.1 Bioenergy 14.4
Senior Housing 9.9 General Lending 12.2
Healthcare 6.9 Search Fund Lending 8.6
Sponsor Finance 5.5 Wine & Craft Beverage 5.6
Wine & Craft Beverage 5.3 Healthcare 3.9
Search Fund Lending 5.0 Hotels 3.3
Community Facilities 4.8 Self Storage 3.3
Self Storage 4.6 Senior Care 3.2
% of Total Criticized and Classified Loans 68.2% % of Total Criticized and Classified Loans 71.0%
Of the above listed verticals, Bioenergy, Senior Housing, Sponsor Finance, Community Facilities and Hotels is within the Company’s Commercial Banking division, the remainder of the above listed verticals are within the Small Business Banking division. Total criticized and classified loans and leases increased $256.8 million in 2024. This increase by loan and lease risk grade categories was comprised of a decrease of $69.3 million for those identified as criticized offset by an increase of $326.1 million for those identified as classified, of which $236.7 million is guaranteed and $89.4 million is unguaranteed. Additionally, the Company believes that its underwriting and credit quality standards have remained high and continues to consider changing economic conditions in a rising interest rate environment.
Loans and leases that experience insignificant payment delays and payment shortfalls are generally not individually evaluated for the purpose of estimating the allowance for credit losses. The Bank generally considers an “insignificant period of time” from payment delays to be a period of 90 days or less. The Bank would consider a modification for a customer experiencing what is expected to be a short-term event that has temporarily impacted cash flow. This could be due, among other reasons, to illness, weather, impact from a one-time expense, slower than expected start-up, construction issues or other short-term issues. Credit personnel will review the request to determine if the customer is experiencing financial stress and how the event has impacted the ability of the customer to repay the loan or lease long term. At December 31, 2024, the Company had a total of $26.5 million in loans modified in 2024 to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty, excluding loans measured at fair value, all of which remained current and none of which are on principal payment deferral.
Management endeavors to be proactive in its approach to identify and resolve problem loans and leases and is focused on working with the borrowers and guarantors of these loans and leases to provide loan and lease modifications when warranted. Management implements a proactive approach to identifying and classifying loans and leases as special mention (also referred to as criticized), Risk Grade 50. At December 31, 2024, and December 31, 2023, Risk Grade 50 loans and leases, excluding loans measured at fair value, totaled $529.9 million and $599.2 million, respectively, for a year-over-year decrease of $69.3 million. Relative to total held for investment unguaranteed exposure carried at historical cost at December 31, 2023 and 2024, unguaranteed Risk Grade 50 loans and leases decreased from $364.4 million, or 6.9%, to $357.9 million, or 5.3%, respectively.
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The largest year-over-year changes in Risk Grade 50 loans and leases carried at historical cost were within the foll owing verticals :
December 31, 2024 vs. 2023 Increase (Decrease)
Vertical $ %
Sponsor Finance $ 29,229 42.2 %
Healthcare 29,110 42.0
Veterinary 18,413 26.6
Self Storage 13,972 20.2
Solar Energy 13,765 19.9
Wine & Craft Beverage 12,774 18.4
RV Parks 11,920 17.2
Venture Banking (8,741) (12.6)
Asset-Based Lending (11,715) (16.9)
Fitness Centers (14,432) (20.8)
Search Fund Lending (16,328) (23.6)
Senior Housing (37,515) (54.2)
Bioenergy (107,125) (154.6)
Total of largest changes in RG 50 loans and leases $ (66,673) (96.2)%
The decrease in Risk Grade 50 loans and leases, exclusive of loans measured at fair value, during 2024 was principally confined to 13 verticals, as reflected above. The primary driver for the decline in Risk Grade 50 loans and leases was a migration to improvement within the Senior Housing portfolio coupled with two large Bioenergy relationships moving to classified status in the third quarter of 2024. Of the above listed verticals, Sponsor Finance, Solar Energy, Venture Banking, Asset-Based Lending, Senior Housing, and Bioenergy are within the Company’s Commercial Banking division, the remainder of the above listed verticals are within the Small Business Banking division.
At December 31, 2024, approximately 97.4% of loans and leases classified as Risk Grade 50 are performing with no relationships having payments past due more than 30 days. While the level of nonperforming assets fluctuates in response to changing economic and market conditions, in light of the relative size and composition of the loan and lease portfolio and management’s degree of success in resolving problem assets, management believes that a proactive approach to early identification and intervention is critical to successfully managing a small business loan portfolio.
Allowance for Credit Losses on Loans and Leases
The ACL of $125.8 million at December 31, 2023 , increased by $41.7 million, or 33.1%, to $167.5 million at December 31, 2024 . The ACL as a percentage of loans and leases held for investment at historical cost amounted to 1.7% and 1.5% at December 31, 2024 and 2023 , respectively. The increase in the ACL during 2024 was primarily due to record loan growth combined with the impacts of the current macroeconomic environment, as addressed more fully in the above section captioned “Provision for Credit Losses” in “Results of Operations.”
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Actual past due held for investment loans and leases, inclusive of loans measured at fair value, have increased by $197.4 million since December 31, 2023. Total loans and leases 90 or more days past due increased $131.0 million, or 105.1%, compared to December 31, 2023. This increase was comprised of a $6.4 million increase in unguaranteed exposure combined with a $124.6 million increase in the guaranteed portion of past due loans compared to December 31, 2023. At December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, total held for investment unguaranteed loans and leases past due as a percentage of total held for investment unguaranteed loans and leases, inclusive of loans measured at fair value, was 1.3% and 0.8%, respectively. Total unguaranteed loans and leases past due were comprised of $77.5 million carried at historical cost, an increase of $39.8 million, and $10.3 million measured at fair value, an increase of $447 thousand, as of December 31, 2024 compared to December 31, 2023. Management continues to actively monitor and work to improve asset quality. Management believes the ACL of $167.5 million at December 31, 2024 is appropriate in light of the risk inherent in the loan and lease portfolio. Management’s judgments are based on numerous assumptions about current and expected events that it believes to be reasonable, but which may or may not prove to be valid. Accordingly, no assurance can be given that management’s ongoing evaluation of the loan and lease portfolio in light of changing economic conditions and other relevant circumstances will not require significant future additions to the ACL, thus adversely affecting the Company’s operating results. Additional information on the ACL is presented in Note 3. Loans and Leases Held for Investment and Credit Quality of the consolidated financial statements in this report.
The following table sets forth the breakdown of the allowance for credit losses on loans and leases carried at historical cost by category at the dates indicated.
2024 2023
Allowance Total
Loans
and
Leases (1)
% of
Total
Allowance % of
Total
Loans
and
Leases (1)
Allowance Total
Loans
and
Leases (1)
% of
Total
Allowance % of
Total
Loans
and
Leases (1)
Commercial & Industrial
Small Business Banking $ 95,341 $ 2,324,924 56.9 % 23.4 % $ 49,120 $ 2,125,163 39.0 % 25.7 %
Commercial Banking 33,666 2,457,359 20.1 24.8 38,453 1,981,250 30.6 23.9
Paycheck Protection Program — 2,361 — — 8 5,595 — 0.1
Total 129,007 4,784,644 77.0 48.2 87,581 4,112,008 69.6 49.7
Construction & Development
Small Business Banking 4,157 518,953 2.5 5.2 3,320 415,094 2.7 5.0
Commercial Banking 786 85,456 0.5 0.9 1,397 54,960 1.1 0.7
Total 4,943 604,409 3.0 6.1 4,717 470,054 3.8 5.7
Commercial Real Estate
Small Business Banking 22,196 2,873,260 13.2 28.9 14,743 2,465,576 11.7 29.8
Commercial Banking 7,305 1,055,843 4.4 10.6 14,121 685,429 11.2 8.3
Total 29,501 3,929,103 17.6 39.5 28,864 3,151,005 22.9 38.1
Commercial Land
Small Business Banking 4,065 616,453 2.4 6.2 4,678 534,762 3.7 6.5
Total 4,065 616,453 2.4 6.2 4,678 534,762 3.7 6.5
Total $ 167,516 $ 9,934,609 100.0 % 100.0 % $ 125,840 $ 8,267,829 100.0 % 100.0 %
(1) Excludes loans measured at fair value.
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Analysis of Loan and Lease Loss Experience. The following table sets forth an analysis of net charge-offs for loans and leases carried at historical cost to average total loans and leases, carried at historical cost, by category for the years indicated.
2024 2023 2022
Net
Charge-offs (1)
Average Total Loans & Leases (1)(2)
% of Average Total
Loans & Leases (1)(2)
Net
Charge-offs (1)
Average Total Loans & Leases (1)(2)
% of Average Total
Loans & Leases (1)(2)
Net
Charge-offs (1)
Average Total Loans & Leases (1)(2)
% of Average Total
Loans & Leases (1)(2)
Commercial & Industrial
Small Business Banking $ 34,341 $ 2,231,976 1.5 % $ 13,705 $ 2,086,469 0.7 % $ 5,423 $ 1,639,650 0.3 %
Commercial Banking 8,703 2,138,080 0.4 7,966 1,566,488 0.5 1,794 931,850 0.2
Paycheck Protection Program — 3,922 — — 8,283 — 5 81,250 —
Total 43,044 4,373,978 1.0 21,671 3,661,240 0.6 7,222 2,652,750 0.3
Construction & Development
Small Business Banking 338 289,198 0.1 — 274,777 — (3) 271,596 —
Commercial Banking — 55,440 — — 48,144 — — 85,747 —
Total 338 344,638 0.1 — 322,921 — (3) 357,343 —
Commercial Real Estate
Small Business Banking 3,105 2,811,072 0.1 1,416 2,463,238 0.1 489 1,904,876 —
Commercial Banking 189 897,927 — (1,714) 583,917 (0.3) (388) 335,543 (0.1)
Total 3,294 3,708,999 0.1 (298) 3,047,155 — 101 2,240,419 —
Commercial Land
Small Business Banking 16 592,007 — — 505,692 — 641 422,886 0.2
Total 16 592,007 — — 505,692 — 641 422,886 0.2
Total $ 46,692 $ 9,019,622 0.5 % $ 21,373 $ 7,537,008 0.3 % $ 7,961 $ 5,673,398 0.1 %
(1) Excludes loans measured at fair value.
(2) Average loans and leases held for investment, at amortized cost.
Investment Securities
Investment securities totaled $1.25 billion at December 31, 2024, an increase of $122.0 million, or 10.8%, compared to $1.13 billion at December 31, 2023. The increase in the investment portfolio for 2024 was to support earnings through additional yield compared to cash alternatives, continue to provide a contingent funding source and act as a mechanism to manage the Company’s interest rate risk. This also included purchases of $263.9 million in mortgage-backed securities, including $42.9 million for purposes of complying with the Community Reinvestment Act and purchases of $66.4 million in collateralized mortgage obligations to diversify the reinvestment of portfolio cash flows.
The investment securities portfolio consists entirely of available-for-sale securities. The Company purchases securities for the investment securities portfolio to manage interest rate risk, ensure a stable source of liquidity and to provide a steady source of income in excess of cost of funds.
At December 31, 2024, the effective duration of the overall available-for-sale securities portfolio was approximately 3.72 years.
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The following table sets forth the stated maturities and weighted average yields of investment securities at December 31, 2024. Weighted average yields were calculated using amortized cost and coupon rate at the balance sheet date. Yields are not presented on a tax-equivalent basis. Certain mortgage related securities have adjustable interest rates and will reprice annually within the various maturity ranges. These repricing schedules are not reflected in the tables below.
Total
Amortized
Cost Within One Year After One
to Five Years After Five
to Ten Years After Ten Years
Amortized
Cost Average
Yield Amortized
Cost Average
Yield Amortized
Cost Average
Yield Amortized
Cost Average
Yield
U.S. government securities $ 18,196 $ 7,000 3.38 % $ 4,272 2.92 % $ 6,924 4.38 % $ — — %
Mortgage-backed securities 1,335,177 18,479 3.07 198,710 2.95 223,875 2.85 894,113 3.27
Municipal bonds 3,176 — — — — 3,080 4.50 96 5.22
Total securities $ 1,356,549 $ 25,479 3.16 % $ 202,982 2.95 % $ 233,879 2.92 % $ 894,209 3.27 %
At December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the Company had 98.4% and 98.3% of its total investment securities portfolio in mortgage-backed securities. The Company has continued to purchase mortgage-backed securities in order to obtain a favorable yield versus cash alternatives while still maintaining a low risk profile within the investment portfolio.
Deposits
The following table sets forth the composition of deposits.
2024 2023 2022
Total Percent Total Percent Total Percent
Period end:
Noninterest-bearing demand deposits $ 318,890 2.7 % $ 259,270 2.5 % $ 194,100 2.2 %
Interest-bearing deposits:
Interest-bearing checking 351,284 3.0 301,006 2.9 — —
Money market 147,533 1.3 135,551 1.3 128,443 1.4
Savings 5,282,812 44.9 4,497,376 43.8 4,096,576 46.1
Time deposits 5,659,975 48.1 5,081,816 49.5 4,465,809 50.3
Total 11,441,604 97.3 10,015,749 97.5 8,690,828 97.8
Total period end deposits $ 11,760,494 100.0 % $ 10,275,019 100.0 % $ 8,884,928 100.0 %
Total uninsured deposits $ 1,705,780 14.5 % $ 1,457,800 14.2 % $ 1,563,189 17.6 %
2024 2023 2022
Total Percent Average
Rate Total Percent Average
Rate Total Percent Average
Rate
Average:
Noninterest-bearing demand deposits $ 239,078 2.2 % — % $ 215,327 2.2 % — % $ 125,062 1.6 % — %
Interest-bearing deposits:
Interest-bearing checking 326,410 3.0 5.42 231,413 2.4 5.50 — — —
Money market 131,636 1.2 0.56 125,279 1.3 0.58 100,684 1.3 0.30
Savings 4,934,818 45.8 4.02 4,428,306 45.7 3.86 3,903,151 48.9 1.48
Time deposits 5,133,511 47.7 4.17 4,695,161 48.4 3.31 3,849,203 48.2 1.48
Total average deposits $ 10,765,453 100.0 % 4.09 % $ 9,695,486 100.0 % 3.59 % $ 7,978,100 100.0 % 1.46 %
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Deposits increased to $11.76 billion at December 31, 2024 from $10.28 billion at December 31, 2023, an increase of $1.49 billion, or 14.5%. This increase was primarily due to the growth of the Company’s customer base in the savings and time deposit products, enhanced by a nationwide marketing campaign with attractive rates and additional wholesale funding, to support the significant loan growth in 2024. Noninterest-bearing deposits increased $59.6 million, or 23.0%, during 2024, and interest-bearing deposits increased $1.43 billion, or 14.2%, during the same period.
The aggregate amount of time deposits in denominations of $250 thousand or more at December 31, 2024 was approximately $695.9 million. Of those deposits, $293.1 million was uninsured and 98.6% of the uninsured time deposit accounts were scheduled to mature within one year. The maturity profile of uninsured time deposits at December 31, 2024 is as follows:
Maturity Period Three months
or less More than
three months
to six months More than
six months to
twelve months More than
twelve
months
Amount of time deposits in uninsured accounts $ 96,713 $ 63,987 $ 128,125 $ 4,247
Borrowings
Total borrowings increased $89.5 million at December 31, 2024 from December 31, 2023 as a result of the following:
In March 2024, the Company entered into a 60-month term loan agreement of $100.0 million with a third party correspondent bank. The loan accrues interest at a fixed rate of 5.95% with monthly interest payments until maturity on March 28, 2029, and $33.0 million of principal to be paid in year 4, and $67.0 million of principal to be paid in year 5. The Company paid the Lender a non-refundable $600 thousand loan origination fee upon signing of the Note that is represented as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the loan and will be amortized into interest expense over the life of the loan.
In March 2021, the Company entered into a 60 -month term loan agreement of $50.0 million with a third party correspondent bank. The loan accrues interest at a fixed rate of 2.95% with a monthly payment sufficient to fully amortize the loan, with all remaining unpaid principal and interest due at maturity on March 30, 2026 . The Company paid the Lender a non-refundable $325 thousand loan origination fee upon signing of the Note that is presented as a direct deduction from the carrying amount of the loan and will be amortized into interest expense over the life of the loan.
In September 2024, the Company modified a $100.0 million revolving line of credit with a third party correspondent bank. The line of credit is unsecured and accrues interest at 30-day SOFR plus 1.25%, with an interest rate cap of 6.75% and an interest rate floor of 2.75%. The line of credit was extended 12 months to a maturity date of October 10, 2027. Payments are interest only with all principal and accrued interest due at maturity. The terms of this loan require the Company to maintain minimum capital and debt service coverage ratios. The Company paid the Lender a non-refundable $250 thousand renewal fee in September 2024 that will be amortized into interest expense over the life of the loan. As of December 31, 2024 and 2023 there was $100.0 million of available credit .
Liquidity Management
Liquidity management refers to the ability to meet day-to-day cash flow requirements based primarily on activity in loan and deposit accounts of the Company’s customers. Liquidity is immediately available from four major sources: (a) cash on hand and on deposit at other banks; (b) the outstanding balance of federal funds sold; (c) the market value of unpledged investment securities; and (d) availability under lines of credit, FHLB advances and the Federal Reserve Discount Window. A primary tool in the Company’s liquidity management process is the utilization of an Outflow Coverage Ratio (“OCR”) model to stress outflows in various scenarios with targeted days of liquidity coverage. The OCR model output is then used by management to ensure adequate liquidity sources are available during those future periods. At December 31, 2024, the total amount of these four liquidity source items was $4.20 billion, or 32.4% of total assets, a decrease of 5.4% of total assets from $4.26 billion, or 37.8% of total assets, at December 31, 2023.
Loans and other assets are funded primarily by customer deposits, brokered deposits and loan sales. The Company maintains an investment securities portfolio that is available for both immediate and secondary contingent liquidity purposes, whether via pledging to the Federal Home Loan Bank, Federal Reserve Bank, or through liquidation. Additionally, the Company maintains a guaranteed and unguaranteed loan portfolio that is also a contingent liquidity source, whether via pledging to the Federal Reserve Discount Window or through liquidation.
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At December 31, 2024, $621.4 million of the investment securities portfolio were pledged for unused borrowing capacity, leaving $626.8 million available to be pledged as collateral.
Contractual Obligations
The Company has entered into significant fixed and determinable contractual obligations for future payments. See the accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements for expected timing of payments as of December 31, 2024. These include operating leases (Note 4. Leases), time deposits with stated maturity dates (Note 7. Deposits) and borrowings (Note 8. Borrowings). As of December 31, 2024, the Company also has $351.0 million in brokered deposits with $225.7 million scheduled to mature in less than a year and $125.3 million scheduled to mature within one to three years.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
In the normal course of operations, the Company engages in a variety of financial transactions that, in accordance with GAAP, are not recorded in the consolidated financial statements. These transactions involve, to varying degrees, elements of credit, interest rate and liquidity risk. Such transactions are used primarily to manage customers’ requests for funding and take the form of commitments to extend credit and standby letters of credit. In 2022, the Company entered into airplane purchase agreement commitments and one airplane purchase agreement commitment was outstanding as of December 31, 2023, which was placed in service in 2024. For more information, see Note 2. Securities and Note 11. Commitments and Contingencies in the accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements.
Asset/Liability Management and Interest Rate Sensitivity
One of the primary objectives of asset/liability management is to maximize the net interest margin while minimizing the earnings risk associated with changes in interest rates. One method used to manage interest rate sensitivity is to measure, over various time periods, the interest rate sensitivity positions, or gaps. This method, however, addresses only the magnitude of timing differences and does not address earnings or market value. Therefore, management uses an earnings simulation model to prepare, on a regular basis, earnings projections based on a range of interest rate scenarios to more accurately measure interest rate risk. For more information, see Item 7A of this Report.
Capital
The maintenance of appropriate levels of capital is a management priority and is monitored on a regular basis. The Company’s principal goals related to the maintenance of capital are to provide adequate capital to support the Company’s risk profile consistent with the risk appetite approved by the Board of Directors; provide financial flexibility to support future growth and client needs; comply with relevant laws, regulations, and supervisory guidance; achieve optimal credit ratings for the Company and its subsidiaries; and provide a competitive return to shareholders. Management regularly monitors the capital position of the Company on both a consolidated and Bank level basis. In this regard, management’s goal is to maintain capital at levels that are in excess of the regulatory “well capitalized” levels. Risk-based capital ratios, which include Tier 1 Capital, Total Capital and Common Equity Tier 1 Capital, are calculated based on regulatory guidance related to the measurement of capital and risk-weighted assets.
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Capital amounts and ratios as of December 31, 2024, 2023 and 2022 are presented in the table below.
Actual Minimum Capital
Requirement Minimum To Be
Well Capitalized
Under Prompt
Corrective Action
Provisions (1)
Amount Ratio Amount Ratio Amount Ratio
Consolidated - December 31, 2024
Common Equity Tier 1 (to Risk-Weighted Assets) $ 1,049,420 11.04 % $ 427,941 4.50 % N/A N/A
Total Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets) $ 1,169,061 12.29 % $ 760,784 8.00 % N/A N/A
Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets) $ 1,049,420 11.04 % $ 570,588 6.00 % N/A N/A
Tier 1 Capital (to Average Assets) $ 1,049,420 8.21 % $ 511,293 4.00 % N/A N/A
Bank - December 31, 2024
Common Equity Tier 1 (to Risk-Weighted Assets) $ 1,020,820 10.96 % $ 418,992 4.50 % $ 605,210 6.50 %
Total Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets) $ 1,138,006 12.22 % $ 744,874 8.00 % $ 931,093 10.00 %
Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets) $ 1,020,820 10.96 % $ 558,656 6.00 % $ 744,874 8.00 %
Tier 1 Capital (to Average Assets) $ 1,020,820 8.04 % $ 507,725 4.00 % $ 634,657 5.00 %
Consolidated - December 31, 2023
Common Equity Tier 1 (to Risk-Weighted Assets) $ 960,433 11.73 % $ 368,549 4.50 % N/A N/A
Total Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets) $ 1,063,157 12.98 % $ 655,198 8.00 % N/A N/A
Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets) $ 960,433 11.73 % $ 491,399 6.00 % N/A N/A
Tier 1 Capital (to Average Assets) $ 960,433 8.58 % $ 447,561 4.00 % N/A N/A
Bank - December 31, 2023
Common Equity Tier 1 (to Risk-Weighted Assets) $ 823,478 10.40 % $ 356,426 4.50 % $ 514,837 6.50 %
Total Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets) $ 922,876 11.65 % $ 633,646 8.00 % $ 792,057 10.00 %
Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets) $ 823,478 10.40 % $ 475,234 6.00 % $ 633,646 8.00 %
Tier 1 Capital (to Average Assets) $ 823,478 7.41 % $ 444,480 4.00 % $ 555,600 5.00 %
Consolidated - December 31, 2022
Common Equity Tier 1 (to Risk-Weighted Assets) $ 888,235 12.47 % $ 320,446 4.50 % N/A N/A
Total Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets) $ 977,360 13.73 % $ 569,681 8.00 % N/A N/A
Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets) $ 888,235 12.47 % $ 427,261 6.00 % N/A N/A
Tier 1 Capital (to Average Assets) $ 888,235 9.26 % $ 383,499 4.00 % N/A N/A
Bank - December 31, 2022
Common Equity Tier 1 (to Risk-Weighted Assets) $ 730,092 10.70 % $ 307,179 4.50 % $ 443,703 6.50 %
Total Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets) $ 815,577 11.95 % $ 546,096 8.00 % $ 682,620 10.00 %
Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets) $ 730,092 10.70 % $ 409,572 6.00 % $ 546,096 8.00 %
Tier 1 Capital (to Average Assets) $ 730,092 7.70 % $ 379,396 4.00 % $ 474,245 5.00 %
(1) Prompt corrective action provisions are not applicable at the bank holding company level.
Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
The preparation of consolidated financial statements in accordance with GAAP requires the Company to make estimates and judgments that affect reported amounts of assets, liabilities, income and expenses and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities. The Company bases estimates on historical experience and on various other assumptions that are believed to be reasonable under current circumstances, results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying value of certain assets and liabilities that are not readily available from other sources. Estimates are evaluated on an ongoing basis. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions.
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The Company’s accounting policies, including those for the Company’s critical accounting estimates are described in detail in Note 1. Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the accompanying notes to the consolidated financial statements and are an integral part of the Company’s consolidated financial statements. A thorough understanding of these accounting policies is essential when reviewing the Company’s reported results of operations and financial position. The Company’s most critical accounting estimate is listed below. This estimate requires the Company to make difficult, subjective or complex judgments about matters that are inherently uncertain.
Allowance for credit losses (ACL)
The Company’s ACL at December 31, 2024 represents the Company’s current estimate of the lifetime credit losses expected from its loan and lease portfolio. Management estimates the ACL by projecting probability of default, loss given default and exposure at default, conditional on economic parameter(s), for the remaining contractual term.
To determine the ACL as of December 31, 2024, the Company utilized an external baseline forecast to generate its quantitatively modeled expected losses and considered alternative economic forecast scenarios to qualitatively adjust the modeled ACL by loan portfolio in order to reflect management’s reasonable expectations of current and future economic conditions. The baseline forecast at December 31, 2024 assumes the Federal Reserve Board will cut the policy rate twice in 2025, the CPI rising 2.9% in 2025, GDP ending the fourth quarter of 2025 at 1.7%, and the unemployment rate ending the fourth quarter of 2025 at 4.1%.
One of the most significant judgments influencing the ACL is the external macroeconomic forecasts. Changes in the economic forecasts could significantly affect the estimated credit losses which could potentially lead to materially different allowance levels from one reporting period to the next.
To illustrate a hypothetical sensitivity analysis, management calculated a quantitative allowance using a 100% weighting applied to an adverse scenario. This scenario contemplates elevated interest rates weakening credit-sensitive consumer spending, growing concerns about the impact of potential tariffs, and deepening fiscal disputes in Congress causing further sentiment decline. Increased geopolitical tensions between China and Taiwan briefly impact the supply chain for semiconductors and the threat of a wider conflict causes consumer confidence to fall. Additionally, the Russian invasion of Ukraine lasts longer than in the baseline scenario and concerns increase around the current conflict in the Middle East leading to a broader war in the region. The combination of still elevated interest rates, political tensions, and tightening lending standards cause the economy to fall into a recession in the first quarter of 2025. Despite the recession, rising inflation causes the Federal Reserve to reverse course and raise the federal funds rate further before resuming rate cuts in the third quarter as the recession persists, resulting in a fed funds rate below the baseline forecast. Under this scenario, as an example, the unemployment rate increases from baseline levels and remains elevated for an extended period. The estimated unemployment rate in this scenario reaches 8.2% at the end of 2025, approximately 4.1% higher than the baseline scenario projection.
To demonstrate the sensitivity to key economic parameters, management calculated the difference between a 100% baseline weighting and a 100% adverse scenario weighting for quantitative modeled results. This scenario would result in an incremental quantitative impact to the ACL of approximately $33.5 million at December 31, 2024. This resulting difference is not intended to represent an expected increase in ACL levels since (i) the Company may use a weighted approach applied to multiple economic scenarios for its ACL process, (ii) the highly uncertain economic environment, and (iii) the sensitivity analysis does not account for any qualitative adjustments incorporated by the Company as part of its overall ACL framework.
Other Considerations
While management utilizes its best judgment and information available, the ultimate adequacy of our ACL is dependent upon a variety of factors beyond our control, including the performance of our portfolios, the economy, and changes in interest rates. See Note 1. Organization and Summary of Significant Accounting Policies and Note 3. Loans and Leases Held for Investment and Credit Quality in the notes to consolidated financial statements for further details of the factors considered by the Company in estimating the necessary level of the ACL.
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Non-GAAP Measures
Some of the financial measures included in our selected historical consolidated financial data and elsewhere in this Report are not measures of financial performance recognized by GAAP. These non-GAAP financial measures are: “tangible shareholders’ equity;” “tangible assets;” “tangible shareholders’ equity to tangible assets;” “tangible book value per share;” and “efficiency ratio.” Management uses these non-GAAP financial measures in its analysis of the Company’s performance.
• “Tangible shareho lders’ equity” is total shareholders’ equity less goodwill and other intangible assets. Management has not considered loan servicing rights as an intangible asset for purposes of this calculation.
• “Tangible assets” is total assets less goodwill and other intangible assets. Management has not considered loan servicing rights as an intangible asset for purposes of this calculation.
• “Tangible shareholders’ equity to tangible assets” is defined as the ratio of shareholders’ equity less goodwill and other intangible assets, divided by total assets less goodwill and other intangible assets. Management believes this measure is important because it shows relative changes from period to period in equity and total assets, each exclusive of changes in intangible assets. Management has not considered loan servicing rights as an intangible asset for purposes of this calculation.
• “Tangible book value per share” is defined as total equity reduced by goodwill and other intangible assets divided by total common shares outstanding. Management believes this measure is important because it shows changes from period to period in book value per share exclusive of changes in intangible assets. Management has not considered loan servicing rights as an intangible asset for purposes of this calculation.
• “Efficiency ratio” is defined as total noninterest expense divided by the sum of net interest income and noninterest income. Management believes this measure is important as an indicator of productivity because it shows the amount of noninterest expense that was required to generate a dollar of revenue. While the efficiency ratio is a measure of productivity, its value reflects the unique attributes of the “high-touch business model” the Company employs.
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The Company believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to management and investors that is supplementary to the financial condition, results of operations and cash flows computed in accordance with GAAP; however, the Company acknowledges that non-GAAP financial measures have a number of limitations. As such, you should not view these measures as a substitute for results determined in accordance with GAAP, and they are not necessarily comparable to non-GAAP financial measures that other companies use. The following table provides a reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most closely related GAAP measure.
Years Ended December 31,
2024 2023 2022
Total shareholders' equity $ 1,003,496 $ 902,666 $ 811,033
Less:
Goodwill 1,797 1,797 1,797
Other intangible assets 1,568 1,721 1,873
Tangible shareholders' equity (a) $ 1,000,131 $ 899,148 $ 807,363
Shares outstanding (c) 45,359,425 44,617,673 44,061,244
Total assets $ 12,943,380 $ 11,271,423 $ 9,855,498
Less:
Goodwill 1,797 1,797 1,797
Other intangible assets 1,568 1,721 1,873
Tangible assets (b) $ 12,940,015 $ 11,267,905 $ 9,851,828
Tangible shareholders' equity to tangible assets (a/b) 7.73% 7.98% 8.20%
Tangible book value per share (a/c) $ 22.05 $ 20.15 $ 18.32
Efficiency ratio:
Noninterest expense (d) $ 314,239 $ 322,885 $ 314,226
Net interest income 375,905 345,305 327,501
Noninterest income 123,781 111,733 237,992
Adjusted operating revenue (e) $ 499,686 $ 457,038 $ 565,493
Efficiency ratio (d/e) 62.89% 70.65% 55.57%
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