Stellar Bancorp(STEL) - 2024 Q2 - Quarterly Report

Income Generation - The company generates most of its income from interest income on loans, investments in securities, and service charges on customer accounts[119]. - Interest income for the first half of 2024 was $300.6 million, an increase of$13.2 million, or 4.6%, compared to $287.4 million in the first half of 2023[156]. - Net interest income for Q2 2024 was$101.4 million, a decrease of $6.9 million, or 6.3$1.8 million, while a 5% increase in qualitative risk factors would have increased reserves by $3.1 million[129]. - The provision for credit losses for the six months ended June 30, 2024 was$2,200 thousand, down from $5,600 thousand in 2023, indicating a decrease of 60.7$29.8 million, or $0.56 per diluted share, down from$35.2 million, or $0.66 per diluted share in Q2 2023, primarily due to a$6.9 million decrease in net interest income[141]. - Annualized return on average assets for Q2 2024 was 1.13%, down from 1.31% in Q2 2023, while return on average equity decreased to 7.78% from 9.67%[142]. - For the first half of 2024, net income was $55.9 million, or$1.04 per diluted share, down from $72.3 million, or$1.36 per diluted share in the same period of 2023[143]. Interest Rates and Margins - The company’s net interest margin is calculated as net interest income divided by average interest-earning assets, including noninterest-bearing sources[119]. - Tax equivalent net interest margin for Q2 2024 was 4.24%, a decrease of 25 basis points from 4.49% in Q2 2023, primarily due to increased funding costs[149]. - The net interest margin for the six months ended June 30, 2024 was 4.25%, down from 4.63% in 2023, reflecting a decrease of 8.2%[161]. Asset and Liability Management - The company assesses the overall quality of the loan portfolio and the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses through a loan review program[126]. - The carrying amount of investment securities increased to $1.63 billion, a rise of$235.3 million, or 16.9%, from $1.40 billion as of December 31, 2023[200]. - The total amount of time deposits exceeding the FDIC insurance limit of$250,000 was $531.3 million as of June 30, 2024[210]. Market Conditions and Economic Factors - Economic uncertainty and market volatility in 2023 led to a decrease in the company's stock price and market capitalization, triggering an interim goodwill impairment analysis[133]. - Fluctuations in market interest rates are driven by factors such as governmental monetary policies, inflation, and macroeconomic developments[122]. - The company continues to evaluate economic conditions for potential goodwill impairment, which could materially impact financial results[138]. Nonperforming Assets - Nonperforming assets totaled$53.5 million, or 0.50% of total assets, at June 30, 2024, compared to $39.2 million, or 0.37$94.8 million, or 1.23% of total loans, compared to $91.7 million, or 1.16$71.2 million, an increase of $2.0 million (2.9$69.2 million in 2023[172]. - Salaries and employee benefits increased by $1.8 million (4.7$3.4 million (4.4%) for the six months ended June 30, 2024, compared to the same periods in 2023[173]. Capital and Liquidity - Total shareholders' equity increased to $1.57 billion at June 30, 2024, up from$1.52 billion at December 31, 2023, primarily due to net income of $55.9 million[235]. - The Company maintained a total capital ratio of 15.34% to risk-weighted assets as of June 30, 2024, well above the minimum required ratio of 8.0%[237]. - The liquidity position is continuously monitored, with stress scenarios incorporated into the contingency funding plan to assess potential liquidity outflows[226]. Regulatory Compliance - The Bank was classified as well-capitalized under regulatory capital guidelines as of June 30, 2024[235]. - The company maintained compliance with all debt covenants under its loan agreement as of June 30, 2024[214]. - The company’s disclosure controls and procedures were deemed effective as of the end of the reporting period[245].