Southside Bancshares (SBSI) Q4 2024 Earnings Call January 29, 2025 12:00 PM ET Company Participants Lindsey Bailes - VP-IRLee Gibson - CEOJulie Shamburger - CFOWoody Lay - Vice PresidentJordan Ghent - Senior Research AssociateTim Mitchell - Equity Research Associate Operator Good day and thank you for standing by. Welcome to the Southside Bancshares 4th Quarter and Year End 2024 Earnings Call. At this time, all participants are in a listen only mode. After the speakers' presentation, there will be a questio ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported a quarterly net loss of $2.7 million, an improvement from a net loss of $4 million in the prior quarter [3][7] - Net interest income increased by $386,000, leading to a 7 basis point improvement in net interest margin [7][8] - Tangible book value per share remained flat at $14.74 [6] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Gross loans increased by $32.5 million during the quarter, predominantly in owner-occupied commercial real estate [10] - The yield on loans improved by 4 basis points to 4.57% [8] - The company funded $59 million of loans during the quarter, yielding approximately 7.5% [5] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Deposits grew by $25 million, with a 17% increase in non-interest bearing accounts [3][11] - Non-performing assets declined modestly, with non-performing assets to assets and non-performing loans to loans remaining relatively flat at 25 basis points and 33 basis points respectively [12] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims to transform into a more commercially oriented institution, focusing on attracting full banking relationships with small to medium-sized businesses [4] - A strategic plan is in place to develop new relationships and deepen existing ones within the communities served [4] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed optimism about the improvement in yield on interest-earning assets and cost of interest-bearing liabilities, indicating a potential inflection point in net interest margin [4] - The company expects continued balance sheet and interest income growth while remaining disciplined in underwriting standards [5] Other Important Information - The company has robust liquidity with $408 million in untapped borrowing capacity and $211 million in unencumbered available-for-sale securities and unrestricted cash [6] - The allowance for credit losses was released by $301,000, primarily due to loan growth from commitments made in the previous quarter [9][10] Q&A Session Summary Question: Loan growth expectations and multifamily sector performance - Management indicated that they are focusing on growing the commercial book and are monitoring concentration limits in the multifamily space [15] Question: Pipeline activity and future growth - Management noted an improvement in the pipeline, with $60 million of commercial loans in letters of intent [16] Question: Deposit cost progression and margin expectations - Management reported a decrease in deposit costs to 2.9% and anticipates further improvements as rates trend lower [17][19] Question: Expense guidance for 2025 - Management expects operating expenses to remain in the mid to high $13 million range for 2025 [28] Question: Variable compensation metrics for 2025 - The compensation metrics are aligned with growth in loans, deposits, and net interest margin [30] Question: Construction portfolio yields - The yields on the construction portfolio are expected to be between 50 to 100 basis points above the prime rate [31]

Prosperity Bancshares (PB) Q4 2024 Earnings Call January 29, 2025 11:30 AM ET Company Participants Charlotte Rasche - Executive VP & General CounselDavid Zalman - Senior Chairman & CEOAsylbek Osmonov - Chief Financial OfficerTim Timanus - ChairmanKevin Hanigan - President & Chief Operating OfficerJon Arfstrom - Managing Director - Associate Director of US ResearchCatherine Mealor - Managing Director - Equity ResearchMatt Olney - Managing DirectorJon Rau - Vice President Conference Call Participants Manan Go ...

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company reported a net operating profit of $2.98 billion or $0.54 per share for Q4 2024, with pre-tax pre-provisioned earnings at $41 million or 1.28% [4] - For the full year 2024, operating earnings were $11.94 billion or $2.17 per share, flat compared to 2023 [5] - The net interest margin (NIM) decreased during the quarter but is expected to increase moving forward [5][23] - The allowance for credit losses (ACL) coverage rose to 125 basis points when excluding the mortgage warehouse [16] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Funded loans saw a small decrease year-over-year, with expectations for positive loan growth in 2025 projected between low to mid-single digits [6] - Criticized loans declined by nearly 20% year-over-year, with total criticized loans at $36.56 million [12][13] - Operating non-interest income increased by $130,000 to $1.45 million, driven by strong performance in government-guaranteed loans [26] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company experienced a 20% reduction in reliance on wholesale funding over the last year [14] - The loan-to-deposit ratio improved from 104% to 89% over the past two years [19] - The company has seen strong deposit growth, allowing for a reduction in brokered CDs and public funds [22] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on disciplined loan growth and remixing its deposit portfolio to improve profitability [28] - Management aims to achieve a return on average assets (ROA) exceeding 1% by 2025, driven by loan growth and deposit repricing [5][33] - The company is engaging with a consulting firm to improve operational efficiency and leverage in various business areas [27] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the credit risk profile improving and expects net charge-offs to remain around 20 basis points for 2025 [66] - The company anticipates that 2025 will produce positive operating leverage, driven by improved NIM and stronger fee revenues [29] - Management noted that the pipelines for loan production are strong, particularly in Texas, and expects to maintain robust activity in real estate [38][39] Other Important Information - The Chief Financial Officer, Terry Earley, will retire in June 2025 but will continue to assist in a consulting role [80] - The new CFO will be Will Hofford, who has been with the company for thirteen years [81] Q&A Session Summary Question: What are the expectations for achieving a 1% ROA in 2025? - Management believes that loan growth and deposit repricing will be the main drivers to achieve the 1% ROA target in 2025 [33] Question: What is the outlook for loan growth given the current payoffs? - Management indicated that while payoffs are expected to continue, the production side of the business is strong, and they are confident in achieving necessary loan growth [39][41] Question: Can you provide details on the dynamics of non-interest bearing deposits? - Management noted that seasonal fluctuations and intentional exits from expensive deposit relationships contributed to the decline, but they expect non-interest bearing deposits to stabilize between 21% and 23% [60] Question: What is the outlook for government guaranteed loans in 2025? - Management is optimistic about the government guaranteed loan business, citing strong pipelines and production [62][75] Question: What is the expected net charge-off ratio for 2025? - Management expects the net charge-off ratio to remain around 20 basis points for 2025, with confidence in continued credit improvement [66]

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - The company originated $36.4 million in loans held for investment, an increase from $28.9 million in the prior sequential quarter [5] - Non-performing assets increased to $2.5 million from $2.1 million in the previous quarter [8] - The net interest margin increased to 2.91% for the quarter ended December 31, 2024, compared to 2.84% for the sequential quarter [9] - The average cost of deposits declined to 123 basis points, down by 4 basis points from the prior quarter [10] - The allowance for credit losses to gross loans held for investment increased by 5 basis points to 66 basis points [9] Business Line Data and Key Metrics Changes - Loans held for investment increased by approximately $5 million compared to the quarter ended September 30, 2024, with increases in single-family and commercial business loans [6] - Loan principal payments and payoffs were $34.3 million, slightly up from $34 million in the previous quarter [6] - The company has loosened some underwriting requirements to encourage higher loan origination volume [6] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - Real estate investors have reduced their activity due to higher mortgage and interest rates, although moderate activity in loans held for investment continues [6] - There is increased consumer demand for single-family adjustable-rate mortgage products due to higher fixed-rate mortgage interest rates [6] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company aims for disciplined growth of the loan portfolio, recognizing the shift in monetary policy and the reversal of the inverted yield curve [12] - The company is looking for operating efficiencies to lower operating expenses, with a focus on maintaining a run rate of approximately $7.5 million per quarter [12] - The company has repurchased approximately 64,000 shares of common stock in the December 2024 quarter and has a new stock repurchase plan approved [15] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management believes that mortgage interest rates need to decline for significant acceleration in loan portfolio growth, with a current annual growth rate of approximately 1.9% [20] - There is optimism for growth in calendar 2025, supported by a flattening and upwardly sloping yield curve [21] - Management anticipates continued expansion of the net interest margin in future quarters, despite some headwinds from loan repricing [23][24] Other Important Information - The company has identified $23.7 million or 2.2% of its loans held for investment in areas affected by recent fires in Los Angeles [5] - The company has a strong capital position, exceeding well-capitalized capital ratios, allowing for effective execution of its business plan [14] Q&A Session Summary Question: Loan growth commentary and future acceleration - Management indicated that mortgage interest rates need to decline for significant loan portfolio growth, with a current growth rate of approximately 1.9% [20] Question: Margin trends and funding opportunities - Management expects net interest margin to expand in future quarters, with opportunities to reprice maturing wholesale funding downward [24]