Valley National Bancorp Reports Increased Fourth Quarter Net Income, Strong Organic Loan Growth and Net Interest Margin

NEW YORK, Jan. 27, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Valley National Bancorp (NASDAQ:VLY), the holding company for Valley National Bank, today reported net income for the fourth quarter 2021 of $115.0 million, or $0.27 per diluted common share, as compared to the fourth quarter 2020 earnings of $105.4 million, or $0.25 per diluted common share, and net income of $122.6 million, or $0.29 per diluted common share, for the third quarter 2021. Our fourth quarter 2021 core earnings included provision expense of $6.2 million ($0.01 per common share) recorded for purchased non-credit deteriorated (non-PCD) loans and unfunded credit commitments acquired during the quarter. Excluding all non-core charges, our adjusted net income (a non-GAAP measure) was $120.5 million, or $0.28 per diluted common share, for the fourth quarter 2021, $113.4 million, or $0.27 per diluted common share, for the fourth quarter 2020, and $124.7 million, or $0.30 per diluted common share, for the third quarter 2021. See further details below, including a reconciliation of our adjusted net income in the "Consolidated Financial Highlights" tables.

Key financial highlights for the fourth quarter:

• Acquisition of The Westchester Bank Holding Corp.: On December 1, 2021, Valley completed its acquisition of The Westchester Bank Holding Corporation (Westchester) and its wholly-owned subsidiary, The Westchester Bank. Westchester had approximately $1.4 billion in assets, $915 million in loans, $1.2 billion in deposits, after purchase accounting adjustments, and a branch network of seven locations in Westchester County, New York. The common shareholders of Westchester received 229.645 shares of Valley common stock for each Westchester share that they owned. The total consideration for the acquisition was $211.1 million and the transaction resulted in $63.5 million of goodwill and $8.1 million of core deposit intangible assets subject to amortization.
• Loan Portfolio: Total loans increased $1.5 billion to $34.2 billion at December 31, 2021 from September 30, 2021 largely due to $915 million in acquired loans from Westchester and strong organic loan growth, partially offset by a $438 million decline in SBA Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) loans. Excluding the Westchester and PPP loans, our non-PPP loan portfolio increased approximately $1.1 billion, or 13 percent on an annualized basis, during the fourth quarter 2021. See the "Loans, Deposits and Other Borrowings" section below for additional information.
• Net Interest Income and Margin: Net interest income on a tax equivalent basis of $316.0 million for the fourth quarter 2021 increased $14.3 million and $27.2 million as compared to the third quarter 2021 and fourth quarter 2020, respectively. Our net interest margin on a tax equivalent basis increased 8 basis points to 3.23 percent in the fourth quarter 2021 as compared to 3.15 percent for the third quarter 2021. The increases were largely due to higher loan yields partially driven by increased PPP and other periodic loan fees, and both acquired and organic loan growth. Our costs of average interest bearing liabilities also decreased 5 basis points from the third quarter 2021 due to repricing of deposits, continued run-off of maturing higher cost time deposits and repayments of borrowings. See the "Net Interest Income and Margin" section below for more details.
• Allowance and Provision for Credit Losses for Loans: The allowance for credit losses for loans totaled $375.7 million and $356.9 million at December 31, 2021 and September 30, 2021, respectively, representing 1.10 percent and 1.09 percent of total loans at each respective date. During the fourth quarter 2021, the provision for credit losses for loans was $11.6 million as compared to $3.5 million and $19.0 million for the third quarter 2021 and fourth quarter 2020, respectively. The increased fourth quarter 2021 provision as compared to the third quarter 2021 was largely due to the $6.2 million of provision related to the non-PCD loans and unfunded credit commitments acquired from Westchester.
• Credit Quality: We recorded net recoveries of loan charge-offs totaling $624 thousand for the fourth quarter 2021, as compared to net loan charge-offs of $293 thousand and $3.0 million for the third quarter 2021 and fourth quarter 2020, respectively. Non-accrual loans represented 0.70 percent and 0.77 percent of total loans at December 31, 2021 and September 30, 2021, respectively. See the "Credit Quality" Section below for more details.
• Non-Interest Income: Non-interest income decreased $4.2 million to $38.2 million for the fourth quarter 2021 from $42.4 million for the third quarter 2021 primarily due to a $4.5 million decrease in swap fee income derived from certain new commercial loan transactions.
• Non-Interest Expense: Non-interest expense increased $9.6 million to $184.5 million for the fourth quarter 2021 as compared to the third quarter 2021 mainly due to $7.6 million of merger expenses (primarily consisting of change in control and severance expense related to the Westchester acquisition), higher cash incentive compensation expense and incremental additions to operating expenses related to new infrastructure and the Westchester acquisition, partially offset by a $2.3 million decrease in professional and legal fees.
• Efficiency Ratio: Our efficiency ratio was 52.19 percent for the fourth quarter 2021 as compared to 50.93 percent and 51.61 percent for the third quarter 2021 and fourth quarter 2020, respectively. Our adjusted efficiency ratio was 49.44 percent for the fourth quarter 2021 as compared to 49.16 percent and 46.99 percent for the third quarter 2021 and fourth quarter 2020, respectively. See the "Consolidated Financial Highlights" tables below for additional information regarding our non-GAAP measures.
• Performance Ratios: Annualized return on average assets (ROA), shareholders’ equity (ROE) and tangible ROE were 1.08 percent, 9.38 percent, and 13.44 percent for the fourth quarter 2021, respectively. Annualized ROA, ROE and tangible ROE, adjusted for non-core charges, were 1.14 percent, 9.83 percent, and 14.08 percent for the fourth quarter 2021, respectively. See the "Consolidated Financial Highlights" tables below for additional information regarding our non-GAAP measures.
  

Ira Robbins, CEO commented, "Valley’s strong fourth quarter 2021 core results demonstrate the significant earnings power of our evolving franchise. In 2021, we generated net income of approximately $474 million, which represents a 21 percent increase from the prior year. We continue to build out low-cost funding channels in support of our strong and diverse organic loan production which was robust throughout the year. These efforts resulted in strong net interest margin performance and an adjusted efficiency ratio below 49 percent for the second consecutive year." Mr. Robbins continued, "In December 2021, we also completed the Westchester acquisition and welcomed their customers and knowledgeable staff to Valley. Prior to and after the merger, our dedicated employees have been hard at work to ensure the acquisition is a complete success. Due to these efforts, we expect the full systems integration of the Westchester operations to be completed in the latter part of the first quarter 2022."

Mr. Robbins added, "2021 was an exciting and transformative year for our organization. We identified a pair of value-enhancing bank partners which we believe will accelerate our future organic growth capabilities and further diversify our business offerings. We simultaneously invested in our fee income capabilities through the acquisition of Dudley Ventures. These partnerships complement the significant progress that we have made to innovate with new products, services, and technologies to add value for our clients and stakeholders. I am extremely excited about the growth opportunities that exist for Valley as we remain well-positioned for success in the ever-changing banking landscape."

Net Interest Income and Margin

Net interest income on a tax equivalent basis totaling $316.0 million for the fourth quarter 2021 increased $14.3 million and $27.2 million as compared to the third quarter 2021 and fourth quarter 2020, respectively. Interest income on a tax equivalent basis increased $11.2 million to $340.7 million for the fourth quarter 2021 as compared to the third quarter 2021 due to (i) increases of $639.7 million and $248.7 million in average loans and investment securities, respectively, (ii) a $2.4 million increase in periodic non-PPP loan fees and interest recovery income, and (iii) an $877 thousand increase in PPP loan related interest and fees caused by loan forgiveness in the fourth quarter 2021. Interest expense of $24.7 million for the fourth quarter 2021 decreased $3.1 million as compared to the third quarter 2021 as we continue to reduce our cost of funding from both deposits and the repayment of other borrowings, primarily FHLB advances.

The net interest margin on a tax equivalent basis of 3.23 percent for the fourth quarter 2021 increased 8 basis points as compared to 3.15 percent for the third quarter 2021, and increased 17 basis points from 3.06 percent for the fourth quarter 2020. The yield on average interest earning assets increased by 4 basis points on a linked quarter basis mostly due to the higher yield on average loans. The yield on average loans increased to 3.83 percent for the fourth quarter 2021 from 3.79 percent for the third quarter 2021 largely due to the increases in non-PPP loan fees, interest recovery income, and PPP interest and fees combined with a $493 million decline in average PPP loans during the fourth quarter 2021. The overall cost of average interest-bearing liabilities decreased by 5 basis points to 0.39 percent for the fourth quarter 2021 as compared to the linked third quarter 2021 due to the continued customer shift to lower cost deposits, as well as lower average short and long-term borrowings caused by normal repayments funded by excess liquidity. Our cost of total average deposits was 0.15 percent for the fourth quarter 2021 as compared to 0.18 percent for the third quarter 2021.

Loans, Deposits and Other Borrowings

Loans. Loans increased $1.5 billion to $34.2 billion at December 31, 2021 from September 30, 2021 largely due to a combination of $915 million in acquired loans from Westchester and strong organic loan growth, partially offset by a decline in PPP loans. The PPP loans included within the commercial and industrial loan category decreased $438.1 million to $436.0 million (net of $12.1 million in unearned fees) at December 31, 2021 from September 30, 2021 mainly driven by SBA loan forgiveness activity. Excluding the Westchester acquired loans and PPP loans, commercial and industrial, residential mortgage, commercial real estate loans increased 30 percent, 17 percent, and 10 percent on an annualized basis, respectively, during the fourth quarter 2021. New and refinanced loan originations also included approximately $229 million of residential mortgage loans originated for sale rather than investment. Loans held for sale totaled $139.5 million and $157.1 million at December 31, 2021 and September 30, 2021. Net gains on sales of residential loans were $6.7 million and $6.4 million in the fourth quarter 2021 and third quarter 2021, respectively.

Deposits. Total deposits increased $2.0 billion, or 5.9 percent, to approximately $35.6 billion at December 31, 2021 from September 30, 2021 driven by $1.2 billion of assumed deposits from Westchester and continued organic non-maturity deposit growth from both commercial and retail customers. Time deposits decreased $273.2 million to $3.7 billion at December 31, 2021 from September 30, 2021 largely due to normal run-off of maturing retail CDs with some continued migration to the more liquid deposit product categories. Total brokered deposits (mainly consisting of money market deposit accounts) were $1.4 billion at December 31, 2021 as compared to $1.7 billion at September 30, 2021. Non-interest bearing deposits; savings, NOW, money market deposits; and time deposits represented approximately 33 percent, 57 percent and 10 percent of total deposits as of December 31, 2021, respectively.

Other Borrowings. Short-term borrowings decreased $127.6 million to approximately $655.7 million at December 31, 2021 as compared to September 30, 2021 largely due to the maturity and repayment of an FHLB advance during the fourth quarter 2021. Long-term borrowings of $1.4 billion remained relatively unchanged at December 31, 2021 as compared to September 30, 2021.

Credit Quality

Non-Performing Assets (NPAs). Total NPAs, consisting of non-accrual loans, other real estate owned (OREO), other repossessed assets and non-accrual debt securities decreased $12.3 million to $245.4 million at December 31, 2021 compared to $257.7 million at September 30, 2021. The decrease in NPAs was mostly due to a $12.3 million decline in non-accrual commercial real estate loans mainly caused by the full repayment of three non-performing loans totaling $11.4 million during the fourth quarter 2021. Non-accrual loans represented 0.70 percent of total loans at December 31, 2021 as compared to 0.77 percent of total loans at September 30, 2021.

Non-performing Taxi Medallion Loan Portfolio. We continue to closely monitor our non-performing New York City and Chicago taxi medallion loans totaling $85.4 million and $576 thousand, respectively, within the commercial and industrial loan portfolio at December 31, 2021. At December 31, 2021, all taxi medallion loans were on non-accrual status and had related reserves of $58.5 million, or 68.0 percent of such loans, within the allowance for loan losses.

Accruing Past Due Loans. Total accruing past due loans (i.e., loans past due 30 days or more and still accruing interest) increased $650 thousand to $55.9 million, or 0.16 percent of total loans, at December 31, 2021 as compared to $55.2 million, or 0.17 percent of total loans, at September 30, 2021. Commercial and industrial and residential mortgage loans 60 to 89 days past due increased $6.9 million and $2.3 million, respectively, at December 31, 2021 as compared to September 30, 2021. Partially offsetting these increases, commercial real estate loans 60 to 89 days past due decreased $5.9 million mostly due to the payoff of one performing matured loan previously included in this delinquency category at September 30, 2021. Loans 90 or more days past due also decreased $2.6 million largely due to lower delinquencies reported in the commercial loan categories at December 31, 2021.

Forbearance. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic and its economic impact to certain customers, Valley implemented short-term loan modifications such as payment deferrals, fee waivers, extensions of repayment terms, or delays in payment that are insignificant, when requested by customers. Generally, the modification terms allow for a deferral of payments for up to 90 days, which Valley may extend for an additional 90 days. Any extensions beyond this period were done in accordance with applicable regulatory guidance. As of December 31, 2021, Valley had approximately $33 million of outstanding loans remaining in their payment deferral period under short-term modifications as compared to $99 million of loans in deferral at September 30, 2021.

Allowance for Credit Losses for Loans and Unfunded Commitments. The following table summarizes the allocation of the allowance for credit losses to loan categories and the allocation as a percentage of each loan category at December 31, 2021, September 30, 2021, and December 31, 2020:

Our loan portfolio, totaling $34.2 billion at December 31, 2021, had net recoveries of loan charge-offs totaling $624 thousand for the fourth quarter 2021 as compared to net loan charge-offs of $293 thousand and $3.0 million for the third quarter 2021 and the fourth quarter 2020, respectively.

During the fourth quarter 2021, we recorded a provision for credit losses for loans totaling $11.6 million as compared to $3.5 million for the third quarter 2021 and $19.0 million for the fourth quarter 2020. The increase in the fourth quarter 2021 provision as compared to the third quarter 2021 was largely due to a $6.2 million provision recorded for non-PCD loans and unfunded credit commitments acquired from Westchester.

The allowance for credit losses for loans, comprised of our allowance for loan losses and unfunded credit commitments, as a percentage of total loans was 1.10 percent, 1.09 percent and 1.09 percent at December 31, 2021, September 30, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. The allowance for credit losses at December 31, 2021 was impacted by (i) the total provision for credit losses for loans during the fourth quarter 2021, (ii) a $6.5 million allowance for credit losses for loans recorded for PCD loans acquired from Westchester at the acquisition date, and (iii) the net recoveries of loan charge-offs during the fourth quarter 2021.

Capital Adequacy

Valley's regulatory capital ratios continue to reflect its well capitalized position. Valley's total risk-based capital, Tier 1 capital, common equity Tier 1 capital and Tier 1 leverage capital ratios were 13.10 percent, 10.69 percent, 10.06 percent and 8.88 percent, respectively, at December 31, 2021.

Investor Conference Call

Valley will host a conference call with investors and the financial community at 11:00 AM Eastern Standard Time, today to discuss the fourth quarter 2021 earnings. Those wishing to participate in the call may dial toll-free (866) 354-0432 (Conference ID: 2858424). The teleconference will also be webcast live: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/x7tpu9r2 and archived on Valley’s website through Monday, February 28, 2022. Investor presentation materials will be made available prior to the conference call at www.valley.com.

About Valley

As the principal subsidiary of Valley National Bancorp, Valley National Bank is a regional bank with approximately $43 billion in assets. Valley is committed to giving people and businesses the power to succeed. Valley operates many convenient branch locations across New Jersey, New York, Florida and Alabama, and is committed to providing the most convenient service, the latest innovations and an experienced and knowledgeable team dedicated to meeting customer needs. Helping communities grow and prosper is the heart of Valley’s corporate citizenship philosophy. To learn more about Valley, go to www.valley.com or call our Customer Care Center at 800-522-4100.

Forward Looking Statements

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

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

A detailed discussion of factors that could affect our results is included in our SEC filings, including the “Risk Factors” section of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020 and in Item 1A of our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2021.

Final 2021 financial results and other disclosures will be reported in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, and may differ materially from the results and disclosures in this document due to, among other things, the completion of final review procedures, the occurrence of subsequent events, or the discovery of additional information.

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

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VALLEY NATIONAL BANCORP
CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS

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VALLEY NATIONAL BANCORP
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
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