Horizon Bancorp, Inc. Announces Record Profitability Including Diluted EPS of 0.52
Michigan City, Indiana, October 27, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — (NASDAQ GS: HBNC) — Horizon Bancorp, Inc. (“Horizon” or the “Company”) announced its unaudited financial results for the three and nine months ending September 30, 2021.
“Organic commercial and consumer loan growth, the extension of Horizon’s Michigan franchise with our branch acquisition completed last month, record net interest income, Horizon’s low–cost deposit franchise, and our efficient operations all contributed to significant growth in pre–tax, pre–provision net income and bottom–line earnings,” Chairman and CEO Craig M. Dwight said. “We continue to conservatively manage our balance sheet while generating meaningful returns on excess liquidity, and we remain well positioned for more significant loan growth in our attractive and business–friendly Midwestern markets, which are seeing significant economic activity and favorable trends in a still–recovering economy.”
Third Quarter 2021 Highlights
- On September 17, 2021, completed previously announced acquisition of 14 branches in 11 Michigan counties, approximately $206.8 million in loans and $846.4 million in deposits, in a transaction designed to further extend Horizon’s retail franchise and further enhance its low–cost core deposit and funding capability to support lending in its Midwestern growth markets.
- Net income grew to a record $23.1 million, up 4.0% from the linked quarter and 13.6% from the year–ago period. Diluted earnings per share (“EPS”) of $0.52 was up from $0.50 for the second quarter of 2021 and $0.46 for the third quarter of 2020.
- Pre–tax, pre–provision net income grew to a record $28.2 million, up 15.5% from the linked quarter and 5.8% from the year–ago period. This non–GAAP financial measure is utilized by banks to provide a greater understanding of pre–tax profitability before giving effect to credit loss expense. (See the “Non–GAAP Reconciliation of Pre–Tax, Pre–Provision Income” table below.)
- Non–interest expense was $34.3 million in the quarter, or 2.09% of average assets on an annualized basis, compared to $33.4 million, or 2.18%, in the second quarter of 2021 and $33.4 million, or 2.30%, in the third quarter of 2020. Acquisition–related expenses totaled approximately $799,000 in the third quarter of 2021 and $242,000 in the linked quarter.
- The efficiency ratio for the period was 54.88% compared to 57.73% for the second quarter of 2021 and 55.59% for the third quarter of 2020. The adjusted efficiency ratio was 56.16% compared to 57.45% for the second quarter of 2021 and 56.64% for the third quarter of 2020. (See the “Non-GAAP Calculation and Reconciliation of Efficiency Ratio and Adjusted Efficiency Ratio” table below.)
- A previously disclosed consolidation of 10 retail locations was completed on August 27 as part of Horizon’s rigorous annual branch performance review process, with employees reassigned to support other staffing needs and growth initiatives. Operating cost saves are largely expected to be redeployed into continued digital banking and technology investments.
- Net interest income grew to a record $46.5 million for the quarter, up 9.2% from the second quarter of 2021 and 7.3% from the third quarter of 2020. Reported net interest margin (“NIM”) was 3.17% and adjusted NIM was 3.12%, with reported NIM increasing by three basis points and adjusted NIM decreasing by one basis point from the second quarter of 2021. (See the “Non–GAAP Reconciliation of Net Interest Margin” table for the definition of this non–GAAP calculation of adjusted NIM.) Approximately 16 basis points of the NIM and adjusted NIM is attributed to Federal Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) lending, offset by an estimated 16 basis point compression attributed to excess liquidity during the quarter. During the third quarter, Horizon increased the average balance of its investment portfolio by $471.8 million to leverage capital and focus on increasing net interest income.
- Total non–interest income was $16.0 million, including the recovery of $876,000 from an acquired charged–off loan, as well as a $2.4 million gain from the sale of the Company’s ESOP trustee accounts at the end of the quarter. The sale of these accounts is not expected to have any significant impact to the bottom line due to the related costs saves the Company will incur as it exited these account relationships. Non–interest income was $15.2 million in the second quarter of 2021 and $16.7 million, including a $1.1 million securities sale gain, in the third quarter of 2020.
- Horizon’s in–market consumer and commercial deposit relationships, including those on–boarded as part of its branch acquisition during the quarter, combined with strategic pricing moves to manage deposit growth and runoff of higher–priced time deposits, contributed to continued improvement in the cost of interest bearing liabilities, which declined to 0.38% in the quarter, compared to 0.45% in the second quarter of 2021 and 0.67% in the third quarter of 2020.
- Horizon recorded a quarterly provision expense of $1.1 million, reflecting a $2.0 million allocation for loans acquired in the Michigan branch acquisition, as well as, solid asset quality metrics at period end.
- Commercial loans, excluding PPP lending, grew by 2.3% organically and by 7.5% overall during the quarter to $2.1 billion at period end. Total loans, excluding PPP lending, grew organically 0.3% and 6.4% overall to $3.57 billion.
- Horizon’s book value per share increased to an all–time high of $16.28 while tangible book value per share decreased to $12.05. (See the “Non–GAAP Reconciliation of Tangible Stockholders’ Equity and Tangible Book Value per Share” table below.) The decrease in tangible book value was a result of the repurchase of shares for approximately $7.6 million and $12.4 million of goodwill and intangible assets recorded during the third quarter.
- Horizon announced an increase to cash dividends to be paid on October 22, 2021 of 15.4% to $0.15 per share. As of September 30, 2021, in excess of $120.9 million in cash was maintained at the holding company, providing considerable future optionality to build shareholder value. This is Horizon’s second dividend increase in 2021.
- During the quarter, the Company repurchased 430,026 shares at an average cost of $17.74 per share for a total cost of $7.6 million. This resulted in a reduction in tangible book value of approximately $0.18 per share and an increase in EPS of $0.01 per share for the third quarter.