QCR Holdings, Inc. Announces Net Income of $30.9 Million for the Fourth Quarter and Record Net Income of $99.1 Million for the Full Year 2022

Fourth Quarter Highlights

• Fourth quarter net income of $30.9 million, or $1.81 per diluted share
• Adjusted fourth quarter net income (non-GAAP) of $31.1 million, or $1.83 per diluted share
• Record quarterly net interest income of $65.2 million
• Net Interest Margin (“NIM”) of 3.62% and NIM (TEY)(non-GAAP) of 3.93%
• Nonperforming assets improved by 51% and represent 0.11% of total assets
• Increased TCE/TA ratio (non-GAAP) to 7.93% and total risk-based capital to 14.47%

Full Year 2022 Highlights

• Annual net income of $99.1 million, or $5.87 per diluted share
• Record adjusted net income (non-GAAP) of $114.9 million, or $6.80 per diluted share, an increase of 14.8% and 8.5%, respectively, excluding one-time expenses associated with the Guaranty Bank acquisition
• Full year loan and lease growth of 14.6%, excluding PPP and Guaranty Bank acquired loans (non-GAAP)
  

MOLINE, Ill., Jan. 24, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- QCR Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: QCRH) (the “Company”) today announced net income of $30.9 million and diluted earnings per share (“EPS”) of $1.81 for the fourth quarter of 2022, compared to net income of $29.3 million and diluted EPS of $1.71 for the third quarter of 2022. For the full year, the Company reported net income of $99.1 million, or $5.87 per diluted share.

Adjusted net income (non-GAAP) and adjusted diluted EPS (non-GAAP) for the fourth quarter of 2022 were $31.1 million and $1.83, respectively. For the third quarter of 2022, adjusted net income (non-GAAP) was $28.9 million and adjusted diluted EPS (non-GAAP) was $1.69. For the fourth quarter of 2021, net income and diluted EPS were $27.0 million and $1.71, respectively, and adjusted net income (non-GAAP) and adjusted diluted EPS (non-GAAP) were $27.4 million and $1.73, respectively.

*Adjusted non-GAAP measurements of financial performance exclude non-core and/or nonrecurring income and expense items that management believes are not reflective of the anticipated future operation of the Company’s business. The Company believes these measurements provide a better comparison for analysis and may provide a better indicator of future performance. See GAAP to non-GAAP reconciliations.

“We delivered another quarter of strong results, enabling us to achieve record annual net income. Our full year performance was driven by robust loan growth, increased net interest income and excellent credit quality,” said Larry J. Helling, Chief Executive Officer. “Our team accomplished this while successfully closing and integrating our largest acquisition to date, where we significantly strengthened our Company’s position in the vibrant Southwest Missouri region. We enter 2023 with a solid loan pipeline, a strong balance sheet, a healthy net interest margin and well-managed expenses. We remain focused on continuing to execute on our differentiated business model and commitment to relationship banking, all with the view of delivering attractive returns to our shareholders.”

Record Net Interest Income of $65.2 Million

Net interest income for the fourth quarter of 2022 totaled $65.2 million, compared to $60.8 million for the third quarter of 2022 and $46.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2021. The significant increase in net interest income was due to higher acquisition-related net accretion and the impact of multiple interest rate hikes on our asset-sensitive balance sheet, partially offset by the impact of increased deposit costs on a linked-quarter basis. Adjusted net interest income (non-GAAP) during the quarter was $65.1 million, an increase of $936 thousand, or 5.8% annualized, from the prior quarter. Acquisition-related net accretion totaled $5.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2022, compared to $1.1 million in the third quarter of 2022.

In the fourth quarter of 2022, NIM was 3.62% and NIM on a tax-equivalent yield (“TEY”) basis (non-GAAP) was 3.93%, compared to 3.46% and 3.71% in the prior quarter, respectively. The linked-quarter increase was primarily due to higher loan yields and higher acquisition-related net accretion, partially offset by the impact of increased deposit costs.

“Our tax-equivalent NIM expanded by 22 basis points during the fourth quarter, benefiting from higher acquisition-related net accretion. For the full year, we delivered an improved net interest margin, driven primarily by our asset-sensitive balance sheet in this rising interest rate environment,” said Todd A. Gipple, President, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Financial Officer. “While we are very pleased with the expansion in our NIM during 2022, our focus in 2023 will be protecting our attractive margin despite the continuing volatile interest rate environment.”

Annualized Loan and Lease Growth of 8.7% for the Quarter and 14.6% for the Full Year

During the fourth quarter of 2022, the Company’s loans and leases grew $130.3 million to a total of $6.1 billion, or 8.7% on an annualized basis. For the full year, loans and leases grew $1.5 billion. When excluding PPP loans and loans added in the acquisition of Guaranty Bank (non-GAAP), loans grew $679.3 million, or 14.6%. Deposits grew $43.2 million, or 2.9% on an annualized basis during the quarter and $1.1 billion for the full year. Deposits were relatively static when excluding the impact of the Guaranty Bank acquisition.

“Our strong market positions combined with our experienced bankers, led to continued gains in market share over the course of the year, driving growth in our traditional commercial lending, leasing and our Specialty Finance business,” added Mr. Helling. “We believe this is also a testament to the underlying economic resiliency across our markets and our relationship-based community banking model, emphasizing the importance of strong relationships with new and existing clients. Given our current pipeline, we are targeting loan growth for the full year 2023 between 8% and 10%, consistent with our long-term goals.”

Noninterest Income of $21.2 Million

Noninterest income for the fourth quarter of 2022 totaled $21.2 million, up slightly from $21.1 million for the third quarter of 2022. The Company generated $11.3 million of capital markets revenue from swap fees in the quarter, up from $10.5 million in the third quarter and within our guidance range. Wealth management revenue was $3.6 million for the quarter, up slightly from the prior quarter.

“Capital markets revenue totaled $11.3 million for the quarter, which was within our guidance,” added Mr. Gipple. “The demand for low-income housing remains healthy and the economics associated with these tax credit projects continue to be favorable. Our pipeline for this business is strong and capital markets revenue has averaged just over $10 million per quarter for the last four quarters. Therefore, we expect this source of fee income to be in a range of $40 to $48 million for the full year 2023.”

Noninterest Expenses of $49.7 Million

Noninterest expense for the fourth quarter of 2022 totaled $49.7 million, compared to $47.7 million for the third quarter of 2022 and $39.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2021. The linked-quarter increase was primarily due to higher incentive-based compensation related to our record full year performance, partially offset by lower professional and data processing fees due to the completion of the core conversion at Guaranty Bank and other cost savings.

Asset Quality Remains Excellent

Nonperforming assets (“NPAs”) totaled $8.9 million at the end of the fourth quarter, a decrease of $9.1 million from the third quarter of 2022. The significant reduction in NPAs during the quarter was primarily the result of payoffs of several NPAs. The ratio of NPAs to total assets improved to 0.11% on December 31, 2022, compared to 0.23% on September 30, 2022. In addition, the Company’s criticized loans and classified loans to total loans and leases on December 31, 2022 were fairly static at 2.68% and 1.08%, respectively, as compared to 2.35% and 1.29% as of September 30, 2022.

As a result of continued improvements in overall credit quality, the Company recorded no provision for credit losses in the fourth quarter of 2022. As of December 31, 2022, the ACL to total loans/leases was 1.43%, compared to 1.51% as of September 30, 2022.

Continued Strong Capital Levels

As of December 31, 2022, the Company’s total risk-based capital ratio was 14.47%, the common equity tier 1 ratio was 9.41% and the tangible common equity to tangible assets ratio (non-GAAP) was 7.93%. By comparison, these respective ratios were 14.38%, 9.21% and 7.68% as of September 30, 2022.

During the fourth quarter, the Company purchased and retired 100,000 shares of its common stock at an average price of $50.37 per share as the Company executed purchases under the share repurchase plan announced during the second quarter of 2022. The 2022 share repurchase plan authorized approximately 1,500,000 shares to be repurchased and the Company has approximately 930,000 shares remaining under the program.

The Company’s tangible book value per share (non-GAAP) increased by 6.8% during the fourth quarter. Accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”) increased $10.0 million during the quarter due to an increase in the value of the Company’s available for sale securities portfolio and certain derivatives resulting from the change in long-term interest rates during the fourth quarter. While the repurchase of shares modestly impacted the Company’s tangible common equity, the change in AOCI and strong earnings offset this impact, which led to the increase in tangible book value per share (non-GAAP).

Focus on Three Strategic Long-Term Initiatives

As part of our Company’s ongoing efforts to grow earnings and drive attractive long-term returns for shareholders, we continue to operate under three key strategic long-term initiatives:

• Generate organic loan and lease growth of 9% per year, funded by core deposits;
• Grow fee-based income by at least 6% per year; and
• Limit annual operating expense growth to 5% per year.
  

Conference Call Details

The Company will host an earnings call/webcast tomorrow, January 25, 2023, at 11:00 a.m. Central Time. Dial-in information for the call is toll-free: 888-346-9286 (international 412-317-5253). Participants should request to join the QCR Holdings, Inc. call. The event will be available for replay through February 1, 2023. The replay access information is 877-344-7529 (international 412-317-0088); access code 2362948. A webcast of the teleconference can be accessed on the Company’s News and Events page at www.qcrh.com. An archived version of the webcast will be available at the same location shortly after the live event has ended.

About Us
QCR Holdings, Inc., headquartered in Moline, Illinois, is a relationship-driven, multi-bank holding company serving the Quad Cities, Cedar Rapids, Cedar Valley, Des Moines/Ankeny and Springfield communities through its wholly owned subsidiary banks. The banks provide full-service commercial and consumer banking and trust and wealth management services. Quad City Bank & Trust Company, based in Bettendorf, Iowa, commenced operations in 1994, Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust Company, based in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, commenced operations in 2001, Community State Bank, based in Ankeny, Iowa, was acquired by the Company in 2016, Springfield First Community Bank, based in Springfield, Missouri, was acquired by the Company in 2018, and Guaranty Bank, also based in Springfield, Missouri, was acquired by the Company and merged with Springfield First Community Bank on April 1, 2022, with the combined entity operating under the Guaranty Bank name. Additionally, the Company serves the Waterloo/Cedar Falls, Iowa community through Community Bank & Trust, a division of Cedar Rapids Bank & Trust Company. Quad City Bank & Trust Company offers equipment loans and leases to businesses through its wholly owned subsidiary, m2 Equipment Finance, LLC, based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and also provides correspondent banking services. The Company has 36 locations in Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin and Illinois. As of December 31, 2022, the Company had approximately $7.9 billion in assets, $6.1 billion in loans and $6.0 billion in deposits. For additional information, please visit the Company’s website at www.qcrh.com.

Special Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements. This document contains, and future oral and written statements of the Company and its management may contain, forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 with respect to the financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business of the Company. Forward-looking statements, which may be based upon beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the Company’s management and on information currently available to management, are generally identifiable by the use of words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “bode”, “predict,” “suggest,” “project”, “appear,” “plan,” “intend,” “estimate,” ”annualize,” “may,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “likely,” “might,” “potential,” “continue,” “annualized,” “target,” “outlook,” as well as the negative forms of those words, or other similar expressions. Additionally, all statements in this document, including forward-looking statements, speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any statement in light of new information or future events.
        
A number of factors, many of which are beyond the ability of the Company to control or predict, could cause actual results to differ materially from those in its forward-looking statements. These factors include, among others, the following: (i) the strength of the local, state, national and international economies(including effects of inflationary pressures and supply chain constraints); (ii) the economic impact of any future terrorist threats and attacks, widespread disease or pandemics (including the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States), acts of war or other threats thereof (including the Russian invasion of Ukraine), or other adverse external events that could cause economic deterioration or instability in credit markets, and the response of the local, state and national governments to any such adverse external events; (iii) changes in accounting policies and practices, as may be adopted by state and federal regulatory agencies, the FASB or the PCAOB; (iv) changes in local, state and federal laws, regulations and governmental policies concerning the Company’s general business; (v) changes in interest rates and prepayment rates of the Company’s assets (including the impact of LIBOR phase-out); (vi) increased competition in the financial services sector, including from non-bank competitors such as credit unions and “fintech” companies, and the inability to attract new customers; (vii) changes in technology and the ability to develop and maintain secure and reliable electronic systems; (viii) unexpected results of acquisitions, which may include failure to realize the anticipated benefits of acquisitions and the possibility that transaction costs may be greater than anticipated; (ix) the loss of key executives or employees; (x) changes in consumer spending; (xi) unexpected outcomes of existing or new litigation involving the Company; (xii) the economic impact of exceptional weather occurrences such as tornadoes, floods and blizzards; (xiii) fluctuations in the value of securities held in our securities portfolio; (xiv) concentrations within our loan portfolio, large loans to certain borrowers, and large deposits from certain clients; (xv) the level of non-performing assets on our balance sheets; (xvi) interruptions involving our information technology and communications systems or third-party servicers; (xvii) breaches or failures of our information security controls or cybersecurity-related incidents, and (xviii) the ability of the Company to manage the risks associated with the foregoing as well as anticipated.   These risks and uncertainties should be considered in evaluating forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Additional information concerning the Company and its business, including additional factors that could materially affect the Company’s financial results, is included in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Contact:
Todd A. Gipple
President
Chief Operating Officer
Chief Financial Officer
(309) 743-7745
[email protected]