Webster Reports 2016 Third Quarter Earnings

WATERBURY, Conn., Oct. 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Webster Financial Corporation WBS, the holding company for Webster Bank, N.A., today announced earnings applicable to common shareholders of $49.6 million, or $0.54 per diluted share, for the quarter ended September 30, 2016 compared to $49.2 million, or $0.53 per diluted share, for the quarter ended September 30, 2015.

"Strong commercial loan growth, an increase in the net interest margin, and solid growth in non-interest income produced Webster's 28th consecutive quarter of year-over-year revenue growth and solid earnings," said James C. Smith, chairman and chief executive officer. "Credit quality improved further, and recent investments in our businesses are producing positive results. I commend Webster bankers for living up to our customers and communities the Webster Way."

Highlights for the third quarter of 2016 compared to the third quarter of 2015:

• Revenue of $246.6 million, an increase of 7.5 percent, including record levels of net interest income of $180.2 million and non-interest income of $66.4 million.
  
  
• Loan growth of $1.4 billion, or 9.2 percent, with growth of $1.1 billion in commercial and commercial real estate loans.
  
  
• Deposit growth of $1.6 billion, or 9.2 percent, with growth of $1.2 billion in transactional and health savings account deposits.
  
  
• Efficiency ratio (non-GAAP) of 61.43 percent.
  
  
• Net charge-off ratio of 0.16 percent compared to 0.21 percent.
  
  
• Annualized return on average tangible common shareholders' equity (non-GAAP) of 11.24 percent.

"Solid revenue growth and expense discipline, while we continue to invest in our future, produced record quarterly pre-provision net revenue of over $90 million," said Glenn MacInnes, executive vice president and chief financial officer.

Quarterly net interest income compared to the third quarter of 2015:

• Net interest income was $180.2 million compared to $168.0 million.
  
  
• Net interest margin was 3.10 percent compared to 3.04 percent. The yield on interest-earning assets increased by 6 basis points, while the cost of funds increased by 1 basis point.
  
  
• Average interest-earning assets totaled $23.5 billion and grew by $1.3 billion, or 5.6 percent.
  
  
• Average loans totaled $16.4 billion and grew by $1.4 billion, or 9.4 percent.

Quarterly provision for loan losses:

• The Company recorded a provision for loan losses of $14.3 million compared to $14.0 million in the prior quarter and $13.0 million a year ago.
  
  
• Net charge-offs were $6.8 million compared to $7.8 million in the prior quarter and $7.9 million a year ago. The ratio of net charge-offs to average loans on an annualized basis was 0.16 percent compared to 0.19 percent in the prior quarter and 0.21 percent a year ago.
  
  
• The allowance for loan losses represented 1.13 percent of total loans compared to 1.11 percent at June 30, 2016 and 1.14 percent at September 30, 2015. The allowance for loan losses represented 147 percent of nonperforming loans compared to 136 percent at June 30, 2016 and 109 percent at September 30, 2015.

Quarterly non-interest income compared to the third quarter of 2015:

• Total non-interest income was $66.4 million compared to $61.3 million, an increase of $5.1 million. The increase reflects increases of $2.0 million in loan fees and $1.8 million in mortgage banking activities.

Quarterly non-interest expense compared to the third quarter of 2015:

• Total non-interest expense was $156.1 million compared to $139.9 million, an increase of $16.2 million. The increase reflects added expenses of $4.7 million related to the Boston expansion, $1.9 million in professional and outside services, $0.7 million related to growth at HSA Bank, $0.6 million in occupancy expense, and $0.6 million in technology and equipment expense. The remaining $7.7 million increase reflects higher compensation expense and other non-interest expenses.

Quarterly income taxes compared to the third quarter of 2015:

• Income tax expense was $24.4 million compared to $25.0 million, and the effective tax rate was 32.1 percent compared to 32.7 percent.

Investment securities:

• Total investment securities were $7.1 billion compared to $6.8 billion at June 30, 2016 and $7.0 billion at September 30, 2015. The carrying value of the available-for-sale portfolio included $21.4 million of net unrealized gains compared to $19.5 million at June 30, 2016 and $16.0 million at September 30, 2015, while the carrying value of the held-to-maturity portfolio does not reflect $87.6 million of net unrealized gains compared to $106.8 million at June 30, 2016 and $72.3 million at September 30, 2015.

Loans:

• Total loans were $16.6 billion compared to $16.3 billion at June 30, 2016 and $15.2 billion at September 30, 2015. Compared to June 30, 2016, commercial, commercial real estate, and residential mortgage loans increased by $205.7 million, $89.4 million, and $77.4 million, respectively, while consumer loans decreased by $21.1 million.
  
  
• Compared to a year ago, commercial, commercial real estate, residential mortgage, and consumer loans increased by $708.7 million, $423.4 million, $218.2 million, and $56.6 million, respectively.
  
  
• Loan originations for portfolio were $1.204 billion compared to $1.314 billion in the prior quarter and $1.207 billion a year ago. In addition, $138 million of residential loans were originated for sale in the quarter compared to $109 million in the prior quarter and $117 million a year ago.

Asset quality:

• Total nonperforming loans were $128.2 million, or 0.77 percent of total loans, compared to $132.9 million, or 0.82 percent, at June 30, 2016 and $159.0 million, or 1.04 percent, at September 30, 2015. Total paying nonperforming loans were $34.5 million compared to $33.8 million at June 30, 2016 and $45.0 million at September 30, 2015.
  
  
• Past due loans were $39.2 million compared to $34.7 million at June 30, 2016 and $41.3 million at September 30, 2015. Included in past due loans are loans past due 90 days or more and still accruing, which decreased $0.3 million from the prior quarter and increased $3.2 million from the prior year.

Deposits and borrowings:

• Total deposits were $19.2 billion compared to $18.8 billion at June 30, 2016 and $17.6 billion at September 30, 2015. Core deposits to total deposits were 89.5 percent compared to 89.4 percent at June 30, 2016 and 88.3 percent at September 30, 2015. Loans to deposits were 86.6 percent compared to 86.4 percent at June 30, 2016 and 86.5 percent at September 30, 2015.
  
  
• Total borrowings were $3.6 billion compared to $3.6 billion at June 30, 2016 and $3.8 billion at September 30, 2015.

Capital:

• The return on average tangible common shareholders' equity and the return on average common shareholders' equity were 11.24 percent and 8.36 percent, respectively, compared to 11.86 percent and 8.66 percent, respectively, in the third quarter of 2015.
  
  
• The tangible equity and tangible common equity ratios were 7.74 percent and 7.25 percent, respectively, compared to 7.78 percent and 7.25 percent, respectively, at September 30, 2015. The common equity tier 1 risk-based capital ratio was 10.46 percent compared to 10.78 percent at September 30, 2015.
  
  
• Book value and tangible book value per common share were $26.06 and $19.80, respectively, compared to $24.86 and $18.54, respectively, at September 30, 2015.

 

Webster Financial Corporation is the holding company for Webster Bank, National Association. With $25.6 billion in assets, Webster provides business and consumer banking, mortgage, financial planning, trust, and investment services through 176 banking centers and 349 ATMs. Webster also provides telephone banking, mobile banking, and Internet banking. Webster Bank owns the asset-based lending firm Webster Business Credit Corporation; the equipment finance firm Webster Capital Finance Corporation; and HSA Bank, a division of Webster Bank, which provides health savings account trustee and administrative services. Webster Bank is a member of the FDIC and an equal housing lender. For more information about Webster, including past press releases and the latest annual report, visit the Webster website at www.websterbank.com.

Conference Call

A conference call covering Webster's 2016 third quarter earnings announcement will be held today, Friday, October 21, 2016 at 9:00 a.m. (Eastern) and may be heard through Webster's Investor Relations website at www.wbst.com, or in listen-only mode by calling 877-407-8289 or 201-689-8341 internationally. The call will be archived on the website and available for future retrieval.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 (the "Act"). Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "believes," "anticipates," "expects," "intends," "targeted," "continue," "remain," "will," "should," "may," "plans," "estimates," and similar references to future periods; however, such words are not the exclusive means of identifying such statements.  Examples of forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: (i) projections of revenues, expenses, income or loss, earnings or loss per share, and other financial items; (ii) statements of plans, objectives, and expectations of Webster or its management or Board of Directors; (iii) statements of future economic performance; and (iv) statements of assumptions underlying such statements. Forward-looking statements are based on Webster's current expectations and assumptions regarding its business, the economy, and other future conditions. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks, and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. Webster's actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements, which are neither statements of historical fact nor guarantees or assurances of future performance. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: (1) local, regional, national, and international economic conditions and the impact they may have on us and our customers and our assessment of that impact; (2) volatility and disruption in national and international financial markets; (3) government intervention in the U.S. financial system; (4) changes in the level of nonperforming assets and charge-offs; (5) changes in estimates of future reserve requirements based upon the periodic review thereof under relevant regulatory and accounting requirements; (6) adverse conditions in the securities markets that lead to impairment in the value of securities in our investment portfolio; (7) inflation, interest rate, securities market, and monetary fluctuations; (8) the timely development and acceptance of new products and services and perceived overall value of these products and services by customers; (9) changes in consumer spending, borrowings, and savings habits; (10) technological changes and cyber-security matters; (11) the ability to increase market share and control expenses; (12) changes in the competitive environment among banks, financial holding companies, and other financial services providers; (13) the effect of changes in laws and regulations (including laws and regulations concerning taxes, banking, securities, and insurance) with which we and our subsidiaries must comply, including the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act; (14) the effect of changes in accounting policies and practices, as may be adopted by the regulatory agencies, as well as the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, and other accounting standard setters; (15) the costs and effects of legal and regulatory developments including the resolution of legal proceedings or regulatory or other governmental inquiries and the results of regulatory examinations or reviews; (16) our success at managing the risks involved in the foregoing items and (17) the other factors that are described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q under the headings "Risk Factors" and 'Management Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operation."  Any forward-looking statement made by the Company in this release speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Factors or events that could cause the Company's actual results to differ may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for the Company to predict all of them. The Company undertakes no obligation to publicly update any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as may be required by law.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In addition to results presented in accordance with GAAP, this press release contains certain non-GAAP financial measures. A reconciliation of net income and other performance ratios, as adjusted, is included in the accompanying selected financial highlights table.

We believe that providing certain non-GAAP financial measures provides investors with information useful in understanding our financial performance, our performance trends and financial position. We utilize these measures for internal planning and forecasting purposes. We, as well as securities analysts, investors, and other interested parties, also use these measures to compare peer company operating performance. We believe that our presentation and discussion, together with the accompanying reconciliations, provides a complete understanding of factors and trends affecting our business and allows investors to view performance in a manner similar to management. These non-GAAP measures should not be considered a substitute for GAAP basis measures and results, and we strongly encourage investors to review our consolidated financial statements in their entirety and not to rely on any single financial measure. Because non-GAAP financial measures are not standardized, it may not be possible to compare these financial measures with other companies' non-GAAP financial measures having the same or similar names.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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SOURCE Webster Financial Corporation