FB Financial Corporation Reports Second Quarter 2020 Results

Reported net income of $22.9 million, or diluted EPS of $0.70, reflecting record mortgage contribution

Adjusted PTPP earnings* were $57.8 million for the second quarter, Adjusted EPS* of $0.74

Recorded provisions for credit losses of $25.9 million building ACL to 2.34% of loans HFI

FB Financial Corporation (the "Company") FBK, parent company of FirstBank, reported net income of $22.9 million, or $0.70 per diluted common share, for the second quarter of 2020, compared to net income of $18.7 million, or $0.59 per diluted common share, for the second quarter of 2019. The forecasted impact of the COVID-19 pandemic crisis resulted in provisions for credit losses and unfunded commitments totaling $25.9 million in the second quarter compared to $29.6 million in the first quarter of 2020 and $0.9 million in the second quarter of 2019. The Company reported adjusted pre-tax, pre-provision ("PTPP") earnings of $57.8 million this quarter, reflecting increases of 73.0% and 89.7% from $33.4 million and $30.5 million in the first quarter of 2020 and second quarter of 2019, respectively.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Christopher T. Holmes stated, "The second quarter of 2020 was a unique and challenging environment for our Company. During the second quarter, we assisted our customers by approving and funding over 2,900 Paycheck Protection Program ("PPP") loans totaling $314.7 million for small businesses, preserving jobs for over 36,000 employees in our communities and now we are focused on maintaining close relationships with these businesses as they proceed to the forgiveness phase. We anticipate recognizing an estimated $5.5 million in deferred origination fees, net of third party costs and deferred salaries, over the remaining life of the PPP loan portfolio. Additionally, we reached out to our customers and deferred loan payments for over 1,950 consumers and businesses totaling $918.3 million and we are now working with each customer individually to assist as appropriate on a go forward basis. Between our team's ability to operate in this unprecedented environment and the caring and compassion that they have shown for our customers and their fellow associates, I have never been more proud to be part of the FirstBank team. We have built on relationships and developed a trust with our customers and communities that will be a growth catalyst for years to come."

Holmes commented further, "In the face of these challenges, we positioned the Company for the road ahead by improving our liquidity position, increasing our credit reserve and building our capital through a very strong adjusted pre-tax, pre-provision ROAA of 3.29%. We also completed our conversion of Farmers National Bank of Scottsville (KY) ("Farmers National") and continued working towards the closing of our pending merger with Franklin Financial Network, Inc. ("Franklin" and the "Franklin merger")."

Performance Summary

Measured Growth and Enhanced Liquidity

The Company grew loans (HFI) to $4.83 billion, an increase of 12.5% year over year. Excluding PPP loans, adjusted loans (HFI) were $4.51 billion, an increase of 5.19% compared to the prior year period, and a decline of $55.7 million from the first quarter of 2020. Adjusted loan growth, excluding PPP loans, was lower this quarter as the Company took a measured approach to new credits and focused on servicing customers impacted by the pandemic crisis. Contractual yield on loans decreased from 5.14% in the first quarter to 4.57% in the second quarter. PPP loans caused an 18 basis point decline in contractual yields. The lower loan yields reflect the impact of rate cuts by the Federal Reserve late in the first quarter and an overall lower interest rate environment.

During the second quarter of 2020, the Company grew customer deposits by $580.8 million to $5.94 billion, reflecting annualized quarterly growth of 43.6% and year over year growth of 23.4%. The growth is partially attributable to proceeds customers received from PPP loans in addition to an increase of $38.9 million in mortgage servicing related deposits. The cost of interest-bearing deposits for the second quarter declined by 33 basis points from the first quarter to 0.92%, while cost of total deposits declined by 29 basis points to 0.65%. Loans (HFI) to deposits decreased to 81.1% during the second quarter of 2020 from 85.0% the previous quarter.

Additionally, during the quarter, on balance sheet liquidity increased to $988.5 million, or 14.0% of tangible assets, from $773.5 million, or 12.0% of tangible assets in the first quarter of 2020. During the second quarter of 2020, investment securities decreased $15.8 million to $751.8 million, or 10.4% of total assets, compared with the previous quarter. The decline was primarily due to prepayments of mortgage backed securities and maturity of municipal securities, while cash and cash equivalents increased $292.5 million to $717.6 million, compared with the first quarter of 2020.

The Company's net interest income for the quarter was $55.3 million, representing a decrease from $56.2 million last quarter and $57.0 million for the second quarter of 2019. The Company's net interest margin ("NIM") was 3.50% for the second quarter, compared to 3.92% and 4.39% for the first quarter of 2020 and the second quarter of 2019, respectively. Accretion related to purchased loans and nonaccrual interest contributed seven basis points to the NIM in the second quarter of 2020 compared to 13 and 17 basis points for the first quarter of 2020 and the second quarter of 2019, respectively. Overall, the NIM for the second quarter of 2020 was impacted by a 70 basis point decline in the yield on interest-earning assets partially offset by a 33 basis point decline in the rate on interest-bearing liabilities on a linked quarter basis. In addition to the lower interest rate environment, yield on average earning assets was impacted by the balance sheet mix, as average interest bearing deposits with other financial institutions increased to 7.91% of average earning assets in the second quarter of 2020 as compared to 4.93% for the previous quarter, while PPP loans with a contractual yield of 1.02% represented 3.64% of average earning assets in the second quarter of 2020.

Holmes commented, "Our team delivered tremendous growth in noninterest-bearing deposits for the quarter, solidifying our liquidity position as we face these uncertain times. Net interest margin in the quarter was impacted by our strategy to strengthen the balance sheet, which was accomplished by increasing liquidity and our thoughtful approach to loan growth. Our priorities remain the health and safety of our customers and associates, liquidity, capital, profitability and growth, in that order. As we continue forward, we would expect our margin to rebound as excess liquidity is deployed into loans, lower-yielding PPP loans are forgiven and come off of our balance sheet, and higher cost time deposits reprice downward."

Noninterest Income Benefits from Mortgage Production

Noninterest income was $81.5 million for the second quarter of 2020, compared to $42.7 million for the first quarter of 2020 and $33.0 million for the second quarter of 2019. Mortgage banking income was $72.2 million for the second quarter of 2020, compared to $32.7 million for the first quarter of 2020 and $24.5 million for the second quarter of 2019.

During the quarter, the Company produced strong results from the mortgage business driven by the lower interest rate environment and higher profit margins across the industry. Interest rate lock commitment volume totaled $2.24 billion in the second quarter of 2020 compared to $2.09 billion in the first quarter of 2020 and $1.82 billion in the second quarter of 2019.

During the second quarter of 2020, the Company's total adjusted mortgage banking pre-tax direct contribution was $33.6 million, compared to $8.0 million in the first quarter of 2020 and $2.6 million in the second quarter of 2019, excluding $0.8 million of mortgage restructuring expenses.

Holmes commented, "I am very proud of our mortgage team for their performance so far in 2020, especially their efforts in the second quarter as they delivered $33.6 million in direct contribution. The team has capitalized on the current interest rate environment through strong refinance volumes as well as new purchase originations. The operation has benefited from atypical margins, lack of capacity across the industry and a robust origination environment, partially offset by depressed servicing values and elevated prepayments of our serviced mortgages. During these times of changing interest rates and volatile markets, we continue monitoring the overall liquidity of the mortgage markets and activities by the federal housing agencies on our servicing portfolio."

Noninterest Expenses and Efficiency Gains

Noninterest expense was $80.6 million for the second quarter of 2020, compared to $68.6 million for the first quarter of 2020 and $64.1 million for the second quarter of 2019. On an adjusted basis, noninterest expense was $79.0 million for the second quarter of 2020, $65.5 million for the first quarter of 2020, and $59.5 million for the second quarter of 2019. The sequential quarter increase is primarily related to increased mortgage commissions and origination expenses, as core bank expenses remained relatively flat on a linked quarter basis due to the Company's expense control measures during the pandemic.

Holmes noted, "Modestly lower core bank noninterest expenses reflects our commitment to keeping costs contained as we navigate through these uncertain times. Expenses were elevated for the Company quarter over quarter due to our mortgage division, however the efficiency of the mortgage operation and lower core bank expenses reflect our disciplined approach as we continue balancing profitability, investment decisions and capital efficiency."

Asset Quality Remains Stable

During the second quarter of 2020, the Company recognized a provision for credit losses of $24.0 million, and a provision for unfunded commitments of $1.9 million, reflecting the impact of the varying economic forecasts related to the pandemic crisis. The Company continues to take a conservative approach regarding the economic recovery, resulting in a build of the allowance for credit losses (ACL) to $113.1 million, or 2.34% of loans held for investment and 2.51% adjusted to exclude PPP loans.

The Company's net charge-offs to average loans were 0.0% for the second quarter of 2020 compared to 0.19% in the first quarter of 2020 and 0.05% in the second quarter of 2019. The Company's nonperforming assets decreased to 0.71% of total assets as of June 30, 2020, compared to 0.74% at March 31, 2020. Nonperforming loans were 0.72% of loans held for investment at June 30, 2020, compared to 0.68% at March 31, 2020.

Holmes commented, "While our credit metrics continued to reflect strong credit quality during the second quarter, the impact of the pandemic crisis and the uncertainty of a second wave led to increased provisions and building our ACL, which is reflective of the economic forecasts at the end of the quarter. We have certainly seen an improvement in some pockets of the economy and across our bank footprint, however, it is still too early to discern the overall impact to our loan portfolio. We are approaching the end of the deferred payments for many of our customers and are taking a proactive approach to address their individual circumstances related to the crisis."

Capital Well Positioned

"Our adjusted pre-tax, pre-provision earnings increased by 73.0% sequentially and provided earnings to offset the increased provisions, while growing capital, as we continue to navigate the impacts from the pandemic. Our current level of tangible common equity at 8.7% of tangible assets and our simple capital structure of common equity and minimal trust preferred securities, positions us well and gives us multiple capital options, including the continuation of quarterly dividends in the near term. Our regulatory capital levels remained solid and improved during the quarter, withstanding the impact of CECL and the pandemic," commented Holmes.

Summary

Holmes further commented, "We understand the next couple quarters will present additional challenges as we manage our loan deferrals, the Franklin merger and the continued impact of the pandemic. Challenges notwithstanding, we are very proud of our performance during the second quarter in an adverse economic environment and with employees working from home across our footprint. The pandemic has tested our ability to serve our customers, our associates and our shareholders, and so far we like our results."

WEBCAST AND CONFERENCE CALL INFORMATION

FB Financial Corporation will host a conference call to discuss the Company's financial results at 8:00 a.m. CT on Tuesday, July 21, 2020, and the conference call will be broadcast live over the Internet at https://www.webcaster4.com/Webcast/Page/1631/35639. An online replay will be available approximately an hour following the conclusion of the live broadcast.

ABOUT FB FINANCIAL CORPORATION

FB Financial Corporation FBK is a bank holding company headquartered in Nashville, Tennessee. FB Financial Corporation operates through its wholly owned banking subsidiary, FirstBank, the third largest Tennessee-headquartered community bank, with 73 full-service bank branches across Tennessee, Kentucky, North Alabama and North Georgia, and mortgage offices across the Southeast. FirstBank serves five of the largest metropolitan markets in Tennessee and has approximately $7.3 billion in total assets.

SUPPLEMENTAL FINANCIAL INFORMATION AND EARNINGS PRESENTATION

Investors are encouraged to review this Earnings Release in conjunction with the Supplemental Financial Information and Earnings Presentation posted on the Company's website, which can be found at https://investors.firstbankonline.com. This Earnings Release, the Supplemental Financial Information and the Earnings Presentation are also included with a Current Report on Form 8-K that the Company furnished to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC") on July 20, 2020.

BUSINESS SEGMENT RESULTS

The Company has included its business segment financial tables as part of this Earnings Release. A detailed discussion of our business segments is included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC for the year ended December 31, 2019, and investors are encouraged to review that discussion in conjunction with this Earnings Release.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the projected impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic on our business operations, statements relating to the timing, benefits, costs, and synergies of the proposed merger with Franklin Financial Network, Inc. ("Franklin") (the "Franklin merger") and of the recent merger with FNB Financial Corp. ("FNB") (together with the Franklin merger, the "mergers"), and FB Financial's future plans, results, strategies, and expectations. These statements can generally be identified by the use of the words and phrases "may," "will," "should," "could," "would," "goal," "plan," "potential," "estimate," "project," "believe," "intend," "anticipate," "expect," "target," "aim," "predict," "continue," "seek," "projection," and other variations of such words and phrases and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, and are based upon current expectations, estimates, and projections, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and beyond FB Financial's control. The inclusion of these forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by FB Financial or any other person that such expectations, estimates, and projections will be achieved. Accordingly, FB Financial cautions shareholders and investors that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, assumptions, and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Actual results may prove to be materially different from the results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. A number of factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements including, without limitation, (1) current and future economic conditions, including the effects of declines in housing and commercial real estate prices, high unemployment rates, and a continued slowdown in economic growth in the local or regional economies in which we operate and/or the US economy generally, (2) the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the magnitude and duration of the pandemic and its impact on general economic and financial market conditions and on our business and our customers' business, results of operations, asset quality and financial condition, (3) changes in government interest rate policies, (4) our ability to effectively manage problem credits, (5) the risk that the cost savings and any revenue synergies from the mergers or another acquisition may not be realized or may take longer than anticipated to be realized, (6) disruption from the mergers with customer, supplier, or employee relationships, (7) the occurrence of any event, change, or other circumstances that could give rise to the termination of the merger agreement with Franklin, (8) the failure to obtain necessary regulatory approvals for the Franklin merger, (9) the possibility that the costs, fees, expenses, and charges related to the Franklin merger may be greater than anticipated, including as a result of unexpected or unknown factors, events, or liabilities, (10) the failure of the conditions to the Franklin merger to be satisfied, (11) the risks related to the integrations of the combined businesses following the Franklin merger, including the risk that the integration will be materially delayed or will be more costly or difficult than expected, (12) the diversion of management time on issues related to the mergers, (13) the ability of FB Financial to effectively manage the larger and more complex operations of the combined company following the Franklin merger, (14) the risks associated with FB Financial's pursuit of future acquisitions, (15) reputational risk and the reaction of the parties' respective customers to the mergers, (16) FB Financial's ability to successful execute its various business strategies, including its ability to execute on potential acquisition opportunities, (17) the risk of potential litigation or regulatory action related to the Franklin merger, and (18) general competitive, economic, political, and market conditions. Further information regarding FB Financial and factors which could affect the forward-looking statements contained herein can be found in FB Financial's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, and its other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the "SEC"). Many of these factors are beyond FB Financial's ability to control or predict. If one or more events related to these or other risks or uncertainties materialize, or if the underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results may differ materially from the forward-looking statements. Accordingly, shareholders and investors should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this press release, and FB Financial undertakes no obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law. New risks and uncertainties may emerge from time to time, and it is not possible for FB Financial to predict their occurrence or how they will affect the Company.

FB Financial qualifies all forward-looking statements by these cautionary statements.

GAAP RECONCILIATION AND USE OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

This Earnings Release contains certain financial measures that are not measures recognized under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") and therefore are considered non-GAAP financial measures. These non-GAAP financial measures include, without limitation, adjusted net income, adjusted diluted earnings per share, adjusted and unadjusted pre-tax pre-provision earnings, adjusted pre-tax pre-provision diluted earnings per share, adjusted and unadjusted pre-tax pre-provision earnings per share, core revenue, core noninterest expense and core noninterest income, core efficiency ratio (tax equivalent basis), Banking segment core efficiency ratio (tax equivalent basis), Mortgage segment core efficiency ratio (tax equivalent basis), adjusted mortgage contribution, adjusted return on average tangible common equity, adjusted pre-tax pre-provision return on average tangible common equity, adjusted return on average assets and equity, adjusted pre-tax pre-provision return on average assets and equity, core total revenue, adjusted allowance for credit losses, adjusted loans held for investment, and adjusted allowance for credit losses as a percentage of loans held for investment, which excludes the impact of PPP loans. Each of these non-GAAP metrics excludes certain income and expense items that the Company's management considers to be non-core/adjusted in nature. The Company refers to these non-GAAP measures as adjusted measures. The corresponding Supplemental Financial Information and Earnings Release Presentation also presents tangible assets, tangible common equity, tangible book value per common share, tangible common equity to tangible assets, return on tangible common equity, return on average tangible common equity and adjusted return on average tangible common equity. Each of these non-GAAP metrics excludes the impact of goodwill and other intangibles.

The Company's management uses these non-GAAP financial measures in their analysis of the Company's performance, financial condition and the efficiency of its operations as management believes such measures facilitate period-to-period comparisons and provide meaningful indications of its operating performance as they eliminate both gains and charges that management views as non-recurring or not indicative of operating performance. Management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide a greater understanding of ongoing operations and enhance comparability of results with prior periods as well as demonstrate the effects of significant non-core gains and charges in the current and prior periods. The Company's management also believes that investors find these non-GAAP financial measures useful as they assist investors in understanding the Company's underlying operating performance and in the analysis of ongoing operating trends. In addition, because intangible assets such as goodwill and other intangibles, and the other items excluded each vary extensively from company to company, the Company believes that the presentation of this information allows investors to more easily compare the Company's results to the results of other companies. However, the non-GAAP financial measures discussed herein should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the most directly comparable or other financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. Moreover, the manner in which the Company calculates the non-GAAP financial measures discussed herein may differ from that of other companies reporting measures with similar names. Investors should understand how such other banking organizations calculate their financial measures similar or with names similar to the non-GAAP financial measures the Company has discussed herein when comparing such non-GAAP financial measures. See the "Use of non-GAAP Financial Measures" and the corresponding non-GAAP reconciliation tables in the Supplemental Financial Information as well as "Use of non-GAAP Financial Measures" and the Appendix in the Earnings Release Presentation dated July 21, 2020, for a discussion and reconciliation of these measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures.

(FBK - ER)

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