FB Financial Corporation Reports Third Quarter 2021 Results

Reports Q3 diluted EPS of $0.94, ROAA of 1.51%

FB Financial Corporation (the “Company”) (NYSE: FBK), parent company of FirstBank, reported net income of $45.3 million, or $0.94 per diluted common share, compared to a net loss of $0.14 per diluted common share in the same quarter last year and net income of $0.90 in the previous quarter. Adjusted net income was $42.7 million, or $0.89 per diluted common share, compared to $1.43 per diluted common share in the same quarter last year and $0.88 in the previous quarter. The Company's return on average assets for the third quarter was 1.51% (1.42% adjusted) and return on tangible common equity was 15.9% (15.0% adjusted). The Company recorded growth in loans held for investment ("HFI") of $95.7 million in the third quarter, or 5.28% annualized. Excluding Paycheck Protection Program ("PPP") loans, the Company recorded HFI loan growth of $143.7 million, or 7.98% annualized.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2021, the Company reported net income of $141.5 million, or $2.95 per diluted common share, compared to $18.0 million, or $0.52 per diluted common share, for the same period in 2020. Adjusting for non-operating items, EPS was $2.89 and $2.51 for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The Company’s book value per common share at quarter-end was $29.36 and the tangible book value ("TBV") per common share was $23.90.

President and Chief Executive Officer, Christopher T. Holmes stated, “During the quarter the team delivered loan growth, increased net interest income, and realized strong mortgage results. We also added value for our shareholders by increasing our tangible book value per share at an annualized rate of 13.4% through the first three quarters of the year.”

Performance Summary

Balance Sheet and Net Interest Margin

The Company reported loan balances (HFI) of $7.29 billion, an increase of $95.7 million, or 5.28% annualized, from June 30, 2021. Excluding PPP loans, adjusted loans (HFI) increased $143.7 million, or 7.98% annualized, on a linked quarter basis. The contractual yield on loans decreased to 4.23% in the third quarter of 2021 from 4.31% in the second quarter of 2021.

The Company's net interest income on a tax-equivalent basis for the third quarter of 2021 was $89.2 million, an increase from $87.3 million in the previous quarter, or 8.67% annualized. The Company's net interest margin (“NIM”) was 3.20% for the third quarter, compared to 3.18% for the second quarter of 2021. The NIM for the third quarter of 2021 was impacted by a 4 basis point decline in the yield on interest-earning assets, offset by a 7 basis point decline in the cost of interest-bearing liabilities on a linked quarter basis. During the quarter, on balance sheet liquidity decreased to $1.75 billion, or 15.1% of tangible assets, from $2.13 billion, or 18.3% of tangible assets as of June 30, 2021. As of September 30, 2021, our PPP loan balance is down to $9.4 million from $57.4 million at June 30, 2021.

During the third quarter of 2021, total deposits decreased by $132.0 million to $10.07 billion on a linked quarter basis, primarily related to seasonal outflows of public funds. Noninterest bearing deposits increased by $124.6 million, or 19.9% annualized, during the third quarter. Excluding mortgage-escrow related deposits, noninterest bearing deposits increased by $100.1 million during the third quarter, or 17.1% annualized. The Company's total cost of deposits declined by 5 basis points to 0.26% and the cost of interest-bearing deposits decreased to 0.34% from 0.41% in the previous quarter.

Noninterest Income Outperforms Expectations

Noninterest income was $59.0 million for the third quarter of 2021, compared to $49.3 million for the second quarter of 2021 and $97.0 million for the third quarter of 2020. Mortgage banking income was $45.4 million for the third quarter of 2021, compared to $35.5 million for the second quarter of 2021 and $84.7 million for the third quarter of 2020.

Noninterest income in the Banking segment was impacted by the cancellation of a customer interest rate swap agreement as a troubled loan was resolved, resulting in a $1.5 million loss. This was offset by a $2.0 million gain on the disposition of other real estate owned and a $0.7 million gain from fair value changes on the commercial loans held for sale portfolio during the third quarter. The $0.7 million gain on the commercial loans held for sale portfolio compares to a gain of $1.4 million in the second quarter of 2021.

The Company's total mortgage banking pre-tax direct contribution for the third quarter of 2021 was $8.9 million, compared to $0.5 million for the second quarter of 2021 and $39.2 million for the third quarter of 2020. Interest rate lock commitment volume totaled $2.01 billion in the third quarter of 2021 compared to $1.77 billion in the second quarter of 2021 and $2.42 billion in the third quarter of 2020.

Chief Financial Officer, Michael Mettee noted, “The mortgage business benefited from stability in rates and margins and also from capacity normalization within the industry during the third quarter, ultimately leading to a stronger than expected contribution.”

Expense Management

Noninterest expenses were $95.0 million for the third quarter of 2021, compared to $93.0 million for the second quarter of 2021 and $118.1 million for the third quarter of 2020. Core noninterest expense was $95.0 million for the third quarter of 2021, $93.1 million for the second quarter of 2021, and $95.1 million for the third quarter of 2020.

During the third quarter of 2021, the Company's core efficiency ratio was 64.7%, compared to 68.9% in the second quarter of 2021 and 57.4% for the third quarter of 2020. The Banking segment efficiency ratio was 57.9% versus the previous quarter of 58.6% while the Mortgage segment efficiency ratio decreased to 80.0% for the third quarter of 2021 from 97.9% in the previous quarter.

Also, during the quarter, income tax expense was reduced by two notable items. The first item resulted in a $2.1 million income tax benefit from the vesting of stock compensation granted to employees at the Company's IPO in 2016. The second item resulted in a $1.7 million tax benefit related to a change in the value of a net operating loss tax asset that was acquired with the Franklin Financial Network, Inc. transaction. These tax benefits reduced the Company's effective tax rate to 17.7% in the third quarter of 2021 from 23.7% in the previous quarter.

Mettee noted, “For the quarter the Company saw slightly elevated expenses in the Banking segment due to increased payroll taxes of $0.5 million associated with the vesting of restricted stock units, which were originally granted to full-time employees in connection with our IPO. The Company did see improvement in our efficiency ratio, mainly driven by improvement in mortgage revenue.”

Credit Quality

The Company recorded a total net reversal in provisions for credit losses of $2.5 million in the third quarter of 2021, including a provision for credit losses on unfunded commitments of $0.3 million. The Company continues to maintain a strong balance sheet with an ACL of $139.4 million as of September 30, 2021, representing 1.91% of loans HFI. This compares to an ACL percentage of 2.01% of loans HFI, or 2.03% when adjusted to exclude PPP loans as of the prior quarter-end.

The Company's net charge-offs to average loans was 0.13% for the third quarter of 2021 compared to net charge-offs to average loans of 0.02% in the second quarter of 2021. During the quarter, the Company exited a relationship recording a charge-off of $2.1 million, which was 81% of the total net charge offs for the quarter of $2.6 million. The Company's nonperforming assets decreased to 0.50% of total assets as of September 30, 2021, compared to 0.66% at June 30, 2021. Nonperforming loans were 0.59% of loans HFI at September 30, 2021, compared to 0.83% at June 30, 2021. Both of these declines were largely influenced by the same loan relationship. Deferrals resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic decreased to $18.0 million, or 0.25% of loans HFI, as of September 30, 2021, compared to the aggregate balance deferred during the crisis of $1.64 billion.

Holmes commented, “Our local economies continue to prosper. Assuming the overhang of the Delta variant continues to fade, I would expect to see future releases from our ACL in the coming quarters, if these positive economic trends continue.”

Summary

Holmes summarized, "The Company has continued to deliver strong results and capitalize on the economic strength of our markets. As we finish out 2021 and look ahead into 2022, we remain excited about the opportunities that lie ahead."

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 October 19, 2021, and the conference call will be broadcast live over the Internet at https://services.choruscall.com/mediaframe/webcast.html?webcastid=fdKAFzD9. An online replay will be available approximately an hour following the conclusion of the live broadcast.

ABOUT FB FINANCIAL CORPORATION

FB Financial Corporation (NYSE: FBK) is a financial 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 81 full-service bank branches across Tennessee, Kentucky, Alabama and North Georgia, and mortgage offices across the Southeast. FirstBank serves five of the largest metropolitan markets in Tennessee and has approximately $11.8 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 October 18, 2021.

BUSINESS SEGMENT RESULTS

The Company has included its business segment financial tables as part of the Supplemental Financial Information, which is available in connection with this Earnings Release. A detailed discussion of our historical business segments is included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC for the year ended December 31, 2020. Further discussion on the revisions to segment reporting made in the first quarter of 2021 is included in the Company's Form 10-Q filed with the SEC for the period ended June 30, 2021, and investors are encouraged to review that discussion in conjunction with this Earnings Release.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements contained in this press release that are not historical in nature may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements regarding the ongoing impact of the COVID-19 global pandemic and new virus variants on our business operations and the Company’s future plans, results, strategies, and expectations, including potential releases from the Company’s ACL. 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,” “project,” and other variations of such words and phrases and similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, and are based upon management's current expectations, estimates, and projections, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and beyond the Company’s control. The inclusion of these forward-looking statements should not be regarded as a representation by the Company or any other person that such expectations, estimates, and projections will be achieved. Accordingly, the Company 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 inflation, interest rate fluctuations, changes in the economy or global supply chain, supply-demand imbalances affecting local real estate prices, and high unemployment rates in the local or regional economies in which the Company operates and/or the US economy generally, (2) the ongoing effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, including the magnitude and duration of the pandemic and the emergence of new variants, 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) ongoing public response to the vaccines that were developed against the virus as well as the decisions of governmental agencies with respect to vaccines, including recommendations related to booster shots and requirements that seek to mandate that individuals receive or employers require that their employees receive the vaccine, (4) those vaccines' efficacy against the virus, including new variants, (5) changes in government interest rate policies and its impact on our business, net interest margin, and mortgage operations, (6) our ability to effectively manage problem credits, (7) the Company’s ability to identify potential candidates for, consummate, and achieve synergies from, potential future acquisitions, (8) difficulties and delays in integrating acquired businesses or fully realizing costs savings, revenue synergies and other benefits from future and prior acquisitions, (9) the Company’s ability to successfully execute its various business strategies, (10) changes in state and federal legislation, regulations or policies applicable to banks and other financial service providers, including legislative developments, (11) the potential impact of the proposed phase-out of the London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR") or other changes involving LIBOR, (12) the effectiveness of our cybersecurity controls and procedures to prevent and mitigate attempted intrusions, (13) the Company's dependence on information technology systems of third party service providers and the risk of systems failures, interruptions, or breaches of security, and (14) general competitive, economic, political, and market conditions. Further information regarding the Company and factors which could affect the forward-looking statements contained herein can be found in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, and in any of the Company’s subsequent filings with the SEC. Many of these factors are beyond the Company’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 Earnings Release, and the Company 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 the Company to predict their occurrence or how they will affect the company.

The Company 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 earnings, adjusted diluted earnings per share, adjusted and unadjusted pre-tax pre-provision earnings, 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, and adjusted pre-tax pre-provision return on average assets and equity. 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 also includes an adjusted allowance for credit losses, adjusted loans held for investment, and adjusted allowance for credit losses to loans held for investment, which all exclude the impact of PPP loans. The Company refers to these non-GAAP measures as adjusted measures. Also, the Company presents tangible assets, tangible common equity, tangible book value per common share, tangible common equity to tangible assets, 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 October 19, 2021, for additional discussion and reconciliation of these measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures.

(FBK - ER)

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