BRYN MAWR, Pa., Oct. 22, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bryn Mawr Bank Corporation (NASDAQ: BMTC), parent of The Bryn Mawr Trust Company, today reported net income of $13.2 million, or $0.66 diluted earnings per share, for the three months ended September 30, 2020, as compared to $15.0 million, or $0.75 diluted earnings per share, for the three months ended June 30, 2020, and $16.4 million, or $0.81 diluted earnings per share, for the three months ended September 30, 2019.

As detailed in the appendix to this earnings release, management calculates core net income, a non-GAAP measure. There were no meaningful non-core income or expense items for the three months ended September 30, 2020 or September 30, 2019. Core net income for the three months ended June 30, 2020, which excludes the gain on sale of Small Business Administration (“SBA”) Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans, one-time costs associated with the wind-down of BMT Investment Advisers, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Corporation, and severance associated with certain staff reductions, was $15.4 million, or $0.77 diluted earnings per share. A reconciliation of core net income and other non-GAAP to GAAP performance measures is included in the appendix to this earnings release.

“We continue to manage through these uncertain times and our focus remains on the safety of our employees and supporting our customers as they also manage through this challenging environment,” commented Frank Leto, President and Chief Executive Officer, continuing, “The economic impacts resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic are ongoing. While the current interest rate environment continues to put pressure on our net interest margin, our fee-based businesses produced consistent results, demonstrating the value of our diversified earnings profile. We built on our strong capital position during the quarter while also maintaining ample liquidity, and our credit metrics remained stable. Our solid foundation leaves us well positioned to face the evolving economic landscape as we close out 2020 and look to 2021 and beyond,” Mr. Leto concluded.

On October 22, 2020, the Board of Directors of the Corporation declared a quarterly dividend of $0.27 per share, payable December 1, 2020 to shareholders of record as of November 2, 2020.

SIGNIFICANT ITEMS OF NOTE

Results of Operations – Third Quarter 2020 Compared to Second Quarter 2020

• Net income for the three months ended September 30, 2020 was $13.2 million, or $0.66 diluted earnings per share, as compared to $15.0 million, or $0.75 diluted earnings per share, for the three months ended June 30, 2020. Net interest income for the three months ended September 30, 2020 was $35.0 million, a decrease of $2.4 million over the linked quarter. The provision for credit losses on loans and leases (the “Provision”) for the three months ended September 30, 2020 was $3.6 million, a $661 thousand decrease as compared to $4.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2020. Total noninterest income increased $533 thousand, total noninterest expense increased $1.0 million, and income tax expense decreased $301 thousand for the three months ended September 30, 2020, as compared to the three months ended June 30, 2020.
• Net interest income for the three months ended September 30, 2020 was $35.0 million, a decrease of $2.4 million over the linked quarter. Tax-equivalent net interest income for the three months ended September 30, 2020 was $35.1 million, a decrease of $2.4 million over the linked quarter. Tax-equivalent net interest income for the third quarter of 2020 was positively impacted by the accretion of purchase accounting fair value marks of $800 thousand, a decrease of $240 thousand as compared to $1.0 million for the linked quarter. Excluding the effects of these purchase accounting fair value marks, the adjusted tax-equivalent net interest income for the three months ended September 30, 2020 was $34.3 million, a decrease of $2.1 million over the linked quarter. A reconciliation of this and other non-GAAP to GAAP performance measures is included in the appendix to this earnings release.

  The tax-equivalent net interest margin was 3.03% for the three months ended September 30, 2020 as compared to 3.22% for the linked quarter. Adjusting for the impact of the accretion of purchase accounting fair value marks, the adjusted tax-equivalent net interest margin was 2.96% for the three months ended September 30, 2020 as compared to 3.13% for the linked quarter. A reconciliation of this and other non-GAAP to GAAP performance measures is included in the appendix to this earnings release.

  Items contributing to the decrease in tax-equivalent net interest income adjusted for purchase accounting included decreases of $3.6 million and $216 thousand in tax-equivalent interest and fees earned on loans and leases and tax-equivalent interest income on available for sale investment securities, respectively, partially offset by decreases of $1.5 million and $224 thousand in interest paid on deposits and interest expense on short-term borrowings, respectively, for the three months ended September 30, 2020 as compared to the linked quarter.

  Tax-equivalent interest and fees earned on loans and leases for the three months ended September 30, 2020 decreased $3.9 million as compared to the linked quarter. The tax-equivalent yield on average loans and leases for the three months ended September 30, 2020 was 3.97%, a 19 basis point decrease as compared to the linked quarter. Average loans and leases decreased $238.5 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020 as compared to the linked quarter. The decrease in average loans and leases was primarily the result of the sale of $295.6 million of PPP loans at the end of the second quarter and to a smaller extent early in the 3rd quarter.

  Tax-equivalent interest income on available for sale investment securities for the three months ended September 30, 2020 decreased $216 thousand as compared to the linked quarter. The tax-equivalent yield on average available for sale investment securities was 1.86%, a 30 basis point decrease as compared to the linked quarter. The effect of the decrease in the tax-equivalent yield was partially offset by an increase of $32.5 million in average available for sale investment securities for the three months ended September 30, 2020 as compared to the linked quarter.

  Interest expense on deposits for the three months ended September 30, 2020 decreased $1.5 million over the linked quarter. The rate paid on average interest-bearing deposits for the three months ended September 30, 2020 was 0.41%, a 20 basis point decrease as compared to the linked quarter. Average interest-bearing deposits for the three months ended September 30, 2020 decreased $77.5 million as compared to the linked quarter.

  Interest expense on short-term borrowings for the three months ended September 30, 2020 decreased $224 thousand over the linked quarter. The decrease was primarily due to a $106.9 million decrease in average short-term borrowings and a 57 basis point decrease in the rate paid as compared to the linked quarter.

• Noninterest income of $21.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020 represented a $533 thousand increase over the linked quarter. The increase was primarily due to increases of $2.6 million, $379 thousand, and $339 thousand in fees for wealth management services, insurance commissions, and capital markets revenue, respectively, partially offset by decreases of $2.1 million and $575 thousand in net gain on sale of loans and other operating income, respectively. The increase in fees for wealth management services was primarily related to the lack of non-recurring costs associated with the wind-down of BMT Investment Advisers, which had a $2.2 million impact on fees for wealth management services in the second quarter of 2020. The decrease in net gain on sale of loans was driven by a $2.4 million gain on the sale of approximately $292.1 million of PPP loans in the second quarter of 2020.
• Noninterest expense of $35.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020 represented a $1.0 million increase over the linked quarter. Increases of $361 thousand, $275 thousand, $270 thousand, and $262 thousand in furniture, fixtures and equipment expenses, salaries and wages, other operating expenses, and advertising expenses, respectively, were partially offset by a decrease of $195 thousand in employee benefits.
• The Provision of $3.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020 decreased $661 thousand as compared to $4.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2020. The Provisions recorded in the second and third quarters of 2020 were driven by the current and forward-looking adverse economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic included in the estimation of expected credit losses on loans and leases as of June 30, 2020 and September 30, 2020, respectively. Net loan and lease charge-offs for the third quarter of 2020 totaled $2.2 million, a decrease of $1.2 million as compared to $3.4 million for the second quarter of 2020.
• The effective tax rate for the third quarter of 2020 increased to 22.03% as compared to 21.09% for the second quarter of 2020. The increase in effective tax rate was primarily due to a $75 thousand increase in discrete tax expense related to stock-based compensation coupled with higher projected pretax earnings.

Results of Operations – Third Quarter 2020 Compared to Third Quarter 2019

• Net income for the three months ended September 30, 2020 was $13.2 million, or $0.66 diluted earnings per share, as compared to $16.4 million, or $0.81 diluted earnings per share, for the three months ended September 30, 2019. Net interest income for the three months ended September 30, 2020 was $35.0 million, a decrease of $2.4 million as compared to the same period in 2019. The Provision for the three months ended September 30, 2020, as calculated under the Current Expected Credit Loss (“CECL”) framework, increased $2.7 million as compared to the same period in 2019, which was calculated in accordance with previously-applicable GAAP. Total noninterest income increased $1.6 million, total noninterest expense increased $484 thousand, and income tax expense decreased $693 thousand for the three months ended September 30, 2020 as compared to the three months ended September 30, 2019.
• Net interest income for the three months ended September 30, 2020 was $35.0 million, a decrease of $2.4 million as compared to the same period in 2019. Tax-equivalent net interest income for the three months ended September 30, 2020 was $35.1 million, a decrease of $2.4 million as compared to the same period in 2019. Tax-equivalent net interest income for the third quarter of 2020 was positively impacted by the accretion of purchase accounting fair value marks of $800 thousand as compared to $1.6 million for the same period in 2019. Excluding the effects of these purchase accounting fair value marks, the adjusted tax-equivalent net interest income for the three months ended September 30, 2020 was $34.3 million, a decrease of $1.6 million as compared to the same period in 2019. A reconciliation of this and other non-GAAP to GAAP performance measures is included in the appendix to this earnings release.

  The tax-equivalent net interest margin was 3.03% for the three months ended September 30, 2020 as compared to 3.54% for the same period in 2019. Adjusting for the impacts of the accretion of purchase accounting fair value marks, the adjusted tax-equivalent net interest margin was 2.96% and 3.39% for three months ended September 30, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The main drivers for the decrease in the adjusted tax-equivalent net interest margin were the rate and volume changes of interest-bearing assets and liabilities as discussed in the below bullet points. A reconciliation of this and other non-GAAP to GAAP performance measures is included in the appendix to this earnings release.

  Items contributing to the decrease in tax-equivalent net interest income adjusted for purchase accounting included decreases of $8.0 million and $1.2 million in tax-equivalent interest and fees earned on loans and leases and tax-equivalent interest income on available for sale investment securities, respectively, partially offset by decreases of $6.6 million and $929 thousand in interest paid on deposits and interest expense on short-term borrowings, respectively, for the three months ended September 30, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019.

  Tax-equivalent interest and fees earned on loans and leases for the three months ended September 30, 2020 decreased $8.7 million as compared to the same period in 2019. The tax-equivalent yield on average loans and leases for the three months ended September 30, 2020 was 3.97%, a 116 basis point decrease as compared to the same period in 2019. The effect of the decrease in the tax-equivalent yield was partially offset by an increase of $168.6 million in average loans and leases for the three months ended September 30, 2020 as compared to same period in 2019.

  Tax-equivalent interest income on available for sale investment securities for the three months ended September 30, 2020 decreased $1.2 million as compared to the same period in 2019. The tax-equivalent yield on average available for sale investment securities for the three months ended September 30, 2020 was 1.86%, a 65 basis point decrease as compared to the same period in 2019 coupled with a decrease of $47.7 million in average available for sale investment securities for the three months ended September 30, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019.

  Interest expense on deposits for the three months ended September 30, 2020 decreased $6.5 million as compared to the same period in 2019. The rate paid on average interest-bearing deposits for the three months ended September 30, 2020 was 0.41%, a 95 basis point decrease as compared to the same period in 2019. The effect of the decrease in the tax-equivalent rate paid was partially offset by an increase of $115.4 million in average interest-bearing deposits for the three months ended September 30, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019.

  Interest expense on short-term borrowings for the three months ended September 30, 2020 decreased $929 thousand as compared to the same period in 2019. The decrease was primarily due to a $140.1 million decrease in average short-term borrowings for the three months ended September 30, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019 coupled with a 208 basis point decrease in the rate paid for the three months ended September 30, 2020 as compared to the same period in 2019.

• Noninterest income of $21.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020 represented a $1.6 million increase over the same period in 2019. The increase was primarily due to increases of $1.2 million, $881 thousand, and $347 thousand in capital markets revenue, fees for wealth management services, and net gain on sale of loans, respectively, partially offset by decreases of $219 thousand, $193 thousand, $182 thousand, and $160 thousand in dividends on the Corporation's equity stocks issued by the Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) and the Federal Reserve Bank, service charges on deposits, loan servicing fees, and insurance commissions, respectively.
• Noninterest expense of $35.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020 represented a $484 thousand increase over the same period in 2019. Increases of $1.0 million and $674 thousand in other operating expenses and professional fees, respectively, were partially offset by decreases of $564 thousand, $399 thousand, and $262 thousand in salaries and wages, Pennsylvania bank shares tax, and employee benefits, respectively. The increase in other operating expenses included a $627 increase in FDIC insurance expense primarily due to a small bank assessment credit of $407 thousand applied in the third quarter of 2019.
• The Provision of $3.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020, as calculated under the CECL framework, increased $2.7 million as compared to the same period in 2019, which was calculated in accordance with previously-applicable GAAP. The Provision recorded in the third quarter of 2020 was driven by the current and forward-looking adverse economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic included in the estimation of expected credit losses on loans and leases as of September 30, 2020. Net loan and lease charge-offs for the third quarter of 2020 totaled $2.2 million, an increase of $863 thousand as compared to $1.3 million for the third quarter in 2019.
• The effective tax rate for the third quarter of 2020 increased to 22.03% as compared to 21.20% for the third quarter of 2019. The increase in effective tax rate was primarily due to a $105 thousand increase in discrete tax expense related to stock-based compensation.

Financial Condition – September 30, 2020 Compared to December 31, 2019

• Total assets as of September 30, 2020 were $5.05 billion, a decrease of $216.3 million from December 31, 2019. The decrease was primarily due to the $441.2 million decrease in available for sale investment securities as discussed in the bullet point below. Partially offsetting this decrease were increases of $203.5 million and $93.9 million in cash balances and other assets. The increase in cash balances was primarily due to the sale of approximately $292.1 million of PPP loans in the second quarter of 2020 coupled with higher deposit balances resulting from PPP loan funds deposited with the Bank. The increase in other assets was primarily driven by an $88.4 million increase in the fair value of interest rate swaps.
• Available for sale investment securities as of September 30, 2020 totaled $564.8 million, a decrease of $441.2 million from December 31, 2019. The decrease was primarily due to the maturing of $500.0 million of short-term U.S. Treasury securities in the first quarter of 2020, partially offset by increases of $65.8 million, $9.3 million, and $6.5 million of mortgage-backed securities, corporate bonds, and collateralized loan obligations, respectively.
• Total portfolio loans and leases of $3.68 billion as of September 30, 2020 decreased $12.6 million, or 0.3%, from December 31, 2019. Decreases of $45.8 million, $45.1 million, $10.7 million, and $10.2 million in residential mortgages 1st liens, home equity lines of credit, residential mortgage 2nd liens and consumer loans, respectively, were partially offset by increases of $45.6 million, $40.6 million and $33.1 million in nonowner-occupied commercial real estate loans, owner-occupied commercial real estate loans and commercial and industrial loans, respectively. In conjunction with the adoption of CECL, the Corporation has revised its portfolio segmentation to align with the methodology applied in determining the allowance for credit losses (“ACL”) for loans and leases under CECL, which is based on federal call report codes which classify loans based on the primary collateral supporting the loan. Portfolio segmentation prior to the adoption of CECL was based on product type or purpose. As such, certain reclassifications were made to conform previous years to the current year's presentation.

  As of September 30, 2020, 552 loans and leases in the amount of $305.2 million, comprising 8.3% of the Bank's portfolio loans and leases, are within a deferral period under the Bank's consumer and commercial loan and lease modification programs, as compared to 1,668 loans and leases in the amount of $767.1 million, comprising 20.6% of the Bank's portfolio loans and leases, as of June 30, 2020.

• The ACL on loans and leases was $22.6 million as of December 31, 2019. Effective January 1, 2020, the Corporation adopted CECL and recognized an increase in the ACL on loans and leases of approximately $3.2 million, as a cumulative effect of a change in accounting principle, with a corresponding decrease, net of tax, in retained earnings. The ACL on loans and leases was $56.4 million as of September 30, 2020, an increase of $33.8 million as compared to December 31, 2019. The significant increase was driven by the current and forward-looking adverse economic impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic included in the estimation of expected credit losses on loans and leases as of September 30, 2020 as compared to our initial adoption of CECL.
• Deposits of $4.01 billion as of September 30, 2020 increased $171.3 million from December 31, 2019. Increases of $333.2 million, $93.0 million, and $24.7 million in noninterest bearing deposits, money market accounts, and savings accounts, respectively, were partially offset by decreases of $129.4 million, $100.5 million, and $38.9 million in interest-bearing demand accounts, wholesale non-maturity deposits, and retail time deposits, respectively. The increase in noninterest bearing deposits was primarily due to the Bank's PPP loan customers depositing loan funds into Bank deposit accounts during the second quarter of 2020.
• Borrowings of $189.1 million as of September 30, 2020, which include short-term borrowings, long-term FHLB advances, subordinated notes and junior subordinated debentures decreased $476.9 million from December 31, 2019, primarily due to decreases of $469.8 million and $7.4 million in short-term borrowings and long-term FHLB advances, respectively. The decrease in short-term borrowings was primarily due to the maturing of approximately $432.4 million of short-term borrowings in the first quarter of 2020, which was used to partially fund the purchase of $500.0 million of short-term U.S. Treasury securities included on the balance sheet as of December 31, 2019. Additionally, the increase in deposits reduced the need to obtain wholesale funding such as FHLB advances at September 30, 2020 as compared to December 31, 2019.
• Wealth assets totaled $17.24 billion as of September 30, 2020, an increase of $696.2 million from December 31, 2019. As of September 30, 2020, wealth assets consisted of $10.69 billion of wealth assets where fees are set at fixed amounts, an increase of $1.12 billion from December 31, 2019, and $6.56 billion of wealth assets where fees are predominantly determined based on the market value of the assets held in their accounts, a decrease of $419.1 million from December 31, 2019.
• The capital ratios for the Bank and the Corporation, as of September 30, 2020, as shown in the attached tables, indicate regulatory capital levels in excess of the regulatory minimums and the levels necessary for the Bank to be considered “well capitalized.” In September 2020, the U.S. banking agencies issued a final rule that provides banking organizations with an alternative option to delay for two years an estimate of CECL’s effect on regulatory capital, relative to the incurred loss methodology’s effect on regulatory capital, followed by a three-year transition period. This final rule is consistent with the interim final rule issued by the U.S. banking agencies in March 2020. The current and prior quarter ratios reflect the Corporation's election of the five-year transition provision.