ISELIN, N.J., Oct. 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Provident Financial Services, Inc. (NYSE:PFS) reported net income of $27.1 million, or $0.37 per basic and diluted share, for the three months ended September 30, 2020, compared to net income of $31.4 million, or $0.49 per basic and diluted share, for the three months ended September 30, 2019. For the nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company reported net income of $56.4 million, or $0.84 per basic and diluted share, compared to net income of $86.7 million, or $1.34 per basic and diluted share, for the same period last year.
On July 31, 2020, the Company completed its acquisition of SB One Bancorp ("SB One"), which added $2.19 billion to total assets, $1.77 billion to loans, and $1.76 billion to deposits. The results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 included pre-tax non-recurring charges related to the acquisition of SB One totaling $2.0 million and $3.1 million, respectively.
The Company’s earnings for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 were also impacted by the January 1, 2020 adoption of a new accounting standard that requires the current recognition of allowances for losses expected to be incurred over the life of covered assets (“CECL”). The acquisition of SB One and changing economic forecasts attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic and projected economic recovery drove provisions for credit losses and off-balance sheet credit exposures totaling $6.7 million and $38.6 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively. The Company's earnings were further impacted by COVID-19 related costs which totaled $200,000 and $1.2 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively.
Christopher Martin, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer commented: “We look forward to the opportunities that our merger with SB One Bancorp provides our combined company, and we welcome our new colleagues who joined us in the transaction. Our team did a great job getting the acquisition completed on a timely basis in a challenging operating environment.” Martin added, “We continue to work with our borrowers who have been impacted by this stressed economic environment and we are heartened by the number of customers who have rebounded and resumed making their full loan payments. In addition, our investments in enhancing digital delivery channels have provided our customers with a widely accepted and convenient platform for remote access to their accounts and other services.”
Declaration of Quarterly Dividend
The Company’s Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.23 per common share payable on November 27, 2020, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 13, 2020.
Balance Sheet Summary
Total assets at September 30, 2020 were $12.87 billion, a $3.06 billion increase from December 31, 2019. The increase in total assets was primarily due to $2.19 billion of assets acquired from SB One, which includes $22.4 million of goodwill and $10.0 million of other intangible assets, as well as an increase of $474.8 million related to commercial loans made under the Paycheck Protection Program ("PPP").
The Company’s loan portfolio increased $2.42 billion to $9.76 billion at September 30, 2020, from $7.33 billion at December 31, 2019, which included $1.77 billion of loans acquired from SB One and $474.8 million of commercial PPP loans. For the nine months ended September 30, 2020, loan originations, including advances on lines of credit, totaled $2.63 billion, compared with $2.04 billion for the same period in 2019. During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, the loan portfolio had net increases of $1.17 billion in commercial mortgage loans, $655.4 million in commercial loans, $319.2 million in multi-family mortgage loans, $242.0 million in residential mortgage loans, $32.3 million in construction loans and $15.1 million in consumer loans. Commercial real estate, commercial and construction loans represented 82.3% of the loan portfolio at September 30, 2020, compared to 80.0% at December 31, 2019.
At September 30, 2020, the Company’s unfunded loan commitments totaled $2.26 billion, including commitments of $967.3 million in commercial loans, $697.4 million in construction loans and $307.9 million in commercial mortgage loans. Unfunded loan commitments at December 31, 2019 and September 30, 2019 were $1.47 billion and $1.65 billion, respectively.
The loan pipeline, consisting of work-in-process and loans approved pending closing, totaled $1.37 billion at September 30, 2020, compared to $905.9 million and $1.09 billion at December 31, 2019 and September 30, 2019, respectively.
Cash and cash equivalents were $510.1 million at September 30, 2020, a $323.4 million increase from December 31, 2019, largely due to increases in cash collateral pledged to counterparties to secure loan-level swaps and short-term investments and $78.1 million of cash and cash equivalents acquired from SB One.
Total investments were $1.62 billion at September 30, 2020, a $129.2 million increase from December 31, 2019. This increase was mainly attributable to investment securities acquired from SB One, partially offset by repayments of mortgage-backed securities, maturities and calls of certain municipal and agency bonds.
Banking premises and equipment increased $17.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, to $72.9 million, primarily due to assets acquired from SB One at a fair value of $16.6 million.
Total deposits increased $2.46 billion during the nine months ended September 30, 2020 to $9.56 billion. The increase in total deposits consisted of $1.76 billion of deposits acquired from SB One and additional net deposit growth of $698.9 million. Total core deposits, consisting of savings and demand deposit accounts, increased $2.05 billion to $8.41 billion at September 30, 2020, while total time deposits increased $410.7 million to $1.14 billion at September 30, 2020. The increase in core deposits was largely attributable to an $821.6 million increase in non-interest bearing demand deposits, which partially benefited from deposits retained from activity associated with PPP loans and stimulus funding, a $511.1 million increase in interest bearing demand deposits, a $386.7 million increase in money market deposits and a $326.5 million increase in savings deposits. The increase in time deposits was largely the result of $577.3 million acquired from SB One, partially offset by the outflow of time deposits totaling $166.6 million. Core deposits represented 88.0% of total deposits at September 30, 2020, compared to 89.7% at December 31, 2019.
Borrowed funds increased $287.9 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2020, to $1.41 billion. The increase in borrowings for the period was primarily due to $201.6 million acquired from SB One and asset funding requirements. Borrowed funds represented 11.0% of total assets at September 30, 2020, a decrease from 11.5% at December 31, 2019.
Stockholders’ equity increased $187.7 million during the nine months ended September 30, 2020, to $1.60 billion, primarily due to common stock issued for the purchase of SB One, net income earned for the period and an increase in unrealized gains on available for sale debt securities, partially offset by dividends paid to stockholders, the adoption of CECL on January 1, 2020 and the related charge to equity of $8.3 million, net of tax, to establish initial allowances against credit losses and off-balance sheet credit exposures, and common stock repurchases. The Company issued 12,788,370 shares of common stock from treasury stock in the acquisition of SB One. For the three months ended September 30, 2020, common stock repurchases totaled 69,549 shares at an average cost of $13.90, of which 1,045 shares, at an average cost of $12.86, were made in connection with withholding to cover income taxes on the vesting of stock-based compensation. For the nine months ended September 30, 2020, common stock repurchases totaled 455,343 shares at an average cost of $18.04, of which 49,461 shares, at an average cost of $19.69, were made in connection with withholding to cover income taxes on the vesting of stock-based compensation. At September 30, 2020, approximately 1.1 million shares remained eligible for repurchase under the current stock repurchase authorization. Book value per share and tangible book value per share(1) at September 30, 2020 were $20.41 and $14.45, respectively, compared with $21.49 and $14.85, respectively, at December 31, 2019.
Results of Operations
Net Interest Income and Net Interest Margin
For the three months ended September 30, 2020, net interest income increased $8.5 million to $82.0 million, from $73.5 million for the same period in 2019. Net interest income for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 decreased $1.3 million to $223.8 million, from $225.1 million for the same period in 2019. Both comparative periods were favorably impacted by the net assets acquired from SB One, partially offset by period-over-period compression in the net interest margin as the decrease in the yield on interest-earning assets outpaced the decline in the Company's cost of interest-bearing liabilities. This decline was tempered by growth in both average loans outstanding and lower-costing average interest-bearing and non-interest bearing core deposits. For the nine months ended September 30, 2019, the Company recognized the acceleration of accretion of $2.2 million in interest income upon the prepayment of loans which had been non-accruing.
The Company’s net interest margin increased four basis points to 3.01% for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, from 2.97% for the trailing quarter, primarily due to decreases in funding costs and growth in non-interest bearing deposits. The weighted average yield on interest-earning assets decreased three basis points to 3.44% for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, compared to 3.47% for the quarter ended June 30, 2020. The weighted average cost of interest-bearing liabilities for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 decreased 11 basis points to 0.57%, compared to 0.68% for the trailing quarter. The average cost of interest bearing deposits for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 was 0.44%, compared to 0.54% for the trailing quarter ended June 30, 2020. Average non-interest bearing demand deposits totaled $2.21 billion for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, compared with $1.85 billion for the trailing quarter ended June 30, 2020. The average cost of all deposits, including non-interest bearing deposits, was 33 basis points for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, compared with 41 basis points for the trailing quarter. The average cost of borrowed funds for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 was 1.19%, compared to 1.31% for the trailing quarter.
The net interest margin decreased 22 basis points to 3.01% for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, compared to 3.23% for the quarter ended September 30, 2019. The weighted average yield on interest-earning assets decreased 65 basis points to 3.44% for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, compared to 4.09% for the quarter ended September 30, 2019, while the weighted average cost of interest bearing liabilities decreased 56 basis points for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 to 0.57%, compared to the third quarter of 2019. The average cost of interest bearing deposits for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 was 0.44%, compared to 0.87% for the same period last year. Average non-interest bearing demand deposits totaled $2.21 billion for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, compared to $1.51 billion for the quarter ended September 30, 2019. The average cost of all deposits, including non-interest bearing deposits, was 33 basis points for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, compared with 68 basis points for the quarter ended September 30, 2019. The average cost of borrowed funds for the quarter ended September 30, 2020 was 1.19%, compared to 2.13% for the same period last year.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2020, the net interest margin decreased 29 basis points to 3.06%, compared to 3.35% for the nine months ended September 30, 2019. The weighted average yield on interest earning assets declined 59 basis points to 3.60% for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, compared to 4.19% for the nine months ended September 30, 2019, while the weighted average cost of interest bearing liabilities decreased 38 basis points to 0.72% for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, compared to 1.10% for the same period last year. The average cost of interest bearing deposits decreased 26 basis points to 0.58% for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, compared to 0.84% for the same period last year. Average non-interest bearing demand deposits totaled $1.85 billion for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, compared with $1.47 billion for the nine months ended September 30, 2019. The average cost of all deposits, including non-interest bearing deposits, was 44 basis points for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, compared with 61 basis points for the nine months ended September 30, 2019. The average cost of borrowings for the nine months ended September 30, 2020 was 1.42%, compared to 2.13% for the same period last year.
Non-Interest Income
Non-interest income totaled $20.6 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, an increase of $2.6 million, compared to the same period in 2019. Insurance agency income, a new revenue opportunity for the Company resulting from the SB One acquisition, totaled $1.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020. Other income increased $1.6 million to $4.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020, compared to the quarter ended September 30, 2019, primarily due to a $1.2 million increase in net fees on loan-level interest rate swap transactions, a $171,000 increase in net gains on the sale of foreclosed real estate and a $159,000 increase in net gains on the sale of fixed assets. Wealth management income increased $763,000 to $6.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020. The increase was largely a function of market improvements in the value of assets under management and an increase in managed mutual fund fees. Also, income from Bank-owned life insurance ("BOLI") increased $372,000 to $1.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020, compared to the same period in 2019, primarily due to an increase in benefit claims, partially offset by lower equity valuations. Partially offsetting these increases, fee income decreased $1.9 million to $5.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020, compared to the same period in 2019, largely due to a $1.0 million decrease in commercial loan prepayment fees and an $850,000 decrease in deposit related fees. The decrease in fee income is largely due to the effects of COVID-19 on consumer and business activities.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2020, non-interest income totaled $52.0 million, an increase of $5.9 million, compared to the same period in 2019. Other income increased $4.9 million to $9.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, compared to $4.8 million for the same period in 2019, due to a $3.9 million increase in net fees on loan-level interest rate swap transactions, an $800,000 increase in net gains on the sale of fixed assets and a $684,000 increase in net gains on the sale of foreclosed real estate, partially offset by a $300,000 decrease in net gains from the sale of loans. Wealth management income increased $2.7 million to $19.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, compared to the same period in 2019, primarily due to fees earned on assets under management acquired in the April 1, 2019 Tirschwell & Loewy ("T&L") acquisition, partially offset by a decrease in managed mutual fund fees. Also, insurance agency income totaled $1.7 million derived from the July 31, 2020 acquisition of SB One. Partially offsetting these increases, fee income decreased $3.4 million, primarily due to a $2.1 million decrease in deposit related fees, an $838,000 decrease in commercial loan prepayment fees and a $100,000 decrease in non-deposit investment fee income, all largely due to the effects of COVID-19 on consumer and business activities.
Non-Interest Expense
For the three months ended September 30, 2020, non-interest expense totaled $59.8 million, an increase of $10.0 million, compared to the three months ended September 30, 2019. Non-interest expense for the three months ended September 30, 2020, included non-recurring costs related to the acquisition of SB One and two months of expenses associated with the operation of the former SB One franchise. Compensation and benefits expense increased $6.3 million to $35.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020, compared to $29.4 million for the same period in 2019. This increase was principally due to an increase in salary expense associated with the addition of former SB One employees, COVID-19 supplemental pay for branch employees and an increase in severance expense, partially offset by a decrease in stock-based compensation. Other operating expenses increased $1.9 million to $9.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020, compared to the same period in 2019, largely due to increases in legal and consulting expenses, which included $1.8 million related to the acquisition of SB One. FDIC insurance increased $1.2 million due to the addition of SB One, along with increases in both the insurance assessment rate and total assets subject to assessment. Data processing expense increased $912,000 to $5.0 million for the three months ended September 30, 2020, compared with the same period in 2019, primarily due to increases in software subscription service expense and on-line banking costs. Partially offsetting these increases, credit loss expense for off-balance sheet credit exposures under the CECL standard was reduced $575,000 in the quarter, due to a decrease in loss factors associated with the current economic forecast, partially offset by an increase in the pipeline of loans approved awaiting closing, largely due to the addition of the SB One loan pipeline.
Non-interest expense totaled $169.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, an increase of $21.3 million, compared to $147.8 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019. Compensation and benefits expense increased $9.4 million to $96.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, compared to $86.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2019, primarily due to an increase in salary expense associated with the addition of former SB One and T&L employees, an increase in severance expense and COVID 19 supplemental pay for branch employees, partially offset by the increased deferral of salary expense related to PPP loan originations. For the nine months ended September 30, 2020, credit loss expense for off-balance sheet credit exposures was $5.7 million related to the January 1, 2020 adoption of CECL, and the subsequent increase in loss factors due to the current economic forecast, increase in the pipeline of loans approved awaiting closing and an increase in availability on committed lines of credit due to below average utilization. Other operating expenses increased $3.8 million to $26.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, compared to the same period in 2019, largely due to an increase in legal and consulting expenses related to the SB One transaction and a market valuation adjustment on foreclosed real estate. Data processing expense increased $2.0 million to $14.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, compared to $12.4 million for the same period in 2019, principally due to increases in software subscription service expense and on-line banking costs. FDIC insurance increased $786,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, primarily due to the addition of SB One and increases in both the insurance assessment rate and total assets subject to assessment. Partially offsetting these increases, net occupancy expense decreased $267,000 to $19.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2020, compared to the same period in 2019, due to reductions in snow removal, depreciation expenses and branch closures, partially offset by additional occupancy expense related to SB One.
The Company’s annualized adjusted non-interest expense as a percentage of average assets(1) was 1.92% for the quarter ended September 30, 2020, compared to 1.99% for the same period in 2019, with the 2020 improvement driven by the significant increase in average assets largely attributable to assets acquired from SB One and PPP loans. For the nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company’s annualized adjusted non-interest expense as a percentage of average assets(1) was 1.97%, compared to 2.01% for the same period in 2019. The efficiency ratio (adjusted non-interest expense divided by the sum of net interest income and non-interest income)(1) was 56.72% and 57.69% for the quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively, compared to 54.31% and 54.52% for the same respective periods in 2019.
Asset Quality
The Company’s total non-performing loans at September 30, 2020 were $49.0 million, or 0.50% of total loans, compared to $35.5 million, or 0.46% of total loans at June 30, 2020, and $40.2 million, or 0.55% of total loans at December 31, 2019. The $13.5 million increase in non-performing loans at September 30, 2020, compared to the trailing quarter, included $11.5 million of non-performing loans acquired from SB One and consisted of an $11.5 million increase in non-performing commercial mortgage loans, a $2.6 million increase in non-performing residential loans and a $347,000 increase in non-performing consumer loans, partially offset by a $1.2 million decrease in non-performing commercial loans. At September 30, 2020, impaired loans totaled $65.8 million with related specific reserves of $3.3 million, compared with impaired loans totaling $63.1 million with related specific reserves of $3.6 million at June 30, 2020. At December 31, 2019, impaired loans totaled $70.6 million with related specific reserves of $5.1 million.
Loans that have been or are expected to be granted COVID-19 related deferrals or modifications have decreased from a peak level of $1.31 billion, or 16.8% of loans, to $310.8 million, or 3.2% of loans as of October 16, 2020. This $310.8 million of loans includes $47.5 million acquired from SB One and consists of $27.0 million in a first 90-day deferral period, $84.9 million in a second 90-day deferral period, and $198.9 million that have completed their initial deferral periods, but are expected to require ongoing assistance. Included in the $310.8 million of loans, $92.4 million are secured by hotels, $43.7 million are secured by retail properties, $31.4 million are secured by restaurants, $15.1 million are secured by suburban office space, and $42.7 million are secured by residential mortgages, with the balance comprised of diverse commercial loans.
At September 30, 2020, the Company’s allowance for credit losses related to the loan portfolio was 1.09% of total loans, compared to 1.11% and 0.76% at June 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively. The Company recorded provisions for credit losses of $6.4 million and $32.0 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively, compared with provisions of $500,000 and $10.2 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2019, respectively. For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company had net recoveries of $59,000 and net charge-offs of $2.7 million, respectively, compared to net charge-offs of $6.0 million and $8.4 million, respectively, for the same periods in 2019. The allowance for loan losses increased $50.8 million to $106.3 million at September 30, 2020 from $55.5 million at December 31, 2019. The increase in the allowance for credit losses was attributable to elevated provisions for credit losses primarily due to the current weak economic forecast attributable to the COVID-19 pandemic and the adoption of CECL, along with $15.5 million and $13.6 million additions to the allowance for credit losses for loans and purchased credit deteriorated ("PCD") loans, respectively, related to the acquisition of the SB One loan portfolio. In addition, a gross allowance for credit losses of $7.9 million and a related deferred tax asset were recorded against equity upon the January 1, 2020 adoption of CECL. Future credit loss provisions are subject to significant uncertainty given the undetermined nature of prospective changes in economic conditions, as the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to unfold. The effectiveness of medical advances, government programs, and the resulting impact on consumer behavior and employment conditions will have a material bearing on future credit conditions and reserve requirements.
At September 30, 2020 and December 31, 2019, the Company held foreclosed assets of $4.7 million and $2.7 million, respectively. During the nine months ended September 30, 2020, there were three additions to foreclosed assets with a carrying value of $2.6 million and 11 properties sold with a carrying value of $2.5 million and valuation charges of $556,000. Foreclosed assets acquired from SB One totaled $2.4 million. Foreclosed assets at September 30, 2020 consisted of $2.8 million of commercial real estate, $1.5 million of commercial vehicles and $400,000 of residential real estate. Total non-performing assets at September 30, 2020 increased $10.8 million to $53.7 million, or 0.42% of total assets, from $42.9 million, or 0.44% of total assets at December 31, 2019.
Income Tax Expense
For the three months ended September 30, 2020, the Company’s income tax expense was $9.3 million with an effective tax rate of 25.5%, compared with income tax expense of $9.9 million with an effective tax rate of 24.0% for the three months ended September 30, 2019. For the nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company's income tax expense was $18.3 million with an effective tax rate of 24.5%, compared with $26.4 million with an effective tax rate of 23.4% for the nine months ended September 30, 2019. The decreases in tax expense for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 compared with the same periods in 2019 were largely the result of decreases in taxable income, while the increases in the effective tax rates for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020 compared with the same periods in 2019 were primarily due to increased projections of taxable income for the remainder of the year and decreases in the proportion of income derived from tax exempt sources to total pre-tax income.
About the Company
Provident Financial Services, Inc. is the holding company for Provident Bank, a community-oriented bank offering "commitment you can count on" since 1839. Provident Bank provides a comprehensive array of financial products and services through its network of branches throughout northern and central New Jersey, as well as Bucks, Lehigh and Northampton counties in Pennsylvania and Queens County, New York. The Bank also provides fiduciary and wealth management services through its wholly owned subsidiary, Beacon Trust Company and insurance brokerage services through its wholly owned subsidiary, SB One Insurance Agency, Inc.
