NEW YORK, July 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Valley National Bancorp (NASDAQ:VLY), the holding company for Valley National Bank, today reported net income for the second quarter 2024 of $70.4 million, or $0.13 per diluted common share, as compared to the first quarter 2024 net income of $96.3 million, or $0.18 per diluted common share, and net income of $139.1 million, or $0.27 per diluted common share, for the second quarter 2023. Excluding all non-core income and charges, our adjusted net income (a non-GAAP measure) was $71.6 million, or $0.13 per diluted common share, for the second quarter 2024, $99.4 million, or $0.19 per diluted common share, for the first quarter 2024, and $147.1 million, or $0.28 per diluted common share, for the second quarter 2023. See further details below, including a reconciliation of our non-GAAP adjusted net income, in the "Consolidated Financial Highlights" tables.

Ira Robbins, CEO commented, "During the quarter we took steps to incrementally build balance sheet flexibility as we progress towards the goals that we have previously laid out. These efforts had the combined impact of enhancing regulatory capital and reducing our commercial real estate concentration as a percent of regulatory capital. As it relates to credit quality, our reported non-accrual and past due loans were generally stable at June 30, 2024. The allowance to loan coverage ratio trended higher, but in line with our expectations, reflecting, among other factors, our continuous monitoring and internal risk classification of commercial loans. The increase in the provision also resulted, in part, from specific reserves, a single commercial and industrial loan charge-off and a single commercial real estate loan charge-off. We continue to focus on accelerating commercial and industrial loan growth and core deposit growth as we further diversify and strengthen our balance sheet."

Mr. Robbins continued, "The sequential increase in net interest income was the result of both interest income growth and interest expense reduction relative to the first quarter 2024. We continue to work to optimize our funding base from a pricing and composition perspective. While fee income compressed during the second quarter, expenses remain well-controlled and we believe we are positioned for pre-provision earnings growth through the remainder of the year."

Key financial highlights for the second quarter 2024:

• Net Interest Income and Margin: Net interest income on a tax equivalent basis of $403.0 million for the second quarter 2024 increased $8.1 million compared to the first quarter 2024 and decreased $18.3 million as compared to the second quarter 2023. The increase from the first quarter 2024 was mostly due to additional interest income from targeted growth within our available for sale securities portfolio, continued expansion of the yield on average loans and a four basis point decline in the cost of average interest bearing liabilities. Our net interest margin on a tax equivalent basis increased by 5 basis points to 2.84 percent in the second quarter 2024 as compared to 2.79 percent for the first quarter 2024. See the "Net Interest Income and Margin" section below for more details.
• Loan Portfolio: Total loans increased $389.7 million, or 3.1 percent on an annualized basis, to $50.3 billion at June 30, 2024 from March 31, 2024 mainly as a result of our focus on new commercial and industrial loan production during the second quarter 2024. Strong indirect automobile loan originations from our dealer network, as well as modest organic commercial real estate loan volumes also contributed to the growth in total loans during the second quarter 2024. Loans held for sale decreased $41.9 million to $19.9 million at June 30, 2024 from March 31, 2024 mostly due to the previously disclosed sale of $34.1 million of construction loans at par during April 2024. See the "Loans" section below for more details.
• Deposits: Total average deposits increased $807.2 million during the second quarter 2024 as compared to the first quarter 2024 driven by higher average balances across several deposit categories, including non-interest bearing deposits. Actual ending balances for deposits increased $1.0 billion to $50.1 billion at June 30, 2024 as compared to $49.1 billion at March 31, 2024 mainly due to higher levels of indirect customer certificates of deposit, partially offset by period-end balance fluctuations mostly within direct commercial customer deposit accounts. During the second quarter 2024, management entered into fair value swaps with a combined notional value of approximately $400 million that will effectively convert a portion of the fixed rate indirect time deposit portfolio to variable interest rates starting in the first quarter 2025. See the "Deposits" section below for more details.
• Credit Risk Transfer: During June 2024, we completed a synthetic credit risk transfer transaction, consisting of a credit default swap, related to approximately $1.5 billion of our $1.8 billion automobile loan portfolio at June 30, 2024. While we have retained the auto loans on-balance sheet, the new credit protection significantly reduced the risk-weighted assets associated with these loans for regulatory capital purposes. As a result, Valley’s total risk-based capital, common equity Tier 1 capital and Tier 1 capital ratios benefited by approximately 20 basis points at June 30, 2024. Total transaction costs included $400 thousand of one-time charges and $1.1 million of premium expense recorded in other expense during the second quarter 2024. The premium expense associated with the credit protection is estimated to be approximately $6.0 million for the remainder of 2024. See the "Capital Adequacy" section below for more details.
• Allowance and Provision for Credit Losses for Loans: The allowance for credit losses for loans totaled $532.5 million and $487.3 million at June 30, 2024 and March 31, 2024, respectively, representing 1.06 percent and 0.98 percent of total loans at each respective date. During the second quarter 2024, we recorded a provision for credit losses for loans of $82.1 million as compared to $45.3 million and $6.3 million for the first quarter 2024 and second quarter 2023, respectively. The increase in the second quarter 2024 provision was mainly due to higher quantitative reserves allocated to commercial real estate loans, commercial and industrial loan growth, and additional specific reserves and charge-offs associated with the revaluation of collateral dependent commercial loans at June 30, 2024.
• Credit Quality: Total accruing past due loans (i.e., loans past due 30 days or more and still accruing interest) decreased to 0.14 percent of total loans at June 30, 2024 as compared to 0.15 percent at March 31, 2024, while non-accrual loans increased to 0.60 percent of total loans at June 30, 2024 as compared to 0.58 percent at March 31, 2024. Net loan charge-offs totaled $36.8 million for the second quarter 2024 as compared to $23.6 million and $8.6 million for the first quarter 2024 and second quarter 2023, respectively. The loan charge-offs in the second quarter 2024 included partial charge-offs totaling a combined $31.6 million related to two commercial loan relationships. See the "Credit Quality" section below for more details.
• Non-Interest Income: Non-interest income decreased $10.2 million to $51.2 million for the second quarter 2024 as compared to the first quarter 2024 mainly due to previously anticipated decreases in periodic revenue associated with our tax credit advisory subsidiary (within wealth management and trust fees) and net gains on sale of assets totaling $4.8 million and $3.7 million, respectively. Other income also decreased $5.5 million as compared to first quarter 2024 due, in part, to the decline in the valuation of certain equity method investments at June 30, 2024. These decreases were partially offset by increases in swap fees related to commercial loan transactions (within capital market fees), insurance commissions and bank owned life insurance income.
• Non-Interest Expense: Non-interest expense decreased $2.8 million to $277.5 million for the second quarter 2024 as compared to the first quarter 2024 largely due to a lower FDIC insurance assessment expense. During the second quarter 2024 and first quarter 2024, we recorded additional estimated expenses of $1.4 million and $7.4 million, respectively, related to the FDIC special assessment. The decrease was partially offset by higher professional and legal expense and other expense during the second quarter 2024. Other expense increased $1.5 million from the first quarter 2024 partially due to costs related to the loan credit risk transfer transaction (described above).
• Efficiency Ratio: Our efficiency ratio was 59.62 percent for the second quarter 2024 as compared to 59.10 percent and 55.59 percent for the first quarter 2024 and second quarter 2023, respectively. See the "Consolidated Financial Highlights" tables below for additional information regarding our non-GAAP measures.
• Performance Ratios: Annualized return on average assets (ROA), shareholders’ equity (ROE) and tangible ROE were 0.46 percent, 4.17 percent and 5.95 percent for the second quarter 2024, respectively. Annualized ROA, ROE, and tangible ROE, adjusted for non-core income and charges, were 0.47 percent, 4.24 percent and 6.05 percent for the second quarter 2024, respectively. See the "Consolidated Financial Highlights" tables below for additional information regarding our non-GAAP measures.

Net Interest Income and Margin

Net interest income on a tax equivalent basis of $403.0 million for the second quarter 2024 increased $8.1 million compared to the first quarter 2024 and decreased $18.3 million as compared to the second quarter 2023. Interest income on a tax equivalent basis increased $4.8 million to $834.8 million for the second quarter 2024 as compared to the first quarter 2024 mostly due to additional interest income from targeted investment purchases within the available for sale securities portfolio, as well as higher average overnight interest bearing deposits with banks during the second quarter 2024. A higher yield on average loans also contributed to the increase in interest income, but was more than offset by the impact of lower average loan balances during the second quarter 2024 mostly caused by the sale of certain commercial loans in the first quarter 2024 and April 2024. Total interest expense decreased $3.3 million to $431.8 million for the second quarter 2024 as compared to the first quarter 2024 mainly due to greater utilization of long-term FHLB borrowings and indirect customer time deposits as liquidity funding sources and a reduction in higher cost short-term FHLB borrowings starting in March 2024. See the "Deposits" and "Other Borrowings" sections below for more details.

Net interest margin on a tax equivalent basis of 2.84 percent for the second quarter 2024 increased by 5 basis points from 2.79 percent for the first quarter 2024 and decreased 10 basis points from 2.94 percent for the second quarter 2023. The increase as compared to the first quarter 2024 was largely driven by the combination of a higher yield on average interest earning assets and a decline in the cost of average interest bearing liabilities. The yield on average interest earning assets increased by 2 basis points to 5.88 percent on a linked quarter basis largely due to higher yielding investment purchases and new loan originations during the second quarter 2024. The overall cost of average interest bearing liabilities decreased 4 basis points to 4.15 percent for the second quarter 2024 as compared to the first quarter 2024 primarily due to a reduction in both higher cost short-term FHLB borrowings and government banking non-maturity deposit account balances. Our cost of total average deposits was 3.18 percent for the second quarter 2024 as compared to 3.16 percent and 2.45 percent for the first quarter 2024 and the second quarter 2023, respectively.

Loans, Deposits and Other Borrowings

Loans. Total loans increased $389.7 million, or 3.1 percent on an annualized basis, to $50.3 billion at June 30, 2024 from March 31, 2024. Commercial and industrial loans grew by $376.2 million, or 16.5 percent on an annualized basis, to $9.5 billion at June 30, 2024 from March 31, 2024 largely due to our stronger focus on new loan production within this category. Total commercial real estate (including construction) loans increased $63.4 million, or only 0.8 percent on an annualized basis, to $31.8 billion at June 30, 2024 from March 31, 2024 as we remained highly selective on new originations and projects. Automobile loan balances increased by $62.3 million, or 14.7 percent on an annualized basis, to $1.8 billion at June 30, 2024 from March 31, 2024 mainly due to continued consumer demand generated by our indirect auto dealer network and low prepayment activity within the portfolio. Other consumer loans decreased $122.2 million, or 39.7 percent on an annualized basis, to $1.1 billion at June 30, 2024 from March 31, 2024 primarily due to the negative impact of high market interest rates on the demand and usage of collateralized personal lines of credit.

Deposits. Actual ending balances for deposits increased $1.0 billion to $50.1 billion at June 30, 2024 from March 31, 2024 mainly due to an increase of $1.5 billion in time deposits, partially offset by a decrease of $349.8 million in savings, NOW and money market deposits and a decrease of $155.6 million in non-interest bearing deposits. The increase in time deposits was mainly due to a $1.7 billion increase in indirect customer CDs. During the second quarter 2024, management entered into fair value swap transactions with a combined notional value of approximately $400 million that will effectively convert a portion of its fixed rate indirect CD portfolio to variable interest rates starting in the first quarter 2025 and expiring at various dates during the second quarters 2026 and 2027. Non-interest bearing deposit and savings, NOW and money market deposit balances declined at June 30, 2024 from March 31, 2024 partly due to period-end fluctuations within certain direct commercial customer deposit accounts. Non-interest bearing deposits; savings, NOW and money market deposits; and time deposits represented approximately 22 percent, 49 percent and 29 percent of total deposits as of June 30, 2024, respectively, as compared to 23 percent, 51 percent and 26 percent of total deposits as of March 31, 2024, respectively.

Other Borrowings. Short-term borrowings decreased $11.5 million to $63.8 million at June 30, 2024 as compared to March 31, 2024 mainly due to a moderate decline in securities sold under repurchase agreements. Long-term borrowings totaled $3.3 billion at June 30, 2024 and also remained relatively unchanged as compared to March 31, 2024.

Credit Quality

Non-Performing Assets (NPAs). Total NPAs, consisting of non-accrual loans, other real estate owned (OREO) and other repossessed assets, increased $24.2 million to $312.9 million at June 30, 2024 as compared to March 31, 2024. Non-accrual commercial real estate loans increased $23.0 million to $123.0 million at June 30, 2024 as compared to March 31, 2024 mainly due to two additional non-performing loan relationships totaling $24.1 million placed on non-accrual status during the second quarter 2024. Non-accrual loans represented 0.60 percent of total loans at June 30, 2024 as compared to 0.58 percent of total loans at March 31, 2024. OREO increased $8.0 million at June 30, 2024 from March 31, 2024 due to the foreclosure and transfer of two commercial real estate properties from the loan portfolio during the second quarter 2024.

Accruing Past Due Loans. Total accruing past due loans (i.e., loans past due 30 days or more and still accruing interest) decreased $2.0 million to $72.4 million, or 0.14 percent of total loans, at June 30, 2024 as compared to $74.4 million, or 0.15 percent of total loans at March 31, 2024. Loans 30 to 59 days past due decreased $851 thousand to $46.0 million at June 30, 2024 as compared to March 31, 2024. Loans 60 to 89 days past due decreased $2.3 million to $11.9 million at June 30, 2024 as compared to March 31, 2024 mostly due to a commercial real estate loan relationship totaling $3.7 million at March 31, 2024 that migrated from this past due category to non-accrual loans during the second quarter 2024. Loans 90 days or more past due and still accruing interest increased $1.1 million to $14.5 million at June 30, 2024 as compared to March 31, 2024 largely due to one commercial real estate loan. All loans 90 days or more past due and still accruing interest are well-secured and in the process of collection.

Allowance for Credit Losses for Loans and Unfunded Commitments. The following table summarizes the allocation of the allowance for credit losses to loan categories and the allocation as a percentage of each loan category at June 30, 2024, March 31, 2024 and June 30, 2023:

Our loan portfolio, totaling $50.3 billion at June 30, 2024, had net loan charge-offs totaling $36.8 million for the second quarter 2024 as compared to $23.6 million and $8.6 million for the first quarter 2024 and the second quarter 2023, respectively. The loan charge-offs in the second quarter 2024 included partial charge-offs totaling $20.6 million and $11.0 million related to a single commercial real estate loan relationship and one commercial and industrial loan, respectively. The commercial and industrial loan had specific reserves totaling $8.0 million within the allowance for loan losses at March 31, 2024.

The allowance for credit losses for loans, comprised of our allowance for loan losses and unfunded credit commitments, as a percentage of total loans was 1.06 percent at June 30, 2024, 0.98 percent at March 31, 2024, and 0.92 percent at June 30, 2023. For the second quarter 2024, the provision for credit losses for loans totaled $82.1 million as compared to $45.3 million and $6.3 million for the first quarter 2024 and second quarter 2023, respectively. The increased provision for credit losses for the second quarter 2024 was mainly due to higher quantitative reserves allocated to commercial real estate loans, commercial and industrial loan growth, and additional specific reserves and charge-offs associated with the revaluation of collateral dependent commercial loans at June 30, 2024. The allowance for unfunded credit commitments declined to $13.2 million at June 30, 2024 mainly due to a continued decline in the level of our commercial real estate loan commitments pipeline.

Capital Adequacy

Valley's total risk-based capital, common equity Tier 1 capital, Tier 1 capital and Tier 1 leverage capital ratios were 12.18 percent, 9.55 percent, 9.99 percent and 8.19 percent, respectively, at June 30, 2024 as compared to 11.88 percent, 9.34 percent, 9.78 percent, 8.20 percent, respectively at March 31, 2024. The increases in the total risk-based capital, common equity Tier 1 capital, and Tier 1 capital ratios as compared to March 31, 2024 were largely due to the aforementioned credit risk transfer transaction related to a portion of the automobile loan portfolio executed in June 2024.

Investor Conference Call

Valley will host a conference call with investors and the financial community at 11:00 AM (ET) today to discuss the second quarter 2024 earnings and related matters. Interested parties should preregister using this link: https://register.vevent.com/register to receive the dial-in number and a personal PIN, which are required to access the conference call. The teleconference will also be webcast live: https://edge.media-server.com and archived on Valley’s website through Monday, September 2, 2024. Investor presentation materials will be made available prior to the conference call at www.valley.com.

About Valley

As the principal subsidiary of Valley National Bancorp, Valley National Bank is a regional bank with over $62 billion in assets. Valley is committed to giving people and businesses the power to succeed. Valley operates many convenient branch locations and commercial banking offices across New Jersey, New York, Florida, Alabama, California and Illinois, and is committed to providing the most convenient service, the latest innovations and an experienced and knowledgeable team dedicated to meeting customer needs. Helping communities grow and prosper is the heart of Valley’s corporate citizenship philosophy. To learn more about Valley, go to www.valley.com or call our Customer Care Center at 800-522-4100.

Forward Looking Statements

The foregoing contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are not historical facts and include expressions about management’s confidence and strategies and management’s expectations about our business, new and existing programs and products, acquisitions, relationships, opportunities, taxation, technology, market conditions and economic expectations. These statements may be identified by such forward-looking terminology as “intend,” “should,” “expect,” “believe,” “view,” “opportunity,” “allow,” “continues,” “reflects,” “typically,” “usually,” “anticipate,” “may,” “estimate,” “outlook,” “project” or similar statements or variations of such terms. Such forward-looking statements involve certain risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:

• the impact of monetary and fiscal policies of the U.S. federal government and its agencies, including in connection with prolonged inflationary pressures, as well as the impact of the 2024 U.S presidential election, which could have a material adverse effect on our clients, as well as our business, our employees, and our ability to provide services to our customers;
• the impact of unfavorable macroeconomic conditions or downturns, including an actual or threatened U.S. government shutdown, debt default or rating downgrade, instability or volatility in financial markets, unanticipated loan delinquencies, loss of collateral, decreased service revenues, increased business disruptions or failures, reductions in employment, and other potential negative effects on our business, employees or clients caused by factors outside of our control, such as geopolitical instabilities or events (including the Israel-Hamas war); natural and other disasters (including severe weather events); health emergencies; acts of terrorism; or other external events;
• the impact of potential instability within the U.S. financial sector in the aftermath of the banking failures in 2023 and continued volatility thereafter, including the possibility of a run on deposits by a coordinated deposit base, and the impact of the actual or perceived soundness, or concerns about the creditworthiness of other financial institutions, including any resulting disruption within the financial markets, increased expenses, including Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation insurance assessments, or adverse impact on our stock price, deposits or our ability to borrow or raise capital;
• the impact of negative public opinion regarding Valley or banks in general that damages our reputation and adversely impacts business and revenues;
• changes in the statutes, regulations, policy, or enforcement priorities of the federal bank regulatory agencies;
• the loss of or decrease in lower-cost funding sources within our deposit base;
• damage verdicts or settlements or restrictions related to existing or potential class action litigation or individual litigation arising from claims of violations of laws or regulations, contractual claims, breach of fiduciary responsibility, negligence, fraud, environmental laws, patent, trademark or other intellectual property infringement, misappropriation or other violation, employment related claims, and other matters;
• a prolonged downturn and contraction in the economy, as well as an unexpected decline in commercial real estate values collateralizing a significant portion of our loan portfolio;
• higher or lower than expected income tax expense or tax rates, including increases or decreases resulting from changes in uncertain tax position liabilities, tax laws, regulations, and case law;
• the inability to grow customer deposits to keep pace with loan growth;
• a material change in our allowance for credit losses under CECL due to forecasted economic conditions and/or unexpected credit deterioration in our loan and investment portfolios;
• the need to supplement debt or equity capital to maintain or exceed internal capital thresholds;
• changes in our business, strategy, market conditions or other factors that may negatively impact the estimated fair value of our goodwill and other intangible assets and result in future impairment charges;
• greater than expected technology related costs due to, among other factors, prolonged or failed implementations, additional project staffing and obsolescence caused by continuous and rapid market innovations;
• cyberattacks, ransomware attacks, computer viruses, malware or other cybersecurity incidents that may breach the security of our websites or other systems or networks to obtain unauthorized access to personal, confidential, proprietary or sensitive information, destroy data, disable or degrade service, or sabotage our systems or networks;
• results of examinations by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), the Federal Reserve Bank, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) and other regulatory authorities, including the possibility that any such regulatory authority may, among other things, require us to increase our allowance for credit losses, write-down assets, reimburse customers, change the way we do business, or limit or eliminate certain other banking activities;
• application of the OCC heightened regulatory standards for certain large insured national banks, and the expenses we will incur to develop policies, programs, and systems that comply with the enhanced standards applicable to us;
• our inability or determination not to pay dividends at current levels, or at all, because of inadequate earnings, regulatory restrictions or limitations, changes in our capital requirements, or a decision to increase capital by retaining more earnings;
• unanticipated loan delinquencies, loss of collateral, decreased service revenues, and other potential negative effects on our business caused by severe weather, pandemics or other public health crises, acts of terrorism or other external events;
• our ability to successfully execute our business plan and strategic initiatives; and
• unexpected significant declines in the loan portfolio due to the lack of economic expansion, increased competition, large prepayments, changes in regulatory lending guidance or other factors.
  

A detailed discussion of factors that could affect our results is included in our SEC filings, including Item 1A. "Risk Factors" of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023.

We undertake no duty to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in our expectations, except as required by law. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements.

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Quarterly Analysis of Average Assets, Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity and
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