Yahoo Finance

LA JOLLA, Calif. , Jan. 17, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Private Bancorp of America, Inc. (OTCQX: PBAM), (“Company”) and CalPrivate Bank (“Bank”) announced unaudited financial results for the fourth fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2024. The Company reported net income of $10.7 million, or $1.82 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $9.5 million, or $1.63 per diluted share, in the prior quarter, and $7.9 million, or $1.36 per diluted share, in the fourth quarter of 2023. For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, the Company reported net income of $35.8 million, and diluted earnings per share of $6.15.

Rick Sowers, President and CEO of the Company and the Bank stated, “We want to express our deepest sympathies for all those affected by the Los Angeles area fires. LA is one of our markets and our Team and clients live and work here. We stand ready to assist in any way that we can. We appreciate all the efforts of our first responders and community leaders during these challenging times.”

Sowers added, “Turning to our results, we are so proud of the efforts of our Team in both the quarter and the year. We produced top quartile results in both return on assets and equity while continuing our growth trajectory. Our company was recognized throughout the year for superior financial performance. These accolades highlight CalPrivate Bank’s dedication to excellence, innovation, delivering client-focused banking solutions and enhancing shareholder value. Recognition included:

• #1 for both Return on Assets (ROA) and Return on Equity (ROE) among banks with less than $5 billion in assets

• #1 SBA 504 Community Bank Lender in the United States

• #10 Best U.S. Bank by Bank Director’s RankingBanking^®

• Client Net Promoter Score of 81 (World Class)

• Bauer 5 Star Rating

• 2025 Best 50 OTCQX

“The growth in both loans and core deposits throughout the year was tremendous. We added a significant number of new relationships throughout the year as our Distinctively Different Service model continues to resonate with successful businesses and families looking for tailored solution based service.”

“Management and team members continue to produce top tier financial results through a unique strategy of superior client service and solutions to a loyal and organically growing client base in the attractive southern California market. The Company maintained strong risk management systems and solid capital ratios, while investing in exceptional people, innovative products, systems, and technology, as well as the local communities that we serve. This strategy resulted in a significant increase in shareholder value in 2024,” said Selwyn Isakow, Chairman of the Board of the Company and the Bank.

_{(1) A reconciliation of net income to adjusted net income and diluted earnings per share to adjusted earnings per share, and the impact to the year over year percentage change of each, is provided on page 15.}

STATEMENT OF INCOME

Net Interest Income

Net interest income for the fourth quarter of 2024 totaled $27.4 million, an increase of $1.7 million or 6.6% from the prior quarter and an increase of $5.2 million or 23.5% from the fourth quarter of 2023. The increase from the prior quarter was due to a $1.3 million decrease in interest expense, resulting from a 37 basis point reduction in the cost of interest-bearing liabilities, primarily driven by a 26 basis point decrease in the cost of total deposits. In addition, interest income in the prior quarter was reduced by $0.3 million due to the reversal of interest income on a loan placed on nonaccrual status during the quarter, which decreased asset yields in the prior quarter by 6 basis points.

Net Interest Margin

Net interest margin for the fourth quarter of 2024 was 4.67%, compared to 4.44% for the prior quarter and 4.33% in the fourth quarter of 2023. The 23 basis point increase in net interest margin from the prior quarter was primarily due a lower cost of total deposits which decreased by 26 basis points. In addition, the prior quarter included a 6 basis point decrease from the reversal of interest income on a loan placed on nonaccrual status during that quarter. The yield on earning assets was 6.89% for the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to 6.91% for the prior quarter, and the cost of interest-bearing liabilities was 3.36% for the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to 3.73% in the prior quarter. The cost of total deposits was 2.36% for the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to 2.62% in the prior quarter. The cost of core deposits, which excludes brokered deposits, was 2.07% in the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to 2.27% in the prior quarter. The spot rate for total deposits was 2.29% as of December 31, 2024, compared to 2.42% at September 30, 2024.

Provision for Credit Losses

Provision expense for credit losses for the fourth quarter of 2024 was $17 thousand, compared to $0.3 million in the prior quarter and $0.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2023. The provision expense for loans HFI for the fourth quarter of 2024 was $0.7 million, driven by loan growth. This was offset by a $0.7 million reversal for unfunded commitments. For more details, please refer to the “Asset Quality” section below.

Noninterest Income

Noninterest income was $1.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $1.4 million in the prior quarter and $1.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2023. SBA loan sales for the fourth quarter of 2024 were $14.9 million with a 11.45% average trade premium resulting in a net gain on sale of $932 thousand, compared with $9.1 million with a 10.96% average trade premium resulting in a net gain on sale of $587 thousand in the prior quarter.

Noninterest Expense

Noninterest expense was $14.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $13.4 million in the prior quarter and $11.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2023. The efficiency ratio was 48.34% for the fourth quarter of 2024 compared to 49.46% in the prior quarter and 50.22% in the fourth quarter of 2023. The decrease in the efficiency ratio from the prior quarter was due to the increases in net interest income and noninterest income described above, while the increase in noninterest expense was relatively modest.

The Company remains committed to making investments in the business, including technology, marketing, and staffing. Inflationary pressures and low unemployment continue to have an impact on rising wages as well as increased costs related to third party service providers, which we proactively monitor and manage.

Provision for Income Tax Expense

Provision for income tax expense was $4.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $4.0 million for the prior quarter. The effective tax rate for the fourth quarter of 2024 was 29.6%, compared to 29.5% in the prior quarter and 29.9% in the fourth quarter of 2023.

STATEMENT OF FINANCIAL CONDITION

As of December 31, 2024, total assets were $2.43 billion, an increase of $38.8 million since September 30, 2024. The increase in assets from the prior quarter was primarily due to higher loans receivable and investment securities. Loans HFI totaled $2.09 billion as of December 31, 2024, an increase of $72.7 million or 3.6% since September 30, 2024. Investment securities available-for-sale (“AFS”) were $145.2 million as of December 31, 2024, an increase of $4.1 million or 2.9% since September 30, 2024, primarily as a result of new securities purchased. As of December 31, 2024, the net unrealized loss on the AFS investment securities portfolio, which is comprised mostly of US Treasury and Government Agency debt, was $12.1 million (pre-tax) compared to a loss of $9.1 million (pre-tax) as of September 30, 2024. The average duration of the Bank’s AFS portfolio is 3.8 years. The Company has no held-to-maturity securities. Offsetting these increases to total assets, our total cash and due from banks decreased to $163.9 million as of December 31, 2024, a reduction of $43.3 million or 20.9% since September 30, 2024, primarily due to the deployment of cash to support strong loan growth.

Total deposits were $2.13 billion as of December 31, 2024, an increase of $27.3 million since September 30, 2024. During the quarter, core deposits increased by $21.2 million, which was driven by a $52.1 million increase in interest-bearing core deposits (including balances in the Intrafi ICS and CDARS programs), offset by a $30.9 million decrease in noninterest-bearing core deposits. The deposit mix has continued to shift due to short-term interest rates remaining elevated compared to recent years. Noninterest-bearing deposits represent 29.2% of total core deposits. Uninsured deposits, net of collateralized and fiduciary deposit accounts, represent 46.8% of total deposits as of December 31, 2024.

As of December 31, 2024, total available liquidity was $1.9 billion or 186.9% of uninsured deposits, net of collateralized and fiduciary deposit accounts. Total available liquidity is comprised of $301 million of on-balance sheet liquidity (cash and investment securities) and $1.6 billion of unused borrowing capacity.

Asset Quality and Allowance for Credit Losses ("ACL")

As of December 31, 2024, the allowance for loan losses was $27.3 million or 1.31% of loans HFI, compared to $26.6 million or 1.32% of loans HFI as of September 30, 2024. The decrease in the coverage ratio from September 30, 2024 primarily reflects marginal decreases in reserve rates on commercial real estate loans, mainly due to improvements in the real GDP and CRE price index growth forecasts used in our CECL model. The Company continues to have strong credit metrics and its nonperforming assets are 0.47% of total assets as of December 31, 2024 compared to 0.48% as of September 30, 2024. The reserve for unfunded commitments was $1.5 million as of December 31, 2024, compared to $2.2 million as of September 30, 2024. The decrease in the reserve for unfunded commitments was due to lower unfunded commitment balances (driven by higher credit line usage) and lower estimated lifetime funding rates. Given the credit quality of the loan portfolio, management believes we are sufficiently reserved.

At December 31, 2024 and September 30, 2024, there were no doubtful credits and classified assets were $15.1 million and $14.9 million, respectively. Total classified assets consisted of nine loans as of December 31, 2024, which included seven loans totaling $12.4 million secured by real estate with a weighted average LTV of 47.5%. The remaining loans were $2.7 million of commercial and industrial loans, one of which was a $2.5 million unsecured loan on nonaccrual status with a specific reserve of $2.0 million.

The Bank’s loan portfolio does include assets that are in the affected areas of Los Angeles devastated by wildfires. However, the financial impact remains unknown at this point in time. As access to these areas opens, a full assessment will be completed.

Capital Ratios ⁽²⁾

The Bank’s capital ratios were in excess of the levels established for “well capitalized” institutions and are as follows:

(2)   December 31, 2024 capital ratios are preliminary and subject to change.

About Private Bancorp of America, Inc. (OTCQX: PBAM)

PBAM is the holding company for CalPrivate Bank, which operates offices in Coronado, San Diego, La Jolla, Newport Beach, El Segundo, and Beverly Hills, as well as through efficient digital banking services. CalPrivate Bank is driven by its core values of building client Relationships based on superior funding Solutions, unparalleled Service, and mutual Trust. The Bank caters to high-net-worth individuals, professionals, closely-held businesses, and real estate entrepreneurs, delivering a Distinctly Different™ personalized banking experience while leveraging cutting-edge technology to enhance our clients’ evolving needs. CalPrivate Bank is in the top tier of customer service survey ratings in the nation, scoring almost 3x higher than the median domestic bank. The Bank offers comprehensive deposit and treasury services, rapid and creative loan options including various portfolio and government-guaranteed lending programs, cross border banking, and innovative, unique technologies that drive enhanced client performance. CalPrivate Bank has been recognized by Bank Director's RankingBanking® as the 10^th best bank in the country and the #1 bank in its asset class for both return on assets (ROA) and return on equity (ROE). CalPrivate Bank was also ranked in the top 5% of banks in the U.S. with assets between $2B and $10B by American Banker. Additionally, CalPrivate Bank is a Bauer Financial 5-star rated bank, an SBA Preferred Lender, and has been honored as Community Bank 504 Lender of the Year by the NADCO Community Impact Awards, exemplifying excellence in the banking industry. These prestigious rankings highlight the Bank’s commitment to delivering exceptional banking services and setting new industry standards.

CalPrivate Bank’s website is www.calprivate.bank.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release contains certain non-GAAP financial measures in addition to results presented in accordance with GAAP, including adjusted income before provision for income taxes, adjusted net income, adjusted diluted earnings per share (“Adjusted EPS”), efficiency ratio, adjusted efficiency ratio, pretax pre-provision net revenue, average tangible common equity, adjusted return on average assets, return on average tangible common equity and adjusted return on average tangible common equity. The Company uses certain non-GAAP financial measures to provide meaningful supplemental information regarding the Company's results of operations and financial condition and to enhance investors’ overall understanding of such results of operations and financial condition, to permit investors to effectively analyze financial trends of our business activities, and to enhance comparability with peers across the financial services sector. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, not as a substitute for or superior to, financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP and should be read in conjunction with the Company’s GAAP financial information. A reconciliation of the most comparable GAAP financial measures to non-GAAP financial measures is included in the accompanying financial tables.

Investor Relations Contacts

Rick Sowers
President and Chief Executive Officer
Private Bancorp of America, Inc., and CalPrivate Bank
(424) 303-4894

Cory Stewart
Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
Private Bancorp of America, Inc., and CalPrivate Bank
(206) 293-3669

Safe Harbor Paragraph

This communication contains expressions of expectations, both implied and explicit, that are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of such term in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We caution you that a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements, especially given the current turmoil in the banking and financial markets. These factors include the effects of depositors withdrawing funds unexpectedly, counterparties being unable to provide liquidity sources that we believe should be available, loan losses, economic conditions and competition in the geographic and business areas in which Private Bancorp of America, Inc. operates, including competition in lending and deposit acquisition, the unpredictability of fee income from participation in SBA loan programs, the effects of bank failures, liquidations and mergers in our markets and nationally, our ability to successfully integrate and develop business through the addition of new personnel, whether our efforts to expand loan, product and service offerings will prove profitable, system failures and data security, whether we can effectively secure and implement new technology solutions, inflation, fluctuations in interest rates, legislation and governmental regulation. You should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, and we undertake no obligation to update those statements whether as a result of changes in underlying factors, new information, future events or otherwise. These factors could cause actual results to differ materially from what we anticipate or project. You should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statement, which speaks only as of the date on which it was made. Although we believe in good faith the assumptions and bases supporting our forward-looking statements to be reasonable, there can be no assurance that those assumptions and bases will prove accurate.

(1) Non-GAAP measure. See GAAP to non-GAAP Reconciliation table.