CHICAGO, Jan. 21, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- PrivateBancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: PVTB) today reported net income of $52.1 million, or $0.65 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter 2015, compared to $37.2 million, or $0.47 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter 2014, and $45.3 million, or $0.57 per diluted share, for the third quarter 2015. For the year ended December 31, 2015, the Company had net income of $185.3 million, or $2.32 per diluted share, compared to $153.1 million, or $1.94 per diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2014.

"Our 2015 results reflect the benefit of our focus on consistent execution and building long-term profitable client relationships," said Larry D. Richman, President and Chief Executive Officer, PrivateBancorp, Inc. "We grew loans, deposits and fee income as we built new client relationships and expanded services to existing clients. In fact, in the fourth quarter we generated almost $500 million in new loans to new clients and increased noninterest bearing deposits by more than $285 million. Our ability to generate earning assets and grow revenue throughout the year, and to manage expenses, led to a 20 percent increase in operating profit. Net income was up 21 percent compared to a year ago, our seventh consecutive year of improving our bottom line results and strengthening our balance sheet.

"As we look into 2016, we believe we are well positioned to continue to add new client relationships and serve existing clients as they carry out their business objectives. We are confident in the business we have built and proud of the value we deliver to our clients, our communities and our shareholders."

Fourth Quarter 2015 Highlights

• Total loans grew to $13.3 billion, up $1.4 billion from a year ago and $187.2 million from September 30, 2015.
• Total deposits were $14.3 billion, increasing $1.3 billion from a year ago and $447.9 million from September 30, 2015. Noninterest-bearing demand deposits grew $839.0 million from a year ago and $286.9 million from September 30, 2015, representing 30 percent of total deposits at December 31, 2015, compared to 27 percent a year ago.
• Net revenue of $170.4 million for the fourth quarter 2015 benefited from growth in average loans, increasing 15 percent from the fourth quarter 2014 and 4 percent from the third quarter 2015. Average loans grew $1.4 billion, or 13 percent, from the fourth quarter 2014 and $397.2 million, or 3 percent, from the third quarter 2015.
• Net interest margin was 3.25 percent for the fourth quarter 2015, up from 3.07 percent for the fourth quarter 2014 and 3.23 percent for the third quarter 2015. Fourth quarter 2015 net interest margin benefited from fees recognized on early loan repayments. An improvement in short-term rates during the quarter also contributed modestly to net interest margin.
• The provision for loan and covered loan losses was $2.8 million for the fourth quarter 2015, compared to $4.1 million for the fourth quarter 2014 and $4.2 million for the third quarter 2015.
• Return on average assets was 1.21 percent and return on average common equity was 12.3 percent for the fourth quarter 2015. For the full year 2015, return on average assets was 1.13 percent, up from 1.04 percent for 2014, and return on average common equity was 11.6 percent, up from 10.9 percent for the prior year.

Operating Performance

Net interest income of $136.6 million in the fourth quarter 2015 increased 17 percent from the fourth quarter 2014 and 4 percent from the third quarter 2015, reflecting growth in average loans of 13 percent from the fourth quarter 2014 and 3 percent from the third quarter 2015. The fourth quarter 2014 also included a charge of $2.4 million related to the trust preferred securities redemption.

Net interest margin was 3.25 percent in the fourth quarter 2015, up 18 basis points from the fourth quarter 2014, reflecting higher loan yields and lower borrowing costs on a comparative basis. Compared to the third quarter 2015, net interest margin increased two basis points. Loan yields were two basis points higher compared to the prior quarter, benefiting from significant loan fees related to early loan repayments and a slight rise in short-term rates during the quarter. Deposits costs increased by one basis point, but the impact on margin was offset by an increase in average noninterest-bearing funds compared to the third quarter. The December interest rate moves will be more impactful in the first quarter 2016 as variable loans reprice.

Noninterest income was $32.6 million in the fourth quarter 2015, compared to $30.4 million for the fourth quarter 2014 and $30.8 million for the third quarter 2015. Treasury management fees were $7.9 million in the fourth quarter 2015, up 8 percent from the fourth quarter 2014, reflecting success in cross-sell activities. Syndication fees were $4.8 million in the fourth quarter 2015, up from $3.9 million in the fourth quarter 2014 and $4.4 million in the third quarter 2015. Syndication fees vary from quarter to quarter depending on the level and mix of loans originated and distributed.

Capital markets revenue of $6.3 million in the fourth quarter 2015 reflected a positive credit valuation adjustment (CVA) of $1.0 million. Excluding the CVA impact for all periods, capital markets revenue was $5.3 million in the fourth quarter 2015, down $623,000 from the fourth quarter 2014 and up $1.0 million from the third quarter 2015. Compared to the third quarter 2015, the fourth quarter benefited from additional interest rate derivative transactions, and foreign exchange revenues grew as spreads increased.

Assets under management and administration (AUMA) were $7.3 billion as of December 31, 2015, compared to $6.6 billion a year ago and $7.2 billion at September 30, 2015, benefiting from the continued focus on cross-selling asset management services to commercial clients and their owners and executives and ongoing client development. Asset management revenue was $4.4 million in the fourth quarter 2015, compared to $4.2 million for the fourth quarter 2014 and $4.5 million for the third quarter 2015.

Expenses

Noninterest expense was $83.0 million for the fourth quarter 2015, comparable to the fourth quarter 2014 and down $2.2 million from the third quarter 2015. The efficiency ratio was 48.7 percent for the fourth quarter 2015, compared to 56.0 percent for the fourth quarter 2014 and 52.2 percent for the third quarter 2015. Other expenses declined $6.6 million from the fourth quarter 2014 and $4.8 million from the third quarter 2015, primarily reflecting a release of reserves for unfunded commitments in the fourth quarter 2015 attributable to a problem credit provided for in the third quarter.

Higher incentive compensation accruals primarily drove an increase in salaries and benefits expense of 13 percent from the fourth quarter 2014 and 5 percent from the third quarter 2015. Compared to the prior year quarter, the quarter also reflected annual salary adjustments made during the first quarter and additional hires made over the last year.

Credit Quality

The allowance for loan losses was $160.7 million, or 1.21 percent of total loans, at December 31, 2015, compared to $162.9 million, or 1.25 percent of total loans, at September 30, 2015. The provision for loan losses was $2.9 million for the fourth quarter 2015, declining $1.1 million from the fourth quarter 2014 and $1.3 million from the third quarter 2015. Factors contributing to the reduction in the overall loan loss reserve and quarterly provision expense from the third quarter 2015 include commercial loan repayments and growth in commercial real estate loans; portfolio movement, including the migration of several commercial loans to improved risk rating positions; and a lower specific reserve requirement related to impaired loans. Annualized net charge-offs to average loans were 0.15 percent for the fourth quarter 2015, compared to 0.05 percent for the fourth quarter 2014 and annualized net recoveries to average loans of 0.05 percent for the third quarter 2015.

Nonperforming assets were 0.35 percent of total assets at December 31, 2015, compared to 0.34 percent at September 30, 2015. At December 31, 2015, nonperforming loans were $53.7 million, increasing $9.8 million from September 30, 2015. OREO declined $5.5 million to $7.3 million at December 31, 2015, largely reflecting properties sold during the quarter.

Credit quality results exclude covered assets acquired through an FDIC-assisted transaction that are subject to a loss sharing agreement.

Balance Sheet

Total assets were $17.3 billion at December 31, 2015, compared to $15.6 billion at December 31, 2014, and $16.9 billion at September 30, 2015. Total loans of $13.3 billion increased $1.4 billion from December 31, 2014, driven primarily by growth of $751.3 million in commercial and industrial loans and $435.8 million in commercial real estate loans. Compared to September 30, 2015, total loans increased $187.2 million, reflecting growth in commercial real estate and construction loans of $212.7 million and a reduction of commercial loans of $36.4 million from September 30, 2015, impacted by payoffs resulting from several clients completing sales of their businesses prior to year end. At year end, commercial loans represented 65 percent of total loans, and commercial real estate and construction loans represented 29 percent of total loans, relatively consistent with the prior comparative periods.

Total liabilities were $15.6 billion at December 31, 2015, compared to $14.1 billion at December 31, 2014, and $15.2 billion compared to September 30, 2015. Total deposits were $14.3 billion at December 31, 2015, increasing 10 percent from December 31, 2014, and 3 percent from September 30, 2015, reflecting growth in noninterest-bearing demand deposit balances offset by lower traditional brokered time deposits. Average deposits grew 9 percent from the fourth quarter 2014 and 4 percent from the third quarter 2015. Noninterest-bearing demand deposits represented 30 percent of total deposits at December 31, 2015, compared to 27 percent a year ago and 29 percent at September 30, 2015. At December 31, 2015, the loan-to-deposit ratio was 92 percent, compared to 91 percent as of December 31, 2014, and 94 percent as of September 30, 2015.

Capital

As of December 31, 2015, the total risk-based capital ratio was 12.37 percent, the Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio was 10.56 percent, and the leverage ratio was 10.35 percent. The common equity Tier 1 ratio was 9.54 percent and the tangible common equity ratio was 9.33 percent at the end of the year end 2015.

Quarterly Conference Call and Webcast Presentation

PrivateBancorp will host a conference call Thursday, January 21, 2016, at 10 a.m. CT. The call may be accessed by telephone at (888) 782-9127 (U.S. and Canada) or (706) 634-5643 (International) and entering passcode #8500868. A live webcast of the call can be accessed at investor.theprivatebank.com. A rebroadcast will be available at that website and by telephone by calling (855) 859-2056 (U.S. and Canada) or (404) 537-3406 (International) and entering passcode #8500868 beginning approximately two hours after the call until midnight ET February 4, 2016.

About PrivateBancorp, Inc.

PrivateBancorp, Inc., through its subsidiary The PrivateBank, delivers customized business and personal financial services to middle-market companies, as well as business owners, executives, entrepreneurs and families in all of the markets and communities it serves. As of December 31, 2015, the Company had 35 offices in 12 states and $17.3 billion in assets. The Company's website is www.theprivatebank.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements made in this press release that are not historical facts may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of federal securities laws. Our ability to predict results or the actual effects of future plans, strategies or events is inherently uncertain. Factors which could cause actual results to differ from those reflected in forward-looking statements include:

• uncertainty regarding recent geopolitical developments and the U.S. and global economic outlook that may continue to impact market conditions or affect demand for certain banking products and services;
• unanticipated developments in pending or prospective loan transactions or greater-than-expected paydowns or payoffs of existing loans;
• competitive pressures in the financial services industry relating to both pricing and loan structures, which may impact our growth rate;
• unforeseen credit quality problems or changing economic conditions that could result in charge-offs greater than we have anticipated in our allowance for loan losses or changes in value of our investments;
• unanticipated changes in monetary policies of the Federal Reserve or significant changes in the pace of, or market expectations for, future interest rate increases;
• an inability to attract and maintain sufficient or cost-effective sources of liquidity or funding as and when needed;
• unanticipated losses of one or more large depositor relationships, or other significant deposit outflows;
• loss of key personnel or an inability to recruit appropriate talent cost-effectively;
• greater-than-anticipated costs to support the growth of our business, including investments in technology, process improvements or other infrastructure enhancements, or greater-than-anticipated compliance costs or regulatory burdens; or
• failures or disruptions to, or compromises of, our data processing or other information or operational systems, including the potential impact of disruptions or security breaches at our third-party service providers.

These factors should be considered in evaluating forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on our forward-looking statements. Readers should also consider the risks, assumptions and uncertainties set forth in the "Risk Factors" section of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for our fiscal year ended December 31, 2014, and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations" section of our Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended September 30, 2015, as well as those set forth in our subsequent periodic and current reports filed with the SEC. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made and we assume no obligation to update any of these statements in light of new information, future events or otherwise unless required under the federal securities laws.

Non-U.S. GAAP Financial Measures

This press release contains both financial measures based on accounting principles generally accepted in the United States (U.S. GAAP) and non-U.S. GAAP based financial measures. We believe that presenting these non-U.S. GAAP financial measures will provide information useful to investors in understanding our underlying operational performance, our business, and performance trends and facilitates comparisons with the performance of others in the banking industry. If non-U.S. GAAP financial measures are used, the comparable U.S. GAAP financial measure, as well as the reconciliation of the non-U.S. GAAP financial measure to the comparable U.S. GAAP financial measure, can be found in this press release. These disclosures should not be viewed as a substitute for operating results determined in accordance with U.S. GAAP, nor are they necessarily comparable to non-U.S. GAAP performance measures that may be presented by other companies.

Editor's Note: Financial highlights attached. Full financial supplement available on the Company's website at investor.theprivatebank.com.