Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: GNTY) (the "Company"), the parent company of Guaranty Bank & Trust, N.A. (the "Bank"), today reported financial results for the fiscal quarter and year ended December 31, 2022. The Company's net income available to common shareholders was $8.0 million, or $0.67 per basic share, for the quarter ended December 31, 2022, compared to $10.9 million, or $0.92 per basic share, for the quarter ended September 30, 2022 and $9.2 million, or $0.76 per basic share, for the quarter ended December 31, 2021. Return on average assets and average equity for the fourth quarter of 2022 were 0.95% and 10.88%, respectively, compared to 1.30% and 14.87%, respectively, for the third quarter of 2022 and 1.20% and 12.06%, respectively, for the fourth quarter of 2021. The decrease in earnings during the fourth quarter of 2022, compared to the third quarter of 2022 and the fourth quarter of 2021, was primarily due to a provision for credit losses of $2.8 million, compared to $600,000 during the third quarter of 2022 and no provision during the prior year quarter. Our net core earnings^†, excluding provisions for credit losses, income taxes and PPP1/PPP2 net income, as well as our core net interest margin, adjusted to exclude the effects of PPP1/PPP2 loans in prior periods, are described further in tables below.

"Despite the economic, inflationary and geopolitical challenges of 2022, we had strong earnings for the year. Fourth quarter net income was $8.0 million, which included a $2.8 million provision for credit losses to adjust for economic forecasts in accordance with our CECL methodology. We don't foresee significant losses at this time but economists are overwhelmingly predicting an economic recession in 2023 so there is strong evidence to support the added provision. We had a very good 2022 with total net income of $40.4 million for the year. Loans increased $112.1 million in the fourth quarter and $470.1 million for the year. Deposits decreased $109.4 million in the fourth quarter but grew $10.3 million for the year. The decline in deposits during the fourth quarter came primarily from our newer, urban growth markets while our legacy East Texas market grew deposits slightly during the quarter, continuing to illustrate the core deposit base we have in that market. Cost of deposits increased in the fourth quarter as the Bank raised interest rates to retain existing depositors and remain competitive. However, new and renewed loans are being booked at higher rates and we'll continue to see the benefits of floating and variable rate loans going forward, although some margin compression is expected in 2023. We maintain effective asset and liability management, low levels of nonperforming assets, good core deposits and a solid earnings stream that should continue to benefit our stakeholders," commented Ty Abston, the Company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

QUARTERLY AND ANNUAL HIGHLIGHTS

• Strong Loan Growth. The fourth quarter of 2022 continued to provide strong organic loan growth, increasing $112.1 million, or 4.9%, during the quarter. Excluding PPP and warehouse lending changes, our loans increased $112.4 million, or 5.0%, during the quarter. The weighted average yield on new loans originated in the fourth quarter was 6.53%. Loans increased $470.1 million, or 24.6%, during the year and excluding PPP and warehouse lending changes increased by $553.2 million, or 30.5%. Our loan growth is a result of internally generated sources and is not from loan purchases from other originators.
• Reliable Core Deposits. Deposits decreased 3.9% in the fourth quarter of 2022, from $2.8 billion to $2.7 billion, but increased slightly for the year by $10.3 million. Our legacy East Texas market represents approximately 57% of our total deposits and the balance of deposits in that market increased by $3.1 million during the fourth quarter. These deposits have historically been a very stable and reliable source of funding and continue to demonstrate those trends now. We continued to increase interest rates paid on deposits during the quarter and for the year in order to pay competitive rates, however non-interest bearing deposits continue to represent 39.2% of total deposits. Our cost of interest bearing deposits increased 49 basis points during the quarter from 0.59% to 1.08%, representing a beta on interest bearing deposits of approximately 40% for the quarter. Our cost of interest bearing deposits for the year ending December 31, 2022 increased 23 basis points from 0.35% to 0.58%, representing a beta on these deposits of approximately 5% for the year.
• Robust Net Earnings and Core Earnings. Net earnings are strong as net interest income continues to show upwards trends, quarter-over-quarter. Earnings per share were $0.67 per share, down from $0.92 per share in the prior quarter, primarily due to a $2.8 million provision for credit losses during the quarter. Net core earnings per share^†, which excludes the provision for credit losses and income tax, was $1.05 in the fourth quarter, compared to $1.16 in the third quarter, demonstrating a solid and consistent core earnings stream. Basic earnings per share was $3.38 for the year ending December 31, 2022 compared to $3.30 per basic share in the prior year.
  • Net earnings for the year ended December 31, 2022 were $40.4 million, up from $39.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. Net core earnings^† were $50.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $39.0 million for 2021.
  • Net core earnings^† were $12.6 million for the fourth quarter, compared to $13.8 million for the third quarter of 2022, and $10.1 million during the fourth quarter of 2021.
• Good Asset Quality. Nonperforming assets as a percentage of total assets were 0.32% at December 31, 2022, compared to 0.28% at September 30, 2022 and 0.09% at December 31, 2021. Net charge-offs (annualized) to average loans were 0.01% for the quarter ended December 31, 2022, compared to 0.07% for the quarter ended September 30, 2022, and 0.04% for the quarter ended December 31, 2021. A provision for credit losses of $2.8 million was recorded during the fourth quarter, as we incorporated recession forecasts for 2023 into our CECL model.
• Asset Liability Management. The Bank is slightly asset-sensitive and should continue to benefit from expected rate increases by the Federal Reserve in the first quarter of 2023 and from future loan repricing. Although we expect loan growth to slow considerably in 2023, we are well-positioned for loan funding with a loan-to-deposit ratio at quarter-end of 88.7%. Our FHLB advances were $290.0 million as of December 31, 2022 and are expected to be paid down in 2023 from balance sheet cash flows. Approximately $127.6 million in securities will mature or pay down during 2023. As of December 31, 2022, $256.0 million, or 10.8% of our loan portfolio is fully floating and $1.3 billion, or 53.1% are adjustable rate term loans, repricing at defined future time periods.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Participation in the PPP1 and PPP2 program, as well as economic and COVID-related provisions for credit losses, has created temporary extraordinary results in the calculation of net earnings and related performance ratios. The following table illustrates net earnings and net core earnings results, which are pre-tax, pre-provision and pre-extraordinary PPP1/PPP2 income, as well as performance ratios for the prior five quarters:

Net interest income, before the provision for credit losses, in the fourth quarter of 2022 and 2021 was $28.4 million and $24.0 million, respectively, an increase of $4.3 million, or 18.1%. The increase in net interest income resulted from an increase in interest income of $10.2 million, or 40.0%, which was partially offset by an increase in interest expense of $5.9 million, or 391.5%, compared to the prior year quarter. Interest income on loans increased $7.4 million, or 32.2%, during the current quarter compared to the prior year quarter. In addition, interest income from investment securities and other interest income increased $2.8 million, or 106.1%, from the same quarter in the prior year.

Net interest margin, on a fully taxable equivalent basis, for the fourth quarter of 2022 and 2021 was 3.57% and 3.39%, respectively. Net interest margin increased 18 basis points primarily due to a 93 basis point yield increase on total interest earning assets, which was partially offset by a 117 basis point cost increase on interest bearing liabilities. The increase in yield on interest earning assets resulted in part from average loan yields increasing from 4.71% for the fourth quarter of 2021 to 5.19% for the fourth quarter of 2022, an increase of 48 basis points, due to increases in the federal fund target interest rates, and an increase in yields of available for sale securities of 114 basis points from 1.75% in the fourth quarter of 2021 to 2.89% in the same period in 2022. Additionally, we reinvested a large amount of interest bearing deposits held at other banks, which earned a yield of 0.10% in the prior year quarter, into higher yielding investment securities and loans. The increase in the cost of interest bearing liabilities was due primarily to an increase in the cost of interest-bearing deposits from 0.30% to 1.08%, a change of 78 basis points, in the fourth quarter of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021, as well as increased rates on FHLB advances, which increased from 0.88% to 3.97%, an increase of 309 basis points, quarter over quarter.

Net interest income, before the provision for credit losses, increased $61,000, or 0.2%, from $28.3 million in the third quarter of 2022 to $28.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2022. The increase in net interest income resulted primarily from an increase in loan interest income of $2.7 million, or 10.0%, from the prior quarter. Average yield increased from 4.97% in the third quarter to 5.19% in the fourth quarter. Those increases were partially offset by an increase in interest expense on interest-bearing deposits of $2.0 million, or 80.6% and FHLB advances of $1.2 million, or 98.8%, from the third to fourth quarter of 2022.

Net interest margin, on a taxable equivalent basis, decreased from 3.59% for the third quarter of 2022 to 3.57% for the fourth quarter of 2022, a decrease of two basis points. The decrease in net interest margin was primarily due to an increase in the cost of interest-bearing deposits from 0.59% in the third quarter to 1.08% in the fourth quarter of 2022, a change of 49 basis points, while loan yield only increased from 4.97% for the third quarter of 2022 to 5.19% for the fourth quarter of 2022, a change of 22 basis points.

The Bank’s participation in the PPP program created temporary extraordinary results in the calculation of net interest margin. To illustrate the impact of the PPP program on net interest margin, the table below excludes PPP1 and PPP2 loans and their associated fees and costs for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2022:

During the fourth quarter of 2022, we recorded a $2.8 million provision for credit losses. The provision was recorded primarily due to incorporating economic forecasts for a recession into our CECL model, as well as continued organic loan growth during the quarter. During the first quarter of 2022, we fully unwound the COVID-specific qualitative factor that we implemented at the onset of the pandemic in early 2020 and adjusted our standard qualitative factors in the second quarter of 2022 to capture macro-economic conditions that we believed were more similar to the environment prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e. near the end of a long up-cycle with a moderate downturn expected). Minimal updates were made to our qualitative factors, including forecasted conditions, during the third quarter of 2022. However, in the fourth quarter of 2022, consensus among economists, as typified by a Wall Street Journal survey, indicated that an economic recession is likely in 2023. Using this information, along with other economic indicators (such as the inverted yield curve), we adjusted certain qualitative factors to account for the forecasted information. As of December 31, 2022, our allowance for credit losses as a percentage of total loans was 1.34%, up from 1.29% in the prior quarter.

Noninterest income decreased $916,000, or 15.2%, in the fourth quarter of 2022 to $5.1 million, compared to $6.0 million for the fourth quarter of 2021. The decrease from the same quarter in 2021 was due primarily to a decrease in the gain on sale of loans of $817,000, or 72.5%, along with a $52,000, or 39.1%, decrease in mortgage fee income, a $127,000, or 77.4%, decrease in warehouse lending fees, and a decrease in other noninterest income of $136,000, or 16.0%. The decreases were partially offset by an increase in gain on sale of securities of $172,000, or 100%, and an increase in merchant and debit card fees of $42,000, or 2.5%, compared to the same quarter in the prior year. The gain on sale of securities resulted from the sale of five available for sale securities during favorable market conditions for liquidity purposes and the increase in service charges and merchant and debit card fees were primarily volume driven. The decrease in other noninterest income was due to a $41,000 decrease in the value of the SBA servicing asset, $17,000 less in rental income and $14,000 less in SBA servicing revenue in the current quarter compared to the prior year quarter. There was also a gain on sale of assets of $36,000 in the prior year quarter that was not present during the fourth quarter of 2022.

Noninterest expense increased $1.9 million, or 10.1%, in the fourth quarter of 2022 to $20.9 million, compared to the fourth quarter of 2021. The increase in noninterest expense in the fourth quarter of 2022 was driven primarily by a $1.2 million, or 10.4%, increase in employee compensation and benefits due to increased salaries, higher insurance expense accruals due to increased claims experience and increased bonus accruals due to higher net income. Software and technology expense increased $358,000, or 30.7%, compared to the fourth quarter of 2021, due to additional technology investments and an increase in the cost of our core processing software resulting from a new asset tier threshold and legal and professional fees increased $175,000, or 29.0%, resulting from an increase in audit and exam fees of $117,000 and legal fees of $63,000. The increase was partially offset by a $61,000, or 27.5%, decrease in amortization expense from the prior year quarter.

Noninterest income in the fourth quarter of 2022 decreased by $681,000, or 11.7%, from $5.8 million in the third quarter of 2022. The decrease is due primarily due to lower other noninterest income of $750,000, or 51.2%, resulting from a gain on sale of an airplane asset for $894,000 during the prior quarter that was not present during the current quarter. The decrease was partially offset by the gain on sale of securities of $172,000, or 100%, and an increase in fiduciary and custodial income of $66,000, or 11.5%, from the linked quarter.

Noninterest expense increased $660,000, or 3.3%, in the fourth quarter of 2022, from $20.2 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2022. The increase is primarily due to an increase in employee compensation and benefits of $513,000, or 4.3%, due to higher salaries and insurance expense accruals. Annual employee raises are given in October of each year. Other increases included legal and professional fees of $276,000, or 54.9%, due to higher recruiter and third party consulting fees, software and technology expenses of $116,000, or 8.2% and advertising and promotions of $110,000, or 29.1%, from the prior quarter. The increases were partially offset by a decrease in other noninterest expense of $419,000, or 24.1%, that resulted primarily from a $487,000 write-down of an SBA receivable balance during the third quarter of 2022, which was not present in the current quarter.

The Company’s efficiency ratio in the fourth quarter of 2022 was 62.42%, compared to 63.13% in the prior year quarter and 59.35% in the third quarter of 2022. Adjusted to remove the effects of PPP-related transactions, the Company’s efficiency ratio^† in the fourth quarter of 2022 was 62.42%, compared to 65.21% in the prior year quarter and 59.45% in the third quarter of 2022.

^{† Non-GAAP financial metric. Calculations of this metric and reconciliations to GAAP are included in the schedules accompanying this release.}

FINANCIAL CONDITION

Consolidated assets for the Company totaled $3.35 billion at December 31, 2022, compared to $3.39 billion at September 30, 2022 and $3.09 billion at December 31, 2021.

Gross loans increased $112.1 million, or 4.9%, to $2.38 billion at December 31, 2022, compared to loans of $2.27 billion at September 30, 2022. The increase in gross loans from the third quarter of 2022 to the fourth quarter of 2022 is due to increased loan originations and advances. Excluding PPP and warehouse lending loans, gross loans increased $112.4 million, or 5.0%, from September 30, 2022.

Gross loans increased $470.1 million, or 24.6%, from $1.91 billion at December 31, 2021. The increase in gross loans during the fourth quarter of 2022 compared to the fourth quarter of 2021 resulted from organic loan growth and was partially offset by a $50.1 million reduction in PPP loan balances during the period. Excluding PPP and warehouse lending loans, gross loans increased $553.2 million, or 30.5%, from December 31, 2021.

Total deposits decreased by $109.4 million, or 3.9%, to $2.68 billion at December 31, 2022, compared to $2.79 billion at September 30, 2022, and increased $10.3 million, or 0.4%, from $2.67 billion at December 31, 2021. The decrease in deposits during the current quarter resulted primarily from a decrease in non-interest bearing deposits of $89.1 million and a decrease in interest bearing deposits of $20.3 million. The increase in deposits during the year resulted from an increase in non-interest bearing deposits of $37.6 million, offset by a decrease in interest bearing deposits of $27.3 million.

Nonperforming assets as a percentage of total loans were 0.46% at December 31, 2022, compared to 0.41% at September 30, 2022 and 0.15% at December 31, 2021. The Bank's nonperforming assets consist primarily of nonaccrual loans. Four loans were added to nonaccrual status in the second quarter of 2022 and are Small Business Administration (SBA) 7(a), partially guaranteed (75%) loans, acquired in the June 2018 acquisition of Westbound Bank, with combined book balances of $6.7 million as of December 31, 2022. These loans, collateralized by two hotels, were identified as problem assets prior to COVID-19 but obtained government stimulus and other relief which allowed the two related borrowers to remain current through early 2022. Management continues to work toward a satisfactory resolution for these four loans, however, in the event of foreclosure, a significant loss is not expected due to estimated current collateral values and the SBA guarantees. Another previously classified loan was downgraded to non-accrual status during the fourth quarter with a principal balance of $1.4 million. The loan is considered well-secured and has a low loan-to-value ratio with guarantor support. Management expects this loan will be paid in full in early 2023. No losses are anticipated.

Total equity was $295.6 million as of December 31, 2022, compared to $288.7 million at September 30, 2022 and $302.2 million at December 31, 2021. The increase from the previous quarter resulted primarily from net income of $8.0 million and an improvement in accumulated other comprehensive loss of $713,000 due to fluctuations in the fair value of available for sale securities during the period offset by the payment of dividends of $2.6 million during the fourth quarter of 2022. Although the unrealized losses in accumulated other comprehensive income during the quarter do not impact regulatory capital ratios, they did result in a decrease in the tangible common equity^† ratio from 8.77% as of December 31, 2021 to 7.87% as of December 31, 2022.

In September 2021, we announced the formation of a partnership with CaliberCos, Inc., a vertically integrated alternative asset manager and fund sponsor, in an effort to drive investments that will revitalize communities across Texas through real estate developments. We recorded this investment by our Bank subsidiary and the noncontrolling interest during the first quarter of 2022. Further details of this partnership can be found in our Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 7, 2021.

Nonperforming assets as a percentage of total assets were 0.32% at December 31, 2022, compared to 0.28% at September 30, 2022, and 0.09% at December 31, 2021.