DALLAS, Jan. 24, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Veritex Holdings, Inc. (“Veritex” or the “Company”) (Nasdaq: VBTX), the holding company for Veritex Community Bank, today announced the results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2022.

"Today we reported strong 2022 performance metrics with $216 million in pre-tax pre-provision earnings, or 1.97% on average assets, 1.35% operating return on average assets, 16% return on average tangible common equity and an efficiency ratio below 50% for the 5th consecutive year," said C. Malcolm Holland, III, Veritex President and Chief Executive Officer. "We generated 34% growth in loans, 24% growth in deposits, completed an oversubscribed common stock offering and expanded relationships and new customers. Looking towards 2023, we remain focused on credit discipline, lending in portfolios that align with our core deposit priorities and delivering strong financial results."

¹ Refer to the section titled "Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" for a reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP measures.
² Annualized ratio.

Other Fourth Quarter and 2022 Highlights:

• Pre-tax, pre-provision operating return on average assets decreased 5 basis points ("bps") from the third quarter of 2022 to 2.15%, and grew 14 bps year-over-year;
• Net interest margin increased to 3.87%, up 10 bps from the third quarter of 2022, and grew by 50 bps year-over-year;
• Tangible book value per common share increased to $18.64 during the three months ended December 31, 2022 compared to $17.91 for the three months ended September 30, 2022 and 17.49 for the three months ended December 31, 2021;
• Total loans held for investment ("LHI"), excluding Paycheck Protection Program ("PPP") and mortgage warehouse ("MW") loans, grew $524.0 million, from the third quarter of 2022, or 24.4% annualized, and grew $2.3 billion, or 33.5%, year-over-year;
• Total deposits grew $374.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2022, or 17.0% annualized, with the average cost of total deposits increasing to 1.46% for the three months ended December 31, 2022 from 0.76% for the three months ended September 30, 2022. Total deposits grew $1.8 billion, or 23.9%, year-over-year;
• Non-performing assets ("NPAs"), excluding nonaccrual purchased credit deteriorated ("PCD") loans, to total assets decreased to 0.25% , or 1 basis point from September 30, 2022, and decreased 26 bps from December 31, 2021;
• Net charge-offs to average loans outstanding, excluding MW and PPP loans decreased 21 bps for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to December 31, 2021;
• Declared quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per share of outstanding common stock payable on February 24, 2023.

Results of Operations for the Three Months Ended December 31, 2022

Net Interest Income

For the three months ended December 31, 2022, net interest income before provision for credit losses was $106.1 million and net interest margin was 3.87%, compared to $101.0 million and 3.77%, respectively, for the three months ended September 30, 2022. The $5.1 million increase in net interest income before provision for credit losses was primarily due to a $27.6 million increase in interest income on loans driven by an increase in average balances and loan yields, offset by a $23.9 million increase in total interest expense on interest bearing liabilities driven by an increase in average balances and rates during three months ended December 31, 2022. Net interest margin increased 10 bps from the three months ended September 30, 2022, primarily due to the increase in yields earned on loans during the three months ended December 31, 2022, partially offset by an increase in funding costs.

Compared to the three months ended December 31, 2021, net interest income before provision for credit losses for the three months ended December 31, 2022 increased by $29.4 million, or 38.3%. The increase was primarily due to a $62.7 million increase in interest income on loans driven by an increase in average balances and loan yields, offset by a $22.4 million increase in interest expenses on interest-bearing demand and savings deposits and $6.9 million increase in certificates and other time deposits. Net interest margin increased 50 bps to 3.87% for the three months ended December 31, 2022 from 3.37% for the three months ended December 31, 2021. The increase was primarily due to an increase in average balances and loan yields during the three months ended December 31, 2022, partially offset by an increase in funding costs.

Noninterest Income

Noninterest income for the three months ended December 31, 2022 was $14.3 million, an increase of $1.3 million, or 10.0%, compared to the three months ended September 30, 2022. The increase in noninterest income was primarily due to a $7.0 million increase in gain on sale of USDA loans through our wholly owned subsidiary, North Avenue Capital, LLC ("NAC"). This increase was partially offset by an increase of $4.4 million in equity method investment losses and a $1.1 million decrease in customer swap income.

Compared to the three months ended December 31, 2021, noninterest income for the three months ended December 31, 2022 decreased $1.8 million, or 11.3%. The decrease was primarily due to a $6.7 million decrease in equity method investment income and $1.7 million decrease in gain on sale of SBA loans. The decrease was partially offset by a $5.7 million increase in gain on sale of USDA loans through NAC and a $1.5 million increase in customer swap income.

Noninterest Expense

Noninterest expense was $57.4 million for the three months ended December 31, 2022, compared to $51.0 million for the three months ended September 30, 2022, an increase of $6.4 million, or 12.5%. The increase was primarily driven by a $4.0 million increase in salaries and employee benefits from continued investment in talent, a $688 thousand increase in data processing and software expenses, a $683 thousand increase in professional and regulatory fees and a $501 thousand increase in occupancy and equipment.

Noninterest expense was $57.4 million for the three months ended December 31, 2022, compared to $45.1 million for the three months ended December 31, 2021, an increase of $12.3 million, or 27.2%. The increase was primarily driven by a $8.3 million increase in salary and employee benefits, from continued investment in talent. Additionally, the increase was driven by data processing and software expense of $1.6 million, professional and regulatory fees of $1.4 million, and occupancy and equipment of $718 thousand.

Financial Condition

Total LHI, excluding MW and PPP, were $9.0 billion at December 31, 2022, an increase of $524.0 million, or 24.4% annualized, compared to September 30, 2022, and an increase of $2.3 billion, or 33.5%, compared to December 31, 2021. These increases were the result of the continued execution and success of our loan growth strategy, including our investment in talent during 2022.

Total deposits were $9.1 billion at December 31, 2022, an increase of $374.8 million, or 17.0% annualized, compared to September 30, 2022, and an increase of $1.8 billion, or 23.9%, compared to December 31, 2021. The increase from September 30, 2022 was primarily the result of increase of $419.3 million in certificates and other time deposits and an increase of $126.3 million in interest-bearing transaction, money market and savings deposits accounts. The increase was partially offset by a decrease of $170.8 million of noninterest bearing deposits. The increase from December 31, 2021 was primarily the result of increases of $1.1 billion and $510.1 million in interest-bearing transaction, money market, and savings and certificates and other time deposits, respectively.

Asset Quality

NPAs increased to $43.7 million, or 0.36% of total assets, at December 31, 2022, compared to $30.6 million, or 0.26% of total assets, at September 30, 2022. The increase is primarily the result of a $13.2 million pool of PCD loans placed on non-accrual status during the three months ended December 31, 2022. Excluding the nonaccrual PCD loans, NPAs decreased to $30.5 million, or 0.25% of total assets. The Company had net charge-offs of $5.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2022. Net charge-offs compared to average loans outstanding were 17 bps for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to 38 bps for year ended December 31, 2021.

The Company recorded a provision for credit losses of $11.8 million for the three months ended December 31, 2022, compared to a provision for credit losses of $6.7 million and a benefit for credit losses of $3.3 million for the three months ended September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively. The provision for credit losses reported for the three months ended December 31, 2022, compared to the three months ended September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively, was primarily attributable to an increase in general reserves as a result of changes in economic factors and loan growth. During the three months ended December 31, 2022, the Company recorded a $523 thousand benefit for unfunded commitments, which was primarily driven by decreases in unfunded balances.

Allowance for credit losses ("ACL") as a percentage of LHI, excluding MW and PPP loans, was 1.01%, 1.00% and 1.15% at December 31, 2022, September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively.

Dividend Information

On January 24, 2023, Veritex's Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per share on its outstanding shares of common stock. The dividend will be paid on February 24, 2023 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 10, 2023.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Veritex’s management uses certain non-GAAP (U.S. generally accepted accounting principles) financial measures to evaluate its operating performance and provide information that is important to investors. However, non-GAAP financial measures are supplemental and should be viewed in addition to, and not as an alternative for, Veritex’s reported results prepared in accordance with GAAP. Specifically, Veritex reviews and reports tangible book value per common share, operating earnings, tangible common equity to tangible assets, return on average tangible common equity, pre-tax, pre-provision operating earnings, pre-tax, pre-provision operating return on average assets, diluted operating earnings per share, operating return on average assets, operating return on average tangible common equity and operating efficiency ratio. Veritex has included in this earnings release information related to these non-GAAP financial measures for the applicable periods presented. Please refer to “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” after the financial highlights at the end of this earnings release for a reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures.

Conference Call

The Company will host an investor conference call to review the results on Wednesday, January 25, 2023 at 8:30 a.m. Central Time. Participants may pre-register for the call by visiting https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/767zfwtq and will receive a unique PIN, which can be used when dialing in for the call.

Participants may also register via teleconference at: https://register.vevent.com/register/BI7ccf0c5ef7d84e35916df74d12b9e4ad. Once registration is completed, participants will be provided with a dial-in number containing a personalized conference code to access the call. All participants are instructed to dial-in 15 minutes prior to the start time.

A replay will be available within approximately two hours after the completion of the call, and made accessible for one week. You may access the replay via webcast through the investor relations section of Veritex’s website.

About Veritex Holdings, Inc.

Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Veritex is a bank holding company that conducts banking activities through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Veritex Community Bank, with locations throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and in the Houston metropolitan area. Veritex Community Bank is a Texas state chartered bank regulated by the Texas Department of Banking and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. For more information, visit www.veritexbank.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This earnings release includes “forward-looking statements”, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on various facts and derived utilizing assumptions, current expectations, estimates and projections and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which change over time and are beyond our control, that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements relating to the expected payment of Veritex Holdings, Inc.’s (“Veritex”) quarterly cash dividend; the impact of certain changes in Veritex’s accounting policies, standards and interpretations; the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and actions taken in response thereto; and Veritex’s future financial performance, business and growth strategy, projected plans and objectives, as well as other projections based on macroeconomic and industry trends, which are inherently unreliable due to the multiple factors that impact broader economic and industry trends, and any such variations may be material. Statements preceded by, followed by or that otherwise include the words “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “projects,” “estimates,” “seeks,” “targets,” “outlooks,” “plans” and similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “should,” “would,” “may” and “could” are generally forward-looking in nature and not historical facts, although not all forward-looking statements include the foregoing words. We refer you to the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of Veritex’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and any updates to those risk factors set forth in Veritex’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), which are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. If one or more events related to these or other risks or uncertainties materialize, or if Veritex’s underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results may differ materially from what Veritex anticipates. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Veritex does not undertake any obligation, and specifically declines any obligation, to supplement, update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law. All forward-looking statements, expressed or implied, included in this earnings release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. This cautionary statement should also be considered in connection with any subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements that Veritex or persons acting on Veritex’s behalf may issue.

VERITEX HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Financial Highlights
(Unaudited)

¹Refer to "Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" after the financial highlights for a reconciliation of this non-GAAP financial measure to its most directly comparable GAAP measure.
² Dividend amount represents dividend paid per common share subsequent to each respective quarter end.
³ Nonaccrual PCD loans consist of PCD loans that transitioned upon adoption of ASC 326 and were accounted for on a pooled basis that have subsequently been placed on nonaccrual status.
⁴Annualized ratio for quarterly metrics.

VERITEX HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Financial Highlights
(in thousands)

VERITEX HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Financial Highlights
(in thousands, except per share data)

VERITEX HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Financial Highlights
(Unaudited)

¹ Includes average outstanding balances of loans held for sale of $15,296, $14,023 and $8,987 for the three months ended December 31, 2022, September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively, and average balances of LHI, excluding MW and PPP loans.
² Net interest rate spread is the average yield on interest-earning assets minus the average rate on interest-bearing liabilities.
³ Net interest margin is equal to net interest income divided by average interest-earning assets.

VERITEX HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Financial Highlights
(Unaudited)

¹Includes average outstanding balances of loans held for sale of $13,558 and $12,093 for the twelve months ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, and average balances of LHI, excluding MW and PPP loans.
² Net interest rate spread is the average yield on interest-earning assets minus the average rate on interest-bearing liabilities.
³ Net interest margin is equal to net interest income divided by average interest-earning assets.

VERITEX HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Financial Highlights
(Unaudited)

Yield Trend

¹ Includes average outstanding balances of loans held for sale of $15,296, $14,023, $12,112, $12,769 and $8,987 for the three months ended December 31, 2022, September 30, 2022, June 30, 2022, March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively, and average balances of LHI, excluding MW and PPP loans.
² Net interest rate spread is the average yield on interest-earning assets minus the average rate on interest-bearing liabilities.
³ Net interest margin is equal to net interest income divided by average interest-earning assets.

Supplemental Yield Trend

VERITEX HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Financial Highlights
(Unaudited)

LHI and Deposit Portfolio Composition

¹ Total LHI does not include deferred costs of $19.0 million, $17.5 million, $15.0 million, $11.5 million and $9.5 million at December 31, 2022, September 30, 2022, June 30, 2022, March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively.

VERITEX HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Financial Highlights
(Unaudited)

Asset Quality