Valley National Bancorp Reports a Higher Net Interest Margin Driving Its Fourth Quarter Net Income and the Prepayment of High Cost Borrowings


NEW YORK, Jan. 30, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Valley National Bancorp (NASDAQ:VLY), the holding company for Valley National Bank, today reported net income for the fourth quarter 2019 of $38.1 million, or $0.10 per diluted common share, as compared to the fourth quarter 2018 earnings of $77.1 million, or $0.22 per diluted common share, and net income of $81.9 million, or $0.24 per diluted common share, for the third quarter 2019.  During the fourth quarter 2019, Valley incurred non-core after tax charges of $52.5 million mostly due to prepayment penalties on FHLB borrowings, merger expenses and additional income tax expense related to reserves for uncertain tax positions. Excluding all non-core charges, our adjusted net income was $90.7 million, or $0.24 per diluted common share, for the fourth quarter 2019, $72.7 million, or $0.21 per diluted common share, for the fourth quarter 2018, and $83.1 million, or $0.24 per diluted common share, for the third quarter 2019. See further details below, including a reconciliation of our adjusted net income (a non-GAAP measure) in the "Consolidated Financial Highlights" tables.

Key financial highlights for the fourth quarter:

  • Acquisition of Oritani Financial Corp.: Effective December 1, 2019, Valley completed its acquisition of Oritani Financial Corp. ("Oritani") and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Oritani Bank. Oritani had approximately $4.3 billion in assets, $3.4 billion in net loans, $2.9 billion in deposits, after purchase accounting adjustments, and a branch network of 26 locations. The acquisition represents a significant addition to Valley's New Jersey franchise, and will meaningfully enhance its presence in the Bergen County market. The common shareholders of Oritani received 1.60 shares of Valley common stock for each Oritani share that they owned. The total consideration for the acquisition was approximately $835 million, and the transaction resulted in $289 million of goodwill and $21 million of core deposit intangible assets subject to amortization.

  • Net Interest Income: Net interest income on a tax equivalent basis of $239.6 million for the fourth quarter 2019 increased $17.9 million as compared to the third quarter 2019 largely due to strong organic loan growth over the last six month period, acquired loans, and interest-bearing liabilities repricing at lower market rates during the fourth quarter 2019.

  • Net Interest Margin: Our net interest margin on a tax equivalent basis increased 5 basis points to 2.96 percent in the fourth quarter 2019 as compared to 2.91 percent for the third quarter 2019. See the "Net Interest Income and Margin" section below for more details.

  • Loan Portfolio: Loans increased $3.1 billion to approximately $29.7 billion at December 31, 2019 from September 30, 2019 largely due to $3.4 billion in acquired loans from Oritani, partially offset by sales from the commercial real estate loan portfolio totaling approximately $800 million during the fourth quarter 2019.  Excluding the acquired Oritani loans and loan portfolio sale activity, our organic loan growth was approximately 10 percent on an annualized basis for the fourth quarter 2019. See additional information under the "Loans, Deposits and Other Borrowings" section below.

  • Loss on Extinguishment of Debt: In December 2019, we prepaid $635.0 million of long-term FHLB advances with a combined weighted average interest rate of 3.93 percent. The prepaid borrowings had original contractual maturity dates ranging from November 2021 to June 2022. The debt prepayment was funded by cash proceeds from the sale of commercial real estate loans and overnight borrowings. The transaction was accounted for as an early debt extinguishment resulting in a loss, reported within non-interest expense, of $32.0 million for the fourth quarter 2019.

  • Credit Quality: Net loan charge-offs totaled $5.6 million for the fourth quarter 2019, as compared to $2.0 million for the third quarter 2019 and $1.0 million for the fourth quarter 2018. Non-accrual loans represented 0.31 percent of total loans at December 31, 2019.

  • Provision for Credit Losses: The provision for credit losses decreased $3.3 million to $5.4 million for the fourth quarter 2019 as compared to third quarter 2019 due, in part, to improvements in credit quality and lower net non-PCI loan activity during the fourth quarter.

  • Non-Interest Income: Non-interest income decreased $3.1 million to $38.1 million for the three months ended December 31, 2019 from $41.2 million for the third quarter 2019 mainly due to a $3.9 million decrease in swap fee income from commercial loan customer transactions.

  • Non-Interest Expense: Non-interest expense increased $50.3 million to $196.1 million for the fourth quarter 2019 as compared to the third quarter 2019 largely due to the $32.0 million loss on extinguishment of debt, $15.1 million of merger expenses (primarily consisting of change in control and severance expense) and incremental additions to operating expenses related to new infrastructure and the Oritani acquisition.

  • Efficiency Ratio: Our efficiency ratio was 70.90 percent for the fourth quarter 2019 as compared to 55.73 percent and 59.87 percent for the third quarter 2019 and fourth quarter 2018, respectively. Our adjusted efficiency ratio was 52.43 percent for the fourth quarter 2019 as compared to 53.48 percent and 56.68 percent for the third quarter 2019 and fourth quarter 2018, respectively. See the "Consolidated Financial Highlights" tables below for additional information regarding our non-GAAP measure.

  • Income Tax Expense: The effective tax rate was 49.2 percent for the fourth quarter 2019 as compared to 23.6 percent for the third quarter 2019. Based upon new information, Valley's income tax expense for the fourth quarter 2019 reflected an $18.7 million increase in its reserve for uncertain tax liability positions at December 31, 2019 related to renewable energy tax credits and other tax benefits previously recognized from the investments in the DC Solar funds plus interest. As a result, Valley believes it is fully reserved for the tax positions related to DC Solar at December 31, 2019. For the full year 2020, we currently estimate that our effective tax rate will range from 24 percent to 26 percent.

  • Performance Ratios: Annualized return on average assets (ROA), shareholders’ equity (ROE) and tangible ROE were 0.43 percent, 4.01 percent, and 5.98 percent for the fourth quarter 2019, respectively. Annualized ROA, ROE and tangible ROE, adjusted for non-core charges, was 1.03 percent, 9.53 percent, and 14.23 percent for the fourth quarter 2019, respectively. See the "Consolidated Financial Highlights" tables below for additional information regarding our non-GAAP measures.

Ira Robbins, CEO and President commented, "Our fourth quarter 2019 earnings, adjusted for non-core charges, reflected the strength of Valley's balance sheet and our continuous focus on operating efficiency. Our margin expanded five basis points as compared to the third quarter 2019 largely due to our ability to manage our funding costs, while executing on strong organic lending efforts in our primary markets. During 2019, Valley and its employees made significant progress toward our long-term operating goals, however, there is more work to be done.  As I look forward to 2020, I am excited to see our strategic vision for Valley unfold, including our relentless commitment to providing the best experience and products to the customers and communities we serve."

Mr. Robbins added, "In December, we completed our in-market acquisition of Oritani and welcomed their customers and knowledgeable staff to Valley.  Prior to and after the merger, our dedicated employees have been hard at work to ensure the acquisition is a success.  Due to these efforts, we expect the full systems integration of the Oritani operations to be completed in the latter part of the first quarter 2020."

Net Interest Income and Margin

Net interest income on a tax equivalent basis totaling $239.6 million for the fourth quarter 2019 increased $16.2 million and $17.9 million as compared to the fourth quarter 2018 and third quarter 2019, respectively. The increase compared to the third quarter 2019 was largely due to higher average loan balances and lower costs of interest-bearing liabilities, partly offset by low loan yields. Interest income on a tax equivalent basis increased $14.5 million to $344.8 million for the fourth quarter 2019 as compared to the third quarter 2019 mainly due to a $1.8 billion increase in average loans, partly offset by 6 basis point decrease in the yield on average loans. Interest expense of $105.2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2019 decreased $3.4 million from the third quarter 2019 largely due to lower interest rates on many of our interest-bearing deposit products and other borrowings, partly offset by additional interest expense from a $1.4 billion increase in average interest-bearing liabilities. The increase in average interest-bearing liabilities was largely driven by both brokered and retail time deposit gathering initiatives, as well as the Oritani acquisition.

The net interest margin on a tax equivalent basis of 2.96 percent for the fourth quarter 2019 decreased 14 basis points as compared to 3.10 percent for the fourth quarter 2018, and increased 5 basis points from 2.91 percent for the third quarter 2019. The yield on average interest earning assets decreased by 6 basis points on a linked quarter basis due to the lower yields on average loans and investment securities. The yield on average loans decreased to 4.51 percent for the fourth quarter 2019 from 4.57 percent for the third quarter 2019 mostly due to the high volume of new loan originations at current market rates and repayment of higher yielding loans. The decreased yield on average investment securities was partly caused by an increase in premium amortization on residential mortgage-backed securities, due to higher prepayments on such financial instruments. The overall cost of average interest-bearing liabilities decreased by 16 basis points to 1.74 percent for the fourth quarter 2019 as compared to the linked third quarter 2019 due to lower interest rates on certain deposits and borrowings repricing during the second half of 2019. Our prepayment of $635 million in higher cost long-term borrowings during December 2019 is expected to positively impact our average cost of funds for its first full period of extinguishment during the first quarter 2020. Our cost of total average deposits was 1.20 percent for the fourth quarter 2019 as compared to 1.27 percent for the three months ended September 30, 2019.

Loans, Deposits and Other Borrowings

Loans. Loans increased $3.1 billion to approximately $29.7 billion at December 31, 2019 from September 30, 2019.  The increase was mainly due to $3.4 billion of loans acquired from Oritani on December 1, 2019. Our loan portfolio continued strong quarter over quarter organic growth mainly in total commercial real estate and commercial and industrial loans. The organic growth of commercial real estate loans during the fourth quarter was more than offset by our decision to sell approximately $800 million of performing loans with lower yields from the held for investment portfolio. During the fourth quarter 2019, Valley also originated $199.0 million of residential mortgage loans for sale rather than held for investment. Loans held for sale totaled $76.1 million and $41.6 million at December 31, 2019 and September 30, 2019, respectively.

Deposits. Total deposits increased $3.6 billion, or 14.2 percent, to approximately $29.2 billion at December 31, 2019 from September 30, 2019 mostly due to $2.9 billion of assumed deposits from Oritani, as well as an increase in time deposits from both brokered and retail deposit gathering efforts. During fourth quarter 2019, Valley continued to increase its use of brokered CDs partly due to their relatively favorable pricing as compared to other available funding sources with similar terms, including FHLB advances. Total brokered deposits (consisting of both time and money market deposit accounts) were $4.1 billion at December 31, 2019 as compared to $3.7 billion at September 30, 2019. Non-interest bearing deposits; savings, NOW, money market deposits; and time deposits represented approximately 23 percent, 44 percent and 33 percent of total deposits as of December 31, 2019, respectively.

Other Borrowings. Short-term borrowings decreased $732.1 million, or 40.1 percent, to approximately $1.1 billion at December 31, 2019 from September 30, 2019 mostly due to lower levels of short-term FHLB borrowings and federal funds purchased caused by the success of our current deposit gathering initiatives. Long-term borrowings also decreased $128.2 million, or 5.7 percent, to $2.1 billion at December 31, 2019 from September 30, 2019 largely due to the prepayment of $635.0 million of FHLB borrowings during December 2019, partially offset by long-term borrowings assumed in the Oritani acquisition.

Credit Quality

Non-Performing Assets. Our past due loans and non-accrual loans discussed further below exclude PCI loans. Under U.S. GAAP, the PCI loans (acquired at a discount that is due, in part, to credit quality) are accounted for on a pool basis and are not subject to delinquency classification in the same manner as loans originated by Valley. At December 31, 2019, our PCI loan portfolio totaled $6.6 billion, or 22.3 percent of our total loan portfolio and included all the loans acquired from Oritani during the fourth quarter 2019.

Total non-performing assets (NPAs), consisting of non-accrual loans, other real estate owned (OREO) and other repossessed assets totaled $104.4 million at December 31, 2019 compared to $110.7 million at September 30, 2019. The decrease in NPAs from September 30, 2019 was mostly due to a  $6.7 million decrease in commercial and industrial non-accrual loans partially caused by charged off loans during the fourth quarter 2019.  Non-accrual loans represented 0.31 percent of total loans at December 31, 2019 as compared to 0.38 percent of total loans at September 30, 2019.

Total accruing past due loans (i.e., loans past due 30 days or more and still accruing interest) decreased $20.3 million to $68.2 million, or 0.23 percent of total loans, at December 31, 2019 as compared to $88.5 million, or 0.33 percent of total loans, at September 30, 2019. Loans 30 to 59 days past due decreased $17.5 million primarily due to the renewal of a few large matured performing commercial real estate and construction loans during the fourth quarter 2019 that were previously included in this delinquency category at September 30, 2019.

During the fourth quarter 2019, we continued to closely monitor our NYC and Chicago taxi medallion loans totaling $107.5 million and $7.3 million, respectively, within the commercial and industrial loan portfolio at December 31, 2019. While most of the taxi medallion loans are currently performing, negative trends in the market valuations of the underlying taxi medallion collateral could impact the future performance and internal classification of this portfolio. At December 31, 2019, the medallion portfolio included impaired loans totaling $87.1 million with related reserves of $35.5 million within the allowance for loan losses as compared to impaired loans totaling $91.1 million with related reserves of $34.2 million at September 30, 2019. At December 31, 2019, the impaired medallion loans largely consisted of $63.3 million of non-accrual taxi cab medallion loans classified as doubtful, and $23.8 million performing troubled debt restructured (TDR) loans classified as substandard loans.

The following table summarizes the allocation of the allowance for credit losses to specific loan categories and the allocation as a percentage of each loan category (including PCI loans) at December 31, 2019, September 30, 2019, and December 31, 2018:

  December 31, 2019 September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018
    Allocation   Allocation   Allocation
    as a % of   as a % of   as a % of
  Allowance Loan Allowance Loan Allowance Loan
  Allocation Category Allocation Category Allocation Category
   
  ($ in thousands)
Loan Category:           
Commercial and industrial loans*$106,904  2.22% $103,919  2.21% $95,392  2.20%
Commercial real estate loans:           
 Commercial real estate20,019  0.13% 23,044  0.17% 26,482  0.21%
 Construction25,654  1.56% 25,727  1.67% 23,168  1.56%
Total commercial real estate loans45,673  0.26% 48,771  0.33% 49,650  0.36%
Residential mortgage loans5,060  0.12% 5,302  0.13% 5,041  0.12%
Consumer loans:           
 Home equity459  0.09% 487  0.10% 598  0.12%
 Auto and other consumer6,508  0.28% 6,291  0.27% 5,614  0.26%
Total consumer loans6,967  0.24% 6,778  0.24% 6,212  0.23%
Total allowance for credit losses$164,604  0.55% $164,770  0.62% $156,295  0.62%
Allowance for credit losses as a %           
of non-PCI loans  0.71%   0.72%   0.75%
           
* Includes the reserve for unfunded letters of credit.          

Our loan portfolio, totaling $29.7 billion at December 31, 2019, had net loan charge-offs of $5.6 million for the fourth quarter 2019 as compared to $2.0 million and $1.0 million of net loan charge-offs for the third quarter 2019 and the fourth quarter 2018, respectively. The net loan charge-offs increased to $15.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 from $658 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2018.  The higher level of loan charge-offs in 2019 was partly driven by taxi medallion loans charge-offs totaling $2.9 million and $6.5 million for the fourth quarter 2019 and the year ended December 31, 2019, respectively.

During the fourth quarter 2019, we recorded a provision for credit losses totaling $5.4 million as compared to $8.7 million for the third quarter 2019 and $7.9 million for the fourth quarter 2018. The lower provision in the fourth quarter 2019 was largely due to improved credit quality, including lower loan concentration risk, and the impact of net non-PCI loan activities, including loan sales from the commercial real estate portfolio.

The allowance for credit losses, comprised of our allowance for loan losses and reserve for unfunded letters of credit, as a percentage of total loans was 0.55 percent at December 31, 2019 and 0.62 percent at both September 30, 2019 and December 31, 2018. At December 31, 2019, our allowance allocations for losses as a percentage of total loans decreased as compared to September 30, 2019 mainly due to higher PCI loan balances resulting from the Oritani acquisition.

Capital Adequacy

Valley's regulatory capital ratios continue to reflect its well capitalized position. Valley's total risk-based capital, Tier 1 capital, Tier 1 leverage capital, and common equity Tier 1 capital ratios were 11.72 percent, 10.15 percent, 8.16 percent and 9.42 percent, respectively, at December 31, 2019.

Investor Conference Call

Valley will host a conference call with investors and the financial community at 11:00 AM Eastern Standard Time, today to discuss the fourth quarter 2019 earnings. Those wishing to participate in the call may dial toll-free (866) 354-0432 (Conference ID: 3997893). The teleconference will also be webcast live: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/xgdfey4m and archived on Valley’s website through Monday, March 2, 2020. 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 approximately $37.5 billion in assets. Valley is committed to giving people and businesses the power to succeed. Valley operates many convenient branch locations across New Jersey, New York, Florida and Alabama, and is committed to providing exceptional 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 Service 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 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 “should,” “expect,” “believe,” “view,” “opportunity,” “allow,” “continues,” “reflects,” “typically,” “usually,” “anticipate,” 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 inability to realize expected cost savings and synergies from the Oritani merger in amounts or in the timeframe anticipated;
  • costs or difficulties relating to Oritani integration matters might be greater than expected;
  • the inability to retain customers and qualified employees of Oritani;
  • 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;
  • weakness or a decline in the economy, mainly in New Jersey, New York, Florida and Alabama, as well as an unexpected decline in commercial real estate values within our market areas;
  • the inability to grow customer deposits to keep pace with loan growth;
  • a material change in our expected allowance for credit losses due to the adoption of CECL (current expected credit loss) model effective January 1, 2020;
  • the need to supplement debt or equity capital to maintain or exceed internal capital thresholds;
  • 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;
  • the loss of or decrease in lower-cost funding sources within our deposit base, including our inability to achieve deposit retention targets under Valley's branch transformation strategy;
  • cyber-attacks, computer viruses or other malware that may breach the security of our websites or other systems to obtain unauthorized access to confidential information, destroy data, disable or degrade service, or sabotage our systems;
  • results of examinations by the OCC, the FRB, the 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;
  • damage verdicts or settlements or restrictions related to existing or potential litigations arising from claims of violations of laws or regulations brought as class actions, breach of fiduciary responsibility, negligence, fraud, contractual claims, environmental laws, patent or trademark infringement, employment related claims, and other matters;
  • 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 or other external events;
  • 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; and
  • the failure of other financial institutions with whom we have trading, clearing, counterparty and other financial relationships.

A detailed discussion of factors that could affect our results is included in our SEC filings, including the “Risk Factors” section of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018.

We undertake no duty to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in our expectations.  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.

-Tables to Follow-


SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

 Three Months Ended Years Ended
 December 31, September 30, December 31, December 31,
($ in thousands, except for share data)2019 2019 2018 2019 2018
FINANCIAL DATA:         
Net interest income$238,541  $220,625  $222,053  $898,048  $857,203 
Net interest income - FTE (1)239,615  221,747  223,414  902,679  862,922 
Non-interest income38,094  41,150  34,694  214,520  134,052 
Non-interest expense196,146  145,877  153,712  631,555  629,061 
Income tax expense36,967  25,307  18,074  147,002  68,265 
Net income38,104  81,891  77,102  309,793  261,428 
Dividends on preferred stock3,172  3,172  3,172  12,688  12,688 
Net income available to common stockholders$34,932  $78,719  $73,930  $297,105  $248,740 
Weighted average number of common shares outstanding:         
Basic355,821,005  331,797,982  331,492,648  337,792,270  331,258,964 
Diluted358,864,876  333,405,196  332,856,385  340,117,808  332,693,718 
Per common share data:         
Basic earnings$0.10  $0.24  $0.22  $0.88  $0.75 
Diluted earnings0.10  0.24  0.22  0.87  0.75 
Cash dividends declared0.11  0.11  0.11  0.44  0.44 
Closing stock price - high12.07  11.21  11.51  12.07  13.28 
Closing stock price - low10.60  10.04  8.45  9.00  8.45 
CORE ADJUSTED FINANCIAL DATA: (2)         
Net income available to common shareholders, as adjusted$87,478  $79,962  $69,478  $314,170  $269,897 
Basic earnings per share, as adjusted0.25  0.24  0.21  0.93  0.81 
Diluted earnings per share, as adjusted0.24  0.24  0.21  0.92  0.81 
FINANCIAL RATIOS:        `
Net interest margin2.95% 2.89% 3.08% 2.94% 3.09%
Net interest margin - FTE (1)2.96  2.91  3.10  2.95  3.11 
Annualized return on average assets0.43  0.98  0.98  0.93  0.86 
Annualized return on avg. shareholders' equity4.01  9.26  9.23  8.71  7.91 
Annualized return on avg. tangible shareholders' equity (2)5.98  13.75  14.17  13.05  12.21 
Efficiency ratio (3)70.90  55.73  59.87  56.77  63.46 
CORE ADJUSTED FINANCIAL RATIOS: (2)         
Annualized return on average assets, as adjusted1.03% 1.00% 0.93% 0.98% 0.93%
Annualized return on average shareholders' equity, as adjusted9.53  9.40  8.70  9.19  8.55 
Annualized return on average tangible shareholders' equity, as adjusted14.23  13.96  13.36  13.77  13.20 
Efficiency ratio, as adjusted52.43  53.48  56.68  53.78  57.90 
AVERAGE BALANCE SHEET ITEMS:         
Assets$35,315,682  $33,419,137  $31,328,729  $33,442,738  $30,229,276 
Interest earning assets32,337,660  30,494,569  28,806,620  30,575,530  27,702,911 
Loans27,968,383  26,136,745  24,530,919  26,235,253  23,340,330 
Interest bearing liabilities24,244,902  22,858,121  21,515,197  22,948,872  20,528,920 
Deposits26,833,714  24,836,349  23,702,885  25,292,397  22,418,142 
Shareholders' equity3,804,902  3,536,528  3,340,411  3,555,483  3,304,531 
               


  
 As of
BALANCE SHEET ITEMS:December 31, September 30, June 30, March 31, December 31,
(In thousands)2019 2019 2019 2019 2018
Assets$37,453,416  $33,765,539  $33,027,741  $32,476,991  $31,863,088 
Total loans29,699,208  26,567,159  25,802,162  25,423,118  25,035,469 
Non-PCI loans23,069,609  23,029,991  22,030,205  21,418,778  20,845,383 
Deposits29,185,837  25,546,122  24,773,929  24,907,496  24,452,974 
Shareholders' equity4,384,188  3,558,075  3,504,118  3,444,879  3,350,454 
          
LOANS:         
(In thousands)         
Commercial and industrial$4,825,997  $4,695,608  $4,615,765  $4,504,927  $4,331,032 
Commercial real estate:         
Commercial real estate15,996,741  13,365,454  12,798,017  12,665,425  12,407,275 
Construction1,647,018  1,537,590  1,528,968  1,454,199  1,488,132 
Total commercial real estate17,643,759  14,903,044  14,326,985  14,119,624  13,895,407 
Residential mortgage4,377,111  4,133,331  4,072,450  4,071,237  4,111,400 
Consumer:         
Home equity487,272  489,808  501,646  513,066  517,089 
Automobile1,451,623  1,436,608  1,362,466  1,347,759  1,319,571 
Other consumer913,446  908,760  922,850  866,505  860,970 
Total consumer loans2,852,341  2,835,176  2,786,962  2,727,330  2,697,630 
 Total loans$29,699,208  $26,567,159  $25,802,162  $25,423,118  $25,035,469 
          
CAPITAL RATIOS:         
Book value per common share$10.35  $10.09  $9.93  $9.75  $9.48 
Tangible book value per common share (2)6.73  6.62  6.45  6.26  5.97 
Tangible common equity to tangible assets (2)7.54% 6.73% 6.71% 6.63% 6.45%
Tier 1 leverage capital8.16  7.61  7.62  7.58  7.57 
Common equity tier 1 capital9.42  8.49  8.59  8.53  8.43 
Tier 1 risk-based capital10.15  9.30  9.43  9.38  9.30 
Total risk-based capital11.72  11.03  11.39  11.37  11.34 
               


 Three Months Ended Years Ended
ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES:December 31, September 30, December 31, December 31,
($ in thousands)2019 2019 2018 2019 2018
Beginning balance - Allowance for credit losses$164,770  $158,079  $149,475  $156,295  $124,452 
Loans charged-off:         
Commercial and industrial(5,378) (527) (909) (13,260) (2,515)
Commercial real estate  (158)   (158) (348)
Residential mortgage  (111) (56) (126) (223)
Total Consumer(2,700) (2,191) (1,194) (8,671) (4,977)
Total loans charged-off(8,078) (2,987) (2,159) (22,215) (8,063)
Charged-off loans recovered:         
Commercial and industrial389  330  566  2,397  4,623 
Commercial real estate1,166  28  21  1,237  417 
Residential mortgage53  3  3  66  272 
Total Consumer886  617  530  2,606  2,093 
Total loans recovered2,494  978  1,120  6,306  7,405 
Net charge-offs(5,584) (2,009) (1,039) (15,909) (658)
Provision for credit losses5,418  8,700  7,859  24,218  32,501 
Ending balance - Allowance for credit losses$164,604  $164,770  $156,295  $164,604  $156,295 
Components of allowance for credit losses:         
Allowance for loans$161,759  $161,853  $151,859  $161,759  $151,859 
Allowance for unfunded letters of credit2,845  2,917  4,436  2,845  4,436 
Allowance for credit losses$164,604  $164,770  $156,295  $164,604  $156,295 
Components of provision for credit losses:         
Provision for loan losses$5,490  $8,757  $7,935  $25,809  $31,661 
Provision for unfunded letters of credit(72) (57) (76) (1,591) 840 
Provision for credit losses$5,418  $8,700  $7,859  $24,218  $32,501 
          
Annualized ratio of total net charge-offs to average loans0.08% 0.03% 0.02% 0.06% 0.00%
Allowance for credit losses as a % of non-PCI loans0.71% 0.72% 0.75% 0.71% 0.75%
Allowance for credit losses as a % of total loans0.55% 0.62% 0.62% 0.55% 0.62%
               


  
 As of
ASSET QUALITY: (4)December 31, September 30, June 30, March 31, December 31,
($ in thousands)2019 2019 2019 2019 2018
Accruing past due loans:         
30 to 59 days past due:         
Commercial and industrial$11,700  $5,702  $14,119  $5,120  $13,085 
Commercial real estate2,560  20,851  6,202  39,362  9,521 
Construction1,486  11,523    1,911  2,829 
Residential mortgage17,143  12,945  19,131  15,856  16,576 
Total Consumer13,704  13,079  11,932  6,647  9,740 
Total 30 to 59 days past due46,593  64,100  51,384  68,896  51,751 
60 to 89 days past due:         
Commercial and industrial2,227  3,158  4,135  1,756  3,768 
Commercial real estate4,026  735  354  2,156  530 
Construction1,343  7,129  1,342     
Residential mortgage4,192  4,417  3,635  3,635  2,458 
Total Consumer2,527  1,577  1,484  990  1,386 
Total 60 to 89 days past due14,315  17,016  10,950  8,537  8,142 
90 or more days past due:         
Commercial and industrial3,986  4,133  3,298  2,670  6,156 
Commercial real estate579  1,125      27 
Construction         
Residential mortgage2,042  1,347  1,054  1,402  1,288 
Total Consumer711  756  359  523  341 
Total 90 or more days past due7,318  7,361  4,711  4,595  7,812 
Total accruing past due loans$68,226  $88,477  $67,045  $82,028  $67,705 
Non-accrual loans:         
Commercial and industrial$68,636  $75,311  $76,216  $76,270  $70,096 
Commercial real estate9,004  9,560  6,231  2,663  2,372 
Construction356  356    378  356 
Residential mortgage12,858  13,772  12,069  11,921  12,917 
Total Consumer2,204  2,050  1,999  2,178  2,655 
Total non-accrual loans93,058  101,049  96,515  93,410  88,396 
Other real estate owned (OREO)9,414  6,415  7,161  7,317  9,491 
Other repossessed assets1,276  2,568  2,358  2,628  744 
Non-accrual debt securities (5)680  680  680     
Total non-performing assets$104,428  $110,712  $106,714  $103,355  $98,631 
Performing troubled debt restructured loans$73,012  $79,364  $74,385  $73,081  $77,216 
Total non-accrual loans as a % of loans0.31% 0.38% 0.37% 0.37% 0.35%
Total accruing past due and non-accrual loans as a % of loans0.54% 0.71% 0.63% 0.69% 0.62%
Allowance for loan losses as a % of non-accrual loans173.83% 160.17% 160.71% 165.27% 171.79%
Non-performing purchased credit-impaired loans (6)$70,160  $63,522  $55,085  $56,182  $56,125 
                    


NOTES TO SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA

(1)Net interest income and net interest margin are presented on a tax equivalent basis using a 21 percent federal tax rate. Valley believes that this presentation provides comparability of net interest income and net interest margin arising from both taxable and tax-exempt sources and is consistent with industry practice and SEC rules.
   
(2)This press release contains certain supplemental financial information, described in the Notes below, which has been determined by methods other than U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles ("GAAP") that management uses in its analysis of Valley's performance. Management believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide information useful to investors in understanding Valley's financial results. Specifically, Valley provides measures based on what it believes are its operating earnings on a consistent basis and excludes material non-core operating items which affect the GAAP reporting of results of operations. Management utilizes these measures for internal planning and forecasting purposes. Management believes that Valley's presentation and discussion, together with the accompanying reconciliations, provides a complete understanding of factors and trends affecting Valley's business and allows investors to view performance in a manner similar to management. These non-GAAP measures should not be considered a substitute for GAAP basis measures and results and Valley strongly encourages investors to review its consolidated financial statements in their entirety and not to rely on any single financial measure. Because non-GAAP financial measures are not standardized, it may not be possible to compare these financial measures with other companies' non-GAAP financial measures having the same or similar names.


 Three Months Ended Years Ended
 December 31, September 30, December 31, December 31,
($ in thousands, except for share data)2019 2019 2018 2019 2018
Adjusted net income available to common shareholders:         
Net income, as reported$38,104  $81,891  $77,102  $309,793  $261,428 
Less: Gain on the sale of Visa Class B shares (net of tax)(a)    (4,677)   (4,677)
Less: Gain on sale leaseback transactions (net of tax)(b)      (56,414)  
Add: Losses on extinguishment of debt (net of tax)22,992      22,992   
Add: Net impairment losses on securities (net of tax)      2,104   
Add: Losses on securities transactions (net of tax)26  67  1,047  108  1,677 
Add: Severance expense (net of tax)(c)    1,907  3,477  1,907 
Add: Tax credit investment impairment (net of tax)(d)      1,746   
Add: Branch related asset impairment (net of tax)(e)        1,304 
Add: Legal expenses (litigation reserve impact only, net of tax)        8,726 
Add: Merger related expenses (net of tax)(f)10,861  1,043  (455) 11,929  12,494 
Add: Income tax expense (benefit)(g)18,667  133  (2,274) 31,123  (274)
Net income, as adjusted$90,650  $83,134  $72,650  $326,858  $282,585 
Dividends on preferred stock3,172  3,172  3,172  12,688  12,688 
Net income available to common shareholders, as adjusted$87,478  $79,962  $69,478  $314,170  $269,897 
_____________         
(a) The gain from the sale of non-marketable securities is included in other non-interest income.
(b) The gain on sale leaseback transactions is included in gains on the sales of assets within other non-interest income.
(c) Severance expenses are included in salary and employee benefits expense.
(d) Impairment is included in the amortization of tax credit investments.
(e) Branch related asset impairment is included in net losses on sale of assets within non-interest income.
(f) Merger related expenses are primarily within salary and employee benefits expense, professional and legal fees, and other expense.
(g) Income tax expense related to reserves for uncertain tax positions in 2019, and the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and a USAB acquisition charge in 2018.
          
Adjusted per common share data:         
Net income available to common shareholders, as adjusted$87,478  $79,962  $69,478  $314,170  $269,897 
Average number of shares outstanding355,821,005  331,797,982  331,492,648  337,792,270  331,258,964 
Basic earnings, as adjusted$0.25  $0.24  $0.21  $0.93  $0.81 
Average number of diluted shares outstanding358,864,876  333,405,196  332,856,385  340,117,808  332,693,718 
Diluted earnings, as adjusted$0.24  $0.24  $0.21  $0.92  $0.81 
                    


    
 Three Months Ended Years Ended
 December 31, September 30, December 31, December 31,
($ in thousands)2019 2019 2018 2019 2018
Adjusted annualized return on average tangible shareholders' equity:         
Net income, as adjusted$90,650  $83,134  $72,650  $326,858  $282,585 
Average shareholders' equity3,804,902  3,536,528  3,340,411  3,555,483  3,304,531 
Less: Average goodwill and other intangible assets1,256,137  1,154,462  1,164,638  1,182,140  1,163,398 
Average tangible shareholders' equity$2,548,765  $2,382,066  $2,175,773  $2,373,343  $2,141,133 
Annualized return on average tangible shareholders' equity, as adjusted14.23% 13.96% 13.36% 13.77% 13.20%
Adjusted annualized return on average assets:         
Net income, as adjusted$90,650  $83,134  $72,650  $326,858  $282,585 
Average assets$35,315,682  $33,419,137  $31,328,729  $33,442,738  $30,229,276 
Annualized return on average assets, as adjusted1.03% 1.00% 0.93% 0.98% 0.93%
Adjusted annualized return on average shareholders' equity:         
Net income, as adjusted$90,650  $83,134  $72,650  $326,858  $282,585 
Average shareholders' equity$3,804,902  $3,536,528  $3,340,411  $3,555,483  $3,304,531 
Annualized return on average shareholders' equity, as adjusted9.53% 9.40% 8.70% 9.19% 8.55%


Annualized return on average tangible shareholders' equity:         
Net income, as reported$38,104  $81,891  $77,102  $309,793  $261,428 
Average shareholders' equity3,804,902  3,536,528  3,340,411  3,555,483  3,304,531 
Less: Average goodwill and other intangible assets1,256,137  1,154,462  1,164,638  1,182,140  1,163,398 
 Average tangible shareholders' equity$2,548,765  $2,382,066  $2,175,773  $2,373,343  $2,141,133 
Annualized return on average tangible shareholders' equity5.98% 13.75% 14.17% 13.05% 12.21%
Adjusted efficiency ratio:         
Non-interest expense$196,146  $145,877  $153,712  $631,555  $629,061 
Less: Loss on extinguishment of debt (pre-tax)31,995      31,995   
Less:  Severance expense (pre-tax)    2,662  4,838  2,662 
Less:  Legal expenses (litigation reserve impact only, pre-tax)        12,184 
Less:  Merger-related expenses (pre-tax)15,110  1,434  (635) 16,579  17,445 
Less:  Amortization of tax credit investments (pre-tax)3,971  4,385  9,044  20,392  24,200 
Non-interest expense, as adjusted145,070  140,058  142,641  557,751  572,570 
Net interest income238,541  220,625  222,053  898,048  857,203 
Non-interest income, as reported38,094  41,150  34,694  214,520  134,052 
Add:  Net impairment losses on securities (pre-tax)      2,928   
Add:  Branch related asset impairment (pre-tax)        1,821 
Add:  Losses on securities transactions, net (pre-tax)36  93  1,462  150  2,342 
Less:  Gain on the sale of Visa Class B shares (pre-tax)    6,530    6,530 
Less:  Gain on sale leaseback transaction (pre-tax)      78,505   
Non-interest income, as adjusted$38,130  $41,243  $29,626  $139,093  $131,685 
Gross operating income, as adjusted$276,671  $261,868  $251,679  $1,037,141  $988,888 
Efficiency ratio, as adjusted52.43% 53.48% 56.68% 53.78% 57.90%


 As Of
 December 31, September 30, June 30, March 31, December 31,
($ in thousands, except for share data)2019 2019 2019 2019 2018
Tangible book value per common share:         
Common shares outstanding403,278,390  331,805,564  331,788,149  331,732,636  331,431,217 
Shareholders' equity$4,384,188  $3,558,075  $3,504,118  $3,444,879  $3,350,454 
Less: Preferred Stock209,691  209,691  209,691  209,691  209,691 
Less: Goodwill and other intangible assets1,460,397  1,152,815  1,155,250  1,158,245  1,161,655 
Tangible common shareholders' equity$2,714,100  $2,195,569  $2,139,177  $2,076,943  $1,979,108 
  Tangible book value per common share$6.73  $6.62  $6.45  $6.26  $5.97 
Tangible common equity to tangible assets:         
Tangible common shareholders' equity$2,714,100  $2,195,569  $2,139,177  $2,076,943  $1,979,108 
Total assets$37,453,416  $33,765,539  $33,027,741  $32,476,991  $31,863,088 
Less: Goodwill and other intangible assets1,460,397  1,152,815  1,155,250  1,158,245  1,161,655 
Tangible assets$35,993,019  $32,612,724  $31,872,491  $31,318,746  $30,701,433 
  Tangible common equity to tangible assets7.54% 6.73% 6.71% 6.63% 6.45%


(3)The efficiency ratio measures Valley's total non-interest expense as a percentage of net interest income plus total non-interest income.
   
(4)Past due loans and non-accrual loans exclude purchased credit-impaired (PCI) loans.  PCI loans are accounted for on a pool basis under U.S. GAAP and are not subject to delinquency classification in the same manner as loans originated by Valley.
   
(5)Represents an other-than-temporarily impaired municipal bond security classified as available for sale presented at its carrying value at June 30, 2019, September 30, 2019, and December 31, 2019.
   
(6)Represent PCI loans meeting Valley's definition of non-performing loan (i.e., non-accrual loans), but are not subject to such classification under U.S. GAAP because the loans are accounted for on a pooled basis and are excluded from the non-accrual loans in the table above.
   
SHAREHOLDERS RELATIONS
Requests for copies of reports and/or other inquiries should be directed to Tina Zarkadas, Assistant Vice President, Shareholder Relations Specialist, Valley National Bancorp, 1455 Valley Road, Wayne, New Jersey, 07470, by telephone at (973) 305-3380, by fax at (973) 305-1364 or by e-mail at tzarkadas@valley.com.
 


 December 31,
 2019 2018
 (Unaudited)  
Assets   
Cash and due from banks$256,264  $251,541 
Interest bearing deposits with banks178,423  177,088 
Investment securities:   
Equity securities41,410   
Available for sale debt securities1,566,801  1,749,544 
Held to maturity (fair value of $2,358,720 at December 31, 2019 and $2,034,943 at December 31, 2018)2,336,095  2,068,246 
Total investment securities3,944,306  3,817,790 
Loans held for sale, at fair value76,113  35,155 
Loans29,699,208  25,035,469 
Less: Allowance for loan losses(161,759) (151,859)
Net loans29,537,449  24,883,610 
Premises and equipment, net334,533  341,630 
Lease right of use assets285,129   
Bank owned life insurance540,169  439,602 
Accrued interest receivable105,637  95,296 
Goodwill1,373,625  1,084,665 
Other intangible assets, net86,772  76,990 
Other assets734,996  659,721 
      Total Assets$37,453,416  $31,863,088 
Liabilities   
Deposits:   
Non-interest bearing$6,710,408  $6,175,495 
Interest bearing:   
Savings, NOW and money market12,757,484  11,213,495 
Time9,717,945  7,063,984 
Total deposits29,185,837  24,452,974 
Short-term borrowings1,093,280  2,118,914 
Long-term borrowings2,122,426  1,654,268 
Junior subordinated debentures issued to capital trusts55,718  55,370 
Lease Liabilities309,849  3,125 
Accrued expenses and other liabilities302,118  227,983 
     Total Liabilities33,069,228  28,512,634 
Shareholders’ Equity   
Preferred stock, no par value; 50,000,000 shares authorized:   
Series A (4,600,000 shares issued at December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018)111,590  111,590 
Series B (4,000,000 shares issued at December 31, 2019 and December 31, 2018)98,101  98,101 
Common stock (no par value, authorized 450,000,000 shares; issued 403,322,773 shares at December 31, 2019 and 331,634,951 shares at December 31, 2018)141,423  116,240 
Surplus3,622,208  2,796,499 
Retained earnings443,559  299,642 
Accumulated other comprehensive loss(32,214) (69,431)
Treasury stock, at cost (44,383 common shares at December 31, 2019 and 203,734 common shares at December 31, 2018)(479) (2,187)
     Total Shareholders’ Equity4,384,188  3,350,454 
     Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity$37,453,416  $31,863,088 
        


    
 Three Months Ended Years Ended
 December 31, September 30, December 31, December 31,
 2019 2019 2018 2019 2018
Interest Income         
Interest and fees on loans$315,313  $298,384  $282,847  $1,198,908  $1,033,993 
Interest and dividends on investment securities:         
Taxable19,760  21,801  22,399  86,926  87,306 
Tax-exempt4,041  4,219  5,121  17,420  21,504 
Dividends2,883  3,171  3,561  12,023  13,209 
Interest on other short-term investments1,776  1,686  666  5,723  3,236 
Total interest income343,773  329,261  314,594  1,321,000  1,159,248 
Interest Expense         
Interest on deposits:         
Savings, NOW and money market34,930  35,944  32,546  145,177  108,394 
Time45,343  42,848  30,599  166,693  81,959 
Interest on short-term borrowings7,500  12,953  14,092  47,862  45,930 
Interest on long-term borrowings and junior subordinated debentures17,459  16,891  15,304  63,220  65,762 
Total interest expense105,232  108,636  92,541  422,952  302,045 
Net Interest Income238,541  220,625  222,053  898,048  857,203 
Provision for credit losses5,418  8,700  7,859  24,218  32,501 
Net Interest Income After Provision for Credit Losses233,123  211,925  214,194  873,830  824,702 
Non-Interest Income         
Trust and investment services3,350  3,296  2,998  12,646  12,633 
Insurance commissions2,487  2,748  3,720  10,409  15,213 
Service charges on deposit accounts6,002  5,904  6,288  23,636  26,817 
Losses on securities transactions, net(36) (93) (1,462) (150) (2,342)
Other-than-temporary impairment losses on securities      (2,928)  
Portion recognized in other comprehensive income (before taxes)         
Net impairment losses on securities recognized in earnings      (2,928)  
Fees from loan servicing2,534  2,463  2,478  9,794  9,319 
Gains on sales of loans, net5,214  5,194  2,372  18,914  20,515 
Gains (losses) on sales of assets, net1,336  (159) (280) 78,333  (2,401)
Bank owned life insurance1,453  2,687  1,731  8,232  8,691 
Other15,754  19,110  16,849  55,634  45,607 
Total non-interest income38,094  41,150  34,694  214,520  134,052 
Non-Interest Expense         
Salary and employee benefits expense90,872  77,271  80,802  327,431  333,816 
Net occupancy and equipment expense31,402  29,203  27,643  118,191  108,763 
FDIC insurance assessment5,560  5,098  7,303  21,710  28,266 
Amortization of other intangible assets4,905  4,694  4,809  18,080  18,416 
Professional and legal fees5,524  5,870  5,119  20,810  34,141 
Loss on extinguishment of debt31,995      31,995   
Amortization of tax credit investments3,971  4,385  9,044  20,392  24,200 
Telecommunication expense2,566  2,698  2,166  9,883  12,102 
Other19,351  16,658  16,826  63,063  69,357 
Total non-interest expense196,146  145,877  153,712  631,555  629,061 
Income Before Income Taxes75,071  107,198  95,176  456,795  329,693 
Income tax expense36,967  25,307  18,074  147,002  68,265 
Net Income38,104  81,891  77,102  309,793  261,428 
Dividends on preferred stock3,172  3,172  3,172  12,688  12,688 
Net Income Available to Common Shareholders$34,932  $78,719  $73,930  $297,105  $248,740 
          
 Three Months Ended Years Ended
 December 31, September 30, December 31, December 31,
 2019 2019 2018 2019 2018
Earnings Per Common Share:         
Basic$0.10  $0.24  $0.22  $0.88  $0.75 
Diluted0.10  0.24  0.22  0.87  0.75 
Cash Dividends Declared per Common Share0.11  0.11  0.11  0.44  0.44 
Weighted Average Number of Common Shares Outstanding:         
Basic355,821,005  331,797,982  331,492,648  337,792,270  331,258,964 
Diluted358,864,876  333,405,196  332,856,385  340,117,808  332,693,718 
               


  
 VALLEY NATIONAL BANCORP
 Quarterly Analysis of Average Assets, Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity and
 Net Interest Income on a Tax Equivalent Basis
 Three Months Ended
 December 31, 2019 September 30, 2019 December 31, 2018
  Average   Avg.  Average   Avg.  Average   Avg.
($ in thousands) Balance  Interest Rate  Balance  Interest Rate  Balance  Interest Rate
Assets                 
Interest earning assets:                 
Loans (1)(2)$27,968,383  $315,313  4.51% $26,136,745  $298,384  4.57% $24,530,919  $282,847  4.61%
Taxable investments (3)3,322,536  22,643  2.73% 3,411,330  24,972  2.93% 3,398,396  25,960  3.06%
Tax-exempt investments (1)(3)608,651  5,115  3.36% 632,709  5,341  3.38% 713,552  6,482  3.63%
Interest bearing deposits with banks438,090  1,776  1.62% 313,785  1,686  2.15% 163,753  666  1.63%
Total interest earning assets32,337,660  344,847  4.27% 30,494,569  330,383  4.33% 28,806,620  315,955  4.39%
Other assets2,978,022      2,924,568      2,522,109     
Total assets$35,315,682      $33,419,137      $31,328,729     
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity                 
Interest bearing liabilities:                 
Savings, NOW and money market deposits$11,813,261  $34,930  1.18% $11,065,959  $35,944  1.30% $11,186,180  $32,546  1.16%
Time deposits8,428,153  45,343  2.15% 7,383,202  42,848  2.32% 6,245,803  30,599  1.96%
Short-term borrowings1,625,873  7,500  1.85% 2,265,528  12,953  2.29% 2,316,020  14,092  2.43%
Long-term borrowings (4)2,377,615  17,459  2.94% 2,143,432  16,891  3.15% 1,767,194  15,304  3.46%
Total interest bearing liabilities24,244,902  105,232  1.74% 22,858,121  108,636  1.90% 21,515,197  92,541  1.72%
Non-interest bearing deposits6,592,300      6,387,188      6,270,902     
Other liabilities673,578      637,300      202,219     
Shareholders' equity3,804,902      3,536,528      3,340,411     
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity$35,315,682      $33,419,137      $31,328,729     
Net interest income/interest rate spread (5)  $239,615  2.53%   $221,747  2.43%   $223,414  2.67%
Tax equivalent adjustment  (1,074)     (1,122)     (1,361)  
Net interest income, as reported  $238,541      $220,625      $222,053   
Net interest margin (6)    2.95%     2.89%     3.08%
Tax equivalent effect    0.01%     0.02%     0.02%
Net interest margin on a fully tax  equivalent basis (6)    2.96%     2.91%     3.10%


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(1)Interest income is presented on a tax equivalent basis using a 21 percent federal tax rate.
(2)Loans are stated net of unearned income and include non-accrual loans.
(3)The yield for securities that are classified as available for sale is based on the average historical amortized cost.
(4)Includes junior subordinated debentures issued to capital trusts which are presented separately on the consolidated statements of condition.
(5)Interest rate spread represents the difference between the average yield on interest earning assets and the average cost of interest bearing liabilities and is presented on a fully tax equivalent basis.
(6)Net interest income as a percentage of total average interest earning assets.
   

   
Contact: Michael D. Hagedorn
  Senior Executive Vice President and
  Chief Financial Officer
  973-872-4885