Bankwell Financial Group Reports Operating Results for the Third Quarter and Declares Fourth Quarter Dividend

Bankwell Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:BWFG) reported GAAP net income of $9.8 million, or $1.25 per share for the third quarter of 2023, versus $9.2 million, or $1.18 per share, for the same period in 2022.

The Company's Board of Directors declared a $0.20 per share cash dividend, payable November 20, 2023 to shareholders of record on November 10, 2023.

We recommend reading this earnings release in conjunction with the Third Quarter 2023 Investor Presentation, located at http://investor.mybankwell.com/Presentations and included as an exhibit to our October 25, 2023 Current Report on Form 8-K.

Notes Bankwell Financial Group President and CEO, Christopher R. Gruseke:

"We continue to generate quality returns for our shareholders in a complex interest rate environment. Despite the compression of our Net Interest Margin during the current tightening cycle, our team has delivered a 1.16% Return on Average Assets and a 15.16% Return on Average Equity thus far this year. Our commitment to rigorous expense management lays a solid foundation for our financial success. Non-Interest Expense as a percentage Average Assets stands at 1.54% year-to date, putting Bankwell well ahead of industry peers on this key metric. I applaud the efforts and hard work of our team who enable the Company to perform at this level of efficiency."

Third Quarter 2023 Highlights:

• Total gross loans were $2.8 billion, growing $94.7 million, or 3.5%, compared to December 31, 2022.
• Deposits were $2.8 billion, decreasing $32.2 million, or 1.1%, compared to December 31, 2022.
• Brokered deposits decreased $75.3 million, when compared to December 31, 2022.
• FDIC-insured deposits totaled $2.0 billion and represent 71.2% of total deposits as of September 30, 2023.
• As of September 30, 2023, the Bank has $1.7 billion immediately available liquidity, more than two times coverage of uninsured deposits.
• Average yield on 2023 funded loans was 7.23% as of September 30, 2023.
• Return on average assets was 1.19% for the quarter ended September 30, 2023.
• Return on average shareholders' equity was 15.19% for the quarter ended September 30, 2023.
• The net interest margin was 2.85% for the quarter ended September 30, 2023.
• Noninterest expense to average assets was 1.48% for the quarter ended September 30, 2023.
• Investment securities totaled $115.8 million and represent 3.6% of total assets, with HTM securities totaling $15.9 million, or 0.5% of total assets.
• Allowance for credit losses (ACL)-Loans to total loans was 1.06% as of September 30, 2023.

Earnings and Performance

Revenues (net interest income plus noninterest income) for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 were $23.5 million, versus $25.0 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2022. Revenues for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 were $75.9 million, versus $70.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022. The decrease in revenues for the quarter was primarily attributable to an increase in interest expense partially offset by an increase in interest on loans due to higher overall loan yields¹. The increase in revenues for the nine months ended 2023 was primarily attributable to an increase in interest and fees on loans due to loan growth and higher overall loan yields¹ partially offset by an increase in interest expense.

Net income for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 was $9.8 million, versus $9.2 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2022. Net income for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was $28.1 million, versus $29.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2022. The increase in net income for the quarter ended 2023 was primarily due to the credit for credit losses, partially offset by an increase in noninterest expense, and the aforementioned decrease in revenues. The decrease in net income for nine months ended 2023 was due to an increase in noninterest expense partially offset by the aforementioned increase in revenues.

Basic and diluted earnings per share were $1.25 and $1.25, respectively, for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 compared to basic and diluted earnings per share of $1.19 and $1.18, respectively, for the quarter ended September 30, 2022. Basic and diluted earnings per share were $3.61 and $3.58, respectively, for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 compared to basic and diluted earnings per share of $3.80 and $3.75, respectively, for the nine months ended September 30, 2022.

The net interest margin (fully taxable equivalent basis) for the quarters ended September 30, 2023 and September 30, 2022 was 2.85% and 4.12%, respectively. The net interest margin (fully taxable equivalent basis) for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 and September 30, 2022 was 3.04% and 3.81%, respectively. The decrease in the net interest margin was due to an increase in funding costs partially offset by an increase in earning assets.

ACL-Loans

The ACL-Loans was $29.3 million as of September 30, 2023 compared to $30.7 million as of June 30, 2023, for a release of $1.4 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2023. The ACL-Loans as a percentage of total loans was 1.06% as of September 30, 2023 compared to 1.11% as of June 30, 2023. The reduction for the quarter was primarily due to a revision in the CECL methodology given further refinement of the Company's loan portfolio segmentation.

The ACL-Loans was $29.3 million as of September 30, 2023 compared to $22.4 million as of December 31, 2022, an increase of $6.9 million year to date, of which $5.1 million being the CECL transition adjustment to retained earnings. The ACL-Loans as a percentage of total loans was 1.06% as of September 30, 2023 compared to 0.84% as of December 31, 2022. The increase in the ACL-Loans provision for credit losses was primarily driven by loan growth and forward looking CECL macroeconomic factors.

Financial Condition

Assets totaled $3.2 billion at September 30, 2023, a decrease of $2.7 million or 0.1% compared to December 31, 2022. Gross loans totaled $2.8 billion at September 30, 2023, an increase of $94.7 million, or 3.5% compared to December 31, 2022. Deposits totaled $2.8 billion at September 30, 2023, a decrease of $32.2 million, or 1.1% compared to December 31, 2022.

Capital

Shareholders' equity totaled $257.9 million as of September 30, 2023, an increase of $19.4 million compared to December 31, 2022, primarily a result of net income of $28.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023. The increase was partially offset by the Day 1 CECL adoption of $4.9 million, dividends paid of $4.7 million, and a $1.3 million unfavorable impact to accumulated other comprehensive income. The unfavorable impact to accumulated other comprehensive income was driven by fair value marks on the Company's available for sale investment securities portfolio of $1.4 million partially offset by fair value marks related to hedge positions involving interest rate swaps of $0.1 million. The Company's interest rate swaps are used to hedge interest rate risk.

About Bankwell Financial Group

Bankwell is a commercial bank that serves the banking needs of residents and businesses throughout Fairfield and New Haven Counties, Connecticut. For more information about this press release, interested parties may contact Christopher R. Gruseke, President and Chief Executive Officer or Courtney E. Sacchetti, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of Bankwell Financial Group at (203) 652-0166.

For more information, visit www.mybankwell.com.

This press release may contain certain forward-looking statements about the Company. Forward-looking statements include statements regarding anticipated future events and can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They often include words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," and "intend" or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "would," "should," "could," or "may." Forward-looking statements, by their nature, are subject to risks and uncertainties. Certain factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expected results include increased competitive pressures, changes in the interest rate environment, general economic conditions or conditions within the banking industry or securities markets, and legislative and regulatory changes that could adversely affect the business in which the Company and its subsidiaries are engaged.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In addition to evaluating the Company's financial performance in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), management may evaluate certain non-GAAP financial measures, such as the efficiency ratio. A computation and reconciliation of certain non-GAAP financial measures used for these purposes is contained in the accompanying Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Measures tables. We believe that providing certain non-GAAP financial measures provides investors with information useful in understanding our financial performance, our performance trends and financial position. For example, the Company believes that the efficiency ratio is useful in the assessment of financial performance, including noninterest expense control. The Company believes that tangible common equity, tangible assets, tangible common equity to tangible assets, tangible common shareholders' equity, fully diluted tangible book value per common share, adjusted noninterest expense, operating revenue, efficiency ratio, average tangible common equity, annualized return on average tangible common equity, return on average assets, return on average shareholders' equity, and the dividend payout ratio are useful to evaluate the relative strength of the Company's performance and capital position. We utilize these measures for internal planning and forecasting purposes. These non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered a substitute for GAAP basis measures and results, and we strongly encourage investors to review our consolidated financial statements in their entirety and not to rely on any single financial measure.

Total nonaccrual loans increased $11.5 million to $28.0 million as of September 30, 2023 when compared to December 31, 2022. Nonaccrual loans increased primarily due to three distinct loans:

• One Consumer (insurance premium) loan of $7.9 million. As of October 4, 2023, the loan balance has been reduced to $3.9 million. The Bank holds collateral for the remaining balance, worth approximately two times the outstanding amount.
• Two Commercial business loans totaling $5.5 million, of which approximately 82% is guaranteed by the U.S. Government (SBA).

Nonperforming assets as a percentage of total assets increased to 0.86% at September 30, 2023 from 0.51% at December 31, 2022. The ACL-Loans at September 30, 2023 was $29.3 million, representing 1.06% of total loans.

Gross loans totaled $2.8 billion at September 30, 2023, an increase of $94.7 million or 3.5% compared to December 31, 2022.

Total deposits were $2.8 billion at September 30, 2023, a decrease of $32.2 million, or 1.1%, when compared to December 31, 2022. Brokered deposits have decreased $75.3 million, when compared to December 31, 2022.

Noninterest expense increased by $1.2 million to $12.2 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 compared to the quarter ended September 30, 2022. Noninterest expense increased by $5.6 million to $37.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2022. The increase in noninterest expense was primarily driven by an increase in FDIC insurance expense and salaries and employee benefits expense.

FDIC insurance expense totaled $1.0 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2023, an increase of $0.8 million when compared to the same period in 2022. FDIC insurance expense totaled $3.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023, an increase of $2.4 million when compared to the same period in 2022. The increase in FDIC insurance expense is attributed to balance sheet growth and composition, as well as an increase in FDIC insurance rates.

Salaries and employee benefits expense totaled $18.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023, an increase of $2.3 million when compared to the same period in 2022. The increase in salaries and employee benefits expense was driven by an increase in average full time equivalent employees from 139 at September 30, 2023 compared to 131 for the same period in 2022. In addition, salaries and employee benefits expense increased due to one-time severance costs.