Customers Bancorp Reports Results for Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2023

Customers Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE:CUBI):

Fourth Quarter 2023 Highlights

• Q4 2023 net income available to common shareholders was $58.2 million, or $1.79 per diluted share; ROAA was 1.16% and ROCE was 15.93%.
• Q4 2023 core earnings* were $61.6 million, or $1.90 per diluted share; Core ROAA* was 1.22% and Core ROCE* was 16.87%.
• CET 1 capital ratio of 12.2%¹ at December 31, 2023, compared to 11.3% at September 30, 2023, surpassing 11.0% - 11.5% target.
• TCE / TA ratio* of 7.0% at December 31, 2023, compared to 6.5% at September 30, 2023, achieving stated target.
• Q4 2023 net interest margin, tax equivalent ("NIM") was 3.31%, compared to Q3 2023 NIM of 3.70%. Q3 2023 NIM included the benefit of outsized discount accretion of roughly 50 basis points. Normalizing for this outsized accretion, Q4 2023 NIM expanded by 11 basis points.
• Total deposits decreased by $275.1 million in Q4 2023 from Q3 2023 with a significant positive mix shift. Q4 2023 core deposit growth of $1.1 billion funded in part the repayment of maturing wholesale CDs of $0.7 billion and the planned outflow of student-related deposit accounts serviced by BMTX of $0.6 billion.
• Total estimated insured deposits were 77%² of total deposits at December 31, 2023, with immediately available liquidity covering uninsured deposits by approximately 202%.
• Non-performing assets were $27.2 million, or 0.13% of total assets, at December 31, 2023 compared to 0.14% at September 30, 2023. Allowance for credit losses on loans and leases equaled 499% of non-performing loans at December 31, 2023, compared to 466% at September 30, 2023.
• Q4 2023 provision for credit losses on loans and leases of $13.4 million was lower than Q3 2023 largely driven by lower balances in loans held for investment.
• Q4 2023 book value per share and tangible book value per share* both grew by approximately $2.26, or 5.0% over Q3 2023, driven by strong quarterly earnings combined with decreased AOCI losses of $13.2 million over the same time period.

Full Year 2023 Highlights

• 2023 net income available to common shareholders was $235.4 million, or $7.32 per diluted share; ROAA was 1.16% and ROCE was 17.33%.
• 2023 core earnings* were $248.2 million, or $7.72 per diluted share; Core ROAA* was 1.22% and Core ROCE* was 18.27%.
• Record 2023 net interest income of $687.4 million.
• CET 1 capital ratio of 12.2%¹ at December 31, 2023, compared to 9.6% at December 31, 2022, surpassing 11.0% - 11.5% target.
• TCE / TA ratio* of 7.0% at December 31, 2023, compared to 6.0% at December 31, 2022.
• 2023 NIM was 3.29%, an increase of 10 basis points over 2022 NIM of 3.19%.
• Non-performing assets were $27.2 million, or 0.13% of total assets, at December 31, 2023 compared to $30.8 million, or 0.15% of total assets, at December 31, 2022. Allowance for credit losses on loans and leases equaled 499% of non-performing loans at December 31, 2023, compared to 426% at December 31, 2022.
• Book value per share and tangible book value per share* grew year over year by approximately $8.65 or 22.1%, driven by strong 2023 annual earnings combined with the decreased AOCI losses of $26.5 million over the same time period. Tangible book value per share* has grown at a 15% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) over the past 5 years, significantly higher than the regional bank peer median³ of 4%.
• Repurchased 1,379,883 common shares at a weighted-average price of $28.58 for $39.8 million in 2023.

CEO Commentary

"We are pleased to share our fourth quarter and full year 2023 results as we continued to execute on our strategic priorities and delivered again for shareholders," said Customers Bancorp Chairman and CEO Jay Sidhu. "While the banking industry has stabilized following the challenges in early 2023, higher interest rates and less liquidity in the banking system remain headwinds for all banks. We again demonstrated the sustainability of our differentiated deposit franchise by growing core deposits by $1.1 billion in the fourth quarter which funded in part the repayment of maturing wholesale CDs of $743 million and the planned outflow of student-related deposit accounts serviced by BMTX totaling approximately $637 million. Additional liquidity inflows primarily from sales of investment securities were used to payoff $340 million in callable FHLB advances. The core deposit growth was again broad-based with more than 20 different channels increasing balances and roughly half contributing $25 million or more. Non-interest bearing deposits as a percentage of total deposits remained relatively flat at 25%. Excluding the outsized accretion we experienced in the third quarter, our net interest margin continued to expand in the fourth quarter in contrast to the industry trends. Capital levels continued to increase substantially as evidenced by two consecutive quarters with a 50 basis point increase in our TCE / TA ratio* and a 90 basis point increase in our CET 1 ratio. In the last three quarters, we have increased our TCE / TA ratio* by 110 basis points to 7.0% and our CET 1 ratio by 260 basis points to 12.2%. We remain well-positioned to continue strengthening our deposit franchise, improve our profitability, and maintain our capital ratios," stated Jay Sidhu.

"Our Q4 2023 GAAP earnings were $58.2 million, or $1.79 per diluted share, and core earnings were $61.6 million, or $1.90 per diluted share, considerably above consensus estimates. At December 31, 2023, our deposit base was well diversified, with approximately 77%² of total deposits insured. We maintain a strong liquidity position, with $8.5 billion of liquidity immediately available, which covers approximately 202% of uninsured deposits² and our loan to deposit ratio was 74%. We continue to focus loan production where we have a holistic and primary relationship. We are seeing attractive new origination opportunities. We have ample liquidity and capital, which we plan to deploy in 2024, to support the needs of our customers. At December 31, 2023, we had $3.8 billion of cash on hand, which we believe is prudent balance sheet and liquidity management in the current environment. Asset quality remains exceptional with our NPA ratio down slightly at just 0.13% of total assets and reserve levels are robust at over 499% of total non-performing loans at the end of Q4 2023. Our exposure to higher risk commercial real estate such as the office and retail sectors is minimal, each representing only 1% of the loan portfolio. Continued execution on our strategic priorities has positioned us favorably for success in 2024 from a capital, credit, liquidity, interest rate risk and earnings perspective. We will remain disciplined, but opportunistic, with our balance sheet capacity to minimize risk and maintain robust capital levels. We are extremely proud of the progress we made in 2023 and are confident in our risk management capabilities and ability to provide excellent service to our clients in all operating environments. We are excited and optimistic about the opportunities in 2024 and beyond," Jay Sidhu continued.

Financial Highlights

Financial Highlights

Key Balance Sheet Trends

Loans and Leases

The following table presents the composition of total loans and leases as of the dates indicated:

Loans and Leases Held for Investment

Loans and leases held for investment were $12.9 billion at December 31, 2023, down $701.3 million, or 5.2%, from September 30, 2023. Specialty lending decreased $415.5 million, or 7.7% quarter-over-quarter, to $5.0 billion. Construction loans decreased $86.2 million, or 34.1% quarter-over-quarter, to $166.4 million. Loans to mortgage companies decreased $27.8 million, or 2.7% quarter-over-quarter due to lower mortgage activity. Consumer installment loans held for investment decreased $92.0 million, or 9.5% quarter-over-quarter, to $874.9 million due to the continued build out of the held-for-sale strategy and de-risking of the held-for-investment loan portfolio in 2023.

Loans and leases held for investment of $12.9 billion at December 31, 2023 was down $2.6 billion, or 16.8%, year-over-year, largely driven by reduced balances in PPP loans of $923.4 million, consumer installment loans of $503.0 million, or 36.5% year-over-year, loans to mortgage companies of $433.2 million and specialty lending of $406.2 million.

Loans Held for Sale

Loans held for sale increased $189.9 million quarter-over-quarter, and were $340.3 million at December 31, 2023 due to the continued build out of the held-for-sale strategy in 2023.

Allowance for Credit Losses on Loans and Leases

The following table presents the allowance for credit losses on loans and leases as of the dates and for the periods presented:

Net charge-offs were relatively stable with $17.3 million in Q4 2023, compared to $17.5 million in Q3 2023 and decreased compared to $27.2 million in Q4 2022.

Provision (benefit) for Credit Losses

The provision for credit losses on loans and leases in Q4 2023 was $13.4 million, compared to $17.1 million in Q3 2023 and $27.9 million in Q4 2022. The lower provision in Q4 2023 was primarily due to lower balances in loans held for investment.

The provision for credit losses on available for sale investment securities in Q4 2023 was $0.1 million, compared to provision of $0.8 million in Q3 2023 and $0.3 million in Q4 2022.

Asset Quality

The following table presents asset quality metrics as of the dates indicated:

Over the last decade, the Bank has developed a suite of commercial loan products with one particularly important common denominator: relatively low credit risk assumption. The Bank's C&I, loans to mortgage companies, corporate and specialty lending lines of business, and multifamily loans for example, are characterized by conservative underwriting standards and low loss rates. Because of this emphasis, the Bank's credit quality to date has been incredibly healthy despite an adverse economic environment. Maintaining strong asset quality also requires a highly active portfolio monitoring process. In addition to frequent client outreach and monitoring at the individual loan level, management employs a bottom-up data driven approach to analyze the commercial portfolio.

Total consumer installment loans held for investment at December 31, 2023 were less than 5% of total assets and approximately 7% of total loans and leases held for investment, and were supported by an allowance for credit losses of $56.4 million. At December 31, 2023, the consumer installment portfolio had the following characteristics: average original FICO score of 734, average debt-to-income of 19% and average borrower income of $107 thousand.

Non-performing loans at December 31, 2023 remained relatively stable at 0.21% of total loans and leases, compared to 0.22% at September 30, 2023 and 0.19% at December 31, 2022.

Investment Securities

The investment securities portfolio, including debt securities classified as available for sale ("AFS") and held to maturity ("HTM") provides periodic cash flows through regular maturities and amortization, can be used as collateral to secure additional funding, and is an important component of the Bank's liquidity position.

The following table presents the composition of the investment securities portfolio as of the dates indicated:

Critically important to performance during the recent banking crisis are the characteristics of a bank's securities portfolio. While there may be virtually no credit risk in some of these portfolios, holding longer term and lower yielding securities is creating challenges for many banks. Customers' securities portfolio is highly liquid, short in duration, and high in yield. At December 31, 2023, the AFS debt securities portfolio had a spot yield of 5.12%, an effective duration of approximately 1.5 years, and approximately 41% are variable rate. Additionally, 59% of the AFS securities portfolio was AAA rated at December 31, 2023.

At December 31, 2023, the HTM debt securities portfolio represented only 5.2% of total assets at December 31, 2023, had a spot yield of 4.31% and an effective duration of approximately 3.0 years. Additionally, at December 31, 2023, approximately 39% of the HTM securities were AAA rated and 52% were credit enhanced asset backed securities with no current expectation of credit losses.

Deposits

The following table presents the composition of our deposit portfolio as of the dates indicated:

Total deposits decreased $275.1 million, or 1.5%, to $17.9 billion at December 31, 2023 as compared to the prior quarter. Money market deposits increased $726.8 million, or 29.1%, to $3.2 billion and savings deposits increased $284.6 million, or 25.4%, to $1.4 billion. These increases were offset by decreases in time deposits of $706.4 million, or 17.7%, to $3.3 billion, non-interest bearing demand deposits of $336.2 million, or 7.1%, to $4.4 billion and interest bearing demand deposits of $243.9 million, or 4.2%, to $5.6 billion. There was also an outflow of student-related deposit accounts serviced by BMTX of $0.6 billion, including the planned transfer of approximately $430.0 million to a new partner bank on December 1st and expected seasonal outflows of $0.2 billion. The total average cost of deposits increased by 15 basis points to 3.39% in Q4 2023 from 3.24% in the prior quarter largely driven by the increase in market interest rates and a shift in deposit mix during the fourth quarter including the outflow of student-related deposits serviced by BMTX. Total estimated uninsured deposits was $4.2 billion¹, or 23% of total deposits (inclusive of accrued interest) at December 31, 2023. Customers is also highly focused on total deposits with contractual term to manage its liquidity profile and the funding of loans and securities.

Total deposits decreased $236.7 million, or 1.3%, to $17.9 billion at December 31, 2023 as compared to a year ago. Non-interest bearing demand deposits increased $2.5 billion, or 134.6%, to $4.4 billion, savings deposits increased $591.1 million, or 72.8%, to $1.4 billion and money market deposits increased $492.2 million, or 18.0%, to $3.2 billion. These increases were offset by decreases in interest bearing demand deposits of $2.9 billion, or 34.2%, to $5.6 billion and time deposits of $962.0 million, or 22.6% to $3.3 billion. The total average cost of deposits increased by 66 basis points to 3.39% in Q4 2023 from 2.73% in the prior year primarily due to higher market interest rates and a shift in deposit mix.

Borrowings

The following table presents the composition of our borrowings as of the dates indicated:

Total borrowings decreased $326.5 million, or 17.8%, to $1.5 billion at December 31, 2023 as compared to the prior quarter. This decrease primarily resulted from the repayment of $340.0 million in callable FHLB advances. As of December 31, 2023, Customers' immediately available borrowing capacity with the FRB and FHLB was approximately $6.9 billion, of which $1.2 billion of available capacity was utilized in borrowings and $1.1 billion was utilized to collateralize deposits.

Total borrowings increased $403.7 million, or 36.5%, to $1.5 billion at December 31, 2023 as compared to a year ago. This increase primarily resulted from an increase in FHLB advances to ensure ample cash on hand given the heightened liquidity risk in the banking system, particularly among regional banks since early March 2023, net of repayments of $340.0 million and $510.0 million in callable FHLB advances in Q4 2023 and Q3 2023, respectively.

Capital

The following table presents certain capital amounts and ratios as of the dates indicated:

Customers Bancorp's common equity increased $76.8 million to $1.5 billion, and tangible common equity* increased $76.8 million to $1.5 billion, at December 31, 2023 compared to the prior quarter, respectively, primarily from earnings of $58.2 million and decreased unrealized losses on investment securities of $13.2 million (net of taxes) deferred in accumulated other comprehensive income ("AOCI"). Similarly, book value per common share increased to $47.73 from $45.47, and tangible book value per common share* increased to $47.61 from $45.36, at December 31, 2023 and September 30, 2023, respectively.

Customers Bancorp's common equity increased $235.4 million to $1.5 billion, and tangible common equity* increased $235.4 million to $1.5 billion, at December 31, 2023 compared to a year ago, respectively, primarily from earnings of $235.4 million and decreased unrealized losses on investment securities in AOCI of $26.5 million (net of taxes), partially offset by $39.8 million of common share repurchases. Similarly, book value per common share increased to $47.73 from $39.08, and tangible book value per common share* increased to $47.61 from $38.97, at December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively.

At the Customers Bancorp level, the CET 1 capital ratio (estimate), total risk based capital ratio (estimate), common equity to total assets ratio and tangible common equity to tangible assets ratio* ("TCE / TA ratio") were 12.2%, 15.3%, 7.0%, and 7.0%, respectively, at December 31, 2023.

At the Customers Bank level, capital levels remained strong and well above regulatory minimums. At December 31, 2023, Tier 1 capital (estimate) and total risk based capital (estimate) were 13.7% and 15.3%, respectively.

"Even though we remain well capitalized by all regulatory measures, we are committed to maintaining our CET 1 ratio around 11.5% and growing our TCE / TA ratio* to 7.5% in 2024," stated Jay Sidhu.

Key Profitability Trends

Net Interest Income

Net interest income totaled $172.5 million in Q4 2023, a decrease of $27.3 million from Q3 2023, primarily due to lower interest income from the acquired Venture Banking portfolio that had outsized discount accretion in Q3 2023.

"We experienced continued momentum in net interest income in the fourth quarter, despite elective reductions in loan balances. Loan balance reductions were in part due to exiting certain credits with less attractive pricing and clients without holistic banking relationships. Excluding the outsized accretion recognized in the third quarter on the acquired loan portfolio from the FDIC, our fourth quarter net interest income was in-line relative to the third quarter," stated Customers Bancorp President Sam Sidhu.

Net interest income totaled $172.5 million in Q4 2023, an increase of $37.4 million from Q4 2022. This increase was due to higher interest income of $76.3 million on variable rate lower credit risk specialty lending verticals, which included the acquired Venture Banking portfolio, investment securities and interest earning deposits, offset in part by higher interest expenses on deposits and other borrowings of $38.9 million primarily resulting from increased market interest rates and higher average balances of other borrowings. Interest-earning asset growth was primarily driven by an increase in interest earning deposits, offset in part by decreases in PPP loans, as the PPP program was substantially completed in Q1 2023, consumer installment loans and commercial loans to mortgage companies. Total consumer installment loans decreased in Q4 2023 as compared to Q4 2022, as installment loans held for investment decreased primarily for risk management purposes and the implementation of a held-for-sale strategy.

Non-Interest Income

The following table presents details of non-interest income for the periods indicated:

Non-interest income totaled $18.7 million for Q4 2023, an increase of $0.9 million compared to Q3 2023. The increase was primarily due to decreases in losses on sales of loans and investment securities, and increases in death benefits paid by insurance carriers under bank-owned life insurance policies and commercial lease income.

Non-interest income totaled $18.7 million for Q4 2023, an increase of $11.3 million compared to Q4 2022. The increase was primarily due to a decrease of $16.8 million in net loss realized from the sales of investment securities, and an increase in loan fees of $1.9 million resulting from increased servicing-related revenue and unused line of credit fees, partially offset by a $7.5 million gain from a court-approved settlement with a third party PPP service provider in Q4 2022.

Non-Interest Expense

The following table presents details of non-interest expense for the periods indicated:

Non-interest expenses totaled $93.8 million in Q4 2023, an increase of $4.3 million compared to Q3 2023. The increase was primarily attributable to increases of $5.4 million in FDIC assessments, non-income taxes and regulatory fees resulting from higher FDIC assessments including the special assessment of $3.7 million, $1.3 million in professional fees and $1.2 million in technology, communication and bank operations mostly due to higher processing and software fees offset by lower servicing fees paid to BMTX. These increases were partially offset by $4.1 million of expenses from a settlement with a third party PPP service provider in Q3 2023. Q4 2023 core non-interest expenses* were $89.4 million, flat over Q3 2023.

Non-interest expenses totaled $93.8 million in Q4 2023, an increase of $15.3 million compared to Q4 2022. The increase was primarily attributable to increases of $11.6 million in FDIC assessments, non-income taxes and regulatory fees resulting primarily from higher FDIC assessments including the special assessment of $3.7 million, $4.8 million in salaries and employee benefits primarily due to higher headcount, annual merit increases and severance, and $3.0 million in professional fees. These increases were partially offset by decreases of $1.7 million in deposit servicing-related expenses mostly due to lower servicing fees and the discontinuation of interchange maintenance fees paid to BMTX offset by higher fees for processing and software as a service, and $1.4 million in occupancy mostly due to lower lease and maintenance expenses.

Taxes

Income tax expense decreased by $1.7 million to $21.8 million in Q4 2023 from $23.5 million in Q3 2023 primarily due to lower pre-tax income, partially offset by lower income tax credits.

Income tax expense increased by $14.7 million to $21.8 million in Q4 2023 from $7.1 million in Q4 2022 primarily due to higher pre-tax income and lower income tax credits.

The effective tax rate for Q4 2023 was 26%, and 24% for the full year 2023. Customers expects the full-year 2024 effective tax rate to be approximately 22% to 24%.

Outlook

"Looking forward, our strategy and risk management principles will remain unchanged. We're focused on managing risk, strengthening our deposit franchise, further improving our profitability and maintaining our higher capital ratios. Our deposits are expected to grow modestly with continued improvement in the quality of deposits, reducing higher cost wholesale deposits with lower cost core deposits. We see attractive opportunities to deploy securities cash flows and cash into franchise-enhancing loan growth in 2024. Core EPS (excluding PPP)* significantly exceeded our target of $6.00 per diluted share and core return on common equity* was well in excess of our target of 15%. We also achieved the tangible book value per share* target of $45.00, inclusive of the impact of AOCI, a full quarter early, ending at $47.61. The management of non-interest expenses remains a priority for us. However, this will not deter us from making investments in deposit teams and new technologies to support efficient and responsible growth in the future. Operating efficiency has and will continue to be a differentiator of our business model, and we will continue to only make investments that generate long-term positive operating leverage and enable the organization to operate at a mid-40's efficiency ratio. We remain committed to maintaining a CET 1 ratio around 11.5% in 2024, and growing our TCE / TA ratio* to 7.5%. We are committed to preserving superior credit quality, managing interest rate risk, maintaining robust liquidity, operating with higher capital ratios and generating positive operating leverage," concluded Sam Sidhu.

The live audio webcast, presentation slides, and earnings press release will be made available at https://www.customersbank.com/investor-relations/ and at the Customers Bancorp 4th Quarter Earnings Webcast.

You may submit questions in advance of the live webcast by emailing our Communications Director, David Patti at [email protected]; questions may also be asked during the webcast through the webcast application.

The webcast will be archived for viewing on the Customers Bank Investor Relations page and available beginning approximately two hours after the conclusion of the live event.

Institutional Background

Customers Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE:CUBI) is one of the nation's top-performing banking companies with about $21 billion in assets, making it one of the 80 largest bank holding companies in the US. Through its primary subsidiary, Customers Bank, commercial and consumer clients benefit from a full suite of technology-enabled tailored product experiences delivered by best-in-class customer service. In addition to traditional lines such as C&I lending, commercial real estate lending, and multifamily lending, Customers Bank also provides a number of national corporate banking services to Specialty Lending clients. Major accolades include:

• #5 in top-performing banks with assets between $10 billion and $50 billion in 2022 per American Banker list;
• #34 out of the 100 largest publicly traded banks in 2023 per Forbes; and
• #64 on Fortune Magazine's 2022 list of the 100 fastest growing companies in America.

A member of the Federal Reserve System with deposits insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, Customers Bank is an equal opportunity lender. Learn more: www.customersbank.com.

"Safe Harbor" Statement

In addition to historical information, this press release may contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include statements with respect to Customers Bancorp, Inc.'s strategies, goals, beliefs, expectations, estimates, intentions, capital raising efforts, financial condition and results of operations, future performance and business. Statements preceded by, followed by, or that include the words "may," "could," "should," "pro forma," "looking forward," "would," "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "project," or similar expressions generally indicate a forward-looking statement. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that are subject to change based on various important factors (some of which, in whole or in part, are beyond Customers Bancorp, Inc.'s control). Numerous competitive, economic, regulatory, legal and technological events and factors, among others, could cause Customers Bancorp, Inc.'s financial performance to differ materially from the goals, plans, objectives, intentions and expectations expressed in such forward-looking statements, including: a continuation of the recent turmoil in the banking industry, responsive measures taken by us and regulatory authorities to mitigate and manage related risks, regulatory actions taken that address related issues and the costs and obligations associated therewith, such as the FDIC special assessments, the impact of COVID-19 and its variants on the U.S. economy and customer behavior, the impact that changes in the economy have on the performance of our loan and lease portfolio, the market value of our investment securities, the continued success and acceptance of our blockchain payments system, the demand for our products and services and the availability of sources of funding, the effects of actions by the federal government, including the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and other government agencies, that affect market interest rates and the money supply, actions that we and our customers take in response to these developments and the effects such actions have on our operations, products, services and customer relationships, higher inflation and its impacts, and the effects of any changes in accounting standards or policies. Customers Bancorp, Inc. cautions that the foregoing factors are not exclusive, and neither such factors nor any such forward-looking statement takes into account the impact of any future events. All forward-looking statements and information set forth herein are based on management's current beliefs and assumptions as of the date hereof and speak only as of the date they are made. For a more complete discussion of the assumptions, risks and uncertainties related to our business, you are encouraged to review Customers Bancorp, Inc.'s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, subsequently filed quarterly reports on Form 10-Q and current reports on Form 8-K, including any amendments thereto, that update or provide information in addition to the information included in the Form 10-K and Form 10-Q filings, if any. Customers Bancorp, Inc. does not undertake to update any forward-looking statement whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by Customers Bancorp, Inc. or by or on behalf of Customers Bank, except as may be required under applicable law.

Q4 2023 Overview

The following table presents a summary of key earnings and performance metrics for the quarter ended December 31, 2023 and the preceding four quarters, and full year 2023 and 2022: