Amalgamated Bank Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2018 Financial Results


NEW YORK, Jan. 29, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Amalgamated Bank (Nasdaq: AMAL) (“Amalgamated”) today announced financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2018. 

Fourth Quarter 2018 Highlights

  • Net income of $8.4 million, or $0.26 per diluted share, as compared to a loss of $3.6 million, or ($0.13) per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2017
  • Core earnings (non-GAAP) of $9.7 million, or $0.30 per diluted share, as compared to $4.8 million, or $0.17 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2017
  • Deposit growth of $72.5 million, or 7.2% annualized, compared to a balance of $4.0 billion on September 30, 2018, including $326.7 million short term deposits and the impact of runoff of $215.9 million in deposits held by our politically-active customers, referred to as political deposits
  • Loan growth of $47.0 million, or 5.9% annualized, compared to a balance of $3.2 billion on September 30, 2018
  • Cost of deposits was 0.27%, as compared to 0.25% for the third quarter of 2018 and 0.26% for the fourth quarter of 2017
  • Net Interest Margin was 3.57%, as compared to 3.65% for the third quarter of 2018 and 3.22% for the fourth quarter of 2017; net interest margin for the fourth quarter of 2018 was lowered by seven basis points due to a one-time accounting adjustment
  • Tier 1 Leverage, Common Equity Tier 1, and Total Risk-Based capital ratios were 8.86%, 13.22%, and 14.46%, respectively, at December 31, 2018
  • Total nonperforming assets were $59.3 million or 1.27% of total assets as of December 31, 2018, compared to $58.0 million or 1.25% of total assets at September 30, 2018 and $89.0 million, or 2.20% of total assets at December 31, 2017

Full Year 2018 Highlights

  • Net income of $37.0 million, or $1.21 per diluted share, as compared to $6.1 million, or $0.21 per diluted share, for the full year of 2017
  • Core earnings (non-GAAP) of $41.6 million, or $1.36 per diluted share, as compared to $14.2 million, or $0.50 per diluted share, for the full year of 2017
  • Deposit growth of $872.2 million, or 27.0%, compared to December 31, 2017, inclusive of $326.7 million of short term deposits and runoff of $59.8 million of political deposits
  • Loan growth of $432.0 million, or 15.3% , compared to December 31, 2017
  • Cost of deposits was 0.26%, as compared to 0.24% for the full year of 2017
  • Net Interest Margin was 3.56%, as compared to 3.15% for the full year of 2017

Keith Mestrich, President and Chief Executive Officer of Amalgamated Bank, commented, “I am very proud of our results as I believe 2018 was one of the best years in our 95 year history, highlighted by the closing of our acquisition of New Resource Bank, the completion of our initial public offering, and the launch of the Amalgamated Charitable Foundation. Additionally, we delivered 27% deposit growth while experiencing minimal re-pricing as we continue to benefit from what is one of the lowest cost deposit franchises in the industry. Our many successes would not have been possible without the tireless efforts of our employees, who I would like to thank for helping us accomplish so much this past year. Looking ahead, we are excited with the many opportunities to expand our reach and grow the Bank as we continue to serve the needs of values-based institutions and clients across the country and continue earning our reputation as ‘America’s socially responsible bank.’"

Results of Operations, Quarter Ended December 31, 2018

Net income for the fourth quarter of 2018 was $8.4 million, or $0.26 per diluted share, compared to $9.4 million, or $0.29 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2018 and a net loss of $3.6 million, or ($0.13) per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2017.  The $12.0 million increase in net income for the fourth quarter of 2018, compared to the like period in 2017, was primarily due to a $9.0 million increase in net interest income, a $5.5 million decrease in provision for income taxes (due primarily to the impact of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed in December 2017), and a $1.3 million increase in non-interest income, partially offset by a $3.4 million increase in non-interest expense (partially due to the New Resource Bank (“NRB”) integration).

Core earnings (non-GAAP) for the fourth quarter of 2018 were $9.7 million, or $0.30 per diluted share, compared to $12.1 million or $0.38 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2018 and $4.8 million, or $0.17 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2017.  Core earnings for the fourth quarter of 2018 excluded $1.6 million of expense related to the NRB acquisition and other adjustments including the tax effect of such adjustments.

Core earnings for the fourth quarter of 2018 were impacted by three items which lowered our reported diluted EPS by $0.05 in total. These items were the increase in the bonus pool of $1.0 million (pre-tax), an accounting adjustment to accrued interest receivable of $0.8 million (pre-tax), and a higher effective tax rate of 29.6% for the quarter which increased the provision for income taxes approximately $0.4 million.

Net interest income was $40.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2018, compared to $40.0 million for the third quarter of 2018 and $31.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2017.  The year-over-year increase was primarily attributable to increases in average loans of $449.6 million (primarily from the NRB acquisition) and average securities of $172.1 million and an increase in yields on both loans and securities primarily as a result of rising rates, partially offset by an increase of $453.9 million in average interest bearing deposit balances.

Net interest margin was 3.57% for the fourth quarter of 2018, a decrease of eight basis points from 3.65% in the third quarter of 2018 and an increase of 35 basis points from 3.22% in the fourth quarter of 2017.  The accretion of the loan mark from the loans we acquired in our NRB acquisition contributed five basis points to our net interest margin in the fourth quarter of 2018, compared to six basis points in the third quarter of 2018.  The net interest margin in the fourth quarter of 2018 was also impacted by a one-time adjustment to write-off $0.8 million of accrued interest receivable from the fourth quarter of 2017.  This adjustment lowered our reported net interest margin by 0.07%.

Provisions for loan losses totaled an expense of $0.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2018 compared to $0.8 million in the third quarter of 2018 and $0.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2017.  The provision expense in the fourth quarter of 2018 was primarily driven by an increase in classified loans, partially offset by overall improvements in the historical loss factors.

Non-interest income was $7.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2018 compared to $7.5 million in the third quarter of 2018, and $6.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2017. The $1.3 million, or 21%, increase in the fourth quarter of 2018, compared to the like period in 2017, was primarily driven by $1.4 million of aggregate decreases in loss from the sale or impairment of securities and $0.5 million of aggregate increases in trust department fees and service charges on deposit accounts, partially offset by a $0.3 million decrease in bank-owned life insurance income due to claims in 2017 and $0.3 million decrease in gains on the sale of loans, and other real estate owned and other income.

Non-interest expense for the fourth quarter of 2018 was $35.0 million, an increase of $0.9 million from $34.1 million in the third quarter of 2018, and an increase of $3.3 million from $31.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2017. The linked quarter increase was primarily due a $1.3 million increase in the bonus accrual for employees due to performance above corporate targets and severance, a $1.5 million increase from the integration of the NRB acquisition, and a $1.5 million increase in other expenses driven primarily by an increase in the off-balance sheet reserve of $0.7 million. These increases were offset by the absence of $3.4 million of expense from our initial public offering in the third quarter of 2018.

We had a provision for income tax expense of $3.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2018, compared to $3.3 million for third quarter of 2018 and $9.0 million for the fourth quarter of 2017. Our effective tax rate for the fourth quarter of 2018 was 29.6%, compared to 26.1% for the third quarter of 2018. The increase in the effective tax rate was primarily related to a decrease in the value of the deferred tax asset.

Total loans, net of deferred origination fees, at December 31, 2018 were $3.2 billion, an increase of $47.0 million, or 5.9% annualized, as compared to September 30, 2018, and an increase of $432.0 million, or 15.3%, as compared to $2.8 billion as of December 31, 2017.  Loan growth in the quarter was primarily driven by a $65.8 million increase in residential first liens and a $29.5 million increase in consumer loans (from the purchase of $42.2 million mission aligned residential solar loans) offset by a decrease in C&I loans of $28.7 million (driven by a $68.7 million strategic reduction in the indirect C&I portfolio and $35 million in commercial solar loan purchases), and a $28.9 million reduction in CRE and Multifamily (driven by prepayments in multifamily real-estate).

Deposits at December 31, 2018 were $4.1 billion, an increase of $72.5 million, or 7.2% annualized, as compared to $4.0 billion as of September 30, 2018, and an increase of $872.0 million, or 27.0%, as compared to $3.2 billion as of December 31, 2017. Deposit growth in 2018 included $361.9 million of deposits attributed to our acquisition of NRB.  Deposits at December 31, 2018 included $326.7 million of short-term deposits from one customer that have since been moved off balance sheet.  Deposits held by politically-active customers, such as campaigns, PACs and state and national party committees were $181.9 million as of December 31, 2018, a decrease of $215.9 million compared to $397.8 million as of September 30, 2018, and a decrease of $59.8 million compared to $241.7 million as of December 31, 2017. Noninterest-bearing deposits represented 42% of average deposits and 38% of ending deposits for the three months ended December 31, 2018, contributing to an average cost of deposits of 0.27% in the fourth quarter of 2018, a two basis point increase from the linked quarter.

Results of Operations, Full Year Ended December 31, 2018

Net income for the year ended December 31, 2018 was $37.0 million, or $1.21 per diluted share, as compared to $6.1 million, or $0.21 per diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2017.  The $30.9 million increase in net income for the year ended 2018 was primarily due to a $28.4 million increase in net interest income, a $6.9 million improvement in provision for loan losses, a $0.3 million reduction in provision for income taxes and a $0.9 million increase in non-interest income, partially offset by a $5.7 million increase in non-interest expense.

Core earnings (non-GAAP) for the year ended December 31, 2018 were $41.6 million, or $1.36 per diluted share, as compared to $14.2 million, or $0.50 per diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2017.  Core earnings for the year ended December 31, 2018 excluded $3.3 million in expenses related to the initial public offering and follow-on offering, $2.4 million in expenses related to the NRB acquisition and integration, $0.2 million in severance and $0.2 million in losses related to the sale of securities.

Net interest income was $149.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2018, as compared to $121.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2017.  Net interest margin was 3.56% for the year ended December 31, 2018, compared to 3.15% for the same period in 2017, an increase of 41 basis points.  The increase in net interest income was primarily due to the $375.9 million increase in average loans (primarily from the acquisition of NRB), the impact of higher interest rates on all interest earnings assets, and lower funding costs due to lower average FHLB advances.

Non-interest income increased 3.5% to $28.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2018, as compared to $27.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2017.  The increase was primarily driven by $1.4 million of aggregate increases in service charges on deposit accounts and trust department fees due to an increase in customers, customer activity and the NRB acquisition, partially offset by increases in losses on the sale of loans and other real estate owned.

Non-interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2018 was $128.0 million, an increase of $5.7 million or 4.7%, from $122.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2017.  The increase was primarily due to a $10.9 million increase in compensation and benefits (primarily due to the post-retirement benefit cancellation in 2017 of $9.8 million), a $3.7 million increase in professional fees (primarily related to our initial public offering and follow-on offering), a $2.4 million increase in data processing (primarily due to the NRB integration) and a $1.0 million increase from the amortization of intangible assets.  The increase was partially offset by a $7.6 million decrease in borrowed funds prepayment fees and a $2.2 million decrease in occupancy and depreciation expense related to branch closures in 2017.

Financial Condition

Total assets were $4.7 billion at December 31, 2018, compared to $4.0 billion at December 31, 2017. The increase of $636.7 million was primarily driven by the addition of $412.1 million in total assets acquired, net of fair value adjustments, in the acquisition of NRB, and by an increase in investment securities of $226.3 million.

Nonperforming assets totaled $59.3 million, or 1.27% of period end total assets at December 31, 2018, a decrease of $29.8 million, compared with $89.0 million, or 2.20% of period end total assets at December 31, 2017.             

The allowance for loan losses increased $0.8 million to $37.2 million at December 31, 2018 from $36.4 million at September 30, 2018, primarily driven by an increase in the allowance on classified loans, partially offset by improvement in historical loss factors.  At December 31, 2018, we had $58.3 million of impaired loans for which a specific allowance of $9.6 million was made, compared to $57.0 million of impaired loans at September 30, 2018 for which a specific allowance of $9.8 million was made. The ratio of allowance to total loans was 1.15% at December 31, 2018 and 1.14% at September 30, 2018.

Capital

As of December 31, 2018, our Tier 1 Leverage Capital Ratio was 8.86%, Common Equity Tier 1 Capital Ratio was 13.22%, and Total Risk-Based Capital Ratio was 14.46%, compared to 8.94%, 12.95%, and 14.20%, respectively, as of September 30, 2018. As of December 31, 2017, our Tier 1 Leverage, Common Equity Tier 1, and Total Risk-Based capital ratios were 8.41%, 11.39%, and 12.80%, respectively. Stockholders’ equity at December 31, 2018 was $431.7 million, compared to $344.1 million at December 31, 2017. 

Our tangible book value per share was $12.92 as of December 31, 2018 compared to $12.57 as of September 30, 2018 and $12.02 as of December 31, 2017. 

Conference Call

As previously announced, Amalgamated Bank will host a conference call today, January 29, 2019, to discuss its fourth quarter and full year 2018 results at 5:00pm (Eastern Time). The conference call can be accessed by dialing 1-877-407-9716 (domestic) or 1-201-493-6779 (international) and asking for the Amalgamated Bank Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2018 Earnings Call. A telephonic replay will be available approximately three hours after the call and can be accessed by dialing 1-844-512-2921, or for international callers 1-412-317-6671 and providing the access code 13685800. The telephonic replay will be available until 11:59 pm (Eastern Time) on February 5, 2019.

Interested investors and other parties may also listen to a simultaneous webcast of the conference call by logging onto the investor relations section of our website at http://ir.amalgamatedbank.com/. The online replay will remain available for a limited time beginning immediately following the call.

About Amalgamated Bank 

Amalgamated Bank is a New York-based full-service commercial bank and a chartered trust company with a combined network of 14 branches in New York City, Washington D.C., and San Francisco, and a presence in Pasadena, CA and Boulder, CO. Amalgamated was formed in 1923 as Amalgamated Bank of New York by the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, one of the country's oldest labor unions. Amalgamated provides commercial banking and trust services nationally and offers a full range of products and services to both commercial and retail customers. Amalgamated is a proud member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values and is a certified B Corporation®. As of December 31, 2018, our total assets were $4.7 billion, total net loans were $3.2 billion, and total deposits were $4.1 billion. Additionally, as of December 31, 2018, the trust business held $28.8 billion in assets under custody and $10.5 billion in assets under management.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This release contains certain non-GAAP financial measures including, without limitation, “Core operating revenue,” “Core non-interest expense,” “Core earnings,” “Tangible common equity,” “Core return on average assets,” “Core return on average tangible common equity,” and “Core efficiency ratio.”

Our management utilizes this information to compare our operating performance for 2018 versus certain periods in 2017 and to internally prepared projections.  We believe these non-GAAP financial measures facilitate making period-to-period comparisons and are meaningful indications of our operating performance.  In addition, because intangible assets such as goodwill and other discrete items unrelated to our core business that are excluded vary extensively from company to company, we believe that the presentation of this information allows investors to more easily compare our results to those of other companies. 

The presentation of non-GAAP financial information, however, is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for GAAP financial measures.  We strongly encourage readers to review the GAAP financial measures included in this release and not to place undue reliance upon any single financial measure. In addition, because non-GAAP financial measures are not standardized, it may not be possible to compare the non-GAAP financial measures presented in this release with other companies’ non-GAAP financial measures having the same or similar names. Reconciliations of non-GAAP financial disclosures to comparable GAAP measures found in this release are set forth in the final pages of this release and also may be viewed on our website, amalgamatedbank.com.

Terminology

Certain terms used in this release are defined as follows:

“Core operating revenue” is defined as total net interest income plus non-interest income excluding gains and losses on sales of securities and excluding other than temporary impairment charges (“OTTI”).  We believe the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is the total of net interest income and non-interest income.   
                   
“Core non-interest expense” is defined as total non-interest expense excluding any prepayment of long-term borrowings, branch closures, costs related to bank acquisitions, initial public offering and follow on costs, restructuring/severance or post-retirement benefit cancellation impacts. We believe the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is total non-interest expense. 
             
“Core earnings” is defined as net income after tax excluding gains and losses on sales of securities and excluding OTTI, prepayment of long-term borrowings, branch closures, costs related to bank acquisitions, initial public offering and follow on costs, restructuring/severance, post-retirement benefit cancellation, taxes on notable pre-tax items, pension recycling taxes, valuation allowance release, and changes in tax laws. We believe the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is net income.
             
“Tangible common equity” and “Tangible book value” and are defined as stockholders’ equity excluding, as applicable, minority interests, preferred stock, goodwill and core deposit intangibles. We believe that the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is total stockholders’ equity.
             
“Core return on average assets” is defined as “Core earnings” divided by average total assets.  We believe the most directly comparable performance ratio derived from GAAP financial measures is return on average assets calculated by dividing net income by average total assets.
             
“Core return on average tangible common equity” is defined as “Core earnings” divided by “Average tangible common equity.”  We believe the most directly comparable performance ratio derived from GAAP financial measures is return on average equity calculated by dividing net income by average total stockholders’ equity.
                   
“Core efficiency ratio” is defined as “Core non-interest expense” divided by “Core operating revenue.” We believe the most directly comparable performance ratio derived from GAAP financial measures is an efficiency ratio calculated by dividing total non-interest expense by the sum of net interest income and total non-interest income.

Forward Looking Statements

Statements included in this release that are not historical in nature are intended to be, and are hereby identified as, forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The words “may,” “will,” “anticipate,” “should,” “would,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “expect,” “estimate,” “continue,” “may” and “intend,” as well as other similar words and expressions of the future, are intended to identify forward-looking statements, but other statements not based on historical information may also be considered forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, any or all of which could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: (i) deterioration in the financial condition of borrowers resulting in significant increases in loan losses and provisions for those losses; (ii) continuation of the historically low short-term interest rate environment; (iii) the inability of Amalgamated Bank to maintain the historical growth rate of its loan portfolio; (iv) changes in loan underwriting, credit review or loss reserve policies associated with economic conditions, examination conclusions, or regulatory developments; (v) effectiveness of Amalgamated Bank’s asset management activities in improving, resolving or liquidating lower-quality assets; (vi) the impact of competition with other financial institutions, including pricing pressures (including those resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act) and the resulting impact on Amalgamated Bank’s results, including as a result of compression to net interest margin; (vii) greater than anticipated adverse conditions in the national or local economies including in Amalgamated Bank’s core markets (viii) fluctuations or unanticipated changes in interest rates on loans or deposits or that affect the yield curve; (ix) the results of regulatory examinations; (x) the ability to grow and retain low-cost core deposits and retain large, uninsured deposits; (xi) a merger or acquisition; (xii) risks of expansion into new geographic or product markets; (xiii) any matter that would cause Amalgamated Bank to conclude that there was impairment of any asset, including intangible assets; (xiv) inability to comply with regulatory capital requirements, including those resulting from changes to capital calculation methodologies, required capital maintenance levels or regulatory requests or directives; (xv) risks associated with litigation, including the applicability of insurance coverage; (xvi) the risk of successful integration of the businesses Amalgamated Bank may acquire; (xvii) the vulnerability of Amalgamated Bank's network and online banking portals, and the systems of parties with whom Amalgamated Bank contracts, to unauthorized access, computer viruses, phishing schemes, spam attacks, human error, natural disasters, power loss and other security breaches; (xviii) the possibility of increased compliance costs resulting from increased regulatory oversight as a result of Amalgamated Bank becoming a publicly traded company; (xix) volatile credit and financial markets both domestic and foreign; (xx) potential deterioration in real estate values (xxi) the risk that the cost savings and any synergies expected from Amalgamated’s merger with New Resource Bank (“NRB”) may not be realized or take longer than anticipated to be realized; (xx) disruption from Amalgamated’s merger with NRB with customers, suppliers, employee or other business partners relationships; (xxi) the risk of successful integration of Amalgamated's and NRB's businesses; (xxii) reputational risk and the reaction of the parties' customers, suppliers, employees or other business partners to Amalgamated's merger with NRB; (xxiii) the risk that the integration of Amalgamated’s and NRB's operations will be more costly or difficult than expected; (xxiii) the availability and access to capital and (xxiv) the risk that the preliminary financial information reported herein and our current preliminary analysis will be different when our review is finalized. Additional factors which could affect the forward looking statements can be found in Amalgamated’s Registration Statement on Form 10, Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the FDIC and available on the FDIC's website at https://efr.fdic.gov/fcxweb/efr/index.html.  Amalgamated Bank disclaims any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this release, which speak only as of the date hereof, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law.

Media Contact:
Kaye Verville
The Levinson Group
kaye@mollylevinson.com
202-244-1785

Investor Contact:
Jamie Lillis
Solebury Trout
shareholderrelations@amalgamatedbank.com
800-895-4172

Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited)
(Dollars in thousands, except for per share amount)

   Three Months Ended  Year Ended 
 December 31, September 30, December 31,    
  2018   2018  2017   2018   2017 
          
INTEREST AND DIVIDEND INCOME         
  Loans$  34,620  $  33,788 $  28,099  $  129,904  $  110,988 
  Securities   9,251     8,707    6,361     31,576     25,768 
  Federal Home Loan Bank of New York stock   239     161    427     1,040     1,657 
  Interest-bearing deposits in banks   350     443    207     1,444     645 
          
  Total interest and dividend income   44,460     43,099    35,094     163,964     139,058 
          
INTEREST EXPENSE         
  Deposits   2,713     2,559    2,028     9,573     7,368 
  Borrowed funds   1,542     498    1,812     4,646     10,393 
          
  Total interest expense   4,255     3,057    3,840     14,219     17,761 
          
NET INTEREST INCOME   40,205     40,042    31,254     149,745     121,297 
  Provision (release) for loan losses   864     791    432     (260)    6,672 
          
  Net interest income after provision for loan losses   39,341     39,251    30,822     150,005     114,625 
          
NON-INTEREST INCOME         
  Trust department fees    4,807     4,698    4,636     18,790     18,526 
  Service charges on deposit accounts    2,187     2,225    1,836     8,183     7,021 
  Bank-owned life insurance    430     434    712     1,667     2,004 
  Gain (loss) on sale of investment securities available for sale, net   (139)    -     (697)    (249)    (615)
  Other than temporary impairment (OTTI) of securities, net   10     -     (836)    8     (826)
  Gain (loss) on sale of loans, net   13     13    128     (451)    168 
  Gain (loss) on other real estate owned, net   19     -     59     (494)    126 
  Other   228     177    420     864     966 
          
  Total non-interest income   7,555     7,547    6,258     28,318     27,370 
          
NON-INTEREST EXPENSE         
  Compensation and employee benefits, net   18,166     17,044    16,690     67,425     56,575 
  Occupancy and depreciation   4,247     4,172    4,791     16,481     18,674 
  Professional fees   2,825     5,243    3,061     13,688     10,025 
  FDIC deposit insurance   406     443    623     1,981     2,494 
  Data processing   3,986     2,787    2,262     11,570     9,199 
  Office maintenance and depreciation   974     796    1,114     3,643     4,338 
  Amortization of intangible assets   389     406    -      969     -  
  Advertising and promotion   819     1,075    877     3,411     3,860 
  Borrowed funds prepayment fees   -      5    -      8     7,615 
  Other   3,212     2,082    2,236     8,827     9,494 
          
  Total non-interest expense   35,024     34,053    31,654     128,003     122,274 
          
Income before provision for income taxes   11,872     12,745    5,426     50,320     19,721 
  Provision for income taxes   3,520     3,328    9,023     13,298     13,613 
          
  Net income   8,352     9,417    (3,597)    37,022     6,108 
          
Net income attributable to noncontrolling interests                        
          
Net income attributable to Amalgamated Bank and subsidiaries$  8,352  $  9,417 $  (3,597) $  37,022  $  6,108 
          
Earnings per common share - basic (1)$  0.26  $  0.30 $  (0.13) $  1.22  $  0.21 
          
Earnings per common share - diluted (1)$  0.26  $  0.29 $  (0.13) $  1.21  $  0.21 
          
(1) effected for stock split that occurred on July 27, 2018         
          

Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition (Unaudited)
(Dollars in thousands)

    
 December 31, December 31,
Assets 2018   2017 
 (Unaudited)  
Cash and due from banks$  10,510  $  7,130 
Interest-bearing deposits in banks   70,335     109,329 
  Total cash and cash equivalents   80,845     116,459 
Securities:   
  Available for sale, at fair value (amortized cost of $1,188,710 and $948,146, respectively)   1,175,170     943,359 
  Held-to-maturity (fair value of $4,104 and $9,718, respectively)   4,081     9,601 
    
Loans receivable, net of deferred loan origination costs (fees)   3,247,831     2,815,878 
  Allowance for loan losses   (37,195)    (35,965)
Loans receivable, net   3,210,636     2,779,913 
Accrued interest and dividends receivable   14,387     11,177 
Premises and equipment, net   21,654     22,422 
Bank-owned life insurance   79,149     72,960 
Deferred tax asset   32,094     39,307 
Goodwill and other intangible assets   21,039     -  
Other assets   38,833     45,964 
  Total assets$  4,677,888  $  4,041,162 
Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity   
Deposits$  4,105,306  $  3,233,108 
Borrowed funds   92,875     402,605 
Other liabilities   47,968     61,381 
  Total liabilities   4,246,149     3,697,094 
Commitments and contingencies   
Stockholders’ equity:   
  Preferred Stock:   
  Class B - par value $100,000 per share; 77 shares authorized; 67 shares   
  issued and outstanding as of December 31, 2017   -      6,700 
  Common Stock:   
  Class A - par value $.01 per share; 70,000,000 shares authorized; 31,771,585 and    
  28,060,980 shares issued and outstanding, respectively (1)   318     281 
  Additional paid-in capital (1)   308,678     243,771 
  Retained earnings   134,599     99,506 
  Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of income taxes   (11,990)    (6,324)
  Total Amalgamated Bank stockholders' equity   431,605     343,934 
  Noncontrolling interests   134     134 
  Total stockholders' equity   431,739     344,068 
  Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity$  4,677,888  $  4,041,162 
    
    
(1) December 31, 2017 balances effected for stock split that occurred on July 27, 2018   

Select Financial Data

         
 As of and for the Three As of and for the Twelve
 Months Ended Months Ended (1)
 December 31, September 30,December 31, December 31,
  2018  20182017 (1)  2018 2017 (1)
Selected Financial Ratios and Other Data:        
Earnings        
  Basic$  0.26 $  0.30$  (0.13) $  1.22 $  0.21
  Diluted    0.26    0.29   (0.13)    1.21    0.21
Core Earnings (non-GAAP)        
  Basic$  0.30 $  0.38$  0.17  $  1.37 $  0.50
  Diluted    0.30    0.38   0.17     1.36    0.50
Book value per common share    13.58    13.25   12.26     13.58    12.26
(excluding minority interest)        
Tangible book value per share (non-GAAP)   12.92    12.57   12.02     12.92    12.02
Common shares outstanding   31,771,585    31,771,585   28,060,985     31,771,585    28,060,985
Weighted average common shares    31,771,585    31,771,585   28,060,985     30,368,673    28,060,985
  outstanding, basic        
Weighted average common shares   32,460,024    32,099,668   28,060,985     30,633,270    28,060,985
  outstanding, diluted        
      
(1) Effected for stock split that occurred on July 27, 2018 

Select Financial Data

         
         
 As of and for the Three As of and for the Twelve
 Months Ended Months Ended
 December 31, September 30, December 31, December 31,
 2018  2018  2017  2018 2017 
         
Selected Performance Metrics:        
Return on average assets0.71% 0.82% (0.35%) 0.84%0.15%
Core return on average assets (non-GAAP)0.82% 1.05% 0.48% 0.94%0.35%
Return on average equity7.77% 8.96% (4.04%) 9.44%1.74%
Core return on average tangible common equity (non-GAAP)9.50% 12.17% 5.56% 11.06%4.12%
Loan yield 4.32% 4.33% 4.08% 4.27%4.17%
Securities yield 3.14% 3.11% 2.62% 3.01%2.50%
Deposit cost 0.27% 0.25% 0.26% 0.26%0.24%
Net interest margin3.57% 3.65% 3.22% 3.56%3.15%
Efficiency ratio73.33% 71.56% 84.38% 71.89%82.25%
Core efficiency ratio (non-GAAP)69.44% 64.02% 75.24% 68.47%80.12%
         
Asset Quality Ratios:        
Nonaccrual loans to total loans0.74% 0.63% 0.70% 0.74%0.70%
Nonperforming assets to total assets1.27% 1.25% 2.20% 1.27%2.20%
Allowance for loan losses to nonaccrual loans156% 180% 183% 156%183%
Allowance for loan losses to total loans1.15% 1.14% 1.28% 1.15%1.28%
Net (recoveries) charge-offs to average loans0.01% (0.03%) 0.23% (0.05%)0.24%
         
Capital Ratios:        
Tier 1 leverage capital ratio8.86% 8.94% 8.41% 8.86%8.41%
Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio13.22% 12.95% 11.55% 13.22%11.55%
Total risk-based capital ratio14.46% 14.20% 12.80% 14.46%12.80%
Common equity tier 1 capital ratio13.22% 12.95% 11.39% 13.22%11.39%

Loan Portfolio Composition

(In thousands)At December 31, 2018 At September 30, 2018 At December 31, 2017
 Amount % of total loans Amount % of total loans Amount % of total loans
Commercial portfolio:        
Commercial and industrial$  556,537  17.2% $  585,279  18.3% $  687,417  24.4%
Multifamily mortgages   916,337  28.3%    956,307  30.0%    902,475  32.1%
Commercial real estate mortgages   440,704  13.6%    429,616  13.4%    352,475  12.5%
Construction and land development mortgages   46,178  1.4%    36,704  1.1%    11,059  0.4%
  Total commercial portfolio    1,959,756  60.5%    2,007,906  62.8%    1,953,426  69.4%
    
Retail portfolio:       
Residential 1-4 family (1st mortgage)   1,083,204  33.4%    1,017,362  31.9%    769,058  27.3%
Residential 1-4 family (2nd mortgage)   27,206  0.8%    28,588  0.9%    31,559  1.1%
Consumer and other    171,184  5.3%    141,660  4.4%    61,929  2.2%
  Total retail    1,281,594  39.5%    1,187,610  37.2%    862,546  30.6%
  Total loans    3,241,350  100.0%    3,195,516  100.0%    2,815,972  100.0%
  
Net deferred loan origination fees    6,481       5,349       (94)  
Allowance for loan losses    (37,195)      (36,414)      (35,965)  
  Total loans, net $  3,210,636    $  3,164,451    $  2,779,913   
       

Net Interest Income Analysis

 Three Months Ended Three Months Ended Three Months Ended
 December 31, 2018 September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017
(In thousands)Average
Balance
 Income /
Expense
 Yield /
Rate
 Average
Balance
 Income /
Expense
 Yield /
Rate
 Average
Balance
 Income /
Expense
 Yield /
Rate
                  
  Interest earning assets:                 
Interest-bearing deposits in banks$  85,789 $  350 1.62% $  114,464 $  443 1.54%    90,893 $  207 0.90%
Securities and FHLB stock   1,198,477    9,490 3.14%    1,130,719    8,867 3.11%    1,026,377    6,788 2.62%
Loans held for sale   -     -  0.00%    11,445    -  0.00%    -     -  0.00%
Total loans, net (1)   3,180,168    34,620 4.32%    3,097,318    33,789 4.33%    2,730,572    28,099 4.08%
  Total interest earning assets   4,464,434    44,460 3.95%    4,353,946    43,099 3.93%    3,847,842    35,094 3.62%
  Non-interest earning assets:                 
Cash and due from banks   12,480        19,623        6,955    
Other assets   203,263        202,593        185,323    
  Total assets$  4,680,177     $  4,576,162     $  4,040,120    
                  
  Interest bearing liabilities:                 
Savings, NOW and money market deposits   1,839,662 $  1,731 0.37%    1,804,535 $  1,587 0.35%    1,436,928 $  1,248 0.34%
Time deposits   444,131    982 0.88%    434,352    972 0.89%    392,981    781 0.79%
  Total deposits   2,283,793    2,713 0.47%    2,238,887    2,559 0.45%    1,829,910    2,028 0.44%
Federal Home Loan Bank advances   258,505    1,542 2.37%    106,131    498 1.86%    493,970    1,812 1.46%
  Total interest bearing liabilities   2,542,299    4,255 0.66%    2,345,018    3,057 0.52%    2,323,880    3,840 0.66%
  Non interest bearing liabilities:                 
Demand and transaction deposits   1,669,670        1,771,774        1,316,203    
Other liabilities   41,988        42,562.91        47,138    
  Total liabilities   4,253,957        4,159,355        3,687,220    
  Stockholders' equity   426,220        416,807        352,900    
  Total liabilities and stockholders' equity$  4,680,177     $  4,576,162     $  4,040,120    
                  
  Net interest income / interest rate spread     40,205 3.29%      40,042 3.41%      31,254 2.96%
  Net interest earning assets / net interest margin$  1,922,135   3.57% $ 2,008,928   3.65% $ 1,523,962   3.22%
                  
                  
(1) Amounts are net of deferred origination costs / (fees) and the allowance for loan losses 
                  

Net Interest Income Analysis

 Year Ended December 31, 
  2018   2017 
(In thousands)Average
Balance
 Income /
Expense
 Yield /
Rate
 Average
Balance
 Income /
Expense
 Yield /
Rate
            
  Interest earning assets:           
Interest-bearing deposits in banks$  87,606 $  1,444 1.65% $  89,000 $  645 0.72%
Securities and FHLB stock   1,081,950    32,616 3.01%    1,098,138    27,425 2.50%
Loans held for sale   -     -  0.00%    -     -  0.00%
Total loans, net (1)   3,039,779    129,904 4.27%    2,663,889    110,988 4.17%
  Total interest earning assets   4,209,335    163,964 3.90%    3,851,026    139,058 3.61%
  Non-interest earning assets:           
Cash and due from banks   13,243        6,703    
Other assets   190,740        176,838    
  Total assets$  4,413,318     $  4,034,567    
            
  Interest bearing liabilities:           
Savings, NOW and money market deposits   1,681,545    6,005 0.36%    1,466,839    4,516 0.31%
Time deposits   416,482    3,568 0.86%    427,089    2,852 0.67%
  Total deposits   2,098,027    9,573 0.46%    1,893,928    7,368 0.39%
Federal Home Loan Bank advances   253,257    4,646 1.83%    570,129    10,360 1.82%
Other Borrowings   0    0 2.30%    1,513    33 2.16%
  Total borrowings   253,257    4,646 1.83%    571,642    10,393 1.82%
  Total interest bearing liabilities   2,351,284    14,219 0.60%    2,465,570    17,761 0.72%
  Non interest bearing liabilities:           
Demand and transaction deposits   1,626,373        1,173,215    
Other liabilities   43,424        45,602    
  Total liabilities   4,021,081        3,684,387    
  Stockholders' equity   392,237        350,180    
  Total liabilities and stockholders' equity$  4,413,318     $  4,034,567    
            
  Net interest income / interest rate spread     149,745 3.29%      121,297 2.89%
  Net interest earning assets / net interest margin$  1,858,051   3.56% $  1,385,457   3.15%
            
            
(1) Amounts are net of deferred origination costs / (fees) and the allowance for loan losses 
            

Deposit Portfolio Composition

       
  Three Months  Ended 
 (in thousands)December 31, 2018 September 30, 2018 December 31, 2017
  Average
Amount
 Weighted
Average Rate
 Average
Amount
 Weighted
Average Rate
 Average
Amount
 Weighted
Average Rate
             
 Non-interest bearing demand deposit accounts$  1,669,670  0.00% $  1,771,774 0.00% $  1,316,203 0.00%
 Savings accounts   329,192  0.19%    327,098 0.17%    301,440 0.14%
 Money market deposit accounts   1,304,363  0.41%    1,286,940 0.38%    930,509 0.43%
 NOW accounts   206,107  0.45%    190,497 0.46%    204,979 0.27%
 Time deposits   444,131  0.88%    434,352 0.89%    392,981 0.79%
  $  3,953,464  0.27% $  4,010,661 0.25% $  3,146,113 0.26%


       
  Twelve Months Ended December 31,
 (in thousands) 2018   2017 
  Average Amount Weighted
Average Rate
 Average Amount Weighted
Average Rate
         
 Non-interest bearing demand deposit accounts$  1,626,373 0.00% $  1,173,215 0.00%
 Savings accounts   318,882 0.16%    303,164 0.13%
 Money market deposit accounts   1,161,309 0.40%    966,740 0.38%
 NOW accounts   201,353 0.40%    196,936 0.22%
 Time deposits   416,482 0.86%    427,089 0.67%
  $  3,724,400 0.26% $  3,067,143 0.24%
         

Asset Quality

 At December 31,At September 30,At December 31,
(In thousands) 2018  2018  2017 
Loans 90 days past due and accruing $  -  $  491 $  6,971 
Nonaccrual loans excluding held for sale loans and restructured loans   8,379    4,986    4,914 
Nonaccrual loans held for sale   -     -     4,186 
Restructured loans - nonaccrual   15,482    15,293    14,785 
Restructured loans - accruing   34,457    36,280    43,981 
Other real estate owned    844    844    1,907 
Impaired securities   93    103    12,296 
Total nonperforming assets$  59,255 $  57,997 $  89,040 
    
 Nonaccrual loans:   
  Commercial and industrial $  12,153 $  12,218 $  12,569 
  Multifamily    -     -     -  
  Commercial real estate    4,112    -     -  
  Construction and land development    -     -     -  
  Total commercial portfolio   16,265    12,218    12,569 
    
  Residential 1-4 family 1st mortgages    6,287    6,490    6,324 
  Residential 1-4 family 2nd mortgages   1,299    1,561    780 
  Consumer and other    10    10    26 
  Total retail portfolio   7,596    8,061    7,130 
  Total nonaccrual loans$  23,861 $  20,279 $  19,699 
    
    
Nonperforming assets to total assets 1.27% 1.25% 2.20%
Nonaccrual assets to total assets 0.53% 0.46% 0.64%
Nonaccrual loans to total loans  0.74% 0.63% 0.70%
Allowance for loan losses to nonaccrual loans 156% 180% 183%
    
Troubled debt restructurings:   
  TDRs included in nonaccrual loans $  15,482 $  15,293 $  14,785 
  TDRs in compliance with modified terms $  34,457 $  36,280 $  43,981 
          

Reconciliation of GAAP to Non-GAAP Financial Measures
The information provided below presents a reconciliation of each of our non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.

 For the Three For the Twelve 
 Months Ended Months Ended 
(in thousands) December 31,  September 30  December 31,  December 31, 
  2018  2018  2017   2018   2017 
                  
Core operating revenue                 
Net interest income (GAAP)$  40,205 $   40,042 $   31,254  $  149,745  $ 121,297 
Non interest income (GAAP)   7,555    7,547    6,259     28,318     27,370 
Add: Securities loss, net and OTTI   129    -     1,533     241     1,441 
Core operating revenue (non-GAAP)$   47,889 $  47,589 $   39,045  $ 178,304  $  150,108 
                  
                  
Core non-interest expenses                 
Non-interest expense (GAAP)$ 35,024 $ 34,053 $ 31,655  $   128,003  $  122,274 
Less: Prepayment fees on borrowings   -     (5)   -      (8)    (7,615)
Less: Branch closure expense(1)   -     -     (816)    -      (2,105
Less: Acquisition cost(2)   (1,633)   (148)   (357)    (2,363)    (357)
Less: Initial public offering and follow on cost (3)   120    (3,436)   -      (3,316)    -  
Less: Severance (4)   (257)   -     (1,103)    (235)    (1,768)
Add: Post-retirement benefit cancellation(5)   -     -     -      -      9,838 
Core non-interest expense (non-GAAP)$ 33,254 $   30,464 $  29,379  $ 122,081  $  120,267 
                  
Core Earnings                  
Net Income  (GAAP)$   8,352 $ 9,417 $  (3,597) $   37,022     6,108 
Add: Securities loss, net and OTTI   129   -     1,533     241     1,441 
Add: Prepayment fees on borrowings   -     5    -      8     7,615 
Add: Branch closure expense(1)   -     -     816     -      2,105 
Add: Acquisition cost(2)   1,633    148    357     2,363     357 
Add: Initial public offering and follow on cost (3)   (120)   3,436    -      3,316     -  
Add: Severance (4)   257    -     1,103     235     1,768 
Less: Post-retirement benefit cancellation(5)   -     -     -      -      (9,838)
Less: Tax on notable items    (563)   (911)   (1,313)    (1,629)    (1,342)
Add: Impacts of other tax changes    -     -     5,947     -      5,947 
Core earnings (non-GAAP)$ 9,688 $ 12,095 $ 4,846  $ 41,556  $   14,161 
                  
Tangible common equity                 
Stockholders Equity (GAAP)$  431,739 $  421,028 $ 344,068  $  431,739  $  344,068 
Less: Minority Interest (GAAP)   (134)   (134)   (134)    (134)    (134)
Less: Preferred Stock (GAAP)   -     -     (6,700)        (6,700)
Less: Goodwill (GAAP)   (12,936)   (12,936)   -      (12,936)    -  
Less: Core deposit intangible (GAAP)   (8,102)   (8,491)   -      (8,102)    -  
Tangible common equity (non-GAAP)$ 410,567 $  399,467 $  337,234  $  410,567  $  337,234 
                  
Average tangible common equity                 
Average Stockholders Equity (GAAP)$  426,207 $ 416,807 $  352,900  $ 392,233  $   350,180 
Less: Minority Interest (GAAP)   (134)   (134)   (134)     (134)    (134
Less: Preferred Stock (GAAP)   -     -     (6,700)     (2,753)    (6,700
Less: Goodwill (GAAP)   (12,936)   (13,933)   -      (8,421)    -  
Less: Core deposit intangible (GAAP)   (8,291)   (8,402)   -      (5,187)    -  
Average tangible common equity (non-GAAP)$ 404,845 $   394,338 $   346,066  $   375,738  $ 343,346 
                  
Core return on average assets                  
Core earnings (numerator) (non-GAAP)   9,688    12,095    4,846     41,556     14,161 
Divided: Total average assets (denominator) (GAAP)$  4,680,153    4,576,162    4,040,120     4,413,312     4,034,567 
Core return on average assets (non-GAAP) 0.82% 1.05% 0.48%  0.94%  0.35%
                  
Core return on average tangible common equity                  
Core earnings (numerator) (non-GAAP)   9,688    12,095    4,846     41,556     14,161 
Divided: Total average tangible common equity (denominator) (non-GAAP)   404,845    394,338    346,066     375,738     343,346 
Core return on average tangible common equity (non-GAAP) 9.50% 12.17% 5.56%  11.06%  4.12%
                  
Core efficiency ratio                 
Core non-interest expense (numerator) (non-GAAP)   33,254    30,464    29,379     122,081     120,267 
Core operating revenue (denominator) (non-GAAP)   47,889    47,589    39,045     178,304     150,108 
Core efficiency ratio (non-GAAP) 69.44% 64.02% 75.24%  68.47%  80.12%
                  
(1) Occupany and severance  expense related to closure of branches during our branch rationalization   
(2) Expense related to New Resource Bank acquisition  
(3) Costs related to initial public offering and follow on costs in August and November 2018, respectively   
(4) Salary and COBRA reimbursement expense for positions eliminated    
(5) "One time" credit due to plan cancellation in the second quarter of 2017