Preferred Bank Reports Record Quarterly Earnings Again


LOS ANGELES, Jan. 18, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Preferred Bank (NASDAQ: PFBC), one of the larger independent California banks, today reported results for the quarter ended December 31, 2022. Preferred Bank (“the Bank”) reported net income of $39.6 million or $2.71 per diluted share for the fourth quarter of 2022. This represents an increase of $13.1 million or 49.7% over the same quarter last year and also an impressive $4.4 million or 12.4% increase over the third quarter of 2022. The primary driver of the increase over both comparable periods was net interest income which increased by 50.0% over the same period last year and increased by 11.0% over the third quarter of 2022. Net income for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $128.8 million or $8.70 per diluted share compared to $95.2 million or $6.41 per diluted share for the year ended December 31, 2021. This represents an increase in net income of $33.6 million or 35.3% and an increase in diluted earnings per share of 35.7%. The extraordinary interest rate hikes undertaken by the Federal Open Market Committee (“FOMC”) to fend off inflation during the course of 2022 has led to a significant increase in interest income as most of the Bank’s loans are tied to the Prime rate.

Fourth quarter 2022 highlights:

  • Return on average assets (“ROA”) of 2.48%
  • Return on beginning equity (“ROBE”) of 26.58%
  • Pre-provision, pre-tax (“PPPT”) ROBE of 38.26% 1.
  • Net interest margin increased to 4.75%
  • Efficiency ratio of 25.97%
  • Linked quarter deposit growth of 1.9%
  • Linked quarter loan growth of 1.3%

______________________________
1 This is a non-GAAP measure and links to the reconciliation on page 4.

Full Year 2022 highlights:

  • Return on average assets (“ROA”) of 2.08%
  • Return on beginning equity (“ROBE”) of 21.96%
  • Efficiency ratio of 27.48%
  • Total loan growth of $650 million or 14.7%
  • Total deposit growth of $331 million or 6.3%

Li Yu, Chairman and CEO, commented, “I am pleased to report another record quarter of earnings. Net income for the fourth quarter of 2022 was $39.6 million or $2.71 per diluted share with return on beginning equity reaching 26.6%.

“Growth in interest income continues to outpace the rise in deposit interest costs. The Bank’s net interest margin was 4.75% for the fourth quarter, up from 4.37% recorded in the previous quarter. The cost of deposits accelerated during the quarter, as deposit rates catch up to market rates. We expect this trend to continue as financial institutions are increasing their deposit rates frequently. Another reason for the increase in overall deposit costs is the shifting of funds from noninterest bearing accounts to interest bearing products as companies and individuals become more savvy with their cash balances.

“Sequentially, total loans increased by $64 million, or 1.3% for the quarter while total deposits grew by $101 million or 1.9%. Loan demand has moderated since mid-2022 and this trend is expected to continue as investors and operators become more cautious in the higher interest rate environment.

“Deposit growth has also slowed significantly. We expect that deposit growth will be a challenge, especially at reasonable costs, throughout 2023.

“The Bank’s liquidity position continues to be very strong as deposit growth outpaced loan growth for the year. Also, capital levels remain high. The Bank’s tangible book value per share increased by 6.1% for 2022, which was rare for any bank this year because higher interest rates lead to higher negative accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”) marks on investment portfolios within bank’s capital. Preferred Bank’s earning power was more than enough to offset this headwind, even after dividends.

“Benefitted by the increase in net interest income, the efficiency ratio continues to be one of the best in the industry, coming in at 26.0% for the quarter. In 2023, total expenses are expected to increase at a rate above the historical pace due to wage inflation as well as the upcoming increase in FDIC premium assessments. Regardless, we expect our efficiency ratio will remain among the best in the Country.

“Our attention is always focused on credit quality, which appears stable. Nonperforming assets and nonperforming loans were $27.5 million and $5.5 million respectively, as compared to $32.3 million and $6.2 million as of September 30, 2022. More importantly, loans 30-89 days past due, a leading indicator of credit quality trends was practically nil as of December 31, 2022. Over the past few quarters, the Bank’s total allowance for credit loss (“ACL”) coverage has increased and now stands at 1.35% of total loans.

Preferred Bank was 2nd among all California publicly traded banks over $2 billion in assets with a return on tangible common shareholders’ equity (“ROTCE”) of 23.6% for the third quarter of 2022. Our ROTCE actually expanded in the fourth quarter to 25.8%. We are very pleased with our earnings capacity as it is often overlooked as one of the best defenses for a recessionary economy. All of our operating metrics remain stable heading into 2023 as we approach the new year with prudence.”

Results of Operations

Net Interest Income and Net Interest Margin. Net interest income before provision for credit losses was $74.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2022. This was a significant increase from the $49.4 million recorded in the same quarter last year and also up sharply over the $66.8 million posted in the third quarter of 2022. The FOMC rate hikes throughout 2022 drove the Bank’s loan portfolio yield higher, as most of the Bank’s loans are tied to the Prime rate. Interest expense on deposits also rose but the increase in deposit interest costs was well behind that of interest income, leading to continued margin expansion. The taxable equivalent net interest margin rose 38 basis points on a linked quarter basis to 4.75% from 4.37% last quarter. Comparing to the same quarter last year, the margin was up by an astounding 147 basis points over the 3.28% posted this quarter last year.

Noninterest Income. For the fourth quarter of 2022, noninterest income was $2.8 million compared with $2.0 million for the same quarter last year and compared to $2.2 million for the third quarter of 2022. The increase compared to the prior quarter was due to an increase in letter of credit (“LC”) fees of $289,000 and an increase in other income of $105,000 partially offset by gain on the sale of investment securities of $297,000 in the fourth quarter of 2022. In comparison to the same quarter last year, LC fees are up by $526,000 partially offset by the gain on the sales of investment securities of $297,000.

Noninterest Expense. Total noninterest expense was $20.0 million for the fourth quarter of 2022 compared to $17.4 million for the third quarter of 2022 and compared to the $14.8 million recorded in the same period last year. Comparing this quarter to the fourth quarter of last year; personnel expense increased by $2.7 million or 26.0%, other real estate owned (“OREO”) expense was $2.1 million this quarter compared to $0 last year and other expense increased by $1.8 million this quarter. The personnel expense increase was mainly due to new hires, merit increases and an increase in incentive compensation. In comparing to the prior quarter; personnel expense was up by $627,000 or 5.1% from the third quarter of 2022, other expense was up by $191,000 and OREO expense increased by $1.4 million and incurred a loss on sale of OREO of $426,000. During the fourth quarter of 2022, the Bank wrote down the value of its OREO by $1.4 million. For the quarter ended December 31, 2022, the Bank’s efficiency ratio was 26.0%, slightly higher than the 25.2% posted last quarter but easily surpassing the 28.8% posted this quarter last year.

Income Taxes. The Bank recorded a provision for income taxes of $15.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2022. This represents an effective tax rate (“ETR”) of 28.0% and equal to the ETR for the third quarter of 2022 but down slightly from the 29.5% ETR posted in the fourth quarter of 2021. The Bank’s ETR will fluctuate slightly from quarter to quarter within a fairly small range due to the timing of taxable events throughout the year.

Balance Sheet Summary

Total gross loans at December 31, 2022 were $5.07 billion, an increase of $650 million or 14.7% over the total of $4.42 billion as of December 31, 2021. Total deposits increased to $5.56 billion, an increase of $331 million or 6.3% over the $5.23 billion as of December 31, 2021. Total assets ended the year at $6.42 billion, an increase of $376 million or 6.2% over the total of $6.05 billion as of December 31, 2021.

Asset Quality

As of December 31, 2022, nonaccrual loans totaled $5.5 million, down from the $6.2 million reported as of September 30, 2022 and down from the $14.8 million as of the end of 2021. In addition, OREO and repossessed assets totaled $22.0 million as of December 31, 2022, compared to $26.1 million as of September 30, 2022 and zero as of the end of 2021. Total net charge-offs were $0 for the fourth quarter of 2022 as compared to net recoveries of $2.4 million last quarter and compared to net charge-offs of $267,000 in the same quarter of 2021.

Allowance for Credit Losses

The provision for credit losses for the fourth quarter of 2022 was $2.0 million as compared to $2.7 million recorded last quarter and compared to a reversal of $900,000 recorded in the fourth quarter of last year.   The Bank’s allowance coverage ratio now stands at 1.35% of total loans (excluding PPP loans).

Capitalization

As of December 31, 2022, the Bank’s leverage ratio was 10.27%, the common equity tier 1 capital ratio was 10.78% and the total capital ratio stood at 14.36%. As of December 31, 2021, the Bank’s leverage ratio was 9.54%, the common equity tier 1 ratio was 11.26% and the total risk-based capital ratio was 15.37%.

GAAP – Non-GAAP Reconciliation -Fourth Quarter 2022 PPPT ROBE
Net Income$39,560 
Add: Provision for credit losses 2,000 
Add: Income tax expense 15,384 
Pre-provision and pre-tax income$56,944 
  
Total equity – 9/30/22$590,553 
Pre-provision and pre-tax ROBE 38.26%
  

Conference Call and Webcast

A conference call with simultaneous webcast to discuss Preferred Bank’s fourth quarter 2022 financial results will be held tomorrow, January 19, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. Eastern / 11:00 a.m. Pacific. Interested participants and investors may access the conference call by dialing 844-826-3037 (domestic) or 412-317-5182 (international) and referencing “Preferred Bank.” There will also be a live webcast of the call available at the Investor Relations section of Preferred Bank's website at www.preferredbank.com. Web participants are encouraged to go to the website at least 15 minutes prior to the start of the call to register, download and install any necessary audio software.

Preferred Bank's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Li Yu, President and Chief Operating Officer Wellington Chen, Chief Financial Officer Edward J. Czajka, Chief Credit Officer Nick Pi and Deputy Chief Operating Officer Johnny Hsu will be present to discuss Preferred Bank's financial results, business highlights and outlook. After the live webcast, a replay will remain available in the Investor Relations section of Preferred Bank's website. A replay of the call will also be available at 877-344-7529 (domestic) or 412-317-0088 (international) through February 2, 2023; the passcode is 5526852.

About Preferred Bank

Preferred Bank is one of the larger independent commercial banks headquartered in California. The Bank is chartered by the State of California, and its deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or FDIC, to the maximum extent permitted by law. The Bank conducts its banking business from its main office in Los Angeles, California, and through eleven full-service branch banking offices in California (Alhambra, Century City, City of Industry, Torrance, Arcadia, Irvine, Diamond Bar, Pico Rivera, Tarzana and San Francisco (2)) and one branch in Flushing, New York. In addition, the Bank operates a Loan Production Office in the Houston, Texas suburb of Sugar Land. Preferred Bank offers a broad range of deposit and loan products and services to both commercial and consumer customers. The Bank provides personalized deposit services as well as real estate finance, commercial loans and trade finance to small and mid-sized businesses, entrepreneurs, real estate developers, professionals and high net worth individuals. Although originally founded as a Chinese-American Bank, Preferred Bank now derives most of its customers from the diversified mainstream market but does continue to benefit from the significant migration to California of ethnic Chinese from China and other areas of East Asia.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the Bank’s future financial and operating results, the Bank's plans, objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements that are not historical facts. Such statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of the Bank’s management and are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements: changes in economic conditions; changes in the California real estate market; the loss of senior management and other employees; natural disasters or recurring energy
shortage; changes in interest rates; competition from other financial services companies; ineffective underwriting practices; inadequate allowance for loan and lease losses to cover actual losses; risks inherent in construction lending; adverse economic conditions in Asia; downturn in international trade; inability to attract deposits; inability to raise additional capital when needed or on favorable terms; inability to manage growth; inadequate communications, information, operating and financial control systems, technology from fourth party service providers; the U.S. government’s monetary policies; government regulation; environmental liability with respect to properties to which the bank takes title; and the threat of terrorism. Additional factors that could cause the Bank's results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in the Bank’s 2021 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation which can be found on Preferred Bank’s website. The forward-looking statements in this press release speak only as of the date of the press release, and the Bank assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those contained in the forward-looking statements. For additional information about Preferred Bank, please visit the Bank’s website at www.preferredbank.com.

Financial Tables to Follow

PREFERRED BANK
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
(unaudited)
(in thousands, except for net income per share and shares)
         
         
    For the Quarter Ended
    December 31, September 30, December 31,
     2022  2022  2021 
Interest income:     
 Loans, including fees$87,159 $71,192 $51,906 
 Investment securities 11,028  7,111  2,867 
 Fed funds sold 192  117  18 
  Total interest income 98,379  78,420  54,791 
         
Interest expense:     
 Interest-bearing demand 13,906  6,436  1,511 
 Savings 32  19  17 
 Time certificates 9,004  3,850  2,521 
 Subordinated debt 1,325  1,325  1,325 
  Total interest expense 24,267  11,630  5,374 
  Net interest income 74,112  66,790  49,417 
Provision for (reversal of) credit losses 2,000  2,700  (900)
  Net interest income after provision for (reversal of)     
   credit losses 72,112  64,090  50,317 
         
Noninterest income:     
 Fees & service charges on deposit accounts 631  703  581 
 Letters of credit fee income 1,245  956  719 
 BOLI income 102  100  99 
 Net gain on called and sale of investment securities 297  -  - 
 Other income 533  428  567 
  Total noninterest income 2,808  2,187  1,966 
         
Noninterest expense:     
 Salary and employee benefits 12,953  12,326  10,278 
 Net occupancy expense 1,444  1,452  1,396 
 Business development and promotion expense 320  214  280 
 Professional services 1,028  1,161  1,075 
 Office supplies and equipment expense 460  456  498 
 Loss on sale of OREO, valuation allowance and related expense 2,103  314  - 
 Other  1,668  1,477  1,279 
  Total noninterest expense 19,976  17,400  14,806 
  Income before provision for income taxes 54,944  48,877  37,477 
Income tax expense 15,384  13,688  11,056 
  Net income$39,560 $35,189 $26,421 
         
Dividend and earnings allocated to participating securities -  -  (3)
Net income available to common shareholders$39,560 $35,189 $26,418 
         
Income per share available to common shareholders     
  Basic$2.76 $2.44 $1.80 
  Diluted$2.71 $2.40 $1.80 
         
Weighted-average common shares outstanding     
  Basic 14,357,326  14,408,235  14,677,515 
  Diluted 14,617,377  14,644,452  14,677,515 
         
Cash dividends per common share$0.55 $0.43 $0.43 
         


PREFERRED BANK
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
(unaudited)
(in thousands, except for net income per share and shares)
        
        
   For the Year Ended  
   December 31, December 31, Change
    2022   2021  %
Interest income:     
 Loans, including fees$269,011  $200,537  34.1%
 Investment securities 24,997   10,417  140.0%
 Fed funds sold 374   81  361.5%
  Total interest income 294,382   211,035  39.5%
        
Interest expense:     
 Interest-bearing demand 24,221   5,964  306.1%
 Savings 91   57  58.9%
 Time certificates 17,412   12,811  35.9%
 Subordinated debt 5,300   6,325  -16.2%
  Total interest expense 47,024   25,158  86.9%
  Net interest income 247,358   185,877  33.1%
Provision for (reversal of) credit losses 7,350   (1,000) -835.0%
  Net interest income after provision for (reversal of) credit losses 240,008   186,877  28.4%
        
Noninterest income:     
 Fees & service charges on deposit accounts 2,728   2,113  29.1%
 Letters of credit fee income 4,463   3,914  14.0%
 BOLI income 401   392  2.3%
 Net gain on called and sale of investment securities 297   41  623.6%
 Net loss on sale of loans -   (640) -100.0%
 Other income 1,973   1,924  2.6%
  Total noninterest income 9,862   7,743  27.4%
        
Noninterest expense:     
 Salary and employee benefits 48,607   42,606  14.1%
 Net occupancy expense 5,759   5,656  1.8%
 Business development and promotion expense 811   568  42.8%
 Professional services 4,892   4,127  18.5%
 Office supplies and equipment expense 1,864   1,879  -0.8%
 Loss on sale of OREO, valuation allowance and related expense 2,818   -  100.0%
 Other 5,922   5,956  -0.6%
  Total noninterest expense 70,673   60,792  16.3%
  Income before provision for income taxes 179,197   133,828  33.9%
Income tax expense 50,352   38,588  30.5%
  Net income$128,845  $95,240  35.3%
        
Dividend and earnings allocated to participating securities$(2) $(11) -77.4%
Net income available to common shareholders$128,843  $95,229  35.3%
        
Income per share available to common shareholders     
  Basic$8.84  $6.41  37.9%
  Diluted$8.70  $6.41  35.7%
        
Weighted-average common shares outstanding     
  Basic 14,579,132   14,866,000  -1.9%
  Diluted 14,809,416   14,866,000  -0.4%
        
Dividends per share$1.84  $1.57  17.2%
        


PREFERRED BANK
Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition
(unaudited)
(in thousands)
      
      
   December 31, December 31,
    2022   2021 
   (Unaudited) (Audited)
Assets   
Cash and due from banks$747,526  $1,030,610 
Fed funds sold 20,000   20,000 
 Cash and cash equivalents 767,526   1,050,610 
      
Securities held to maturity, at amortized cost 22,459   13,962 
Securities available-for-sale, at fair value 428,295   451,911 
Loans 5,074,793   4,424,992 
 Less allowance for credit losses (68,472)  (59,969)
 Less amortized deferred loan fees, net (9,939)  (6,316)
 Loans, net 4,996,382   4,358,707 
      
Other real estate owned and repossessed assets 21,990   - 
Customers' liability on acceptances 1,731   10,188 
Bank furniture and fixtures, net 8,999   10,533 
Bank-owned life insurance 10,357   10,088 
Accrued interest receivable 23,593   14,646 
Investment in affordable housing partnerships 61,173   59,018 
Federal Home Loan Bank stock, at cost 15,000   15,000 
Deferred tax assets 39,746   26,674 
Operating lease right-of-use assets 21,718   21,969 
Other assets 2,917   2,997 
 Total assets$6,421,886  $6,046,303 
      
Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity   
Deposits:   
 Non-interest bearing demand deposits$1,192,091  $1,305,692 
 Interest-bearing deposits: 2,295,212   2,032,819 
  Savings 39,527   37,839 
  Time certificates of $250,000 or more 1,138,727   934,444 
  Other time certificates 891,440   914,717 
  Total deposits 5,556,997   5,225,511 
      
Acceptances outstanding 1,731   10,188 
Subordinated debt issuance, net 147,995   147,758 
Commitments to fund investment in affordable housing partnerships 27,490   22,606 
Operating lease liabilities 20,949   22,861 
Accrued interest payable 2,608   715 
Other liabilities 36,018   29,946 
 Total liabilities 5,793,788   5,459,585 
      
Shareholders' equity 628,098   586,718 
 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity$6,421,886  $6,046,303 
      
Book value per common share$43.75  $39.97 
Number of common shares outstanding 14,358,145   14,679,769 
        


PREFERRED BANK
Selected Consolidated Financial Information
(unaudited)
(in thousands, except for ratios)
        
        
   For the Quarter Ended
        
   December 31,September 30,June 30,March 31,December 31,
    2022  2022  2022  2022  2021 
Unaudited historical quarterly operations data:     
 Interest income$98,379 $78,420 $62,559 $55,024 $54,791 
 Interest expense 24,267  11,630  6,135  4,992  5,374 
  Interest income before provision for credit losses 74,112  66,790  56,424  50,032  49,417 
 Provision (reversal of) for credit losses 2,000  2,700  2,900  (250) (900)
 Noninterest income 2,808  2,187  2,601  2,266  1,966 
 Noninterest expense 19,976  17,400  17,140  16,157  14,806 
 Income tax expense 15,384  13,688  10,916  10,364  11,056 
  Net income$39,560 $35,189 $28,069 $26,027 $26,421 
        
 Earnings per share     
  Basic$2.76 $2.44 $1.90 $1.76 $1.80 
  Diluted$2.71 $2.40 $1.87 $1.74 $1.80 
        
Ratios for the period:     
 Return on average assets 2.48% 2.25% 1.84% 1.75% 1.72%
 Return on beginning equity 26.58% 23.60% 18.91% 17.99% 18.65%
 Net interest margin (Fully-taxable equivalent) 4.75% 4.37% 3.77% 3.42% 3.28%
 Noninterest expense to average assets 1.25% 1.11% 1.12% 1.08% 0.97%
 Efficiency ratio 25.97% 25.23% 29.04% 30.89% 28.82%
 Net charge-offs (recoveries) to average loans (annualized) 0.00% -0.19% 0.00% 0.11% 0.03%
        
Ratios as of period end:     
 Tier 1 leverage capital ratio 10.27% 9.95% 9.92% 9.92% 9.54%
 Common equity tier 1 risk-based capital ratio 10.78% 10.46% 10.61% 11.20% 11.26%
 Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio 10.78% 10.46% 10.61% 11.20% 11.26%
 Total risk-based capital ratio 14.36% 14.09% 14.31% 15.12% 15.37%
 Allowances for credit losses to loans at end of period 1.35% 1.33% 1.25% 1.27% 1.36%
 Allowance for credit losses to non-performing loans12.49x10.75x5.27x27.15x4.05x
        
Average balances:     
 Total securities$434,830 $410,649 $430,203 $455,899 $470,811 
 Total loans 4,981,561  4,908,870  4,777,353  4,367,095  4,218,699 
 Total earning assets 6,193,330  6,076,616  6,008,024  5,938,519  5,984,055 
 Total assets 6,327,942  6,215,184  6,133,703  6,044,155  6,079,934 
 Total time certificate of deposits 1,872,239  1,749,257  1,810,886  1,869,654  1,915,116 
 Total interest bearing deposits 4,287,287  3,973,105  3,982,888  3,947,616  3,945,275 
 Total deposits 5,468,562  5,373,252  5,301,370  5,215,810  5,277,507 
 Total interest bearing liabilities 4,435,245  4,121,005  4,130,729  4,095,399  4,093,002 
 Total equity 613,679  598,188  606,260  597,214  576,495 
        



PREFERRED BANK
Selected Consolidated Financial Information
(unaudited)
(in thousands, except for ratios)
      
      
      
   For the Year Ended
   December 31,
 December 31,
    2022   2021 
      
 Interest income$294,382  $211,035 
 Interest expense 47,024   25,158 
  Interest income before provision for credit losses 247,358   185,877 
 Provision (reversal of) for credit losses 7,350   (1,000)
 Non-interest income 9,862   7,743 
 Non-interest expense 70,673   60,792 
 Income tax expense 50,352   38,588 
  Net income$128,845  $95,240 
      
 Earnings per share   
  Basic$8.84  $6.41 
  Diluted$8.70  $6.41 
      
Ratios for the period:   
 Return on average assets 2.08%  1.68%
 Return on beginning equity 21.96%  17.51%
 Net interest margin (Fully-taxable equivalent) 4.09%  2.54%
 Non-interest expense to average assets 1.14%  1.12%
 Efficiency ratio 27.48%  32.33%
 Net (recoveries) charge-off to average loans -0.02%  0.07%
      
Average balances:   
 Total securities$432,777  $304,865 
 Total loans 4,760,815   4,110,835 
 Total earning assets 6,054,932   5,377,565 
 Total assets 6,181,119   5,477,989 
 Total time certificate of deposits 1,825,307   1,891,583 
 Total interest-bearing deposits 4,048,450   3,674,201 
 Total deposits 5,340,533   4,729,147 
 Total interest-bearing liabilities 4,196,321   3,793,782 
 Total equity 603,865   553,937 
      



PREFERRED BANK 
Selected Consolidated Financial Information 
(unaudited) 
(in thousands, except for ratios) 
              
              
    As of 
              
    December 31, September 30, June 30, March 31, December 31, 
     2022   2022   2022   2022   2021  
Unaudited quarterly statement of financial position data:          
Assets:          
 Cash and cash equivalents$767,526  $749,484  $768,658  $985,162  $1,050,610  
 Securities held-to-maturity, at amortized cost 22,459   12,442   12,784   13,496   13,962  
 Securities available-for-sale, at fair value 428,295   377,534   400,597   430,280   451,911  
 Loans:          
  Real estate – Mortgage:          
   Real estate—Residential$609,292  $587,812  $581,412  $539,614  $536,286  
   Real estate—Commercial 2,730,726   2,693,852   2,583,484   2,367,862   2,267,063  
      Total Real Estate – Mortgage 3,340,018   3,281,664   3,164,896   2,907,476   2,803,349  
  Real estate – Construction:          
   R/E Construction — Residential 193,027   179,955   168,420   141,218   130,842  
   R/E Construction — Commercial 204,478   188,083   203,217   209,726   202,482  
      Total real estate construction loans 397,505   368,038   371,637   350,944   333,324  
  Commercial and industrial 1,320,830   1,330,028   1,336,631   1,281,559   1,245,734  
  SBA 11,339   8,067   22,186   32,554   42,467  
  Trade finance 4,521   22,634   24,663   18,919   11,309  
  Consumer and others 580   115   128   115   118  
   Gross loans 5,074,793   5,010,546   4,920,141   4,591,567   4,424,992  
 Allowance for credit losses on loans (68,472)  (66,472)  (61,396)  (58,496)  (59,969) 
 Net deferred loan fees (9,939)  (9,695)  (9,525)  (8,573)  (6,316) 
  Net loans$4,996,382  $4,934,379  $4,849,220$4,524,498$4,358,707  
              
 Other real estate owned and repossessed assets$21,990  $26,075  $21,449  $15,547  $-  
 Investment in affordable housing partnerships 61,173   62,745   54,874   56,946   59,018  
 Federal Home Loan Bank stock, at cost 15,000   15,000   15,000   15,000   15,000  
 Other assets 109,061   115,184   110,459   101,427   97,095  
  Total assets$6,421,886  $6,292,843  $6,233,041$6,142,356$6,046,303  
              
Liabilities:          
 Deposits:          
  Demand$1,192,091  $1,341,199  $1,385,934$1,251,613$1,305,692  
  Interest-bearing demand 2,295,212   2,263,775   2,239,501   2,159,178   2,032,819  
  Savings 39,527   38,151   39,784   39,946   37,839  
  Time certificates of $250,000 or more 1,138,727   971,378   870,376   924,317   934,444  
  Other time certificates 891,440   841,173   872,357   934,615   914,717  
      Total deposits$5,556,997  $5,455,676  $5,407,952$5,309,669$5,225,511  
              
 Acceptances outstanding$1,731  $10,058  $11,053  $8,222  $10,188  
 Subordinated debt issuance, net 147,995   147,936   147,877   147,818   147,758  
 Commitments to fund investment in affordable housing partnerships 27,490   28,611   20,036   22,606   22,606  
 Other liabilities 59,575   60,009   54,531   58,756   53,522  
  Total liabilities$5,793,788  $5,702,290  $5,641,449$5,547,071$5,459,585  
              
Equity:           
 Net common stock, no par value$180,324  $180,324  $197,997  $209,065  $208,840  
 Retained earnings 475,072   443,409   414,393   392,610   372,952  
 Accumulated other comprehensive income (28,605)  (33,180)  (20,798)  (6,390)  4,926  
  Total shareholders' equity$626,791  $590,553  $591,592  $595,285  $586,718  
  Total liabilities and shareholders' equity$6,420,579  $6,292,843  $6,233,041$6,142,356$6,046,303  
              



PREFERRED BANK
Quarter-To-Date Average Balances, Yield and Rates
(Unaudited)
              
            
   Three months ended December 31, Three months ended September 30, Three months ended December 31,
    2022   2022   2021 
    InterestAverage  InterestAverage  InterestAverage
   AverageIncome orYield/ AverageIncome orYield/ AverageIncome orYield/
   BalanceExpenseRate BalanceExpenseRate BalanceExpenseRate
ASSETS(Dollars in thousands)
Interest-earning assets:           
 Loans (1,2)$4,981,561  87,1596.94% $4,908,870 $71,1925.75%  4,218,699 $51,9064.88%
 Investment securities (3) 434,830  3,9933.64%  410,649  2,9952.89%  470,811  2,2281.88%
 Federal funds sold 20,000  1923.81%  20,071  1172.30%  20,380  180.36%
 Other earning assets 756,939  7,1393.74%  737,026  4,2212.27%  1,274,165  7520.23%
  Total interest-earning assets 6,193,330  98,4836.31%  6,076,616  78,5255.13%  5,984,055  54,9043.64%
 Deferred loan fees, net (10,003)    (9,333)    (5,530)  
 Allowance for credit losses on loans (66,515)    (61,477)    (61,123)  
Non-interest earning assets:           
 Cash and due from banks 11,569     10,562     11,933   
 Bank furniture and fixtures 9,237     9,615     10,810   
 Right of use assets 22,002     21,404     21,150   
 Other assets 168,322     167,797     118,639   
  Total assets$6,327,942    $6,215,184    $6,079,934   
              
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY           
Interest-bearing liabilities:           
 Deposits:           
  Interest-bearing demand and savings 2,415,048 $13,9382.29%  2,223,848 $6,4551.15% $2,030,159 $1,5280.30%
  TCD $250K or more 1,017,302  6,0142.35%  914,373  2,5171.09%  942,201  1,1510.48%
  Other time certificates 854,937  2,9901.39%  834,884  1,3330.63%  972,915  1,3700.56%
  Total interest-bearing deposits 4,287,287  22,9422.12%  3,973,105  10,3051.03%  3,945,275  4,0490.41%
Subordinated debt, net 147,958  1,3253.55%  147,900  1,3253.56%  147,724  1,3253.56%
  Total interest-bearing liabilities 4,435,245  24,2672.17%  4,121,005  11,6301.12%  4,093,002  5,3740.52%
Non-interest bearing liabilities:           
 Demand deposits 1,181,275     1,400,147     1,332,232   
 Lease Liability 21,542     21,332     22,298   
 Other liabilities 76,201     74,512     55,907   
  Total liabilities 5,714,263     5,616,996     5,503,439   
Shareholders’ equity 613,679     598,188     576,495   
  Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity$6,327,942    $6,215,184    $6,079,934   
Net interest income $74,216   $66,895   $49,530 
Net interest spread  4.14%   4.01%   3.12%
Net interest margin  4.75%   4.37%   3.28%
              
Cost of Deposits:           
 Non-interest bearing demand deposits$1,181,275    $1,400,147    $1,332,232   
 Interest-bearing deposits 4,287,287  22,9422.12%  3,973,105  10,3051.03%  3,945,275  4,0490.41%
  Total Deposits$5,468,562 $22,9421.66% $5,373,252 $10,3050.76% $5,277,507 $4,0490.30%
              
(1)Includes non-accrual loans and loans held for sale          
(2)Net loan fee income of $972,000, $1.2 million and $1.1 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2022, September 30, 2022, and December 31, 2021, respectively, are included in the yield computations
(3)Yields on securities have been adjusted to a tax-equivalent basis         



PREFERRED BANK
Year-To-Date Average Balances, Yield and Rates
(Unaudited)
          
          
   Year ended December 31,
    2022 2021 
    InterestAverage  InterestAverage
   AverageIncome orYield/ AverageIncome orYield/
   BalanceExpenseRate BalanceExpenseRate
ASSETS(Dollars in thousands)
Interest-earning assets:       
 Loans (1,2)$4,760,815 $269,0115.65% $4,138,592 $200,5374.85%
 Investment securities (3) 432,777  11,5842.68%  346,692  8,3332.40%
 Federal funds sold 20,070  3741.86%  21,032  810.38%
 Other earning assets 841,270  13,8371.64%  1,024,118  2,5200.25%
  Total interest-earning assets 6,054,932  294,8064.87%  5,530,434  211,4713.82%
 Deferred loan fees, net (8,697)    (4,997)  
 Allowance for credit losses on loans (61,645)    (63,250)  
Non-interest earning assets:       
 Cash and due from banks 11,068     11,746   
 Bank furniture and fixtures 9,826     11,290   
 Right of use assets 21,612     19,733   
 Other assets 154,023     124,756   
  Total assets$6,181,119    $5,629,712   
          
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY       
Interest-bearing liabilities:       
 Deposits:       
  Interest-bearing demand/ savings 2,223,143 $24,3121.09%  1,845,013 $6,0210.33%
  TCD $250K or more 938,491  10,7681.15%  938,179  6,2990.67%
  Other time certificates 886,816  6,6440.75%  959,337  6,5130.68%
  Total interest-bearing deposits 4,048,450  41,7241.03%  3,742,529  18,8330.50%
Subordinated debt, net 147,871  5,3003.58%  126,674  6,3254.99%
  Total interest-bearing liabilities 4,196,321  47,0241.12%  3,869,204  25,1580.65%
Non-interest bearing liabilities:       
 Demand deposits 1,292,083     1,124,836   
 Lease Liability 21,731     21,536   
 Other liabilities 67,119     54,513   
  Total liabilities 5,577,254     5,070,089   
Shareholders’ equity 603,865     559,623   
  Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity$6,181,119    $5,629,712   
Net interest income $247,782   $186,313 
Net interest spread  3.75%   3.17%
Net interest margin  4.09%   3.37%
          
Cost of Deposits:       
 Non-interest bearing demand deposits$1,292,083    $1,124,836   
 Interest-bearing deposits 4,048,450  41,7241.03%  3,742,529  18,8330.50%
  Total Deposits$5,340,533 $41,7240.78% $4,867,365 $18,8330.39%
          
(1)Includes non-accrual loans and loans held for sale       
(2)Net loan fee income of $3.8 million and $3.1 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively, are included in the yield computations
(3)Yields on securities have been adjusted to a tax-equivalent basis      



PREFERRED BANK
Loan and Credit Quality Information
      
Allowance For Credit Losses History
   Year Ended
   December 31, 2022 December 31, 2021
   (Dollars in 000's)
Allowance For Credit Losses   
Balance at Beginning of Period$59,969  $63,426 
 Charge-Offs   
  Commercial & Industrial 1,222   1,697 
  Mini-perm Real Estate 1   817 
  Total Charge-Offs 1,223   2,514 
      
 Recoveries   
  Commercial & Industrial -   57 
  Mini-perm Real Estate 2,376   - 
  Total Recoveries 2,376   57 
      
 Net Charge-Offs (recoveries) (1,153)  2,457 
 Provision for (reversal of) Credit Losses: 7,350   (1,000)
Balance at End of Period$68,472  $59,969 
      
Average Loans Held for Investment$4,760,815  $4,138,023 
Loans Held for Investment at End of Period$5,074,793  $4,424,992 
Net Charge-Offs (recoveries) to Average Loans -0.02%  0.06%
Allowances for Credit Losses to Loans at End of Period 1.35%  1.36%
      


AT THE COMPANY:AT FINANCIAL PROFILES:
  
Edward J. CzajkaJeffrey Haas
Executive Vice PresidentGeneral Information
Chief Financial Officer(310) 622-8240
(213) 891-1188PFBC@finprofiles.com