CAC Camden National Corporation

Reports Third Quarter 2023 Net Income of $9.8 million and Diluted EPS of $0.67

CAMDEN, Maine, Oct. 31, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Camden National Corporation (NASDAQ: CAC; "Camden National" or the "Company"), a $5.8 billion bank holding company headquartered in Camden, Maine, reported net income of $9.8 million and diluted earnings per share ("EPS") of $0.67 for the third quarter of 2023, both decreases of 21%, compared to the second quarter of 2023. The Company's third quarter operating results include the impact from the sale of $66.7 million of investment securities that resulted in a pre-tax loss of $5.3 million. The Company sold these investments to reposition a portion of its balance sheet in response to the interest rate environment and, in doing so, is expected to improve its future earnings and profitability metrics. The strength of the Company's capital position enabled it to absorb the loss while maintaining strong capital ratios well in excess of regulatory capital requirements. Excluding the investment loss, the Company's adjusted net income (non-GAAP) for the third quarter of 2023 was $14.0 million and adjusted EPS (non-GAAP) was $0.96, both an increase of 13% over the second quarter of 2023.

"The continued strength of our capital and operating earnings allowed us to execute an investment restructure strategy that repositions us for the future, while still reporting positive quarterly earnings," said Gregory A. Dufour, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Although net income decreased 21% compared to the second quarter, on a non-GAAP basis, excluding the $5.3 million pre-tax loss on sale of securities, net income increased 13% over last quarter highlighting the benefits of the strategies we have taken year-to-date as we continue to prioritize deposits, net interest margin optimization and maintaining our strong asset quality."

For the nine months ended September 30, 2023, the Company reported net income of $34.9 million and diluted EPS of $2.39, decreases of 24% and 23%, respectively, compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2022. The decrease in earnings between periods reflects the sharp rise in interest rates between periods and the impact of a prolonged inverted yield curve, a $5.3 million pre-tax loss on the sale of investment securities recorded in the third quarter of 2023 as part of the Company's balance sheet repositioning, and the write-off of a $1.8 million Signature Bank corporate bond in the first quarter of 2023. Excluding the impact of the investment loss and corporate bond write-off, adjusted net income (non-GAAP) for the nine months ended September 30, 2023 was $40.6 million and adjusted diluted EPS (non-GAAP) was $2.77, decreases of 12% and 11%, respectively, compared to the same period in 2022.

"Earlier this quarter, we announced further details on my upcoming retirement and planned succession," said Dufour. "At the end of this year, I will be stepping down as President and CEO of Camden National. The Board of Directors announced the appointment of Simon Griffiths who currently serves as Executive Vice President - Head of Core Banking at Citizens Bank, as my successor. I will remain with Camden National as an advisor for several months following my retirement on December 31, 2023. It has been a privilege serving as the President and CEO of Camden National Corporation for the past 14 years." Griffiths will join Camden National on or about November 20, 2023, as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. He will become president and CEO of Camden National, as well as a member of the Board of Directors, effective January 1, 2024.

THIRD QUARTER 2023 HIGHLIGHTS

• Net income decreased $2.6 million, or 21%, and diluted EPS decreased $0.18, or 21%, compared to the second quarter, as the Company executed on its strategy to reposition its balance sheet by selling $66.7 million of securities at a pre-tax loss of $5.3 million. The proceeds from the sale were reinvested into investment securities at current market rates and used to pay-down the Company's borrowings. The Company expects this strategy to improve prospective net interest margin and earnings. Adjusted net income and diluted EPS, excluding the investment loss (non-GAAP), increased $1.6 million, or 13%, and $0.11, or 13%, respectively, over the second quarter of 2023.
• Return on average assets was 0.68% and adjusted return on average assets (non-GAAP) was 0.97%, compared to 0.87% and 0.87%, respectively, for the second quarter of 2023.
• Return on average equity was 8.25% and adjusted return on average equity (non-GAAP) was 11.80%, compared to 10.66% and 10.66%, respectively, for the second quarter of 2023.
• GAAP efficiency ratio was 69.60% and non-GAAP efficiency ratio was 60.63%, compared to 63.42% and 63.07%, respectively, for the second quarter of 2023.
• Net interest margin decreased 1 basis point to 2.39%, compared to the second quarter of 2023.
• Asset quality remained strong, with non-performing assets totaling 0.11% of total assets and 0.16% of total loans, compared to 0.09% and 0.13%, respectively, at June 30, 2023. Annualized net charge-offs were 0.01%, compared to 0.04% for the second quarter of 2023.
• Uninsured and uncollateralized¹ deposits at September 30, 2023 and June 30, 2023 were 15% of total deposits at each date, and available liquidity sources were 2.1 times and 2.0 times uninsured and uncollateralized deposits, respectively.

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¹ Uncollateralized deposits are customer deposits for which the Company has not pledged any of its assets, including investment securities, or provided any other type of guarantee.

FINANCIAL CONDITION

As of September 30, 2023, total assets were $5.8 billion, an increase of 1% since June 30, 2023, and an increase of 2% since December 31, 2022.

Loans

Loans at September 30, 2023, totaled $4.1 billion, a 1% decrease since June 30, 2023, and an increase of 1% since December 31, 2022.

• Loan balances contracted in the third quarter of 2023 as the Company's retail loan portfolio grew less than 1%, while the commercial loan portfolio decreased 2% due to a few large loan payoffs and the Company's strategy to prioritize net interest margin over loan growth.
• Residential real estate loans grew 3% and commercial real estate loans grew 2% through September 30, 2023, compared to December 31, 2022.
• The Company sold 45% of residential mortgages it originated through the nine months ended September 30, 2023, compared to 21% for the same period in 2022.
• At September 30, 2023, the committed retail and commercial loan portfolio pipelines totaled $49.5 million and $29.5 million, respectively. As of September 30, 2023, 39% of the committed residential real estate loan portfolio was designated for sale.

Investments

Investments totaled $1.2 billion as of September 30, 2023, a decrease of 4% since June 30, 2023, and a decrease of 8% since December 31, 2022. Investment balances represented 20% of the Company's assets as of September 30, 2023, compared to 21% at June 30, 2023 and 22% at December 31, 2022.

• The Company repositioned its balance sheet during the third quarter of 2023 to enhance future net interest margin and earnings by selling $66.7 million of investments with a weighted-average yield of 2.31% at a pre-tax loss of $5.3 million. The Company reinvested $30.0 million of the proceeds into investments yielding 6.06% and the remaining proceeds were used to pay-down the Company's borrowings. The estimated earn-back period on tangible book value dilution from the loss on sale of investments is less than three years.
• As of September 30, 2023, the Company's debt securities designated as available-for-sale ("AFS") and held-to-maturity ("HTM") were, collectively, in a net unrealized loss position of $182.4 million, increasing from a net unrealized loss position of $138.7 million and $141.5 million as of June 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively. As of September 30, 2023, 89% of the investment portfolio was made up of agency-backed bonds, 8% was municipal bonds and 3% was corporate bonds. The Company actively monitors its investment portfolio for credit risk, and, as of September 30, 2023, there were no credit concerns identified within the portfolio.
• As of September 30, 2023, the weighted-average life and duration of the Company's debt securities was 7.5 years and 5.7 years, respectively, compared to 7.8 years and 5.8 years at December 31, 2022.

Deposits

As of September 30, 2023, deposits totaled $4.7 billion, a decrease of less than 1% since June 30, 2023, and a decrease of 3% since December 31, 2022. 

• Deposits decreased $15.3 million in the third quarter of 2023 led by a decrease in brokered CDs of $90.4 million, or 40%, and lower checking and savings account balances of $66.6 million, or 2%. These decreases were partially offset by certificate of deposit ("CD") and money market account growth of $102.8 million, or 23%, and $38.8 million, or 5%, driven by various promotions and campaigns, as well as continued deposit mix shift from lower interest-bearing accounts (checking and savings accounts) to higher interest-bearing deposit accounts (CDs and money market accounts).
• Deposit balances decreased $148.5 million for the first nine months of 2023 driven by lower balances within checking and savings of $413.7 million, or 11%, and brokered deposits of $47.4 million, or 26%. These decreases were partially offset by CD and money market account growth of $251.7 million, or 84%, and $60.9 million, or 9%, respectively.
• The loan-to-deposit ratio was 87% as of September 30, 2023 compared to 87% at June 30, 2023 and 83% at December 31, 2022.

Borrowings

As of September 30, 2023, borrowings totaled $514.5 million, an increase $22.0 million, or 4%, since June 30, 2023, and $205.0 million, or 66%, since December 31, 2022.

• As of September 30, 2023, the Company's borrowings consisted of: (1) $210.1 million of customer repurchase agreements, (2) $135.0 million from the Bank Term Funding Program ("BTFP") at a fixed rate of 4.70% scheduled to mature in May 2024, which the Company may exercise its right to prepay at any time without penalty, (3) $125.0 million of short-term Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston borrowings that support interest rate swap derivatives, and (4) $44.3 million of junior subordinated debentures.

Derivatives

The Company executed $450.0 million of balance sheet derivatives during the nine months ended September 30, 2023, to provide protection for rising short-term interest rates. The balance sheet derivatives contributed $3.1 million of pre-tax income during the nine months ended September 30, 2023, including $1.4 million for the third quarter of 2023.

Capital

As of September 30, 2023, the Company's regulatory capital ratios were each well in excess of regulatory capital requirements. The Company's common equity ratio was 8.02%, and its tangible common equity ratio (non-GAAP) was 6.47%, compared to 8.14% and 6.58%, respectively, at June 30, 2023, and 7.96% and 6.37%, respectively, at December 31, 2022.

The Company announced a cash dividend of $0.42 per share, representing an annualized dividend yield of 5.95%, based on the Company's closing share price of $28.22, as reported by NASDAQ on September 29, 2023 (the last business day of the third quarter of 2023), payable on October 31, 2023, to shareholders of record on October 13, 2023.

The Company repurchased 65,692 shares of its common stock at an average price of $30.41 per share during the nine months ended September 30, 2023.

ASSET QUALITY

The Company's credit quality within its loan portfolio remained very strong throughout the third quarter of 2023. Loans 30-89 days past due and non-performing loans each increased during the third quarter of 2023 due to two residential loans. The Company continues to actively monitor its loan portfolio, particularly its commercial real estate loan portfolio, for signs of credit stress.

• Loans 30-89 days past due were 0.09% of total loans at September 30, 2023, 0.05% at June 30, 2023, and 0.06% of total loans at December 31, 2022.
• Non-performing loans were 0.16% of total loans at September 30, 2023, compared to 0.13% at each of June 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022.
• Annualized net charge-offs to average loans was 0.01% for the third quarter of 2023, compared to 0.04% for the second quarter of 2023 and 0.03% for the fourth quarter of 2022.

FINANCIAL OPERATING RESULTS (Q3 2023 vs. Q2 2023)

Net income for the third quarter of 2023 was $9.8 million, a decrease of $2.6 million, or 21%, compared to the second quarter of 2023. Adjusted net income (non-GAAP) increased $1.6 million, or 13%, and adjusted diluted EPS (non-GAAP) increased $0.11, or 13%, compared to the previous quarter.

Net Interest Income and Net Interest Margin

Net interest income for the third quarter of 2023 was $32.6 million, a decrease of $106,000, compared to the second quarter of 2023. The decrease was driven by a 1 basis point decrease in net interest margin between periods to 2.39% for the third quarter of 2023.

(Credit) Provision for Credit Losses

Negative provision expense (i.e., credit for credit losses) of $574,000 was recorded for the third quarter of 2023, reflecting the Company's continued favorable asset quality and a decrease in loans during the quarter, primarily driven by the commercial loan portfolio.

We continue to believe the risk of a potential macroeconomic slow-down in future periods exists. At September 30, 2023, the allowance for credit losses ("ACL") on loans was 0.90% of total loans, consistent with June 30, 2023. At September 30, 2023, the ACL was 5.5 times total non-performing loans, compared to 7.1 times at June 30, 2023.

The change in provision for credit losses between periods is highlighted in the table below:

Non-Interest Income

Non-interest income for the third quarter of 2023 was $5.1 million, a decrease of $5.0 million, or 50%, over the second quarter of 2023. The decrease was driven by the sale of investments as part of the repositioning of the Company's balance sheet during the third quarter of 2023, which generated a $5.3 million pre-tax loss.

Non-Interest Expense

Non-interest expense for the third quarter of 2023 was $26.2 million, a decrease of $936,000, or 3%, compared to the second quarter of 2023. The Company's GAAP efficiency ratio and non-GAAP efficiency ratio for the third quarter of 2023 was 69.60% and 60.63%, respectively, compared to 63.42% and 63.07% for the second quarter of 2023. For the third quarter of 2023, the Company's overhead ratio, which compares annualized non-interest expense for the quarter to average assets, was 1.83%, compared to 1.90% for the second quarter of 2023.

• Salaries and employee benefits costs decreased 4% on a linked quarter basis, primarily due to lower incentive-related accruals based on year-to-date financial performance.
• Consulting and other professional fees decreased by $478,000 on a linked quarter basis, primarily due to the timing of the annual equity award grant to the Company's independent directors in the second quarter of each year.

Q3 2023 CONFERENCE CALL

Camden National will host a conference call and webcast at 3:00 p.m., Eastern Time, on Tuesday, October 31, 2023 to discuss its third quarter 2023 financial results and outlook. Participants should dial into the call 10 - 15 minutes before it begins. Information about the conference call is as follows:

A link to the live webcast will be available on Camden National's website under "About — Investor Relations" at CamdenNational.bank prior to the meeting, and a replay of the webcast will be available on Camden National's website following the conference call. The transcript of the conference call will also be available on Camden National's website approximately two days after the conference call.

ABOUT CAMDEN NATIONAL CORPORATION

Camden National Corporation (NASDAQ: CAC) is the largest publicly traded bank holding company in Northern New England with $5.8 billion in assets and was proudly listed as one of the Best Places to Work in Maine for the past three years. Founded in 1875, Camden National Bank is a full-service community bank dedicated to customers at every stage of their financial journey. With 24/7 live phone support, 57 banking centers, and additional lending offices in New Hampshire and Massachusetts, Camden National Bank offers the latest in digital banking, complemented by award-winning, personalized service. To learn more, visit CamdenNational.bank. Member FDIC. Equal Housing Lender.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements contained in this press release that are not statements of historical fact constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, as amended, including certain plans, expectations, goals, projections and other statements, which are subject to numerous risks, assumptions and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They often include words like "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," and "intend" or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "would," "should," "could" or "may." Certain factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expected results include increased competitive pressures; inflation; ongoing competition in labor markets and employee turnover; deterioration in the value of Camden National's investment securities; changes in consumer spending and savings habits; changes in the interest rate environment; changes in general economic conditions; operational risks including, but not limited to, cybersecurity, fraud and natural disasters; legislative and regulatory changes that adversely affect the business in which Camden National is engaged; turmoil and volatility in the financial services industry, including failures or rumors of failures of other depository institutions, including Camden National, which could affect Camden National's ability to attract and retain depositors, and could affect the ability of financial services providers, including the Company, to borrow or raise capital; actions taken by governmental agencies to stabilize the financial system and the effectiveness of such actions; changes to regulatory capital requirements in response to recent developments affecting the banking sector; changes in the securities markets and other risks and uncertainties disclosed from time to time in Camden National's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022, as updated by other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"). Further, statements regarding the potential effects of the war in Ukraine, the COVID-19 pandemic, conflict in the Middle East and other notable and global current events on the Company's business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations may constitute forward-looking statements and are subject to the risk that the actual effects may differ, possible materially, from what is reflected in those forward-looking statements due to factors and future developments that are uncertain, unpredictable and in many cases beyond the Company's control. Camden National does not have any obligation to update forward-looking statements.

USE OF NON-GAAP MEASURES

In addition to evaluating the Company's results of operations in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States ("GAAP"), management supplements this evaluation with certain non-GAAP financial measures such as: adjusted net income; adjusted diluted earnings per share; adjusted return on average assets; adjusted return on average equity; pre-tax pre-provision income; adjusted pre-tax pre-provision income; return on average tangible equity and adjusted return on average tangible equity; the efficiency and tangible common equity ratios; tangible book value per share; core deposits and average core deposits. Management utilizes these non-GAAP financial measures for purposes of measuring our performance against our peer group and other financial institutions and analyzing our internal performance. We also believe these non-GAAP financial measures help investors better understand the Company's operating performance and trends and allow for better performance comparisons to other financial institutions. In addition, these non-GAAP financial measures remove the impact of unusual items that may obscure trends in the Company's underlying performance. These disclosures should not be viewed as a substitute for GAAP operating results, nor are they necessarily comparable to non-GAAP performance measures that may be presented by other financial institutions. Reconciliations to the comparable GAAP financial measures can be found in this document.

ANNUALIZED DATA

Certain returns, yields and performance ratios are presented on an "annualized" basis. This is done for analytical and decision-making purposes to better discern underlying performance trends when compared to full-year or year-over-year amounts. Annualized data may not be indicative of any four-quarter period and is presented for illustrative purposes only.