ServisFirst Bancshares, Inc. (NYSE: SFBS), today announced earnings and operating results for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2022.

Fourth Quarter 2022 Highlights:

• Diluted earnings per share were $1.24 for the fourth quarter of 2022, a 25% increase over the fourth quarter of 2021.
• Diluted earnings per share were $4.61 for 2022, a 21% increase from 2021.
• Deposits increased $494.9 million, or by 18%, annualized to $11.6 billion on a linked-quarter basis.
• Total loans grew from $9.5 billion to $11.7 billion, or by 23%, during 2022, and grew $409.4 million, or 14% annualized, on a linked-quarter basis.
• Efficiency ratio improved to 29.45% during the fourth quarter of 2022, down from 31.54% in the prior quarter and 35.47% in the year-ago quarter.
• Cash dividend increased from $0.23 to $0.28 per quarter, a 22% increase.
• Book value per share increased to $23.89, a 12% increase year-over-year.

Tom Broughton, Chairman, President and CEO, said, “2022 was a year of growth in both our footprint and profitability while maintaining credit quality. Our company has expanded to Panama City and Tallahassee, Florida, and the Piedmont region of North Carolina, with offices in Charlotte and Asheville. Diluted EPS increased 21% year-over-year, due in part to our best-in-class bankers, who continue to deliver superior growth.”

Bud Foshee, CFO, said, “We continue to see strong credit quality metrics, evidenced by our below-industry-average charge-offs and non-performing assets over the past three years. Our commitment to operational efficiency will continue in 2023.”

DETAILED FINANCIALS

ServisFirst Bancshares, Inc. reported net income and net income available to common stockholders of $67.7 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2022, compared to net income and net income available to common stockholders of $53.8 million and $53.7 million, respectively, for the same quarter in 2021. Basic and diluted earnings per common share were $1.25 and $1.24, respectively, for the fourth quarter of 2022, compared to $0.99 for both in the fourth quarter of 2021.

Annualized return on average assets was 1.89% and annualized return on average common stockholders’ equity was 21.27% for the fourth quarter of 2022, compared to 1.40% and 18.75%, respectively, for the fourth quarter of 2021.

Net interest income was $122.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2022, compared to $126.4 million for the third quarter of 2022 and $101.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2021. The net interest margin in the fourth quarter of 2022 was 3.52% compared to 3.64% in the third quarter of 2022 and 2.71% in the fourth quarter of 2021. Loan yields were 5.32% during the fourth quarter of 2022 compared to 4.77% during the third quarter of 2022, and 4.40% during the fourth quarter of 2021. Accretion of net fees of $103,000 on PPP loans during the fourth quarter of 2022 had a negligible impact on the loan yield, compared to $400,000 of PPP loan fee accretion during the third quarter of 2022, or one basis points of the loan yield and $5.1 million during the fourth quarter of 2021, or 22 basis points of the loan yield. Investment yields were 2.48% during the fourth quarter of 2022, compared to 2.47% during the third quarter of 2022, and 2.38% during the fourth quarter of 2021. Average interest-bearing deposit rates increased to 1.70% during the fourth quarter of 2022, compared to 0.76% during the third quarter of 2022 and 0.33% during the fourth quarter of 2021. Average borrowing rates increased to 3.75% during the fourth quarter of 2022, compared to 2.27% during the third quarter of 2022 and 0.21% during the fourth quarter of 2021.

Average loans for the fourth quarter of 2022 were $11.49 billion, an increase of $565.1 million, or 20.5% annualized, over average loans of $10.92 billion for the third quarter of 2022, and an increase of $2.43 billion, or 26.8%, over average loans of $9.06 billion for the fourth quarter of 2021.

Average total deposits for the fourth quarter of 2022 were $11.39 billion, a decrease of $146.0 million, or 5.0%, annualized, over average total deposits of $11.53 billion for the third quarter of 2022, and a decrease of $1.00 billion, or 8.1%, over average total deposits of $12.39 billion for the fourth quarter of 2021.

Non-performing assets to total assets were 0.12% for the fourth quarter of 2022, a decrease of one basis point compared to 0.13% for the third quarter of 2022 and an increase of three basis points compared to 0.09% for the fourth quarter of 2021. Annualized net charge-offs to average loans were 0.06% for the fourth quarter of 2022, compared to 0.11% and 0.03% for the third quarter of 2022 and fourth quarter of 2021, respectively. The allowance for credit losses as a percentage of total loans at December 31, 2022, September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021 was 1.25%, 1.25%, and 1.22%, respectively. We recorded a $7.1 million provision for credit losses in the fourth quarter of 2022 compared to $15.6 million in the third quarter of 2022 and $8.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2021.

Non-interest income decreased $399,000, or 5.4%, to $7.0 million for the fourth quarter of 2022 from $7.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2021, and decreased $2.0 million, or 22.1%, on a linked quarter basis. Service charges on deposit accounts increased $569,000, or 43.9%, to $1.9 million from the fourth quarter of 2021 to the fourth quarter of 2022, and decreased $26,000, or 1.4%, on a linked quarter basis. Mortgage banking revenue increased $43,000, or 9.1%, to $514,000 from the fourth quarter of 2021 to the fourth quarter of 2022, and decreased $270,000, or 34.4%, on a linked quarter basis. Net credit card revenue increased $61,000, or 2.8%, to $2.3 million during the fourth quarter of 2022, compared to $2.2 million during the fourth quarter of 2021, and decreased $351,000, or 13.4%, on a linked quarter basis. The number of credit card accounts increased approximately 12.6% and the aggregate amount of spend on all credit card accounts increased 17.8% during the fourth quarter of 2022 compared to the fourth quarter of 2021. Cash surrender value life insurance decreased $30,000, or 1.8%, to $1.6 million during the fourth quarter of 2022, compared to $1.6 million during the fourth quarter of 2021, and decreased $37,000, or 2.3%, on a linked quarter basis. Other operating income for the fourth quarter of 2022 decreased $1.0 million, or 59.0%, to $725,000 from $1.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2021, and decreased $1.3 million, or 64.0%, on a linked quarter basis. We recognized $162,000 of income related to our interest rate cap during the fourth quarter 2022 compared to $839,000 during the fourth quarter of 2021. Merchant service revenue increased by $114,000, or 30.4%, to $490,000, during the fourth quarter of 2022, from $376,000 during the fourth quarter of 2021.

Non-interest expense for the fourth quarter of 2022 decreased $397,000, or 1.0%, to $38.1 million from $38.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2021, and decreased $4.6 million, or 10.8%, on a linked quarter basis. Salary and benefit expense for the fourth quarter of 2022 increased $1.9 million, or 11.1%, to $19.2 million from $17.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2021, and decreased $457,000, or 2.3%, on a linked quarter basis. The number of FTE employees increased by 69 to 571 at December 31, 2022 compared to 502 at December 31, 2021, and increased by 13 from the end of the third quarter of 2022. Equipment and occupancy expense increased $353,000, or 12.1%, to $3.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2022, from $2.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2021, and increased $123,000, or 3.9% on a linked-quarter basis. Third party processing and other services expense increased $3.3 million, or 68.2%, to $8.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2022, from $4.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2021, and increased $957,000, or 13.3%, on a linked-quarter basis. This increase in third party processing also includes Federal Reserve Bank charges related to correspondent bank settlement activities, which increased by $3.1 million year-over-year to $4.3 million during the fourth quarter of 2022. Professional services expense increased $9,000, or 1.0%, to $922,000 in the fourth quarter of 2022, from $913,000 in the fourth quarter of 2021. FDIC and other regulatory assessments increased $269,000 to $1.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2022, from $1.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2021, and increased $336,000, or 34.5%, on a linked quarter basis. Other operating expenses for the fourth quarter of 2022 decreased $6.5 million, or 56.6%, to $5.0 million from $11.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2021, and decreased $5.7 million on a linked-quarter basis. During the third quarter of 2022 we reached a preliminary settlement on a lawsuit and wrote down the value of a private investment resulting in combined charges of $3.1 million, or $2.4 million net of income tax. Our reserve for credit losses on unfunded loan commitments decreased by $1.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2022. The efficiency ratio was 29.45% during the fourth quarter of 2022 compared to 35.47% during the fourth quarter of 2021 and compared to 31.54% during the third quarter of 2022.

Income tax expense increased $8.6 million, or 109.7%, to $16.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2022, compared to $7.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2021. Our effective tax rate was 19.49% for the fourth quarter of 2022 compared to 12.70% for the fourth quarter of 2021. We recognized an aggregate of $3.4 million in credits during the fourth quarter of 2022 related to investments in tax credit partnerships, compared to an aggregate of $7.4 million in credits during the fourth quarter of 2021 related to investments in new market tax credits. We recognized a reduction in provision for income taxes resulting from excess tax benefits from the exercise and vesting of stock options and restricted stock during the fourth quarters of 2022 and 2021 of $10,000 and $363,000, respectively.

GAAP Reconciliation and Management Explanation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Financial measures included in this press release that are presented adjusted for these expenses are net income, net income available to common stockholders, diluted earnings per share, return on average assets, return on average common stockholders’ equity and efficiency ratio. Each of these six financial measures excludes the impact of this item, net of tax, and are all considered non-GAAP financial measures. This press release also contains certain non-GAAP financial measures, including tangible common stockholders’ equity, total tangible assets, tangible book value per share and tangible common equity to total tangible assets, each of which excludes goodwill and core deposit intangibles associated with our acquisition of Metro Bancshares, Inc. in January 2015. We believe these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to management and investors that is supplementary to our financial condition, results of operations and cash flows computed in accordance with GAAP; however, we acknowledge that these non-GAAP financial measures have a number of limitations. As such, you should not view these disclosures as a substitute for results determined in accordance with GAAP, and they are not necessarily comparable to non-GAAP financial measures that other companies, including those in our industry, use. The following reconciliation table provides a more detailed analysis of the non-GAAP financial measures as of and for the comparative periods presented in this press release. Dollars are in thousands, except share and per share data.

About ServisFirst Bancshares, Inc.

ServisFirst Bancshares, Inc. is a bank holding company based in Birmingham, Alabama. Through its subsidiary ServisFirst Bank, ServisFirst Bancshares, Inc. provides business and personal financial services from locations in Birmingham, Huntsville, Mobile, Montgomery and Dothan, Alabama, Northwest Florida, West Central Florida, Nashville, Tennessee, Atlanta, Georgia, and Charleston, South Carolina, and Charlotte and Asheville, North Carolina.

ServisFirst Bancshares, Inc. files periodic reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). Copies of its filings may be obtained through the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or at www.servisfirstbancshares.com.

Statements in this press release that are not historical facts, including, but not limited to, statements concerning future operations, results or performance, are hereby identified as "forward-looking statements" for the purpose of the safe harbor provided by Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933. The words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "project," “plan,” “intend,” “will,” “could,” “would,” “might” and similar expressions often signify forward-looking statements. Such statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties. ServisFirst Bancshares, Inc. cautions that such forward-looking statements, wherever they occur in this press release or in other statements attributable to ServisFirst Bancshares, Inc., are necessarily estimates reflecting the judgment of ServisFirst Bancshares, Inc.’s senior management and involve a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those suggested by the forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements should, therefore, be considered in light of various factors that could affect the accuracy of such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: the global health and economic crisis precipitated by the COVID-19 outbreak; general economic conditions, especially in the credit markets and in the Southeast; the performance of the capital markets; changes in interest rates, yield curves, interest rate spread relationships and inflation; changes in accounting and tax principles, policies or guidelines; changes in legislation or regulatory requirements; changes as a result of our reclassification as a large financial institution by the FDIC; changes in our loan portfolio and the deposit base; economic crisis and associated credit issues in industries most impacted by the COVID-19 outbreak; possible changes in laws and regulations and governmental monetary and fiscal policies, including, but not limited to, economic stimulus initiatives and the ability of the U.S. Congress to increase the U.S. statutory debt limit as needed; the cost and other effects of legal and administrative cases and similar contingencies; possible changes in the credit worthiness of customers and the possible impairment of the collectability of loans and the value of collateral; the effect of natural disasters, such as hurricanes and tornados, in our geographic markets; the effect of data breaches, cyberattacks or other data security issues; and increased competition from both banks and non-bank financial institutions. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive. For discussion of these and other risks that may cause actual results to differ from expectations, please refer to “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-looking Statements” and “Risk Factors” in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, in our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for fiscal year 2022, and our other SEC filings. If one or more of the factors affecting our forward-looking information and statements proves incorrect, then our actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, forward-looking information and statements contained herein. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. ServisFirst Bancshares, Inc. assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements that are made from time to time.

More information about ServisFirst Bancshares, Inc. may be obtained over the Internet at www.servisfirstbancshares.com or by calling (205) 949-0302.