Princeton Bancorp, Inc. (BPRN) FY 2023 MD&A

Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations

Our Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations is presented in sections as follows:

Overview and Strategy

We remain focused on establishing and retaining customer relationships by offering a broad range of traditional financial services and products, competitively priced and delivered in a responsive manner to small businesses, to professionals and individuals in our market area. As a community bank, we seek to provide superior customer service that is highly personalized, efficient and responsive to local needs. To better serve our customers, we endeavor to provide state-of-the-art delivery systems with ATMs, current operating software, timely reporting, online bill pay and other similar up-to-date products and services. We seek to deliver these products and services with the care and professionalism expected of a community bank and with a special dedication to personalized customer service.

Our primary business objectives are:

We also intend to continue pursuing a strategy that includes acquisitions. An acquisition strategy involves significant risks, including the following: finding suitable candidates for acquisition; attracting funding to support additional growth within acceptable risk tolerances; maintaining asset quality; retaining the target’s customers and key personnel; obtaining necessary regulatory approvals; conducting adequate due diligence and managing known and unknown risks and uncertainties; integrating acquired businesses; and maintaining adequate regulatory capital. The market for acquisition targets is highly competitive, which may adversely affect our ability to find acquisition candidates that fit our strategy and standards.

We strive to serve the financial needs of our customers while providing an appropriate return to our stockholders, consistent with safe and sound banking practices. We expect that a financial strategy that utilizes variable rates and matching assets and liabilities will enable us to increase our net interest margin, while managing interest rate risk. We also seek to generate fee income from various sources, subject to our desire to maintain competitive pricing within our market area.

Our recognition of, and commitment to, the needs of the local community, combined with highly personalized and responsive customer service, differentiates us from our competition. We continue to capitalize upon the personal contacts and relationships of our organizers, directors, stockholders and officers to establish and grow our customer base.

Comparison of Financial Condition at December 31, 2023 and December 31, 2022

General. Total assets were $1.92 billion at December 31, 2023, an increase of $314.7 million, or 19.7% when compared to $1.60 billion at the end of 2022 due primarily to the Noah acquisition. The primary components of the increase in total assets were an increase in loans of approximately $178.0 million and an increase in cash and cash equivalents of approximately $97.2 million. The increase in loans receivable primarily consisted of a $269.3 million increase in commercial real estate loans and a $19.6 million increase in commercial and industrial loans, partially offset by a $107.4 million decrease in construction loans during the twelve-month period covered.

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Total liabilities increased by $294.1 million to $1.68 billion at December 31, 2023 from $1.38 billion at December 31, 2022. Total deposits at December 31, 2023 increased by $288.0 million, or 21.4%, when compared to December 31, 2022, primarily due to increases of $299.5 million in time deposits and $70.4 million in money market deposits partially offset by decreases in savings of $44.2 million, $21.8 million in interest checking, and $15.8 million in non-interest checking. The Bank had no outstanding borrowings at December 31, 2023 and $10 million in borrowings at December 31, 2022.

Total stockholders’ equity at December 31, 2023 increased $20.6 million or 9.4% when compared to the end of 2022. The increase was primarily due to the $17.9 million increase in retained earnings, consisting of $25.8 million in net income, the issuance of 50,900 shares resulting from the exercise of stock options and $807,000 of compensation expense related to restricted stock units, partially offset by $7.4 million of cash dividends recorded during the period. The ratio of equity to total assets at December 31, 2023 and at December 31, 2022, was 12.5% and 13.7%, respectively. The current period ratio decrease was primarily due to the Noah Bank acquisition.

We manage our balance sheet based on a number of interrelated criteria, such as changes in interest rates, fluctuations in certain asset and liability categories whose changes are not totally controlled by us, swings in deposit account balances driven by depositors’ needs, prepayments and issuer call options exercised on securities available for sale, early payoffs on loans, investment opportunities presented by market conditions, lending originations, capital provided by earnings, and active management of our overall liquidity positions. The management of these dynamic and interrelated elements of our balance sheet results in fluctuations in balance sheet items throughout the year.

Comparison of Operating Results for the Years Ended December 31, 2023 and 2022

General.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company recorded net income of $25.8 million, or $4.03 per diluted common share, compared to $26.5 million, or $4.11 per diluted common share, for the same period in 2022. The decrease was due to an increase of $10.2 million in non-interest expenses, a decrease in net interest income of $3.1 million, and an increase in provision for credit losses of $2.7 million, partially offset by an increase of $12.3 million in non-interest income and a decrease in income tax expense of $3.0 million attributable in part to the $9.7 million bargain purchase gain from its Noah Bank acquisition in May of 2023 that is not taxable. The results for 2023 were significantly impacted by purchase accounting adjustments resulting from the Noah Bank acquisition.

Net interest income.

Net interest income for the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2023 was $65.0 million, a decrease of $3.1 million, or 4.5%, from 2022. The decrease from the previous year was the result of an increase in interest expense of $27.2 million, or 452.7%, partially offset by an increase in interest income of $24.1 million, or 32.5%, both as a result of the 525 basis-point increase in federal funds interest rates since March 2022 and management’s strategic initiative to maintain high levels of primary liquidity in this uncertain rate environment.

Total interest and dividend income.

Total interest and dividend income increased $24.1 million, or 32.5%, to $98.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $74.1 million for the prior year. The improvement in interest income resulted from an increase in the yield on earning assets of 114 basis points to 5.94% for the twelve-month period ended December 31, 2023.

Interest income and fees on loans increased $18.3 million, or 25.8%, to $89.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $71.0 million for the prior year. The increase was attributable to both a $74.0 million increase in the average balance and a 100 basis point increase in the year-over-year average yield on loans to 6.16%, due to rising interest rates over the period.

Interest income on securities increased approximately $323,000, or 14.9%, for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the prior year. This increase was attributable to a 59 basis point increase in the yield earned on the securities portfolio, partially offset by a $7.2 million decrease in average balances.

Other interest and dividends increased $5.5 million, or 595.0%, to $6.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2023, compared to $923,000 for the prior year due to an increase in federal funds sold. This increase was due to a 415 basis point increase in the yield and a $43.1 million increase in average balances of federal funds sold.

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Interest expense.

Total interest expense increased $27.2 million, or 452.7%, for the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the prior year. This increase was the result of a 210 basis point increase in the cost of interest-bearing liabilities and an increase of $132.5 million in average interest-bearing liabilities.

Interest expense on borrowings was not significant for either period presented.

Provision for credit losses.

The provision for credit losses for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 was $3.1 million compared with a provision of $400,000 for the 2022 period. The $3.1 million provision for 2023 consists of a $3.4 million provision associated with the company’s loan portfolio, offset by a credit to the provision of $430,000 associated with unfunded commitments. The provision for credit losses on loans includes $1.7 million related to non-purchased-credit-deteriorated loans acquired in the Noah acquisition and was also a result of loan net charge offs of $1.8 million. See the section above titled “Analysis of Allowance for Credit Losses” for a discussion of our allowance for credit losses methodology, including additional information regarding the determination of the provision for credit losses.

Non-interest income.

Total non-interest income for the year ended December 31, 2023 increased $12.3 million, or 252.1%, primarily due to the $9.7 million bargain purchase gain and an increase in loan fees of $1.7 million over the same period in 2022.

Non-interest expense.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, non-interest expense was $48.7 million, compared to $38.5 million for the same period in 2022. The increase was primarily due to merger-related expenses of $5.6 million during 2023 as well as increases in salaries and employee benefits of $2.9 million, occupancy and equipment of $1.2 million and data processing and communications of $538 thousand over the same period in 2022.

Income tax expense.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, income tax expense was $4.6 million resulting in an effective tax rate of 15.1% compared to income tax expense of $7.6 million and an effective tax rate of 22.2% for the year ended December 31, 2022. This decrease was due to the $9.7 million non-taxable bargain purchase gain from the Noah Bank acquisition, partially offset by $274 thousand of merger-related expenses that were not tax-deductible.

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Average Balance Sheets. The following table sets forth average balance sheets, yields and costs, and certain other information for the years indicated. The average yields and costs of funds shown are derived by dividing income or expense by the daily average balance of assets or liabilities, respectively, for the periods presented. Net loan fees of $2.8 million and $5.0 million were recorded for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Nonaccrual loans are included in the average balance of loans receivable, net for all periods presented. No tax-equivalent adjustments have been made.

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Rate/Volume Analysis

The following table reflects the sensitivity of our interest income and interest expense to changes in volume and in yields on interest-earning assets and costs of interest-bearing liabilities during the periods indicated.

Liquidity, Commitments and Capital Resources

Liquidity. Our liquidity, represented by cash and due from banks, is a product of our operating, investing and financing activities. Our primary sources of funds are deposits, principal repayments of securities and outstanding loans, and funds provided from operations. In addition, we invest excess funds in short-term interest-earnings assets such as overnight deposits or U.S. agency securities, which provide liquidity to meet lending requirements. While scheduled payments from the amortization of loans and securities and short-term investments are relatively predictable sources of funds, general interest rates, economic conditions and competition greatly influence deposit flows and repayments on loans and mortgage-backed securities.

We strive to maintain sufficient liquidity to fund operations, loan demand and to satisfy fluctuations in deposit levels. We are required to have enough investments that qualify as liquid assets in order to maintain sufficient liquidity to ensure safe and sound banking operations. Liquidity may increase or decrease depending upon the availability of funds and comparative yields on investments in relation to the return on loans. We attempt to maintain adequate but not excessive liquidity, and liquidity management is both a daily and long-term function of our business management. We manage our liquidity in accordance with a board of directors-approved asset-liability policy, which is administered by our asset-liability committee (“ALCO”). ALCO reports interest rate sensitivity, liquidity, capital and investment-related matters on a quarterly basis to our board of directors.

We review cash flow projections regularly and update them in order to maintain liquid assets at levels believed to meet the requirements of normal operations, including loan commitments and potential deposit outflows from maturing certificates of deposit and savings withdrawals.

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While deposits are our primary source of funds, when needed we are also able to generate cash through borrowings from the FHLB-NY. At December 31, 2023, we had remaining available capacity with FHLB-NY, subject to certain collateral restrictions, of $139.4 million.

Additionally, we are a shareholder of Atlantic Community Bancshares, Inc., and as such, as of December 31, 2023, we had available capacity with its subsidiary, Atlantic Community Bankers Bank of $10.0 million to provide short-term liquidity generally for a period of not more than fourteen days.

Contractual Obligations. We have non-cancelable operating leases for branch offices and our operations center. The following table is a schedule of future payments under operating leases with initial terms longer than 12 months at December 31, 2023:

The following table summarizes our contractual cash obligations relating to certificates of deposits:

Capital Resources. Consistent with our goals to operate as a sound and profitable financial institution, we actively seek to maintain our status as a well-capitalized institution in accordance with regulatory standards. As of December 31, 2023, we met the capital requirements to be considered “well capitalized.” See Note 17 – “Regulatory Matters” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included within this Form 10-K for more information regarding our capital resources.

Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements

We are a party to financial instruments with off-balance sheet risk in the normal course of our business of investing in loans and securities as well as in the normal course of maintaining and improving our facilities. These financial instruments include significant purchase commitments, such as commitments related to capital expenditure plans and commitments to purchase investment securities or mortgage-backed securities, and commitments to extend credit to meet the financial needs of our customers.

Commitments to extend credit are agreements to lend to a customer as long as there is no violation of any condition established in the loan contract. Commitments generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses and may require payment of a fee by our customers. Our exposure to credit loss in the event of non-performance by the counterparty to the financial instrument for commitments to extend credit is represented by the contractual notional amount of those instruments. We use the same credit policies in making commitments and conditional obligations as we do for on-balance-sheet instruments. Since many of the commitments are expected to expire without being drawn upon, the total commitment amounts do not necessarily represent future cash requirements.

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We had the following off-balance sheet financial instruments whose contract amounts represent credit risk at December 31:

For additional information regarding our outstanding lending commitments at December 31, 2023, see Note 9 – “Commitments and Contingencies” in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements contained in this Form 10-K.

Impact of Inflation

The financial statements included in this Form 10-K have been prepared in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. These principles require the measurement of financial position and results of operations in terms of historical dollars, without considering changes in the relative purchasing power of money, over time, due to inflation. Our primary assets and liabilities are monetary in nature. As a result, interest rates have a more significant impact on our performance than the effects of general levels of inflation. Interest rates, however, do not necessarily move in the same direction or with the same magnitude as the price of goods and services, since such prices are affected by inflation.

Exposure to Changes in Interest Rates

Gap Analysis. The matching of assets and liabilities may be analyzed by examining the extent to which such assets and liabilities are “interest rate sensitive” and by monitoring the Bank’s interest rate sensitivity “gap.” An asset or liability is said to be interest rate sensitive within a specific time period if it will mature or reprice within that time period. The interest rate sensitivity gap is defined as the difference between the amount of interest-earning assets maturing or repricing within a specific time period and the amount of interest-bearing liabilities maturing or repricing within that same time period. A gap is considered positive when the amount of interest rate sensitive assets exceeds the amount of interest rate-sensitive liabilities. A gap is considered negative when the amount of interest rate sensitive liabilities exceeds the amount of interest rate sensitive assets. During a period of rising interest rates, a negative gap would tend to affect adversely net interest income while a positive gap would tend to result in an increase in net interest income. Conversely, during a period of falling interest rates, a negative gap would tend to result in an increase in net interest income while a positive gap would tend to affect adversely net interest income.

The table on the next page sets forth the amounts of our interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities outstanding at December 31, 2023, which we expect, based upon certain assumptions, to reprice or mature in each of the future time periods shown (the “GAP Table”). Except as stated below, the amounts of assets and liabilities shown which reprice or mature during a particular period were determined in accordance with the earlier of term to repricing or the contractual maturity of the asset or liability. The table sets forth an approximation of the projected repricing of assets and liabilities at December 31, 2023, on the basis of contractual maturities, anticipated prepayments, and scheduled rate adjustments period and subsequent selected time intervals. The loan amounts in the table reflect principal balances expected to be redeployed and/or repriced as a result of contractual amortization and anticipated prepayments of adjustable-rate loans and fixed-rate loans, and as a result of contractual rate adjustments on adjustable-rate loans.

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Certain shortcomings are inherent in the method of analysis presented in the foregoing table. For example, although certain assets and liabilities may have similar maturities or periods to repricing, they may react in different degrees to changes in market interest rates. Also, the interest rates on certain types of assets and liabilities may fluctuate in advance of changes in market interest rates, while interest rates on other types may lag behind changes in market rates. Additionally, certain assets, such as adjustable-rate loans, have features which restrict changes in interest rates both on a short-term basis and over the life of the asset. Further, in the event of a change in interest rates, prepayment and early withdrawal levels would likely deviate significantly from those assumed in calculating the table. Finally, the ability of many borrowers to service their adjustable-rate loans may decrease in the event of an interest rate increase.

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Net Portfolio Value Analysis. Our interest rate sensitivity also is monitored by management through the use of a model which generates estimates of the changes in our net portfolio value (“NPV”) over a range of interest rate scenarios. NPV is the present value of expected cash flows from assets, liabilities and off-balance sheet contracts. The NPV ratio, under any interest rate scenario, is defined as the NPV in that scenario divided by the market value of assets in the same scenario. The following table sets forth our NPV as of December 31, 2023 and reflects the changes to NPV as a result of immediate and sustained changes in interest rates as indicated.

As is the case with the GAP Table, certain shortcomings are inherent in the methodology used in the above interest rate risk measurements. Modeling changes in NPV require the making of certain assumptions which may or may not reflect the manner in which actual yields and costs respond to changes in market interest rates. In this regard, the models presented assume that the composition of our interest sensitive assets and liabilities existing at the beginning of a period remains constant over the period being measured and also assumes that a particular change in interest rates is reflected uniformly across the yield curve regardless of the duration to maturity or repricing of specific assets and liabilities. Accordingly, although the NPV model provides an indication of interest rate risk exposure at a particular point in time, such model is not intended to and does not provide a precise forecast of the effect of changes in market interest rates on net interest income and will differ from actual results.

Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates

In the preparation of our financial statements, we have adopted various accounting policies that govern the application of accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and in accordance with general practices within the banking industry. Our significant accounting policies are described in our financial statements under Note 1- “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies.” While all these policies are important to understanding the financial statements, certain accounting policies described below involve significant judgment and assumptions by management that have a material impact on the carrying value of certain assets and liabilities. We consider these accounting estimates to be critical accounting policies. The judgments and assumptions we use are based on historical experience and other factors, which we believe to be reasonable under the circumstances. Because of the nature of the judgments and assumptions we make, actual results could differ from these judgments and assumptions that could have a material impact on the carrying values of our assets and liabilities and our results of operations.

Allowance for Credit Losses. The allowance for credit losses consists of the allowance for loan losses and the reserve for unfunded lending commitments. The allowance for loan losses represents our estimate of losses expected in the loan portfolio as of the balance sheet date and is recorded as a reduction to loans. The reserve for unfunded lending commitments represents our estimate of losses expected in our unfunded loan commitments and is recorded in other liabilities on the balance sheet. The allowance for credit losses is increased by the provision for credit losses and recoveries and decreased by charge-offs. Generally, loans deemed to be uncollectible are charged-off against the allowance for credit losses, and subsequent recoveries, if any, are credited to the allowance for loan losses. All, or part, of the principal balance of loans receivable are charged off to the allowance for credit losses when it is determined that the repayment of all, or part, of the principal balance is highly unlikely.

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Goodwill and Core Deposit Intangible. For mergers and acquisitions, we are required to record the assets acquired, including identified intangible assets such as core deposit intangibles, and the liabilities assumed at their fair value. The difference between consideration and the net fair value of assets acquired is recorded as goodwill or a bargain purchase gain if the acquired net fair value of assets acquired exceeds the consideration. Management uses significant estimates and assumptions to value such items, including projected cash flows, repayment rates, default rates and losses assuming default, discount rates and realizable collateral values. The allowance for credit losses for PCD loans is recognized within acquisition accounting. The allowance for credit losses for non-PCD assets is recognized as provision for credit losses in the same reporting period as the merger or acquisition. Fair value adjustments are amortized or accreted into the income statement over the estimated life of the acquired assets or assumed liabilities. The purchase date valuations and any subsequent adjustments determine the amount of goodwill recognized in connection with the merger or acquisition. The use of different assumptions could produce significantly different valuation results, which could have material positive or negative effects on our results of operations. Both goodwill and the core deposit intangible asset are reviewed for impairment annually or when events and circumstances indicate that an impairment may have occurred. Applicable accounting guidance requires an annual review of the fair value of a Reporting Unit that has goodwill in order to determine if it is more likely than not (that is, a likelihood of more than 50%) that the fair value of a Reporting Unit is less than its carrying amount, including goodwill. A qualitative factor test can be performed to determine whether it is necessary to perform a quantitative goodwill impairment test. If this qualitative test determines it is not more likely than not (less than 50% probability) that the fair value of the Reporting Unit is less than the Carrying Value, then the Company does not have to perform a quantitative test and goodwill can be considered not impaired. The Company performed its annual review at May 31, 2023 and determined that it was more than 50% probable the fair value of the Reporting Unit exceeds the then Carrying Value, therefore a quantitative test was not required as of May 31, 2023.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

See Note 1- “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for a discussion of recently issued accounting standards.