Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: GNTY) (the "Company"), the parent company of Guaranty Bank & Trust, N.A. (the "Bank"), today reported financial results for the fiscal quarter ended September 30, 2022. The Company's net income available to common shareholders was $10.9 million, or $0.92 per basic share, for the quarter ended September 30, 2022, compared to $10.8 million, or $0.90 per basic share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2022 and $9.3 million, or $0.77 per basic share, for the quarter ended September 30, 2021. Return on average assets and average equity for the third quarter of 2022 were 1.30% and 14.87%, respectively, compared to 1.35% and 14.85%, respectively, for the second quarter of 2022 and 1.24% and 12.44%, respectively, for the third quarter of 2021. The increase in earnings during the third quarter of 2022, compared to the second quarter of 2022, was primarily due to higher interest income during the period, and was partially offset by a provision for credit losses, lower non-interest income and higher non-interest expense. Our net core earnings^†, excluding provisions for credit losses, income taxes and PPP1/PPP2 net income, as well as our core net interest margin, adjusted to exclude the effects of PPP1/PPP2 loans, are described further in tables below.

"Our third quarter results were strong with continued loan growth, slightly higher deposits and an increase in net core earnings of $1.0 million from the second quarter of 2022. Net interest margin continues to improve as new and existing loans are booked at higher yields. Excluding PPP and warehouse loans, our loan portfolio grew 6.8% during the third quarter and 24.3% year-to-date. However, as interest rates continue to increase and projections for a recession become more widespread, we anticipate loan growth to slow in the fourth quarter of 2022 and more significantly in 2023 as tighter underwriting standards and anticipated declines in new loan demand unfold. Our Bank is well positioned to continue serving our customers and shareholders, regardless of economic and rate volatility, with effective asset and liability management, strong core deposits, and a good loan-to-deposit ratio of 81.2% as of quarter-end. Nonperforming assets are low and manageable. We have a solid earnings stream that should continue to deliver good financial outcomes for our Company and financial strength for our balance sheet. Guaranty has a history of good performance while navigating both rising rate and recessionary cycles, which is part of our strategic objectives in how we look at on-going risk management of the Company," commented Ty Abston, the Company's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

QUARTERLY HIGHLIGHTS

• Strong Loan Growth. The third quarter of 2022 saw strong organic loan growth, increasing $127.7 million, or 6.0%, during the quarter. Excluding PPP and warehouse lending changes, our loans increased $144.1 million, or 6.8%, during the quarter. Our loan growth is a result of internally generated sources and is not from loan purchases from other originators.
• Solid Net Earnings and Core Earnings. Net earnings have trended upwards quarter-over-quarter, with earnings per share of $0.92 in the current quarter and $0.90 in the prior quarter. Net core earnings^†, which exclude provisions for credit losses and income tax, and net PPP income, have also trended upwards quarter over quarter, demonstrating a solid and consistent core earnings stream. Net core earnings^† were $13.8 million for the third quarter, compared to $12.8 million for the second quarter of 2022, and $9.7 million during the third quarter of 2021.
• Good Asset Quality. Nonperforming assets as a percentage of total assets were 0.28% at September 30, 2022, compared to 0.30% at June 30, 2022 and 0.11% at September 30, 2021. Net charge-offs (annualized) to average loans were 0.07% for the quarter ended September 30, 2022, compared to 0.02% for the quarter ended June 30, 2022, and 0.05% for the quarter ended September 30, 2021. A provision for credit losses of $600,000 was recorded during the third quarter, primarily resulting from loan growth as qualitative factors remained mostly consistent with the second quarter of 2022. We anticipate increases to certain qualitative factor adjustments in the fourth quarter of 2022 to continue incorporating recession forecasts in 2023.
• Repricing and Asset Liability Management. The Bank is slightly asset-sensitive and should see benefits from expected rate increases by the Federal Reserve in November and December of 2022. We continue to be well-positioned for loan funding and liquidity with a loan-to-deposit ratio at quarter-end of 81.2%. Our FHLB advances were $225.0 million as of September 30, 2022 and are expected to be paid down in 2023 from balance sheet cash flows. Approximately $124.4 million in securities will mature or pay down by December 31, 2022 and $217.0 million within 12 months. As of September 30, 2022, $264.5 million, or 11.7% of our loan portfolio is fully floating and $1.2 billion, or 52.8% are adjustable rate term loans, repricing at defined future time periods. Additional Fed rate increases will result in the repricing of approximately $354.5 million, or 15.7%, of our total loans by December 31, 2022. Although we have raised interest rates paid on deposit accounts, we've maintained a conservative approach to increases thus far in 2022, but anticipate continued upward trends in deposit betas during 2023. A total of 40.9% of our deposits are noninterest-bearing and total cost of funds on total deposits during the third quarter was 0.35%.

^{† Non-GAAP financial metric. Calculations of this metric and reconciliations to GAAP are included in the schedules accompanying this release.}

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Participation in the PPP1 and PPP2 program, as well as COVID-related provisions for credit losses, has created temporary extraordinary results in the calculation of net earnings and related performance ratios. The following table illustrates net earnings and net core earnings results, which are pre-tax, pre-provision and pre-extraordinary PPP1/PPP2 income, as well as performance ratios for the prior five quarters:

Net interest income, before the provision for credit losses, in the third quarter of 2022 and 2021 was $28.3 million and $23.6 million, respectively, an increase of $4.7 million, or 20.1%. The increase in net interest income resulted from an increase in interest income of $7.2 million, or 28.7%, which was partially offset by an increase in interest expense of $2.5 million, or 151.0%, quarter over quarter. Interest income on loans increased $4.9 million, or 21.5%, during the current quarter compared to the prior year quarter. In addition, interest income from investment securities and other interest income increased $2.4 million, or 90.9%, from the same quarter in the prior year.

Net interest margin, on a fully taxable equivalent basis, for the third quarter of 2022 and 2021 was 3.59% and 3.40%, respectively. Net interest margin increased 19 basis points primarily due to a 49 basis point yield increase on total interest earning assets, which was partially offset by a 48 basis point increase in the cost of interest bearing liabilities. The increase in yield on interest earning assets resulted in part from average loan yields increasing from 4.67% for the third quarter of 2021 to 4.97% for the third quarter of 2022, an increase of 30 basis points, due to increases in the federal fund target interest rates. Additionally, we reinvested a large amount of interest bearing deposits held at other banks, which earned a yield of 0.10% in the prior year quarter, into higher yielding investment securities and loans. The increase in the cost of interest bearing liabilities was due primarily to an increase in the cost of interest-bearing deposits from 0.33% to 0.59%, a change of 26 basis points, in the third quarter of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021, as well as increased rates on FHLB advances, which increased from 0.87% to 2.37%, an increase of 150 basis points, quarter over quarter.

Net interest income, before the provision for credit losses, increased $1.4 million, or 5.4%, from $26.9 million in the second quarter of 2022 to $28.3 million in the third quarter of 2022. The increase in net interest income resulted primarily from an increase in loan income of $2.9 million, or 11.7%, from the prior quarter, as well as an increase in investment security income of $516,000, or 12.5% from the prior quarter. Those increases were partially offset by an increase in interest expense on FHLB advances and fed funds purchased of $1.0 million, or 537.4%, and an increase in expense on interest-bearing deposits of $832,000, or 51.3% from the second to third quarter of 2022.

Net interest margin, on a taxable equivalent basis, decreased from 3.61% for the second quarter of 2022 to 3.59% for the third quarter of 2022, a decrease of two basis points. The decrease in net interest margin was primarily due to an increase in the cost of FHLB advances and fed funds purchased from 1.62% in the second quarter to 2.37% in the third quarter, a change of 75 basis points. Additionally, there was an increase in the cost of interest-bearing deposits from 0.38% in the second quarter to 0.59% in the third quarter of 2022, a change of 21 basis points. These increases in cost were offset by an increase in loan yield from 4.77% for the second quarter of 2022 to 4.97% for the third quarter of 2022, a change of 20 basis points.

The Bank’s participation in the PPP program created temporary extraordinary results in the calculation of net interest margin. To illustrate the impact of the PPP program on net interest margin, the table below excludes PPP1 and PPP2 loans and their associated fees and costs for the quarter ended September 30, 2022:

During the third quarter of 2022, we recorded a $600,000 provision for credit losses. The provision was recorded primarily due to continued organic loan growth during the quarter. During the first quarter of 2022, we fully unwound the COVID-specific qualitative factor that we implemented at the onset of the pandemic in early 2020 and adjusted our standard qualitative factors in the second quarter of 2022 to capture current macro-economic conditions that we believe are more similar to the environment prior to the COVID-19 pandemic (i.e. near the end of a long up-cycle with a downturn expected) and consistent with our day-one CECL methodology. Minimal updates were made to our qualitative factors, including forecasted conditions, during the third quarter of 2022, however increases to certain qualitative factors are anticipated in future periods to estimate possible impacts of an economic recession on our loan portfolio. As of September 30, 2022, our allowance for credit losses as a percentage of total loans was 1.29%.

Noninterest income decreased $646,000, or 10.0%, in the third quarter of 2022 to $5.8 million, compared to $6.4 million for the third quarter of 2021. The decrease from the same quarter in 2021 was due primarily to a decrease in the gain on sale of loans of $1.4 million, or 80.8%, along with a $70,000, or 48.3%, decrease in mortgage fee income and a $137,000, or 69.9%, decrease in warehouse lending fees. These decreases were partially offset by an increase in other noninterest income of $716,000, or 95.7%, an increase in service charges of $143,000, or 14.3%, and an increase in merchant and debit card fees of $118,000, or 7.3%, compared to the same quarter in the prior year. The increases in service charges and merchant and debit card fees, as well as the decreases in gain on sale of loans, mortgage fee income and warehouse lending fees were primarily volume driven. The increase in other noninterest income was due to a gain on sale of an airplane asset for $894,000 during the third quarter of 2022.

Noninterest expense increased $950,000, or 4.9%, in the third quarter of 2022 to $20.2 million, compared to the third quarter of 2021. The increase in noninterest expense in the third quarter of 2022 was driven primarily by a $853,000, or 7.8%, increase in employee compensation and benefits due to increased salaries, higher insurance expense accruals due to increased claims experience and increased bonus accruals due to higher net income. Software and technology expense increased $151,000, or 12.0%, compared to the third quarter of 2021, due to additional technology investments and an increase in the cost of our core processing software resulting from a new asset tier threshold. The increases were partially offset by a $117,000, or 23.6%, decrease in advertising and promotion expense and an $87,000, or 34.4%, decrease in amortization expense from the prior year quarter. Other non-interest expense during the third quarter of 2022 included a write-down of $487,000 for an SBA receivable that was recorded during the work-out of two previous loan relationships that were acquired as part of the Westbound Bank acquisition in 2018. These loans were charged-off or partially paid off and are now recorded as a receivable for the 75% guaranteed amount of $3.0 million. During our review process to apply for reimbursement of these guaranteed amounts from the SBA, we self-identified $487,000 that was disbursed to the borrowers by Westbound but was not expressly authorized by the SBA during underwriting. Therefore, we recorded a write-down of $487,000 in the event the SBA determines not to honor the guaranteed amount for these loan funds.

Noninterest income in the third quarter of 2022 decreased by $278,000, or 4.6%, from $6.1 million in the second quarter of 2022. The decrease is due mostly to a lower gain on sale of loans of $544,000, or 61.7%, due to a 21 unit, or $317,000, decrease in mortgage loans sold quarter-over-quarter and no SBA loans sold during the third quarter of 2022 versus $227,000 sold in the prior quarter. The remainder of the decrease was due to a decrease in merchant and debit card fees of $323,000, or 15.7%, because of a $274,000 annual bonus received in the second quarter that was not present in the current quarter. The decreases were partially offset by an increase in other noninterest income of $654,000, or 80.7%, resulting primarily from a gain on sale of an airplane asset for $894,000 during the third quarter of 2022.

Noninterest expense increased $543,000, or 2.8%, in the third quarter of 2022, from $19.7 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2022. The increase was primarily due to an increase in other noninterest expense of $549,000, or 46.2%, and an increase in software and technology expense of $70,000, or 5.2%, during the third quarter of 2022. The increase in other noninterest expense resulted primarily from a $487,000 write-down of an SBA receivable balance during the third quarter of 2022, which is described in more detail above. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in legal and professional fees of $270,000, or 34.9%, during the third quarter of 2022.

The Company’s efficiency ratio in the third quarter of 2022 was 59.35%, compared to 59.80% in the prior year quarter and 64.25% in the second quarter of 2022. Adjusted to remove the effects of PPP-related transactions, the Company’s efficiency ratio^† in the third quarter of 2022 was 59.45%, compared to 66.47% in the prior year quarter and 60.60% in the second quarter of 2022.

^{† Non-GAAP financial metric. Calculations of this metric and reconciliations to GAAP are included in the schedules accompanying this release.}

FINANCIAL CONDITION

Consolidated assets for the Company totaled $3.39 billion at September 30, 2022, compared to $3.28 billion at June 30, 2022 and $2.97 billion at September 30, 2021.

Gross loans increased $127.7 million, or 6.0%, to $2.27 billion at September 30, 2022, compared to loans of $2.14 billion at June 30, 2022. The increase in gross loans from the second quarter of 2022 to the third quarter of 2022 is primarily due to increased loan originations and advances. Excluding PPP and warehouse lending loans, gross loans increased $144.1 million, or 6.8%, from June 30, 2022.

Gross loans increased $295.2 million, or 15.0%, from $1.97 billion at September 30, 2021. The increase in gross loans during the third quarter of 2022 compared to the third quarter of 2021 resulted from organic loan growth and was partially offset by a $74.7 million reduction in PPP loan balances during the period. Excluding PPP and warehouse lending loans, gross loans increased $430.8 million, or 23.6%, from September 30, 2021.

Total deposits increased by $10.9 million, or 0.4%, to $2.79 billion at September 30, 2022, compared to $2.78 billion at June 30, 2022, and increased $227.4 million, or 8.9%, from $2.56 billion at September 30, 2021. The increase in deposits during the current quarter resulted primarily from an increase in noninterest-bearing deposits of $35.4 million, or 3.2%, and $168.3 million, or 17.3% compared to the prior quarter and prior-year quarter, respectively.

Nonperforming assets as a percentage of total loans were 0.41% at September 30, 2022, compared to 0.46% at June 30, 2022 and 0.16% at September 30, 2021. The Bank's nonperforming assets consist primarily of nonaccrual loans. Four loans were added to nonaccrual status in the second quarter of 2022 and are Small Business Administration (SBA) 7(a), partially guaranteed (75%) loans, acquired in the June 2018 acquisition of Westbound Bank, with combined book balances of $6.7 million as of September 30, 2022. These loans, collateralized by two hotels, were identified as problem assets prior to COVID-19 but obtained government stimulus and other relief which allowed the two related borrowers to remain current through early 2022. Management continues to work toward a satisfactory resolution for these four loans, however, in the event of foreclosure, a significant loss is not expected due to estimated current collateral values.

Total equity was $288.7 million as of September 30, 2022, compared to $282.8 million at June 30, 2022 and $297.4 million at September 30, 2021. The increase from the previous quarter resulted primarily from net income of $10.9 million during the period offset by the payment of dividends of $2.6 million and a decrease in accumulated other comprehensive income of $2.4 million during the third quarter of 2022 resulting from fluctuations in the fair market value of securities. Although the unrealized losses in accumulated other comprehensive income during the quarter do not impact regulatory capital ratios, they did result in a slight decrease in the tangible common equity^† ratio from 7.64% as of June 30, 2022 to 7.57% as of September 30, 2022. Tangible common equity^† decreased $8.9 million, or 3.4%, during the third quarter of 2022 compared to the same quarter of the prior year.

In September 2021, we announced the formation of a partnership with CaliberCos, Inc., a vertically integrated alternative asset manager and fund sponsor, in an effort to drive investments that will revitalize communities across Texas through real estate developments. We recorded this investment by our Bank subsidiary and the noncontrolling interest during the first quarter of 2022. Further details of this partnership can be found in our Form 8-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on September 7, 2021.

Nonperforming assets as a percentage of total assets were 0.28% at September 30, 2022, compared to 0.30% at June 30, 2022, and 0.11% at September 30, 2021.