Equity Bancshares Inc.

10/15/2024 | Press release | Distributed by Public on 10/15/2024 14:46

Equity Bancshares, Inc. Third Quarter Results Includes A Significant Recovery on Problem Asset and 16.9% Annualized Loan Growth Form 8 K

Equity Bancshares, Inc. Third Quarter Results Includes A Significant Recovery on Problem Asset and 16.9% Annualized Loan Growth

Reports 10.4% Tangible Book Value Growth, Closes Merger with KansasLand, Adding to Kansas Franchise

WICHITA, Kansas, October 15, 2024 (BUSINESSWIRE) - Equity Bancshares, Inc. (NYSE: EQBK), ("Equity", "the Company," "we," "us," "our"), the Wichita-based holding company of Equity Bank, reported net income of $19.8 million or $1.28 earnings per diluted share for the quarter ended September 30, 2024.

"Our Company realized another exceptional earnings quarter, which included the favorable resolution of a significant problem loan," said Brad S. Elliott, Chairman and CEO of Equity. "Our team is committed to serving our communities and, through prudent underwriting, mitigating risk. When challenges arise, we will pursue all avenues available to us for successful resolution on behalf of our shareholders."

"Also during this quarter, our team continued to execute on our mission as we grew customer relationships and loan balances while also expanding our footprint via the KansasLand Bancshares, Inc. ("KansasLand") acquisition," Mr. Elliott said. "We are well positioned to facilitate both organic growth and strategic M&A. We have the teams, the processes and the experience to be the premier community bank in our geography."

Notable Items:

The Company realized earnings per diluted share of $1.28, or $1.31 adjusted to exclude pre-tax merger expense of $618 thousand and gain on security transactions of $206 thousand.
The Company closed its merger with and completed its integration of KansasLand. Adding $28.3 million in loan balances and $42.4 million in deposit balances.
During the quarter, the Company grew loan balances, excluding those acquired from KansasLand, by $117.8 million or 13.6% on an annualized basis.
The Company resolved a significant problem asset, recognizing an $8.5 million pre-tax benefit during the quarter.
The Company ended the quarter with deposit balances of $4.4 billion and a loan-to-deposit ratio of 82.5%.
The Company increased its quarterly dividend by 25% to $0.15 per share, its third consecutive annual increase. The Company also announced the approval of a share repurchase plan allowing for the purchase of up to 1,000,000 shares from October 1, 2024 through September 30, 2025.
The Company realized an increase in book and tangible book value of $42.6 million and $43.2 million, respectively. Linked quarter tangible book value per share improved 10.4% to $28.38 per share.
Classified assets as a percentage of total risk-based capital at Equity Bank closed the period at 8.3% while non-performing assets remained historically low. The allowance for credit losses closed the quarter at 1.2% of total loans.

Financial Results for the Quarter Ended September 30, 2024

Net income allocable to common stockholders was $19.8 million, or $1.28 per diluted share. Adjusting to exclude $618 thousand in pre-tax costs associated with mergers and gain on security transactions of $206 thousand, net income was $20.2 million or $1.31 per diluted share.

Excluding merger expenses and the costs associated with repositioning a portion of our BOLI portfolio in the prior quarter, net income was $15.3 million, or $0.99 per diluted share. The drivers of the periodic change are discussed in detail in the following sections.

Equity Bancshares, Inc.

Net Interest Income

Net interest income was $46.0 million for the period ended September 30, 2024, as compared to $46.5 million for the three months ended June 30, 2024, the decline was driven by minor declines in average earning assets and margin, partially offset by an additional day in the current period. Net interest margin was 3.87% for the quarter compared to 3.94% as the yield on interest-earning assets declined 7 basis points to 6.30%.

The decline in earning asset yield was driven by declining trends in both non-accrual loan impacts and purchase accounting accretion. The comparative change in these components of interest income resulted in an 8 basis point decline in margin.

Provision for Credit Losses

During the quarter ended September 30, 2024, there was a provision of $1.2 million compared to a provision of $265 thousand in the previous quarter. The provision was primarily attributable to growth in loan balances during the period. The Company continues to estimate the allowance for credit loss with assumptions that anticipate slower prepayment rates and continued market disruption caused by elevated inflation, supply chain issues and the impact of monetary policy on consumers and businesses. During the quarter, we realized net charge-offs of $1.6 million as compared to $1.2 million for the previous quarter.

Non-Interest Income

Total non-interest income was $9.3 million for the quarter ended September30, 2024, as compared to $9.0 million linked quarter. Included in current quarter results was gain realized on the acquisition of KansasLand of $831 thousand. Service fee revenue including deposit services, treasury, debit card, credit card, insurance and wealth management increased at an annualized rate of 2% during the quarter.

Non-Interest Expense

Total non-interest expense for the quarter was $30.3 million as compared to $38.9 million for the previous quarter. Adjusting for merger expenses in both periods, the decrease quarter over quarter was $6.9 million driven by the $8.5 million gain from a borrower's repurchase of our preferred equity interest in the borrower's company, partially offset by a $742 thousand write-down of a previous bank location now carried in Other Real Estate Owned and a $900 thousand increase in incentive accruals.

Income Tax Expense

The effective tax rate for the quarter was 16.7% as compared to 28.1% for the quarter ended June 30, 2024. The decrease in rate during the quarter was the result of the reversal of the non-recurring recognition of tax expense related to the liquidation of bank owned life insurance in the second quarter in addition to the reversal of deferred tax asset valuation allowance for the expected utilization of net operating loss carryforwards in the current tax year. Year-to-date effective tax rate is 21.2%.

Loans, Total Assets and Funding

Loans held for investment were $3.6 billion at September 30, 2024, increasing $146.5 million, or 16.9% on an annualized basis, during the quarter. Total assets were $5.4 billion as of the end of the period, increasing $109.7 million during the quarter.

Total deposits were $4.4 billion at September 30, 2024, increasing $21.5 million, or 2.0% on an annualized basis, from the previous quarter end. Of the total deposit balance, non-interest-bearing accounts comprise approximately 22.2%. Total

Equity Bancshares, Inc.

Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings were $296.0 million as of the end of the quarter, up $45.7 million as compared to June 30, 2024.

Asset Quality

As of September 30, 2024, Equity's allowance for credit losses to total loans was 1.2% down 5 basis points as compared to June 30, 2024. The decline was driven by realized charge-offs during the period. Nonperforming assets were $32.3 million as of September 30, 2024, or 0.6% of total assets, compared to $27.2 million at June 30, 2024, or 0.5% of total assets. Non-accrual loans were $31.2 million at September 30, 2024, as compared to $26.6 million at June 30, 2024. Total classified assets, including loans rated special mention or worse, other real estate owned, excluding previous branch locations, and other repossessed assets were $49.1 million, or 8.32% of regulatory capital, up from $48.4 million, or 8.5% of regulatory capital as of June 30, 2024.

Capital

Quarter over quarter, book capital increased $42.6 million to $504.0 million and tangible capital increased $43.2 million to $433.9 million. Tangible book value per share closed the quarter at $28.4, increasing 10.4% compared to prior quarter. The increase in capital is primarily due to earnings and improvement in unrealized losses on bonds and cash flow hedges of $22.0 million, partially offset by dividends of $2.3 million. Tangible capital was also positively affected by the amortization of core deposit intangibles during the quarter.

The Company's ratio of common equity tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets was 11.4%, the total capital to risk-weighted assets was 14.8% and the total leverage ratio was 9.6% at September 30, 2024. At June 30, 2024, the Company's common equity tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets ratio was 11.1%, the total capital to risk-weighted assets ratio was 14.6% and the total leverage ratio was 9.1%.

Equity Bank's ratio of common equity tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets was 13.0%, total capital to risk-weighted assets was 14.1% and the total leverage ratio was 10.4% at September 30, 2024. At June 30, 2024, Equity Bank's ratio of common equity tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets was 12.9%, the ratio of total capital to risk-weighted assets was 14.0% and the total leverage ratio was 10.1%.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

In addition to evaluating the Company's results of operations in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America ("GAAP"), management periodically supplements this evaluation with an analysis of certain non-GAAP financial measures that are intended to provide the reader with additional perspectives on operating results, financial condition and performance trends, while facilitating comparisons with the performance of other financial institutions. Non-GAAP financial measures are not a substitute for GAAP measures, rather, they should be read and used in conjunction with the Company's GAAP financial information.

The efficiency ratio is a common comparable metric used by banks to understand the expense structure relative to total revenue. In other words, for every dollar of total revenue recognized, how much of that dollar is expended. To improve the comparability of the ratio to our peers, non-core items are excluded. To improve transparency and acknowledging that banks are not consistent in their definition of the efficiency ratio, we include our calculation of this non-GAAP measure.

Return on average assets before income tax provision and provision for loan losses is a measure that the Company uses to understand fundamental operating performance before these expenses. Used as a ratio relative to average assets, we believe it demonstrates "core" performance and can be viewed as an alternative measure of how efficiently the Company services its asset base. Used as a ratio relative to average equity, it can function as an alternative measure of the Company's earnings performance in relationship to its equity.

Equity Bancshares, Inc.

Tangible common equity and related measures are non-GAAP financial measures that exclude the impact of intangible assets, net of deferred taxes, and their related amortization. These financial measures are useful for evaluating the performance of a business consistently, whether acquired or developed internally. Return on average tangible common equity is used by management and readers of our financial statements to understand how efficiently the Company is deploying its common equity. Companies that are able to demonstrate more efficient use of common equity are more likely to be viewed favorably by current and prospective investors.

The Company believes that disclosing these non-GAAP financial measures is both useful internally and is expected by our investors and analysts in order to understand the overall performance of the Company. Other companies may calculate and define their non-GAAP financial measures and supplemental data differently. A reconciliation of GAAP financial measures to non-GAAP measures and other performance ratios, as adjusted, are included in Table 6 in the following press release tables.

Conference Call and Webcast

Equity's Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Brad Elliott, and Chief Financial Officer, Chris Navratil, will hold a conference call and webcast to discuss third quarter results on Wednesday, October 16, 2024, at 10 a.m. eastern time or 9 a.m. central time.

A live webcast of the call will be available on the Company's website at investor.equitybank.com. To access the call by phone, please go to this registration link, and you will be provided with dial in details. Investors, news media, and other participants are encouraged to dial into the conference call ten minutes ahead of the scheduled start time.

A replay of the call and webcast will be available following the close of the call at investor.equitybank.com.

About Equity Bancshares, Inc.

Equity Bancshares, Inc. is the holding company for Equity Bank, offering a full range of financial solutions, including commercial loans, consumer banking, mortgage loans, trust and wealth management services and treasury management services, while delivering the high-quality, relationship-based customer service of a community bank. Equity's common stock is traded on the NYSE National, Inc. under the symbol "EQBK." Learn more at www.equitybank.com.

Special Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements reflect the current views of Equity's management with respect to, among other things, future events and Equity's financial performance. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as "may," "should," "could," "predict," "potential," "believe," "will likely result," "expect," "continue," "will," "anticipate," "seek," "estimate," "intend," "plan," "project," "positioned," "forecast," "goal," "target," "would" and "outlook," or the negative variations of those words or other comparable words of a future or forward-looking nature. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, and are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about Equity's industry, management's beliefs and certain assumptions made by management, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and beyond Equity's control. Accordingly, Equity cautions you that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, assumptions and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Although Equity believes that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date made, actual results may prove to be materially different from the results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from Equity's expectations include competition from other financial institutions and bank holding companies; the effects of and changes in trade, monetary and fiscal policies and laws, including interest rate policies of the Federal Reserve Board; changes in the demand for loans; fluctuations in value of collateral and loan reserves; inflation, interest rate, market and monetary fluctuations; changes in consumer spending, borrowing and savings habits; and acquisitions and integration of acquired businesses; and similar variables. The foregoing list of factors is not exhaustive.

Equity Bancshares, Inc.

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 Equity's Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on March 7, 2024, and any updates to those risk factors set forth in Equity's subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q or Current Reports on Form 8-K. If one or more events related to these or other risks or uncertainties materialize, or if Equity's underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results may differ materially from what Equity anticipates. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and Equity does not undertake any obligation to publicly update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law. New risks and uncertainties arise from time to time and it is not possible for us to predict those events or how they may affect us. In addition, Equity cannot assess the impact of each factor on Equity's business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. All forward-looking statements, expressed or implied, included in this press release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. This cautionary statement should also be considered in connection with any subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements that Equity or persons acting on Equity's behalf may issue.

Investor Contact:

Brian J. Katzfey

VP, Director of Corporate Development and Investor Relations

Equity Bancshares, Inc.

(316) 858-3128

[email protected]

Media Contact:

Russell Colburn

Public Relations and Communication Manager

Equity Bancshares, Inc.

(913) 583-8011

[email protected]

Equity Bancshares, Inc.

Unaudited Financial Tables

Table 1. Consolidated Statements of Income
Table 2. Quarterly Consolidated Statements of Income
Table 3. Consolidated Balance Sheets
Table 4. Selected Financial Highlights
Table 5. Year-To-Date Net Interest Income Analysis
Table 6. Quarter-To-Date Net Interest Income Analysis
Table 7. Quarter-Over-Quarter Net Interest Income Analysis
Table 8. Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Equity Bancshares, Inc.

TABLE 1. CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME(Unaudited)

(Dollars in thousands)

Three months ended
September 30,

Nine months ended
September 30,

2024

2023

2024

2023

Interest and dividend income

Loans, including fees

$

62,089

$

55,152

$

182,436

$

156,281

Securities, taxable

9,809

5,696

29,862

17,456

Securities, nontaxable

400

369

1,192

1,606

Federal funds sold and other

2,667

3,822

8,374

7,075

Total interest and dividend income

74,965

65,039

221,864

182,418

Interest expense

Deposits

23,679

19,374

69,196

50,399

Federal funds purchased and retail repurchase agreements

261

246

893

633

Federal Home Loan Bank advances

3,089

968

8,022

2,939

Federal Reserve Bank borrowings

-

1,546

1,361

3,209

Subordinated debt

1,905

1,893

5,703

5,687

Total interest expense

28,934

24,027

85,175

62,867

Net interest income

46,031

41,012

136,689

119,551

Provision (reversal) for credit losses

1,183

1,230

2,448

1,162

Net interest income after provision (reversal) for credit losses

44,848

39,782

134,241

118,389

Non-interest income

Service charges and fees

2,424

2,690

7,534

7,888

Debit card income

2,665

2,591

7,733

7,798

Mortgage banking

287

226

720

527

Increase in value of bank-owned life insurance

1,344

794

3,083

3,134

Net gain on acquisition and branch sales

831

-

2,131

-

Net gains (losses) from securities transactions

206

(1

)

222

(1,291

)

Other

1,560

2,435

8,583

6,229

Total non-interest income

9,317

8,735

30,006

24,285

Non-interest expense

Salaries and employee benefits

18,494

15,857

54,418

47,786

Net occupancy and equipment

3,478

3,262

10,800

9,081

Data processing

5,152

4,553

15,016

12,962

Professional fees

1,487

1,312

4,657

4,341

Advertising and business development

1,368

1,419

3,897

3,827

Telecommunications

660

502

1,887

1,503

FDIC insurance

660

660

1,821

1,535

Courier and postage

686

548

1,912

1,469

Free nationwide ATM cost

544

516

1,569

1,565

Amortization of core deposit intangibles

1,112

799

3,229

2,635

Loan expense

143

132

447

385

Other real estate owned

(7,719

)

128

(7,786

)

318

Merger expenses

618

-

4,461

-

Other

3,645

4,556

10,023

13,196

Total non-interest expense

30,328

34,244

106,351

100,603

Income (loss) before income tax

23,837

14,273

57,896

42,071

Provision for income taxes

3,986

1,932

12,261

5,951

Net income (loss) and net income (loss) allocable to common stockholders

$

19,851

$

12,341

$

45,635

$

36,120

Basic earnings (loss) per share

$

1.30

$

0.80

$

2.98

$

2.32

Diluted earnings (loss) per share

$

1.28

$

0.80

$

2.95

$

2.30

Weighted average common shares

15,258,822

15,404,992

15,310,888

15,575,731

Weighted average diluted common shares

15,451,545

15,507,172

15,467,930

15,692,305

Equity Bancshares, Inc.

TABLE 2. QUARTERLY CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME (Unaudited)

(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)

As of and for the three months ended

September 30,
2024

June 30,
2024

March 31,
2024

December 31,
2023

September 30,
2023

Interest and dividend income

Loans, including fees

$

62,089

$

61,518

$

58,829

$

54,932

$

55,152

Securities, taxable

9,809

10,176

9,877

6,417

5,696

Securities, nontaxable

400

401

391

354

369

Federal funds sold and other

2,667

3,037

2,670

2,591

3,822

Total interest and dividend income

74,965

75,132

71,767

64,294

65,039

Interest expense

Deposits

23,679

22,662

22,855

20,074

19,374

Federal funds purchased and retail repurchase agreements

261

306

326

298

246

Federal Home Loan Bank advances

3,089

3,789

1,144

1,005

968

Federal Reserve Bank borrowings

-

-

1,361

1,546

1,546

Subordinated debt

1,905

1,899

1,899

1,904

1,893

Total interest expense

28,934

28,656

27,585

24,827

24,027

Net interest income

46,031

46,476

44,182

39,467

41,012

Provision (reversal) for credit losses

1,183

265

1,000

711

1,230

Net interest income after provision (reversal) for credit losses

44,848

46,211

43,182

38,756

39,782

Non-interest income

Service charges and fees

2,424

2,541

2,569

2,299

2,690

Debit card income

2,665

2,621

2,447

2,524

2,591

Mortgage banking

287

245

188

125

226

Increase in value of bank-owned life insurance

1,344

911

828

925

794

Net gain on acquisition and branch sales

831

60

1,240

-

-

Net gains (losses) from securities transactions

206

(27

)

43

(50,618

)

(1

)

Other

1,560

2,607

4,416

1,331

2,435

Total non-interest income

9,317

8,958

11,731

(43,414

)

8,735

Non-interest expense

Salaries and employee benefits

18,494

17,827

18,097

16,598

15,857

Net occupancy and equipment

3,478

3,787

3,535

3,244

3,262

Data processing

5,152

5,036

4,828

4,471

4,553

Professional fees

1,487

1,778

1,392

1,413

1,312

Advertising and business development

1,368

1,291

1,238

1,598

1,419

Telecommunications

660

572

655

460

502

FDIC insurance

660

590

571

660

660

Courier and postage

686

620

606

577

548

Free nationwide ATM cost

544

531

494

508

516

Amortization of core deposit intangibles

1,112

1,218

899

739

799

Loan expense

143

195

109

155

132

Other real estate owned

(7,719

)

17

(84

)

224

128

Merger expenses

618

2,287

1,556

297

-

Other

3,645

3,122

3,256

4,054

4,556

Total non-interest expense

30,328

38,871

37,152

34,998

34,244

Income (loss) before income tax

23,837

16,298

17,761

(39,656

)

14,273

Provision for income taxes (benefit)

3,986

4,582

3,693

(11,357

)

1,932

Net income (loss) and net income (loss) allocable to common stockholders

$

19,851

$

11,716

$

14,068

$

(28,299

)

$

12,341

Basic earnings (loss) per share

$

1.30

$

0.77

$

0.91

$

(1.84

)

$

0.80

Diluted earnings (loss) per share

$

1.28

$

0.76

$

0.90

$

(1.84

)

$

0.80

Weighted average common shares

15,258,822

15,248,703

15,425,709

15,417,200

15,404,992

Weighted average diluted common shares

15,451,545

15,377,980

15,569,225

15,417,200

15,507,172

Equity Bancshares, Inc.

TABLE 3. CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS(Unaudited)

(Dollars in thousands)

September 30,
2024

June 30,
2024

March 31,
2024

December 31,
2023

September 30,
2023

ASSETS

Cash and due from banks

$

217,681

$

244,321

$

217,611

$

363,289

$

183,404

Federal funds sold

17,802

15,945

17,407

15,810

15,613

Cash and cash equivalents

235,483

260,266

235,018

379,099

199,017

Available-for-sale securities

1,041,000

1,042,176

1,091,717

919,648

1,057,009

Held-to-maturity securities

5,408

5,226

2,205

2,209

2,212

Loans held for sale

901

1,959

1,311

476

627

Loans, net of allowance for credit losses(1)

3,557,435

3,410,920

3,437,714

3,289,381

3,237,932

Other real estate owned, net

2,786

2,989

1,465

1,833

3,369

Premises and equipment, net

117,013

114,264

116,792

112,632

110,271

Bank-owned life insurance

131,670

130,326

125,693

124,865

124,245

Federal Reserve Bank and Federal Home Loan Bank stock

34,429

33,171

27,009

20,608

20,780

Interest receivable

28,398

27,381

27,082

25,497

23,621

Goodwill

53,101

53,101

53,101

53,101

53,101

Core deposit intangibles, net

16,029

16,636

17,854

7,222

7,961

Other

131,580

147,102

102,075

98,021

105,122

Total assets

$

5,355,233

$

5,245,517

$

5,239,036

$

5,034,592

$

4,945,267

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS' EQUITY

Deposits

Demand

$

967,858

$

984,872

$

981,623

$

898,129

$

936,217

Total non-interest-bearing deposits

967,858

984,872

981,623

898,129

936,217

Demand, savings and money market

2,468,956

2,560,091

2,574,871

2,483,807

2,397,003

Time

926,130

796,474

814,532

763,519

748,950

Total interest-bearing deposits

3,395,086

3,356,565

3,389,403

3,247,326

3,145,953

Total deposits

4,362,944

4,341,437

4,371,026

4,145,455

4,082,170

Federal funds purchased and retail repurchase agreements

38,196

38,031

43,811

43,582

39,701

Federal Home Loan Bank advances and Federal Reserve Bank borrowings

295,997

250,306

219,931

240,000

240,000

Subordinated debt

97,336

97,196

97,058

96,921

96,787

Contractual obligations

19,683

23,770

18,493

19,315

29,019

Interest payable and other liabilities

37,039

33,342

31,941

36,459

39,460

Total liabilities

4,851,195

4,784,082

4,782,260

4,581,732

4,527,137

Commitments and contingent liabilities

Stockholders' equity

Common stock

209

208

208

207

207

Additional paid-in capital

494,763

491,709

490,533

489,187

488,137

Retained earnings

180,588

163,068

153,201

141,006

171,188

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax

(40,012

)

(62,005

)

(60,788

)

(57,920

)

(122,047

)

Treasury stock

(131,510

)

(131,545

)

(126,378

)

(119,620

)

(119,355

)

Total stockholders' equity

504,038

461,435

456,776

452,860

418,130

Total liabilities and stockholders' equity

$

5,355,233

$

5,245,517

$

5,239,036

$

5,034,592

$

4,945,267

(1) Allowance for credit losses

$

43,490

$

43,487

$

44,449

$

43,520

$

44,186

Equity Bancshares, Inc.

TABLE 4. SELECTED FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS (Unaudited)

(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)

As of and for the three months ended

September 30,

June 30,

March 31,

December 31,

September 30,

2024

2024

2024

2023

2023

Loans Held For Investment by Type

Commercial real estate

$

1,916,863

$

1,793,544

$

1,797,192

$

1,759,855

$

1,721,761

Commercial and industrial

670,665

663,718

649,035

598,327

585,129

Residential real estate

567,063

572,523

581,988

556,328

558,188

Agricultural real estate

259,587

219,226

198,291

196,114

205,865

Agricultural

89,529

104,342

149,312

118,587

103,352

Consumer

97,218

101,054

106,345

103,690

107,823

Total loans held-for-investment

3,600,925

3,454,407

3,482,163

3,332,901

3,282,118

Allowance for credit losses

(43,490

)

(43,487

)

(44,449

)

(43,520

)

(44,186

)

Net loans held for investment

$

3,557,435

$

3,410,920

$

3,437,714

$

3,289,381

$

3,237,932

Asset Quality Ratios

Allowance for credit losses on loans to total loans

1.21

%

1.26

%

1.28

%

1.31

%

1.35

%

Past due or nonaccrual loans to total loans

1.17

%

1.15

%

1.10

%

1.10

%

1.03

%

Nonperforming assets to total assets

0.60

%

0.52

%

0.49

%

0.53

%

0.42

%

Nonperforming assets to total loans plus other
real estate owned

0.90

%

0.79

%

0.73

%

0.79

%

0.63

%

Classified assets to bank total regulatory capital

8.32

%

8.47

%

6.85

%

7.09

%

6.27

%

Selected Average Balance Sheet Data (QTD Average)

Investment securities

$

1,055,833

$

1,065,979

$

1,074,101

$

985,591

$

1,085,905

Total gross loans receivable

3,475,885

3,459,476

3,452,553

3,293,755

3,281,483

Interest-earning assets

4,731,927

4,745,713

4,742,200

4,480,279

4,635,384

Total assets

5,205,017

5,196,259

5,152,915

4,892,712

5,046,179

Interest-bearing deposits

3,309,202

3,275,765

3,319,907

3,092,637

3,206,300

Borrowings

395,190

450,178

390,166

391,691

385,125

Total interest-bearing liabilities

3,704,392

3,725,943

3,710,073

3,484,328

3,591,425

Total deposits

4,275,424

4,250,843

4,254,883

4,019,362

4,177,332

Total liabilities

4,719,549

4,740,937

4,692,671

4,469,505

4,619,919

Total stockholders' equity

485,468

455,322

460,244

423,207

426,260

Tangible common equity*

414,644

383,899

398,041

361,451

363,625

Performance ratios

Return on average assets (ROAA) annualized

1.52

%

0.91

%

1.10

%

(2.29

)%

0.97

%

Return on average assets before income tax and
provision for loan losses*

1.91

%

1.28

%

1.46

%

(3.16

)%

1.22

%

Return on average equity (ROAE) annualized

16.27

%

10.35

%

12.29

%

(26.53

)%

11.49

%

Return on average equity before income tax and
provision for loan losses*

20.50

%

14.63

%

16.39

%

(36.51

)%

14.43

%

Return on average tangible common equity
(ROATCE) annualized*

19.92

%

13.31

%

14.96

%

(30.39

)%

14.18

%

Yield on loans annualized

7.11

%

7.15

%

6.85

%

6.62

%

6.67

%

Cost of interest-bearing deposits annualized

2.85

%

2.78

%

2.77

%

2.58

%

2.40

%

Cost of total deposits annualized

2.20

%

2.14

%

2.16

%

1.98

%

1.84

%

Net interest margin annualized

3.87

%

3.94

%

3.75

%

3.49

%

3.51

%

Efficiency ratio*

54.70

%

66.03

%

65.16

%

74.35

%

68.83

%

Non-interest income / average assets

0.71

%

0.69

%

0.92

%

(3.52

)%

0.69

%

Non-interest expense / average assets

2.32

%

3.01

%

2.90

%

2.84

%

2.69

%

Capital Ratios

Tier 1 Leverage Ratio

9.55

%

9.14

%

9.10

%

9.46

%

9.77

%

Common Equity Tier 1 Capital Ratio

11.37

%

11.12

%

11.14

%

11.74

%

12.65

%

Tier 1 Risk Based Capital Ratio

11.94

%

11.70

%

11.73

%

12.36

%

13.27

%

Total Risk Based Capital Ratio

14.78

%

14.61

%

14.71

%

15.48

%

16.42

%

Equity Bancshares, Inc.

Total stockholders' equity to total assets

9.41

%

8.80

%

8.72

%

8.99

%

8.46

%

Tangible common equity to tangible assets*

8.21

%

7.55

%

7.45

%

7.87

%

7.29

%

Dividend payout ratio

11.74

%

15.79

%

13.31

%

(6.65

)%

15.13

%

Book value per common share

$

32.97

$

30.36

$

29.80

$

29.35

$

27.13

Tangible book value per common share*

$

28.38

$

25.70

$

25.10

$

25.37

$

23.09

Tangible book value per diluted common share*

$

28.00

$

25.44

$

24.87

$

25.05

$

22.96

* The value noted is considered a Non-GAAP financial measure. For a reconciliation of Non-GGAP financial measures, see Table 8. Non-GAAP Financial Measures.

Equity Bancshares, Inc.

TABLE 5. YEAR-TO-DATE NET INTEREST INCOME ANALYSIS (Unaudited)

(Dollars in thousands)

For nine months ended

For nine months ended

September 30, 2024

September 30, 2023

Average Outstanding Balance

Interest Income/ Expense

Average
Yield/Rate(3)(4)

Average Outstanding Balance

Interest Income/ Expense

Average
Yield/Rate(3)(4)

Interest-earning assets

Loans (1)

Commercial and industrial

$

643,213

$

38,408

7.98

%

$

580,359

$

31,503

7.26

%

Commercial real estate

1,400,385

73,339

7.00

%

1,300,202

61,811

6.36

%

Real estate construction

400,317

26,350

8.79

%

450,147

24,764

7.36

%

Residential real estate

579,818

19,935

4.59

%

567,169

17,933

4.23

%

Agricultural real estate

218,334

11,777

7.21

%

202,963

10,399

6.85

%

Agricultural

116,520

7,398

8.48

%

100,450

5,039

6.71

%

Consumer

104,098

5,229

6.71

%

106,841

4,832

6.05

%

Total loans

3,462,685

182,436

7.04

%

3,308,131

156,281

6.32

%

Securities

Taxable securities

1,004,367

29,862

3.97

%

1,059,858

17,456

2.20

%

Nontaxable securities

60,903

1,192

2.62

%

82,230

1,606

2.61

%

Total securities

1,065,270

31,054

3.89

%

1,142,088

19,062

2.23

%

Federal funds sold and other

211,961

8,374

5.28

%

191,585

7,075

4.94

%

Total interest-earning assets

$

4,739,916

221,864

6.25

%

$

4,641,804

182,418

5.25

%

Interest-bearing liabilities

Demand, savings and money market deposits

$

2,535,852

48,090

2.53

%

$

2,365,972

32,288

1.82

%

Time deposits

765,800

21,106

3.68

%

856,862

18,111

2.83

%

Total interest-bearing deposits

3,301,652

69,196

2.80

%

3,222,834

50,399

2.09

%

FHLB advances

223,132

8,022

4.80

%

97,014

2,939

4.05

%

Other borrowings

188,652

7,957

5.63

%

243,007

9,529

5.24

%

Total interest-bearing liabilities

$

3,713,436

85,175

3.06

%

$

3,562,855

62,867

2.36

%

Net interest income

$

136,689

$

119,551

Interest rate spread

3.19

%

2.89

%

Net interest margin (2)

3.85

%

3.44

%

(1) Average loan balances include nonaccrual loans.

(2) Net interest margin is calculated by dividing annualized net interest income by average interest-earning assets for the period.

(3) Tax exempt income is not included in the above table on a tax-equivalent basis.

(4) Actual unrounded values are used to calculate the reported yield or rate disclosed. Accordingly, recalculations using the amounts in thousands as disclosed in this report may not produce the same amounts.

Equity Bancshares, Inc.

TABLE 6. QUARTER-TO-DATE NET INTEREST INCOME ANALYSIS (Unaudited)

(Dollars in thousands)

For the three months ended

For the three months ended

September 30, 2024

September 30, 2023

Average Outstanding Balance

Interest Income/ Expense

Average
Yield/Rate(3)(4)

Average Outstanding Balance

Interest Income/ Expense

Average
Yield/Rate(3)(4)

Interest-earning assets

Loans (1)

Commercial and industrial

$

659,697

$

13,213

7.97

%

$

573,039

$

10,984

7.60

%

Commercial real estate

1,351,407

24,196

7.12

%

1,253,362

20,824

6.59

%

Real estate construction

442,857

9,732

8.74

%

480,355

9,838

8.13

%

Residential real estate

578,702

6,912

4.75

%

564,138

6,085

4.28

%

Agricultural real estate

251,595

4,365

6.90

%

203,399

3,898

7.60

%

Agricultural

91,500

1,906

8.29

%

99,773

1,856

7.38

%

Consumer

100,127

1,765

7.01

%

107,417

1,667

6.16

%

Total loans

3,475,885

62,089

7.11

%

3,281,483

55,152

6.67

%

Securities

Taxable securities

995,713

9,809

3.92

%

1,027,889

5,696

2.20

%

Nontaxable securities

60,120

400

2.65

%

58,016

369

2.52

%

Total securities

1,055,833

10,209

3.85

%

1,085,905

6,065

2.22

%

Federal funds sold and other

200,209

2,667

5.30

%

267,996

3,822

5.66

%

Total interest-earning assets

$

4,731,927

74,965

6.30

%

$

4,635,384

65,039

5.57

%

Interest-bearing liabilities

Demand, savings and money market deposits

$

2,555,916

16,484

2.57

%

$

2,423,380

13,331

2.18

%

Time deposits

753,286

7,195

3.80

%

782,920

6,043

3.06

%

Total interest-bearing deposits

3,309,202

23,679

2.85

%

3,206,300

19,374

2.40

%

FHLB advances

252,751

3,089

4.86

%

100,000

968

3.84

%

Other borrowings

142,439

2,166

6.05

%

285,125

3,685

5.13

%

Total interest-bearing liabilities

$

3,704,392

28,934

3.11

%

$

3,591,425

24,027

2.65

%

Net interest income

$

46,031

$

41,012

Interest rate spread

3.19

%

2.92

%

Net interest margin (2)

3.87

%

3.51

%

(1) Average loan balances include nonaccrual loans.

(2) Net interest margin is calculated by dividing annualized net interest income by average interest-earning assets for the period.

(3) Tax exempt income is not included in the above table on a tax-equivalent basis.

(4) Actual unrounded values are used to calculate the reported yield or rate disclosed. Accordingly, recalculations using the amounts in thousands as disclosed in this report may not produce the same amounts.

Equity Bancshares, Inc.

TABLE 7. QUARTER-OVER-QUARTER NET INTEREST INCOME ANALYSIS (Unaudited)

(Dollars in thousands)

For the three months ended

For the three months ended

September 30, 2024

June 30, 2024

Average Outstanding Balance

Interest Income/ Expense

Average
Yield/Rate(3)(4)

Average Outstanding Balance

Interest Income/ Expense

Average
Yield/Rate(3)(4)

Interest-earning assets

Loans (1)

Commercial and industrial

$

659,697

$

13,213

7.97

%

$

635,123

$

12,782

8.09

%

Commercial real estate

1,351,407

24,196

7.12

%

1,401,109

24,541

7.04

%

Real estate construction

442,857

9,732

8.74

%

402,831

8,843

8.83

%

Residential real estate

578,702

6,912

4.75

%

580,338

6,563

4.55

%

Agricultural real estate

251,595

4,365

6.90

%

206,018

3,944

7.70

%

Agricultural

91,500

1,906

8.29

%

127,298

3,102

9.80

%

Consumer

100,127

1,765

7.01

%

106,759

1,743

6.57

%

Total loans

3,475,885

62,089

7.11

%

3,459,476

61,518

7.15

%

Securities

Taxable securities

995,713

9,809

3.92

%

1,006,018

10,176

4.07

%

Nontaxable securities

60,120

400

2.65

%

59,961

401

2.70

%

Total securities

1,055,833

10,209

3.85

%

1,065,979

10,577

3.99

%

Federal funds sold and other

200,209

2,667

5.30

%

220,258

3,037

5.54

%

Total interest-earning assets

$

4,731,927

74,965

6.30

%

$

4,745,713

75,132

6.37

%

Interest-bearing liabilities

Demand savings and money market deposits

$

2,555,916

16,484

2.57

%

$

2,530,899

15,946

2.53

%

Time deposits

753,286

7,195

3.80

%

744,866

6,716

3.63

%

Total interest-bearing deposits

3,309,202

23,679

2.85

%

3,275,765

22,662

2.78

%

FHLB advances

252,751

3,089

4.86

%

302,972

3,789

5.03

%

Other borrowings

142,439

2,166

6.05

%

147,206

2,205

6.03

%

Total interest-bearing liabilities

$

3,704,392

28,934

3.11

%

$

3,725,943

28,656

3.09

%

Net interest income

$

46,031

$

46,476

Interest rate spread

3.19

%

3.28

%

Net interest margin (2)

3.87

%

3.94

%

(1) Average loan balances include nonaccrual loans.

(2) Net interest margin is calculated by dividing annualized net interest income by average interest-earning assets for the period.

(3) Tax exempt income is not included in the above table on a tax-equivalent basis.

(4) Actual unrounded values are used to calculate the reported yield or rate disclosed. Accordingly, recalculations using the amounts in thousands as disclosed in this report may not produce the same amounts.

Equity Bancshares, Inc.

TABLE 8. NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES (Unaudited)

(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)

As of and for the three months ended

September 30,

June 30,

March 31,

December 31,

September 30,

2024

2024

2024

2023

2023

Total stockholders' equity

$

504,038

$

461,435

$

456,776

$

452,860

$

418,130

Less: goodwill

53,101

53,101

53,101

53,101

53,101

Less: core deposit intangibles, net

16,029

16,636

17,854

7,222

7,961

Less: mortgage servicing rights, net

-

25

50

75

100

Less: naming rights, net

968

979

989

1,000

1,011

Tangible common equity

$

433,940

$

390,694

$

384,782

$

391,462

$

355,957

Common shares outstanding at period end

15,288,309

15,200,194

15,327,799

15,428,251

15,413,064

Diluted common shares outstanding at period end

15,497,466

15,358,396

15,469,531

15,629,185

15,500,749

Book value per common share

$

32.97

$

30.36

$

29.80

$

29.35

$

27.13

Tangible book value per common share

$

28.38

$

25.70

$

25.10

$

25.37

$

23.09

Tangible book value per diluted common share

$

28.00

$

25.44

$

24.87

$

25.05

$

22.96

Total assets

$

5,355,233

$

5,245,517

$

5,239,036

$

5,034,592

$

4,945,267

Less: goodwill

53,101

53,101

53,101

53,101

53,101

Less: core deposit intangibles, net

16,029

16,636

17,854

7,222

7,961

Less: mortgage servicing rights, net

-

25

50

75

100

Less: naming rights, net

968

979

989

1,000

1,011

Tangible assets

$

5,285,135

$

5,174,776

$

5,167,042

$

4,973,194

$

4,883,094

Total stockholders' equity to total assets

9.41

%

8.80

%

8.72

%

8.99

%

8.46

%

Tangible common equity to tangible assets

8.21

%

7.55

%

7.45

%

7.87

%

7.29

%

Total average stockholders' equity

$

485,468

$

455,322

$

460,244

$

423,207

$

426,260

Less: average intangible assets

70,824

71,423

62,203

61,756

62,635

Average tangible common equity

$

414,644

$

383,899

$

398,041

$

361,451

$

363,625

Net income (loss) allocable to common stockholders

$

19,851

$

11,716

$

14,068

$

(28,299

)

$

12,341

Add: amortization of intangible assets

1,148

1,254

935

775

835

Less: tax effect of intangible assets amortization

241

263

196

163

175

Adjusted net income (loss) allocable to common
stockholders

$

20,758

$

12,707

$

14,807

$

(27,687

)

$

13,001

Return on total average stockholders' equity
(ROAE) annualized

16.27

%

10.35

%

12.29

%

(26.53

)%

11.49

%

Return on average tangible common equity
(ROATCE) annualized

19.92

%

13.31

%

14.96

%

(30.39

)%

14.18

%

Non-interest expense

$

30,328

$

38,871

$

37,152

$

34,998

$

34,244

Less: merger expense

618

2,287

1,556

297

-

Adjusted non-interest expense

$

29,710

$

36,584

$

35,596

$

34,701

$

34,244

Net interest income

$

46,031

$

46,476

$

44,182

$

39,467

$

41,012

Non-interest income

9,317

8,958

11,731

(43,414

)

8,735

Less: net gain on acquisition and branch sales

831

60

1,240

-

-

Less: net gains (losses) from securities transactions

206

(27

)

43

(50,618

)

(1

)

Adjusted non-interest income

$

8,280

$

8,925

$

10,448

$

7,204

$

8,736

Net interest income plus adjusted non-interest income

$

54,311

$

55,401

$

54,630

$

46,671

$

49,748

Non-interest expense to
net interest income plus non-interest income

54.80

%

70.12

%

66.45

%

(886.70

)%

68.84

%

Efficiency ratio

54.70

%

66.03

%

65.16

%

74.35

%

68.83

%

Net income (loss) allocable to common stockholders

$

19,851

$

11,716

$

14,068

$

(28,299

)

$

12,341

Add: income tax provision

3,986

4,582

3,693

(11,357

)

1,932

Add: provision (reversal) of credit losses

1,183

265

1,000

711

1,230

Pre-tax, pre-provision income

$

25,020

$

16,563

$

18,761

$

(38,945

)

$

15,503

Total average assets

$

5,205,017

$

5,196,259

$

5,152,915

$

4,892,712

$

5,046,179

Equity Bancshares, Inc.

Total average stockholders' equity

$

485,468

$

455,322

$

460,244

$

423,207

$

426,620

Return on average assets (ROAA) annualized

1.52

%

0.91

%

1.10

%

(2.29

)%

0.97

%

Adjusted return on average assets

1.91

%

1.28

%

1.46

%

(3.16

)%

1.22

%

Adjusted return on average equity

20.50

%

14.63

%

16.39

%

(36.51

)%

14.43

%

Net income (loss) allocable to common stockholders

$

19,851

$

11,716

$

14,068

$

(28,299

)

$

12,341

Add: Day 1 -Provision

-

-

1,000

-

-

Less: Gain (loss) from securities transactions

206

(27

)

43

(50,618

)

(1

)

Add: Merger expense

618

2,287

1,556

297

-

Adjusted non-core items

412

2,314

2,513

50,915

1

Tax effected non-core items

325

1,828

1,985

40,223

1

BOLI tax adjustment

-

1,730

-

-

-

Adjusted operating net income

$

20,176

$

15,274

$

16,053

$

11,924

$

12,342

GAAP earnings (loss) per diluted share

$

1.28

$

0.76

$

0.90

$

(1.84

)

$

0.80

Adjusted earnings (loss) per diluted share

$

1.31

$

0.99

$

1.03

$

0.77

$

0.80

Total average assets

$

5,205,017

$

5,196,258

$

5,152,915

$

4,892,712

$

5,046,179

Adjusted Operating ROAA

1.54

%

1.18

%

1.25

%

0.97

%

0.97

%

Weighted average diluted common shares

15,451,545

15,377,980

15,569,225

15,417,200

15,507,172