NEW YORK, April 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Amalgamated Financial Corp. (the "Company" or "Amalgamated") (NASDAQ:AMAL), the holding company for Amalgamated Bank (the "Bank"), today announced financial results for the first quarter ended March 31, 2024. First Quarter 2024 Highlights (on a linked quarter basis) Net income of $27.2 million, or $0.89 per diluted share, compared to $22.7 million, or $0.74 per diluted share. Core net income1 of $25.6 million, or $0.83 per diluted share, compared to $22.1 million, or $0.72 per diluted share. Deposits and Liquidity Total deposits increased $293.8 million, or 4.2%, to $7.3 billion including an $80.0 million decline in Brokered CDs. Excluding Brokered CDs, on-balance sheet deposits increased $373.8 million, or 5.5%, to $7.1 billion. Political deposits increased $250.4 million, or 21%, to $1.4 billion. Off-balance sheet deposits totaled $456.8 million, comprised primarily of transactional political deposits and transitional deposits scheduled for our Trust business. Average cost of deposits, excluding Brokered CDs, increased 11 basis points to 136 basis points for the quarter, where non-interest-bearing deposits comprised 44.5% of total deposits, nearly identical to the prior quarter. Assets and Margin Net loans receivable increased $13.8 million, or 0.3%, to $4.4 billion. Total PACE assessments grew $10.1 million, or 0.9%, to $1.1 billion. Net interest income grew $0.7 million, or 1.1%, to $68.0 million. Net interest margin expanded 5 basis points to 3.49%. Capital and Returns Leverage ratio of 8.29%, increasing 22 basis points, and Common Equity Tier 1 ratio of 13.68%. Tangible common equity1 ratio of 7.41%, representing the sixth consecutive quarter of improvement. Tangible book value per share1 increased $0.99, or 5.3%, to $19.73. Strong core return on average tangible common equity1 of 17.59%. Share Repurchase Repurchased approximately 10,000 shares, or $0.2 million of common stock under the Company's $40 million share repurchase program announced in the first quarter of 2022, with $19.5 million of remaining capacity. Priscilla Sims Brown, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "Our first quarter results show Amalgamated as a banking industry leader and we proved once again that our unique and valuable business model is well positioned to thrive in varying economic conditions. This clearly separates Amalgamated from our peers and affirms my incredible optimism for the future." _________________________1 Reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures to the most comparable GAAP measure are set forth on the last page of the financial information accompanying this press release and may also be found on our website, www.amalgamatedbank.com. First Quarter Earnings Net income for the first quarter of 2024 was $27.2 million, or $0.89 per diluted share, compared to $22.7 million, or $0.74 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2023. The $4.5 million increase during the quarter was primarily driven by a $2.2 million decrease in provision for credit losses, a $1.2 million decrease in income tax expense, a $0.8 million increase in non-interest income, and a $0.7 million increase in net interest income. Core net income1 for the first quarter of 2024 was $25.6 million, or $0.83 per diluted share, compared to $22.1 million, or $0.72 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2023. Excluded from core net income for the quarter, pre-tax, was $2.9 million of ICS One-Way Sell fee income, $2.8 million of losses on the sale of securities, $1.8 million of tax credits from solar tax equity investments, $0.5 million in gains on the settlement of a lease termination, and $0.2 million in severance costs. Excluded from core net income for the fourth quarter of 2023, pre-tax, was $2.3 million of losses on the sale of securities and $3.3 million of tax credits from our solar tax equity investments. Net interest income was $68.0 million for the first quarter of 2024, compared to $67.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2023. Loan interest income increased $0.4 million driven by a $19.5 million increase in average loan balances coupled with an 8 basis point increase in loan yields. Interest income on securities decreased $0.7 million driven by a decrease in the average balance of securities of $5.4 million. Interest income on resell agreements increased $1.1 million driven by a $62.2 million increase in the average balance and a 32 basis point increase in yields. The increase in interest income was offset by higher interest expense on total interest-bearing deposits of $0.6 million driven by an 18 basis point increase in cost offset by a decrease in the average balance of total interest-bearing deposits of $152.4 million. The changes in deposit costs were primarily related to increased rates on select non-time deposit products and a 29 basis point increase in the cost of time deposits. The decrease in the average balance of interest-bearing deposits was primarily driven by a decrease in the average balance of higher cost brokered deposits of $119.1 million. Net interest margin was 3.49% for the first quarter of 2024, an increase of 5 basis points from 3.44% in the fourth quarter of 2023. The increase is largely due to increased yields on increased loan related average balances. In addition, $81.2 million in short-term resell agreements were deployed to utilize excess deposit liquidity. Prepayment penalties had no impact on our net interest margin in the first quarter of 2024, which is the same as in the prior quarter. Provision for credit losses totaled an expense of $1.6 million for the first quarter of 2024 compared to an expense of $3.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2023. The expense in the first quarter is primarily driven by increases in specific loan reserves, charge-offs on the solar loan portfolio, and an increase in reserve for multifamily loans to reflect the current market repricing conditions, offset by improvements in macro-economic forecasts used in the CECL model. Non-interest income was $10.2 million for the first quarter of 2024, compared to $9.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2023. Core non-interest income1 was $8.3 million for the first quarter of 2024, compared to $8.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2023. The decrease was primarily related to lower BOLI income and commercial banking fees, offset by an increase from fees from our treasury investment services. Non-interest expense for the first quarter of 2024 was $38.2 million, an increase of $0.4 million from the fourth quarter of 2023. Core non-interest expense1 for the first quarter of 2024 was $38.5 million, an increase of $0.8 million from the fourth quarter of 2023. This was mainly driven by a $1.1 million increase in compensation and employee benefits expense due to select differential investments in employees as well as increased payroll taxes. Our provision for income tax expense was $11.3 million for the first quarter of 2024, compared to $12.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2023. In the prior quarter a state and city tax examination resulted in a $3.3 million adjustment, while the conclusion of the analysis in the first quarter of 2024 resulted in an adjustment of $0.9 million. Excluding the tax adjustment, our effective tax rate for the first quarter of 2024 was 26.9%, compared to 26.2% for the fourth quarter of 2023. Balance Sheet Quarterly Summary Total assets were $8.1 billion at March 31, 2024, compared to $8.0 billion at December 31, 2023, in line with our strategy to keep our balance sheet growth flat. Notable changes within individual balance sheet line items include an $81.2 million increase in resell agreements, a $64.6 million increase in cash and cash equivalents, a $22.1 million increase in securities, and a $13.8 million increase in net loans receivable. Additionally, deposits excluding Brokered CDs increased by $373.8 million while Brokered CDs decreased $80.0 million, and other borrowings decreased by $165.3 million. Our off-balance sheet deposits increased $153.7 million, or 51%, to $456.8 million. Total net loans receivable, at March 31, 2024 were $4.4 billion, an increase of $13.8 million, or 0.3% for the quarter. The increase in loans is primarily driven by a $27.3 million increase in multifamily loans, and a $3.1 million increase in commercial and industrial loans, offset by a $9.8 million decrease in consumer solar loans, and a $6.3 million decrease in residential loans. During the quarter, criticized or classified loans decreased $9.0 million largely related to the payoff of $7.0 million of commercial and industrial loans and an upgrade of $3.0 million of commercial and industrial loans. Total deposits at March 31, 2024 were $7.3 billion, an increase of $293.8 million, or 4.2%, during the quarter. Total deposits excluding Brokered CDs increased by $373.8 million to $7.1 billion, or a 5.5% increase. Deposits held by politically active customers, such as campaigns, PACs, advocacy-based organizations, and state and national party committees were $1.4 billion as of March 31, 2024, an increase of $250.4 million during this quarter, of which a substantial portion were moved off-balance sheet. Non-interest-bearing deposits represented 44% of average total deposits and 44% of ending total deposits for the quarter, contributing to an average cost of total deposits of 146 basis points. Super-core deposits2 totaled approximately $4.0 billion, had a weighted average life of 17 years, and comprised 55% of total deposits, excluding Brokered CDs. Total uninsured deposits were $4.1 billion, comprising 56% of total deposits. Excluding uninsured super-core deposits of approximately $2.9 billion, remaining uninsured deposits were approximately 16%-19% of total deposits with immediate liquidity coverage of 323%. Nonperforming assets totaled $34.0 million, or 0.42% of period-end total assets at March 31, 2024, a decrease of $0.2 million, compared with $34.2 million, or 0.43% on a linked quarter basis. The decrease in nonperforming assets was primarily driven by a $2.5 million decrease in residential real estate nonaccrual loans, offset by a $1.2 million increase in commercial and industrial nonaccrual loans, and a $1.2 million increase in consumer solar nonaccrual loans. During the quarter, the allowance for credit losses on loans decreased $1.3 million to $64.4 million. The ratio of allowance to total loans was 1.46%, a decrease of 3 basis points from 1.49% in the fourth quarter of 2023. Capital Quarterly Summary As of March 31, 2024, our Common Equity Tier 1 Capital ratio was 13.68%, Total Risk-Based Capital ratio was 16.35%, and Tier-1 Leverage Capital ratio was 8.29%, compared to 12.98%, 15.64% and 8.07%, respectively, as of December 31, 2023. Stockholders' equity at March 31, 2024 was $616.9 million, an increase of $31.5 million during the quarter. The increase in stockholders' equity was primarily driven by $27.2 million of net income for the quarter and a $7.1 million improvement in accumulated other comprehensive loss due to the tax effected mark-to-market on our available for sale securities portfolio, offset by $3.1 million in dividends paid at $0.10 per outstanding share, and $0.2 million of common stock repurchases. Tangible book value per share was $19.73 as of March 31, 2024 compared to $18.74 as of December 31, 2023. Tangible common equity improved to 7.41% of tangible assets, compared to 7.16% as of December 31, 2023. _________________________ 2 Refer to Terminology on page 5 for definitions of certain terms used in this release. Conference Call As previously announced, Amalgamated Financial Corp. will host a conference call to discuss its first quarter 2024 results today, April 25, 2024 at 11:00am (Eastern Time). The conference call can be accessed by dialing 1-877-407-9716 (domestic) or 1-201-493-6779 (international) and asking for the Amalgamated Financial Corp. First Quarter 2024 Earnings Call. A telephonic replay will be available approximately two hours after the call and can be accessed by dialing 1-844-512-2921, or for international callers 1-412-317-6671 and providing the access code 13745544. The telephonic replay will be available until May 2, 2024. Interested investors and other parties may also listen to a simultaneous webcast of the conference call by logging onto the investor relations section of our website at https://ir.amalgamatedbank.com/. The online replay will remain available for a limited time beginning immediately following the call. The presentation materials for the call can be accessed on the investor relations section of our website at https://ir.amalgamatedbank.com/. About Amalgamated Financial Corp. Amalgamated Financial Corp. is a Delaware public benefit corporation and a bank holding company engaged in commercial banking and financial services through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Amalgamated Bank. Amalgamated Bank is a New York-based full-service commercial bank and a chartered trust company with a combined network of five branches across New York City, Washington D.C., and San Francisco, and a commercial office in Boston. Amalgamated Bank was formed in 1923 as Amalgamated Bank of New York by the Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America, one of the country's oldest labor unions. Amalgamated Bank provides commercial banking and trust services nationally and offers a full range of products and services to both commercial and retail customers. Amalgamated Bank is a proud member of the Global Alliance for Banking on Values and is a certified B Corporation®. As of March 31, 2024, our total assets were $8.1 billion, total net loans were $4.4 billion, and total deposits were $7.3 billion. Additionally, as of March 31, 2024, our trust business held $35.0 billion in assets under custody and $13.9 billion in assets under management. Non-GAAP Financial Measures This release (and the accompanying financial information and tables) refer to certain non-GAAP financial measures including, without limitation, "Core operating revenue," "Core non-interest expense," "Core non-interest income," "Core net income," "Tangible common equity," "Average tangible common equity," "Core return on average assets," "Core return on average tangible common equity," and "Core efficiency ratio." Our management utilizes this information to compare our operating performance for March 31, 2024 versus certain periods in 2024 and 2023 and to prepare internal projections. We believe these non-GAAP financial measures facilitate making period-to-period comparisons and are meaningful indications of our operating performance. In addition, because intangible assets such as goodwill and other discrete items unrelated to our core business, which are excluded, vary extensively from company to company, we believe that the presentation of this information allows investors to more easily compare our results to those of other companies. The presentation of non-GAAP financial information, however, is not intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for GAAP financial measures. We strongly encourage readers to review the GAAP financial measures included in this release and not to place undue reliance upon any single financial measure. In addition, because non-GAAP financial measures are not standardized, it may not be possible to compare the non-GAAP financial measures presented in this release with other companies' non-GAAP financial measures having the same or similar names. Reconciliations of non-GAAP financial disclosures to comparable GAAP measures found in this release are set forth in the final pages of this release and also may be viewed on our website, amalgamatedbank.com. Terminology Certain terms used in this release are defined as follows: "Core efficiency ratio" is defined as "Core non-interest expense" divided by "Core operating revenue." We believe the most directly comparable performance ratio derived from GAAP financial measures is an efficiency ratio calculated by dividing total non-interest expense by the sum of net interest income and total non-interest income. "Core net income" is defined as net income after tax excluding gains and losses on sales of securities, ICS One-Way Sell fee income, gains on the sale of owned property, costs related to branch closures, restructuring/severance costs, acquisition costs, tax credits and accelerated depreciation on solar equity investments, and taxes on notable pre-tax items. We believe the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is net income. "Core non-interest expense" is defined as total non-interest expense excluding costs related to branch closures, restructuring/severance, and acquisitions. We believe the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is total non-interest expense. "Core non-interest income" is defined as total non-interest income excluding gains and losses on sales of securities, ICS One-Way Sell fee income, gains on the sale of owned property, and tax credits and accelerated depreciation on solar equity investments. We believe the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is non-interest income. "Core operating revenue" is defined as total net interest income plus "core non-interest income". We believe the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is the total of net interest income and non-interest income. "Core return on average assets" is defined as "Core net income" divided by average total assets. We believe the most directly comparable performance ratio derived from GAAP financial measures is return on average assets calculated by dividing net income by average total assets. "Core return on average tangible common equity" is defined as "Core net income" divided by average "tangible common equity." We believe the most directly comparable performance ratio derived from GAAP financial measures is return on average equity calculated by dividing net income by average total stockholders' equity. "Super-core deposits" are defined as total deposits from commercial and consumer customers, with a relationship length of greater than 5 years. We believe the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is total deposits. "Tangible assets" are defined as total assets excluding, as applicable, goodwill and core deposit intangibles. We believe the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is total assets. "Tangible common equity", and "Tangible book value" are defined as stockholders' equity excluding, as applicable, minority interests, preferred stock, goodwill and core deposit intangibles. We believe that the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is total stockholders' equity. "Traditional securities portfolio" is defined as total investment securities excluding PACE assessments. We believe the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is total investment securities. Forward-Looking Statements Statements included in this release that are not historical in nature are intended to be, and are hereby identified as, forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements generally can be identified through the use of forward-looking terminology such as "may," "will," "anticipate," "aspire," "should," "would," "believe," "contemplate," "expect," "estimate," "continue," "in the future," "may" and "intend," as well as other similar words and expressions of the future. Forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, any or all of which could cause actual results to differ materially from the results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: (i) uncertain conditions in the banking industry and in national, regional and local economies in our core markets, which may have an adverse impact on our business, operations and financial performance; (ii) deterioration in the financial condition of borrowers resulting in significant increases in loan losses and provisions for those losses; (iii) deposit outflows and subsequent declines in liquidity caused by factors that could include lack of confidence in the banking system, a deterioration in market conditions or the financial condition of depositors; (iv) changes in our deposits, including an increase in uninsured deposits; (v) unfavorable conditions in the capital markets, which may cause declines in our stock price and the value of our investments; (vi) continued fluctuation of the interest rate environment, including changes in net interest margin or changes that affect the yield curve on investments; (vii) potential deterioration in real estate collateral values; (viii) changes in legislation, regulation, public policies, or administrative practices impacting the banking industry, including increased regulation in the aftermath of recent bank failures; (ix) the outcome of legal or regulatory proceedings that may be instituted against us; (x) our inability to maintain the historical growth rate of the loan portfolio; (xi) changes in loan underwriting, credit review or loss reserve policies associated with economic conditions, examination conclusions, or regulatory developments; (xii) the impact of competition with other financial institutions, including pricing pressures and the resulting impact on our results, including as a result of compression to net interest margin; (xiii) any matter that would cause us to conclude that there was impairment of any asset, including intangible assets; (xiv) the risk that the preliminary financial information reported herein and our current preliminary analysis will be different when our review is finalized; (xv) increased competition for experienced members of the workforce including executives in the banking industry; (xvi) a failure in or breach of our operational or security systems or infrastructure, or those of third party vendors or other service providers, including as a result of unauthorized access, computer viruses, phishing schemes, spam attacks, human error, natural disasters, power loss and other security breaches; (xvii) increased regulatory scrutiny and exposure from the use of "big data" techniques, machine learning, and artificial intelligence; (xviii) a downgrade in our credit rating; (xix) increased political opposition to Environmental, Social and Governance ("ESG") practices and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion ("DEI") practices; (xx) physical and transitional risks related to climate change as they impact our business and the businesses that we finance; and (xxi) future repurchase of our shares through our common stock repurchase program. Additional factors which could affect the forward-looking statements can be found in our Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K filed with the SEC and available on the SEC's website at https://www.sec.gov/. We disclaim any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements contained in this release, which speak only as of the date hereof, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except as required by law. Investor Contact:Jamie LillisSolebury Strategic Consolidated Statements of Income (unaudited)   Three Months Ended   March 31,   December 31,   March 31, ($ in thousands)   2024       2023       2023   INTEREST AND DIVIDEND INCOME           Loans $         51,952     $         51,551     $         44,806   Securities           42,390               42,014               39,512   Interest-bearing deposits in banks           2,592               2,419               618   Total interest and dividend income           96,934               95,984               84,936   INTEREST EXPENSE           Deposits           25,891               25,315               13,835   Borrowed funds           3,006               3,350               3,821   Total interest expense           28,897               28,665               17,656   NET INTEREST INCOME           68,037               67,319               67,280   Provision for credit losses           1,588               3,756               4,958   Net interest income after provision for credit losses           66,449               63,563               62,322   NON-INTEREST INCOME           Trust Department fees           3,854               3,562               3,929   Service charges on deposit accounts           6,136               3,102               2,455   Bank-owned life insurance income           609               828               781   Losses on sale of securities           (2,774 )             (2,340 )             (3,086 ) Gains on sale of loans, net           47               2               3   Equity method investments income           2,072               3,671               153   Other income           285               581               973   Total non-interest income           10,229               9,406               5,208   NON-INTEREST EXPENSE           Compensation and employee benefits           22,273               21,249               22,014   Occupancy and depreciation           2,904               3,421               3,399   Professional fees           2,376               2,426               2,230   Data processing           4,629               4,568               4,549   Office maintenance and depreciation           663               700               728   Amortization of intangible assets           183               222               222   Advertising and promotion           1,219               750               1,587   Federal deposit insurance premiums           1,050               1,000               718   Other expense           2,855               3,416               3,180   Total non-interest expense           38,152               37,752               38,627   Income before income taxes           38,526               35,217               28,903   Income tax expense           11,277               12,522               7,565   Net income $         27,249     $         22,695     $         21,338   Earnings per common share - basic $         0.89     $         0.75     $         0.69   Earnings per common share - diluted $         0.89     $         0.74     $         0.69   Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition ($ in thousands) March 31, 2024   December 31, 2023   March 31, 2023 Assets (unaudited)       (unaudited) Cash and due from banks $         3,830     $         2,856     $         5,192   Interest-bearing deposits in banks           151,374               87,714               125,705   Total cash and cash equivalents           155,204               90,570               130,897   Securities:           Available for sale, at fair value           Traditional securities           1,445,793               1,429,739               1,639,105   Property Assessed Clean Energy ("PACE") assessments           82,258               53,303               —               1,528,051               1,483,042               1,639,105   Held-to-maturity, at amortized cost:           Traditional securities, net of allowance for credit losses of $53, $54, and $58, respectively           616,172               620,232               622,741   PACE assessments, net of allowance for credit losses of $657, $667, and $629, respectively           1,057,790               1,076,602               995,766               1,673,962               1,696,834               1,618,507               Loans held for sale           2,137               1,817               5,653   Loans receivable, net of deferred loan origination costs           4,423,780               4,411,319               4,198,170   Allowance for credit losses           (64,400 )             (65,691 )             (67,323 ) Loans receivable, net           4,359,380               4,345,628               4,130,847               Resell agreements           131,242               50,000               15,431   Federal Home Loan Bank of New York ("FHLBNY") stock, at cost           4,603               4,389               3,507   Accrued interest receivable           53,436               55,484               40,844   Premises and equipment, net           7,128               7,807               9,250   Bank-owned life insurance           106,137               105,528               105,405   Right-of-use lease asset           19,797               21,074               26,516   Deferred tax asset, net           49,171               56,603               62,504   Goodwill           12,936               12,936               12,936   Intangible assets, net           2,034               2,217               2,883   Equity method investments           14,801               13,024               8,170   Other assets           16,663               25,371               24,001   Total assets $         8,136,682     $         7,972,324     $         7,836,456   Liabilities           Deposits $         7,305,765     $         7,011,988     $         7,041,361   Subordinated debt, net           70,570               70,546               73,737   Other borrowings           69,135               234,381               140,000   Operating leases           27,250               30,646               38,333   Other liabilities           47,024               39,399               23,867   Total liabilities           7,519,744               7,386,960               7,317,298   Stockholders' equity           Common stock, par value $.01 per share           307               307               307   Additional paid-in capital           287,198               288,232               287,514   Retained earnings           412,190               388,033               330,673   Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of income taxes           (78,872 )             (86,004 )             (97,317 ) Treasury stock, at cost           (4,018 )             (5,337 )             (2,152 ) Total Amalgamated Financial Corp. stockholders' equity           616,805               585,231               519,025   Noncontrolling interests           133               133               133   Total stockholders' equity           616,938               585,364               519,158   Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $         8,136,682     $         7,972,324     $         7,836,456   Select Financial Data   As of and for the   Three Months Ended   March 31,   December 31,   March 31, (Shares in thousands)   2024       2023       2023   Selected Financial Ratios and Other Data:           Earnings per share           Basic $         0.89     $         0.75     $         0.69   Diluted           0.89               0.74