City Holding Company (“Company” or “City”) (NASDAQ:CHCO), a $5.9 billion bank holding company headquartered in Charleston, West Virginia, today announced record net income of $102.1 million and record diluted earnings of $6.80 per share for the year ended December 31, 2022. For the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company achieved a return on assets of 1.71% and a return on tangible equity of 20.3%.

Net Interest Income

The Company’s net interest income increased from $155.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 to $180.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. The Company’s tax equivalent net interest income increased $24.4 million, or 15.6%, from $156.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 to $181.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. Net interest income increased by $12.0 million, $7.3 million and $3.4 million, respectively, due to increases in the yields on loans (net of loan fees and accretion), investments, and deposits in depository institutions, of 35 basis points, 47 basis points and 94 basis points, respectively, all due primarily to increases in the Federal Funds rate during 2022. In addition, higher average investment and loan balances ($189.2 million and $37.5 million, respectively) increased net interest income by $3.9 million and $1.8 million, respectively. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in loan fees associated with PPP loans of $3.5 million from 2021 and a decrease in accretion from fair value adjustments of $1.0 million. The Company’s reported net interest margin increased from 2.89% for the year ended December 31, 2021 to 3.33% for the year ended December 31, 2022.

The Company’s net interest income increased from $48.8 million during the third quarter of 2022 to $52.0 million during the fourth quarter of 2022. During the fourth quarter of 2022, the Company’s tax equivalent net interest income increased $3.3 million, or 6.7%, to $52.4 million from $49.1 million during the third quarter of 2022. Net interest income increased by $4.3 million and $1.9 million, respectively, due to an increase in loan (net of loan fees and accretion) and investment yields of 46 basis points and 50 basis points, respectively, due to recent increases in the Federal Funds rate. In addition, the yield on deposits in depository institutions also increased by 94 basis points which increased net interest income by $0.4 million. These increases were partially offset by an increase in the cost of interest bearing liabilities (27 basis points) which decreased net interest income by $2.5 million and lower average deposits in depository institution balances ($126.7 million) which decreased net interest income by $0.7 million. The Company’s reported net interest margin increased from 3.57% for the third quarter of 2022 to 3.89% for the fourth quarter of 2022.

Credit Quality

The Company’s ratio of nonperforming assets to total loans and other real estate owned decreased from 0.21%, or $7.6 million, at December 31, 2021 to 0.17%, or $6.3 million at December 31, 2022. Total past due loans increased from $6.8 million, or 0.19% of total loans outstanding, at December 31, 2021 to $9.2 million, or 0.25% of total loans outstanding, at December 31, 2022.

As a result of the Company’s quarterly analysis of the adequacy of the Allowance for Credit Losses, the Company recorded a provision for credit losses of $0.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2022 and $0.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to no provision for credit losses for the fourth quarter of 2021 and a recovery of credit losses of $3.2 million for year ended December 31, 2021. The provision for the year ended December 31, 2022, was a result of net charge-offs for the year that were partially offset by the repayment of a loan from a previous acquisition and release of the associated credit mark.

Non-interest Income

Non-interest income was $72.1 million for 2022 as compared to $69.6 million for 2021. The Company reported $1.6 million of unrealized fair value losses on the Company’s equity securities during 2022 compared to $0.3 million of realized security gains on the sale of investments and $0.5 million of unrealized fair value gains on the Company’s equity securities during 2021. Exclusive of these realized and unrealized gains and losses, non-interest income increased from $68.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2021 to $73.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2022. This increase was largely attributable to an increase of $2.8 million, or 10.9%, in service charges and a $1.7 million, or 42.7%, increase in bank owned life insurance due to higher death benefit proceeds received in 2022 compared to 2021. In addition, trust and investment management fee income and bankcard revenues each increased $0.4 million from the year ended December 31, 2021. These increases were partially offset by a decrease of $0.4 million in other income.

Non-interest income was $18.5 million during the quarter ended December 31, 2022 as compared to $17.6 million during the quarter ended December 31, 2021. During the fourth quarter of 2022, the Company reported $0.3 million of unrealized fair value losses on the Company’s equity securities compared to $0.1 million of unrealized fair value gains on the Company’s equity securities during the fourth quarter of 2021. Exclusive of these unrealized fair value gains and losses, non-interest income increased from $17.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2021 to $18.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2022. This increase was largely attributable to higher bank owned life insurance due to higher death benefit proceeds received ($1.1 million).

Non-interest Expenses

Non-interest expenses increased from $117.2 million for 2021 to $124.3 million for 2022. This increase was primarily due to an increase in salaries and employee benefit expenses ($4.7 million, due to higher salary adjustments during 2022, increased incentive compensation, and increased health insurance) and equipment and software related expenses ($1.3 million). In addition, occupancy related expenses increased $0.6 million, advertising increased $0.3 million, and merger related expenses increased $0.3 million.

Non-interest expenses increased $4.0 million (13.8%), from $28.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2021 to $32.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2022. This increase was largely due to an increase in salaries and employee benefits of $1.9 million due to increased incentive compensation, increased health insurance, and higher salary adjustments during 2022. In addition, other expenses increased $0.6 million; equipment and software related expenses increased $0.6 million; occupancy related expenses increased $0.3 million; and merger related expenses increased $0.3 million.

Balance Sheet Trends

Loans increased $102.4 million (2.9%) from December 31, 2021 to $3.64 billion at December 31, 2022. PPP loans of $6.6 million at December 31, 2021 were fully repaid during 2022. Excluding outstanding PPP loans (included in the commercial and industrial loan category), total loans increased $109.0 million, (3.1%), from December 31, 2021 to $3.64 billion at December 31, 2022. Residential real estate loans increased $144.6 million (9.3%); commercial and industrial loans increased $34.3 million (10.1%) (excluding PPP loans); home equity loans increased $12.0 million (9.8%); and consumer loans increased $7.9 million (19.3%). These increases were partially offset by decreases in commercial real estate loans ($86.6 million, or 5.9%).

Total average depository balances for the year ended December 31, 2022 increased $141.0 million, or 2.9%, as compared to the year ended December 31, 2021. Average savings deposits increased $123.5 million, average noninterest bearing demand deposits increased $113.6 million, and average interest bearing demand deposits increased $78.4 million. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in average time deposits of $174.5 million.

Income Tax Expense

The Company’s effective income tax rate for the quarter and year ended December 31, 2022 was 18.2% and 19.8%, respectively, compared to 21.1% and 20.8% for the comparable periods in 2021.

Capitalization and Liquidity

The Company’s loan to deposit ratio was 74.9% and the loan to asset ratio was 62.0% at December 31, 2022. The Company maintained investment securities totaling 26.0% of assets as of the same date. The Company’s deposit mix is weighted toward checking and saving accounts that fund 67.7% of assets at December 31, 2022. Time deposits fund 15.1% of assets at December 31, 2022, but very few of these deposits are in accounts that have balances of more than $250,000.

The Company continues to be strongly capitalized with tangible equity of $462 million at December 31, 2022. Due primarily to unrealized security losses during the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company’s tangible equity ratio decreased from 9.6% at December 31, 2021 to 8.0% at December 30, 2022. However, unrealized security losses are not incorporated into measures of regulatory capital. At December 31, 2022, City National Bank’s Leverage Ratio was 8.55%, its Common Equity Tier I ratio was 13.88%, its Tier I Capital ratio was 13.88%, and its Total Risk-Based Capital ratio was 14.28%. These regulatory capital ratios are significantly above levels required to be considered “well capitalized,” which is the highest possible regulatory designation.

On November 15, 2022, the Board approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.65 cents per share payable January 31, 2023, to shareholders of record as of January 13, 2022. During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company repurchased 325,000 common shares at a weighted average price of $81.50 per share as part of a one million share repurchase plan authorized by the Board of Directors in May 2022. As of December 31, 2022, the Company could repurchase approximately 817,000 shares under the current plan.

City Holding Company is the parent company of City National Bank of West Virginia. City National Bank operates 94 branches across West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, and Ohio.

Forward-Looking Information

This news release contains certain forward-looking statements that are included pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements express only management’s beliefs regarding future results or events and are subject to inherent uncertainty, risks, and changes in circumstances, many of which are outside of management’s control. Uncertainty, risks, changes in circumstances and other factors could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to those set forth in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2021 under “ITEM 1A Risk Factors” and the following: (1) general economic conditions, especially in the communities and markets in which we conduct our business; (2) the uncertainties on the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition, caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, which will depend on several factors, including the scope and duration of the pandemic, its continued influence on financial markets, the effectiveness of the Company’s work from home arrangements and staffing levels in operational facilities, the impact of market participants on which the Company relies and actions taken by governmental authorities and other third parties in response to the pandemic; (3) credit risk, including risk that negative credit quality trends may lead to a deterioration of asset quality, risk that our allowance for credit losses may not be sufficient to absorb actual losses in our loan portfolio, and risk from concentrations in our loan portfolio; (4) changes in the real estate market, including the value of collateral securing portions of our loan portfolio; (5) changes in the interest rate environment; (6) operational risk, including cybersecurity risk and risk of fraud, data processing system failures, and network breaches; (7) changes in technology and increased competition, including competition from non-bank financial institutions; (8) changes in consumer preferences, spending and borrowing habits, demand for our products and services, and customers’ performance and creditworthiness; (9) difficulty growing loan and deposit balances; (10) our ability to effectively execute our business plan, including with respect to future acquisitions; (11) changes in regulations, laws, taxes, government policies, monetary policies and accounting policies affecting bank holding companies and their subsidiaries; (12) deterioration in the financial condition of the U.S. banking system may impact the valuations of investments the Company has made in the securities of other financial institutions; (13) regulatory enforcement actions and adverse legal actions; (14) difficulty attracting and retaining key employees; (15) other economic, competitive, technological, operational, governmental, regulatory, and market factors affecting our operations. Forward-looking statements made herein reflect management's expectations as of the date such statements are made. Such information is provided to assist stockholders and potential investors in understanding current and anticipated financial operations of the Company and is included pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date such statements are made. Further, the Company is required to evaluate subsequent events through the filing of its December 31, 2022 Form 10-K. The Company will continue to evaluate the impact of any subsequent events on the preliminary December 31, 2022 results and will adjust the amounts if necessary.