S&T Bancorp Inc (STBA) Q4 2024 Earnings Call Highlights: Strong Loan Growth and Deposit ...

GuruFocus.com
31 Jan
  • Earnings Per Share (EPS): $3.41 for the full year 2024; $0.86 for Q4 2024.
  • Net Income: $33 million for Q4 2024.
  • Return on Tangible Common Equity (ROTCE): 13.25% for Q4 2024.
  • Return on Assets (ROA): 1.37% for Q4 2024.
  • Pre-Provision Net Revenue (PPNR): 1.72% for Q4 2024.
  • Net Interest Margin: 3.77% for Q4 2024, down slightly from Q3.
  • Loan Growth: 2.8% annualized for Q4 2024.
  • Customer Deposit Growth: Over $75 million, more than 4% annualized for Q4 2024.
  • Allowance for Credit Losses: Declined by almost $3 million, from 1.36% to 1.31% of total loans in Q4 2024.
  • Nonperforming Assets (NPAs): Declined by $4 million, at 36 basis points of total loans in Q4 2024.
  • Net Interest Income: Decreased by $1.2 million compared to Q3 2024.
  • Non-Interest Income: Declined by about $8.8 million in Q4 2024.
  • Non-Interest Expense: Expected to increase by approximately 3% in 2025 compared to 2024.
  • Tangible Common Equity (TCE) Ratio: Decreased slightly by 4 basis points in Q4 2024.
  • Warning! GuruFocus has detected 6 Warning Sign with BOOT.

Release Date: January 30, 2025

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

Positive Points

  • S&T Bancorp Inc (NASDAQ:STBA) reported strong earnings of $3.41 per share for the full year 2024, maintaining excellent returns and record levels of capital.
  • The company experienced significant customer deposit growth, with more than $75 million in new deposits, marking the sixth consecutive quarter of meaningful deposit growth.
  • Asset quality improved with a decline in nonperforming assets and a reduction in criticized and classified loans by 31% in 2024.
  • Loan growth was robust, particularly in commercial loans, with Q4 being the strongest loan production quarter in three years.
  • The company has expanded its business and commercial banking teams by 15% in the past year, contributing to a doubling of loan growth pipelines year-over-year.

Negative Points

  • Net interest income showed a slight contraction compared to Q3, and the net interest margin declined slightly to 3.77%.
  • Non-interest income declined by about $8.8 million in the fourth quarter, partly due to a $2.6 million loss from securities repositioning.
  • Higher payoffs in Q4 pressured loan growth, despite strong new loan production.
  • The allowance for credit losses declined, but the company anticipates provisioning in 2025 to support growth, which could impact future earnings.
  • Expenses are expected to increase by approximately 3% in 2025 as the company continues to invest in production capacity and customer experience.

Q & A Highlights

Q: Can you elaborate on the loan growth outlook for 2025, especially in the latter half of the year? A: David Antolik, President, explained that they expect loan growth to follow a trajectory of mid-single-digit growth in the first half of the year, increasing to high mid-single-digit growth by year-end. This optimism is driven by expanded pipelines, increased hiring in business and commercial banking, and improved customer confidence.

Q: What are your expectations for credit quality and net charge-offs in 2025? A: David Antolik noted that while forecasting charges is challenging, they do not foresee any particular loan or industry segment causing concern for outsized charges in 2025. The allowance for credit losses is expected to support growth, with C&C assets having significantly declined over the past two years.

Q: How do you plan to manage the net interest margin (NIM) if there are further rate cuts? A: Mark Kochvar, CFO, stated that they expect the NIM to remain stable around 3.70%, even with potential rate cuts. They have strategies in place to manage deposit repricing and have neutralized the balance sheet to mitigate rate change impacts.

Q: Are there plans to continue recruiting and expanding teams in 2025? A: David Antolik confirmed plans to continue recruiting, potentially adding another 15% to their business and commercial banking teams. This expansion is supported by the company's strong market position and growth strategy.

Q: What is the outlook for net interest income (NII) growth in 2025 compared to 2024? A: Mark Kochvar indicated that NII growth is expected to be modest, with a low single-digit percentage increase year-over-year. They anticipate a pickup starting in Q2, following a relatively flat Q1.

For the complete transcript of the earnings call, please refer to the full earnings call transcript.

This article first appeared on GuruFocus.

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