Western Alliance Bancorporation (NYSE:WAL):

FIRST QUARTER 2022 FINANCIAL RESULTS

¹ See reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures.

Income Statement

Net interest income was $449.5 million in the first quarter 2022, a decrease of $1.1 million from $450.6 million in the fourth quarter 2021, and an increase of $132.2 million, or 41.7%, compared to the first quarter 2021. The decrease in net interest income from the fourth quarter 2021 is due to two fewer days in the quarter, a lower HFS loan balance and interest expense on debt issued in December 2021, partially offset by higher yields on investment securities and HFI loan growth. HFI loan growth and interest income from HFS loans drove the increase in net interest income from the first quarter 2021.

The Company recorded a provision for credit losses totaling $9.0 million in the first quarter 2022, a decrease of $4.2 million from $13.2 million in the fourth quarter 2021, compared to a provision release of $32.4 million in the first quarter 2021. The provision for credit losses during the first quarter 2022 is primarily due to loan growth.

The Company’s net interest margin in the first quarter 2022 was 3.32%, a decrease from 3.33% in the fourth quarter 2021, and a decrease from 3.37% in the first quarter 2021. The decrease in net interest margin from the prior quarter is largely a result of increased rates on borrowings, a greater portion of earnings assets held in cash, and lower yields on certain HFI loan types, partially offset by higher yields on investment securities and HFS loans. The decrease in net interest margin from the first quarter 2021 was driven by lower yields on all HFI loan types, except CRE owner occupied loans, and higher interest expense due to debt issued in 2021 and AmeriHome senior notes, partially offset by higher yields on investment securities.

Non-interest income was $106.3 million for the first quarter 2022, compared to $110.4 million for the fourth quarter 2021, and $19.7 million for the first quarter 2021. The $4.1 million decrease in non-interest income from the fourth quarter 2021 was primarily the result of a decrease in net gain on loan origination and sale activities of $36.3 million from lower production volume, which was offset entirely by an increase in loan servicing revenue of $38.8 million as rising interest rates and falling prepayment speeds benefit MSR valuations and servicing income. Also contributing to the decrease in non-interest income from the fourth quarter 2021 was a larger loss on fair value adjustments on assets measured at fair value of $5.8 million, which was offset by a net gain on sales of investment securities of $6.9 million for the first quarter 2022 (a decrease of $1.4 million from the prior quarter). Changes from the fourth quarter 2021 for all other non-interest income items, including gain on recovery from credit guarantees, income from equity investments, and other, net to an increase of $0.6 million. The increase in non-interest income from the first quarter 2021 is primarily the result of mortgage banking related income.

Net revenue was $555.8 million for the first quarter 2022, a decrease of $5.2 million, or (0.9)%, compared to $561.0 million for the fourth quarter 2021, and an increase of $218.8 million, or 64.9%, compared to $337.0 million for the first quarter 2021.

Non-interest expense was $248.6 million for the first quarter 2022, compared to $237.8 million for the fourth quarter 2021, and $135.0 million for the first quarter 2021. The Company’s efficiency ratio¹ was 44.1% for the first quarter 2022, compared to 41.8% in the fourth quarter 2021, and 39.1% for the first quarter 2021. Non-interest expense increased from the fourth quarter 2021 due to increased compensation costs. The increase in non-interest expense from the first quarter 2021 is attributable to growth from the AmeriHome acquisition, which increased compensation costs and also introduced additional non-interest expense items, such as loan servicing and loan acquisition and origination expenses.

Income tax expense was $58.1 million for the first quarter 2022, compared to $64.0 million for the fourth quarter 2021, and $41.9 million for the first quarter 2021.

Net income was $240.1 million for the first quarter 2022, a decrease of $5.9 million from $246.0 million for the fourth quarter 2021, and an increase of $47.6 million from $192.5 million for the first quarter 2021. Earnings per share was $2.22 for the first quarter 2022, compared to $2.32 for the fourth quarter 2021, and $1.90 for the first quarter 2021. The increase in net income and earnings per share for the first quarter 2022 compared to the same quarter last year was due to HFI loan growth and new mortgage banking activity related to the AmeriHome acquisition.

The Company views its pre-provision net revenue¹ ("PPNR") as a key metric for assessing the Company’s earnings power, which it defines as net revenue less non-interest expense. For the first quarter 2022, the Company’s PPNR¹ was $307.2 million, down $16.0 million from $323.2 million in the fourth quarter 2021, and up $105.2 million from $202.0 million in the first quarter 2021. The decrease in PPNR¹ from the fourth quarter 2021 was driven by increased compensation costs. The increase in PPNR¹ from the first quarter 2021 was driven by HFI loan growth and the AmeriHome acquisition completed on April 7, 2021.

The Company had 3,170 full-time equivalent employees and 60 offices at March 31, 2022, compared to 3,139 employees and 58 offices at December 31, 2021, and 1,947 employees and 49 offices at March 31, 2021. The increase in employees from March 31, 2021 primarily relates to the addition of AmeriHome employees.

¹ See reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures.

Balance Sheet

HFI loans, net of deferred fees totaled $41.1 billion at March 31, 2022, an increase of $2.0 billion from $39.1 billion at December 31, 2021, and $12.4 billion from $28.7 billion at March 31, 2021. The increase in HFI loans from the prior quarter was driven by a $2.0 billion increase in residential real estate as well as loan growth of $323 million in CRE non-owner occupied, and $255 million in construction and land development loans, which were partially offset by decreases in commercial and industrial loans of $436 million and CRE owner occupied loans of $93 million. From March 31, 2021, loan growth was primarily driven by residential real estate, commercial and industrial, and CRE non-owner occupied loans which increased $8.2 billion, $2.8 billion, and $1.2 billion, respectively. Construction and land development loans also increased $510 million, partially offset by a decrease in CRE owner occupied loans of $247 million from March 31, 2021.

The Company's allowance for credit losses on HFI loans consists of an allowance for funded HFI loans and an allowance for unfunded loan commitments. At March 31, 2022, the allowance for loan losses to funded HFI loans was 0.63%, compared to 0.65% at December 31, 2021, and 0.86% at March 31, 2021. The allowance for credit losses, which includes the allowance for unfunded loan commitments, to funded HFI loans was 0.73% at March 31, 2022, compared to 0.74% at December 31, 2021, and 0.97% at March 31, 2021. In 2021, the Company entered into two separate credit linked note transactions, which effectively transfers the risk of loan losses on a reference pool of loans to the purchasers of the notes. However, as these note transactions are considered to be free standing credit enhancements, the allowance for credit losses cannot be reduced by the expected credit losses that may be mitigated by these notes. Accordingly, the allowance for loan and credit losses ratios as of March 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021 include an allowance of $9.5 million and $7.2 million, respectively, related to this pool of loans. The allowance for credit losses to funded HFI loans, adjusted to take into consideration the transfer of risk associated with the credit linked note transactions, was 0.84% at March 31, 2022 and 0.89% at December 31, 2021.

Deposits totaled $52.2 billion at March 31, 2022, an increase of $4.5 billion from $47.6 billion at December 31, 2021, and an increase of $13.8 billion from $38.4 billion at March 31, 2021. By deposit type, the increase from the prior quarter is primarily attributable to an increase of $2.2 billion from non-interest bearing demand deposits, $1.3 billion from interest bearing demand deposits, and $1.3 billion from savings and money market accounts, partially offset by a decrease of $238 million from certificates of deposits. From March 31, 2021, deposits increased across all deposit types, with the largest increases in non-interest bearing demand deposits of $6.0 billion, interest-bearing demand deposits of $4.4 billion, and savings and money market accounts of $3.3 billion. Non-interest bearing deposits were $23.5 billion at March 31, 2022, compared to $21.4 billion at December 31, 2021, and $17.5 billion at March 31, 2021.

The table below shows the Company's deposit types as a percentage of total deposits:

The Company’s ratio of HFI loans to deposits was 78.8% at March 31, 2022, compared to 82.1% at December 31, 2021, and 74.8% at March 31, 2021.

Borrowings were $815 million at March 31, 2022, $1.5 billion at December 31, 2021, and $5 million at March 31, 2021. The decrease in borrowings from December 31, 2021 is due primarily to a decrease in overnight borrowings of $675 million. The increase in borrowings from March 31, 2021 is due primarily to the assumption of borrowings related to the acquisition of AmeriHome and the issuance of $470 million in credit linked notes during 2021.

Qualifying debt totaled $893 million at March 31, 2022, compared to $896 million at December 31, 2021, and $544 million at March 31, 2021. The increase in qualifying debt from March 31, 2021 is primarily related to the issuance of $600 million in subordinated debt in June 2021, partially offset by $250 million in subordinated debt redemptions during 2021.

Stockholders’ equity was $5.0 billion at March 31, 2022, compared to $5.0 billion at December 31, 2021, and $3.7 billion at March 31, 2021. Stockholders' equity remained consistent quarter over quarter as net income and net proceeds from the sale of the Company's common stock under its ATM program were offset by dividends to shareholders and fair value losses of approximately $250 million on the Company's fixed rate available for sale securities, which are recorded in other comprehensive income, net of tax. During the quarter, the Company sold 1.3 million shares of its common stock at an average purchase price of $86.78 per share, with aggregate net proceeds totaling $107.7 million. A cash dividend of $0.35 per share was paid to common shareholders on March 4, 2022, totaling $37.3 million, and a cash dividend of $0.27 per depository share was paid to preferred shareholders on March 30, 2022, totaling $3.2 million. The increase in stockholders' equity from March 31, 2021 is primarily a function of net income, issuance of preferred stock, and sales of common stock under the Company's ATM program, partially offset by dividends to shareholders and losses on available for sale securities.

At March 31, 2022, tangible common equity, net of tax¹, was 6.7% of tangible assets¹ and total capital was 12.0% of risk-weighted assets. The Company’s tangible book value per share¹ was $37.13 at March 31, 2022, up 12.4% from March 31, 2021.

Total assets increased 8.2% to $60.6 billion at March 31, 2022, from $56.0 billion at December 31, 2021, and increased 39.6% from $43.4 billion at March 31, 2021. The increase in total assets from December 31, 2021 was driven by continued organic loan and deposit growth. The increase in total assets from March 31, 2021 was also driven by continued organic loan and deposit growth along with the acquisition of net assets in the AmeriHome acquisition.

¹ See reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures.

Asset Quality

Provision for credit losses totaled $9.0 million for the first quarter 2022, compared $13.2 million for the fourth quarter 2021, and a recovery of credit losses of $32.4 million for the first quarter 2021. Net loan charge-offs in the first quarter 2022 were $0.2 million, or approximately 0.00% of average loans (annualized), compared to $1.4 million, or 0.02%, in the fourth quarter 2021, and $1.4 million, or 0.02%, in the first quarter 2021.

Nonaccrual loans increased $18.4 million to $91.0 million during the quarter and decreased $22.6 million from March 31, 2021. Loans past due 90 days and still accruing interest were zero at March 31, 2022, December 31, 2021, and March 31, 2021. Loans past due 30-89 days and still accruing interest totaled $57.6 million at March 31, 2022, an increase from $52.5 million at December 31, 2021, and an increase from $7.3 million at March 31, 2021.

Repossessed assets totaled $11.7 million at March 31, 2022, flat from December 31, 2021, and an increase of $7.5 million from $4.2 million at March 31, 2021. Classified assets totaled $365.1 million at March 31, 2022, an increase of $64.4 million from $300.7 million at December 31, 2021, and $84.3 million from $280.9 million at March 31, 2021.

The ratio of classified assets to Tier 1 capital plus the allowance for credit losses, a common regulatory measure of asset quality, was 7.4% at March 31, 2022, compared to 6.4% at December 31, 2021, and 7.5% at March 31, 2021.

¹ See reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures.

Segment Highlights

The Company's reportable segments are aggregated with a focus on products and services offered and consist of three reportable segments:

• Commercial segment: provides commercial banking and treasury management products and services to small and middle-market businesses, specialized banking services to sophisticated commercial institutions and investors within niche industries, as well as financial services to the real estate industry.
• Consumer Related segment: offers both commercial banking services to enterprises in consumer-related sectors and consumer banking services, such as residential mortgage banking and beginning on April 7, 2021 includes the financial results of AmeriHome.
• Corporate & Other segment: consists of the Company's investment portfolio, Corporate borrowings and other related items, income and expense items not allocated to our other reportable segments, and inter-segment eliminations.

Key management metrics for evaluating the performance of the Company's Commercial and Consumer Related segments include loan and deposit growth, asset quality, and pre-tax income.

The Commercial segment reported an HFI loan balance of $25.8 billion at March 31, 2022, an increase of $702 million during the quarter, and an increase of $5.1 billion during the last twelve months. Deposits for the Commercial segment totaled $30.1 billion at March 31, 2022, a decrease of $333 million during the quarter, and an increase of $6.0 billion during the last twelve months.

Pre-tax income for the Commercial segment was $236.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, a decrease of $1.5 million from the three months ended December 31, 2021, and an increase of $15.9 million from the three months ended March 31, 2021.

The Consumer Related segment reported an HFI loan balance of $15.3 billion at March 31, 2022, an increase of $1.3 billion during the quarter, and an increase of $7.3 billion during the last twelve months. The Consumer Related segment also has loans held for sale, initially acquired as part of the AmeriHome acquisition, of $4.8 billion at March 31, 2022, a decrease of $874 million during the quarter. Deposits for the Consumer Related segment totaled $18.5 billion, an increase of $3.2 billion during the quarter, and an increase of $5.2 billion during the last twelve months.

Pre-tax income for the Consumer Related segment was $126.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, a decrease of $8.1 million from the three months ended December 31, 2021, and an increase of $55.4 million from the three months ended March 31, 2021.

Conference Call and Webcast

Western Alliance Bancorporation will host a conference call and live webcast to discuss its first quarter 2022 financial results at 12:00 p.m. ET on Friday, April 22, 2022. Participants may access the call by dialing 1-833-236-2753 and using the conference ID 8647856 or via live audio webcast using the website link https://event.on24.com/wcc/r/3722529/285EA0451C6B4F5BCA17F23768468E57. The webcast is also available via the Company’s website at www.westernalliancebancorporation.com. Participants should log in at least 15 minutes early to receive instructions. The call will be recorded and made available for replay after 3:00 p.m. ET April 22nd through 11:00 p.m. ET May 22nd by dialing 1-800-585-8367, conference ID: 8647856.

Reclassifications

Certain amounts in the Consolidated Income Statements for the prior periods have been reclassified to conform to the current presentation. The reclassifications have no effect on net income or stockholders’ equity as previously reported.

Use of Non-GAAP Financial Information

This press release contains both financial measures based on GAAP and non-GAAP based financial measures, which are used where management believes them to be helpful in understanding the Company’s results of operations or financial position. Where non-GAAP financial measures are used, the comparable GAAP financial measure, as well as the reconciliation to the comparable GAAP financial measure, can be found in this press release. These disclosures should not be viewed as a substitute for operating results determined in accordance with GAAP, nor are they necessarily comparable to non-GAAP performance measures that may be presented by other companies.

Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements that relate to expectations, beliefs, projections, future plans and strategies, anticipated events or trends and similar expressions concerning matters that are not historical facts. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding our expectations with regard to our business, financial and operating results, future economic performance and dividends. The forward-looking statements contained herein reflect our current views about future events and financial performance and are subject to risks, uncertainties, assumptions and changes in circumstances that may cause our actual results to differ significantly from historical results and those expressed in any forward-looking statement. Some factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical or expected results include, among others: the risk factors discussed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 and the Company's subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, each as filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission; the potential adverse effects of unusual and infrequently occurring events such as the COVID-19 pandemic and any governmental or societal responses thereto; changes in general economic conditions, either nationally or locally in the areas in which we conduct or will conduct our business; the impact on financial markets from geopolitical conflicts such as the war between Russia and Ukraine; inflation, interest rate, market and monetary fluctuations; increases in competitive pressures among financial institutions and businesses offering similar products and services; higher defaults on our loan portfolio than we expect; changes in management’s estimate of the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses; legislative or regulatory changes or changes in accounting principles, policies or guidelines; supervisory actions by regulatory agencies which may limit our ability to pursue certain growth opportunities, including expansion through acquisitions; additional regulatory requirements resulting from our continued growth; management’s estimates and projections of interest rates and interest rate policy; the execution of our business plan; and other factors affecting the financial services industry generally or the banking industry in particular.

Any forward-looking statement made by us in this release is based only on information currently available to us and speaks only as of the date on which it is made. We do not intend and disclaim any duty or obligation to update or revise any industry information or forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time, set forth in this press release to reflect new information, future events or otherwise.

About Western Alliance Bancorporation

With more than $60 billion in assets, Western Alliance Bancorporation (NYSE: WAL) is one of the country’s top-performing banking companies. The company is #2 best-performing of the 50 largest public U.S. banks in the S&P Global Market Intelligence listing for 2021, ranks high on the Forbes “America’s Best Banks” list year after year and was named #1 Best Emerging Regional Bank per Bank Director’s 2022 RankingBanking study. Its primary subsidiary, Western Alliance Bank, Member FDIC, helps business clients realize their ambitions with teams of experienced bankers who deliver superior service and a full spectrum of customized loan, deposit and treasury management capabilities, including blockchain-based offerings. Business clients also benefit from a powerful array of specialized financial services that provide strong expertise and tailored solutions for a wide variety of industries and sectors. Serving clients across the country wherever business happens, Western Alliance Bank operates individual, full-service banking and financial services brands, including AmeriHome Mortgage, and has offices in key markets nationwide. For more information, visit westernalliancebank.com.