PINE BLUFF, Ark., Jan. 23, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Simmons First National Corporation (NASDAQ: SFNC) today announced net income of $237.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to $215.7 million for 2018, an increase of $22.1 million, or 10.3%. Diluted earnings per share were $2.41 for 2019, an increase of $0.09, or 3.9%, compared to prior year. Included in the 2019 results were $31.7 million in net after-tax merger-related, early retirement program and branch right-sizing costs. Excluding the impact of these items, core earnings were $269.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to $220.2 million for 2018, an increase of $49.3 million, or 22.4%. Core diluted earnings per share were $2.73, an increase of $0.36, or 15.2%, from the same period in 2018.
Fourth quarter 2019 net income was $52.7 million, or $0.49 diluted earnings per share, compared to $55.6 million, or $0.60 diluted earnings per share, for the same period in 2018. Excluding $18.4 million in net after-tax merger-related and branch right-sizing costs, fourth quarter 2019 core earnings were $71.1 million, an increase of $14.6 million compared to the same period last year. Core diluted earnings per share were $0.66, an increase of $0.05, or 8.2%, from the same period in 2018.“We are very proud of our results for 2019,” said George A. Makris, Jr., chairman and CEO of Simmons First National Corporation. “Not only did we produce excellent financial results, we welcomed new associates from Reliance Bank in St. Louis and Landmark Bank in Columbia, MO to the Simmons family.“From time to time we tend to be focused more on specific metrics within our financial performance and lose sight of the bigger picture results. In retrospect, our performance in 2019 was remarkable. We achieved a return on assets of 1.33% and a core return on assets of 1.51%, which exceeded our target of 1.50%. We produced a 9.9% return on common equity with an 18.0% return on tangible common equity and a 20.3% core return on tangible common equity. We operated at an efficiency ratio of 50.3%, which is within our target range of 50-55%. Our construction and development concentration went from 105% at the end of the second quarter to 98% at year-end while our commercial real estate concentration was lowered from 333% at the end of the second quarter to 293% at year-end – both ratios now below the regulatory guidelines. And importantly, our book value per share rose 8.1% while our tangible book value per share rose 12.1% during a time when we completed two acquisitions – Reliance Bank in St. Louis and Landmark Bank in Columbia, MO – which added $4.9 billion in assets and we repurchased $10 million of our stock.”Makris continued, “During 2020, we will continue to implement our technology initiatives, including the expansion of our digital offerings, and adjust our business strategy to take advantage of our successful growth over the past few years. I am extremely optimistic about the future of Simmons Bank.”Return on tangible common equity excludes goodwill and other intangible assets, and is a non-GAAP measurement. Please see “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below.Core earnings excludes non-core items, and is a non-GAAP measurement. Please see “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below.Efficiency ratio is noninterest expense before foreclosed property expense, amortization of intangibles as a percent of net interest income (fully taxable equivalent) and noninterest revenues, excluding gains and losses from securities transactions and non-core items, and is a non-GAAP measurement. Please see “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below.LoansTotal loans, including those acquired, were $14.4 billion at December 31, 2019, an increase of $2.7 billion, or 23.0%, compared to December 31, 2018, primarily due to The Landrum Company and Reliance Bank mergers completed during the fourth and second quarters of 2019, respectively. On a linked-quarter basis (December 31, 2019 compared to September 30, 2019), total loans increased $1.4 billion, or 10.9%, from the fourth quarter merger. The increase was partially offset by the reclassification of $260 million in loan balances associated with the branches held for sale in south Texas.DepositsTotal deposits were $16.1 billion at December 31, 2019, an increase of $3.7 billion, or 29.9%, since December 31, 2018, primarily due to the 2019 mergers partially offset by the reclassification of $160 million of deposits associated with the branches held for sale.Net Interest IncomeFully tax equivalent using an effective tax rate of 26.135%.Core loan yield and core net interest margin exclude accretion, and are non-GAAP measurements. Please see “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below.Includes non-interest bearing deposits.The Company’s net interest income for the fourth quarter of 2019 was $167.7 million, an increase of $29.9 million, or 21.7%, from the same period of 2018. Included in interest income was the yield accretion recognized on loans acquired of $15.1 million and $3.9 million for the fourth quarters of 2019 and 2018, respectively. Of this quarter’s yield accretion, 52% was accretable credit mark related and 48% was interest mark related.Net interest margin (FTE) was 3.76% for the quarter ended December 31, 2019, while core net interest margin, which excludes the accretion, was 3.43% for the same period.Non-Interest IncomeNon-interest income for 2019 was $201.5 million, an increase of $57.6 million compared to the previous year. The increase was primarily due to the gain on sale of the Visa Inc. class B common stock of $42.9 million that was completed during the third quarter 2019. Additionally, during 2019 the Company was focused on rebalancing its investment portfolio and consequently recognized additional gains on the sale of securities.Non-interest income for the fourth quarter of 2019 was $45.0 million, an increase of $10.4 million compared to the same period in the previous year. The increase was due to additional income within most non-interest income categories as a result of The Landrum Company and Reliance Bank mergers completed during 2019.Non-Interest ExpenseNon-interest expense for 2019 was $461.1 million, an increase of $68.9 million compared to the previous year. Included in 2019 were $43.0 million of pre-tax non-core items, that mostly consisted of merger-related costs. Excluding these expenses, core non-interest expense was $418.1 million, an increase of $32.0 million compared to 2018 core non-interest expense. The increase was primarily due to the incremental costs associated with the 2019 mergers and the Next Generation Banking (“NGB”) technology initiative. The Company recognized an additional $11.4 million in software and technology expense related to its NGB initiative in 2019.Non-interest expense for the fourth quarter of 2019 was $142.1 million, an increase of $46.7 million compared to the fourth quarter of 2018. Included in this quarter were $24.9 million of pre-tax non-core items. Excluding these expenses, core non-interest expense was $117.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2019, an increase of $22.9 million compared to the same period in 2018, primarily the result of the 2019 mergers and additional software and technology costs related to the NGB initiative.The efficiency ratio for 2019 was 50.33% compared to 52.85% for 2018.(1)     Core figures exclude non-core items, and are non-GAAP measurements. Please see “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below.Asset QualityAll loans acquired are recorded at their discounted net present value; therefore, they are excluded from the computations of the asset quality ratios for the legacy loan portfolio, except for their inclusion in total assets.At December 31, 2019, the allowance for loan losses for legacy loans was $67.8 million. The allowance for loan losses for loans acquired was $444,000 and the acquired loan discount mark was $87.3 million. The allowance for loan losses and discount mark provides a total of $155.5 million of coverage, which equates to a total coverage ratio of 1.07% of gross loans. The ratio of discount mark and related allowance to loans acquired was 1.80%.Provision for loan losses for 2019 was $43.2 million, an increase of $5.1 million from 2018. Provision for loan losses for the fourth quarter 2019 was $4.9 million, a decrease of $4.7 million when compared to the same period of 2018.Foreclosed Assets and Other Real Estate OwnedAt December 31, 2019, foreclosed assets and other real estate owned were $19.1 million, a decrease of $6.4 million, or 25.2%, compared to year end 2018. The composition of these assets is divided into three types:     Capital
At December 31, 2019, common stockholders’ equity was $3.0 billion. Book value per share was $26.30 and tangible book value per share was $15.89 at December 31, 2019, compared to $24.33 and $14.18, respectively, at December 31, 2018. The ratio of tangible common equity to tangible assets was 9.0% at December 31, 2019, compared to 8.4% from the previous year-end.During the fourth quarter of 2019, the Company repurchased approximately 400,000 shares at an average price of $25.97.Management ChangesThe Company also announced today that Marty Casteel, a Company director and senior executive vice president, as well as the chairman, president, and chief executive officer of the Company’s subsidiary bank, Simmons Bank, will retire from his employment with the Company and Simmons Bank, effective March 31, 2020. Casteel will continue to serve as a director of both the Company and Simmons Bank. “For over thirty years, Marty has been a critical component of Simmons’ success,” said Makris. “With deep knowledge, experience, and integrity, Marty has provided incredible leadership to our organization and masterfully overseen its recent transformation through acquisitions with great care and compassion for all involved. I am personally extremely grateful for his presence and counsel during my tenure with this company, and I am thankful Marty has agreed to remain affiliated with it as a director. On behalf of everyone at Simmons, I’d like to congratulate Marty on a job very well done and wish him the best as he begins his next chapter.” Upon Casteel’s retirement, Makris will assume the role of chairman, president, and chief executive officer of Simmons Bank, in addition to his current role as chairman and chief executive officer of the Company.In addition, the Company announced that Patrick Burrow, executive vice president and general counsel, will retire, effective March 31, 2020. “As the company’s first general counsel,” Makris noted, “and prior to that, its longtime outside counsel, Pat has been a steady source of legal advice for our organization and its associates. He has played a significant role in many of the company’s strategic transactions, and I am thankful for his service to Simmons. As with Marty, we wish him the best and congratulate him on his retirement.”Current Expected Credit Losses (“CECL”)   In 2016, new accounting guidance was issued that introduced a new credit loss methodology, the CECL methodology, which requires earlier recognition of credit losses, while also providing additional transparency about credit risk.The CECL methodology replaces the current incurred loss methodology with a lifetime “expected credit loss” measurement objective for loans, held-to-maturity debt securities and other receivables measured at amortized cost at the time the financial asset is originated or acquired. This standard requires the consideration of historical loss experience and current conditions adjusted for reasonable and supportable economic forecasts. The Company has elected to utilize a blended macroeconomic scenario using a one-year forecast horizon with a subsequent reversion to historical loss experience. Within the life cycle of a loan or other financial asset, this new guidance will generally result in the earlier recognition of the provision for credit losses and the related allowance for credit losses than current practice. The CECL guidance was effective for the Company as of January 1, 2020.The CECL methodology represents a significant change from existing guidance and is expected to result in material changes to the Company’s accounting for financial instruments. The Company is continuing to evaluate the effect that the new CECL methodology will have on its consolidated financial statements and related disclosures. Based on additional analysis performed during the fourth quarter of 2019, the Company currently estimates that the allowance for credit losses will be approximately 1.35% to 1.45% of total loans upon adoption. This estimate is based upon the Company’s analysis of current conditions, assumptions and economic forecasts at this point in time. The estimate is subject to change based on continuing review and challenge of the models, methodologies and judgements. The impact will be reflected as an adjustment to beginning retained earnings, net of income taxes. Federal banking regulatory agencies have provided relief for an initial regulatory capital decrease at adoption by allowing the impact to be phased-in over three years on a straight-line basis. The adoption of CECL in 2020 could also impact the Company’s ongoing earnings, perhaps materially.Simmons First National CorporationSimmons First National Corporation is a financial holding company headquartered in Pine Bluff, Arkansas, with total consolidated assets of approximately $21.3 billion as of December 31, 2019, conducting financial operations in Arkansas, Colorado, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Texas. The Company, through its subsidiaries, offers comprehensive financial solutions delivered with a client-centric approach. The Company’s common stock trades on the NASDAQ Market under the symbol “SFNC.”Conference CallManagement will conduct a live conference call to review this information beginning at 9:00 a.m. CST today, Thursday, January 23, 2020. Interested persons can listen to this call by dialing toll-free 1-866-298-7926 (United States and Canada only) and asking for the Simmons First National Corporation conference call, conference ID 9397974. In addition, the call will be available live or in recorded version on the Company’s website at www.simmonsbank.com.Non-GAAP Financial MeasuresThis press release contains financial information determined by methods other than in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). The Company’s management uses these non-GAAP financial measures in their analysis of the Company’s performance. These measures adjust GAAP performance measures to, among other things, include the tax benefit associated with revenue items that are tax-exempt, as well as exclude from income available to common shareholders certain expenses related to significant non-core activities, including merger-related expenses, expenses related to the Company’s early retirement program, and branch right-sizing expenses. In addition, the Company also presents certain figures based on tangible common stockholders’ equity and tangible book value, which exclude goodwill and other intangible assets. The Company’s management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures are useful to investors because they present the results of the Company’s ongoing operations without the effect of mergers or other items not central to the Company’s ongoing business, as well as normalizing for tax effects. Management, therefore, believes presentations of these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful supplemental information that is essential to a proper understanding of the operating results of the Company’s core businesses. These non-GAAP 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. 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 the tables of this release.Forward-Looking StatementsSome of the statements in this news release may not be based on historical facts and should be considered “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may be identified by reference to future periods or by the use of forward-looking terminology, such as “believe,” “budget,” “expect,” “foresee,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “indicate,” “target,” “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “continue,” “contemplate,” “positions,” “prospects,” “predict,” or “potential,” by future conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “might” or “may,” or by variations of such words or by similar expressions. These forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements relating to Simmons’ future growth, revenue, assets, asset quality, profitability, net interest margin, non-interest revenue, share repurchase program, the Company’s ability to recruit and retain key employees, the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses, and the effect of certain new accounting standards (including, without limitation, the CECL methodology and its anticipated effect on the provision and allowance for credit losses) on the Company’s financial statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date of this news release, and Simmons undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date of this news release. By nature, forward-looking statements are based on various assumptions and involve inherent risk and uncertainties. Various factors, including, but not limited to, changes in economic conditions, credit quality, interest rates, loan demand, deposit flows, real estate values, the assumptions used in making the forward-looking statements, the securities markets generally or the price of Simmons common stock specifically, information technology affecting the financial industry, the assumptions, forecasts, models, and methodology used to calculate the expected impact of CECL on the Company’s financial statements, the Company’s ability to manage and successfully integrate its mergers and acquisitions, cyber threats, attacks or events, reliance on third parties for key services and other factors, many of which are beyond the control of the Company, could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Additional information on factors that might affect Simmons First National Corporation’s financial results is included in its Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2018, which has been filed with, and is available from, the Securities and Exchange Commission.FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
Stephen C. Massanelli
EVP, Chief Administrative Officer and Investor Relations Officer
Simmons First National Corporation
[email protected]

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