Bay Street News

Meta Financial Group Announces Results for 2019 Fiscal First Quarter

– Revenue Rises 77% –

– Produces Net Income of $15.4 million as Earnings Per Diluted Share More Than Doubles to $0.39 –

SIOUX FALLS, S.D., Jan. 28, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Meta Financial Group, Inc.® (Nasdaq: CASH) (“Meta” or the “Company”) recorded net income of $15.4 million, or $0.39 per diluted share, for the three months ended December 31, 2018, compared to net income of $4.7 million, or $0.16 per diluted share, for the three months ended December 31, 2017, representing a 230% increase in net income. Total revenue for the fiscal 2019 first quarter was $98.0 million, compared to $55.5 million for the same quarter in fiscal 2018, an increase of $42.5 million, or 77%.

“Due in large part to the success of our recent expansion in our national commercial finance portfolio, we drove a sizable increase in net interest income helping us deliver strong growth in earnings for the first quarter of fiscal 2019,” said President and CEO Brad Hanson. “In addition to our plans to accelerate growth in our core deposits, primarily in our non-interest bearing deposit portfolio, we expect to further enhance our interest-earning asset mix by continuing to grow our commercial finance portfolios, and improve operating efficiencies to maximize long-term value for shareholders.”

Highlights for the 2019 Fiscal First Quarter Ended December 31, 2018

Net Interest Income
Net interest income for the fiscal 2019 first quarter was $60.3 million, an increase of $34.1 million, or 130%, compared to the same quarter in fiscal 2018, primarily due to growth in loan and lease balances and expansion in net interest margin.

During the first quarter of fiscal year 2019, loan and lease interest income grew $44.1 million, offset by an increase in interest expense of $10.0 million, when compared to the same quarter in fiscal 2018. The quarterly average outstanding balance of loans and leases as a percentage of interest-earning assets increased to 60% as of the end of the first fiscal quarter of 2019 from 37% as of the end of the first fiscal quarter of 2018. The Company’s average interest-earning assets for the fiscal 2019 first quarter grew by $1.43 billion, or 38%, to $5.19 billion from the comparable quarter in 2018.  This was primarily due to growth in the loan and lease portfolio of $1.71 billion, of which $1.50 billion was attributable to an increase in national lending loans and leases along with an increase of $215.9 million in community banking loans, partially offset by a reduction in total investment securities of $226.4 million.

NIM, TE was 4.76% for the fiscal 2019 first quarter, with the net effect of purchase accounting accretion contributing 18 basis points.

The overall reported tax-equivalent yield (“TEY”) on average earning asset yields increased by 234 basis points to 5.89% for the fiscal 2019 first quarter compared to the 2018 first fiscal quarter.  The improvement was driven primarily by the Company’s improved earning asset mix, which reflects increased balances in the national lending portfolio. The fiscal 2019 first quarter TEY on the securities portfolio increased by 20 basis points to 3.13% compared to TEY for the same period of the prior year of 2.93%.

Overall, the Company’s cost of funds for all deposits and borrowings averaged 1.14% during the fiscal 2019 first quarter, compared to 0.51% for the 2018 first fiscal quarter. This increase was primarily due to a rise in short-term interest rates affecting overnight borrowing rates, other wholesale funding, and the interest-bearing time deposits acquired by the Company in connection with the Company’s acquisition of Crestmark in the fourth quarter of fiscal 2018. The Company’s overall cost of deposits was 0.91% in the fiscal first quarter of 2019, compared to 0.24% in the same quarter of fiscal 2018. Excluding wholesale deposits, the Company’s cost of deposits for the first quarter of fiscal 2019 would have been 0.14%.

Non-Interest Income
Fiscal 2019 first quarter non-interest income was $37.8 million, an increase of 29% over the same quarter of fiscal 2018, largely due to increases in rental income, deposit fees, other income, and gain on sale of loans and leases. Lower losses on sale of securities also contributed to the overall increase in non-interest income. Partially offsetting the increase in non-interest income was a decrease in card fee income to $19.4 million, compared to $25.2 million in same quarter of the prior fiscal year.

Together, card and deposit fee income totaled $21.3 million for the fiscal 2019 first quarter, compared to $26.1 million in the same quarter in fiscal 2018. This expected reduction in residual fee income was related to the wind-down of the Company’s relationships with two non-strategic payments partners.

Non-Interest Expense
Non-interest expense increased to $74.3 million for the 2019 fiscal first quarter, compared to $44.0 million for the same quarter of fiscal 2018, primarily due to the addition of the Crestmark division which was not present in the comparable quarter in the prior fiscal year.

Income Tax Expense
The Company recorded an income tax benefit of $1.7 million, or an effective tax rate of (11.56%), for the fiscal 2019 first quarter, compared to an income tax expense of $5.7 million, or an effective tax rate of 54.90%, for the fiscal 2018 first quarter.

The Company originated $35.6 million in solar leasing initiatives and recorded a related income tax benefit in the fiscal first quarter of 2019. Investment tax credits related to these solar leasing initiatives and future originations in fiscal 2019 will be recognized ratably based on income over the duration of the current fiscal year. The timing and impact of future solar tax credits are expected to vary from period to period, and Meta intends to undertake only those tax credit opportunities that meet the Company’s underwriting criteria.

Investments, Loans and Leases

  December 31,
2018
  September 30,
2018
  June 30,
2018
  March 31,
2018
  December 31,
2017
                   
Total investments $ 1,855,792     $ 2,019,968     $ 2,149,709     $ 2,306,603     $ 2,233,705  
                   
Loans held for sale                  
Consumer credit products 24,233                  
SBA/USDA(1) 9,327     15,606              
Total loans held for sale 33,560     15,606              
                   
National Lending loans and leases                  
Asset based lending 554,072     477,917              
Factoring 284,912     284,221              
Lease financing 290,889     265,315              
Insurance premium finance 330,712     337,877     303,603     240,640     235,671  
SBA/USDA 67,893     59,374              
Other commercial finance 89,402     85,145     11,418     8,041     6,306  
Commercial finance(2) 1,617,880     1,509,849     315,021     248,681     241,977  
Consumer credit products 96,144     80,605     26,583          
Other consumer finance 182,510     189,756     194,344     201,942     209,137  
Consumer finance 278,654     270,361     220,927     201,942     209,137  
Tax services 76,575     1,073     14,281     58,794     67,424  
Warehouse finance 176,134     65,000              
Total National Lending loans and leases 2,149,243     1,846,283     550,229     509,417     518,538  
Community Banking loans                  
Commercial real estate and operating 863,753     790,890     751,146     723,091     680,785  
Consumer one-to-four family real estate and other 256,341     247,318     237,704     228,415     225,841  
Agricultural real estate and operating 58,971     60,498     60,096     58,773     85,999  
Total Community Banking loans 1,179,065     1,098,706     1,048,946     1,010,279     992,625  
Total gross loans and leases 3,328,308     2,944,989     1,599,175     1,519,696     1,511,163  
Allowance for loan and lease losses (21,290 )   (13,040 )   (21,950 )   (27,078 )   (8,862 )
Net deferred loan origination fees 1,190     (250 )   (1,881 )   (2,080 )   (2,023 )
Total loans and leases, net of allowance $ 3,308,208     $ 2,931,699     $ 1,575,344     $ 1,490,538     $ 1,500,278  
 
(1) The December 31, 2018 balance included $0.8 million of an interest rate mark premium related to the acquired loans and leases from the Crestmark acquisition.
(2) The December 31, 2018 balance included $10.1 million and $5.6 million of credit and interest rate mark discounts, respectively, related to the acquired loans and leases from the Crestmark acquisition.
 

The Company continued to utilize sales of securities and cash flow from its amortizing securities portfolio to fund loan growth, which contributed to a 17% decrease in investment securities at December 31, 2018, from $2.23 billion at December 31, 2017.

Total gross loans and leases increased $1.82 billion, or 120%, to $3.33 billion at December 31, 2018, from $1.51 billion at December 31, 2017, primarily driven by loans and leases attributable to the recently acquired Crestmark commercial finance division, along with increases in warehouse finance and consumer credit product loans, a 40% increase in insurance premium finance loans, and a 19% increase in community banking loans.

At December 31, 2018, commercial finance loans, which comprised 49% of the Company’s gross loan and lease portfolio, totaled $1.62 billion, reflecting growth of $108.0 million, or 7%, from September 30, 2018.  Warehouse finance loans increased by $111.1 million from the prior quarter, due to the Company’s participation in two highly-secured, asset-based warehouse lines of credit.  Community banking loans grew by $80.4 million, or 7%, during the first quarter of fiscal 2019, due primarily to growth in commercial real estate loans.

Asset Quality
The Company’s allowance for loan and lease losses was $21.3 million at December 31, 2018, compared to $8.9 million at December 31, 2017, driven primarily by increases in the allowance of $5.4 million in consumer lending, $5.0 million in commercial finance, and $1.8 million in the community banking portfolio.

(Unaudited) Three Months Ended
Allowance for loan and lease loss activity December 31, 2018   September 30, 2018   December 31, 2017
(Dollars in thousands)          
Beginning balance $ 13,040     $ 21,950     $ 7,534  
Provision – tax services loans 1,496     1,009     1,017  
Provision – all other loans and leases 7,603     3,697     51  
Charge-offs – tax services loans (42 )   (11,295 )    
Charge-offs – all other loans and leases (2,762 )   (3,420 )   (160 )
Recoveries – tax services loans 92     31     413  
Recoveries – all other loans and leases 1,863     1,068     7  
Ending balance $ 21,290     $ 13,040     $ 8,862  
 

Provision for loan and lease losses was $9.1 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2018, compared to $1.1 million for the comparable period in the prior fiscal year. The increase in provision was primarily driven by growth in the commercial finance and tax advance portfolios, as well as provision expense to maintain allowance levels. Net charge-offs were $0.8 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2018 compared to a net recovery of $0.3 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2017.

The Company’s non-performing assets at December 31, 2018, were $45.4 million, representing 0.73% of total assets, compared to $41.8 million, or 0.72% of total assets at September 30, 2018 and $33.3 million, or 0.61% of total assets at December 31, 2017. The Company’s non-performing loans and leases at December 31, 2018 were $13.9 million, representing 0.42% of total loans and leases, compared to $10.2 million, or 0.35% of total loans and leases at September 30, 2018 and $33.2 million, or 2.19% of total loans and leases at December 31, 2017.

Deposits, Borrowings and Other Liabilities
Total average deposits for the fiscal 2019 first quarter increased by $1.49 billion, or 48%, compared to the same period in fiscal 2018. Average wholesale deposits increased $1.21 billion, or 251%, and average non-interest-bearing deposits increased $161.0 million, or 7%, for the 2019 fiscal first quarter when compared to the same period in fiscal 2018.

The average balance of total deposits and interest-bearing liabilities was $5.10 billion for the three-month period ended December 31, 2018, compared to $3.62 billion for the same period in the prior fiscal year, representing an increase of 41%.

Total end-of-period deposits increased 40%, to $4.94 billion at December 31, 2018, compared to $3.51 billion at December 31, 2017. The increase in end-of-period deposits was primarily a result of increases in wholesale deposits by 326%, interest-bearing checking deposits by 52%, and certificates of deposits by 33%.

Regulatory Capital 
The Company and MetaBank remained above the federal regulatory minimum capital requirements at December 31, 2018 and continued to be classified as well-capitalized institutions. Regulatory capital ratios of the Company and the Bank are stated in the table below.

The tables below include certain non-GAAP financial measures that are used by investors, analysts and bank regulatory agencies to assess the capital position of financial services companies.  Management reviews these measures along with other measures of capital as part of its financial analysis.

As of the periods indicated December 31,
2018
  September 30,
2018
  June 30,
2018
  March 31,
2018
  December 31,
2017
Company                  
Tier 1 leverage ratio 7.90 %   8.50 %   8.29 %   7.26 %   7.68 %
Common equity Tier 1 capital ratio 10.11 %   10.56 %   13.92 %   13.74 %   12.88 %
Tier 1 capital ratio 10.47 %   10.97 %   14.35 %   14.18 %   13.32 %
Total qualifying capital ratio 12.69 %   13.18 %   18.37 %   18.48 %   16.91 %
MetaBank                  
Tier 1 leverage ratio 9.01 %   9.75 %   10.16 %   8.93 %   9.61 %
Common equity Tier 1 capital ratio 11.87 %   12.50 %   17.57 %   17.43 %   16.64 %
Tier 1 capital ratio 11.91 %   12.56 %   17.57 %   17.43 %   16.64 %
Total qualifying capital ratio 12.41 %   12.89 %   18.50 %   18.59 %   17.03 %

Due to the predictable, quarterly cyclicality of non-interest bearing deposits in connection with tax season business activity, management believes that a six-month capital calculation is a useful metric to monitor the Company’s overall capital management process. As such, MetaBank’s six-month average Tier 1 leverage ratio, Common equity Tier 1 capital ratio, Tier 1 capital ratio, and Total qualifying capital ratio as of December 31, 2018, were 9.46%, 13.42%, 13.47%, and 14.03%, respectively.

The following table provides certain non-GAAP financial measures used to compute certain of the ratios included in the table above for the periods presented, as well as a reconciliation of such non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable financial measure in accordance with GAAP:

Standardized Approach(1) December 31,
2018
  September 30,
2018
  June 30,
2018
  March 31,
2018
  December 31,
2017
  (Dollars in Thousands)
Total stockholders’ equity $ 770,728     $ 747,726     $ 443,913     $ 443,703     $ 437,705  
Adjustments:                  
LESS: Goodwill, net of associated deferred tax liabilities 299,037     299,456     94,781     95,262     95,705  
LESS: Certain other intangible assets 61,317     64,716     46,098     47,724     40,417  
LESS: Net deferred tax assets from operating loss and tax credit carry-forwards 4,720                  
LESS: Net unrealized gains (losses) on available-for-sale securities (28,829 )   (33,114 )   (28,601 )   (21,166 )   5,782  
LESS: Non-controlling interest 3,267     3,574              
LESS: Unrealized currency gains (losses) (357 )   3              
Common Equity Tier 1 (1) 431,573     413,091     331,635     321,882     295,801  
Long-term debt and other instruments qualifying as Tier 1 13,661     13,661     10,310     10,310     10,310  
Tier 1 minority interest not included in common equity tier 1 capital 1,796     2,118              
Total Tier 1 capital 447,030     428,870     341,945     332,192     306,111  
Allowance for loan and lease losses 21,422     13,185     22,151     27,285     9,058  
Subordinated debentures (net of issuance costs) 73,528     73,491     73,442     73,418     73,382  
Total qualifying capital $ 541,980     $ 515,546     $ 437,538     $ 432,896     $ 388,551  
 
(1) Capital ratios were determined using the Basel III capital rules that became effective on January 1, 2015. Basel III revised the definition of capital, increased minimum capital ratios, and introduced a minimum CET1 ratio; those changes are being fully phased in through the end of 2021.
 

The following table provides a reconciliation of tangible common equity used in calculating tangible book value data.

  December 31, 2018
  (Dollars in Thousands)
Total Stockholders’ Equity $ 770,728  
Less: Goodwill 303,270  
Less: Intangible assets 66,366  
Tangible common equity 401,092  
Less: Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) (“AOCI”) (29,186 )
Tangible common equity excluding AOCI (Loss) 430,278  
 

Future Outlook
The Company continues to expect fiscal 2019 earnings per common share to be in the range of $2.30 to $2.70, excluding the effects related to Company executive transition costs. The Company estimates $6.1 million of pre-tax executive transition agreement costs will reduce fiscal 2019 earnings per common share by up to $0.12, all of which costs the Company expects will be incurred in the quarter ending March 31, 2019. The Company also affirms the earnings outlook for fiscal year 2020 GAAP earnings per common share to be in the range of $3.10 to $3.80.

Conference Call
The Company will host a conference call and earnings webcast at 4:00 p.m. CST (5:00 p.m. EST) on Monday, January 28, 2019. The live webcast of the call can be accessed from Meta’s Investor Relations website at www.metafinancialgroup.com.  Telephone participants may access the live conference call by dialing (844) 461-9934 beginning approximately 10 minutes prior to start time. Please ask to join the Meta Financial conference call, and provide conference ID 7878366 upon request. International callers should dial (636) 812-6634. A webcast replay will also be archived at www.metafinancialgroup.com for one year.

Forward-Looking Statements
The Company and MetaBank may from time to time make written or oral “forward-looking statements,” including statements contained in this press release, the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), the Company’s reports to stockholders, and in other communications by the Company and MetaBank, which are made in good faith by the Company pursuant to the “safe harbor” provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.

You can identify forward-looking statements by words such as “may,” “hope,” “will,” “should,” “expect,” “plan,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “believe,” “estimate,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “could,” “future,” or the negative of those terms, or other words of similar meaning or similar expressions. You should carefully read statements that contain these words because they discuss our future expectations or state other “forward-looking” information. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to us and assumptions about future events, and include statements with respect to the Company’s beliefs, expectations, estimates, and intentions, which are subject to significant risks and uncertainties, and are subject to change based on various factors, some of which are beyond the Company’s control. Such risks, uncertainties and other factors may cause our actual growth, results of operations, financial condition, cash flows, performance and business prospects and opportunities to differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, these forward-looking statements.  Such statements address, among others, the following subjects: future operating results; customer retention; loan and other product demand; important components of the Company’s statements of financial condition and operations; growth and expansion; new products and services, such as those offered by MetaBank or the Company’s Payments divisions (which include Meta Payment Systems, Refund Advantage, EPS Financial and Specialty Consumer Services); credit quality and adequacy of reserves; technology; and the Company’s employees. The following factors, among others, could cause the Company’s financial performance and results of operations to differ materially from the expectations, estimates, and intentions expressed in such forward-looking statements: risks relating to the recently-announced management transition; maintaining our executive management team; the expected growth opportunities, beneficial synergies and/or operating efficiencies from the Crestmark acquisition may not be fully realized or may take longer to realize than expected; customer losses and business disruption related to the Crestmark acquisition; unanticipated or unknown losses and liabilities may be incurred by the Company following the Crestmark acquisition; actual changes in interest rates and the Fed Funds rate; additional changes in tax laws; the strength of the United States’ economy, in general, and the strength of the local economies in which the Company conducts operations; risks relating to the recent U.S. government shutdown, including any adverse impact on our ability to originate or sell SBA/USDA loans and any delay by the Internal Revenue Service in processing taxpayer refunds, thereby increasing the cost to us of our refund advance loans; the effects of, and changes in, trade, monetary, and fiscal policies and laws, including interest rate policies of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”), as well as efforts of the United States Congress and the United States Treasury in conjunction with bank regulatory agencies to stimulate the economy and protect the financial system; inflation, interest rate, market, and monetary fluctuations; the timely and efficient development of, and acceptance of, new products and services offered by the Company or its strategic partners, as well as risks (including reputational and litigation) attendant thereto, and the perceived overall value of these products and services by users; the risks of dealing with or utilizing third parties, including, in connection with the Company’s refund advance business, the risk of reduced volume of refund advance loans as a result of reduced customer demand for or acceptance of usage of Meta’s strategic partners’ refund advance products; any actions which may be initiated by our regulators in the future; the impact of changes in financial services laws and regulations, including, but not limited to, laws and regulations relating to the tax refund industry and the insurance premium finance industry; our relationship with our primary regulators, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency and the Federal Reserve, as well as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, which insures MetaBank’s deposit accounts up to applicable limits; technological changes, including, but not limited to, the protection of electronic files or databases; acquisitions; litigation risk, in general, including, but not limited to, those risks involving MetaBank’s divisions; the growth of the Company’s business, as well as expenses related thereto; continued maintenance by MetaBank of its status as a well-capitalized institution, particularly in light of our growing deposit base, a portion of which has been characterized as “brokered;” changes in consumer spending and saving habits; and the success of the Company at maintaining its high quality asset level and managing and collecting assets of borrowers in default should problem assets increase.

The foregoing list of factors is not exclusive. We caution you not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements included in this press release speak only as of the date hereof. Additional discussions of factors affecting the Company’s business and prospects are reflected under the caption “Risk Factors” and in other sections of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the Company’s fiscal year ended September 30, 2018, and in other filings made with the SEC. The Company expressly disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the Company or its subsidiaries, whether as a result of new information, changed circumstances, or future events or for any other reason.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited)
(Dollars in Thousands, Except Share and Per Share Data)

ASSETS December 31,
2018
  September 30, 2018   June 30,
2018
  March 31,
2018
  December 31,
2017
Cash and cash equivalents $  164,169     $  99,977     $ 71,276      $  107,563     $  1,300,409
Investment securities available for sale, at fair value 1,340,870     1,484,160     1,349,642     1,417,012     1,390,411  
Mortgage-backed securities available for sale, at fair value 354,186     364,065     575,999     654,890     600,112  
Investment securities held to maturity, at cost 153,075     163,893     215,850     226,308     234,714  
Mortgage-backed securities held to maturity, at cost 7,661     7,850     8,218     8,393     8,468  
Loans held for sale 33,560     15,606              
Loans and leases 3,329,498     2,944,739     1,597,294     1,517,616     1,509,140  
Allowance for loan and lease loss (21,290 )   (13,040 )   (21,950 )   (27,078 )   (8,862 )
Federal Home Loan Bank Stock, at cost 15,600     23,400     7,446     17,846     57,443  
Accrued interest receivable 22,076     22,016     17,825     17,604     21,089  
Premises, furniture, and equipment, net 44,299     40,458     20,374     20,278     20,571  
Rental equipment, net 146,815     107,290              
Bank-owned life insurance 87,934     87,293     86,655     86,021     85,371  
Foreclosed real estate and repossessed assets 31,548     31,638     29,922     30,050     128  
Goodwill 303,270     303,270     98,723     98,723     98,723  
Intangible assets 66,366     70,719     46,098     47,724     50,521  
Prepaid assets 31,483     27,906     23,211     26,342     29,758  
Deferred taxes 23,607     18,737     23,025     20,939     5,379  
Other assets 48,038     35,090     19,551     31,462     14,588  
                   
  Total assets $ 6,182,765     $ 5,835,067     $ 4,169,159     $ 4,301,693     $ 5,417,963  
                   
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY                  
                   
LIABILITIES                  
Non-interest-bearing checking $ 2,739,757     $ 2,405,274     $ 2,637,987     $ 2,850,886     $ 2,779,645  
Interest-bearing checking 128,662     111,578     103,065     123,398     84,390  
Savings deposits 52,229     54,765     57,356     65,345     53,535  
Money market deposits 54,559     51,995     45,115     48,070     47,451  
Time certificates of deposit 170,629     276,180     57,151     71,712     128,220  
Wholesale deposits 1,790,611     1,531,186     620,959     181,087     420,404  
  Total deposits 4,936,447     4,430,987     3,521,633     3,340,497     3,513,645  
Short-term debt 231,293     425,759     27,290     315,777     1,313,401  
Long-term debt 88,983     88,963     85,580     85,572     85,552  
Accrued interest payable 11,280     7,794     3,705     1,315     4,065  
Accrued expenses and other liabilities 144,034     133,838     87,038     114,829     63,595  
  Total liabilities 5,412,037     5,087,341     3,725,246     3,857,990     4,980,258  
                   
STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY                  
Preferred stock, 3,000,000 shares authorized, no shares issued or outstanding at December 31, 2018, September 30, 2018, June 30, 2018, March 31, 2018, and December 31, 2017                  
Common stock, $.01 par value; 90,000,000, 90,000,000, 90,000,000, 90,000,000, and 45,000,000 shares authorized, 39,494,919, 39,192,063, 29,122,596, 29,119,718, and 29,015,090 shares issued and 39,405,508, 39,167,280, 29,101,605, 29,098,773, and 28,994,538 shares outstanding at December 31, 2018, September 30, 2018, June 30, 2018, March 31, 2018, and December 31, 2017. 394     393     291     291     290  
Common stock, Nonvoting, $.01 par value; 3,000,000 shares authorized, no shares issued or outstanding at December 31, 2018, September 30, 2018, June 30, 2018, March 31, 2018, and December 31, 2017.                  
Additional paid-in capital 572,156     565,811     267,610     265,491     262,678  
Retained earnings 228,453     213,048     206,284     200,753     170,578  
Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income (29,186 )   (33,111 )   (28,601 )   (21,166 )   5,782  
Treasury stock, at cost, 89,411, 24,783, 20,991, 20,945, and 20,552 common shares at December 31, 2018, September 30, 2018, June 30, 2018, March 31, 2018, and December 31, 2017. (4,356 )   (1,989 )   (1,671 )   (1,666 )   (1,623 )
Total equity attributable to parent 767,461     744,152     443,913     443,703     437,705  
Non-controlling interest 3,267     3,574              
Total stockholders’ equity 770,728     747,726     443,913     443,703     437,705  
                   
  Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 6,182,765     $ 5,835,067     $ 4,169,159     $ 4,301,693     $ 5,417,963  
 
All share and per share data reported in this release for all periods presented has been adjusted to reflect the 3-for-1 forward stock split effected by the Company on October 4, 2018.
 

 Consolidated Statements of Operations (Unaudited)
(Dollars in Thousands, Except Share and Per Share Data)

                       
  Three Months Ended
  December 31, 2018   September 30, 2018   December 31, 2017
Interest and dividend income:                      
Loans and leases, including fees $ 60,498     $ 45,131     $ 16,443  
Mortgage-backed securities 2,698     3,724     3,758  
Other investments 11,780     11,346     10,656  
  74,976     60,201     30,857  
Interest expense:          
Deposits 10,596     8,057     1,885  
FHLB advances and other borrowings 4,108     3,607     2,776  
  14,704     11,664     4,661  
           
Net interest income 60,272     48,537     26,196  
           
Provision for loan for lease losses 9,099     4,706     1,068  
           
Net interest income after provision for loan and lease losses 51,173     43,831     25,128  
           
Non-interest income:          
Refund transfer product fees 261     526     192  
Tax advance product fees 1,685     (36 )   1,947  
Card fees 19,351     19,536     25,247  
Rental income 10,890     7,333      
Loan and lease fees 1,247     1,025     1,292  
Bank-owned life insurance 642     638     669  
Deposit fees 1,938     1,487     848  
Loss on sale of securities (22 )   (6,979 )   (1,010 )
Gain on sale of loans and leases 867     355      
Gain (loss) on foreclosed real estate 15         (19 )
Other income 877     728     102  
Total non-interest income 37,751     24,613     29,268  
           
Non-interest expense:          
Compensation and benefits 33,010     30,093     22,340  
Refund transfer product expense 10     85     101  
Tax advance product expense 452     81     280  
Card processing 7,085     5,485     6,540  
Occupancy and equipment 6,458     5,653     4,890  
Operating lease equipment depreciation expense 7,765     5,386      
Legal and consulting 3,969     6,628     2,416  
Marketing 539     1,037     553  
Data processing 437     268     414  
Intangible amortization expense 4,383     3,564     1,681  
Intangible impairment expense     18      
Other expense 10,187     8,342     4,827  
Total non-interest expense 74,295     66,640     44,042  
           
Income before income tax expense 14,629     1,804     10,354  
           
Income tax expense (benefit) (1,691 )   (7,591 )   5,684  
           
Net income before non-controlling interest 16,320     9,395     4,670  
Net income attributable to non-controlling interest 922     673      
Net income attributable to parent $ 15,398     $ 8,722     $ 4,670  
           
Earnings per common share          
Basic $ 0.39     $ 0.24     $ 0.16  
Diluted $ 0.39     $ 0.24     $ 0.16  
Shares used in computing earnings per share          
Basic 39,335,054     35,711,400     28,970,334  
Diluted 39,406,507     35,823,162     29,138,523  
 
All share and per share data reported in this release for all periods presented has been adjusted to reflect the 3-for-1 forward stock split effected by the Company on October 4, 2018.
 

Average Balances, Interest Rates and Yields
The following table presents, for the periods indicated, the total dollar amount of interest income from average interest-earning assets and the resulting yields, as well as the interest expense on average interest-bearing liabilities, expressed both in dollars and rates. Only the yield/rate reflects tax-equivalent adjustments. Non-accruing loans and leases have been included in the table as loans carrying a zero yield.

Three Months Ended December 31, 2018   2017
(Dollars in Thousands) Average
Outstanding
Balance
  Interest
Earned /
Paid
  Yield /
Rate(1)
  Average
Outstanding
Balance
  Interest
Earned /
Paid
  Yield /
Rate(2)
Interest-earning assets:                      
Cash & fed funds sold $ 45,383     $ 555     4.85 %   $ 100,321     $ 607     2.40 %
Mortgage-backed securities 381,285     2,698     2.81 %   673,411     3,758     2.21 %
Tax exempt investment securities 1,237,198     7,803     3.17 %   1,408,552     8,698     3.25 %
Asset-backed securities 298,445     2,712     3.61 %   93,631     765     3.24 %
Other investment securities 110,879     710     2.54 %   78,584     586     2.96 %
Total investments 2,027,807     13,923     3.13 %   2,254,178     13,807     2.93 %
Commercial finance loans and leases 1,562,054     39,281     9.98 %   249,927     2,868     4.55 %
Consumer finance loans 291,421     6,230     8.48 %   204,024     3,109     6.04 %
Tax services loans 11,009     2     0.07 %   12,378         %
Warehouse finance loans 99,818     1,632     6.49 %           %
National lending loans and leases 1,964,302     47,145     9.52 %   466,329     5,977     5.09 %
Community banking loans 1,156,072     13,353     4.58 %   940,161     10,466     4.42 %
Total loans and leases 3,120,374     60,498     7.69 %   1,406,490     16,443     4.64 %
Total interest-earning assets $ 5,193,564     $ 74,976     5.89 %   $ 3,760,989     $ 30,857     3.55 %
Non-interest-earning assets 787,973             361,960          
Total assets $ 5,981,537             $ 4,122,949          
                       
Interest-bearing liabilities:                      
Interest-bearing checking $ 102,880     $ 58     0.23 %   $ 71,448     $ 50     0.28 %
Savings 53,661     10     0.07 %   53,084     8     0.06 %
Money markets 54,288     64     0.47 %   47,899     27     0.22 %
Time deposits 205,049     881     1.71 %   128,496     366     1.13 %
Wholesale deposits 1,698,492     9,583     2.24 %   483,878     1,434     1.18 %
Total interest-bearing deposits 2,114,370     10,596     1.99 %   784,805     1,885     0.95 %
Overnight fed funds purchased 393,315     2,481     2.50 %   139,152     525     1.50 %
FHLB advances         %   268,913     937     1.38 %
Subordinated debentures 73,504     1,161     6.27 %   73,359     1,113     6.02 %
Other borrowings 30,058     466     6.15 %   22,982     201     3.47 %
Total borrowings 496,877     4,108     3.28 %   504,406     2,776     2.18 %
Total interest-bearing liabilities 2,611,247     14,704     2.23 %   1,289,211     4,661     1.43 %
Non-interest bearing deposits 2,489,148         %   2,328,159         %
Total deposits and interest-bearing liabilities $ 5,100,395     $ 14,704     1.14 %   $ 3,617,370     $ 4,661     0.51 %
Other non-interest-bearing liabilities 128,900             71,398          
Total liabilities 5,229,295             3,688,768          
Shareholders’ equity 752,242             434,181          
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $ 5,981,537             $ 4,122,949          
Net interest income and net interest rate spread including non-interest-bearing deposits     $ 60,272     4.75 %       $ 26,196     3.04 %
                       
Net interest margin         4.60 %           2.76 %
Tax-equivalent effect         0.16 %           0.30 %
Net interest margin, tax-equivalent(3)         4.76 %           3.06 %
 
(1) Tax rate used to arrive at the TEY for the three months ended December 31, 2018 was 21%.
(2) Tax rate used to arrive at the TEY for the three months ended December 31, 2017 was 24.53%.
(3) Net interest margin expressed on a fully-taxable-equivalent basis (“net interest margin, tax-equivalent”) is a non-GAAP financial measure. The tax-equivalent adjustment to net interest income recognizes the estimated income tax savings when comparing taxable and tax-exempt assets and adjusting for federal and state exemption of interest income. The Company believes that it is a standard practice in the banking industry to present net interest margin expressed on a fully-taxable-equivalent basis and, accordingly, believe the presentation of this non-GAAP financial measure may be useful for peer comparison purposes.
 

Selected Financial Information
As of and for the three months ended: December 31,
2018
  September 30,
2018
  June 30,
2018
  March 31,
2018
  December 31,
2017
                             
Equity to total assets 12.47 %   12.81 %   10.65 %   10.31 %   8.08 %
Book value per common share outstanding $ 19.56     $ 19.09     $ 15.25     $ 15.25     $ 15.10  
Tangible book value per common share outstanding $ 10.18     $ 9.54     $ 10.28     $ 10.22     $ 9.95  
Tangible book value per common share outstanding excluding AOCI $ 10.92     $ 10.39     $ 11.26     $ 10.94     $ 9.75  
Common shares outstanding 39,405,508     39,167,280     29,101,605     29,098,773     28,994,538  
Non-performing assets to total assets 0.73 %   0.72 %   0.86 %   0.84 %   0.61 %
Non-performing loans and leases to total loans and leases 0.42 %   0.35 %   0.36 %   0.40 %   2.19 %
Net interest margin 4.60 %   4.05 %   2.94 %   2.61 %   2.76 %
Net interest margin, tax-equivalent 4.76 %   4.27 %   3.23 %   2.89 %   3.06 %
Return on average assets 1.03 %   0.65 %   0.64 %   2.67 %   0.45 %
Return on average equity 8.19 %   5.34 %   6.11 %   28.37 %   4.30 %
Full-time equivalent employees 1,229     1,219     932     916     878  
                             

Select Quarterly Expenses
(Dollars in Thousands) Actual     Anticipated
                                                                     
For the Three Months Ended Dec 31,
2018
    Mar 31,
2019
  Jun 30,
2019
  Sep 30,
2019
  Dec 31,
2019
  Mar 31,
2020
  Jun 30,
2020
  Sep 30,
2020
  Dec 31,
2020
                                                                         
Amortization of Intangibles (1) $ 4,383       $ 5,602     $ 4,383     $       $ 2,683     $ 3,409     $ 2,640     $ 2,286     $ 2,683  
Executive Officer Stock Compensation (2) $ 941       $ 917     $ 927     $       $ 679     $ 669     $ 669     $ 676     $ 485  
 
(1) These amounts are based upon the current reporting period’s intangible assets only.  This table makes no assumption for expenses related to future acquired intangible assets.
(2) These amounts are based upon the long-term employment agreements signed in the first and second quarters of fiscal 2017 by the Company’s three highest paid executives at that time. This table makes no assumption for expenses related to any additional future agreements entered into, or to be entered into, after such quarters. The amounts in this table are not expected to be impacted by the Executive Separation Agreement entered into by the Company as of January 16, 2019 and filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission on January 17, 2019.
 

About Meta Financial Group®
Meta Financial Group, Inc. ® (Nasdaq: CASH) is the holding company for the financial services company MetaBank® (“Meta”). Founded in 1954, Meta has grown to operate in several different financial sectors: payments, tax, national commercial lending, community banking, national consumer lending, and insurance premium financing. Meta works with high-value niche industries, strategic-growth companies and technology adopters to grow their businesses and build more profitable customer relationships. Meta tailors solutions for bank and non-bank businesses, and provides a focused collaborative approach. The organization is helping to shape the evolving financial services landscape by directly investing in innovation and acquiring complementary businesses that strategically expand its suite of services. Meta has a national presence and over 1,200 employees, with corporate headquarters in Sioux Falls, S.D.  For more information, visit the Meta Financial Group website or LinkedIn.

Investor Relations and Media Contact: 
Brittany Kelley Elsasser
Director of Investor Relations
605-362-2423
bkelley@metabank.com