Hope Bancorp Reports 2023 First Quarter Financial Results

Hope Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”) (NASDAQ: HOPE), the holding company of Bank of Hope (the “Bank”), today reported unaudited financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2023.

For the three months ended March 31, 2023, net income totaled $39.1 million, or $0.33 per diluted common share. This compares with net income of $51.7 million, or $0.43 per diluted common share, in the preceding fourth quarter and $60.7 million, or $0.50 per diluted common share, in the year-ago first quarter.

“The focus this quarter was to maintain a strong balance sheet with high levels of capital and liquidity, and in this, we succeeded,” said Kevin S. Kim, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer. “At the close of the 2023 first quarter, total deposits grew 1% quarter-over-quarter and 9% year-over-year, underscoring the confidence that our customers have in our franchise as the largest Korean American bank in the country. Our capital levels continued to be strong and our total risk-based capital ratio increased to 12.25% at March 31, 2023. Asset quality continued to be healthy.

“From a risk management perspective, we fortified our liquidity to prudently manage through the current environment of heightened volatility due to the banking industry disruption in mid-March. We substantially increased the level of cash and cash equivalents on our balance sheet to $2.2 billion at March 31, 2023. At quarter-end, our available borrowing capacity, together with cash and cash equivalents, and unpledged investment securities, totaled $8.0 billion, equivalent to 50% of total deposits. At the same time, we continued to execute on initiatives designed to further strengthen our franchise, support long-term profitability, and create additional value for stockholders.”

Q1 2023 Highlights

• The Company’s total risk-based capital ratio was 12.25% at March 31, 2023, up 28 basis points quarter-over-quarter.

• Book value per common share increased to $17.17 and tangible common equity per share increased to $13.26 at March 31, 2023, both up 2% quarter-over-quarter.

• Total deposits of $15.83 billion at March 31, 2023, increased 1% quarter-over-quarter and 9% year-over-year.

• Available borrowing capacity, cash and cash equivalents, and unpledged investment securities totaled $7.99 billion, equivalent to 50% of total deposits, at March 31, 2023. This is up 11% from $7.23 billion, or 46% of total deposits, at December 31, 2022.

• During the first quarter, the Company fortified its on-balance sheet liquidity in response to industry disruption. Cash and cash equivalents increased to $2.21 billion at March 31, 2023, up from $506.8 million as of December 31, 2022. This increase in on-balance sheet liquidity reflects the Company’s conservative approach to risk management. It was largely funded through the Federal Reserve Bank’s Bank Term Funding Program (“BTFP”). BTFP borrowings were $1.40 billion at March 31, 2023, carrying a weighted average interest rate of 4.49%.

• The Bank’s insured or otherwise collateralized deposits totaled $9.91 billion at March 31, 2023. The Bank’s uninsured deposit ratio was 38% at March 31, 2023, a decrease from 41% at December 31, 2022. The available borrowing capacity, cash and cash equivalents, and unpledged investment securities well exceeded the Bank’s uninsured deposits at quarter-end.

• First quarter 2023 loan originations totaled $568.7 million, led by commercial loans and followed by commercial real estate. New commercial loans accounted for 61% of total originations for the first quarter of 2023. Loans receivable of $15.06 billion at March 31, 2023, decreased 2% quarter-over-quarter and increased 7% year-over-year.

Financial Summary

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Operating Results for the 2023 First Quarter

Net interest income before provision (credit) for credit losses for the 2023 first quarter totaled $133.9 million, compared with $150.5 million in the 2022 fourth quarter and $133.2 million in the year-ago first quarter. The Company attributed the quarter-over-quarter decrease primarily to higher interest expense on deposits, partially offset by interest income growth due to expanding earning asset yields and a 1% increase in average interest earning assets.

The net interest margin for the 2023 first quarter decreased 34 basis points to 3.02% from 3.36% in the preceding fourth quarter as the increase in the cost of deposits outpaced the expansion of the yields on interest-earning assets. Compared with the year-ago first quarter, the net interest margin decreased 19 basis points.

The weighted average yield on loans for the 2023 first quarter was 5.75%, up 39 basis points from 5.36% in the 2022 fourth quarter and up 187 basis points from the year-ago first quarter. The Company attributed the yield expansion to the repricing of its variable-rate loans following increases in market interest rates, as well as a significant increase in the average rate on new loans originated during the last four quarters. The rate on new loans originated in the 2023 first quarter was 7.53%, up 82 basis points from 6.71% in the preceding fourth quarter, and up 399 basis points from 3.54% in the year-ago first quarter.

The weighted average cost of deposits for the 2023 first quarter increased 79 basis points to 2.41% from 1.62% in the 2022 fourth quarter, reflecting customer preferences for higher yields in a rising interest rate environment, as well as the banking industry disruption in mid-March of 2023. Compared with the year-ago first quarter, the weighted average cost of deposits for the 2023 first quarter increased 217 basis points from 0.24%.

Noninterest income for the 2023 first quarter totaled $11.0 million, compared with $12.1 million in the 2022 fourth quarter and $13.2 million in the year-ago first quarter. Quarter-over-quarter, deposit service fees and net gains on SBA loan sales increased, offset by decreases in other income and fees. During the 2023 first quarter, the Company sold $40.7 million of the guaranteed portion of SBA 7(a) loans and $7.3 million of residential mortgage loans, compared with $41.2 million and $3.5 million, respectively, sold in the preceding fourth quarter.

Noninterest expense for the 2023 first quarter totaled $90.4 million, compared with $84.5 million in the preceding fourth quarter and $75.4 million in the year-ago first quarter. The quarter-over-quarter increase in noninterest expense was primarily driven by higher salaries and employee benefits expense, which reflected payroll taxes and related expenses that are typically higher in the first quarter, as well as $1.7 million of severance charges. Included in other expenses is $1.6 million of provision for unfunded loan commitments.

The Company’s efficiency ratio for the 2023 first quarter was 62.4%, compared with 52.0% in the preceding fourth quarter and 51.5% in the year-ago first quarter. Noninterest expense as a percentage of average assets was 1.89% for the 2023 first quarter, compared with 1.79% for the 2022 fourth quarter and 1.70% for the 2022 first quarter.

The effective tax rate for the 2023 first quarter was 25.9%, compared with 26.1% for the preceding fourth quarter and 25.9% for the year-ago first quarter.

Balance Sheet Summary

New loan originations during the 2023 first quarter totaled $568.7 million, compared with $793.4 million in the preceding fourth quarter and $1.03 billion in the 2022 first quarter.

The following table sets forth the components of new loan production for the quarters ended March 31, 2023, December 31, 2022 and March 31, 2022.

At March 31, 2023, loans receivable decreased 2% quarter-over-quarter to $15.06 billion from $15.40 billion at December 31, 2022, and increased 7% from $14.07 billion a year ago at March 31, 2022.

The following table sets forth the loan portfolio composition and percentage of total loans at March 31, 2023, December 31, 2022 and March 31, 2022:

At March 31, 2023, total deposits increased 1% to $15.83 billion, up from $15.74 billion at December 31, 2022, and increased 9% year-over-year from $14.52 billion at March 31, 2022, reflecting growth in time deposits, partially offset by lower levels of noninterest-bearing demand, money market and savings deposits in a rising interest rate environment.

The following table sets forth the deposit composition and percentage of total deposits at March 31, 2023, December 31, 2022 and March 31, 2022:

Allowance for Credit Losses

During the 2023 first quarter, the Company built its allowance for credit losses to $163.5 million at March 31, 2023, and increased the allowance coverage to 1.09% of loans receivable. For the 2023 first quarter, the Company recorded a provision for credit losses of $1.7 million, compared with $8.2 million in the preceding fourth quarter and a negative provision for credit losses of $11.0 million in the 2022 first quarter.

The following table sets forth the allowance for credit losses and allowance coverage ratios at March 31, 2023, December 31, 2022 and March 31, 2022:

Credit Quality

Asset quality continued to be healthy in the 2023 first quarter. Net charge offs were only $108 thousand in the 2023 first quarter, representing an annualized net charge off ratio of 0.00% of average loans. The following table sets forth net charge offs (recoveries) and net charge offs (recoveries) to average loans receivable, annualized, for the three months ended March 31, 2023, December 31, 2022 and March 31, 2022:

Nonperforming assets represented 0.39% of total assets at March 31, 2023, compared with 0.36% as of December 31, 2022, and 0.58% as of March 31, 2022. Total nonperforming assets were $80.2 million at March 31, 2023, an increase of 15% quarter-over-quarter and a decrease of 22% year-over-year. Included in nonperforming assets were loans on nonaccrual status of $78.9 million at March 31, 2023, which increased from $49.7 million at December 31, 2022. This quarter-over-quarter change was primarily driven by one large nonaccrual loan, which is expected to be resolved by mid-year with a minimal risk of loss.

The following table sets forth the components of nonperforming assets at March 31, 2023, December 31, 2022 and March 31, 2022:

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Total criticized loans were $304.7 million at March 31, 2023, up from $261.3 million at December 31, 2022. Year-over-year, total criticized loans decreased 23% from $393.6 million at March 31, 2022.

Capital

The Company’s capital ratios are strong. At March 31, 2023, the Company and the Bank continued to exceed all regulatory capital requirements generally required to meet the definition of a “well-capitalized” financial institution. The following table sets forth the capital ratios for the Company at March 31, 2023, December 31, 2022 and March 31, 2022:

Following are the tangible common equity (“TCE”) per share and the TCE as a percentage of tangible assets at March 31, 2023, December 31, 2022 and March 31, 2022:

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Convertible Senior Notes

At March 31, 2023, the net balance of the Company’s 2.00% Convertible Senior Notes due 2038 (the “Notes”) was $206.7 million, compared with $217.1 million at December 31, 2022. The Notes have an upcoming optional put date on May 15, 2023. During the 2023 first quarter, the Company made repurchases of its Notes in the aggregate principal amount of $10.7 million. The repurchased Notes were immediately cancelled subsequent to the repurchase. These repurchases are separate from the optional put and were made through a third-party broker.

Non-GAAP Financial Metrics

This news release contains certain non-GAAP financial measure disclosures, including pre-provision net revenue (“PPNR”), ROA (PPNR), ROE (PPNR), tangible common equity, tangible common equity per share, tangible assets and tangible common equity to tangible assets. Management believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information regarding its operational performance and the Company’s and the Bank’s capital levels and has included these figures in response to market participant interest in these financial metrics. A reconciliation of the most directly comparable GAAP to non-GAAP financial measures is provided in the accompanying financial information on Table Page 9.

Investor Conference Call

The Company previously announced that it will host an investor conference call on Tuesday, April 25, 2023 at 9:30 a.m. Pacific Time / 12:30 p.m. Eastern Time to review unaudited financial results for its first quarter ended March 31, 2023. Investors and analysts are invited to access the conference call by dialing 866-235-9917 (domestic) or 412-902-4103 (international) and asking for the “Hope Bancorp Call.” A presentation to accompany the earnings call will be available at the Investor Relations section of Hope Bancorp’s website at www.ir-hopebancorp.com. Other interested parties are invited to listen to a live webcast of the call available at the Investor Relations section of Hope Bancorp’s website. After the live webcast, a replay will remain available at the Investor Relations section of Hope Bancorp’s website for one year. A telephonic replay of the call will be available at 877-344-7529 (domestic) or 412-317-0088 (international) for one week through May 2, 2023, replay access code 9620853.

About Hope Bancorp, Inc.

Hope Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: HOPE) is the holding company of Bank of Hope, the first and only super regional Korean American bank in the United States with $20.57 billion in total assets as of March 31, 2023. Headquartered in Los Angeles and serving a multi-ethnic population of customers across the nation, Bank of Hope operates 53 full-service branches in California, Washington, Texas, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Alabama and Georgia. The Bank also operates SBA loan production offices in Seattle, Denver, Dallas, Atlanta, Portland, New York City, Northern California and Houston; commercial loan production offices in Northern California, Seattle and Tampa, Fla.; residential mortgage loan production offices in Southern California; and a representative office in Seoul, Korea. Bank of Hope specializes in core business banking products for small and medium-sized businesses, with an emphasis in commercial real estate and commercial lending, SBA lending and international trade financing. Bank of Hope is a California-chartered bank, and its deposits are insured by the FDIC to the extent provided by law. Bank of Hope is an Equal Opportunity Lender. For additional information, please go to bankofhope.com. By including the foregoing website address link, the Company does not intend to and shall not be deemed to incorporate by reference any material contained or accessible therein.

Forward-Looking Statements

Some statements in this news release may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements relate to, among other things, expectations regarding the business environment in which we operate, projections of future performance, perceived opportunities in the market and statements regarding our business strategies, objectives and vision. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements preceded by, followed by or that include the words “will,” “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “estimates” or similar expressions. With respect to any such forward-looking statements, the Company claims the protection provided for in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements involve risks and uncertainties. The Company’s actual results, performance or achievements may differ significantly from the results, performance or achievements expressed or implied in any forward-looking statements. The risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to: possible further deterioration in economic conditions in our areas of operation; interest rate risk associated with volatile interest rates and related asset-liability matching risk; liquidity risks; risk of significant non-earning assets, and net credit losses that could occur, particularly in times of weak economic conditions or times of rising interest rates; the failure of or changes to assumptions and estimates underlying the Company’s allowances for credit losses; regulatory risks associated with current and future regulations; and the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on our financial position, results of operations, liquidity, and capitalization. For additional information concerning these and other risk factors, see the Company’s most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K. The Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims any obligation, to update any forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of events or circumstances after the date of such statements except as required by law.