Mark Grescovich
Analyst · D.A. Davidson. Please go ahead
Thank you, Al. As announced, Banner Corporation reported a net profit available to common shareholders of $32.4 million or $1 per diluted share for the quarter ended June 30 2018. This compared to a net profit to common shareholders of $0.89 per share for the first quarter of 2018 and $0.77 per share in the second quarter of 2017. Excluding the impact of merger and acquisition expenses, gains and losses on the sale of securities and changes in fair value of financial instruments, earnings increased 24% of $32.2 million for the second quarter of 2018 from $25.9 million in the second quarter of 2017. Because of the hard work of our employees throughout the company, we are successfully executing on our strategies and priorities to deliver sustainable profitability and revenue growth to Banner. Our core operating performance continued to reflect the success of our proven client acquisition strategies, which are producing strong core revenue. We are benefiting from the successful integration of our acquisitions, which has had a dramatic impact on the scale and reach of the company and are providing a great opportunity for revenue growth. Our second quarter 2018 performance clearly demonstrates that our strategic plan is effective and we continue building shareholder value. Second quarter 2018 core revenue was $126 million, an increase of 4% compared to the second quarter of 2017. We benefited from a larger and improved earning asset mix, a net interest margin that remained above 4% and good deposit fee revenue. Overall, this resulted in a return on average assets of 1.25% for the second quarter of 2018. Once again, our performance this quarter reflects continued execution on our super community bank strategy that is growing new client relationships, adding to our core funding position by growing core deposits and promoting client loyalty and advocacy through our responsive service model, while augmenting our growth with opportunistic acquisitions. To that point, excluding the impact of the sale of the Utah operations, our non-interest bearing deposits increased 7% from one year ago representing 39% of total deposits. Further, we continued our strong organic generation of new client relations – relationships and it continues at approximately a 9% compounded annual rate since the end of 2009. Reflective of the solid performance coupled with our strong tangible common equity ratio of 9.79%, we issued a core dividend in the quarter of $0.35 per share and a special dividend of $0.50 per share. In a few moments Peter Conner will discuss the operating performance of our company in more detail. While we have been effectively executing on our strategies to protect our net interest margin, grow client relationships, deliver sustainable profitability and prudently invest our capital, we have also focused on maintaining the improved risk profile of Banner. Again this quarter, our credit quality metrics reflect our moderate risk profile. As expected due to the addition of new loans and the migration of acquired loans out of the discounted loan portfolio we reported a $2 million provision for loan losses during the second quarter. At the end of the quarter our ratio of allowance for loan and lease losses to total loans was 1.22% and our total non-performing assets totaled 0.16%. In a moment Rick Barton, our Chief Credit Officer will discuss the credit metrics of the company and provide some context around the loan portfolio and our success at maintaining a moderate credit risk profile. In the quarter and throughout the preceding 8 years, we continued to invest in our franchise. We have added talented commercial and retail banking personnel to our company and we have invested in further developing and integrating all our bankers into Banner’s proven credit and sales culture. We have also made and are continuing to make significant investments in our risk management infrastructure and our delivery platform positioning the company for continued growth and scale. While these investments have increased our core operating expenses, they have resulted in core revenue growth, strong customer acquisition, year-over-year growth in the loan portfolio and strong deposit fee income. Further, as I have noted before, we have received marketplace recognition of our progress in our value proposition as J.D. Power and Associates ranked Banner the number one bank in the Northwest for client satisfaction the third year we have won this award. The Small Business Administration and Banner Bank Community Lender of the Year for the Seattle and Spokane district for two consecutive years. And this year named Banner Bank Regional Lender of the Year for the third consecutive year and Bankrate.com and Money magazine named Banner Bank the Best Regional Bank in America. Also Banner ranked 35 out of 100 in the Forbes 2018 Best Banks in America. Before I turn the call over to Rick Barton to discuss the trends in our loan portfolio, I want to recognize our new colleagues from Skagit Bank, an outstanding 60-year-old organization in the North Sound region of the Pacific Northwest and their clients that will soon be joining Banner. We are extremely pleased with this opportunity to expand our super community bank model and enhance our density in the Seattle and I-5 corridor. Further, we are thrilled that Cheryl Bishop, Skagit’s Chief Executive Officer will be joining Banner’s Board of Directors. I will now turn the call over to Rick Barton to discuss the trends in the loan portfolio. Rick?