Mark Grescovich
Analyst · Stephens
Thank you, Al. As announced, Banner Corporation reported a profit to common shareholders of $37.5 million, or $1.09 per diluted share for the quarter ended December 31, 2018. This compared to a net profit to common shareholders of $1.17 per share for the third quarter of 2018 and a net loss of $0.41 per share in the fourth quarter of 2017. Results for the fourth quarter of 2017 were impacted by the write-down of deferred tax assets following the passage of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, the sale of our Utah operations and a net loss from the sale of securities in connection with our balance sheet restructuring designed to postpone the adverse impact of the Durbin Amendment on debit card interchange fees. For the full year ended December 31, 2018, Banner Corporation reported a net income available to common shareholders of $136.5 million compared to $60.8 million for the full year of 2017. Excluding the impact of the items just described in the fourth quarter of 2017, merger and acquisition expenses, gains and losses on the sale of securities and changes in fair value of financial instruments, earnings from core operations increased 36% to $135 million in 2018 from $99 million in 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. Our full year 2018 core revenue reached a record $512 million and increased 9% compared to the full year of 2017, demonstrating that our strategic plan is effective and continuing to build shareholder value. We benefited from a larger and improved earning asset mix and increase in our net interest margin and very good deposit fee income. Overall, this resulted in a return on average assets of 1.29% for the year. Once again, our performance this quarter and for the full year reflects continued execution on our super community bank strategy. That is, growing new client relationships, improving our core funding position by growing core deposits and promoting client loyalty and advocacy through our response of service model, while augmenting our growth with opportunistic acquisitions. To that point, our core deposits increased 13% compared to December 31, 2017 and represent 86% of total deposits. Further, we continued our strong organic generation of new client relationships throughout the year. Reflective of this solid performance, coupled with our strong tangible common equity ratio of 9.62%, we issued a core dividend in the quarter of $0.38 per share and repurchased 595,000 shares of common stock in 2018. In a few moments, Peter Conner will discuss our operating performance 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. At the end of the quarter, our ratio of allowance for loan and lease losses to total loans was 1.11% 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 eight years, continued to invest in our franchise. We have deepened the executive management team, added talent in commercial and retail banking personnel, and we have invested in further developing and integrating all our bankers into Banner's proven credit and sales culture. We also have 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 and our value proposition as J.D. Power and Associates ranked Banner Bank the number one bank in the North West for client satisfaction, the third year we have won this award. The small business administration named 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 bank in the Pacific region, again, this year. Also, Banner was ranked in Forbes 2019 top 100 Best Banks in America for the third consecutive year. Before I turn the call over to Rick Barton to discuss trends in our loan portfolio, I want to, again, recognize our new colleagues and clients from Skagit Bank, which is an outstanding 60-year-old organization in Northwest Washington that joined Banner on November 1. We're 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, has joined Banner's Board of Directors. I'll now turn the call over to Rick Barton to discuss trends in the loan portfolio. Rick?