Capitol Federal Financial, Inc.® Reports First Quarter Fiscal Year 2023 Results

TOPEKA, Kan.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Capitol Federal Financial, Inc.^® (NASDAQ: CFFN) (the “Company”), the parent company of Capitol Federal Savings Bank (the “Bank”), announced results today for the quarter ended December 31, 2022. For best viewing results, please view this release in Portable Document Format (PDF) on our website, http://ir.capfed.com.

Highlights for the quarter include:

• net income of $16.2 million;
• basic and diluted earnings per share of $0.12;
• net interest margin of 1.61% (1.88% excluding the effects of the leverage strategy);
• annualized loan growth of 17.1%;
• paid dividends of $0.365 per share; and
• on January 24, 2023, announced a cash dividend of $0.085 per share, payable on February 17, 2023 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 3, 2023.

Comparison of Operating Results for the Three Months Ended December 31, 2022 and September 30, 2022

For the quarter ended December 31, 2022, the Company recognized net income of $16.2 million, or $0.12 per share, compared to net income of $19.5 million, or $0.14 per share, for the quarter ended September 30, 2022. The decrease in net income was due primarily to lower net interest income in the current quarter. The net interest margin decreased 10 basis points, from 1.71% for the prior quarter to 1.61% for the current quarter. Excluding the effects of the leverage strategy discussed below, the net interest margin decreased 19 basis points, from 2.07% for the prior quarter to 1.88% for the current quarter. The decrease in the net interest margin excluding the effects of the leverage strategy was due mainly to an increase in the cost of borrowings and deposits, partially offset by an increase in loan yields due to higher market interest rates. Management anticipates the reduction in the net interest margin may continue in the near term. See additional discussion in “Fiscal Year 2023 Projections” below.

Leverage Strategy

At times, the Bank has utilized a leverage strategy to increase earnings. The leverage strategy during the current quarter involved borrowing up to $2.60 billion by entering into short-term Federal Home Loan Bank Topeka (“FHLB”) advances. During the current quarter, the average outstanding balance of leverage strategy borrowings was $1.87 billion. The borrowings were repaid prior to quarter end. The proceeds from the borrowings, net of the required FHLB stock holdings, which yielded 8.50% during the current quarter, were deposited at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City (“FRB of Kansas City”). Net income attributable to the leverage strategy is largely derived from the dividends received on FHLB stock holdings, plus the net interest rate spread between the yield on the cash deposited at the FRB of Kansas City and the rate paid on the related FHLB borrowings, less applicable federal insurance premiums and estimated taxes. Net income attributable to the leverage strategy was $763 thousand during the current quarter, compared to $1.3 million for the prior quarter. The decrease was due to a reduction in the size of the leverage strategy transaction because the borrowing capacity was needed for operational liquidity purposes. Management continues to monitor the net interest rate spread and overall profitability of the strategy. It is expected that the strategy will continue to be utilized as long as it remains profitable and/or the borrowing capacity does not need to be used for other purposes. When the leverage strategy is in place, it reduces the net interest margin due to the amount of earnings from the transaction in comparison to the size of the transaction.

Interest and Dividend Income

The following table presents the components of interest and dividend income for the time periods presented, along with the change measured in dollars and percent. The weighted average yield on loans receivable increased 11 basis points and the weighted average yield on mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”) increased four basis points compared to the prior quarter.

The increase in interest income on loans receivable was due to growth in the loan portfolio, along with an increase in the weighted average yield. The loan growth was mainly in the correspondent one-to four-family and commercial loan portfolios. The increase in the weighted average yield was due primarily to originations and purchases at higher market yields, as well as disbursements on commercial construction loans at rates higher than the overall portfolio rate and upward repricing of existing adjustable-rate loans due to higher market interest rates. The increase in interest income on cash and cash equivalents was due to an increase in the yield earned on balances held at the FRB of Kansas City, the majority of which were related to the leverage strategy. The increase in dividend income on FHLB stock was due to an increase in the dividend rate paid by FHLB.

Interest Expense

The following table presents the components of interest expense for the time periods presented, along with the change measured in dollars and percent. The weighted average rate paid on deposits increased 23 basis points and the weighted average rate paid on borrowings not associated with the leverage strategy increased 50 basis points compared to the prior quarter.

The increase in interest expense on borrowings was due primarily to new borrowings added during the current quarter and near the end of the prior quarter, at market interest rates higher than the overall portfolio rate, to fund operational liquidity needs. See additional discussion in the “Financial Condition” section below. Additionally, interest expense on borrowings increased due to an increase in the rate paid on the short-term borrowings associated with the leverage strategy, due to higher market interest rates. The increase in interest expense on deposits was due primarily to an increase in the weighted average rate paid on certificates of deposit and money market accounts, partially offset by a decrease in the average balance of those deposit types.

Provision for Credit Losses

For the quarter ended December 31, 2022, the Bank recorded a provision for credit losses of $3.7 million, compared to a provision for credit losses of $1.1 million for the prior quarter. The provision for credit losses in the current quarter was comprised of a $2.8 million increase in the allowance for credit losses (“ACL”) for loans and an $840 thousand increase in reserves for off-balance sheet credit exposures. The provision for credit losses associated with both the ACL and reserves for off-balance sheet credit exposures was primarily a result of growth in the commercial loan portfolio and the balance of commercial construction off-balance sheet credit exposures, along with a slowdown in portfolio prepayment speeds, which reduced the projected prepayment speeds used in the model for generally all loan categories.

Non-Interest Income

The following table presents the components of non-interest income for the time periods presented, along with the change measured in dollars and percent.

The decrease in other non-interest income was due mainly to the prior quarter including higher gains on a loan-related financial derivative agreement, which are generally driven by changes in market interest rates.

Non-Interest Expense

The following table presents the components of non-interest expense for the time periods presented, along with the change measured in dollars and percent.

The decrease in salaries and employee benefits was due mainly to a decrease in loan commissions, as well as one fewer working day in the current quarter compared to the prior quarter. The decrease in occupancy, net was due mainly to lower utility expenses and building maintenance expenses. The decrease in regulatory and outside services was due primarily to lower consulting expenses related to the Bank’s upcoming digital transformation project as those third-party services are now directly related to the project and are included in information technology and related expenses. The decrease in advertising and promotional expense was due mainly to the timing of campaigns and sponsorships. The increase in office supplies and related expense was due primarily to the write-off of the Bank’s remaining inventory of unissued non-contactless debit cards, which have now become obsolete. The decrease in deposit and loan transaction costs was mainly due to loan-related activities.

The Company’s efficiency ratio was 54.27% for the current quarter compared to 53.52% for the prior quarter. The change in the efficiency ratio was due primarily to lower net interest income, partially offset by lower non-interest expense. The efficiency ratio is a measure of a financial institution’s total non-interest expense as a percentage of the sum of net interest income (pre-provision for credit losses) and non-interest income. A higher value indicates that it is costing the financial institution more money to generate revenue, relative to the net interest margin and non-interest income.

Income Tax Expense

The following table presents pretax income, income tax expense, and net income for the time periods presented, along with the change measured in dollars and percent and the effective tax rate.

The decrease in income tax expense was due primarily to lower pretax income in the current quarter, along with a decrease in the effective tax rate. The decrease in the effective tax rate was due primarily to lower projected pretax income in the current year, as the Company’s permanent differences, which generally reduce our tax rate, have a larger impact to the overall effective rate.

Comparison of Operating Results for the Three Months Ended December 31, 2022 and 2021

The Company recognized net income of $16.2 million, or $0.12 per share, for the current quarter compared to net income of $22.2 million, or $0.16 per share, for the prior year quarter. The decrease in net income was due primarily to recording a provision for credit losses of $3.7 million for the current quarter compared to a recovery for credit losses of $3.4 million for the prior year quarter, partially offset by lower income tax expense. The net interest margin decreased 38 basis points, from 1.99% for the prior year quarter to 1.61% for the current quarter. Excluding the effects of the leverage strategy, the net interest margin decreased 11 basis points, from 1.99% for the prior year quarter to 1.88% for the current quarter. The decrease in the net interest margin excluding the effects of the leverage strategy was due mainly to an increase in the cost of borrowings and deposits, partially offset by an increase in loan yields due to higher market interest rates and a shift in the mix of interest-earning assets towards higher-yielding loans.

Interest and Dividend Income

The following table presents the components of interest and dividend income for the time periods presented, along with the change measured in dollars and percent.

The increase in interest income on loans receivable was due to an increase in the average balance and weighted average yield of the loan portfolio. The increase in the average balance was mainly in the correspondent one-to four-family and commercial loan portfolios. The increase in the weighted average yield was due primarily to originations and purchases at higher market yields, as well as disbursements on commercial construction loans at rates higher than the overall portfolio rate and upward repricing of existing adjustable-rate loans due to higher market interest rates. The increase in interest income on cash and cash equivalents and the increase in dividend income on FHLB stock were due mainly to the leverage strategy being utilized during the current quarter and not being utilized during the prior year quarter. Additionally, market interest rates increased between periods resulting in an increase in the yield on cash due to an increase in FRB interest rates, and FHLB increased the dividend rate paid compared to the prior year quarter.

Interest Expense

The following table presents the components of interest expense for the time periods presented, along with the change measured in dollars and percent.

The increase in interest expense on borrowings was due primarily to the leverage strategy being utilized during the current quarter and not being utilized during the prior year quarter. Interest expense on borrowings associated with the leverage strategy totaled $17.3 million during the current quarter. Interest expense on FHLB borrowings not associated with the leverage strategy also increased due to new borrowings added between periods, at market interest rates higher than the overall portfolio rate, to fund operational liquidity needs. See additional discussion in the “Financial Condition” section below. The increase in interest expense on deposits was due to an increase in the weighted average rate paid on the deposit portfolio, primarily money market accounts and certificates of deposit, partially offset by a decrease in the average balance of certificates of deposit.

Provision for Credit Losses

The Bank recorded a provision for credit losses during the current quarter of $3.7 million, compared to a recovery for credit losses of $3.4 million during the prior year quarter. See “Comparison of Operating Results for the Three Months Ended December 31, 2022 and September 30, 2022″ above for additional information regarding the provision for credit losses for the current quarter.

Non-Interest Income

The following table presents the components of non-interest income for the time periods presented, along with the change measured in dollars and percent.

The decrease in other non-interest income was due mainly to the prior year quarter including higher gains on a loan-related financial derivative agreement, along with a decrease in income from bank-owned life insurance.

Non-Interest Expense

The following table presents the components of non-interest expense for the time periods presented, along with the change measured in dollars and percent.

The increase in information technology and related expenses was due mainly to higher software licensing expenses, as well as third-party project management expenses associated with the Bank’s ongoing digital transformation project. The increase in regulatory and outside services was due primarily to outside counsel fees associated with the Bank’s defense against a putative class action complaint relating to overdraft fees. The decrease in advertising and promotional expense was due mainly to the timing of campaigns and sponsorships. The increase in federal insurance premium expense was due to the leverage strategy being utilized during the current quarter and not being utilized during the prior year quarter. The increase in office supplies and related expense was due primarily to the write-off of the Bank’s remaining inventory of unissued non-contactless debit cards, which have now become obsolete. The increase in other non-interest expense was due mainly to expenses associated with the collateral received on the Bank’s interest rate swap agreements and higher deposit-related fraud losses in the current quarter.

The Company’s efficiency ratio was 54.27% for the current quarter compared to 52.22% for the prior year quarter. The change in the efficiency ratio was due primarily to higher non-interest expense in the current quarter.

Income Tax Expense

The following table presents pretax income, income tax expense, and net income for the time periods presented, along with the change measured in dollars and percent and effective tax rate.

The decrease in income tax expense was due primarily to lower pretax income in the current quarter, along with a decrease in the effective tax rate. The decrease in the effective tax rate was due primarily to lower projected pretax income in the current year, as the Company’s permanent differences, which generally reduce our tax rate, have a larger impact to the overall effective rate.

Financial Condition as of December 31, 2022

The following table summarizes the Company’s financial condition at the dates indicated.

During the current quarter, total assets increased by $304.9 million, which was primarily driven by growth of $319.2 million in loans receivable, mainly in the correspondent one- to four-family and commercial loan portfolios. Total liabilities increased $346.6 million due to new borrowings of $520.0 million, partially offset by a decrease in deposits of $120.3 million. The one- to four-family correspondent loan portfolio increased $151.4 million, or 6.9%, primarily as a result of purchasing loans that were in the pipeline as of September 30, 2022, while new applications received have tapered off. Commercial loans increased $143.9 million, or 14.9%, during the current quarter, as funding for construction loans continued and new commercial real estate loans were added. Also, during the current quarter we experienced a reduction in prepayment speeds on the one- to four-family loan portfolio. The decrease in deposit balances was due primarily to money market account balances, which decreased $125.3 million during the current quarter as depositors likely moved funds to alternative, higher yielding investment products and/or used balances accumulated over the past several years to support spending. The increase in loan balances and the decrease in deposit balances made it necessary to increase FHLB borrowings by $520.0 million during the current quarter. The FHLB borrowing increase was composed of $450.0 million of new advances with a weighted average maturity of 3.3 years and $70.0 million on the FHLB line of credit. The overall loan growth during the quarter exceeded management’s expectations as of September 30, 2022. While it is still management’s expectation that we will stay under $10 billion in total assets at September 30, 2023, it is likely that we will exceed that threshold throughout several quarters this year. We are working to limit the growth in total assets and to limit additional use of FHLB advances for operating needs.

The following table summarizes loan originations and purchases and borrowing activity, along with the related weighted average rates, during the periods indicated. The borrowings presented in the table have original contractual terms of one year or longer.

Contacts

Kent Townsend

Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer

(785) 231-6360

ktownsend@capfed.com

Investor Relations

(785) 270-6055

investorrelations@capfed.com

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