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  • MIL-OSI USA: Capito, Whitehouse Announce EPW Subcommittee Assignments for the 119th Congress

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), Chairman of the Senate Environment and Public Works (EPW) Committee, and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.), Ranking Member of the EPW Committee, announced the EPW subcommittee assignments for the 119th Congress.
    “Each of these subcommittees play an important role in developing solutions that tackle the infrastructure, energy, and environment challenges within EPW’s jurisdiction. I’m confident in the ability of our chairs to lead these panels effectively, and continue EPW’s track record of getting things done. I look forward to working with our subcommittee leaders and members to address the issues most important to the American people,” Chairman Capito said.  
    “Our subcommittees cover many issues that are essential to ensuring clean air, clean water, a healthy climate, and modern infrastructure,” said Ranking Member Whitehouse. “I look forward to working together on these important topics.”
    Subcommittee assignments for the 119th Congress are as follows:
    Transportation and Infrastructure
    Senator Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.), Chairman 
    Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.)
    Senator John Curtis (R-Utah)
    Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)
    Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska)
    Senator Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.)
    Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)
    Senator John Boozman (R-Ark.)
    Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.), Ranking Member
    Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.)
    Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.)
    Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.)
    Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
    Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.)
    Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.)
    Clean Air, Climate, and Nuclear Innovation and Safety
    Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.), Chairman 
    Senator Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.)
    Senator John Curtis (R-Utah)
    Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)
    Senator Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.)
    Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)
    Senator John Boozman (R-Ark.)
    Senator Jon Husted (R-Ohio) 
    Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.), Ranking Member
    Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)
    Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.)
    Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.)
    Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
    Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.)
    Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.)
    Chemical Safety, Waste Management, Environmental Justice, and Regulatory Oversight
    Senator John Curtis (R-Utah), Chairman
    Senator Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.)
    Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska)
    Senator Roger Wicker (R-Miss.)
    Senator Jon Husted (R-Ohio) 
    Senator Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.), Ranking Member
    Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)
    Senator Ed Markey (D-Mass.)
    Senator Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-Del.)
    Fisheries, Wildlife, and Water
    Senator Pete Ricketts (R-Neb.), Chairman
    Senator Kevin Cramer (R-N.D.)
    Senator Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.)
    Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska)
    Senator John Boozman (R-Ark.)
    Senator Jon Husted (R-Ohio) 
    Senator Adam Schiff (D-Calif.), Ranking Member
    Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.)
    Senator Mark Kelly (D-Ariz.)
    Senator Alex Padilla (D-Calif.)
    Senator Angela Alsobrooks (D-Md.)

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI: Royalty Pharma to Announce Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Financial Results on February 11, 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Royalty Pharma plc (Nasdaq: RPRX) today announced that it will report its fourth quarter and full year 2024 financial results on Tuesday, February 11, 2025 before the U.S. financial markets open. The company will host a conference call and simultaneous webcast at 8:30 a.m. Eastern Time that day.

    Conference Call Information

    Please visit the “Investors” page of the company’s website at https://www.royaltypharma.com/investors/events/ to obtain conference call information and to view the live webcast. A replay of the conference call and webcast will be archived on the company’s website for at least 30 days.

    About Royalty Pharma

    Founded in 1996, Royalty Pharma is the largest buyer of biopharmaceutical royalties and a leading funder of innovation across the biopharmaceutical industry, collaborating with innovators from academic institutions, research hospitals and non-profits through small and mid-cap biotechnology companies to leading global pharmaceutical companies. Royalty Pharma has assembled a portfolio of royalties which entitles it to payments based directly on the top-line sales of many of the industry’s leading therapies. Royalty Pharma funds innovation in the biopharmaceutical industry both directly and indirectly – directly when it partners with companies to co-fund late-stage clinical trials and new product launches in exchange for future royalties, and indirectly when it acquires existing royalties from the original innovators. Royalty Pharma’s current portfolio includes royalties on more than 35 commercial products, including Vertex’s Trikafta, GSK’s Trelegy, Roche’s Evrysdi, Johnson & Johnson’s Tremfya, Biogen’s Tysabri and Spinraza, AbbVie and Johnson & Johnson’s Imbruvica, Astellas and Pfizer’s Xtandi, Novartis’ Promacta, Pfizer’s Nurtec ODT and Gilead’s Trodelvy, and 14 development-stage product candidates. For more information, visit www.royaltypharma.com.

    Royalty Pharma Investor Relations and Communications

    +1 (212) 883-6637
    ir@royaltypharma.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: BlackLine Announces Date for Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Earnings Release and Conference Call

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LOS ANGELES, Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — BlackLine, Inc. (Nasdaq: BL) announced today that it will release financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended December 31, 2024 after market close on Tuesday, February 11, 2025 followed by a conference call hosted by management at 2:00 p.m. PT / 5:00 p.m. ET. A live webcast and replay will be accessible on BlackLine’s investor relations website at https://investors.blackline.com/. To access the conference call by phone, please register here, and dial-in details will be provided. To avoid delays, we encourage participants to dial into the conference call fifteen minutes ahead of the scheduled start time.

    About BlackLine

    BlackLine (Nasdaq: BL), the future-ready platform for the Office of the CFO, drives digital finance transformation by empowering organizations with accurate, efficient, and intelligent financial operations.

    BlackLine’s comprehensive platform addresses mission-critical processes, including record-to-report and invoice-to-cash, enabling unified and accurate data, streamlined and optimized processes, and real-time insight through visibility, automation, and AI. BlackLine’s proven, collaborative approach ensures continuous transformation, delivering immediate impact and sustained value. With a proven track record of innovation, industry-leading R&D investment, and world-class security practices, more than 4,400 customers across multiple industries partner with BlackLine to lead their organizations into the future.

    For more information, please visit blackline.com.

    Investor Relations Contact:
    Matt Humphries, CFA
    matt.humphries@blackline.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI USA: Capito Votes to Confirm Sean Duffy for Transportation Secretary

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for West Virginia Shelley Moore Capito
    WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation (Commerce) Committee, issued the following statement after voting to confirm Sean Duffy to serve as the next Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportations (DOT):
    “I have known Sean Duffy for years and worked closely with him during our time in the House of Representatives. His promise to leave a legacy of increased safety on our roads, waterways, and skies at the Department of Transportation is a noble effort that both Republicans and Democrats can unite behind,” Senator Capito said. “I was proud to vote to confirm Sean to the top position at DOT, and I look forward to working with him and the Trump administration on a surface transportation package this Congress so that we can deliver results for West Virginia, especially our critical infrastructure projects, and make traveling safer for all Americans.”
    BACKGROUND:
    Senator Capito previously met with Duffy in December of 2024 to discuss his nomination and learn more about his vision to lead the department.
    Senator Capito and Duffy served together in the U.S. House of Representatives.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI: Chemung Financial Corporation Reports Annual Net Income of $23.7 million, or $4.96 per share, and Fourth Quarter 2024 Net Income of $5.9 million, or $1.24 per share

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    ELMIRA, N.Y., Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Chemung Financial Corporation (the “Corporation”) (Nasdaq: CHMG), the parent company of Chemung Canal Trust Company (the “Bank”), today reported net income of $23.7 million, or $4.96 per share, for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to $25.0 million, or $5.28 per share, for the year ended December 31, 2023. Net income was $5.9 million, or $1.24 per share, for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $5.7 million, or $1.19 per share, for the third quarter of 2024, and $3.8 million, or $0.80 per share, for the fourth quarter of 2023.

    “A prudent and relationship-based effort to manage funding costs provided a tailwind for fourth quarter earnings, and capped a solid year of results in an uncertain environment,” said Anders M. Tomson, President and CEO of Chemung Financial Corporation. “Strong net interest margin expansion speaks to the execution of Bank-wide strategic initiatives and a thoughtful approach to loan growth, particularly in our newly established Canal Bank division,” added Tomson.

    “As we reflect on 2024 and look ahead to 2025, the Corporation is situated to perform well, due in large part to the combined efforts of our team over the past year. Our results demonstrate the continued value of a community-focused approach to banking, which we look forward to carrying on in the coming year,” concluded Tomson.

    Fourth Quarter Highlights:

    • Net interest margin expanded 20 basis points compared to the prior quarter, from 2.72% in the third quarter 2024 to 2.92% in the fourth quarter 2024. 1
    • Annual loan growth totaled 5.0% for the year ended December 31, 2024, including commercial and industrial growth of 13.3% and commercial real estate growth of 8.4%.
    • Non-performing loans to total loans declined nine basis points compared to September 30, 2024 and ten basis points compared to December 31, 2023, while non-performing assets to total assets declined five basis points compared to both September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023.
    • Dividends declared during the fourth quarter 2024 were $0.31 per share.

    1 See the GAAP to Non-GAAP reconciliations.

    2024 vs 2023

    Net Interest Income:

    Net interest income for the year ended December 31, 2024 totaled $74.1 million, compared to $74.5 million for the prior year, a decrease of $0.4 million, or 0.5%, driven by increases of $14.1 million in interest expense on deposits and $0.8 million in interest expense on borrowed funds, and a decrease of $1.3 million in interest and dividend income on taxable securities, offset by increases of $14.9 million in interest income on loans, including fees, and $0.9 million in interest income on interest-earning deposits.

    Interest expense on deposits increased primarily due to a 68 basis points increase in the average interest rate paid on interest-bearing deposits, which included brokered deposits, and deposit campaigns primarily relating to time deposits. The increase in interest expense on borrowed funds was largely due to a $16.2 million increase in average balances of borrowed funds, compared to the prior year, partially offset by a 14 basis points decrease in the average interest rate paid on total borrowings, compared to the prior year. Average balances of borrowed funds in the current year consisted of FHLBNY overnight and term advances and a Federal Reserve Bank Term Funding Program Advance (BTFP), while borrowed funds in the prior year consisted primarily of FHLBNY overnight advances. The decrease in interest and dividend income on taxable securities was largely due to a decrease of $58.0 million in average balances of taxable securities, primarily due to paydowns on mortgage-backed and SBA pooled loan securities. The average yield on taxable securities was comparable between 2023 and 2024.

    Interest income on loans, including fees increased primarily due to an increase of $117.5 million in average total loan balances and an increase of 44 basis points in the average yield on total loans. The increase in average balances was concentrated in the commercial portfolio, which increased $136.8 million compared to the prior year. Average balances of consumer loans and residential mortgage loans decreased $11.0 million and $8.3 million respectively, compared to the prior year. The average yield on commercial loans increased 37 basis points, while the average yields on consumer loans and residential mortgage loans increased 69 and 30 basis points respectively, compared to the prior year. The increase in interest income on interest-earning deposits was mainly due to an increase of $18.8 million in average balances of interest-earning deposits, due to an increase in deposits at the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.

    Fully taxable equivalent net interest margin was 2.76% for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to 2.85% for the prior year. Average interest-earning assets increased $76.9 million while average interest-bearing liabilities increased $108.1 million during 2024, compared to the prior year. The average yield on interest-earning assets increased 41 basis points to 4.74%, while the average cost of interest-bearing liabilities increased 67 basis points to 2.87% during 2024, compared to the prior year, both primarily due to the lagging effects of interest rate increases during 2022 and 2023.

    Provision for Credit Losses:

    Provision for credit losses for the year ended December 31, 2024 was a credit of $46 thousand, compared to a provision of $3.3 million for the prior year, a decrease of $3.3 million. The decrease was largely due to the annual review and update to the loss drivers which the Bank’s CECL model is based upon, resulting in a decline in baseline loss rates. The updates were applied beginning in the first quarter of 2024, and resulted in a credit to provision of $2.0 million for the first quarter of 2024. Additionally, provisioning in 2023 included a $0.9 million specific allocation on a nonaccrual commercial real estate relationship.

    Non-Interest Income:

    Non-interest income for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $23.2 million, compared to $24.5 million for the prior year, a decrease of $1.3 million, or 5.3%, driven by decreases of $2.5 million in other non-interest income and $0.2 million in interchange revenue from debit card transactions, offset by an increase of $1.1 million in wealth management group fee income.

    Other non-interest income decreased primarily due to the recognition of a $2.4 million employee retention tax credit (ERTC) in the third quarter of 2023. The decrease in interchange revenue from debit card transactions was primarily due to a decrease in transactional volume compared to the prior year. The increase in wealth management group fee income was largely due to improvements in equity markets during 2024.

    Non-Interest Expense:

    Non-interest expense for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $67.3 million, compared to $64.2 million for the prior year, an increase of $3.1 million, or 4.8%, driven by increases of $1.6 million in salaries and wages, $0.7 million in pension and other employee benefits, $0.3 million in data processing, and $0.3 million in marketing and advertising.

    Salaries and wages increased primarily due to additional staffing in the Bank’s new Western New York market, merit-based wage increases, and promotions, which was partially offset by savings from the outsourcing of certain back office functions during 2024. The increase in pension and other employee benefits was largely due to an increase in employee healthcare-related expenses, compared to the prior year. The increase in data processing was primarily due to the addition of new contracts, an increase in debit card procurement expenses, and an increase in cybersecurity software expense. The increase in marketing and advertising was mainly due to expenditures relating to the Bank’s 190th anniversary checking account promotion and ongoing CD campaigns, the launch of the Bank’s new Western New York “Canal Bank” brand, and a general increase in advertising efforts during the current year.

    Income Tax Expense:

    Income tax expense for the year ended December 31, 2024 was $6.4 million, compared to $6.5 million for the prior year, a decrease of $0.1 million. The effective tax rate for the year ended December 31, 2024 increased to 21.3%, compared to 20.6% for the prior year. The decrease in income tax expense was primarily due to a decrease in pretax income.

    4th Quarter 2024 vs 3rd Quarter 2024

    Net Interest Income:

    Net interest income for the fourth quarter of 2024 totaled $19.8 million, compared to $18.4 million for the prior quarter, an increase of $1.4 million, or 7.6%, driven by decreases of $0.8 million in interest expense on deposits and $0.4 million in interest expense on borrowed funds, and an increase of $0.2 million in interest income on loans.

    Interest expense on deposits decreased primarily due to a decrease of 21 basis points in the average interest rate paid on total interest-bearing deposits, despite an increase of $17.6 million in average balances of total interest-bearing deposits, compared to the prior quarter. The average interest rate paid on brokered deposits decreased 61 basis points, as the Bank replaced brokered deposits carrying higher interest rates with lower cost brokered deposits during the quarter. Average balances of brokered deposits increased $8.9 million compared to the prior quarter. The average interest rate paid on customer time deposits decreased 21 basis points and average balances of customer time deposits decreased $13.8 million in the current quarter, compared to the prior quarter. Both the decrease in average interest rate paid and average balances were largely due to a shift in the Bank’s CD campaign strategy, which included reducing the interest rates of its primary campaign offerings by 50 basis points in September. Customer time deposits comprised 22.1% of average total deposits for the three months ended December 31, 2024, compared to 23.0% for the three months ended September 30, 2024. The average interest rate paid on savings and money market deposits decreased 17 basis points, as the Bank adjusted rates offered on money market products to better align with current market conditions, while average balances of savings and money market deposits increased $6.7 million, compared to the prior quarter.

    The decrease in interest expense on borrowed funds was primarily due to a decrease in the average cost of total borrowings of 34 basis points, and a decrease in average balances of borrowed funds of $27.5 million, compared to the prior quarter. The decrease in the average cost was partially due to decreases in benchmark interest rates during the quarter, and the decrease in average balances was partially due to an increase in average balances of brokered deposits and seasonal inflows of municipal deposits at the end of the prior quarter. Average balances of borrowed funds in the current quarter consisted primarily of FHLBNY overnight advances, while average balances in the prior quarter primarily consisted of a $30.0 million FHLBNY term advance and a $50.0 million BTFP advance. The FHLBNY term advance matured in September 2024, while the BTFP advance was prepaid in its entirety in October 2024, without prepayment penalty.

    Interest income on loans, including fees, increased primarily due to a $32.6 million increase in average balances of commercial loans, despite a decrease of seven basis points in the average yield on commercial loans, compared to the prior quarter. Increases in average balances were distributed between commercial real estate and commercial and industrial loans, while the decrease in the average yield was largely due to rate decreases on existing variable rate loans. Total interest income on commercial loans included $0.3 million in interest income recognized on the payoff of a nonaccrual construction loan during the fourth quarter. Average balances of residential mortgage loans increased $1.3 million and the average yield on residential mortgage loans increased two basis points, compared to the prior quarter. Origination yields of residential mortgage loans remained elevated despite the declining interest rate environment. Average balances of consumer loans decreased $7.9 million while the average yield increased eight basis points, compared to the prior quarter, as runoff from the indirect auto portfolio exceeded originations.

    Fully taxable equivalent net interest margin was 2.92% for the current quarter, compared to 2.72% for the prior quarter. Net interest margin was positively impacted by the recognition of $0.3 million in interest income on the payoff of a nonaccrual construction loan. Average interest-earning assets increased $12.0 million, while average interest-bearing liabilities decreased $9.8 million during the fourth quarter, compared to the prior quarter. The average yield on interest-earning assets increased one basis point to 4.79%, while the average cost of interest-bearing liabilities decreased 24 basis points to 2.73%, compared to the prior quarter.

    Provision for Credit Losses:

    Provision for credit losses was $0.6 million in the current quarter, in line with the prior quarter. Provisioning in the current quarter was primarily due to commercial loan growth and net charge-off activity on commercial and industrial and auto loans. Improvements in economic forecasts for unemployment and GDP in the current quarter benefited the provision for credit losses, compared to modest deterioration in the prior quarter.

    Non-Interest Income:

    Non-interest income for the fourth quarter of 2024 was $6.1 million, compared to $5.9 million for the prior quarter, an increase of $0.2 million, or 3.4%, driven by increases of $0.2 million in other non-interest income and $0.1 million in service charges on deposit accounts, offset by a decrease of $0.2 million in the change in fair value of equity investments.

    Other non-interest income increased primarily due to an increase in interest rate swap fee income compared to the prior quarter. The increase in service charges on deposit accounts was mainly due to fee rate increases which were phased in during the fourth quarter of 2024. The decrease in the change in fair value of equity investments was largely due to a decrease in the market value of assets held for the Corporation’s deferred compensation plan, compared to the increase in market value in the prior quarter.

    Non-Interest Expense:

    Non-interest expense for the fourth quarter of 2024 was $17.8 million, compared to $16.5 million for the prior quarter, an increase of $1.3 million, or 7.9%, driven by increases of $0.7 million in pension and other employee benefits, $0.3 million in salaries and wages, $0.2 million in professional services, and $0.1 million in data processing expenses.

    Pension and other employee benefits increased compared to the prior quarter primarily due to an increase in employee healthcare-related expenses. The increase in salaries and wages was largely due to an increase in quarterly incentive compensation expense and additional staffing for the Corporation’s newly established Western New York regional banking center. The increase in professional services was primarily due to an increase in consulting fees compared to the prior quarter. The increase in data processing was primarily due to an increase in debit card procurement expenses and cybersecurity initiatives.

    Income Tax Expense:

    Income tax expense for the fourth quarter of 2024 was $1.6 million, compared to $1.5 million for the prior quarter, an increase of $0.1 million. The effective tax rate for the current quarter increased to 21.2% from 20.9% in the prior quarter. The increase in income tax expense was primarily due to an increase in pretax income.

    4th Quarter 2024 vs 4th Quarter 2023

    Net Interest Income:

    Net interest income for the fourth quarter of 2024 totaled $19.8 million, compared to $17.9 million for the same period in the prior year, an increase of $1.9 million, or 10.6%, driven by increases of $2.7 million in interest income on loans, including fees and $0.3 million in interest income on interest-earning deposits, and a decrease of $0.2 million in interest expense on borrowed funds, partially offset by an increase of $0.8 million in interest expense on deposits and a decrease of $0.4 million in interest income on taxable securities.

    Interest income on loans, including fees, increased primarily due to a $116.8 million increase in average balances of commercial loans and an increase of 22 basis points in the average yield on commercial loans, compared to the same period in the prior year. The increase in average balances of commercial loans was concentrated in commercial real estate, while the increase in the average yield on commercial loans was mainly due to higher total origination yields throughout 2024. Average balances of residential mortgage loans decreased $4.7 million compared to the same period in the prior year, due to an increase in sales of new originations to the secondary market, while the average yield on residential mortgage loans increased 40 basis points compared to the same period in the prior year, partially due to higher origination yields on loans held for investment in 2024. Average consumer loan balances decreased $21.9 million compared to the same period in the prior year, largely due to net runoff of the indirect auto portfolio, while the average yield on consumer loans increased 49 basis points, primarily due to runoff of older vintage indirect auto loans, replaced by higher yielding new originations. Interest income on interest-earning deposits increased mainly due to a $22.7 million increase in average balances of interest-earning deposits, compared to the same period in the prior year.

    The decrease in interest expense on borrowed funds was primarily due to a decrease of $12.0 million in average balances of FHLBNY overnight advances, and a decrease of 86 basis points in the average interest rate paid on FHLBNY overnight advances, compared to the same period in the prior year. Average balances of FHLBNY overnight advances decreased due to the liquidity provided by an increase in customer deposits, compared to the same period in the prior year. The decrease in the average interest rate paid on FHLBNY overnight advances was primarily due to the declining interest rate environment in the current year period, compared to the static interest rate environment in the prior year period.

    Interest expense on deposits increased primarily due to an increase of $105.9 million in average balances of customer interest-bearing deposits, and an increase of 17 basis points in the average interest rate paid on customer interest-bearing deposits, compared to the same period in the prior year. Both the increase in average balances of and the average interest rate paid on customer interest-bearing deposits was largely due to CD campaigns throughout 2024. The average balances of customer time deposits increased $93.5 million, and the average interest rate paid on customer time deposits increased 25 basis points, compared to the same period in the prior year. Customer time deposits comprised 22.1% of average total deposits for the three months ended December 31, 2024, compared to 18.7% for the same period in the prior year. The average balances of and average interest rate paid on brokered deposits decreased $29.2 million and 60 basis points, respectively, compared to the same period in the prior year. The decrease in the average balances of brokered deposits was mainly due to the liquidity provided by an increase in total customer deposits, compared to the same period in the prior year. The decrease in interest income on taxable securities was largely due to paydowns and maturities of available for sale securities between the prior year period and current year period of $54.5 million, primarily on SBA pooled loan securities and mortgage-backed securities.

    Fully taxable equivalent net interest margin was 2.92% for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to 2.69% for the same period in the prior year. Average interest-earning assets increased $57.4 million, while average interest-bearing liabilities increased $68.6 million, compared to the same period in the prior year. The average yield on interest-earning assets increased 29 basis points to 4.79%, while the average cost of interest-bearing liabilities increased five basis points to 2.73%, compared to the same period in the prior year.

    Provision for Credit Losses:

    Provision for credit losses decreased $1.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to the same period in the prior year. The decrease was largely due to a $0.9 million specific allocation on a commercial real estate relationship in the fourth quarter of the prior year as well as a substantial decline in prepayment speeds used in the Bank’s CECL model in the fourth quarter of the prior year.

    Non-Interest Income:

    Non-interest income for the fourth quarter of 2024 was $6.1 million, compared to $5.9 million for the same period in the prior year, an increase of $0.2 million, or 3.4%, driven by increases of $0.3 million in wealth management group fee income, $0.1 million in service charges on deposit accounts, and $0.1 million in other non-interest income, partially offset by a decrease of $0.3 million in the change in fair value of equity investments.

    The increase in wealth management group fee income was primarily due to fee rate increases effective July 1, 2024. The increase in service charges on deposit accounts was largely due to fee rate increases phased in during the fourth quarter of the current year. The increase in other non-interest income was mainly due to an increase in interest rate swap fee income, compared to the same period in the prior year. The decrease in the change in fair value of equity investments was mainly due to a decrease in the market value of assets held for the Corporation’s deferred compensation plan during the current year period, compared to an increase in market value in the prior year period.

    Non-Interest Expense:

    Non-interest expense for the fourth quarter of 2024 was $17.8 million, compared to $16.8 million for the same period in the prior year, an increase of $1.0 million, or 5.9%, driven by increases of $0.6 million in salaries and wages, $0.4 million in pension and other employee benefits, and $0.2 million in data processing, partially offset by a decrease of $0.4 million in other non-interest expense.

    Salaries and wages increased primarily due to an increase in base salaries, including merit-based increases and additional staffing for the Corporation’s newly opened Western New York regional banking center, as well as an increase in incentive compensation expense. The increase in pension and other employee benefits expense was largely due to additional payroll tax expense, employee profit-sharing expense, and employee healthcare-related expense compared to the same period in the prior year. The increase in data processing was primarily due to increases in software and debit card related expenses, the addition of new contracts, and cybersecurity initiatives. The decrease in other non-interest expense was largely due to a decrease in non-loan charge-offs compared to the same period in the prior year.

    Income Tax Expense:

    Income tax expense for the fourth quarter of 2024 was $1.6 million, compared to $0.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2023, an increase of $0.8 million. The effective tax rate for the current quarter was 21.2%, compared to 18.1% for the same period in the prior year. The increase in income tax expense was primarily due to an increase in pretax income.

    Asset Quality

    Non-performing loans totaled $9.0 million as of December 31, 2024, or 0.43% of total loans, compared to $10.4 million, or 0.53% of total loans as of December 31, 2023. The decrease in non-performing loans was mainly due to the payoff of two large nonaccrual loans, a $2.2 million construction loan and a $1.9 million commercial real estate loan, during the current year. There was $1.2 million in paydowns on other non-performing commercial loans during 2024. $3.9 million in commercial loan balances were added to non-performing loans during 2024, comprised of $3.5 million in commercial real estate loans and $0.4 million in commercial and industrial loans. Net charge-offs on commercial loans totaled $0.2 million in 2024. The net changes in non-performing residential mortgage and consumer loans were an increase of $0.1 million and a decrease of $0.1 million, respectively. Non-performing assets, which are comprised of non-performing loans, other real estate owned, and repossessed vehicles, were $9.6 million, or 0.35% of total assets as of December 31, 2024, compared to $10.7 million, or 0.40% of total assets as of December 31, 2023. Other real estate owned was $0.4 million and repossessed vehicles was $0.2 million as of December 31, 2024.

    Total loan delinquencies as of December 31, 2024 decreased compared to December 31, 2023. Annualized net charge-offs to total average loans for the fourth quarter of 2024 were 0.12%, compared to 0.02% for the third quarter of 2024, and were 0.06% for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to 0.05% for the year ended December 31, 2023. Annualized commercial net charge-offs were 0.07% of average commercial loan balances for the fourth quarter of 2024, primarily due to $0.3 million in net charge-offs on two commercial and industrial loans. Commercial net charge-offs for the year ended December 31, 2024 were 0.01% of average commercial loan balances. Annualized consumer net charge-offs were 0.45% of average consumer loan balances for the fourth quarter of 2024, and 0.35% of average consumer loan balances for the year ended December 31, 2024, both largely concentrated in indirect auto loans. Residential mortgage loans had net recovery rates for both the fourth quarter of 2024 and the year ended December 31, 2024.

    The allowance for credit losses was $21.4 million as of December 31, 2024 and $22.5 million as of December 31, 2023. The allowance for credit losses on unfunded commitments, a component of other liabilities, was $0.8 million as of December 31, 2024 and $0.9 million as of December 31, 2023. The decrease in the allowance for credit losses was mainly due to the annual review and update to the loss drivers which the Bank’s CECL model is based upon. Recalibration of loss drivers resulted in a decline in the baseline loss rates which the model utilizes, and were applied beginning in the first quarter of 2024. Additionally, the FOMC projection for U.S. GDP improved as of December 31, 2024 compared to December 31, 2023. Partially offsetting these declines were loan growth, a decline in modeled prepayment speeds, and a slightly weaker FOMC projection for national unemployment as of December 31, 2024 compared to December 31, 2023. The allowance for credit losses was 238.87% of non-performing loans as of December 31, 2024 and 216.28% as of December 31, 2023. The allowance for credit losses to total loans was 1.03% as of December 31, 2024 and 1.14% as of December 31, 2023. Provision for credit losses as a percentage of period-end loan balances was 0.03% for the fourth quarter of 2024.

    Balance Sheet Activity

    Total assets were $2.776 billion as of December 31, 2024, compared to $2.711 billion as of December 31, 2023, an increase of $65.6 million, or 2.4%. This increase was driven by increases of $98.8 million in loans, net of deferred origination fees and costs, $10.2 million in cash and cash equivalents, and $2.7 million in accrued interest receivable and other assets, partially offset by a decrease of $48.9 million in total investment securities.

    Loans, net of deferred origination fees and costs increased primarily due to growth concentrated in the commercial loan portfolio, which increased $129.2 million, or 9.3%, compared to prior year-end. Growth in commercial loans during the current year consisted of $35.1 million in commercial and industrial balances and $94.1 million in commercial real estate balances. Consumer loans decreased $27.4 million, or 8.9%, compared to prior-year end, largely due to lower indirect auto loan origination activity during the current year, and a relatively fast turnover rate in the portfolio. Residential mortgages decreased $3.0 million, or 1.1% compared to prior year-end, as the Corporation continued to elect to sell a portion of originations into the secondary market and demand remained weakened in the current interest rate environment.

    The increase in cash and cash equivalents was mainly due to an increase of $77.2 million in FHLBNY overnight advances and $49.6 million in net paydowns and maturities of available for sale securities, partially offset by an increase of $98.8 million in loans, net of deferred origination fees and costs, and a decrease of $32.5 million in total deposits. The increase in accrued interest receivable and other assets was largely due to increases in prepaid expenses and interest receivable on interest rate swaps.

    Total investment securities decreased primarily due to a decrease of $52.6 million in securities available for sale, compared to prior year-end. Net paydowns and maturities of securities available for sale for the current year totaled $49.6 million, mainly due to paydowns on mortgage-backed securities and SBA pooled loan securities. The market value of securities available for sale decreased $0.7 million, due to unfavorable changes in market interest rates during the current year. Partially offsetting the decrease in total investment securities was an increase of $3.6 million in FHLB and FRB stock, at cost, mainly due to an increase in FHLBNY overnight advances as of December 31, 2024, compared to prior year-end.

    Total liabilities were $2.561 billion as of December 31, 2024, compared to $2.515 billion as of December 31, 2023, an increase of $45.6 million, or 1.8%. This increase was driven by increases of $77.9 million in advances and other debt and $0.4 million in accrued interest payable and other liabilities, partially offset by a decrease of $32.5 million in deposits.

    Advances and other debt increased mainly due to an increase of $77.2 million in FHLBNY overnight advances and an increase of $0.7 million in finance lease obligations. The increase in accrued interest payable and other liabilities was primarily due to an increase in interest payable on deposits of $0.6 million.

    Total deposits decreased by $32.5 million or 1.3%, compared to prior year-end, largely due to decreases of $50.6 million in brokered deposits, $28.6 million in money market deposits, and $27.4 million in non interest-bearing demand deposits. These decreases were partially offset by increases of $62.3 million in customer time deposits and $15.4 million in interest-bearing demand deposits. Additionally, savings deposits decreased $3.6 million. Non interest-bearing deposits comprised 26.1% and 26.9% of total deposits as of December 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively.

    Total shareholders’ equity was $215.3 million as of December 31, 2024, compared to $195.2 million as of December 31, 2023, an increase of $20.1 million, or 10.3%, driven by an increase of $17.8 million in retained earnings and a decrease of $0.9 million in accumulated other comprehensive loss. The increase in retained earnings was mainly due to net income of $23.7 million, offset by dividends declared of $5.9 million during the year ended December 31, 2024. The decrease in accumulated other comprehensive loss was largely due to revised actuarial assumptions relating to the Corporation’s pension plans, offset by the unfavorable impact of interest rates on available for sale securities during the current year.

    The total equity to total assets ratio was 7.76% as of December 31, 2024, compared to 7.20% as of December 31, 2023, and the tangible equity to tangible assets ratio was 7.02% as of December 31, 2024, compared to 6.45% as of December 31, 2023.1 Book value per share and tangible book value per share increased to $45.13 and $40.55, respectively as of December 31, 2024 from $41.07 and $36.48, respectively as of December 31, 2023.1 As of December 31, 2024, the Bank’s capital ratios were in excess of those required to be considered well-capitalized under the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action.

    1 See the GAAP to Non-GAAP reconciliations

    Liquidity

    The Corporation uses a variety of resources to manage its liquidity, and management believes it has the necessary liquidity to allow for flexibility in meeting its various operational and strategic needs. These include short-term investments, cash flow from lending and investing activities, core-deposit growth and non-core funding sources, such as time deposits of $250,000 or greater, brokered deposits, FHLBNY overnight and term advances, and FRB advances. Borrowings may be used on a short-term basis for liquidity purposes or on a long-term basis to fund asset growth. As of December 31, 2024, the Corporation’s cash and cash equivalents balance was $47.0 million. The Corporation also maintains an investment portfolio of securities available for sale, comprised primarily of US Government treasury securities, SBA loan pools, mortgage-backed securities, and municipal bonds. Although this portfolio generates interest income for the Corporation, it also serves as an available source of liquidity and capital if the need should arise. As of December 31, 2024, the Corporation’s investment in securities available for sale was $531.4 million, $349.9 million of which was not pledged as collateral. Additionally, as of December 31, 2024 the Bank’s total advance line capacity at the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York was $221.1 million, $109.1 million of which was utilized and $112.0 million of which was available as additional borrowing capacity. In January 2024, the Corporation utilized the BTFP with an advance of $50.0 million, which the Corporation paid off in October 2024, without prepayment penalty.

    As of December 31, 2024, uninsured deposits totaled $652.3 million, or 27.2% of total deposits, including $145.6 million of municipal deposits collateralized by pledged assets, when required. As of December 31, 2023, uninsured deposits totaled $655.7 million, or 27.0% of total deposits, including $153.2 million of municipal deposits collateralized by pledged assets. Due to their fluidity, the Corporation closely monitors uninsured deposit levels when considering liquidity management strategies.

    The Corporation considers brokered deposits to be an element of its deposit strategy, and anticipates it may continue utilizing brokered deposits as a secondary source of funding in support of growth. As of December 31, 2024, the Corporation had entered into brokered deposit arrangements with multiple brokers. As of December 31, 2024, brokered deposits carried terms between 3 and 48 months, totaling $92.2 million. Excluding brokered deposits, total deposits increased $18.1 million compared to December 31, 2023.

    Other Items

    The market value of total assets under management or administration in our Wealth Management Group was $2.212 billion as of December 31, 2024, including $301.9 million of assets under management or administration for the Corporation, compared to $2.242 billion as of December 31, 2023, including $381.3 million of assets under management or administration for the Corporation, a decrease of $30.4 million, or 1.4%. Excluding assets under management or administration for the Corporation, total market value of Wealth Management Group assets increased $49.0 million, or 2.6%, largely due to market improvements during 2024.

    As previously announced on January 8, 2021, the Corporation’s Board of Directors approved a stock repurchase program. Under the repurchase program, the Corporation may repurchase up to 250,000 shares of its common stock, or approximately 5% of its then outstanding shares. The repurchase program permits shares to be repurchased in open market or privately negotiated transactions, through block trades, and pursuant to any trading plan that may be adopted in accordance with Rule 10b5-1 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. As of December 31, 2024, a total of 49,184 shares of common stock at a total cost of $2.0 million were repurchased by the Corporation under its share repurchase program. No shares were repurchased in the fourth quarter of 2024. The weighted average cost was $40.42 per share repurchased. Remaining buyback authority under the share repurchase program was 200,816 shares as of December 31, 2024.

    During the fourth quarter, the Bank opened a full-service branch and regional banking center at 5529 Main Street in Williamsville, New York under the Canal Bank, a division of Chemung Canal Trust Company, name. After receiving regulatory approval, the Bank consolidated its previous branch operations in Clarence, New York into its Williamsville branch operations in December, and has converted the Clarence location into administrative offices in support of the Bank’s Western New York operations. Additionally, in November the Bank’s Ithaca, New York “Station” branch operations were consolidated into its nearby Ithaca location on Elmira Road.

    About Chemung Financial Corporation

    Chemung Financial Corporation is a $2.8 billion financial services holding company headquartered in Elmira, New York and operates 30 retail offices through its principal subsidiary, Chemung Canal Trust Company, a full service community bank with trust powers. Established in 1833, Chemung Canal Trust Company is the oldest locally-owned and managed community bank in New York State. Chemung Financial Corporation is also the parent of CFS Group, Inc., a financial services subsidiary offering non-traditional services including mutual funds, annuities, brokerage services, tax preparation services, and insurance.

    This press release may be found at: www.chemungcanal.com under Investor Relations.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act, and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The Corporation intends its forward-looking statements to be covered by the safe harbor provisions for forward-looking statements in this press release. All statements regarding the Corporation’s expected financial position and operating results, the Corporation’s business strategy, the Corporation’s financial plans, forecasted demographic and economic trends relating to the Corporation’s industry and similar matters are forward-looking statements. These statements can sometimes be identified by the Corporation’s use of forward-looking words such as “may,” “will,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” or “intend.” The Corporation cannot promise that its expectations in such forward-looking statements will turn out to be correct. The Corporation’s actual results could be materially different from expectations because of various factors, including changes in economic conditions or interest rates, credit risk, inflation, cyber security risks, difficulties in managing the Corporation’s growth, competition, changes in law or the regulatory environment, and changes in general business and economic trends.

    Information concerning these and other factors, including Risk Factors, can be found in the Corporation’s periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), including the 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K. These filings are available publicly on the SEC’s website at http://www.sec.gov, on the Corporation’s website at http://www.chemungcanal.com or upon request from the Corporate Secretary at (607) 737-3746. Except as otherwise required by law, the Corporation undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise its forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

    Chemung Financial Corporation                    
    Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)                    
        Dec. 31,   Sept. 30,   June 30,   March 31,   Dec. 31,
    (in thousands)     2024       2024       2024       2024       2023  
    ASSETS                    
    Cash and due from financial institutions   $ 26,224     $ 36,247     $ 23,184     $ 22,984     $ 22,247  
    Interest-earning deposits in other financial institutions     20,811       44,193       47,033       71,878       14,600  
    Total cash and cash equivalents     47,035       80,440       70,217       94,862       36,847  
                         
    Equity investments     3,235       3,244       3,090       3,093       3,046  
                         
    Securities available for sale     531,442       554,575       550,927       566,028       583,993  
    Securities held to maturity     808       657       657       785       785  
    FHLB and FRB stock, at cost     9,117       4,189       5,506       4,071       5,498  
    Total investment securities     541,367       559,421       557,090       570,884       590,276  
                         
    Commercial     1,516,525       1,464,205       1,445,258       1,425,437       1,387,321  
    Mortgage     274,979       274,099       271,620       277,246       277,992  
    Consumer     279,915       290,650       294,594       300,927       307,351  
    Loans, net of deferred loan fees     2,071,419       2,028,954       2,011,472       2,003,610       1,972,664  
    Allowance for credit losses     (21,388 )     (21,441 )     (21,031 )     (20,471 )     (22,517 )
    Loans, net     2,050,031       2,007,513       1,990,441       1,983,139       1,950,147  
                         
    Loans held for sale                 381       96        
    Premises and equipment, net     16,375       14,915       14,731       14,183       14,571  
    Operating lease right-of-use assets     5,446       5,637       5,827       6,018       5,648  
    Goodwill     21,824       21,824       21,824       21,824       21,824  
    Accrued interest receivable and other assets     90,834       81,221       92,212       90,791       88,170  
    Total assets   $ 2,776,147     $ 2,774,215     $ 2,755,813     $ 2,784,890     $ 2,710,529  
                         
    LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY                    
    Deposits:                    
    Non-interest-bearing demand deposits   $ 625,762     $ 616,126     $ 619,192     $ 656,330     $ 653,166  
    Interest-bearing demand deposits     306,536       349,383       328,370       315,154       291,138  
    Money market deposits     595,123       630,870       613,131       631,350       623,714  
    Savings deposits     245,550       242,911       248,528       248,578       249,144  
    Time deposits     623,912       611,831       606,700       629,360       612,265  
    Total deposits     2,396,883       2,451,121       2,415,921       2,480,772       2,429,427  
                         
    Advances and other debt     112,889       53,757       83,835       52,979       34,970  
    Operating lease liabilities     5,629       5,820       6,009       6,197       5,827  
    Accrued interest payable and other liabilities     45,437       42,863       48,826       47,814       45,064  
    Total liabilities     2,560,838       2,553,561       2,554,591       2,587,762       2,515,288  
                         
    Shareholders’ equity                    
    Common stock     53       53       53       53       53  
    Additional paid-in capital     48,783       48,457       48,102       47,794       47,773  
    Retained earnings     247,705       243,266       239,021       235,506       229,930  
    Treasury stock, at cost     (16,167 )     (15,987 )     (16,043 )     (16,147 )     (16,502 )
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss     (65,065 )     (55,135 )     (69,911 )     (70,078 )     (66,013 )
    Total shareholders’ equity     215,309       220,654       201,222       197,128       195,241  
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 2,776,147     $ 2,774,215     $ 2,755,813     $ 2,784,890     $ 2,710,529  
                         
    Period-end shares outstanding     4,771       4,774       4,772       4,768       4,754  
    Chemung Financial Corporation                        
    Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited)                        
        Three Months Ended
    December 31,
      Percent
    Change
      Twelve Months Ended
    December 31,
      Percent
    Change
    (in thousands, except per share data)     2024       2023         2024       2023    
    Interest and dividend income:                        
    Loans, including fees   $ 28,805     $ 26,115       10.3     $ 112,128     $ 97,228       15.3  
    Taxable securities     3,161       3,533       (10.5 )     13,029       14,283       (8.8 )
    Tax exempt securities     247       257       (3.9 )     1,009       1,035       (2.5 )
    Interest-earning deposits     384       128       200.0       1,398       528       164.8  
    Total interest and dividend income     32,597       30,033       8.5       127,564       113,074       12.8  
                             
    Interest expense:                        
    Deposits     12,191       11,349       7.4       50,052       35,926       39.3  
    Borrowed funds     585       786       (25.6 )     3,453       2,691       28.3  
    Total interest expense     12,776       12,135       5.3       53,505       38,617       38.6  
                             
    Net interest income     19,821       17,898       10.7       74,059       74,457       (0.5 )
    Provision (credit) for credit losses     551       2,300       (76.0 )     (46 )     3,262       (101.4 )
    Net interest income after provision for credit losses     19,270       15,598       23.5       74,105       71,195       4.1  
                             
    Non-interest income:                        
    Wealth management group fee income     3,019       2,744       10.0       11,573       10,460       10.6  
    Service charges on deposit accounts     1,113       1,001       11.2       4,042       3,919       3.1  
    Interchange revenue from debit card transactions     1,099       1,138       (3.4 )     4,426       4,606       (3.9 )
    Net gains on securities transactions           (39 )     N/M             (39 )     N/M  
    Change in fair value of equity investments     (54 )     202       (126.7 )     179       103       73.8  
    Net gains on sales of loans held for sale     52       54       (3.7 )     214       144       48.6  
    Net gains (losses) on sales of other real estate owned     4       23       N/M       (18 )     37       N/M  
    Income from bank owned life insurance     9       11       (18.2 )     38       43       (11.6 )
    Other     814       737       10.4       2,776       5,276       (47.4 )
    Total non-interest income     6,056       5,871       3.2       23,230       24,549       (5.4 )
                             
    Non-interest expense:                        
    Salaries and wages     7,450       6,803       9.5       28,457       26,832       6.1  
    Pension and other employee benefits     2,296       1,901       20.8       8,083       7,368       9.7  
    Other components of net periodic pension and postretirement benefits     (218 )     (154 )     (41.6 )     (909 )     (676 )     (34.5 )
    Net occupancy     1,472       1,395       5.5       5,832       5,637       3.5  
    Furniture and equipment     462       496       (6.9 )     1,659       1,728       (4.0 )
    Data processing     2,656       2,506       6.0       10,093       9,840       2.6  
    Professional services     714       697       2.4       2,353       2,293       2.6  
    Marketing and advertising     239       203       17.7       1,182       923       28.1  
    Other real estate owned expense     41       (69 )     N/M       157       (20 )     N/M  
    FDIC insurance     503       520       (3.3 )     2,120       2,128       (0.4 )
    Loan expense     374       258       45.0       1,182       1,047       12.9  
    Other     1,834       2,270       (19.2 )     7,041       7,143       (1.4 )
    Total non-interest expense     17,823       16,826       5.9       67,250       64,243       4.7  
    Income before income tax expense     7,503       4,643       61.6       30,085       31,501       (4.5 )
    Income tax expense     1,589       841       88.9       6,414       6,501       (1.3 )
    Net income   $ 5,914     $ 3,802       55.5     $ 23,671     $ 25,000       (5.3 )
                             
    Basic and diluted earnings per share   $ 1.24     $ 0.80         $ 4.96     $ 5.28      
    Cash dividends declared per share   $ 0.31     $ 0.31         $ 1.24     $ 1.24      
    Average basic and diluted shares outstanding     4,774       4,743           4,770       4,732      
                             
    N/M – Not Meaningful                        
    Chemung Financial Corporation   As of or for the Three Months Ended   As of or for the
    Twelve Months Ended
    Consolidated Financial Highlights (Unaudited)   Dec. 31,   Sept. 30,   June 30,   March 31,   Dec. 31,   Dec. 31,   Dec. 31,
    (in thousands, except per share data)     2024       2024       2024       2024       2023       2024       2023  
    RESULTS OF OPERATIONS                            
    Interest income   $ 32,597     $ 32,362     $ 31,386     $ 31,219     $ 30,033     $ 127,564     $ 113,074  
    Interest expense     12,776       13,974       13,625       13,130       12,135       53,505       38,617  
    Net interest income     19,821       18,388       17,761       18,089       17,898       74,059       74,457  
    Provision (credit) for credit losses     551       564       879       (2,040 )     2,300       (46 )     3,262  
    Net interest income after provision for credit losses     19,270       17,824       16,882       20,129       15,598       74,105       71,195  
    Non-interest income     6,056       5,919       5,598       5,657       5,871       23,230       24,549  
    Non-interest expense     17,823       16,510       16,219       16,698       16,826       67,250       64,243  
    Income before income tax expense     7,503       7,233       6,261       9,088       4,643       30,085       31,501  
    Income tax expense     1,589       1,513       1,274       2,038       841       6,414       6,501  
    Net income   $ 5,914     $ 5,720     $ 4,987     $ 7,050     $ 3,802     $ 23,671     $ 25,000  
                                 
    Basic and diluted earnings per share   $ 1.24     $ 1.19     $ 1.05     $ 1.48     $ 0.80     $ 4.96     $ 5.28  
    Average basic and diluted shares outstanding     4,774       4,773       4,770       4,764       4,743       4,770       4,732  
    PERFORMANCE RATIOS                            
    Return on average assets     0.85 %     0.83 %     0.73 %     1.04 %     0.56 %     0.86 %     0.94 %
    Return on average equity     10.73 %     10.81 %     10.27 %     14.48 %     8.63 %     11.53 %     14.11 %
    Return on average tangible equity (a)     11.92 %     12.07 %     11.56 %     16.29 %     9.86 %     12.90 %     16.09 %
    Efficiency ratio (unadjusted) (e)     68.88 %     67.92 %     69.43 %     70.32 %     70.79 %     69.12 %     64.89 %
    Efficiency ratio (adjusted) (a)     68.64 %     67.69 %     69.19 %     70.07 %     70.42 %     68.89 %     66.20 %
    Non-interest expense to average assets     2.57 %     2.39 %     2.38 %     2.47 %     2.48 %     2.45 %     2.41 %
    Loans to deposits     86.42 %     82.78 %     83.26 %     80.77 %     81.20 %     86.42 %     81.20 %
    YIELDS / RATES – Fully Taxable Equivalent                            
    Yield on loans     5.61 %     5.65 %     5.52 %     5.51 %     5.31 %     5.57 %     5.13 %
    Yield on investments     2.29 %     2.21 %     2.27 %     2.35 %     2.24 %     2.28 %     2.21 %
    Yield on interest-earning assets     4.79 %     4.78 %     4.69 %     4.70 %     4.50 %     4.74 %     4.33 %
    Cost of interest-bearing deposits     2.67 %     2.88 %     2.86 %     2.75 %     2.59 %     2.79 %     2.11 %
    Cost of borrowings     4.74 %     5.08 %     5.04 %     5.15 %     5.52 %     5.03 %     5.17 %
    Cost of interest-bearing liabilities     2.73 %     2.97 %     2.94 %     2.85 %     2.68 %     2.87 %     2.20 %
    Interest rate spread     2.06 %     1.81 %     1.75 %     1.85 %     1.82 %     1.87 %     2.13 %
    Net interest margin, fully taxable equivalent     2.92 %     2.72 %     2.66 %     2.73 %     2.69 %     2.76 %     2.85 %
    CAPITAL                            
    Total equity to total assets at end of period     7.76 %     7.95 %     7.30 %     7.08 %     7.20 %     7.76 %     7.20 %
    Tangible equity to tangible assets at end of period (a)     7.02 %     7.22 %     6.56 %     6.34 %     6.45 %     7.02 %     6.45 %
    Book value per share   $ 45.13     $ 46.22     $ 42.17     $ 41.34     $ 41.07     $ 45.13     $ 41.07  
    Tangible book value per share (a)     40.55       41.65       37.59       36.77       36.48       40.55       36.48  
    Period-end market value per share     48.81       48.02       48.00       42.48       49.80       48.81       49.80  
    Dividends declared per share     0.31       0.31       0.31       0.31       0.31       1.24       1.24  
    AVERAGE BALANCES                            
    Loans and loans held for sale (b)   $ 2,046,270     $ 2,020,280     $ 2,009,823     $ 1,989,185     $ 1,956,022     $ 2,016,481     $ 1,898,986  
    Interest-earning assets     2,711,995       2,699,968       2,699,402       2,681,059       2,654,638       2,698,148       2,621,251  
    Total assets     2,761,875       2,751,392       2,740,967       2,724,391       2,688,536       2,744,721       2,660,329  
    Deposits     2,446,662       2,410,735       2,419,169       2,402,215       2,397,663       2,419,744       2,377,736  
    Total equity     219,254       210,421       195,375       195,860       174,868       205,280       177,187  
    Tangible equity (a)     197,430       188,597       173,551       174,036       153,044       183,456       155,363  
    ASSET QUALITY                            
    Net charge-offs   $ 594     $ 78     $ 306     $ 182     $ 171     $ 1,160     $ 941  
    Non-performing loans (c)     8,954       10,545       8,195       7,835       10,411       8,954       10,411  
    Non-performing assets (d)     9,606       11,134       8,872       8,394       10,737       9,606       10,737  
    Allowance for credit losses     21,388       21,441       21,031       20,471       22,517       21,388       22,517  
    Annualized net charge-offs to average loans   0.12 %     0.02 %     0.06 %     0.04 %     0.03 %     0.06 %     0.05 %
    Non-performing loans to total loans     0.43 %     0.52 %     0.41 %     0.39 %     0.53 %     0.43 %     0.53 %
    Non-performing assets to total assets     0.35 %     0.40 %     0.32 %     0.30 %     0.40 %     0.35 %     0.40 %
    Allowance for credit losses to total loans     1.03 %     1.06 %     1.05 %     1.02 %     1.14 %     1.03 %     1.14 %
    Allowance for credit losses to non-performing loans   238.87 %     203.33 %     256.63 %     261.28 %     216.28 %     238.87 %     216.28 %
                                 
    (a) See the GAAP to Non-GAAP reconciliations.                            
    (b) Loans and loans held for sale do not reflect the allowance for credit losses.        
    (c) Non-performing loans include non-accrual loans only.            
    (d) Non-performing assets include non-performing loans plus other real estate owned and repossessed vehicles.        
    (e) Efficiency ratio (unadjusted) is non-interest expense divided by the total of net interest income plus non-interest income.        
    Chemung Financial Corporation                                
    Average Consolidated Balance Sheets & Net Interest Income Analysis and Rate/Volume Analysis of Net Interest Income (Unaudited)
                                         
        Three Months Ended
    December 31, 2024
      Three Months Ended
    December 31, 2023
      Three Months Ended
    December 31, 2024 vs. 2023
    (in thousands)   Average Balance   Interest   Yield /
    Rate
      Average Balance   Interest   Yield /
    Rate
      Total Change   Due to
    Volume
      Due to
    Rate
                                         
    Interest-earning assets:                                    
    Commercial loans   $ 1,486,012     $ 22,069     5.91 %   $ 1,369,198     $ 19,649     5.69 %   $ 2,420     $ 1,665     $ 755  
    Mortgage loans     274,705       2,739     3.99 %     279,361       2,531     3.59 %     208       (46 )     254  
    Consumer loans     285,553       4,051     5.64 %     307,463       3,991     5.15 %     60       (299 )     359  
    Taxable securities     594,667       3,169     2.12 %     647,650       3,537     2.17 %     (368 )     (287 )     (81 )
    Tax-exempt securities     37,776       273     2.88 %     40,339       284     2.79 %     (11 )     (19 )     8  
    Interest-earning deposits     33,282       384     4.59 %     10,627       128     4.78 %     256       261       (5 )
    Total interest-earning assets     2,711,995       32,685     4.79 %     2,654,638       30,120     4.50 %     2,565       1,275       1,290  
                                         
    Non interest-earning assets:                                    
    Cash and due from banks     25,056               25,142                      
    Other assets     46,352               29,153                      
    Allowance for credit losses     (21,528 )             (20,397 )                    
    Total assets   $ 2,761,875             $ 2,688,536                      
                                         
    Interest-bearing liabilities:                                    
    Interest-bearing checking   $ 327,223     $ 1,391     1.69 %   $ 285,733     $ 1,176     1.63 %   $ 215     $ 172     $ 43  
    Savings and money market     871,196       4,278     1.95 %     900,367       4,383     1.93 %     (105 )     (148 )     43  
    Time deposits     540,817       5,618     4.13 %     447,273       4,374     3.88 %     1,244       951       293  
    Brokered deposits     74,861       904     4.80 %     104,043       1,416     5.40 %     (512 )     (367 )     (145 )
    FHLBNY overnight advances     41,408       505     4.77 %     53,390       758     5.63 %     (253 )     (150 )     (103 )
    FRB advances and other debt     6,987       80     4.56 %     3,074       28     3.61 %     52       44       8  
    Total interest-bearing liabilities     1,862,492       12,776     2.73 %     1,793,880       12,135     2.68 %     641       502       139  
                                         
    Non interest-bearing liabilities:                                    
    Demand deposits     632,565               660,247                      
    Other liabilities     47,564               59,541                      
    Total liabilities     2,542,621               2,513,668                      
    Shareholders’ equity     219,254               174,868                      
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 2,761,875             $ 2,688,536                      
                                         
    Fully taxable equivalent net interest income         19,909               17,985         $ 1,924     $ 773     $ 1,151  
    Net interest rate spread (1)           2.06 %           1.82 %            
    Net interest margin, fully taxable equivalent (2)           2.92 %           2.69 %            
    Taxable equivalent adjustment         (88 )             (87 )                
    Net interest income       $ 19,821             $ 17,898                  
                                         
    (1) Net interest rate spread is the difference in the average yield on interest-earning assets less the average rate on interest-bearing liabilities.
    (2) Net interest margin is the ratio of fully taxable equivalent net interest income divided by average interest-earning assets.
    Chemung Financial Corporation                        
    Average Consolidated Balance Sheets & Net Interest Income Analysis and Rate/Volume Analysis of Net Interest Income (Unaudited)
                                         
        Twelve Months Ended
    December 31, 2024
      Twelve Months Ended
    December 31, 2023
      Twelve Months Ended
    December 31, 2024 vs. 2023
    (in thousands)   Average Balance   Interest   Yield /
    Rate
      Average Balance   Interest   Yield /
    Rate
      Total
    Change
      Due to
    Volume
      Due to
    Rate
                                         
    Interest-earning assets:                                    
    Commercial loans   $ 1,446,493     $ 85,570     5.92 %   $ 1,309,692     $ 72,698     5.55 %   $ 12,872     $ 7,857     $ 5,015  
    Mortgage loans     274,801       10,618     3.86 %     283,093       10,084     3.56 %     534       (302 )     836  
    Consumer loans     295,187       16,165     5.48 %     306,201       14,664     4.79 %     1,501       (547 )     2,048  
    Taxable securities     613,375       13,046     2.13 %     671,345       14,295     2.13 %     (1,249 )     (1,249 )      
    Tax-exempt securities     39,032       1,103     2.83 %     40,506       1,171     2.89 %     (68 )     (44 )     (24 )
    Interest-earning deposits     29,260       1,398     4.78 %     10,414       528     5.07 %     870       902       (32 )
    Total interest-earning assets     2,698,148       127,900     4.74 %     2,621,251       113,440     4.33 %     14,460       6,617       7,843  
                                         
    Non interest-earning assets:                                    
    Cash and due from banks     25,112               25,419                      
    Other assets     42,950               33,871                      
    Allowance for credit losses     (21,489 )             (20,212 )                    
    Total assets   $ 2,744,721             $ 2,660,329                      
                                         
    Interest-bearing liabilities:                                    
    Interest-bearing checking   $ 313,070     $ 5,561     1.78 %   $ 286,097     $ 3,136     1.10 %   $ 2,425     $ 321     $ 2,104  
    Savings and money market     863,849       17,468     2.02 %     899,996       13,027     1.45 %     4,441       (542 )     4,983  
    Time deposits     526,727       22,221     4.22 %     375,545       12,414     3.31 %     9,807       5,827       3,980  
    Brokered deposits     90,729       4,802     5.29 %     140,845       7,349     5.22 %     (2,547 )     (2,645 )     98  
    FHLBNY overnight advances     21,907       1,151     5.17 %     48,851       2,577     5.28 %     (1,426 )     (1,374 )     (52 )
    FRB advances and other debt     46,363       2,302     4.97 %     3,177       114     3.59 %     2,188       2,128       60  
    Total interest-bearing liabilities     1,862,645       53,505     2.87 %     1,754,511       38,617     2.20 %     14,888       3,715       11,173  
                                         
    Non interest-bearing liabilities:                                    
    Demand deposits     625,369               675,253                      
    Other liabilities     51,427               53,378                      
    Total liabilities     2,539,441               2,483,142                      
    Shareholders’ equity     205,280               177,187                      
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 2,744,721             $ 2,660,329                      
                                         
    Fully taxable equivalent net interest income         74,395               74,823         $ (428 )   $ 2,902     $ (3,330 )
    Net interest rate spread (1)           1.87 %           2.13 %            
    Net interest margin, fully taxable equivalent (2)           2.76 %           2.85 %            
    Taxable equivalent adjustment         (336 )             (366 )                
    Net interest income       $ 74,059             $ 74,457                  
                                         
    (1) Net interest rate spread is the difference in the average yield on interest-earning assets less the average rate on interest-bearing liabilities.
    (2) Net interest margin is the ratio of fully taxable equivalent net interest income divided by average interest-earning assets.
     

    Chemung Financial Corporation

    GAAP to Non-GAAP Reconciliations (Unaudited)

    The Corporation prepares its Consolidated Financial Statements in accordance with GAAP. See the Corporation’s unaudited consolidated balance sheets and statements of income contained within this press release. That presentation provides the reader with an understanding of the Corporation’s results that can be tracked consistently from period-to-period and enables a comparison of the Corporation’s performance with other companies’ GAAP financial statements.

    In addition to analyzing the Corporation’s results on a reported basis, management uses certain non-GAAP financial measures, because it believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide information to investors about the underlying operational performance and trends of the Corporation and, therefore, facilitate a comparison of the Corporation with the performance of other companies. Non-GAAP financial measures used by the Corporation may not be comparable to similarly named non-GAAP financial measures used by other companies.

    The SEC has adopted Regulation G, which applies to all public disclosures, including earnings releases, made by registered companies that contain “non-GAAP financial measures.” Under Regulation G, companies making public disclosures containing non-GAAP financial measures must also disclose, along with each non-GAAP financial measure, certain additional information, including a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measure to the closest comparable GAAP financial measure and a statement of the Corporation’s reasons for utilizing the non-GAAP financial measure as part of its financial disclosures. The SEC has exempted from the definition of “non-GAAP financial measures” certain commonly used financial measures that are not based on GAAP. When these exempted measures are included in public disclosures, supplemental information is not required. The following measures used in this Report, which are commonly utilized by financial institutions, have not been specifically exempted by the SEC and may constitute “non-GAAP financial measures” within the meaning of the SEC’s rules, although we are unable to state with certainty that the SEC would so regard them.

    Fully Taxable Equivalent Net Interest Income and Net Interest Margin

    Net interest income is commonly presented on a tax-equivalent basis. That is, to the extent that some component of the institution’s net interest income, which is presented on a before-tax basis, is exempt from taxation (e.g., is received by the institution as a result of its holdings of state or municipal obligations), an amount equal to the tax benefit derived from that component is added to the actual before-tax net interest income total. This adjustment is considered helpful in comparing one financial institution’s net interest income to that of other institutions or in analyzing any institution’s net interest income trend line over time, to correct any analytical distortion that might otherwise arise from the fact that financial institutions vary widely in the proportions of their portfolios that are invested in tax-exempt securities, and that even a single institution may significantly alter over time the proportion of its own portfolio that is invested in tax-exempt obligations. Moreover, net interest income is itself a component of a second financial measure commonly used by financial institutions, net interest margin, which is the ratio of net interest income to average interest-earning assets. For purposes of this measure as well, fully taxable equivalent net interest income is generally used by financial institutions, as opposed to actual net interest income, again to provide a better basis of comparison from institution to institution and to better demonstrate a single institution’s performance over time. The Corporation follows these practices.

                            As of or for the
        As of or for the Three Months Ended   Twelve Months Ended
        Dec. 31,   Sept. 30,   June 30,   March 31,   Dec. 31,   Dec. 31,   Dec. 31,
    (in thousands, except ratio data)     2024       2024       2024       2024       2023       2024       2023  
    NET INTEREST MARGIN – FULLY TAXABLE EQUIVALENT                            
    Net interest income (GAAP)   $ 19,821     $ 18,388     $ 17,761     $ 18,089     $ 17,898     $ 74,059     $ 74,457  
    Fully taxable equivalent adjustment     88       83       81       84       87       336       366  
    Fully taxable equivalent net interest income (non-GAAP)   $ 19,909     $ 18,471     $ 17,842     $ 18,173     $ 17,985     $ 74,395     $ 74,823  
                                 
    Average interest-earning assets (GAAP)   $ 2,711,995     $ 2,699,968     $ 2,699,402     $ 2,681,059     $ 2,654,638     $ 2,698,148     $ 2,621,251  
                                 
    Net interest margin – fully taxable equivalent (non-GAAP)     2.92 %     2.72 %     2.66 %     2.73 %     2.69 %     2.76 %     2.85 %
                                                             

    Efficiency Ratio

    The unadjusted efficiency ratio is calculated as non-interest expense divided by total revenue (net interest income and non-interest income). The adjusted efficiency ratio is a non-GAAP financial measure which represents the Corporation’s ability to turn resources into revenue and is calculated as non-interest expense divided by total revenue (fully taxable equivalent net interest income and non-interest income), adjusted for one-time occurrences and amortization. This measure is meaningful to the Corporation, as well as investors and analysts, in assessing the Corporation’s productivity measured by the amount of revenue generated for each dollar spent.

                            As of or for the
        As of or for the Three Months Ended   Twelve Months Ended
        Dec. 31,   Sept. 30,   June 30,   March 31,   Dec. 31,   Dec. 31,   Dec. 31,
    (in thousands, except ratio data)     2024       2024       2024       2024       2023       2024       2023  
    EFFICIENCY RATIO                            
    Net interest income (GAAP)   $ 19,821     $ 18,388     $ 17,761     $ 18,089     $ 17,898     $ 74,059     $ 74,457  
    Fully taxable equivalent adjustment     88       83       81       84       87       336       366  
    Fully taxable equivalent net interest income (non-GAAP)   $ 19,909     $ 18,471     $ 17,842     $ 18,173     $ 17,985     $ 74,395     $ 74,823  
                                 
    Non-interest income (GAAP)   $ 6,056     $ 5,919     $ 5,598     $ 5,657     $ 5,871     $ 23,230     $ 24,549  
    Less: net (gains) losses on security transactions                             39             39  
    Less: recognition of employee retention tax credit                                         (2,370 )
    Adjusted non-interest income (non-GAAP)   $ 6,056     $ 5,919     $ 5,598     $ 5,657     $ 5,910     $ 23,230     $ 22,218  
                                 
    Non-interest expense (GAAP)   $ 17,823     $ 16,510     $ 16,219     $ 16,698     $ 16,826     $ 67,250     $ 64,243  
                                 
    Efficiency ratio (unadjusted)     68.88 %     67.92 %     69.43 %     70.32 %     70.79 %     69.12 %     64.89 %
    Efficiency ratio (adjusted)     68.64 %     67.69 %     69.19 %     70.07 %     70.42 %     68.89 %     66.20 %
                                                             

    Tangible Equity and Tangible Assets (Period-End)

    Tangible equity, tangible assets, and tangible book value per share are each non-GAAP financial measures. Tangible equity represents the Corporation’s stockholders’ equity, less goodwill and intangible assets. Tangible assets represents the Corporation’s total assets, less goodwill and other intangible assets. Tangible book value per share represents the Corporation’s tangible equity divided by common shares at period-end. These measures are meaningful to the Corporation, as well as investors and analysts, in assessing the Corporation’s use of equity.

                            As of or for the
        As of or for the Three Months Ended   Twelve Months Ended
        Dec. 31,   Sept. 30,   June 30,   March 31,   Dec. 31,   Dec. 31,   Dec. 31,
    (in thousands, except per share and ratio data)     2024       2024       2024       2024       2023       2024       2023  
    TANGIBLE EQUITY AND TANGIBLE ASSETS                            
    (PERIOD END)                            
    Total shareholders’ equity (GAAP)   $ 215,309     $ 220,654     $ 201,222     $ 197,128     $ 195,241     $ 215,309     $ 195,241  
    Less: intangible assets     (21,824 )     (21,824 )     (21,824 )     (21,824 )     (21,824 )     (21,824 )     (21,824 )
    Tangible equity (non-GAAP)   $ 193,485     $ 198,830     $ 179,398     $ 175,304     $ 173,417     $ 193,485     $ 173,417  
                                 
    Total assets (GAAP)   $ 2,776,147     $ 2,774,215     $ 2,755,813     $ 2,784,890     $ 2,710,529     $ 2,776,147     $ 2,710,529  
    Less: intangible assets     (21,824 )     (21,824 )     (21,824 )     (21,824 )     (21,824 )     (21,824 )     (21,824 )
    Tangible assets (non-GAAP)   $ 2,754,323     $ 2,752,391     $ 2,733,989     $ 2,763,066     $ 2,688,705     $ 2,754,323     $ 2,688,705  
                                 
    Total equity to total assets at end of period (GAAP)     7.76 %     7.95 %     7.30 %     7.08 %     7.20 %     7.76 %     7.20 %
    Book value per share (GAAP)   $ 45.13     $ 46.22     $ 42.17     $ 41.34     $ 41.07     $ 45.13     $ 41.07  
                                 
    Tangible equity to tangible assets at end of period (non-GAAP)     7.02 %     7.22 %     6.56 %     6.34 %     6.45 %     7.02 %     6.45 %
    Tangible book value per share (non-GAAP)   $ 40.55     $ 41.65     $ 37.59     $ 36.77     $ 36.48     $ 40.55     $ 36.48  
                                                             

    Tangible Equity (Average)

    Average tangible equity and return on average tangible equity are each non-GAAP financial measures. Average tangible equity represents the Corporation’s average stockholders’ equity, less average goodwill and intangible assets for the period. Return on average tangible equity measures the Corporation’s earnings as a percentage of average tangible equity. These measures are meaningful to the Corporation, as well as investors and analysts, in assessing the Corporation’s use of equity.

                            As of or for the
        As of or for the Three Months Ended   Twelve Months Ended
        Dec. 31,   Sept. 30,   June 30,   March 31,   Dec. 31,   Dec. 31,   Dec. 31,
    (in thousands, except ratio data)     2024       2024       2024       2024       2023       2024       2023  
    TANGIBLE EQUITY (AVERAGE)                            
    Total average shareholders’ equity (GAAP)   $ 219,254     $ 210,421     $ 195,375     $ 195,860     $ 174,868     $ 205,280     $ 177,187  
    Less: average intangible assets     (21,824 )     (21,824 )     (21,824 )     (21,824 )     (21,824 )     (21,824 )     (21,824 )
    Average tangible equity (non-GAAP)   $ 197,430     $ 188,597     $ 173,551     $ 174,036     $ 153,044     $ 183,456     $ 155,363  
                                 
    Return on average equity (GAAP)     10.73 %     10.81 %     10.27 %     14.48 %     8.63 %     11.53 %     14.11 %
    Return on average tangible equity (non-GAAP)     11.92 %     12.07 %     11.56 %     16.29 %     9.86 %     12.90 %     16.09 %
                                                             

    Adjustments for Certain Items of Income or Expense

    In addition to disclosures of certain GAAP financial measures, including net income, EPS, ROA, and ROE, we may also provide comparative disclosures that adjust these GAAP financial measures for a particular period by removing from the calculation thereof the impact of certain transactions or other material items of income or expense occurring during the period, including certain nonrecurring items. The Corporation believes that the resulting non-GAAP financial measures may improve an understanding of its results of operations by separating out any such transactions or items that may have had a disproportionate positive or negative impact on the Corporation’s financial results during the particular period in question. In the Corporation’s presentation of any such non-GAAP (adjusted) financial measures not specifically discussed in the preceding paragraphs, the Corporation supplies the supplemental financial information and explanations required under Regulation G.

                            As of or for the
        As of or for the Three Months Ended   Twelve Months Ended
        Dec. 31,   Sept. 30,   June 30,   March 31,   Dec. 31,   Dec. 31,   Dec. 31,
    (in thousands, except per share and ratio data)     2024       2024       2024       2024       2023       2024       2023  
    NON-GAAP NET INCOME                            
    Reported net income (GAAP)   $ 5,914     $ 5,720     $ 4,987     $ 7,050     $ 3,802     $ 23,671     $ 25,000  
    Net (gains) losses on security transactions (net of tax)                             29             29  
    Recognition of employee retention tax credit (net of tax)                                         (1,873 )
    Net income (non-GAAP)   $ 5,914     $ 5,720     $ 4,987     $ 7,050     $ 3,831     $ 23,671     $ 23,156  
                                 
    Average basic and diluted shares outstanding     4,774       4,773       4,770       4,764       4,743       4,770       4,732  
                                 
    Reported basic and diluted earnings per share (GAAP)   $ 1.24     $ 1.19     $ 1.05     $ 1.48     $ 0.80     $ 4.96     $ 5.28  
    Reported return on average assets (GAAP)     0.85 %     0.83 %     0.73 %     1.04 %     0.56 %     0.86 %     0.94 %
    Reported return on average equity (GAAP)     10.73 %     10.81 %     10.27 %     14.48 %     8.63 %     11.53 %     14.11 %
                                 
    Basic and diluted earnings per share (non-GAAP)   $ 1.24     $ 1.19     $ 1.05     $ 1.48     $ 0.81     $ 4.96     $ 4.89  
    Return on average assets (non-GAAP)     0.85 %     0.83 %     0.73 %     1.04 %     0.57 %     0.86 %     0.87 %
    Return on average equity (non-GAAP)     10.73 %     10.81 %     10.27 %     14.48 %     8.69 %     11.53 %     13.07 %
                                                             

    Category: Financial

    Source: Chemung Financial Corp

    For further information contact:
    Dale M. McKim, III, EVP and CFO
    dmckim@chemungcanal.com
    Phone: 607-737-3714

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI USA: Barrasso Votes to Confirm Sean Duffy as Secretary of Transportation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Wyoming John Barrasso
    WASHINGTON D.C. – U.S. Senator John Barrasso (R-Wyo.), Senate Majority Whip, today issued the following statement after the Senate voted to confirm Sean Duffy as head of the Department of Transportation.
    Earlier today, Senator Barrasso spoke on the Senate floor in full support of former Congressman Sean Duffy’s nomination to be Secretary of Transportation.
    Click HERE to watch Senator Barrasso’s full remarks.
    Sen Barrasso’s remarks as prepared:
    “Since January 20, the United States Senate has confirmed 5 of President Trump’s well-qualified nominees. Today, the Senate will confirm the sixth.
    “Former Congressman Sean Duffy is the nominee to be the Secretary of Transportation. Congressman Duffy received unanimous support in the Commerce Committee.
    “As Secretary of Transportation, Congressman Duffy will be responsible for ensuring Americans have reliable infrastructure and safe travel. His job is critical to America’s economic success.
    “From the Erie Canal to the Transcontinental Railroad in the 19th Century, from the Panama Canal to the Interstate Highway System in the 20th Century – infrastructure transformed our commercial republic into an economic superpower.
    “Today, our highways, bridges, ports, and airways need improvement as travel and commerce hit new records. We need to build great things in America again. Families and businesses need confidence that they’ll get where they need to go.
    “Sean Duffy is dedicated to moving America forward. As Secretary of Transportation, he will lead the Department with safety and modernization at the forefront.
    “I look forward to confirming Congressman Duffy and working with him.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI: Veritex Holdings, Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter and Full Year 2024 Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DALLAS, Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Veritex Holdings, Inc. (“Veritex”, the “Company”, “we” or “our”) (Nasdaq: VBTX), the holding company for Veritex Community Bank, today announced the results for the fourth quarter and full year of 2024.

    “We achieved significant milestones during 2024 as we improved our credit risk profile and strengthened and completed our balance sheet remake,” said C. Malcolm Holland, III, the Company’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “My team and I are committed to continue to drive execution of our strategic plan in 2025. Now it’s back to what we do best; grow profitability.”

    2024 Highlights:

    • Operating EPS was $2.17 for 2024;
    • Criticized loans decreased approximately $100 million during 2024;
    • Commercial real estate concentrations decreased from 320.2% for the year ended 2023 to 298.9% for the year ended 2024;
    • Nonperforming assets to total loans decreased 15 basis points to 0.62% from 2023;
    • Loan to deposit ratio decreased to 89.3% as of December 31, 2024 compared to 93.6% as of December 31, 2023;
    • Total deposits grew $414.4 million, or 4.0%, year-over-year;
    • Common equity tier 1 capital increased 80 bps to 11.09% as of December 31, 2024 compared to 10.29% as of December 31, 2023;
    • Tangible book value per common share increased 6.9%, or $1.40, during 2024 compared to 2023;
    • Allowance for credit losses (“ACL”) to total loans increased to 1.18%, or 4 bps, from 1.14% as of December 31, 2023;
    • Declared quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per share of outstanding common stock payable on February 28, 2025;.and
    • Named one of the “Best Companies to Work For” by the 2024 Inaugural U.S. News & World Report which evaluates companies based on quality of pay, work/life balance, and opportunities for professional development and advancement.
        Quarter to Date     Full Year
    Financial Highlights   Q4 2024   Q3 2024   Q4 2023       2024       2023  
        (Dollars in thousands, except per share data)
    (unaudited)
    GAAP          
    Net income   $ 24,882     $ 31,001     $ 3,499       $ 107,241     $ 108,261  
    Diluted EPS     0.45       0.56       0.06         1.95       1.98  
    Book value per common share     29.37       29.53       28.18         29.37       28.18  
    Return on average assets1     0.78 %     0.96 %     0.11 %       0.85 %     0.88 %
    Return on average equity1     6.17       7.79       0.92         6.85       7.21  
    Net interest margin     3.20       3.30       3.31         3.26       3.49  
    Efficiency ratio     67.04       61.94       77.49         62.62       55.82  
    Non-GAAP2                      
    Operating earnings   $ 29,769     $ 32,181     $ 31,625       $ 119,397     $ 142,114  
    Diluted operating EPS     0.54       0.59       0.58         2.17       2.60  
    Tangible book value per common share     21.61       21.72       20.21         21.61       20.21  
    Pre-tax, pre-provision operating earnings     40,945       44,555       47,688         173,576       222,211  
    Pre-tax, pre-provision operating return on average assets1     1.28 %     1.38 %     1.54 %       1.37 %     1.81 %
    Pre-tax, pre-provision operating return on average loans1     1.72       1.83       1.97         1.81       2.32  
    Operating return on average assets1     0.93       1.00       1.02         0.95       1.16  
    Return on average tangible common equity1     9.04       11.33       2.00         10.10       10.91  
    Operating return on average tangible common equity1     10.69       11.74       12.37         11.17       14.09  
    Operating efficiency ratio     62.98       60.63       55.50         60.22       50.94  

    1 Annualized ratio.
    2 Refer to the section titled “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for a reconciliation of these non-generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP measures.

    Results of Operations for the Three Months Ended December 31, 2024

    Net Interest Income

    For the three months ended December 31, 2024, net interest income before provision for credit losses was $96.1 million and net interest margin was 3.20%, compared to $100.1 million and 3.30%, respectively, for the three months ended September 30, 2024. The $3.9 million decrease, or 3.9%, in net interest income before provision for credit losses was primarily due to a $12.3 million decrease in interest income on loans primarily driven by a decrease in loan yields and average loan balances. This decrease was partially offset by a $1.1 million increase in interest income on debt securities, $6.0 million decrease in interest expense on certificates and other time deposits, $2.4 million decrease in interest expense on transaction and savings deposits during the three months ended December 31, 2024. Net interest margin decreased 10 bps from the three months ended September 30, 2024, primarily due to the decrease in loan yields during the three months ended December 31, 2024, partially offset by an increase in yields on debt securities.

    Compared to the three months ended December 31, 2023, net interest income before provision for credit losses for the three months ended December 31, 2024 increased by $608 thousand, or 0.6%. The increase was primarily due to a $4.6 million increase in interest income on debt securities, a $3.7 million increase in interest income in deposits in financial institutions and fed funds sold, a $2.5 million decrease in interest expense on advances from FHLB and a $1.4 million decrease in transaction and savings deposits driven by an decrease in funding costs. The increase in net interest income was partially offset by a $10.4 million decrease in interest income on loans driven by a decrease in loan yields and average balances. Net interest margin decreased 11 bps to 3.20% for the three months ended December 31, 2024 from 3.31% for the three months ended December 31, 2023. The decrease was primarily due to the decrease in loan yields during the three months ended December 31, 2024.

    Noninterest Income (Loss)

    Noninterest income for the three months ended December 31, 2024 was $10.1 million, a decrease of $3.1 million, or 23.3%, compared to noninterest income of $13.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024. The decrease in noninterest income was primarily due to a $4.4 million loss on sales of debt securities as a result of a strategic restructuring in which we sold $188.9 million of lower-yielding AFS securities, at amortized cost, with a 3.89% average yield, and reinvested the proceeds in higher yielding AFS securities with a 5.67% average yield. The decrease was also the result of a decrease of $852 thousand of OREO income, higher amortization of our servicing assets of $829 thousand and a decrease of $681 thousands due to the change in the value of equity securities. The decrease was partially offset by an increase of $4.6 million increase in government guaranteed loan income.

    Compared to the three months ended December 31, 2023, noninterest income for the three months ended December 31, 2024 increased $27.8 million, or 156.5%. The increase was primarily due to a $29.4 million loss on equity method investment income related to the write down of our equity method investment in Thrive during the three months ended December 31, 2023 with no corresponding loss recorded during the three months ended December 31, 2024. The Company has no remaining equity method investment in Thrive.

    Noninterest Expense

    Noninterest expense was $71.2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024, compared to $70.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024, a increase of $1.1 million, or 1.6%. Changes within noninterest expenses items were nominal.

    Noninterest expense was $71.2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024, compared to $60.2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2023, an increase of $11.0 million, or 18.2%. The increase was primarily driven by a $6.8 million increase in salary and employee benefits, a $4.1 million increase in other expenses, a $1.2 million increase in data processing and software expenses, and a $951 thousand increase in marketing expenses. The increase was partially offset by a $2.1 million decrease in professional and regulatory fees.

    Financial Condition

    Total loans held for investment (“LHI”) was $8.90 billion at December 31, 2024, a decrease of $129.4 million, compared to September 30, 2024, and a decrease of $307.4 million, or 3.3%, compared to December 31, 2023.

    Total deposits were $10.75 billion at December 31, 2024, an decrease of $283.4 million compared to September 30, 2024, and an increase of $414.4 million, or 4.0%, compared to December 31, 2023. The decrease from September 30, 2024 was primarily the result of a decrease of $667.1 million in certificates and other time deposits, a decrease of $452.4 million in noninterest-bearing deposits, and a decrease of $20.4 million in correspondent money market accounts. The decrease was partially offset by a increase of $856.4 million in interest-bearing transaction, money market, and savings deposits. The increase from December 31, 2023 was primarily the result of an increase in attractive deposits which consisted of $712.8 million in interest-bearing transaction, money market, and savings deposits. The increase was partially offset by a $232.9 million decrease in certificates and other time deposits, a $38.9 million decrease in correspondent money market accounts, and a $26.6 million decrease in non-interest bearing deposits.

    Credit Quality

    Nonperforming assets (“NPAs”) increased to $79.2 million, or 0.62% of total assets, at December 31, 2024, compared to $67.3 million, or 0.52% of total assets, at September 30, 2024. Net charge-offs compared to average loans outstanding were 21 bps for the year ended December 31, 2024, compared to 25 bps for year ended December 31, 2023.

    ACL as a percentage of LHI was 1.18%, 1.21%, and 1.14% at December 31, 2024, September 30, 2024, and December 31, 2023, respectively. The Company recorded a provision for credit losses of $2.3 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024, compared to a provision for credit losses of $4.0 million and $9.5 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively. The recorded provision for credit losses reported for the three months ended December 31, 2024, compared to the three months ended December 31, 2023 was primarily attributable to a decrease in the overall loans held for investment balances and changes in general reserves as a result of changes in economic factors. The Company recorded a benefit for unfunded commitments of $401 thousand and $1.5 million during the three months ended December 31, 2024, and December 31, 2023, respectively. There was no provision for unfunded commitments recorded during the three months ended in September 30, 2024. The decrease in the recorded benefit for unfunded commitments during the three months ended December 31, 2024, compared to the three months ended September 30, 2024, was primarily attributable to changes in the economic factors applied to unfunded commitment balances.

    Dividend Information

    On January 28, 2025, Veritex’s Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.20 per share on its outstanding shares of common stock. The dividend will be paid on February 28, 2025 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on February 14, 2025.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    Veritex’s management uses certain non-GAAP (U.S. generally accepted accounting principles) financial measures to evaluate its operating performance and provide information that is important to investors. However, non-GAAP financial measures are supplemental and should be viewed in addition to, and not as an alternative for, Veritex’s reported results prepared in accordance with GAAP. Specifically, Veritex reviews and reports tangible book value per common share, operating earnings, tangible common equity to tangible assets, return on average tangible common equity, pre-tax, pre-provision operating earnings, pre-tax, pre-provision operating return on average assets, pre-tax, pre-provision operating return on average loans, diluted operating earnings per share, operating return on average assets, operating return on average tangible common equity and operating efficiency ratio. Veritex has included in this earnings release information related to these non-GAAP financial measures for the applicable periods presented. Please refer to “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” after the financial highlights at the end of this earnings release for a reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures.

    Conference Call

    The Company will host an investor conference call to review the results on Wednesday, January 29, 2025 at 8:30 a.m. Central Time. Participants may pre-register for the call by visiting https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/8uwctr48 and will receive a unique PIN, which can be used when dialing in for the call.

    Participants may also register via teleconference at:
    https://register.vevent.com/register/BIf4f4afb9195448ba90575ac59fb337bc. Once registration is completed, participants will be provided with a dial-in number containing a personalized conference code to access the call. All participants are instructed to dial-in 15 minutes prior to the start time.

    A replay will be available within approximately two hours after the completion of the call, and made accessible for one week. You may access the replay via webcast through the investor relations section of Veritex’s website.

    About Veritex Holdings, Inc.

    Headquartered in Dallas, Texas, Veritex is a bank holding company that conducts banking activities through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Veritex Community Bank, with locations throughout the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex and in the Houston metropolitan area. Veritex Community Bank is a Texas state chartered bank regulated by the Texas Department of Banking and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. For more information, visit www.veritexbank.com.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    This earnings release includes “forward-looking statements”, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on various facts and derived utilizing assumptions, current expectations, estimates and projections and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which change over time and are beyond our control, that may cause actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, without limitation, statements relating to the expected payment of Veritex’s quarterly cash dividend; the impact of certain changes in Veritex’s accounting policies, standards and interpretations; a continuation of recent turmoil in the banking industry, responsive measures to mitigate and manage it and related supervisory and regulatory actions and costs and Veritex’s future financial performance, business and growth strategy, projected plans and objectives, as well as other projections based on macroeconomic and industry trends, which are inherently unreliable due to the multiple factors that impact broader economic and industry trends, and any such variations may be material. Statements preceded by, followed by or that otherwise include the words “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “projects,” “estimates,” “seeks,” “targets,” “outlooks,” “plans” and similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “should,” “would,” “may” and “could” are generally forward-looking in nature and not historical facts, although not all forward-looking statements include the foregoing words. We refer you to the “Risk Factors” and “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections of Veritex’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 and any updates to those risk factors set forth in Veritex’s Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), which are available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. If one or more events related to these or other risks or uncertainties materialize, or if Veritex’s underlying assumptions prove to be incorrect, actual results may differ materially from what Veritex anticipates. Accordingly, you should not place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made. Veritex does not undertake any obligation, and specifically declines any obligation, to supplement, update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law. All forward-looking statements, expressed or implied, included in this earnings release are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement. This cautionary statement should also be considered in connection with any subsequent written or oral forward-looking statements that Veritex or persons acting on Veritex’s behalf may issue.


    VERITEX HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

    Financial Highlights
    (Unaudited)

        For the Quarter Ended   For the Year Ended
        Dec 31,
    2024
      Sep 30,
    2024
      Jun 30,
    2024
      Mar 31,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
      Dec 31,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
        (Dollars and shares in thousands, except per-share data)
    Per Share Data (Common Stock):                            
    Basic EPS   $ 0.46     $ 0.57     $ 0.50     $ 0.44     $ 0.06     $ 1.97     $ 2.00  
    Diluted EPS     0.45       0.56       0.50       0.44       0.06       1.95       1.98  
    Book value per common share     29.37       29.53       28.49       28.23       28.18       29.37       28.18  
    Tangible book value per common share1     21.61       21.72       20.62       20.33       20.21       21.61       20.21  
    Dividends paid per common share outstanding2     0.20       0.20       0.20       0.20       0.20       0.80       0.80  
                                 
    Common Stock Data:                            
    Shares outstanding at period end     54,517       54,446       54,350       54,496       54,338       54,517       54,338  
    Weighted average basic shares outstanding for the period     54,489       54,409       54,457       54,444       54,327       54,450       54,256  
    Weighted average diluted shares outstanding for the period     55,237       54,932       54,823       54,842       54,691       54,958       54,596  
                                 
    Summary of Credit Ratios:                            
    ACL to total LHI     1.18 %     1.21 %     1.16 %     1.15 %     1.14 %     1.18 %     1.14 %
    NPAs to total assets     0.62       0.52       0.65       0.82       0.77       0.62       0.77  
    NPAs to total loans and OREO     0.83       0.70       0.85       1.06       1.00       0.83       1.00  
    Net charge-offs to average loans outstanding3     0.32       0.01       0.28       0.22       0.40       0.21       0.25  
                                 
    Summary Performance Ratios:                            
    Return on average assets3     0.78 %     0.96 %     0.87 %     0.79 %     0.11 %     0.85 %     0.88 %
    Return on average equity3     6.17       7.79       7.10       6.33       0.92       6.85       7.21  
    Return on average tangible common equity1, 3     9.04       11.33       10.54       9.52       2.00       10.10       10.91  
    Efficiency ratio     67.04       61.94       59.11       62.45       77.49       62.62       55.82  
    Net interest margin     3.20       3.30       3.29       3.24       3.31       3.26       3.49  
                                 
    Selected Performance Metrics – Operating:                            
    Diluted operating EPS1   $ 0.54     $ 0.59     $ 0.52     $ 0.53     $ 0.58     $ 2.17     $ 2.60  
    Pre-tax, pre-provision operating return on average assets1, 3     1.28 %     1.38 %     1.42 %     1.42 %     1.54 %     1.37 %     1.81 %
    Pre-tax, pre-provision operating return on average loans1, 3     1.72       1.83       1.83       1.84       1.97       1.81       2.32  
    Operating return on average assets1,3     0.93       1.00       0.91       0.95       1.02       0.95       1.16  
    Operating return on average tangible common equity1,3     10.69       11.74       10.94       11.34       12.37       11.17       14.09  
    Operating efficiency ratio1     62.98       60.63       58.41       58.73       55.50       60.22       50.94  
    Risk weighted assets   $ 11,247,813     $ 11,290,800     $ 11,450,997     $ 11,407,446     $ 11,387,825     $ 11,247,813     $ 11,387,825  
                                 
    Veritex Holdings, Inc. Capital Ratios:                            
    Average stockholders’ equity to average total assets     12.58 %     12.31 %     12.26 %     12.43 %     12.27 %     12.40 %     12.22 %
    Tangible common equity to tangible assets1     9.54       9.37       9.14       9.02       9.18       9.54       9.18  
    Tier 1 capital to average assets (leverage)     10.32       10.06       10.06       10.12       10.03       10.32       10.03  
    Common equity tier 1 capital     11.09       10.86       10.49       10.37       10.29       11.09       10.29  
    Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets     11.36       11.13       10.75       10.63       10.56       11.36       10.56  
    Total capital to risk-weighted assets     13.96       13.91       13.45       13.33       13.18       13.96       13.18  

    1 Refer to the section titled “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” after the financial highlights for a reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures to their most directly comparable GAAP measures.
    2 Dividend amount represents dividend paid per common share subsequent to each respective quarter end.
    3 Annualized ratio for quarterly metrics.


    VERITEX HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

    Financial Highlights
    (In thousands)

        Dec 31, 2024   Sep 30, 2024   Jun 30, 2024   Mar 31, 2024   Dec 31, 2023
        (unaudited)   (unaudited)   (unaudited)   (unaudited)    
    ASSETS                    
    Cash and due from banks   $ 52,486     $ 54,165     $ 53,462     $ 41,884     $ 58,914  
    Interest bearing deposits in other banks     802,714       1,046,625       598,375       698,885       570,149  
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 855,200     $ 1,100,790     $ 651,837     $ 740,769     $ 629,063  
    Debt securities, net     1,478,538       1,423,610       1,349,354       1,344,930       1,257,042  
    Other investments     69,638       71,257       75,885       76,788       76,238  
    Loans held for sale (“LHFS”)     89,309       48,496       57,046       64,762       79,072  
    LHI, mortgage warehouse (“MW”)     605,411       630,650       568,047       449,531       377,796  
    LHI, excluding MW     8,899,133       9,028,575       9,209,094       9,249,551       9,206,544  
    Total loans     9,593,853       9,707,721       9,834,187       9,763,844       9,663,412  
    ACL     (111,745 )     (117,162 )     (113,431 )     (112,032 )     (109,816 )
    Bank-owned life insurance     85,324       84,776       84,233       85,359       84,833  
    Bank premises, furniture and equipment, net     113,480       114,202       105,222       105,299       105,727  
    Other real estate owned (“OREO”)     24,737       9,034       24,256       18,445        
    Intangible assets, net of accumulated amortization     28,664       32,825       35,817       38,679       41,753  
    Goodwill     404,452       404,452       404,452       404,452       404,452  
    Other assets     226,200       211,471       232,518       241,863       241,633  
    Total assets   $ 12,768,341     $ 13,042,976     $ 12,684,330     $ 12,708,396     $ 12,394,337  
    LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY                    
    Deposits:                    
    Noninterest-bearing deposits   $ 2,191,457     $ 2,643,894     $ 2,416,727     $ 2,349,211     $ 2,218,036  
    Interest-bearing transaction and savings deposits     5,061,157       4,204,708       3,979,454       4,220,114       4,348,385  
    Certificates and other time deposits     2,958,861       3,625,920       3,744,596       3,486,805       3,191,737  
    Correspondent money market deposits     541,117       561,489       584,067       597,690       580,037  
    Total deposits     10,752,592       11,036,011       10,724,844       10,653,820       10,338,195  
    Accounts payable and other liabilities     183,944       168,415       180,585       186,027       195,036  
    Advances from FHLB                       100,000       100,000  
    Subordinated debentures and subordinated notes     230,736       230,536       230,285       230,034       229,783  
    Total liabilities     11,167,272       11,434,962       11,135,714       11,169,881       10,863,014  
    Commitments and contingencies                    
    Stockholders’ equity:                    
    Common stock     613       613       612       611       610  
    Additional paid-in capital     1,328,748       1,324,929       1,321,995       1,319,144       1,317,516  
    Retained earnings     507,903       493,921       473,801       457,499       444,242  
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss     (65,076 )     (40,330 )     (76,713 )     (71,157 )     (63,463 )
    Treasury stock     (171,119 )     (171,119 )     (171,079 )     (167,582 )     (167,582 )
    Total stockholders’ equity     1,601,069       1,608,014       1,548,616       1,538,515       1,531,323  
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity   $ 12,768,341     $ 13,042,976     $ 12,684,330     $ 12,708,396     $ 12,394,337  

    VERITEX HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
    Financial Highlights
    (in thousands, except per share data)

        For the Quarter Ended   For the Year Ended
        Dec 31, 2024   Sep 30, 2024   Jun 30, 2024   Mar 31, 2024   Dec 31, 2023   Dec 31, 2024   Dec 31, 2023
        (unaudited)   (unaudited)   (unaudited)   (unaudited)   (unaudited)   (unaudited)    
    Interest income:                            
    Loans, including fees   $ 154,998     $ 167,261   $ 166,979   $ 161,942     $ 165,443     $ 651,180     $ 648,245  
    Debt securities     16,893       15,830     15,408     13,695       12,282       61,826       44,364  
    Deposits in financial institutions and Fed Funds sold     11,888       12,571     7,722     8,050       8,162       40,231       28,331  
    Equity securities and other investments     940       1,001     1,138     900       1,717       3,979       5,934  
    Total interest income     184,719       196,663     191,247     184,587       187,604       757,216       726,874  
    Interest expense:                            
    Transaction and savings deposits     44,841       47,208     45,619     46,784       46,225       184,452       148,975  
    Certificates and other time deposits     40,279       46,230     44,811     40,492       40,165       171,812       125,409  
    Advances from FHLB     130       47     1,468     1,391       2,581       3,036       41,024  
    Subordinated debentures and subordinated notes     3,328       3,116     3,113     3,114       3,100       12,671       12,352  
    Total interest expense     88,578       96,601     95,011     91,781       92,071       371,971       327,760  
    Net interest income     96,141       100,062     96,236     92,806       95,533       385,245       399,114  
    Provision for credit losses     2,300       4,000     8,250     7,500       9,500       22,050       42,512  
    (Benefit) provision for unfunded commitments     (401 )             (1,541 )     (1,500 )     (1,942 )     (2,041 )
    Net interest income after provisions     94,242       96,062     87,986     86,847       87,533       365,137       358,643  
    Noninterest income:                            
    Service charges and fees on deposit accounts     5,612       5,442     4,974     4,896       4,800       20,924       20,248  
    Loan fees     2,265       3,278     2,207     2,510       1,200       10,260       6,348  
    Loss on sales of debt securities     (4,397 )             (6,304 )           (10,701 )     (5,321 )
    Government guaranteed loan income, net     5,368       780     1,320     2,614       4,378       10,082       19,982  
    Equity method investment (loss) income                         (29,417 )           (30,589 )
    Customer swap income     509       271     326     449       258       1,555       1,633  
    Other income     699       3,335     1,751     2,497       989       8,282       6,804  
    Total noninterest income (loss)     10,056       13,106     10,578     6,662       (17,792 )     40,402       19,105  
    Noninterest expense:                            
    Salaries and employee benefits     37,446       37,370     32,790     33,365       30,606       140,971       122,070  
    Occupancy and equipment     4,633       4,789     4,585     4,677       4,670       18,684       19,351  
    Professional and regulatory fees     5,564       4,903     5,617     6,053       7,626       22,137       26,166  
    Data processing and software expense     5,741       5,268     5,097     4,856       4,569       20,962       18,539  
    Marketing     2,896       2,781     1,976     1,546       1,945       9,199       8,704  
    Amortization of intangibles     2,437       2,438     2,438     2,438       2,438       9,751       9,838  
    Telephone and communications     323       335     365     261       356       1,284       1,551  
    Other     12,154       12,216     10,273     8,920       8,028       43,563       27,245  
    Total noninterest expense     71,194       70,100     63,141     62,116       60,238       266,551       233,464  
    Income before income tax expense     33,104       39,068     35,423     31,393       9,503       138,988       144,284  
    Income tax expense     8,222       8,067     8,221     7,237       6,004       31,747       36,023  
    Net income   $ 24,882     $ 31,001   $ 27,202   $ 24,156     $ 3,499     $ 107,241     $ 108,261  
                                 
    Basic EPS   $ 0.46     $ 0.57   $ 0.50   $ 0.44     $ 0.06     $ 1.97     $ 2.00  
    Diluted EPS   $ 0.45     $ 0.56   $ 0.50   $ 0.44     $ 0.06     $ 1.95     $ 1.98  
    Weighted average basic shares outstanding     54,489       54,409     54,457     54,444       54,327       54,450       54,256  
    Weighted average diluted shares outstanding     55,237       54,932     54,823     54,842       54,691       54,958       54,596  

     

    VERITEX HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
    Financial Highlights
    (Unaudited)

        For the Quarter Ended
        December 31, 2024   September 30, 2024   December 31, 2023
        Average
    Outstanding
    Balance
      Interest
    Earned/
    Interest
    Paid
      Average
    Yield/
    Rate
      Average
    Outstanding
    Balance
      Interest
    Earned/
    Interest
    Paid
      Average
    Yield/
    Rate
      Average
    Outstanding
    Balance
      Interest
    Earned/
    Interest
    Paid
      Average
    Yield/
    Rate
        (Dollars in thousands)
    Assets                                    
    Interest-earning assets:                                    
    Loans1   $ 8,957,193     $ 147,782   6.56 %   $ 9,184,182     $ 159,163   6.89 %   $ 9,280,439     $ 161,021   6.88 %
    LHI, MW     492,372       7,216   5.83       477,592       8,098   6.75       301,345       4,422   5.82  
    Debt securities     1,458,057       16,893   4.61       1,384,835       15,830   4.55       1,188,776       12,282   4.10  
    Interest-earning deposits in other banks     971,451       11,888   4.87       924,685       12,571   5.41       587,929       8,162   5.51  
    Equity securities and other investments     72,223       940   5.18       75,884       1,001   5.25       82,271       1,717   8.28  
    Total interest-earning assets     11,951,296       184,719   6.15       12,047,178       196,663   6.49       11,440,760       187,604   6.51  
    ACL     (117,293 )             (115,510 )             (111,937 )        
    Noninterest-earning assets     916,969               930,250               977,811          
    Total assets   $ 12,750,972             $ 12,861,918             $ 12,306,634          
                                         
    Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity                                    
    Interest-bearing liabilities:                                    
    Interest-bearing demand and savings deposits   $ 5,001,159       44,841   3.57 %   $ 4,700,196     $ 47,208   4.00 %   $ 4,547,911       46,225   4.03 %
    Certificates and other time deposits     3,319,628       40,279   4.83       3,678,718       46,230   5.00       3,285,164       40,165   4.85  
    Advances from FHLB and Other     10,598       130   4.88       3,261       47   5.73       182,935       2,581   5.60  
    Subordinated debentures and subordinated notes     230,633       3,328   5.74       230,393       3,116   5.38       229,648       3,100   5.36  
    Total interest-bearing liabilities     8,562,018       88,578   4.12       8,612,568       96,601   4.46       8,245,658       92,071   4.43  
                                         
    Noninterest-bearing liabilities:                                    
    Noninterest-bearing deposits     2,400,809               2,486,676               2,322,555          
    Other liabilities     183,810               179,273               228,135          
    Total liabilities     11,146,637               11,278,517               10,796,348          
    Stockholders’ equity     1,604,335               1,583,401               1,510,286          
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity   $ 12,750,972             $ 12,861,918             $ 12,306,634          
                                         
    Net interest rate spread2           2.03 %           2.03 %           2.08 %
    Net interest income and margin3       $ 96,141   3.20 %       $ 100,062   3.30 %       $ 95,533   3.31 %

    1 Includes average outstanding balances of LHFS of $46.4 million, $54.3 million and $31.2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024, September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively, and average balances of LHI, excluding MW.
    2 Net interest rate spread is the average yield on interest-earning assets minus the average rate on interest-bearing liabilities.
    3 Net interest margin is equal to net interest income divided by average interest-earning assets.

    VERITEX HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
    Financial Highlights
    (Unaudited)

        For the Year Ended December 31,
          2024       2023  
        Average
    Outstanding
    Balance
      Interest
    Earned/
    Interest
    Paid
      Average
    Yield/
    Rate
      Average
    Outstanding
    Balance
      Interest
    Earned/
    Interest
    Paid
      Average
    Yield/
    Rate
        (Dollars in thousands)
    Assets                        
    Interest-earning assets:                        
    Loans1   $ 9,191,753     $ 624,853   6.80 %   $ 9,244,070     $ 628,122   6.79 %
    LHI, MW     417,985       26,327   6.30       347,596       20,123   5.79  
    Debt securities     1,372,812       61,826   4.50       1,173,880       44,364   3.78  
    Interest-earning deposits in other banks     762,569       40,231   5.28       542,959       28,331   5.22  
    Equity securities and other investments     75,825       3,979   5.25       120,135       5,934   4.94  
    Total interest-earning assets     11,820,944       757,216   6.41       11,428,640       726,874   6.36  
    ACL     (115,259 )             (103,179 )        
    Noninterest-earning assets     927,178               957,286          
    Total assets   $ 12,632,863             $ 12,282,747          
                             
    Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity                        
    Interest-bearing liabilities:                        
    Interest-bearing demand and savings deposits   $ 4,728,453       184,452   3.90     $ 4,197,517       148,975   3.55  
    Certificates and other time deposits     3,468,448       171,812   4.95       2,977,178       125,409   4.21  
    Advances from FHLB and Other     55,109       3,036   5.51       873,617       41,024   4.70  
    Subordinated debentures and subordinated notes     230,264       12,671   5.50       229,268       12,352   5.39  
    Total interest-bearing liabilities     8,482,274       371,971   4.39       8,277,580       327,760   3.96  
                             
    Noninterest-bearing liabilities:                        
    Noninterest-bearing deposits     2,397,681               2,309,983          
    Other liabilities     186,951               193,659          
    Total liabilities     11,066,906               10,781,222          
    Stockholders’ equity     1,565,957               1,501,525          
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity   $ 12,632,863             $ 12,282,747          
                             
    Net interest rate spread2           2.02 %           2.40 %
    Net interest income and margin3       $ 385,245   3.26 %       $ 399,114   3.49 %

    1Includes average outstanding balances of LHFS of $53.3 million and $25.7 million for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively, and average balances of LHI, excluding MW.
    2 Net interest rate spread is the average yield on interest-earning assets minus the average rate on interest-bearing liabilities.
    3 Net interest margin is equal to net interest income divided by average interest-earning assets.

    VERITEX HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
    Financial Highlights
    (Unaudited)

    Yield Trend

        For the Quarter Ended
        Dec 31,
    2024
      Sep 30,
    2024
      Jun 30,
    2024
      Mar 31,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
    Average yield on interest-earning assets:                    
    Loans1   6.56 %   6.89 %   6.90 %   6.83 %   6.88 %
    LHI, MW   5.83     6.75     6.36     6.27     5.82  
    Total loans   6.53     6.89     6.88     6.81     6.85  
    Debt securities   4.61     4.55     4.58     4.25     4.10  
    Interest-bearing deposits in other banks   4.87     5.41     5.54     5.54     5.51  
    Equity securities and other investments   5.18     5.25     5.80     4.75     8.28  
    Total interest-earning assets   6.15 %   6.49 %   6.54 %   6.44 %   6.51 %
                         
    Average rate on interest-bearing liabilities:                    
    Interest-bearing demand and savings deposits   3.57 %   4.00 %   4.01 %   4.06 %   4.03 %
    Certificates and other time deposits   4.83     5.00     5.02     4.96     4.85  
    Advances from FHLB   4.88     5.73     5.54     5.54     5.60  
    Subordinated debentures and subordinated notes   5.74     5.38     5.44     5.45     5.36  
    Total interest-bearing liabilities   4.12 %   4.46 %   4.50 %   4.47 %   4.43 %
                         
    Net interest rate spread2   2.03 %   2.03 %   2.04 %   1.97 %   2.08 %
    Net interest margin3   3.20 %   3.30 %   3.29 %   3.24 %   3.31 %

    1 Includes average outstanding balances of LHFS of $46.4 million, $54.3 million, $58.5 million, $53.9 million and $31.2 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024, September 30, 2024, June 30, 2024, March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively, and average balances of LHI, excluding MW.
    2 Net interest rate spread is the average yield on interest-earning assets minus the average rate on interest-bearing liabilities.
    3 Net interest margin is equal to net interest income divided by average interest-earning assets.

    Supplemental Yield Trend

        For the Quarter Ended   For the Year Ended
        Dec 31,
    2024
      Sep 30,
    2024
      Jun 30,
    2024
      Mar 31,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
      Dec 31,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
    Average cost of interest-bearing deposits   4.07 %   4.44 %   4.46 %   4.43 %   4.38 %   4.35 %   3.82 %
    Average costs of total deposits, including noninterest-bearing   3.16     3.42     3.46     3.42     3.37     3.36     2.89  

    VERITEX HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
    Financial Highlights
    (Unaudited)

    LHI and Deposit Portfolio Composition

        Dec 31, 2024   Sep 30, 2024   Jun 30, 2024   Mar 31, 2024   Dec 31, 2023
        (In thousands, except percentages)
    LHI1                                        
    Commercial and Industrial (“C&I”)   $ 2,693,538     30.2 %   $ 2,728,544     30.2 %   $ 2,798,260     30.4 %   $ 2,785,987     30.1 %   $ 2,752,063     29.9 %
    Real Estate:                                        
    Owner occupied commercial (“OOCRE”)     780,003     8.8       807,223     8.9       806,285     8.7       788,376     8.5       794,088     8.6  
    Non-owner occupied commercial (“NOOCRE”)     2,382,499     26.7       2,338,094     25.9       2,369,848     25.7       2,352,993     25.5       2,350,725     25.5  
    Construction and land     1,303,711     14.7       1,436,540     15.8       1,536,580     16.7       1,568,257     16.9       1,734,254     18.8  
    Farmland     31,690     0.4       32,254     0.4       30,512     0.3       30,979     0.3       31,114     0.3  
    1-4 family residential     957,341     10.7       944,755     10.5       917,402     10.0       969,401     10.5       937,119     10.2  
    Multi-family residential     750,218     8.4       738,090     8.2       748,740     8.1       751,607     8.1       605,817     6.6  
    Consumer     9,115     0.1       11,292     0.1       9,245     0.1       8,882     0.1       10,149     0.1  
    Total LHI1   $ 8,908,115     100 %   $ 9,036,792     100 %   $ 9,216,872     100 %   $ 9,256,482     100 %   $ 9,215,329     100 %
                                             
    MW     605,411           630,650           568,047           449,531           377,796      
                                             
    Total LHI1   $ 9,513,526         $ 9,667,442         $ 9,784,919         $ 9,706,013         $ 9,593,125      
                                             
    Total LHFS     89,309           48,496           57,046           64,762           79,072      
                                             
    Total loans   $ 9,602,835         $ 9,715,938         $ 9,841,965         $ 9,770,775         $ 9,672,197      
                                             
    Deposits                                        
    Noninterest-bearing   $ 2,191,457     20.4 %   $ 2,643,894     24.0 %   $ 2,416,727     22.5 %   $ 2,349,211     22.1 %   $ 2,218,036     21.5 %
    Interest-bearing transaction     839,005     7.8       421,059     3.8       523,272     4.9       724,171     6.8       927,193     8.9  
    Money market     3,772,964     35.1       3,462,709     31.4       3,268,286     30.5       3,326,742     31.2       3,284,324     31.8  
    Savings     449,188     4.2       320,940     2.9       187,896     1.8       169,201     1.6       136,868     1.3  
    Certificates and other time deposits     2,958,861     27.5       3,625,920     32.8       3,744,596     34.9       3,486,805     32.7       3,191,737     30.9  
    Correspondent money market account     541,117     5.0       561,489     5.1       584,067     5.4       597,690     5.6       580,037     5.6  
    Total deposits   $ 10,752,592     100 %   $ 11,036,011     100 %   $ 10,724,844     100 %   $ 10,653,820     100 %   $ 10,338,195     100 %
                                             
    Total loans to total deposits ratio     89.3 %         88.0 %         91.8 %         91.7 %         93.6 %    
                                             
    Total loans to Deposit Ratio, excluding MW loans and LHFS     82.8 %         81.9 %         85.9 %         86.9 %         89.1 %    

    1 Total LHI does not include deferred costs of $9.0 million, $8.2 million, $7.8 million, $6.9 million and $8.8 million at December 31, 2024, September 30, 2024, June 30, 2024, March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively.


    VERITEX HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

    Financial Highlights
    (Unaudited)

    Asset Quality

      For the Quarter Ended   For the Year Ended
      Dec 31,
    2024
      Sep 30,
    2024
      Jun 30,
    2024
      Mar 31,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
      Dec 31,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
      (In thousands, except percentages)
    NPAs:                          
    Nonaccrual loans $ 52,521     $ 55,335     $ 58,537     $ 75,721     $ 79,133     $ 52,521     $ 79,133  
    Nonaccrual PCD loans1         70       73       9,419       13,715             13,715  
    Accruing loans 90 or more days past due2   1,914       2,860       143       220       2,975       1,914       2,975  
    Total nonperforming loans held for investment (“NPLs”)   54,435       58,265       58,753       85,360       95,823       54,435       95,823  
    Other real estate owned (“OREO”)   24,737       9,034       24,256       18,445             24,737        
    Total NPAs $ 79,172     $ 67,299     $ 83,009     $ 103,805     $ 95,823     $ 79,172     $ 95,823  
                               
    Charge-offs:                          
    1-4 family residential $     $     $ (31 )   $     $ (21 )   $ (31 )   $ (21 )
    Multifamily               (198 )           (192 )     (198 )     (192 )
    OOCRE                     (120 )     (364 )     (120 )     (855 )
    NOOCRE   (5,113 )           (1,969 )     (4,293 )     (5,434 )     (11,375 )     (13,649 )
    C&I   (4,586 )     (2,259 )     (5,601 )     (946 )     (3,893 )     (13,392 )     (10,413 )
    Consumer   (420 )     (54 )     (30 )     (71 )     (33 )     (575 )     (236 )
    Total charge-offs $ (10,119 )   $ (2,313 )   $ (7,829 )   $ (5,430 )   $ (9,937 )   $ (25,691 )   $ (25,366 )
                               
    Recoveries:                          
    1-4 family residential $ 2     $ 3     $     $ 1     $ 1     $ 6     $ 3  
    OOCRE               120                   120        
    NOOCRE   1,323                               1,323       350  
    C&I   1,047       1,962       361       96       387       3,466       1,165  
    MW       46                         46        
    Consumer   30       33       497       49       34       609       100  
    Total recoveries $ 2,402     $ 2,044     $ 978     $ 146     $ 422     $ 5,570     $ 1,618  
                               
    Net charge-offs $ (7,717 )   $ (269 )   $ (6,851 )   $ (5,284 )   $ (9,515 )   $ (20,121 )   $ (23,748 )
                               
    Provision for credit losses $ 2,300     $ 4,000     $ 8,250     $ 7,500     $ 9,500     $ 22,050     $ 42,512  
                               
    ACL $ 111,745     $ 117,162     $ 113,431     $ 112,032     $ 109,816     $ 111,745     $ 109,816  
                               
    Asset Quality Ratios:                          
    NPAs to total assets   0.62 %     0.52 %     0.65 %     0.82 %     0.77 %     0.62 %     0.77 %
    NPAs, excluding nonaccrual PCD loans, to total assets   0.62       0.52       0.65       0.74       0.66       0.62       0.66  
    NPAs to total loans and OREO   0.83       0.70       0.85       1.06       1.00       0.83       1.00  
    NPLs to total LHI   0.57       0.60       0.60       0.88       1.00       0.57       1.00  
    NPLs, excluding nonaccrual PCD loans, to total LHI   0.57       0.60       0.60       0.78       0.86       0.57       0.86  
    ACL to total LHI   1.18       1.21       1.16       1.15       1.14       1.18       1.14  
    ACL to total loans, excluding MW and LHFS   1.25       1.30       1.23       1.21       1.19       1.25       1.19  
    Net charge-offs to average loans outstanding3   0.32       0.01       0.28       0.22       0.40       0.21       0.25  

    1 Nonaccrual PCD loans consist of PCD loans that transitioned upon adoption of ASC 326 Financial Instruments – Credit Losses and were accounted for on a pooled basis that have subsequently been placed on nonaccrual status.
    2 Accruing loans greater than 90 days past due exclude PCD loans greater than 90 days past due that are accounted for on a pooled basis.
    3Annualized ratio for quarterly metrics.


    VERITEX HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES

    Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
    (Unaudited)

    We identify certain financial measures discussed in this earnings release as being “non-GAAP financial measures.” In accordance with SEC rules, we classify a financial measure as being a non-GAAP financial measure if that financial measure excludes or includes amounts, or is subject to adjustments that have the effect of excluding or including amounts, that are included or excluded, as the case may be, in the most directly comparable measure calculated and presented in accordance with GAAP, in our statements of income, balance sheets or statements of cash flows. Non-GAAP financial measures do not include operating and other statistical measures or ratios calculated using exclusively either one or both of (i) financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP and (ii) operating measures or other measures that are not non-GAAP financial measures.

    The non-GAAP financial measures that we present in this earnings release should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the most directly comparable or other financial measures calculated in accordance with GAAP. Moreover, the manner in which we calculate the non-GAAP financial measures that we present in this earnings release may differ from that of other companies reporting measures with similar names. You should understand how such other financial institutions calculate their financial measures that appear to be similar or have similar names to the non-GAAP financial measures we have discussed in this earnings release when comparing such non-GAAP financial measures.

    Tangible Book Value Per Common Share. Tangible book value per common share is a non-GAAP measure generally used by financial analysts and investment bankers to evaluate financial institutions. We calculate: (a) tangible common equity as total stockholders’ equity less goodwill and core deposit intangibles, net of accumulated amortization; and (b) tangible book value per common share as tangible common equity (as described in clause (a)) divided by number of common shares outstanding. For tangible book value per common share, the most directly comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with GAAP is book value per common share.

    We believe that this measure is important to many investors in the marketplace who are interested in changes from period to period in book value per common share exclusive of changes in core deposit intangibles. Goodwill and other intangible assets have the effect of increasing total book value while not increasing our tangible book value.

    The following table reconciles, as of the dates set forth below, total stockholders’ equity to tangible common equity and presents our tangible book value per common share compared with our book value per common share:

        As of
        Dec 31, 2024   Sep 30, 2024   Jun 30, 2024   Mar 31, 2024   Dec 31, 2023
        (Dollars in thousands, except per share data)
    Tangible Common Equity                    
    Total stockholders’ equity   $ 1,601,069     $ 1,608,014     $ 1,548,616     $ 1,538,515     $ 1,531,323  
    Adjustments:                    
    Goodwill     (404,452 )     (404,452 )     (404,452 )     (404,452 )     (404,452 )
    Core deposit intangibles     (18,744 )     (21,182 )     (23,619 )     (26,057 )     (28,495 )
    Tangible common equity   $ 1,177,873     $ 1,182,380     $ 1,120,545     $ 1,108,006     $ 1,098,376  
    Common shares outstanding     54,517       54,446       54,350       54,496       54,338  
                         
    Book value per common share   $ 29.37     $ 29.53     $ 28.49     $ 28.23     $ 28.18  
    Tangible book value per common share   $ 21.61     $ 21.72     $ 20.62     $ 20.33     $ 20.21  

    VERITEX HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
    Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
    (Unaudited)

    Tangible Common Equity to Tangible Assets. Tangible common equity to tangible assets is a non-GAAP measure generally used by financial analysts and investment bankers to evaluate financial institutions. We calculate: (a) tangible common equity as total stockholders’ equity, less goodwill and core deposit intangibles, net of accumulated amortization; (b) tangible assets as total assets less goodwill and core deposit intangibles, net of accumulated amortization; and (c) tangible common equity to tangible assets as tangible common equity (as described in clause (a)) divided by tangible assets (as described in clause (b)). For tangible common equity to tangible assets, the most directly comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with GAAP is total stockholders’ equity to total assets.

    We believe that this measure is important to many investors in the marketplace who are interested in the relative changes from period to period in common equity and total assets, in each case, exclusive of changes in core deposit intangibles. Goodwill and other intangible assets have the effect of increasing both total stockholders’ equity and assets while not increasing our tangible common equity or tangible assets.

    The following table reconciles, as of the dates set forth below, total stockholders’ equity to tangible common equity and total assets to tangible assets and presents our tangible common equity to tangible assets:

        As of
        Dec 31, 2024   Sep 30, 2024   Jun 30, 2024   Mar 31, 2024   Dec 31, 2023
        (Dollars in thousands)
    Tangible Common Equity                    
    Total stockholders’ equity   $ 1,601,069     $ 1,608,014     $ 1,548,616     $ 1,538,515     $ 1,531,323  
    Adjustments:                    
    Goodwill     (404,452 )     (404,452 )     (404,452 )     (404,452 )     (404,452 )
    Core deposit intangibles     (18,744 )     (21,182 )     (23,619 )     (26,057 )     (28,495 )
    Tangible common equity   $ 1,177,873     $ 1,182,380     $ 1,120,545     $ 1,108,006     $ 1,098,376  
    Tangible Assets                    
    Total assets   $ 12,768,341     $ 13,042,976     $ 12,684,330     $ 12,708,396     $ 12,394,337  
    Adjustments:                    
    Goodwill     (404,452 )     (404,452 )     (404,452 )     (404,452 )     (404,452 )
    Core deposit intangibles     (18,744 )     (21,182 )     (23,619 )     (26,057 )     (28,495 )
    Tangible Assets   $ 12,345,145     $ 12,617,342     $ 12,256,259     $ 12,277,887     $ 11,961,390  
    Tangible Common Equity to Tangible Assets     9.54 %     9.37 %     9.14 %     9.02 %     9.18 %

    VERITEX HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
    Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
    (Unaudited)

    Return on Average Tangible Common Equity. Return on average tangible common equity is a non-GAAP measure generally used by financial analysts and investment bankers to evaluate financial institutions. We calculate: (a) net income available for common stockholders adjusted for amortization of core deposit intangibles (which we refer to as “return”) as net income, plus amortization of core deposit intangibles, less tax benefit at the statutory rate; (b) average tangible common equity as total average stockholders’ equity less average goodwill and average core deposit intangibles, net of accumulated amortization; and (c) return (as described in clause (a)) divided by average tangible common equity (as described in clause (b)). For return on average tangible common equity, the most directly comparable financial measure calculated in accordance with GAAP is return on average equity.

    We believe that this measure is important to many investors in the marketplace who are interested in the return on common equity, exclusive of the impact of core deposit intangibles. Goodwill and core deposit intangibles have the effect of increasing total stockholders’ equity while not increasing our tangible common equity. This measure is particularly relevant to acquisitive institutions that may have higher balances in goodwill and core deposit intangibles than non-acquisitive institutions.

    The following table reconciles, as of the dates set forth below, average tangible common equity to average common equity and net income available for common stockholders adjusted for amortization of core deposit intangibles, net of taxes to net income and presents our return on average tangible common equity:

        For the Quarter Ended   For the Year Ended
        Dec 31,
    2024
      Sep 30,
    2024
      Jun 30,
    2024
      Mar 31,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
      Dec 31,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
        (Dollars in thousands)
    Net income available for common stockholders adjusted for amortization of core deposit intangibles                            
    Net income   $ 24,882     $ 31,001     $ 27,202     $ 24,156     $ 3,499     $ 107,241     $ 108,261  
    Adjustments:                            
    Plus: Amortization of core deposit intangibles     2,437       2,438       2,438       2,438       2,438       9,751       9,752  
    Less: Tax benefit at the statutory rate     512       512       512       512       512       2,048       2,048  
    Net income available for common stockholders adjusted for amortization of core deposit intangibles   $ 26,807     $ 32,927     $ 29,128     $ 26,082     $ 5,425     $ 114,944     $ 115,965  
                                 
    Average Tangible Common Equity                            
    Total average stockholders’ equity   $ 1,604,335     $ 1,583,401     $ 1,541,609     $ 1,533,868     $ 1,510,286     $ 1,565,957     $ 1,501,525  
    Adjustments:                            
    Average goodwill     (404,452 )     (404,452 )     (404,452 )     (404,452 )     (404,452 )     (404,452 )     (404,452 )
    Average core deposit intangibles     (20,342 )     (22,789 )     (25,218 )     (27,656 )     (30,093 )     (23,988 )     (33,718 )
    Average tangible common equity   $ 1,179,541     $ 1,156,160     $ 1,111,939     $ 1,101,760     $ 1,075,741     $ 1,137,517     $ 1,063,355  
    Return on Average Tangible Common Equity (Annualized)     9.04 %     11.33 %     10.54 %     9.52 %     2.00 %     10.10 %     10.91 %

    VERITEX HOLDINGS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
    Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
    (Unaudited)

    Operating Earnings, Pre-tax, Pre-provision Operating Earnings and performance metrics calculated using Operating Earnings and Pre-tax, Pre-provision Operating Earnings, including Diluted Operating Earnings per Share, Operating Return on Average Assets, Pre-tax, Pre-Provision Operating Return on Average Assets, Operating Return on Average Assets, Pre-tax, Pre-Provision Operating Return on Average Assets, Pre-tax, Pre-Provision Operating Return on Average Loans, Operating Return on Average Tangible Common Equity and Operating Efficiency Ratio. Operating earnings, pre-tax, pre-provision operating earnings and the performance metrics calculated using these metrics, listed below, are non-GAAP measures used by management to evaluate the Company’s financial performance. We calculate (a) operating earnings as net income plus equity method investment write-down, plus FDIC special assessment, plus severance payments, plus loss on sale of debt securities AFS, net, less tax impact of adjustments, plus nonrecurring tax adjustments. We calculate (b) diluted operating earnings per share as operating earnings as described in clause (a) divided by weighted average diluted shares outstanding. We calculate (c) pre-tax, pre-provision operating earnings as operating earnings as described in clause (a) plus provision for income taxes, plus benefit (provision) for credit losses and unfunded commitments. We calculate (d) pre-tax, pre-provision operating return on average assets as pre-tax, pre-provision operating earnings as described in clause (a) divided by total average assets. We calculate (e) operating return on average assets as operating earnings as described in clause (a) divided by total average assets. We calculate (f) operating return on average tangible common equity as operating earnings as described in clause (a), adjusted for the amortization of intangibles and tax benefit at the statutory rate, divided by total average tangible common equity (average stockholders’ equity less average goodwill and average core deposit intangibles, net of accumulated amortization). We calculate (g) operating efficiency ratio as noninterest expense plus adjustments to operating noninterest expense divided by noninterest income plus adjustments to operating noninterest income, plus net interest income

    We believe that these measures and the operating metrics calculated utilizing these measures are important to management and many investors in the marketplace who are interested in understanding the ongoing operating performance of the Company and provide meaningful comparisons to its peers.

    The following tables reconcile, as of the dates set forth below, operating net income and pre-tax, pre-provision operating earnings and related metrics:

        For the Quarter Ended   For the Year Ended
        Dec 31,
    2024
      Sep 30,
    2024
      Jun 30,
    2024
      Mar 31,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
      Dec 31,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
        (Dollars in thousands, except per share data)
    Operating Earnings                            
    Net income   $ 24,882   $ 31,001   $ 27,202   $ 24,156   $ 3,499   $ 107,241   $ 108,261
    Plus: Equity method investment write-down                     29,417         29,417
    Plus: FDIC special assessment             134         768     134     768
    Plus: Severance payments1     1,545     1,487     613             3,645     1,950
    Plus: Loss on sale of debt securities AFS, net     4,397             6,304         10,701     5,321
    Operating pre-tax income     30,824     32,488     27,949     30,460     33,684     121,721     145,717
    Less: Tax impact of adjustments     1,248     307     166     1,323     2,059     3,044     3,603
    Plus: Nonrecurring tax adjustments     193         527             720    
    Operating earnings   $ 29,769   $ 32,181   $ 28,310   $ 29,137   $ 31,625   $ 119,397   $ 142,114
                                 
    Weighted average diluted shares outstanding     55,237     54,932     54,823     54,842     54,691     54,958     54,596
    Diluted EPS   $ 0.45   $ 0.56   $ 0.50   $ 0.44   $ 0.06   $ 1.95   $ 1.98
    Diluted operating EPS   $ 0.54   $ 0.59   $ 0.52   $ 0.53   $ 0.58   $ 2.17   $ 2.60

    1 Severance payments relate to restructurings made during the periods disclosed.

        For the Quarter Ended   For the Year Ended
    (Dollars in thousands)   Dec 31,
    2024
      Sep 30,
    2024
      Jun 30,
    2024
      Mar 31,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
      Dec 31,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
    Pre-Tax, Pre-Provision Operating Earnings                            
    Net Income   $ 24,882     $ 31,001     $ 27,202     $ 24,156     $ 3,499     $ 107,241     $ 108,261  
    Plus: Provision for income taxes     8,222       8,067       8,221       7,237       6,004       31,747       36,023  
    Plus: Provision for credit losses and unfunded commitments     1,899       4,000       8,250       5,959       8,000       20,108       40,471  
    Plus: Severance payments     1,545       1,487       613                   3,645       1,950  
    Plus: Loss on sale of AFS, net     4,397                   6,304             10,701       5,321  
    Plus: Equity method investment write-down                             29,417             29,417  
    Plus: FDIC special assessment                 134             768       134       768  
    Net pre-tax, pre-provision operating earnings   $ 40,945     $ 44,555     $ 44,420     $ 43,656     $ 47,688     $ 173,576     $ 222,211  
                                 
    Average total assets   $ 12,750,972     $ 12,861,918     $ 12,578,706     $ 12,336,042     $ 12,306,634     $ 12,632,863     $ 12,282,747  
    Pre-tax, pre-provision operating return on average assets1     1.28 %     1.38 %     1.42 %     1.42 %     1.54 %     1.37 %     1.81 %
                                 
    Average loans   $ 9,449,565     $ 9,661,774     $ 9,765,428     $ 9,563,372     $ 9,581,784     $ 9,609,738     $ 9,591,666  
    Pre-tax, pre-provision operating return on average loans1     1.72 %     1.83 %     1.83 %     1.84 %     1.97 %     1.81 %     2.32 %
                                 
    Average Total Assets   $ 12,750,972     $ 12,861,918     $ 12,578,706     $ 12,336,042     $ 12,306,634     $ 12,632,863     $ 12,282,747  
    Return on average assets1     0.78 %     0.96 %     0.87 %     0.79 %     0.11 %     0.85 %     0.88 %
    Operating return on average assets1     0.93       1.00       0.91       0.95       1.02       0.95       1.16  
                                 
    Operating earnings adjusted for amortization of core deposit intangibles                            
    Operating earnings   $ 29,769     $ 32,181     $ 28,310     $ 29,137     $ 31,625     $ 119,397     $ 142,114  
    Adjustments:                            
    Plus: Amortization of core deposit intangibles     2,437       2,438       2,438       2,438       2,438       9,751       9,752  
    Less: Tax benefit at the statutory rate     512       512       512       512       512       2,048       2,048  
    Operating earnings adjusted for amortization of core deposit intangibles   $ 31,694     $ 34,107     $ 30,236     $ 31,063     $ 33,551     $ 127,100     $ 149,818  
                                 
    Average Tangible Common Equity                            
    Total average stockholders’ equity   $ 1,604,335     $ 1,583,401     $ 1,541,609     $ 1,533,868     $ 1,510,286     $ 1,565,957     $ 1,501,525  
    Adjustments:                            
    Less: Average goodwill     (404,452 )     (404,452 )     (404,452 )     (404,452 )     (404,452 )     (404,452 )     (404,452 )
    Less: Average core deposit intangibles     (20,342 )     (22,789 )     (25,218 )     (27,656 )     (30,093 )     (23,988 )     (33,718 )
    Average tangible common equity   $ 1,179,541     $ 1,156,160     $ 1,111,939     $ 1,101,760     $ 1,075,741     $ 1,137,517     $ 1,063,355  
    Operating return on average tangible common equity1     10.69 %     11.74 %     10.94 %     11.34 %     12.37 %     11.17 %     14.09 %
                                 
    Efficiency ratio     67.04 %     61.94 %     59.11 %     62.45 %     77.49 %     62.62 %     55.82 %
    Operating efficiency ratio                            
    Net interest income   $ 96,141     $ 100,062     $ 96,236     $ 92,806     $ 95,533     $ 385,245     $ 399,114  
    Noninterest income (loss)     10,056       13,106       10,578       6,662       (17,792 )     40,402       19,105  
    Plus: Loss on sale of AFS, net     4,397                   6,304             10,701       5,321  
    Plus: Equity method investment write-down                             29,417             29,417  
    Operating noninterest income     14,453       13,106       10,578       12,966       11,625       51,103       53,843  
    Noninterest expense     71,194       70,100       63,141       62,116       60,238       266,551       233,464  
    Less: FDIC special assessment                 134             768       134       768  
    Less: Severance payments     1,545       1,487       613                   3,645       1,950  
    Operating noninterest expense   $ 69,649     $ 68,613     $ 62,394     $ 62,116     $ 59,470     $ 262,772     $ 230,746  
    Operating efficiency ratio     62.98 %     60.63 %     58.41 %     58.73 %     55.50 %     60.22 %     50.94 %

    1 Annualized ratio for quarterly metrics.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn Votes to Confirm Scott Bessent for Treasury Secretary

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement after Scott Bessent was confirmed as Secretary of the U.S. Department of the Treasury:
    “As Treasury Secretary, Scott Bessent will be a valuable asset to President Trump and a powerful partner to Congress as we work together to extend the Trump tax cuts, rein in spending, and bring down inflation. Scott and I agree that tackling our national debt is critical to the success of Republicans’ pro-growth agenda and securing America’s dominance on the world stage. I look forward to working with him to seize this historic opportunity and get our economy roaring back to life.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI: Renasant Corporation Announces Earnings For the Fourth Quarter of 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    TUPELO, Miss., Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Renasant Corporation (NYSE: RNST) (the “Company”) today announced earnings results for the fourth quarter of 2024.

    (Dollars in thousands, except earnings per share) Three Months Ended   Twelve Months Ended
      Dec 31, 2024 Sep 30, 2024 Dec 31, 2023   Dec 31, 2024 Dec 31, 2023
    Net income and earnings per share:            
    Net income $ 44,747 $ 72,455 $ 28,124     $ 195,457 $ 144,678  
    After-tax gain on sale of insurance agency     38,951         38,951    
    After-tax loss on sale of securities (including impairments)       (17,859 )       (17,859 )
    Basic EPS   0.70   1.18   0.50       3.29   2.58  
    Diluted EPS   0.70   1.18   0.50       3.27   2.56  
    Adjusted diluted EPS (Non-GAAP)(1)   0.73   0.70   0.76       2.76   3.15  
    Impact to diluted EPS from after-tax gain on sale of insurance agency     0.63         0.65    
    Impact to diluted EPS from after-tax loss on sale of securities (including impairments)               (0.31 )
                               

    “The fourth quarter results marked the end to a successful year for Renasant. We announced a transformative merger with The First in July and, in the midst of diligently planning for a successful combination, our team maintained its focus on generating organic growth, disciplined pricing on both sides of the balance sheet and steady credit performance,” remarked C. Mitchell Waycaster, Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

    Quarterly Highlights

    Earnings

    • Net income for the fourth quarter of 2024 was $44.7 million; diluted EPS and adjusted diluted EPS (non-GAAP)(1) were $0.70 and $0.73, respectively
    • Net interest income (fully tax equivalent) for the fourth quarter of 2024 was $135.5 million, up $1.9 million on a linked quarter basis
    • For the fourth quarter of 2024, net interest margin was 3.36%, which was unchanged on a linked quarter basis
    • Cost of total deposits was 2.35% for the fourth quarter of 2024, down 16 basis points on a linked quarter basis
    • Noninterest income decreased $55.1 million on a linked quarter basis. The Company recognized a $53.3 million pre-tax gain on the insurance agency sale during the third quarter. Excluding the impact of this gain, noninterest income decreased $1.7 million from the third quarter
    • Mortgage banking income decreased $1.6 million on a linked quarter basis. The mortgage division generated $482.3 million in interest rate lock volume in the fourth quarter of 2024, down $61.3 million on a linked quarter basis. Gain on sale margin was 2.01% for the fourth quarter of 2024, up 45 basis points on a linked quarter basis
    • Noninterest expense decreased $7.2 million on a linked quarter basis. Merger and conversion expenses were $2.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, down from $11.3 million for the prior quarter

    Balance Sheet

    • Loans increased $257.4 million on a linked quarter basis, representing 8.1% annualized net loan growth
    • Securities increased $41.8 million on a linked quarter basis. The Company purchased $113.6 million in securities during the fourth quarter, which was offset by cash flows related to principal payments, calls and maturities of $48.5 million and a negative fair market value adjustment in the Company’s available-for-sale portfolio of $24.3 million
    • Deposits at December 31, 2024 increased $62.9 million on a linked quarter basis. Brokered deposits outstanding at September 30, 2024 of $126.8 million matured or were called during the quarter. There were no outstanding brokered deposits at December 31, 2024. Noninterest bearing deposits decreased $125.8 million on a linked quarter basis and represented 23.4% of total deposits at December 31, 2024

    Capital and Stock Repurchase Program

    • Book value per share and tangible book value per share (non-GAAP)(1) increased 0.7% and 1.3%, respectively, on a linked quarter basis
    • The Company has a $100.0 million stock repurchase program in effect through October 2025 under which the Company is authorized to repurchase outstanding shares of its common stock either in open market purchases or privately-negotiated transactions. There was no buyback activity during the fourth quarter of 2024

    Credit Quality

    • The Company recorded a provision for credit losses of $2.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2024, compared to $0.9 million for the third quarter of 2024
    • The ratio of the allowance for credit losses on loans to total loans was 1.57% at December 31, 2024, down two basis points on a linked quarter basis
    • The coverage ratio, or the allowance for credit losses on loans to nonperforming loans, was 178.11% at December 31, 2024, compared to 168.07% at September 30, 2024
    • Net loan charge-offs for the fourth quarter of 2024 were $1.7 million, or 0.05% of average loans on an annualized basis
    • Nonperforming loans to total loans decreased to 0.88% at December 31, 2024 compared to 0.94% at September 30, 2024, and criticized loans (which include classified and Special Mention loans) to total loans decreased to 2.89% at December 31, 2024, compared to 3.02% at September 30, 2024

    (1) This is a non-GAAP financial measure. A reconciliation of all non-GAAP financial measures disclosed in this release from GAAP to non-GAAP is included in the tables at the end of this release. The information below under the heading “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” explains why the Company believes the non-GAAP financial measures in this release provide useful information and describes the other purposes for which the Company uses non-GAAP financial measures.

    Income Statement

    (Dollars in thousands, except per share data) Three Months Ended   Twelve Months Ended
      Dec 31, 2024 Sep 30, 2024 Jun 30, 2024 Mar 31, 2024 Dec 31, 2023   Dec 31, 2024 Dec 31, 2023
    Interest income                
    Loans held for investment $ 199,240   $ 202,655   $ 198,397   $ 192,390   $ 188,535   $ 792,682   $ 704,649  
    Loans held for sale   3,564     4,212     3,530     2,308     3,329     13,614     11,807  
    Securities   10,510     10,304     10,410     10,700     10,728     41,924     50,488  
    Other   12,030     11,872     7,874     7,781     7,839     39,557     30,375  
    Total interest income   225,344     229,043     220,211     213,179     210,431     887,777     797,319  
    Interest expense                
    Deposits   85,571     90,787     87,621     82,613     77,168     346,592     232,331  
    Borrowings   6,891     7,258     7,564     7,276     7,310     28,989     45,661  
    Total interest expense   92,462     98,045     95,185     89,889     84,478     375,581     277,992  
    Net interest income   132,882     130,998     125,026     123,290     125,953     512,196     519,327  
    Provision for credit losses                
    Provision for loan losses   3,100     1,210     4,300     2,638     2,518     11,248     18,793  
    Recovery of unfunded commitments   (500 )   (275 )   (1,000 )   (200 )       (1,975 )   (3,200 )
    Total provision for credit losses   2,600     935     3,300     2,438     2,518     9,273     15,593  
    Net interest income after provision for credit losses   130,282     130,063     121,726     120,852     123,435     502,923     503,734  
    Noninterest income   34,218     89,299     38,762     41,381     20,356     203,660     113,075  
    Noninterest expense   114,747     121,983     111,976     112,912     111,880     461,618     439,622  
    Income before income taxes   49,753     97,379     48,512     49,321     31,911     244,965     177,187  
    Income taxes   5,006     24,924     9,666     9,912     3,787     49,508     32,509  
    Net income $ 44,747   $ 72,455   $ 38,846   $ 39,409   $ 28,124   $ 195,457   $ 144,678  
                     
    Adjusted net income (non-GAAP)(1) $ 46,458   $ 42,960   $ 38,846   $ 36,572   $ 42,887   $ 165,066   $ 177,657  
    Adjusted pre-provision net revenue (“PPNR”) (non-GAAP)(1) $ 54,177   $ 56,238   $ 51,812   $ 48,231   $ 52,614   $ 210,458   $ 233,403  
                     
    Basic earnings per share $ 0.70   $ 1.18   $ 0.69   $ 0.70   $ 0.50   $ 3.29   $ 2.58  
    Diluted earnings per share   0.70     1.18     0.69     0.70     0.50     3.27     2.56  
    Adjusted diluted earnings per share (non-GAAP)(1)   0.73     0.70     0.69     0.65     0.76     2.76     3.15  
    Average basic shares outstanding   63,565,437     61,217,094     56,342,909     56,208,348     56,141,628     59,350,157     56,099,689  
    Average diluted shares outstanding   64,056,303     61,632,448     56,684,626     56,531,078     56,611,217     59,748,790     56,448,163  
    Cash dividends per common share $ 0.22   $ 0.22   $ 0.22   $ 0.22   $ 0.22   $ 0.88   $ 0.88  
                                               

    (1) This is a non-GAAP financial measure. A reconciliation of all non-GAAP financial measures disclosed in this release from GAAP to non-GAAP is included in the tables at the end of this release. The information below under the heading “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” explains why the Company believes the non-GAAP financial measures in this release provide useful information and describes the other purposes for which the Company uses non-GAAP financial measures.

    Performance Ratios

      Three Months Ended   Twelve Months Ended
      Dec 31, 2024 Sep 30, 2024 Jun 30, 2024 Mar 31, 2024 Dec 31, 2023   Dec 31, 2024 Dec 31, 2023
    Return on average assets 0.99 % 1.63 % 0.90 % 0.92 % 0.65 %   1.11 % 0.84 %
    Adjusted return on average assets (non-GAAP)(1) 1.03   0.97   0.90   0.86   0.99     0.94   1.03  
    Return on average tangible assets (non-GAAP)(1) 1.07   1.75   0.98   1.00   0.71     1.20   0.92  
    Adjusted return on average tangible assets (non-GAAP)(1) 1.11   1.05   0.98   0.93   1.08     1.02   1.12  
    Return on average equity 6.70   11.29   6.68   6.85   4.93     7.92   6.50  
    Adjusted return on average equity (non-GAAP)(1) 6.96   6.69   6.68   6.36   7.53     6.69   7.99  
    Return on average tangible equity (non-GAAP)(1) 10.97   18.83   12.04   12.45   9.26     13.63   12.29  
    Adjusted return on average tangible equity (non-GAAP)(1) 11.38   11.26   12.04   11.58   13.94     11.55   15.02  
    Efficiency ratio (fully taxable equivalent) 67.61   54.73   67.31   67.52   75.11     63.57   68.33  
    Adjusted efficiency ratio (non-GAAP)(1) 65.82   64.62   66.60   68.23   66.18     66.30   63.48  
    Dividend payout ratio 31.43   18.64   31.88   31.43   44.00     26.75   34.11  
                                   

    Capital and Balance Sheet Ratios

      As of
      Dec 31, 2024 Sep 30, 2024 Jun 30, 2024 Mar 31, 2024 Dec 31, 2023
    Shares outstanding   63,565,690     63,564,028     56,367,924     56,304,860     56,142,207  
    Market value per share $ 35.75   $ 32.50   $ 30.54   $ 31.32   $ 33.68  
    Book value per share   42.13     41.82     41.77     41.25     40.92  
    Tangible book value per share (non-GAAP)(1)   26.36     26.02     23.89     23.32     22.92  
    Shareholders’ equity to assets   14.85 %   14.80 %   13.45 %   13.39 %   13.23 %
    Tangible common equity ratio (non-GAAP)(1)   9.84     9.76     8.16     8.04     7.87  
    Leverage ratio   11.34     11.32     9.81     9.75     9.62  
    Common equity tier 1 capital ratio   12.72     12.88     10.75     10.59     10.52  
    Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio   13.49     13.67     11.53     11.37     11.30  
    Total risk-based capital ratio   17.07     17.32     15.15     15.00     14.93  
                                   

    (1) This is a non-GAAP financial measure. A reconciliation of all non-GAAP financial measures disclosed in this release from GAAP to non-GAAP is included in the tables at the end of this release. The information below under the heading “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” explains why the Company believes the non-GAAP financial measures in this release provide useful information and describes the other purposes for which the Company uses non-GAAP financial measures.

    Noninterest Income and Noninterest Expense

    (Dollars in thousands) Three Months Ended   Twelve Months Ended
      Dec 31, 2024 Sep 30, 2024 Jun 30, 2024 Mar 31, 2024 Dec 31, 2023   Dec 31, 2024 Dec 31, 2023
    Noninterest income                
    Service charges on deposit accounts $ 10,549 $ 10,438 $ 10,286 $ 10,506 $ 10,603     $ 41,779 $ 39,199  
    Fees and commissions   4,181   4,116   3,944   3,949   4,130       16,190   17,901  
    Insurance commissions       2,758   2,716   2,583       5,474   11,102  
    Wealth management revenue   6,371   5,835   5,684   5,669   5,668       23,559   22,132  
    Mortgage banking income   6,861   8,447   9,698   11,370   6,592       36,376   32,413  
    Gain on sale of insurance agency     53,349             53,349    
    Net losses on sales of securities (including impairments)           (19,352 )       (41,790 )
    Gain on extinguishment of debt         56   620       56   620  
    BOLI income   3,317   2,858   2,701   2,691   2,589       11,567   10,463  
    Other   2,939   4,256   3,691   4,424   6,923       15,310   21,035  
    Total noninterest income $ 34,218 $ 89,299 $ 38,762 $ 41,381 $ 20,356     $ 203,660 $ 113,075  
    Noninterest expense                
    Salaries and employee benefits $ 70,260 $ 71,307 $ 70,731 $ 71,470 $ 71,841     $ 283,768 $ 281,768  
    Data processing   4,145   4,133   3,945   3,807   3,971       16,030   15,195  
    Net occupancy and equipment   11,312   11,415   11,844   11,389   11,653       45,960   46,471  
    Other real estate owned   590   56   105   107   306       858   267  
    Professional fees   2,686   3,189   3,195   3,348   2,854       12,418   13,671  
    Advertising and public relations   3,840   3,677   3,807   4,886   3,084       16,210   14,726  
    Intangible amortization   1,133   1,160   1,186   1,212   1,274       4,691   5,380  
    Communications   2,067   2,176   2,112   2,024   2,026       8,379   8,238  
    Merger and conversion related expenses   2,076   11,273             13,349    
    Other   16,638   13,597   15,051   14,669   14,871       59,955   53,906  
    Total noninterest expense $ 114,747 $ 121,983 $ 111,976 $ 112,912 $ 111,880     $ 461,618 $ 439,622  
                                       

    Mortgage Banking Income

    (Dollars in thousands) Three Months Ended   Twelve Months Ended
      Dec 31, 2024 Sep 30, 2024 Jun 30, 2024 Mar 31, 2024 Dec 31, 2023   Dec 31, 2024 Dec 31, 2023
    Gain on sales of loans, net $ 2,379 $ 4,499 $ 5,199 $ 4,535 $ 1,860   $ 16,612 $ 14,573
    Fees, net   2,850   2,646   2,866   1,854   2,010     10,216   9,051
    Mortgage servicing income, net   1,632   1,302   1,633   4,981   2,722     9,548   8,789
    Total mortgage banking income $ 6,861 $ 8,447 $ 9,698 $ 11,370 $ 6,592   $ 36,376 $ 32,413
                                   

    Balance Sheet

    (Dollars in thousands) As of
      Dec 31, 2024 Sep 30, 2024 Jun 30, 2024 Mar 31, 2024 Dec 31, 2023
    Assets          
    Cash and cash equivalents $ 1,092,032   $ 1,275,620   $ 851,906   $ 844,400   $ 801,351  
    Securities held to maturity, at amortized cost   1,126,112     1,150,531     1,174,663     1,199,111     1,221,464  
    Securities available for sale, at fair value   831,013     764,844     749,685     764,486     923,279  
    Loans held for sale, at fair value   246,171     291,735     266,406     191,440     179,756  
    Loans held for investment   12,885,020     12,627,648     12,604,755     12,500,525     12,351,230  
    Allowance for credit losses on loans   (201,756 )   (200,378 )   (199,871 )   (201,052 )   (198,578 )
    Loans, net   12,683,264     12,427,270     12,404,884     12,299,473     12,152,652  
    Premises and equipment, net   279,796     280,550     280,966     282,193     283,195  
    Other real estate owned   8,673     9,136     7,366     9,142     9,622  
    Goodwill and other intangibles   1,003,003     1,004,136     1,008,062     1,009,248     1,010,460  
    Bank-owned life insurance   391,810     389,138     387,791     385,186     382,584  
    Mortgage servicing rights   72,991     71,990     72,092     71,596     91,688  
    Other assets   300,003     293,890     306,570     289,466     304,484  
    Total assets $ 18,034,868   $ 17,958,840   $ 17,510,391   $ 17,345,741   $ 17,360,535  
               
    Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity          
    Liabilities          
    Deposits:          
    Noninterest-bearing $ 3,403,981   $ 3,529,801   $ 3,539,453   $ 3,516,164   $ 3,583,675  
    Interest-bearing   11,168,631     10,979,950     10,715,760     10,720,999     10,493,110  
    Total deposits   14,572,612     14,509,751     14,255,213     14,237,163     14,076,785  
    Short-term borrowings   108,018     108,732     232,741     108,121     307,577  
    Long-term debt   430,614     433,177     428,677     428,047     429,400  
    Other liabilities   245,306     249,102     239,059     250,060     249,390  
    Total liabilities   15,356,550     15,300,762     15,155,690     15,023,391     15,063,152  
               
    Shareholders’ equity:          
    Common stock   332,421     332,421     296,483     296,483     296,483  
    Treasury stock   (97,196 )   (97,251 )   (97,534 )   (99,683 )   (105,249 )
    Additional paid-in capital   1,491,847     1,488,678     1,304,782     1,303,613     1,308,281  
    Retained earnings   1,093,854     1,063,324     1,005,086     978,880     952,124  
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss   (142,608 )   (129,094 )   (154,116 )   (156,943 )   (154,256 )
    Total shareholders’ equity   2,678,318     2,658,078     2,354,701     2,322,350     2,297,383  
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $ 18,034,868   $ 17,958,840   $ 17,510,391   $ 17,345,741   $ 17,360,535  
                                   

    Net Interest Income and Net Interest Margin

    (Dollars in thousands) Three Months Ended
      December 31, 2024 September 30, 2024 December 31, 2023
      Average
    Balance
    Interest
    Income/
    Expense
    Yield/  
     Rate
    Average
    Balance
    Interest
    Income/
    Expense
    Yield/  
     Rate
    Average
    Balance
    Interest
    Income/
    Expense
    Yield/  
     Rate
    Interest-earning assets:                  
    Loans held for investment $ 12,746,941 $ 201,562 6.29 % $ 12,584,104 $ 204,935 6.47 % $ 12,249,429 $ 190,857 6.18 %
    Loans held for sale   250,812   3,564 5.69 %   272,110   4,212 6.19 %   199,510   3,329 6.68 %
    Taxable securities   1,784,167   9,408 2.11 %   1,794,421   9,212 2.05 %   2,050,175   9,490 1.85 %
    Tax-exempt securities(1)   261,679   1,400 2.14 %   262,621   1,390 2.12 %   282,698   1,558 2.20 %
    Total securities   2,045,846   10,808 2.11 %   2,057,042   10,602 2.06 %   2,332,873   11,048 1.89 %
    Interest-bearing balances with banks   1,025,294   12,030 4.67 %   894,313   11,872 5.28 %   552,301   7,839 5.63 %
    Total interest-earning assets   16,068,893   227,964 5.65 %   15,807,569   231,621 5.82 %   15,334,113   213,073 5.52 %
    Cash and due from banks   188,493       189,425       180,609    
    Intangible assets   1,003,551       1,004,701       1,011,130    
    Other assets   682,211       679,969       669,988    
    Total assets $ 17,943,148     $ 17,681,664     $ 17,195,840    
    Interest-bearing liabilities:                  
    Interest-bearing demand(2) $ 7,629,685 $ 57,605 3.00 % $ 7,333,508 $ 60,326 3.26 % $ 6,721,053 $ 47,783 2.82 %
    Savings deposits   804,132   706 0.35 %   815,545   729 0.36 %   888,692   765 0.34 %
    Brokered deposits   60,298   1,013 6.68 %   150,991   1,998 5.25 %   632,704   8,594 5.39 %
    Time deposits   2,512,097   26,247 4.16 %   2,546,860   27,734 4.33 %   2,185,737   20,026 3.63 %
    Total interest-bearing deposits   11,006,212   85,571 3.09 %   10,846,904   90,787 3.32 %   10,428,186   77,168 2.94 %
    Borrowed funds   556,966   6,891 4.94 %   562,146   7,258 5.14 %   564,715   7,310 5.16 %
    Total interest-bearing liabilities   11,563,178   92,462 3.18 %   11,409,050   98,045 3.41 %   10,992,901   84,478 3.05 %
    Noninterest-bearing deposits   3,502,931       3,509,266       3,703,050    
    Other liabilities   220,154       209,762       238,864    
    Shareholders’ equity   2,656,885       2,553,586       2,261,025    
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $ 17,943,148     $ 17,681,664     $ 17,195,840    
    Net interest income/ net interest margin   $ 135,502 3.36 %   $ 133,576 3.36 %   $ 128,595 3.33 %
    Cost of funding     2.44 %     2.61 %     2.28 %
    Cost of total deposits     2.35 %     2.51 %     2.17 %
                             

    (1) U.S. Government and some U.S. Government Agency securities are tax-exempt in the states in which the Company operates.
    (2) Interest-bearing demand deposits include interest-bearing transactional accounts and money market deposits.

    Net Interest Income and Net Interest Margin, continued

    (Dollars in thousands) Twelve Months Ended
      December 31, 2024 December 31, 2023
      Average
    Balance
    Interest
    Income/
    Expense
    Yield/  
     Rate
    Average
    Balance
    Interest
    Income/
    Expense
    Yield/  
     Rate
    Interest-earning assets:            
    Loans held for investment $ 12,579,143 $ 801,807 6.37 % $ 11,963,141 $ 713,897 5.97 %
    Loans held for sale   224,734   13,614 6.06 %   181,253   11,807 6.51 %
    Taxable securities(1)   1,825,404   37,383 2.05 %   2,313,874   44,619 1.93 %
    Tax-exempt securities   264,615   5,746 2.17 %   332,749   7,634 2.29 %
    Total securities   2,090,019   43,129 2.06 %   2,646,623   52,253 1.97 %
    Interest-bearing balances with banks   772,274   39,557 5.12 %   568,155   30,375 5.35 %
    Total interest-earning assets   15,666,170   898,107 5.73 %   15,359,172   808,332 5.26 %
    Cash and due from banks   188,487       187,127    
    Intangible assets   1,006,665       1,012,239    
    Other assets   691,373       673,345    
    Total assets $ 17,552,695     $ 17,231,883    
    Interest-bearing liabilities:            
    Interest-bearing demand(2) $ 7,254,646 $ 226,563 3.12 % $ 6,357,753 $ 138,730 2.18 %
    Savings deposits   829,818   2,894 0.35 %   971,522   3,197 0.33 %
    Brokered deposits   237,164   12,942 5.46 %   697,699   36,039 5.17 %
    Time deposits   2,466,906   104,193 4.22 %   1,874,224   54,365 2.90 %
    Total interest-bearing deposits   10,788,534   346,592 3.21 %   9,901,198   232,331 2.35 %
    Borrowed funds   566,332   28,989 5.12 %   910,080   45,661 5.02 %
    Total interest-bearing liabilities   11,354,866   375,581 3.31 %   10,811,278   277,992 2.57 %
    Noninterest-bearing deposits   3,509,958       3,979,951    
    Other liabilities   221,487       216,148    
    Shareholders’ equity   2,466,384       2,224,506    
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $ 17,552,695     $ 17,231,883    
    Net interest income/ net interest margin   $ 522,526 3.34 %   $ 530,340 3.45 %
    Cost of funding     2.53 %     1.88 %
    Cost of total deposits     2.42 %     1.67 %

    (1) U.S. Government and some U.S. Government Agency securities are tax-exempt in the states in which the Company operates.
    (2) Interest-bearing demand deposits include interest-bearing transactional accounts and money market deposits.

    Supplemental Margin Information

    (Dollars in thousands) Three Months Ended   Twelve Months Ended
      Dec 31, 2024 Sep 30, 2024 Dec 31, 2023   Dec 31, 2024 Dec 31, 2023
    Earning asset mix:            
    Loans held for investment   79.33 %   79.61 %   79.88 %     80.29 %   77.89 %
    Loans held for sale   1.56     1.72     1.30       1.43     1.18  
    Securities   12.73     13.01     15.21       13.34     17.23  
    Interest-bearing balances with banks   6.38     5.66     3.61       4.94     3.70  
    Total   100.00 %   100.00 %   100.00 %     100.00 %   100.00 %
                 
    Funding sources mix:            
    Noninterest-bearing demand   23.25 %   23.52 %   25.20 %     23.61 %   26.91 %
    Interest-bearing demand(1)   50.64     49.16     45.73       48.80     42.98  
    Savings   5.34     5.47     6.05       5.58     6.57  
    Brokered deposits   0.40     1.01     4.31       1.60     4.72  
    Time deposits   16.67     17.07     14.87       16.60     12.67  
    Borrowed funds   3.70     3.77     3.84       3.81     6.15  
    Total   100.00 %   100.00 %   100.00 %     100.00 %   100.00 %
                 
    Net interest income collected on problem loans $ 151   $ 642   $ 283     $ 770   $ 219  
    Total accretion on purchased loans   616     1,089     1,117       3,402     4,166  
    Total impact on net interest income $ 767   $ 1,731   $ 1,400     $ 4,172   $ 4,385  
    Impact on net interest margin   0.02 %   0.04 %   0.04 %     0.03 %   0.03 %
    Impact on loan yield   0.02     0.05     0.05       0.03 %   0.04 %

    (1) Interest-bearing demand deposits include interest-bearing transactional accounts and money market deposits.

    Loan Portfolio

    (Dollars in thousands) As of
      Dec 31, 2024 Sep 30, 2024 Jun 30, 2024 Mar 31, 2024 Dec 31, 2023
    Loan Portfolio:          
    Commercial, financial, agricultural $ 1,885,817 $ 1,804,961 $ 1,847,762 $ 1,869,408 $ 1,871,821
    Lease financing   90,591   98,159   102,996   107,474   116,020
    Real estate – construction   1,093,653   1,198,838   1,355,425   1,243,535   1,333,397
    Real estate – 1-4 family mortgages   3,488,877   3,440,038   3,435,818   3,429,286   3,439,919
    Real estate – commercial mortgages   6,236,068   5,995,152   5,766,478   5,753,230   5,486,550
    Installment loans to individuals   90,014   90,500   96,276   97,592   103,523
    Total loans $ 12,885,020 $ 12,627,648 $ 12,604,755 $ 12,500,525 $ 12,351,230
                         

    Credit Quality and Allowance for Credit Losses on Loans

    (Dollars in thousands) As of
      Dec 31, 2024 Sep 30, 2024 Jun 30, 2024 Mar 31, 2024 Dec 31, 2023
    Nonperforming Assets:          
    Nonaccruing loans $ 110,811   $ 113,872   $ 97,795   $ 73,774   $ 68,816  
    Loans 90 days or more past due   2,464     5,351     240     451     554  
    Total nonperforming loans   113,275     119,223     98,035     74,225     69,370  
    Other real estate owned   8,673     9,136     7,366     9,142     9,622  
    Total nonperforming assets $ 121,948   $ 128,359   $ 105,401   $ 83,367   $ 78,992  
               
    Criticized Loans          
    Classified loans $ 241,708   $ 218,135   $ 191,595   $ 206,502   $ 166,893  
    Special Mention loans   130,882     163,804     138,343     138,366     99,699  
    Criticized loans(1) $ 372,590   $ 381,939   $ 329,938   $ 344,868   $ 266,592  
               
    Allowance for credit losses on loans $ 201,756   $ 200,378   $ 199,871   $ 201,052   $ 198,578  
    Net loan charge-offs $ 1,722   $ 703   $ 5,481   $ 164   $ 1,713  
    Annualized net loan charge-offs / average loans   0.05 %   0.02 %   0.18 %   0.01 %   0.06 %
    Nonperforming loans / total loans   0.88     0.94     0.78     0.59     0.56  
    Nonperforming assets / total assets   0.68     0.71     0.60     0.48     0.46  
    Allowance for credit losses on loans / total loans   1.57     1.59     1.59     1.61     1.61  
    Allowance for credit losses on loans / nonperforming loans   178.11     168.07     203.88     270.87     286.26  
    Criticized loans / total loans   2.89     3.02     2.62     2.76     2.16  

    (1) Criticized loans include classified and Special Mention loans.

    CONFERENCE CALL INFORMATION:
    A live audio webcast of a conference call with analysts will be available beginning at 10:00 AM Eastern Time (9:00 AM Central Time) on Wednesday, January 29, 2025.

    The webcast is accessible through Renasant’s investor relations website at www.renasant.com or https://event.choruscall.com/mediaframe/webcast.html?webcastid=8ssY2K7l. To access the conference via telephone, dial 1-877-513-1143 in the United States and request the Renasant Corporation 2024 Fourth Quarter Earnings Webcast and Conference Call. International participants should dial 1-412-902-4145 to access the conference call.

    The webcast will be archived on www.renasant.com after the call and will remain accessible for one year. A replay can be accessed via telephone by dialing 1-877-344-7529 in the United States and entering conference number 8623913 or by dialing 1-412-317-0088 internationally and entering the same conference number. Telephone replay access is available until February 12, 2025.

    ABOUT RENASANT CORPORATION:

    Renasant Corporation is the parent of Renasant Bank, a 120-year-old financial services institution. Renasant has assets of approximately $18.0 billion and operates 186 banking, lending, mortgage and wealth management offices throughout the Southeast as well as offering factoring and asset-based lending on a nationwide basis.

    CAUTIONARY NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS:

    This press release may contain, or incorporate by reference, statements about Renasant Corporation that 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. Statements preceded by, followed by or that otherwise include the words “believes,” “expects,” “projects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “estimates,” “plans,” “potential,” “focus,” “possible,” “may increase,” “may fluctuate,” “will likely result,” and similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “should,” “would” and “could,” are generally forward-looking in nature and not historical facts. Forward-looking statements include information about the Company’s future financial performance, business strategy, projected plans and objectives and are based on the current beliefs and expectations of management. The Company’s management believes these forward-looking statements are reasonable, but they are all inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond the Company’s control. In addition, these forward-looking statements are subject to assumptions with respect to future business strategies and decisions that are subject to change. Actual results may differ from those indicated or implied in the forward-looking statements, and such differences may be material. Prospective investors are cautioned that any forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties and, accordingly, investors should not place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made.

    Important factors currently known to management that could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from those in forward-looking statements include the following: (i) the Company’s ability to efficiently integrate acquisitions (including its recently-announced acquisition of The First Bancshares, Inc.) into its operations, retain the customers of these businesses, grow the acquired operations and realize the cost savings expected from an acquisition to the extent and in the timeframe anticipated by management (including the possibility that such cost savings will not be realized when expected, or at all, as a result of the impact of, or challenges arising from, the integration of the acquired assets and assumed liabilities into the Company, potential adverse reactions or changes to business or employee relationships, or as a result of other unexpected factors or events); (ii) potential exposure to unknown or contingent risks and liabilities the Company has acquired, or may acquire, or target for acquisition, including in connection with the proposed merger with The First Bancshares, Inc.; (iii) the effect of economic conditions and interest rates on a national, regional or international basis; (iv) timing and success of the implementation of changes in operations to achieve enhanced earnings or effect cost savings; (v) competitive pressures in the consumer finance, commercial finance, financial services, asset management, retail banking, factoring and mortgage lending and auto lending industries; (vi) the financial resources of, and products available from, competitors; (vii) changes in laws and regulations as well as changes in accounting standards; (viii) changes in policy by regulatory agencies or increased scrutiny by, and/or additional regulatory requirements of, regulatory agencies as a result of the Company’s proposed merger with The First Bancshares, Inc.; (ix) changes in the securities and foreign exchange markets; (x) the Company’s potential growth, including its entrance or expansion into new markets, and the need for sufficient capital to support that growth; (xi) changes in the quality or composition of the Company’s loan or investment portfolios, including adverse developments in borrower industries or in the repayment ability of individual borrowers or issuers of investment securities, or the impact of interest rates on the value of the Company’s investment securities portfolio; (xii) an insufficient allowance for credit losses as a result of inaccurate assumptions; (xiii) changes in the sources and costs of the capital the Company uses to make loans and otherwise fund the Company’s operations, due to deposit outflows, changes in the mix of deposits and the cost and availability of borrowings; (xiv) general economic, market or business conditions, including the impact of inflation; (xv) changes in demand for loan and deposit products and other financial services; (xvi) concentrations of credit or deposit exposure; (xvii) changes or the lack of changes in interest rates, yield curves and interest rate spread relationships; (xviii) increased cybersecurity risk, including potential network breaches, business disruptions or financial losses; (xix) civil unrest, natural disasters, epidemics and other catastrophic events in the Company’s geographic area; (xx) geopolitical conditions, including acts or threats of terrorism or actions taken by the United States or other governments in response to acts or threats of terrorism and/or military conflicts, which could impact business and economic conditions in the United States and abroad; (xxi) the impact, extent and timing of technological changes; and (xxii) other circumstances, many of which are beyond management’s control.

    Management believes that the assumptions underlying the Company’s forward-looking statements are reasonable, but any of the assumptions could prove to be inaccurate. Investors are urged to carefully consider the risks described in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”) from time to time, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, which are available at www.renasant.com and the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov

    The Company undertakes no obligation, and specifically disclaims any obligation, to update or revise forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information or to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes to future operating results over time, except as required by federal securities laws.

    NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES:

    In addition to results presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America (“GAAP”), this press release and the presentation slides furnished to the SEC on the same Form 8-K as this release contain non-GAAP financial measures, namely, (i) adjusted loan yield, (ii) adjusted net interest income and margin, (iii) pre-provision net revenue (including on an as-adjusted basis), (iv) adjusted net income, (v) adjusted diluted earnings per share, (vi) tangible book value per share, (vii) the tangible common equity ratio, (viii) the adjusted return on average assets and on average equity and certain other performance ratios (namely, the ratio of pre-provision net revenue to average assets and the return on average tangible assets and on average tangible common equity (including each of the foregoing on an as-adjusted basis)), and (ix) the adjusted efficiency ratio.

    These non-GAAP financial measures adjust GAAP financial measures to exclude intangible assets, including related amortization, and/or certain gains or charges (such as, for the fourth quarter of 2024, merger and conversion expenses and the gain on the sale of mortgage servicing rights), with respect to which the Company is unable to accurately predict when these charges will be incurred or, when incurred, the amount thereof. Management uses these non-GAAP financial measures when evaluating capital utilization and adequacy. In addition, the Company believes that these non-GAAP financial measures facilitate the making of period-to-period comparisons and are meaningful indicators of its operating performance, particularly because these measures are widely used by industry analysts for companies with merger and acquisition activities. Also, because intangible assets such as goodwill and the core deposit intangible can vary extensively from company to company and, as to intangible assets, are excluded from the calculation of a financial institution’s regulatory capital, the Company believes that the presentation of this non-GAAP financial information allows readers to more easily compare the Company’s results to information provided in other regulatory reports and the results of other companies. Reconciliations of these non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measures are included in the tables below under the caption “Non-GAAP Reconciliations”.

    None of the non-GAAP financial information that the Company has included in this release or the accompanying presentation slides are intended to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for any measure prepared in accordance with GAAP. Investors should note that, because there are no standardized definitions for the calculations as well as the results, the Company’s calculations may not be comparable to similarly titled measures presented by other companies. Also, there may be limits in the usefulness of these measures to investors. As a result, the Company encourages readers to consider its consolidated financial statements in their entirety and not to rely on any single financial measure.

    Non-GAAP Reconciliations

    (Dollars in thousands, except per share data) Three Months Ended   Twelve Months Ended
      Dec 31, 2024 Sep 30, 2024 Jun 30, 2024 Mar 31, 2024 Dec 31, 2023   Dec 31, 2024 Dec 31, 2023
    Adjusted Pre-Provision Net Revenue (“PPNR”)            
    Net income (GAAP) $ 44,747   $ 72,455   $ 38,846   $ 39,409   $ 28,124     $ 195,457   $ 144,678  
    Income taxes   5,006     24,924     9,666     9,912     3,787       49,508     32,509  
    Provision for credit losses (including unfunded commitments)   2,600     935     3,300     2,438     2,518       9,273     15,593  
    Pre-provision net revenue (non-GAAP) $ 52,353   $ 98,314   $ 51,812   $ 51,759   $ 34,429     $ 254,238   $ 192,780  
    Merger and conversion expense   2,076     11,273                   13,349      
    Gain on extinguishment of debt               (56 )   (620 )     (56 )   (620 )
    Gain on sales of MSR   (252 )           (3,472 )   (547 )     (3,724 )   (547 )
    Gain on sale of insurance agency       (53,349 )                 (53,349 )    
    Losses on sales of securities (including impairments)                   19,352           41,790  
    Adjusted pre-provision net revenue (non-GAAP) $ 54,177   $ 56,238   $ 51,812   $ 48,231   $ 52,614     $ 210,458   $ 233,403  
                     
    Adjusted Net Income and Adjusted Tangible Net Income            
    Net income (GAAP) $ 44,747   $ 72,455   $ 38,846   $ 39,409   $ 28,124     $ 195,457   $ 144,678  
    Amortization of intangibles   1,133     1,160     1,186     1,212     1,274       4,691     5,380  
    Tax effect of adjustments noted above(1)   (283 )   (296 )   (233 )   (237 )   (240 )     (1,173 )   (1,012 )
    Tangible net income (non-GAAP) $ 45,597   $ 73,319   $ 39,799   $ 40,384   $ 29,158     $ 198,975   $ 149,046  
                     
    Net income (GAAP) $ 44,747   $ 72,455   $ 38,846   $ 39,409   $ 28,124     $ 195,457   $ 144,678  
    Merger and conversion expense   2,076     11,273                   13,349      
    Gain on extinguishment of debt               (56 )   (620 )     (56 )   (620 )
    Gain on sales of MSR   (252 )           (3,472 )   (547 )     (3,724 )   (547 )
    Gain on sale of insurance agency       (53,349 )                 (53,349 )    
    Losses on sales of securities (including impairments)                   19,352           41,790  
    Tax effect of adjustments noted above(1)   (113 )   12,581         691     (3,422 )     13,389     (7,644 )
    Adjusted net income (non-GAAP) $ 46,458   $ 42,960   $ 38,846   $ 36,572   $ 42,887     $ 165,066   $ 177,657  
    Amortization of intangibles   1,133     1,160     1,186     1,212     1,274       4,691     5,380  
    Tax effect of adjustments noted above(1)   (283 )   (296 )   (233 )   (237 )   (240 )     (1,173 )   (1,012 )
    Adjusted tangible net income (non-GAAP) $ 47,308   $ 43,824   $ 39,799   $ 37,547   $ 43,921     $ 168,584   $ 182,025  
    Tangible Assets and Tangible Shareholders’ Equity            
    Average shareholders’ equity (GAAP) $ 2,656,885   $ 2,553,586   $ 2,337,731   $ 2,314,281   $ 2,261,025     $ 2,466,384   $ 2,224,506  
    Average intangible assets   (1,003,551 )   (1,004,701 )   (1,008,638 )   (1,009,825 )   (1,011,130 )     (1,006,665 )   (1,012,239 )
    Average tangible shareholders’ equity (non-GAAP) $ 1,653,334   $ 1,548,885   $ 1,329,093   $ 1,304,456   $ 1,249,895     $ 1,459,719   $ 1,212,267  
                     
    Average assets (GAAP) $ 17,943,148   $ 17,681,664   $ 17,371,369   $ 17,203,013   $ 17,195,840     $ 17,552,695   $ 17,231,883  
    Average intangible assets   (1,003,551 )   (1,004,701 )   (1,008,638 )   (1,009,825 )   (1,011,130 )     (1,006,665 )   (1,012,239 )
    Average tangible assets (non-GAAP) $ 16,939,597   $ 16,676,963   $ 16,362,731   $ 16,193,188   $ 16,184,710     $ 16,546,030   $ 16,219,644  
                     
    Shareholders’ equity (GAAP) $ 2,678,318   $ 2,658,078   $ 2,354,701   $ 2,322,350   $ 2,297,383     $ 2,678,318   $ 2,297,383  
    Intangible assets   (1,003,003 )   (1,004,136 )   (1,008,062 )   (1,009,248 )   (1,010,460 )     (1,003,003 )   (1,010,460 )
    Tangible shareholders’ equity (non-GAAP) $ 1,675,315   $ 1,653,942   $ 1,346,639   $ 1,313,102   $ 1,286,923     $ 1,675,315   $ 1,286,923  
                     
    Total assets (GAAP) $ 18,034,868   $ 17,958,840   $ 17,510,391   $ 17,345,741   $ 17,360,535     $ 18,034,868   $ 17,360,535  
    Intangible assets   (1,003,003 )   (1,004,136 )   (1,008,062 )   (1,009,248 )   (1,010,460 )     (1,003,003 )   (1,010,460 )
    Total tangible assets (non-GAAP) $ 17,031,865   $ 16,954,704   $ 16,502,329   $ 16,336,493   $ 16,350,075     $ 17,031,865   $ 16,350,075  
                     
    Adjusted Performance Ratios                
    Return on average assets (GAAP)   0.99 %   1.63 %   0.90 %   0.92 %   0.65 %     1.11 %   0.84 %
    Adjusted return on average assets (non-GAAP)   1.03     0.97     0.90     0.86     0.99       0.94     1.03  
    Return on average tangible assets (non-GAAP)   1.07     1.75     0.98     1.00     0.71       1.20     0.92  
    Pre-provision net revenue to average assets (non-GAAP)   1.16     2.21     1.20     1.21     0.79       1.45     1.12  
    Adjusted pre-provision net revenue to average assets (non-GAAP)   1.20     1.27     1.20     1.13     1.21       1.20     1.35  
    Adjusted return on average tangible assets (non-GAAP)   1.11     1.05     0.98     0.93     1.08       1.02     1.12  
    Return on average equity (GAAP)   6.70     11.29     6.68     6.85     4.93       7.92     6.50  
    Adjusted return on average equity (non-GAAP)   6.96     6.69     6.68     6.36     7.53       6.69     7.99  
    Return on average tangible equity (non-GAAP)   10.97     18.83     12.04     12.45     9.26       13.63     12.29  
    Adjusted return on average tangible equity (non-GAAP)   11.38     11.26     12.04     11.58     13.94       11.55     15.02  
                     
    Adjusted Diluted Earnings Per Share            
    Average diluted shares outstanding   64,056,303     61,632,448     56,684,626     56,531,078     56,611,217       59,748,790     56,448,163  
                     
    Diluted earnings per share (GAAP) $ 0.70   $ 1.18   $ 0.69   $ 0.70   $ 0.50     $ 3.27   $ 2.56  
    Adjusted diluted earnings per share (non-GAAP) $ 0.73   $ 0.70   $ 0.69   $ 0.65   $ 0.76     $ 2.76   $ 3.15  
                     
    Tangible Book Value Per Share                
    Shares outstanding   63,565,690     63,564,028     56,367,924     56,304,860     56,142,207       63,565,690     56,142,207  
                     
    Book value per share (GAAP) $ 42.13   $ 41.82   $ 41.77   $ 41.25   $ 40.92     $ 42.13   $ 40.92  
    Tangible book value per share (non-GAAP) $ 26.36   $ 26.02   $ 23.89   $ 23.32   $ 22.92     $ 26.36   $ 22.92  
                     
    Tangible Common Equity Ratio                
    Shareholders’ equity to assets (GAAP)   14.85 %   14.80 %   13.45 %   13.39 %   13.23 %     14.85 %   13.23 %
    Tangible common equity ratio (non-GAAP)   9.84 %   9.76 %   8.16 %   8.04 %   7.87 %     9.84 %   7.87 %
    Adjusted Efficiency Ratio                
    Net interest income (FTE) (GAAP) $ 135,502   $ 133,576   $ 127,598   $ 125,850   $ 128,595     $ 522,526   $ 530,340  
                     
    Total noninterest income (GAAP) $ 34,218   $ 89,299   $ 38,762   $ 41,381   $ 20,356     $ 203,660   $ 113,075  
    Gain on sales of MSR   (252 )           (3,472 )   (547 )     (3,724 )   (547 )
    Gain on extinguishment of debt               (56 )   (620 )     (56 )   (620 )
    Gain on sale of insurance agency       (53,349 )                 53,349      
    Losses on sales of securities (including impairments)                   19,352           41,790  
    Total adjusted noninterest income (non-GAAP) $ 33,966   $ 35,950   $ 38,762   $ 37,853   $ 38,541     $ 146,531   $ 153,698  
                     
    Noninterest expense (GAAP) $ 114,747   $ 121,983   $ 111,976   $ 112,912   $ 111,880     $ 461,618   $ 439,622  
    Amortization of intangibles   (1,133 )   (1,160 )   (1,186 )   (1,212 )   (1,274 )     (4,691 )   (5,380 )
    Merger and conversion expense   (2,076 )   (11,273 )                 (13,349 )    
    Total adjusted noninterest expense (non-GAAP) $ 111,538   $ 109,550   $ 110,790   $ 111,700   $ 110,606     $ 443,578   $ 434,242  
                     
    Efficiency ratio (GAAP)   67.61 %   54.73 %   67.31 %   67.52 %   75.11 %     63.57 %   68.33 %
    Adjusted efficiency ratio (non-GAAP)   65.82 %   64.62 %   66.60 %   68.23 %   66.18 %     66.30 %   63.48 %
                     
    Adjusted Net Interest Income and Adjusted Net Interest Margin            
    Net interest income (FTE) (GAAP) $ 135,502   $ 133,576   $ 127,598   $ 125,850   $ 128,595     $ 522,526   $ 530,340  
    Net interest income collected on problem loans   (151 )   (642 )   146     (123 )   (283 )     (770 )   (219 )
    Accretion recognized on purchased loans   (616 )   (1,089 )   (897 )   (800 )   (1,117 )     (3,402 )   (4,166 )
    Adjustments to net interest income $ (767 ) $ (1,731 ) $ (751 ) $ (923 ) $ (1,400 )   $ (4,172 ) $ (4,385 )
    Adjusted net interest income (FTE) (non-GAAP) $ 134,735   $ 131,845   $ 126,847   $ 124,927   $ 127,195     $ 518,354   $ 525,955  
                     
    Net interest margin (GAAP)   3.36 %   3.36 %   3.31 %   3.30 %   3.33 %     3.34 %   3.45 %
    Adjusted net interest margin (non-GAAP)   3.34 %   3.32 %   3.29 %   3.28 %   3.29 %     3.31 %   3.42 %
                     
    Adjusted Loan Yield                
    Loan interest income (FTE) (GAAP) $ 201,562   $ 204,935   $ 200,670   $ 194,640   $ 190,857     $ 801,807   $ 713,897  
    Net interest income collected on problem loans   (151 )   (642 )   146     (123 )   (283 )     (770 )   (219 )
    Accretion recognized on purchased loans   (616 )   (1,089 )   (897 )   (800 )   (1,117 )     (3,402 )   (4,166 )
    Adjusted loan interest income (FTE) (non-GAAP) $ 200,795   $ 203,204   $ 199,919   $ 193,717   $ 189,457     $ 797,635   $ 709,512  
                     
    Loan yield (GAAP)   6.29 %   6.47 %   6.41 %   6.30 %   6.18 %     6.37 %   5.97 %
    Adjusted loan yield (non-GAAP)   6.27 %   6.41 %   6.38 %   6.27 %   6.14 %     6.34 %   5.93 %

    (1) Tax effect is calculated based on the respective legal entity’s appropriate federal and state tax rates (as applicable) for the period, and includes the estimated impact of both current and deferred tax expense. The tax effect of the discrete gain on sale of insurance agency was calculated based on an estimated tax rate of 27.0%.

    Contacts: For Media:   For Financials:
      John S. Oxford   James C. Mabry IV
      Senior Vice President   Executive Vice President
      Chief Marketing Officer   Chief Financial Officer
      (662) 680-1219   (662) 680-1281

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn Votes to Confirm Sean Duffy for Transportation Secretary

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn
    WASHINGTON – U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) released the following statement after former Congressman Sean Duffy was confirmed as Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT):
    “With a long record of public service and proven ability to skillfully communicate President Trump’s agenda, Sean Duffy will lead the Department of Transportation with efficiency, innovation, and common sense. Given that Texas boasts some of the busiest airports, longest highways, and largest transportation systems in the country, I look forward to working hand-in-glove with Sean to keep the woke environmental agenda out of our transportation policy and reprioritize putting the safety of American families first.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Cornyn to Fight to Reimburse Texas for Border Security Costs

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Texas John Cornyn
    WASHINGTON – Today on the floor, U.S. Senator John Cornyn (R-TX) discussed the need for Congress to act on Gov. Abbott’s request to reimburse the State of Texas for its efforts to secure the Texas-Mexico border, which is a federal responsibility, and address the unprecedented crisis created by the Biden administration. Excerpts of Sen. Cornyn’s remarks are below, and video can be found here.
    “In the midst of the Biden administration’s abject failure to keep the American people safe and control the movement of people and drugs, including some of the most dangerous criminals you can imagine, it was up to the State of Texas and our leadership, like Governor Abbott, to step up and defend our people and our borders to the best we could.”
    “The Biden-Harris administration’s abject dereliction of its responsibility at an international border to enforce the law cost the State of Texas about $11.1 billion.”
    “Keeping our nation’s border secure is the responsibility of the federal government. It is not—and it should not—be the responsibility of the individual states.”
    “Governor Abbott has asked Congress to reimburse Texas for its costs that should have been incurred by the federal government.”
    “I support this request, and along with our state delegation, we are going to fight to get Texas taxpayers the money they’re rightfully owed.”
    “Texas taxpayers should not have to foot the bill alone as a result of President Biden’s mishandling of border policy.”
    “The federal government created this crisis, and it’s up to the federal government to pay the tab.” 

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI: Dime Announces Continued Partnership with Island Harvest in 2025

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HAUPPAUGE, N.Y., Jan. 28, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Dime Community Bancshares, Inc. (Nasdaq: DCOM) (the “Company” or “Dime”), the parent company of Dime Community Bank (the “Bank”) today announced that it will continue its role as a partner with Island Harvest for the 4th consecutive year. Island Harvest is Long Island’s leading hunger-relief organization.

    ABOUT DIME COMMUNITY BANCSHARES, INC.

    Dime Community Bancshares, Inc. is the holding company for Dime Community Bank, a New York State-chartered trust company with over $14 billion in assets and the number one deposit market share among community banks on Greater Long Island (1).

    Dime Community Bancshares, Inc.
    Investor Relations Contact:
    Avinash Reddy
    Senior Executive Vice President – Chief Financial Officer
    Phone: 718-782-6200; Ext. 5909
    Email: avinash.reddy@dime.com

    1 Aggregate deposit market share for Kings, Queens, Nassau & Suffolk counties for community banks with less than $20 billion in assets.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI USA: Boozman Backs Permanent Small Business Tax Cut

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Arkansas – John Boozman
    WASHINGTON—U.S. Senator John Boozman (R-AR) has cosponsored the Main Street Tax Certainty Act , legislation introduced by Senator Steve Daines (R-SD) and Majority Leader John Thune (R-SD) to make the 20 percent pass-through business tax deduction permanent. The expiration of this tax cut would require small businesses to face an immediate and insurmountable tax hike.
    “From main street storefronts to manufacturers, agriculture producers and more – small business is the backbone of our economy,” said Boozman. “I am proud to support policies that help Natural State small businesses thrive and stimulate growth and investment into our local communities.” 
    “As the son of a contractor, I’ve seen firsthand the hard work it takes to keep a small business flourishing- especially as Americans are still grappling with the effects of Joe Biden’s inflation. It’s absolutely crucial that we pass this legislation to prevent a 20 percent tax increase for hardworking Montanans and I’ll keep fighting for ways to support Montana small businesses, which provide the majority of jobs in our state,” said Daines.
    “Small businesses are the economic engine that drive growth and jobs in South Dakota and across our country. This legislation is critical to permanently extending a key provision from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and ensuring our small businesses and farms and ranches are not hit with a crippling tax hike at the end of 2025,” said Thune. 
    The legislation is also cosponsored by Senators John Barrasso (R-WY), Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV), James Lankford (R-OK), Joni Ernst (R-IA), Tom Cotton (R-AR), Tim Scott (R-SC), Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Jerry Moran (R-KS), Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Mike Rounds (R-SD), Pete Ricketts (R-NE), Katie Britt (R-AL), Jim Risch (R-ID), Eric Schmitt (R-MO), Roger Wicker (R-MS), Cynthia Lummis (R-WY), Cindy Hyde-Smith (R-MS), Tommy Tuberville (R-AL), Ted Cruz (R-TX), John Hoeven (R-ND), Thom Tillis (R-NC), Roger Marshall, M.D. (R-KS), Jim Justice (R-WV), Tim Sheehy (R-MT), Deb Fischer (R-NE), Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), Ted Budd (R-NC), Rick Scott (R-FL), Bill Hagerty (R-TN), Todd Young (R-IN), John Kennedy (R-LA) and Jim Banks (R-IN).  
    The Main Street Tax Certainty Act is endorsed by multiple small businesses and advocacy groups. Here’s what they are saying about the bill. 
    “Congress must preserve the pass-through deduction to protect the small and medium manufacturers that are the backbone of the American supply chain. Manufacturers strongly support the Main Street Tax Certainty Act, which will make permanent this crucial provision and ensure that our tax code supports manufacturers in America as they invest in their businesses, create jobs, and drive the economy,” said National Association of Manufacturers Managing Vice President of Policy Chris Netram.
    “If Congress fails to act, more than 30 million small businesses will face a massive tax hike at the end of this year. The 20 percent Small Business Deduction allows nine out of 10 Main Street job creators to compete, grow their business, hire new employees, raise wages, and give back to their communities,” said National Federation of Independent Businesses President Brad Close. 
    Over 230 trade associations also signed a letter in support of the Main Street Tax Certainty Act.
    Click here to read the text of the legislation.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Growing Alberta’s partnerships in Japan

    Source: Government of Canada regional news (2)

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Army Reservists in the firing line from unsupportive managers

    Source: University of South Australia

    29 January 2025

    Australians love their war heroes but a new national survey of 800 managers shows that sentiment doesn’t extend to part-time soldiers on their payroll, many of whom experience indifference, hostility and discrimination in the workplace.

    Almost one in five managers indicated their organisation would likely give ‘low or very low support’ to an Army reservist taking leave for training and combat duties.

    The study, led by University of South Australia sociologist Associate Professor Brad West, and employment relations Associate Professor Dr Josh Healy from the University of Sydney, has been recently published  by the Australian Army Research Centre.

    Interviews with 60 Army reservists based at three different locations in Sydney, Brisbane and Townsville also revealed that middle managers in both the private sector and government consistently sought to deny Defence leave requests, largely irrespective of the organisation’s official stance.

    This contrasted with a generally positive view of Army reservists as employees, with most employers believing they were hard workers (80%) and creative problem solvers (70%).

    The study revealed a large mismatch between employers’ public declarations of support for Army reservists and the actual tensions that occurred in workplaces.

    A novel feature of the survey is that managers were asked to consider a hypothetical reservist called John and indicate how they would respond in a range of common workplace situations if John was on their payroll. The 60 reservists interviewed provided feedback from their actual experiences in the workplace.

    Support for the part-time soldiers differed between industries, with managers in public administration, mining and healthcare sectors reporting a ‘significantly higher willingness’ to support reservists’ service. Part of this is attributed to large numbers of reservists and veterans already working in these sectors.

    “One factor contributing to tensions in the less supportive workplaces was an incorrect perception among many managers that military skills were not useful in the civilian workplace,” Assoc Prof West says.

    Almost 40% of managers said military training and experience would have ‘low or very low relevance’ in their organisation.

    One reservist interviewed in the focus groups provided this feedback:

    “Management loves to put the word forward, super supportive, love the Reserves, Defence Force, yeah let’s go, but the second it comes to jumping on a course, they question everything. They question the importance of the Defence Force and that course. They question whether I really need to be going to that course.”

    “Interestingly, managers’ own personal attributes are generally not the main drivers of differences in their perceptions of reservists,” Assoc Prof Healy says. “We didn’t find different attitudes because of managers’ age, or sex, or even their own education levels.”

    The focus groups revealed that the support that reservists receive in the workforce is not only related to attitudes towards the military, but specifically to the role of reservists.

     “There is a lack of understanding among employers. They think it’s either a holiday or a hobby or just something fun to go on your days off, or a cash grab,” one reservist said. “When I try to explain to them that if something big happens in the Pacific tomorrow, I might have to go frontline, they don’t accept that.”

    Despite the lack of support from managers, most reservists said they were motivated by a volunteer ethos and serving their country.

    “It’s not the money or the lifestyle but that fact that I am helping Australia’s national interests and contributing to something larger than myself,” according to one interviewee.

    More information on the project, including recommendations stemming from the study, is available at:
    Drawing on Reserves | Australian Army Research Centre (AARC)

    A video explaining the findings is available at: Army Reservists in the firing line

    Notes for editors and authors

    This report is part of the Occasional Papers series produced by the Australian Army Research Centre (AARC) which publishes original, high-quality research that generate informed discussion and new ideas that contribute to Army modernisation and the future of land power.

    Brad West is an Associate Professor of Sociology at the University of South Australia who researches the interconnections between war, the military and civil society.

    Josh Healy is an Associate Professor in Managing People and Organisations at the University of Sydney Business School, with a research focus on developments shaping the future of work. 

    …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

    Media contact: Candy Gibson M:  0434 605 142 E: candy.gibson@unisa.edu.au

    Researcher: Associate Professor Brad West E: brad.west@unisa.edu.au

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Governor Josh Stein Announces Interim Utilities Commission Appointments

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Governor Josh Stein Announces Interim Utilities Commission Appointments

    Governor Josh Stein Announces Interim Utilities Commission Appointments
    bwood

    Raleigh, NC

    Today, following the resignation of Utilities Commission Chair Charlotte Mitchell, Governor Josh Stein appointed Floyd B. McKissick Jr. to carry out the remainder of Mitchell’s term, which goes through June 30, 2029. Governor Stein also appointed Steve Levitas to fill McKissick’s position through June 30, 2025. 

    “Floyd McKissick currently serves on the Utilities Commission, and he brings decades of conscientious experience in public service to the role,” said Governor Josh Stein. “I am grateful for his willingness to continue serving on the Utilities Commission, and I am proud to be bringing on Steve Levitas, a utilities expert who is a practical problem-solver, to finish Floyd’s current term.” 

    McKissick has served on the State Utilities Commission since 2019 and currently serves on the following committees through the National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (NARUC): International Relations, Critical Infrastructure, Consumers and the Public Interest, and Energy Resources and the Environment. He is also the 2nd Vice President of the Southeastern Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners (SEARUC). He previously represented Durham and Granville counties in the North Carolina State Senate for 13 years, including serving as the Senior Deputy Democratic Leader. He has practiced law since 1984, representing both Fortune 500 corporations and small businesses.   

    Levitas is a solar industry veteran and nationally respected authority on energy policy. His areas of expertise include competitive procurement program design, voluntary customer programs, PURPA implementation, integrated resource planning, and transmission and interconnection policies and procedures. In 2023, he received the North Carolina Sustainable Energy’s Association Lifetime Achievement Award. Prior to his involvement in the renewable energy sector, he spent more than 25 years working in the field of environmental law and policy, including serving as the Deputy Secretary of the North Carolina Department of Environmental Health and Natural Resources.

    Jan 28, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Fort Anderson Will Mark 160th Anniversary with Living History Demonstrations and Programming

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Fort Anderson Will Mark 160th Anniversary with Living History Demonstrations and Programming

    Fort Anderson Will Mark 160th Anniversary with Living History Demonstrations and Programming
    jejohnson6

    On Saturday, Feb. 15, Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site will commemorate the 160th anniversary of Fort Anderson’s capture by U.S. forces in 1865. The site will host two public events, starting with a free day of living history. This will be followed by a ticketed nighttime reenactment of the bombardment and evacuation of the fort.

    Living history demonstrations will run from 10 a.m.- 3 p.m. Nineteenth-century weapons demonstrations will occur at 11 and 11:30 a.m., 1, 2, and 2:30 p.m. Visitors are invited to interact with ongoing living history demonstrations of Civil War camp life and view interpretive displays throughout the event. Speaker Wade Sokolosky will present “Disaster on the Lower Cape Fear: The Role of Confederate Hospitals through the Fall of Wilmington” at noon.

    Site Manager Jim McKee will lead a tour of Fort Anderson at 4 p.m. A full event schedule will be available on Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site’s website and social media channels.

    Admission to the living history event is free. Parking is available at the Visitor Center, located at 8884 St. Philip’s Rd SE, in Winnabow. Food trucks will be onsite at the Visitor Center from 11 a.m.-6:30 p.m.

    The nighttime program, “Plunging Shot and Screaming Shell,” starts at 6 p.m. The night sky will come alive with a realistic reenactment of the bombardment and evacuation of the fort. This event will be a rare opportunity to witness a heavy artillery duel after dark. The event will go on in the event of rain, provided there is no thunder and lightning.

    Admission for the nighttime event is $10 for ages 16 and up. Children 15 and under are admitted for free. Tickets can be purchased in advance online at the Friends of Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson’s website, https://friends-of-brunswick-townfort-anderson.square.site/upcoming-events.

    About Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site
    Brunswick Town/Fort Anderson State Historic Site is a major pre-Revolutionary port on North Carolina’s Cape Fear River. Brunswick was abandoned and burned during the American Revolution and never fully recovered. During the Civil War, Fort Anderson was constructed atop the old village site and served as part of the Cape Fear River defenses below Wilmington before the fall of the Confederacy. Colonial foundations dot the present-day tour trail, which crosses the earthworks of the Confederate fort. The site is located at 8884 St. Philip’s Rd SE, Winnabow, N.C. 28479. For more information, visit https://historicsites.nc.gov/all-sites/brunswick-town-and-fort-anderson/plan-your-visit or call (910) 371-6613.

    About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
    The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.
    The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.
    Jan 27, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Historic Occoneechee Speedway Added to Eno River State Park

    Source: US State of North Carolina

    Headline: Historic Occoneechee Speedway Added to Eno River State Park

    Historic Occoneechee Speedway Added to Eno River State Park
    jejohnson6

    HILLSBOROUGH

    A long-awaited acquisition of over 200 acres of land that includes the Historic Occoneechee Speedway to add to Eno River State Park has been finalized, the N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) announced. The acquisition process, which began in 2021, was facilitated by the Eno River Association, which worked with the previous landowner, the Richard Hampton Jenrette Foundation (formerly the Classical American Homes Preservation Trust).

    The addition to the state park includes the four-mile walking trail that traverses the only surviving dirt speedway from NASCAR’s inaugural 1949 season, as well as the adjacent James M. Johnston Nature Preserve, a dedicated nature preserve with the N.C. Natural Heritage Program. The existing trail system connects to the Hillsborough Riverwalk greenway and is part of the state’s flagship state trail, the Mountains-to-Sea State Trail. The walking trail opened in 2003, through the Jenrette Foundation’s work with the volunteer Historic Speedway Group. The speedway, listed on the National Register of Historic Places, was also one of the first designated locations on the Moonshine and Motorsports Trail, launched in 2023 DNCR to celebrate the state’s unique traditions in distilling and auto racing.

    “We are excited about this expansion, made possible through a unique partnership between the Division of Parks and Recreation and two dedicated conservation groups, the Eno River Association and the Jenrette Foundation,” said DNCR Secretary Pamela B. Cashwell. “This land has a rich history, from its original stewards, including the ancestors of the present-day Occaneechi Band of the Saponi Nation, to its role in shaping North Carolina’s thriving racing industry, and now as part of a beautiful state park. We are thrilled that it is now protected forever and will remain accessible for the public to enjoy.”

    The complex acquisition process involved multiple parcels of land and many stakeholders. An adjacent 20-acre parcel along the Eno River bend, containing four known early settlements dating back to A.D. 1000, is now owned by the nonprofit organization, The Archaeological Conservancy. One acre that includes an active pump station was transferred to the town of Hillsborough.

    The acquisition was funded through a North Carolina Land and Water Fund grant of $973,000, supplemented by a $500,000 grant from the federal Land and Water Conservation Fund. The Eno River Association also secured a $100,000 gift from the Harkrader Family, which was matched by members of the association, which serves as the state park’s local friends’ group. The Jennette Foundation also donated nearly a quarter of the land value.

    “We are thrilled to have led the successful closing of the Hillsborough project, marking another critical step forward in our mission to protect the ecological health, cultural heritage, and historical significance of the Eno River basin,” said Kim Livingston, the association’s interim executive director. “This achievement was made possible through the dedicated efforts of our partners, supporters, and the community, who share our commitment to safeguarding this vital resource for generations to come. Projects like this not only preserve land but also reinforce the importance of collaboration in achieving meaningful conservation outcomes.”

    Though the centerpiece of the new acquisition has long been protected as a historic site, the land is also crucial to the preservation of the Eno’s watershed quality and in providing a movement corridor for the wildlife that call the river and its banks home. It includes several documented natural heritage elements, including the threatened Neuse River waterdog, one of the rarest salamanders found only in two river basins, and seven species of mollusk listed by the state as threatened or endangered.

    “We are very grateful for our partners who made this important addition to Eno River State Park possible,” said State Parks Director Brian Strong. “This property provides our visitors with new opportunities for outdoor recreation and educational programs on the area’s prominent history. It also brings the serene nature oasis of the state park closer to downtown Hillsborough’s amenities, supplementing the Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area to the south.”

    An official ribbon cutting to celebrate the acquisition is planned for the spring.

    About the Eno River Association
    Eno River Association is an accredited land trust and watershed nonprofit founded in 1966 with a mission to protect the natural, historical, and cultural resources of the Eno River basin in northern Durham and Orange counties. It has protected 8,000 acres of natural and working lands and has helped create six local, state, and regional nature parks, including Eno River State Park, Occoneechee Mountain State Natural Area, West Point on the Eno City Park, Penny’s Bend Nature Preserve, Little River Regional Park, and the Confluence Natural Area. The association continues to acquire land and secure easements, as well as provide stewardship, education programs, and events like the annual Festival for the Eno to inspire others to prioritize our local, natural resources. Learn more at www.enoriver.org.

    About North Carolina State Parks
    North Carolina State Parks manages more than 262,000 acres of iconic landscape within North Carolina’s state parks, state recreation areas and state natural areas. It administers the N.C. Parks and Recreation Trust Fund, including its local grants program, as well as a state trails program, North Carolina Natural and Scenic Rivers and more, all with a mission dedicated to conservation, recreation and education. The state parks system welcomes more than 19 million visitors annually.
    About the North Carolina Department of Natural and Cultural Resources
    The N.C. Department of Natural and Cultural Resources (DNCR) manages, promotes, and enhances the things that people love about North Carolina – its diverse arts and culture, rich history, and spectacular natural areas. Through its programs, the department enhances education, stimulates economic development, improves public health, expands accessibility, and strengthens community resiliency.
    The department manages over 100 locations across the state, including 27 historic sites, seven history museums, two art museums, five science museums, four aquariums, 35 state parks, four recreation areas, dozens of state trails and natural areas, the North Carolina Zoo, the State Library, the State Archives, the N.C. Arts Council, the African American Heritage Commission, the American Indian Heritage Commission, the State Historic Preservation Office, the Office of State Archaeology, the Highway Historical Markers program, the N.C. Land and Water Fund, and the Natural Heritage Program. For more information, please visit www.dncr.nc.gov.
    Jan 28, 2025

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Scott, Cassidy, Colleagues to Introduce Resolution Recognizing National School Choice Week

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for South Carolina Tim Scott
    WASHINGTON — U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-S.C.), co-chair of the Congressional School Choice Caucus and member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, and Senate HELP Committee Chairman Bill Cassidy (R-La.), are introducing a Senate resolution recognizing January 26 – February 1 as National School Choice Week. Congressman John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), co-chair of the Congressional School Choice Caucus, House Education and the Workforce Committee Chairman Tim Walberg (R-Mich.), and Congressman Burgess Owens (R-Utah) introduced the House version of the resolution.
    “During school choice week, we celebrate the transformative impact education freedom has on the lives of so many students and families. But school choice week also serves as a stark reminder that the magic of a quality education is still out of reach to countless children who desperately need it,” said Senator Scott. “Leaving our kids’ education and the future of America’s children to chance is simply not an option. Transforming our nation’s education system and ensuring every child has access to a quality education must be our call to action every single day.” 
    “All families should be able to choose the school that best fits their child’s needs, regardless of zip code or income,” said Dr. Cassidy. “School choice empowers parents and ensures children have every opportunity to succeed.” 
    “Parents and students deserve to have the chance to pursue the best education available to them, one that provides the best environment for learning. School choice gives students the opportunity to achieve their highest potential with an education that fits their needs. Recent years have shown again how important it is for parents to have a role in their child’s education. I am grateful for the support of my colleagues as we introduce this resolution to recognize parents’ rights,” said Congressman Moolenaar.
    “This week and every week we celebrate empowering families by giving them the opportunity to choose what school will best suit their child’s unique needs. Thanks to school choice policies, students have a wide range of options and are not limited by their zip code. Our children are our future; it is our duty to ensure they have access to a high-quality education. I applaud Rep. Moolenaar for introducing this education freedom resolution,” said Chairman Walberg.
    “Millions of kids in failing school districts can’t meet basic reading and writing standards, and our national test scores are plummeting. Our education system is failing America’s students, and school choice is how we turn it around. Parents should have the power to make the best decisions for their kids, and students should have access to an education that fits their needs, not one determined by their zip code. During School Choice Week, we continue the fight to ensure every family is empowered and every child has the opportunity to reach their God-given potential,” said Congressman Owens.
    The Senate resolution is cosponsored by Senators James Lankford (R-Okla.), Ted Cruz (R-Texas), John Cornyn (R-Texas), Todd Young (R-Ind.), and Cynthia Lummis (R-Wyo.).
    In the House, the resolution is also cosponsored by Representatives Randy Weber (R-Texas), Aaron Bean (R-Fla), Dan Meuser (R-Pa.), Juan Ciscomani (R-Ariz.), Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.), Dale Strong (R-Ala.), Darrell Issa (R-Calif.), Riley Moore (R-W.Va.), Kat Cammack (R-Fla.), Jack Bergman (R-Mich.), Nancy Mace (R-S.C.), Julia Letlow (R-La.), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-Iowa), Rich McCormick (R-Ga.), Scott Fitzgerald (R-Wis.), Mike Kelly (R-Pa.), Joe Wilson (R-S.C.), Tim Moore (R-N.C.), Eric Burlison (R-Mo.), Neal Dunn (R-Fla.), Tom Barrett (R-Mich.), Mark Green (R-Tenn.), Scott Franklin (R-Fla.), Dan Newhouse (R-Wash.), Buddy Carter (R-Ga.), and John James (R-Mich.).
    The text of the resolution can be found here.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Idaho Congressional Delegation Introduces Legislation to Protect Access to Local Post Offices

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo
    Washington, D.C.–At a time when the United States Postal Service (USPS) is under strain due to a lack of carriers and supply shortages, Idaho communities have reported struggles in conveying needs to the USPS and have experienced sudden and surprising post office closures.  U.S. Senators Mike Crapo and Jim Risch and Representatives Russ Fulcher and Mike Simpson (all R-Idaho) introduced legislation in both the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to improve access to local USPS post offices.  The Mandating Advisable and Informed Locations and Solutions (MAILS) Act would require more community input before relocating a post office as well as encourage recommendations from municipalities to request additional post offices. 
    “Post offices remain a valued part of our communities and a respected means of sending goods and messages,” said Crapo.  “The communities, especially rural towns across Idaho, that rely on local post offices must continue to have access to prompt, reliable and efficient service responsive to their needs.”
    “Many communities in Idaho lack access or have waited years for a physical post office,” said Risch.  “The MAILS Act ensures USPS considers the needs of Idahoans who rely on the postal service when they apply for new postal facilities.”
    “Idahoans understand all too well how the closure of local post offices can create significant hardships for both residents and businesses,” said Fulcher.  “Whether it’s to receive medications, business documents, or to stay connected with loved ones, millions depend on reliable and accessible mail delivery—regardless of how rural their neighborhood is. That is why I introduced the MAILS Act alongside my Idaho congressional colleagues to ensure community voices are considered before changes are made to the postal system and to provide a pathway for local governments to advocate for the services their residents need.”
    “As Idaho’s population continues to grow, it’s essential that public services keep up with the demand,” said Simpson.  “The MAILS Act creates a significant opportunity for community members to have their voices heard regarding local postal service needs. I’m proud to cosponsor this legislation, which will enhance the efficiency and transparency of the United States Postal Service, ensuring it better serves the people who rely on it every day.”
    U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) is also a co-sponsor in the Senate.
    “In Hawai‘i, where many residents live in rural or remote areas, the Postal Service is a lifeline for everything from essential goods to staying connected with loved ones,” said Schatz.  “Our bill ensures that people in Hawai‘i and across the country have a voice in decisions about keeping post offices in their communities.”
    The Idaho Congressional Delegation has been active in working with a number of Idaho communities and the Postal Service to resolve issues with access to postal operations.  The City of Meridian is requesting USPS establish a new post office in the city, but USPS could not delineate the process for requesting a new post office.  Likewise, Idaho communities in Deary and Viola were notified local post offices were closing without community input, creating difficulties and inconveniences for residents and businesses traveling long distances to obtain mail, some including needed medications.
    Text of the bill is available here.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Crapo: Duffy Will Prioritize Safety on the Ground and in the Air

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Idaho Mike Crapo

    Washington, D.C.–U.S. Senator Mike Crapo (R-Idaho) issued the following statement after the Senate confirmed, by a vote of 77-22, Sean Duffy to be Secretary of the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT):
    “The U.S. Department of Transportation is responsible for connecting and moving people and goods across the United States.  This free flow is necessary for the promotion of thriving economy, particularly in rural, land-locked states like Idaho.  The DOT is also facing a host of emerging issues from unpopular electric vehicle mandates, to the rise of new technologies and federal aviation challenges.  As Secretary of DOT, Sean Duffy will meet these challenges head-on.  He will prioritize safety on the ground and in the air, preserve American vehicle choice and reduce bureaucratic red tape necessary for advancing needed, but responsible infrastructure projects.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Global: What’s behind Trump’s flurry of executive action: 4 essential reads on autocrats and authoritarianism

    Source: The Conversation – USA – By Jeff Inglis, Politics + Society Editor, The Conversation US

    President Donald Trump shows off one of his new orders upon taking office. Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

    If you think a lot is happening in the federal government all at once on a lot of different issues, you’re right.

    At the beginning of a new presidential administration, there is often a flurry of changes – new Cabinet appointments and a few executive orders. But what’s happening right now in Washington, D.C. – actions affecting immigration, tariffs, the firing of career government workers, gender identity, federally funded research, foreign aid and even broader categories of federal spending – is different from most presidential transitions, in volume, pace, content and breadth of the changes ordered.

    Administration officials and Trump allies have described all this action as a “shock and awe” campaign intended to “flood the zone.” Translation: It’s both an effort to demonstrate autocratic power and an effort to overwhelm and exhaust people who might resist the changes.

    The Conversation U.S. has published several articles – many from Donald Trump’s first term as president – that spell out how autocrats, and those who want to be autocrats, behave and why. Here are some key points to know.

    1. Seize executive power

    The move toward autocracy starts with wielding unyielding power over not only people but democratic institutions, explained Shelley Inglis, a scholar of international law at the University of Dayton. In a checklist of 10 items for wannabe authoritarians, the first task, she wrote, is being strong:

    The mainstay of today’s authoritarianism is strengthening your power while simultaneously weakening government institutions, such as parliaments and judiciaries, that provide checks and balances. The key is to use legal means that ultimately give democratic legitimacy to the power grab.”




    Read more:
    So you want to be an autocrat? Here’s the 10-point checklist


    2. Control political backers

    When a leader’s supporters are more loyal to the person than their political party, that creates what is called a “personalist party,” as scholars of political science Erica Frantz at Michigan State University, Joe Wright at Penn State and Andrea Kendall-Taylor at Yale University described. That creates a danger to democracy, they wrote:

    (W)hat matters for democracy is not so much the ambitions of power-hungry leaders, but rather whether those in their support group will tame them. … (W)hen personalist ruling parties hold legislative majorities and the presidency … there is little that stands in the way of a grab for power.”




    Read more:
    Why Trump’s control of the Republican Party is bad for democracy


    Many Republican Party members back Trump, in part because other party leaders signal their own support.
    AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki

    3. Sideline the public

    In a democracy, the public has power. But if the people choose not to exercise it, that leaves room for an authoritarian leader to take more control, warned Mark Satta, a professor of philosophy and law at Wayne State University in an article comparing George Orwell’s book “Nineteen eighty-four” to modern events:

    Trump routinely speaks like an autocrat. Yet many Americans excuse such talk, failing to treat it as the evidence of a threat to democracy that it is. This seems to me to be driven in part by the tendency Orwell identified to think that truly bad things won’t happen – at least not in one’s own country.”




    Read more:
    Nationalism is not patriotism: 3 insights from Orwell about Trump and the 2024 election


    Donald Trump hugs an American flag as he arrives at the Conservative Political Action Conference on Feb. 24, 2024, in Baltimore.
    Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images

    4. Depend on complacency

    Another scholar delivered a warning of a possible future. Vickie Sullivan, a political science scholar at Tufts University, studies Renaissance writer Niccolò Machiavelli, who lived from 1469 to 1527.

    He is perhaps most widely known for encouraging “sole rulers – his phrase for authoritarians or dictators – … to use force and fraud to gain and maintain power,” she wrote. But Machiavelli had advice for the public, too, Sullivan explained:

    “He instructs republican citizens and leaders … to recognize how vulnerable the governments they cherish are and to be vigilant against the threats of tyranny. … If republican citizens and leaders fail to be vigilant, they will eventually be confronted with a leader who has accumulated an extremely powerful and threatening following. At that point, Machiavelli says, it will be too late to save the republic.”




    Read more:
    500 years ago, Machiavelli warned the public not to get complacent in the face of self-interested charismatic figures


    This story is a roundup of articles from The Conversation’s archives.

    ref. What’s behind Trump’s flurry of executive action: 4 essential reads on autocrats and authoritarianism – https://theconversation.com/whats-behind-trumps-flurry-of-executive-action-4-essential-reads-on-autocrats-and-authoritarianism-248492

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Russia: On January 29–31, Mikhail Mishustin will pay a working visit to the Republic of Kazakhstan

    Translartion. Region: Russians Fedetion –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    On January 29–31, the Chairman of the Government of the Russian Federation Mikhail Mishustin will pay a working visit to the Republic of Kazakhstan. As part of the Russian-Kazakh negotiations in Astana, it is planned to discuss current issues of trade and economic, scientific and technical, cultural and humanitarian cooperation. Particular attention will be paid to the further development of joint projects in energy, industry, transport infrastructure, agriculture and other areas.

    Mikhail Mishustin will also take part in a meeting of the Eurasian Intergovernmental Council in Almaty, where the prospects for increasing the integration interaction of the EAEU member states, the functioning of the Eurasian market, the macroeconomic situation and the promotion of joint projects will be considered.

    During the visit, Mikhail Mishustin will speak at the digital forum “Digital Almaty 2025” in Almaty.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Update: Serious crash closes State Highway 59 to southbound traffic near Porirua (one SB lane now OPEN)

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency


    10 pm:

    One southbound lane on State Highway 59 has been reopened to traffic following the crash earlier this evening.

    The highway was closed to southbound traffic for approximately three and a half hours.

    NZTA/Waka Kotahi and the Wellington Transport Alliance thank drivers for their patience and understanding this evening while the crash scene was investigated and cleared.

    Drivers are asked to take care driving through the area until both southbound lanes have reopened


    6:50 pm:

    State Highway 59 is currently closed to southbound traffic from Mungavin Interchange to State Highway 1.

    It follows a serious crash on the highway which occurred shortly before six o’clock this evening.

    Southbound traffic heading to Wellington on State Highway 59 should avoid the area and use an alternative route.

    The highway’s northbound lanes remain open.

    Emergency services and contractors are attending the incident, and the southbound lanes are expected to remain closed until a Police Serious Crash Unit investigation is completed and the crash site is cleared.

    Drivers are encouraged to check the highway’s status before they travel. Updates can be found on the NZTA/Waka Kotahi website.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: SH15 closed between Maungatapere and Otaika

    Source: New Zealand Transport Agency

    |

    State Highway 15 is closed between Maungatapere and Otaika due to a serious incident.

    There is a detour in place via State Highway 14 and State Highway 1 for those traveling between Maungatapere and Otaika. Those traveling from Otaika to Maungatapere should take the same route, in reverse.

    The road is expected to remain closed for most of the day and people are encouraged to visit the Journey Planner website (journeys.nzta.govt.nz(external link)) for up to date information on the closure and detour route before they travel.

    NZ Transport Agency Waka Kotahi thanks everyone for their patience.

    Tags

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Kauri dieback: clean bill of health for Hūnua Ranges

    Source: Auckland Council

    A Te Ngāherehere o Kohukohunui / Hūnua Ranges Kauri Population Health Monitoring Survey just published, has revealed no detectable signs of kauri dieback (P. agathidicida) in the Hūnua Ranges.

    The health monitoring survey, the first for the Hūnua Ranges, was carried out between March and November 2023. It was designed to establish the health of kauri, including whether the pathogen might be present in the ranges and collected comprehensive data on 561 kauri trees. 

    The survey was a collaborative effort between Auckland Council, the Department of Conservation, and ngā iwi mana whenua o Te Ngāherehere o Kohukohunui – Ngāi Tai ki Tāmaki, Ngāti Tamaoho, Ngāti Whanaunga, and Ngāti Tamaterā.

    Results indicate a robustly healthy kauri population, with over 95 per cent of trees surveyed in excellent health – a much higher rate than the 55 per cent of sites observed in the 2021 Waitākere survey.

    Furthermore, over 92 per cent of surveyed sites showed the presence of healthy seedlings or saplings, indicating strong regeneration and a healthy ecosystem. Importantly, the survey found no evidence of kauri dieback within the study area.

    Chair of the Policy and Planning Committee Councillor Richard Hills says Auckland Council has made significant investment into both kauri protection and surveillance since 2018 and the report shows these efforts are paying off.

    “The kauri dieback pathogen has been detected in most regions where kauri grows in New Zealand, so to have 97 to 99.9 per cent confidence the Hūnua Ranges area is dieback free, is remarkable,” says Councillor Hills.

    “As a popular destination, recreational activity in the Hūnua Ranges is high and the results demonstrate the importance the community places on protecting this special area and supporting the council in its efforts to keep kauri healthy and thriving.

    “The assurance this report affords us is critical for ongoing forest management and underscores the necessity for proactive conservation efforts and community engagement to preserve the health of the Hūnua Ranges and all of our precious forests.”

    Auckland Council’s Principal Biosecurity Advisor, Dr Sarah Killick says protecting kauri from the threat of dieback is paramount to ensuring the specie’s survival.

    “The findings of this survey provide a baseline for monitoring kauri health and will guide future prevention strategies to safeguard this precious ecosystem.”

    The survey’s risk assessment highlighted areas most vulnerable to pathogen introduction.

    A similar survey in the Waitākere Ranges in 2022 indicated kauri dieback was strongly associated with historical and recent soil disturbances. In areas where it occurred, kauri appeared to be more prone to poor health and vulnerable to disease.

    Evidence indicates soil and forest disturbances are introduction pathways for kauri dieback, emphasising the importance of preventing soil movement as key to protecting the health of this forest.

    Enhanced AI and machine learning tools have helped map kauri, building on the successes of similar efforts in the Waitākere Ranges.

    Dr Killick says ongoing monitoring will be critical to track changes in kauri health over time, considering factors such as land use, environmental management, and climate change.

    The survey will continue to be carried out every five years.

    Read the 2023 Hūnua Ranges Kauri Population Health Monitoring Report here

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Flaming start to the new year for waste trucks

    Source: Auckland Council

    2025 is off to a fiery start for Auckland’s waste trucks with five rubbish and recycling truck fires in the first two weeks of January.  

    An ever-increasing number of battery-powered devices and batteries in household bins are the most-likely cause of these fires. Lithium-ion batteries can ignite if damaged or crushed as part of the waste collection process.     

    In December alone, nearly 600 laptops and over 300 12-volt batteries found their way to Auckland’s regional recycling facility, in what appears to have been a pre-Christmas offload by Aucklanders. These account for almost a third of the total number of laptops and 12V batteries found at the site since June 2024.

    The Auckland recycling facility, which sorts all the region’s kerbside recycling, has one or two small fires a week with the cause most often attributed to lithium-ion batteries.

    Justine Haves, General Manager Waste Solutions, is keen to ensure everyone understands that putting ewaste in kerbside bins creates a fire hazard.

    “Electronic devices and batteries can be recycled in most cases, but they contain hazardous substances so require specialist handling. We would encourage people to use takeback and drop-off schemes run by retailers and local community recycling centres,” Ms Haves says.

    “Making use of battery and ewaste drop-off options helps keep you and our staff safe, keeps harmful materials out of the environment, and helps us recover and reuse valuable resources.”

    Batteries and devices containing lithium-ion batteries present a high-risk source of fires for both rubbish and recycling collection trucks and waste facilities. The combination of flammable electrolyte, with substantial amounts of stored energy, can result in the rapid and uncontrolled release of heat energy (thermal runaway).  During thermal runaway, toxic gases are emitted and can re-ignite even after being extinguished.

    To try and mitigate the dangers of rubbish truck fires, the council’s Waste Solutions team are planning a new programme of testing to give an early warning to a truck driver experiencing a fire and options for extinguishing the fire inside the truck.  This would also reduce the potential for environmental contamination when the load is tipped-out for Fire and Emergency responders to extinguish.

    Currently, drivers who notice smoke or a fire coming from their truck must notify their supervisor, who contacts Fire and Emergency, and then find a safe clear place to empty their load.

    Batteries are not the only fire hazards placed in bins. In January this year, a half-full 40kg LPG bottle and a partially full ‘jerry can’ of petrol were discovered by recycling truck drivers. Over 300 LPG bottles and gas canisters have been recorded in the past six months at the recycling facility alone.  

    Fire hazards – car batteries and LPG bottles discovered in kerbside recycling bins.

    How to dispose of hazardous materials – battery-powered devices, batteries, gas bottles and other hazardous materials

    • Mitre 10 and Bunnings have battery drop-off schemes. Check their websites for more information.

    • Retailers often have take-back schemes for used battery-powered devices they have sold. Some large retailers like Noel Leeming allow you to bring in items they did not sell. Check retailer websites for what they accept and participating stores.

    • Many local community recycling centres have ewaste recycling and even volunteer opportunities to learn how to safely disassemble laptops.

    • Gas bottles and canisters can be taken to a community recycling centre or to a MataGas outlet provided it is empty of gas. Some New Zealand camping stores sell a tool that enables canisters to be fully emptied prior to drop off at a recycling centre.

    • Visit aucklandcouncil.govt.nz/whereitgoes to search for places to recycle or get rid of specific items.

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Saving threatened seabird from rising sea levels

    Source: Department of Conservation

    Date:  29 January 2025

    Johannes Fischer, Department of Conservation Senior Science Advisor, says climate change impacts have the potential to wipe out the Whenua Hou diving petrel – a small seabird with cobalt blue feet that’s “like a flying penguin”.

    “Their entire population breeds in the fragile sand dunes of Whenua Hou/Codfish Island, up to 20 m from the high tide line. Rising seas levels and increasingly frequent storms will eventually destroy their habitat on Whenua Hou. Over the last 10 years, 20% of the dune front has already gone,” Johannes says.

    On 31 December 2024, 15 Whenua Hou diving petrel chicks were transferred from Whenua Hou to their new home. This is the first of five transfers over the next five years to move a total of 75 chicks – the number considered sufficient to build a new colony without causing any long-term impact to the Whenua Hou colony.

    “Before humans arrived in New Zealand, Whenua Hou diving petrels bred all over the southern South Island and there were millions on Stewart Island/Rakiura. But until the recent transfer, they had reduced to a single population on Whenua Hou of just 210 individuals,” Johannes says.

    Two years ago, mana whenua, DOC, fishers, the fishing industry, and Environment Southland developed an action plan to restore the petrels, which advised a second population at a new site was needed.

    The group worked through a range of possible sites and identified an undisclosed, predator-free location within Whenua Hou diving petrel’s historic range as the best possible option.

    All work is done in partnership with the Whenua Hou Committee (the advisory committee to the Minister of Conservation on the management of Whenua Hou), Ōraka Aparima Rūnaka, and Ngāi Tahu whānui.

    Johannes says timing was crucial and the transfer had to take place roughly a week before the chicks fledged, before their homing instinct for Whenua Hou was developed.

    “We hand-reared the chicks at their new home, and the last chicks fledged on 12 January 2025. Next season, we will translocate another 15 birds.”

    “We expect the first group of translocated chicks to return to their new home as adults in October 2026. We’ll keep an eye out in anticipation.”

    Contact

    For media enquiries contact:

    Email: media@doc.govt.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News

  • MIL-OSI Australia: Doorstop – Jerrabomberra

    Source: Australian Ministers for Education

    KRISTY McBAIN, MINISTER FOR REGIONAL DEVELOPMENT, LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND TERRITORIES: It’s a pleasure today to welcome Minister Jason Clare to Goodstart Jerrabomberra where 90 places a day are filled, and we have a wait list. Jerrabomberra is the heart of the Queanbeyan region, it’s fast growing, and this childcare centre is one of many that have benefitted from the Albanese Labor Government’s Cheaper Childcare plan.

    We know families right across our region have benefitted from this, and it’s so great to be able to introduce Minister Clare to the wonderful staff here, the wonderful centre manager and State manager and the wonderful kids that come here each and every day to enjoy this beautiful centre.

    JASON CLARE, MINISTER FOR EDUCATION: Thanks very much, Kristy. It’s absolutely fantastic to be with you here at Jerrabomberra at the Goodstart Centre here. You are an absolutely fantastic Member of Parliament, and we are so lucky to have as part of the Albanese Labor Government and this community is lucky to have you as their Labor Member.

    When we were elected two and a half years ago, childcare costs had sky rocketed, childcare costs under the Liberals went up by 49 per cent over just under a decade, and that was double the OECD average.

    We’ve cut the cost of childcare now for more than a million Australian families. In the first 15 months of our Cheaper Childcare laws this has meant that for an average family on about 120 grand a year combined income with one child in early education or care saved them about 2,700 bucks, and that’s real money that’s making a real difference for families right across the country.

    And when we were elected two and a half years ago childcare workers were leaving the sector in droves, that’s the truth of it, and we’re now starting to see that turn around. Data that’s been released today shows that vacancy rates in the childcare sector are down 22 per cent, and at Goodstart, where we are today, all of their centres across the country, we’re seeing job applications now jump by 35 per cent, and expressions of interest jump by 50 to 60 per cent. Vacancy rates at Goodstart Centres are down by a massive 28 per cent.

    So that’s fantastic news. It shows that when you pay people more, more people want to do the job, and there aren’t many jobs that are more important than the work that our early educators do, getting young people ready for school.

    If we win the next election, the next big thing that we need to do is build more centres where they don’t exist at the moment and help to make sure that more young people get the chance that the children we’ve met here today get, help young people who can’t get into early education and care now, either because there’s no centre in their town, or because they can’t get access to the subsidy through no fault of their own.

    And that’s why if we win the next election, we’ll set up a $1 billion fund to build more centres in the outer suburbs and in the regions where they don’t exist at the moment, and implement a three day guarantee, to guarantee that every child who needs it will get access to three days a week of government supported early education and care.

    Why? To make sure that more children are ready to start school, because the evidence is, that if children spend more time in early education and care in centres like this, they’re more likely to start school ready to learn.

    And just while talking about school, last week the Prime Minister announced that South Australia and Victoria have become the fifth and sixth States to sign up to our public school funding and reform agreement, the Better and Fairer Schools Agreement, that’s along with WA, Tassie, ACT, the Northern Territory and of course now South Australia and Victoria.

    On the weekend, teachers backed this agreement, on the weekend principals backed this agreement, and now today the Business Council of Australia backed this agreement. This is real funding, to fix the funding of our public schools, and it’s not a blank cheque, it’s tied to real reform; things like phonics checks in Year 1 and numeracy checks in Year 1 to identify children who might already be falling behind, and then using that funding to make sure that children who do fall behind catch up early, because we know that children who catch up early are more likely to go on and finish high school.

    So, it’s backed by teachers, backed by principals, backed by the business community. The only people that are against it are Peter Dutton and the Liberal Party, they’re against cutting the cost of childcare for Australian parents, they’re against pay rises for childcare workers, they’re against building more childcare centres where they don’t exist, and they’re against fixing the funding of our public schools and tying that funding to evidence based teaching and real reform to help more young children to catch up, keep up and finish high school.

    Happy to take some questions.

    JOURNALIST: When do you expect that Queensland and New South Wales will sign on to that school agreement?

    CLARE: I won’t give you a date, but negotiations are going well.

    JOURNALIST: Fresh polling is showing that it’s really tight. Are your cost-of-living measures cutting through with the voters?

    CLARE: We know that Australians are doing it tough, a lot of Australians are doing it tough, that’s why creating a million jobs is really important, that’s why cutting inflation by more than half is really important, that’s why boosting real wages is really important as well.

    We’re making progress, there’s more work to do, but the evidence that came out on the weekend shows that if Peter Dutton had been the Prime Minister of Australia for the last 12 months, Australian families would be over $7,000 worse off.

    Why? Well, because he was against the tax cuts that delivered a lot of support for Australian families, he’s against cheaper childcare, he’s against cutting the cost of medicine, he’s against lifting real wages, he’s against cutting the cost of people’s energy bills through that $300 rebate, and when you add all that up, it means that Aussie families would be thousands and thousands of dollars, $7,200, worse off under Peter Dutton.

    JOURNALIST: On the School Agreement, so New South Wales and Queensland you would assume are trying to get more than 25 per cent. Are you open to that?

    CLARE: Don’t assume that. But I’m not going to negotiate through the media. What’s important here is that we fix the funding of our public schools, and we tie that to the sort of reforms that are going to help make sure that more kids that fall behind can catch up and keep up and finish high school.

    Private schools, non government schools are funded at the level that David Gonski said they should be at, public schools aren’t, and this agreement is about fixing that, but also tying that to real targets and real reforms.

    The current agreement doesn’t do that. There aren’t any real targets, there aren’t any real reforms. I want to make sure that we fix the funding of our schools and tie it to the sort of reforms that we know work. I want this money to get results.

    At the moment in public schools, over the course of say, you know, the last eight years or so, we’ve seen the percentage of kids finishing high school drop from 83 per cent to 73 per cent. Just think about that for a second. That’s happening at a time where it’s more important to finish school than it was when we were little.

    We’ve got to turn that around if we’re going to make sure that more people get a chance to go to TAFE and university and get the jobs that are being created today. That’s why this funding is important, but that’s why the reforms that it’s linked to are just as important.

    JOURNALIST: The States that signed on to it earlier, are they now pushing for 25 per cent as well, and will you grant that?

    CLARE: I’ve already spoken to those States, and we will offer to them the same deal, which is we’ll lift our offer from 20 to 25 if they get rid of that 4 per cent which is usually aligned to things like capital depreciation costs. So, we’re having great conversations with states like WA and Tassie.

    JOURNALIST: Is there a willingness though to go above 25 per cent for the two states that have paid off, and then does that open up the chance for increased funding for other states?

    CLARE: No. That’s why when I answered your previous question, I said don’t assume that the States are asking for more than 25 per cent. What the states have been asking for, for the last 12 months is that we increase our offer from 20 to 25 per cent, and we said, “Yeah, we’ll do that, but we need you to chip in as well”.

    It’s always been my view that the Commonwealth’s got to chip in and the states have to chip in as well. That’s why we’re saying to the states, if we can lift our funding from 20 to 25 per cent, let’s get rid of that other 4 per cent, which is used for things like capital depreciation that don’t actually go to real funding for schools at the moment.

    JOURNALIST: Is the absolute cap 25?

    CLARE: Well, again, I’m not going to go into the details of the conversation, but we’re not talking beyond 25.

    JOURNALIST: How exactly are you going to address high rates of absenteeism due to bullying or mental health issues, do you actually have a stepped plan in place for the next school year?

    CLARE: Yep. This is a complicated thing. There is absolutely no place for bullying in our schools. That’s why the work that we’re doing in putting together a National Bullying Action Plan with the states is so critical, so important; that’s why getting rid of mobile phones in schools is so important; that’s why the ban on access to social media for young people under the age of 16 is so important as well.

    We know fundamentally that children are less likely to be at school if they’re suffering from bullying or they’re suffering from mental health challenges. And young people with mental health challenges, by the time they’re in Year 9 are about a year and a half to two years behind the rest of the class, and less likely to finish school.

    And so the sort of things that we want to tie this funding to are early intervention when children are young at primary school to make sure that they keep up and catch up, but also more investment in things like mental health workers and paediatric nursing support in our schools.

    That investment in health is not just about health, it has real education outcomes as well.

    JOURNALIST: Donald Trump overnight said that   sorry, a couple of days ago said that he proposed “cleaning”   unquote   “cleaning out Gaza and resettling Palestinians”. What is the Government’s response to that?

    CLARE: The Government’s position for a very, very long time, I think since December of 2023, has been to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, and we’re glad that that has finally happened. We want to see an end to the killing in the Middle East, we want to see trucks come in with food and with medicine and with aid. We want to see the hostages returned.

    JOURNALIST: And what about resettling Palestinians though? What is your response directly to that suggestion that they should be moved to Jordan or Egypt?

    CLARE: The position of the Australian Government, which I think is still the position of the Opposition as well is that we believe in a two-state solution, two countries living side by side, two peoples living side by side in two nations where people can live in safety and security without having to go through checkpoints or fear that their lives will be taken from them the next day.

    JOURNALIST: Just on that language though, you know, “cleaning out”, do you think that’s triggering language or insensitive language?

    CLARE: Repeating my previous answer, we want two peoples able to be live side by side in safety and security.

    JOURNALIST: Do you have a set price tag on the number of those professional healthcare workers you want in schools?

    CLARE: No, there’s no set number, but this investment in South Australia’s an extra billion dollars over the next 10 years, in Victoria it’s an extra two and a half billion dollars over the next 10 years.

    The agreements that we’re striking with the states are all going to be slightly different depending on the needs in those states, but it’s designed to invest in real practical reforms that we know are going to get the results that we need.

    Just to add to what we’re talking about here, we’re talking about fixing the funding of our public schools. Now one in 10 children at the moment, when they sit for their NAPLAN tests in third grade, are identified as being below the national average, so one in 10   sorry, below the national minimum standard, so one in 10. But amongst children from poor families, from really disadvantaged backgrounds, it’s one in three, and most of those children go to public schools.

    So our public schools are the places that do the real heavy lifting where the challenge is three times as big, and they’re the ones that were underfunded at the moment. We want to fix that funding and tie that funding to help those children to catch up and keep up and finish high school.

    JOURNALIST: On that pay rise for early educators, do you know how many centres have used that as an excuse to immediately increase their fees by 4.4 per cent?  

    CLARE: Here’s the thing, they can’t, because a condition of getting the funding for the pay rise is they can’t increase their fees by more than 4 per cent.

    JOURNALIST: Yeah. That’s why I’m asking how many have increased their fees to that 4.4?

    CLARE: I suspect that most centres will increase their fees somewhere between zero and up to that 4 per cent over the next 12 months. The key thing is they can’t go beyond that, and that’s a big part of this deal. Number one, we want to make sure that the money goes to the worker, not the centre, and number two, in order to get that funding, they cannot increase their fees by more than 4 per cent.

    JOURNALIST: Do you know how many though have hit that cap?

    CLARE: It’s too early to give you that number.

    JOURNALIST: This billion-dollar strategy for outer suburbs and regional areas, do you have any hotspots, any, you know, regional areas that you’re concerned about that don’t have enough facilities?

    CLARE: You can look at data that shows where there are what’s called sometimes “childcare deserts” right across the country. This fund is designed to help to make sure that we build centres where they’re needed most, and in particular, if you look at the Productivity Commission report released last year it talks to this, it’s the outer suburbs, and it’s in Regional Australia.

    Just talking to the team at Goodstart here is the only childcare centre in Jerra that provides full service from six week old children right through to four year olds.

    JOURNALIST: I did just want to ask you about – there was evidence at a Parliamentary Committee last week about an online meeting of ANU to delete the Nazi salute. The investigation to my understanding is that they found that that wasn’t the case. What else do you think was happening there?

    CLARE: I make the general point, whether it’s at ANU or whether it’s at QUT that there is absolutely no place for the poison of antisemitism in our universities or anywhere in this country or anywhere in the world.

    There is a commemoration that’s just happened of the 80th Anniversary of the Holocaust and Auschwitz. You know, in the lifetime of our grandparents we’ve all seen the true terror of what antisemitism can wreak and there is no place for it, and that’s why I’ve made it very clear to every university leader in the country that they must enforce their Codes of Conduct, and that includes saying that directly to the Vice Chancellor of QUT.

    JOURNALIST: Do you believe though that it was appropriate that an ANU student who went on radio said that terrorist designated organisation, Hamas [indistinct] unconditional support was able to overturn her expulsion on appeal. You’ve just spoken about the poison of antisemitism; we have a growing issue in Australia. Is that an appropriate thing to do?

    CLARE: No.

    JOURNALIST: Are we any closer to a governance review   what’s the latest with the university governance review?

    CLARE: Yeah, last week we announced the members of the panel that will be responsible for implementing that review.

    JOURNALIST: Are you confident with the members of that panel?

    CLARE: I am.

    JOURNALIST: And then I might just Ms McBain something if that’s okay.

    CLARE: Sure.

    JOURNALIST: [Indistinct] would like to see councils auctioning off properties. What do you think of this decision?

    McBAIN: Look, every Council has the opportunity to take action when someone doesn’t pay rates for a period of time. My understanding, and it was a unanimous decision of Queanbeyan-Palerang Council to take this route, is that these rates have been unpaid for more than five years. A lot of those properties that attempted to make contact by door knocking them, letter boxing them, serving them, there’s been no contact made with any of those individuals for a variety of reasons. It is an avenue open to them, but as I said, it’s a unanimous decision of Queanbeyan-Palerang Council to take this action, which I’m sure that hasn’t been done lightly either.

    JOURNALIST: Are you concerned about the financial stability of councils if they are having to resort to methods like this just to try and stay out of debt?

    McBAIN: Look, I think when you look at it, it’s about a million dollars in unpaid rates that they are going to attempt to recruit through auction. I don’t think this goes anywhere near dealing with some of the ongoing issues that councils have, but what we’ve done since we’ve been in government, you know, there’s been more collaboration with local councils than in any time before that.

    I’ve personally met with over 250 councils either in their communities or in Canberra or at a Local Government Association conference. We have doubled Roads to Recovery funding and that means regional councils across the country have now more money than ever before to deal with road issues.

    Across Eden Monaro that’s $26.3 million extra for our local councils resulting in over $65 million for roads alone. We’ve increased road black spot funding, we’ve created the new safer local road and infrastructure program, $200 million a year, you know, we’ve been really putting our shoulder to the wheel making a difference for local councils, and just last week I was able to announce $27.2 million for Marulan Sewer Treatment Plant, you know, which is something that Council had called from but hadn’t been supported in getting.

    So, the Albanese Government takes seriously the priorities of local councils and local communities and we’ve been delivering for all of them.

    JOURNALIST: Thank you.

    MIL OSI News

  • MIL-OSI New Zealand: Kennards Hire Expands Sound Sensitivity Initiative to Forsyth Barr Stadium

    Source: Kennards Hire

    Forsyth Barr Stadium is taking a strong step towards making events more sensory-inclusive and enjoyable for everyone attending, by proudly unveiling the Kennards Hire Sound Sensitivity Station – the first of its kind at a major venue in the South Island. This initiative reflects the stadium’s ongoing commitment to creating a sensory-friendly environment for major events.

    The new station at Forsyth Barr Stadium will be making its debut just in time for the action-packed Freestyle Kings Motorcross show on January 31, 2025. The station will provide free, self-service earplugs, enhancing the accessibility and enjoyment of sporting events, concerts, and other live events. To ensure prime accessibility, the station will be located on Level 2, as attendees exit the elevators and go through the doors to the concourse. It will be a permanent fixture at the stadium, restocked ahead of all major events.

    Following the successful launch of the first Kennards Hire Sound Sensitivity Stations at Eden Park in March of last year, this new installation at Forsyth Barr Stadium marks another big step towards greater sensory inclusion for Kiwis attending major events. The Eden Park stations have already dispensed over 5,500 pairs of free earplugs since their launch, highlighting the importance, and popularity, of the service for people with sound sensitivity, as well the growing mainstream adoption of earplugs for hearing protection with all eventgoers.

    Over-stimulation to noise, particularly in higher sound intensive areas of stadiums such as front-of-stage, is a common trigger for sound sensitive individuals. One survey among Kiwi adults found that 10% of its participants were moderately or highly sensitive to noise. Moreover, the overall prevalence of Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) among children – including heightened sensitivity to loud sounds – is estimated at 6.2%. By reducing the auditory impact, fans can more comfortably enjoy the full spectrum of events offered at the stadium.

    The idea for these stations originated from the personal experiences of Kennards Hire team member and mum, Kimberley White, whose teenage son grappled with managing his sensitivity to sound when attending a major pop concert a couple years ago. This motivated Kimberley and the team at Kennards Hire to pursue a solution that would benefit others in similar situations.

    “Given Kennards Hire is a business anchored in safety, we wanted to help ensure that individuals like my son, who face challenges with loud environments, don’t have to miss out on enjoying events due to noise sensitivity. Since we first developed this concept, it’s been fantastic to see more venues jumping on board and committing to the initiative,” Kimberley said.

    Forsyth Barr Stadium Commercial Manager Rachael Jenkins said, “We are incredibly proud of our partnership with Kennards Hire in installing the new sound station at Forsyth Barr Stadium. It’s crucial for us to ensure that our attendees feel included and engaged when they visit our stadium. This collaboration is a step toward enhancing that experience, ensuring a welcoming atmosphere for all.”

    Kennards Hire New Zealand General Manager, Tom Kimber, also has personal experience with this initiative with his son, who is hyperreactive to sensory input. Tom expressed his pride at expanding the Sound Sensitivity initiative across the country, saying, “Having first-hand experience of the need for these inclusive services, I am delighted that we can continue to raise awareness and provide practical solutions. It’s been a pleasure to work alongside Forsyth Barr Stadium to make events more accessible to everyone attending.”

    About Kennards Hire:

    Kennards Hire is a family-owned and operated company that has been in the hire industry for 75 years, with over 200 sites and branches across New Zealand and Australia. Since 1948, its diverse product range extends from general hire equipment for the home renovator and professional tradesperson to specialist equipment and heavy machinery used on some of the largest civil infrastructure and commercial construction projects in two countries. Eden Park Icon Partner, Forsyth Barr Stadium Partner, proud member of Family Business New Zealand, Member of Hire Industry Association New Zealand, major supporter of KidsCan and Springboard Community Works. kennardshire.co.nz

    MIL OSI New Zealand News