Category: Politics

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Governments strengthening Ontario’s food supply system

    Source: Government of Canada News

    News release

    365 agri-food businesses will receive funding to enhance operational resilience to diseases and pests

    October 25, 2024 – Toronto, Ontario – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

    The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $7.5 million to support 365 projects that will help the province’s farmers, food processors, and essential farm-supporting agribusinesses protect their operations against pests and diseases while enhancing operational resilience and strengthening public trust in our food supply system.

    The funding through the Biosecurity Enhancement Initiative, combined with cost-shared investments by the sector, is expected to generate up to $31.5 million in total biosecurity enhancements across Ontario’s agri-food sector.

    Under the initiative, farmers, processors, and select farm-supporting agri-food businesses were eligible for cost-share funding ranging from 35% to 50%, depending on the project category. Supported activities include the implementation of technologies that reduce the spread of animal and plant diseases and capital upgrades that enhance biosecurity (such as constructing isolation facilities and wash bays).

    Examples of projects include:

    • Up to $50,000 for a sheep farm in Clarington to build a new barn to improve its on-farm isolation and separation processes.
    • Up to $50,000 for an Ottawa-area farm to purchase and implement an electronic traceability collection system to improve biosecurity and animal health for its cattle farming operation.
    • Up to $29,353 for a berry farm in Niagara Region for a steam treatment system to eliminate damaging pests and diseases.

    This initiative is funded through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), a 5-year, $3.5-billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of Canada’s agriculture, agri‐food and agri‐based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5-billion commitment that is cost-shared 60% federally and 40% provincially/territorially for programs that are designed and delivered by provinces and territories.

    Quotes

    “Keeping our food safe while applying best management practices is vital to ensuring Ontario’s agri-food system continues to thrive. These projects will help enhance biosecurity along our supply chains so we can keep feeding Canadians, and the world.”

    – The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

    “Maintaining and strengthening Ontario’s world-class food safety system is the number one priority for this ministry. This initiative builds on our government’s consistent record of enhancing the resilience of Ontario’s food supply chains and boosting our standing as a globally trusted producer of agri-food commodities and goods.”

    – Rob Flack, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness

    “We are pleased with the government’s Biosecurity Enhancement Initiative, which has enabled 70 producers to enhance biosecurity measures on their farms. This funding plays an important role in protecting the health of our livestock, ensuring the long-term sustainability of our industry, and maintaining confidence in the safety of Ontario-produced pork. By investing in biosecurity, we are strengthening our farms and safeguarding our food system against potential threats.”

    – Tara Terpstra, Board Chair, Ontario Pork

    Quick facts

    • Enhancing the sector’s ability to anticipate, mitigate and respond to diseases and pests was a key priority set for Sustainable CAP by the federal-provincial-territorial agricultural ministers in The Guelph Statement.

    • In 2023, Ontario’s agri-food industry contributed almost $51 billion in GDP to the provincial economy and employed over 871,000 people.

    Associated links

    Contacts

    For media:

    Annie Cullinan
    Director of Communications
    Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
    annie.cullinan@agr.gc.ca

    Media Relations
    Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
    Ottawa, Ontario
    613-773-7972
    1-866-345-7972
    aafc.mediarelations-relationsmedias.aac@agr.gc.ca
    Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn
    Web: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

    Makena Mahoney
    Minister’s Office
    Makena.Mahoney@ontario.ca

    Meaghan Evans
    Communications Branch
    OMAFRA.media@ontario.ca
    519-826-3145

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI Canada: New program ignites growth for local businesses

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Sturgeon County is home to 2,880 businesses, 97 per cent of which are small businesses. Alberta’s government is providing more than $30,000 to Sturgeon County through the Canada-Alberta Labour Market Development Agreement to support the county’s new Business Catalyst Supports Program. This program is aimed at helping small businesses attract and retain talent.

    The Canada-Alberta Labour Market Development Agreement is a federal-provincial initiative designed to enhance employment opportunities and skills development for Albertans through targeted programs and services.

    Launching during Small Business Week, Oct. 20-26, the Business Catalyst Supports Program will provide much needed business resources to address growing labour market shortages in Sturgeon County.

    “The Business Catalyst Supports Program is crucial for rural communities. By equipping our local businesses with the tools to attract and retain talent, we are not just strengthening individual companies, we are boosting the entire community. When businesses thrive, so do our local economies, creating more jobs and opportunities for Albertans.”

    Tany Yao, parliamentary secretary for Small Business and Northern Development

    Sturgeon County’s Business Catalyst Supports Program, running from March 2024 to March 2026, aims to tackle critical labour market shortages by providing resources and knowledge to rural small and medium-sized enterprises. This means local businesses can become more competitive and appeal to job seekers, ultimately leading to a stronger, more vibrant community.

    “One of the challenges we hear from entrepreneurs is how difficult it can be to find and keep good employees. The Business Catalyst Supports Program provides entrepreneurs with specialized market insight and resources to help them gain an edge in this competitive labour market. We’re thrilled to partner with Alberta’s government and the Town of Morinville to keep building Sturgeon County as the preferred destination for business. We will continue working with our partners to create a community that provides opportunity and a place to put down roots.”

    Alanna Hnatiw, mayor, Sturgeon County

    As part of this initiative, Sturgeon County will release a video series featuring practical tips for local businesses on how to enhance their appeal to job seekers. Additionally, a networking event for small business owners happened on Oct. 24. This event offered a chance to connect, share insights and build valuable relationships within the community.

    Quick facts

    • The Canada-Alberta Labour Market Development Agreement was created in 1996 to support economic development and small business success.
      • The full value of the grant provided by Alberta’s government is $30,114.
    • Sturgeon County’s Business Catalyst Supports Program launched in March and will operate until March 2026.
    • Small Business Week is an annual event that the Business Development Bank of Canada has supported for 45 years.
    • Small businesses make up more than 95 per cent of all businesses in Alberta, employing nearly 35 per cent of the private sector workforce and contributing to 27 per cent of the province’s GDP.
    • Almost 19 per cent of Albertans, or one in five people, are starting or have opened a business. This is much higher than the national average of about 16 per cent.
    • In 2023, the number of incorporated businesses across Alberta grew by 11 per cent compared to the year before – to a total of 55,476.

    Related information

    • Small business resources  
    • Business Catalyst Supports Program
    • Sturgeon County Networking event

    Related news

    • Small Business Week statement (Oct. 20, 2024)

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: DIO and Royal Navy sign contract for construction project in Cornwall

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    The Defence Infrastructure Organisation and Royal Navy mark milestones in major project at Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose.

    Representatives of RNAS Culdrose, Royal Navy Infrastructure, Kier Construction, Mott MacDonald and Defence Infrastucture Organisation inspect plans to demolish and replace the Engineering Training School. Credit: Crown Copyright

    The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and the Royal Navy have concluded a contract-signing and groundbreaking ceremony for a major construction project at Royal Naval Air Station (RNAS) Culdrose in Cornwall. 

    This marks the beginning of work on a £99.5 million project to replace and refurbish the 820 Naval Air Squadron (NAS) hangars, associated office buildings, and the full replacement of the Engineering Training School (ETS).  The contract was awarded to Keir Construction with Mott MacDonald as the designated Technical Services Provider.

    DIO and its contractors will deliver the project on behalf of the Royal Navy, with the first phase seeing the construction of a new air Engineering Training School, a new hangar and refurbishment of existing buildings for 820 Naval Air Squadron, the helicopter unit dedicated to protecting the Navy’s aircraft carrier strike groups. The project covers a combination of demolition, a new build within the same site footprint, and the refurbishment of existing infrastructure. 

    Sustainability will be a key feature of the project which will include integrated water-saving measures, Net Zero carbon emissions, solar photovoltaic panels, energy efficient lighting, and air source heat pumps to improve energy efficiency and contribute to carbon reduction.

    RNAS Culdrose is integral to the UK’s defence posture and is home to the Royal Navy’s anti-submarine warfare helicopter fleet. RNAS Culdrose also houses the Engineering Training School responsible for Air Engineering (AE) specialist training, delivering fully trained engineers to support Merlin helicopter operations.

    L to R: Andy Roberts of Mott MacDonald; Stu Johnson, Head of Navy Infrastructure; Cpt Stuart Irwin, Culdrose CO; Doug Lloyd of Kier Construction; and Dan Ross of DIO. Credit: Crown Copyright

    Daniel Ross, DIO Programme Director, Major Programmes and Projects, said:

    “I am delighted that we can celebrate this significant milestone at RNAS Culdrose, marking the next phase of collaboration with our suppliers and the Royal Navy. Building on the sustainable designs already delivered, the project will continue to contribute towards defence’s Net Zero targets and ultimately enhance our military capability.”

    Captain Stuart Irwin, Commanding Officer, Royal Naval Air Station Culdrose said:

    “This project marks the start of an exciting regeneration and investment in RNAS Culdrose with new, modern facilities. The Engineering Training School is at the heart of our operations to maintain the Merlin helicopter fleet. Our young people, many of whom are just at the start of their naval careers, will learn how to maintain aircraft in a high-tech and modern teaching environment.

    The refurbishment of aircraft hangars and buildings at 820 Naval Air Squadron is another significant investment. It will provide us with more suitable and sustainable places to operate Merlin Helicopter Force now, and into the future.”

    Stu Johnston, Deputy Head, Navy Infrastructure and Projects, Senior Responsible Officer, said:

    “The DIO and Navy infrastructure teams have worked closely to develop what will be hangar and training facilities fit for the 21st Century Royal Navy.  The project will reflect our wider sustainability and energy efficiency ambitions. The team has embraced a collaborative and agile approach built on years of hard work by stakeholders.”

    Doug Lloyd, Regional Director, Kier Construction, said:

    “We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with the Defence Infrastructure Organisation and the Royal Navy to deliver these new facilities.  We have a wealth of experience in delivering buildings of the highest quality across the defence estate and are proud to be creating this important enabler to the UK’s future defence capability.”

    Chris Ackerman, DIO Account Lead for Mott MacDonald, said:

    “We are really pleased to be working for DIO as their Technical Service Provider and alongside Kier, the Principal Contractor.  This project will provide a suite of modern and sustainable infrastructure for the Royal Navy in accordance with the Defence Operational Energy Strategy.”

    The project is scheduled for delivery in the spring of 2028.

    A proposed impression of the new Engineering Training School at RNAS Culdrose. Credit: Crown Copyright

    Updates to this page

    Published 25 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: National Apprenticeship Week 2025 website and toolkit launched

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    New website and toolkit launched ahead of next annual celebration of skills and apprenticeships

    Preparations are underway for the 18th annual celebration of apprenticeships and skills and the contributions they make to businesses and communities.

    Individuals, employers, and partners from across England are gearing up for National Apprenticeship Week (NAW) 2025 following the launch of a new website and communications toolkit.

    National Apprenticeship Week will take place 10-16 February 2025, with people from across the country being asked to get involved by sharing the good work apprentices do. NAW will highlight how apprenticeships are an excellent option to consider for young people wishing to start a career, for employees looking to progress in their current role or retrain for a new career, or for employers needing to fill skills gaps to help grow their business.

    The NAW website and toolkit contain support and guidance on how to get involved. This includes social media graphics, key apprenticeship messages, facts and figures, graduation toolkits, and advice so that individuals and businesses can explore the full range of benefits that apprenticeships offer.

    Apprenticeships and skills programmes are a key element of the government’s aim of boosting opportunities for young people following the recent announcement of apprenticeship reforms in England.

    Skills Minister Jacqui Smith said:

    We are focused on apprenticeships all year round, and I am looking forward to celebrating the achievements of the thousands who take on apprenticeships every year this coming National Apprenticeship Week.

    They wouldn’t have these opportunities without the support of employers who train these talented individuals in the skills we need for the future.

    With our new Growth and Skills Levy, we are giving these businesses greater flexibility over their training, and through Skills England we will boost opportunities across the country so even more people can get on in life and drive our economic recovery.

    From November, an events map will be available online for organisers to register their own celebrations so that local communities can also get involved, followed by the announcement of the National Apprenticeship Week 2025 Supporters Club – a list of leading employers sharing how apprenticeships are benefiting their organisation and    how they’re lending their support to NAW 2025.

    The week itself will also shine a spotlight on other government skills and training programmes, such as Higher Technical Qualifications and Skills Bootcamps. T Level Thursday will return, with a focus on the experiences of T Level students and the contributions they are making during their industry placements. A dedicated toolkit to support T Level Thursday will also be available.

    National Apprenticeship Week 2025 is part of the Department for Education’s ongoing Skills for Life campaign which is engaging young people, adult learners, and employers with government skills and training programmes and the opportunities they bring.

    Please visit the National Apprenticeship Week 2025 website for more information, to download the toolkits, and to get involved.

    Updates to this page

    Published 25 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI United Kingdom: Bridge Strike Guidance

    Source: United Kingdom – Executive Government & Departments

    A few years ago, after a high number of bridge strikes across the country, the Senior Traffic Commissioner, Richard Turfitt, wrote a letter to all operators across the country.

    Whilst the number of incidents has declined, many new operators have joined the industry and bridge strikes still remain a serious issue. The advice forms an integral part of the messaging sent to all operators joining the industry. The STC has now chosen to make it available to all current operators and drivers, through the Traffic Commissioners website.

    Bridge strikes are avoidable, and their cost is huge, both in monetary and safety terms.

    Commercial vehicle operators and drivers have a duty to take all practical steps to ensure that vehicles avoid colliding with infrastructure. This starts at the very basics with adequate training on risk assessment.

    The Senior Commissioner suggests some control measures which operators and drivers can take, including the information which should be given to those planning or altering a route. Network Rail also publishes useful good practice guides.

    Operators and drivers who fail to take appropriate measures can find themselves subject to significant regulatory action.

    The letter can be found here: https://draft-origin.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/publications/letter-to-operators-of-large-vehicle-regarding-bridge-strikes

    For any further details or enquiries, please contact:

    pressoffice@otc.gov.uk

    Updates to this page

    Published 25 October 2024

    MIL OSI United Kingdom

  • MIL-OSI Russia: IMF’s Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Economic Outlook: Reform Amid Great Expectations

    Source: IMF – News in Russian

    October 25, 2024

    • Growth in sub-Saharan Africa is projected at 3.6% in 2024, unchanged from 2023, with a modest increase to 4.2% in 2025 — insufficient to significantly reduce poverty or address development challenges.
    • Macroeconomic vulnerabilities persist and inflation remains high in many countries, while elevated public debt and rising debt service costs are crowding-out resources for development spending.
    • Policymakers face a tough balancing act in reducing vulnerabilities while addressing development needs and ensuring socially acceptable reforms amid tight financing constraints.

    Washington, DC: Sub-Saharan Africa’s economic growth is projected to remain subdued at 3.6 percent in 2024, unchanged from 2023, with a modest pickup to 4.2 percent expected in 2025, according to the latest IMF Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa published today. The report notes that countries in the region are still grappling with macroeconomic imbalances, tight financing conditions, amid rising social pressures, leaving policymakers facing difficult choices in implementing reforms.

    “Sub-Saharan African countries are navigating a complex economic landscape marked by both progress and persistent vulnerabilities,” said Abebe Aemro Selassie, Director of the IMF’s African Department. “While many of the region’s countries are among the world’s fastest-growing economies, resource-intensive countries —particularly oil exporters— continue to struggle with lower growth rates. Inflation is declining but remains in double digits in nearly one-third of countries. Public debt has stabilized at a high level, with rising debt service burdens crowding out resources for development spending.”

    “While we are seeing some improvement in macroeconomic imbalances, growth remains insufficient to significantly reduce poverty or address substantial developmental challenges in the region.”

    The report includes focused notes addressing critical issues facing the region: the urgent need for job creation, the economic divergence between resource-rich and non-resource-rich countries, and the positive effects of striving for greater gender equality.

    Against this backdrop, Mr. Selassie pointed to priorities for policymakers in the region:

    “The policy mix should be consistent with the size of macroeconomic imbalances, while taking into account the political economy constraints that will affect the pace of reforms.

    “Countries with high macroeconomic imbalances are more likely to resort to relatively large and frontloaded fiscal reforms, given the tight financing constraints. The need for financial support from the international community is most acute for this group.

    “For countries with lower imbalances, policymakers should consider easing monetary policy toward a more neutral stance, while rebuilding fiscal and external buffers over time.”

    “Policymakers need to focus on designing reforms that are socially acceptable, including effective communication and consultation strategies and measures to protect the most vulnerable.

    “With continued efforts, sub-Saharan Africa can address its current challenges and move towards more sustainable and inclusive growth,” Mr. Selassie concluded. “However, the path ahead requires careful policy calibration and a strong commitment to implementing necessary reforms while managing social pressures.”

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Kwabena Akuamoah-Boateng

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    @IMFSpokesperson

    https://www.imf.org/en/News/Articles/2024/10/25/pr-24395-ssa-imf-ssa-reo-reform-amid-great-expectations

    MIL OSI

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Statement by Minister Joly on violence in Haiti

    Source: Government of Canada News

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement regarding the ongoing violence in Haiti

    October 25, 2024 – Ottawa, Ontario – Global Affairs Canada

    The Honourable Mélanie Joly, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement regarding the ongoing violence in Haiti:

    “Canada strongly condemns the horrifying violence that continues to be perpetrated by gangs in Haiti, resulting in immense suffering. Unchecked violence and corruption have created deep insecurity, harming civilians and leaving children at risk of starvation.

    “This politically-motivated violence is clearly aimed at undermining the transition process, which is critical to restoring security and democratic institutions. This must not be tolerated. It is essential that all stakeholders continue to abide by the agreed transition process.

    “The future of Haiti relies on a stable, democratically elected government, the restoration of security, and improved socio-economic conditions. None of these are possible while gangs hold Haitians hostage. 

    “Canada reiterates its support to the transition process and remains committed to a coordinated response, with a focus on Haitian-led solutions, together with international partners. It is imperative that the international community support the Haitian National Police and the Multilateral Security Support Mission as they work to prevent further atrocities. We must stand in solidarity with the Haitian people. Only through our collective efforts can Haiti achieve lasting peace and stability.”

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI Global: Russia’s Brics summit shows determination for a new world order – but internal rifts will buy the west some time

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stefan Wolff, Professor of International Security, University of Birmingham

    The recent Brics summit in the Russian city of Kazan was less notable for what happened at the meeting than for what happened before, on the margins, or not at all. Among the notable things that did not happen was another expansion of the organisation.

    Since the addition of Egypt, Ethiopia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) at the 2023 Brics summit in Johannesburg, which almost doubled the number of member countries from the original five (Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), further enlargement has stalled.

    Argentina, which was also invited in 2023, declined to join. Saudi Arabia, another 2023 invitee, has not acted on the offer to become a member either. Its de-facto ruler, crown prince Mohammad bin Salman, was among the notable absentees in Kazan.

    And Kazakhstan, Russia’s largest neighbour in Central Asia, decided not to join shortly before the summit. This drew Russia’s ire, resulting in a prompt ban on imports of a range of agricultural products from Kazakhstan in retaliation.

    While invitees have declined the opportunity to join Brics, a long list of applicants have not been offered membership. According to a statement by Russia’s president, Vladimir Putin, at a meeting of senior Brics security officials in September, 34 countries have expressed an interest in closer relations with Brics in some form.

    This appears to be a substantial increase in interest in Brics membership compared to a year ago, when South Africa’s foreign minister, Naledi Pandor, listed 23 applicants ahead of the 2023 summit.

    But the fact that, since then, only six invitations have been extended – and four accepted – indicates that formal enlargement of the organisation, at least for now, has been stymied by the inability of current members to forge consensus over the next round of expansion and the reluctance on the part of some invitees to be associated with the organisation.

    Meetings on the margins

    The summit declaration may offer little of substance. But there were a number of bilateral meetings before and in the margins of the gathering that are more indicative of the direction of Brics. Perhaps most importantly, India’s prime minister, Narendra Modi, and China’s president, Xi Jinping, held their first face-to-face discussion in five years.

    This is a remarkable change from just a few months ago, when tensions between New Delhi and Beijing were intense enough for Modi to cancel his participation in the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation in Astana, Kazakhstan. Yet, with a deal now reached over their countries’ longstanding border dispute, the two most populous and, in terms of GDP, economically most powerful members of Brics have an opportunity to rebuild their fraught relations.

    A warming of relations between China and India could generate more momentum for Brics to deliver on its ambitious agenda to develop, and ultimately implement, a vision for a new global order. Implicit in this would be a shift of leadership in Brics from China and Russia to China and India, and with it, potentially a change from an anti-western to a non-western agenda.

    This is, of course, something that exercises Putin. He acknowledged as much when he referred to the global south and global east in his remarks at the summit’s opening meeting. He also emphasised that it was important “to maintain balance and ensure that the effectiveness of Brics mechanisms is not diminished”.

    In his own bilateral meetings before and during the summit, Putin drove home the point that, despite western efforts, Russia was far from isolated on the world stage. One-to-one meetings with Xi, Modi, South Africa’s president, Cyril Ramaphosa, and the president of the UAE, Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, gave Putin the chance to push his own vision of Brics as a counterpoint to the US-led west.

    This may be a view shared in the global east – Russia, China and Iran, as well as non-Brics members North Korea, Cuba and Venezuela. But many in the global south – particularly India and Brazil – are unlikely to go all in with this agenda. They will focus on benefiting from their Brics membership as much as possible while maintaining close ties with the west.

    Lacking a coherent agenda

    India is the most significant player in Brics when it comes to balancing between east and west. Nato member Turkey is the equivalent on the outside. The country’s president, Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, travelled to Kazan and did not shy away from an hour-long meeting with his “dear friend” Putin.

    The relationship between Moscow and Ankara is fractious and complex across a wide range of crises from the South Caucasus, to Syria, Libya and Sudan. Yet, on perhaps the most divisive issue of all, Russian aggression towards Ukraine, Turkey has consistently maintained opened channels of communication with Russia and remains the only Nato power able to do so.




    Read more:
    Turkey attempts to broker power between east and west as it bids to join Brics


    The fact that there has been relatively little public pressure from official sources in the west on Erdoğan to stop is probably a reflection that such communication channels are still valued in the west. This, and Nato’s continued cooperation with India, point to a hedging strategy by the west. India cooperates with the US, Australia and Japan – the so-called Quad group of nations – on security in the Indo-Pacific, and it has maintained political dialogue with Nato since 2019.

    Turkey and India may not see eye-to-eye with the west on all issues. But neither do they with the global east camp inside Brics, and especially not with Russia. If nothing else, this limits the ability of Brics to forge a coherent agenda, deepen integration and ultimately mount a credible challenge to the existing order.

    Relying on India and Turkey to do the west’s bidding in undermining Brics, however, is not a credible long-term strategy. Brics may have achieved little as an organisation, but the Kazan summit declaration indicates that its key players continue to harbour aspirations for more.

    However, as the flailing expansion drive of the organisation indicates, there is also an internal battle in Brics over its future direction. This, in turn, creates space and time for the west to exercise more positive and constructive influence in the ongoing process of reshaping the international order.

    The global east may be beyond redemption, but there is still a massive opportunity to reengage with the global south.

    Stefan Wolff is a past recipient of grant funding from the Natural Environment Research Council of the UK, the United States Institute of Peace, the Economic and Social Research Council of the UK, the British Academy, the NATO Science for Peace Programme, the EU Framework Programmes 6 and 7 and Horizon 2020, as well as the EU’s Jean Monnet Programme. He is a Trustee and Honorary Treasurer of the Political Studies Association of the UK and a Senior Research Fellow at the Foreign Policy Centre in London.

    ref. Russia’s Brics summit shows determination for a new world order – but internal rifts will buy the west some time – https://theconversation.com/russias-brics-summit-shows-determination-for-a-new-world-order-but-internal-rifts-will-buy-the-west-some-time-241610

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why Donald Trump’s accusations of election interference are a lose-lose situation for Keir Starmer

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Christopher Featherstone, Associate Lecturer, Department of Politics, University of York

    With less than two weeks to go until the US presidential election, another surprise twist has emerged. Donald Trump has accused the “far-left” Labour party in the UK of election interference by sending volunteers to help the Kamala Harris campaign. This news must have come as a surprise to prime minister Keir Starmer.

    The core of the accusations made by Trump and his team is that Labour was offering financial support to volunteers and helping them arrange accommodation for their trips to the US – and that this amounted to “illegal foreign national contributions” to the Harris campaign.

    And at the centre of those accusations appears to be a now-deleted LinkedIn post from a Labour official saying she had “10 spots available” to campaign in North Carolina. Labour insists this did not mean any financial support was being offered. Labour figures have suggested the campaigning was being done by private citizens.

    Trump’s lawyers filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) against both the Labour party and the Harris campaign on October 22 claiming otherwise. And the finance point is key, since – under the rules of the FEC – foreign volunteers can assist a campaign, but only if they are unpaid. 10 Downing Street insists the campaigners associated with Labour were not being paid.


    Want more politics coverage from academic experts? Every week, we bring you informed analysis of developments in government and fact check the claims being made.

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    While there are important questions that need to be answered as to whether the Labour party did break US election rules, the questions about the implications of Trump’s accusations for US-UK relations are likely to be of even greater significance.

    Regardless of whether Trump’s accusations are sustained by the FEC, they are likely to frame his perception of the Starmer government should he win the presidency in less than two weeks’ time. Labour has made improving relations with politicians on both sides of the aisle in Washington a priority. These efforts appear to have been undermined overnight with Trump’s accusations.

    These accusations will likely be investigated after the election has been held. If Trump wins the presidency, he will have enormous influence over this investigation and the surrounding media coverage, which would be an unwelcome situation for Starmer to find himself in.

    Starmer visits Joe Biden at the White House in September 2024.
    Flickr/Number 10, CC BY-NC-ND

    Potentially even more serious is the fact that if Trump loses, this could be the story that he focuses on to explain why he lost. It may seem trivial but triviality has not stopped Trump before. The suggestion that Labour helped Harris could prove just as useful to Trump as the unfounded claims of widespread “voter fraud” in 2020 that helped him seed an insurrection on January 6.

    Whether the FEC finds that the role of Labour activists in the Harris campaign constitutes foreign interference or not, entanglement in this story is unlikely to help relations with either a Trump or a Harris White House.

    UK invovlement in US elections

    Foreign activists have long been involved in US election campaigning – and they do so on both sides.

    The current UK foreign secretary, David Lammy, campaigned for Barack Obama in 2012. In 2017, the Australian Labor party was fined by the FEC for paying for their volunteer’s flights to the US to campaign for Bernie Sanders in Democratic primaries.




    Read more:
    What US election interference law actually says about Labour volunteers


    Indeed, the Trump campaign has used foreign activists and campaigners in the past. Before he decided to run for the seat of Clacton-on-Sea in July 2024, Nigel Farage claimed that he was going to devote his time to campaigning for Trump. Farage has repeatedly been on stage with Trump at his rallies. Former UK prime minister Liz Truss also attended the Republican National Convention in 2024, supporting Trump and calling Joe Biden, then the Democratic Party’s nominee, “weak”.

    What is rare, however, is FEC scrutiny on all this campaigning. While the involvement of foreign volunteers is legal and normal in the US, the rules are rarely debated or tested by a legal probe. These accusations may initiate renewed attention to the issue, and potentially a change in these rules in future elections.

    Importantly, while the coverage of Trump’s accusations against Labour and the Harris campaign have received huge coverage in the UK, attention in the US is limited. Much of the US media coverage has focused on allegations from John Kelly against Trump. Kelly, Trump’s former chief of staff, has accused Trump of being a fascist and of having said that he wished he had generals like “Hitler’s generals”. Trump’s claims about the UK have therefore received far less attention in the US than might have been anticipated. This will have diminished the impact of Trump’s claims with US voters, good news for the future. But Starmer should still be concerned about the impact on diplomatic relations.

    As with many of Donald Trump’s accusations and more controversial comments, there are a lot of moving parts. Trump showed how important his own personal attitudes were in US diplomacy during his previous administration. He is unlikely to forget about these accusations anytime soon, whether he wins or loses.

    Christopher Featherstone does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    ref. Why Donald Trump’s accusations of election interference are a lose-lose situation for Keir Starmer – https://theconversation.com/why-donald-trumps-accusations-of-election-interference-are-a-lose-lose-situation-for-keir-starmer-242063

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why billionaire philanthropy might not be as generous as you think

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tobias Jung, Professor of Management, University of St Andrews

    Walmart heiress Alice Walton is one of the richest people in the world and a celebrated philanthropist, whose lifetime giving total recently hit an estimated US$1.5 billion (£1.2 billion). Her largest gift to date, US$390 million in the year to September 2023, included US$249 million for the Alice L Walton School of Medicine in her family’s hometown in Arkansas, US.

    Walton’s other major philanthropic activities include founding the Alice L. Walton Foundation, to increase access to the arts, improve education, enhance health and advance economic opportunities. She also established the Art Bridges Foundation to expand access to American art across the nation. So it seems unsurprising that Forbes magazine ranks Walton as one of the 30 biggest lifetime givers in the US.

    Her philanthropic efforts have also been recognised with accolades and awards: from being named one of the world’s most influential people by Time magazine, to receiving the Smithsonian Institution’s Archives of American Art Medal and the Getty Medal for contributions to the arts and humanities.

    But before joining the celebrations, it is important to reflect on billionaire philanthropy for a moment.

    From almost a decade of research at the Centre for the Study of Philanthropy & Public Good, it is clear that any billionaire philanthropy comes with questions about the societal costs underpinning it. In the case of huge businesses such as Walmart (a retail chain of hypermarkets, discounters and grocery shops), the sort of areas that come in for scrutiny are labour practices and the treatment of workers, the impact on communities and the environment, as well as tax practices and the cost to the taxpayer.

    Such concerns are not new, of course. They are continuations of debates that go back to at least the beginning of the 20th century and the potential tensions between the business practices and philanthropic activities of major industrialists – from Andrew Carnegie, JP Morgan and John D. Rockefeller back then to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg or the Sackler family, founders of Purdue Pharma, nowadays.

    There are also questions about the extent to which billionaire philanthropy is actually generous. While US$1.5 billion might sound impressive, it seems a bit like small change when examined more closely.

    The size of the sacrifice

    With an estimated net worth of US$91.3 billion, Walton has given away around 1.64% of her wealth. According to Forbes’ ranking of billionaires’ philanthropy, this puts her in the second lowest category of philanthropists: those who have given away between 1% and 4.99% of their wealth.

    It makes her more generous than her older brother Rob Walton, who is classified as having given away less than 1% of his wealth, but her US$1.5 billion is dwarfed by the philanthropic efforts of some of her contemporaries, such as novelist and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott or investor Warren Buffett.

    Scott, with an estimated net worth of US$35.3 billion, has already given away more than US$17 billion, or almost half of her wealth. Buffett, who has given around US$60 billion to date, has promised to give away 99% of his wealth, currently sitting at US$146.4 billion, during his lifetime or at death.

    But do these philanthropic efforts actually present personal sacrifices?

    It is difficult to get access to billionaires’ income data, but we can assume that a balanced portfolio for a wealthy investor can currently provide an annual return of around 5-8%. In the case of the US$91.3 billion fortune that Walton holds, this could mean an annual return of up to US$7.3 billion per year, acknowledging that depending on investment strategies and successes this might be lower or substantially higher. Compared to this, US$1.5 billion appears, once again, to be quite small.

    Whether they present major or meaningful contributions for the billionaire themselves is outlined by Warren Buffett.

    “I am giving up nothing that has utility to me”.

    Buffett is a signatory of the Giving Pledge, a campaign he launched in 2010 with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Gates’ then-wife Melinda French Gates as an invitation to billionaires to commit the majority of their wealth to philanthropy.

    In his pledge, Buffett highlights that although he will give away 99% of his wealth, in fulfilling this pledge neither he nor his family will give up anything they will ever need or want. The remaining 1% of their wealth is sufficient – he has highlighted that “this pledge will leave my lifestyle untouched and that of my children as well”.

    So it seems that while billionaire philanthropy might be impressive in absolute terms, and offers significant opportunities for addressing urgent social, cultural, economic, political and environmental challenges, in relative terms its actual contribution might be quite negligible.

    This is particularly the case when you compare the societal costs associated with amassing billionaire fortunes with the societal contributions their philanthropy makes, and taking into account the wider damage that extraordinary economic inequality brings about.

    So while the major sums involved in billionaire philanthropy can offer unrivalled potential for change, it is still necessary and important to ask questions about the actual significance, scale and sacrifices for all of the parties involved.

    Tobias Jung does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    ref. Why billionaire philanthropy might not be as generous as you think – https://theconversation.com/why-billionaire-philanthropy-might-not-be-as-generous-as-you-think-241862

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Global: From fish to clean water, the ocean matters and here’s how to quantify the benefits

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Stefanie Broszeit, Senior Scientist, Marine Ecosystem Services, Plymouth Marine Laboratory

    Drake’s Island in Plymouth Sound, Devon, is part of the UK’s first national marine park. Artur Niedzwiedz/Shutterstock

    Nature protection, conservation and restoration is “not a trivial matter but key to human survival,” according to scientists quoted in a 2005 UN report. To demonstrate this, they developed the concept of “ecosystem services” – the benefits that people derive from nature. Over the next 20 years, this concept has been in constant development to reflect our growing understanding of how ecosystems work and how we benefit from them.

    For many people, it feels wrong to take a human-centred view on nature. But for governments and conservation organisations, this concept is a useful tool. It helps us quantify the value of nature and make sure certain aspects are conserved and protected.

    My team and I provide other scientists with information about how coastal areas help to regulate the climate and reduce water pollution. In part, we work with marine conservation experts who restore ecosystems that have been depleted, such as seagrass or oyster beds. This can help choose the best approaches to restoring coastal areas to healthy habitats while providing other benefits, such as shelter for young fish or food for seabirds. Another group of scientists use our data to assess the value of these habitats, now and in the future once they have been restored to good health.

    In my work as a marine ecologist, I split ecosystem services into three different groups. First, provisioning services include the provision of food or timber along many other material gains we get from nature. For marine ecosystem services ,this includes fish and chemicals used for research and medicines. Second, regulating services support our planet and human wellbeing. Mussels clean water by filtering it and seagrass takes up and stores carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, thereby helping to regulate the climate. Third, cultural services include leisure and recreation such as sea swimming or fishing.

    Diving deeper

    A baby crab on seagrass growing at Kingsand, Plymouth Sound.
    Stefanie Broszeit, CC BY-NC-ND

    To better understand these marine ecosystem services and how to use them sustainably, my research delves into some of the more complicated processes that regulate ecosystem services. In terms of the ocean’s role in regulating climate, it’s not just about seagrass.

    Seaweeds such as kelp take up carbon too, but cannot bury it in the soil beneath them due to holding onto rocks rather than having roots. They store carbon by getting buried in the deep sea when they are whipped off the rocks during winter storms and transported by currents into deeper waters. There, worms and crabs can feed on this important food source, drawing the carbon deeper into the sediment.

    Another step is to measure the benefits of particular ecosystem services. Food provision can be relatively easily measured by data collected by harbours to quantify how much fish is being landed and sold. So we can estimate the volume of harvested fish and calculate their market value. Some cultural services, such as measuring the wellbeing benefits people receive from interacting with coastal environments, can be more difficult to measure.

    Plymouth Sound is a great place to assess both benefits to human wellbeing and marine ecology, because not only is this city a hotspot for marine biology research with three internationally recognised marine institutes, it’s also the UK’s first national marine park. Here, I can engage not only with the ecological sciences and datasets but also with environmental psychologists who study how nature affects us and how we affect nature. My team and I have created the marine, social and natural capital laboratory to explore this more.

    Plymouth Sound provides a multitude of ecosystem services.
    Robert Harding Video/Shutterstock

    Because of so many complex variables, it’s important that scientists like me choose the appropriate indicators to estimate the value of contributions from different ecosystem services. Then, we can assess whether interventions such as restoring seagrass or building a port might help or hinder the marine environment.

    Often, different ecosystem services might interact or conflict with each other. Fishing in the northeast Atlantic might, for example, negatively affect marine mammals such as seal if the fish they rely on as food are also being eaten by humans. So we need to look at the bigger picture to assess all of the ecosystem services provided by a particular area of ocean. And as our understanding of ecosystem services develops, we can refine efforts to give nature a helping hand.


    Swimming, sailing, even just building a sandcastle – the ocean benefits our physical and mental wellbeing. Curious about how a strong coastal connection helps drive marine conservation, scientists are diving in to investigate the power of blue health.

    This article is part of a series, Vitamin Sea, exploring how the ocean can be enhanced by our interaction with it.


    Stefanie Broszeit receives funding from the United Kingdom Research and Innovation and from Horizon Europe, funding European research through the European Commission.

    ref. From fish to clean water, the ocean matters and here’s how to quantify the benefits – https://theconversation.com/from-fish-to-clean-water-the-ocean-matters-and-heres-how-to-quantify-the-benefits-241625

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Global: The US is now at risk of losing to China in the race to send people back to the Moon’s surface

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jacco van Loon, Reader in Astrophysics, Keele University

    Who will be first to return humans to the lunar surface? Merlin74 / Shutterstock

    Will the next human to walk on the Moon speak English or Mandarin? In all, 12 Americans landed on the lunar surface between 1969 and 1972. Now, both the US and China are preparing to send humans back there this decade.

    However, the US lunar programme is delayed, in part because the spacesuits and lunar-landing vehicle are not ready. Meanwhile, China has pledged to put astronauts on the Moon by 2030 – and it has a habit of sticking to timelines.

    Just a few years ago, such a scenario would have seemed unlikely. But there now appears to be a realistic possibility that China could beat the US in a race that America, arguably, has defined. So who will return there first, and does it really matter?

    Nasa’s Moon programme is called Artemis. The US has involved international and commercial partners to spread the cost. Nasa set out a plan to get American boots back on lunar soil over the course of three missions. In November 2022, Nasa launched its Orion spacecraft on a loop around the Moon without humans aboard. This was the Artemis I mission.

    Artemis II, scheduled for late 2025, is similar to Artemis I, but this time Orion will carry four astronauts. They will not land; this will be left for Artemis III. For this third mission, Nasa will send a man and the first woman to the lunar surface. Though as yet unnamed, one of them will be the first person of colour on the Moon.

    Artemis III astronauts are set to use SpaceX’s Starship vehicle to land on the Moon.
    Nasa

    Artemis III was scheduled to launch this year, but the timescale has slipped several times. A review in December 2023 gave a one in three chance that Artemis III would not have launched by February 2028. The mission is currently slated to happen no earlier than September 2026.

    Meanwhile, China’s space programme seems to be moving at speed, without significant failures or delays. In April 2024, Chinese space officials announced that the country was on track to put its astronauts on the Moon by 2030.

    It’s an extraordinary trajectory for a country that launched its first astronaut in 2003. China has been operating space stations since 2011 and has been ticking off important, challenging firsts through its Chang’e lunar exploration programme.




    Read more:
    Nations realise they need to take risks or lose the race to the Moon


    These robotic missions returned samples from the surface, including from the lunar far side. They have tested technology that could be crucial for landing humans. The next mission will touch down at the lunar south pole, a region that attracts intense interest because of the presence of water ice in shadowed craters there.

    This water could be used for life support by a lunar base and turned into rocket propellant. Making rocket propellant on the Moon would be cheaper than bringing it from Earth, making lunar exploration more affordable. It is for these reasons that Artemis III will land at the south pole. It’s also the planned location for US and Chinese-led bases.

    On September 28 2024, China showed off a spacesuit, to be worn by its Moon walkers, or “selenauts”. The suit is designed to protect the wearer against extreme temperature variations and unfiltered solar radiation. It is lightweight and flexible. Is it a sign of China already overtaking the US in one aspect of the Moon race? The company manufacturing the Artemis Moon suit, Axiom Space, is currently having to modify several aspects of the reference design given to them by Nasa.

    The lander that will carry US astronauts from lunar orbit to the surface is also delayed. In 2021, Elon Musk’s SpaceX was given the contract to build this vehicle. It is based on SpaceX’s Starship, which consists of a 50m-long spacecraft that launches on the most powerful rocket ever built.

    On October 13 2024, Starship scored a successful fifth test flight. But several challenging steps are required before the Starship Human Landing System can carry astronauts down to the lunar surface. Starship cannot fly directly to the Moon. It must refuel in Earth orbit first (using other Starships that act as propellant “tankers”). SpaceX needs to demonstrate refuelling and conduct a test landing on the Moon without crew before Artemis III can proceed.

    In addition, during Artemis I, Orion’s heat shield suffered considerable damage as the spacecraft made the high-temperature return through Earth’s atmosphere. Nasa engineers have been working to find a remedy before the Artemis II mission.

    Too complicated?

    Some critics argue that Artemis is too complex, referring to the intricate way in which astronauts and Moon lander are brought together in lunar orbit, the large number of independently operating commercial partners and the number of Starship launches required. Depending who you ask, between four and 15 Starship flights are needed to complete the refuelling for Artemis III.

    Former Nasa administrator Michael Griffin has advocated a simpler strategy, broadly along the lines of how China expects to accomplish its lunar landing. His vision sees Nasa relying on traditional commercial partners such as Boeing, rather than relative “newbies” such as SpaceX.

    However, simple is not necessarily better or cheaper. The Apollo programme was simpler, but at almost three times the cost of Artemis. SpaceX has been more successful, and economical, than Boeing in sending crews to the International Space Station.

    The Artemis I mission was broadly successful, but Orion’s heat shield suffered damage.
    Nasa

    New technology is not developed through simple, tried approaches but in bold endeavours that push boundaries. The James Webb Space Telescope is highly complex, with its folded mirror and distant position in space, but it allows astronomers to peer into the depths of the universe as no other telescope can. Innovation is especially crucial bearing in mind future ambitions such as asteroid mining and a settlement on Mars.

    Does it matter whether the first 21st-century selenauts are Chinese or American? This is largely a question about the relationship between governments and their citizens, and between nations.

    Democratic governments depend on public support to safeguard funding for expensive, long-term ventures – and prestige is an important selling point. But prestige in a 21st-century Moon race will be earned by doing it well, not sooner. Rushing back to the Moon could be costly, both financially and in the risk to human life.

    Governments must set an example of responsible behaviour. Peace, inclusivity and sustainability should be guiding principles. Going back to the Moon must not be about dominion or superiority. It should be a chance to show that we can improve on how we have previously behaved on Earth.

    Jacco van Loon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    ref. The US is now at risk of losing to China in the race to send people back to the Moon’s surface – https://theconversation.com/the-us-is-now-at-risk-of-losing-to-china-in-the-race-to-send-people-back-to-the-moons-surface-241716

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Invitation letter for the European Political Community summit in Budapest

    Source: Council of the European Union

    European Council President Michel, along with the Prime Minister of Hungary, Viktor Orbán, invited heads of state and government across Europe to the fifth meeting of the European Political Community, which will take place in Budapest on 7 November 2024.

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Grigorenko: The effectiveness of inspections by regulatory authorities has increased

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

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

    The effectiveness of inspections by regulatory authorities has increased over the first nine months of 2024. This was discussed at a meeting of Deputy Prime Minister – Chief of the Government Staff Dmitry Grigorenko with regulatory authorities.

    “The main result is that we have reoriented the work of control bodies to a risk-oriented approach. This means that inspections are carried out only where there is a risk of violating the law. When a business conscientiously complies with mandatory requirements, there is no reason to come to it. The entire inspection system has been digitalized and has become absolutely transparent. Both the Government and the prosecutor’s office – we see when, where and on what grounds the inspector went, what violations he identified during the inspection,” commented Dmitry Grigorenko.

    The most effective checks remain those based on the triggering of risk indicators. Over the first nine months of 2024, the accuracy of checks based on the triggering of indicator signals reached 87%, while for the same period in 2023 it was 69%. For comparison: the average effectiveness of checks for all other reasons today is about 60%. Effectiveness is understood as the ratio of the validity of the check and the violations identified during the inspection.

    A risk indicator is a set of features that reflects compliance by a controlled entity with mandatory requirements. If the indicator gives a signal, then there is a high probability that mandatory requirements may be violated at the facility. The number of risk indicators is steadily growing. Today, there are 481 risk indicators in the arsenal of control and supervisory authorities. By the end of the year, it is planned to introduce 20 more.

    According to the results of the first nine months of the current year, the volume of inspections based on risk indicators has doubled. The total number of inspections (scheduled and unscheduled for other reasons) has been steadily decreasing – by almost 4.2 times since 2019. Over the first nine months of 2024, 284 thousand inspections were carried out, at the level of the same period last year.

    At the meeting, the participants also discussed the need to further improve the supervisory system and the risk system based on feedback from businesses. The government receives it through the service for pre-trial appeal of decisions of regulatory authorities. The service is in high demand, with more than 5,000 applications submitted in the first nine months of 2024, which is the same as in 2023. This year, the ability to challenge the assigned risk category, appeal orders based on the results of events without interaction, and file objections to the announced warning has been added.

    Representatives of the Prosecutor General’s Office and the Ministry of Economic Development also took part in the meeting.

    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 Economics: IMF’s Sub-Saharan Africa Regional Economic Outlook: Reform Amid Great Expectations

    Source: International Monetary Fund

    October 25, 2024

    • Growth in sub-Saharan Africa is projected at 3.6% in 2024, unchanged from 2023, with a modest increase to 4.2% in 2025 — insufficient to significantly reduce poverty or address development challenges.
    • Macroeconomic vulnerabilities persist and inflation remains high in many countries, while elevated public debt and rising debt service costs are crowding-out resources for development spending.
    • Policymakers face a tough balancing act in reducing vulnerabilities while addressing development needs and ensuring socially acceptable reforms amid tight financing constraints.

    Washington, DC: Sub-Saharan Africa’s economic growth is projected to remain subdued at 3.6 percent in 2024, unchanged from 2023, with a modest pickup to 4.2 percent expected in 2025, according to the latest IMF Regional Economic Outlook for Sub-Saharan Africa published today. The report notes that countries in the region are still grappling with macroeconomic imbalances, tight financing conditions, amid rising social pressures, leaving policymakers facing difficult choices in implementing reforms.

    “Sub-Saharan African countries are navigating a complex economic landscape marked by both progress and persistent vulnerabilities,” said Abebe Aemro Selassie, Director of the IMF’s African Department. “While many of the region’s countries are among the world’s fastest-growing economies, resource-intensive countries —particularly oil exporters— continue to struggle with lower growth rates. Inflation is declining but remains in double digits in nearly one-third of countries. Public debt has stabilized at a high level, with rising debt service burdens crowding out resources for development spending.”

    “While we are seeing some improvement in macroeconomic imbalances, growth remains insufficient to significantly reduce poverty or address substantial developmental challenges in the region.”

    The report includes focused notes addressing critical issues facing the region: the urgent need for job creation, the economic divergence between resource-rich and non-resource-rich countries, and the positive effects of striving for greater gender equality.

    Against this backdrop, Mr. Selassie pointed to priorities for policymakers in the region:

    “The policy mix should be consistent with the size of macroeconomic imbalances, while taking into account the political economy constraints that will affect the pace of reforms.

    “Countries with high macroeconomic imbalances are more likely to resort to relatively large and frontloaded fiscal reforms, given the tight financing constraints. The need for financial support from the international community is most acute for this group.

    “For countries with lower imbalances, policymakers should consider easing monetary policy toward a more neutral stance, while rebuilding fiscal and external buffers over time.”

    “Policymakers need to focus on designing reforms that are socially acceptable, including effective communication and consultation strategies and measures to protect the most vulnerable.

    “With continued efforts, sub-Saharan Africa can address its current challenges and move towards more sustainable and inclusive growth,” Mr. Selassie concluded. “However, the path ahead requires careful policy calibration and a strong commitment to implementing necessary reforms while managing social pressures.”

    IMF Communications Department
    MEDIA RELATIONS

    PRESS OFFICER: Kwabena Akuamoah-Boateng

    Phone: +1 202 623-7100Email: MEDIA@IMF.org

    @IMFSpokesperson

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Economics: OEUK news OEUK: Autumn Statement must support a homegrown energy transition 25 October 2024

    Source: Offshore Energy UK

    Headline: OEUK news

    OEUK: Autumn Statement must support a homegrown energy transition

    25 October 2024

    Leading trade body Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) urges the Chancellor to use next week’s Autumn Statement to back the UK’s homegrown offshore energy sector and make the UK an irresistible place for energy investment.

    North Sea oil and gas is a strategic economic asset that has provided a national dividend through energy and economic security for the last 60 years. The North Sea and its expert workforce can continue to power the country for decades to come.

    OEUK analysis published last month highlighted that the proposals to extend the windfall tax on the oil and gas sector will deter the very investment needed across our energy landscape. There is a more prosperous path for government and Industry. While we use oil and gas, we must prioritise investment in our homegrown production, value in our economy, and jobs.

    A letter from 46 supply chain companies to the Government has set out the scale of the challenge they face. The Chancellor is urged to use the Autumn statement to support and nurture the ecosystem of small, medium, and large companies across the UK’s energy mix.

    David Whitehouse, OEUK’s CEO, comments:

    “We recognise that the demands on the Exchequer are challenging. Unlocking economic growth is the solution, and building on industrial strengths is key to our path forward.

    “The North Sea is a strategic national asset and must be treated as such. Our homegrown offshore energy sector has powered the UK for the past 60 years, and the sector’s firms and skilled people are critical to our energy future as drivers of economic growth.

    “We welcome steps to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy, and the recognition that we will use oil and gas for decades to come. Windfall taxes extended on oil and gas producers when no windfall exists deter the very investment that we need across our energy transition. While we use oil and gas, we must surely prioritise investment in our homegrown production, value in our economy, and our jobs.

    “In the past 100 days, it has been good to see the engagement of our new Government with the proud and innovative workers and firms in our offshore energy industry. The Government has heard from people across the sector, and now decisions will be made.

    “On Wednesday, the Autumn Statement will be a marker. We are in a global race for energy investment. Let us choose the path that encourages and attracts it, to build on our national strengths, so the whole of the UK can win.”


    Share this article

    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Deerfoot improvement project complete

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Deerfoot Trail is a vital artery for Calgary, enabling the efficient movement of people and goods. Improving this highway is essential to reduce congestion, improve safety and enhance connectivity for thousands of daily drivers. As Calgary grows, the improvements to Deerfoot Trail will better meet the needs of its growing population, helping drivers spend less time staring at tail-lights, and more time doing the things they love.

    The expansion of Deerfoot Trail as well as the new connection of Beddington Trail and the adjacent 11 Street NE is now complete, relieving many headaches for drivers. Diverting considerable commuter, industrial and airport traffic between McKnight Boulevard and Beddington Trail to this new connection will increase safety and reduce weaving northbound on Deerfoot Trail. These improvements will also address key bottlenecks between Glenmore Trail and Anderson Road/Bow Bottom Trail, helping people get where they need to go more efficiently.

    “It’s great to see provincial construction wrap up on this critical road for Calgary drivers. I’d like to thank the contractors for building a wider, more efficient Deerfoot and also thank Calgarians for their patience during construction. This project will benefit so many families that commute everyday and is another example of how we’re making life better for Albertans.”

    Devin Dreeshen, Minister of Transportation and Economic Corridors

    Work on this section of Deerfoot Trail began in Spring 2023 and includes connecting 11 Street NE to westbound Beddington Trail and northbound Deerfoot Trail. Upgrades also included adding a fourth continuous lane to Deerfoot Trail in each direction from Airport Trail to Beddington Trail.

    The suite of Deerfoot Trail improvements began in 2022 with work on 64 Avenue, which was competed in 2023. The Beddington Trail and 11 Street project is the second key segment to be completed. The totality of work on Deerfoot Trail includes increased capacity on ramps, additional lanes, reconfiguring exits and intersections and twinning a bridge. Improvements to Deerfoot Trail are being completed in distinct projects, prioritizing the most congested areas. It is estimated that the remaining Deerfoot Trail improvements will be complete by fall 2027. This important work will enhance safety and save time for drivers.

    “I am thrilled the province has chosen to invest in one of our most critical transportation corridors. This investment will enhance the efficiency and safety in the movement of goods and people for all road users. We look forward to continuing our collaborative partnership with the provincial government on future enhancements that will contribute to a more effective and safer transportation network for our city.”

    Andre Chabot, Ward 10 councillor, City of Calgary

    “We are excited to have an improved Deerfoot Trail and completed Beddington Trail NW and 11 Street NE enhancing access to YYC Calgary International Airport for our guests and commercial partners by reducing traffic congestion, providing alternative routes, growing connectivity and boosting economic and logistics efficiency.”

    Chris Dinsdale, president and CEO, The Calgary Airport Authority

    Quick facts

    • Aecon Transportation West Ltd. completed the construction of the Beddington Trail and 11 Street NE connector for $19 million.
    • Other improvements will increase capacity for current and future traffic volumes and include:
    • Deerfoot Trail and 64 Avenue NE – Began in fall 2022; completed in summer 2023.
    • McKnight Boulevard. – Aecon Transportation West began work in spring 2023 anticipated completion in Fall 2025.
    • Bow Bottom Trail/Anderson Road, Southland Drive and Glenmore Trail work – Aecon Infrastructure Management started work in spring 2023; anticipated completion in fall 2027.
    • 16 Avenue NE – Aecon Transportation West began work in Spring 2024; anticipated completion in Fall 2025.
    • Ivor Strong Bridge twinning – Aecon Infrastructure Management continues progress; anticipated completion in fall 2027.
    • Budget 2024 allocated $523.8 million for these upgrades.
    • Deerfoot Trail is a major north-south freeway in Calgary and has been in operation since the 1970s; up to about 180,000 vehicles travel this road, daily.
    • When the entire suite of improvements on Deerfoot Trail is completed, motorists can expect about:
      • 15 per cent faster morning rush hour commutes
      • 22 per cent faster evening rush hour commutes
      • 900,000 hours saved annually on the Deerfoot Trail
      • An economic boost of about $23 million, annually

    Related information

    • Deerfoot Trail Improvements

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI Europe: Analysis: Has Azerbaijan Successfully Domesticated Islam?

    Source: Universities – Science Po in English

    With COP29, hosted by Baku, right around the corner, let’s have a look at Azerbaijan and its secular history with Altay Goyushow, professor of history at Baku State University and visiting scholar at Sciences Po Center for International Studies (CERI).

    A fine observer of the Azerbaijani regime, he answers the questions of Miriam Périer (CERI) about the ruling elite’s attitude toward religion, and Islam in particular, and the need to look back at the Soviet period to understand the current situation.

    > Read the full interview on CERI’s website.

    What is the aim of the current Azerbaijani ruling elite’s policies in the field of religion?

    Azerbaijan is a secular state. A genuine secularist movement was started in Azerbaijan in the mid-nineteenth century by the local Russian and European-educated intelligentsia. The greatest success of this movement was the creation of the first secular republic during the First World War and the Russian Revolution.

    In 1920, the Red Army put an end to this republic. However, during Soviet rule the secularist traditions of Azerbaijani society strengthened further, even though, as I said earlier, the collapse of the Soviet Union was accompanied by the impressive revival of religion. Soviet rule eradicated local sources of religious knowledge and because of this, in the 1990s, the revival was led primarily by foreign actors.

    Then, in the late 1990s, local clerics educated abroad took the leading role in religious proselytism. This situation was unacceptable to Azerbaijani authorities, as they wanted religious learning to be concentrated in the hands of locally educated Muslim clerics. The authorities have been pursuing a policy of domesticating Islam. Unlike the Soviets, the current Azerbaijani government does not intend to get rid of religion; they instead want to make Islamic elites into loyal supporters of the secular system and ruling elite.

    This policy has given birth to a complex religious situation in the country. On the one hand, there is an official Islam loyal to the government. On the other hand, there are Islamic communities that aim to exist without the secular state’s interference. The constitution says that the state and religion are separate; however, the real situation is much more complicated.

    Both the government and independent Islamic communities complain about interference from their counterparts. Islamic communities complain that the state infringes on their freedom of conscience, while the government complains that independent communities are a threat to the secular nature of the state.

    You mention that the current ruling elite of Azerbaijan is particularly concerned by Muharram traditions, partly because these do not correspond to so-called “civilised religion” according to the government. Can you tell us why?

    The Azerbaijani government aims to create distinct characteristics of local Islam which it describes as a “civilised” Islam. The methods used to achieve this goal include the implementation of a unique education programme for training Muslim clerics in the newly established Theological Institute, the adaptation of distinct uniforms for Azerbaijani Muslim clerics, the promotion of joint Sunni-Shi’i prayers, among other things.

    “Correcting” rituals of Muharram commemorations are among the planned reforms. It should be noted that Muharram is the most popular religious commemoration in Azerbaijan. It has been for centuries. However, beginning in the early twentieth century, some practices of Muharram commemorations, such as self-flagellation or striking oneself with swords and knives, have been heavily criticised by the local secular intelligentsia as “uncivilised” rituals.

    The Soviets launched multiple campaigns against Muharram observations like these and others. In the post-Soviet era, this approach has been continued, and some practices have been replaced with novelties, such as making blood donations instead of striking themselves with knives or self-flagellation with metal chains.

    During the last decade, another government concern has been the increased pilgrimage of Azerbaijani believers to Shi’i shrines in Iraq and Iran at the end of annual Muharram commemorations. The government considers the rising number of pilgrims to those places as a security risk. So, by implementing various measures and restrictions, the authorities are trying to curb the number of pilgrims.

    Does the Azerbaijani population support the ruling elite’s policies toward religion? What is the position of secular youth movements in the face of the government’s attitude toward independent Muslim communities?

    It is an interesting question. Azerbaijan, despite the impressive religious revival in the post-Soviet period, remains a largely secular country. So, most Azerbaijanis cherish their society’s secular characteristics and do not appreciate the interference of religion or religious communities in state affairs.

    However, state institutions’ deep interference with the life of religious communities in many instances infringes on people’s freedom of conscience. And in this particular matter, there is a generational disruption within society. While the older Soviet-trained and educated part of the society, especially the urbanised part, is not particularly critical of the excesses of the government’s religious policies, the younger population, especially its quite vocal liberal and progressive representatives, despite appreciating and praising the secular fundamentals of the society, is frequently critical of the tough measures implemented by the government in the promotion of religious conformity.

    It should also be added that ethnic nationalism is a strong feature of Azerbaijani society. And traditionally, secular nationalists have been critical of Islamic movements, and on this issue, they tend to align more with the government than Islamic communities.

    Cover image caption: Baku, Taza-Pir mosque, the seat of the Sheikh-ul-Islam, the head of the Caucasus Muslim Board. (credits: Altay Goyushow)

    MIL OSI Europe News

  • MIL-OSI: Bank of the James Announces Third Quarter, First Nine Months of 2024 Financial Results and Declaration of Dividend

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LYNCHBURG, Va., Oct. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bank of the James Financial Group, Inc. (the “Company”) (NASDAQ:BOTJ), the parent company of Bank of the James (the “Bank”), a full-service commercial and retail bank, and Pettyjohn, Wood & White, Inc. (“PWW”), an SEC-registered investment advisor, today announced unaudited results of operations for the three month and nine month periods ended September 30, 2024. The Bank serves Region 2000 (the greater Lynchburg MSA) and the Blacksburg, Buchanan, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Nellysford, Roanoke, and Wytheville, Virginia markets.

    Net income for the three months ended September 30, 2024 was $1.99 million or $0.44 per basic and diluted share compared with $2.08 million or $0.46 per basic and diluted share for the three months ended September 30, 2023. Net income for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 was $6.33 million or $1.39 per share compared with $6.60 million or $1.44 per share for the nine months ended September 30, 2023.

    Robert R. Chapman III, CEO of the Bank, commented: “The Company delivered stable, strong earnings that contributed to building value, growing stockholders’ equity, and a significant increase in book value per share. Our performance once again generated positive returns for shareholders, which have for many years included paying a quarterly cash dividend.

    “Our performance reflected strong interest expense management, sound investment practices, and a balanced and diversified stream of interest and noninterest income. Disciplined credit management has supported superior asset quality, maximizing the value of the revenue generated. Our team of skilled, dedicated professionals continue to do an outstanding job meeting customers’ financial needs, which has led to consistently positive and steady financial results.

    “Even through a period of unusually high interest rates that has moderated lending activity and provided challenges, we have worked with customers to find solutions. A healthy loan portfolio has been a key growth driver as total assets surpassed the $1 billion mark in the third quarter. Assets have increased more than $30 million during 2024, primarily reflecting loan portfolio growth, net of fees, of more than $25 million since the beginning of the year.

    “Initiatives to earn new deposits and a focus on retaining customers’ deposits have led to growth of total deposits since the beginning of the year. At September 30, 2024, interest bearing demand accounts have grown by $2.7 million, time deposits have increased, and noninterest-bearing demand deposits have held steady. We continue to focus on building this important source of funding for loans and providing liquidity.

    “Strategic locations in Buchanan, Virginia, opened at the end of the second quarter, and Nellysford, Virginia, opened at the beginning of the third quarter, are off to strong starts and further expand the Bank’s footprint and deposit-gathering capabilities.

    “The third quarter reflected healthy year-over-year growth of noninterest income. Expanding fee income from wealth management, treasury services for our business customers, and gains on sales of originated mortgage loans to the secondary market have fueled noninterest income.

    “During the third quarter of 2024, we saw encouraging signs that stabilizing interest rates, slowing inflation, and continued economic health in our served markets is supporting positive trends. We are continuing to see increased commercial lending demand, positive trends in residential mortgage volume and origination fees, and continued deposit growth.

    “Looking ahead, we feel that the interest rate environment and continuing economic stabilization and predictability will be clear positives. We anticipate a gradual lessening of the intense pressure on margins and slowing of interest expense increases that have characterized the past two years.

    “Our longstanding commitment to building strong, lasting banking relationships with customers has provided many opportunities to demonstrate the Bank of the James’ value. As a result, use of our commercial cash management services and digital banking capabilities continues to grow, retail customers take advantage of a wide range of digital and in-person banking options, and residential mortgage customers and retail banking customers benefit from our efficient service, digital capabilities and integrated financial offerings.

    “We feel the Company is well-positioned to continue on our path of providing superior value to our shareholders, customers, and the communities we serve.”

    Third Quarter and First Nine Months of 2024 Highlights

    • Total interest income of $11.56 million in the third quarter of 2024 increased 14% from a year earlier, and increased from $10.94 million in the second quarter of 2024. In the first nine months of 2024, total interest income of $33.01 million rose 15% compared with a year earlier. The growth in the quarter and first nine months primarily reflected commercial loan interest rates, commercial real estate (CRE) growth, and the addition of higher-rate residential mortgages.
    • Net interest income after provision for (recovery of) credit losses in the third quarter of 2024 was down marginally compared with the third quarter of 2023. For the first nine months of 2024, net interest income after provision for (recovery of) credit losses was relatively stable compared with the first nine months of 2023. The first nine months of 2024 reflected loan loss recoveries driven by strong asset quality. The third quarter of 2024 reflects a small credit loss provision based primarily on loan growth. Results in both 2024 periods reflected the impact of elevated interest expense.
    • Net interest margin in the third quarter of 2024 was 3.16%, marginally lower than a year earlier but up from second quarter of 2024 net interest margin of 3.02%. Interest spread was 2.81% in the third quarter of 2024. In the first nine months of 2024, net interest margin was 3.07% and interest spread was 2.73%.
    • Total noninterest income for the third quarter of 2024 rose 19% compared with the third quarter of 2023, and in the first nine months of 2024 increased 17% compared with the first nine months of 2023. Growth primarily reflected gains on sale of loans held for sale, strong wealth management fee income contributions from PWW, and fee income generated by commercial treasury services and residential mortgage originations.
    • Loans, net of the allowance for credit losses, increased to $627.11 million at September 30, 2024 compared with $601.92 million at December 31, 2023, primarily reflecting overall loan stability and growth in CRE and residential mortgage loans.
    • Measures of asset quality included a ratio of nonperforming loans to total loans of 0.20% at September 30, 2024, minimal levels of nonperforming loans, and zero other real estate owned (OREO).
    • Total assets increased to $1.01 billion at September 30, 2024 from $969.37 million at December 31, 2023.
    • Total deposits increased to $907.61 million at September 30, 2024 compared with $878.46 million at December 31, 2023.
    • Shareholder value measures at September 30, 2024 reflected consistent growth from December 31, 2023 in total stockholders’ equity and retained earnings. Book value per share of $15.15 has increased significantly from $13.58 at June 30, 2024 and $13.21 at December 31, 2023.
    • On October 15, 2024, the Company’s board of directors approved a quarterly dividend of $0.10 per common share to stockholders of record as of November 22, 2024, to be paid on December 6, 2024.

    Third Quarter, First Nine Months of 2024 Operational Review

    Net interest income after provision for credit losses for the third quarter of 2024 was $7.42 million compared to net interest income after recovery of credit losses of $7.53 million a year earlier. In the first nine months of 2024, net interest income after recovery of credit losses was $22.13 million compared with $22.63 million a year earlier. The Company recorded a small provision for credit losses in the third quarter of 2024, primarily due to higher loan levels. The credit loss recovery in the first nine months of 2024 was $584,000 compared with $278,000 in the first nine months of 2023.

    Total interest income increased to $11.56 million in the third quarter of 2024 compared with $10.14 million a year earlier. The first nine months of 2024 total interest income was $33.01 million, up from $28.82 million in the first nine months of 2023. The year-over-year increases primarily reflected upward adjustments to variable rate commercial loans and new loans reflecting the prevailing rate environment.

    Investment portfolio management has enabled the Company to capitalize on attractive Fed funds rates. In the third quarter of 2024, the yield on all interest-earning assets was 4.86% compared with 4.43% a year earlier. The yield on interest-bearing loans, including fees, was 5.65% in the third quarter of 2024 compared with 5.13% a year earlier. The interest rates on certain existing commercial loans continue to reprice upward in accordance with their terms.

    Total interest expense in the third quarter and first nine months of 2024 increased significantly compared with the prior periods of 2023, primarily reflecting higher deposit rates commensurate with the prevailing interest rate environment, and growth of interest-bearing time deposits. Rates on interest-bearing deposits and total interest-bearing liabilities have placed continuing pressure on margins. The net interest margin in the third quarter of 2024 was 3.16% and the interest spread was 2.81% compared with 3.21% and 2.94%, respectively, in the third quarter of 2023.

    J. Todd Scruggs, Executive Vice President and CFO of the Bank commented: “Even before the Federal Reserve announced a 50 basis point reduction in rates, we anticipated that a stabilizing rate environment would gradually lessen the pressure on margins we have experienced. While not directly reflecting the Fed rate cut announced in mid-September, our third quarter net interest margin of 3.16% improved from the 3.02% margin in the second quarter of 2024. We anticipate continuing gradual margin and spread improvement in future quarters.”

    Noninterest income in the third quarter of 2024 rose 19% to $3.82 million compared with $3.20 million in the third quarter of 2023. In the first nine months of 2024, noninterest income was up 17% to $11.32 million from $9.70 million a year earlier.

    Noninterest income reflected income contributions from debit card activity, a gain on an investment in an SBIC fund, commercial treasury services, and the mortgage division. In the third quarter of 2024, income from wealth management fees increased 19% compared with a year earlier and gains on sale of loans held for sale rose 34% from a year earlier.

    Noninterest expense in the third quarter of 2024 was $8.78 million, up 8% compared with $8.14 million in the first nine months of 2023. Noninterest expense in the first nine months of 2024 was $25.60 million, up 6% from $24.09 million a year earlier. Noninterest expense in the first nine months of 2024 reflected additional personnel costs related to staffing new locations, and the decision to begin accruing for anticipated year-end performance-based compensation ahead of the fourth quarter.

    Balance Sheet: Strong Cash Position, Asset Quality, Stability

    Total assets grew to $1.01 billion at September 30, 2024 compared with $969.37 million at December 31, 2023, with the increase primarily reflecting loan growth.

    Loans, net of allowance for credit losses, were $627.11 million at September 30, 2024 compared with $601.92 million at December 31, 2023, primarily reflecting growth of commercial real estate loans and strong, stable residential mortgage, consumer, and construction lending.

    Commercial real estate loans (owner-occupied and non-owner occupied and excluding construction loans) were $333.77 million compared with $306.86 million at December 31, 2023, reflecting a decreasing rate of loan payoffs and new loans. Of this amount, commercial non-owner occupied was approximately $189.98 million and commercial owner occupied was $143.79 million. The Bank closely monitors concentrations in these segments. We have no commercial real estate loans secured by large office buildings in large metropolitan city centers.

    Commercial construction/land loans and residential construction/land loans were $50.00 million at September 30, 2024 compared with $53.64 million at December 31, 2023. The Company continued experiencing positive activity and health in commercial and residential construction projects.

    Commercial and industrial loans were $60.34 million at September 30, 2024, reflecting a continuing trend of stability in this loan segment. Commercial and industrial loans were $64.92 million at June 30, 2024 and $65.32 million at December 31, 2023.

    Residential mortgage loans were $114.99 million at September 30, 2024 compared with $112.73 million at June 30, 2024 and $106.99 million at December 31, 2023. Growth of retained mortgages has been minimal, as the Bank has continued to focus on selling the majority of originated mortgage loans to the secondary market. Consumer loans (open-end and closed-end) were $75.09 million at September 30, 2024, essentially unchanged from totals at December 31, 2023.

    Ongoing high asset quality continues to have a positive impact on the Company’s financial performance. The ratio of nonperforming loans to total loans at September 30, 2024 was 0.20% compared with 0.06% at December 31, 2023. The allowance for credit losses on loans to total loans was 1.12% at September 30, 2024 compared with 1.22% on December 31, 2023. Total nonperforming loans were $1.30 million at September 30, 2024. As a result of having no OREO, total nonperforming assets were the same as total nonperforming loans.

    Total deposits were $907.61 million at September 30, 2024, compared with $878.46 million at December 31, 2023. Noninterest bearing demand deposits were $132.22 million compared with $134.28 million at December 31, 2023. Initiatives to attract deposit business and new locations contributed to the approximately $2.8 million growth in NOW, money market, and savings totals since December 31, 2023. Time deposits were $234.42 million at September 30, 2024 compared with $205.96 million at December 31, 2023. At both September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the Bank had no brokered deposits.

    Key measures of shareholder value continued trending positively. Book value per share rose to $15.15 compared with $13.21 at December 31, 2023, reflecting strong financial performance and a smaller unrealized loss in the Company’s available-for-sale investment portfolio. Total stockholders’ equity rose to $68.83 million from $60.04 million at December 31, 2023. Retained earnings at September 30, 2024 were $41.64 million compared with $36.68 million at December 31, 2023.

    Some balance sheet measures are impacted by interest rate fluctuations and fair market valuation measurements in the Company’s available-for-sale securities portfolio and are reflected in accumulated other comprehensive loss. These mark-to-market losses are excluded when calculating the Bank’s regulatory capital ratios. The available-for-sale securities portfolio is composed primarily of securities with explicit or implicit government guarantees, including U.S. Treasuries and U.S. agency obligations, and other highly-rated debt instruments. The Company does not expect to realize the unrealized losses as it has the intent and ability to hold the securities until their recovery, which may be at maturity. Management continues to diligently monitor the creditworthiness of the issuers of the debt instruments within its securities portfolio.

    About the Company

    Bank of the James, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of the James Financial Group, Inc. opened for business in July 1999 and is headquartered in Lynchburg, Virginia. The Bank currently services customers in Virginia from offices located in Altavista, Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Blacksburg, Buchanan, Charlottesville, Forest, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Lynchburg, Madison Heights, Nellysford, Roanoke, Rustburg, and Wytheville. The Bank offers full investment and insurance services through its BOTJ Investment Services division and BOTJ Insurance, Inc. subsidiary. The Bank provides mortgage loan origination through Bank of the James Mortgage, a division of Bank of the James. The Company provides investment advisory services through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Pettyjohn, Wood & White, Inc., an SEC-registered investment advisor. Bank of the James Financial Group, Inc. common stock is listed under the symbol “BOTJ” on the NASDAQ Stock Market, LLC. Additional information on the Company is available at www.bankofthejames.bank.

    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “plan” and similar expressions and variations thereof identify certain of such forward-looking statements which speak only as of the dates on which they were made. Bank of the James Financial Group, Inc. (the “Company”) undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Such factors include, but are not limited to, competition, general economic conditions, potential changes in interest rates, changes in the value of real estate securing loans made by the Bank as well as geopolitical conditions. Additional information concerning factors that could cause actual results to materially differ from those in the forward-looking statements is contained in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

    CONTACT: J. Todd Scruggs, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (434) 846-2000.

    FINANCIAL RESULTS FOLLOW

    Bank of the James Financial Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
    Consolidated Balance Sheets
    (dollar amounts in thousands, except per share amounts)

           
      (unaudited)    
    Assets 9/30/2024   12/31/2023
    Cash and due from banks $ 22,692     $ 25,613  
    Federal funds sold   86,515       49,225  
    Total cash and cash equivalents   109,207       74,838  
           
    Securities held-to-maturity, at amortized cost (fair value of $3,328 as of September 30, 2024 and $3,231 as of December 31, 2023) net of allowance for credit loss of $0 as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023   3,610       3,622  
    Securities available-for-sale, at fair value   192,469       216,510  
    Restricted stock, at cost   1,821       1,541  
    Loans held for sale   3,239       1,258  
    Loans, net of allowance for credit losses of $7,078 as of September 30, 2024 and $7,412 as of December 31, 2023   627,112       601,921  
    Premises and equipment, net   19,378       18,141  
    Interest receivable   2,697       2,835  
    Cash value – bank owned life insurance   22,716       21,586  
    Customer relationship intangible   6,865       7,285  
    Goodwill   2,054       2,054  
    Income taxes receivable         128  
    Deferred tax asset   7,576       8,206  
    Other assets   9,319       9,446  
    Total assets $ 1,008,063     $ 969,371  
           
    Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity      
    Deposits      
    Noninterest bearing demand $ 132,223     $ 134,275  
    NOW, money market and savings   540,966       538,229  
    Time   234,421       205,955  
    Total deposits   907,610       878,459  
           
    Capital notes, net   10,046       10,042  
    Other borrowings   9,444       9,890  
    Income taxes payable   212        
    Interest payable   758       480  
    Other liabilities   11,159       10,461  
    Total liabilities $ 939,229     $ 909,332  
           
    Stockholders’ equity      
                 
    Common stock $2.14 par value; authorized 10,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding 4,543,338 as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023   9,723       9,723  
    Additional paid-in-capital   35,253       35,253  
    Accumulated other comprehensive (loss)   (17,782 )     (21,615 )
    Retained earnings   41,640       36,678  
    Total stockholders’ equity $ 68,834     $ 60,039  
           
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 1,008,063     $ 969,371  
     

    Bank of the James Financial Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
    Consolidated Statements of Operation
    (dollar amounts in thousands, except per share amounts)

      For the Three Months Ended   For the Nine Months Ended
      September 30,   September 30,
    Interest Income   2024     2023       2024       2023  
    Loans $ 9,004   $ 7,990     $ 25,375     $ 23,251  
    Securities              
    US Government and agency obligations   369     321       1,068       962  
    Mortgage backed securities   442     435       1,974       1,255  
    Municipals – taxable   298     286       872       853  
    Municipals – tax exempt   18     18       55       55  
    Dividends   12     8       59       49  
    Corporates   136     139       407       423  
    Interest bearing deposits   303     134       628       375  
    Federal Funds sold   981     812       2,569       1,601  
    Total interest income   11,563     10,143       33,007       28,824  
                   
    Interest Expense              
    Deposits              
    NOW, money market savings   1,487     894       4,145       1,916  
    Time deposits   2,375     1,683       6,731       3,918  
    FHLB borrowings                   31  
    Finance leases   18     22       58       66  
    Other borrowings   92     98       278       297  
    Capital notes   82     82       245       245  
    Total interest expense   4,054     2,779       11,457       6,473  
                   
    Net interest income   7,509     7,364       21,550       22,351  
                   
    Provision for (recovery of) credit losses   92     (164 )     (584 )     (278 )
                   
    Net interest income after recovery of provision for credit losses   7,417     7,528       22,134       22,629  
                   
    Noninterest income              
    Gain on sales of loans held for sale   1,326     989       3,526       3,065  
    Service charges, fees and commissions   991     1,004       2,930       2,942  
    Wealth management fees   1,244     1,050       3,583       3,098  
    Life insurance income   189     139       531       405  
    Gain on sales and calls of securities, net   31           669        
    Other   42     19       82       179  
                   
    Total noninterest income   3,823     3,201       11,321       9,689  
                   
    Noninterest expenses              
    Salaries and employee benefits   4,920     4,683       14,256       13,296  
    Occupancy   514     458       1,493       1,389  
    Equipment   640     501       1,879       1,813  
    Supplies   131     118       397       399  
    Professional   718     682       2,214       2,075  
    Data processing   764     689       2,263       2,079  
    Marketing   220     204       481       683  
    Credit   190     218       612       623  
    Other real estate       3             36  
    FDIC insurance   94     126       329       321  
    Amortization of intangibles   140     46       420       420  
    Other   445     412       1,258       957  
    Total noninterest expenses   8,776     8,140       25,602       24,091  
                   
    Income before income taxes   2,464     2,589       7,853       8,227  
                   
    Income tax expense   474     511       1,527       1,631  
                   
    Net Income $ 1,990   $ 2,078     $ 6,326     $ 6,596  
                   
    Weighted average shares outstanding – basic and diluted   4,543,338     4,543,338       4,543,338       4,568,789  
                   
    Earnings per common share – basic and diluted $ 0.44   $ 0.46     $ 1.39     $ 1.44  
     

    Bank of the James Financial Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
    Dollar amounts in thousands, except per share data
    unaudited

    Selected Data: Three
    months
    ending
    Sep 30,
    2024
    Three
    months
    ending
    Sep 30,
    2023
    Change Year
    to
    date
    Sep 30,
    2024
    Year
    to
    date
    Sep 30,
    2023
    Change
    Interest income $ 11,563   $ 10,143     14.00 % $ 33,007   $ 28,824     14.51 %
    Interest expense   4,054     2,779     45.88 %   11,457     6,473     77.00 %
    Net interest income   7,509     7,364     1.97 %   21,550     22,351     -3.58 %
    Provision for (recovery of) credit losses   92     (164 )   -156.10 %   (584 )   (278 )   110.07 %
    Noninterest income   3,823     3,201     19.43 %   11,321     9,689     16.84 %
    Noninterest expense   8,776     8,140     7.81 %   25,602     24,091     6.27 %
    Income taxes   474     511     -7.24 %   1,527     1,631     -6.38 %
    Net income   1,990     2,078     -4.23 %   6,326     6,596     -4.09 %
    Weighted average shares outstanding – basic   4,543,338     4,543,338         4,543,338     4,568,789     (25,451 )
    Weighted average shares outstanding – diluted   4,543,338     4,543,338         4,543,338     4,568,789     (25,451 )
    Basic net income
    per share
    $ 0.44   $ 0.46   $ (0.02 ) $ 1.39   $ 1.44   $ (0.05 )
    Fully diluted net income per share $ 0.44   $ 0.46   $ (0.02 ) $ 1.39   $ 1.44   $ (0.05 )
    Balance Sheet at
    period end:
    Sep 30,
    2024
    Dec 31,
    2023
    Change Sep 30,
    2023
    Dec 31,
    2022
    Change
    Loans, net $ 627,112   $ 601,921     4.19 % $ 599,585   $ 605,366     -0.95 %
    Loans held for sale   3,239     1,258     157.47 %   3,325     2,423     37.23 %
    Total securities   196,079     220,132     -10.93 %   185,603     189,426     -2.02 %
    Total deposits   907,610     878,459     3.32 %   880,203     848,138     3.78 %
    Stockholders’ equity   68,834     60,039     14.65 %   50,129     50,226     -0.19 %
    Total assets   1,008,063     969,371     3.99 %   960,887     928,571     3.48 %
    Shares outstanding   4,543,338     4,543,338         4,543,338     4,628,657     (85,319 )
    Book value per share $ 15.15   $ 13.21   $ 1.94   $ 11.03   $ 10.85   $ 0.18  
    Daily averages: Three
    months
    ending
    Sep 30,
    2024
    Three
    months
    ending
    Sep 30,
    2023
    Change Year
    to
    date
    Sep 30,
    2024
    Year
    to
    date
    Sep 30,
    2023
    Change
    Loans $ 629,860   $ 612,021     2.91 % $ 617,582   $ 618,152     -0.09 %
    Loans held for sale   3,845     4,421     -13.03 %   3,454     3,548     -2.65 %
    Total securities (book value)   220,730     222,969     -1.00 %   237,215     223,391     6.19 %
    Total deposits   902,615     869,655     3.79 %   895,000     862,212     3.80 %
    Stockholders’ equity   61,576     52,564     17.14 %   60,564     51,274     18.12 %
    Interest earning assets   946,518     909,774     4.04 %   937,793     897,364     4.51 %
    Interest bearing liabilities   785,980     740,516     6.14 %   776,672     733,343     5.91 %
    Total assets   995,101     953,546     4.36 %   986,132     945,389     4.31 %
    Financial Ratios: Three
    months
    ending
    Sep 30,
    2024
    Three
    months
    ending
    Sep 30,
    2023
    Change Year
    to
    date
    Sep 30,
    2024
    Year
    to
    date
    Sep 30,
    2023
    Change
    Return on average assets   0.80 %   0.86 %   (0.06 )   0.86 %   0.93 %   (0.07 )
    Return on average equity   12.86 %   15.68 %   (2.82 )   13.95 %   17.20 %   (3.25 )
    Net interest margin   3.16 %   3.21 %   (0.05 )   3.07 %   3.33 %   (0.26 )
    Efficiency ratio   77.44 %   77.05 %   0.39     77.89 %   75.19 %   2.70  
    Average equity to
    average assets
      6.19 %   5.51 %   0.68     6.14 %   5.42 %   0.72  
    Allowance for credit losses: Three
    months
    ending
    Sep 30,
    2024
    Three
    months
    ending
    Sep 30,
    2023
    Change Year
    to
    date
    Sep 30,
    2024
    Year
    to
    date
    Sep 30,
    2023
    Change
    Beginning balance $ 6,951   $ 7,586     -8.37 % $ 7,412   $ 6,259     18.42 %
    Retained earnings adjustment related to impact of adoption of ASU 2016-13           N/A         1,245     -100.00 %
    Provision for (recovery of) credit losses*   106     (130 )   -181.54 %   (494 )   (188 )   162.77 %
    Charge-offs       (144 )   -100.00 %   (84 )   (196 )   -57.14 %
    Recoveries   21     8     162.50 %   244     200     22.00 %
    Ending balance   7,078     7,320     -3.31 %   7,078     7,320     -3.31 %

    * does not include provision for or recovery of unfunded loan commitment liability

    Nonperforming assets: Sep 30,
    2024
    Dec 31,
    2023
    Change Sep 30,
    2023
    Dec 31,
    2022
    Change
    Total nonperforming loans $ 1,295   $ 391     231.20 % $ 585   $ 633     -7.58 %
    Other real estate owned           N/A         566     -100.00 %
    Total nonperforming assets   1,295     391     231.20 %   585     1,199     -51.21 %
    Asset quality ratios: Sep 30,
    2024
    Dec 31,
    2023
    Change Sep 30,
    2023
    Dec 31,
    2022
    Change
    Nonperforming loans to total loans   0.20 %   0.06 %   0.14     0.10 %   0.10 %   (0.01 )
    Allowance for credit losses for loans to total loans   1.12 %   1.22 %   (0.10 )   1.21 %   1.02 %   0.18  
    Allowance for credit losses for loans to nonperforming loans   546.56 %   1894.56 %   1,348.00     1251.28 %   989.42 %   261.86  

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI USA: Griffith Statement on Ruling Reversing Governor Youngkin’s Act to Protect Virginia’s Elections

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA)

    Griffith Statement on Ruling Reversing Governor Youngkin’s Act to Protect Virginia’s Elections

    U.S. District Judge Patricia Giles issued a decision today that orders the Commonwealth of Virginia to reinstate the names of noncitizens back on Virginia’s voter rolls, reversing Governor Youngkin’s decision to remove them. U.S. Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) issued the following statement:

    “Governor Youngkin was right to take these names off Virginia’s voter rolls, and if they were mistakenly taken off, Virginia’s same-day voter registration rules would allow them to register again and cast a vote.

    “In 2020, the DOJ never challenged the Democratic states that changed their election rules, despite conflicts with federal time limit laws. The DOJ pursuit of Governor Youngkin’s action seems to be because of his party affiliation.”

     

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Connolly Applauds Court Decision Stopping Governor Youngkin’s Illegal Voter Purges

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Representative Gerry Connolly (D-Va)

    Connolly Applauds Court Decision Stopping Governor Youngkin’s Illegal Voter Purges

    Fairfax, VA, October 25, 2024

    Congressman Gerry Connolly (D-VA) released the following statement after a federal judge put an end to Governor Glenn Youngkin’s illegal voter roll purges happening within 90 days of an election:

    “Governor Youngkin’s effort to cancel voter registrations is clearly against federal law, which requires states to refrain from systematically purging voter rolls within 90 days of an election. I am grateful to the court for recognizing that reality. Voter fraud, particularly as it relates to citizenship, is exceedingly rare in Virginia. Governor Youngkin’s purges have served only one purpose – to disenfranchise thousands of lawfully voting citizens of the Commonwealth. That stops today.”

    Connolly wrote to Governor Youngkin on October 7 to urge him to cease the purging of voter rolls. Connolly also notified the Department of Justices of the purges.

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense Contractor Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Fraud, Money Laundering, and Unlawful Export of Technical Data

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    Yuksel Senbol, 36, of Orlando, Florida, was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering, conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act, violating the Export Control Reform Act, and violating the Arms Export Control Act. As part of her sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $275,430.90, the proceeds of Senbol’s fraud and money laundering scheme. Senbol entered pleaded guilty on May 7.

    According to facts taken from public filings, beginning in approximately April 2019, Senbol operated a front company in the Middle District of Florida called Mason Engineering Parts LLC. She used this front company to assist her co-conspirators, Mehmet Ozcan and Onur Simsek, to fraudulently procure contracts to supply critical military components to the Department of Defense. These components were intended for use in the Navy Nimitz and Ford Class Aircraft Carriers, Navy Submarines, Marine Corps Armored Vehicles, and Army M-60 Series Tank and Abrahams Battle Tanks, among other weapons systems.

    To fraudulently procure the government contracts, Senbol and her co-conspirators falsely represented to the U.S. government and U.S. military contractors that Mason Engineering Parts LLC was a vetted and qualified manufacturer of military components, when in fact, the parts were being manufactured by Ozcan and Simsek in Turkey. As Senbol knew, Simsek’s involvement had to be concealed from the U.S. government because he had been debarred from contracting with the U.S. government after being convicted of a virtually identical scheme in the Southern District of Florida.

    In order to enable Ozcan and Simsek to manufacture the components in Turkey, Senbol assisted them in obtaining sensitive, export-controlled drawings of critical U.S. military technology. Using software that allowed Ozcan to remotely control her computer — and thus evade security restrictions that limited access to these sensitive military drawings to computers within the United States — Senbol knowingly facilitated the illegal export of these drawings. She did so despite having executed numerous agreements promising to safeguard the drawings from unlawful access or export, and in spite of the clear warnings on the face of each drawing that it could not be exported without obtaining a license.

    Once Ozcan and Simsek manufactured the components in Turkey, they shipped them to Senbol, who repackaged them — making sure to remove any reference to their Turkish origin. The conspirators then lied about the origin of the parts to the U.S. government and a U.S. government contractor to receive payment for the parts. Senbol then laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in criminal proceeds back to Turkey through international wire transfers.

    This scheme continued until uncovered and disrupted by federal investigators. Parts supplied by Senbol were tested by the U.S. military and were determined not to conform with product specifications. Many of the components supplied to the U.S. military by Senbol were “critical application items,” meaning that failure of these components would have potentially rendered the end system inoperable.

    Alleged co-conspirators Mehmet Ozcan and Onur Simsek are fugitives.

    The General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General; Defense Criminal Investigative Service; Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security; Air Force Office of Special Investigations; FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; and Department of State, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. Marcet and Lindsey Schmidt for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Stephen Marzen of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Section are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-Evening Report: Want genuine progress towards restoring nature? Follow these 4 steps

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yi Fei Chung, PhD candidate in Environmental Policy, The University of Queensland

    Black Dingo/Shutterstock

    “Nature positive” is seemingly everywhere. Two weeks ago, Australia hosted the first Global Nature Positive Summit. This week, nations are meeting in Colombia for a global biodiversity summit to discuss progress on nature positive commitments.

    Nature positive has a simple meaning: ensuring more nature in future than there is now. Making it a reality is the hard part.

    It’s necessary because nature is in trouble. Once common species are becoming threatened and threatened species are going extinct. Humans, too, will be severely impacted. When ecosystems are healthy, they provide vital benefits. Insects pollinate crops, trees slow floodwaters, earthworms, fungi and soil critters make healthy soil and natural vistas improve our mental wellbeing.

    While Australia’s government is working to embed nature positive ideas in environmental reform efforts, we may see lip service rather than real change. The government’s Nature Positive Plan faces opposition from businesses and politicians ahead of a looming election. And the plan itself doesn’t fully align with true nature positive outcomes.

    In our article published today in Science, we lay out four vital steps to ensure nature positive policies are actually positive for nature.

    Step 1: Ensure biodiversity increases are absolute

    At present, Australia’s planned nature positive reforms would only require developers removing habitat to achieve a relative net gain for nature compared to business as usual.

    We have argued this approach won’t work – it should be an absolute net gain.

    It might sound abstract – but it makes all the difference. For instance, consider a population of endangered koalas living on the site of a new mine. Any negative impact to koalas would have to be offset with a benefit to the species elsewhere, usually on a separate site.

    If Australia had absolute net gain in effect, the company would have to ensure there are more koalas overall. If the mine site and an offset site had a combined population of 100 koalas before the development, this combined population would need to be more than 100 koalas after the development – even though some will be lost.

    But let’s say these 100 koalas over two sites were expected to fall to 80, even if the mine didn’t happen. In this case, a relative net gain could be achieved if the mine and offset site had 90 koalas. The population fell, but less than it would have otherwise.

    Most state and national conservation laws use relative net gain in their biodiversity offsets. It slows the biodiversity decline – but it’s still a decline.

    By contrast, England brought in a net gain approach in February of this year, with developers now required to provide a 10% net gain in biodiversity.

    Importantly, the vast majority of developments affecting threatened species habitat never require any offset at all. Plugging this major gap is also key.




    Read more:
    Developers in England will be forced to create habitats for wildlife – here’s how it works


    For nature positive to work properly, any damage done to a species by a development has to be offset by net gain. Pictured: Peak Hill gold mine in NSW.
    Phillip Wittke/Shutterstock

    Step 2: Avoid conservation payments in risky situations

    The Australian government plans to introduce conservation payments, where developers can pay into a government-managed fund rather than providing direct offsets.

    If developers were to cut down trees used by the critically endangered Leadbeater’s possum, for example, they could choose either to improve habitat elsewhere to offset the damage – or they could pay into the fund instead.

    This is a risky plan. For one, it’s often almost impossible or extremely expensive to find suitable habitat for critically endangered species because they have very little habitat remaining.

    It’s far better to avoid all further habitat removal. For developers, this would mean avoiding damage to rare habitat in the first place.

    Even where offsetting is possible, payments are often inadequate to cover the cost of purchasing and managing an offset site.




    Read more:
    Developers aren’t paying enough to offset impacts on koalas and other endangered species


    Then there’s the time lag. The fund might take years to buy or restore habitat sites, adding to already-long delays between damage and any benefit. And worse, under the government’s proposal, the money could be used for different, potentially less threatened species.

    Under Queensland’s scheme, most developers choose to pay into a fund rather than create their own offset sites. Very little of these offset funds have been spent.

    Meanwhile, the latest independent assessment of the New South Wales biodiversity offset payment scheme recommended the fund be completely phased out.



    Step 3: Go beyond compensation

    Compensating for new damage is important. But it’s not nearly enough. Over the last century, we have done huge damage to the natural world. Australia’s southern seas were once ringed with oyster reefs, for instance, but these were nearly all fished out.

    We need to begin to recover what was lost by restoring ecosystems, managing weeds and reducing risk of diseases.

    Nature-positive laws should include funding and actions designed to produce absolute gains in biodiversity over and above any required compensation.

    The world has long seriously underfunded conservation, including threatened species recovery, ecosystem restoration and protected area management. Australia alone needs a roughly 20-fold increase in funding to actually bring back threatened species.

    While this sounds large, it’s off an extraordinarily low base – just A$122 million in 2019. By contrast, we spend over $100 billion on human health each year.

    Two years ago, the government passed the first of its nature-positive reforms to create a nature repair market aimed at drawing more funds into nature restoration. But as the market will rely on voluntary private sector investment, we don’t know how much funding will flow or whether it will focus on threatened species recovery.

    Step 4: Effectively implement nature positive laws

    Ensuring compliance with new nature-positive laws requires transparent and effective enforcement, such as through the independent national environment protection authority with extra powers proposed in Australia.

    Its independence and powers may be less than required, due to proposed call-in powers allowing the minister to overrule decisions. True independence and adequate resources are crucial.

    If governments do pass environmental reforms, we need to collect adequate and robust data on species to know if they are actually working to boost nature recovery. At present, many Australian threatened species remain unmonitored.

    Is nature positive within reach?

    It’s not easy to create a future with more nature than we have now. Australia’s current government took office vowing to embrace nature positive. To date, their reforms are not yet likely to make that a reality.




    Read more:
    Australia desperately needs a strong federal environmental protection agency. Our chances aren’t looking good


    But the task will only get more urgent. Meaningful nature-positive policy means ensuring targets of absolute net gain for threatened species, ensuring strict compensation for any nature loss, independently resourcing and financing other recovery efforts and implementing these laws effectively.

    With a course correction, Australia can still act as a leading example for other nations as they reform their own policies to meet nature-positive ambitions. Now is the time for real and decisive action.

    We acknowledge our research coauthors, Brooke Williams (Queensland University of Technology), Martine Maron (University of Queensland), Jonathan Rhodes (Queensland University of Technology), Jeremy Simmonds (2rog), and Michelle Ward (Griffith University).

    Yi Fei Chung has received funding from UQ Research Training Scholarship. He is also involving in a Australian Research Council Linkage Project with financial and in-kind support from the NSW Department of Planning and Environment, the Biodiversity Conservation Trust, Tweed Shire Council, and the NSW Koala Strategy.

    Hannah Thomas has received funding from WWF-Australia and an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship. She is an early-career leader with the Biodiversity Council.

    ref. Want genuine progress towards restoring nature? Follow these 4 steps – https://theconversation.com/want-genuine-progress-towards-restoring-nature-follow-these-4-steps-240569

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-Evening Report: Most Republican states have made voting harder since 2020. Our research shows how successful they’ve been

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Kathryn Schumaker, Senior Lecturer in American Studies, University of Sydney

    In late September, the governor of the state of Oklahoma, Kevin Stitt, boasted that election officials had removed 453,000 people from the state’s voter rolls since 2021. In a state with only 2.3 million registered voters, it appears that roughly one in six registered voters had been purged.

    While some of these people were dead or disfranchised owing to felony convictions, nearly 200,000 of them were removed for being “inactive voters”. This means they likely failed to respond to a postcard sent to their mailing address.

    Voters can re-register if they were incorrectly removed, but this “voter list maintenance” process still creates a barrier to democratic participation.

    Unsurprisingly, Oklahoma historically has one of the lowest voter turnout rates in the United States.

    This bucks the national trend. Overall, across the United States, electoral turnout has increased in presidential and midterm elections since 2018. Americans feel, now more than ever, that elections have high stakes.

    And some states have made it easier to vote. Minnesota, for example, allows voters to register online or at the polls on Election Day.

    In states like Oklahoma, however, voters are discouraged or demoralised by policies and laws meant to make voting difficult and time consuming. Legislatures in these states have been emboldened over the past decade by a series of Supreme Court rulings voiding key parts of the Voting Rights Act.

    These states are now the new fronts in the unfinished battle to secure one of the fundamental elements of democracy – the right to vote. We’ve analysed data on voter turnout and voting accessibility across the US and found states restricting access the most are overwhelmingly led by Republican legislatures.

    A long history of voter disenfranchisement

    US elections have always been the domain of the states. And state legislatures have long wielded this power to discriminate against marginalised groups.

    Prior to the Civil War, most states restricted the right to vote to white men. Then, in 1870, the 15th Amendment to the Constitution was ratified, which forbade states from restricting the right to vote on the basis of “race, color or previous condition of servitude

    In practice, however, this didn’t change things in all states. In the South, where Jim Crow laws maintained segregation in many facets of public life, lawmakers found other ways to disenfranchise Black voters.

    These methods included poll taxes, literacy tests, and grandfather clauses. In some Southern states, Democrats also held all-white primaries to prohibit Black voters from participating. They claimed that political parties were private organisations and not subject to the 15th Amendment.

    When other methods failed, white people used violence and intimidation to discourage Black voters from showing up at the polls.

    Women made gains state by state in the decades following the Civil War, though Black women in the South were disenfranchised alongside Black men. This made white women the primary beneficiaries of the 19th Amendment, ratified in 1920. This dictated that states could not withhold voting rights “on account of sex”.

    It was not until the ratification of the 24th Amendment in 1964, which prohibited the use of the poll tax, and the 1965 Voting Rights Act, which outlawed the literacy tests, that American democracy could begin to live up to its name.

    How states are erecting more barriers

    However, even these landmark developments have not ensured that voting is easy or universally accessible to all Americans.

    In fact, many states have accelerated efforts to police voting rolls and enact hurdles to civic engagement in the wake of then-President Donald Trump’s false claims of voter fraud in the 2020 election. Republican-dominated states like Oklahoma have been particularly keen to adopt restrictive policies.

    According to the Center for Public Integrity, 26 states have made voting less accessible since 2020. These barriers include many tactics:

    Partisan redistricting also discourages members of minority parties from turning out on Election Day. By drawing district lines that clearly favour one party over another, such practices can make people feel it is pointless to vote.

    What our research found

    According to our calculations, out of the states that have made voting less accessible since 2020, most are located in the South (43%) or Midwest (31%). The data reveal the most significant losses in voting access have occurred in southern states with large populations of Black voters.

    And the most restrictive lawmaking has been spearheaded by Republican-dominated state legislatures, with 86% of such states passing inequitable voting barriers. In contrast, only 5% of Democratic-led states have made voting harder.

    In addition, according to our research, high barriers to voting are directly related to lower voter turnout rates.

    When all states are analysed, “high barrier” states had an average turnout rate of 45.8% compared to 49% for “low barrier” states in the 2022 election, a statistically significant difference. The average turnout rate across all US states in 2022 was 46.2%.

    In the South, most states (11 of 16) made voting more difficult after the 2020 election – and nearly all had voter turnout rates well below the national average in 2022. (Mississippi was the lowest at 32.5%.)



    High-barrier southern states with Republican-led legislatures had an average turnout rate of 40.6%, compared to 46.2% in high-barrier, Republican-led states in other regions.

    Three states in low-barrier states, meanwhile, had turnout rates above 60% – Oregon, Maine and Minnesota. All had Democratic-majority legislatures, or in the case of Minnesota, a divided legislature and Democratic governor.

    States should motivate voters, not demoralise them

    These policies to restrict voting accessibility, draped in the cloak of “election security”, will no doubt affect turnout in certain states in the upcoming November elections, as well.

    Research shows Americans choose to vote because they think it is their civic duty or they believe the outcome of an election matters for their community, nation or self.

    Yet, staying home on Election Day is also a rational behaviour since the chances of being the pivotal voter that decides an election is estimated at one in one million in a battleground state and much less in a noncompetitive state.

    With national voter turnout already low compared to other democracies, state legislatures should be doing what they can to motivate voters and make it easier for them to cast a ballot – not making it more difficult for them to do so.

    Kathryn Schumaker has received funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities.

    Allyson Shortle is affiliated with the Public Religion Research Institute.

    ref. Most Republican states have made voting harder since 2020. Our research shows how successful they’ve been – https://theconversation.com/most-republican-states-have-made-voting-harder-since-2020-our-research-shows-how-successful-theyve-been-240667

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Feds gets it wrong… again: Joint Statement

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    “Alberta has a long history of welcoming newcomers, and we plan to maintain that reputation. 

    “However, the federal government’s reckless and irresponsible open-border immigration policies, permitting almost 2 million newcomers to enter Canada last year alone, have led to unsustainable financial pressures on all provinces.

    “With the cost of food, energy, housing and everything else in this country increasing, and with tens of thousands of new people moving to Alberta monthly, our hospitals and schools are at or above capacity. 

    “As a province, we need a reprieve from this explosive population growth so we can catch up with these pressures. So do all provinces. 

    “The federal government’s plan to cut a mere 105,000 new permanent residents will not solve these pressures when they are bringing in almost 2 million additional people annually.

    “We call on the government to cut the number of newcomers to Canada from almost 2 million to well under 500,000 annually until further notice. 

    “Ottawa’s priority should be on reducing the number of temporary foreign workers, international students and asylum seekers—not on reducing provincially selected economic migrants.”

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaptur Announces $18.57 Million in Awards From the Federal Rail Administration to Northern Ohio & Western Railway and Napoleon, Defiance & Western Railway

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)

    Toledo, Ohio – Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) announced a total of $18.57 Million in awards from the Federal Rail Administration secured alongside the Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) for Northern Ohio & Western Railway and Napoleon, Defiance & Western Railway.

    The first award for critical safety upgrades for Napoleon, Defiance & Western Railway totals $12.17 Million and was secured alongside the Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) through the Bipartisan Infrastructure law, also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The project involves final design and construction activities to replace deteriorating and broken rail and ties and expanded capacity along the eastern half of the Napoleon, Defiance & Western Railway. The project is the third and final phase of the full corridor rehabilitation of Napoleon, Defiance & Western track. The project aligns with the selection criteria by enhancing safety as the project will improve safety, resilience, and operational efficiency with added benefit to Paulding and Defiance Counties. The Ohio Rail Development Commission and Napoleon, Defiance & Western Railway will contribute 25 percent of the total project cost.

    The second award for major rail upgrades for Northern Ohio & Western Railway totals $6.4 Million and was secured alongside the Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) also through the Bipartisan Infrastructure law. This involves construction to upgrade track infrastructure across the approximately 24-mile rail line owned by the Sandusky County, Seneca County, and the City of Tiffin Port Authority and is operated by the Northern Ohio & Western Railway. The project aligns with the selection criteria by enhancing safety and improving system and service performance as the project will return the line to FRA standards. The Ohio Rail Development Commission and the Sandusky County-Seneca County-City of Tiffin Port Authority will contribute 20 percent of the total project cost.

    “I am encouraged to see these new investments in rail coming to Northern Ohio, and I know that this will be transformative for the people of Defiance County, Sandusky County, and so many across our region. This funding continues the lasting impact of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law as an engine of economic development for the state of Ohio,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09). “Rail safety was a major impetus for our desire to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and now we are seeing investment and opportunity coming back to our region in transformational ways. We are working together to make our communities safer, and bring back major investment that underscores rail as the spine of our Northern Ohio economy. I will never stop fighting to deliver for the people of Northern Ohio.”

    These investments follow a $10,792,157 award Congresswoman Kaptur announced on October 3, 2023 for major rail upgrades for Napoleon, Defiance, & Western Railway. On September 22, 2023 Congresswoman Kaptur hosted a roundtable discussion on the future of passenger rail in Northern Ohio and the Great Lakes Region with participants including international, national, regional, and local transit, labor, and civic leaders and included FRA Administrator Amit Bose, Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner, and Eddie Hall, President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Defense Official Statement on AUKUS Pillar 2 and Exercise Maritime Big Play

    Source: United States Department of Defense

    The following statement can be attributed to Ms. Madeline Mortelmans who is currently performing the duties of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Strategy, Plans and Capabilities. Her office is lead for both pillars of AUKUS within the department and is in close partnership with all of the DOD stakeholders.

    “Secretary Austin has said several times in the past that our alliances and partnerships are our greatest global strategic advantage. Specifically, AUKUS presents a unique opportunity for Australia, the United Kingdom and the United States to foster a more capable, more combined force of the future. And in so doing, we will strengthen deterrence in the Indo-Pacific.

    Through AUKUS, we are working across the full spectrum of capability development, generating requirements, co-developing new systems, deepening industrial based collaboration and ultimately delivering advanced capabilities to our forces. AUKUS Pillar 1 focuses these co-development efforts on delivering an advanced nuclear power submarine capability through the optimal pathway.

    Pillar 2 focuses on the development and delivery of emerging technology. AUKUS Pillar 2 is designed to harness the combined industrial and innovation bases of the tri-lateral partners to ensure that our forces are equipped with cutting edge interoperable military capabilities and prepared to face down aggression in whatever form it may take.

    In Pillar 2, we’re building a more capable combined joint force for the future, working across the full spectrum of capability development and we’re already delivering. This year, we’re advancing our undersea warfare capabilities by expanding our ability to launch and recover uncrewed underwater systems from torpedo tubes on current classes of British and US submarines, that will increase the range and capability of our undersea forces.

    We’re integrating the Stingray lightweight torpedo into the P-8A maritime patrol aircraft, which will support our forces in being more interchangeable while providing resilience to munitions stockpiles across AUKUS nations. At the same time, we’re also implementing a fundamental shift to more closely integrate our systems and break down barriers to collaboration at every stage and in every part of our systems.

    We’ve welcomed collaboration with the International Joint Requirements Oversight Council or I-JROC, a critical collaborative forum to identify and validate joint and combined requirements. The I-JROC will ensure that we have prioritized combined and joint solutions from the very start and that the capabilities we develop under Pillar 2 address some of the most pressing challenges our forces face.

    A cornerstone of AUKUS Pillar 2 remains the opportunity to leverage the best of our defense industrial bases in combined innovation communities. This year we executed the first office innovation challenge focused on electronic warfare. We announced the winners last month and our teams are working to develop a robust two-year plan to increase the collaboration between and among our innovation centers of excellence.

    By the end of the year, we’ll have convened meetings with the Advanced Capabilities Industry Forum in each country. Engagements provide an opportunity for representatives across government and industry to exchange ideas and deepen industrial based collaboration.

    This week we’re here in Jervis Bay to observe the Maritime Big Play, which is an important demonstration of AUKUS in action. The Maritime Big Play is a series of integrated trilateral experiments and exercises aimed at enhancing capability development, improving interoperability and increasing the sophistication and scale of autonomous systems in the maritime domain. These experiments address the need to expand the reach, capability and capacity of our forces in the maritime environment through the use of artificial intelligence and autonomous systems.

    Over the past several weeks, we’ve been testing and refining the ability to jointly operate uncrewed maritime systems, to share and process maritime data from all three nations, and to provide real time maritime domain awareness to support decision making. The Maritime Big Play allows AUKUS partners to practice fielding and maintaining thousands of uncrewed systems, gaining valuable experience operating in coalitions to solve realistic operational problems such as improving undersea situational awareness.

    Our work will inform AUKUS partners’ understanding of how crewed and uncrewed capabilities can be integrated to get an operational advantage, and where we can achieve cost savings and improved efficiencies in acquisition, maintenance and sustainment activities.

    Maritime Big Play isn’t just a demonstration for demonstration’s sake. It’s our goal to transition cutting edge technologies into capabilities that give our forces decisive advantage as quickly as we can. This year, Japan joined the Maritime Big Play as an observer. We look forward to deepening their participation in the coming years. All of this together underpins a more strategic approach to ensure that AUKUS and like-minded partners can operate new autonomous uncrewed systems more effectively as a coalition force from the start.

    This is only the first in our series of experiments and demonstrations. Over time, Maritime Big Play will grow and evolve to reflect the emerging technologies, new systems and new operational requirements. I want to emphasize that AUKUS is dynamic. It will grow, it will evolve as the world changes around us, and as we break down the old barriers to cooperation and inevitably discover new ones.

    AUKUS is building a foundation for deep defense industrial cooperation and delivering advanced capabilities that can and will ensure our defense forces succeed in enhancing peace and stability in the Indo-Pacific alongside UK and Australia partners both now and in the years ahead. Thank you.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI: First Western Reports Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Third Quarter 2024 Summary

    • Net income available to common shareholders of $2.1 million in Q3 2024, compared to $1.1 million in Q2 2024
    • Diluted earnings per share of $0.22 in Q3 2024, compared to $0.11 in Q2 2024
    • Total deposits increased 3.7% from $2.41 billion in Q2 2024 to $2.50 billion in Q3 2024. Noninterest-bearing deposits increased 19% from $397 million in Q2 2024 to $474 million in Q3 2024
    • Loan-to-Deposit ratio decreased from 101.9% in Q2 2024 to 95.2% in Q3 2024

    DENVER, Oct. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — First Western Financial, Inc. (“First Western” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: MYFW), today reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024.

    Net income available to common shareholders was $2.1 million, or $0.22 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2024. This compares to net income of $1.1 million, or $0.11 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2024, and net income of $3.1 million, or $0.32 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2023.

    Scott C. Wylie, CEO of First Western, commented, “We generated a higher level of profitability in the third quarter while continuing to prioritize prudent risk management and a conservative approach to new loan production. We continued to effectively control expense levels while also making investments in the business that will support our profitable growth in the future. We are executing well on our balance sheet management strategies, which resulted in further reduction in our loan-to-deposit ratio, primarily driven by a significant increase in noninterest-bearing deposits, which increased 19% from the end of the prior quarter. We also saw positive trends in asset quality, including a significant reduction in non-performing loans and classified loans, as well as increases in our book value per share and tangible book value per share, which further strengthened our balance sheet.”

    “With our successful efforts to reposition our balance sheet including increasing our liquidity with a lower loan-to-deposit ratio, we are well positioned to generate a higher level of loan growth in 2025 as loan demand increases. We also expect to see expansion in our net interest margin and an increase in non-interest income from our mortgage business as interest rates decline, which should further improve our level of profitability. We are seeing positive trends in a number of key areas that we expect to continue, which we believe should result in steady improvement in our financial performance, operating leverage, and further value created for our shareholders,” said Mr. Wylie.

      For the Three Months Ended
      September 30,   June 30,   September 30,
    (Dollars in thousands, except per share data)   2024       2024       2023  
    Earnings Summary          
    Net interest income $ 15,568     $ 15,778     $   16,766  
    Provision for credit losses   501       2,334       329  
    Total non-interest income   6,972       6,972       6,099  
    Total non-interest expense   19,368       19,001       18,314  
    Income before income taxes   2,671       1,415       4,222  
    Income tax expense   537       339       1,104  
    Net income available to common shareholders   2,134       1,076       3,118  
    Basic earnings per common share   0.22       0.11       0.33  
    Diluted earnings per common share   0.22       0.11       0.32  
               
    Return on average assets (annualized)   0.30 %     0.15 %     0.44 %
    Return on average shareholders’ equity (annualized)   3.43       1.73       5.08  
    Return on tangible common equity (annualized)(1)   3.93       2.00       5.82  
    Net interest margin   2.32       2.35       2.46  
    Efficiency ratio(1)   84.89       82.13       78.89  

    ____________________

    (1) Represents a Non-GAAP financial measure. See “Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for a reconciliation of our Non-GAAP measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.

    Operating Results for the Third Quarter 2024

    Revenue

    Total income before non-interest expense was $22.0 million for the third quarter of 2024, compared to $20.4 million for the second quarter of 2024. Gross revenue(1) was $22.7 million for the third quarter of 2024, compared to $23.1 million for the second quarter of 2024. The increase in total income before non-interest expense was primarily driven by a decrease in Provision for credit losses. Relative to the third quarter of 2023, total income before non-interest expense decreased 2.2% from $22.5 million. Gross revenue decreased 1.7% from $23.1 million for the third quarter of 2023. The decrease in total income before non-interest expense was driven by an increase in Interest expense due to higher deposit costs, offset partially by higher Interest income and Net mortgage gains.

    (1) Represents a Non-GAAP financial measure. See “Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for a reconciliation of our Non-GAAP measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.

    Net Interest Income

    Net interest income for the third quarter of 2024 was $15.6 million, a decrease of 1.3% from $15.8 million in the second quarter of 2024. The decrease quarter over quarter was driven by an increase in interest expense due to an increase in interest-bearing deposits and partially due to having one additional day in the quarter. Interest income was negatively impacted by $0.4 million in the quarter due to the addition of a non-performing loan. Relative to the third quarter of 2023, net interest income decreased 7.1% from $16.8 million. The decrease compared to the prior year third quarter was due to higher Interest expense driven primarily by higher deposit costs, offset partially by higher Interest income.

    Net Interest Margin

    Net interest margin for the third quarter of 2024 decreased 3 basis points to 2.32% from 2.35% reported in the second quarter of 2024, primarily due to an unfavorable mix shift in average deposit balances. Net interest margin was negatively impacted by 6 basis points in the quarter due to the addition of a non-performing loan.

    The yield on interest-earning assets remained flat at 5.67% in the third quarter of 2024 versus 5.67% in the second quarter of 2024 and the cost of interest-bearing deposits remained flat at 4.19% in the third quarter of 2024 versus 4.19% in the second quarter of 2024.

    Relative to the third quarter of 2023, net interest margin decreased from 2.46%, primarily due to pricing pressure on interest-bearing deposits, offset partially by higher loan yields.

    Non-interest Income

    Non-interest income for the third quarter of 2024 remained flat at $7.0 million compared to $7.0 million in the second quarter of 2024. Activity throughout the quarter included an increase in Risk management and insurance fees, offset by decreased Net gain on mortgage loans.

    Relative to the third quarter of 2023, non-interest income increased 14.8% from $6.1 million. Increases were driven primarily by increases in net gain on mortgage loans and risk management and insurance fees.

    Non-interest Expense

    Non-interest expense for the third quarter of 2024 was $19.4 million compared to $19.0 million for the second quarter of 2024. The increase was primarily driven by increases in Salaries and employee benefits due to increased front office headcount and Marketing expenses, partially offset by a decrease in other operational expenses due to a partial recovery on a fraud loss from the first quarter.

    Relative to the third quarter of 2023, non-interest expense increased 6.0% from $18.3 million, driven primarily by an increase in Salaries and employee benefits, occupancy costs, and technology enhancements.

    The Company’s efficiency ratio(1) was 84.9% in the third quarter of 2024, compared with 82.1% in the second quarter of 2024 and 78.9% in the third quarter of 2023.

    (1) Represents a Non-GAAP financial measure. See “Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for a reconciliation of our Non-GAAP measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.

    Income Taxes

    The Company recorded Income tax expense of $0.5 million for the third quarter of 2024, compared to Income tax expense of $0.3 million for the second quarter of 2024 and $1.1 million for the third quarter of 2023. The increase in the third quarter of 2024 compared to the second quarter of 2024 was attributable to the increase in Income before income taxes.        

    Loans

    Total loans held for investment were $2.39 billion as of September 30, 2024, a decrease of 2.85% from $2.46 billion as of June 30, 2024. The decline was primarily due to net decreases in the cash, securities and other and commercial and industrial portfolios, offset partially by net growth in the 1 – 4 family residential portfolio. Another contributing factor to the decline was the foreclosure of a property in the quarter, which decreased non-performing loans by $30 million and increased Other real estate owned (“OREO”) by $25.6 million. Relative to the third quarter of 2023, total loans held for investment decreased from $2.54 billion as of September 30, 2023.

    Deposits

    Total deposits were $2.50 billion as of September 30, 2024, compared to $2.41 billion as of June 30, 2024. The increase was driven primarily by an increase in Noninterest-bearing deposits. Relative to the third quarter of 2023, total deposits increased from $2.42 billion as of September 30, 2023, driven primarily by an increase in time deposits due to new and expanded deposit relationships.

    Borrowings

    Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) and Federal Reserve borrowings were a combined $62.4 million as of September 30, 2024, a decrease of $129.1 million from $191.5 million as of June 30, 2024. The change when compared to June 30, 2024 was driven by a decrease in FHLB borrowing due to the deposit growth and loan balance decline that occurred in the quarter. Relative to the third quarter of 2023, borrowings decreased $197.5 million from $259.9 million as of September 30, 2023. The decrease in borrowings from September 30, 2023 is driven by an increase in deposits and decrease in loans.

    Subordinated notes were $52.5 million as of September 30, 2024, compared to $52.5 million as of June 30, 2024. Subordinated notes increased $0.2 million from $52.3 million as of September 30, 2023.

    Assets Under Management

    Assets Under Management (“AUM”) increased to $7.47 billion as of September 30, 2024, compared to $7.01 billion as of June 30, 2024 and $6.40 billion as of September 30, 2023. The increase when compared to June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023 was primarily attributable to improving market conditions resulting in an increase in the value of AUM.

    Credit Quality

    Non-performing assets totaled $52.1 million, or 1.79% of total assets, as of September 30, 2024, compared to $49.3 million, or 1.68% of total assets, as of June 30, 2024. The increase in non-performing assets during the quarter was primarily due to the addition of a non-performing loan and foreclosed property, partially offset by non-performing loan pay downs, charge-offs, and the sale of a non-performing loan. As of September 30, 2023, non-performing assets totaled $56.1 million, or 1.87% of total assets. Relative to the third quarter of 2023, the decrease in non-performing assets was primarily driven by pay downs, charge-offs, and the sale of a non-performing loan, partially offset by additions to Other real estate owned (“OREO”) and non-performing loans. OREO totaled $37.0 million as of September 30, 2024 an increase of $25.6 million from $11.4 million as of June 30, 2024. As of September 30, 2023, the Company held no OREO.

    Non-performing loans totaled $15.0 million as of September 30, 2024, a decrease of $22.9 million from $37.9 million as of June 30, 2024. As of September 30, 2023, non-performing loans totaled $56.1 million. The decrease when compared to June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023 was driven by the migration of one loan relationship out of non-performing loans and into OREO, pay downs, charge-offs, and the sale of a non-performing loan, partially offset by additions to non-performing loans.

    During the third quarter of 2024 the Company recorded a provision expense of $0.5 million, compared to a provision expense of $2.3 million in the second quarter of 2024 and $0.3 million in the third quarter of 2023. The decrease in provision expense recorded in the third quarter of 2024 compared to second quarter of 2024 was primarily driven by decreased provision on individually analyzed loans in the third quarter.

    Capital

    As of September 30, 2024, First Western (“Consolidated”) and First Western Trust Bank (“Bank”) exceeded the minimum capital levels required by their respective regulators. As of September 30, 2024, the Bank was classified as “well capitalized,” as summarized in the following table:

      September 30,
      2024  
    Consolidated Capital  
    Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets 10.06 %
    Common Equity Tier 1 (“CET1”) to risk-weighted assets 10.06  
    Total capital to risk-weighted assets 13.19  
    Tier 1 capital to average assets 8.04  
       
    Bank Capital  
    Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets 11.39 %
    CET1 to risk-weighted assets 11.39  
    Total capital to risk-weighted assets 12.13  
    Tier 1 capital to average assets 9.11  

    Book value per common share increased 0.8% from $25.55 as of June 30, 2024 to $25.75 as of September 30, 2024. Book value per common share decreased 0.04% from $25.76 as of September 30, 2023.

    Tangible book value per common share(1) increased 0.9% from $22.27 as of June 30, 2024, to $22.47 as of September 30, 2024. Tangible book value per common share increased 0.2% from $22.42 as of September 30, 2023.

    During the third quarter of 2024, the Company repurchased 5,501 shares of its common stock at an average price of $16.27 under its stock repurchase program, which authorized the repurchase of up to 200,000 shares of its common stock. As of September 30, 2024, the Company had up to 194,499 shares remaining under the current stock repurchase authorization.

    (1) Represents a Non-GAAP financial measure. See “Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for a reconciliation of our Non-GAAP measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.

    Conference Call, Webcast and Slide Presentation

    The Company will host a conference call and webcast at 10:00 a.m. MT/ 12:00 p.m. ET on Friday, October 25, 2024. Telephone access: https://register.vevent.com/register/BI453d1a8caedc4cd7a7cc436a4d09c5c9.

    A slide presentation relating to the third quarter 2024 results will be accessible prior to the scheduled conference call. The slide presentation and webcast of the conference call can be accessed on the Events and Presentations page of the Company’s investor relations website at https://myfw.gcs-web.com.

    About First Western

    First Western is a financial services holding company headquartered in Denver, Colorado, with operations in Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming, California, and Montana. First Western and its subsidiaries provide a fully integrated suite of wealth management services on a private trust bank platform, which includes a comprehensive selection of deposit, loan, trust, wealth planning and investment management products and services. First Western’s common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “MYFW.” For more information, please visit www.myfw.com.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    Some of the financial measures included in this press release are not measures of financial performance recognized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”). These non-GAAP financial measures include “Tangible Common Equity,” “Tangible Common Book Value per Share,” “Return on Tangible Common Equity,” “Efficiency Ratio,” “Gross Revenue,” and “Allowance for Credit Losses to Adjusted Loans”. The Company believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide both management and investors a more complete understanding of the Company’s financial position and performance. These non-GAAP financial measures are supplemental and are not a substitute for any analysis based on GAAP financial measures. Not all companies use the same calculation of these measures; therefore, this presentation may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures as presented by other companies. Reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to GAAP financial measures are provided at the end of this press release.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Statements in this news release regarding our expectations and beliefs about our future financial performance and financial condition, as well as trends in our business and markets are “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements often include words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate,” “project,” “position,” “outlook,” or words of similar meaning, or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “opportunity,” “could,” or “may.” The forward-looking statements in this news release are based on current information and on assumptions that we make about future events and circumstances that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that are often difficult to predict and beyond our control. As a result of those risks and uncertainties, our actual financial results in the future could differ, possibly materially, from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this news release and could cause us to make changes to our future plans. Those risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the lack of soundness of other financial institutions or financial market utilities may adversely affect the Company; the Company’s ability to engage in routine funding and other transactions could be adversely affected by the actions and commercial soundness of other financial institutions; financial institutions are interrelated because of trading, clearing, counterparty or other relationships; defaults by, or even rumors or questions about, one or more financial institutions or financial market utilities, or the financial services industry generally, may lead to market-wide liquidity problems and losses of client, creditor and counterparty confidence and could lead to losses or defaults by other financial institutions, or the Company; integration risks and projected cost savings in connection with acquisitions; the risk of geographic concentration in Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming, California, and Montana; the risk of changes in the economy affecting real estate values and liquidity; the risk in our ability to continue to originate residential real estate loans and sell such loans; risks specific to commercial loans and borrowers; the risk of claims and litigation pertaining to our fiduciary responsibilities; the risk of competition for investment managers and professionals; the risk of fluctuation in the value of our debt securities; the risk of changes in interest rates; and the risk of the adequacy of our allowance for credit losses and the risk in our ability to maintain a strong core deposit base or other low-cost funding sources. Additional information regarding these and other risks and uncertainties to which our business and future financial performance are subject is contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 15, 2024 (“Form 10-K”), and other documents we file with the SEC from time to time. We urge readers of this news release to review the “Risk Factors” section our Form 10-K and any updates to those risk factors set forth in our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and our other filings with the SEC. Also, our actual financial results in the future may differ from those currently expected due to additional risks and uncertainties of which we are not currently aware or which we do not currently view as, but in the future may become, material to our business or operating results. Due to these and other possible uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this news release, which speak only as of today’s date, or to make predictions based solely on historical financial performance. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law.

    Contacts:
    Financial Profiles, Inc.
    Tony Rossi
    310-622-8221
    MYFW@finprofiles.com
    IR@myfw.com

    First Western Financial, Inc.
    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (unaudited)


      Three Months Ended
      September 30,   June 30,   September 30,
    (Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)   2024       2024       2023  
    Interest and dividend income:          
    Loans, including fees $ 35,353     $ 35,275     $ 34,141  
    Loans accounted for under the fair value option   141       168       300  
    Debt securities   708       651       607  
    Interest-bearing deposits in other financial institutions   1,754       1,855       1,292  
    Dividends, restricted stock   134       105       141  
    Total interest and dividend income   38,090       38,054       36,481  
               
    Interest expense:          
    Deposits   21,150       20,848       17,467  
    Other borrowed funds   1,372       1,428       2,248  
    Total interest expense   22,522       22,276       19,715  
    Net interest income   15,568       15,778       16,766  
    Less: provision for credit losses   501       2,334       329  
    Net interest income, after provision for credit losses   15,067       13,444       16,437  
               
    Non-interest income:          
    Trust and investment management fees   4,728       4,875       4,846  
    Net gain on mortgage loans   1,451       1,820       654  
    Bank fees   392       327       427  
    Risk management and insurance fees   367       109       145  
    Income on company-owned life insurance   108       106       96  
    Net loss on loans accounted for under the fair value option   (233 )     (315 )     (252 )
    Unrealized gain (loss) recognized on equity securities   24       (2 )     (19 )
    Other   135       52       202  
    Total non-interest income   6,972       6,972       6,099  
    Total income before non-interest expense   22,039       20,416       22,536  
               
    Non-interest expense:          
    Salaries and employee benefits   11,439       11,097       10,968  
    Occupancy and equipment   2,126       2,080       1,807  
    Professional services   1,893       1,826       1,867  
    Technology and information systems   1,045       1,042       906  
    Data processing   1,101       1,101       1,159  
    Marketing   374       243       355  
    Amortization of other intangible assets   57       56       62  
    Other   1,333       1,556       1,190  
    Total non-interest expense   19,368       19,001       18,314  
    Income before income taxes   2,671       1,415       4,222  
    Income tax expense   537       339       1,104  
    Net income available to common shareholders $ 2,134     $ 1,076     $ 3,118  
    Earnings per common share:          
    Basic $ 0.22     $ 0.11     $ 0.33  
    Diluted   0.22       0.11       0.32  
    First Western Financial, Inc.
    Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (unaudited)


      September 30,   June 30,   September 30,
    (Dollars in thousands)   2024       2024       2023  
    Assets          
    Cash and cash equivalents:          
    Cash and due from banks $ 18,979     $ 6,374     $ 6,439  
    Interest-bearing deposits in other financial institutions   257,243       239,425       265,045  
    Total cash and cash equivalents   276,222       245,799       271,484  
               
    Held-to-maturity debt securities (fair value of $70,826, $71,067 and $66,487, respectively), net of allowance for credit losses of $71   76,745       78,927       75,539  
    Correspondent bank stock, at cost   5,746       10,804       11,305  
    Mortgage loans held for sale, at fair value   12,324       26,856       12,105  
    Loans held for sale, at fair value   473              
    Loans (includes $8,646, $10,190, and $15,464 measured at fair value, respectively)   2,383,199       2,456,063       2,530,459  
    Allowance for credit losses   (18,796 )     (27,319 )             (23,175 )
    Loans, net   2,364,403       2,428,744       2,507,284  
    Premises and equipment, net   24,350       24,657       25,410  
    Accrued interest receivable   10,455       11,339       11,633  
    Accounts receivable   4,864       5,118       5,292  
    Other receivables   10,397       4,875       3,052  
    Other real estate owned, net   37,036       11,421        
    Goodwill and other intangible assets, net   31,684       31,741       31,916  
    Deferred tax assets, net   4,075       6,123       6,624  
    Company-owned life insurance   16,849       16,741       16,429  
    Other assets   36,325       34,410       24,680  
    Total assets $ 2,911,948     $ 2,937,555     $ 3,002,753  
               
    Liabilities          
    Deposits:          
    Noninterest-bearing $ 473,576     $ 396,702     $ 476,308  
    Interest-bearing   2,029,478       2,014,190       1,943,688  
    Total deposits   2,503,054       2,410,892       2,419,996  
    Borrowings:          
    Federal Home Loan Bank and Federal Reserve borrowings   62,373       191,505       259,930  
    Subordinated notes   52,508       52,451       52,279  
    Accrued interest payable   3,339       2,243       3,203  
    Other liabilities   41,843       33,589       21,089  
    Total liabilities   2,663,117       2,690,680       2,756,497  
               
    Shareholders’ Equity          
    Total shareholders’ equity   248,831       246,875       246,256  
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $ 2,911,948     $ 2,937,555     $ 3,002,753  
    First Western Financial, Inc.
    Consolidated Financial Summary (unaudited)

      September 30,   June 30,   September 30,
    (Dollars in thousands)   2024       2024       2023  
    Loan Portfolio          
    Cash, Securities, and Other(1) $ 116,856     $ 143,720     $ 148,669  
    Consumer and Other   14,978       15,645       23,975  
    Construction and Development   301,542       309,146       349,436  
    1-4 Family Residential   920,709       904,569       913,085  
    Non-Owner Occupied CRE   608,494       609,790       527,377  
    Owner Occupied CRE   176,165       189,353       208,341  
    Commercial and Industrial   239,660       277,973       349,515  
    Total   2,378,404       2,450,196       2,520,398  
    Loans accounted for under the fair value option   8,884       10,494       16,105  
    Total loans held for investment   2,387,288       2,460,690       2,536,503  
    Deferred (fees) costs and unamortized premiums/(unaccreted discounts), net(2)   (4,089 )     (4,627 )     (6,044 )
    Loans (includes $8,646, $10,190, and $15,464 measured at fair value, respectively) $ 2,383,199     $ 2,456,063     $ 2,530,459  
    Mortgage loans held for sale   12,324       26,856       12,105  
    Loans held for sale   473              
               
    Deposit Portfolio          
    Money market deposit accounts $ 1,350,619     $ 1,342,753     $ 1,388,726  
    Time deposits   533,452       519,597       373,459  
    Interest checking accounts   130,255       135,759       164,000  
    Savings accounts   15,152       16,081       17,503  
    Total interest-bearing deposits   2,029,478       2,014,190       1,943,688  
    Noninterest-bearing accounts   473,576       396,702       476,308  
    Total deposits $ 2,503,054     $ 2,410,892     $ 2,419,996  

    ____________________
    (1) Includes PPP loans of $2.6 million as of September 30, 2024, $3.1 million as of June 30, 2024, and $4.9 million as of September 30, 2023.
    (2) Includes fair value adjustments on loans held for investment accounted for under the fair value option.

    First Western Financial, Inc.
    Consolidated Financial Summary (unaudited) (continued)


      As of or for the Three Months Ended
      September 30,   June 30,   September 30,
    (Dollars in thousands)   2024       2024       2023  
    Average Balance Sheets          
    Assets          
    Interest-earning assets:          
    Interest-bearing deposits in other financial institutions $ 129,629     $ 141,600     $   102,510  
    Debt securities   79,007       75,461       78,057  
    Correspondent bank stock   6,281       4,801       7,162  
    Loans   2,429,927       2,443,937       2,485,704  
    Mortgage loans held for sale   18,423       20,254       12,680  
    Loans held at fair value   9,691       11,314       16,715  
    Total interest-earning assets   2,672,958       2,697,367       2,702,828  
    Allowance for credit losses   (27,236 )     (24,267 )     (22,122 )
    Noninterest-earning assets   161,072       143,514       125,774  
    Total assets $ 2,806,794     $ 2,816,614     $ 2,806,480  
               
    Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity           
    Interest-bearing liabilities:           
    Interest-bearing deposits $ 2,007,265     $ 2,001,691     $ 1,846,318  
    FHLB and Federal Reserve borrowings   62,589       67,196       125,250  
    Subordinated notes   52,470       52,414       52,242  
    Total interest-bearing liabilities   2,122,324       2,121,301       2,023,810  
    Noninterest-bearing liabilities:          
    Noninterest-bearing deposits   395,755       412,741       512,956  
    Other liabilities   40,089       34,051       24,228  
    Total noninterest-bearing liabilities   435,844       446,792       537,184  
    Total shareholders’ equity   248,626       248,521       245,486  
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $ 2,806,794     $ 2,816,614     $ 2,806,480  
               
    Yields/Cost of funds (annualized)          
    Interest-bearing deposits in other financial institutions   5.38 %     5.27 %     5.00 %
    Debt securities   3.57       3.47       3.09  
    Correspondent bank stock   8.49       8.80       7.81  
    Loans   5.74       5.75       5.42  
    Loan held at fair value   5.79       5.97       7.12  
    Mortgage loans held for sale   5.87       6.83       6.70  
    Total interest-earning assets   5.67       5.67       5.35  
    Interest-bearing deposits   4.19       4.19       3.75  
    Total deposits   3.50       3.47       2.94  
    FHLB and Federal Reserve borrowings   4.03       4.14       4.58  
    Subordinated notes   5.60       5.66       6.08  
    Total interest-bearing liabilities   4.22       4.22       3.86  
    Net interest margin   2.32         2.35       2.46  
    Net interest rate spread   1.45       1.45       1.49  
    First Western Financial, Inc.
    Consolidated Financial Summary (unaudited) (continued)

      As of or for the Three Months Ended
      September 30,   June 30,   September 30,
    (Dollars in thousands, except share and per share amounts)   2024       2024       2023  
    Asset Quality          
    Non-performing loans $ 15,031     $ 37,909     $ 56,146  
    Non-performing assets   52,067       49,330       56,146  
    Net charge-offs (recoveries)   9,319       (9 )     190  
    Non-performing loans to total loans   0.63 %     1.54 %     2.21 %
    Non-performing assets to total assets   1.79       1.68       1.87  
    Allowance for credit losses to non-performing loans   125.05       72.06       41.28  
    Allowance for credit losses to total loans   0.79       1.11       0.92  
    Allowance for credit losses to adjusted loans(1)   0.79       1.12       0.92  
    Net charge-offs to average loans   0.38     *     0.01  
               
    Assets Under Management $ 7,465,757     $ 7,011,796     $ 6,395,786  
               
    Market Data          
    Book value per share at period end $ 25.75     $ 25.55     $ 25.76  
    Tangible book value per common share(1)   22.47       22.27       22.42  
    Weighted average outstanding shares, basic   9,663,131       9,647,345       9,553,331  
    Weighted average outstanding shares, diluted   9,825,515       9,750,667       9,743,270  
    Shares outstanding at period end   9,664,101       9,660,548       9,560,209  
               
    Consolidated Capital          
    Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets   10.06 %     9.92 %     9.32 %
    CET1 to risk-weighted assets   10.06       9.92       9.32  
    Total capital to risk-weighted assets   13.19       13.44       12.45  
    Tier 1 capital to average assets   8.04       7.91       7.96  
               
    Bank Capital          
    Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets   11.39 %     11.22 %     10.42 %
    CET1 to risk-weighted assets   11.39       11.22       10.42  
    Total capital to risk-weighted assets   12.13       12.35       11.31  
    Tier 1 capital to average assets   9.11       8.95       8.88  

    ____________________
    (1) Represents a Non-GAAP financial measure. See “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for a reconciliation of our Non-GAAP measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.
    * Value results in an immaterial amount.

    First Western Financial, Inc.
    Consolidated Financial Summary (unaudited) (continued)
    Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Financial Measures  
      As of or for the Three Months Ended
      September 30,   June 30,   September 30,
    (Dollars in thousands, except share and per share amounts)   2024       2024       2023  
    Tangible Common          
    Total shareholders’ equity $ 248,831     $ 246,875     $ 246,256  
    Less: goodwill and other intangibles, net   31,684       31,741       31,916  
    Tangible common equity $ 217,147     $ 215,134     $ 214,340  
               
    Common shares outstanding, end of period   9,664,101       9,660,548       9,560,209  
    Tangible common book value per share $ 22.47     $ 22.27     $ 22.42  
    Net income available to common shareholders   2,134       1,076       3,118  
    Return on tangible common equity (annualized)   3.93 %     2.00 %     5.82 %
               
    Efficiency          
    Non-interest expense $ 19,368     $ 19,001     $ 18,314  
    Less: amortization   57       56       62  
    Adjusted non-interest expense $ 19,311     $ 18,945     $ 18,252  
               
    Total income before non-interest expense $ 22,039     $ 20,416     $ 22,536  
    Less: unrealized (loss)/gain recognized on equity securities   24       (2 )     (19 )
    Less: net loss on loans accounted for under the fair value option   (233 )     (315 )     (252 )
    Plus: provision for credit losses   501       2,334       329  
    Gross revenue $ 22,749     $ 23,067     $ 23,136  
    Efficiency ratio   84.89 %     82.13 %     78.89 %
               
    Allowance for Credit Loss to Adjusted Loans          
    Total loans held for investment $ 2,387,288     $ 2,460,690     $ 2,536,503  
    Less: PPP loans   2,603       3,129       4,876  
    Less: loans accounted for under fair value   8,884       10,494       16,105  
    Adjusted loans $ 2,375,801     $ 2,447,067     $ 2,515,522  
               
    Allowance for credit losses $ 18,796     $ 27,319     $ 23,175  
    Allowance for credit losses to adjusted loans   0.79 %     1.12 %     0.92 %

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Lake Shore Bancorp, Inc. Declares Third Quarter 2024 Dividend

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DUNKIRK, N.Y., Oct. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lake Shore Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”) (NASDAQ: LSBK), the holding company for Lake Shore Savings Bank (the “Bank”), announced today that the Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.18 per share on its outstanding common stock on October 23, 2024. The dividend is expected to be paid on November 8, 2024 to stockholders of record as of November 4, 2024. The Company received the written approval from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia (the “Reserve Bank”) on September 30, 2024 to pay a cash dividend of $0.18 per share to its stockholders.

    About Lake Shore
    Lake Shore Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ Global Market: LSBK) is the mid-tier holding company of Lake Shore Savings Bank, a federally chartered, community-oriented financial institution headquartered in Dunkirk, New York. The Bank has ten full-service branch locations in Western New York, including four in Chautauqua County and six in Erie County. The Bank offers a broad range of retail and commercial lending and deposit services. The Company’s common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Market as “LSBK”. Additional information about the Company is available at www.lakeshoresavings.com.

    Safe-Harbor
    This release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the Company’s and the Bank’s industry, and management’s beliefs and assumptions. Words such as anticipates, expects, intends, plans, believes, estimates and variations of such words and expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect management’s current views of future events and operations. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to the Company as of the date of this release. It is important to note that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve and are subject to significant risks, contingencies, and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and are generally beyond our control including, but not limited to, compliance with the Bank’s Consent Order and an Individual Minimum Capital Requirement both issued by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, compliance with the Written Agreement with the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, data loss or other security breaches, including a breach of our operational or security systems, policies or procedures, including cyber-attacks on us or on our third party vendors or service providers, economic conditions, the effect of changes in monetary and fiscal policy, inflation, unanticipated changes in our liquidity position, climate change, geopolitical conflicts, public health issues, increased unemployment, deterioration in the credit quality of the loan portfolio and/or the value of the collateral securing repayment of loans, reduction in the value of investment securities, the cost and ability to attract and retain key employees, regulatory or legal developments, tax policy changes, dividend policy changes, and our ability to implement and execute our business plan and strategy and expand our operations. These factors should be considered in evaluating forward looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements, as our financial performance could differ materially due to various risks or uncertainties. We do not undertake to publicly update or revise our forward-looking statements if future changes make it clear that any projected results expressed or implied therein will not be realized.

    Source: Lake Shore Bancorp, Inc.
    Category: Financial

    Investor Relations/Media Contact
    Taylor M. Gilden
    Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
    Lake Shore Bancorp, Inc.
    31 East Fourth Street
    Dunkirk, New York 14048
    (716) 366-4070 ext. 1065

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Glacier Bancorp, Inc. Announces Results for the Quarter and Period Ended September 30, 2024

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    3rd Quarter 2024 Highlights:

    • Diluted earnings per share for the current quarter was $0.45 per share, an increase of 15 percent from the prior quarter diluted earnings per share of $0.39 per share.
    • Net income was $51.1 million for the current quarter, an increase of $6.3 million, or 14 percent, from the prior quarter net income of $44.7 million and a decrease of $1.4 million, or 3 percent, from the prior year third quarter net income of $52.4 million.
    • The net interest margin as a percentage of earning assets, on a tax-equivalent basis, for the current quarter was 2.83 percent, an increase of 15 basis points from the prior quarter net interest margin of 2.68 percent.
    • Net interest income was $180 million for the current quarter, an increase of $13.8 million, or 8 percent, from the prior quarter net interest income of $166 million and an increase of $13.2 million, or 8 percent, from the prior year third quarter net interest income of $167 million.
    • The loan portfolio of $17.181 billion increased $329 million, or 2 percent, during the current quarter and organically increased $57.6 million, or 1 percent annualized, during the current quarter.
    • Total core deposits of $20.711 billion, increased $613 million, or 3 percent, during the current quarter and organically increased $216 million, or 4 percent annualized, during the current quarter.
    • Non-interest bearing deposits of $6.408 billion, increased $314 million, or 5 percent, during the current quarter and organically increased $221 million, or 14 percent annualized, during the current quarter.
    • The loan yield of 5.69 percent in the current quarter increased 11 basis points from the prior quarter loan yield of 5.58 percent and increased 42 basis points from the prior year third quarter loan yield of 5.27 percent.
    • The total cost of funding (including non-interest bearing deposits) of 1.79 percent in the current quarter decreased 1 basis point from the prior quarter total cost of funding of 1.80 percent.
    • Stockholders’ equity of $3.245 billion increased $108 million, or 3 percent, during the current quarter and increased $370 million, or 13 percent, over the prior year third quarter.
    • The Company declared a quarterly dividend of $0.33 per share. The Company has declared 158 consecutive quarterly dividends and has increased the dividend 49 times.
    • The Company completed the acquisition and core system conversion of six Montana branch locations of Rocky Mountain Bank division (“RMB”) of HTLF Bank, a wholly owned subsidiary of Heartland Financial USA, Inc. with total assets of $403 million, total gross loans of $272 million and total deposits of $397 million.

    Year-to-date 2024 Highlights:

    • Net income for the first nine months of 2024 was $128 million, a decrease of $40.2 million, or 24 percent, from the prior year first nine months net income of $169 million.
    • Interest income for the first nine months of 2024 was $843 million, an increase of $98.7 million, or 13 percent, over the $744 million of interest income for the first nine months of 2023.
    • The loan portfolio increased $983 million, or 6 percent, during the first nine months of 2024 and organically increased $261 million, or 2 percent, during the first nine months of 2024.
    • The $2.740 billion of FRB Bank Term Funding (“BTFP”) was paid off during the current year through a combination of Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) advances and cash.
    • Dividends declared in the first nine months of 2024 were $0.99 per share.
    • The Company completed the acquisition and core system conversion of Community Financial Group, Inc., the parent company of Wheatland Bank (collectively, “Wheatland”), a leading eastern Washington community bank headquartered in Spokane with total assets of $778 million.

    Financial Summary  

      At or for the Three Months ended   At or for the Nine months ended
    (Dollars in thousands, except per share and market data) Sep 30,
    2024
      Jun 30,
    2024
      Mar 31,
    2024
      Sep 30,
    2023
      Sep 30,
    2024
      Sep 30,
    2023
    Operating results                      
    Net income $ 51,055     44,708     32,627     52,445     128,390     168,611  
    Basic earnings per share $ 0.45     0.39     0.29     0.47     1.14     1.52  
    Diluted earnings per share $ 0.45     0.39     0.29     0.47     1.13     1.52  
    Dividends declared per share $ 0.33     0.33     0.33     0.33     0.99     0.99  
    Market value per share                      
    Closing $ 45.70     37.32     40.28     28.50     45.70     28.50  
    High $ 47.71     40.18     42.75     36.45     47.71     50.03  
    Low $ 35.57     34.35     34.74     26.84     34.35     26.77  
    Selected ratios and other data                      
    Number of common stock shares outstanding   113,394,786     113,394,092     113,388,590     110,879,365     113,394,786     110,879,365  
    Average outstanding shares – basic   113,394,758     113,390,539     112,492,142     110,877,534     113,093,583     110,857,788  
    Average outstanding shares – diluted   113,473,107     113,405,491     112,554,402     110,886,959     113,137,861     110,882,718  
    Return on average assets (annualized)   0.73 %   0.66 %   0.47 %   0.75 %   0.62 %   0.83 %
    Return on average equity (annualized)   6.34 %   5.77 %   4.25 %   7.12 %   5.47 %   7.72 %
    Efficiency ratio   64.92 %   67.97 %   74.41 %   63.31 %   68.98 %   62.10 %
    Loan to deposit ratio   83.16 %   84.03 %   82.04 %   79.25 %   83.16 %   79.25 %
    Number of full time equivalent employees   3,434     3,399     3,438     3,314     3,434     3,314  
    Number of locations   232     231     232     221     232     221  
    Number of ATMs   279     286     285     274     279     274  
     

    KALISPELL, Mont., Oct. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Glacier Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE: GBCI) reported net income of $51.1 million for the current quarter, an increase of $6.3 million, or 14 percent from the prior quarter net income of $44.7 million and a decrease of $1.4 million, or 3 percent, from the $52.4 million of net income for the prior year third quarter. Diluted earnings per share for the current quarter was $0.45 per share, an increase of 15 percent from the prior quarter diluted earnings per share of $0.39 per share and a decrease of 4 percent from the prior year third quarter diluted earnings per share of $0.47. The decrease in net income compared to the prior year third quarter was due to the increase in funding costs and the increased costs associated with the acquisitions of Wheatland and RMB over the prior year third quarter. “Our positive business trends through the third quarter. We were very pleased to see solid earnings, margin and deposit growth,” said Randy Chesler, President and Chief Executive Officer. “We finalized the acquisition of the Rocky Mountain Bank Montana branches from Heartland and welcome the employees to the Glacier team.”

    Net income for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 was $128 million, a decrease of $40.2 million, or 24 percent, from the $169 million net income for the first nine months of the prior year. Diluted earnings per share for the first nine months of 2024 was $1.13 per share, a decrease of $0.39 per share from the prior year first nine months diluted earnings per share of $1.52. The decrease in net income for the first nine months of the current year compared to the prior year first nine months was primarily due to the significant increase in funding costs. In addition, the current year-to-date results included increased operating costs and a $9.7 million provision for credit losses associated with the acquisitions of Wheatland and RMB.

    On July 19, 2024, the Company completed the acquisition of six RMB branches in Montana. The branches have been combined with Glacier Bank divisions operating in Montana, including First Bank of Montana, First Security Bank of Bozeman, First Security Bank of Missoula, Valley Bank, and Western Security Bank. On January 31, 2024, the Company completed the acquisition of Wheatland, headquartered in Spokane, Washington. Wheatland had 14 branches in eastern Washington and was combined with the North Cascades Bank division under the name Wheatland Bank, division of Glacier Bank. The Wheatland Bank division now operates with a combined 23 branches in Central and Eastern Washington and is a Top 5 community bank by deposit share in Eastern Washington. The Company’s results of operations and financial condition include the Wheatland and RMB acquisitions beginning on the acquisition date of each. The following table discloses the preliminary fair value estimates of select classifications of assets and liabilities acquired:

      Wheatland   RMB    
    (Dollars in thousands) January 31,
    2024
      July 19,
    2024
      Total
    Total assets $ 777,659   $ 403,052   $ 1,180,711
    Cash and cash equivalents   12,926     76,781     89,707
    Debt securities   187,183         187,183
    Loans receivable   450,403     271,569     721,972
    Non-interest bearing deposits   277,651     93,534     371,185
    Interest bearing deposits   339,304     303,156     642,460
    Borrowings   58,500     4,305     62,805
    Core deposit intangible   16,936     9,794     26,730
    Goodwill   38,369     29,794     68,163
     

    Asset Summary

                      $ Change from
    (Dollars in thousands) Sep 30,
    2024
      Jun 30,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
      Sep 30,
    2023
      Jun 30,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
      Sep 30,
    2023
    Cash and cash equivalents $ 987,833     800,779     1,354,342     1,672,094     187,054     (366,509 )   (684,261 )
    Debt securities, available-for-sale   4,436,578     4,499,541     4,785,719     4,741,738     (62,963 )   (349,141 )   (305,160 )
    Debt securities, held-to-maturity   3,348,698     3,400,403     3,502,411     3,553,805     (51,705 )   (153,713 )   (205,107 )
    Total debt securities   7,785,276     7,899,944     8,288,130     8,295,543     (114,668 )   (502,854 )   (510,267 )
    Loans receivable                          
    Residential real estate   1,837,697     1,771,528     1,704,544     1,653,777     66,169     133,153     183,920  
    Commercial real estate   10,833,841     10,713,964     10,303,306     10,292,446     119,877     530,535     541,395  
    Other commercial   3,177,051     3,066,028     2,901,863     2,916,785     111,023     275,188     260,266  
    Home equity   931,440     905,884     888,013     869,963     25,556     43,427     61,477  
    Other consumer   401,158     394,587     400,356     402,075     6,571     802     (917 )
    Loans receivable   17,181,187     16,851,991     16,198,082     16,135,046     329,196     983,105     1,046,141  
    Allowance for credit losses   (205,170 )   (200,955 )   (192,757 )   (192,271 )   (4,215 )   (12,413 )   (12,899 )
    Loans receivable, net   16,976,017     16,651,036     16,005,325     15,942,775     324,981     970,692     1,033,242  
    Other assets   2,456,643     2,453,581     2,094,832     2,153,149     3,062     361,811     303,494  
    Total assets $ 28,205,769     27,805,340     27,742,629     28,063,561     400,429     463,140     142,208  
     

    Total debt securities of $7.785 billion at September 30, 2024 decreased $115 million, or 1 percent, during the current quarter and decreased $510 million, or 6 percent, from the prior year third quarter. Debt securities represented 28 percent of total assets at September 30, 2024 compared to 30 percent at December 31, 2023 and 30 percent at September 30, 2023.

    The loan portfolio of $17.181 billion at September 30, 2024 increased $329 million, or 2 percent, during the current quarter. Excluding the RMB acquisition, the loan portfolio organically increased $57.6 million, or 1 percent annualized, during the current quarter. Excluding the RMB and Wheatland acquisitions, the loan portfolio organically increased $261 million, or 2 percent, during the first nine months of 2024 and increased $324 million, or 2 percent, from the prior year third quarter.

    Credit Quality Summary

      At or for the Nine Months ended   At or for the Six Months ended   At or for the Year ended   At or for the Nine Months ended
    (Dollars in thousands) Sep 30,
    2024
      Jun 30,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
      Sep 30,
    2023
    Allowance for credit losses              
    Balance at beginning of period $ 192,757     192,757     182,283     182,283  
    Acquisitions   3     3          
    Provision for credit losses   21,138     14,157     20,790     16,609  
    Charge-offs   (12,406 )   (8,430 )   (15,095 )   (10,284 )
    Recoveries   3,678     2,468     4,779     3,663  
    Balance at end of period $ 205,170     200,955     192,757     192,271  
    Provision for credit losses              
    Loan portfolio $ 21,138     14,157     20,790     16,609  
    Unfunded loan commitments   (1,366 )   (2,390 )   (5,995 )   (4,827 )
    Total provision for credit losses $ 19,772     11,767     14,795     11,782  
    Other real estate owned $ 432     432     1,032      
    Other foreclosed assets   201     198     471     48  
    Accruing loans 90 days or more past due   11,551     4,692     3,312     3,855  
    Non-accrual loans   15,937     12,686     20,816     38,380  
    Total non-performing assets $ 28,121     18,008     25,631     42,283  
    Non-performing assets as a percentage of subsidiary assets   0.10 %   0.06 %   0.09 %   0.15 %
    Allowance for credit losses as a percentage of non-performing loans   730 %   1,116 %   799 %   455 %
    Allowance for credit losses as a percentage of total loans   1.19 %   1.19 %   1.19 %   1.19 %
    Net charge-offs as a percentage of total loans   0.05 %   0.04 %   0.06 %   0.04 %
    Accruing loans 30-89 days past due $ 56,213     49,678     49,967     15,253  
    U.S. government guarantees included in non-performing assets $ 1,802     1,228     1,503     1,057  
     

    Non-performing assets as a percentage of subsidiary assets at September 30, 2024 was 0.10 percent compared to 0.06 percent in the prior quarter and 0.15 percent in the prior year third quarter. Non-performing assets of $28.1 million at September 30, 2024 increased $10.1 million, or 56 percent, over the prior quarter and decreased $14.2 million, or 33 percent, over the prior year third quarter.

    Early stage delinquencies (accruing loans 30-89 days past due) as a percentage of loans at September 30, 2024 were 0.33 percent compared to 0.29 percent for the prior quarter end and 0.09 percent for the prior year third quarter. Early stage delinquencies of $56.2 million at September 30, 2024 increased $6.5 million from the prior quarter and increased $41.0 million from prior year third quarter.

    The current quarter credit loss expense of $8.0 million included $2.8 million of provision for credit losses on loans and $799 thousand of provision for credit losses on unfunded commitments from the acquisition of RMB. Excluding the acquisition of RMB, the current quarter credit loss expense was $4.4 million, including $4.2 million of credit loss expense from loans and $225 thousand of credit loss expense from unfunded loan commitments.

    For the first nine months of the current year, the provision for credit losses of $19.8 million included $8.1 million of provision for credit losses on loans and $1.6 million of provision for credit losses on unfunded loan commitments from the acquisitions of Wheatland and RMB.

    The allowance for credit losses on loans (“ACL”) as a percentage of total loans outstanding at September 30, 2024 was 1.19 percent and remained unchanged from the prior year end and the prior year third quarter. Loan portfolio growth, composition, average loan size, credit quality considerations, economic forecasts and other environmental factors will continue to determine the level of the provision for credit losses for loans. 

    Credit Quality Trends and Provision for Credit Losses on the Loan Portfolio

    (Dollars in thousands) Provision for Credit Losses Loans   Net Charge-Offs   ACL
    as a Percent
    of Loans
      Accruing
    Loans 30-89
    Days Past Due
    as a Percent of
    Loans
      Non-Performing
    Assets to
    Total Subsidiary
    Assets
    Third quarter 2024 $ 6,981   $ 2,766   1.19 %   0.33 %   0.10 %
    Second quarter 2024   5,066     2,890   1.19 %   0.29 %   0.06 %
    First quarter 2024   9,091     3,072   1.19 %   0.37 %   0.09 %
    Fourth quarter 2023   4,181     3,695   1.19 %   0.31 %   0.09 %
    Third quarter 2023   5,095     2,209   1.19 %   0.09 %   0.15 %
    Second quarter 2023   5,254     2,473   1.19 %   0.16 %   0.12 %
    First quarter 2023   6,260     1,939   1.20 %   0.16 %   0.12 %
    Fourth quarter 2022   6,060     1,968   1.20 %   0.14 %   0.12 %
     

    Net charge-offs for the current quarter were $2.8 million compared to $2.9 million in the prior quarter and $2.2 million for the prior year third quarter. Net charge-offs of $2.8 million included $1.9 million in deposit overdraft net charge-offs and $815 thousand of net loan charge-offs.

    Supplemental information regarding credit quality and identification of the Company’s loan portfolio based on regulatory classification is provided in the exhibits at the end of this press release. The regulatory classification of loans is based primarily on collateral type while the Company’s loan segments presented herein are based on the purpose of the loan.

    Liability Summary

                      $ Change from
    (Dollars in thousands) Sep 30,
    2024
      Jun 30,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
      Sep 30,
    2023
      Jun 30,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
      Sep 30,
    2023
    Deposits                          
    Non-interest bearing deposits $ 6,407,728   6,093,430   6,022,980   6,465,353   314,298     384,748     (57,625 )
    NOW and DDA accounts   5,363,476   5,219,838   5,321,257   5,253,367   143,638     42,219     110,109  
    Savings accounts   2,801,077   2,862,034   2,833,887   2,872,362   (60,957 )   (32,810 )   (71,285 )
    Money market deposit accounts   2,854,540   2,858,850   2,831,624   2,994,631   (4,310 )   22,916     (140,091 )
    Certificate accounts   3,284,609   3,064,613   2,915,393   2,742,017   219,996     369,216     542,592  
    Core deposits, total   20,711,430   20,098,765   19,925,141   20,327,730   612,665     786,289     383,700  
    Wholesale deposits   3,334   2,994   4,026   67,434   340     (692 )   (64,100 )
    Deposits, total   20,714,764   20,101,759   19,929,167   20,395,164   613,005     785,597     319,600  
    Repurchase agreements   1,831,501   1,629,504   1,486,850   1,499,696   201,997     344,651     331,805  
    Deposits and repurchase agreements, total   22,546,265   21,731,263   21,416,017   21,894,860   815,002     1,130,248     651,405  
    Federal Home Loan Bank advances   1,800,000   2,350,000       (550,000 )   1,800,000     1,800,000  
    FRB Bank Term Funding       2,740,000   2,740,000       (2,740,000 )   (2,740,000 )
    Other borrowed funds   84,168   88,149   81,695   73,752   (3,981 )   2,473     10,416  
    Subordinated debentures   133,065   133,024   132,943   132,903   41     122     162  
    Other liabilities   397,221   365,459   351,693   347,452   31,762     45,528     49,769  
    Total liabilities $ 24,960,719   24,667,895   24,722,348   25,188,967   292,824     238,371     (228,248 )
     

    Total core deposits of $20.711 billion at September 30, 2024 increased $613 million, or 3 percent, from the prior quarter and increased $786 million, or 4 percent, from the prior year end. Total core deposits organically increased $217 million, or 4 percent annualized, during the current quarter and decreased $227 million, or 1 percent, from the prior year end.

    Total non-interest bearing deposits of $6.408 billion, increased $314 million, or 5 percent, from the prior quarter and increased $385 million, or 6 percent, from the prior year end. Non-interest bearing deposits organically increased $221 million, or 14 percent annualized, during the current quarter and increased $13.6 million, or 23 basis points, from the prior year end. Non-interest bearing deposits represented 31 percent of total deposits at June 30, 2024, compared to 30 percent at December 31, 2023 and 32 percent at September 30, 2023.

    FHLB borrowings of $1.800 billion decreased $550 million, or 23 percent, during the current quarter. Upon maturity in the first quarter of 2024, the Company paid off its $2.740 billion BTFP borrowings with a combination of $2.140 billion in FHLB borrowings and cash.

    Stockholders’ Equity Summary

                      $ Change from
    (Dollars in thousands, except per share data) Sep 30,
    2024
      Jun 30,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
      Sep 30,
    2023
      Jun 30,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
      Sep 30,
    2023
    Common equity $ 3,507,356     3,492,096     3,394,394     3,374,961     15,260     112,962     132,395  
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss   (262,306 )   (354,651 )   (374,113 )   (500,367 )   92,345     111,807     238,061  
    Total stockholders’ equity   3,245,050     3,137,445     3,020,281     2,874,594     107,605     224,769     370,456  
    Goodwill and intangibles, net   (1,106,336 )   (1,066,790 )   (1,017,263 )   (1,019,690 )   (39,546 )   (89,073 )   (86,646 )
    Tangible stockholders’ equity $ 2,138,714     2,070,655     2,003,018     1,854,904     68,059     135,696     283,810  
    Stockholders’ equity to total assets   11.50 %   11.28 %   10.89 %   10.24 %            
    Tangible stockholders’ equity to total tangible assets   7.89 %   7.74 %   7.49 %   6.86 %            
    Book value per common share $ 28.62     27.67     27.24     25.93     0.95   1.38   2.69
    Tangible book value per common share $ 18.86     18.26     18.06     16.73     0.60   0.80   2.13
     

    Tangible stockholders’ equity of $2.139 billion at September 30, 2024 increased $68.1 million, or 3 percent, compared to the prior quarter and was primarily the result of a decrease in unrealized loss on the available-for-sale debt securities which was partially offset by the increase in goodwill and core deposit intangibles associated with the acquisition of RMB. Tangible stockholders’ equity at September 30, 2024 increased $136 million, or 7 percent, compared to the prior year end and was primarily due to $92.4 million of Company common stock issued for the acquisition of Wheatland and the decrease in the unrealized loss on the available-for-sale securities. The increase was partially offset by the increase in goodwill and core deposits associated with the acquisitions of Wheatland and RMB. Tangible book value per common share of $18.86 at the current quarter end increased $0.80 per share, or 4 percent, from the prior year end and increased $2.13 per share, or 13 percent, from the prior year third quarter.

    Cash Dividends
    On September 24, 2024, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.33 per share. The dividend was payable October 17, 2024 to shareholders of record on October 8, 2024. The dividend was the Company’s 158th consecutive regular dividend. Future cash dividends will depend on a variety of factors, including net income, capital, asset quality, general economic conditions and regulatory considerations.

    Operating Results for Three Months Ended September 30, 2024 
    Compared to June 30, 2024, March 31, 2024 and September 30, 2023
     
    Income Summary
      Three Months ended   $ Change from
    (Dollars in thousands) Sep 30,
    2024
      Jun 30,
    2024
      Mar 31,
    2024
      Sep 30,
    2023
      Jun 30,
    2024
      Mar 31,
    2024
      Sep 30,
    2023
    Net interest income                          
    Interest income $ 289,578     273,834     279,402     264,906     15,744   10,176     24,672
    Interest expense   109,347     107,356     112,922     97,852     1,991   (3,575 )   11,495
    Total net interest income   180,231     166,478     166,480     167,054     13,753   13,751     13,177
    Non-interest income                          
    Service charges and other fees   20,587     19,422     18,563     19,304     1,165   2,024     1,283
    Miscellaneous loan fees and charges   4,970     4,821     4,362     4,322     149   608     648
    Gain on sale of loans   4,898     4,669     3,362     4,046     229   1,536     852
    Gain (loss) on sale of securities   26     (12 )   16     (65 )   38   10     91
    Other income   4,223     3,304     3,686     2,633     919   537     1,590
    Total non-interest income   34,704     32,204     29,989     30,240     2,500   4,715     4,464
    Total income $ 214,935     198,682     196,469     197,294     16,253   18,466     17,641
    Net interest margin (tax-equivalent)   2.83 %   2.68 %   2.59 %   2.58 %            
     

    Net Interest Income
    The current quarter interest income of $290 million increased $15.7 million, or 6 percent, over the prior quarter and increased $24.7 million, or 9 percent, over the prior year third quarter, with both increases being primarily due to the increase in the loan yields and the increase in average balances of the loan portfolio. The loan yield of 5.69 percent in the current quarter increased 11 basis points from the prior quarter loan yield of 5.58 percent and increased 42 basis points from the prior year third quarter loan yield of 5.27 percent.

    The current quarter interest expense of $109 million increased $2.0 million, or 2 percent, over the prior quarter and was primarily attributable to the increase in average deposit balances. The current quarter interest expense increased $11.5 million, or 12 percent, over the prior year third quarter and was primarily the result of an increase in rates on deposits and borrowings. Core deposit cost (including non-interest bearing deposits) was 1.37 percent for the current quarter compared to 1.36 percent in the prior quarter and 1.03 percent for the prior year third quarter. The total cost of funding (including non-interest bearing deposits) of 1.79 percent in the current quarter decreased 1 basis point from the prior quarter. The current quarter cost of funds increased 21 basis points from the prior year third quarter which was primarily the result of the increased deposit rates.

    The net interest margin as a percentage of earning assets, on a tax-equivalent basis, for the current quarter was 2.83 percent, an increase of 15 basis points from the prior quarter net interest margin of 2.68 percent and was primarily driven by an increase in loan yields. The net interest margin as a percentage of earning assets, on a tax-equivalent basis, for the current quarter was an increase of 25 basis points from the prior year third quarter net interest margin of 2.58 percent and was primarily driven by an increase in loan yields which more than offset the total cost of funding. Core net interest margin excludes the impact from discount accretion and non-accrual interest. Excluding the 4 basis points from discount accretion, the core net interest margin was 2.79 percent in the current quarter compared to 2.63 percent in the prior quarter and 2.55 in the prior year third quarter. “The growth in the loan portfolio at higher yields was funded primarily by the remix of lower yield cash flow from the securities portfolio,” said Ron Copher, Chief Financial Officer. “In addition, the growth in non-interest bearing deposits and the reduction in wholesale funding contributed to the improvement in the current quarter net interest margin.”

    Non-interest Income
    Non-interest income for the current quarter totaled $34.7 million, which was an increase of $2.5 million, or 8 percent, over the prior quarter and an increase of $4.5 million, or 15 percent, over the prior year third quarter. Service charges and other fees of $20.6 million for the current quarter increased $1.2 million, or 6 percent, compared to the prior quarter and increased $1.3 million, or 7 percent, compared to the prior year third quarter. Gain on the sale of residential loans of $4.9 million for the current quarter increased $229 thousand, or 5 percent, compared to the prior quarter and increased $852 thousand, or 21 percent, from the prior year third quarter. Other income of $4.2 million increased $919 thousand, or 28 percent, over the prior quarter and increased $1.6 million, or 60 percent, over the prior year third quarter, with both increases being driven by a $1.2 million gain on the sale of repossessed property during the current quarter.

    Non-interest Expense Summary

      Three Months ended   $ Change from
    (Dollars in thousands) Sep 30,
    2024
      Jun 30,
    2024
      Mar 31,
    2024
      Sep 30,
    2023
      Jun 30,
    2024
      Mar 31,
    2024
      Sep 30,
    2023
    Compensation and employee benefits $ 85,083   84,434   85,789   77,387   649     (706 )   7,696  
    Occupancy and equipment   11,989   11,594   11,883   10,553   395     106     1,436  
    Advertising and promotions   4,062   4,362   3,983   4,052   (300 )   79     10  
    Data processing   9,196   9,387   9,159   8,730   (191 )   37     466  
    Other real estate owned and foreclosed assets   13   149   25   15   (136 )   (12 )   (2 )
    Regulatory assessments and insurance   5,150   5,393   7,761   6,060   (243 )   (2,611 )   (910 )
    Intangibles amortization   3,367   3,017   2,760   2,428   350     607     939  
    Other expenses   25,848   22,616   30,483   20,351   3,232     (4,635 )   5,497  
    Total non-interest expense $ 144,708   140,952   151,843   129,576   3,756     (7,135 )   15,132  
     

    Total non-interest expense of $145 million for the current quarter increased $3.8 million, or 3 percent, over the prior quarter and increased $15.1 million, or 12 percent, over the prior year third quarter. Compensation and employee benefits increased $7.7 million, or 10 percent, from the prior year third quarter and was driven by annual salary increases, increased performance-related compensation and increases from the acquisitions of Wheatland and RMB.

    Other expenses of $25.8 million increased $3.2 million, or 14 percent, from the prior quarter, which was attributable to several miscellaneous category increases including an increase of $1.2 million in outside consulting services. In addition, the current quarter other expenses included $586 thousand of gains from the sale of former branch facilities and disposal of fixed assets compared to $1.5 million in the prior quarter. Other expenses increased $5.5 million, or 27 percent, from the prior year third quarter as a result of several miscellaneous category increases including an increase of $2.7 million in outside consulting services and an increase of $1.6 million in acquisition-related expenses. Acquisition-related expense was $1.9 million in the current quarter compared to $1.8 million in the prior quarter and $279 thousand in the prior year third quarter.

    Federal and State Income Tax Expense
    Tax expense during the third quarter of 2024 was $11.2 million, an increase of $1.7 million, or 18 percent, compared to the prior quarter and a decrease of $567 thousand, or 5 percent, from the prior year third quarter. The effective tax rate in the current quarter was 17.9 percent compared to 17.5 percent in the prior quarter and 18.3 percent in the prior year third quarter.

    Efficiency Ratio
    The efficiency ratio was 64.92 percent in the current quarter compared to 67.97 percent in the prior quarter and 63.31 percent in the prior year third quarter. The decrease from the prior quarter was principally driven by the increase in net interest income that more than offset the increase in non-interest expense.

    Operating Results for Nine Months Ended September 30, 2024
    Compared to September 30, 2023
     
    Income Summary
      Nine months ended    
    (Dollars in thousands) Sep 30,
    2024
      Sep 30,
    2023
      $ Change   % Change
    Net interest income              
    Interest income $ 842,814     $ 744,159     $ 98,655     13  %
    Interest expense   329,625       218,933       110,692     51  %
    Total net interest income   513,189       525,226       (12,037 )   (2 )%
    Non-interest income              
    Service charges and other fees   58,572       56,042       2,530     5  %
    Miscellaneous loan fees and charges   14,153       12,451       1,702     14  %
    Gain on sale of loans   12,929       9,974       2,955     30  %
    Gain (loss) on sale of securities   30       (202 )     232     (115  )%
    Other income   11,213       8,949       2,264     25  %
    Total non-interest income   96,897       87,214       9,683     11  %
    Total Income $ 610,086     $ 612,440     $ (2,354 )    %
    Net interest margin (tax-equivalent)   2.70 %     2.79 %        
     

    Net Interest Income
    Net-interest income of $513 million for the first nine months of 2024 decreased $12.0 million, or 2 percent, over 2023 and was primarily driven by increased interest expense which outpaced the increase in interest income. Interest income of $843 million for 2024 increased $98.7 million, or 13 percent, from the prior year and was primarily attributable to the increase in the loan portfolio and an increase in loan yields. The loan yield was 5.58 percent during the first nine months of 2024, an increase of 44 basis points from the prior year first nine months loan yield of 5.14 percent.

    Interest expense of $330 million for the first nine months of 2024 increased $111 million, or 51 percent, over the same period in the prior year and was primarily the result of higher interest rates on deposits. Core deposit cost (including non-interest bearing deposits) was 1.36 percent for the first nine months of 2024 compared to 0.62 percent for the same period in the prior year. The total funding cost (including non-interest bearing deposits) for the first nine months of 2024 was 1.81 percent, which was an increase of 59 basis points over the first nine months of the prior year funding cost of 1.22 percent.

    The net interest margin as a percentage of earning assets, on a tax-equivalent basis, during the first nine months of 2024 was 2.70 percent, a 9 basis points decrease from the net interest margin of 2.79 percent for the first nine months of the prior year. Excluding the 4 basis points from discount accretion and the 1 basis point from non-accrual interest, the core net interest margin was 2.65 percent in the first nine months of the current year compared to 2.77 percent in the prior year first nine months.

    Non-interest Income  
    Non-interest income of $96.9 million for the first nine months of 2024 increased $9.7 million, or 11 percent, over the same period last year. Gain on sale of residential loans of $12.9 million for the first nine months of 2024 increased by $3.0 million, or 30 percent, over the first nine months of the prior year. Other income of $11.2 million for the first nine months of 2024 increased $2.3 million, or 25 percent, over the same period last year and was primarily driven by a $1.2 million gain on the sale of repossessed property during the current quarter.

    Non-interest Expense Summary

      Nine months ended        
    (Dollars in thousands) Sep 30,
    2024
      Sep 30,
    2023
      $ Change   % Change
    Compensation and employee benefits $ 255,306   $ 237,628   $ 17,678   7 %
    Occupancy and equipment   35,466     33,045     2,421   7 %
    Advertising and promotions   12,407     12,020     387   3 %
    Data processing   27,742     25,241     2,501   10 %
    Other real estate owned and foreclosed assets   187     41     146   356 %
    Regulatory assessments and insurance   18,304     16,277     2,027   12 %
    Core deposit intangibles amortization   9,144     7,304     1,840   25 %
    Other expenses   78,947     63,606     15,341   24 %
    Total non-interest expense $ 437,503   $ 395,162   $ 42,341   11 %
     

    Total non-interest expense of $438 million for the first nine months of 2024 increased $42.3 million, or 11 percent, over the same period in the prior year. Compensation and employee benefits expense of $255 million in the first nine months of 2024 increased $17.7 million, or 7 percent, over the same period in the prior year and was driven by annual salary increases and the acquisitions of Wheatland and RMB. Data processing expenses of $27.7 million for the first nine months of 2024 increased $2.5 million, or 10 percent, from the same period in the prior year. Regulatory assessments and insurance expense of $18.3 million for the first nine months of 2024 increased $2.0 million, or 12 percent, over the same period in the prior year which was principally due to the accrual adjustment for the FDIC special assessment. Other expenses of $78.9 million for the first nine months of 2024 increased $15.3 million, or 24 percent, from the first nine months of the prior year and was primarily driven by an increase of $8.6 million of acquisition-related expenses, which was partially offset by gains of $3.1 million from the sale of former branch facilities and disposal of fixed assets.

    Provision for Credit Losses
    The provision for credit loss expense was $19.8 million for the first nine months of 2024, an increase of $8.0 million, or 68 percent, over the same period in the prior year and was primarily attributable to $9.7 million from the acquisitions of Wheatland and RMB. Net charge-offs for the first nine months of 2024 were $8.7 million compared to $6.6 million in the first nine months of 2023.

    Federal and State Income Tax Expense
    Tax expense of $24.4 million for the first nine months of 2024 decreased $12.5 million, or 34 percent, over the prior year. The effective tax rate for the first nine months of 2024 was 16.0 percent compared to 17.9 percent for the same period in the prior year. The decrease in tax expense and the resulting effective tax rate was the result of a combination of increased federal tax credits and a decrease in the pre-tax income.

    Efficiency Ratio
    The efficiency ratio was 68.98 percent for the first nine months of 2024 compared to 62.10 percent for the same period of 2023. The increase from the prior year was primarily attributable to the increase in interest expense in the current year that outpaced the increase in interest income and increased non-interest expense.

    Forward-Looking Statements  
    This news release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements about the Company’s plans, objectives, expectations and intentions that are not historical facts, and other statements identified by words such as “expects,” “anticipates,” “intends,” “plans,” “believes,” “should,” “projects,” “seeks,” “estimates” or other comparable words or phrases of a future or forward-looking nature. These forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and expectations of management and are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond the Company’s control. In addition, these forward-looking statements are based on assumptions that are subject to change. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results (express or implied) or other expectations in the forward-looking statements, including those made in this news release:

    • risks associated with lending and potential adverse changes in the credit quality of the Company’s loan portfolio;
    • changes in monetary and fiscal policies, including interest rate policies of the Federal Reserve Board, which could adversely affect the Company’s net interest income and margin, the fair value of its financial instruments, profitability, and stockholders’ equity;
    • legislative or regulatory changes, including increased FDIC insurance rates and assessments, changes in the review and regulation of bank mergers, or increased banking and consumer protection regulations, that may adversely affect the Company’s business and strategies;
    • risks related to overall economic conditions, including the impact on the economy of an uncertain interest rate environment, inflationary pressures, and geopolitical instability, including the wars in Ukraine and the Middle East;
    • risks associated with the Company’s ability to negotiate, complete, and successfully integrate any future acquisitions;
    • costs or difficulties related to the completion and integration of pending or future acquisitions;
    • impairment of the goodwill recorded by the Company in connection with acquisitions, which may have an adverse impact on earnings and capital;
    • reduction in demand for banking products and services, whether as a result of changes in customer behavior, economic conditions, banking environment, or competition;
    • deterioration of the reputation of banks and the financial services industry, which could adversely affect the Company’s ability to obtain and maintain customers;
    • changes in the competitive landscape, including as may result from new market entrants or further consolidation in the financial services industry, resulting in the creation of larger competitors with greater financial resources;
    • risks presented by public stock market volatility, which could adversely affect the market price of the Company’s common stock and the ability to raise additional capital or grow through acquisitions;
    • risks associated with dependence on the Chief Executive Officer, the senior management team and the Presidents of Glacier Bank’s divisions;
    • material failure, potential interruption or breach in security of the Company’s systems or changes in technological which could expose the Company to cybersecurity risks, fraud, system failures, or direct liabilities;
    • risks related to natural disasters, including droughts, fires, floods, earthquakes, pandemics, and other unexpected events;
    • success in managing risks involved in the foregoing; and
    • effects of any reputational damage to the Company resulting from any of the foregoing.

    The Company does not undertake any obligation to publicly correct or update any forward-looking statement if it later becomes aware that actual results are likely to differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statement.

    Conference Call Information
    A conference call for investors is scheduled for 11:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Friday, October 25, 2024. Please note that our conference call host no longer offers a general dial-in number. Investors who would like to join the call may now register by following this link to obtain dial-in instructions: https://register.vevent.com/register/BI32ee03ea65c34bd794e0027768d383d4. To participate via the webcast, log on to: https://edge.media-server.com/mmc/p/9bh88vfv.

    About Glacier Bancorp, Inc.
    Glacier Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE: GBCI), a member of the Russell 2000® and the S&P MidCap 400® indices, is the parent company for Glacier Bank and its Bank divisions located across its eight state Western U.S. footprint: Altabank (American Fork, UT), Bank of the San Juans (Durango, CO), Citizens Community Bank (Pocatello, ID), Collegiate Peaks Bank (Buena Vista, CO), First Bank of Montana (Lewistown, MT), First Bank of Wyoming (Powell, WY), First Community Bank Utah (Layton, UT), First Security Bank (Bozeman, MT), First Security Bank of Missoula (Missoula, MT), First State Bank (Wheatland, WY), Glacier Bank (Kalispell, MT), Heritage Bank of Nevada (Reno, NV), Mountain West Bank (Coeur d’Alene, ID), The Foothills Bank (Yuma, AZ), Valley Bank of Helena (Helena, MT), Western Security Bank (Billings, MT), and Wheatland Bank (Spokane, WA).

    Glacier Bancorp, Inc.
    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition
     
    (Dollars in thousands, except per share data) Sep 30,
    2024
      Jun 30,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
      Sep 30,
    2023
    Assets              
    Cash on hand and in banks $ 342,105     271,107     246,525     264,067  
    Interest bearing cash deposits   645,728     529,672     1,107,817     1,408,027  
    Cash and cash equivalents   987,833     800,779     1,354,342     1,672,094  
    Debt securities, available-for-sale   4,436,578     4,499,541     4,785,719     4,741,738  
    Debt securities, held-to-maturity   3,348,698     3,400,403     3,502,411     3,553,805  
    Total debt securities   7,785,276     7,899,944     8,288,130     8,295,543  
    Loans held for sale, at fair value   46,126     39,745     15,691     29,027  
    Loans receivable   17,181,187     16,851,991     16,198,082     16,135,046  
    Allowance for credit losses   (205,170 )   (200,955 )   (192,757 )   (192,271 )
    Loans receivable, net   16,976,017     16,651,036     16,005,325     15,942,775  
    Premises and equipment, net   466,977     451,515     421,791     415,343  
    Other real estate owned and foreclosed assets   633     630     1,503     48  
    Accrued interest receivable   114,121     102,279     94,526     104,476  
    Deferred tax asset   125,432     155,834     159,070     203,745  
    Intangibles, net   52,780     43,028     31,870     34,297  
    Goodwill   1,053,556     1,023,762     985,393     985,393  
    Non-marketable equity securities   98,285     121,810     12,755     11,330  
    Bank-owned life insurance   188,971     187,793     171,101     170,175  
    Other assets   309,762     327,185     201,132     199,315  
    Total assets $ 28,205,769     27,805,340     27,742,629     28,063,561  
    Liabilities              
    Non-interest bearing deposits $ 6,407,728     6,093,430     6,022,980     6,465,353  
    Interest bearing deposits   14,307,036     14,008,329     13,906,187     13,929,811  
    Securities sold under agreements to repurchase   1,831,501     1,629,504     1,486,850     1,499,696  
    FHLB advances   1,800,000     2,350,000          
    FRB Bank Term Funding           2,740,000     2,740,000  
    Other borrowed funds   84,168     88,149     81,695     73,752  
    Subordinated debentures   133,065     133,024     132,943     132,903  
    Accrued interest payable   35,382     31,000     125,907     91,874  
    Other liabilities   361,839     334,459     225,786     255,578  
    Total liabilities   24,960,719     24,667,895     24,722,348     25,188,967  
    Commitments and Contingent Liabilities                
    Stockholders’ Equity              
    Preferred shares, $0.01 par value per share, 1,000,000 shares authorized, none issued or outstanding                
    Common stock, $0.01 par value per share, 234,000,000 shares authorized   1,134     1,134     1,109     1,109  
    Paid-in capital   2,447,200     2,445,479     2,350,104     2,348,305  
    Retained earnings – substantially restricted   1,059,022     1,045,483     1,043,181     1,025,547  
    Accumulated other comprehensive loss   (262,306 )   (354,651 )   (374,113 )   (500,367 )
    Total stockholders’ equity   3,245,050     3,137,445     3,020,281     2,874,594  
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 28,205,769     27,805,340     27,742,629     28,063,561  
    Glacier Bancorp, Inc.
    Unaudited Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations
     
      Three Months ended   Nine months ended
    (Dollars in thousands, except per share data) Sep 30,
    2024
      Jun 30,
    2024
      Mar 31,
    2024
      Sep 30,
    2023
      Sep 30,
    2024
      Sep 30,
    2023
    Interest Income                      
    Investment securities $ 46,371   42,165     56,218   53,397     144,754   144,697  
    Residential real estate loans   23,118   21,754     20,764   18,594     65,636   51,508  
    Commercial loans   196,901   188,326     181,472   173,437     566,699   493,706  
    Consumer and other loans   23,188   21,589     20,948   19,478     65,725   54,248  
    Total interest income   289,578   273,834     279,402   264,906     842,814   744,159  
    Interest Expense                      
    Deposits   70,607   67,852     67,196   54,697     205,655   98,942  
    Securities sold under agreements to
    repurchase
      14,737   13,566     12,598   10,972     40,901   24,185  
    Federal Home Loan Bank advances   22,344   24,179     4,249       50,772   26,910  
    FRB Bank Term Funding         27,097   30,229     27,097   63,160  
    Other borrowed funds   252   353     344   489     949   1,428  
    Subordinated debentures   1,407   1,406     1,438   1,465     4,251   4,308  
    Total interest expense   109,347   107,356     112,922   97,852     329,625   218,933  
    Net Interest Income   180,231   166,478     166,480   167,054     513,189   525,226  
    Provision for credit losses   8,005   3,518     8,249   3,539     19,772   11,782  
    Net interest income after provision for credit losses   172,226   162,960     158,231   163,515     493,417   513,444  
    Non-Interest Income                      
    Service charges and other fees   20,587   19,422     18,563   19,304     58,572   56,042  
    Miscellaneous loan fees and charges   4,970   4,821     4,362   4,322     14,153   12,451  
    Gain on sale of loans   4,898   4,669     3,362   4,046     12,929   9,974  
    Gain (loss) on sale of securities   26   (12 )   16   (65 )   30   (202 )
    Other income   4,223   3,304     3,686   2,633     11,213   8,949  
    Total non-interest income   34,704   32,204     29,989   30,240     96,897   87,214  
    Non-Interest Expense                      
    Compensation and employee benefits   85,083   84,434     85,789   77,387     255,306   237,628  
    Occupancy and equipment   11,989   11,594     11,883   10,553     35,466   33,045  
    Advertising and promotions   4,062   4,362     3,983   4,052     12,407   12,020  
    Data processing   9,196   9,387     9,159   8,730     27,742   25,241  
    Other real estate owned and foreclosed assets   13   149     25   15     187   41  
    Regulatory assessments and insurance   5,150   5,393     7,761   6,060     18,304   16,277  
    Intangibles amortization   3,367   3,017     2,760   2,428     9,144   7,304  
    Other expenses   25,848   22,616     30,483   20,351     78,947   63,606  
    Total non-interest expense   144,708   140,952     151,843   129,576     437,503   395,162  
    Income Before Income Taxes   62,222   54,212     36,377   64,179     152,811   205,496  
    Federal and state income tax expense   11,167   9,504     3,750   11,734     24,421   36,885  
    Net Income $ 51,055   44,708     32,627   52,445     128,390   168,611  
    Glacier Bancorp, Inc.
    Average Balance Sheets
     
      Three Months ended
      September 30, 2024   June 30, 2024
    (Dollars in thousands) Average
    Balance
      Interest &
    Dividends
      Average
    Yield/
    Rate
      Average
    Balance
      Interest &
    Dividends
      Average
    Yield/
    Rate
    Assets                      
    Residential real estate loans $ 1,850,066   $ 23,118   5.00 %   $ 1,796,787   $ 21,754   4.84 %
    Commercial loans 1   13,957,304     198,556   5.66 %     13,740,455     189,939   5.56 %
    Consumer and other loans   1,324,142     23,188   6.97 %     1,290,587     21,589   6.73 %
    Total loans 2   17,131,512     244,862   5.69 %     16,827,829     233,282   5.58 %
    Tax-exempt debt securities 3   1,660,643     14,710   3.54 %     1,707,269     15,111   3.54 %
    Taxable debt securities 4, 5   7,073,967     34,001   1.92 %     7,042,885     29,461   1.67 %
    Total earning assets   25,866,122     293,573   4.52 %     25,577,983     277,854   4.37 %
    Goodwill and intangibles   1,092,632             1,068,250        
    Non-earning assets   836,878             754,491        
    Total assets $ 27,795,632           $ 27,400,724        
    Liabilities                      
    Non-interest bearing deposits $ 6,237,166   $   %   $ 6,026,709   $   %
    NOW and DDA accounts   5,314,459     16,221   1.21 %     5,221,883     15,728   1.21 %
    Savings accounts   2,829,203     5,699   0.80 %     2,914,538     6,014   0.83 %
    Money market deposit accounts   2,887,173     15,048   2.07 %     2,904,438     14,467   2.00 %
    Certificate accounts   3,211,842     33,597   4.16 %     3,037,638     31,593   4.18 %
    Total core deposits   20,479,843     70,565   1.37 %     20,105,206     67,802   1.36 %
    Wholesale deposits 6   3,122     42   5.47 %     3,726     50   5.50 %
    Repurchase agreements   1,723,553     14,738   3.40 %     1,597,887     13,566   3.41 %
    FHLB advances   1,828,533     22,344   4.78 %     2,007,747     24,179   4.76 %
    Subordinated debentures and other borrowed funds   219,472     1,658   3.01 %     224,778     1,759   3.15 %
    Total funding liabilities   24,254,523     109,347   1.79 %     23,939,344     107,356   1.80 %
    Other liabilities   336,906             344,105        
    Total liabilities   24,591,429             24,283,449        
    Stockholders’ Equity                      
    Stockholders’ equity   3,204,203             3,117,275        
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 27,795,632           $ 27,400,724        
    Net interest income (tax-equivalent)     $ 184,226           $ 170,498    
    Net interest spread (tax-equivalent)         2.73 %           2.57 %
    Net interest margin (tax-equivalent)         2.83 %           2.68 %

    ______________________________

    1 Includes tax effect of $1.7 million and $1.6 million on tax-exempt municipal loan and lease income for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and June 30, 2024, respectively.
    2 Total loans are gross of the allowance for credit losses, net of unearned income and include loans held for sale. Non-accrual loans were included in the average volume for the entire period.
    3 Includes tax effect of $2.1 million and $2.2 million on tax-exempt debt securities income for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and June 30, 2024, respectively.
    4 Includes interest income of $4.8 million and $1.9 million on average interest-bearing cash balances of $357.0 million and $0.14 billion for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and June 30, 2024, respectively.
    5 Includes tax effect of $203 thousand and $211 thousand on federal income tax credits for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and June 30, 2024, respectively.
    6 Wholesale deposits include brokered deposits classified as NOW, DDA, money market deposit and certificate accounts with contractual maturities.

     

    Glacier Bancorp, Inc.
    Average Balance Sheets (continued)
     
      Three Months ended
      September 30, 2024   September 30, 2023
    (Dollars in thousands) Average
    Balance
      Interest &
    Dividends
      Average
    Yield/
    Rate
      Average
    Balance
      Interest &
    Dividends
      Average
    Yield/
    Rate
    Assets                      
    Residential real estate loans $ 1,850,066   $ 23,118   5.00 %   $ 1,649,947   $ 18,594   4.51 %
    Commercial loans 1   13,957,304     198,556   5.66 %     13,120,479     174,822   5.29 %
    Consumer and other loans   1,324,142     23,188   6.97 %     1,263,775     19,478   6.11 %
    Total loans 2   17,131,512     244,862   5.69 %     16,034,201     212,894   5.27 %
    Tax-exempt debt securities 3   1,660,643     14,710   3.54 %     1,732,227     14,486   3.34 %
    Taxable debt securities 4, 5   7,073,967     34,001   1.92 %     8,485,157     41,052   1.94 %
    Total earning assets   25,866,122     293,573   4.52 %     26,251,585     268,432   4.06 %
    Goodwill and intangibles   1,092,632             1,020,868        
    Non-earning assets   836,878             528,145        
    Total assets $ 27,795,632           $ 27,800,598        
    Liabilities                      
    Non-interest bearing deposits $ 6,237,166   $   %   $ 6,461,350   $   %
    NOW and DDA accounts   5,314,459     16,221   1.21 %     5,231,741     12,906   0.98 %
    Savings accounts   2,829,203     5,699   0.80 %     2,840,620     3,492   0.49 %
    Money market deposit accounts   2,887,173     15,048   2.07 %     3,039,177     12,646   1.65 %
    Certificate accounts   3,211,842     33,597   4.16 %     2,462,266     23,151   3.73 %
    Total core deposits   20,479,843     70,565   1.37 %     20,035,154     52,195   1.03 %
    Wholesale deposits 6   3,122     42   5.47 %     188,523     2,502   5.27 %
    Repurchase agreements   1,723,553     14,738   3.40 %     1,401,765     10,972   3.11 %
    FHLB advances   1,828,533     22,344   4.78 %           %
    FRB Bank Term Funding         %     2,740,000     30,229   4.38 %
    Subordinated debentures and other borrowed funds   219,472     1,658   3.01 %     208,336     1,954   3.72 %
    Total funding liabilities   24,254,523     109,347   1.79 %     24,573,778     97,852   1.58 %
    Other liabilities   336,906             302,564        
    Total liabilities   24,591,429             24,876,342        
    Stockholders’ Equity                      
    Stockholders’ equity   3,204,203             2,924,256        
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 27,795,632           $ 27,800,598        
    Net interest income (tax-equivalent)     $ 184,226           $ 170,580    
    Net interest spread (tax-equivalent)         2.73 %           2.48 %
    Net interest margin (tax-equivalent)         2.83 %           2.58 %

    ______________________________

    1 Includes tax effect of $1.7 million and $1.4 million on tax-exempt municipal loan and lease income for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
    2 Total loans are gross of the allowance for credit losses, net of unearned income and include loans held for sale. Non-accrual loans were included in the average volume for the entire period.
    3 Includes tax effect of $2.1 million and $1.9 million on tax-exempt debt securities income for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
    4 Includes interest income of $4.8 million and $15.1 million on average interest-bearing cash balances of $357.0 million and $1,106.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
    5 Includes tax effect of $203 thousand and $215 thousand on federal income tax credits for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
    6 Wholesale deposits include brokered deposits classified as NOW, DDA, money market deposit and certificate accounts with contractual maturities.
    Glacier Bancorp, Inc.
    Average Balance Sheets (continued)
     
      Nine Months ended
      September 30, 2024   September 30, 2023
    (Dollars in thousands) Average
    Balance
      Interest &
    Dividends
      Average
    Yield/
    Rate
      Average
    Balance
      Interest &
    Dividends
      Average
    Yield/
    Rate
    Assets                      
    Residential real estate loans $ 1,798,202   $ 65,636   4.87 %   $ 1,570,911   $ 51,508   4.37 %
    Commercial loans 1   13,737,866     571,540   5.56 %     12,910,691     498,152   5.16 %
    Consumer and other loans   1,299,463     65,725   6.76 %     1,236,158     54,248   5.87 %
    Total loans 2   16,835,531     702,901   5.58 %     15,717,760     603,908   5.14 %
    Tax-exempt debt securities 3   1,695,965     44,978   3.54 %     1,745,764     44,978   3.44 %
    Taxable debt securities 4, 5   7,429,971     106,939   1.92 %     8,240,041     107,338   1.74 %
    Total earning assets   25,961,467     854,818   4.40 %     25,703,565     756,224   3.93 %
    Goodwill and intangibles   1,071,024             1,023,274        
    Non-earning assets   734,681             510,332        
    Total assets $ 27,767,172           $ 27,237,171        
    Liabilities                      
    Non-interest bearing deposits $ 6,077,392   $   %   $ 6,770,242   $   %
    NOW and DDA accounts   5,270,842     47,866   1.21 %     5,140,668     22,606   0.59 %
    Savings accounts   2,881,273     17,368   0.81 %     2,930,420     5,070   0.23 %
    Money market deposit accounts   2,913,206     43,907   2.01 %     3,253,138     28,654   1.18 %
    Certificate accounts   3,083,866     96,365   4.17 %     1,638,163     34,613   2.82 %
    Total core deposits   20,226,579     205,506   1.36 %     19,732,631     90,943   0.62 %
    Wholesale deposits 6   3,603     149   5.49 %     213,465     7,999   5.01 %
    Repurchase agreements   1,612,021     40,901   3.39 %     1,238,139     24,185   2.61 %
    FHLB advances   1,397,258     50,772   4.77 %     738,004     26,910   4.81 %
    FRB Bank Term Funding   824,672     27,097   4.39 %     1,929,322     63,160   4.38 %
    Subordinated debentures and other borrowed funds   220,835     5,200   3.15 %     208,891     5,737   3.67 %
    Total funding liabilities   24,284,968     329,625   1.81 %     24,060,452     218,934   1.22 %
    Other liabilities   345,822             256,022        
    Total liabilities   24,630,790             24,316,474        
    Stockholders’ Equity                      
    Stockholders’ equity   3,136,382             2,920,697        
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 27,767,172           $ 27,237,171        
    Net interest income (tax-equivalent)     $ 525,193           $ 537,290    
    Net interest spread (tax-equivalent)         2.59 %           2.71 %
    Net interest margin (tax-equivalent)         2.70 %           2.79 %

    ______________________________

    1 Includes tax effect of $4.8 million and $4.4 million on tax-exempt municipal loan and lease income for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
    2 Total loans are gross of the allowance for credit losses, net of unearned income and include loans held for sale. Non-accrual loans were included in the average volume for the entire period.
    3 Includes tax effect of $6.5 million and $7.0 million on tax-exempt debt securities income for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
    4 Includes interest income of $17.2 million and $24.5 million on average interest-bearing cash balances of $631.7 million and $624.0 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
    5 Includes tax effect of $629 thousand and $644 thousand on federal income tax credits for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
    6 Wholesale deposits include brokered deposits classified as NOW, DDA, money market deposit and certificate accounts with contractual maturities.
    Glacier Bancorp, Inc.
    Loan Portfolio by Regulatory Classification
     
      Loans Receivable, by Loan Type   % Change from
    (Dollars in thousands) Sep 30,
    2024
      Jun 30,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
      Sep 30,
    2023
      Jun 30,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
      Sep 30,
    2023
    Custom and owner occupied construction $ 235,915     $ 233,978     $ 290,572     $ 306,106     %   (19) %   (23) %
    Pre-sold and spec construction   203,610       198,219       236,596       287,048     %   (14) %   (29) %
    Total residential construction   439,525       432,197       527,168       593,154     %   (17) %   (26) %
    Land development   205,704       209,794       232,966       234,995     (2) %   (12) %   (12) %
    Consumer land or lots   189,705       190,781       187,545       184,685     (1) %   %   %
    Unimproved land   109,237       108,763       87,739       87,089     —  %   25  %   25  %
    Developed lots for operative builders   67,140       57,140       56,142       62,485     18  %   20  %   %
    Commercial lots   98,644       99,036       87,185       84,194     —  %   13  %   17  %
    Other construction   689,638       810,536       900,547       982,384     (15) %   (23) %   (30) %
    Total land, lot, and other construction   1,360,068       1,476,050       1,552,124       1,635,832     (8) %   (12) %   (17) %
    Owner occupied   3,121,900       3,087,814       3,035,768       2,976,821     %   %   %
    Non-owner occupied   4,001,430       3,941,786       3,742,916       3,765,266     %   %   %
    Total commercial real estate   7,123,330       7,029,600       6,778,684       6,742,087     %   %   %
    Commercial and industrial   1,387,538       1,400,896       1,363,479       1,363,198     (1) %   %   %
    Agriculture   1,047,320       962,384       772,458       785,208     %   36  %   33  %
    1st lien   2,462,885       2,353,912       2,127,989       2,054,497     %   16  %   20  %
    Junior lien   77,029       56,049       47,230       47,490     37  %   63  %   62  %
    Total 1-4 family   2,539,914       2,409,961       2,175,219       2,101,987     %   17  %   21  %
    Multifamily residential   921,138       1,027,962       796,538       714,822     (10) %   16  %   29  %
    Home equity lines of credit   1,004,300       974,000       979,891       950,204     %   %   %
    Other consumer   221,517       220,755       229,154       233,980     —  %   (3) %   (5) %
    Total consumer   1,225,817       1,194,755       1,209,045       1,184,184     %   %   %
    States and political subdivisions   993,871       777,426       834,947       833,618     28  %   19  %   19  %
    Other   188,792       180,505       204,111       209,983     %   (8) %   (10) %
    Total loans receivable, including
    loans held for sale
      17,227,313       16,891,736       16,213,773       16,164,073     %   %   %
    Less loans held for sale 1   (46,126 )     (39,745 )     (15,691 )     (29,027 )   16  %   194  %   59  %
    Total loans receivable $ 17,181,187     $ 16,851,991     $ 16,198,082     $ 16,135,046     %   %   %

    ______________________________

    1 Loans held for sale are primarily 1st lien 1-4 family loans.
    Glacier Bancorp, Inc.
    Credit Quality Summary by Regulatory Classification
     
     

    Non-performing Assets, by Loan Type

      Non-
    Accrual
    Loans
      Accruing
    Loans 90
    Days
    or More Past
    Due
      Other real estate owned and foreclosed assets
    (Dollars in thousands) Sep 30,
    2024
      Jun 30,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
      Sep 30,
    2023
      Sep 30,
    2024
      Sep 30,
    2024
      Sep 30,
    2024
    Custom and owner occupied construction $ 202   206   214   219   202    
    Pre-sold and spec construction   3,705   2,908   763   763   2,942   763  
    Total residential construction   3,907   3,114   977   982   3,144   763  
    Land development   583     35   80   22   561  
    Consumer land or lots   458   429   96   314   241   217  
    Unimproved land         36      
    Developed lots for operative builders   531   608   608   608     531  
    Commercial lots   47   47   47   188     47  
    Other construction     25     12,884      
    Total land, lot and other construction   1,619   1,109   786   14,110   263   1,356  
    Owner occupied   1,903   1,992   1,838   1,445   662   809   432
    Non-owner occupied   1,335   257   11,016   15,105   1,335    
    Total commercial real estate   3,238   2,249   12,854   16,550   1,997   809   432
    Commercial and Industrial   2,455   2,044   1,971   1,367   1,408   1,047  
    Agriculture   6,040   2,442   2,558   2,450   2,164   3,876  
    1st lien   6,065   2,923   2,664   2,766   3,724   2,341  
    Junior lien   279   492   180   363   279    
    Total 1-4 family   6,344   3,415   2,844   3,129   4,003   2,341  
    Multifamily residential   392   385   395     392    
    Home equity lines of credit   2,867   2,145   2,043   1,612   1,903   964  
    Other consumer   1,111   1,089   1,187   942   663   247   201
    Total consumer   3,978   3,234   3,230   2,554   2,566   1,211   201
    Other   148   16   16   1,141     148  
    Total $ 28,121   18,008   25,631   42,283   15,937   11,551   633
    Glacier Bancorp, Inc.
    Credit Quality Summary by Regulatory Classification (continued)
     
      Accruing 30-89 Days Delinquent Loans,  by Loan Type   % Change from
    (Dollars in thousands) Sep 30,
    2024
      Jun 30,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
      Sep 30,
    2023
      Jun 30,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
      Sep 30,
    2023
    Custom and owner occupied construction $ 13   $ 1,323   $ 2,549   $   (99) %   (99) %   n/m
    Pre-sold and spec construction   1,250     816     1,219     599   53  %   %   109  %
    Total residential construction   1,263     2,139     3,768     599   (41) %   (66) %   111  %
    Land development   157         163     44   n/m   (4) %   257  %
    Consumer land or lots   747     411     624     528   82  %   20  %   41  %
    Unimproved land   39     158         87   (75) %   n/m   (55) %
    Commercial lots           2,159     1,245   n/m   (100) %   (100) %
    Other construction       21           (100) %   n/m   n/m
    Total land, lot and other construction   943     590     2,946     1,904   60  %   (68) %   (50) %
    Owner occupied   5,641     4,326     2,222     652   30  %   154  %   765  %
    Non-owner occupied   13,785     8,119     14,471     213   70  %   (5) %   6,372  %
    Total commercial real estate   19,426     12,445     16,693     865   56  %   16  %   2,146  %
    Commercial and industrial   3,125     17,591     12,905     2,946   (82) %   (76) %   %
    Agriculture   16,932     5,288     594     604   220  %   2,751  %   2,703  %
    1st lien   6,275     2,637     3,768     1,006   138  %   67  %   524  %
    Junior lien   13     17     1     355   (24) %   1,200  %   (96) %
    Total 1-4 family   6,288     2,654     3,769     1,361   137  %   67  %   362  %
    Home equity lines of credit   4,567     5,432     4,518     3,638   (16) %   %   26  %
    Other consumer   2,227     2,192     3,264     1,821   %   (32) %   22  %
    Total consumer   6,794     7,624     7,782     5,459   (11) %   (13) %   24  %
    Other   1,442     1,347     1,510     1,515   %   (5) %   (5) %
    Total $ 56,213   $ 49,678   $ 49,967   $ 15,253   13  %   13  %   269  %

    ______________________________

    n/m – not measurable
    Glacier Bancorp, Inc.
    Credit Quality Summary by Regulatory Classification (continued)
     
      Net Charge-Offs (Recoveries), Year-to-Date
    Period Ending, By Loan Type
      Charge-Offs   Recoveries
    (Dollars in thousands) Sep 30,
    2024
      Jun 30,
    2024
      Dec 31,
    2023
      Sep 30,
    2023
      Sep 30,
    2024
      Sep 30,
    2024
    Pre-sold and spec construction $ (4 )   (4 )   (15 )   (12 )     4
    Land development   (21 )   (1 )   (135 )   (134 )     21
    Consumer land or lots   (21 )   (22 )   (19 )   (14 )     21
    Unimproved land   5     5             5  
    Commercial lots   319     319             319  
    Other construction           889          
    Total land, lot and other construction   282     301     735     (148 )   324   42
    Owner occupied   (73 )   (73 )   (59 )   (104 )     73
    Non-owner occupied   (3 )   (2 )   799     500       3
    Total commercial real estate   (76 )   (75 )   740     396       76
    Commercial and industrial   1,272     644     364     (11 )   1,839   567
    Agriculture   65     68             68   3
    1st lien   (34 )   (22 )   66     98       34
    Junior lien   (60 )   (55 )   24     32     10   70
    Total 1-4 family   (94 )   (77 )   90     130     10   104
    Multifamily residential           (136 )        
    Home equity lines of credit   (31 )   1     (6 )   20     35   66
    Other consumer   753     493     1,097     816     1,056   303
    Total consumer   722     494     1,091     836     1,091   369
    Other   6,561     4,611     7,447     5,430     9,074   2,513
    Total $ 8,728     5,962     10,316     6,621     12,406   3,678
     

    Visit our website at www.glacierbancorp.com

    CONTACT: Randall M. Chesler, CEO
    (406) 751-4722
    Ron J. Copher, CFO
    (406) 751-7706

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