Hancock reports third quarter 2017 EPS of $.68

GULFPORT, Miss., Oct. 17, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hancock Holding Company (Nasdaq:HBHC) today announced its financial results for the third quarter of 2017. Net income for the third quarter of 2017 was $58.9 million, or $.68 per diluted common share (EPS), compared to $52.3 million, or $.60 EPS in the second quarter of 2017 and $46.7 million, or $.59 EPS, in the third quarter of 2016. The third quarter of 2017 includes nonoperating expenses of approximately $11.4 million ($.08 per share impact), while the second quarter of 2017 included $10.6 million of nonoperating items ($.08 per share). The nonoperating items in both quarters were mainly related to the two previously disclosed FNBC transactions. There were no nonoperating items in the third quarter of 2016.

Highlights of the company’s third quarter 2017 results (compared to second quarter 2017):

• Includes a full quarter impact from both FNBC transactions
• Reported earnings increased $6.6 million, or 13%
• Loans increased $312 million, or 7% linked-quarter annualized
• Energy loans declined $97 million and comprise 6.0% of total loans, down from 6.7%; allowance for the energy portfolio totals $79.8 million, or 7.0% of energy loans
• Core pre-provision net revenue (PPNR) of $111.1 million, up $9.5 million or 9%
• Net interest margin (NIM) of 3.44% up 1 basis point (bp); core NIM up 3 bps to 3.32%
• Operating expenses totaled $166.2 million, down $6.6 million
• Efficiency ratio improved to 57.5%
• Return on average assets (ROA) up 9 bps to 0.88%; excluding nonoperating expense ROA  increased 10 bps to 0.99%
• Tangible common equity (TCE) ratio increased 15 bps to 7.80%

“This quarter reflects the culmination of hard work and relentless determination to deliver the results we expected this company could produce,” said President and CEO John M. Hairston. “We have achieved our core strategic objectives for operating EPS and efficiency ratio, and believe we are within reach of attaining our operating ROA and TCE goals in the near future. We successfully reentered the M&A arena this year and delivered on the remaining FNBC expense synergy reductions this quarter. While we are pleased with achievements thus far, we still have work to do and will remain focused on improving company performance in the future. As a natural progression of our continued growth and commitment to the future, we intend to consolidate our two brands sometime during the first half of 2018 subject to any applicable approvals. The iconic Hancock and Whitney brands have existed since 1899 and 1883 respectively. We have decided to honor the legacies of these brands by combining the names and will operate as Hancock Whitney Corporation and Hancock Whitney Bank.  This decision highlights our respect for the legacy of two grand old banks, which have come together now fully and seamlessly in the interest of demonstrating centuries-old core values, heartfelt commitment to serve clients in the Gulf South region, and our desire to grow shareholder value.”

Loans
Total loans at September 30, 2017 were $18.8 billion, up approximately $312 million, or 2%, linked-quarter. Loans to energy-related companies decreased $97 million during the third quarter. There was growth throughout the markets across our footprint and in our mortgage and equipment finance lines of business.

Average loans totaled $18.6 billion for the third quarter of 2017, up $222 million, or 1%, linked-quarter.

Energy
At September 30, 2017, loans to the energy industry totaled $1.1 billion, or 6.0% of total loans. As noted earlier, the energy portfolio was down $97 million, or 8% linked-quarter, and is comprised of credits to both the exploration and production (E&P) sector and the support and services sectors. Payoffs and paydowns of approximately $142 million and charge-offs of approximately $8 million were partially offset by approximately $52 million in fundings.

The impact and severity of future risk rating migration, as well as any associated provisions or net charge-offs, will depend on overall oil prices and the duration of the energy cycle that began in November 2014. As previously noted, management still expects a continued lag in the recovery of energy service and support credits. Reserve-based lending credits are showing signs of improvement given the stabilization in oil prices, and we expect improvement in land-based services and non-drilling services in the Gulf of Mexico to follow.

Management continues to estimate that net charge-offs from energy-related credits could approximate an aggregate of $65-$95 million over the duration of the cycle, of which approximately $68 million has been taken to-date. While we expect additional charge-offs in the portfolio, we continue to believe the impact of the energy cycle on our loan portfolio will be manageable, our reserve is adequate and our capital will remain solid.

Deposits
Total deposits at September 30, 2017 were $21.5 billion, up $91 million, or less than 1%, from June 30, 2017. Average deposits for the third quarter of 2017 were $21.3 billion, up $417 million, or 2%, linked-quarter. The increase in average deposits reflects the deposits acquired in the FNBC II transaction in late April of 2017.

Noninterest-bearing demand deposits (DDAs) totaled $7.9 billion at September 30, 2017, virtually unchanged from June 30, 2017. DDAs comprised 37% of total period-end deposits at September 30, 2017.

Interest-bearing transaction and savings deposits totaled $7.9 billion at the end of the third quarter of 2017, down $509 million, or 6%, from June 30, 2017. Time deposits of $3.0 billion were up $366 million, or 14%, while interest-bearing public fund deposits increased $225 million, or 9%, to $2.8 billion at September 30, 2017.

Asset Quality
Nonperforming assets (NPAs) totaled $388 million at September 30, 2017, up $41 million from June 30, 2017. During the third quarter of 2017, total nonperforming loans increased approximately $38 million, while foreclosed and surplus real estate (ORE) and other foreclosed assets increased approximately $3 million. Nonperforming assets as a percent of total loans, ORE and other foreclosed assets was 2.06% at September 30, 2017, up 18 bps from June 30, 2017.

The total allowance for loan losses (ALLL) was $223.1 million at September 30, 2017, up $1.3 million from June 30, 2017. The ratio of the allowance for loan losses to period-end loans was 1.19% at September 30, 2017, down slightly from 1.20% at June 30, 2017. There is no allowance for loan losses on the loans purchased in the FNBC transactions, however, a $58 million loan mark was applied to those loans at acquisition. The allowance for credits in the energy portfolio totaled $79.8 million, or 7.0% of energy loans, at September 30, 2017, as compared to $83.4 million, or 6.8% of energy loans, at June 30, 2017.

Net charge-offs were $11.8 million, or 0.25% of average total loans on an annualized basis in the third quarter of 2017, up from $6.0 million, or 0.13% of average total loans in the second quarter of 2017. There were approximately $3.6 million of net charge-offs related to energy credits in the third quarter of 2017.

During the third quarter of 2017, Hancock recorded a total provision for loan losses of $13.0 million, down from $15.0 million in the second quarter of 2017. Based on our assessment of the customers in the markets impacted, there was no significant change to credit quality as a result of the recent hurricanes in Houston, southwest Louisiana and Florida.

Net Interest Income and Net Interest Margin (NIM)
Net interest income (TE) for the third quarter of 2017 was $211.4 million, up $3 million from the second quarter of 2017. The increase mainly reflects a full quarter impact from the June 2017 Fed rate increase, partially offset by approximately $1.4 million, or 2 bps on NIM, of interest reversals on nonaccrual loans. A higher than normal level of securities premium amortization and higher cost deposits acquired in the FNBC transaction negatively impacted both the NIM and NII.

Average earning assets were $24.5 billion for the third quarter of 2017, up $149 million, or 1%, from the second quarter of 2017. The reported net interest margin (TE) was 3.44% for the third quarter of 2017, up 1 bp from the second quarter of 2017.

Noninterest Income
Noninterest income totaled $67.1 million for the third quarter of 2017, down $0.4 million, or 1%, from the second quarter of 2017. Included in the total for the second quarter of 2017 is amortization of $1.3 million related to the FDIC indemnification asset. As a result of the termination of the loss share agreements in the second quarter of 2017, the amortization was eliminated beginning in the third quarter of 2017. Excluding the impact of this item in the second quarter, noninterest income was down $1.7 million, or 2%, linked-quarter.

Service charges on deposits totaled $21.4 million for the third quarter of 2017, up $1.4 million, or 7%, from the second quarter of 2017. Bank card and ATM fees totaled $13.4 million, down $0.3 million, or 2%, from the second quarter of 2017.

Trust fees totaled $10.7 million, down $0.8 million, or 7% linked-quarter. Investment and annuity income and insurance fees totaled $6.2 million, down $0.2 million, or 3% linked-quarter.

Fees from secondary mortgage operations totaled $4.2 million for the third quarter of 2017, down $0.1 million, or 2% linked-quarter.

Other noninterest income (excluding the amortization of the FDIC indemnification asset) totaled $11.1 million, down $1.7 million, or 13%, from the second quarter of 2017. The decrease is mainly related to higher levels of derivative income and co-arranger fees during the second quarter.

Noninterest Expense & Taxes
Noninterest expense for the third quarter of 2017 totaled $177.6 million, down $5.9 million, or 3%, from the second quarter of 2017. Included in the total is $11.4 million of nonoperating expenses mainly related to costs associated with the FNBC transactions. Excluding these items, operating expenses totaled $166.2 million, down $6.6 million, or 4%, linked-quarter. The decrease is related to the elimination of the remaining nonpermanent FNBC expenses. The discussion below excludes nonoperating items.

Total personnel expense was $92.6 million in the third quarter of 2017, down $3.6 million, or 4%, from the second quarter of 2017. Occupancy and equipment expense totaled $15.7 million in the third quarter of 2017, down $1.0 million, or 6%, from the second quarter of 2017.

Amortization of intangibles totaled $6.1 million for the third quarter of 2017, up $0.3 million or 5% linked-quarter.

ORE expense totaled $0.2 million in the third quarter. Net gains on ORE dispositions exceeded ORE expense by $1.0 million in the second quarter of 2017. The third quarter reflects a more normal level of ORE expense.

Other operating expense totaled $51.6 million in the third quarter of 2017, down $3.5 million, or 6%, from the second quarter of 2017. The decrease is partly related to the elimination of nonpermanent expenses associated with the FNBC transactions such as data processing (DP) expense.

The effective income tax rate for the third quarter of 2017 was 26%. Management expects the tax rate for the fourth quarter of 2017 to approximate 21-22% due to the change in accounting treatment for stock compensation and the vesting of awards. The effective income tax rate continues to be less than the statutory rate of 35% due primarily to tax-exempt income and tax credits.

Capital
Common shareholders’ equity at September 30, 2017 totaled $2.9 billion. The tangible common equity (TCE) ratio was 7.80%, up 15 bps from June 30, 2017. Additional capital ratios are included in the financial tables.

Conference Call and Slide Presentation
Management will host a conference call for analysts and investors at 9:00 a.m. Central Time on Wednesday, October 18, 2017 to review the results. A live listen-only webcast of the call will be available under the Investor Relations section of Hancock’s website at www.hancockwhitney.com/investors. A link to the release with additional financial tables, and a link to a slide presentation related to third quarter results are also posted as part of the webcast link. To participate in the Q&A portion of the call, dial (877) 564-1219 or (973) 638-3429. An audio archive of the conference call will be available under the Investor Relations section of our website. A replay of the call will also be available through October 25, 2017 by dialing (855) 859-2056 or (404) 537-3406, passcode 91756815.

About Hancock Holding Company
Hancock Holding Company is a financial services company with regional business headquarters and locations across the Gulf South. The company’s banking subsidiary provides comprehensive financial products and services through Hancock Bank locations in Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida and Whitney Bank locations in Louisiana and Texas, including traditional, online, and mobile banking; commercial and small business banking; private banking; trust and investment services; certain insurance services; and mortgage services. More information is available at www.hancockwhitney.com.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures
This news release includes non-GAAP financial measures to describe Hancock’s performance. The reconciliations of those measures to GAAP measures are provided within Appendix A on page 17 of the additional financial tables.

In this news release, consistent with Securities and Exchange Commission Industry Guide 3, the company presents net interest income, net interest margin and efficiency ratios on a fully taxable equivalent (“TE”) basis. The TE basis adjusts for the tax-favored status of net interest income from certain loans and investments using a federal tax rate of 35% to increase tax-exempt interest income to a taxable-equivalent basis. The company believes this measure to be the preferred industry measurement of net interest income and it enhances comparability of net interest income arising from taxable and tax-exempt sources.

Over the past several quarters we have disclosed our focus on strategic initiatives that were designed to replace declining levels of purchase accounting income from acquisitions with improvement in core income, which the company defines as income excluding net purchase accounting income. The company presents core income non-GAAP measures including core net interest income and core net interest margin, core revenue and core pre-provision net revenue. These measures are provided to assist the reader with a better understanding of the company’s performance period over period as well as providing investors with assistance in understanding the success management has experienced in executing its strategic initiatives.

We define Core Net Interest Income as net interest income (TE) excluding net purchase accounting accretion resulting from the fair market value adjustments related to acquired operations. We define Core Net Interest Margin as reported core net interest income expressed as a percentage of average earning assets. A reconciliation of reported net interest income to core net interest income and reported net interest margin to core net interest margin is included in Appendix A.

We define Core Revenue as core net interest income and noninterest income less the amortization of the FDIC loss share receivable related to loans acquired in an FDIC assisted transaction and other nonoperating revenue. A reconciliation of total revenue to core revenue is included in Appendix A.

We define Core Pre-Provision Net Revenue as core revenue less noninterest expense, excluding nonoperating items and intangible asset amortization. Management believes that core pre-provision net revenue is a useful financial measure because it enables investors and others to assess the Company’s ability to generate capital to cover credit losses through a credit cycle. A reconciliation of net income to core pre-provision net revenue is included in Appendix A.

Important Cautionary Statement About Forward-Looking Statements
This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward- looking statements that we may make include statements regarding balance sheet and revenue growth, the provision for loans losses, loan growth expectations, management’s predictions about charge-offs for loans, including energy-related credits, the impact of changes in oil and gas prices on our energy portfolio, and the downstream impact on businesses that support the energy sector, especially in the Gulf Coast region, the impact of the First NBC transactions on our performance and financial condition, including our ability to successfully integrate the business, deposit trends, credit quality trends, net interest margin trends, future expense levels, success of revenue-generating initiatives, projected tax rates, future profitability, improvements in expense to revenue (efficiency) ratio, purchase accounting impacts such as accretion levels, and the financial impact of regulatory requirements. Also, any statement that does not describe historical or current facts is a forward-looking statement. These statements often include the words “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “intends,” “plans,” “forecast,” “goals,” “targets,” “initiatives,” “focus,” “potentially,” “probably,” “projects,” “outlook” or similar expressions or future conditional verbs such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” and “could.” Forward-looking statements are based upon the current beliefs and expectations of management and on information currently available to management. Our statements speak as of the date hereof, and we do not assume any obligation to update these statements or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those contained in such statements in light of new information or future events.

Forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties. Any forward-looking statement made in this release is subject to the safe harbor protections set forth in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Investors are cautioned against placing undue reliance on such statements. Actual results may differ materially from those set forth in the forward looking statements. Additional factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in Part I, “Item 1A. Risk Factors” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016 and in other periodic reports that we file with the SEC.

(a) Taxable-equivalent (TE) amounts are calculated using a federal income tax rate of 35%.
(b) Average securities does not include unrealized holding gains/losses on available for sale securities.
(c) The tangible common equity ratio is common shareholders' equity less intangible assets divided by total assets less intangible assets.
(d) The efficiency ratio is noninterest expense to total net interest (TE) and noninterest income, excluding amortization of purchased intangibles, and nonoperating items.

(a) Taxable-equivalent (TE) amounts are calculated using a federal income tax rate of 35%.
(b) Average securities does not include unrealized holding gains/losses on available for sale securities.
(c) The tangible common equity ratio is common shareholders' equity less intangible assets divided by total assets less intangible assets.
(d) The efficiency ratio is noninterest expense to total net interest income (TE) and noninterest income, excluding amortization of purchased intangibles, and nonoperating items.

For More Information
Trisha Voltz Carlson 
EVP, Investor Relations Manager
504.299.5208
trisha.carlson@hancockwhitney.com