West Bancorporation, Inc. Announces First Quarter 2025 Financial Results and Declares Quarterly Dividend

WEST DES MOINES, Iowa, April 24, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- West Bancorporation, Inc. (Nasdaq: WTBA; the “Company”), parent company of West Bank, today reported first quarter 2025 net income of $7.8 million, or $0.46 per diluted common share, compared to fourth quarter 2024 net income of $7.1 million, or $0.42 per diluted common share, and first quarter 2024 net income of $5.8 million, or $0.35 per diluted common share. On April 23, 2025, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a regular quarterly dividend of $0.25 per common share. The dividend is payable on May 21, 2025, to stockholders of record on May 7, 2025.

David Nelson, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, commented, “In the first quarter of 2025, we have continued to see improvements in net interest margin and efficiency ratio compared to 2024, resulting in a significant improvement in net income compared to the first quarter of 2024. We are pleased with our progress in our balance sheet repricing efforts. Loan growth was modest in the first quarter, as expected with the current economic uncertainty.”

David Nelson added, “One thing that remains the same is our best-in-class credit quality metrics. We had no loans past due greater than 90 days at March 31, 2025, and only one loan past due greater than 30 days with an insignificant balance of $181 thousand. We continue to identify high-quality opportunities for growing our core customer base in all of our markets.”

First Quarter 2025 Compared to Fourth Quarter 2024 Overview

• Loans increased $11.6 million in the first quarter of 2025, primarily due to an increase in commercial loans and commercial real estate loans, partially offset by a decline in construction loans.
  
  

• No credit loss expense on loans was recorded in the first quarter of 2025, compared to credit loss expense on loans of $1.0 million recorded in the fourth quarter of 2024. The credit loss expense on loans in the fourth quarter of 2024 was due to an adjustment to qualitative factors in the commercial real estate loan segment.
  
  

• The allowance for credit losses to total loans was 1.01 percent at both March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024. Nonaccrual loans at March 31, 2025 consisted of one loan with a balance of $181 thousand, compared to one loan with a balance of $133 thousand at December 31, 2024.
  
  

• Deposits decreased $33.1 million, or 1.0 percent, in the first quarter of 2025. Brokered deposits totaled $335.5 million at March 31, 2025, compared to $266.4 million at December 31, 2024, an increase of $69.1 million. Excluding brokered deposits, deposits decreased $102.2 million, or 3.3 percent, during the first quarter of 2025. The decline in deposits was due to normal cash flow fluctuations of our core depositors. As of March 31, 2025, estimated uninsured deposits, which exclude deposits in the IntraFi^® reciprocal network, brokered deposits and public funds protected by state programs, accounted for approximately 28.0 percent of total deposits.
  
  

• Net interest margin, on a fully tax-equivalent basis (a non-GAAP measure), was 2.28 percent for the first quarter of 2025, compared to 1.98 percent for the fourth quarter of 2024. Net interest income for the first quarter of 2025 was $20.9 million, compared to $19.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2024. The increase in net interest margin and net interest income was primarily due to a decrease in deposit rates, driven by the Federal Reserve’s reductions of the federal funds target rate in the fourth quarter of 2024. The cost of deposits decreased 38 basis points in the first quarter of 2025, compared to the fourth quarter of 2024.
  
  

• The efficiency ratio (a non-GAAP measure) was 56.37 percent for the first quarter of 2025, compared to 60.79 percent for the fourth quarter of 2024. The improvement in the efficiency ratio was primarily due to the increase in net interest income and decrease in noninterest expense, partially offset by a decrease in trust services income.
  
  

• The tangible common equity ratio was 5.97 percent as of March 31, 2025, compared to 5.68 percent as of December 31, 2024. The increase in the tangible common equity ratio was due to retained net income and the decrease in accumulated other comprehensive loss, which was the result of an increase in the market value of our available for sale securities portfolio.

• Income tax expense increased $2.8 million in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the fourth quarter of 2024. This was primarily due to recording an income tax benefit of $1.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 for an energy related investment tax credit associated with the construction of the Company’s new headquarters building.
  
  

First Quarter 2025 Compared to First Quarter 2024 Overview

• Loans increased $36.3 million at March 31, 2025, or 1.2 percent, compared to March 31, 2024. The increase is primarily due to the increase in commercial real estate loans, partially offset by decreases in commercial loans and construction loans.
  
  

• Deposits increased $259.5 million, or 8.5 percent, at March 31, 2025, compared to March 31, 2024. Included in deposits were brokered deposits totaling $335.5 million at March 31, 2025, compared to $396.4 million at March 31, 2024. Excluding brokered deposits, deposits increased $320.4 million, or 12.0 percent, as of March 31, 2025, compared to March 31, 2024. Deposit growth included a mix of public funds and commercial and consumer deposits and was used to reduce wholesale funding, build liquidity and fund loan growth.
  
  

• Borrowed funds decreased to $391.4 million at March 31, 2025, compared to $639.7 million at March 31, 2024. The decrease was primarily attributable to a decrease of $198.5 million in federal funds purchased and other short-term borrowings and a decrease of $45.0 million in Federal Home Loan Bank advances. The decrease in borrowed funds balances was due to the increase in deposits since March 31, 2024. The reduction in the Federal Home Loan Bank advances was due to the maturity of two advances with a total balance of $45.0 million. One of these advances, with a balance of $25.0 million, was hedged with a long-term interest rate swap, which matured and was not renewed.
  
  

• The efficiency ratio (a non-GAAP measure) was 56.37 percent for the first quarter of 2025, compared to 62.04 percent for the first quarter of 2024. The improvement in the efficiency ratio in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the first quarter of 2024 was primarily due to the increase in net interest income, partially offset by an increase in noninterest expense. Occupancy and equipment expense increased primarily due to the occupancy costs associated with the Company’s newly constructed headquarters.
  
  

• Net interest margin, on a fully tax-equivalent basis (a non-GAAP measure), was 2.28 percent for the first quarter of 2025, compared to 1.88 percent for the first quarter of 2024. Net interest income for the first quarter of 2025 was $20.9 million, compared to $16.8 million for the first quarter of 2024. The increase in net interest margin and net interest income was primarily due to the decrease in deposit rates. The cost of deposits decreased by 42 basis points in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the first quarter of 2024. Also contributing to the improvement was an increase in average deposit balances of $335.2 million, in comparing the same time periods, which resulted in the reduction of higher-cost borrowed funds and an increase in interest-bearing deposits with other financial institutions.
  
  

The Company filed its report on Form 10-Q with the Securities and Exchange Commission today. Please refer to that document for a more in-depth discussion of the Company’s financial results. The Form 10-Q is available on the Investor Relations section of West Bank’s website at www.westbankstrong.com.

The Company will discuss its results in a conference call scheduled for 2:00 p.m. Central Time on Thursday, April 24, 2025. The telephone number for the conference call is 800-715-9871. The conference ID for the conference call is 7846129. A recording of the call will be available until May 8, 2025, by dialing 800-770-2030. The conference ID for the replay call is 7846129, followed by the # key.

About West Bancorporation, Inc. (Nasdaq: WTBA)

West Bancorporation, Inc. is headquartered in West Des Moines, Iowa. Serving customers since 1893, West Bank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of West Bancorporation, Inc., is a community bank that focuses on lending, deposit services, and trust services for small- to medium-sized businesses and consumers. West Bank has six offices in the Des Moines, Iowa metropolitan area, one office in Coralville, Iowa, and four offices in Minnesota in the cities of Rochester, Owatonna, Mankato and St. Cloud.

Certain statements in this report, other than purely historical information, including estimates, projections, statements relating to the Company’s business plans, objectives and expected operating results, and the assumptions upon which those statements are based, are “forward-looking statements” within the meanings of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, 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 may appear throughout this report. These forward-looking statements are generally identified by the words “believes,” “expects,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “projects,” “future,” “confident,” “may,” “should,” “will,” “strategy,” “plan,” “opportunity,” “will be,” “will likely result,” “will continue” or similar references, or references to estimates, predictions or future events. Such forward-looking statements are based upon certain underlying assumptions, risks and uncertainties. Because of the possibility that the underlying assumptions are incorrect or do not materialize as expected in the future, actual results could differ materially from these forward-looking statements.  Risks and uncertainties that may affect future results include: interest rate risk, including the effects of changes in interest rates; fluctuations in the values of the securities held in our investment portfolio, including as a result of changes in interest rates; competitive pressures, including from non-bank competitors such as credit unions, “fintech” companies and digital asset service providers; pricing pressures on loans and deposits; our ability to successfully manage liquidity risk; changes in credit and other risks posed by the Company’s loan portfolio, including declines in commercial or residential real estate values or changes in the allowance for credit losses dictated by new market conditions, accounting standards or regulatory requirements; the concentration of large deposits from certain clients, including those who have balances above current FDIC insurance limits; the imposition of domestic or foreign tariffs or other governmental policies impacting the global supply chain and the value of products produced by our commercial borrowers; changes in local, national and international economic conditions, including the level and impact of inflation, and future monetary policies of the Federal Reserve in response thereto, and possible recession; the effects of recent developments and events in the financial services industry, including the large-scale deposit withdrawals over a short period of time that resulted in several bank failures; changes in legal and regulatory requirements, limitations and costs; changes in customers’ acceptance of the Company’s products and services; the occurrence of fraudulent activity, breaches or failures of our or our third-party partners’ information security controls or cyber-security related incidents, including as a result of sophisticated attacks using artificial intelligence and similar tools; unexpected outcomes of existing or new litigation involving the Company; the monetary, trade and other regulatory policies of the U.S. government; acts of war or terrorism, including the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict and the Russian invasion of Ukraine, widespread disease or pandemics, or other adverse external events; risks related to climate change and the negative impact it may have on our customers and their businesses; changes to U.S. tax laws, regulations and guidance; potential changes in federal policy and at regulatory agencies as a result of the 2024 presidential election; new or revised accounting policies and practices, as may be adopted by state and federal regulatory agencies, the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the Securities and Exchange Commission or the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board; talent and labor shortages and employee turnover; and any other risks described in the “Risk Factors” sections of reports filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise or update such forward-looking statements to reflect current or future events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

^{(1) Includes accumulated other comprehensive loss.
(2) Closing stock price divided by book value per common share.
(3) Closing stock price divided by annualized earnings per common share (basic).
(4) Annualized dividend divided by period end closing stock price.
(5) Annualized net income divided by average assets.
(6) Annualized net income divided by average stockholders’ equity.
(7) Annualized tax-equivalent net interest income divided by average interest-earning assets.
(8) Annualized tax-equivalent interest income on interest-earning assets divided by average interest-earning assets.
(9) Noninterest expense (excluding other real estate owned expense and write-down of premises) divided by noninterest income (excluding net securities gains/losses and gains/losses on disposition of premises and equipment) plus tax-equivalent net interest income.
(10) Total nonperforming assets divided by total assets.
(11) Allowance for credit losses on loans divided by total loans.        
(12) Common equity less intangible assets (none held) divided by tangible assets.
(13) A non-GAAP measure.}

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

This report contains references to financial measures that are not defined in GAAP. Such non-GAAP financial measures include the Company’s presentation of net interest income and net interest margin on a fully taxable equivalent (FTE) basis and the presentation of the efficiency ratio on an adjusted and FTE basis, excluding certain income and expenses. Management believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful information to both management and investors to analyze and evaluate the Company’s financial performance. These measures are considered standard measures of comparison within the banking industry. Additionally, management believes providing measures on a FTE basis enhances the comparability of income arising from taxable and nontaxable sources. Limitations associated with non-GAAP financial measures include the risks that persons might disagree as to the appropriateness of items included in these measures and that different companies might calculate these measures differently. These non-GAAP disclosures should not be considered an alternative to the Company’s GAAP results. The following table reconciles the non-GAAP financial measures of net interest income and net interest margin on a fully taxable equivalent basis and efficiency ratio on an adjusted and FTE basis.

^{(1) Computed on a tax-equivalent basis using a federal income tax rate of 21 percent, adjusted to reflect the effect of the nondeductible interest expense associated with owning tax-exempt securities and loans. Management believes the presentation of this non-GAAP measure provides supplemental useful information for proper understanding of the financial results, as it enhances the comparability of income arising from taxable and nontaxable sources.
(2) The efficiency ratio expresses noninterest expense as a percent of fully taxable equivalent net interest income and noninterest income, excluding specific noninterest income and expenses. Management believes the presentation of this non-GAAP measure provides supplemental useful information for proper understanding of the Company's financial performance. It is a standard measure of comparison within the banking industry. A lower ratio is more desirable.}

For more information contact:
Jane Funk, Executive Vice President, Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer (515) 222-5766