WSFS Reports 4Q 2022 EPS of $1.37 and ROA of 1.69%; Results Reflect NIM of 4.49%, Loan Growth, and Diversified Fee Revenue; Successful First Full-Year of Bryn Mawr Trust Combination

WILMINGTON, Del.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- WSFS Financial Corporation (Nasdaq: WSFS), the parent company of WSFS Bank, today announced its financial results for the fourth quarter of 2022.

Selected financial results and metrics are as follows:

GAAP results for the quarterly periods shown below included the following items that are excluded from core results. For 4Q 2022, the corporate development and restructuring expense primarily relates to our combination with Bryn Mawr Trust and the valuation adjustment of $0.6 million is related to our derivative liability established from the sale of 360,000 Visa Class B shares in 2Q 2020.

CEO Commentary

Rodger Levenson, Chairman, President and CEO, said, “We are very pleased to end 2022 with strong 4Q results and momentum. Core EPS(3) of $1.38 and Core ROA(3) of 1.71% represented a significant lift from 3Q increasing 12% and 13%, respectively.

"Our operating performance was driven by a 50 basis point increase in NIM to 4.49% and solid loan growth. The strength and diversity of our fee revenue was also evident in the quarter. The decline in total deposits was a result of continued absorption of customer excess liquidity combined with lower transactional related deposits in our institutional trust business and normal reduction in seasonal municipal accounts. Credit metrics remained very favorable and capital levels strong.

"Despite the uncertain economic outlook, we enter 2023 highly optimistic about our unique market position and the growth potential of WSFS. The entire organization is focused on optimizing our prior strategic investments and strengthening our opportunity as the largest locally-headquartered bank and wealth management franchise in the Greater Philadelphia and Delaware region.

"I extend my sincere thanks to our over 2,100 Associates for their commitment, dedication, service to our customers, and overall contributions to this successful and milestone year.”

Highlights for 4Q 2022:

• Core ROA was 1.71% compared to 1.28% for 4Q 2021.

• Core EPS was $1.38 compared to $1.04 for 4Q 2021.

• Loan growth of 6% (annualized) driven by our consumer partnerships and the commercial portfolio, including small business leases.

• Customer deposits declined by $621.0 million. When excluding the decreases from seasonal public funding deposits and transactional trust deposits, the quarter-over-quarter decline was $236.3 million, or 2% (6% annualized), primarily from continued customer utilization of excess liquidity.

• Net interest margin expanded to 4.49% compared to 3.99% in 3Q 2022, driven by the benefits of our asset-sensitive balance sheet and reflective of competitive deposit betas.

• Total net credit costs were $13.0 million, primarily from the impact of the economic forecast and net loan growth on the provision for credit losses. The ACL coverage ratio was 1.17% compared to 1.14% at September 30, 2022.

• Core fee revenue (noninterest income)(4) was $65.5 million, an increase of $0.5 million compared to 3Q 2022, resulting in a 25.2% core fee revenue as a percentage of core net revenue(4), continuing to reflect the strength, resiliency, and diversification of our fee-based businesses.

• Core efficiency(4) ratio was 50.8% compared to 53.8% in 3Q 2022.

• WSFS repurchased 361,980 shares of common stock at an average price of $47.76 per share, totaling an aggregate of $17.3 million. During the year, WSFS repurchased approximately 4.2 million shares of common stock, or 7% of shares outstanding, at an average price of $46.78 per share, returning $194.2 million of capital to stockholders.

• The Board of Directors also approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.15 per share.

Fourth Quarter 2022 Discussion of Financial Results

Balance Sheet

The following table summarizes loan and lease balances and composition at December 31, 2022 compared to September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021:

At December 31, 2022, WSFS’ net loan and lease portfolio increased $182.1 million, or 6% (annualized), when compared with September 30, 2022. Excluding the run-off in our acquired residential mortgage portfolio, net loans and leases increased $201.8 million, or 7% (annualized), due to increases of $129.3 million in our consumer partnerships, primarily from Spring EQ (home equity loans), $70.7 million in commercial mortgage, and $24.3 million in commercial small business leases.

In line with our strategic plan, the C&I portfolio (including owner-occupied real estate) continued to be our largest portfolio at 37% of net loans and leases. Additionally, our total commercial loan portfolio continues to represent a majority of our lending portfolio at 79% of net loans and leases.

Net loans and leases at December 31, 2022 increased $3.9 billion when compared with December 31, 2021. The increase was primarily driven by the $3.5 billion of net loans and leases acquired in the combination with Bryn Mawr Trust.

The following table summarizes customer deposit balances and composition at December 31, 2022 compared to September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021:

At December 31, 2022, total customer deposits decreased $621.0 million, or 4% (15% annualized), when compared with September 30, 2022. When excluding declines of $132.9 million in seasonally lower public funding deposits and $251.8 million in transactional trust deposits, deposits declined $236.3 million, or 2% (6% annualized), primarily driven by continued customer utilization of excess liquidity.

Customer deposits increased by $2.9 billion from December 31, 2021 primarily driven by the $4.1 billion of deposits acquired in the combination with Bryn Mawr Trust. This increase was primarily offset by the continued customer utilization of excess liquidity.

More than half of our customer deposits, or 54%, are from our Commercial, Small Business and Wealth Management customer relationships. The ratio of net loans and leases to customer deposits was 73% at December 31, 2022, reflecting continued capacity to fund future loan growth.

Core deposits were a strong 93% of total customer deposits, and no- and low-cost checking accounts represented a robust 57% of total customer deposits, at December 31, 2022. These core deposits predominantly represent longer-term, less price-sensitive customer relationships.

Net Interest Income

Net interest income increased $17.1 million, or 10% (not annualized), compared to 3Q 2022, primarily due to the benefits of our asset-sensitive balance sheet and loan growth. Net interest income increased $85.7 million, or 79%, compared to 4Q 2021, primarily due to a $49.0 million increase from the benefits of our asset-sensitive balance sheet and $39.9 million from the balance sheet size and mix due to the combination with Bryn Mawr Trust.

Net interest margin increased 50bps from 3Q 2022 due to impact from the benefits of our asset-sensitive balance sheet and loan growth. Net interest margin increased 139bps from 4Q 2021, primarily due to a favorable increase of 123bps from the benefits of our asset-sensitive balance sheet and 32bps from the balance sheet size and mix.

Credit Quality

The following table summarizes credit quality metrics as of and for the period ended December 31, 2022 compared to September 30, 2022 and December 31, 2021.

Overall credit metric ratios remained positive and stable during the quarter and continued to reflect the strength of the originated and acquired portfolios. Total problem assets(6) decreased to $462.1 million at December 31, 2022 compared to $472.9 million at September 30, 2022, primarily from upgrades in commercial mortgage loans and our hotel sector. Total problem assets to total Tier 1 capital plus ACL was 21.44% at December 31, 2022, compared to 23.17% at September 30, 2022.

Delinquencies to gross loans decreased to 0.51% at December 31, 2022 compared to 0.59% at September 30, 2022, reflecting the resolution of elevated administrative delinquencies identified in the third quarter.

The ratio of nonperforming assets to total assets increased to 0.22% at December 31, 2022 compared to 0.19% at September 30, 2022. The ratio of nonperforming assets (excluding accruing TDRs) to total assets at December 31, 2022 was 0.12% compared to 0.10% at September 30, 2022. Net charge-offs for 4Q 2022 were $7.7 million, or 0.26% (annualized) of average gross loans, including a charge-off related to one service-based C&I relationship that experienced unique operating challenges during the year.

Total net credit costs were $13.0 million in the quarter as compared to $8.5 million in 3Q 2022. The increase in credit costs was primarily due to $8.5 million from the continued weakening in the economic forecast and $4.8 million related to the mix of new loan originations. The ACL of $151.9 million as of December 31, 2022 increased $5.7 million from September 30, 2022, primarily due to the change in economic forecasts and loan growth, partially offset by upgrades to criticized and classified loans.

Core Fee Revenue

Core fee revenue (noninterest income) of $65.5 million increased $0.5 million, or 1% (not annualized), compared to 3Q 2022, primarily driven by $2.6 million at Cash Connect, driven by higher bailment revenue from variable rate pricing, $1.3 million in capital markets income, and $1.2 million in Wealth Management revenue, offset by decreases of $4.0 million in other banking fees, which included lower income from our equity investments and sales of SBA loans, and $0.7 million in mortgage banking fees.

Core fee revenue increased $19.5 million, or 42%, compared to 4Q 2021, primarily driven by a $13.4 million increase in Wealth Management revenue, of which $13.1 million was attributable to the combination with Bryn Mawr Trust. In addition, the year-over-year increase included $7.3 million in Cash Connect® and $2.1 million in capital markets income. Partially offsetting the increase was a $3.8 million decline in mortgage banking fees primarily resulting from the decline in refinancing originations compared to the historically higher levels in 4Q 2021.

For 4Q 2022, core fee revenue was 25.2% of core net revenue compared to 26.8% in 3Q 2022 and 29.8% in 4Q 2021. Fees continue to be resilient and well-diversified among various sources, including traditional and other banking fees, mortgage banking, capital markets, Wealth Management, and Cash Connect®.

Core Noninterest Expense(7)

Core noninterest expense of $132.2 million increased $1.8 million, or 1% (not annualized), compared to 3Q 2022, primarily from $2.7 million in professional fees related to Wealth customer-related tax services (offset in fee revenue), project implementations and legal costs. In addition, there were $1.8 million higher variable operating costs from Cash Connect® driven by the rising interest rate environment. These increases were offset by $1.4 million lower loan workout and other credit costs and $1.1 million lower check fraud costs.

Core noninterest expense increased $33.5 million, or 34%, compared to 4Q 2021, primarily due to higher costs from the acquisition of Bryn Mawr Trust. These higher costs support the overall franchise growth of the combined company, including $17.2 million in salaries and benefits, $10.2 million of higher variable operating costs, including $4.0 million from Cash Connect®. In addition, there were $2.1 million in higher professional fees and $1.3 million in intangibles amortization expense. Our core efficiency ratio was 50.8% in 4Q 2022, compared to 53.8% in 3Q 2022 and 63.9% in 4Q 2021, primarily due to the impact of higher net interest income.

Income Taxes

We recorded a $28.0 million income tax provision in 4Q 2022, compared to a $25.8 million income tax provision in 3Q 2022 and $15.5 million in 4Q 2021, driven by higher earnings.

The effective tax rate was 24.9% in 4Q 2022, compared to 26.0% in 3Q 2022 and 21.5% in 4Q 2021. The increase in effective tax rate for 4Q 2022 compared to 4Q 2021 was primarily due to the acquisition of Bryn Mawr Trust, including higher state taxes and other nondeductible costs.

Capital Management

Capital levels remain strong and are all substantially in excess of the “well-capitalized” regulatory benchmarks at December 31, 2022 with WSFS Bank’s Tier 1 leverage ratio of 10.29%, Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio and Tier 1 capital ratio of 12.86%, and Total Risk-based capital ratio of 13.84%.

At December 31, 2022, WSFS’ total stockholders’ equity increased $101.5 million, or 5% (not annualized), during 4Q 2022. The increase was primarily due to quarterly earnings of $84.4 million and an improvement in accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) of $39.6 million from market-value increases on investment securities. These increases were partially offset by capital returns of $26.5 million to stockholders including $17.3 million from share repurchases and $9.2 million from quarterly dividends.

WSFS’ tangible common equity(8) increased $105.7 million, or 10% (not annualized) compared to September 30, 2022. WSFS’ common equity to assets ratio was 11.07% at December 31, 2022, and our tangible common equity to tangible assets ratio(8) increased by 58bps during the quarter to 6.31% primarily due to the reasons described above.

At December 31, 2022, book value per share was $35.79, an increase of $1.83, or 5% (not annualized), from September 30, 2022, and tangible common book value per share(8) was $19.36, an increase of $1.81, or 10% (not annualized), from September 30, 2022 primarily due to the reasons described above.

During 4Q 2022, WSFS repurchased 361,980 shares of common stock for an aggregate of $17.3 million. As of December 31, 2022, WSFS has 6,588,771 shares, or approximately 11% of outstanding shares, remaining to repurchase under its current authorizations. For the year, total capital returned to stockholders through share repurchases and quarterly dividends was $229.9 million.

The Board of Directors approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.15 per share of common stock. This dividend will be paid on February 17, 2023 to stockholders of record as of February 3, 2023.

Selected Business Segments (included in previous results):

Wealth Management

The Wealth Management segment provides a broad array of planning and advisory services, investment management, trust services, credit and deposit products to individual, corporate, and institutional clients through multiple integrated businesses.

Selected quarterly performance results and metrics are as follows:

Wealth Management reported pre-tax income of $25.9 million in 4Q 2022 compared to $20.9 million in 3Q 2022, and $23.4 million in 4Q 2021, which included $13.3 million attributable to a recovery from the previously disclosed Charter Oak legal settlement in 4Q 2021. The quarter-over-quarter increase was primarily attributable to net interest income growth in our Private Banking business and higher fee income in the Institutional Trust business. The year-over-year increase was mainly from the combination of Bryn Mawr Trust and the higher interest rate environment.

Fee revenue was $31.0 million in 4Q 2022, an increase of $1.1 million or 4% (not annualized), compared to 3Q 2022, and an increase of $13.2 million, or 74%, compared to 4Q 2021. The increase in fee revenue from the prior quarter was generated across The Bryn Mawr Trust Company of Delaware, Institutional Services, and the AUM-based private wealth management business.

Total noninterest expense(9) was $23.6 million in 4Q 2022, compared to $24.2 million in 3Q 2022 and $12.7 million in 4Q 2021 (when excluding the one-time legal recovery in 4Q 2021 as described above). The year-over-year increase was primarily driven by the combination with Bryn Mawr Trust.

Net AUM of $7.6 billion at the end of 4Q 2022 increased $0.4 billion compared to 3Q 2022, and increased $5.0 billion compared to 4Q 2021. The quarter-over-quarter increase was primarily impacted by the rise in equity and fixed income markets. The year-over-year increase was due to the combination with Bryn Mawr Trust.

Cash Connect®

Cash Connect® is a premier provider of ATM vault cash, smart safe and cash logistics services in the United States, servicing non-bank ATMs and retail safes nationwide and supports ATMs for WSFS Bank Customers with one of the largest branded ATM networks in our region.

Selected quarterly financial results and metrics are as follows:

Cash Connect® reported pre-tax income of $1.2 million for 4Q 2022, a decrease of $0.8 million, compared to 3Q 2022 and a decrease of $1.2 million compared to 4Q 2021, driven by increased operating costs associated with the rising interest rate environment and costs associated with the growth in the retail safe business. ROA of 0.65% in 4Q 2022 decreased 34bps from 3Q 2022 and decreased 89bps from 4Q 2021, primarily driven by the reasons described above. Ongoing balance sheet optimization resulting from a significant third-party funding conversion and other optimization efforts are expected to improve Net Income and ROA beginning in 1Q 2023.

Net revenue(12) of $13.9 million in 4Q 2022 was up $1.0 million from 3Q 2022 and up $2.8 million from 4Q 2021 driven by the rising interest rate environment (offset by higher external funding expense) and higher year-over-year managed services volume.

Noninterest expense(13) was $12.7 million in 4Q 2022, an increase of $1.8 million higher compared to 3Q 2022 and $4.0 million higher compared to 4Q 2021 driven by higher external funding expense.

At the end of 4Q 2022, Cash Connect® had approximately $1.7 billion in cash managed with 19% year-over-year growth in retail safe units. Cash Connect® continues to focus on investment in its growing product lines and expand these services across the country, alongside a wide network and strong pipeline of channel partners, retailers, and top-tier financial institutions.

Fourth Quarter 2022 Earnings Release Conference Call

Management will conduct a conference call to review 4Q 2022 results at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time (ET) on Friday, January 27, 2023. Interested parties may access the conference call live on our Investor Relations website (www.investors.wsfsbank.com). For those who cannot access the live conference call, a replay will be accessible shortly after the event concludes through our Investor Relations website.

About WSFS Financial Corporation

WSFS Financial Corporation is a multibillion-dollar financial services company. Its primary subsidiary, WSFS Bank, is the oldest and largest locally-headquartered bank and trust company in Delaware and the Greater Philadelphia region. As of December 31, 2022, WSFS Financial Corporation had $19.9 billion in assets on its balance sheet and $64.5 billion in assets under management and administration. WSFS operates from 119 offices, 92 of which are banking offices, located in Pennsylvania (61), Delaware (39), New Jersey (17), Virginia (1) and Nevada (1) and provides comprehensive financial services including commercial banking, retail banking, cash management and trust and wealth management. Other subsidiaries or divisions include Arrow Land Transfer, Bryn Mawr Capital Management, LLC, Bryn Mawr Trust®, The Bryn Mawr Trust Company of Delaware, Cash Connect®, NewLane Finance®, Powdermill® Financial Solutions, WSFS Institutional Services®, WSFS Mortgage®, and WSFS Wealth® Investments. Serving the Greater Delaware Valley since 1832, WSFS Bank is one of the ten oldest banks in the United States continuously operating under the same name. For more information, please visit www.wsfsbank.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains estimates, predictions, opinions, projections and other "forward-looking statements" as that phrase is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, without limitation, references to the Company's predictions or expectations of future business or financial performance as well as its goals and objectives for future operations, financial and business trends, business prospects, and management's outlook or expectations for earnings, revenues, expenses, capital levels, liquidity levels, asset quality or other future financial or business performance, strategies or expectations. The words “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “estimate,” “target,” “project” and similar expressions, among others, generally identify forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are based on various assumptions (some of which may be beyond the Company's control) and are subject to risks and uncertainties (which change over time) and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from those currently anticipated. Such risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, difficult market conditions and unfavorable economic trends in the United States generally and in financial markets, and particularly in the markets in which the Company operates and in which its loans are concentrated, including difficult and unfavorable conditions and trends related to housing markets, costs of living, unemployment levels, interest rates, supply chain issues, inflation, and the novel coronavirus ("COVID-19") pandemic, and related variant developments, vaccination efforts and emergency orders; possible additional loan losses and impairment of the collectability of loans; the Company's level of nonperforming assets and the costs associated with resolving problem loans including litigation and other costs and complying with government-imposed foreclosure moratoriums; changes in market interest rates which may increase funding costs and reduce earning asset yields and thus reduce margin; the impact of changes in interest rates and the credit quality and strength of underlying collateral and the effect of such changes on the market value of the Company's investment securities portfolio; the credit risk associated with the substantial amount of commercial real estate, construction and land development, and commercial and industrial loans in the Company's loan portfolio; the extensive federal and state regulation, supervision and examination governing almost every aspect of the Company's operations potential expenses associated with complying with such regulations; and the effects of potential federal government shutdowns or delays; the Company's ability to comply with applicable capital and liquidity requirements, including its ability to generate liquidity internally or raise capital on favorable terms; possible changes in trade, monetary and fiscal policies and stimulus programs, laws and regulations and other activities of governments, agencies, and similar organizations, and the uncertainty of the short- and long-term impacts of such changes; any impairments of the Company's goodwill or other intangible assets; the discontinued publication of London Inter-Bank Offered Rate (LIBOR) and the transition to an alternative reference interest rate, such as the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR), including methodologies for calculating the rate that are different from the LIBOR methodology and changed language for existing and new floating or adjustable rate contracts; the success of the Company's growth plans, including its plans to grow the commercial small business leasing, residential, small business and Small Business Administration (SBA) portfolios and wealth management business following its recent acquisition of Bryn Mawr Bank Corporation (BMBC or Bryn Mawr Trust); the Company's ability to successfully integrate and fully realize the cost savings and other benefits of its acquisitions, manage risks related to business disruption following those acquisitions, and post-acquisition Customer acceptance of the Company's products and services and related Customer disintermediation, including its recent acquisition of BMBC (the BMBC Merger); negative perceptions or publicity with respect to the Company generally and, in particular, the Company's trust and wealth management business; failure of the financial and operational controls of the Company's Cash Connect® division; adverse judgments or other resolution of pending and future legal proceedings, and cost incurred in defending such proceedings; the Company's reliance on third parties for certain important functions, including the operation of its core systems, and any failures by such third parties; system failures or cybersecurity incidents or other breaches of the Company's network security, particularly given widespread remote working arrangements; the Company's ability to recruit and retain key Associates; the effects of problems encountered by other financial institutions that adversely affect the Company or the banking industry generally; the effects of weather, including climate change, and natural disasters such as floods, droughts, wind, tornadoes and hurricanes as well as effects from geopolitical instability, armed conflicts, public health crises and man-made disasters including terrorist attacks; the effects of regional or national civil unrest (including any resulting branch or ATM closures or damage); additional credit, fraud and litigation risks associated with our PPP lending activities; possible changes in the speed of loan prepayments by the Company's Customers and loan origination or sales volumes; possible changes in the speed of prepayments of mortgage-backed securities (MBS) due to changes in the interest rate environment, and the related acceleration of premium amortization on prepayments in the event that prepayments accelerate; regulatory limits on the Company's ability to receive dividends from its subsidiaries and pay dividends to its stockholders; any reputation, credit, interest rate, market, operational, litigation, legal, liquidity, regulatory and compliance risk resulting from developments related to any of the risks discussed above; any compounding effects or unexpected interactions of the risks discussed above; and other risks and uncertainties, including those discussed in the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company's Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended March 31, 2022, the Company's Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended June 30, 2022, the Company's Form 10-Q for the quarterly period ended September 30, 2022 and other documents filed by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission from time to time.

The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. The Company disclaims any duty to revise or update any forward-looking statement, whether written or oral, that may be made from time to time by or on behalf of the Company for any reason, except as specifically required by law. As used in this press release, the terms "WSFS," "the Company," "registrant," "we," "us," and "our" mean WSFS Financial Corporation and its subsidiaries, on a consolidated basis, unless the context indicates otherwise.