Strong Balance Sheet, Stable Margin and Well-Positioned for Loan Growth

John Marshall Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq: JMSB) (the “Company”), parent company of John Marshall Bank (the “Bank”), reported its financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2024.

Selected Highlights

• Pristine Asset Quality – For the eighteenth consecutive quarter, the Company had no non-performing loans, no other real estate owned and no loans 30 days or more past due. There were no charge-offs during the quarter. The Company continues to adhere to strict underwriting standards and proactively manages the portfolio. As of March 31, 2024, there were no credits classified as substandard, doubtful or loss.
• Well-Capitalized – Each of the Bank’s regulatory capital ratios is well in excess of the regulatory threshold for the Bank to be considered well-capitalized. The Bank’s equity to assets and total risk-based capital ratios were 11.3% and 16.1%, respectively, as of March 31, 2024.
• 13.6% Annual Cash Dividend Increase – The Company declared an annual cash dividend on April 24, 2024 of $0.25 per outstanding share of common stock. The dividend will be payable on July 8, 2024, to shareholders of record as of the close of business on June 28, 2024. This per share amount reflects a 13.6% increase over the annual cash dividend paid in 2023 and 25% increase over the initial cash dividend paid in 2022.
• Stable Net Interest Margin – Net interest margin was 2.11% for the three months ended March 31, 2024. For each of the past four quarters, the Company’s net interest margin has ranged from 2.08% to 2.12%.
• Diversified Revenue Growth – The Company’s non-interest income strategy accelerated in the first quarter of 2024. Recurring non-interest income (excluding the impact of securities sales, discontinued BOLI investment and the mark-to-market of non-qualified deferred compensation plan assets) grew $115 thousand or 19.9% from the first quarter of 2023 to the first quarter of 2024. During the first three months of 2024, the Company realized $133 thousand in gains on the sale of certain U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) loans and swap fee income of $64 thousand. As announced in December 2023, the Bank is a SBA designated preferred lender, streamlining the loan approval process for our customers. The Company expects to accelerate SBA loan sale revenue and, in the current rate environment, our pipeline of borrowers evaluating swaps continues to grow.
• Expanding Digital Platform to Enhance Low-Cost Deposit Gathering – At the end of the first quarter of 2024, the Company launched Escrow Optimizer, a 24/7 digital solution that offers tracking of transactions along with reporting and tax form capabilities that simplify the daily operations of managing escrow and subaccounts for customers. With this new and innovative solution, customers will benefit from the ability to open, close, and fund subaccounts at any time while also being able to segregate funds for more efficient business management or to fulfill compliance requirements. This technology will provide an avenue for growth, efficiency, and income for our customers and is beneficial to anyone with a fiduciary responsibility. We believe the convenience and enhanced functionality will drive the growth of new, low-cost deposit relationships.
• Targeted Business Development Hires – The Company remains focused on growing loans, deposits and non-interest income and has hired four experienced business development professionals to date in 2024.
• Improved Deposit Composition – During the quarter, the Company grew non-maturing deposits $35.2 million, representing 21.5% annualized growth and reduced wholesale deposits (i.e., brokered and QwickRate CDs) by $18.9 million or 23.1% annualized. Non-maturing deposits represented 57.9% of total deposits as of March 31, 2024 and 56.2% of total deposits as of December 31, 2023.
• Loan Portfolio Strength – The Company’s loan portfolio remains of exceptionally high quality. As of March 31, 2024, the Company’s commercial real estate (“CRE”) non-owner occupied and owner-occupied portfolios had a weighted average loan-to-values of 49.8% and 54.1%, respectively, and weighted average debt service coverage ratios of 2.1x and 3.3x, respectively.

Chris Bergstrom, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, “The United States economy is experiencing an unprecedented interest rate environment. The longest inverted yield curve in our nation’s history commands our attention. Now, more than ever, our strategy of focusing on local customers with product and service offerings without undue compliance risk paired with our strong, liquid, well-capitalized balance sheet, unfettered by problem assets keeps us well-positioned for the future. In an unchartered economic environment, we place a greater emphasis on our financial condition than growth. During the quarter, we experienced higher than anticipated runoff in our acquisition, development and construction loan portfolio. Our loan pipeline, with credits that meet our stringent criteria, is building for promising growth in the next three to six months. We improved both the amount and composition of our deposits during the quarter. In addition, we have ramped up our hiring of seasoned, well-qualified sales personnel and are equipping them with competitive products and services, like Escrow Optimizer, that will further fuel our future loan and deposit growth. Our non-interest income strategy is starting to bear fruit as we sell more SBA loans and complete interest rate swaps on behalf of customers. In short, the team at John Marshall Bank remains committed to maintaining a strong balance sheet and delivering prudent growth. We are excited to capitalize on opportunities afforded in our market by providing relevant products and services and an unmatched customer experience. As an expression of confidence in the Company’s balance sheet, the Board of Director’s declared an annual cash dividend of $0.25 per outstanding share of common stock or 13.6% greater than last year’s.”

Balance Sheet, Liquidity and Credit Quality

Total assets were $2.25 billion at March 31, 2024, $2.24 billion at December 31, 2023, and $2.35 billion at March 31, 2023.

Total loans, net of unearned income, increased $54.7 million or 3.1% to $1.82 billion at March 31, 2024, compared to $1.77 billion at March 31, 2023 and decreased $34.0 million or 1.8% when compared to December 31, 2023. Detail on the loan growth can be seen in the attached tables.

The carrying value of the Company’s fixed income securities portfolio was $253.4 million at March 31, 2024, $265.5 million at December 31, 2023 and $438.6 million at March 31, 2023. The decrease in carrying value of the Company’s fixed income securities portfolio since March 31, 2023 was primarily attributable to the July 2023 sale of certain available-for-sale investment securities, as previously disclosed. As of March 31, 2024, 95.9% of our bond portfolio carried the implied guarantee of the United States government or one of its agencies. At March 31, 2024, 61.0% of the fixed income portfolio was invested in amortizing bonds, which provides the Company with a source of steady cash flow. At March 31, 2024, the fixed income portfolio had an estimated weighted average life of 4.3 years. The available-for-sale portfolio comprised approximately 65.0% of the fixed income securities portfolio and had a weighted average life of 3.0 years at March 31, 2024. The held-to-maturity portfolio comprised approximately 35.0% of the fixed income securities portfolio and had a weighted average life of 6.5 years at March 31, 2024. The Company did not purchase or sell any fixed income securities during the three month period ended March 31, 2024.

The Company’s balance sheet remains highly liquid. The Company’s liquidity position, defined as the sum of cash, unencumbered securities and available secured borrowing capacity, totaled $788.7 million as of March 31, 2024 compared to $638.9 million as of December 31, 2023 and represented 35.0% and 28.5% of total assets, respectively. In addition to available secured borrowing capacity, the Bank had available federal funds lines of $110.0 million at March 31, 2024.

Total deposits were $1.90 billion at March 31, 2024, $1.91 billion at December 31, 2023 and $2.09 billion at March 31, 2023. Total deposits decreased $5.6 million or 0.3% when compared to December 31, 2023. The attached tables provide detail on the deposit activity. As of March 31, 2024, the Company had $627.1 million of deposits that were not insured or not collateralized by securities compared to $634.1 million at December 31, 2023. Deposits that were not insured or not collateralized by securities represented only 33.0% of total deposits at March 31, 2024 compared to 33.3% at December 31, 2023.

The Company refinanced its $54.0 million advance and advanced an additional $23.0 million from the Bank Term Funding Program (“BTFP”) in January 2024 to secure lower funding costs relative to wholesale deposits and the prior outstanding BTFP advance. The $77.0 million BTFP advance matures January 2025, bears interest at a fixed rate of 4.76% and can be prepaid at any time without penalty prior to maturity. Total borrowings as of March 31, 2024 consisted of subordinated debt totaling $24.7 million and the BTFP advance totaling $77.0 million.

Shareholders’ equity increased $13.7 million or 6.2% to $234.5 million at March 31, 2024 compared to $220.8 million at March 31, 2023. Book value per share was $16.51 as of March 31, 2024 compared to $15.63 as of March 31, 2023, an increase of 5.6%. The year-over-year change in book value per share was primarily due to the Company’s earnings over the previous twelve months and a decrease in accumulated other comprehensive loss. This increase was partially offset by cash dividends paid and increased share count from shareholder option exercises and restricted share award issuances. The decrease in accumulated other comprehensive loss was primarily attributable to the July 2023 sale of certain available-for-sale investment securities, as previously disclosed, and decreases in unrealized losses on our available-for-sale investment portfolio due to market value increases. Book value per share increased from $16.25 as of December 31, 2023 to $16.51 at March 31, 2024 or 6.3% annualized.

The Bank’s capital ratios at March 31, 2024 remained well above regulatory thresholds for well-capitalized banks. As of March 31, 2024, the Bank’s total risk-based capital ratio was 16.1%, compared to 16.1% at March 31, 2023 and 15.7% at December 31, 2023 (GAAP). As outlined below, the Bank would continue to remain well above regulatory thresholds for well-capitalized banks at March 31, 2024 in the hypothetical scenario where the entire bond portfolio was sold at fair market value and any losses realized (Non-GAAP). Refer to “Explanation of Non-GAAP Measures” and the “Reconciliation of Certain Non-GAAP Financial Measures” table for further details about financial measures used in this release that were determined by methods other than in accordance with GAAP.

The Company recorded no charge-offs during the first quarter of 2024, the fourth quarter of 2023 or the first quarter of 2023. As of March 31, 2024, the Company had no loans greater than 30 days past due, no non-accrual loans, and no other real estate owned assets.

At March 31, 2024, the allowance for loan credit losses was $18.7 million or 1.02% of outstanding loans, net of unearned income, compared to $19.5 million or 1.05% of outstanding loans, net of unearned income, at December 31, 2023. The decrease in the allowance as a percentage of outstanding loans, net of unearned income, resulted primarily from changes in the composition and volume of the loan portfolio, improved economic forecasts used in the quantitative portion of the model and an assessment of management’s considerations of qualitative factors combined with the continued strong credit performance of our loan portfolio segments.

At March 31, 2024, the allowance for credit losses on unfunded loan commitments was $0.7 million compared to $0.6 million at December 31, 2023. The change in the allowance for credit losses on unfunded loan commitments resulted from the changes mentioned above and an increase in unfunded commitments during the quarter ended March 31, 2024.

The Company did not have an allowance for credit losses on held-to-maturity securities as of March 31, 2024 or December 31, 2023.

The Company’s owner occupied and non-owner occupied CRE portfolios continue to be of sound credit quality. The following table provides a detailed breakout of the two aforementioned portfolios as of March 31, 2024, demonstrating their strong debt-service-coverage and loan-to-value ratios.

Income Statement Review

The Company reported net income of $4.2 million for the first quarter of 2024, a decrease of $2.1 million when compared to $6.3 million for the first quarter of 2023. Net income for the fourth quarter of 2023 was $4.5 million.

Net interest income for the first quarter of 2024 decreased $2.7 million or 18.8% compared to the first quarter of 2023, driven primarily by the increase in costs of interest-bearing liabilities outpacing the increase in yield on interest-earning assets. The yield on interest earning assets was 4.83% for the first quarter of 2024 compared to 4.15% for the same period in 2023. The increase in yield on interest earning assets was primarily due to higher yields on the Company’s loan portfolio and deposits in banks resulting from increases in interest rates subsequent to the first quarter of 2023. The cost of interest-bearing liabilities was 3.81% for the first quarter of 2024 compared to 2.25% for the same quarter in 2023. The increase in the cost of interest-bearing liabilities was primarily due to a 1.55% increase in the cost of interest-bearing deposits resulting from the repricing of the Company’s time deposits coupled with an increase in rates offered on money market, NOW and savings deposit accounts since the first quarter of 2023. The increase in the overall cost of interest-bearing liabilities in the first quarter of 2024 relative to the same period of the prior year is largely due to Federal Reserve Bank rate increases totaling 5.25% between March 2022 and July 2023. The significant increase in short-term interest rates resulted in an inverted yield curve whereby short-term rates exceed longer-term rates. The yield curve has been inverted since July 2022; the longest period of inversion in United States’ history. This record long period when short-term rates exceeded long-term rates has compressed net interest margins and impacted the banking industry broadly. As a result of the inversion, our annualized net interest margin for the first quarter of 2024 was 2.11% as compared to 2.57% for the same quarter of the prior year. The decrease in net interest margin was primarily due to the increase in cost of interest-bearing deposits, partially offset by an increase in yields on the Company’s interest-earning assets.

Net interest margin for the fourth quarter of 2023 was 2.12%. The fourth quarter of 2023 had one additional day when compared to the first quarter of 2024. The lesser day count of the first quarter of 2024 negatively impacted our net interest margin by one basis point.

The Company recorded a $776 thousand release of provision for credit losses for the first quarter of 2024 compared to a release of provision of $774 thousand for the first quarter of 2023. The release of provision for credit losses during the first quarter of 2024 was primarily a result of changes in the composition and volume of the loan portfolio, improved economic forecasts used in the quantitative portion of the model and an assessment of management’s considerations of qualitative factors combined with the continued strong credit performance of our loan portfolio segments.

Non-interest income increased $252 thousand during the first quarter of 2024 compared to the first quarter of 2023. The increase in non-interest income was due in part to non-recurring losses of $202 thousand recognized on the sale of certain investment securities during the first quarter of 2023, partially offset by bank-owned life insurance income of $100 thousand recognized during the prior period. As previously disclosed, the Company surrendered all of its BOLI policies in July 2023. Excluding losses from the non-recurring investment sale and BOLI income recorded during the first quarter of 2023, as well as mark-to-market adjustments of non-qualified deferred compensation plan assets, non-interest income increased $115 thousand or 19.9%. The increase was primarily due to gains recognized on the sale of certain SBA loan sales totaling $133 thousand, swap fee income of $64 thousand, and increases in insurance commission related revenue. The Company expects to accelerate SBA loan sale revenue and our pipeline of borrowers evaluating swaps continues to grow.

Non-interest expense increased $154 thousand or 2.0% during the first quarter of 2024 compared to the first quarter of 2023. The increase was primarily due to non-recurring expenses totaling $138 thousand incurred during the first quarter of 2024 in connection with a strategic opportunity that was explored and ultimately did not materialize (the “Non-Recurring Expense”). To date in 2024, the Company hired four experienced business development professionals who we expect to augment the Company’s loan, deposit and non-interest income growth.

For the three months ended March 31, 2024, annualized non-interest expense to average assets was 1.41% compared to 1.35% for the three months ended March 31, 2023. The increase was primarily due to lower average assets and higher non-interest expense when comparing the two periods. Excluding the Non-Recurring Expense of $138 thousand, adjusted annualized non-interest expense to average assets was 1.38% (Non-GAAP). Refer to “Explanation of Non-GAAP Measures” and the “Reconciliation of Certain Non-GAAP Financial Measures” table for further details about financial measures used in this release that were determined by methods other than in accordance with GAAP.

For the three months ended March 31, 2024, the efficiency ratio was 63.1% compared to 51.7% for the three months ended March 31, 2023. The increase was primarily due to an increase in non-interest expense. Excluding the Non-Recurring Expense of $138 thousand, the adjusted efficiency ratio was 62.0% (Non-GAAP). Refer to “Explanation of Non-GAAP Measures” and the “Reconciliation of Certain Non-GAAP Financial Measures” table for further details about financial measures used in this release that were determined by methods other than in accordance with GAAP.

Explanation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This release contains financial information determined by methods other than in accordance with GAAP. Management believes that the supplemental non-GAAP information provides a better comparison of the impact of unrealized losses in the Company’s bond portfolio on the Bank’s regulatory capital ratios and period-to-period operating performance, respectively. Additionally, the Company believes this information is utilized by regulators and market analysts to evaluate a company’s financial condition and therefore, such information is useful to investors. Non-GAAP measures used in this release consist of the following:

• The Adjusted Bank regulatory capital ratios in the hypothetical scenario where the entire bond portfolio was sold at fair market value and any losses realized.
• The Adjusted annualized non-interest expense to average assets and adjusted efficiency ratio excluding the effects of the Non-Recurring Expense.

These disclosures should not be viewed as a substitute for financial results in accordance with GAAP, nor are they necessarily comparable to non-GAAP performance measures which may be presented by other companies. Please refer to the Reconciliation of Certain Non-GAAP Financial Measures table for a reconciliation of these non-GAAP measures to the most directly comparable GAAP measure.

About John Marshall Bancorp, Inc.

John Marshall Bancorp, Inc. is the bank holding company for John Marshall Bank. The Bank is headquartered in Reston, Virginia with eight full-service branches located in Alexandria, Arlington, Loudoun, Prince William, Reston, and Tysons, Virginia, as well as Rockville, Maryland, and Washington, D.C. The Bank is dedicated to providing exceptional value, personalized service and convenience to local businesses and professionals in the Washington D.C. Metro area. The Bank offers a comprehensive line of sophisticated banking products and services that rival those of the largest banks along with experienced staff to help achieve customers’ financial goals. Dedicated Relationship Managers serve as direct points-of-contact, providing subject matter expertise in a variety of niche industries including Charter and Private Schools, Government Contractors, Health Services, Nonprofits and Associations, Professional Services, Property Management Companies and Title Companies. Learn more at www.johnmarshallbank.com.

In addition to historical information, this press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are based on certain assumptions and describe future plans, strategies and expectations of the Company. These forward-looking statements are generally identified by use of the words “believe,” “expect,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “project,” “will,” “should,” “may,” “view,” “opportunity,” “potential,” or similar expressions or expressions of confidence. Our ability to predict results or the actual effect of future plans or strategies is inherently uncertain. Factors which could have a material adverse effect on the operations of the Company and the Bank include, but are not limited to, the following: the concentration of our business in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area and the effect of changes in the economic, political and environmental conditions on this market; adequacy of our allowance for loan credit losses; allowance for unfunded commitments credit losses, and allowance for credit losses associated with our held-to-maturity and available-for-sale securities portfolio; deterioration of our asset quality; future performance of our loan portfolio with respect to recently originated loans; the level of prepayments on loans and mortgage-backed securities; liquidity, interest rate and operational risks associated with our business; changes in our financial condition or results of operations that reduce capital; our ability to maintain existing deposit relationships or attract new deposit relationships; changes in consumer spending, borrowing and savings habits; inflation and changes in interest rates that may reduce our margins or reduce the fair value of financial instruments; changes in the monetary and fiscal policies of the U.S. Government, including policies of the U.S. Treasury and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; additional risks related to new lines of business, products, product enhancements or services; increased competition with other financial institutions and fintech companies; adverse changes in the securities markets; changes in the financial condition or future prospects of issuers of securities that we own; our ability to maintain an effective risk management framework; changes in laws or government regulations or policies affecting financial institutions, including changes in regulatory structure and in regulatory fees and capital requirements; compliance with legislative or regulatory requirements; results of examination of us by our regulators, including the possibility that our regulators may require us to increase our allowance for credit losses or to write-down assets or take similar actions; potential claims, damages, and fines related to litigation or government actions; the effectiveness of our internal controls over financial reporting and our ability to remediate any future material weakness in our internal controls over financial reporting; geopolitical conditions, including acts or threats of terrorism and/or military conflicts, or actions taken by the U.S. or other governments in response to acts or threats of terrorism and/or military conflicts, negatively impacting business and economic conditions in the U.S. and abroad; the effects of weather-related or natural disasters, which may negatively affect our operations and/or our loan portfolio and increase our cost of conducting business; public health events (such as the COVID-19 pandemic), and of governmental and societal responses thereto; technological risks and developments, and cyber threats, attacks, or events; the additional requirements of being a public company; changes in accounting policies and practices; our ability to successfully capitalize on growth opportunities; our ability to retain key employees; deteriorating economic conditions, either nationally or in our market area, including higher unemployment and lower real estate values; implications of our status as a smaller reporting company and as an emerging growth company; and other factors discussed in the Company’s reports (such as our Annual Report on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K) filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These risks and uncertainties should be considered in evaluating forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. The Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims any obligation, to publicly release the result of any revisions which may be made to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events. Annualized, pro forma, projected and estimated numbers are used for illustrative purpose only, are not forecasts and may not reflect actual results.