WASHINGTON & CHARLESTON, W.Va.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--United Bankshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: UBSI), today reported earnings for the fourth quarter and the year of 2020. Earnings for the fourth quarter of 2020 were $92.4 million, or $0.71 per diluted share, as compared to earnings of $63.3 million, or $0.62 per diluted share for the fourth quarter of 2019. Earnings for the year of 2020 were a record $289.0 million as compared to earnings of $260.1 million for the year of 2019. Earnings per diluted share for the year of 2020 were $2.40 as compared to earnings per diluted share of $2.55 for the year of 2019.
Fourth quarter 2020 results produced annualized returns on average assets, average equity and average tangible equity of 1.41%, 8.51% and 14.72%, respectively compared to annualized returns on average assets, average equity and average tangible equity of 1.29%, 7.42% and 13.38%, respectively, for the fourth quarter of 2019. For the year of 2020, United’s returns on average assets, average equity and average tangible equity were 1.20%, 7.30% and 12.90%, respectively compared to returns on average assets, average equity and average tangible equity of 1.34%, 7.80% and 14.26%, respectively, for the year of 2019.
The record net income for the year of 2020, as compared to the year of 2019, was primarily due to higher income from mortgage banking activities, driven by an elevated volume of mortgage loan originations and sales in the secondary market, as well as the impact of the Carolina Financial Corporation (“Carolina Financial”) acquisition. Partially offsetting these increases in net income was higher provision for credit losses resulting from an adverse future macroeconomic forecast as a result of the coronavirus (“COVID-19”) pandemic under the Current Expected Credit Loss (“CECL”) accounting standard and merger-related expenses related to the Carolina Financial acquisition.
“During the many challenges of 2020, United delivered a strong performance for our shareholders, our team members, our customers and our communities,” stated Richard M. Adams, United’s Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer. “For 2020, we earned a record $289 million, increased our dividend for the 47th consecutive year, successfully completed the largest acquisition in our company’s history with Carolina Financial, and maintained our focus on meeting the needs of our customers, our employees and our communities during the COVID-19 pandemic. We enter 2021 with strong credit quality and regulatory ratios that position us well for continued success.”
The results of operations for Carolina Financial are included in the consolidated results of operations from the date of acquisition, May 1, 2020. As a result of the acquisition, the fourth quarter and year of 2020 reflected higher average balances, income, and expense as compared to the fourth quarter and year of 2020. In addition, the fourth quarter and year of 2020 included merger-related expenses of $558 thousand and $54.2 million, respectively, as compared to $589 thousand for both the fourth quarter and year of 2019.
Net Interest Income and Net Interest Margin
Net interest income for the fourth quarter of 2020 was $192.0 million, which was an increase of $50.7 million or 36% from the fourth quarter of 2019, primarily due to an increase in average earning assets from the Carolina Financial acquisition and Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans. Tax-equivalent net interest income, a non-GAAP measure which adjusts for the tax-favored status of income from certain loans and investments, for the fourth quarter of 2020 increased $50.9 million or 36% from the fourth quarter of 2019 to $193.0 million. Average earning assets for the fourth quarter of 2020 increased $6.0 billion or 35% from the fourth quarter of 2019 due to a $4.4 billion increase in average net loans and loans held for sale, a $1.2 billion increase in average short-term investments and a $395.1 million increase in average investment securities. The net interest spread for the fourth quarter of 2020 increased 36 basis points from the fourth quarter of 2019 due to a 102 basis point decrease in the average cost of funds primarily due to the decline in market interest rates from the fourth quarter of 2019. The increase in the net interest spread was partially offset by a 66 basis point decrease in the average yield on earning assets from the fourth quarter of 2019 due to the decline in market interest rates and the lower yield on PPP loans. Loan accretion on acquired loans was $10.9 million and $8.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2020 and 2019, respectively, an increase of $2.3 million, primarily driven by the accretion on loans acquired from the Carolina Financial acquisition. The net interest margin of 3.33% for the fourth quarter of 2020 was an increase of 4 basis points from the net interest margin of 3.29% for the fourth quarter of 2019.
Net interest income for the year of 2020 was $689.8 million, which was an increase of $111.9 million or 19% from the year of 2019, primarily due to an increase in average earning assets from the Carolina Financial acquisition. Tax-equivalent net interest income for the year of 2020 was $693.7 million, an increase of $112.0 million or 19% from the year of 2019. Average earning assets for the year of 2020 increased $4.2 billion or 25% from the year of 2019 due to a $3.2 billion increase in average net loans and loans held for sale, a $767.9 million increase in average short-term investments and a $293.2 million increase in average investment securities. The net interest spread for the year of 2020 increased 8 basis points from the year of 2019 due to an 80 basis point decrease in the average cost of funds partially offset by a 72 basis point decrease in the average yield on earning assets. Loan accretion on acquired loans was $41.8 million and $38.8 million for the year of 2020 and 2019, respectively, an increase of $3.0 million. The net interest margin of 3.24% for the year of 2020 was a decrease of 15 basis points from the net interest margin of 3.39% for the year of 2019.
On a linked-quarter basis, net interest income for the fourth quarter of 2020 increased $6.3 million or 3% from the third quarter of 2020. United’s tax-equivalent net interest income for the fourth quarter of 2020 also increased $6.3 million or 3% from the third quarter of 2020. The net interest spread for the fourth quarter of 2020 increased 21 basis points from the third quarter of 2020 due to an 18 basis point decrease in the average cost of funds and a 3 basis point increase in the average yield on earning assets. PPP loan fee income increased $2.2 million to $7.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2020 from the third quarter of 2020, driven by loan forgiveness. Average earning assets decreased approximately $302.1 million or 1% from the third quarter of 2020, driven by a decrease in average net loans and loans held for sale of $165.3 million and average short-term investments of $199.8 million from the third quarter of 2020. Loan accretion on acquired loans decreased approximately $815 thousand from the third quarter of 2020. The net interest margin of 3.33% for the fourth quarter of 2020 was an increase of 15 basis points from the net interest margin of 3.18% for the third quarter of 2020.
Credit Quality
United’s asset quality continues to be sound relative to the current economic environment. At December 31, 2020, nonperforming loans were $132.2 million, or 0.75% of loans & leases, net of unearned income, as compared to nonperforming loans of $131.1 million, or 0.96% of loans & leases, net of unearned income, at December 31, 2019. As of December 31, 2020, the allowance for loan losses was $235.8 million or 1.34% of loans & leases, net of unearned income, as compared to $77.1 million or 0.56% of loans & leases, net of unearned income, at December 31, 2019. The increase in the allowance for loan losses was due to the adoption of CECL, the impact of COVID-19 and the loans acquired from Carolina Financial. Total nonperforming assets of $154.8 million, including OREO of $22.6 million at December 31, 2020, represented 0.59% of total assets as compared to nonperforming assets of $146.6 million or 0.75% of total assets at December 31, 2019.
For the quarters ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, the provision for credit losses was $16.8 million and $5.9 million, respectively. The increase in the provision in relation to the prior year quarter was driven by the impact from the reasonable and supportable forecasts of future macroeconomic conditions used in the estimation of expected credit losses adversely impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic under CECL. The provision for the year of 2020 was $106.6 million as compared to $21.3 million for the year of 2019. In addition to the impact of reasonable and supportable forecasts on reserves, the increase year over year was also driven by the provision for credit losses of $29.0 million recorded on purchased non-credit deteriorated (“non-PCD”) loans from the Carolina Financial acquisition. Net charge-offs were $6.9 million and $5.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2020 and 2019, respectively. Net charge-offs were $23.6 million and $21.0 million for the year of 2020 and 2019, respectively. Annualized net charge-offs as a percentage of average loans & leases, net of unearned income were 0.16% and 0.14% for the fourth quarter and year of 2020, respectively. On a linked-quarter basis, the provision for credit losses remained flat at $16.8 million.
Noninterest Income
Noninterest income for the fourth quarter of 2020 was $94.1 million, which was an increase of $56.8 million or 153% from the fourth quarter of 2019. The increase was driven by a $53.2 million increase in income from mortgage banking activities due to an elevated volume of mortgage loan originations and sales in the secondary market as well as the addition of mortgage banking operations from the Carolina Financial acquisition. Noninterest income for the fourth quarter of 2020 also included $2.3 million in mortgage loan servicing income.
Noninterest income for the year of 2020 was $354.7 million, which was an increase of $204.3 million or 136% from the year of 2019. The increase was due mainly to an increase of $189.1 million in income from mortgage banking activities. Net gains on investment securities were $3.2 million for the year of 2020 as compared to a net gain of $175 thousand for the year of 2019, an increase of approximately $3.0 million. Noninterest income for the year of 2020 also included $6.2 million in mortgage loan servicing income and a $2.2 million gain on the sale of a bank premises.
On a linked-quarter basis, noninterest income for the fourth quarter of 2020 decreased $41.4 million or 31% from the third quarter of 2020 primarily due to a decrease of $38.7 million in income from mortgage banking activities. Mortgage loan originations and sales volumes remained strong in the fourth quarter of 2020. The decrease in the fourth quarter of 2020 in relation to the third quarter of 2020 was primarily due to lower balances and volume of loans held for sale and loan commitments. The third quarter of 2020 also included a $2.2 million gain on the sale of a bank premises.
Noninterest Expense
Noninterest expense for the fourth quarter of 2020 was $156.1 million, an increase of $59.2 million or 61% from the fourth quarter of 2019. Employee compensation increased $32.6 million from the fourth quarter of 2019 due to the Carolina Financial acquisition as well as due to higher employee incentives and commissions expense mainly related to higher mortgage banking production. Additionally, noninterest expense increased from the fourth quarter of 2019 due to a $10.8 million increase in other expense, a $3.4 million increase in mortgage loan servicing expense and impairment, a $3.0 million increase in employee benefits, a $2.9 million increase in equipment expense and a $2.2 million increase in net occupancy expense. Within other expense, the largest drivers of the increase included an increase in the expense for the reserve for unfunded commitments of $3.3 million and an increase in the amortization of income tax credits of $1.9 million. The increases in employee benefits, equipment expense and occupancy expense were mainly from the Carolina Financial acquisition.
Noninterest expense for the year of 2020 was $578.2 million, an increase of $195.6 million or 51% from the year of 2019. Employee compensation increased $100.7 million from the year of 2019 due to the Carolina Financial acquisition as well as due to higher employee incentives and commissions expense mainly related to higher mortgage banking production. Additional employee benefit expense of $13.1 million and occupancy expense of $6.5 million were recognized in the year of 2020 mainly from the Carolina Financial acquisition. Data processing expense increased $13.2 million (including the Carolina Financial data processing contract termination penalty of $9.7 million recorded in the second quarter of 2020), mortgage loan servicing expense and impairment increased $9.0 million (including $1.4 million temporary impairment on mortgage servicing rights) and prepayment penalties on the early payoff of long-term FHLB advances increased $5.3 million. Other expense also increased $39.1 million due to an increase in merger-related expenses of $10.7 million associated with the Carolina Financial acquisition, an increase in the expense for the reserve for unfunded commitments of $11.0 million, and an increase in the amortization of income tax credits of $5.7 million which reduces the effective tax rate.
On a linked-quarter basis, noninterest expense for the fourth quarter of 2020 decreased $15.5 million or 9% from the third quarter of 2020 due primarily to the $10.4 million in prepayment penalties on the early payoff of three long-term FHLB advances recognized in the third quarter of 2020. Additionally, employee compensation decreased $7.5 million due a decline in salaries expense as a result of fewer employees and lower employee incentives and commissions expense recognized in the fourth quarter of 2020 related primarily to mortgage banking production.
Income Tax Expense
For the fourth quarter and year of 2020, income tax expense was $20.8 million and $70.7 million as compared to $12.5 million and $64.3 million, respectively, for the fourth quarter and year of 2019. The increase in the comparative quarter and year periods was due to overall higher earnings. On a linked-quarter basis, income tax expense decreased $8.1 million due to lower earnings and a lower effective tax rate primarily as a result of an increased benefit from income tax credits. United’s effective tax rate was 18.4% for the fourth quarter of 2020, 16.5% for the fourth quarter of 2019 and 21.8% for the third quarter of 2020. For the year of 2020 and 2019, United's effective tax rate was 19.7% and 19.8%, respectively.
Regulatory Capital
United continues to be well-capitalized based upon regulatory guidelines. United’s estimated risk-based capital ratio is 15.6% at December 31, 2020 while its estimated Common Equity Tier 1 capital, Tier 1 capital and leverage ratios are 13.3%, 13.3% and 10.3%, respectively. The December 31, 2020 ratios reflect United’s election of a five-year transition provision, allowed by the Federal Reserve Board and other federal banking agencies in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, to delay for two years the full impact of CECL on regulatory capital, followed by a three-year transition period. The regulatory requirements for a well-capitalized financial institution are a risk-based capital ratio of 10.0%, a Common Equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 6.5%, a Tier 1 capital ratio of 8.0% and a leverage ratio of 5.0%.
About United Bankshares, Inc.
As of December 31, 2020, United had consolidated assets of approximately $26.2 billion. United is the parent company of United Bank, the largest community bank headquartered in the D.C. Metro region. United Bank has 230 offices in West Virginia, Virginia, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and the nation’s capital. United’s stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the quotation symbol “UBSI”.
