WEST BANCORPORATION INC

Previous wording

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 (the "Exchange Act"). 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 rising 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; changes in local, national and international economic conditions, including the level and impact of inflation 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 recent bank failures; changes in legal and regulatory requirements, limitations and costs, including in response to the recent bank failures; 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 an…

Excerpt shortened here; the source contains the full paragraph.

Current wording

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 (the "Exchange Act"). 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 rising 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 recent bank failures; changes in legal and regulatory requirements, limitations and costs, including in response to the recent bank failures; 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' informati…

Excerpt shortened here; the source contains the full paragraph.

Previous wording

The discussion and analysis of the Company's financial condition and results of operations are based upon the Company's consolidated financial statements that have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of the Company's financial statements requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, income and expenses. These estimates are based upon historical experience and on various other assumptions that management believes are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. The estimates and judgments that management believes involve the most complex and subjective estimates and judgments and have the greatest effect on the Company's reported financial position and results of operations are described as critical accounting policies in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2023, as filed with the SEC on February 23, 2024. There have been no significant changes in the critical accounting policies or the assumptions and judgments utilized in applying these policies since December 31, 2023.

Current wording

The discussion and analysis of the Company's financial condition and results of operations are based upon the Company's consolidated financial statements that have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of the Company's financial statements requires management to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, income and expenses. These estimates are based upon historical experience and on various other assumptions that management believes are reasonable under the circumstances, the results of which form the basis for making judgments about the carrying values of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. Actual results may differ from these estimates under different assumptions or conditions. The estimates and judgments that management believes involve the most complex and subjective estimates and judgments and have the greatest effect on the Company's reported financial position and results of operations are described as critical accounting policies in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, as filed with the SEC on February 20, 2025. There have been no significant changes in the critical accounting policies or the assumptions and judgments utilized in applying these policies since December 31, 2024.

Previous wording

The following discussion describes the consolidated operations and financial condition of the Company, West Bank and West Bank's special purpose subsidiaries (which are invested in new markets tax credit activities). Results of operations for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 are compared to the results for the same periods in 2023, and the consolidated financial condition of the Company as of September 30, 2024 is compared to that as of December 31, 2023. This discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K/A for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the SEC on February 23, 2024.

Current wording

The following discussion describes the consolidated operations and financial condition of the Company, West Bank and West Bank's special purpose subsidiaries (which are invested in new markets tax credit activities). Results of operations for the three months ended March 31, 2025 are compared to the results for the same period in 2024, and the consolidated financial condition of the Company as of March 31, 2025 is compared to that as of December 31, 2024. This discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations included in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024, filed with the SEC on February 20, 2025.

Previous wording

Net income for the three months ended September 30, 2024 was $5,952, or $0.35 per diluted common share, compared to $5,906, or $0.35 per diluted common share, for the three months ended September 30, 2023. The Company's annualized return on average assets and return on average equity for the three months ended September 30, 2024 were 0.60 percent and 10.41 percent, respectively, compared to 0.64 percent and 10.89 percent, respectively, for the three months ended September 30, 2023.

Current wording

Net income for the three months ended March 31, 2025 was $7,842, or $0.46 per diluted common share, compared to $5,809, or $0.35 per diluted common share, for the three months ended March 31, 2024. The Company's annualized return on average assets and return on average equity for the three months ended March 31, 2025 were 0.81 percent and 13.84 percent, respectively, compared to 0.61 percent and 10.63 percent, respectively, for the three months ended March 31, 2024.

Previous wording

Net interest income for the three months ended September 30, 2024 increased $1,326, or 8.0 percent, compared to the three months ended September 30, 2023. The increase in net interest income was primarily due to the increase in interest income on loans and decrease in interest expense on federal funds purchased and other short-term borrowings, partially offset by the increase in interest expense on deposits.

Current wording

Net interest income for the three months ended March 31, 2025 increased $4,105, or 24.5 percent, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2024. The increase in net interest income was primarily due to increases in interest income on loans and interest-bearing deposits at other financial institutions and a decrease in interest expense on short term borrowed funds. Growth in average deposit balances provided for a reduction in average short term borrowings and an increase in average interest bearing deposits in other financial institutions. Interest expense on deposits declined slightly, as growth in deposit balances was offset by a reduction in deposit interest rates. A reduction in the interest rates on interest bearing cash deposits, short term borrowings and deposits have been driven by the Federal Reserve's 100 basis point reduction of the federal funds rate in September through December of 2024.

Previous wording

Noninterest income decreased $463 for the three months ended September 30, 2024 compared to the same period in 2023, due to $431 in loan swap fees earned during the three months ended September 30, 2023. Noninterest expense increased $987 during the three months ended September 30, 2024 compared to the three months ended September 30, 2023, primarily due to increases in occupancy and equipment, technology and software expense and FDIC insurance, partially offset by a decrease in business development expenses.

Current wording

Noninterest income decreased $56 for the three months ended March 31, 2025 compared to the same period in 2024. Noninterest expense increased $1,195 during the three months ended March 31, 2025 compared to the three months ended March 31, 2024, primarily due to increases in salaries and employee benefits and occupancy and equipment expense.

Previous wording

Total loans outstanding increased $93,686, or 3.2 percent, during the first nine months of 2024. The credit quality of the loan portfolio remained strong, as evidenced by the Company's ratio of nonperforming loans to total assets of 0.01 percent as of both September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023. As of both September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the allowance for credit losses was 0.97 percent of total outstanding loans. Management believed the allowance for credit losses at September 30, 2024 was adequate to absorb expected losses in the loan portfolio as of that date.

Current wording

Total loans outstanding increased $11,611, or 0.4 percent, to $3,016,471 during the first three months of 2025. The credit quality of the loan portfolio remained strong, as evidenced by the Company's ratio of nonperforming loans to total assets of 0.00 percent as of both March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024. As of both March 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, the allowance for credit losses was 1.01 percent of total outstanding loans. Management believed the allowance for credit losses at March 31, 2025 was adequate to absorb expected losses in the loan portfolio as of that date.

Previous wording

On a quarterly basis, the Company compares three key performance metrics to those of our identified peer group. The peer group for 2024 consists of 21 Midwestern, publicly traded financial institutions, including Bank First Corporation, Bridgewater Bancshares Inc., ChoiceOne Financial Services, Inc., Civista Bancshares, Inc., CrossFirst Bankshares, Inc., Equity Bancshares, Inc., Farmers National Banc Corp., Farmers & Merchants Bancorp., First Business Financial Services, Inc., First Financial Corp., First Mid Bancshares, Inc., German American Bancorp, Inc., HBT Financial Inc., Hills Bancorporation, Isabella Bank Corporation, LCNB Corp., Mercantile Bank Corporation, MidWest One Financial Group, Inc., Nicolet Bankshares, Inc., Peoples Bancorp, Inc., and Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc. The Company is in the middle of the group in terms of asset size. The Company's goal is to perform at or near the top of this peer group relative to what we consider to be three key metrics: return on average equity, efficiency ratio and nonperforming assets to total assets. We believe these measures encompass the factors that define the performance of a community bank. Company and peer results for the key financial performance measures are summarized below.

Current wording

On a quarterly basis, the Company compares three key performance metrics to those of our identified peer group. The peer group for 2025 consists of 20 Midwestern, publicly traded financial institutions, including Bank First Corporation, Bridgewater Bancshares Inc., ChoiceOne Financial Services, Inc., Civista Bancshares, Inc., Equity Bancshares, Inc., Farmers National Banc Corp., Farmers & Merchants Bancorp., First Business Financial Services, Inc., First Financial Corp., First Mid Bancshares, Inc., German American Bancorp, Inc., HBT Financial Inc., Hills Bancorporation, Isabella Bank Corporation, LCNB Corp., Mercantile Bank Corporation, MidWest One Financial Group, Inc., Nicolet Bankshares, Inc., Peoples Bancorp, Inc., and Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc. The Company is in the middle of the group in terms of asset size. The Company's goal is to perform at or near the top of this peer group relative to what we consider to be three key metrics: return on average equity, efficiency ratio and nonperforming assets to total assets. We believe these measures encompass the factors that define the performance of a community bank. Company and peer results for the key financial performance measures are summarized below.