QCR Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCRH) Q4 2022 Earnings Call Transcript

Larry Helling: So, great question, Brian. First, I would say, we feel really good about where our capital levels are at today. Given the awareness in the AOCI environment and the economic uncertainty, our priority going forward is growing TCE and total risk-based capital. As you know, our operating performance is certainly top quartile in our peer group now, and we expect to keep that there. What we’re driving to now longer term is to get our capital ratios, we’re kind of middle of the peer group right now in our capital ratios. We’d like to push those to the top quartile because the shareholders, we think, will be well served in a possibly tougher economic environment. If we’ve got top quartile earnings and top quartile capital, we think we are well-positioned to weather the storm that might be in front of us, but shown up yet.

Brian Martin: Got you. So, maybe not quite as active on the buyback in the near term, just given, kind of your commentary. Is that fair?

Larry Helling: I think that’s fair. Yes, our priority is building capital.

Brian Martin: Yes. Got you. Okay. And then maybe just last one for Todd. Just on the margin Todd, I think normally, you’ll give the RSAs, just kind of where those are at, but just in general, as you look to €“ it sounds like the funding base, just kind of your assumptions on the stability in the margin, it sounds like it’s just maintained the deposit. You’ve talked about the kind of changes in mix and funding and whatnot. But your outlook for some stability, is that assuming that the deposit mix and the borrowings €“ level of borrowings today are consistent or down or just kind of how you’re thinking about that?

Todd Gipple: Sure, Brian. Yes, we feel pretty good about where we’re sitting today, still being slightly asset-sensitive. And our guidance to static margin, yes, does assume that the big mix shift that we’ve seen lately has really come to a conclusion. We feel very good about that considering how we started the year here in January. We’ve been able to pay down borrowings pretty significantly as correspondent and other deposits have flown back in or flowed back in. So, we’ve been paying down overnight borrowings getting some margin benefit from that, feeling better about loan to deposits being in the 90s instead of over 100. So, all those things are €“ yes, that’s what we’re assuming in that guidance.

Brian Martin: Got you. Okay. And then the RSAs, what was the other piece of it?

Todd Gipple: Sure. So, RSAs are still 2.4 billion and still continue to see some nice lift there. I think that has been a very positive trend throughout the rate up cycle, of course. But probably the biggest thing that we saw late in the fourth quarter, as I mentioned earlier, was we’re really finally starting to see that traction on new loan yields, on fixed rate deals, and that jumped 80 basis points from October to December. So that gives us some more confidence about being able to help us with margin.

Brian Martin: Got you. Okay. Perfect. Thanks for taking the questions.

Todd Gipple: Yes, thanks Brian.

Larry Helling: Thanks Brian.

Operator: Next question comes from Nathan Race with Piper Sandler. Please go ahead.

Nathan Race: Hi, guys good morning. Appreciate you taking the question.

Larry Helling: Good morning, Nate.