United Community Banks, Inc. (NASDAQ:UCBI) Q2 2023 Earnings Call Transcript

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Kevin Fitzsimmons: Okay, great. Thanks.

Jefferson Harralson: All right. Thank you.

Operator: Our next question comes from David Bishop of The Hovde Group. Go ahead.

Jefferson Harralson: Hey David.

David Bishop: Hey, Jefferson. Hey, with the — I appreciate the color on the hires in the Eastern Tennessee market there. But I don’t know if I missed this. Does that impact your outlook in terms of expected loan growth this year, will that have maybe an inflationary result in the back half of the year? Are you still comfortable with that mid-single-digit growth outlook?

Rich Bradshaw: Hi, David, this is Rich. To answer your question, I think we’re still looking at the mid-single-digit loan growth. I mean, clearly, we’ve tightened credit criteria for both commercial and mortgage as we move forward in this world. But we are thinking about that same — I expect Q3 to kind of look like Q2 both loan and deposit growth. I’m hoping that can go, but realize these people have just started. So, within the last 30 days. So, it’s going to take a quarter for them even to see some results. But what we’re really thinking is — this is going to be hitting on all cylinders January 1st and we’re really excited about that.

David Bishop: Got it, understood. And then maybe from a credit perspective, I know — I appreciate the color on the office portfolio in the segment. But from the surface, does it look like there’s any pressure from debt service versions driving. But as you look out, any change quarter-on-quarter in terms of ability or prospects for your borrower base to handle higher rates as these loans come up to renewal and mature?

Rob Edwards: Yes. Thanks David, this is Rob Edwards. So, we’ve done several analysis both at a sort of special stress test at the top of the house that sort of focuses on CRE. We’ve gone through some fixed rate variety of CRE products and looked at top 50 and re-amortized at new rates and we’re actually doing another one of those test right now. So, we’re sort of in an ongoing sort of stress. The portfolio from different angles and so far we haven’t seen anything that really identifies as when the rates change, these people aren’t going to be to make payments. Really the first test we looked at was fixed rate borrowers maturing in the next 24 months because I think you sort of go back in time and like well their rates are going to change the most, but we had one borrower that we would have rated special mention after the analysis, but as it turns out they were already rated special mention.

So, we just didn’t see anything that forecast a need for a change or any downgrading.

David Bishop: Got it. I appreciate the color.

Operator: Our next question comes from Russell Gunther of Stephens. Go ahead.

Russell Gunther: Hey, good morning guys. Just a couple of quick follow-ups at this point. On the office topic, I appreciate the recent remarks. Do you guys have a maturity schedule that you could share for that sector?

Lynn Harton: We could create one. We have looked at the maturities a couple of different ways. I was thinking was a maturity in the K, we’d have to get back to you — or the Q maybe. I have to get back to you on that, Russell.

Russell Gunther: Okay, no worries. And then just last one, on the deposit side, any color you guys can share in terms of retention out of progress in First Miami?

Lynn Harton: So, I’ll pass this to Rich because it’s a hard question, but First Miami just closed, so we don’t really have a lot there. But talk about progress.

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