Western Alliance Bancorporation (NYSE:WAL) Q2 2023 Earnings Call Transcript

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Ken Vecchione: That’s an interesting question, a good strategic question. I think we are going to continue to play in the space that we have been playing in, which is usually Stage 2. We are not going to be playing and taking up the role of in early stage lending. That’s not what we do. We prefer to be in the middle stage and a little bit in the late stage. So that’s where we are going to continue to keep our focus. I will say that what we are seeing is that current and prior SVB customers and bankers. As I said earlier before we continue to evaluate the changing landscape as both constituencies are making judgments regarding long-term commitments to the industry by new players and they are waiting to see how those new players, credit policies, operating practices will be administered.

For us, Bridge Bank, as I keep saying, is uniquely positioned as a known brand and a consistent player in the market and I think that approach is continuing to get traction. So I have some great expectations from our tech and innovation group, Bridge Bank in terms of deposit growth in Q3 and going into Q4 as we continue to be the steady player and the steady hand in that market that people can go to. When they come to us, they know what our policies are, they know who they are talking to, they know what our credit decisioning process is, they know how to reach senior management and we have a track record with these folks. So we think it’s an opportunity for us and we are excited by it.

Timur Braziler: Okay. Great. And then just lastly for me, maybe following up on Bernard’s question for the some of the promotional products, just given how strong the deposit growth has been and the momentum you are gaining and bringing back some prior customers, I guess, why not pull back from some of the promotional rates this nearly kind of a near-term dynamic as you are continuing to build liquidity or are we still in an environment where the more the better regardless of the cost?

Ken Vecchione: There’s a little bit of the more of the better, but maybe more significantly is those rates, which seem to be, I get the market rate pricing, but they are still less than what we are paying for other sources. So here we have a more stable source and it’s a lower cost and we are going to keep doing that. Now over time, I think, we are going to be able to feed that. But so I — but where we are headed is more liquidity is a good thing and to the degree we can do that, less expensively, we are going to do that. I just wanted to mention the timing on your note that was great earlier this week.

Timur Braziler: Thanks, guys. Appreciate it.

Operator: Thank you. The next question will be from the line of Gary Tenner with D.A. Davidson. Your line is now open.

Gary Tenner: Thanks. Good morning. A couple of questions. First on the — as it relates to the PPNR guide, you talked about fees in terms of what — how you are thinking about mortgage, but the service charge line this quarter increased from $9.5 million to almost $21 million. I don’t recall you kind of mentioning that at all, just curious what the driver was there? I guess, ultimately, how is that level baked into the PPNR guide for the back half of the year?

Ken Vecchione: Well, let me say it differently. Our total fee income, we are looking at, which is primarily driven by AmeriHome is going to stay consistent for the next couple of quarters. So when you think about the PPNR guide, I would say, fee income consistent with Q2, possibly with an arrow upward if some of the early signs of mortgage income success in July continues throughout the quarter and that’s what’s driving the PPNR guide that we gave earlier.

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