Midland States Bancorp, Inc. Announces 2024 Fourth Quarter Results

The Specialty Finance Group provides bridge loan financing for commercial real estate projects, primarily multi-family and healthcare. These projects can include construction and seek short term financing in anticipation of obtaining permanent secondary market financing. The loans are typically outside of the Company's primary market areas. We completed a strategic review of this portfolio including obtaining updated appraisals on loans that had shown elevated credit risk in the third and fourth quarters. As a result of this review, five loans with balances of $57.8 million were moved from substandard to non-performing with recognized charge-offs of $6.6 million. In addition, updated appraisals were obtained for five non-performing loans with balances of $55.8 million which resulted in charge-offs of $18.8 million recognized in the fourth quarter of 2024. In addition, we recognized impairment expense on an OREO property related to a former assisted living loan of $2.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2024.

The strategic review also included all criticized loans, construction loans and loans that failed our stress test in all portfolios, including our community bank. This resulted in charge-offs of almost all specific reserves. In addition, the Company tightened credit standards going forward and will not originate new construction loans in the Specialty Finance Group. Our strategic actions around credit administration will better position the Company going forward.

The equipment finance portfolio includes loans and leases originated to customers throughout the United States. During 2024, we experienced elevated charge-offs primarily within the trucking industry. Charge-offs in this portfolio were $15.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2024 as we evaluated equipment values for nonaccrual assets. Nonaccrual loans and leases in the finance portfolio decreased to $11.3 million from $21.4 million at September 30, 2024. Additionally, based on further deterioration in the industry, we evaluated salvage values of the leases and loans related to this industry, along with the carrying values of repossessed and off-lease equipment, and recognized impairment expense of $7.6 million.

Jeffrey G. Ludwig, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, said, "Improving credit quality is our number one priority and in the fourth quarter we took significant steps to reduce credit risk and address our underlying credit issues. During the quarter we made the difficult decision to exit our non-core consumer portfolio and charge-off deteriorating credits in an effort to better position the Company to grow our core community banking business. Our team also reviewed our credit risk appetite profile and tightened standards going forward. On a positive note, substandard accruing loans decreased significantly in the quarter with minimal downgrades to substandard accruing. Delinquencies decreased during the quarter as well.

"We are seeing positive trends in new client additions in both our community bank and wealth management, net interest margin expanded in the quarter and with the actions we took in the quarter to reduce credit risk, we believe we are well positioned to deliver solid financial performance in 2025. We will continue to make investments in talent, technology, and marketing to further enhance our ability to generate profitable growth in the coming years,” said Mr. Ludwig.

Balance Sheet Highlights

Total assets were $7.53 billion at December 31, 2024, compared to $7.75 billion at September 30, 2024, and $7.87 billion at December 31, 2023. At December 31, 2024, portfolio loans were $5.17 billion, compared to $5.75 billion at September 30, 2024, and $6.13 billion at December 31, 2023.

Loans

During the fourth quarter of 2024, outstanding loans declined by $581.2 million, or 10.1%, from September 30, 2024, primarily as a result of the Company's decision to sell the Greensky and LendingPoint consumer loan portfolios, and the continuation of the Company's plan to decrease its equipment financing portfolio to focus on commercial loan opportunities in our community banking regions.

Consumer loans decreased $506.0 million to $157.2 million at December 31, 2024, primarily due to the loan portfolio sale, transfer to held for sale, and loan paydowns. Equipment finance loan and lease balances decreased $51.7 million during the fourth quarter of 2024 as the Company continued to reduce its concentration of this product within the overall loan portfolio. Equipment financing and consumer loans comprised 15.6% and 3.0%, respectively, of the loan portfolio at December 31, 2024, compared to 15.0% and 11.5%, respectively, at September 30, 2024.

Loan Quality

Substandard accruing loans decreased $88.7 million to $78.8 million at December 31, 2024, as compared to September 30, 2024. This decrease was the result of a payoff of a $15.4 million relationship and the transfer of $75.1 million of problem loans to nonaccrual status. No significant new substandard loans were identified during the quarter.

Nonperforming loans increased $25.6 million to $140.1 million at December 31, 2024, as compared to September 30, 2024. Charged off nonperforming loans in the fourth quarter of 2024 totaled $48.9 million, partially offsetting the amount of loans transferred to nonaccrual status in the quarter.

The Company recognized provision expense for credit losses on loans of $93.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2024, and recorded net loan charge-offs of $102.7 million. Provision expense for credit losses on loans was $5.0 million and $7.0 million in the third quarter of 2024 and fourth quarter of 2023, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2024, the Company recognized provision expense for credit losses of $129.3 million and recorded net charge-offs of $121.4 million.

The allowance for credit losses on loans totaled $75.4 million at December 31, 2024, compared to $85.8 million at September 30, 2024, and $68.5 million at December 31, 2023. The allowance as a percentage of total loans was 1.46% at December 31, 2024, compared to 1.49% at September 30, 2024, and 1.12% at December 31, 2023.

Deposits

Total deposits were $6.20 billion at December 31, 2024, compared with $6.26 billion at September 30, 2024. Noninterest-bearing deposits increased $4.9 million while interest-bearing deposits decreased $64.5 million. Brokered time deposits represented 4.2% of total deposits at December 31, 2024.