Los Angeles, California - January 25, 2024 - PCB Bancorp (the “Company”) (NASDAQ: PCB), the holding company of PCB Bank (the “Bank”), today reported net income of $5.9 million, or $0.41 per diluted common share, for the fourth quarter of 2023, compared with $7.0 million, or $0.49 per diluted common share, for the previous quarter and $8.7 million, or $0.58 per diluted common share, for the year-ago quarter. For 2023, net income was $30.7 million, or $2.12 per diluted common share, compared with $35.0 million and $2.31 per diluted common share, for the previous year.

•Net income totaled $5.9 million, or $0.41 per diluted common share, for the current quarter and $30.7 million, or $2.12 per diluted common share for the current year;

•Recorded a provision for credit losses(1),(2) of $1.7 million for the current quarter compared with $751 thousand for the previous quarter and $1.1 million for the year-ago quarter. For the current year, provision (reversal) for the credit losses was $(132) thousand compared with $3.6 million for the previous year;

•Allowance for Credit Losses (“ACL”)(1) on loans to loans held-for-investment ratio was 1.19% at December 31, 2023 compared with 1.18% at September 30, 2023 and 1.22% at December 31, 2022;

•Net interest income was $21.9 million for the current quarter compared with $22.4 million for the previous quarter and $24.3 million for the year-ago quarter. Net interest margin was 3.40% for the current quarter compared with 3.57% for the previous quarter and 4.15% for the year-ago quarter. For the current year, net interest income and net interest margin were $88.5 million and 3.57%, respectively, compared with $89.6 million and 4.08%, respectively, for the previous year;

•Gain on sale of loans was $803 thousand for the current quarter compared with $689 thousand for the previous quarter and $759 thousand for the year-ago quarter. For the current year, gain on sale of loans was $3.6 million compared with $8.0 million for the previous year;

•Total assets were $2.79 billion at December 31, 2023, an increase of $221.5 million, or 8.6%, from $2.57 billion at September 30, 2023, and an increase of $369.5 million, or 15.3%, from $2.42 billion at December 31, 2022;

•Loans held-for-investment were $2.32 billion at December 31, 2023, an increase of $155.8 million, or 7.2%, from $2.17 billion at September 30, 2023, and an increase of $277.4 million, or 13.6%, from $2.05 billion at December 31, 2022;

•Total deposits were $2.35 billion at December 31, 2023, an increase of $159.5 million, or 7.3%, from $2.19 billion at September 30, 2023, and an increase of $305.6 million, or 14.9%, from $2.05 billion at December 31, 2022; and

•The Company repurchased and retired 60,074 shares of common stock during the current quarter. For the current year, the Company repurchased and retired 512,657 shares of common stock.

“We are pleased with our fourth quarter and full-year performance. Our results reflect our solid business strategy of strong relationship banking, which continues to provide strong loan funding opportunities and stable operating performance that has positioned us well to overcome the continued economic uncertainties,” said Henry Kim, President and Chief Executive Officer. “PCB’s performance for the fourth quarter of 2023 benefited from strong loan growth and higher yields on interest-earning assets. However, the continued higher interest rate environment and its effect on our funding costs resulted in moderate compression in net interest margin during the quarter. During the quarter loan balance increased 7.1% to $2.3 billion, deposit balance increased 7.3% to $2.4 billion, and we continue to maintain very strong credit metrics with ACL to loans ratio of 1.19%, and non-performing assets and classified assets to total assets ratios of 0.23% and 0.34%, respectively.”

Mr. Kim added, “As we look ahead in 2024, PCB is well positioned to continue delivering solid results with emphasis on strong balance sheet and sound asset quality with robust capital levels that are above our peers to operate in all economic cycles and changing market conditions.”

(1)Provision for credit losses on off-balance sheet credit exposures of $57 thousand and $85 thousand, respectively, for the year-ago quarter and previous year were recorded in Other Expense on Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited). See Provision (reversal) for credit losses included in the Result of Operations discussion for additional information.

(2)Ratios are presented on an annualized basis.

(3)Non-GAAP. See “Non-GAAP Measures” for reconciliation of this measure to its most comparable GAAP measure.

(4)Calculated by dividing noninterest expense by the sum of net interest income and noninterest income.

(5)Calculated by dividing total shareholders’ equity by the number of outstanding common shares.

(6)The Company did not have any intangible asset component for the presented periods.

The following table presents the components of net interest income for the periods indicated:

(1)Total funding is the sum of interest-bearing liabilities and noninterest-bearing deposits. The cost of total funding is calculated as annualized total interest expense divided by average total funding.

Loans. The increases in average yield for the current quarter compared with the previous and year-ago quarters were primarily due to increases in overall interest rates on loans from the rising interest rate environment and net amortization of deferred loan fees from the increased amount of prepayment penalties. The increase in average yield for the current year compared with the previous year was primarily due to the increase in overall interest rates on loans, partially offset by decreases in net accretion of discount on loans and net amortization of deferred loan fees from the decreased amount of SBA PPP loan payoffs.

The following table presents a composition of total loans by interest rate type accompanied with the weighted-average contractual rates as of the dates indicated:

Investment Securities. The increases in average yield for the current quarter and year were primarily due to a decrease in net amortization of premiums on securities and higher yield on newly purchased investment securities.

Other Interest-Earning Assets. The increases in average yield for the current quarter and year were primarily due to an increased interest rate on cash held at the Federal Reserve Bank and an increase in dividend received on Federal Home Loan Bank stock.

Interest-Bearing Deposits. The increases in average cost for the current quarter and year were primarily due to an increase in market rates and the migration of noninterest-bearing demand deposits to interest-bearing deposits attributable to the rising market rates. To retain existing and attract new customers, the Bank offers competitive rates on deposit products.

The following table presents a composition of provision (reversal) for credit losses for the periods indicated:

(1)Provision for credit losses on off-balance sheet credit exposures for year-ago quarter and previous year were recorded in Other Expense on Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited).

On January 1, 2023, the Company adopted the provisions of ASC 326, also known as the current expected credit losses (“CECL”) accounting standard, through the application of the modified retrospective transition approach. Provision (reversal) for credit losses and ACL for reporting periods beginning with January 1, 2023 are presented under ASC 326, while prior period comparisons continue to be presented under legacy ASC 450 and ASC 310 in this release. See CECL Adoption and Allowance for Credit Losses sections included in the Balance Sheet section of this release for additional information.

The provision for credit losses on loans for the current quarter was primarily due to an increase in loan held-for-investment.

The following table presents the components of noninterest income for the periods indicated:

Gain on Sale of Loans. The following table presents information on gain on sale of loans for the periods indicated:

Loan Servicing Income. The following table presents information on loan servicing income for the periods indicated:

The Company services SBA loans and certain residential property loans sold to the secondary market.

The following table presents the components of noninterest expense for the periods indicated:

Salaries and Employee Benefits. The decrease for the current quarter compared with the previous quarter was primarily due to a decrease in vacation accrual, partially offset by increases in salaries and other employee benefit expense, and incentives tied to sales of SBA loans originated at loan production offices. The increase for the current quarter compared with the year-ago quarter was primarily due to increases in salaries and other employee benefit expense, partially offset by a decrease in vacation accrual. The increase for the current year compared with the previous year was primarily due to increases in salaries and other employee benefit expense, partially offset by decreases in bonus and vacation accruals, and incentives tied to sales of SBA loans originated at loan production offices. The number of full-time equivalent employees was 270, 270 and 272 as of December 31, 2023, September 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, respectively.

Occupancy and Equipment. The increases for the current quarter compared with the previous and year-ago quarters were primarily due to expansions of headquarters and relocation of a regional office and branches. The Company plans to relocate and consolidate a regional office and two branches into one location in Orange County, California in 2024. The increase for the current year compared with the previous year was primarily due to the expansions of headquarters and the relocation of a regional office and branches, as well as 3 new branch openings during the second half of 2022. The Company opened 3 new full-service branches in Dallas and Carrollton, Texas and Palisades Park, New Jersey during the second half of 2022.

Professional Fees. The increases for the current quarter and year were primarily due to increases in consulting and internal audit fees for enhancing internal controls and process, and professional fees related to a planned core system conversion.

Marketing and Business Promotion. The decrease for the current quarter compared with the previous quarter was primarily due to the Company’s 20th anniversary celebration during the previous quarter.

Director Fees and Expenses. The increase for the current quarter compared with the previous quarter was primarily due to additional expenses related to stock options issued to directors during the current quarter.

Regulatory Assessments. The increases for the current quarter and year compared with the same periods of 2022 were due to an increase in FDIC assessment rates. The FDIC increased the initial base deposit insurance assessment rate schedules by two basis points beginning in the first quarterly assessment period of 2023.

Other Expense. The increase for the current quarter compared with the previous quarter was primarily due to increases in office expense and loan related expense. The increase for the current year was primarily due to increases in office expenses and armed guard expenses from the branch network expansion. Provision for credit losses on off-balance credit exposures of $57 thousand and $85 thousand was included in other expense for the year-ago quarter and previous year, respectively, while the provision (reversal) for the current reporting periods beginning January 1, 2023 was included in provision (reversal) for credit losses.

Total assets were $2.79 billion at December 31, 2023, an increase of $221.5 million, or 8.6%, from $2.57 billion at September 30, 2023, and an increase of $369.5 million, or 15.3%, from $2.42 billion at December 31, 2022. The increases for the current quarter and year were primarily due to increases in cash and cash equivalents, loans held-for-investment and operating lease assets. The increase in operating lease assets was primarily due to renewal and additional leases of the Company’s headquarters and a new location for the relocation of a regional office and branches.

On January 1, 2023, the Company adopted the provisions of ASC 326 through the application of the modified retrospective transition approach. The initial adjustment to the ACL reflects the expected lifetime credit losses associated with the composition of financial assets within the scope of ASC 326 as of January 1, 2023, as well as management’s current expectation of future economic conditions. The Company recorded a net decrease of $1.9 million to the beginning balance of retained earnings as of January 1, 2023 for the cumulative effect adjustment, reflecting an initial adjustment to the ACL on loans of $1.1 million and the ACL on off-balance sheet credit exposures of $1.6 million, net of related deferred tax assets arising from temporary differences of $788 thousand. As a part of the adoption of ASC 326, the Company reviewed and revised certain loan segments for the Company’s ACL model. See Loan Segments Revision section of this release for a reconciliation of revised loan segments to legacy loan segments, which were utilized before the adoption of ASC 326.

The following table presents a composition of total loans (includes both loans held-for-sale and loans held-for-investment) as of the dates indicated:

The increase in loans held-for-investment for the current quarter was primarily due to new funding and advances on lines of credit of $468.4 million, partially offset by pay-downs and pay-offs of $312.5 million. The increase for the current year-to-date period was primarily due to new funding and advances on lines of credit of $1.19 billion and purchases of residential mortgage loans of $15.7 million, partially offset by pay-downs and pay-offs of $923.0 million.

The decrease in loans held-for-sale for the current quarter was primarily due to sales of $20.8 million, partially offset by new funding of $19.3 million. The decrease for the current year-to-date was primarily due to sales of $82.3 million and pay-downs and pay-offs of $4.4 million, partially offset by new funding of $69.0 million.

The following table presents a composition of off-balance sheet credit exposure as of the dates indicated:

The following table presents a summary of non-performing loans and assets, and classified assets as of the dates indicated:

During the current quarter, the Company recognized an OREO of $2.6 million by transferring a SBA 7(a) loan, of which its guaranteed portion was previously sold. The Company’s exposure is 25% of the OREO and 75% will be submitted to the SBA upon the sale of property. During the first quarter of 2023, NPLs held-for-sale of $4.0 million were paid-off.

The following table presents activities in ACL for the periods indicated:

(1)ACL on off-balance sheet credit exposures was recorded in Accrued Interest Payable and Other Liabilities on Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited).

Total investment securities were $143.3 million at December 31, 2023, an increase of $4.1 million, or 2.9%, from $139.2 million at September 30, 2023, and an increase of $1.5 million, or 1.0%, from $141.9 million at December 31, 2022. The increase for the current quarter was primarily due to purchases of $1.3 million and a fair value increase of $6.4 million, partially offset by principal pay-downs and calls of $3.6 million and net premium amortization of $40 thousand. The increase for the current year was primarily due to purchases of $17.3 million and a fair value increase of $2.3 million, partially offset by principal pay-downs and calls of $17.9 million and net premium amortization of $209 thousand.

The following table presents the Company’s deposit mix as of the dates indicated:

The decrease in noninterest-bearing demand deposits was primarily due to strong deposit market competition and the migration to interest-bearing deposits attributable to the rising market rates. To retain existing and attract new customers, the Bank offers competitive rates on deposit products.

The increase in retail time deposits for the current quarter was primarily due to new accounts of $188.0 million, renewals of the matured accounts of $264.1 million and balance increases of $9.5 million, partially offset by matured and closed accounts of $350.4 million. The increase for the current year was primarily due to new accounts of $657.0 million, renewals of the matured accounts of $555.3 million and balance increases of $26.7 million, partially offset by matured and closed accounts of $916.2 million.

The following table presents a summary of the Company’s liquidity position as of December 31, 2023:

During the current year, the Company increased cash and cash equivalents by $95.3 million, or 64.8%, to $242.3 million and available borrowing capacity by $546.2 million, or 84.0%, to $1.20 billion. During the current year, the Company began participating in the Borrower-in Custody Program with the Federal Reserve Bank providing additional borrowing capacity. As of December 31, 2023, the Company's cash and cash equivalents and available borrowing capacity covered approximately 151.9% of deposits not covered by deposit insurance compared to 75.1% at December 31, 2022.

Shareholders’ equity was $348.9 million at December 31, 2023, an increase of $7.0 million, or 2.1%, from $341.9 million at September 30, 2023, and an increase of $13.4 million, or 4.0%, from $335.4 million at December 31, 2022. The increase for the current quarter was primarily due to net income and a decrease in other comprehensive loss of $4.5 million, partially offset by cash dividends declared on common stock of $2.6 million and repurchase of common stock of $925 thousand. The increase for the current year was primarily due to net income, cash proceeds from exercise of stock options of $1.4 million and a decrease in other comprehensive loss of $1.6 million, partially offset by cash dividend declared on common stock of $9.9 million, repurchase of common stock of $8.8 million, and cumulative effect adjustment upon adoption of ASC 326 of $1.9 million.

On July 28, 2022, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a stock repurchase program authorizing the repurchase of up to 5% of the Company’s outstanding common stock, which represented 747,938 shares, through February 1, 2023. On January 26, 2023, the Company announced the amendment to the repurchase program, which extended the program expiration from February 1, 2023 to February 1, 2024. The Company completed the repurchase program during the first quarter of 2023. Under this repurchase program, the Company repurchased and retired 747,938 shares of common stock at a weighted-average price of $18.15 per share, totaling $13.6 million.

On August 2, 2023, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a new stock repurchase program authorizing the repurchase of up to 5% of the Company’s outstanding common stock, which represented 720,000 shares, through August 2, 2024. The Company repurchased and retired 127,276 shares of common stock at a weighted-average price of $15.58 per share, totaling $2.0 million under this repurchase program through December 31, 2023.

For the current year, the Company repurchased and retired 512,657 shares of common stock at a weighted-average price of $17.22, totaling $8.8 million.

On May 24, 2022, the Company issued 69,141 shares of Senior Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series C, liquidation preference of $1,000 per share (“Series C Preferred Stock”) for the capital investment of $69.1 million from the U.S. Treasury under the Emergency Capital Investment Program (“ECIP”). The ECIP investment is treated as tier 1 capital for regulatory capital purposes.

The Series C Preferred Stock bears no dividend for the first 24 months following the investment date. Thereafter, the dividend rate will be adjusted based on the lending growth criteria listed in the terms of the ECIP investment with an annual dividend rate up to 2%. After the tenth anniversary of the investment date, the dividend rate will be fixed based on average annual amount of lending in years 2 through 10.

Based on the Federal Reserve’s Small Bank Holding Company policy, the Company is not currently subject to consolidated minimum capital measurements. At such time as the Company reaches the $3 billion asset level, it will be subject to consolidated capital requirements independent of the Bank. For comparison purposes, the Company’s capital ratios are included in following table, which presents capital ratios for the Company and the Bank as of the dates indicated:

This press release contains forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements represent plans, estimates, objectives, goals, guidelines, expectations, intentions, projections and statements of our beliefs concerning future events, business plans, objectives, expected operating results and the assumptions upon which those statements are based. Forward-looking statements include without limitation, any statement that may predict, forecast, indicate or imply future results, performance or achievements, and are typically identified with words such as “may,” “could,” “should,” “will,” “would,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “aim,” “intend,” “plan,” or words or phases of similar meaning. We caution that the forward-looking statements are based largely on our expectations and are subject to a number of known and unknown risks and uncertainties that are subject to change based on factors which are, in many instances, beyond our control, including but not limited to the health of the national and local economies including the impact to the Company and its customers resulting from changes to, and the level of, inflation and interest rates; the Company’s ability to maintain and grow its deposit base; loan demand and continued portfolio performance; the impact of adverse developments at other banks, including bank failures, that impact general sentiment regarding the stability and liquidity of banks that could affect the Company’s liquidity, financial performance and stock price; changes to valuations of the Company’s assets and liabilities including the allowance for credit losses, earning assets, and intangible assets; changes to the availability of liquidity sources including borrowing lines and the ability to pledge or sell certain assets; the Company's ability to attract and retain skilled employees; customers' service expectations; cyber security risks; the Company's ability to successfully deploy new technology; acquisitions and branch and loan production office expansions; operational risks including the ability to detect and prevent errors and fraud; the effectiveness of the Company’s enterprise risk management framework; costs related to litigation; changes in laws, rules, regulations, or interpretations to which the Company is subject; the effects of severe weather events, pandemics, other public health crises, acts of war or terrorism, and other external events on our business. These and other important factors are detailed in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2022 and other filings the Company makes with the SEC, which are available at the SEC’s Internet site (http://www.sec.gov) or from the Company without charge. Actual results, performance or achievements could differ materially from those contemplated, expressed, or implied by the forward-looking statements. Any forward-looking statements presented herein are made only as of the date of this press release, and the Company does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect changes in assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events, or otherwise, except as required by law.

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(1)The ratios are calculated by dividing total shareholders’ equity by the number of outstanding common shares. The Company did not have any intangible equity components for the presented periods.

(2)Non-GAAP. See “Non-GAAP Measures” for reconciliation of this measure to its most comparable GAAP measure.