Noninterest income declined $2.8 million year over year excluding the net gains and losses on sales of securities and the disposition of premises and fixed assets. The primary factor reducing noninterest income for the current year was a $2.3 million decline in the net pension credit, excluding service costs. The remaining difference was related to a payment received in 2022 for the conversion of the Bank’s retail broker and advisory accounts to LPL.

Noninterest expense declined $3.0 million, or 4.4%, for the year ended December 31, 2023, as compared to the prior year. Reductions in salaries and employee benefits of $3.7 million primarily drove the decline as short-term incentive and stock-based compensation costs were substantially lower than 2022 based on the Company falling short of established performance metrics for 2023. The primary offset to the lower salaries and employee benefits was a $782,000 increase in FDIC insurance expense due to higher assessment rates.

The Bank recorded a credit loan loss provision of $326,000 during 2023. Changes in the loan loss reserve were driven largely by adjustments for economic conditions offset by net chargeoffs of $2.1 million, or 6 basis points of average loans. The reserve coverage ratio at year end 2023 was 0.89% of total loans as compared to 0.95% of total loans at December 31, 2022. Past due loans and nonaccrual loans were modest at $3.1 million and $1.1 million, respectively, at December 31, 2023. During the fourth quarter of 2023, the Bank partially charged off a previously identified substandard commercial and industrial loan relationship in the amount of $1.4 million. The remaining outstanding balance of $632,000 is fully reserved and represents the majority of outstanding nonaccrual loans. Overall credit quality in the loan and investment portfolios remains strong.

Income tax expense decreased $8.1 million, and the effective tax rate declined from 19.4% in 2022 to 11.0% in 2023. The decline in the effective tax rate is mainly due to an increase in the percentage of pre-tax income derived from the Bank’s real estate investment trust and bank-owned life insurance. The decrease in income tax expense reflects the lower effective tax rate and a decline in pre-tax income.

Analysis of Earnings – Fourth Quarter 2023 Versus Fourth Quarter 2022

Net income for the fourth quarter of 2023 decreased $3.8 million as compared to the fourth quarter of 2022. The decrease is mainly attributable to a $7.8 million decline in net interest income and an increase in the provision for credit losses of $818,000, partially offset by declines in salaries and employee benefits of $2.7 million and income tax expense of $1.7 million for substantially the same reasons discussed above with respect to the year over year changes.

Analysis of Earnings – Fourth Quarter Versus Third Quarter 2023

Net income for the fourth quarter of 2023 declined $741,000 compared to the third quarter. The decrease was mainly due to a decrease in net interest income of $1.5 million, primarily due to higher cost of funds on total interest-bearing liabilities, and an increase in the provision for credit losses of $1.1 million. These negative impacts on quarterly earnings were partially offset by lower salaries and employee benefits and lower income tax expense for substantially the same reasons already discussed above.

Liquidity

Total average deposits declined by $104.7 million, or 3.0%, comparing 2023 to 2022, reflecting current trends in the industry. Competition for funding remained fierce throughout 2023 with demand for higher deposit rates from both consumer and commercial depositors as well as increased pressure from the local government investment pool alternatives that can offer higher yields to local municipalities. At December 31, 2023, short term borrowings were up $70 million from the prior year end. Long-term borrowings increased $61.5 million to $472.5 million year over year.

The Bank had $1.1 billion in collateralized borrowing lines with the Federal Home Loan Bank of New York and the Federal Reserve Bank, as well as a $20 million unsecured line of credit with a correspondent bank. We also had $386 million in unencumbered cash and securities. In total, we had approximately $1.5 billion of available liquidity, compared to an aggregate of uninsured and uncollateralized deposits of approximately $1.3 billion. Uninsured and uncollateralized deposits represented 38% of our total deposits at December 31, 2023.

Capital

The Corporation’s capital position remains strong with a Leverage Ratio of approximately 10.1% at December 31, 2023. Book value per share was $16.83 at December 31, 2023 versus $16.24 at December 31, 2022. The accumulated other comprehensive loss component of stockholders’ equity is mainly comprised of a net unrealized loss in the available-for-sale securities portfolio due to higher market interest rates. We did not repurchase any shares in 2023 and the Bank declared its quarterly cash dividend of $0.21 per share each quarter throughout 2023. The Board and management continue to evaluate both capital management tools to provide the best opportunity to maximize shareholder value.

Looking Forward to 2024

Management is encouraged by recent declines in inflation figures that may lead to reductions in short-term rates in 2024. Our liability-sensitive balance sheet should perform well in a falling rate environment. Current expectations are for our net interest margin to remain under pressure during the first half of 2024 before improving in the second half of the year based on falling rate assumptions and an improving yield curve.

Management continues to pursue ways to reduce noninterest expense as a tactic to offset the impact of the decline in net interest income, yet remains cognizant of preventing short term expense reductions that could have longer term negative impacts on shareholder value. We are investing in upgrades to the Bank’s core system, business online banking, branch systems and other ancillary systems that will be completed in the first quarter of 2024. Both customer facing technology and back-office operations will see benefits. We anticipate a lower run rate of noninterest expenses in 2024 including the cost associated with making these technology upgrades.

We believe the stress on deposits is beginning to ease and the anticipated lower market rates will improve loan activity. We are optimistic about returning to growth in deposits and loans in 2024. With our capital levels strong and our bankers eager to service customers, we are prepared for increases in demand.

Forward Looking Information

This earnings release contains various “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of that term as set forth in Rule 175 of the Securities Act of 1933 and Rule 3b-6 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Such statements are generally contained in sentences including the words “may” or “expect” or “could” or “should” or “would” or “believe” or “anticipate”. The Corporation cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause future results to vary from current management expectations include, but are not limited to, changing economic conditions; legislative and regulatory changes; monetary and fiscal policies of the federal government; changes in interest rates; deposit flows and the cost of funds; demand for loan products; competition; changes in management’s business strategies; changes in accounting principles, policies or guidelines; changes in real estate values; and other factors discussed in the “risk factors” section of the Corporation’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”). The forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and the Corporation assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements.

For more detailed financial information please see the Corporation’s annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023. The Form 10-K will be available through the Bank’s website at www.fnbli.com on or about March 8, 2024, when it is anticipated to be electronically filed with the SEC. Our SEC filings are also available on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov.

(1) The average balances of loans include nonaccrual loans. The average balances of investment securities exclude unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale securities.

(2) Tax-equivalent basis. Interest income on a tax-equivalent basis includes the additional amount of interest income that would have been earned if the Corporation's investment in tax-exempt loans and investment securities had been made in loans and investment securities subject to federal income taxes yielding the same after-tax income. The tax-equivalent amount of $1.00 of nontaxable income was $1.27 for each period presented using the statutory federal income tax rate of 21%.

(1) The average balances of loans include nonaccrual loans. The average balances of investment securities exclude unrealized gains and losses on available-for-sale securities.

(2) Tax-equivalent basis. Interest income on a tax-equivalent basis includes the additional amount of interest income that would have been earned if the Corporation's investment in tax-exempt loans and investment securities had been made in loans and investment securities subject to federal income taxes yielding the same after-tax income. The tax-equivalent amount of $1.00 of nontaxable income was $1.27 for each period presented using the statutory federal income tax rate of 21%.

For More Information Contact:
Janet Verneuille, SEVP and CFO
(516) 671-4900, Ext. 7462