Horizon Bancorp, Inc. Reports Fourth Quarter 2024 Results and Successful Execution of Several Key Strategic Initiatives

Michigan City, Indiana, January 22, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) – (NASDAQ GS: HBNC) – Horizon Bancorp, Inc. (“Horizon” or the “Company”), the parent company of Horizon Bank (the “Bank”), announced its unaudited financial results for the three months and year ended  December 31, 2024.

“We are very pleased with Horizon’s fourth quarter results, which displayed a significantly more profitable core business model and the successful completion of several major initiatives aimed at continuing this positive trajectory throughout 2025. During the quarter, the team exited lower-yielding securities at a favorable time, and capitalized on the opportunity to redeploy this liquidity into higher yielding loans and to exit higher-cost funding. These actions, combined with an impressive 22.4% annualized growth rate in commercial loans, increased the margin by 31 basis points from the third quarter. Additionally, the team completed its previously communicated fourth quarter initiatives aimed at restructuring its expense base to create greater efficiency in 2025”, President and CEO, Thomas Prame said. “The core franchise continues to have strong momentum, and we are positioned well to create greater returns for our shareholders in 2025.”

Net loss for the three months ended December 31, 2024 was $10.9 million, or a loss of $0.25 per diluted share, compared to net income of $18.2 million, or $0.41, for the third quarter of 2024 and compared to a net loss of $25.2 million, or a loss of $0.58 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2023. Net income for the three months ended December 31, 2024 was negatively impacted by the $39.1 million pre-tax loss on the sale of investment securities, and expenses directly related to the previously announced strategic initiatives. Partially offsetting these items was the reversal of the $5.1 million tax valuation allowance, which served to reduce the Company's tax liability in the fourth quarter of 2024. Net income for the three months ended December 31, 2023 was negatively impacted by the $31.6 million pre-tax loss on the sale of investment securities, tax expense of $8.6 million related to the termination of BOLI policies and the establishment of the tax valuation allowance.

Net income for the twelve months ended December 31, 2024 was $35.4 million or $0.80 per diluted share, compared to net income of $28.0 million, or $0.64, for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023.

Fourth Quarter 2024 Highlights

• Net interest income increased for the fifth consecutive quarter to $53.1 million for the three months ended December 31, 2024, compared to $46.9 million for the three months ended September 30, 2024. The net interest margin, on a fully taxable equivalent ("FTE") basis[1], also expanded for the fifth consecutive quarter, to 2.97% compared with 2.66% for the three months ended September 30, 2024.
  

• As previously disclosed, the Company completed the repositioning of $332.2 million of available-for-sale securities during the fourth quarter. While the sale resulted in a pre-tax loss of $39.1 million, the Company redeployed the proceeds received into higher-yielding loans and continued to manage down higher cost funding sources.
  

• Total loans were $4.91 billion at December 31, 2024, up $108.6 million from September 30, 2024 balances. Consistent with the Company's stated growth strategy, the commercial portfolio showed continued organic growth momentum during the quarter, which was offset with planned run-off of lower-yielding indirect auto loans in the consumer loan portfolio. Loans held for sale (“HFS”) increased $65.5 million as a result of the Company’s transfer of its mortgage warehouse loan balances of $64.8 million at December 31, 2024.
  

• Total deposits declined by $126.4 million during the quarter, to $5.60 billion at period end, with the majority of the decline in time deposits, which declined by $131.5 million. The Company's non-maturity deposit base continued to display strength, growing for the third consecutive quarter, including another quarter of relatively stable non-interest bearing deposit balances and growth in core relationship consumer and commercial portfolios.
  

• Credit quality remained strong, with annualized net charge offs of 0.05% of average loans during the fourth quarter. Non-performing assets to total assets of 0.35% remains well within expected ranges, with no material change from the prior quarter. Provision for loan losses of $1.2 million reflects increased provision for unfunded commitments and net growth in commercial loans held for investment ("HFI"), partially offset by the elimination of the reserve associated with mortgage warehouse and the reduction of reserve related to the planned runoff of indirect auto in the current quarter, when compared with the prior quarter.
  

• Continued the process for the sale of the mortgage warehouse division during the quarter. Sold the business for a gain, effective January 17th, which will be recognized in Q1 2025 results.