ASHEVILLE, N.C — HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ: HTBI) (“Company”), the holding company of HomeTrust Bank (“Bank”), today announced preliminary net income for the second quarter of fiscal 2021 and approval of its quarterly dividend.

For the quarter ended December 31, 2020 compared to the corresponding quarter in the previous year:

• net income was $9.5 million, compared to $9.2 million;
• diluted earnings per share (“EPS”) was $0.57, compared to $0.52;
• return on assets (“ROA”) was 1.03%, compared to 1.02%;
• return on equity (“ROE”) was 9.41%, compared to 8.87%;
• provision for credit losses was a net benefit of $3.0 million, compared to provision of $400,000;
• noninterest income increased $270,000, or 3.0% to $9.3 million from $9.1 million;
• 277,122 shares were repurchased during the quarter at an average price of $18.69 per share; and
• quarterly cash dividends increased $0.01 per share, or 14.3% to $0.08 per share totaling $1.3 million.

For the six months ended December 31, 2020 compared to the previous year:

• net income was $15.2 million, compared to $18.0 million;
• diluted EPS was $0.92, compared to $1.01;
• ROA was 0.83%, compared to 1.00%;
• ROE was 7.58%, compared to 8.72%;
• provision for credit losses was a net benefit of $2.1 million, compared to a provision of $400,000; and
• noninterest income increased $1.2 million, or 7.5% to $18.0 million from $16.7 million

Earnings for the three and six months ended December 31, 2020 continue to be negatively impacted by an economy weakened by COVID-19 as well as a lower interest rate margin than the same periods last year, due to the decrease in interest rates over the past year.

The Company also announced today that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.08 per common share payable on March 4, 2021 to shareholders of record as of the close of business on February 18, 2021.

“We are extremely pleased that loan payment deferrals related to COVID-19 have decreased 99% since June to just $7.9 million,” said Dana Stonestreet, Chairman, President, and Chief Executive Officer. “This change, coupled with continued strong asset quality indicators and the improvement in the economic forecasts that drive our estimates for credit losses, allowed us to release $3 million of our allowance for credit losses.

“With this positive trend, we restarted our share repurchase program to capitalize on the current opportunity to buy back shares of HomeTrust at less than tangible book value. We repurchased 277,122 shares at approximately 83% of tangible book value and have 573,882 shares remaining on this buyback program originally authorized back in April 2020.

“We set another new quarterly record of $109 million of mortgage loans originated for sale, which resulted in a gain on sale of almost $3 million. In addition, loan originations across the Company continue to exceed our expectations given the headwinds of the pandemic. The energy, enthusiasm, and engagement of all of our team will continue to drive our success as we work to put the pandemic behind us and focus on maturing all of our newer and diversified lines of business to achieve financial results that create shareholder value.”

COVID-19 Update

Loan Programs. The Company continues to offer certain relief options designed to support its customers and communities, including participating in the additional SBA PPP funds approved in the recent stimulus bill enacted on December 27, 2020. However, the Company expects a smaller number of applications to be made by its customers for these additional PPP funds. The Company did not originate any PPP loans for the three months ended December 31, 2020. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had originated $80.8 million of PPP loans for 290 customers under the program. Total net origination fees deferred on these loans were approximately $2.1 million which are being accreted into interest income over the life of the loans. For the three months ended December 31, 2020, the Company earned $488,000 in fees through accretion including some accelerated accretion resulting from loan forgiveness. At December 31, 2020 the Company had $1.1 million of deferred PPP loan fees remaining which are expected to be recognized over the next several quarters as loan forgiveness accelerates. Additional PPP loans were processed and funded through a third party provider due to demand exceeding the Bank’s capacity, which to date total $32.1 million for almost 1,000 customers. The Company also continues to work with its clients to assist them with accessing other borrowing options, including other government sponsored lending programs, as appropriate. The Bank originated $12.5 million under the Main Street Lending Program before the program ended on January 8, 2021.

Loan Modifications. The Company continues to closely monitor the effects of COVID-19 on its loan portfolio and all associated risks to minimize any potential losses. For the quarter ended December 31, 2020, the Bank experienced a significant decline in requests by borrowers for payment and financial relief programs; however, it will continue to work with individual borrowers in order to minimize the impact to both the Bank and its customers. A majority of loans placed on payment deferral during 2020 have come out of deferral and borrowers are either making regular loan payments or interest-only payments until the later part of 2021 as a form of continued relief to the borrower. The Company has transitioned $75.8 million in commercial loans recently coming off deferral to interest-only payments for a period of time before returning to their original contractual payments. The breakout of loans deferred by loan type as of the dates indicated is as follows:

Branch Operations. Since October 13, 2020, all of the Company’s branch lobbies across its four state footprint have been open with appropriate protective measures to help ensure the safety of its customers and retail banking employees.The Company believes the steps it is taking are necessary to effectively manage its portfolio and assist its customers through the ongoing uncertainty surrounding the duration, impact and government response to the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition, the Company will continue to work with its customers to determine the best option for repayment of accrued interest on the deferred payments.

Income Statement Review

Net interest income decreased to $26.1 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2020, compared to $27.0 million for the comparative quarter in fiscal 2020. The $912,000, or 3.4% decrease was due to a $5.7 million decrease in interest and dividend income, primarily driven by lower rates on loans and commercial paper as a result of lower federal funds and other market interest rates. This decrease was partially offset by a $4.8 million decrease in interest expense. Average interest-earning assets increased $77.9 million, or 2.3% to $3.4 billion for the quarter ended December 31, 2020. The average balance of total loans receivable increased by $43.7 million, or 1.6% compared to the same quarter last year due to organic loan growth and PPP loan originations. The average balance of commercial paper and deposits in other banks increased $71.0 million, or 20.5% driven by increases in commercial paper investments as a result of the Company’s increased liquidity between the periods. The Company’s investments in commercial paper have short-term maturities and limited exposure of $15.0 million or less per each highly-rated company. The overall increase in interest-earning assets was primarily funded by a $188.8 million, or 56.4% increase in average noninterest-bearing deposits partially offset by a $102.7 million, or 3.7% decrease in average interest-bearing liabilities as compared to the same quarter last year. Net interest margin (on a fully taxable-equivalent basis) for the three months ended December 31, 2020 decreased to 3.09% from 3.27% for the same period a year ago.

Total interest and dividend income decreased $5.7 million, or 16.0% for the three months ended December 31, 2020 as compared to the same period last year, which was primarily driven by a $3.8 million, or 11.8% decrease in loan interest income, a $1.3 million, or 67.9% decrease in interest income from commercial paper and deposits in other banks, and a $589,000, or 53.9% decrease in interest income on securities available for sale. The lower interest income in each category was driven by the decrease in yields caused by the significant reduction in current market rates compared to the same quarter last year. Average loan yields decreased 61 basis points to 4.05% for the quarter ended December 31, 2020 from 4.66% in the corresponding quarter last year. Average yields on commercial paper and deposits in other banks decreased 162 basis points to 0.59% for the quarter ended December 31, 2020 from 2.21% in the corresponding quarter last year. Average yields on securities available for sale decreased 114 basis points to 1.50% for the quarter ended December 31, 2020 from 2.64% in the corresponding quarter last year.

Total interest expense decreased $4.8 million, or 54.5% for the quarter ended December 31, 2020 compared to the same period last year. The decrease was driven by a $4.0 million, or 62.9% decrease in interest expense on deposits and a $853,000, or 33.6% decrease in interest expense on borrowings. Average interest-bearing deposits for the quarter ended December 31, 2020 increased $27.8 million, or 1.3%, but was more than offset by the 74 basis point decrease in cost of deposits, down to 0.42% compared to 1.16% in the same period last year. Average borrowings for the quarter ended December 31, 2020 decreased $130.5 million, or 21.6% along with a 26 basis point decrease in the average cost of borrowings compared to the same period last year. The increase in average deposits (interest and noninterest-bearing) was due to successful deposit gathering campaigns and funds from PPP loans and other government stimulus. The decrease in the average cost of borrowing was driven by the lower federal funds rate during the current quarter compared to the prior year. The overall average cost of funds decreased 67 basis points to 0.60% for the current quarter compared to 1.27% in the same quarter last year due primarily to the impact of the lower amount of borrowings and rates.

Net interest income decreased to $51.6 million for the six months ended December 31, 2020, compared to $54.1 million for the comparative period in fiscal 2020. The $2.5 million, or 4.6% decrease was due to a $11.5 million decrease in interest and dividend income partially offset by a $9.1 million decrease in interest expense, both of which were driven by the lower rate environment in the current period. Average interest-earning assets increased $112.8 million, or 3.4% to $3.4 billion for the six months ended December 31, 2020 compared to $3.3 billion in the corresponding prior period. The average balance of total loans receivable increased by $84.8 million, or 3.1% compared to the same period last year. The average balance of commercial paper and deposits in other banks increased $66.0 million, or 18.6% between the periods. These increases were funded by a $32.1 million, or 21.1% decrease in securities available for sale and a $176.7 million, or 53.5% increase in average noninterest-bearing deposits partially offset by a $56.4 million, or 2.0% decrease in average interest-bearing liabilities as compared to the same period last year. Net interest margin (on a fully taxable-equivalent basis) for the six months ended December 31, 2020 decreased to 3.05% from 3.30% for the same period a year ago.

Total interest and dividend income decreased $11.5 million, or 16.0% for the six months ended December 31, 2020 as compared to the same period last year, which was primarily driven by a $7.5 million, or 11.6% decrease in loan interest income, a $2.7 million, or 64.1% decrease in interest income from commercial paper and deposits in other banks, a $957,000, or 48.1% decrease in interest income on securities available for sale, and a $460,000, or 28.7% decrease in interest income on other interest-earning assets. The lower interest income was driven by the decrease in market yields compared to the prior year period. Average loan yields decreased 66 basis points to 4.04% for the six months ended December 31, 2020 from 4.70% in the corresponding period last year. Average yields on commercial paper and deposits in other banks decreased 164 basis points to 0.71% for the six months ended December 31, 2020 from 2.35% in the corresponding period last year. Average yields on securities available for sale decreased 89 basis points to 1.72% for the six months ended December 31, 2020 from 2.61% in the corresponding period last year.

Total interest expense decreased $9.1 million, or 50.2% for the six months ended December 31, 2020 compared to the same period last year. The decrease was driven by a $6.6 million, or 54.0% decrease in interest expense on deposits and a $2.5 million, or 42.4% decrease in interest expense on borrowings. The $113.1 million, or 5.3% increase in average interest-bearing deposits for the six months ended December 31, 2020 was more than offset by the 64 basis point decrease down to 0.50% in the corresponding cost of funds compared to 1.14%. Average borrowings for the six months ended December 31, 2020 decreased $169.5 million, or 26.3% along with a 40 basis point decrease in the average cost of borrowings compared to the same period last year. The overall average cost of funds decreased 64 basis points to 0.66% for the six month period compared to 1.30% in the same period last year due primarily to the impact of the lower amount of borrowings and rates.

Noninterest income increased $270,000, or 3.0% to $9.3 million for the three months ended December 31, 2020 from $9.1 million for the same period in the previous year primarily due to a $830,000, or 63.2% increase in other noninterest income, partially offset by a $302,000, or 34.7% decrease in loan income and fees, a $189,000, or 7.3% decrease in service charges and fees on deposit accounts, and a $71,000, or 1.9% decrease in gain of sale of loans. The increase in other noninterest income primarily related to operating lease income from the continued growth in the equipment finance line of business. The decrease in loan income and fees is primarily a result of lower fees from our adjustable rate conversion program and servicing fees. The decrease in service charges on deposit accounts was a result of fewer transactions as customers have decreased spending during the pandemic. The decrease in gain on the sale of loans was driven by a decrease in gains from the sale of SBA loans, partially offset by an increase in sales of mortgage loans and home equity loans. During the quarter ended December 31, 2020, $9.3 million of the guaranteed portion of SBA commercial loans were sold with gains of $778,000 compared to $16.5 million sold and gains of $1.0 million in the corresponding quarter in the prior year. There were $108.9 million of residential mortgage loans originated for sale which were sold with gains of $2.8 million compared to $57.8 million sold and gains of $1.4 million in the corresponding quarter in the prior year. Included in prior year’s gain on sale of loans was an additional $1.3 million non-recurring gain related to one-to-four family loans of $154.9 million that were sold during the quarter. In addition, $23.2 million of home equity loans were sold during the quarter ended December 31, 2020 for a gain of $158,000.

Noninterest income increased $1.2 million, or 7.5% to $18.0 million for the six months ended December 31, 2020 from $16.7 million for the same period in the previous year primarily due to a $1.7 million, or 63.4% increase in other noninterest income, a $974,000, or 16.0% increase in gain of sale of loans, partially offset by a $710,000, or 40.5% decrease in loan income and fees and a $535,000, or 10.6% decrease in service charges and fees on deposit accounts. The increase in other noninterest income primarily related to operating lease income from the equipment finance line of business. The increase in gain on the sale of loans was driven by an increase in sales of mortgage loans and home equity loans, partially offset by a decrease in gains from the sale of SBA loans. There were $190.7 million of residential mortgage loans originated for sale which were sold with gains of $5.0 million compared to $103.2 million sold and gains of $2.7 million in the corresponding period in the prior year. As previously mentioned, prior period’s gain on sale of loans included an additional $1.3 million non-recurring gain related to one-to-four family loans. During the six months ended December 31, 2020, $39.7 million of the guaranteed portion of SBA commercial loans were sold with gains of $1.8 million compared to $29.2 million sold and gains of $2.1 million in the corresponding period in the prior year. In addition, $42.1 million of home equity loans were sold during the six months ended December 31, 2020 for a gain of $258,000. The decrease in loan income and fees is primarily a result of lower fees from our adjustable rate conversion program and other loan servicing fees. The decrease in service charges on deposit accounts was a result of fewer transactions as customers have decreased spending during the pandemic.

Noninterest expense for the three months ended December 31, 2020 increased $2.4 million, or 10.0% to $26.4 million compared to $24.0 million for the three months ended December 31, 2019. The increase was primarily due to a $1.5 million, or 10.8% increase in salaries and employee benefits as a result of new positions, mortgage loan origination incentives, and annual salary increases; a $892,000, or 26.9% increase in other expenses, mainly driven by depreciation from our equipment finance line of business; a $475,000 increase in deposit insurance premiums as a result of credits issued by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation being utilized in the prior year period, and a $235,000, or 11.8% increase in computer services. Partially offsetting these increases was a cumulative decrease of $608,000, or 17.9% in net occupancy expense; marketing and advertising expense; and core deposit intangible amortization for the three months ended December 31, 2020 compared to the same period last year. In addition, there was a $195,000, or 54.2% decrease in real estate owned (“REO”) related expenses as a result of fewer properties held and no post-foreclosure writedowns.

Noninterest expense for the six months ended December 31, 2020 increased $4.9 million, or 10.2% to $52.4 million compared to $47.6 million for the corresponding period last year. The increase was primarily due to a $2.8 million, or 10.1% increase in salaries and employee benefits; a $2.0 million, or 31.2% increase in other expenses, driven by depreciation from our equipment finance line of business; a $986,000 increase in deposit insurance premiums, and a $518,000, or 12.9% increase in computer services. Partially offsetting these increases was a cumulative decrease of $1.5 million, or 16.3% in net occupancy expense; marketing and advertising expense; telephone, postage and supplies, core deposit intangible amortization, and REO-related expenses for the six months ended December 31, 2020 compared to the same period last year.

For the three months ended December 31, 2020, the Company’s income tax expense increased $116,000, or 4.7% to $2.6 million from $2.5 million as a result of higher taxable income. The effective tax rate for the three months ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 was 21.5% and 21.2%, respectively.

For the six months ended December 31, 2020, the Company’s income tax expense decreased $835,000, or 17.1% to $4.0 million from $4.9 million as a result of lower taxable income. The effective tax rate for the six months ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 was 21.0% and 21.3%, respectively.

Balance Sheet Review

Total assets and liabilities remained at $3.7 billion and $3.3 billion, respectively, at December 31, 2020 and June 30, 2020. The cumulative increase of $130.7 million, or 52.5% in cash and cash equivalents and securities held for sale was offset by the cumulative decrease of $128.2 million, or 35.6% in commercial paper and deposits in other banks as the Company repositioned its liquidity due to maturities and lower short-term rates during the period. The $41.3 million, or 53.5% increase in loans held for sale primarily relates to additional 1-4 family and home equity loans originated for sale during the period.

Total loans decreased $90.5 million, or 3.3% to $2.7 billion at December 31, 2020 from $2.8 billion at June 30, 2020. The decrease was driven by two large commercial relationship payoffs totaling $52.8 million, PPP loan forgiveness of $15.9 million, and the continued payoff of purchased HELOCs of $13.1 million.

Total deposits decreased $42.5 million, or 1.5% to $2.7 billion at December 31, 2020 from $2.8 billion at June 30, 2020 which was driven by our focused effort to realign the deposit mix. As part of a managed runoff, certificates of deposit and brokered deposits decreased $212.9 million, or 28.8% to $526.2 million at December 31, 2020. This decrease was partially offset by successful efforts to increase core deposits which increased $170.4 million, 8.3%.

On July 1, 2020, the Company adopted the current expected credit loss (“CECL”) accounting standard in accordance with Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-13, “Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments.” The cumulative effect adjustment from this change in accounting policy resulted in an increase in our allowance for credit losses for loans of $14.8 million, additional deferred tax assets of $3.9 million, additional reserve for unfunded loan commitments of $2.3 million, and a reduction to retained earnings of $13.2 million. In addition, an allowance for credit loss for commercial paper was established for $250,000 with a deferred tax asset of $58,000. The adoption of this ASU did not have an effect on available for sale debt securities for the six months ended December 31, 2020.

Stockholders’ equity at December 31, 2020 decreased $3.5 million, or 0.9% to $404.7 million compared to $408.3 million at June 30, 2020. Changes within stockholders’ equity included $15.2 million in net income and $2.2 million in stock-based compensation and stock option exercises, offset by $13.4 million related to the adoption of the new CECL accounting standard, 277,122 shares of common stock being repurchased at an average cost of $18.69, or approximately $5.2 million in total, and $2.5 million related to cash dividends declared. As of December 31, 2020, the Bank and the Company were considered “well capitalized” in accordance with their regulatory capital guidelines and exceeded all regulatory capital requirements.

Asset Quality

The allowance for credit losses was $39.8 million, or 1.49% of total loans, at December 31, 2020 compared to $28.1 million, or 1.01% of total loans, at June 30, 2020. The allowance for credit losses to total gross loans excluding PPP loans was 1.52% at December 31, 2020, compared to 1.04% at June 30, 2020. The overall increase was driven by additional allowance stemming from the Company’s adoption of the new CECL accounting standard.

Provision for credit losses was a net benefit of $2.1 million for the six months ended December 31, 2020, compared to a $400,000 provision for the corresponding period in fiscal year 2020. The net benefit of provision was primarily driven by changes in the economic forecast which improved in outlook since the adoption of the standard and a decline in the balance of total loans. Net loan recoveries totaled $62,000 for the three months ended December 31, 2020, compared to $317,000 for the same period last year. Net recoveries as a percentage of average loans were 0.01% and 0.05% for the quarter ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively.

Nonperforming assets decreased by $1.5 million, or 9.2% to $14.8 million, or 0.40% of total assets at December 31, 2020 compared to $16.3 million, or 0.44% of total assets at June 30, 2020. Nonperforming assets included $14.5 million in nonaccruing loans and $252,000 in REO at December 31, 2020, compared to $15.9 million and $337,000 in nonaccruing loans and REO, respectively, at June 30, 2020. Included in nonperforming loans are $5.9 million of loans restructured from their original terms of which $4.1 million were current at December 31, 2020, with respect to their modified payment terms. Nonperforming loans to total loans was 0.54% at December 31, 2020 and 0.58% at June 30, 2020.

The ratio of classified assets to total assets decreased to 0.74% at December 31, 2020 from 0.84% at June 30, 2020 due to the decrease in classified loans during fiscal 2021. Classified assets decreased to $27.2 million at December 31, 2020 compared to $31.1 million at June 30, 2020 primarily due to $3.1 million in payoffs and $1.5 million in charge-offs during the period. The Company’s overall asset quality metrics continue to demonstrate its commitment to growing and maintaining a loan portfolio with a moderate risk profile; however, the Company will remain diligent in its review of the portfolio and overall economy as it continues to maneuver through the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19.

About HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc.

HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. is the holding company for HomeTrust Bank. As of December 31, 2020, the Company had assets of $3.7 billion. The Bank, founded in 1926, is a North Carolina state chartered, community-focused financial institution committed to providing value added relationship banking with over 40 locations as well as online/mobile channels. Locations include: North Carolina (including the Asheville metropolitan area, the “Piedmont” region, Charlotte, and Raleigh/Cary), Upstate South Carolina (Greenville), East Tennessee (including Kingsport/Johnson City/Bristol, Knoxville, and Morristown) and Southwest Virginia (including the Roanoke Valley). The Bank is the 2nd largest community bank headquartered in North Carolina.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements often include words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” and “intend” or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” or “may.” Forward-looking statements are not historical facts but instead represent management’s current expectations and forecasts regarding future events, many of which are inherently uncertain and outside of our control. Actual results may differ, possibly materially, from those currently expected or projected in these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements include: the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, including on our credit quality and business operations, as well as its impact on general economic and financial market conditions and other uncertainties resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic, such as the extent and duration of the impact on public health, the U.S. and global economies, and consumer and corporate customers, including economic activity, employment levels and market liquidity; increased competitive pressures; changes in the interest rate environment; changes in general economic conditions and conditions within the securities markets; legislative and regulatory changes; and other factors described in HomeTrust’s latest annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other documents filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission – which are available on our website at www.htb.com and on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. These risks could cause our actual results for fiscal 2021 and beyond to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements by, or on behalf of, us and could negatively affect our operating and stock performance. Any of the forward-looking statements that we make in this press release or the documents we file with or furnish to the SEC are based upon management’s beliefs and assumptions at the time they are made and may turn out to be wrong because of inaccurate assumptions we might make, because of the factors described above or because of other factors that we cannot foresee. We do not undertake and specifically disclaim any obligation to revise any forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statements.

WEBSITE: WWW.HOMETRUSTBANCSHARES.COM

Contact:

Dana L. Stonestreet – Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer

Tony J. VunCannon – Executive Vice President, Chief Financial Officer, Corporate Secretary and Treasurer

828-259-3939