Dividend Announcement
The quarterly cash dividend will increase 3.6% from $0.28 per share to $0.29 per share. The dividend will be payable on December 13, 2024 to shareholders of record at the close of business on November 29, 2024. This is the eighth consecutive semiannual increase to the quarterly dividend since early 2021.
Year-Over-Year Review
(All comparisons refer to the first nine months of 2023, except as noted)
Net income totaled $90.6 million, or $2.36 per diluted share, compared to net income of $108.9 million, or $2.85 per diluted share, for the first nine months of 2023. The decrease over the same period prior year was largely driven by lower net interest income, due to an increase in cost of funds outpacing the increase in interest income. Partially offsetting this decrease was a 4.7% increase in non-interest income driven by our diversified sources of fee revenue. Fully taxable equivalent pre-provision net revenue totaled $120.5 million, compared to $144.9 million. The return on average tangible assets totaled 1.33%, compared to 1.61%, and the return on average tangible common equity was 14.14%, compared to 18.81%.
Fully taxable equivalent net interest income totaled $260.5 million, compared to $276.9 million. Average earning assets increased $165.0 million, including average loan growth of $296.4 million, which was partially offset by a decrease in average investment securities of $70.2 million. The fully taxable equivalent net interest margin narrowed 32 basis points to 3.80%, as the increase in earning asset yields was more than offset by an increase in the cost of funds. Average interest bearing liabilities increased $555.3 million due to higher deposit balances, and the cost of funds totaled 2.31%, compared to 1.40% in the same period prior year.
Loans outstanding totaled $7.7 billion, increasing $236.1 million or 3.2%. New loan fundings over the trailing twelve months totaled $1.5 billion, led by commercial loan fundings of $1.0 billion.
The Company recorded $4.8 million of provision expense for credit losses for the first nine months of 2024, compared to provision expense of $3.7 million in the same period prior year. Annualized net charge-offs totaled 0.13% of average total loans during the first nine months of 2024, compared to 0.02% of average total loans during the first nine months of 2023. Non-performing loans decreased 13 basis points to 0.31% of total loans at September 30, 2024, and non-performing assets decreased 17 basis points to 0.32% of total loans and OREO at September 30, 2024. The allowance for credit losses as a percentage of loans totaled 1.23% at September 30, 2024, compared to 1.25% at September 30, 2023.
Average total deposits increased $418.6 million or 5.3% to $8.3 billion, and average transaction deposits increased $369.2 million or 5.3%. The mix of transaction deposits to total deposits was 88%, consistent with September 30, 2023.
Non-interest income totaled $50.1 million, an increase of $2.3 million or 4.7%, driven by increases in our diversified sources of fee revenue. Other non-interest income increased $5.2 million, or 63.6%, and included increases in SBA loan income, trust income, Cambr income and swap fee income. Mortgage banking income decreased $2.7 million as the sustained higher-interest rate environment has lowered mortgage volume.
Non-interest expense totaled $190.1 million, an increase of $10.2 million or 5.7%, largely due to ongoing investments in technology. Salaries and benefits increased $7.6 million, occupancy and equipment increased $2.4 million and data processing increased $2.3 million. Other intangible assets amortization increased $0.6 million due to our Cambr acquisition in April of 2023. These increases were partially offset by a decrease of $2.5 million in professional fees.
Income tax expense totaled $19.9 million, a decrease of $7.9 million from the same period prior year, driven by lower pre-tax income. The effective tax rate was 18.0% for the first nine months of 2024, compared to 20.3%.