Forward-Looking Statements
This exhibit contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are statements that are not historical facts. Broadly speaking, forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the following:
| • | | Financial projections, including with respect to our net interest income, noninterest income, earnings per share, noninterest expenses (including professional services, compliance, compensation and other costs), cash flows, balance sheet positions, capital expenditures, deposit growth, liquidity and capitalization or other financial items; |
| • | | Descriptions of our strategic initiatives, plans or objectives for future operations, including pending sales or acquisitions, including the announced planned acquisition of Boston Private; |
| • | | Forecasts of private equity and venture capital funding and investment levels; |
| • | | Forecasts of future interest rates, economic performance, and income from investments; |
| • | | Forecasts of expected levels of provisions for loan losses, loan growth, loan mix, loan yields and client funds; |
| • | | The outlook on our clients’ performance; |
| • | | The potential effects of the COVID-19 pandemic; and |
| • | | Descriptions of assumptions underlying or relating to any of the foregoing. |
You can identify these and other forward-looking statements by the use of words such as “becoming,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “predict,” “potential,” “continue,” “anticipate,” “believe,” “estimate,” “assume,” “seek,” “expect,” “plan,” “intend,” and the negative of such words, or comparable terminology. Forward-looking statements are neither historical facts nor assurances of future performance.
Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable, we have based these expectations on our current beliefs as well as our assumptions, and such expectations may not prove to be correct. Because forward-looking statements relate to the future, they are subject to inherent uncertainties, risks and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict and many of which are outside our control. Our actual results of operations and financial performance could differ significantly from those expressed in or implied by our management’s forward-looking statements. Important factors that could cause our actual results and financial condition to differ from the expectations stated in the forward-looking statements include, among others:
| • | | Market and economic conditions, (including the general condition of the capital and equity markets, and IPO, M&A and financing activity levels) and the associated impact on us (including effects on client demand for our commercial and investment banking and other financial services, as well as on the valuations of our investments); |
| • | | The COVID-19 pandemic and its effects on the economic and business environments in which we operate; |
| • | | The impact of changes in the U.S. presidential administration and the U.S. Congress on the economic environment, capital markets and regulatory landscape, including monetary, tax and other trade policies; |
| • | | Changes in the volume and credit quality of our loans as well as volatility of our levels of nonperforming assets and charge-offs; |