Noninterest Expense
Noninterest expense for the third quarter of 2021 was $22.2 million, nearly unchanged from the second quarter of 2021. A decrease in salaries expense, due to a lower employee count, was mostly offset by increases in occupancy of bank premise and loan collection and servicing expenses.
Relative to the third quarter of 2020, noninterest expense decreased 1.4% from $22.5 million. The decline was primarily attributable to lower salaries and employee benefits expenses, as a result of lower employee count relative to the third quarter of 2020. Partially offsetting these improvements were higher marketing and data processing expenses.
NXT Bancorporation, Inc. Acquisition
On October 1, 2021, HBT completed its previously announced acquisition of NXT Bancorporation, Inc. (NXT), the holding company for NXT Bank. The acquisition expands HBT’s footprint into Iowa. Acquisition-related expenses were $0.4 million during the third quarter of 2021 and $0.2 million during the second quarter of 2021. As of September 30, 2021, NXT had $232 million in total assets, $196 million in total loans, and $181 million in total deposits. NXT’s results are not reflected in HBT’s results for the third quarter of 2021. The merger and system conversion of NXT Bank and Heartland Bank and Trust is currently scheduled for December 3, 2021.
Branch Rationalization Plan
In April 2021, the Company made plans to close or consolidate six branches. One branch was consolidated during the second quarter of 2021, and the remaining five branches were closed during the third quarter of 2021. Branch closure costs were $0.6 million, consisting almost entirely of impairment losses, during the third quarter of 2021, and $0.1 million, primarily salaries expense, during the second quarter of 2021. The Company estimates annual pre-tax cost savings, net of associated revenue impacts, related to the branch rationalization plan to be approximately $1.1 million.
Loan Portfolio
Total loans outstanding, before allowance for loan losses, were $2.15 billion at September 30, 2021, compared with $2.15 billion at June 30, 2021 and $2.28 billion at September 30, 2020. A $65.7 million decrease in PPP loans was mostly offset by increases in commercial real estate – non-owner occupied and construction & land development loans, with $39.0 million of the increase attributed to new loans funded in partnership with NXT Bank ahead of the acquisition.
Deposits
Total deposits were $3.42 billion at September 30, 2021, compared with $3.42 billion at June 30, 2021 and $3.02 billion at September 30, 2020. Total deposits remained almost unchanged from June 30, 2021 to September 30, 2021, following the end of certain federal economic stimulus programs, such as PPP loans and direct payments to individuals, which had driven deposit growth since the first quarter of 2020.
Asset Quality
Nonperforming loans totaled $5.5 million, or 0.26% of total loans, at September 30, 2021, compared with $7.4 million, or 0.34% of total loans, at June 30, 2021, and $15.2 million, or 0.67% of total loans, at September 30, 2020. The $1.9 million decrease in nonperforming loans from June 30, 2021 was primarily attributable to the payoff of one relationship and a pay down on another relationship which together totaled $1.6 million at June 30, 2021. The $9.7 million reduction in nonperforming loans from September 30, 2020 was primarily attributable to the return to accrual status of one agricultural credit and the transfer of one loan to foreclosed assets which together totaled $8.4 million at September 30, 2020.