BALANCE SHEET
At March 31, 2023, total assets were $20.1 billion, a decrease of $357.8 million or approximately 7.1% (annualized)
from December 31, 2022, and an increase of $320.9 million or approximately 1.6% from March 31, 2022. Total assets decreased from the prior quarter primarily due to a decline in the investment securities portfolio of $514.4 million, primarily due to the sale of AFS securities as part of the Company’s balance sheet repositioning executed during the quarter. The decrease in assets from the prior quarter was partially offset by a $135.1 million increase in loans held for investment (net of deferred fees and costs), driven by loan growth. Total assets increased from the prior year due to the increase in total loans held for investment (net of deferred fees and costs) of $1.1 billion, driven by loan growth, partially offset by a decrease in the investment securities portfolio of $831.8 million primarily due to a decline in the market value of the AFS securities portfolio, as well as the sale of AFS securities as part of the Company’s balance sheet restructuring executed during the first quarter of 2023.
At March 31, 2023, loans held for investment (net of deferred fees and costs) totaled $14.6 billion, an increase of $135.1 million or 3.8% (annualized) from $14.4 billion, at December 31, 2022. Average loans held for investment (net of deferred fees and costs) totaled $14.5 billion at March 31, 2023, an increase of $388.2 million or 11.2% (annualized) from the prior quarter. At March 31, 2023, loans held for investment (net of deferred fees and costs) increased $1.1 billion or 8.4% from March 31, 2022, and quarterly average loans increased $1.2 billion or 9.1% from the same period in the prior year.
At March 31, 2023, total investments were $3.2 billion, a decrease of $514.4 million from December 31, 2022, and a decrease of $831.8 million from March 31, 2022. AFS securities totaled $2.3 billion at March 31, 2023, $2.7 billion at December 31, 2022, and $3.2 billion at March 31, 2022. At March 31, 2023, total net unrealized losses on the AFS securities portfolio were $407.9 million, an improvement of $54.7 million from total net unrealized losses on AFS securities of $462.6 at December 31, 2022. Held to maturity (“HTM”) securities are carried at cost and totaled $855.4 million at March 31, 2023, $847.7 million at December 31, 2022, and $756.9 million at March 31, 2022 and have net unrealized losses of $32.3 million at March 31, 2023, an improvement of $13.5 million from net unrealized losses on HTM securities of $45.8 at December 31, 2022.
At March 31, 2023, total deposits were $16.5 billion, an increase of $524.2 million or approximately 13.3% (annualized) from December 31, 2022. Average deposits at March 31, 2023 decreased from the prior quarter by $194.5 million or 4.7% (annualized). Total deposits at March 31, 2023 decreased $28.3 million or 0.2% from March 31, 2022, and quarterly average deposits at March 31, 2023 decreased $97.1 million or 0.6% from the same period in the prior year. Total deposits increased from the prior quarter due to a $829.5 million increase in interest-bearing deposits, which includes approximately $377.9 million in brokered deposits, partially offset by a $305.2 million decrease in demand deposits, as customers moved funds from lower to higher yielding deposit products.
The following table shows the Company’s capital ratios at the quarters ended:
| | | | | | | |
| | March 31, | | December 31, | | March 31, | |
| | 2023 | | 2022 | | 2022 | |
Common equity Tier 1 capital ratio (2) | | 9.91 | % | 9.95 | % | 9.86 | % |
Tier 1 capital ratio (2) | | 10.89 | % | 10.93 | % | 10.91 | % |
Total capital ratio (2) | | 13.76 | % | 13.70 | % | 13.79 | % |
Leverage ratio (Tier 1 capital to average assets) (2) | | 9.38 | % | 9.42 | % | 9.07 | % |
Common equity to total assets | | 11.31 | % | 10.78 | % | 11.79 | % |
Tangible common equity to tangible assets (1) | | 6.91 | % | 6.43 | % | 7.21 | % |
At March 31, 2023, the Company’s common equity to total assets ratio and tangible common equity to tangible assets ratio increased compared to the prior quarter primarily due to the decline in unrealized losses on the AFS securities portfolio, driven by lower long-term interest rates. These ratios decreased compared to the prior year primarily due to unrealized losses on the AFS securities portfolio recorded in other comprehensive income due to higher market interest rates.
During the first quarter of 2023, the Company declared and paid a quarterly dividend on the outstanding shares of Series A Preferred Stock of $171.88 per share (equivalent to $0.43 per outstanding depositary share), consistent with the fourth