Peapack-Gladstone Financial - 10-K annual report 2023

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-K

(Mark One)

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.

or

For the transition period from          to         

Commission File No. 001-16197

PEAPACK-GLADSTONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Registrant's telephone number: (908) 234-0700

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act:

NONE

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act. Yes ☐ No ☒.

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act. Yes ☐ No ☒.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act:

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. ☒

If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to §240.10D-1(b). ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

The aggregate market value of the shares held by unaffiliated stockholders was approximately $454 million on June 30, 2023.

As of March 1, 2024, 17,752,341 shares of no par value Common Stock were outstanding.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

FORM 10-K

PEAPACK-GLADSTONE FINANCIAL CORPORATION

For the Year Ended December 31, 2023

Table of Contents

PART I

Item 1. BUSINESS

The disclosures set forth in this Form 10-K are qualified by Item 1A-Risk Factors and the section captioned “Cautionary Statement Concerning Forward-Looking Statements” in Item 7-Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations of this report and other cautionary statements set forth elsewhere in this report and filed by us from time to time with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The terms “Peapack,” the “Company,” “we,” “our” and “us” refer to Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation and its wholly-owned subsidiaries unless otherwise indicated or the context requires otherwise.

The Corporation

Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation is a bank holding company registered under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the “Bank Holding Company Act”). The Company was organized under New Jersey law in 1997 by the Board of Directors of Peapack-Gladstone Bank (the “Bank”), its principal subsidiary. The Bank is a state chartered commercial bank founded in 1921 under New Jersey laws. The Bank is a member of the Federal Reserve System. Through its branch network in Somerset, Morris, Hunterdon and Union counties and its private banking locations in Bedminster, Morristown, Princeton and Teaneck, its private wealth management, commercial private banking, retail private banking and residential lending divisions, along with its online platforms, Peapack-Gladstone Bank is committed to offering unparalleled client service. Additionally, the Company signed a lease for future market expansion into New York City.

Our wealth management clients include individuals, families, foundations, endowments, trusts and estates. Our commercial loan clients include business owners, professionals, retailers, contractors and real estate investors. Most forms of commercial lending are offered, including working capital lines of credit, term loans for fixed asset acquisitions, commercial mortgages, multifamily mortgages and other forms of asset-based financing.

In addition to commercial lending activities, we offer a wide range of consumer banking services, including checking and savings accounts, money market and interest-bearing checking accounts, certificates of deposit, and individual retirement accounts. We also offer residential mortgages, home equity lines of credit and other second mortgage loans. Automated teller machines are available at 18 locations. Internet banking, including an online bill payment option and mobile phone banking, is available.

Available Information

Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation is a public company, and files interim, quarterly and annual reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). These reports and any amendments to these reports are available for free on the SEC’s website, www.sec.gov, and on our website, www.pgbank.com, as soon as reasonably practical after they have been filed with or furnished to the SEC. Information on our website should not be considered a part of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Human Capital Resources

We believe our employees are our most important resource and are critical to our success and ability to provide outstanding service to our customers. As of December 31, 2023, we had 521 full-time and part-time employees, with 274 at our corporate headquarters, 92 in our branch offices and 155 in other locations. We believe that we have good relationships with our employees.

Hiring and Promotion

We look to hire internally for positions whenever possible. When this is not the case, we source candidates from multiple avenues, including referrals, utilizing online platforms such as LinkedIn, Indeed, Circa, the New Jersey Department of Labor website and our own corporate website. We also post advertisements at our branch locations, participate in on-site career fairs, and reach out to local community organizations to promote open positions. Additionally, we meet with local colleges and host career workshops for students to further develop our talent pool. This approach has improved our brand awareness in the community and our ability to grow diverse hires.

Talent Development

The continuous development and succession of our employees is a primary focus. We conduct regular talent reviews for the purpose of succession planning and developing our employees. In addition to regulatory training courses, we offer ethics and subject matter training sessions regularly. On an annual basis, we offer career development, performance enhancement and leadership development opportunities. Experiential learning opportunities are also available on an individualized basis. We maintain a mentorship program and a peer recognition program in which all employees can participate. Our President and CEO hosts a monthly company update accessible to all employees. Tuition reimbursement, up to $10,000 annually, is offered to full-time employees after completion of one year of employment and successful course completion.

We conduct an annual employee engagement survey by utilizing the American Banker ‘Best Banks to Work for Survey’, a third-party survey that collects employee feedback on areas that include, but are not limited to, leadership, corporate culture and communications, training and development resources, role satisfaction, pay and benefits and overall engagement. We review the detailed results to identify areas of opportunity and develop steps to improve, as well as take actions in those areas. We invite all employees to participate and have received a high level of survey participation. Based on our survey results, we have been awarded recognition as an American Banker ‘Best Banks to Work For’ for the previous six years (2018-2023).

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We are an employer that champions diversity, equity and inclusion in our workplace. Our strategy focuses on maintaining hiring levels that are representative of the communities in which we serve, as well as improving diversity representation in our senior roles. We have dedicated actions to drive a more diverse workforce, with focus in the areas of brand awareness and sourcing, recruiting and hiring, cultural awareness and appreciation, and furthering our development opportunities for all employees.

Our Cultural Ambassador Committee, established in 2019, consists of non-executive employees and is sponsored by our CEO, Chief Human Resource Officer and our President of Commercial Banking. The Committee was created to sustain and evolve our corporate culture through ongoing communication, awareness, engagement and advocacy of our core principles, including diversity, inclusion and volunteerism. We have seven employee resource groups, focusing on areas such as wellness, the environment, core principles and diversity and inclusion.

Additionally, we maintain an Anti-Discrimination and Harassment Policy as well as a workplace harassment training course which must be completed annually by all employees.

Employee Health and Safety

The safety, health and well-being of our employees and customers is extremely important to us. Employees are permitted to leverage a new flexible work arrangement offered by management provided their performance remains in good standing. The combination of working remotely and in the office enables employees to continue be more productive, completing tasks with less interruption when remote, while still having the opportunity to collaborate with peers in the workplace. Virtual meeting and teleconference platforms continue to be utilized to maintain a safe and productive work environment.

Compensation and Benefits

We seek to attract, motivate and retain the best talent in a competitive marketplace by offering an attractive compensation and benefits package. Compensation includes a market competitive salary, and for eligible positions, annual incentives or cash bonuses and participation in long-term incentive awards as well as an opportunity to participate in our discounted employee stock purchase plan.

Work/life balance is an important part of our culture, and in support of this we offer a broad list of benefits for eligible employees, which includes a comprehensive suite of health insurance benefits, paid time off, maternity and paternity leave, access to employee assistance programs, retirement planning and 401(k) Plan participation with a generous company match. Wellness programs are deeply embedded in our culture and other ancillary benefits such as pet insurance, identity protection coverage and supplemental insurance are provided.

Community Involvement

We actively reinvest in our communities with the greatest needs. We encourage volunteerism, supporting organizations valued by our employees and clients. Our employees are generous with their time in their support of local organizations. In 2023, we performed over 2,000 hours of service and provided financial support to over 271 charitable organizations. We are proud to be known and recognized locally and nationally for our community involvement.

Peapack-Gladstone Bank’s Private Wealth Management Division (“Peapack Private”)

Peapack Private is a New Jersey-chartered trust and investment business with $10.9 billion of assets under management and/or administration as of December 31, 2023. It is headquartered in Bedminster, New Jersey with additional private banking locations throughout New Jersey in Morristown, Princeton, Red Bank, Summit and Teaneck, New Jersey, as well as at the Bank’s subsidiary, PGB Trust & Investments of Delaware, in Greenville, Delaware. Peapack Private is known for its integrity, client service and broad range of fiduciary, investment management and tax services, designed specifically to meet the needs of high net-worth individuals, families, foundations and endowments.

Our wealth management business differentiates us from our competition and adds significant value. We intend to grow this business further, both in and around our market; through our existing wealth, loan and depository client base; our innovative private banking service model, which utilizes private bankers working together to provide fully integrated client solutions; and potential acquisitions of complimentary wealth management businesses. Throughout the wealth management division and all other business lines, we will continue to provide the unparalleled personalized, high-touch service our valued clients have come to expect.

Our Markets

Our current market is defined as the New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania metropolitan statistical area, with our primary market areas being in New Jersey and New York. According to estimates from the United States Census Bureau, as of 2018-2022, New Jersey had a total population exceeding 9.3 million and a median household income of $97,126, and Somerset County, where we are headquartered, is one of the wealthiest counties in New Jersey, with a median household income of $131,948; compared to a U.S. median household income of $75,149. We believe that these markets have economic and competitive dynamics that are consistent with our objectives and favorable to executing our growth strategy.

Competition

We operate in a market area with a high concentration of banking and financial institutions and we face substantial competition in attracting deposits and in originating loans and leases. A number of our competitors are significantly larger institutions with greater financial and managerial resources and lending limits. Our ability to compete successfully is a significant factor affecting our growth potential and profitability.

Our competition for deposits, loans and leases historically has come from other insured financial institutions such as local and regional commercial banks, savings institutions, leasing companies and credit unions located in our primary market area. We also compete with mortgage banking and finance companies for real estate loans and with commercial banks, savings institutions and credit unions for consumer loans.

We also face direct competition for wealth and advisory services from registered investment advisory firms and investment management companies.

Our Business Strategy

In 2022, we initiated the “Refining Our Strategy” phase of our Strategic Plan, a natural evolution of the groundwork set forth in 2013. Almost ten years after the launch and successful execution of the “Expanding Our Reach” strategy, we recognized refinements were necessary to address several industry headwinds that assume:

On the heels of several major bank failures in 2023, we believe it is more important than ever to remain grounded in our relationship-based approach while continuing to diversify our business model further, included geographic expansion.

The key elements of our business strategy include:

Governmental Policies and Legislation

The banking industry is highly regulated. Statutory and regulatory controls increase a bank holding company’s cost of doing business and limit the options of its management to deploy assets and maximize income. Proposals to change the laws and regulations governing the operations and taxation of banks, bank holding companies and other financial institutions are frequently made in Congress, in state legislatures and before various bank regulatory agencies. The likelihood of any major changes and the impact such changes might have on the Company or the Bank is impossible to predict. The following description is not intended to be complete and is qualified in its entirety to applicable laws and regulations.

Bank Regulation

As a New Jersey-chartered commercial bank, the Bank is subject to the regulation, supervision, and examination by the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance (“NJDOBI”). As a Federal Reserve-member bank, the Bank is also subject to the regulation, supervision and examination by the Federal Reserve Board (“FRB”) as its primary federal regulator. The regulations of the FRB and the NJDOBI impact virtually all of our activities, including the minimum levels of capital we must maintain, our ability to pay dividends, our ability to expand through new branches or acquisitions and various other matters.

Holding Company Supervision

The Company is a bank holding company and periodically examined within the meaning of the Bank Holding Company Act. As a bank holding company, the Company is supervised by the FRB and is required to file reports with the FRB and provide such additional information as the FRB may require.

The Bank Holding Company Act prohibits the Company, with certain exceptions, from (i) acquiring direct or indirect ownership or control of more than five percent of the voting shares of any company that is not a bank and (ii) from engaging in any business other than banking, managing and controlling banks, or furnishing services to subsidiary banks, However, the Company may apply to engage in, or own shares of companies engaged in, certain businesses found by the FRB to be so closely related to banking “as to be a proper incident thereto.” The Bank Holding Company Act requires prior approval by the FRB of the acquisition by the Company of more than five percent of the voting stock of any additional bank. Generally, federal regulatory approval to make acquisitions requires as prerequisites satisfactory capital ratios, Community Reinvestment Act ratings and anti-money laundering policies, among other things. Federal law provides that a bank holding company must act as a source of financial strength to its subsidiary bank and commit resources to support the subsidiary banks in circumstances in which it might not do so absent that law. Acquisitions through the Bank require the approval of the FRB and the NJDOBI.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Report and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (the “Dodd-Frank Act”) significantly changed bank regulation and affected the lending, investment, trading and operating activities of depository institutions and their holding companies. The Dodd-Frank Act also created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (the “CFPB”) with extensive powers to supervise and enforce consumer protection laws. The CFPB has broad rule-making authority for a wide range of consumer protection laws that apply to all banks and savings institutions. The CFPB also has examination and enforcement authority over all banks and savings institutions with more than $10 billion in assets. Banks and savings institutions with $10 billion or less in assets, such as the Bank, continue to be examined for compliance with consumer protection-related laws and regulations by their applicable federal bank regulators.

Capital Requirements

Pursuant to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation Improvement Act of 1991 (“FDICIA”), each federal banking agency has promulgated regulations, specifying the levels at which a financial institution would be considered “well capitalized,” “adequately capitalized,” “undercapitalized,” “significantly undercapitalized,” or “critically undercapitalized,” and to take certain mandatory and discretionary supervisory actions based on the capital level of the institution.

FRB regulations require member banks to meet several minimum capital standards established by the federal banking agencies, which are based on the final capital framework for strengthening international capital standards, known as Basel III, of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision: a common equity Tier 1 (“CET1”) capital to risk-based assets ratio of 4.5 percent, a Tier 1 capital to risk-based assets ratio of 6.0 percent, a total capital to risk-based assets ratio of 8.0 percent, and a Tier 1 capital to total assets leverage ratio of 4.0 percent.

CET1 capital is generally defined as common stockholders’ equity and retained earnings. Tier 1 capital is generally defined as CET1 and additional Tier 1 capital. Additional Tier 1 capital includes certain noncumulative perpetual preferred stock and related surplus and minority interests in equity accounts of consolidated subsidiaries. Total capital includes Tier 1 capital and Tier 2 capital. Tier 2 capital is comprised of capital instruments and related surplus, meeting specified requirements, and may include cumulative preferred stock and long-term perpetual preferred stock, mandatory convertible securities, intermediate preferred stock and subordinated debt.

The capital requirements also require the Company and the Bank to maintain a 2.5 percent “capital conservation buffer,” composed entirely of CET1, on top of the minimum risk-weighted asset ratios, effectively resulting in minimum ratios of (i) CET1 to risk-weighted assets of at least 7.0 percent, (ii) Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets of at least 8.5 percent, and (iii) total capital to risk-weighted assets of at least 10.5 percent. The capital conservation buffer is designed to absorb losses during periods of economic stress. Banking institutions with a ratio of (i) CET1 to risk-weighted assets, (ii) Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets, or (iii) total capital to risk-weighted assets above the respective minimum but below the capital conservation buffer will face constraints on dividends, equity repurchases and discretionary bonus payments to executive officers based on the amount of the shortfall.

Bank holding companies with greater than $3 billion in total consolidated assets are subject to consolidated regulatory capital requirements identical to those applicable to the subsidiary depository institutions. The Company and the Bank were in compliance with the capital requirements, including the capital conservation buffer, as of December 31, 2023.

Federal law requires that federal bank regulatory authorities take “prompt corrective action” with respect to institutions that do not meet minimum capital requirements. The FRB maintains regulations to implement the prompt corrective action legislation. An institution is deemed to be “well capitalized” if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of 10.0 percent or greater, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 8.0 percent or greater, a leverage ratio of 5.0 percent or greater and a CET1 ratio of 6.5

percent or greater. An institution is deemed to be “adequately capitalized” if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of 8.0 percent or greater, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 6.0 percent or greater, a leverage ratio of 4.0 percent or greater and a CET1 ratio of 4.5 percent or greater. An institution is deemed to be “undercapitalized” if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of less than 8.0 percent, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of less than 6.0 percent, a leverage ratio of less than 4.0 percent or a CET1 ratio of less than 4.5 percent. An institution is deemed to be “significantly undercapitalized” if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of less than 6.0 percent, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of less than 4.0 percent, a leverage ratio of less than 3.0 percent or a CET1 ratio of less than 3.0 percent. An institution is deemed to be “critically undercapitalized” if it has a ratio of tangible equity (as defined in the regulations) to total assets that is equal to or less than 2.0 percent.

The Company and the Bank’s capital ratios were all above the minimum levels required for it to be considered a “well capitalized” financial institution at December 31, 2023 under the “prompt corrective action” regulations in effect as of such date.

The Economic Growth Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act of 2018 (the "Relief Act") required that the federal banking agencies, including the FRB, establish a “community bank leverage ratio” of between 8-10 percent of average total consolidated assets for qualifying institutions with less than $10 billion of assets. Pursuant to federal legislation enacted in 2020, the community bank leverage ratio was set at 9 percent for 2022 and thereafter. Institutions with tangible equity (subject to certain adjustments) meeting the specified level and electing to follow the alternative framework would be deemed to comply with the applicable regulatory capital requirements, including the risk-based requirements, and be considered to be “well-capitalized.” The Bank has not elected to measure its capital adequacy using the community bank leverage ratio.

Insurance of Deposit Accounts

The Bank’s deposits are insured up to applicable limits by the Deposit Insurance Fund ("DIF") of the FDIC. Deposit accounts in the Bank are insured up to $250,000 for each separately insured depositor per account ownership category.

The FDIC charges insured depository institutions ("IDI") premiums to maintain the Deposit Insurance Fund. Under the risk-based assessment system, institutions deemed less risky of failure pay lower assessments. Assessments for institutions of less than $10 billion of assets are based on financial measures and supervisory ratings derived from statistical modeling estimating the probability of an institution’s failure within three years.

The FDIC has authority to increase insurance assessments. Effective January 1, 2023, assessment rates for institutions of the Bank’s size ranged from 2.5 to 32 basis points.

Further, on November 16, 2023, the FDIC issued a final rule to implement a special assessment to recover the loss to the DIF associated with protecting uninsured depositors following the closure of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. Under the final rule, the assessment base for an IDI will be equal to the institution's estimated uninsured deposits as of December 31, 2022, adjusted to exclude the first $5 billion in estimated uninsured deposits. Under the final rule, the FDIC will collect the special assessment at an annual rate of 13.4 basis points beginning with the first quarterly assessment period of 2024 and will continue to collect special assessments for an anticipated total of eight quarterly assessment periods.

An insured institution’s deposit insurance may be terminated by the FDIC upon an administrative finding that the institution has engaged in unsafe or unsound practices, is in an unsafe or unsound condition to continue operations or has violated any applicable law, regulation, rule, order or regulatory condition imposed in writing. The management of the Bank does not know of any practice, condition or violation that might lead to termination of deposit insurance.

Community Reinvestment Act

Pursuant to the federal Community Reinvestment Act (the “CRA”), the Bank is obligated, consistent with safe and sound banking practices, to help meet the credit needs of its entire community, including low- and moderate-income neighborhoods. The FRB periodically assesses the Bank’s record of performance under the CRA and issue one of the following ratings: “Outstanding,” “Satisfactory,” “Needs to Improve,” or “Substantial Noncompliance.” The most recently completed evaluation of the Bank’s performance under the CRA was conducted by the FRB in 2021 and resulted in an overall rating of “Satisfactory.” On October 24, 2023, the FDIC, the FRB, and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency issued a final rule to strengthen and modernize the federal CRA regulations. Under the final rule, banks with assets of at least $2 billion as of December 31 in both of the prior two calendar years will be a “large bank.” The agencies will evaluate large banks under four performance tests: the Retail Lending Test, the Retail Services and Products Test, the Community Development

Financing Test, and the Community Development Services Test. The applicability date for the majority of the provisions in the CRA regulations is January 1, 2026, and additional requirements will be applicable on January 1, 2027.

Privacy

Federal banking regulators, as required under the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act, have adopted regulations limiting the ability of banks and other financial institutions to disclose non-public information about consumers to non-affiliated third parties. The regulations require disclosure of privacy policies to consumers and, in some circumstances, allow consumers to prevent disclosure of certain personal information to non-affiliated third parties. The privacy provisions of the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act affect how consumer information is transmitted through diversified financial services companies and conveyed to outside vendors.

In November 2021, the federal bank regulatory agencies issued a final rule requiring banking organizations to notify their primary federal regulator as soon as possible and no later than 36 hours of determining that a “computer-security incident” that rises to the level of a “notification incident,” as those terms are defined in the final rule, has occurred. A notification incident is a “computer-security incident” that has materially disrupted or degraded, or is reasonably likely to materially disrupt or degrade, the banking organization’s ability to deliver services to a material portion of its customer base, jeopardize the viability of key operations of the banking organization, or impact the stability of the financial sector. The final rule also requires bank service providers to notify any affected bank to or on behalf of which the service provider provides services “as soon as possible” after determining that it has experienced an incident that materially disrupts or degrades, or is reasonably likely to materially disrupt or degrade, covered services provided to such bank for four or more hours. The rule was effective April 1, 2022, with compliance required by May 1, 2022.

Restrictions on the Payment of Dividends

The holders of the Company’s common stock are entitled to receive dividends, when, as and if declared by the Board of Directors of the Company out of funds legally available. Under the prompt corrective action laws, the ability of a bank holding company to pay dividends may be restricted if a subsidiary bank becomes undercapitalized.

The Company is also subject to FRB policies, which may, in certain circumstances, limit its ability to pay dividends. FRB policy is that a bank holding company should pay cash dividends only out of current earnings and only if the prospective rate of earnings retention is consistent with the holding company’s capital needs, asset quality and overall financial condition. In addition, FRB guidance sets forth the supervisory expectation that bank holding companies will inform and consult with FRB staff in advance of issuing a dividend that exceeds earnings for the quarter and should inform the FRB and should eliminate, defer or significantly reduce dividends if: (i) net income available to stockholders for the past four quarters, net of dividends previously paid during that period, is not sufficient to fully fund the dividends; (ii) prospective rate of earnings retention is not consistent with the bank holding company’s capital needs and overall current and prospective financial condition; or (iii) the bank holding company will not meet, or is in danger of not meeting, its minimum regulatory capital adequacy ratios.

The FRB policies require, among other things, that a bank holding company must maintain a minimum capital base and serve as a source of strength to its subsidiary banks. The FRB by supervisory letters has advised holding companies that it is has supervisory concerns when the level of dividends is too high and would seek to prevent dividends if the dividends paid by a holding company exceeded its earnings. The FRB would most likely seek to prohibit any dividend payment that would reduce a holding company’s capital below these minimum amounts. FRB policy also provides for regulatory review prior to a holding company (i) redeeming or repurchasing regulatory capital instruments when the holding company is experiencing financial weaknesses, or (ii) redeeming or repurchasing common stock or perpetual preferred stock that would result in a net reduction as of the end of a quarter in the amount of such equity instruments outstanding compared with the beginning of the quarter in which the redemption or repurchase occurred. In addition, the FRB staff has recently begun interpreting its regulatory capital regulations to require holding companies to receive FRB approval prior to any repurchases or redemptions of its common shares.

Since the principal source of income for the Company are dividends paid to the Company by the Bank, the Company’s ability to pay dividends to its shareholders will depend on whether the Bank pays dividends to it. As a practical matter, restrictions on the ability of the Bank to pay dividends act as restrictions on the amount of funds available for the payment of dividends by the Company. As a New Jersey chartered commercial bank, the Bank is subject to the restrictions on the payment of dividends contained in the New Jersey Banking Act of 1948, as amended (the “Banking Act”). Under the Banking Act, the Bank may pay dividends only out of retained earnings, to the extent that surplus exceeds 50 percent of stated capital. Federal law may also limit the amount of dividends that may be paid by the Bank. Under the Financial Institutions Supervisory Act, the FDIC has the authority to prohibit a state-chartered bank from engaging in conduct that, in the FDIC’s opinion, constitutes

an unsafe or unsound banking practice. Under certain circumstances, the FDIC could claim that the payment of a dividend or other distribution by the Bank to the Company constitutes an unsafe or unsound practice.

Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 was enacted to address, among other issues, corporate governance, auditing and accounting, executive compensation, and enhanced and timely disclosure of corporate information. We have existing policies, procedures and systems designed to comply with this act and its implementing regulations.

Other Laws and Regulations

Interest and other charges collected or contracted for by the Bank are subject to state usury laws and federal laws concerning interest rates. The Bank’s operations are also subject to federal laws (and their implementing regulations) applicable to credit transactions, such as the:

The operations of the Bank are also subject to the:

Item 1A. RISK FACTORS

The material risks and uncertainties that Management believes affect the Company are described below. These risks and uncertainties are not the only ones affecting the Company. Additional risks and uncertainties that Management is not aware of or focused on or that Management currently deems immaterial may also affect the Company’s business operations. This report is qualified in its entirety by these risk factors. If any one or more of the following risks actually occur, the Company’s financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Risks Related to Economic Matters

Negative developments in the financial services industry and U.S. and global credit markets and the U.S. debt obligations may adversely impact our operations and results.

Our businesses and operations, which primarily consist of lending money, accepting deposits and investing in securities, are sensitive to general business and economic conditions in the United States. If the U.S. economy weakens, our growth and profitability from our lending, deposit and investment operations could be constrained. Uncertainty about the federal fiscal policymaking process and the medium and long-term fiscal outlook of the federal government is a concern for businesses, consumers and investors in the United States. In addition, economic conditions in foreign countries could affect the stability of global financial markets, which could hinder U.S. economic growth. Weak economic conditions or a return of recessionary conditions and/or negative developments in the domestic and international credit markets are often characterized by deflation, fluctuations in debt and equity capital markets, a lack of liquidity and/or depressed prices in the secondary market for mortgage loans, increased loan delinquencies, real estate price declines and lower home sales and commercial activity.

Our business is also significantly affected by monetary and related policies of the U.S. federal government and its agencies. Changes in any of these policies are influenced by macroeconomic conditions and other factors that are beyond our control. Adverse economic conditions and government policy responses to such conditions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Further, a U.S. government debt default would have a material adverse impact on our business and financial performance, including a decrease in the value of Treasury bonds and other government securities held by us, which could negatively impact the Bank’s capital position and its ability to meet regulatory requirements. Other negative impacts could be volatile capital markets, an adverse impact on the U.S. economy and the U.S. dollar, as well as increased default rates among borrowers in light of increased economic uncertainty. Some of these impacts might occur even in the absence of an actual default but as a consequence of extended political negotiations around the threat of such a default and a government shutdown.

We are more sensitive to adverse changes in the local economy than our more geographically diversified competitors.

Unlike larger regional banks that operate in large geographies, much of our business is with clients located within Central and Northern New Jersey, Pennsylvania, as well as New York City. Our business loans are generally made to small to mid-sized businesses, most of whose success depends on the regional economy. These businesses generally have fewer financial resources in terms of capital or borrowing capacity than larger entities. Due to our geographic concentration, a downturn in the local economy could make it more difficult to attract deposits and could cause higher losses and delinquencies on our loans than if the loans were more geographically diversified. Adverse economic and business conditions in our market area could reduce our growth, affect our borrowers' ability to repay their loans and, consequently, adversely affect our financial condition and performance. Further, we place substantial reliance on real estate as collateral for our loan portfolio. A sharp downturn in real estate values in our market area could leave our loans under-secured, which could adversely affect our earnings.

Inflation and increase in market interest rates and potential effects from a recession can have an adverse impact on our business and on our customers.

Inflation risk is the risk that the value of assets or income from investments will be worth less in the future as inflation decreases the value of money. In response to a pronounced rise in inflation the Federal Reserve Board raised certain benchmark interest rates. As inflation increases and market interest rates rise the value of our investment securities, particularly those with longer maturities, would decrease further. In addition, inflation generally increases the cost of goods and services we use in our business operations, such as electricity and other utilities, which increases our noninterest expenses. Furthermore, our customers are also affected by inflation, rising interest rates, and the rising costs of goods and services used in their households and businesses, which could have a negative impact on their ability to repay their loans with us. Sustained higher interest rates by the Federal Reserve Board to tame persistent inflationary price pressures could also push down asset prices and weaken economic activity. A deterioration in economic conditions in the United States and our markets could result in an increase in loan delinquencies and non-performing assets, decreases in loan collateral values and a decrease in demand for our products and services, any of which, could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. Further, continued high market interest rates may reduce our loan origination volume, particularly refinance volume, and/or reduce our interest rate spread, which could have an adverse effect on our profitability and results of operations.

Risks Related to Lending Matters

Our exposure to credit risk could adversely affect our earnings and financial condition.

There are certain risks inherent in making loans, including risks that the principal of or interest on the loan will not be repaid timely or at all or that the value of any collateral securing the loan will be insufficient to cover our outstanding exposure. These risks may be affected by the strength of the borrower’s business and local, regional and national market and economic conditions. Our risk management practices, such as monitoring the concentration of our loans within specific industries and our credit approval practices, may not adequately reduce credit risk, and our credit administration personnel, policies and procedures may not adequately adapt to changes in economic or any other conditions affecting clients and the quality of the loan portfolio. Finally, many of our loans are made to small- and medium-sized businesses that are less able to withstand competitive, economic and financial pressures than larger borrowers. A failure to effectively measure and limit the credit risk associated with our loan portfolio could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Our concentrations of loans in certain industries could have adverse effects on credit quality.

As of December 31, 2023, the Company’s loan portfolio included loans to: (i) lessors of office buildings of $107.0 million, or 2.0 percent of total loans; and (ii) borrowers in the retail industry of $229.4 million, or 4.2 percent of total loans. Because of these concentrations of loans in specific industries, a deterioration within these industries, especially those that have been particularly adversely impacted by long-term work-from-home arrangements on the commercial real estate sector, including retail stores, hotels and office buildings, creates greater risk exposure for our commercial real estate loan portfolio. Should the fundamentals of the commercial real estate market deteriorate, our financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

The performance of our New York multifamily real estate loans could be adversely impacted by regulation.

In June 2019, New York enacted legislation increasing the restrictions on rent increases in a rent-regulated apartment building, including, among other provisions, (i) repealing the vacancy bonus and longevity bonus, which allowed a property owner to raise rents as much as 20 percent each time a rental unit became vacant, (ii) eliminating high rent vacancy deregulation and high-income deregulation, which allowed a rental unit to be removed from rent stabilization once it crossed a statutory high-rent threshold and became vacant, or the tenant’s income exceeded the statutory amount in the preceding two years, and (iii) eliminating an exception that allowed a property owner who offered preferential rents to tenants to raise the rent to the full legal rent upon renewal. This legislation generally limits a landlord’s ability to increase rents on rent-regulated apartments and makes it more difficult to convert rent regulated apartments to market rate apartments. As a result, the value of the collateral located in New York securing our multifamily loans or the future net operating income of such properties could potentially become impaired. At December 31, 2023, our total multifamily rent regulated exposure in New York was approximately $941 million, or 17 percent, of the total loan portfolio.

If our allowance for credit losses is not sufficient to cover actual loan losses, our earnings would decrease.

We maintain allowances for credit losses on loans and off-balance sheet credit exposures. The amount of each allowance account represents management's best estimate of current expected credit losses on these financial instruments considering available information, from internal and external sources, relevant to assessing exposure to credit loss over the contractual term of the instrument. Relevant available information includes historical credit loss experience, current economic conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. As a result, the determination of the appropriate level of allowance for credit losses inherently involves a high degree of subjectivity and requires us to make significant estimates related to current and expected future credit risks and trends, all of which may undergo material changes. Continuing deterioration in economic conditions, including the possibility of a recession, affecting borrowers and securities issuers; inflation; rising interest rates; new information regarding existing loans, credit commitments and securities holdings; and identification of additional problem loans ratings downgrades and other factors; both within and outside of our control, may require an increase in the allowances for credit losses on loans and off-balance sheet credit exposures. In addition, bank regulatory agencies periodically review our allowance for credit losses and may require an increase in credit loss expense or the recognition of further loan charge-offs, based on judgments different than those of management. Furthermore, if any charge-offs related to loans or off-balance sheet credit exposures in future periods exceed our allowances for credit losses on loans or off-balance sheet credit exposures, we will need to recognize additional credit loss expense to increase the applicable allowance. Any increase in the allowance for credit losses on loans and/or off-balance sheet credit exposures will result in a decrease in net income and, possibly, capital, and may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Our commercial real estate loan and commercial C&I portfolios expose us to greater risks than other mortgage loans.

Our loan portfolio includes non-owner-occupied commercial real estate loans for individuals and businesses for various purposes. The repayment of these loans typically depends upon income generated, or expected to be generated, by the property securing the loan in amounts sufficient to cover operating expenses and debt service. This may be adversely affected by changes in the economy or local market conditions. These loans expose us to greater credit risk than loans secured by residential real estate because the collateral securing these loans typically cannot be liquidated as easily as residential real estate. If we foreclose on these loans, our holding period for the collateral typically is longer than for a single or multifamily residential property because there are fewer potential purchasers of the collateral. Additionally, non-owner-occupied commercial real estate loans generally involve relatively large balances to single borrowers or related groups of borrowers. Accordingly, charge-offs on non-owner-occupied commercial real estate loans may be larger on a per loan basis than those incurred with our residential or consumer loan portfolios. Unexpected deterioration in the credit quality of our commercial real estate loan portfolio may require us to increase our provision for credit losses, which would reduce our profitability and could materially adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The source of repayment of C&I loans is typically the cash flows of the borrowers’ businesses. These loans may involve greater risk because the availability of funds to repay each loan depends substantially on the success of the business itself. The collateral securing the loans and leases often depreciates over time, is difficult to appraise and liquidate and fluctuates in value based on the success of the business. In addition, many commercial business loans have a variable rate which is indexed off of a floating rate such as the U.S. Prime Rate or the Secured Overnight Financing Rate. If interest rates rise, the borrower's debt service requirement may increase, negatively impacting the borrower's ability to service their debt.

The level of the commercial real estate loan portfolio may subject the Bank to additional regulatory scrutiny.

The federal bank regulatory agencies have promulgated joint guidance on sound risk management practices for financial institutions with concentrations in commercial real estate lending. Under the guidance, a financial institution that, like the Bank, is actively involved in commercial real estate lending should perform a risk assessment to identify concentrations. A financial institution may be subject to this guidance if, among other factors, (i) total reported loans for construction, land acquisition and development and other land represent 100 percent or more of total capital, or (ii) total reported loans secured by multifamily and non-farm residential properties, loans for construction, land acquisition and development and other land, and loans otherwise sensitive to the general commercial real estate market, including loans to commercial real estate related entities, represent 300 percent or more of total capital. Based on these factors, the Bank has a concentration in commercial real estate lending, as such loans represented 375 percent of total bank capital as of December 31, 2023. The guidance focuses on exposure to commercial real estate loans that are dependent on the cash flow from the real estate held as collateral and that are likely to be at greater risk to conditions in the commercial real estate market (as opposed to real estate collateral held as a secondary source of repayment or in an abundance of caution). The guidance assists banks in developing risk management practices and determining capital levels commensurate with the level and nature of real estate concentrations. The guidance states that management should employ heightened risk management practices including board and management oversight and strategic planning, development of underwriting standards, risk assessment and monitoring through market analysis and stress testing. While it is management’s belief that policies and procedures with respect to the Bank’s commercial real estate loan portfolio have been implemented consistent with this guidance, bank regulators could require that additional policies and procedures be implemented consistent with their interpretation of the guidance that may result in additional costs or that may result in the curtailment of commercial real estate lending that would adversely affect the Bank’s loan originations and profitability.

We are subject to environmental liability risk associated with our lending activities.

In the course of our business, we may purchase real estate or foreclose on and take title to real estate. As a result, we could be subject to environmental liabilities with respect to these properties. We may be held liable to a governmental entity or to third parties for property damage, personal injury, investigation or clean-up costs incurred by these parties in connection with environmental contamination. The costs associated with investigation or remediation activities could be substantial. In addition, if we are the owner or former owner of a contaminated site, we may be subject to common law claims by third parties based on damages and costs resulting from environmental contamination emanating from the property. Any significant environmental liabilities could cause a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects.

Risks Related to Interest Rates

Changes in interest rates may adversely affect our earnings and financial condition.

Our net income depends primarily upon our net interest income. Net interest income is the difference between interest income earned on loans, investments and other interest-earning assets and the interest expense incurred on deposits and borrowed funds.

Different types of assets and liabilities may react differently, and at different times, to changes in market interest rates. We expect that we will periodically experience “gaps” in the interest rate sensitivities of our assets and liabilities. That means either our interest-bearing liabilities will be more sensitive to changes in market interest rates than our interest-earning assets, or vice versa. When interest-bearing liabilities mature or reprice more quickly than interest-earning assets, an increase in market rates of interest could reduce our net interest income. Likewise, when interest-earning assets mature or reprice more quickly than interest-bearing liabilities, falling interest rates could reduce our net interest income. We are unable to predict changes in market interest rates, which are affected by many factors beyond our control, including inflation, recession, unemployment, money supply, governmental policy, domestic and international events and changes in the United States and other financial markets.

In addition, changes in interest rates can affect the average life of loans and investment securities. A reduction in interest rates causes increased prepayments of loans and mortgage-backed securities as borrowers refinance their debt to reduce their borrowing costs. This creates reinvestment risk, which is the risk that the Bank may not be able to reinvest the funds from faster prepayments at rates that are comparable to the rates earned on the prepaid loans or securities. Conversely, an increase in interest rates generally reduces prepayments. Additionally, increases in interest rates may decrease loan demand and/or make it more difficult for borrowers to repay adjustable-rate loans.

Changes in interest rates may also affect the current estimated fair value of the securities portfolio. Generally, the value of securities moves inversely with changes in interest rates. Unrealized net losses on securities available-for-sale are reported as a separate component of stockholders’ equity. To the extent interest rates increase and the value of the available-for-sale portfolio decreases, stockholders’ equity will be adversely affected.

Changes in the estimated fair value of debt securities may reduce stockholders’ equity and net income.

At December 31, 2023, the Company maintained a debt securities portfolio of $658.4 million, of which $550.6 million was classified as available-for-sale. The estimated fair value of the available-for-sale debt securities portfolio may change depending on the credit quality of the underlying issuer, market liquidity, changes in interest rates and other factors. Stockholders’ equity increases or decreases by the amount of the change in the unrealized gain or loss (difference between the estimated fair value and the amortized cost) of the available-for-sale debt securities portfolio, net of the related tax expense or benefit, under the category of accumulated other comprehensive income (loss). A decrease can occur even though the securities are not sold.

Other Risks Related to Our Business

We are exposed to the risks of public health issues, natural disasters, severe weather, acts of war or terrorism, government shutdowns, geopolitical events and other potential external events.

We are exposed to the risks of public health issues, natural disasters, pandemics, severe weather, acts of war or terrorism, and other potential external events, any of which could have a significant impact on our ability to conduct business. In addition, such events could: impair the ability of borrowers to qualify for loans and/or repay their obligations, impair the value of collateral securing loans, cause depositors to withdraw funds, cause wealth management clients to withdraw assets under management, and/or cause us to incur additional expenses. Further, any of these events could affect the financial markets in general, causing a diminishment in the market value of assets under management for our wealth management clients and/or cause a yield curve not advantageous to the Company or the banking industry in general. Any of the above could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and/or results of operations. Additionally, financial markets may be adversely affected by the current or anticipated impact of military conflict, including escalating military tension between Russia and Ukraine, terrorism or other geopolitical events.

The soundness of other financial institutions could adversely affect us.

Financial services institutions are interconnected as a result of trading, clearing, counterparty, or other relationships. We have exposure to many different industries and counterparties, and we routinely execute transactions with counterparties in the financial services industry, including brokers and dealers, investment banks, commercial banks, and other institutional clients. Some of these transactions expose us to credit risk if there is a default by our client or counterparty. Additionally, our credit risk may be impaired when collateral held by us cannot be realized or is liquidated at prices insufficient to recover the full amount of the credit or derivative exposure due us; such losses could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

In early 2023, the failures of Silicon Valley Bank, First Republic Bank, and Signature Bank resulted in decreased confidence in banks among depositors, other counterparties and investors. Such events and developments could materially and adversely affect our business or financial condition, including through declines in deposits, increased costs of funds, potential liquidity pressures, increased regulation, and declines and volatility in the price of our common stock.

Risks Relating to Regulatory Matters

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act has and may continue to adversely affect our business activities, financial condition, and profitability by increasing our regulatory compliance burden and associated costs, placing restrictions on certain products and services, and limiting our future capital raising strategies.

The Dodd-Frank Act has and may continue to increase our regulatory compliance burden. Among the Dodd-Frank Act’s significant regulatory changes, it created the CFPB, which is empowered to promulgate new consumer protection regulations and revise existing regulations in many areas of consumer protection. Moreover, the Dodd-Frank Act permits states to adopt stricter consumer protection laws and state attorney generals may enforce consumer protection rules issued by the CFPB. These changes have increased, and may continue to increase, our regulatory compliance burden and costs and may restrict the financial products and services we offer to our clients. The Dodd-Frank Act also increased regulation of derivatives and hedging transactions, which could limit our ability to enter into, or increase the costs associated with, interest rate and other hedging transactions.

Government regulation significantly affects our business.

The banking industry is extensively regulated. Banking regulations are intended primarily to protect depositors, and the FDIC deposit insurance fund, not our shareholders. We are subject to regulation and supervision by the New Jersey Department of Banking and Insurance and the Federal Reserve Bank. Such regulation and supervision governs the activities in which an institution and its holding company may engage. The bank regulatory agencies possess broad authority to prevent or remedy unsafe or unsound practices or violations of law. Regulatory authorities have extensive discretion in their supervisory and enforcement activities, including the imposition of restrictions on operations, the classification of assets and determination of the level of the allowance for credit losses. Regulatory requirements affect our lending practices, capital structure, investment practices, dividend policy and growth. In addition, changes in laws, regulations and regulatory practices affecting the banking industry may limit the manner in which we conduct our business. Such changes may adversely affect us, including our ability to offer new products and services, obtain financing, attract deposits, make loans and achieve satisfactory spreads and may impose additional costs on us.

The Bank is also subject to a number of federal laws, which, among other things, require it to lend to various sectors of the economy and population, and establish and maintain comprehensive programs relating to anti-money laundering and customer identification. The Bank's compliance with these laws will be considered by the federal banking regulators when reviewing bank merger and bank holding company acquisitions or commencing new activities or making new investments in reliance on the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act. As a public company, we are also subject to the corporate governance standards set forth in the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, as well as any rules or regulations promulgated by the SEC and the NASDAQ Stock Market.

Monetary policies and regulations of the Federal Reserve Board could adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition, and results of operations.

The Company’s earnings and growth are affected by the policies of the Federal Reserve Board. An important function of the Federal Reserve Board is to regulate the money supply and credit conditions. Among the instruments used by the Federal Reserve Board to implement these objectives are open market purchases and sales of U.S. government securities, adjustments

of the discount rate and changes in banks’ reserve requirements against certain transaction account deposits. These instruments are used in varying combinations to influence overall economic growth and the distribution of credit, bank loans, investments and deposits. Their use also affects interest rates charged on loans or paid on deposits. The monetary policies and regulations of the Federal Reserve Board have a significant effect on the overall economy and the operating results of financial institutions.

Risks Related to Capital

We may need to raise additional capital in the future, which may not be available when needed or available on acceptable terms.

We are required by federal regulatory authorities to maintain adequate levels of capital to support its operations. We may at some point need to raise additional capital to support continued growth. Our ability to raise additional capital, if needed, will depend on conditions in the capital markets at that time, which are outside our control, and on its financial performance. Accordingly, we cannot be assured of its ability to raise additional capital if needed or on terms acceptable to us. If we cannot raise additional capital when needed, the ability to further expand its operations could be materially impaired. Further, if we raise capital through the issuance of additional shares of our common stock, it would dilute the ownership interests of existing shareholders and may dilute the per share book value of our common stock. New investors may also have rights, preferences and privileges senior to our current shareholders, which may adversely impact our current shareholders.

We are subject to certain capital requirements, which may adversely impact our return on equity, require us to raise additional capital, or constrain us from paying dividends or repurchasing shares.

A financial institution and its holding company, such as the Bank and the Company, are subject to limitations on paying dividends, engaging in share repurchases, and paying discretionary bonuses if their capital level falls below the required amounts. These limitations establish a maximum percentage of eligible retained income that can be utilized for such actions.

The application of more stringent capital requirements could, among other things, result in lower returns on equity, require the raising of additional capital, and result in regulatory actions if we were to be unable to comply with such requirements. Furthermore, the imposition of liquidity requirements in connection with the implementation of Basel III could result in our having to lengthen the term of our funding, restructure our business models, and/or increase our holdings of liquid assets. See Part I, Item1, “Business - Capital Requirements.”

Our ability to pay dividends to our common shareholders is limited by law.

Since the principal source of income for the Company is dividends paid to the Company by the Bank, the Company’s ability to pay dividends to its shareholders will depend on whether the Bank pays dividends to it. As a practical matter, restrictions on the ability of the Bank to pay dividends act as restrictions on the amount of funds available for the payment of dividends by the Company. As a New Jersey-chartered commercial bank, the Bank is subject to the restrictions on the payment of dividends contained in the New Jersey Banking Act of 1948, as amended. Under the Banking Act, the Bank may pay dividends only out of retained earnings, and out of surplus to the extent that surplus exceeds 50 percent of stated capital. The Company is also subject to Federal Reserve Board policies, which may, in certain circumstances, limit its ability to pay dividends. The Federal Reserve Board policies require, among other things, that a bank holding company maintain a minimum capital base and the Federal Reserve Board in supervisory guidance has cautioned bank holding companies about paying out too much of their earnings in dividends and has stated that banks should not pay out more in dividends than they earn. The Federal Reserve Board would most likely seek to prohibit any dividend payment that would reduce a holding company's capital below these minimum amounts.

Risks Related to Liquidity

Limits on our ability to use brokered deposits as part of our funding strategy may adversely affect our ability to grow.

A “brokered deposit” is any deposit that is obtained from or through the mediation or assistance of a deposit broker, which includes larger correspondent banks and securities brokerage firms. These deposit brokers attract deposits from individuals and companies throughout the country and internationally whose deposit decisions are based almost exclusively on obtaining the highest interest rates. At December 31, 2023, brokered deposits represented approximately 2.5 percent of our total deposits and equaled $130.5 million, comprised of the following: interest-bearing demand-brokered of $10.0 million, and brokered certificates of deposits of $120.5 million. To continue to maintain our level of brokered deposits, we may be forced to pay higher interest rates than contemplated by our asset-liability pricing strategy. In addition, banks that become less than “well capitalized” under applicable regulatory capital requirements may be restricted in their ability to accept or be prohibited from accepting brokered deposits. If this funding source becomes more difficult or expensive to access, we will have to seek alternative funding sources in order to continue to fund our growth. This may include increasing our reliance on Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings, attempting to attract non-brokered deposits, reducing our available for sale securities portfolio or selling loans. There can be no assurance that brokered deposits will be available, or if available, sufficient to support our continued growth.

We may lose lower-cost funding sources, which may affect our profitability.

Checking, savings, and money market deposit account balances and other forms of client deposits can decrease when clients perceive alternative investments, such as the stock market, as providing a better risk/return tradeoff. If clients move money out of bank deposits and into other investments, we would lose a relatively low-cost source of funds and have to replace them with higher cost funds, thus increasing our funding costs and reducing our net interest income and net income. The Bank does have certain deposits with high dollar balances which are subject to volatility. Customers with large average deposits may move these deposits for operational needs, investment opportunities or other reasons, which could require the Bank to pay higher interest rates to retain these deposits or use higher rate borrowings as an alternative funding source.

A lack of liquidity could adversely affect the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.

Liquidity is essential to the Company’s business. The Company relies on its ability to generate deposits and effectively manage the repayment and maturity schedules of loans to ensure that there is adequate liquidity to fund its operations. An inability to raise funds through deposits, borrowings, the sale and maturities of loans and other sources could have a substantial negative effect on liquidity. The Company’s most important source of funds is deposits. Deposit balances can decrease when customers perceive alternative investments as providing a better risk/return tradeoff, which are strongly influenced by such external factors as the direction of interest rates, local and national economic conditions and the availability and attractiveness of alternative investments. Further, the demand for deposits may be reduced due to a variety of factors such as demographic patterns, changes in customer preferences, reductions in consumers’ disposable income, the monetary policy of the FRB or regulatory actions that decrease customer access to particular products. If customers move money out of bank deposits and into other investments such as money market funds, the Company would lose a relatively low-cost source of funds, which would increase its funding costs and reduce net interest income. Any changes made to the rates offered on deposits to remain competitive with other financial institutions may also adversely affect profitability and liquidity.

Other primary sources of funds consist of cash flows from operations, maturities and sales of investment securities and borrowings from the FHLB of New York. The Company also has an available line of credit with the FRB discount window. The Company also may borrow funds from third-party lenders, such as other financial institutions. The Company’s access to funding sources in amounts adequate to finance or capitalize its activities, or on terms that are acceptable, could be impaired by factors that affect the Company directly or the financial services industry or economy in general, such as disruptions in the financial markets or negative views and expectations about the prospects for the financial services industry, a decrease in the level of the Company’s business activity as a result of a downturn in markets or by one or more adverse regulatory actions against the Company.

Any decline in available funding could adversely impact the Company’s ability to originate loans, invest in securities, meet expenses, or to fulfill obligations such as repaying borrowings or meeting deposit withdrawal demands, any of which could have a material adverse impact on its liquidity, business, financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Related to Competition

Competition from other financial institutions in originating loans and attracting deposits may adversely affect our profitability.

We face substantial competition in originating loans from other banks, savings institutions, credit unions, mortgage banking companies and other lenders. Many of our competitors enjoy advantages, including greater financial resources and higher lending limits, a wider geographic presence, and more accessible branch office locations.

In attracting deposits, we face substantial competition from other insured depository institutions such as banks, savings institutions and credit unions, as well as institutions offering uninsured investment alternatives, including money market funds. Many of our competitors enjoy advantages, including greater financial resources, more aggressive marketing campaigns, better brand recognition and more branch locations. These competitors may offer higher interest rates than we do, which could decrease the deposits that we attract or require us to increase our rates to retain existing deposits or attract new deposits.

We also compete with non-bank providers of financial services, such as brokerage firms, consumer finance companies, insurance companies and governmental organizations, which may offer more favorable terms. Some of our non-bank competitors are not subject to the same extensive regulations that govern our operations. As a result, such non-bank competitors may have advantages over us in providing certain products and services. This competition may reduce or limit our margins on banking services, reduce our market share and adversely affect our earnings and financial condition.

Risks Related to Operational Matters

Cyber-attacks and information security breaches could compromise our information or result in the data of our customers being improperly divulged, which could expose us to liability and losses.

Many financial institutions and companies engaged in data processing have reported significant breaches in the security of their websites or other systems, some of which have involved sophisticated and targeted attacks intended to obtain unauthorized access to confidential information, destroy data, disable or degrade service, or sabotage systems, often through the introduction of computer viruses or malware, cyber-attacks and other means. We are subject to such cyber-attacks or other information security breaches, which could result in losses. Additionally, our risk exposure to security matters may remain elevated or increase in the future due to, among other things, the increasing size and prominence of the Company in the financial services industry, our expansion of Internet and mobile banking tools and products based on customer needs and an increased level of employees working remotely. As cyber threats continue to evolve, we may be required to expend significant additional resources to continue to modify or enhance our protective measures or to investigate and remediate any information security vulnerabilities. Disruptions or failures in the physical infrastructure or operating systems that support our businesses, customers or third parties, or cyber-attacks or security breaches of the networks, systems or devices that our customers or third parties use to access our products and services could result in customer attrition, financial losses, the inability of our customers or vendors to transact business with us, violations of applicable privacy and other laws, regulatory fines, penalties or intervention, reputational damage, reimbursement or other costs, and/or additional compliance costs, any of which could materially adversely affect our results of operations or financial condition.

Our information technology systems and the systems of third parties upon which we rely may experience a failure, interruption or breach in security that could negatively affect our operations and reputation.

We rely heavily on information technology systems to conduct our business, including the systems of third-party service providers. Any failure, interruption, or breach in security or operational integrity of these systems could result in failures or disruptions in our customer relationship management and general ledger, deposit, loan, and other systems. While we have policies and procedures designed to prevent or limit the impact of any failure, interruption, or breach in our security systems (including privacy and cyber-attacks), there can be no assurance that such events will not occur or if they do occur, that they will be adequately addressed. Information security and cyber-security risks have increased significantly in recent years because of new technologies, the use of the Internet and other electronic delivery channels (including mobile devices) to conduct financial transactions. Accordingly, we may be required to expend additional resources to continue to enhance our protective measures or to investigate and remediate any information security vulnerabilities or exposures. The occurrence of any system failures, interruptions, or breaches in security could expose us to reputation risk, litigation, regulatory scrutiny and possible financial liability that could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Our failure to successfully keep pace with technological changes could have a material adverse impact on our business and, in turn, our financial condition and results of operations.

The financial services industry is continually undergoing rapid technological change with frequent introductions of new technology-driven products and services. The effective use of technology increases efficiency and enables financial institutions to better serve clients and to reduce costs. Our future success depends, in part, upon our ability to address the needs of our clients by using technology to provide products and services that will satisfy client demands, as well as to create additional efficiencies in our operations. Many of our competitors have substantially greater resources to invest in technological improvements. We may not be able to effectively implement new technology-driven products and services or be successful in marketing these products and services to our clients. Failure to successfully keep pace with technological change affecting the financial services industry could have a material adverse impact on our business and, in turn, our financial condition and results of operations.

Our board of directors relies on management and outside consultants in overseeing cybersecurity risk management.

The Company has a standing Information Technology Committee. The Chief Information Officer is the primary management liaison to the committee. The committee meets quarterly, or more frequently if needed, and reports to the board of directors after each meeting through committee minutes. The Company also engages outside consultants to support its cybersecurity efforts. Our directors do not have significant experience in cybersecurity risk management in other business entities comparable to the Company and rely on the Chief Information Officer and other consultants for cybersecurity guidance.

We are subject to operational risk.

We face the risk that the design of our controls and procedures, including those to mitigate the risk of fraud by employees or outsiders, may prove to be inadequate or are circumvented, thereby causing delays in the detection of errors or inaccuracies in data and information. Management regularly reviews and updates our internal controls, disclosure controls and procedures, and corporate governance policies and procedures. Any system of controls, however well designed and operated, is based in part on certain assumptions and can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurances that the objectives of the system are met. Any failure or circumvention of our controls and procedures or failure to comply with regulations related to controls and procedures could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are dependent on key personnel and the loss of one or more of those key personnel may materially and adversely affect our prospects.

Our performance is largely dependent on the talents and efforts of highly skilled individuals. There is intense competition in the financial services industry for qualified employees. In addition, we face increasing competition with businesses outside the financial services industry for the most highly skilled individuals. Our business operations could be adversely affected if we were unable to attract new employees and retain and motivate our existing employees.

Risks Related to Our Wealth Management Business

Revenues and profitability from our wealth management business may be adversely affected by any reduction in assets under management, which could reduce fees earned.

The wealth management business derives the majority of its revenue from non-interest income, which consists of trust, investment advisory and other servicing fees. Substantial revenues are generated from investment management contracts with clients. Under these contracts, the investment advisory fees paid to us are typically based on the market value of assets under management. Assets under management may decline for various reasons including declines in the market value of the assets, which could be caused by price declines in the securities markets. Assets under management may also decrease due to redemptions and other withdrawals by clients or termination of contracts. This could be in response to adverse market conditions or in pursuit of other investment opportunities. If the assets under management we supervise decline and there is a related decrease in fees, it will negatively affect our results of operations.

We may not be able to attract and retain wealth management clients.

Due to strong competition, our wealth management business may not be able to attract and retain clients. Competition is strong because there are numerous well-established and successful investment management and wealth advisory firms including commercial banks and trust companies, investment advisory firms, mutual fund companies, stock brokerage firms, and other financial companies. Many of our competitors have greater resources than we have. Our ability to successfully attract and retain wealth management clients is dependent upon our ability to compete with competitors’ investment products,

level of investment performance, client services and marketing and distribution capabilities. If we are not successful, our results of operations and financial condition may be negatively impacted.

The wealth management industry is subject to extensive regulation, supervision and examination by regulators, and any enforcement action or adverse changes in the laws or regulations governing our business could decrease our revenues and profitability.

The wealth management business is subject to regulation by a number of regulatory agencies that are charged with safeguarding the integrity of the securities and other financial markets and with protecting the interests of customers participating in those markets. In the event of non-compliance with regulation, governmental regulators, including the SEC and the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, may institute administrative or judicial proceedings that may result in censure, fines, civil penalties, the issuance of cease-and-desist orders or the deregistration or suspension of the non-compliant broker-dealer or investment adviser or other adverse consequences. The imposition of any such penalties or orders could have a material adverse effect on the wealth management segment's operating results and financial condition. We may be adversely affected as a result of new or revised legislation or regulations. Regulatory changes have imposed and may continue to impose additional costs, which could adversely impact our profitability.

Item 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

Item 1C. CYBERSECURITY

Risk Management and Strategy

Peapack-Gladstone Bank’s risk management program is designed to identify, assess, and mitigate risks across various aspects of the Company, including financial, operational, regulatory, reputational, and legal. Cybersecurity is a critical component of this program, given the increasing reliance on technology and potential of cyber threats. Peapack-Gladstone Bank’s Information Security Officer is primarily responsible for cybersecurity and is a key member of the risk management organization, reporting directly to the Chief Risk Officer and as discussed below, periodically to the Information Technology Steering Committee and Peapack-Gladstone Bank’s board of directors.

Our objective for managing cybersecurity risk is to avoid or minimize the impact of external threat events or other efforts to penetrate, disrupt or misuse Peapack-Gladstone Bank systems or information. The structure of our information security program is designed around the National Institute of Standards and Technology Cybersecurity Framework, regulatory guidance, and other industry standards. In addition, we leverage certain industry and government associations, third-party benchmarking, audits, and threat intelligence feeds to facilitate and promote program effectiveness. Peapack-Gladstone Bank’s Information Security Officer and Chief Information Officer, who reports directly to the Chief Operating Officer, along with other key members of their teams, regularly collaborate with peer banks, industry groups, and policymakers to discuss cybersecurity trends and issues and identify best practices. The information security program is periodically reviewed by such personnel with the goal of addressing changing threats and conditions.

We employ an in-depth, layered, defensive strategy that embraces a “trust by design” philosophy when designing new products, services, and technology. We leverage people, processes, and technology as part of Peapack-Gladstone Bank’s efforts to manage and maintain cybersecurity controls. We also employ a variety of preventative and detective tools designed to monitor, block, and provide alerts regarding suspicious activity, as well as to report on suspected advanced persistent threats. We have established processes and systems designed to mitigate cyber risk, including on-going education and training for employees, preparedness simulations and tabletop exercises, and recovery and resilience tests. We engage in regular assessments of Peapack-Gladstone Bank infrastructure, software systems, and network architecture, using internal cybersecurity experts and third-party specialists. We also maintain a third-party risk management program designed to identify, assess, and manage risks, including cybersecurity risks, associated with external service providers and Peapack-Gladstone Bank’s supply chain. We also actively monitor our email gateways for malicious phishing e-mail campaigns and monitor remote connections as a significant portion of Peapack-Gladstone Bank’s workforce has the option to work remotely. We leverage internal and external auditors and independent external partners to periodically review our processes, systems, and controls, including with respect to Peapack-Gladstone Bank’s information security program, to assess their design and operating effectiveness and make recommendations to strengthen the Bank’s risk management program.

We maintain an Incident Response Plan that provides a documented framework for responding to actual or potential cybersecurity incidents, including timely notification of and escalation to the Bank’s Information Technology Steering Committee as well as the board of directors. The Incident Response Plan is coordinated through the Information Security Officer and key members of management are embedded into the Plan by its design. The Incident Response Plan facilitates coordination across multiple parts of Peapack-Gladstone Bank’s organization and is evaluated at least annually.

Notwithstanding our defensive measures and processes, the threat posed by cyber-attacks is severe. Peapack-Gladstone Bank’s internal systems,processes, and controls are designed to mitigate loss from cyber-attacks and, while we have experienced cybersecurity incidents in the past, to date, risks from cybersecurity threats have not materially affected the Company, including its business strategy, results of operations, or financial condition.

Governance

Peapack-Gladstone Bank’s Chief Information Officer, Chief Technology Officer, and Information Security Officer are accountable for managing and ensuring compliance with the Bank’s information security program. Included in the responsibilities of this management team is the oversight and the administration of the cybersecurity risk assessment, defense operations, incident response, vulnerability assessment, threat intelligence, identity access governance, third-party risk management, and business resilience.

Peapack-Gladstone Bank’s board of directors has approved management committees including the Information Technology Steering Committee, which focuses on technology and cyber related business impact. This committee provides oversight and governance of the technology program and the information security program. The committee is chaired by managers within the enterprise information technology department and include the Chief Information Officer, Chief Technology Officer, and Information Security Officer. The committee meets quarterly to provide oversight of the risk management strategy,standards, policies, practices, controls, and mitigation and prevention efforts employed to manage security risks. More frequent meetings may occur to facilitate timely informing and monitoring efforts. The Information Security Officer reports summaries of key issues, including significant cybersecurity and/or privacy incidents, discussed at committee meetings and the actions taken to the Bank’s board of directors.

The Bank’s board of directors are responsible for overseeing Peapack-Gladstone Bank’s information security and technology programs, including management’s actions to identify, assess, mitigate, and remediate or prevent material cybersecurity issues and risks. Peapack-Gladstone Bank’s Information Security Officer, Chief Information Officer, and Chief Technology Officer provide reports to the Bank’s board of directors regarding the information security program, technology program, key enterprise cybersecurity initiatives, and other matters relating to cybersecurity processes. The board of directors reviews and approves Peapack-Gladstone Bank’s information security program, technology budgets, and strategies annually.

Item 2. PROPERTIES

The Company owns eight branches and leases eight branches. The Company leases an administrative and operations office building in Bedminster, New Jersey, private banking offices in Princeton and Teaneck, New Jersey and wealth offices in Greenville, Delaware, Morristown, New Providence, Red Bank and Summit, New Jersey and Bonita Springs, Florida. The Company has signed a lease for future market expansion in New York City. We consider our present facilities to be sufficient for our current operations.

Item 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

In the normal course of business, lawsuits and claims may be brought against the Company and its subsidiaries. Currently, there are no pending or threatened litigation or proceedings against the Company or its subsidiaries, which assert claims that if adversely decided, we believe would have a material adverse effect on the Company.

Item 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURE

Not applicable.

PART II

Item 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT'S COMMON EQUITY RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES

The common stock of the Company is traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “PGC”. On March 1, 2024, there were approximately 1,240 registered shareholders of record.

Stock Performance Graph

The following graph compares the cumulative total return on a hypothetical $100 investment made on December 31, 2018 (Five Year Total Return Performance), in (a) the Company’s common stock; (b) the KBW NASDAQ Regional Banking Index (top 50 U.S. banks); and (c) the Proxy Peer Group. The graph is calculated assuming that all dividends are reinvested during the relevant periods.

The KBW NASDAQ Regional Banking Index is comprised of the largest money center banks in the U.S. (i.e. those included in the KBW NASDAQ Bank Index), but also includes smaller regional banks. The Peer Group is comprised of the bank peer group included in the Company’s 2024 Proxy that the Company utilized for monitoring its executive compensation. (Note that banks that have since been acquired or did not file their required reports on a timely basis have been excluded.)

The Peer Group consists of: Arrow Financial Corporation, Cambridge Bancorp, Customers Bancorp, Inc., Dime Community Bancshares, Inc., Eagle Bancorp, Inc., Enterprise Bancorp, Inc., Lakeland Bancorp, Inc., OceanFirst Financial Corp., Orrstown Financial Services, Inc., Peoples Financial Services Corp., Provident Financial Services, Inc., Sandy Spring Bancorp, Inc., The First of Long Island Corporation, Tompkins Financial Corporation, Univest Financial Corporation, and Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc.

The Company believes each of these indexes/groups are more closely aligned with the operations of the Company.

Stock Repurchases

The following table sets forth information for the quarter ended December 31, 2023 with respect to common shares repurchased and common shares withheld to satisfy withholding obligations upon the exercise of stock options and vesting of restricted stock awards/units.

Sales of Unregistered Securities

On September 1, 2019, the Company acquired Point View, a registered investment adviser (“RIA”) in Summit, New Jersey, which had approximately $325 million of assets under management at closing for cash and stock due on closing, and contingent post-closing payments of common stock based upon Point View’s post-acquisition performance. The contingent payments, to the extent earned, are payable on or about September 15 of 2020, 2021, 2022 and 2023. The Company issued 14,220 shares of Company common stock to the Point View shareholder pursuant to an agreement on each of September 17, 2021, and September 19, 2022. On August 8, 2023, the Company issued 19,197 shares of Company common stock to the Point View shareholder pursuant to the agreement. These Company shares were issued without registration under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended (the “Securities Act”) in reliance on Section 4(a)(2) of the Securities Act.

Item 6. [RESERVED]

 

Item 7. MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

CAUTIONARY STATEMENT CONCERNING FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS: This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are not historical facts and include expressions about Management’s confidence and strategies and Management’s expectations about new and existing programs and products, investments, relationships, opportunities and market conditions. These statements may be identified by such forward-looking terminology as “expect,” “look,” “believe,” “anticipate,” “may,”

or similar statements or variations of such terms. Actual results may differ materially from such forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:

Except as may be required by applicable law or regulation, the Company undertakes no duty to update any forward-looking statement to conform the statement to actual results or changes in the Company’s expectations. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, the Company cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements.

CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES: Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations is based upon the Company’s consolidated financial statements, which have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements requires the Company to make estimates and judgments that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses. Note 1 to the Company’s Audited Consolidated Financial Statements contains a summary of the Company’s significant accounting policies.

Management believes that the Company’s policy with respect to the methodology for the determination of the allowance for credit losses involves a higher degree of complexity and requires Management to make difficult and subjective judgments, which often require assumptions or estimates about highly uncertain matters. Changes in these judgments, assumptions or estimates could materially impact results of operations. This critical policy and its application are periodically reviewed with the Audit Committee and the Board of Directors.

On January 1, 2022, the Company adopted ASU 2016-13 (Topic 326), which replaced the incurred loss methodology with CECL for financial instruments measured at amortized cost and other commitments to extend credit. The allowance for credit losses is a valuation allowance Management’s estimate of expected credit losses in the loan portfolio. The process to determine expected credit losses utilizes analytic tools and Management judgment and is reviewed on a quarterly basis. When Management is reasonably certain that a loan balance is not fully collectable, an analysis is completed whereby a specific reserve may be established or a full or partial charge off is recorded against the allowance. Subsequent recoveries, if any, are credited to the allowance. Management estimates the allowance balance via a quantitative analysis which considers available information from internal and external sources related to past loan loss and prepayment experience and current conditions, as well as the incorporation of reasonable and supportable forecasts. Management evaluates a variety of factors including available published economic information in arriving at its forecasts. Expected credit losses are estimated over the contractual term of the loans, adjusted for expected prepayments when appropriate. Also included in the allowance for credit losses are qualitative reserves that are expected, but, in the Management’s assessment, may not be adequately represented in the quantitative analysis or the forecasts described above. Factors may include, among others, changes in lending policies and procedures, size and composition of the portfolio, experience and depth of Management and the effect of external factors such as competition, legal and regulatory requirements. The allowance is available for any loan that, in Management’s judgment, should be charged off.

Although Management uses the best information available, the level of the allowance for credit losses remains an estimate, which is subject to significant judgment and short-term change. Various regulatory agencies, as an integral part of their examination process, periodically review the Company’s allowance for credit losses. Such agencies may require the Company to make additional provisions for credit losses based upon information available to them at the time of their examination. Furthermore, the majority of the Company’s loans are secured by real estate in New Jersey and, to a lesser extent, the boroughs of New York City. Accordingly, the collectability of a substantial portion of the carrying value of the Company’s loan portfolio is susceptible to changes in local market conditions and any adverse economic conditions. Future adjustments to the provision for credit losses and allowance for credit losses may be necessary due to economic, operating, regulatory and other conditions beyond the Company’s control.

The Company accounts for its debt securities in accordance with ASC 320, “Investments - Debt Securities” and its equity security in accordance with ASC 321, “Investments – Equity Securities”. All securities classified as available for sale are carried at fair value, with unrealized holding gains and losses reported in other comprehensive income/(loss), net of tax. Securities classified as held to maturity are carried at amortized cost. The Company’s investment in a CRA investment fund is classified as an equity security. In accordance with ASU 2016-01, “Financial Instruments” unrealized holding gains and losses for equity securities are marked to market through the income statement.

OVERVIEW: The following discussion and analysis is intended to provide information about the financial condition and results of operations of the Company and its subsidiaries on a consolidated basis and should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and the related notes and supplemental financial information appearing elsewhere in this report.

For the year ended December 31, 2023, the Company recorded net income of $48.9 million, and diluted earnings per share of $2.71, compared to $74.2 million and $4.00, respectively, for 2022, reflecting decreases of $25.4 million, or 34 percent, and $1.29 per share, or 32 percent, respectively. During 2023, the Company continued to focus on executing its Strategic Plan, which included ongoing investment in our private banking model. During 2023, the Company also made a strategic decision to expand into New York City by hiring a team of experienced professionals to gain entry into this market. The Strategic Plan calls for expansion of the Company’s wealth management business, organically and through acquisitions, and also expansion of the Company’s commercial and industrial (“C&I”) lending platform, through the use of private bankers, who lead with deposit gathering and wealth management discussions.

The following are selected highlights from 2023:

EARNINGS SUMMARY: The following table presents certain key aspects of our performance for the years ended December 31, 2023, 2022 and 2021.