Bridgewater Bancshares, Inc. Annual Report

Average interest earning assets for the year ended December 31, 2019 increased $324.7 million, or 18.4%, to $2.09 billion from $1.77 billion for the year ended December 31, 2018. This increase in average interest earning assets was due to continued organic growth in the loan portfolio as a result of increased loan production. Average interest bearing liabilities increased $217.2 million, or 17.5%, to $1.46 billion for the year ended December 31, 2019, from $1.24 billion for the year ended December 31, 2018. The increase in average interest bearing liabilities was due to an increase in interest bearing deposits and FHLB advances, partially offset by a decrease in federal funds purchased and notes payable. Average interest earning assets produced a tax-equivalent yield of 5.01% for year ended December 31, 2019, compared to 4.88% for the year ended December 31, 2018. The average rate paid on interest bearing liabilities was 2.03% for the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to 1.65% for the year ended December 31, 2018. Interest Income. Total interest income on a tax-equivalent basis was $104.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to $86.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. The $18.4 million, or 21.4%, increase in total interest income on a tax-equivalent basis was primarily due to strong organic growth in the loan portfolio and an increase in the average yield on loans. Interest income on cash investments increased $505,000, or 202.0%, for the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to the year ended December 31, 2018, due to increased liquidity, which resulted from strong deposit growth. Interest income on the investment securities portfolio on a fully-tax equivalent basis increased $974,000, or 12.6%, for the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to the year ended December 31, 2018, primarily due to a 33 basis point increase in the aggregate portfolio yield. Interest income on loans for the year ended December 31, 2019 was $94.9 million, compared to $78.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. The $16.8 million, or 21.6%, increase was due to a $294.8 million, or 19.8%, increase in the average balance of loans outstanding and an 8 basis point increase in the average yield on loans. The increase in the average balance of loans outstanding was due to organic loan growth. The increase in yield on the loan portfolio resulted primarily from strong loan growth at yields accretive to the existing portfolio yield and has enabled the Company to offset the decreases in loan fee income. While deferred fees are regularly amortized into income, fluctuations in the level of loan fees recognized can vary based on prepayments and other factors. The following table presents a summary of interest and fees recognized on loans for the years ended December 31, 2019, 2018 and 2017:

For the year ended December 31,

2019

2018

2017

Interest . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Fees . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yield on Loans . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

5.06 %

4.85 %

4.67 %

0.25

0.38

0.43

5.31 %

5.23 %

5.10 %

Interest Expense. Interest expense on interest bearing liabilities increased $9.2 million, or 44.7%, to $29.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to $20.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2018, due to increases in market interest rates and growth in average balances of both deposits and borrowings, partially offset by a decrease in average balances of federal funds purchased. Interest expense on deposits increased to $24.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to $16.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. The $8.0 million, or 50.2%, increase in interest expense on deposits was primarily due to the average balance of interest bearing deposits increasing $189.9, or 17.4%, combined with a 41 basis point increase in the average rate paid. The increase in the average balance of interest bearing deposits resulted primarily from increases in interest bearing transaction deposits, savings and money market deposits, time deposits and brokered deposits. The increase in the average rate paid was primarily due to the impact of higher market interest rates demanded on deposits in the local and wholesale markets.

52