Synovus Financial (SNV) - 2025 Q1 - Earnings Call Transcript

Financial Data and Key Metrics Changes - Synovus reported adjusted earnings per share of $1.30, a 4$454 million, up 8% year-over-year and flat sequentially, with a net interest margin of 3.35%, an increase of seven basis points from the previous quarter [16][17] - Adjusted non-interest revenue was $117 million, a decline of 6$40 million in the quarter, with an annualized growth rate of 8% in high-growth lines of business [9][18] - Core deposits increased by 3% year-over-year, with positive trends in the overall deposit mix despite a decline in time deposits [20] - Adjusted non-interest expense was flat on a linked quarter basis and down 3% year-over-year, driven by controlled employment and project-related costs [24] Market Data and Key Metrics Changes - A commercial client survey indicated a rise in negative sentiment, with 17% of clients expecting business activity to decline over the next 12 months, up from 10% last quarter [9][10] - 41% of clients believe business activity will increase over the next 12 months, unchanged from the previous survey [10] Company Strategy and Development Direction - The company is focused on mitigating risks from an economic slowdown while seizing opportunities where it has a competitive advantage [12] - Synovus plans to maintain a loan growth target of 3% to 5% for 2025, primarily from middle market, corporate and investment banking, and specialty lending [32][34] - The company is committed to investing prudently to optimize long-term growth while managing overall expense growth [31] Management's Comments on Operating Environment and Future Outlook - Management expressed confidence in the health and resilience of the balance sheet despite economic uncertainties, emphasizing proactive balance sheet management and diversified business mix [11] - The outlook assumes moderate growth conditions with four Fed funds cuts throughout the year, impacting net interest margin [32][36] Other Important Information - The capital position remained strong with a preliminary common equity tier one ratio of 10.75% and total risk-based capital at 13.65% [28] - The company is engaged in efforts to identify risks associated with recent policy changes, including outreach to clients and monitoring tools [27] Q&A Session Summary Question: Can you talk about the lending environment and what factors might influence loan growth? - Management noted that recent tariff policy announcements have introduced uncertainty, but 41% of clients still expect business activity to increase. Loan production is expected to continue growing based on strong pipelines [43][45][46] Question: Was the strong loan production due to borrowers stockpiling inventories before tariffs? - Management clarified that while some industries saw an uptick, overall line utilization did not indicate significant stockpiling, and production was broad-based across various sectors [63][65] Question: How do you view the margin outlook given recent changes? - Management expressed satisfaction with the margin trajectory, expecting it to remain stable in the near term, but noted potential pressure from Fed policy changes [55][56] Question: Can you provide more detail on the impact of DC policy changes on your customer base? - Management indicated that about 15% of top borrowers felt a meaningful impact from policy changes, but overall exposure is limited. The company is actively engaging with affected clients [93][94][96] Question: What is the outlook for capital markets revenue? - Management noted that capital markets revenue was impacted by a lower volume of large loans and client preferences for floating rates, but expects improvement as loan production increases [108][110]