Columbia Banking System, Inc. (NASDAQ:COLB) Q4 2022 Earnings Call Transcript

Jon Arfstrom: Okay. That’s actually very helpful and what I was looking for. And then, just to follow-up on the margin question, actually, it’s kind of impressive when you see your earning asset yields up like they were, but your interest-bearing liability costs were up about the same amount, and that’s outperformed most of the other banks that I’ve seen. Just philosophically when you think about those — the direction of those two interest-earning asset yields and interest-bearing liability costs, is there more pressure on the liability side at this point? Or do you feel like you can kind of keep pace with asset yield expansion that maybe matches your exceeded viability cost expansion?

Aaron Deer: That’s a good question. Because the — you are seeing an acceleration here through the year on the liability side, but I think if you look at where the new asset yields are coming on, and then continue to see a little bit of mix shift as we utilize those cash flows coming off the investment securities portfolio, I think we should see them at least be matched if we’re not seeing continued expansion overall between the two.

Jon Arfstrom: Okay. That’s helpful. And then, I guess, one more follow-up. You may have kind of answered it before, Chris or Clint, but any of the big picture themes that you laid out when the merger was announced, have they changed at all in your mind positive or negative? And in terms of the revenue synergies, I know you don’t really want to lay them out at this point, but any other opportunities that you found as you’ve kind of played this waiting game for approval? Thanks.

Clint Stein: It’s — so big picture. The world is completely different than what it was when we announced this thing, what, 16 months ago almost. But in terms of what our expectations were and what we thought that we would achieve on a combined basis or be able to achieve on a combined basis, nothing has changed there. In fact, just with the passage of time, probably more firmly entrenched in our beliefs that we’re going to be able to capture those revenue synergies. I think we did a fairly robust analysis of some of these things through the diligence process. But then as you start to truly understand the depth of talent that Umpqua Bank has in some of these areas that would be additive to Columbia standalone revenue streams, it’s hard not to get excited waiting for March 1, so we can hit the ground running.

So, there’s nothing that we expected that we now today are thinking that we won’t be able to accomplish together. I’ll step back and see if Chris has anything he wants to add.

Chris Merrywell: Yes. I think that the piece around now having a firm date sticking with our conversion is, Jon, honestly, it’s what we’ve learned over all this time about the expanded capabilities and what our bankers are going to be able to take to market. They now have that point in time where they know what’s coming and we get right back out there and get to taking advantage of those capabilities. So, big picture, I don’t think things have changed, but I think there’s been a little bit more excitement created because of the length of time. And only because we now have a finish line to it that we’ll be often in working on that aspect of it. But yes, the world has changed. Rates are, obviously, different. Mortgage market is different, and things of that nature. But our bankers are still out there looking and prospecting. And then, now with that finish line in sight, I think it’s really exciting actually.

Jon Arfstrom: Okay. Thanks. Good luck over the next five weeks.