QCR Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:QCRH) Q3 2023 Earnings Call Transcript

Todd Gipple: Sure, Nate, that would be spot on. Our 5% non-interest expense, guidance or strategy and our 9-6-5 strategy is what we’d be holding ourselves accountable to next year. We still feel good about our guide for Q4 in the 48% to 51% range. If you’re out modeling ‘24, that 5% would be a good thing to use, because it does tie in to our 9-6-5 strategy, and certainly what everyone in our company understands is the guideline. And so we’re in the middle of budgeting, as you would expect right now. And that’s certainly the expectation that Larry and I would have for next year’s non-interest expense, 5% or better.

Nathan Race: Okay, great. And then just going back to credit quality, I think we’ve been talking about that one-third proportion of NPAs that you guys expect to resolve without a loss for a couple of quarters now. So Larry, any sense on just the timing of when that resolution is expected to occur?

Larry Helling: Yes, I mean, it’s certainly hard to tell when you get into these kinds of situations. I talked to a workout guy that handled that yesterday, and it’s probably the middle of next year before we get some clarity when you started going through the legal channels. We’re going through the legal process. It’s still a really good quality asset that is very valuable. And so it’s back half of next year, we probably – before we can expect that one to get resolved. But we have some smaller ones in between now and then that we would expect to be resolved.

Nathan Race: Okay, great. And just one last housekeeping question, bully income was up about $1 million quarter-over-quarter. Was that more one-time in nature or did you guys kind of reevaluate a new plan asset in the quarter? And is that kind of level sustainable going forward?

Todd Gipple: Yes. Nate, that’s good catch. That is a one-time event. So, going back to the second quarter number would be a more normalized run rate.

Nathan Race: Okay. Great. And then just lastly, any thoughts on the tax rate going forward? And I apologize if you had described that in your prepared remarks. I missed it.

Todd Gipple: Yes. No, not a problem at all. We did give some guidance on that. And right now, our expectation is that that’s going to be somewhere in 8% to 11% for the fourth quarter, a little bit up from this quarter. That would be a little more normal in terms of what we would expect for the guidance that we have given all of you. We hit those guide numbers, we are probably going to be in that 8% to 11% range.

Nathan Race: Okay. Great. I appreciate all the color and congrats on great quarter. Thanks guys.

Todd Gipple: Thanks Nate.

Operator: And our next question comes from Brian Martin with Janney. Please go ahead.

Brian Martin: Hey. Good morning guys.

Todd Gipple: Good morning Brian.

Brian Martin: Nice quarter. Just a couple of things that weren’t asked here, just maybe, from I guess the new wealth team. Well, just, Todd, just quickly on the tax rate. The thought for next year is that 8% to 11% still kind of bookend good range for next year, given what we know today?

Todd Gipple: Yes. I think Brian, for now I would go with that. We will likely have some more clarity around that for full year ‘24 when we talk to all of you in late January for Q4. But for now, that’s probably a good place to start.