SB Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:SBFG) Q4 2023 Earnings Call Transcript

Mark Klein: Yes. Just high level, Steve Walz is here, our gentlemen in charge of lending. But at a high level, Brian, we currently always have high expectations. That’s clear. But we would certainly like to get back to something near our historical level of loan growth in that middle to high single-digit kind of thing. But we know that we’re going to have to price competitively. I don’t think we have to take a lot of duration risk. But clearly, the marginal cost funding is a bit troublesome because we have to get more in the C&I like we’ve talked about before. But we clearly have some intentional strategies to maybe take a few less basis points that stand a little bit, but expanding the balance sheet enough to make up and improve the total revenue level. Fair statement, Steve.

Steven Walz: Yes. Certainly, Mark, as you both reiterated earlier, we expect to get back into that mid to high single-digit loan growth, Brian. We’ve got a number of initiatives. We’ve got some good activity on that, particularly on the commercial side, seeing a little more utilization of those lines of credit as businesses optimism has returned a little bit. Some of that stable, hard to believe we’re seeing stabilization of interest rates after the past year. But some of that stabilization has encouraged confidence on that side, we’re seeing the activity pick up, and we look forward to that continuing in 2024.

Brian Martin: Okay. Thanks for taking the questions guys.

Anthony Cosentino: Thanks, Brian.

Mark Klein: Thanks, Brian.

Steven Walz: Thanks.

Operator: Our next question comes from Nina Burns with Jan Scott. Please go ahead.

Nina Burns: Hi. This is Nina Burns. I was on with Brian Martin, but he actually asked and answered the questions that I had as well. So thank you.

Mark Klein: Thanks for joining.

Anthony Cosentino: Thank you.

Operator: Thank you. And as there’s no further questions, I’ll now turn the call back to Mark Klein for closing remarks.

Mark Klein: Once again, thanks, everyone, for joining. We look forward to delivering our first quarter results in April. And until then, goodbye.

Operator: Thank you, sir. This concludes today’s conference call. We thank you all for attending today’s presentation. You may now disconnect your lines, and have a wonderful day.