CHAMPAIGN, Ill., Jan. 30, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- (Nasdaq:BUSE)

Message from our President & CEO

Positive advances in the fourth quarter of 2017 from the comparable quarter of the prior year:

• End of year total assets of $7.9 billion
• Net income of $12.3 million ($0.25 per diluted common share)
• Adjusted net income¹ of $22.5 million ($0.46 per diluted common share)
• Net interest income of $63.0 million, an increase of 41.3%
• End of period portfolio loans at $5.520 billion, an increase of 42.3%
• End of period non-interest bearing deposits at $1.597 billion, an increase of 40.8%

Other significant highlights:

• Completed acquisition of Mid Illinois Bancorp on October 1, 2017
• Declared January 2018 dividend of $0.20, an increase of 11.1% from prior quarter

First Busey Corporation (the “Company”) today reported fourth quarter 2017 net income of $12.3 million, or $0.25 per diluted common share compared to net income of $11.5 million, or $0.30 per diluted common share for the fourth quarter of 2016.  Adjusted net income¹ for the fourth quarter of 2017 was $22.5 million, or $0.46 per diluted common share. Return on average assets based on adjusted net income¹ was 1.17% and return on adjusted average tangible common equity based on adjusted net income¹ was 14.35% for the fourth quarter of 2017.  Net income was impacted primarily by a one-time, non-cash charge of $8.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2017, or $0.16 per diluted common share for the quarter, due to the revaluation of the Company’s net deferred tax position following the enactment of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act (the “TCJA”). 

For the full year, the Company reported net income of $62.7 million, or $1.45 per diluted common share compared to net income of $49.7 million, or $1.40 per diluted common share for the year ended December 31, 2016.  Adjusted net income¹ for 2017 was $75.7 million, or $1.75 per diluted common share.  Return on average assets based on adjusted net income¹ was 1.20% for the year 2017.  In addition to the Company’s organic growth, the 2017 results benefitted from the acquisition of First Community Financial Partners, Inc. (“First Community”), since the closing of the transaction on July 2, 2017 and Mid Illinois Bancorp, Inc. (“Mid Illinois”) since the closing of the transaction on October 1, 2017.

The Company views certain non-operating items including, but not limited to, acquisition and restructuring charges as well as the tax adjustment related to the TCJA, as adjustments to net income.  Non-operating adjustments for the fourth quarter of 2017 include $3.0 million of pre-tax acquisition costs related to First Community and Mid Illinois; $0.5 million in pre-tax other restructuring costs, and $8.1 million related to the revaluation of the Company’s net deferred tax position as a result of TCJA.  The reconciliation of non-GAAP measures (including adjusted net income, adjusted efficiency ratio, adjusted return on assets (“ROA”), tangible book value and tangible book value per share), which the Company believes facilitates the assessment of its banking operations and peer comparability, is included in tabular form at the end of this release.

On October 1, 2017, the Company completed its acquisition of Mid Illinois headquartered in Peoria, Illinois.  Upon acquisition, the Company paid $40.5 million and issued 3,115,503 shares to Mid Illinois stockholders.  At the date of the acquisition, Mid Illinois’ total assets were $657.5 million, including loans of $370.0 million and total deposits of $505.6 million. It is anticipated that South Side Trust & Savings Bank of Peoria (“South Side”), a wholly-owned bank subsidiary of Mid Illinois prior to the acquisition, will be merged with and into Busey Bank in the first quarter of 2018.

¹ Adjusted net income, a non-GAAP financial measure, see non-GAAP financial Information below for reconciliation

Overview and Strategy:

Busey takes pride in the unique culture we are building and is honored to be recognized for several awards during 2017:

• Best Places to Work in Illinois and Best Companies to Work For in Florida for 2017 by Best Companies Group and other partners
• Best Banks to Work For by American Banker magazine
• Association for Talent Development with the 2017 BEST Award
• 2017 Healthiest Employers Finalist  in greater St. Louis, Missouri by the St. Louis Business Journal

Positive momentum from new partnerships with talented bankers in St. Louis, Peoria and the Chicagoland area bring an expanding pool of business opportunities to generate value and diversity across new markets.  Our priorities continue to focus around balance sheet strength, profitability and growth, in that order.  Commercial loans remain a driver of balance sheet growth, while credit costs remain low.  Favorable mix changes continue to occur across our deposit base as our relationship model builds ongoing efficiency into funding sources. Net income in the banking, remittance processing and wealth management segments expanded on a comparative basis to prior year.  With our strong capital position, an attractive core funding base, a sound credit foundation, and an active growth plan, we are poised for growth in 2018 and beyond.

As we reflect back on Busey's humble beginnings from January 13, 1868, we are honored to celebrate 150 years of trusted relationships across Illinois, Indiana, Missouri, Florida and beyond.  As we commemorate our storied history, acknowledge our accomplishments and continue our promise of fulfilling dreams, we thank you for allowing us the opportunity to serve you, your family and our community for generations.

/s/ Van A. Dukeman
President & Chief Executive Officer
First Busey Corporation

SELECTED  FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS1
(dollars in thousands, except per share data)
	As of and for the																								As of and for the
	Three Months Ended																								Year Ended
	December 31,				September 30,							June 30,						December 31,							December 31,							December 31,
	2017				2017							2017						2016							2017							2016
EARNINGS & PER SHARE DATA
Net income	$	12,293			$	18,784						$	16,479					$	11,455						$	62,726						$	49,694
Revenue2		86,607				76,488							62,432						63,634							286,697							228,597
Diluted earnings per share		0.25				0.41							0.43						0.30							1.45							1.40
Cash dividends paid per share		0.18				0.18							0.18						0.17							0.72							0.68
Net income by operating segment
Banking	$	16,158			$	18,942						$	15,855					$	10,974						$	65,704						$	48,690
Remittance Processing		440				505							508						364							2,007							1,758
Wealth Management		1,469				1,237							1,675						1,486							6,229							4,388
AVERAGE BALANCES
Cash and cash equivalents	$	256,626			$	210,980						$	258,521					$	245,993						$	224,648						$	304,589
Investment securities		1,223,103				1,009,355							811,264						807,219							964,749							837,884
Loans held for sale		109,336				127,369							104,420						258,576							119,936							164,728
Portfolio loans		5,457,077				5,035,025							3,892,327						3,810,283							4,567,259							3,394,352
Interest-earning assets		6,932,750				6,282,725							4,990,573						5,046,765							5,784,408							4,630,768
Total assets		7,632,019				6,861,377							5,361,074						5,455,512							6,294,105							4,973,913
Non-interest bearing deposits		1,516,233				1,328,770							1,091,696						1,060,258							1,252,363							949,271
Interest-bearing deposits		4,434,492				4,081,753							3,258,334						3,290,710							3,760,473							3,037,537
Total deposits		5,950,725				5,410,523							4,350,030						4,350,968							5,012,836							3,986,808
Securities sold under agreements to  repurchase		294,389				215,776							176,721						194,960							213,527							181,474
Interest-bearing liabilities		5,126,815				4,665,939							3,628,312						3,752,570							4,257,544							3,464,015
Total liabilities		6,699,840				6,039,162							4,756,186						4,862,532							5,554,280							4,455,661
Stockholders' common equity		932,179				822,215							604,888						592,980							739,825							518,252
Tangible stockholders' common equity3		622,952				576,844							485,244						471,188							540,406							425,560
PERFORMANCE RATIOS
Return on average assets4		0.64		%		1.09					%		1.23				%		0.84					%		1.00					%		1.00					%
Return on average common equity4		5.23		%		9.06					%		10.93				%		7.69					%		8.48					%		9.59					%
Return on average tangible common equity3,4		7.83		%		12.92					%		13.62				%		9.67					%		11.61					%		11.68					%
Net interest margin4,5		3.68		%		3.60					%		3.47				%		3.63					%		3.58					%		3.42					%
Efficiency ratio6		58.69		%		58.92					%		56.31				%		66.32					%		58.27					%		61.80					%
Non-interest revenue as a % of total revenues2		27.20		%		26.86					%		32.14				%		29.86					%		29.07					%		32.34					%
1Results are unaudited
2Revenues consist of net interest income plus non-interest income, net of security gains and losses
3Average tangible stockholders’ common equity, a non-GAAP financial measure, is defined as average common equity less average goodwill and intangibles
4Annualized, see non-GAAP financial information below for reconciliation
5On a tax-equivalent basis, assuming a federal income tax rate of 35%
6 Net of security gains and losses and intangible charges, see non-GAAP financial information below for reconciliation
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets1							As of
(dollars in thousands, except per share data)							December 31,								September 30,							June 30,							December 31,
							2017								2017							2017							2016
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents							$	353,272							$	214,381						$	249,100						$	166,706
Investment securities								1,321,610								990,222							854,983							807,631
Loans held for sale								94,848								139,696							168,415							256,319
Commercial loans								4,030,821								3,782,463							2,828,261							2,796,130
Retail real estate and retail other loans								1,488,679								1,303,401							1,092,203							1,082,770
Portfolio loans								5,519,500								5,085,864							3,920,464							3,878,900
Allowance for loan losses								(53,582						)		(51,035					)		(49,201					)		(47,795						)
Premises and equipment								116,913								100,642							79,498							77,861
Goodwill and other intangibles								308,073								247,562							118,887							121,276
Other assets								200,006								186,457							144,221							164,272
Total assets							$	7,860,640							$	6,913,789						$	5,531,367						$	5,425,170
Liabilities & Stockholders' Equity
Non-interest bearing deposits							$	1,597,421							$	1,321,439						$	1,105,041						$	1,134,133
Interest-bearing checking, savings, and money market deposits								3,192,382								3,049,651							2,567,525							2,453,965
Time deposits								1,336,162								1,002,193							721,646							786,200
Total deposits							$	6,125,965							$	5,373,283						$	4,394,212						$	4,374,298
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase								304,566								219,071							178,597							189,157
Short-term borrowings								220,000								212,850							50,000							75,000
Long-term debt								154,119								154,115							178,373							80,000
Junior subordinated debt owed to unconsolidated trusts								71,008								70,973							70,938							70,868
Other liabilities								49,979								47,429							46,132							41,533
Total liabilities							$	6,925,637							$	6,077,721						$	4,918,252						$	4,830,856
Total stockholders' equity							$	935,003							$	836,068						$	613,115						$	594,314
Total liabilities & stockholders' equity							$	7,860,640							$	6,913,789						$	5,531,367						$	5,425,170
Share Data
Book value per common share							$	19.21							$	18.37						$	16.03						$	15.54
Tangible book value per common share2							$	12.88							$	12.93						$	12.92						$	12.37
Ending number of common shares outstanding								48,685								45,519							38,248							38,236
1 Results are unaudited except for amounts reported as of December 31, 2016
2 Total common equity less goodwill and intangibles divided by shares outstanding as of period end, see non-GAAP financial information below for reconciliation

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations1
(dollars in thousands, except per share data)
	For the					For the
	Three Months Ended December 31,					Year Ended December 31,
	2017		2016			2017		2016
Interest and fees on loans held for sale and portfolio loans	$	64,048	$	43,483		$	202,643	$	147,816
Interest on investment securities		6,799		4,156			21,659		17,073
Total interest income	$	70,847	$	47,639		$	224,302	$	164,889
Interest on deposits		4,874		2,067			12,932		7,065
Interest on short-term borrowings		935		299			2,074		1,034
Interest on long-term debt		1,323		65			3,404		220
Interest on junior subordinated debt owed to unconsolidated  trusts		669		573			2,526		1,910
Total interest expense	$	7,801	$	3,004		$	20,936	$	10,229
Net interest income	$	63,046	$	44,635		$	203,366	$	154,660
Provision for loan losses		2,809		1,500			5,303		5,550
Net interest income after provision for loan losses	$	60,237	$	43,135		$	198,063	$	149,110
Trust fees		6,577		5,190			23,665		20,302
Commissions and brokers' fees, net		1,133		744			3,372		2,839
Fees for customer services		7,183		6,179			25,841		23,253
Remittance processing		2,846		2,697			11,427		11,255
Mortgage revenue		2,710		2,861			11,140		11,952
Net security gains, net		-		2			1,143		1,232
Other		3,112		1,328			7,886		4,336
Total non-interest income	$	23,561	$	19,001		$	84,474	$	75,169
Salaries, wages and employee benefits		28,185		22,822			95,633		78,397
Net occupancy expense of premises		3,805		3,333			13,830		11,633
Furniture and equipment expense		1,966		2,027			7,089		6,591
Data processing		6,005		7,968			19,295		20,645
Amortization of intangible assets		1,570		1,281			5,245		4,438
Regulatory expense		732		585			2,535		2,859
Other		10,837		6,395			30,799		23,299
Total non-interest expense	$	53,100	$	44,411		$	174,426	$	147,862
Income before income taxes	$	30,698	$	17,725		$	108,111	$	76,417
Income taxes		18,405		6,270			45,385		26,723
Net income	$	12,293	$	11,455		$	62,726	$	49,694
Per Share Data
Basic earnings per common share	$	0.25	$	0.30		$	1.47	$	1.42
Diluted earnings per common share	$	0.25	$	0.30		$	1.45	$	1.40
Diluted average common shares outstanding		49,086		38,743			43,126		35,413

¹ Results are unaudited except for amounts reported for the year ended December 31, 2016

Balance Sheet Growth:  During the fourth quarter of 2017, portfolio loans grew by $433.6 million to $5.520 billion, an increase of 8.5% from $5.086 billion as of September 30, 2017 and 42.3% from $3.879 billion as of December 31, 2016.  Average portfolio loans increased to $4.567 billion for the year 2017 compared to $3.394 billion for the year 2016. 

The balance of loans held for sale decreased to $94.8 million on December 31, 2017, compared to $139.7 million on September 30, 2017 and $256.3 million on December 31, 2016, due to lower mortgage volumes and increased delivery efficiency.  During the fourth quarter of 2017, the Company closed on an agreement with MB Financial Bank to transfer approximately 165 residential mortgage lenders and their associated loan portfolios located in Kansas, Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa and Colorado, which the Company acquired in the Pulaski Financial Corp. acquisition.  The sale resulted in a net gain of $0.9 million, partially mitigating the lower mortgage volumes experienced during the transition. Mortgage lending continues to remain an important part of the Company’s business. This transaction aligned the Company’s mortgage origination resources to its current market footprint. 

Average interest-earning assets for the three months ended December 31, 2017 increased to $6.933 billion, an increase of 10.4% as compared to $6.283 billion for the three months ended September 30, 2017 and an increase of 37.4% as compared to $5.047 billion for the three months ended December 31, 2016.  Average interest-earning assets for the year ended December 31, 2017 increased to $5.784 billion, compared to $4.631 billion in the same period of 2016, an increase of 24.9%.

Total deposits were $6.126 billion at December 31, 2017 an increase of 14.0% from $5.373 billion at September 30, 2017 and 40.0% from $4.374 billion at December 31, 2016.  The Company remains funded primarily through core deposits with solid liquidity and significant market share in core Illinois markets.

Net Interest Margin and Net Interest Income: Net interest income of $63.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2017 increased by 12.7% from $55.9 million in the third quarter of 2017 and increased by 41.2% from $44.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2016.  Net interest income for the year 2017 was $203.4 million, an increase of 31.5% as compared to $154.7 million for the year 2016.  Net purchase accounting accretion and amortization included in interest income and interest expense was $5.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2017, an increase from $3.1 million for the third quarter of 2017 and $3.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2016. 

The net interest margin increased to 3.68% for the fourth quarter of 2017, compared to 3.60% for the third quarter of 2017 and 3.63% for the fourth quarter of 2016.  Net of purchase accounting accretion and amortization, the net interest margin for the fourth quarter of 2017 was 3.34%, a decrease from 3.40% for the third quarter of 2017 and 3.37% for the fourth quarter of 2016. The net interest margin for the year 2017 increased to 3.58%, as compared to 3.42% for 2016.  Net of purchase accounting accretion and amortization, the net interest margin for the year 2017 was 3.36%, an increase from 3.24% for the year 2016.

Asset Quality:  While much internal focus has been directed toward growth and managing the integration of recent acquisitions, the Company remains committed to credit quality.  As of December 31, 2017, non-performing loans decreased to $27.4 million, compared to $27.9 million as of September 30, 2017, and increased from $21.6 million as of December 31, 2016. Non-performing loans were 0.50% of total portfolio loans as of December 31, 2017, compared to 0.55% as of September 30, 2017 and 0.56% as of December 31, 2016.

The Company recorded net charge-offs of $0.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2017, an increase compared to net recoveries of $0.3 million for the third quarter of 2017, and a decrease from net charge-offs of $1.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2016.  The Company recorded net recoveries of $0.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, a favorable decrease from net charge-offs of $5.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2016.  Allowance for loan losses as a percentage of portfolio loans was 0.97% at December 31, 2017, a decrease from 1.00% at September 30, 2017 and 1.23% at December 31, 2016. As a result of acquisitions, the Company is holding acquired loans that are carried net of a fair value adjustment for credit and interest rate marks and are only included in the allowance calculation to the extent that the reserve requirement exceeds the fair value adjustment.  The Company recorded provision for loan losses of $2.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2017, an increase from $1.5 million in the third quarter of 2017 and fourth quarter of 2016. The Company recorded provision for loan losses of $5.3 million for 2017 and $5.6 million for 2016. 

With a continued commitment to asset quality and the strength of our balance sheet, near-term loan losses are expected to remain generally low.  While these results are encouraging, asset quality metrics can be generally influenced by market specific economic conditions and specific measures may fluctuate from period to period.

Asset Quality1	As of and for the Three Months Ended
(dollars in thousands)	December 31,			September 30,			June 30,			December 31,
		2017			2017			2017			2016
Portfolio loans	$	5,519,500		$	5,085,864		$	3,920,464		$	3,878,900
Non-performing loans
Non-accrual loans		24,624			27,430			18,935			21,423
Loans 90+ days past due		2,741			439			1,123			131
Non-performing loans, segregated by geography
Illinois/ Indiana		23,093			23,680			16,655			18,104
Missouri		2,964			2,682			2,614			2,730
Florida		1,308			1,507			789			720
Loans 30-89 days past due		12,897			11,556			6,953			4,090
Other non-performing assets		1,283			1,172			480			2,518
Non-performing assets to portfolio loans and non-performing assets		0.52	%		0.57	%		0.52	%		0.62		%
Allowance as a percentage of non-performing loans		195.80	%		183.13	%		245.29	%		221.75		%
Allowance for loan losses to portfolio loans		0.97	%		1.00	%		1.25	%		1.23		%
Net charge-offs (recoveries)	$	262		$	(340	)	$	(259	)	$	1,552
Provision for loan losses		2,809			1,494			500			1,500
1 Results are unaudited except for amounts reported as of December 31, 2016

Fee-based Businesses:  Revenues from trust fees, commissions and brokers’ fees, and remittance processing activities represented 44.8% of the Company’s non-interest income for the quarter ended December 31, 2017, providing a balance to revenue from traditional banking activities.  Two of the Company’s acquisitions, Pulaski Financial Corp. and First Community had no legacy fee income in these businesses; therefore, the addition of these fee-based service offerings in these acquired bank markets is expected to provide attractive growth opportunities in future periods.

Trust fees and commissions and brokers’ fees of $7.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2017 increased from $5.8 million for the third quarter of 2017 and $5.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2016. Trust fees and commissions and brokers’ fees grew to $27.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, compared to $23.1 million for the same period of 2016.  Net income from the wealth management segment increased to $1.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2017, compared to $1.2 million for the third quarter of 2017 and was in line with the fourth quarter of 2016.  Net income from the wealth management segment was $6.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, a 42.0% increase as compared to $4.4 million for the same period of 2016.

Remittance processing revenue of $2.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2017 decreased slightly from $2.9 million for the third quarter of 2017 and increased slightly from $2.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2016.  For the year ended December 31, 2017, remittance processing revenue increased to $11.4 million, compared to $11.3 million for the same period of 2016.  Net income from the remittance processing segment was $0.4 million for the fourth quarter of 2017, a decrease from $0.5 million for the third quarter of 2017, but comparable to the fourth quarter of 2016.  Net income from the remittance processing segment grew to $2.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, compared to $1.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2016.

Mortgage revenue decreased to $2.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2017 from $3.5 million in the third quarter of 2017 and $2.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2016, due to lower mortgage volumes.  Mortgage revenue of $11.1 million decreased for the year ended December 31, 2017, compared to $12.0 million for the year ended December 31, 2016.

Operating Efficiency:  An active business outreach across the Company’s footprint continues to support ongoing business expansion and effectively underlies the combination of the operations acquired from recent acquisitions with that of the Company.  The efficiency ratio, inclusive of acquisition and restructuring costs, of 58.3% for the year ended December 31, 2017 improved from 61.8% for the same period of 2016.  Operating costs have been influenced from prior year due to the Pulaski Financial Corp. acquisition in the second quarter of 2016, the First Community acquisition in the third quarter of 2017, and the Mid Illinois acquisition in the fourth quarter of 2017; however, operational efficiency has improved.  The adjusted efficiency ratio² was 54.7% for the quarter ended December 31, 2017, 55.0% for the quarter ended September 30, 2017 and 55.6% for the year ended December 31, 2017. The Company remains consistently focused on expense discipline.

Specific areas of operating performance are detailed as follows:

• Salaries, wages and employee benefits increased to $28.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2017, compared to $25.5 million in the third quarter of 2017 and $22.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2016.  Salaries, wages and employee benefits increased to $95.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, compared to $78.4 million for the same period 2016.  The recent acquisitions added to the Company’s headcount and the Company recorded total restructuring costs of $1.6 million in 2017.
   
• Data processing expense in the fourth quarter of 2017 increased to $6.0 million, compared to $5.8 million in the third quarter of 2017, but decreased as compared to $8.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2016.  For the year ended December 31, 2017, data processing expense decreased to $19.3 million compared to $20.6 million for the same period of 2016. Variances are largely related to payment of deconversion expenses related to acquisitions.
   
• Other operating expenses increased to $10.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2017, compared to $8.1 million in the third quarter of 2017 and $6.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2016 across multiple categories. Other operating expenses increased to $30.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2017 and $23.3 million of the same period of 2016. 

² Adjusted efficiency ratio, a non-GAAP financial measure, see non-GAAP financial Information below for reconciliation

Capital Strength:  The Company's strong capital levels, coupled with its earnings, have allowed it to provide a steady return to its stockholders through dividends.  The Company will pay a cash dividend on February 2, 2018 of $0.20 per common share to stockholders of record as of January 26, 2018.  The Company has consistently paid dividends to its common stockholders since the bank holding company was organized in 1980.

As of December 31, 2017, First Busey continued to exceed the capital adequacy requirements necessary to be considered “well-capitalized” under applicable regulatory guidelines.  The Company’s tangible stockholders’ common equity³ (“TCE”) increased to $638.0 million at December 31, 2017, compared to $600.4 million at September 30, 2017 and $480.4 million at December 31, 2016. TCE represented 8.43% of tangible assets at December 31, 2017, compared to 8.99% at September 30, 2017 and 9.05% at December 31, 2016.⁴  

³Tangible stockholders’ common equity, see non-GAAP financial Information below for reconciliation
⁴Tangible assets, see non-GAAP financial Information below for reconciliation

Corporate Profile

As of December 31, 2017, First Busey Corporation (Nasdaq:BUSE) was a $7.9 billion financial holding company headquartered in Champaign, Illinois. Busey Bank, a wholly-owned bank subsidiary, is headquartered in Champaign, Illinois and has thirty-seven banking centers serving Illinois, thirteen banking centers in the St. Louis, Missouri metropolitan area, five banking centers serving southwest Florida and a banking center in Indianapolis, Indiana.  Trevett Capital Partners, a wealth management division of Busey Bank, provides asset management, investment and fiduciary services to high net worth clients in southwest Florida.  The wealth management professionals of Trevett Capital Partners can be reached through trevettcapitalpartners.com.  Busey Bank had total assets of $7.1 billion as of December 31, 2017. 

South Side Trust & Savings Bank of Peoria, First Busey Corporation’s wholly-owned bank subsidiary, is headquartered in Peoria, Illinois and has thirteen additional locations in the greater Peoria area and had total assets of $712.3 million as of December 31, 2017. 

In addition, Busey Bank owns a retail payment processing subsidiary, FirsTech, Inc., which processes approximately 28 million transactions per year using online bill payment, lockbox processing and walk-in payments at its 4,000 agent locations in 43 states.  More information about FirsTech, Inc. can be found at firstechpayments.com.

Busey Wealth Management is a wholly-owned subsidiary of First Busey Corporation.  Through Busey Trust Company, Busey Wealth Management provides asset management, investment and fiduciary services to individuals, businesses and foundations.  As of December 31, 2017, Busey Wealth Management’s assets under care were approximately $6.0 billion.

For more information about us, visit www.busey.com.

Contacts:

Robin N. Elliott, Chief Operating Officer & Chief Financial Officer, 217-365-4120

Jennifer L. Simons, Chief Accounting Officer, 217-365-4309

Non-GAAP Financial Information

This press release contains certain financial information determined by methods other than in accordance with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”). These measures include adjusted net income, ROA, adjusted net interest margin, adjusted efficiency ratio, tangible common equity, and tangible common equity to tangible assets. Management uses these non-GAAP measures, together with the related GAAP measures, in analysis of the Company’s performance and in making business decisions. Management also uses these measures for peer comparisons.

A reconciliation to what management believes to be the most direct compared GAAP financial measures – net income in the case of adjusted net income and adjusted ROA, total net interest income, total non-interest income and total non-interest expense in the case of adjusted efficiency ratio, total stockholders’ equity in the case of the tangible book value per share – appears below.  The Company believes each of the adjusted measures are useful for investors and management to understand the effects of certain non-interest items and provides additional perspective on the Company’s performance over time as well as comparison to the Company’s peers.

These non-GAAP disclosures have inherent limitations and are not audited.  They should not be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the results reported in accordance with GAAP, nor are they necessarily comparable to non-GAAP performance measures that may be presented by other companies.

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures – Adjusted Net Income and ROA
(dollars in thousands)
		Three Months Ended			Three Months Ended			Year Ended
		December 31, 2017			September 30, 2017			December 31, 2017
Net income		$	12,293		$	18,784		$	62,726
Acquisition expenses
Salaries, wages, and employee benefits			120			720			840
Data processing			1,268			1,262			2,616
Other (includes professional and legal)			1,569			1,031			3,617
Other restructuring costs
Salaries, wages, and employee benefits			496			-			711
Other			20			46			66
Related tax benefit			(1,330	)		(1,195	)		(3,012	)
TJCA related adjustment			8,098			-			8,098
Adjusted net income		$	22,534		$	20,648		$	75,662
Average assets		$	7,632,019		$	6,861,377		$	6,294,105
Reported: ROA 1			0.64	%		1.09	%		1.00	%
Adjusted: ROA1			1.17	%		1.19	%		1.20	%

¹ Annualized measure

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures – Adjusted Net Interest Margin
(dollars in thousands)
	Three Months Ended										Year Ended
	December 31, 2017			September 30, 2017			December 31, 2016				December 31, 2017			December 31, 2016
Reported: Net interest income	$	63,046		$	55,941		$	44,635			$	203,366		$	154,660
Tax-equivalency adjustment		1,192			989			1,396				3,656			3,493
Less: Purchase accounting amortization		5,848			3,124			3,248				12,458			8,123
Adjusted: Net interest income	$	58,390		$	53,806		$	42,783			$	194,564		$	150,030
Average earning assets	$	6,932,750		$	6,282,725		$	5,046,765			$	5,784,408		$	4,630,768
Reported: Net interest margin1		3.68	%		3.60	%		3.63	%			3.58	%		3.42	%
Adjusted: Net Interest margin1		3.34	%		3.40	%		3.37	%			3.36	%		3.24	%

¹ Annualized measure

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures – Adjusted Efficiency Ratio
(dollars in thousands)
		Three Months Ended			Three Months Ended			Year Ended
		December 31, 2017			September 30, 2017			December 31, 2017
Reported: Net Interest income		$	63,046		$	55,941		$	203,366
Tax-equivalency adjustment			1,192			989			3,656
Tax equivalent interest income		$	64,238		$	56,930		$	207,022
Reported: Noninterest income			23,561			20,837			84,474
Less: Security gains/losses			-			290			1,143
Adjusted: Noninterest income		$	23,561		$	20,547		$	83,331
Reported: Noninterest expense			53,100			46,939			174,426
Less:
Amortization			1,570			1,286			5,245
Non-operating adjustments:
Salaries, wages, and employee benefits			616			720			1,551
Data processing			1,268			1,262			2,616
Other			1,589			1,077			3,683
Adjusted: Noninterest expense		$	48,057		$	42,594		$	161,331
Reported: Efficiency ratio			58.69	%		58.92	%		58.27	%
Adjusted: Efficiency ratio			54.74	%		54.98	%		55.56	%

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures – Tangible common equity to tangible assets, Tangible book value per share, Return on average tangible common equity
(dollars in thousands, except per share data)
		Three Months Ended
		December 31, 2017			September 30, 2017			December 31, 2016
Total Assets		$	7,860,640		$	6,913,789		$	5,425,170
Less:
Goodwill and other intangible assets			308,073			247,562			121,276
Tax effect of goodwill and other intangible assets			(11,039	)		(11,846	)		(7,392	)
Tangible assets		$	7,563,606		$	6,678,073		$	5,311,286
Total stockholders’ equity			935,003			836,068			594,314
Less:
Goodwill and other intangible assets			308,073			247,562			121,276
Tax effect of goodwill and other intangible assets			(11,039	)		(11,846	)		(7,392	)
Tangible stockholders’ equity		$	637,969		$	600,352		$	480,430
Tangible common equity to tangible assets1			8.43	%		8.99	%		9.05	%
Tangible book value per share		$	12.88		$	12.93		$	12.37
Average stockholders' common equity		$	932,179		$	822,215		$	592,980
Less: Average goodwill and intangibles			309,227			245,371			121,792
Average tangible stockholders' common equity		$	622,952		$	576,844		$	471,188
Reported: Return on average tangible common equity2			7.83	%		12.92	%		9.67	%
Adjusted: Return on average tangible common equity2,3			14.35	%		14.20	%		NR4
Return on average common equity2			5.23	%		9.06	%		7.69	%
1 Tax-effected measure
2 Annualized measure
3 Calculated using adjusted net income
4 Not reported

Special Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Statements made in this report, other than those concerning historical financial information, may be considered forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 with respect to the financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business of First Busey.  Forward-looking statements, which may be based upon beliefs, expectations and assumptions of First Busey’s management and on information currently available to management, are generally identifiable by the use of words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “intend,” “estimate,” “may,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should” or other similar expressions.  Additionally, all statements in this document, including forward-looking statements, speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update any statement in light of new information or future events.  A number of factors, many of which are beyond our ability to control or predict, could cause actual results to differ materially from those in our forward-looking statements.  These factors include, among others, the following: (i) the strength of the local, national and international economy; (ii) the economic impact of any future terrorist threats or attacks; (iii) changes in state and federal laws, regulations and governmental policies concerning First Busey’s general business; (iv) changes in interest rates and prepayment rates of First Busey’s assets; (v) increased competition in the financial services sector and the inability to attract new customers; (vi) changes in technology and the ability to develop and maintain secure and reliable electronic systems; (vii) the loss of key executives or employees; (viii) changes in consumer spending; (ix) unexpected results of current and/or future acquisitions, which may include, failure to realize the anticipated benefits of the acquisition and the possibility that the transaction costs may be greater than anticipated; (x) unexpected outcomes of existing or new litigation involving First Busey;  (xi) changes in accounting policies and practices; and (xii) the economic impact of exceptional weather occurrences such as tornadoes, hurricanes, floods, and blizzards.  These risks and uncertainties should be considered in evaluating forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements.  Additional information concerning First Busey and its business, including additional factors that could materially affect its financial results, is included in First Busey’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

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