LOS ANGELES, Jan. 24, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hanmi Financial Corporation (NASDAQ:HAFC, or "Hanmi"))), the parent company of Hanmi Bank (the "Bank"), today reported financial results for the 2022 fourth quarter and full year.

Net income for the fourth quarter of 2022 was $28.5 million, or $0.93 per diluted share, up 4.8% from $27.2 million, or $0.89 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2022. The fourth quarter included a $1.5 million increase in net interest income and a $0.5 million reduction in credit loss expense, offset by a $1.4 million decrease in noninterest income and a $0.5 million increase in noninterest expense. In addition, income tax expense for the fourth quarter included a $1.4 million benefit due to a lower effective tax rate. Return on average assets and return on average equity for the fourth quarter of 2022 were 1.56% and 15.90%, respectively.

For the full year 2022, net income was $101.4 million, or $3.32 per diluted share, compared with $98.7 million, or $3.22 per diluted share, for the full year of 2021. The year-over-year improvement in net income reflects a $42.6 million, or 21.8%, increase in net interest income, offset by a $25.2 million reduction in the benefit from the year-ago credit loss expense recovery, a $6.3 million, or 15.5%, decrease in noninterest income and a $5.8 million, or 4.7%, increase in noninterest expense. Return on average assets and return on average equity for the full year 2022 were 1.44% and 14.83%, respectively.

CEO Commentary

"We delivered another quarter of solid results, capping off our fiscal year with strong momentum, delivering full year record net income and loan production, and an improved net interest margin, all while diligently managing our operating expenses and significantly improving our asset quality," said Bonnie Lee, President and Chief Executive Officer of Hanmi Financial Corporation. "Over the course of the year, we successfully executed on our strategic initiatives, including further diversifying our loan portfolio, strengthening our relationships with existing customers, expanding our customer base and bolstering our core deposit franchise.

"We enter 2023 with a strong balance sheet and a demonstrated ability to manage through challenging times. Importantly, asset quality remains very healthy as we have been proactive with our customers, keeping open lines of communication and we stand ready to navigate this uncertain macroeconomic environment. We remain focused on continuing to build upon our foundation for prudent growth while strengthening the Hanmi franchise, all with the view of delivering attractive returns to our shareholders.

"I want to thank the entire Hanmi team for their exceptional work this year, which generated positive results for our customers and our shareholders. We just celebrated our 40^th anniversary, an important milestone for our company. We look forward to building upon this storied history with a continued commitment to helping our customers reach their financial goals and, ultimately, strengthening the communities we call home."

Fourth Quarter 2022 Highlights:

Fourth quarter net income was $28.5 million, or $0.93 per diluted share, up 4.8% from $27.2 million, or $0.89 per diluted share for the third quarter; full year 2022 net income increased 2.8% to $101.4 million, or $3.32 per diluted share from $98.7 million, or $3.22 per share for 2021.
Loans receivable increased 2.9% from September 30, 2022 to $5.97 billion at December 31, 2022 and 15.8% from year-end 2021; fourth quarter loan production was $473.8 million and reached $2.12 billion for the full year – 17.1% higher than 2021 when excluding 2021 second-draw Paycheck Protection Program ("PPP") loans.
Deposits were $6.17 billion at December 31, 2022, down 0.5% from the third quarter and up 6.6% year-over-year; the mix of noninterest-bearing deposits remained strong at 41.2% of deposits at year-end.
Net interest income was up 2.3% sequentially from the third quarter, or $1.5 million, to $64.6 million for the fourth quarter and the net interest margin was 3.67%, up one basis point sequentially.
Fourth quarter noninterest income was $7.5 million, down $1.4 million from the previous quarter; lower SBA gain on sale income due to lower trade premiums and lower service charge and other fee income contributed to the decline as did a valuation adjustment to bank-owned life insurance.
Noninterest expense was $33.8 million, up 1.7% sequentially from the previous quarter, or $0.5 million; the efficiency ratio increased slightly to 46.99%, from 46.22% in the third quarter.
Fourth quarter credit loss expense was $0.1 million; the allowance for credit losses was $71.5 million and the ratio of the allowance to loans was 1.20%.
Criticized loans declined 26.7% sequentially from the third quarter to $125.2 million or 2.1% of loans at year-end; nonperforming assets declined 19.5% sequentially to $10.0 million or 0.14% of total assets at December 31, 2022 and declined 29.0% from year-end 2021.
Hanmi's ratio of tangible common equity to tangible assets was 8.50% at December 31, 2022 and it had a Common equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 11.37% and a Total capital ratio of 14.49%.

For more information about Hanmi, please see the Q4 2022 Investor Update (and Supplemental Financial Information), which is available on the Bank's website at www.hanmi.com and via a current report on Form 8-K on the website of the Securities and Exchange Commission at www.sec.gov. Also, please refer to "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" herein for further details of the presentation of certain non-GAAP financial measures.

Quarterly Highlights
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)

	As of or for the Three Months Ended										Amount Change
	December 31,		September 30,		June 30,		March 31,		December 31,		Q4-22			Q4-22
	2022		2022		2022		2022		2021		vs. Q3-22			vs. Q4-21

Net income	$	28,479	$	27,169	$	25,050	$	20,695	$	33,331	$	1,310		$	(4,852	)
Net income per diluted common share	$	0.93	$	0.89	$	0.82	$	0.68	$	1.09	$	0.04		$	(0.16	)

Assets	$	7,378,262	$	7,128,511	$	6,955,968	$	6,737,052	$	6,858,587	$	249,751		$	519,675
Loans receivable	$	5,967,133	$	5,800,991	$	5,655,403	$	5,337,500	$	5,151,541	$	166,142		$	815,592
Deposits	$	6,168,072	$	6,201,376	$	5,979,390	$	5,783,170	$	5,786,269	$	(33,304	)	$	381,803

Return on average assets		1.56%		1.52%		1.45%		1.22%		1.93%		0.04			-0.37
Return on average stockholders' equity		15.90%		15.58%		14.92%		12.74%		20.89%		0.32			-4.99

Net interest margin		3.67%		3.66%		3.55%		3.10%		2.96%		0.01			0.71
Efficiency ratio⁽¹⁾		46.99%		46.22%		46.05%		53.29%		53.81%		0.77			-6.82

Tangible common equity to tangible assets⁽²⁾		8.50%		8.40%		8.74%		9.07%		9.23%		0.10			-0.73
Tangible common equity per common share⁽²⁾	$	20.54	$	19.60	$	19.91	$	20.02	$	20.79	$	0.94		$	(0.24	)


⁽¹⁾Noninterest expense divided by net interest income plus noninterest income.
⁽²⁾Refer to "Non-GAAP Financial Measures" for further details.

Results of Operations

Net interest income for the fourth quarter increased $1.5 million to $64.6 million from $63.1 million for the third quarter of 2022, up 2.3%. The increase reflected primarily a 3.2% increase in average loans as the increase in the cost of interest-bearing deposits essentially offset the increase in average loan yields. Average loans were $5.88 billion for the 2022 fourth quarter compared with $5.70 billion for the 2022 third quarter. The yield on average loans for the 2022 fourth quarter increased 54 basis points to 5.21% from 4.67% for the 2022 third quarter while the cost of interest-bearing deposits increased 92 basis points to 1.70% from 0.78% for the 2022 third quarter. Fourth quarter loan prepayment fees were $0.1 million compared with $0.2 million for the third quarter. Net interest margin (taxable-equivalent) for the fourth quarter was 3.67% compared with 3.66% for the third quarter of 2022.

Net interest income was $237.6 million for the full year 2022 compared with $195.1 million for 2021, up 21.8%. The increase reflected the rise in the general level of interest rates during 2022 as well as the increase in average interest-earning assets and the change in asset composition to higher-yielding loans from lower-yielding deposits at banks. Average interest-earning assets for the full year 2022 increased 7.2% to $6.80 billion from $6.34 billion for 2021. Average loans for the full year 2022 were $5.60 billion, up 16.7% from $4.79 billion for 2021 while average interest-bearing deposits at banks were $236.7 million, down 65.4% from $684.4 million. The yield on average loans for the full year 2022 increased 26 basis points to 4.61% from 4.35% for 2021. The cost of interest-bearing deposits for the full year 2022 increased 43 basis points to 0.79% from 0.36% for 2021. Full year 2022 loan prepayment fees were $1.3 million compared with $0.9 million for 2021. Net interest margin (taxable-equivalent) for the full year 2022 was 3.50% compared with 3.08% for 2021. The 42 basis point increase in the net interest margin reflected the increase in average loan yields, partially offset by the increase in the cost of interest-bearing deposits.

	As of or For the Three Months Ended (in thousands)															Percentage Change
	Dec 31,			Sep 30,			Jun 30,			Mar 31,			Dec 31,			Q4-22		Q4-22
Net Interest Income	2022			2022			2022			2022			2021			vs. Q3-22		vs. Q4-21

Interest and fees on loans receivable⁽¹⁾	$	77,123		$	66,976		$	59,855		$	53,924		$	52,240		15.2	%	47.6	%
Interest on securities		3,633			3,271			2,930			2,516			1,821		11.1	%	99.5	%
Dividends on FHLB stock		289			245			242			248			248		18.0	%	16.5	%
Interest on deposits in other banks		1,194			958			193			216			302		24.6	%	295.4	%
Total interest and dividend income	$	82,239		$	71,450		$	63,220		$	56,904		$	54,611		15.1	%	50.6	%

Interest on deposits		14,900			6,567			2,457			2,013			2,236		126.9	%	566.4	%
Interest on borrowings		1,192			349			370			337			364		241.5	%	227.5	%
Interest on subordinated debentures		1,586			1,448			1,349			3,598			2,515		9.5	%	-36.9	%
Total interest expense		17,678			8,364			4,176			5,948			5,115		111.4	%	245.6	%
Net interest income	$	64,561		$	63,086		$	59,044		$	50,956		$	49,496		2.3	%	30.4	%

⁽¹⁾Includes loans held for sale.

	For the Three Months Ended (in thousands)															Percentage Change
Average Earning Assets and Interest-bearing Liabilities	Dec 31,			Sep 30,			Jun 30,			Mar 31,			Dec 31,			Q4-22		Q4-22
Average Earning Assets and Interest-bearing Liabilities	2022			2022			2022			2022			2021			vs. Q3-22		vs. Q4-21
Loans receivable⁽¹⁾	$	5,877,298		$	5,696,587		$	5,572,504		$	5,231,672		$	4,896,952		3.2	%	20.0	%
Securities⁽²⁾		966,299			956,989			945,291			930,505			914,148		1.0	%	5.7	%
FHLB stock		16,385			16,385			16,385			16,385			16,385		0.0	%	0.0	%
Interest-bearing deposits in other banks		138,476			181,401			136,473			494,887			802,901		-23.7	%	-82.8	%
Average interest-earning assets	$	6,998,458		$	6,851,362		$	6,670,653		$	6,673,449		$	6,630,386		2.1	%	5.6	%

Demand: interest-bearing	$	119,106		$	121,269		$	122,771		$	124,892		$	122,602		-1.8	%	-2.9	%
Money market and savings		1,781,834			2,079,490			2,139,488			2,106,008			2,078,659		-14.3	%	-14.3	%
Time deposits		1,585,798			1,120,149			894,345			937,044			1,013,681		41.6	%	56.4	%
Average interest-bearing deposits		3,486,738			3,320,908			3,156,604			3,167,944			3,214,942		5.0	%	8.5	%
Borrowings		197,554			123,370			140,245			130,556			137,500		60.1	%	43.7	%
Subordinated debentures		129,335			129,176			129,029			213,171			214,899		0.1	%	-39.8	%
Average interest-bearing liabilities	$	3,813,627		$	3,573,454		$	3,425,878		$	3,511,671		$	3,567,341		6.7	%	6.9	%

Average Noninterest Bearing Deposits
Demand deposits - noninterest bearing	$	2,593,948		$	2,717,810		$	2,716,297		$	2,634,398		$	2,561,297		-4.6	%	1.3	%

⁽¹⁾Includes loans held for sale.
⁽²⁾Amounts calculated on a fully taxable equivalent basis using the federal tax rate in effect for the periods presented.

	For the Three Months Ended															Yield/Rate Change
	Dec 31,			Sep 30,			Jun 30,			Mar 31,			Dec 31,			Q4-22		Q4-22
Average Yields and Rates	2022			2022			2022			2022			2021			vs. Q3-22		vs. Q4-21
Loans receivable⁽¹⁾		5.21	%		4.67	%		4.31	%		4.18	%		4.23	%	0.54		0.98
Securities⁽²⁾		1.47	%		1.40	%		1.27	%		1.11	%		0.83	%	0.08		0.64
FHLB stock		7.00	%		5.93	%		5.93	%		6.14	%		6.00	%	1.07		1.00
Interest-bearing deposits in other banks		3.42	%		2.09	%		0.57	%		0.18	%		0.15	%	1.33		3.27
Interest-earning assets		4.67	%		4.15	%		3.80	%		3.46	%		3.27	%	0.52		1.40

Interest-bearing deposits		1.70	%		0.78	%		0.31	%		0.26	%		0.28	%	0.91		1.42
Borrowings		2.55	%		1.24	%		1.10	%		1.05	%		1.05	%	1.30		1.50
Subordinated debentures		4.67	%		4.37	%		4.14	%		6.75	%		4.68	%	0.30		-0.01
Interest-bearing liabilities		1.84	%		0.93	%		0.49	%		0.69	%		0.57	%	0.91		1.27

Net interest margin (taxable equivalent basis)		3.67	%		3.66	%		3.55	%		3.10	%		2.96	%	0.01		0.71

Cost of deposits		0.97	%		0.43	%		0.17	%		0.14	%		0.15	%	0.54		0.82

⁽¹⁾Includes loans held for sale.
⁽²⁾Amounts calculated on a fully taxable equivalent basis using the federal tax rate in effect for the periods presented.

Credit loss expense for the fourth quarter was $0.1 million and included a $0.2 million provision for loan losses and a $0.1 million recovery for off-balance sheet items. The fourth quarter also included a recovery of an SBA guarantee repair loss allowance of less than $0.1 million. For the third quarter, credit loss expense was $0.6 million and included a $0.4 million negative provision for loan losses and a $1.0 million provision for off-balance sheet items.

Credit loss expense was $0.8 million for the full year 2022 compared to a credit loss recovery of $24.4 million for 2021. The full year 2022 credit loss expense included a $0.3 million provision for loan losses and a $0.5 million provision for off-balance sheet items. The credit loss expense recovery for 2021 was comprised of a $24.1 million recovery for credit losses, a $0.2 million recovery for off-balance sheet items and $1.7 million recovery for accrued interest receivable for loans currently or previously modified under the CARES Act, offset by $1.6 from an SBA guarantee repair loss allowance.

Noninterest income for the fourth quarter declined $1.4 million to $7.5 million from $8.9 million for the third quarter of 2022. The decline reflected a $0.6 million decrease in all other operating income, a $0.3 million decrease in gains on the sale of SBA 7(a) loans, a $0.2 million decrease in service charges on deposits, and a $0.3 million valuation adjustment to bank-owned life insurance. All other operating income declined primarily due to a $0.5 million decrease from the third quarter gain realized on the disposition of a lease residual. The volume of SBA loans sold in the fourth quarter declined to $40.9 million from $43.7 million for the third quarter and trade premiums also declined to 5.99% for the fourth quarter from 6.67% for the third quarter.

Noninterest income was $34.2 million for the full year 2022 compared with $40.5 million for 2021, down 15.5% primarily due to the $7.8 million decline in the gain on sale of SBA loans. The volume of SBA loans sold for the full year 2022 declined to $156.1 million from $261.8 million for the full year 2021. Full year 2021 SBA loan sales included $132.7 million of second-draw PPP loans sold for gains of $3.0 million.

	For the Three Months Ended (in thousands)												Percentage Change
	Dec 31,			Sep 30,		Jun 30,		Mar 31,		Dec 31,			Q4-22		Q4-22
Noninterest Income	2022			2022		2022		2022		2021			vs. Q3-22		vs. Q4-21
Service charges on deposit accounts	$	2,742		$	2,996	$	2,875	$	2,875	$	3,007		-8.5	%	-8.8	%
Trade finance and other service charges and fees		1,115			1,132		1,416		1,142		1,160		-1.5	%	-3.9	%
Servicing income		725			635		663		734		666		14.2	%	8.9	%
Bank-owned life insurance income (expense)		(97	)		245		246		244		252		-139.6	%	-138.5	%
All other operating income		1,039			1,656		1,336		1,004		1,017		-37.3	%	2.2	%
Service charges, fees & other		5,524			6,664		6,536		5,999		6,102		-17.1	%	-9.5	%

Gain on sale of SBA loans		1,933			2,250		2,774		2,521		3,791		-14.1	%	-49.0	%
Net gain (loss) on sales of securities		-			-		-		-		(598	)	0.0	%	-100.0	%
Gain (loss) on sale of bank premises		-			-		-		-		-		0.0	%	0.0	%
Total noninterest income	$	7,457		$	8,914	$	9,310	$	8,520	$	9,295		-16.3	%	-19.8	%

Noninterest expense for the fourth quarter increased $0.5 million to $33.8 million from $33.3 million for the third quarter of 2022. The increase reflected a $0.9 million increase in salaries and benefits mostly due to adjustments to incentive compensation, which was offset by a $1.1 million decrease in occupancy and equipment largely due to adjustments to real property taxes on leased and owned premises. In addition, other operating expenses included a $0.4 million servicing asset valuation adjustment while changes in activity levels contributed to the $0.5 million increase in professional fees and a $0.2 million decrease in advertising and promotion. The efficiency ratio for the fourth quarter of 2022 increased slightly to 46.99%, from 46.22% for the prior quarter.

Noninterest expense was $130.3 million for the full year 2022 compared with $124.5 million for 2021, up 4.7%. The increase reflected a $3.6 million, or 4.9% increase in salaries and benefits, a $1.8 million increase in other operating expenses, a $1.1 million increase in data processing expenses and a $1.0 million increase in advertising and promotion offset by a $1.4 million decrease in occupancy and equipment. The efficiency ratio for the full year 2022 was 47.93%, compared with 52.84% for 2021 (54.01% excluding securities gains and deferred origination costs on second-draw PPP loans).

	For the Three Months Ended (in thousands)														Percentage Change
	Dec 31,			Sep 30,			Jun 30,		Mar 31,			Dec 31,			Q4-22		Q4-22
	2022			2022			2022		2022			2021			vs. Q3-22		vs. Q4-21
Noninterest Expense
Salaries and employee benefits	$	20,279		$	19,365		$	18,779	$	17,717		$	18,644		4.7	%	8.8	%
Occupancy and equipment		3,668			4,736			4,597		4,646			4,840		-22.6	%	-24.2	%
Data processing		3,431			3,352			3,114		3,236			3,228		2.4	%	6.3	%
Professional fees		1,783			1,249			1,231		1,430			1,443		42.8	%	23.6	%
Supplies and communication		683			710			581		665			795		-3.8	%	-14.1	%
Advertising and promotion		974			1,186			660		817			964		-17.9	%	1.0	%
All other operating expenses		3,041			2,698			2,463		3,186			1,980		12.7	%	53.6	%
Subtotal		33,859			33,296			31,425		31,697			31,894		1.7	%	6.2	%

Other real estate owned expense (income)		(70	)		2			50		12			-		-3600.0	%	0.0	%
Repossessed personal property expense (income)		55			(23	)		-		(17	)		(258	)	141.8	%	-121.3	%
Total noninterest expense	$	33,844		$	33,275		$	31,475	$	31,692		$	31,636		1.7	%	7.0	%

Hanmi recorded a provision for income taxes of $9.6 million for the fourth quarter of 2022, compared to $11.0 million in the third quarter of 2022 and representing an effective tax rate of 25.3%, compared to 28.8% for the third quarter. The effective tax rate for the full year 2022 was 27.9%, compared to 27.2% for the full year 2021.

Financial Position

Total assets at December 31, 2022 increased 3.5%, or $248.6 million, to $7.38 billion from $7.13 billion at September 30, 2022. The sequential quarter increase reflected a 2.9%, or $166.1 million, growth in loans receivable as well as a $77.3 million increase in cash and due from banks supported by a $250.0 million increase in borrowings. From December 31, 2021, total assets increased 7.6%, or $518.5 million. The year increase reflected a 16.1%, or $816.6 million, growth in loans receivable supported by a 42.1%, or $256.5 million decrease in cash and due from banks, a 6.6%, or $381.8 million increase in deposits and a 36.0%, or $126.9 million, net increase in borrowings and subordinated debentures.

Loans receivable, before the allowance for credit losses, were $5.97 billion at December 31, 2022, up from $5.80 billion at September 30, 2022. Loans held for sale, representing the guaranteed portion of SBA 7(a) loans, were $8.0 million at the end of the fourth quarter of 2022, compared with $10.0 million at the end of the third quarter.

	As of (in thousands)															Percentage Change
	Dec 31,			Sep 30,			Jun 30,			Mar 31,			Dec 31,			Q4-22		Q4-22
	2022			2022			2022			2022			2021			vs. Q3-22		vs. Q4-21
Loan Portfolio
Commercial real estate loans	$	3,833,397		$	3,853,947		$	3,829,656		$	3,771,453		$	3,701,864		-0.5	%	3.6	%
Residential/consumer loans		734,473			649,591			521,576			432,805			400,548		13.1	%	83.4	%
Commercial and industrial loans		804,475			732,030			766,813			633,107			561,830		9.9	%	43.2	%
Leases		594,788			565,423			537,358			500,135			487,299		5.2	%	22.1	%
Loans receivable		5,967,133			5,800,991			5,655,403			5,337,500			5,151,541		2.9	%	15.8	%
Loans held for sale		8,043			10,044			18,528			15,617			13,342		-19.9	%	-39.7	%
Total	$	5,975,176		$	5,811,035		$	5,673,931		$	5,353,117		$	5,164,883		2.8	%	15.7	%


	As of
	Dec 31,			Sep 30,			Jun 30,			Mar 31,			Dec 31,
	2022			2022			2022			2022			2021
Composition of Loan Portfolio
Commercial real estate loans		64.2	%		66.3	%		67.5	%		70.5	%		71.6	%
Residential/consumer loans		12.3	%		11.2	%		9.2	%		8.1	%		7.8	%
Commercial and industrial loans		13.5	%		12.6	%		13.5	%		11.8	%		10.9	%
Leases		9.9	%		9.7	%		9.5	%		9.3	%		9.4	%
Loans receivable		99.9	%		99.8	%		99.7	%		99.7	%		99.7	%
Loans held for sale		0.1	%		0.2	%		0.3	%		0.3	%		0.3	%
Total		100.0	%		100.0	%		100.0	%		100.0	%		100.0	%

New loan production was $473.8 million for the fourth quarter of 2022 at an average rate of 6.85% while $121.4 million of loans paid-off during the quarter at an average rate of 6.27%.

Commercial real estate loan production for the fourth quarter of 2022 was $86.5 million. Commercial and industrial loan production was $137.9 million, SBA loan production was $53.2 million, equipment finance production was $89.9 million and residential mortgage loan production was $107.0 million.

New loan production for the full year 2022 was a record $2.12 billion, an increase of 9.1%, or $176.6 million, from $1.94 billion for the full year 2021 and 17.1% when excluding 2021 second-draw PPP loans.

	For the Three Months Ended (in thousands)
	Dec 31,			Sep 30,			Jun 30,			Mar 31,			Dec 31,
	2022			2022			2022			2022			2021
New Loan Production
Commercial real estate loans	$	86,500		$	132,870		$	271,006		$	233,295		$	291,543
Commercial and industrial loans		137,902			88,015			96,187			98,432			116,365
SBA loans		53,209			44,898			67,900			42,632			47,397
Leases receivable		89,193			86,092			95,371			71,487			83,813
Residential/consumer loans		106,955			140,432			111,766			61,023			85,966
subtotal		473,759			492,307			642,230			506,869			625,084

Payoffs		(121,409	)		(139,883	)		(230,536	)		(181,026	)		(152,134	)
Amortization		(91,333	)		(80,294	)		(94,543	)		(96,852	)		(90,358	)
Loan sales		(50,550	)		(45,418	)		(41,937	)		(29,577	)		(41,274	)
Net line utilization		(43,124	)		(78,927	)		43,295			(12,620	)		(48,203	)
Charge-offs & OREO		(1,201	)		(2,197	)		(606	)		(835	)		(439	)

Loans receivable-beginning balance		5,800,991			5,655,403			5,337,500			5,151,541			4,858,865
Loans receivable-ending balance	$	5,967,133		$	5,800,991		$	5,655,403		$	5,337,500		$	5,151,541

Deposits were $6.17 billion at the end of the fourth quarter of 2022, down $33.3 million, or 0.5%, from $6.20 billion at the end of the preceding quarter. The change was primarily driven by a $708.5 million increase in time deposits partially offset by a $500.1 million decline in money market and savings deposits and a $231.9 million decrease in noninterest-bearing demand deposits. Noninterest-bearing demand deposits represented 41.2% of total deposits at December 31, 2022 and the loan-to-deposit ratio was 96.7%.

	As of (in thousands)															Percentage Change
	Dec 31,			Sep 30,			Jun 30,			Mar 31,			Dec 31,			Q4-22		Q4-22
	2022			2022			2022			2022			2021			vs. Q3-22		vs. Q4-21
Deposit Portfolio
Demand: noninterest-bearing	$	2,539,602		$	2,771,498		$	2,782,737		$	2,678,726		$	2,574,517		-8.4	%	-1.4	%
Demand: interest-bearing		115,573			125,408			123,614			126,907			125,183		-7.8	%	-7.7	%
Money market and savings		1,556,690			2,056,793			2,102,161			2,080,969			2,099,381		-24.3	%	-25.9	%
Time deposits		1,956,207			1,247,677			970,878			896,568			987,188		56.8	%	98.2	%
Total deposits	$	6,168,072		$	6,201,376		$	5,979,390		$	5,783,170		$	5,786,269		-0.5	%	6.6	%


	As of
	Dec 31,			Sep 30,			Jun 30,			Mar 31,			Dec 31,
	2022			2022			2022			2022			2021
Composition of Deposit Portfolio
Demand: noninterest-bearing		41.2	%		44.7	%		46.5	%		46.3	%		44.4	%
Demand: interest-bearing		1.9	%		2.0	%		2.1	%		2.2	%		2.2	%
Money market and savings		25.2	%		33.2	%		35.2	%		36.0	%		36.3	%
Time deposits		31.7	%		20.1	%		16.2	%		15.5	%		17.1	%
Total deposits		100.0	%		100.0	%		100.0	%		100.0	%		100.0	%

Stockholders' equity at December 31, 2022 was $637.5 million, compared with $608.9 million at September 30, 2022. The sequential quarter increase was primarily due to $20.9 million of fourth quarter net income net of dividends as well as a $7.1 million reduction in unrealized after-tax loss due to changes in the value of the securities portfolio resulting from decreases in intermediate-term interest rates during the fourth quarter. Tangible common stockholders' equity was $626.3 million, or 8.50% of tangible assets, at December 31, 2022, compared with $597.6 million, or 8.40% of tangible assets at the end of the third quarter. Tangible book value per share increased to $20.54 at December 31, 2022 from $19.60 at the end of the prior quarter.

Hanmi and the Bank exceeded the minimum regulatory capital requirements and the Bank continues to exceed the minimum for the "well capitalized" category. At December 31, 2022, Hanmi's preliminary Common equity Tier 1 capital ratio was 11.37% and its Total risk-based capital ratio was 14.49%, compared with 11.21% and 14.38%, respectively, at the end of the third quarter of 2022.

	As of										Ratio Change
	Dec 31,		Sep 30,		Jun 30,		Mar 31,		Dec 31,		Q4-22	Q4-22
	2022		2022		2022		2022		2021		vs. Q3-22	vs. Q4-21
Regulatory Capital ratios⁽¹⁾
Hanmi Financial
Total risk-based capital	14.49	%	14.38	%	14.31	%	14.73	%	16.57	%	0.11	-2.08
Tier 1 risk-based capital	11.71	%	11.55	%	11.42	%	11.71	%	11.93	%	0.16	-0.22
Common equity tier 1 capital	11.37	%	11.21	%	11.07	%	11.34	%	11.55	%	0.16	-0.18
Tier 1 leverage capital ratio	10.07	%	9.99	%	9.94	%	9.70	%	9.63	%	0.08	0.44
Hanmi Bank
Total risk-based capital	13.86	%	13.76	%	13.70	%	14.19	%	14.70	%	0.10	-0.84
Tier 1 risk-based capital	12.85	%	12.73	%	12.64	%	13.09	%	13.59	%	0.12	-0.74
Common equity tier 1 capital	12.85	%	12.73	%	12.64	%	13.09	%	13.59	%	0.12	-0.74
Tier 1 leverage capital ratio	11.07	%	11.02	%	11.00	%	10.84	%	10.96	%	0.05	0.11

⁽¹⁾Preliminary ratios for December 31, 2022

Asset Quality

Loans 30 to 89 days past due and still accruing were 0.13% of loans at the end of the fourth quarter of 2022, compared with 0.09% at the end of the prior quarter.

Special mention loans were $79.0 million at the end of the fourth quarter, down from $123.0 million at September 30, 2022. Reductions in special mention loans included upgrades to pass loans of $34.1 million and payoffs of $14.6 million. The quarter-over-quarter change also included increases from downgrades of pass loans of $0.4 million and upgrades from classified loans of $3.0 million.

Classified loans were $46.2 million at December 31, 2022, down from $47.7 million at the end of the third quarter.

Nonperforming loans were $9.8 million at December 31, 2022, down from $11.6 million at the end of the third quarter. As a percentage of the loan portfolio, nonperforming loans improved to 0.17% at quarter-end, down from 0.20% at the end of the third quarter.

Nonperforming assets were $10.0 million at the end of the fourth quarter of 2022, down from $12.4 million at the end of the prior quarter. As a percentage of total assets, nonperforming assets also improved to 0.14% at quarter-end, down from 0.17% at the end of the third quarter.

Gross charge-offs for the fourth quarter of 2022 were $1.2 million, compared with $2.1 million for the preceding quarter. Recoveries of previously charged-off loans for the fourth quarter of 2022 were $0.9 million, compared with $1.0 million for the prior quarter. As a result, there were net charge-offs of $0.3 million for the fourth quarter of 2022, compared with net charge-offs of $1.1 million for the prior quarter. For the fourth quarter of 2022, net charge-offs represented 0.02% of average loans on an annualized basis, compared with net charge-offs of 0.08% of average loans for the third quarter on an annualized basis.

The allowance for credit losses was $71.5 million at December 31, 2022, relatively unchanged from $71.6 million at September 30, 2022. The ratio of the allowance for credit losses to loans declined slightly to 1.20% at the end of the fourth quarter of 2022 from 1.23% at the end of the third quarter. Specific allowances for loans increased $1.0 million while the allowance for quantitative and qualitative considerations decreased $1.1 million.

	As of or for the Three Months Ended (in thousands)															Amount Change
	Dec 31,			Sep 30,			Jun 30,			Mar 31,			Dec 31,			Q4-22			Q4-22
	2022			2022			2022			2022			2021			vs. Q3-22			vs. Q4-21
Asset Quality Data and Ratios

Delinquent loans:
Loans, 30 to 89 days past due and still accruing	$	7,492		$	4,936		$	4,174		$	5,493		$	5,881		$	2,556		$	1,611
Delinquent loans to total loans		0.13%			0.09%			0.07%			0.10%			0.11%			0.04			0.01

Criticized loans:
Special mention	$	79,013		$	122,952		$	80,453		$	140,958		$	95,295		$	(43,939	)	$	(16,282	)
Classified		46,192			47,740			53,007			57,402			60,632			(1,548	)		(14,440	)
Total criticized loans	$	125,205		$	170,692		$	133,460		$	198,360		$	155,927		$	(45,487	)	$	(30,722	)

Nonperforming assets:
Nonaccrual loans	$	9,846		$	11,592		$	11,044		$	11,470		$	13,360		$	(1,746	)	$	(3,514	)
Loans 90 days or more past due and still accruing		-			-			-			-			-			-			-
Nonperforming loans		9,846			11,592			11,044			11,470			13,360			(1,746	)		(3,514	)
Other real estate owned, net		117			792			675			675			675			(675	)		(558	)
Nonperforming assets	$	9,963		$	12,384		$	11,719		$	12,145		$	14,035		$	(2,421	)	$	(4,072	)

Nonperforming loans to total loans		0.17%			0.20%			0.20%			0.21%			0.26%
Nonperforming assets to assets		0.14%			0.17%			0.17%			0.18%			0.20%

Allowance for credit losses:
Balance at beginning of period	$	71,584		$	73,067		$	71,512		$	72,557		$	76,613
Credit loss expense (recovery) on loans		221			(374	)		1,640			(1,147	)		(13,375	)
Net loan (charge-offs) recoveries		(282	)		(1,109	)		(85	)		102			9,319
Balance at end of period	$	71,523		$	71,584		$	73,067		$	71,512		$	72,557

Net loan charge-offs (recoveries) to average loans⁽¹⁾		0.02%			0.08%			0.01%			-0.01%			-0.76%
Allowance for credit losses to loans		1.20%			1.23%			1.29%			1.34%			1.41%

Allowance for credit losses related to off-balance sheet items:
Balance at beginning of period	$	3,250		$	2,313		$	2,358		$	2,586		$	4,851
Credit loss expense (recovery) on off-balance sheet items		(135	)		937			(45	)		(228	)		(2,265	)
Balance at end of period	$	3,115		$	3,250		$	2,313		$	2,358		$	2,586

Unused commitments to extend credit	$	780,543		$	746,354		$	613,804		$	626,615		$	626,474

Allowance for Losses on Accrued Interest Receivable:
Balance at beginning of period		-			-			-			-		$	311
Interest reversal for loans placed on nonaccrual		-			-			-			-			-
Credit loss expense (recovery) on interest accrued on CARES Act modifications		-			-			-			-			(311	)
Balance at end of period		-			-			-			-		$	-

⁽¹⁾Annualized

Corporate Developments

On October 27, 2022, Hanmi's Board of Directors declared a cash dividend on its common stock for the 2022 fourth quarter of $0.25 per share. The dividend was paid on November 23, 2022, to stockholders of record as of the close of business on November 7, 2022.

Earnings Conference Call

Hanmi Bank will host its fourth quarter and year-end 2022 earnings conference call today, January 24, 2023 at 2:00 p.m. PST (5:00 p.m. EST) to discuss these results. This call will also be webcast. To access the event the call, please dial 1-877-407-9039 before 2:00 p.m. PST, using access code Hanmi Bank. To listen to the call online, either live or archived, please visit Hanmi's Investor Relations website at www.hanmi.com.

About Hanmi Financial Corporation

Headquartered in Los Angeles, California, Hanmi Financial Corporation owns Hanmi Bank, which serves multi-ethnic communities through its network of 35 full-service branches and eight loan production offices in California, Texas, Illinois, Virginia, New Jersey, New York, Colorado, Washington and Georgia. Hanmi Bank specializes in real estate, commercial, SBA and trade finance lending to small and middle market businesses. Additional information is available at www.hanmi.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements, which are included in accordance with the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than statements of historical fact are "forward–looking statements" for purposes of federal and state securities laws, including, but not limited to, statements about our anticipated future operating and financial performance, financial position and liquidity, business strategies, regulatory and competitive outlook, investment and expenditure plans, capital and financing needs and availability, plans and objectives of management for future operations, developments regarding our capital and strategic plans, and other similar forecasts and statements of expectation and statements of assumption underlying any of the foregoing. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "may," "will," "should," "could," "expects," "plans," "intends," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "potential," or "continue," or the negative of such terms and other comparable terminology. Although we believe that our forward-looking statements to be reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements.

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. These factors include the following:

a failure to maintain adequate levels of capital and liquidity to support our operations;
the effect of potential future supervisory action against us or Hanmi Bank;
the effect of our rating under the Community Reinvestment Act and our ability to address any issues raised in our regulatory exams;
general economic and business conditions internationally, nationally and in those areas in which we operate, including any potential recessionary conditions;
volatility and deterioration in the credit and equity markets;
changes in consumer spending, borrowing and savings habits;
availability of capital from private and government sources;
demographic changes;
competition for loans and deposits and failure to attract or retain loans and deposits;
inflation and fluctuations in interest rates and a decline in the level of our interest rate spread;
the current or anticipated impact of military conflict, terrorism or other geopolitical events;
risks of natural disasters;
legal proceedings and litigation brought against us;
a failure in or breach of our operational or security systems or infrastructure, including cyberattacks;
the failure to maintain current technologies;
risks associated with Small Business Administration loans;
failure to attract or retain key employees;
our ability to access cost-effective funding;
fluctuations in real estate values;
changes in accounting policies and practices;
changes in governmental regulation, including, but not limited to, any increase in FDIC insurance premiums and changes in the monetary policies of the U.S. Treasury and the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System;
the continuing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business and results of operation;
the ability of Hanmi Bank to make distributions to Hanmi Financial Corporation, which is restricted by certain factors, including Hanmi Bank's retained earnings, net income, prior distributions made, and certain other financial tests;
strategic transactions we may enter into;
the adequacy of our allowance for credit losses;
our credit quality and the effect of credit quality on our credit losses expense and allowance for credit losses;
changes in the financial performance and/or condition of our borrowers and the ability of our borrowers to perform under the terms of their loans and other terms of credit agreements;
our ability to control expenses; and
cyber security and fraud risks against our information technology and those of our third-party providers and vendors.

In addition, we set forth certain risks in our reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission, including, Item 1A of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021, our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and Current Reports on Form 8-K that we will file hereafter, which could cause actual results to differ from those projected. We undertake no obligation to update such forward-looking statements except as required by law.

Investor Contacts:

Romolo (Ron) Santarosa

Senior Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer

213-427-5636

Larry Clark, CFA

Investor Relations

Financial Profiles, Inc.

lclark@finprofiles.com

310-622-8223

Hanmi Financial Corporation and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)
(Dollars in thousands)
	December 31,			September 30,						Percentage		December 31,						Percentage
	2022			2022			Change			Change		2021			Change			Change
Assets
Cash and due from banks	$	352,421		$	275,159			77,262		28.1	%	$	608,965			(256,544	)	-42.1	%
Securities available for sale, at fair value		853,838			830,151			23,687		2.9	%		910,790			(56,952	)	-6.3	%
Loans held for sale, at the lower of cost or fair value		8,043			10,044			(2,001	)	-19.9	%		13,342			(5,299	)	-39.7	%
Loans receivable, net of allowance for credit losses		5,895,610			5,729,407			166,203		2.9	%		5,078,984			816,626		16.1	%
Accrued interest receivable		18,537			15,356			3,181		20.7	%		11,976			6,561		54.8	%
Premises and equipment, net		22,850			23,591			(741	)	-3.1	%		24,788			(1,938	)	-7.8	%
Customers' liability on acceptances		328			200			128		64.0	%		-			328		-
Servicing assets		7,176			7,424			(248	)	-3.3	%		7,080			96		1.4	%
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net		11,225			11,267			(42	)	-0.4	%		11,395			(170	)	-1.5	%
Federal Home Loan Bank ("FHLB") stock, at cost		16,385			16,385			-		0.0	%		16,385			-		0.0	%
Bank-owned life insurance		55,544			55,641			(97	)	-0.2	%		54,905			639		1.2	%
Prepaid expenses and other assets		136,305			153,886			(17,581	)	-11.4	%		119,977			16,328		13.6	%
Total assets	$	7,378,262		$	7,128,511		$	249,751		3.5	%	$	6,858,587		$	519,675		7.6	%

Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity
Liabilities:
Deposits:
Noninterest-bearing	$	2,539,602		$	2,771,498			(231,896	)	-8.4	%	$	2,574,517			(34,915	)	-1.4	%
Interest-bearing		3,628,470			3,429,878			198,592		5.8	%		3,211,752			416,718		13.0	%
Total deposits		6,168,072			6,201,376			(33,304	)	-0.5	%		5,786,269			381,803		6.6	%
Accrued interest payable		7,792			2,180			5,612		257.4	%		1,161			6,631		571.1	%
Bank's liability on acceptances		328			200			128		64.0	%		-			328		-
Borrowings		350,000			100,000			250,000		250.0	%		137,500			212,500		154.5	%
Subordinated debentures		129,409			129,261			148		0.1	%		215,006			(85,597	)	-39.8	%
Accrued expenses and other liabilities		85,146			86,601			(1,455	)	-1.7	%		75,234			9,912		13.2	%
Total liabilities		6,740,747			6,519,618			221,129		3.4	%		6,215,170			525,577		8.5	%

Stockholders' equity:
Common stock		33			33			-		0.0	%		33			-		0.0	%
Additional paid-in capital		583,410			582,695			715		0.1	%		580,796			2,614		0.5	%
Accumulated other comprehensive income		(88,985	)		(96,062	)		7,077		7.4	%		(8,443	)		(80,542	)	-954.0	%
Retained earnings		269,542			248,684			20,858		8.4	%		196,784			72,758		37.0	%
Less treasury stock		(126,485	)		(126,457	)		(28	)	0.0	%		(125,753	)		(732	)	-0.6	%
Total stockholders' equity		637,515			608,893			28,622		4.7	%		643,417			(5,902	)	-0.9	%
Total liabilities and stockholders' equity	$	7,378,262		$	7,128,511			249,751		3.5	%	$	6,858,587			519,675		7.6	%

Hanmi Financial Corporation and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited)
(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)
	Three Months Ended
	December 31,		September 30,		Percentage		December 31,			Percentage
	2022		2022		Change		2021			Change
Interest and dividend income:
Interest and fees on loans receivable	$	77,123	$	66,976	15.2	%	$	52,240		47.6	%
Interest on securities		3,633		3,271	11.1	%		1,821		99.5	%
Dividends on FHLB stock		289		245	18.0	%		248		16.5	%
Interest on deposits in other banks		1,194		958	24.6	%		302		295.4	%
Total interest and dividend income		82,239		71,450	15.1	%		54,611		50.6	%
Interest expense:
Interest on deposits		14,900		6,567	126.9	%		2,236		566.4	%
Interest on borrowings		1,192		349	241.5	%		364		227.5	%
Interest on subordinated debentures		1,586		1,448	9.5	%		2,515		-36.9	%
Total interest expense		17,678		8,364	111.4	%		5,115		245.6	%
Net interest income before credit loss expense		64,561		63,086	2.3	%		49,496		30.4	%
Credit loss expense (recovery)		52		563	-90.8	%		(15,951	)	30775.0	%
Net interest income after credit loss expense		64,509		62,523	3.2	%		65,447		-1.4	%
Noninterest income:
Service charges on deposit accounts		2,742		2,996	-8.5	%		3,007		-8.8	%
Trade finance and other service charges and fees		1,115		1,132	-1.5	%		1,160		-3.9	%
Gain on sale of Small Business Administration ("SBA") loans		1,933		2,250	-14.1	%		3,791		-49.0	%
Other operating income		1,667		2,536	-34.3	%		1,337		24.7	%
Total noninterest income		7,457		8,914				9,295		-19.8	%
Noninterest expense:
Salaries and employee benefits		20,279		19,365	4.7	%		18,644		8.8	%
Occupancy and equipment		3,668		4,736	-22.6	%		4,840		-24.2	%
Data processing		3,431		3,352	2.4	%		3,228		6.3	%
Professional fees		1,783		1,249	42.8	%		1,443		23.6	%
Supplies and communications		683		710	-3.8	%		795		-14.1	%
Advertising and promotion		974		1,186	-17.9	%		964		1.1	%
Other operating expenses		3,026		2,677	13.0	%		1,722		75.7	%
Total noninterest expense		33,844		33,275	1.7	%		31,636		7.0	%
Income before tax		38,122		38,162	-0.1	%		43,106		-11.6	%
Income tax expense		9,643		10,993	-12.3	%		9,775		-1.4	%
Net income	$	28,479	$	27,169	4.8	%	$	33,331		-14.6	%

Basic earnings per share:	$	0.93	$	0.89			$	1.10
Diluted earnings per share:	$	0.93	$	0.89			$	1.09

Weighted-average shares outstanding:
Basic		30,346,343		30,314,439				30,243,560
Diluted		30,442,175		30,396,762				30,328,163
Common shares outstanding		30,485,621		30,484,004				30,407,261

Hanmi Financial Corporation and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited)
(Dollars in thousands, except share and per share data)
	Twelve Months Ended
	December 31,		December 31,			Percentage
	2022		2021			Change
Interest and dividend income:
Interest and fees on loans receivable	$	257,878	$	208,602		23.6	%
Interest on securities		12,351		6,230		98.3	%
Dividends on FHLB stock		1,024		941		8.8	%
Interest on deposits in other banks		2,560		902		183.8	%
Total interest and dividend income		273,813		216,675		26.4	%
Interest expense:
Interest on deposits		25,938		11,655		122.5	%
Interest on borrowings		2,249		1,697		32.5	%
Interest on subordinated debentures		7,979		8,273		-3.6	%
Total interest expense		36,166		21,625		67.2	%
Net interest income before credit loss expense		237,647		195,050		21.8	%
Credit loss expense (recovery)		836		(24,403	)	103.4	%
Net interest income after credit loss expense		236,811		219,453		7.9	%
Noninterest income:
Service charges on deposit accounts		11,488		11,043		4.0	%
Trade finance and other service charges and fees		4,805		4,628		3.8	%
Gain on sale of Small Business Administration ("SBA") loans		9,478		17,266		-45.1	%
Other operating income		8,429		7,559		11.5	%
Total noninterest income		34,200		40,496		-15.5	%
Noninterest expense:
Salaries and employee benefits		76,140		72,561		4.9	%
Occupancy and equipment		17,648		19,075		-7.5	%
Data processing		13,134		12,003		9.4	%
Professional fees		5,692		5,566		2.3	%
Supplies and communications		2,638		3,026		-12.8	%
Advertising and promotion		3,637		2,649		37.3	%
Other operating expenses		11,395		9,575		19.0	%
Total noninterest expense		130,284		124,455		4.7	%
Income before tax		140,727		135,494		3.9	%
Income tax expense		39,333		36,817		6.8	%
Net income	$	101,394	$	98,677		2.8	%

Basic earnings per share:	$	3.33	$	3.22
Diluted earnings per share:	$	3.32	$	3.22

Weighted-average shares outstanding:
Basic		30,299,148		30,393,559
Diluted		30,392,057		30,471,747
Common shares outstanding		30,485,621		30,407,261

Hanmi Financial Corporation and Subsidiaries
Average Balance, Average Yield Earned, and Average Rate Paid (Unaudited)
(Dollars in thousands)
	Three Months Ended
	December 31, 2022							September 30, 2022							December 31, 2021
				Interest		Average					Interest		Average					Interest		Average
	Average			Income /		Yield /		Average			Income /		Yield /		Average			Income /		Yield /
	Balance			Expense		Rate		Balance			Expense		Rate		Balance			Expense		Rate
Assets
Interest-earning assets:
Loans receivable⁽¹⁾	$	5,877,298		$	77,123	5.21	%	$	5,696,587		$	66,976	4.67	%	$	4,896,952		$	52,240	4.23	%
Securities⁽²⁾		966,299			3,633	1.47	%		956,989			3,272	1.40	%		914,148			1,821	0.83	%
FHLB stock		16,385			289	7.00	%		16,385			245	5.93	%		16,385			248	6.00	%
Interest-bearing deposits in other banks		138,476			1,194	3.42	%		181,401			957	2.09	%		802,901			302	0.15	%
Total interest-earning assets		6,998,458			82,239	4.67	%		6,851,362			71,450	4.15	%		6,630,386			54,611	3.27	%

Noninterest-earning assets:
Cash and due from banks		70,203							66,865							66,788
Allowance for credit losses		(71,976	)						(73,338	)						(78,102	)
Other assets		255,493							250,500							224,691

Total assets	$	7,252,178						$	7,095,389						$	6,843,763

Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity
Interest-bearing liabilities:
Deposits:
Demand: interest-bearing	$	119,106

Hanmi Reports 2022 Fourth Quarter and Full Year Results