EX-99.1 2 tm2017861d1_ex99-1.htm EXHIBIT 99.1

Exhibit 99.1

April 28, 2020

First Busey Announces COVID-19 Response and 2020 First Quarter Earnings

Champaign, IL – (Nasdaq: BUSE)

Message from our President & CEO

COVID-19 Response

First Busey Corporation (“First Busey” or the “Company”) is positioned to execute its mission as an essential community resource during these challenging times. The coronavirus disease 2019 (“COVID-19”) is not only impacting health and safety around the world, it is causing significant economic disruption for both individuals and businesses, making the Company’s promise of support even more important to customers. First Busey is offering a Financial Relief Program to customers designed to alleviate some of the hardships qualifying customers may face as a result of COVID-19 and the resulting economic impacts, offering solutions for all types of customers—including retail, personal loan and mortgage—as well as commercial clients and small businesses. The program includes options for loan payment deferrals as well as certain fee waivers.

As part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”), Congress appropriated approximately $349 billion for the creation of the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) and then authorized a second phase for another $310 billion in PPP loans. This program provides payroll assistance for the nation’s nearly 30 million small businesses—and select nonprofits—in the form of 100% government-guaranteed low-interest loans from the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”). First Busey has served as a bridge for the program, actively helping existing and new business clients sign up for this important financial resource. First Busey has funded $657.3 million in loans under this program for 2,508 customers as of April 24, 2020.

In early March, to support the efforts of public health authorities and help curtail the spread of COVID-19 and ensure the safety of its associates, the Company initiated its pandemic response plan, expanding social-distancing practices and providing remote work capabilities. On March 19, 2020, the Company suspended lobby services and began servicing in-person customers exclusively from its drive-up windows out of an abundance of caution.

In the face of the challenges and risks posed by COVID-19, the Company remains resolute in its focus on protecting the strength and flexibility of its balance sheet. As a matter of policy and practice, the Company limits the level of concentration exposure in any particular loan segment and maintains a well-diversified loan portfolio. In anticipation of the potential risks associated with COVID-19, the Company took actions in early March to increase the vigilance and escalate the monitoring of susceptible industry sectors and exposures within its portfolio. Furthermore, the Company maintains strong capital and liquidity positions. The progression of the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States began to negatively impact the Company’s results of operations during the quarter ended March 31, 2020. Going forward, COVID-19 can be expected to have a complex and significant adverse impact on the economy, the banking industry and First Busey in future fiscal periods, all subject to a high degree of uncertainty as it relates to both timing and severity. Primary areas of potential impact to the Company include margin compression, provision expense, wealth management fees, fees for customer services and asset quality.

First Quarter Financial Results and Adoption of CECL Methodology

First Busey’s net income for the first quarter of 2020 was $15.4 million, or $0.28 per diluted common share, as compared to $28.6 million, or $0.52 per diluted common share, for the fourth quarter of 2019 and $25.5 million, or $0.48 per diluted common share, for the first quarter of 2019. Adjusted net income¹ for the first quarter of 2020 was $15.5 million, or $0.28 per diluted common share, as compared to $31.8 million, or $0.57 per diluted common share, for the fourth quarter of 2019 and $26.6 million, or $0.50 per diluted common share, for the first quarter of 2019. Pre-provision net revenue¹ for the first quarter of 2020 was $35.8 million as compared to $37.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2019 and $37.1 million for the first quarter of 2019. Adjusted pre-provision net revenue¹ for the first quarter of 2020 was $38.2 million as compared to $41.1 million for the fourth quarter of 2019 and $38.6 million for the first quarter of 2019. For the first quarter of 2020, annualized return on average assets and annualized return on average tangible common equity¹ were 0.64% and 7.30%, respectively. Based on adjusted net income¹, annualized return on average assets was 0.64% and annualized return on average tangible common equity¹ was 7.36% for the first quarter of 2020.

¹ A Non-GAAP financial measure. See “Non-GAAP Financial Information” below for reconciliation.

On January 1, 2020, the Company adopted ASU 2016-13 (Topic 326), “Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments,” commonly referenced as the Current Expected Credit Loss (“CECL”) model. Upon adoption of CECL, the Company recognized a $16.8 million increase in its allowance for credit losses, substantially attributable to the remaining loan fair value marks on prior acquisitions, and a $5.5 million increase in its reserve for unfunded commitments. Under accounting rules, the reserve for unfunded commitments is carried on the balance sheet in other liabilities rather than as a component of the allowance for credit losses. These one-time increases, net of tax, were $15.9 million and recorded as an adjustment to beginning retained earnings. Ongoing impacts of the CECL methodology will be dependent upon changes in economic conditions and forecasts, originated and acquired loan portfolio composition, credit performance trends, portfolio duration, and other factors. During the first quarter of 2020, the Company recorded provision for credit losses of $17.2 million and provision for unfunded commitments of $1.0 million primarily as a result of economic factors around COVID-19. As a result of these additions, the allowance increased from $53.7 million at December 31, 2019, to $84.4 million at March 31, 2020, representing 1.25% of portfolio loans outstanding and 310.10% of non-performing loans.

The Company views certain non-operating items, including acquisition-related and restructuring charges, as adjustments to net income reported under U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). Non-operating pretax adjustments for the first quarter of 2020 were $0.1 million of expenses related to acquisitions. The Company believes that non-GAAP measures (including adjusted pre-provision net revenue, adjusted net income, adjusted earnings per share, adjusted return on average assets, adjusted net interest margin, adjusted efficiency ratio, tangible book value, tangible book value per share and return on average tangible common equity), facilitate the assessment of its financial results and peer comparability. A reconciliation of these non-GAAP measures is included in tabular form at the end of this release.

First Busey’s goal of being a strong community bank for the communities it serves begins with outstanding associates. The Company is honored to be named among the 2019 Best Banks to Work For by American Banker, the 2019 Best-In-State Banks for Illinois by Forbes and Statista, the 2019 Best Places to Work in Illinois by Daily Herald Business Ledger, the 2019 Best Companies to Work For in Florida by Florida Trend magazine, the 2019 Best Place to Work in Indiana by the Indiana Chamber of Commerce, the 2019 Best Places to Work in St. Louis by the St. Louis Business Journal and the 2019 Best Places to Work in Money Management by Pensions and Investments.

For more than 150 years, First Busey has delivered on a promise of trusted customer relationships and community support. First Busey’s storied history of supporting associates, customers and communities continues in today’s fluid, ever-evolving landscape.

/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 Three Months Ended
	March 31,			December 31,			September 30,			June 30,			March 31,
	2020			2019			2019			2019			2019
EARNINGS & PER SHARE DATA
Pre-provision net revenue^2,4	$	35,849		$	37,479		$	35,930		$	34,330		$	37,123
Revenue³		96,363			102,969			104,051			102,350			94,286
Net income		15,364			28,571			24,828			24,085			25,469
Diluted earnings per share		0.28			0.52			0.45			0.43			0.48
Cash dividends paid per share		0.22			0.21			0.21			0.21			0.21
Net income by operating segment
Banking	$	14,924		$	29,573		$	25,731		$	24,441		$	26,665
Remittance Processing		860			958			972			1,105			1,025
Wealth Management		3,599			3,465			2,184			2,845			2,641
AVERAGE BALANCES
Cash and cash equivalents	$	477,242		$	533,519		$	515,965		$	328,414		$	220,471
Investment securities		1,738,564			1,677,962			1,780,066			1,897,486			1,722,015
Loans held for sale		61,963			68,480			42,418			25,143			17,249
Portfolio loans		6,658,277			6,657,283			6,558,519			6,528,326			6,128,661
Interest-earning assets		8,817,544			8,810,505			8,781,590			8,666,136			8,088,396
Total assets		9,688,177			9,713,858			9,659,769			9,522,678			8,865,642

Non-interest bearing deposits		1,842,743			1,838,523			1,780,645			1,747,746			1,616,913
Interest-bearing deposits		6,081,972			6,052,529			6,086,378			5,970,408			5,592,495
Total deposits		7,924,715			7,891,052			7,867,023			7,718,154			7,209,408
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase		182,280			204,076			184,637			193,621			204,529
Interest-bearing liabilities		6,512,217			6,537,611			6,557,518			6,493,885			6,064,091
Total liabilities		8,470,017			8,489,411			8,446,936			8,326,876			7,755,770
Stockholders' common equity		1,218,160			1,224,447			1,212,833			1,195,802			1,109,872
Tangible stockholders' common equity⁴		845,920			845,179			835,232			818,951			757,285
PERFORMANCE RATIOS
Pre-provision net revenue to average assets^2,4		1.49	%		1.53	%		1.48	%		1.45	%		1.70	%
Return on average assets⁴		0.64	%		1.17	%		1.02	%		1.01	%		1.17	%
Return on average common equity		5.07	%		9.26	%		8.12	%		8.08	%		9.31	%
Return on average tangible common equity⁴		7.30	%		13.41	%		11.79	%		11.80	%		13.64	%
Net interest margin^4,5		3.20	%		3.27	%		3.35	%		3.43	%		3.46	%
Efficiency ratio⁴		59.69	%		60.54	%		62.73	%		63.62	%		57.99	%
Non-interest revenue as a % of total revenues³		27.95	%		30.14	%		29.38	%		28.26	%		27.47	%
NON-GAAP INFORMATION
Adjusted pre-provision net revenue^2,4	$	38,211		$	41,131		$	43,600		$	42,823		$	38,602
Adjusted net income⁴		15,479			31,782			30,535			29,498			26,614
Adjusted diluted earnings per share⁴		0.28			0.57			0.55			0.53			0.50
Adjusted pre-provision net revenue to average assets⁴		1.59	%		1.68	%		1.79	%		1.80	%		1.77	%
Adjusted return on average assets⁴		0.64	%		1.30	%		1.25	%		1.24	%		1.22	%
Adjusted return on average tangible common equity⁴		7.36	%		14.92	%		14.50	%		14.45	%		14.25	%
Adjusted net interest margin^4,5		3.07	%		3.14	%		3.22	%		3.27	%		3.31	%
Adjusted efficiency ratio⁴		59.54	%		57.02	%		55.42	%		56.55	%		56.43	%

¹Results are unaudited.

²Net interest income plus non-interest income, excluding security gains and losses, less non-interest expense.

³Revenues consist of net interest income plus non-interest income, excluding security gains and losses.

⁴See “Non-GAAP Financial Information” below for reconciliation.

⁵On a tax-equivalent basis, assuming a federal income tax rate of 21%.

Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets¹

	As of
(dollars in thousands, except per share data)	March 31,			December 31,			September 30,			June 30,			March 31,
	2020			2019			2019			2019			2019
Assets
Cash and cash equivalents	$	342,848		$	529,288		$	525,457		$	420,207		$	330,407
Investment securities		1,770,881			1,654,209			1,721,865			1,869,143			1,940,519

Loans held for sale		89,943			68,699			70,345			39,607			20,291

Commercial loans		5,040,507			4,943,646			4,900,430			4,759,329			4,744,136
Retail real estate and retail other loans		1,704,992			1,743,603			1,768,985			1,772,797			1,770,945
Portfolio loans	$	6,745,499		$	6,687,249		$	6,669,415		$	6,532,126		$	6,515,081

Allowance		(84,384	)		(53,748	)		(52,965	)		(51,375	)		(50,915	)
Premises and equipment		149,772			151,267			153,641			149,726			147,958
Goodwill and other intangibles		370,572			373,129			381,323			375,327			377,739
Right of use asset		9,074			9,490			9,979			10,426			10,898
Other assets		327,200			276,146			274,700			267,480			245,356
Total assets	$	9,721,405		$	9,695,729		$	9,753,760		$	9,612,667		$	9,537,334

Liabilities & Stockholders' Equity
Non-interest bearing deposits	$	1,910,673		$	1,832,619		$	1,779,490		$	1,766,681		$	1,791,339
Interest-bearing checking, savings, and money market deposits		4,580,547			4,534,927			4,498,005			4,316,730			4,214,809
Time deposits		1,482,013			1,534,850			1,652,971			1,749,811			1,757,078
Total deposits	$	7,973,233			7,902,396		$	7,930,466		$	7,833,222		$	7,763,226

Securities sold under agreements to repurchase		167,250			205,491			202,500			190,846			217,077
Short-term borrowings		21,358			8,551			29,739			30,761			30,739
Long-term debt		134,576			182,522			183,968			185,576			188,221
Junior subordinated debt owed to unconsolidated trusts		71,347			71,308			71,269			71,230			71,192
Lease liability		9,150			9,552			10,101			10,531			10,982
Other liabilities		126,906			95,475			109,736			86,893			69,756
Total liabilities	$	8,503,820		$	8,475,295		$	8,537,779		$	8,409,059		$	8,351,193
Total stockholders' equity	$	1,217,585		$	1,220,434		$	1,215,981		$	1,203,608		$	1,186,141
Total liabilities & stockholders' equity	$	9,721,405		$	9,695,729		$	9,753,760		$	9,612,667		$	9,537,334

Share Data
Book value per common share	$	22.38		$	22.28		$	22.03		$	21.73		$	21.32
Tangible book value per common share²	$	15.57		$	15.46		$	15.12		$	14.95		$	14.53
Ending number of common shares outstanding		54,401,208			54,788,772			55,197,277			55,386,636			55,624,627

¹ Results are unaudited except for amounts reported as of December 31, 2019.

²See “Non-GAAP Financial Information” below for reconciliation, excludes tax effect of other intangible assets.

Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income¹

(dollars in thousands, except per share data)
	For the Three Months Ended
	March 31, 2020		December 31, 2019		March 31, 2019
Interest and fees on loans	$	72,536	$	76,290	$	71,789
Interest on investment securities		10,659		10,682		11,260
Other interest income		1,238		1,824		1,232
Total interest income	$	84,433	$	88,796	$	84,281

Interest on deposits		12,227		13,670		12,500
Interest on securities sold under agreements to repurchase		408		559		583
Interest on short-term borrowings		67		156		191
Interest on long-term debt		1,554		1,719		1,710
Interest on junior subordinated debt owed to unconsolidated trusts		744		756		914
Total interest expense	$	15,000	$	16,860	$	15,898

Net interest income	$	69,433	$	71,936	$	68,383
Provision for credit losses		17,216		2,367		2,111
Net interest income after provision for credit losses	$	52,217	$	69,569	$	66,272

Wealth management fees		11,555		11,223		9,029
Fees for customer services		8,361		9,048		8,097
Remittance processing		3,753		3,765		3,780
Mortgage revenue		1,381		3,576		1,945
Income on bank owned life insurance		1,057		1,142		978
Security gains (losses), net		587		605		42
Other		823		2,279		2,074
Total non-interest income	$	27,517	$	31,638	$	25,945

Salaries, wages and employee benefits		34,003		35,117		32,341
Data processing		4,395		6,462		4,401
Net occupancy expense of premises		4,715		4,811		4,202
Furniture and equipment expense		2,449		2,570		2,095
Professional fees		1,824		2,103		3,187
Amortization of intangible assets		2,557		2,681		2,094
Other		10,571		11,746		8,843
Total non-interest expense	$	60,514	$	65,490	$	57,163

Income before income taxes	$	19,220	$	35,717	$	35,054
Income taxes		3,856		7,146		9,585
Net income	$	15,364	$	28,571	$	25,469

Per Share Data
Basic earnings per common share	$	0.28	$	0.52	$	0.48
Diluted earnings per common share	$	0.28	$	0.52	$	0.48
Average common shares outstanding		54,661,787		55,055,530		53,277,102
Diluted average common shares outstanding		54,913,329		55,363,258		53,577,935

¹ Results are unaudited.

Balance Sheet Growth

At March 31, 2020, portfolio loans were $6.75 billion, as compared to $6.69 billion as of December 31, 2019 and $6.52 billion as of March 31, 2019. The increase as of March 31, 2020 from December 31, 2019 related to organic commercial loan growth of $96.9 million partially offset by a decline in retail real estate and retail other loans of $38.6 million. Average portfolio loans were steady at $6.66 billion for the first quarter of 2020 and fourth quarter of 2019 compared to $6.13 billion in the first quarter of 2019. Average interest-earning assets for the first quarter of 2020 increased to $8.82 billion compared to $8.81 billion for the fourth quarter of 2019 and $8.09 billion for the first quarter of 2019.

Total deposits were $7.97 billion at March 31, 2020, compared to $7.90 billion at December 31, 2019 and $7.76 billion at March 31, 2019. The Company remains funded primarily through core deposits with significant market share in its primary markets.

Net Interest Margin and Net Interest Income

Net interest margin for the first quarter of 2020 was 3.20%, compared to 3.27% for the fourth quarter of 2019 and 3.46% for the first quarter of 2019. Net interest income was $69.4 million in the first quarter of 2020 compared to $71.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2019 and $68.4 million in the first quarter of 2019.

The Federal Open Market Committee (“FOMC”) lowered Federal Funds Target Rates for the first time in 11 years on July 31, 2019 and then again on September 18, 2019 and October 30, 2019, for a combined decrease of 75 basis points during 2019. In response to the potential economic risks posed by COVID-19, the FOMC took further action during the quarter, lowering the Federal Funds Target Rate by 50 basis points on March 3, 2020, followed by an additional 100 basis point reduction on March 15, 2020. These rate cuts contributed to the decline in net interest margin, as assets, in particular commercial loans, repriced more quickly and to a greater extent than liabilities.

Asset Quality

Loans 30-89 days past due were $10.2 million as of March 31, 2020, a decrease from $14.3 million as of December 31, 2019, and $10.8 million as of March 31, 2019. Non-performing loans totaled $27.2 million as of March 31, 2020, a decrease from $29.5 million as of December 31, 2019, and $36.6 million as of March 31, 2019. Continued disciplined credit management resulted in non-performing loans as a percentage of total loans of 0.40% at March 31, 2020 as compared to 0.44% at December 31, 2019 and 0.56% at March 31, 2019.

Net charge-offs totaled $3.4 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 compared to $1.6 million and $1.8 million for the quarters ended December 31, 2019 and March 31, 2019, respectively. The increase for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 was largely attributable to the charge-off of one credit relationship that had been on non-accrual with a specific reserve of $2.7 million at December 31, 2019.

With the adoption of CECL, the allowance as a percentage of portfolio loans increased to 1.25% at March 31, 2020, as compared to 0.80% at December 31, 2019 and 0.78% at March 31, 2019. The allowance as a percentage of non-performing loans increased to 310.10% at March 31, 2020 compared to 182.15% at December 31, 2019 and 139.17% at March 31, 2019.

Asset Quality¹

(dollars in thousands)	As of and for the Three Months Ended
	March 31,			December 31,			September 30,			June 30,			March 31,
	2020			2019			2019			2019			2019
Portfolio loans	$	6,745,499		$	6,687,249		$	6,669,415		$	6,532,126		$	6,515,081
Loans 30-89 days past due		10,150			14,271			12,434			18,040			10,780
Non-performing loans:
Non-accrual loans		25,672			27,896			31,827			32,816			36,230
Loans 90+ days past due		1,540			1,611			1,276			258			356
Total non-performing loans	$	27,212		$	29,507		$	33,103		$	33,074		$	36,586
Total non-performing loans, segregated by geography
Illinois/ Indiana		17,761			20,428			24,296			24,509			28,847
Missouri		5,711			5,227			8,202			7,778			6,593
Florida		3,740			3,852			605			787			1,146
Other non-performing assets		3,553			3,057			926			936			921
Total non-performing assets	$	30,765		$	32,564		$	34,029		$	34,010		$	37,507
Total non-performing assets to total assets		0.32	%		0.34	%		0.35	%		0.35	%		0.39	%
Total non-performing assets to portfolio loans and non- performing assets		0.46	%		0.49	%		0.51	%		0.52	%		0.58	%
Allowance to portfolio loans		1.25	%		0.80	%		0.79	%		0.79	%		0.78	%
Allowance as a percentage of non-performing loans		310.10	%		182.15	%		160.00	%		155.33	%		139.17	%
Net charge-offs		3,413			1,584			1,821			2,057			1,844
Provision		17,216			2,367			3,411			2,517			2,111

¹ Results are unaudited.

Non-Interest Income

Total non-interest income of $27.5 million for the first quarter of 2020 decreased as compared to $31.6 million in the fourth quarter of 2019 and increased as compared to $25.9 million in the first quarter of 2019. Revenues from wealth management fees and remittance processing activities represented 55.6% of the Company’s non-interest income for the quarter ended March 31, 2020, providing a balance to spread-based revenue from traditional banking activities.

Wealth management fees were $11.6 million for the first quarter of 2020, an increase from $11.2 million for the fourth quarter of 2019 and $9.0 million for the first quarter of 2019. Net income from the Wealth Management segment was $3.6 million for the first quarter of 2020, an increase from $3.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2019 and $2.6 million in the first quarter of 2019. First Busey’s Wealth Management division ended the first quarter of 2020 with $8.93 billion in assets under care, a 7.9% decrease from $9.70 billion at December 31, 2019 as a result of market volatility. The Wealth Management division experienced new customer inflows, net of redemptions, of $18.8 million during the first quarter of 2020.

Remittance processing revenue from the Company’s subsidiary, FirsTech, of $3.8 million for the first quarter of 2020 was steady with the fourth and first quarters of 2019. The Remittance Processing operating segment generated net income of $0.9 million for the first quarter of 2020 as compared to $1.0 million for the fourth and first quarters of 2019.

The decrease in other non-interest income in the first quarter of 2020 as compared to the first and fourth quarters of 2019 primarily relates to amortization for a New Market Tax Credit of $1.2 million, which is offset in tax expense.

Operating Efficiency

The efficiency ratio was 59.69% for the quarter ended March 31, 2020 compared to 60.54% for the quarter ended December 31, 2019 and 57.99% for the quarter ended March 31, 2019. The adjusted efficiency ratio¹ was 59.54% for the quarter ended March 31, 2020, 57.02% for the quarter ended December 31, 2019, and 56.43% for the quarter ended March 31, 2019. The Company remains focused on expense discipline.

Specific areas of non-interest expense are as follows:

Salaries, wages and employee benefits were $34.0 million in the first quarter of 2020, a decrease from $35.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2019 but an increase from $32.3 million from the first quarter of 2019. Total full-time equivalents at March 31, 2020 numbered 1,507 compared to 1,531 at December 31, 2019 and 1,589 at March 31, 2019.

Data processing expense in the first quarter of 2020 of $4.4 million decreased compared to $6.5 million in the fourth quarter of 2019 and was steady with the first quarter of 2019.

Other expense in the first quarter of 2020 of $10.6 million decreased compared to $11.7 million in the fourth quarter of 2019 and increased compared to $8.8 million in the first quarter of 2019. The first quarter of 2020 other expense includes a $1.0 million provision for unfunded commitments.

Capital Strength

The Company's strong capital levels, coupled with its earnings, have allowed First Busey to provide a steady return to its stockholders through dividends. The Company will pay a cash dividend on May 1, 2020 of $0.22 per common share to stockholders of record as of April 24, 2020. The Company has consistently paid dividends to its common stockholders since the bank holding company was organized in 1980.

As of March 31, 2020, the Company continued to exceed the capital adequacy requirements necessary to be considered “well-capitalized” under applicable regulatory guidelines. The Company’s tangible common equity¹ (“TCE”) was $863.5 million at March 31, 2020, compared to $864.6 million at December 31, 2019 and $826.2 million at March 31, 2019. TCE in the quarter was impacted by the negative adjustment to beginning retained earnings of $15.9 million recorded upon the adoption of CECL. TCE represented 9.22% of tangible assets at March 31, 2020, compared to 9.26% at December 31, 2019 and 9.00% at March 31, 2019.¹

During the first quarter of 2020, the Company purchased 407,850 shares of its common stock at an average price of $23.71 per share for a total of $9.7 million under the Company’s stock repurchase plan. On February 5, 2020, First Busey’s board of directors approved an amendment to increase the authorized shares under the repurchase program by 2,000,000 shares. Repurchases were executed in contemplation of maintaining levels of treasury stock appropriate to satisfy compensation awards, in addition to favorable pricing of the Company’s shares during the first quarter of 2020. On March 16, 2020, due to uncertainties relating to COVID-19, the Company suspended share repurchases. At March 31, 2020, the Company held 1,509,525 shares in treasury and had 1,982,088 shares available to be purchased under the plan.

1Q20 Quarterly Supplement

For additional information on the Company’s response to COVID-19, financial condition and operating results, please refer to the 1Q20 Quarterly Supplement presentation furnished via Form 8-K on April 28, 2020, in conjunction with this earnings release.

¹ A Non-GAAP financial measure. See “Non-GAAP Financial Information” below for reconciliation.

Corporate Profile

As of March 31, 2020, First Busey Corporation (Nasdaq: BUSE) was a $9.72 billion financial holding company headquartered in Champaign, Illinois.

Busey Bank, the wholly-owned bank subsidiary of First Busey Corporation, had total assets of $9.70 billion as of March 31, 2020 and is headquartered in Champaign, Illinois, with 61 banking centers serving Illinois, 13 banking centers serving Missouri, five banking centers serving southwest Florida and a banking center in Indianapolis, Indiana. Through the Busey Wealth Management division, the Company provides asset management, investment and fiduciary services to individuals, businesses and foundations. As of March 31, 2020, assets under care were approximately $8.93 billion. 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 Bank was named among Forbes’ 2019 Best-In-State Banks—one of five in Illinois and 173 from across the country, equivalent to 2.8% of all U.S.banks. Best-In-State Banks are awarded for exceptional customer experiences as determined by a survey sample of 25,000+ banking customers who rated banks on trust, terms and conditions, branch services, digital services and financial advice.

For more information about us, visit busey.com.

Contacts:

Jeffrey D. Jones, Chief Financial Officer

217-365-4130

Non-GAAP Financial Information

This earnings release contains certain financial information determined by methods other than GAAP. These measures include adjusted pre-provision net revenue, adjusted net income, adjusted earnings per share, adjusted return on average assets, adjusted net interest margin, adjusted efficiency ratio, tangible common equity, tangible common equity to tangible assets, tangible book value per share and return on average tangible common equity. 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, specifically total net interest income in the case of pre-provision net revenue, net income in the case of adjusted net income, adjusted earnings per share and adjusted return on average assets, total net interest income in the case of adjusted net interest margin, total non-interest income and total non-interest expense in the case of adjusted efficiency ratio and total stockholders’ equity in the case of tangible common equity, tangible common equity to tangible assets, tangible book value per share and return on average tangible common equity, appears below. The Company believes the adjusted measures are useful for investors and management to understand the effects of certain non-recurring non-interest items and provide 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. Tax effected numbers included in these non-GAAP disclosures are based on estimated statutory rates and effective rates as appropriate.

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures – Pre-Provision Net Revenue
(dollars in thousands)

	Three Months Ended
	March 31, 2020			December 31, 2019			March 31, 2019
Net interest income	$	69,433		$	71,936		$	68,383
Non-interest income		27,517			31,638			25,945
Net losses/gains on sales of securities and unrealized losses/ gains recognized on equity securities		(587	)		(605	)		(42	)
Non-interest expense		(60,514	)		(65,490	)		(57,163	)
Pre-provision net revenue	$	35,849		$	37,479		$	37,123

Acquisition expenses		145			3,652			1,479
Provision for unfunded commitments		1,017			-			-
New Market Tax Credit impairment		1,200			-			-
Adjusted Pre-provision net revenue	$	38,211		$	41,131		$	38,602

Average total assets	$	9,688,177		$	9,713,858		$	8,865,642

Reported: Pre-provision net revenue to average assets ¹		1.49	%		1.53	%		1.70	%
Adjusted: Pre-provision net revenue to average assets ¹		1.59	%		1.68	%		1.77	%

¹ Annualized measure.

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures – Adjusted Net Income, Adjusted Earnings Per Share and Return on Average Assets
(dollars in thousands)

	Three Months Ended
	March 31, 2020			December 31, 2019			March 31, 2019
Net income	$	15,364		$	28,571		$	25,469
Acquisition expenses
Salaries, wages and employee benefits		-			367			-
Data processing		-			1,017			7
Lease or fixed asset impairment		-			165			-
Other (includes professional and legal)		145			879			1,205
Other restructuring costs
Salaries, wages and employee benefits		-			38			-
Fixed asset impairment		-			1,861			-
Data processing		-			351			100
Other (includes professional and legal)		-			796			167
MSR valuation impairment		-			(1,822	)		-
Related tax benefit		(30	)		(441	)		(334	)
Adjusted net income	$	15,479		$	31,782		$	26,614

Diluted average common shares outstanding		54,913,329			55,363,258			53,577,935
Reported: Diluted earnings per share	$	0.28		$	0.52		$	0.48
Adjusted: Diluted earnings per share	$	0.28		$	0.57		$	0.50

Average total assets	$	9,688,177		$	9,713,858		$	8,865,642

Reported: Return on average assets¹		0.64	%		1.17	%		1.17	%
Adjusted: Return on average assets ¹		0.64	%		1.30	%		1.22	%

¹ Annualized measure.

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures – Adjusted Net Interest Margin
(dollars in thousands)

	Three Months Ended
	March 31, 2020			December 31, 2019			March 31, 2019

Reported: Net interest income	$	69,433		$	71,936		$	68,383
Tax-equivalent adjustment		730			781			677
Purchase accounting accretion related to business combinations		(2,827	)		(2,983	)		(2,994	)
Adjusted: Net interest income	$	67,336		$	69,734		$	66,066

Average interest-earning assets	$	8,817,544		$	8,810,505		$	8,088,396

Reported: Net interest margin¹		3.20	%		3.27	%		3.46	%
Adjusted: Net Interest margin¹		3.07	%		3.14	%		3.31	%

¹ Annualized measure.

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures – Adjusted Efficiency Ratio
(dollars in thousands)

	Three Months Ended
	March 31, 2020			December 31, 2019			March 31, 2019
Reported: Net Interest income	$	69,433		$	71,936		$	68,383
Tax- equivalent adjustment		730			781			677
Tax-equivalent interest income	$	70,163		$	72,717		$	69,060

Reported: Non-interest income	$	27,517		$	31,638		$	25,945
Net losses/gains on sales of securities and unrealized losses/ gains recognized on equity securities		(587	)		(605	)		(42	)
Adjusted: Non-interest income	$	26,930		$	31,033		$	25,903

Reported: Non-interest expense	$	60,514		$	65,490		$	57,163
Amortization of intangible assets		(2,557	)		(2,681	)		(2,094	)
Non-operating adjustments:
Salaries, wages and employee benefits		-			(405	)		-
Data processing		-			(1,368	)		(107	)
Other		(145	)		(1,879	)		(1,372	)
Adjusted: Non-interest expense	$	57,812		$	59,157		$	53,590

Reported: Efficiency ratio		59.69	%		60.54	%		57.99	%
Adjusted: Efficiency ratio		59.54	%		57.02	%		56.43	%

Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures – Tangible Common Equity, Tangible Common Equity to Tangible Assets, Tangible Book Value per Share and Return on Average Tangible Common Equity
(dollars in thousands)

	As of and for the Three Months Ended
	March 31, 2020			December 31, 2019			March 31, 2019

Total assets	$	9,721,405		$	9,695,729		$	9,537,334
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net		(370,572	)		(373,129	)		(377,739	)
Tax effect of other intangible assets, net		16,530			17,247			17,751
Tangible assets	$	9,367,363		$	9,339,847		$	9,177,346

Total stockholders’ equity		1,217,585			1,220,434			1,186,141
Goodwill and other intangible assets, net		(370,572	)		(373,129	)		(377,739	)
Tax effect of other intangible assets, net		16,530			17,247			17,751
Tangible common equity	$	863,543		$	864,552		$	826,153

Ending number of common shares outstanding		54,401,208			54,788,772			55,624,627

Tangible common equity to tangible assets¹		9.22	%		9.26	%		9.00	%
Tangible book value per share	$	15.57		$	15.46		$	14.53

Average common equity	$	1,218,160		$	1,224,447		$	1,109,872
Average goodwill and other intangible assets, net		(372,240	)		(379,268	)		(352,587	)
Average tangible common equity	$	845,920		$	845,179		$	757,285

Reported: Return on average tangible common equity²		7.30	%		13.41	%		13.64	%
Adjusted: Return on average tangible common equity^2,3		7.36	%		14.92	%		14.25	%

¹ Tax-effected measure.

² Annualized measure.

³ Calculated using adjusted net income.

Special Note Concerning Forward-Looking Statements

Statements made in this document, 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 the Company. Forward-looking statements, which may be based upon beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the Company’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 the Company undertakes no obligation to update any statement in light of new information or future events. A number of factors, many of which are beyond the Company’s ability to control or predict, could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the Company’s forward-looking statements. These factors include, among others, the following: (i) the strength of the local, state, national and international economy (including the impact of the 2020 presidential election and the impact of tariffs, a U.S. withdrawal from or significant negotiation of trade agreements, trade wars and other changes in trade regulations); (ii) the economic impact of any future terrorist threats or attacks, widespread disease or pandemics (including the COVID-19 pandemic in the United States), or other adverse external events that could cause economic deterioration or instability in credit markets; (iii) changes in state and federal laws, regulations and governmental policies concerning the Company’s general business; (iv) changes in accounting policies and practices, including CECL, that will change how the Company estimates credit losses; (v) changes in interest rates and prepayment rates of the Company’s assets (including the impact of The London Inter-bank Offered Rate phase-out); (vi) increased competition in the financial services sector and the inability to attract new customers; (vii) changes in technology and the ability to develop and maintain secure and reliable electronic systems; (viii) the loss of key executives or associates; (ix) changes in consumer spending; (x) 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; (xi) unexpected outcomes of existing or new litigation involving the Company; 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 the Company and its business, including additional factors that could materially affect its financial results, is included in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.