Truist Financial 10-Q 2022-03-31

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

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FORM 10-Q

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☒ Quarterly Report Pursuant to Section 13 or 15(d)

of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934

For the quarterly period ended: March 31, 2022

Commission File Number: 1-10853

TRUIST FINANCIAL CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

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Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files). Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

At March 31, 2022, 1,331,413,896 shares of the registrant’s common stock, $5 par value, were outstanding.

Glossary of Defined Terms

The following terms may be used throughout this report, including the consolidated financial statements and related notes.

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Forward-Looking Statements

This Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, regarding the financial condition, results of operations, business plans and the future performance of Truist. Words such as “anticipates,” “believes,” “estimates,” “expects,” “forecasts,” “intends,” “plans,” “projects,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “would,” “could,” and other similar expressions are intended to identify these forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements are not based on historical facts but instead represent management’s expectations and assumptions regarding Truist’s business, the economy, and other future conditions. Such statements involve inherent uncertainties, risks, and changes in circumstances that are difficult to predict. As such, Truist’s actual results may differ materially from those contemplated by forward-looking statements. While there can be no assurance that any list of risks and uncertainties or risk factors is complete, important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by forward-looking statements include the following, without limitation, as well as the risks and uncertainties more fully discussed in Part I, Item 1A-Risk Factors in Truist’s Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021:

• residual risks and uncertainties relating to the Merger of heritage BB&T and heritage SunTrust, including the ability to realize the anticipated benefits of the Merger;

• expenses relating to the Merger and application and data center decommissioning;

• deposit attrition, client loss or revenue loss following completed mergers or acquisitions may be greater than anticipated;

• the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the global economy and adversely impacted Truist’s financial condition and results of operations, including through increased expenses, reduced fee income and net interest margin, decreased demand for certain types of loans, and increases in the allowance for credit losses; a resurgence of the pandemic, whether due to new variants of the coronavirus or other factors, could reintroduce or prolong these negative impacts and also adversely affect Truist’s capital and liquidity position or cost of capital, impair the ability of borrowers to repay outstanding loans, cause an outflow of deposits, and impair goodwill or other assets;

• Truist is subject to credit risk by lending or committing to lend money, and may have more credit risk and higher credit losses to the extent that loans are concentrated by loan type, industry segment, borrower type or location of the borrower or collateral;

• changes in the interest rate environment, including the replacement of LIBOR as an interest rate benchmark, which could adversely affect Truist’s revenue and expenses, the value of assets and obligations, and the availability and cost of capital, cash flows, and liquidity;

• inability to access short-term funding or liquidity, loss of client deposits or changes in Truist’s credit ratings, which could increase the cost of funding or limit access to capital markets;

• risk management oversight functions may not identify or address risks adequately, and management may not be able to effectively manage credit risk;

• risks resulting from the extensive use of models in Truist’s business, which may impact decisions made by management and regulators;

• failure to execute on strategic or operational plans, including the ability to successfully complete or integrate mergers and acquisitions;

• increased competition, including from (i) new or existing competitors that could have greater financial resources or be subject to different regulatory standards, and (ii) products and services offered by non-bank financial technology companies, may reduce Truist’s client base, cause Truist to lower prices for its products and services in order to maintain market share or otherwise adversely impact Truist’s businesses or results of operations;

• failure to maintain or enhance Truist’s competitive position with respect to new products, services and technology, whether it fails to anticipate client expectations or because its technological developments fail to perform as desired or do not achieve market acceptance or regulatory approval or for other reasons, may cause Truist to lose market share or incur additional expense;

• negative public opinion, which could damage Truist’s reputation;

• increased scrutiny regarding Truist’s consumer sales practices, training practices, incentive compensation design, and governance;

• regulatory matters, litigation or other legal actions, which may result in, among other things, costs, fines, penalties, restrictions on Truist’s business activities, reputational harm, negative publicity, or other adverse consequences;

• evolving legislative, accounting and regulatory standards, including with respect to climate, capital, and liquidity requirements, and results of regulatory examinations may adversely affect Truist’s financial condition and results of operations;

• the monetary and fiscal policies of the federal government and its agencies, including in response to rising inflation, could have a material adverse effect on profitability;

• accounting policies and processes require management to make estimates about matters that are uncertain, including the potential write down to goodwill if there is an elongated period of decline in market value for Truist’s stock and adverse economic conditions are sustained over a period of time;

• general economic or business conditions, either globally, nationally or regionally, may be less favorable than expected, and instability in global geopolitical matters or volatility in financial markets could result in, among other things, slower deposit or asset growth, a deterioration in credit quality, or a reduced demand for credit, insurance, or other services;

• risks related to originating and selling mortgages, including repurchase and indemnity demands from purchasers related to representations and warranties on loans sold, which could result in an increase in the amount of losses for loan repurchases;

• risks relating to Truist’s role as a loan servicer, including an increase in the scope or costs of the services Truist is required to perform, without any corresponding increase in servicing fees or a breach of Truist’s obligations as servicer;

• Truist’s success depends on hiring and retaining key teammates, and if these individuals leave or change roles without effective replacements, Truist’s operations and integration activities could be adversely impacted, which could be exacerbated in the increased work-from-home environment caused by the COVID-19 pandemic as job markets may be less constrained by physical geography;

• fraud or misconduct by internal or external parties, which Truist may not be able to prevent, detect, or mitigate;

• security risks, including denial of service attacks, hacking, social engineering attacks targeting Truist’s teammates and clients, malware intrusion, data corruption attempts, system breaches, cyber-attacks, which have increased in frequency with current geopolitical tensions, identity theft, ransomware attacks, and physical security risks, such as natural disasters, environmental conditions, and intentional acts of destruction, could result in the disclosure of confidential information, adversely affect Truist’s business or reputation or create significant legal or financial exposure; and

• widespread outages of operational, communication, or other systems, whether internal or provided by third parties, natural or other disasters (including acts of terrorism and pandemics), and the effects of climate change, including physical risks, such as more frequent and intense weather events, and risks related to the transition to a lower carbon economy, such as regulatory or technological changes or shifts in market dynamics or consumer preferences, could have an adverse effect on Truist’s financial condition and results of operations, lead to material disruption of Truist’s operations or the ability or willingness of clients to access Truist’s products and services.

Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date they are made. Except to the extent required by applicable law or regulation, Truist undertakes no obligation to revise or update any forward-looking statements.

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CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

TRUIST FINANCIAL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.

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CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

TRUIST FINANCIAL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

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MD&A is intended to assist readers in their analysis of the accompanying Consolidated Financial Statements and supplemental financial information. It should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements, the accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements in this Form 10-Q, other information contained in this document, as well as with Truist’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021.

Regulatory Considerations

The regulatory framework applicable to banking organizations is intended primarily for the protection of depositors and the stability of the financial system, rather than for the protection of shareholders and creditors. Truist is subject to banking laws and regulations, and various other laws and regulations, which affect the operations and management of Truist and its ability to make distributions to shareholders. Truist and its subsidiaries are also subject to supervision and examination by multiple regulators. The descriptions below summarize updates since the filing of the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 to state and federal laws to which Truist is subject. These descriptions do not summarize all possible or proposed changes in current laws or regulations and are not intended to be a substitute for the related statues or regulatory provisions. Refer to Truist’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021 for additional disclosures.

In March 2022, the U.S. enacted federal legislation that is intended to minimize legal and economic uncertainty following U.S. dollar LIBOR’s cessation by replacing LIBOR references in certain contracts under certain circumstances with a SOFR-based rate to be established in a forthcoming FRB rule that incorporates a spread adjustment specified in the statute. While some states have already adopted LIBOR legislation, the federal legislation expressly preempts any provision of any state or local law, statute, rule, regulation, or standard.

Executive Overview

The first quarter of 2022 marked a pivotal turning point for Truist as we completed our final core bank conversion and are positioned to focus on executional excellence. Our financial results for the first quarter of 2022 were solid, though underlying results were mixed in light of market volatility and geopolitical uncertainty. The continued favorable credit environment also led to a strong credit performance and a benefit from the provision for credit losses. Revenues were lower as a result of a challenging environment for investment banking and mortgage, but we remain confident in our outlook given expectations for higher interest rates, our diverse business model, and continued expense discipline. At the same time, we acknowledge the increasing uncertainty presented by a range of geopolitical and economic risks. See below for further updates on our final integration and ESG efforts and a more detailed discussion of our first quarter financial performance.

Merger Integration

Truist completed our largest conversion event during the first quarter of 2022, transitioning nearly seven million clients to the Truist ecosystem and rebranding more than 6,000 signs at branches, ATMs, and other locations. We now operate officially as one brand and one bank to our clients. This accomplishment was possible because of the expertise, purposeful commitment, and hard work of thousands of teammates. We remain guided by our purpose as we continue supporting our clients through the transition and look forward to shifting our focus to executional excellence and purposeful growth throughout this year.

ESG

Environmental

• Truist has joined the Partnership for Carbon Accounting Financials, and set 2030 goals to reduce Scope 1 and Scope 2 emissions by 35% each, and to reduce water consumption by 25%, relative to 2019.

• We announced our goal to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050, supporting our clients’ transition to a low-carbon economy.

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Social

• Truist continued to be ahead of schedule with regard to our $60 billion Community Benefits Plan commitment.

• In January 2022, Truist announced Truist One Banking, a first-of-its-kind approach to the checking account experience, designed to address clients’ direct feedback. Truist One Banking will be available to clients beginning in the summer of 2022. The Truist One checking account features will include: no overdraft fees; a $100 negative balance buffer for qualifying clients; an easily accessible, deposit-based line of credit of up to $750; and premium rewards that instantly recognize relationships and honor loyalty. In addition, Truist will offer an alternative checking account product created for clients who are new to credit and want simplicity and control without overdraft fees. It will help clients avoid high fees from check-cashing and payday lenders, bring many more households into mainstream banking, and create a pathway to upgrade to a Truist One checking account.

• In March 2022, Truist issued its first Social Bond Impact Report, which details the investments made from the bond proceeds and underscores the Company's commitment to advancing its ESG goals.

• In March 2022, Truist partnered with Connect Humanity to provide internet connectivity to historically marginalized communities.

Governance

• Truist made several leadership changes during 2022 as we continued to execute on the strategy first agreed upon in the Merger. Effective March 12, 2022, William H. Rogers, Jr. was appointed chairman of the board and Thomas E. Skains was appointed lead independent director. Rogers succeeds Kelly S. King, who stepped down from the role of chairman as previously announced. Skains succeeds David M. Ratcliffe. Both King and Ratcliffe remain on the board.

• In March 2022, Truist appointed Dontá L. Wilson to lead Retail and Small Business Banking. In his new role, Wilson will oversee Truist's branches across the Southeast, Mid-Atlantic, and Texas; ATMs; mortgage; card-based services; retail payments; deposit and loan products; small business delivery; retail loan approval channels; and brand, sports, performance, and digital marketing. Wilson assumes these responsibilities from Brant J. Standridge, who left Truist to pursue a new opportunity.

• In January 2022, Truist appointed Denise M. DeMaio as Chief Audit Officer, effective February 28, 2022. Denise joined the Executive Leadership team, leading Truist’s internal audit function, and providing counsel to senior management on emerging risk trends from the vantage points of governance, processes, technologies and reporting.

Financial Results

Net income available to common shareholders for the first quarter of 2022 of $1.3 billion was relatively stable compared with the first quarter of 2021. On a diluted per common share basis, earnings for the first quarter of 2022 were $0.99, an increase of $0.01 compared to the first quarter of 2021. Truist’s results of operations for the first quarter of 2022 produced an annualized return on average assets of 1.07% and an annualized return on average common shareholders’ equity of 9.0% compared to prior year returns of 1.17% and 8.7%, respectively. Results for the first quarter of 2022 included merger-related and restructuring charges of $216 million ($166 million after-tax), incremental operating expenses related to the Merger of $202 million ($155 million after-tax), a gain on the redemption of noncontrolling equity interest of $74 million ($57 million after-tax) related to the acquisition of certain merchant services relationships, and net losses on the sales of securities of $69 million ($53 million after-tax). Results for the first quarter of 2021 included $141 million ($108 million after-tax) of merger-related and restructuring charges, $175 million ($134 million after-tax) of incremental operating expenses related to the Merger, and an accelerat

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Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

As of the end of the period covered by this report, the management of the Company, under the supervision and with the participation of the Company’s CEO and CFO, carried out an evaluation of the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures as defined in Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e) of the Exchange Act. Based on that evaluation, the CEO and CFO concluded that the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

Management of Truist is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting as defined in Rule 13a-15(f) of the Exchange Act. The Company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with GAAP.

During the first quarter of 2022, Truist completed platform conversions related to its commercial, direct-to-consumer and mortgage lending portfolios, as well as platform conversions related to its deposits and payment processing systems. In connection with these activities, Truist fully integrated certain surviving applications into its general ledger accounting system. Internal controls and processes have been appropriately modified to address changes in key business applications and financial processes as a result of these implementations.

There were no other changes in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting (as defined in Rules 13a-15(f) and 15d-15(f) of the Exchange Act) that occurred during the quarter ended March 31, 2022 that have materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

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PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

ITEM 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

Refer to the Litigation and Regulatory Matters section in “Note 14. Commitments and Contingencies,” which is incorporated by reference into this item.

There have been no material changes to the risk factors disclosed in Truist’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021. Additional risks and uncertainties not currently known to Truist or that management has deemed to be immaterial also may materially adversely affect Truist’s business, financial condition, or operating results.

ITEM 2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES AND USE OF PROCEEDS

Refer to the Share Repurchase Activity section in the MD&A, which is incorporated by reference into this item.

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.

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