Disclosure: Bullpen receives compensation from VersaBank for research coverage. VersaBank is also an IR client of LodeRock Advisors, an affiliate of Bullpen.
VersaBank (VBNK) reported Q1 results that were largely in-line with the street, with growth in the structured receivable program offsetting a sequential decline in the multi-family book.
The US growth story continues to play out, with VBNK adding another US$200M of SRP funding - driving net interest income to nearly $7M (20% of total NII)…
… which should continue to grow, with management confident in its US$1B funding target for the year. The resulting operating leverage should be clear - with the US segment already more efficient (41% efficiency ratio) than Canada…
… despite the big difference in scale. As the US business commands a higher share of VBNK’s portfolio, the efficiency gain should translate to growth in book value per share and return on equity…
… which could drive multiple expansion if the market buys into its sustainability.
Despite the momentum south of the border, shares sold off nearly 9% - likely driven by higher one-time costs to come in Q2 (we model $4.5M)…
… and lower than expected balances in multi-family credit assets (down 8% Q/Q).
Combined with higher-than-average trading volume, short-term institutional positioning could be at play - which we break down in detail (along with updated estimates) in the full report below:
