Washington Trust Reports First Quarter 2021 Earnings

WESTERLY, R.I., April 21, 2021 (PR NEWSWIRE)…Washington Trust Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq:WASH), parent company of The Washington Trust Company, today announced first quarter 2021 net income of $20.5 million, or $1.17 per diluted share, compared to net income of $18.6 million, or $1.07 per diluted share, for the fourth quarter of 2020.

“Washington Trust reported strong first quarter results, with an increase in profitability from the fourth quarter of 2020,” stated Edward O. Handy III, Washington Trust Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. “Our team of employees have worked diligently throughout the COVID-19 pandemic to deliver quality service to our customers, and our results reflect the success of their hard work and dedication. We believe in our team and in our business model, and we are well-positioned to continue to navigate forward.”

Selected financial highlights for the first quarter of 2021 include:

• Returns on average equity and average assets for the first quarter were 15.55% and 1.45%, respectively, compared to 13.96% and 1.28%, respectively, in the preceding quarter.

• The provision for credit losses was a negative $2.0 million in the first quarter, compared to a positive $1.8 million in the preceding quarter.

• Mortgage banking revenues totaled $11.9 million for the first quarter, down by $2.2 million, or 15%, from the preceding quarter, but up by $5.8 million, or 96%, from the same period in 2020. First quarter mortgage originations and sales were down compared to the preceding quarter, however, both originations and sales were significantly higher than the first quarter a year ago.

• Wealth management revenues were $9.9 million for the first quarter, up by $689 thousand, or 7%, from the preceding quarter. Wealth management assets under administration ("AUA") amounted to a record $7.0 billion at March 31, 2021.

• Total loans amounted to $4.2 billion, down slightly from the end of the preceding quarter and up by $104 million, or 3%, from a year ago.

• In-market deposits (total deposits less out-of-market wholesale brokered deposits) amounted to a record $4.0 billion at March 31, 2021, up by $227 million, or 6%, from the end of the preceding quarter, and up by $739 million, or 23%, from a year ago.