Company: NWBI
Filing Date: 2025-02-25
Form Type: 10-K
Source: 0001471265-25-000016
Chunk: 279

Company: Northwest Bancshares, Inc.
Filing Date: 2025-02-25
Form: 10-K
Item: Item 7
Chunk 279
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 its conformity with regulatory guidelines and pronouncements. Any recommendations or enhancements from these independent parties are considered by management and the ACL Committee and implemented accordingly.

We acknowledge that this is a dynamic process and consists of factors, many of which are external and out of our control that can change frequently, rapidly and substantially. The adequacy of the ACL is based upon estimates using all the information previously discussed as well as current and known circumstances and events. There is no assurance that actual portfolio losses will not be substantially different than those that were estimated.

We utilize a structured methodology each period when analyzing the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses and the related provision for credit losses, which the ACL Committee assesses regularly for appropriateness. As part of the analysis as of December 31, 2024, we considered the most recent economic conditions and forecasts available. In addition, we considered the overall trends in asset quality, reserves on individually assessed loans, historical loss rates and collateral valuations. The ACL decreased by $8 million, or 7%, to $117 million, or 1.04% of gross loans at December 31, 2024 from $125 million, or 1.10% of total loans, at December 31, 2023. This decrease was the result of the reduction in total loans of $226 million, coupled with the de-risking of our loan portfolio through the reduction of nonperforming, criticized and classified assets.

Quarterly, management’s Credit Committee reviews the concentration of credit by industry and customer, lending products and activity, competition and collateral values, as well as economic conditions in general and in each of our market areas. The Credit Committee also reviews and discusses delinquency trends, nonperforming asset amounts and ACL levels and ratios compared to our peer group as well as state and national statistics.

We also consider how the levels of non-accrual loans and historical charge-offs have influenced the required amount of ACL. Nonaccrual loans of $61 million, or 0.55% of total gross loans receivable at December 31, 2024, decreased by $33 million, or 35%, from $94 million, or 0.83% of total gross loans receivable, at December 31, 2023. This decrease was primarily related to current commercial real estate loans that resulted from the loan sales and loans moved to held-for-sale as of year end. As a percentage of average loans, net charge-offs increased to 0.32% for