Dear Shareholders,
We recently embarked on a project to capture the history of Bankers’ Bank to ensure we have a good record of our past. There were a few interesting points I learned. New Concepts in Banking was the original name and the first meeting of our founders took place in Stevens Point, WI. One theme stood out and was reiterated time and time again, the need for community banks to have a partner that was committed to their success and did not compete with them. After 43 years, that mission remains and continually will be “Always your partner, never your competitor.”
Oh, if you’re ever involved in a bank trivia game and asked who made the first deposit at Bankers’ Bank in April 1981, the answer is State Bank of Cross Plains (now Lake Ridge Bank)! You’ll find the financial results for 2023 on page two. A couple of items that we’re proud of:
- In December, we paid our 42nd consecutive dividend of $95.00 per share. This represented a dividend return of 1.52%.
- Our calculated Book Value for 12/31/2023 was $6,615. An increase of 5.5% over 2022.
- Combining the Dividend and Book Value increase with our other Shareholder Benefits, the total return for shareholders in 2023 was 11.09%.
- Total Deposits grew 11% in 2023.
The challenges of rising interest rates continued in 2023. While slower than the pace of 2022, the 100 basis point increase in Fed Funds impacted our earnings. Net Interest Margin was 23.6% lower in 2023 as compared to 2022. We are cautiously optimistic that the Fed Funds rates will stabilize in 2024. Overall Net Income was similarly impacted.
During 2023, we completed our 2024–2026 Strategic Plan. Over the next three years we plan to execute 8 strategic initiatives covering a wide range of topics. We highlight a few of these new projects that help our community bank customers on page three.
Our Board of Directors recently approved our plan to sell 3,000 additional shares over the next few years. This additional capital will support our continued organic growth and allow us to carry on our efforts in our six state market. If you have interest in adding to your holdings, please reach out to anyone at Bankers’ Bank and we will provide you the Investor Presentation.
Finally, I would like express my appreciation to Director Tom Olson. Tom joined our Board in 2018 and has provided the Board and myself with outstanding guidance during his tenure. On behalf of the entire bank, I want to thank Tom for his support during his term on our board.
Your financial support to our bank is critical and greatly appreciated. We look forward to providing you with continued state of the art products and services as well as financial returns.
Brad Stamper
President & CEO
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Annual Meeting Notice
The Annual Meeting of the Shareholders of Bankers’ Bancorporation, Inc. will be held on Thursday, April 25, 2024, beginning at 10:00 a.m. CST. The meeting will be held at the offices of the Corporation, 7700 Mineral Point Road, Madison, WI 53717. Copies of the meeting notice and proxy statements will be sent to all shareholders of record as of March 26, 2024.
To ensure a quorum for the meeting and that your vote is counted, the Company encourages shareholders to complete and return their proxies by mail or email (shareholderservices@bankersbank.com) by following the instructions contained within the proxy materials.
Bankers’ Bancorporation, Inc. is a registered bank holding company. Bankers’ Bank is the sole banking subsidiary and a member of the Federal Reserve System; deposits are insured by the FDIC.