Brian Firraldi's questions to Northwest Bancshares Inc (NWBI) leadership • Q1 2025
Question
Brian Firraldi questioned the conservative nature of the NII and loan growth guidance, asking if growth was always expected to be back-loaded. He also inquired about any prior guidance on the Penns Woods acquisition's NIM impact and the bank's general openness to further M&A.
Answer
CFO Douglas Schosser clarified that the loan growth strategy was to lean on consumer lending early in the year amid commercial uncertainty, with hopes for a commercial rebound in the second half. He reiterated that guidance on the Penns Woods acquisition will come in Q2. CEO Louis Torchio described the current M&A environment as 'tepid' but affirmed that while the near-term focus is on internal execution, he remains engaged in conversations and the long-term strategy to pursue accretive deals is unchanged.