People’s United Financial Earnings Call Nuggets: Loan Growth Guidance and Repurchasing Shares

People’s United Financial, Inc. (NASDAQ:PBCT) recently reported its fourth quarter earnings and discussed the following topics in its earnings conference call.

Loan Growth Guidance

Steven Alexopoulos – JPMorgan: I wanted to start in terms of the loan growth guidance for 2013. Maybe first, how much of a headwind should we expect from the acquired loans. Is $800 million, a reasonable rate, which is annualizing 4Q?

Kirk W. Walters – SEVP and CFO: In terms of the run-off of acquired loans 4Q was $400 million (itself), but we do expect that to slowdown, by an appreciable amount probably a range of around 40% to somewhere around there. So, $200 million to $250 million in that range on a quarterly basis annualizing would be some general guidance on that.

Steven Alexopoulos – JPMorgan: Kirk, looking at required growth you would need to drive total loans in the high single-digit to mid-teens, can you help us think about the sources of that growth and then what gives you comfort at this stage that that will materialize at that level in the backdrop of pretty difficult environment still being painted by most of your peers?

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