Byline Bancorp (BY) Names Baker Tilly as New Auditor After Moss Adams Merger
Byline Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE: BY) filed an 8-K to disclose a change in its independent registered public accounting firm under Item 4.01.
Rhea-AI Filing Summary
Byline Bancorp, Inc. (NYSE: BY) filed an 8-K to disclose a change in its independent registered public accounting firm under Item 4.01. The Company was informed that its current auditor, Moss Adams LLP, merged with Baker Tilly US, LLP effective June 3 2025. As a result, Moss Adams resigned and the Board’s Audit Committee unanimously appointed Baker Tilly—the successor firm—as the Company’s new external auditor on June 16 2025.
Audit opinions issued by Moss Adams on the fiscal-year 2023 and 2024 consolidated financial statements and on internal control over financial reporting for 2024 were unqualified. The filing states that during the covered periods and up to the report date: (i) no disagreements existed between the Company and Moss Adams regarding accounting principles, disclosures, or audit scope, and (ii) no “reportable events” under Item 304(a)(1)(v) of Regulation S-K occurred.
Furthermore, neither the Company nor its representatives consulted with Baker Tilly on any accounting matters prior to the engagement. A consent letter from Moss Adams (Exhibit 16.1, dated June 17 2025) confirms its agreement with the disclosures.
Positive
- Clean audit history: Moss Adams issued unqualified opinions for FY 2023-2024 and ICFR 2024.
- No disagreements or reportable events, reducing risk of accounting issues.
- Continuity of service expected as Moss Adams’ audit practice merged into Baker Tilly.
Negative
- Transition risk: Any auditor change may create short-term operational learning curves and incremental audit costs.
Insights
TL;DR: Auditor change stems from firm merger; no disagreements reported, implying neutral governance impact and limited immediate financial effect.
The auditor transition to Baker Tilly is procedural, triggered by Moss Adams’ merger rather than performance concerns. Clean prior opinions and the explicit absence of disagreements or reportable events mitigate investor worry over accounting quality. While any auditor change introduces learning-curve risk, continuity is aided by the combined practices operating under Baker Tilly. From a valuation standpoint, there is no direct earnings or balance-sheet impact; therefore, the disclosure is largely governance-related and neutral for the equity story. Monitoring will focus on the first audit cycle under Baker Tilly for consistency of internal-control assessments.
8-K Event Classification
FAQ
Why did Byline Bancorp (BY) change its independent auditor?
Were there any accounting disagreements between Byline Bancorp and Moss Adams?
Did Moss Adams issue qualified opinions on BY’s financial statements?
Has Byline Bancorp consulted Baker Tilly on accounting matters prior to engagement?
When was Baker Tilly officially appointed as Byline Bancorp’s auditor?
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