First Bancorp Reports Third Quarter Results

SOUTHERN PINES, N.C., Oct. 24, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- First Bancorp (NASDAQ – FBNC), the parent company of First Bank, announced today net income available to common shareholders of $13.1 million, or $0.53 per diluted common share, for the three months ended September 30, 2017, an increase of 130% in earnings per share from the $4.6 million, or $0.23 per diluted common share, recorded in the third quarter of 2016.  For the nine months ended September 30, 2017, the Company recorded net income available to common shareholders of $31.8 million, or $1.33 per diluted common share, an increase of 43.0% in earnings per share from the $19.0 million, or $0.93 per diluted common share, for the nine months ended September 30, 2016. 

The third quarter of 2016 results were impacted by two non-recurring items that impacted diluted earnings per share negatively by a net of $0.17 – 1) the Company's termination of its loss share agreements with the FDIC, which resulted in the Company recording additional indemnification asset expense of $5.7 million during the three months ended September 30, 2016, and 2) an exchange of branches with another community bank that resulted in a gain of $1.4 million. 

Comparisons for the financial periods presented are significantly impacted by the Company's March 3, 2017 acquisition of Carolina Bank Holdings, Inc., the parent company of Carolina Bank, which operated eight branches and three mortgage loan offices, primarily in the Triad region of North Carolina.  As of the acquisition date, Carolina Bank had total assets of $682 million, including $497 million in loans and $585 million in deposits.

On October 1, 2017, the Company acquired ASB Bancorp, Inc., the parent company of Asheville Savings Bank, SSB, headquartered in Asheville, North Carolina ("Asheville Savings Bank"), which operated through 13 branches in the Asheville area.  As of the acquisition date, Asheville Savings Bank reported total assets of approximately $798 million, including $617 million in loans and $679 million in deposits.  Because this transaction closed in the fourth quarter, the financial position and earnings for Asheville Savings Bank are not included in the Company's results for this quarter.

Net Interest Income and Net Interest Margin

Net interest income for the third quarter of 2017 was $41.6 million, a 37.2% increase from the $30.4 million recorded in the third quarter of 2016.  Net interest income for the first nine months of 2017 amounted to $115.9 million, a 25.8% increase from the $92.1 million recorded in the comparable period of 2016.  The increase in net interest income was primarily due to higher amounts of loans outstanding as a result of internal growth, as well as the acquisition of Carolina Bank. 

Also contributing to the increase in net interest income was a higher net interest margin for the period.  The Company's net interest margin (tax-equivalent net interest income divided by average earning assets) experienced its fourth consecutive quarter of expansion and amounted to 4.16% for the third quarter of 2017 compared to 3.93% for the third quarter of 2016.  For the nine month period ended September 30, 2017, the Company's net interest margin was 4.11% compared to 4.07% for the same period in 2016.  Asset yields have increased primarily as a result of three Federal Reserve interest rate increases during the past year.  Funding costs have also increased, but to a lesser degree. 

The net interest margins for both periods were also impacted by higher amounts of loan discount accretion associated with acquired loan portfolios.  The Company recorded loan discount accretion amounting to $1.7 million in the third quarter of 2017, compared to $0.8 million in the third quarter of 2016.  For the first nine months of 2017 and 2016, loan discount accretion amounted to $5.1 million and $3.6 million, respectively.  The increase in loan discount accretion is primarily due to the loan discounts recorded in the acquisition of Carolina Bank.  See the Financial Summary for a table that presents the impact of loan discount accretion on net interest income.

Excluding the effects of loan discount accretion, the Company's net interest margin was 3.99% for the third quarter of 2017, compared to 3.88% for the second quarter of 2017 and 3.82% for the third quarter of 2016.  See the Financial Summary for a reconciliation of the Company's net interest margin to the net interest margin excluding loan discount accretion, and other information regarding this ratio.  

Provision for Loan Losses and Asset Quality

The Company recorded no provision for loan losses in the third quarters of 2017 or 2016.  For the nine months ended September 30, 2017, the Company recorded total provision for loan losses of $0.7 million compared to a total negative provision for loan losses of $23,000 in the same period of 2016. 

The Company's provision for loan loss levels have been impacted by continued improvement in asset quality. Nonperforming assets amounted to $53.0 million at September 30, 2017, a decrease of 24.4% from the $70.2 million one year earlier.  The Company's nonperforming assets to total assets ratio was 1.16% at September 30, 2017 compared to 1.98% at September 30, 2016.  Also, the Company's provision for loan loss levels were impacted by lower net loan charge-offs in 2017.  The Company experienced net loan recoveries of $0.1 million for the first nine months of 2017, compared to net loan charge-offs of $2.9 million for the first nine months of 2016.  The ratio of annualized net charge-offs to average loans for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 was 0.00%, compared to 0.15% for the same period of 2016.

Noninterest Income

Total noninterest income was $12.4 million and $5.2 million for the three months ended September 30, 2017 and September 30, 2016, respectively.  For the nine months ended September 30, 2017, noninterest income amounted to $34.0 million compared to $16.1 million for the same period of 2016.

Core noninterest income for the third quarter of 2017 was $12.8 million, an increase of 31.2% from the $9.8 million reported for the third quarter of 2016.  For the first nine months of 2017, core noninterest income amounted to $34.2 million, a 35.4% increase from the $25.3 million recorded in the comparable period of 2016.  Core noninterest income includes i) service charges on deposit accounts, ii) other service charges, commissions, and fees, iii) fees from presold mortgage loans, iv) commissions from sales of insurance and financial products, v) SBA consulting fees, vi) SBA loan sale gains, and vii) bank-owned life insurance income. 

The primary reason for the increase in core noninterest income in 2017 was the acquisition of Carolina Bank, as well as income derived from the Company's SBA consulting fees and SBA loan sale gains, which began in the second and third quarters of 2016. 

Fees from presold mortgage loans increased to $1.8 million for the third quarter of 2017 from $0.7 million in the third quarter of 2016.  For the first nine months of 2017, fees from presold mortgage loans increased to $4.1 million from the $1.5 million recorded in the comparable period of 2016.  The increases were primarily due to the acquisition of Carolina Bank in March 2017, which had a significant mortgage loan operation.

Commissions from sales of insurance and financial products amounted to $1.4 million in the third quarter of 2017 compared to $1.0 million in the third quarter of 2016.  The increase was primarily due to the acquisition of an insurance agency during the third quarter of 2017 – see additional discussion below.

In the three and nine months ended September 30, 2017, the Company recorded no indemnification asset expense compared to $5.7 million and $10.3 million in indemnification asset expense in the three and nine months ended September 30, 2016, respectively.  In 2016, indemnification asset expense arose from loss-share agreements with the FDIC associated with two failed banked acquisitions.  The loss-share agreements were terminated in September 2016, and thus all indemnification asset income/expense ceased at that time.

Other gains and losses for the 2017 periods presented represent the net effects of miscellaneous gains and losses that are non-routine in nature.  In the third quarter of 2016, the Company recorded a net gain of $1.4 million as a result of a branch exchange transaction.

Noninterest Expenses

Noninterest expenses amounted to $34.4 million in the third quarter of 2017 compared to $27.7 million recorded in the third quarter of 2016.  Noninterest expenses for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 amounted to $101.5 million compared to $78.6 million in 2016.  The majority of the increase in noninterest expenses in 2017 relates to the Company's acquisition of Carolina Bank.

Salaries expense increased to $16.6 million in the third quarter of 2017 from the $13.4 million recorded in the third quarter of 2016.  Salaries expense for the first nine months of 2017 amounted to $46.8 million compared to $37.5 million in 2016.  The primary reason for the increase in salaries expense in 2017 was the addition of personnel acquired in the Carolina Bank acquisition.  Also impacting salaries expense is the continued growth of the Company's SBA consulting firm and SBA lending division.

Employee benefits expense was $3.4 million in the third quarter of 2017 compared to $2.6 million in the third quarter of 2016.  For the first nine months of 2017, employee benefits expense amounted to $10.7 million compared to $7.9 million in 2016.  This increase in 2017 was primarily due to the acquisition and growth initiatives discussed above. 

Merger and acquisition expenses amounted to $1.3 million and $0.6 million for the three months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively.  For the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, merger and acquisition expenses amounted to $4.8 million and $1.3 million, respectively.  Merger and acquisition expenses represent transaction related costs associated primarily with the acquisitions of Carolina Bank and Asheville Savings Bank.

The total noninterest expenses in the third quarter of 2017 were $34.4 million compared to the $35.1 million recorded in the second quarter of 2017.  As discussed below, on August 4, 2017, the Company completed the system data conversion of the Carolina Bank customer accounts, which resulted in cost efficiencies realized in the second half of the quarter.

Balance Sheet and Capital

Total assets at September 30, 2017 amounted to $4.6 billion, a 29.8% increase from a year earlier.  Total loans at September 30, 2017 amounted to $3.4 billion, a 29.4% increase from a year earlier, and total deposits amounted to $3.7 billion at September 30, 2017, a 25.4% increase from a year earlier.

In addition to the growth realized from the acquisition of Carolina Bank in March 2017, the Company has experienced strong organic loan and deposit growth during 2017.  For the first nine months of 2017, organic loan growth (i.e. excluding loan balances assumed from Carolina Bank) amounted to $221.7 million, or 10.9% annualized. For the first nine months of 2017, organic deposit growth amounted to $118.5 million, or 5.4% annualized.  The strong growth was a result of ongoing internal initiatives to drive loan and deposit growth, including the Company's recent expansion into higher growth markets.  The loan growth noted above has been driven by the recently-entered North Carolina markets of Charlotte, Raleigh, and the Triad.

The Company remains well-capitalized by all regulatory standards, with an estimated Total Risk-Based Capital Ratio at September 30, 2017 of 12.48%, a decline from 13.49% at September 30, 2016, but still in excess of the 10.00% minimum to be considered well-capitalized.  The Company's tangible common equity to tangible assets ratio was 7.95% at September 30, 2017, a decrease of eight basis points from a year earlier.  The decreases in the capital ratios are primarily due to the acquisition of Carolina Bank.

Comments of the CEO and Other Business Matters

Richard H. Moore, CEO of First Bancorp, commented on today's report, "I am pleased to report another quarter of strong earnings and growth.  We continue to see good results from our strategic initiatives.  Upon the closing of the acquisition of Asheville Savings Bank on October 1, 2017, First Bank's total assets exceeded $5 billion with over 100 branches and further strengthened our position as the leading community bank in the Carolinas."  Mr. Moore continued, "We welcome our new associates, shareholders, and customers of Asheville Savings Bank, and thank you for the privilege to serve you."

The following is a list of business development and other miscellaneous matters affecting the Company:

• On August 4, 2017, the Company converted the data processing systems of Carolina Bank to First Bank, and the former Carolina Bank branches now fully operate under the name "First Bank."  As part of this conversion, the Company consolidated four branches into two branches in Winston-Salem and consolidated two branches into one branch in Asheboro.   
• On September 1, 2017, the Company completed the acquisition of Bear Insurance Service, an insurance agency headquartered in Albemarle, North Carolina, with four locations in Stanly, Cabarrus, and Montgomery counties.  This acquisition provided the Company the opportunity to enhance its insurance product offerings, as well as complementing its insurance agency operations in these markets and the surrounding areas.  In 2016, Bear Insurance Service recorded approximately $4 million in annual insurance commissions.   
• On September 15, 2017, the Company announced a quarterly cash dividend of $0.08 cents per share payable on October 25, 2017 to shareholders of record on September 30, 2017.  This is the same dividend rate as the Company declared in the third quarter of 2016.  
• On October 1, 2017, the Company acquired ASB Bancorp, Inc., the parent company of Asheville Savings Bank, headquartered in Asheville, North Carolina, which operated through 13 branches in the Asheville area.  As of the acquisition date, Asheville Savings Bank had total assets of $798 million, including $617 million in loans and $679 million in deposits.  In connection with the acquisition, the Company paid a total of $17.9 million in cash and issued 4.9 million shares of First Bancorp common stock to the shareholders of ASB Bancorp, Inc.  The conversion of Asheville Savings Bank's computer systems to First Bank's systems is scheduled to occur in March 2018.  Until that time, the acquired branches will continue to operate under the name "Asheville Savings Bank."

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First Bancorp is a bank holding company headquartered in Southern Pines, North Carolina, with total assets of approximately $5.4 billion. Its principal activity is the ownership and operation of First Bank, a state-chartered community bank that operates 104 branches in North Carolina and South Carolina.  First Bank also operates three mortgage loan production offices in the central region of North Carolina.  First Bank provides SBA loans to customers through its nationwide network of lenders – for more information on First Bank's SBA lending capabilities, please visit www.firstbanksba.com.  First Bancorp's common stock is traded on The NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "FBNC."

Please visit our website at www.LocalFirstBank.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties.  Forward-looking statements are statements that include projections, predictions, expectations or beliefs about future events or results or otherwise are not statements of historical fact.  Such statements are often characterized by the use of qualifying words (and their derivatives) such as "expect," "believe," "estimate," "plan," "project," "anticipate," or other statements concerning opinions or judgments of the Company and its management about future events.  Factors that could influence the accuracy of such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the financial success or changing strategies of the Company's customers, the Company's level of success in integrating acquisitions, actions of government regulators, the level of market interest rates, and general economic conditions.  For additional information about the factors that could affect the matters discussed in this paragraph, see the "Risk Factors" section of the Company's most recent annual report on Form 10-K available at www.sec.gov. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements.  The Company is also not responsible for changes made to the press release by wire services, internet services or other media.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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SOURCE First Bancorp