NBN - Northeast Bank Reports First Quarter Results and Declares Dividend | Benzinga

PORTLAND, Maine, Oct. 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Northeast Bank (the "Bank") (NASDAQ:NBN), a Maine-based full-service bank, today reported net income of $15.2 million, or $2.01 per diluted common share, for the quarter ended September 30, 2023, compared to net income of $8.3 million, or $1.12 per diluted common share, for the quarter ended September 30, 2022.

The Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.01 per share, payable on November 21, 2023, to shareholders of record as of November 7, 2023.

Discussing results, Rick Wayne, Chief Executive Officer, said, "We had another strong quarter reporting earnings of $2.01 per diluted common share, a return on average equity of 19.7%, and a return on average assets of 2.1% for the quarter. National Lending Division volume totaled $120.4 million, including $68.0 million of originations and $52.4 million of purchases. In addition, during the quarter, we signed an agreement to purchase loans with unpaid balances of $74.2 million, which closed in October. Our National Lending Division's combined yield increased to 9.4% for the quarter ended September 30, 2023, as compared to 8.7% for the quarter ended June 30, 2023, and 7.6% for the quarter ended September 30, 2022. Asset quality remains strong, with non-performing assets of 0.61% of total assets, as compared to 0.55% of total assets at June 30, 2023."

As of September 30, 2023, total assets were $2.88 billion, an increase of $6.5 million, or 0.2%, from total assets of $2.87 billion as of June 30, 2023.

1. The following table highlights the changes in the loan portfolio for the three months ended September 30, 2023:
   

Loans generated by the Bank's National Lending Division for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 totaled $120.4 million, which consisted of $52.4 million of purchased loans, at an average price of 82.2% of unpaid principal balance, and $68.0 million of originated loans.

An overview of the Bank's National Lending Division portfolio follows:

(1) The total return on purchased loans represents scheduled accretion, accelerated accretion, gains on real estate owned, release of allowance for credit losses on purchased loans, and other noninterest income recorded during the period divided by the average invested balance on an annualized basis. The total return on purchased loans does not include the effect of purchased loan charge-offs or recoveries during the period. Total return on purchased loans is considered a non-GAAP financial measure. See reconciliation in below table entitled "Total Return on Purchased Loans."

1. Deposits increased by $29.9 million, or 1.5%, from June 30, 2023. The increase was primarily attributable to an increase in time deposits of $68.7 million, or 7.5%, partially offset by decreases in money market deposits of $34.8 million, or 12.5%, and savings and interest checking deposits of $10.2 million, or 1.7%. The significant drivers in the change in time deposits was the increase in Community Banking Division time deposits, which increased by $60.4 million, and brokered time deposits, which increased by $38.6 million compared to June 30, 2023, partially offset by the intentional runoff of Bulletin Board time deposits of $27.7 million.
   
   
2. Shareholders' equity increased by $14.9 million, or 5.0%, from June 30, 2023, primarily due to net income of $15.2 million and stock-based compensation of $1.4 million, partially offset by the cancelation of restricted stock to cover tax obligations on restricted stock vests, which resulted in a $911 thousand decrease to shareholders' equity, and the cumulative effect adjustment for the adoption of ASU 2016-13 Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (more commonly known as Current Expected Credit Losses or "CECL"), which resulted in a $870 thousand decrease to shareholders' equity.
   

Net income increased by $6.9 million to $15.2 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2023, compared to net income of $8.3 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2022.

1.   Net interest and dividend income before provision for credit losses increased by $13.5 million to $37.1 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2023, compared to $23.6 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2022. The increase was primarily due to the following:

• An increase in interest income earned on loans of $33.0 million, primarily due to an increase in interest income earned on the National Lending Division's originated and purchased portfolios, due to higher average balances and rates earned on both portfolios; and
• An increase in interest income earned on short-term investments of $2.5 million, primarily due to higher rates earned and higher average balances; partially offset by,
• An increase in deposit interest expense of $16.5 million, due to higher interest rates and higher average balances in interest-bearing deposits; and
• An increase in FHLB borrowings interest expense of $5.7 million, due to higher average balances and slightly higher rates.
  

The following table summarizes interest income and related yields recognized on the loan portfolios:

The components of total income on purchased loans are set forth in the table below entitled "Total Return on Purchased Loans." When compared to the quarter ended September 30, 2022, transactional income increased by $1.8 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2023, and regularly scheduled interest and accretion increased by $23.3 million primarily due to the increase in average balances. The total return on purchased loans for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 was 9.0%, an increase from 7.1% for the quarter ended September 30, 2022. The following table details the total return on purchased loans:

(1)   The total return on purchased loans represents scheduled accretion, accelerated accretion, and gains on real estate owned, and release of allowance for credit losses on purchased loans recorded during the period divided by the average invested balance on an annualized basis. The total return does not include the effect of purchased loan charge-offs or recoveries in the quarter. Total return is considered a non-GAAP financial measure.

      2.   The provision for credit losses for the first quarter of fiscal year 2024 was reported using the CECL methodology, whereas the first quarter of fiscal year 2023 provision for credit losses was reported using the incurred loss methodology. Provision for credit losses decreased by $660 thousand to a provision of $190 thousand for the quarter ended September 30, 2023, compared to a provision of $850 thousand in the quarter ended September 30, 2022. The decrease in the provision for credit losses reflects minimal change in loans during the quarter ended September 30, 2023 compared to an increase in the general reserve due to loan growth during the quarter ended September 30, 2022.

      3.   Noninterest income decreased by $880 thousand for the quarter ended September 30, 2023, compared to the quarter ended September 30, 2022, principally due to the following:

• A decrease in correspondent fee income of $1.3 million from the recognition of correspondent fees and related net servicing income; partially offset by,
• An increase in gain on sale of Small Business Administration ("SBA") loans of $215 thousand, due to the sale of $5.3 million in SBA loans during the quarter ended September 30, 2023; and
• An increase in fees for other services to customers of $140 thousand, due to higher commercial loan servicing fees.

      4.   Noninterest expense increased by $2.8 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 compared to the quarter ended September 30, 2022, primarily due to the following:

• An increase in salaries and employee benefits expense of $1.5 million, primarily due to increases in stock compensation expense, regular compensation expense, and incentive compensation expense;
• An increase in other noninterest expense of $434 thousand, primarily due to a decrease in the recovery on SBA servicing asset of $161 thousand, a $124 thousand increase in directors stock compensation expense, and a $71 thousand increase in meals and entertainment expense;
• An increase in professional fees of $265 thousand, primarily due to increases in other professional fees, legal fees, and internal audit fees; and
• An increase in deposit insurance expense of $260 thousand, primarily due to the increase in average assets and decrease in Tier 1 leverage ratio, which increased the Bank's assessment rate.
  

      5.   Income tax expense increased by $3.6 million to $7.2 million, or an effective tax rate of 32.0%, for the quarter ended September 30, 2023, compared to $3.5 million, or an effective tax rate of 29.9%, for the quarter ended September 30, 2022. The increase in income tax expense is due to the increase in pre-tax income. The increase in the effective tax rate from September 30, 2022 is primarily due to a $325 thousand decrease in tax benefit on the vest of restricted stock and exercise of stock options during the quarter ended September 30, 2023 as compared to the quarter ended September 30, 2022.

As of September 30, 2023, nonperforming assets totaled $17.4 million, or 0.69% of total assets, compared to $15.7 million, or 0.55% of total assets, as of June 30, 2023.

As of September 30, 2023, past due loans totaled $25.6 million, or 1.01% of total loans, compared to past due loans totaling $13.1 million, or 0.52% of total loans, as of June 30, 2023.

In the first quarter of fiscal year 2024, the Bank adopted CECL, effective July 1, 2023. Upon the adoption of CECL, $18.3 million of discount was transferred from the carrying balance of loans to the allowance for credit losses. The remaining impact resulting from the CECL adoption resulted in an increase in the allowance for credit losses of $1.2 million, which resulted in a decrease of $870 thousand in retained earnings. Under CECL, the allowance for credit losses was 1.00% of total loans at September 30, 2023.

As of September 30, 2023, the Bank's Tier 1 leverage capital ratio was 10.9%, compared to 10.4% at June 30, 2023, and the Total capital ratio was 13.5% at September 30, 2023, compared to 12.3% at June 30, 2023. Capital ratios increased primarily due to increased earnings and the Total capital ratio increased due to an increase in Tier 2 capital associated with the allowance for credit losses under CECL.

Investor Call Information
Rick Wayne, Chief Executive Officer, Jean-Pierre Lapointe, Chief Financial Officer, and Pat Dignan, Chief Operating Officer of Northeast Bank, will host a conference call to discuss first quarter earnings and business outlook at 10:00 a.m. Eastern Time on Tuesday, October 24^th. To access the conference call by phone, please go to this link (Phone Registration), and you will be provided with dial in details. The call will be available via live webcast, which can be viewed by accessing the Bank's website at www.northeastbank.com and clicking on the About Us - Investor Relations section. To listen to the webcast, attendees are encouraged to visit the website at least fifteen minutes early to register, download and install any necessary audio software. Please note there will also be a slide presentation that will accompany the webcast. For those who cannot listen to the live broadcast, a replay will be available online for one year at www.northeastbank.com.

About Northeast Bank
Northeast Bank (NASDAQ:NBN) is a full-service bank headquartered in Portland, Maine. We offer personal and business banking services to the Maine market via seven branches. Our National Lending Division purchases and originates commercial loans on a nationwide basis. ableBanking, a division of Northeast Bank, offers online savings products to consumers nationwide. Information regarding Northeast Bank can be found at www.northeastbank.com.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to results presented in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP"), this press release contains certain non-GAAP financial measures, including tangible common shareholders' equity, tangible book value per share, total return on purchased loans, and efficiency ratio. The Bank's management believes that the supplemental non-GAAP information is utilized by regulators and market analysts to evaluate a company's financial condition and therefore, such information is useful to investors. These disclosures should not be viewed as a substitute for financial results determined in accordance with GAAP, nor are they necessarily comparable to non-GAAP performance measures that may be presented by other companies. Because non-GAAP financial measures are not standardized, it may not be possible to compare these financial measures with other companies' non-GAAP financial measures having the same or similar names.

Forward-Looking Statements
Statements in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. We may also make forward-looking statements in other documents we file with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the "FDIC"), in our annual reports to our shareholders, in press releases and other written materials, and in oral statements made by our officers, directors or employees. You can identify forward-looking statements by the use of the words "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "estimate," "assume," "outlook," "will," "should," and other expressions that predict or indicate future events and trends and which do not relate to historical matters. Although the Bank believes that these forward-looking statements are based on reasonable estimates and assumptions, they are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors. You should not place undue reliance on our forward-looking statements. You should exercise caution in interpreting and relying on forward-looking statements because they are subject to significant risks, uncertainties and other factors which are, in some cases, beyond the Bank's control. The Bank's actual results could differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements as a result of, among other factors, changes in general business and economic conditions on a national basis and in the local markets in which the Bank operates, including changes which adversely affect borrowers' ability to service and repay loans; changes in customer behavior due to political, business and economic conditions, including inflation and concerns about liquidity; turbulence in the capital and debt markets; reductions in net interest income resulting from interest rate volatility as well as changes in the balances and mix of loans and deposits; changes in interest rates and real estate values; changes in loan collectability and increases in defaults and charge-off rates; decreases in the value of securities and other assets, adequacy of credit loss reserves, or deposit levels necessitating increased borrowing to fund loans and investments; changing government regulation; competitive pressures from other financial institutions; changes in legislation or regulation and accounting principles, policies and guidelines; cybersecurity incidents, fraud, natural disasters, and future pandemics; the risk that the Bank may not be successful in the implementation of its business strategy; the risk that intangibles recorded in the Bank's financial statements will become impaired; changes in assumptions used in making such forward-looking statements; and the other risks and uncertainties detailed in the Bank's Annual Report on Form 10-K and updated by our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and other filings submitted to the FDIC. These statements speak only as of the date of this release and the Bank does not undertake any obligation to update or revise any of these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances occurring after the date of this communication or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.

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