Peoples Bancorp Announces Third Quarter Earnings R

NEWTON, N.C., Oct. 21, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Peoples Bancorp of North Carolina, Inc. (Nasdaq: PEBK ), the parent company of Peoples Bank, reported third quarter earnings results with highlights as follows:

Highlights:

• Net earnings were $1.9 million or $0.34 basic and diluted net earnings per share for the three months ended September 30, 2013, before adjustment for preferred stock dividends and accretion, as compared to $1.4 million or $0.25 basic and diluted net earnings per share, before adjustment for preferred stock dividends and accretion, for the same period one year ago.
• Net earnings available to common shareholders were $1.8 million or $0.31 basic and diluted net earnings per common share for the three months ended September 30, 2013, as compared to $1.3 million or $0.23 basic and diluted net earnings per common share, for the same period one year ago.
• Earnings before securities gains and income taxes were $2.8 million for the three months ended September 30, 2013 compared to $1.8 million for the same period one year ago.
• Core deposits were $678.0 million, or 84.9% of total deposits at September 30, 2013, compared to $624.5 million, or 81.3% of total deposits at September 30, 2012.

Lance A. Sellers, President and Chief Executive Officer, attributed the increase in third quarter earnings to a decrease in the provision for loan losses, a decrease in non-interest expense, an increase in non-interest income and an increase in net interest income.

Net interest income was $7.9 million for the three months ended September 30, 2013, compared to $7.8 million for the same period one year ago. This increase was primarily due to a decrease in interest expense due to a reduction in the cost of funds and a reduction in interest bearing liabilities, which were partially offset by a decrease in interest income resulting from a decrease in loans and a decrease in the yield on earning assets. Net interest income after the provision for loan losses increased to $7.6 million during the third quarter of 2013, compared to $7.1 million for the same period one year ago. The provision for loan losses for the three months ended September 30, 2013 was $337,000, as compared to $761,000 for the same period one year ago. The decrease in the provision for loan losses is primarily attributable to a $4.7 million reduction in non-accrual loans from September 30, 2012 to September 30, 2013 and a reduction in net charge-offs of $338,000 during the three months ended September 30, 2013, as compared to the same period one year ago.

Non-interest income was $3.1 million for the three months ended September 30, 2013, compared to $2.9 million for the same period one year ago. This increase is primarily attributable to a $215,000 reduction in losses and write-downs on other real estate owned properties for the three months ended September 30, 2013, as compared to the same period one year ago.

Non-interest expense was $7.9 million for the three months ended September 30, 2013, as compared to $8.2 million for the same period one year ago. This decrease is primarily attributable to a $329,000 decrease in non-interest expenses other than salary, employee benefits and occupancy expenses for the three months ended September 30, 2013, as compared to the same period one year ago.   The decrease in non-interest expenses other than salary, employee benefits and occupancy expenses is primarily due to a $121,000 decrease in foreclosure related expenses in the third quarter of 2013 compared to the third quarter of 2012 and $62,000 in expenses incurred in the third quarter of 2012 as a result of the Company's purchase of 12,530 shares of the Company's 25,054 outstanding shares of preferred stock from the U.S. Department of the Treasury ("UST"), which was issued to the UST in connection with the Company's participation in the Capital Purchase Program under the Troubled Asset Relief Program in 2008. 

Year-to-date net earnings as of September 30, 2013 were $5.3 million, or $0.95 basic net earnings per share and $0.94 diluted net earnings per share, before adjustment for preferred stock dividends and accretion, as compared to $4.6 million, or $0.83 basic and diluted net earnings per share, before adjustment for preferred stock dividends and accretion, for the same period one year ago. After adjusting for dividends and accretion on preferred stock, net earnings available to common shareholders for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 were $4.8 million, or $0.86 basic and diluted net earnings per common share, as compared to $3.7 million, or $0.67 basic and diluted net earnings per common share, for the same period one year ago. The increase in year-to-date earnings is primarily attributable to a decrease in the provision for loan losses, which was partially offset by an aggregate decrease in net interest income and an aggregate increase in non-interest expense, as discussed below. 

Year-to-date net interest income as of September 30, 2013 decreased 3.0% to $23.1 million compared to $23.8 million for the same period one year ago.   This decrease is primarily attributable to a decrease in interest income resulting from decreases in the year-to-date average balances outstanding on loans and a decrease in the yield on earning assets, which were partially offset by a decrease in interest expense due to a reduction in the cost of funds and a reduction in interest bearing liabilities. Net interest income after the provision for loan losses increased 7.9% to $20.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2013, compared to $19.4 million for the same period one year ago. The provision for loan losses for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 was $2.2 million, as compared to $4.4 million for the same period one year ago. The decrease in the provision for loan losses is primarily attributable to a $1.7 million decrease in net charge-offs during the nine months ended September 30, 2013 compared to the same period one year ago and a $4.7 million reduction in non-accrual loans from September 30, 2012 to September 30, 2013.

Non-interest income was $9.9 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2013 and 2012. Decreases in services charges and fees, mortgage banking income and gain on sale of securities, were offset by a $426,000 reduction in losses and write-downs on other real estate owned properties for the nine months ended September 30, 2013, as compared to the same period one year ago.

Non-interest expense was $23.6 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2013, as compared to $23.3 million for the same period one year ago. This increase is primarily due to a $654,000 increase in salaries and employee benefits expense, which was primarily due to salary increases, an increase in the number of full-time equivalent employees and an increase in sales incentive expense during the nine months ended September 30, 2013, as compared to the same period one year ago.

Total assets amounted to $1.0 billion as of September 30, 2013 and 2012. Available for sale securities increased 7.1% to $301.8 million as of September 30, 2013, compared to $281.8 million as of September 30, 2012. This increase reflects the investment of additional funds received from growth in deposits and a decrease in loans. Total loans amounted to $617.1 million as of September 30, 2013, compared to $625.8 million as of September 30, 2012. This decrease is primarily due to the anticipated reduction in existing loans through the work-through of problem loans and normal principal repayments, which have exceeded loan originations.

Non-performing assets declined to $19.1 million or 1.8% of total assets at September 30, 2013, compared to $27.8 million or 2.8% of total assets at September 30, 2012, primarily due to a $4.7 million decrease in non-accrual loans and a $3.8 million decrease in other real estate owned. Non-performing loans include $7.0 million in acquisition, development and construction ("AD&C") loans, $9.2 million in commercial and residential mortgage loans and $153,000 in other loans at September 30, 2013, as compared to $10.9 million in AD&C loans, $9.9 million in commercial and residential mortgage loans and $481,000 in other loans at September 30, 2012. The allowance for loan losses at September 30, 2013 was $13.9 million or 2.3% of total loans, compared to $16.6 million or 2.6% of total loans at September 30, 2012. According to Mr. Sellers, management believes the current level of the allowance for loan losses is adequate; however, there is no assurance that additional adjustments to the allowance will not be required because of changes in economic conditions, regulatory requirements or other factors.

Deposits amounted to $798.3 million as of September 30, 2013, compared to $768.5 million at September 30, 2012. Core deposits, which include non-interest bearing demand deposits, NOW, MMDA, savings and non-brokered certificates of deposit of denominations less than $100,000, increased $53.5 million to $678.0 million at September 30, 2013, as compared to $624.5 million at September 30, 2012. Certificates of deposit in amounts of $100,000 or more totaled $120.2 million at September 30, 2013, as compared to $143.2 million at September 30, 2012. This decrease is attributable to a $5.9 million decrease in brokered certificates of deposit combined with a decrease in retail certificates of deposit as intended as part of the Bank's pricing strategy to allow maturing high cost certificates of deposit to roll-off.

Securities sold under agreements to repurchase were $48.2 million at September 30, 2013, as compared to $43.1 million at September 30, 2012. 

Shareholders' equity was $95.7 million, or 9.2% of total assets, as of September 30, 2013, compared to $96.8 million, or 9.6% of total assets, as of September 30, 2012. 

Peoples Bank operates 22 offices entirely in North Carolina, with offices in Catawba, Alexander, Lincoln, Mecklenburg, Union, Iredell and Wake Counties. The Company's common stock is publicly traded and is quoted on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol "PEBK."

Statements made in this press release, other than those concerning historical information, should be considered forward-looking statements pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and are based on the beliefs and assumptions of management and on the information available to management at the time that this release was prepared. These statements can be identified by the use of words like "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," and "believe," variations of these words and other similar expressions. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, (1) competition in the markets served by Peoples Bank, (2) changes in the interest rate environment, (3) general national, regional or local economic conditions may be less favorable than expected, resulting in, among other things, a deterioration in credit quality and the possible impairment of collectibility of loans, (4) legislative or regulatory changes, including changes in accounting standards, (5) significant changes in the federal and state legal and regulatory environment and tax laws, (6) the impact of changes in monetary and fiscal policies, laws, rules and regulations and (7) other risks and factors identified in the Company's other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including but not limited to those described in the Company's annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012.

Lance A. Sellers President and Chief Executive Officer A. Joseph Lampron, Jr. Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer 828-464-5620, Fax 828-465-6780