Poplar Bluff, Jan. 29, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc. (“Company”) (NASDAQ: SMBC), the parent corporation of Southern Bank (“Bank”), today announced preliminary net income for the second quarter of fiscal 2024 of $12.2 million, an increase of $529,000, or 4.5%, as compared to the same period of the prior fiscal year. The increase was attributable to increases in net interest income and noninterest income, and lower provision for credit losses and income taxes, partially offset by an increase in noninterest expense. Preliminary net income was $1.07 per fully diluted common share for the second quarter of fiscal 2024, a decrease of $0.19 as compared to the $1.26 per fully diluted common share reported for the same period of the prior fiscal year.   

Highlights for the second quarter of fiscal 2024:

• Earnings per common share (diluted) were $1.07, down $0.19, or 15.1%, as compared to the same quarter a year ago, and down $0.09, or 7.8% from the first quarter of fiscal 2024, the linked quarter.
  
  
• Annualized return on average assets (“ROAA”) was 1.07%, while annualized return on average common equity was 10.6%, as compared to 1.35% and 14.2%, respectively, in the same quarter a year ago, and 1.20% and 11.7%, respectively, in the first quarter of fiscal 2024, the linked quarter.
  
  
• During the quarter the bank sold bonds with a book value of $12.4 million, realizing a loss of $682,000 recognized in noninterest income. These proceeds were reinvested into $11.9 million in higher yielding fixed rate securities, which is expected to result in an earn back of the realized loss in under two years. Recognition of this loss during the quarter reduced after-tax net income by $541,000, earnings per diluted share by $0.05, and ROAA by five basis points.
  
  
• Net interest margin for the quarter was 3.25%, as compared to 3.45% reported for the year ago period, and 3.44% reported for the first quarter of fiscal 2024, the linked quarter. Net interest income increased $6.2 million, or 22.1% compared to the same quarter a year ago, and decreased $908,000 from the first quarter of fiscal 2024, the linked quarter.
  
  
• Noninterest expense was up 35.3% for the quarter, as compared to the same quarter a year ago, primarily as a result of the January 2023 merger with Citizens Bank & Trust (“Citizens”), and up 0.6% from the first quarter of fiscal 2024, the linked quarter. In the current quarter, there were no material charges attributable to merger activity, as compared to $606,000 in the same quarter a year ago, and as compared to $134,000 in the first quarter of fiscal 2024, the linked quarter.
  
  
• Gross loan balances as of December 31, 2023, increased by $32.2 million as compared to September 30, 2023, and by $736.9 million as compared to December 31, 2022. The Citizens merger, which closed during the third quarter of fiscal year 2023, increased loan balances by $447.4 million, net of fair value adjustment.
  
  
• Cash equivalent balances as of December 31, 2023, increased by $127.9 million as compared to September 30, 2023, and by $161.9 million as compared to December 31, 2022.
  
  
• Deposit balances increased by $153.8 million as compared to September 30, 2023, and by $989.1 million over the prior twelve months, which included an $851.1 million increase, net of fair value adjustments, attributable to the Citizens merger during the third quarter of fiscal 2023.
  
  

Dividend Declared:

The Board of Directors, on January 23, 2024, declared a quarterly cash dividend on common stock of $0.21, payable February 29, 2024, to stockholders of record at the close of business on February 15, 2024, marking the 119th consecutive quarterly dividend since the inception of the Company. The Board of Directors and management believe the payment of a quarterly cash dividend enhances stockholder value and demonstrates our commitment to and confidence in our future prospects.

Conference Call:

The Company will host a conference call to review the information provided in this press release on Tuesday, January 30, 2024, at 9:30 a.m., central time. The call will be available live to interested parties by calling 1-833-470-1428 in the United States and from all other locations. Participants should use participant access code 033446. Telephone playback will be available beginning one hour following the conclusion of the call through February 4, 2024. The playback may be accessed in the United States by dialing 1-866-813-9403, or 44-204-525-0658 from all other locations, and using the conference passcode 920256.

Balance Sheet Summary:

The Company experienced balance sheet growth in the first six months of fiscal 2024, with total assets of $4.6 billion at December 31, 2023, reflecting an increase of $283.3 million, or 6.5%, as compared to June 30, 2023. Growth primarily reflected an increase in cash equivalents and net loans receivable.

Cash and cash equivalents were a combined $217.1 million at December 31, 2023, an increase of $161.9 million, or 293.1%, as compared to June 30, 2023. The increase was primarily the result of strong deposit generation that outpaced loan growth during the period. AFS securities were $417.4 million at December 31, 2023, down $148,000, or roughly unchanged as compared to June 30, 2023.

Loans, net of the allowance for credit losses (ACL), were $3.7 billion at December 31, 2023, an increase of $110.7 million, or 3.1%, as compared to June 30, 2023. Gross loans increased by $113.0 million, while the ACL attributable to outstanding loan balances increased $2.3 million, or 4.7%, as compared to June 30, 2023. The increase in loan balances was attributable to growth in drawn construction loan balances, residential real estate loans, commercial loans, and commercial real estate loans. Our residential real estate loans, which are comprised of single-family and multi-family loans, increased due to increased single-family owner occupied and non-owner occupied real estate loans, which was partially offset by paydowns in loans secured by multi-family property. Commercial loan balances increased as the Company experienced growth of agriculture lines and commercial and industrial loans. Commercial real estate loan balances increased primarily from an increase in loans secured by non-owner occupied properties, partially offset by a decrease in loans secured by owner-occupied properties.

Loans anticipated to fund in the next 90 days totaled $140.5 million at December 31, 2023, as compared to $158.2 million at September 30, 2023, and $121.6 million at December 31, 2022.

The Bank’s concentration in non-owner occupied commercial real estate loans is estimated at 323.0% of Tier 1 capital and ACL on December 31, 2023, as compared to 330.2% as of June 30, 2023, with these loans representing 41.3% of total loans at December 31, 2023. Multi-family residential real estate, hospitality (hotels/restaurants), retail stand-alone, and strip centers are the most common collateral types within the non-owner occupied commercial real estate loan portfolio. The multi-family residential real estate loan portfolio commonly includes loans collateralized by properties currently in the low-income housing tax credit (LIHTC) program or having exited the program. The hospitality and retail stand-alone segments include primarily franchised businesses, and the strip centers can be defined as non-mall shopping centers with a variety of tenants. Non-owner occupied office property types included 38 loans totaling $30.0 million, or 0.81 % of total loans at December 31, 2023, none of which were adversely classified as of December 31, 2023, and are generally comprised of smaller spaces with diverse tenants. The Company continues to monitor its commercial real estate concentration and the individual segments closely.

Nonperforming loans (“NPLs”) were $5.9 million, or 0.16% of gross loans, at December 31, 2023, as compared to $7.7 million, or 0.21% of gross loans at June 30, 2023. Nonperforming assets (“NPAs”) were $9.8 million, or 0.21% of total assets, at December 31, 2023, as compared to $11.3 million, or 0.26% of total assets, at June 30, 2023. The decrease in NPAs was due to the decrease in NPLs, primarily attributable to the payoff of a $1.5 million NPL secured by commercial real estate acquired through the Citizens merger, which was partially offset by an increase in other real estate owned.

Our ACL at December 31, 2023, totaled $50.1 million, representing 1.34% of gross loans and 846% of nonperforming loans, as compared to an ACL of $47.8 million, representing 1.32% of gross loans and 625% of nonperforming loans at June 30, 2023. The Company has estimated its expected credit losses as of December 31, 2023, under ASC 326-20, and management believes the ACL as of that date was adequate based on that estimate. There remains, however, significant economic uncertainty as the Federal Reserve has significantly tightened monetary policy to address inflation. Management continues to closely monitor, in particular, borrowers in the hotel industry that were slow to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic.

Total liabilities were $4.2 billion at December 31, 2023, an increase of $259.2 million, or 6.6%, as compared to June 30, 2023.

Deposits were $4.0 billion at December 31, 2023, an increase of $269.4 million, or 7.2%, as compared to June 30, 2023. The deposit portfolio saw year-to-date increases in certificates of deposit and savings accounts, as customers remained willing to move balances into time deposits in the higher rate environment, and responded to special rates offered during the quarter. Public unit balances totaled $594.1 million at December 31, 2023, an increase of $15.6 million compared to June 30, 2023, and as compared to $524.0 million at December 31, 2022. Brokered deposits totaled $200.5 million at December 31, 2023, an increase of $40.9 million as compared to June 30, 2023, but a decrease of $22.7 million compared to September 30, 2023, the linked quarter. Compared to December 31, 2022, brokered deposits increased $91.3 million. The average loan-to-deposit ratio for the second quarter of fiscal 2023 was 94.1%, as compared to 97.8% for the quarter ended June 30, 2023, and 103.1% for the same period of the prior fiscal year. The table below illustrates changes in deposit balances by type over recent periods:

FHLB advances were $113.0 million at December 31, 2023, a decrease of $20.5 million, or 15.3%, as compared to June 30, 2023, as the Company utilized deposit growth to repay maturing FHLB advances. For the quarter ended December 31, 2023, the Company continued to have no FHLB overnight borrowings.

The Company’s stockholders’ equity was $470.2 million at December 31, 2023, an increase of $24.1 million, or 5.4%, as compared to June 30, 2023. The increase was attributable primarily to earnings retained after cash dividends paid, in combination with a $3.1 million reduction in accumulated other comprehensive losses (“AOCL”) as the market value of the Company’s investments appreciated due to the decrease in market interest rates. The AOCL totaled $18.8 million at December 31, 2023 compared $21.9 million at June 30, 2023. The Company does not hold any securities classified as held-to-maturity.

Quarterly Income Statement Summary:

The Company’s net interest income for the three-month period ended December 31, 2023, was $34.5 million, an increase of $6.2 million, or 22.1%, as compared to the same period of the prior fiscal year. The increase was attributable to a 29.8% increase in the average balance of interest-earning assets due primarily to the Citizens merger, partially offset by a decrease in net interest margin to 3.25% in the current three-month period, from 3.45% in the same period a year ago.

Loan discount accretion and deposit premium amortization related to the Company’s November 2018 merger with First Commercial Bank, the May 2020 merger with Central Federal Savings & Loan Association, the February 2022 merger with FortuneBank, and the January 2023 merger with Citizens resulted in $1.5 million in net interest income for the three-month period ended December 31, 2023, as compared to $493,000 in net interest income for the same period a year ago. Combined, this component of net interest income contributed 14 basis points to net interest margin in the three-month period ended December 31, 2023, compared to six basis points during the same period of the prior fiscal year, and as compared to a 16 basis point contribution in the linked quarter, ended September 30, 2023, when the net interest margin was 3.44%.

The Company recorded a PCL of $900,000 in the three-month period ended December 31, 2023, as compared to $1.1 million in the same period of the prior fiscal year. The current period PCL was the result of a $1.9 million provision attributable to the ACL for loan balances outstanding, partially offset by a recovery of $1.0 million in provision attributable to the allowance for off-balance sheet credit exposures, as construction draws reduced available credit and increased on-balance sheet exposure. The Company’s assessment of the economic outlook was little changed as compared to the assessment as of June 30, 2023. As a percentage of average loans outstanding, the Company recorded net charge offs of 10 basis points (annualized) during the current period, compared to four basis points (annualized) during the same period of the prior fiscal year. In the current period, about half of the realized losses were attributable to one real estate relationship acquired in the Citizens merger.

The Company’s noninterest income for the three-month period ended December 31, 2023, was $5.6 million, an increase of $184,000, or 3.4%, as compared to the same period of the prior fiscal year. In the current quarter, increases in bank card interchange income; increased fiduciary and investment management fees resulting from the Citizens merger; increased gains on sales from both residential and SBA loans; and earnings on bank owned life insurance were partially offset by losses realized on sales of AFS securities and a decrease in other noninterest income. Interchange revenue has increased as compared to the year ago period as a result of the Citizens merger. The decrease in other income as compared to the three-month period ended December 31, 2022, was attributable to the inclusion in the prior-year period of a one-time gain on the sale of fixed assets of $317,000.

Noninterest expense for the three-month period ended December 31, 2023, was $23.9 million, an increase of $6.2 million, or 35.3%, as compared to the same period of the prior fiscal year. In the current quarter, the increase in noninterest expense was attributable primarily to increases in compensation and benefits, occupancy expenses, data processing fees, increased amortization of intangible assets resulting from the Citizens merger, and deposit insurance premiums. The increase in compensation and benefits as compared to the prior year period was primarily due to increased headcount resulting from the Citizens merger, and a trend increase in legacy employee headcount, as well as annual merit increases. Occupancy expenses increased primarily due to facilities added through the Citizens merger, and other equipment purchases. The Company’s increase in data processing costs relates to the growing volume of transaction activity, increased costs of software licensing, and new programs for lending and fiduciary and asset management. The increase in deposit insurance premiums was primarily due to the increase in the assessment base following the Citizens merger as well as the FDIC’s increased base assessment rates effective January 2023. Partially offsetting these increases from the prior year period are lower legal and professional fees attributable to the Citizens merger.

The efficiency ratio for the three-month period ended December 31, 2023, was 58.5%, as compared to 52.3% in the same period of the prior fiscal year. The change was attributable to noninterest expense growing faster than revenues, as revenue growth has slowed due to margin compression and changes in the Company’s policies for NSF charges.

The income tax provision for the three-month period ended December 31, 2023, was $3.2 million, relatively unchanged as compared to the same period of the prior fiscal year. The current period effective tax rate was 20.6%, as compared to 21.9% in the same quarter of the prior fiscal year. The effective tax rate for the December 31, 2022, quarter was slightly elevated due to higher non-deductible expenses associated with the Citizens merger.

Forward-Looking Information:

Except for the historical information contained herein, the matters discussed in this press release may be deemed to be forward-looking statements that are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements, including: potential adverse impacts to the economic conditions in the Company’s local market areas, other markets where the Company has lending relationships, or other aspects of the Company’s business operations or financial markets, generally, resulting from the continuing COVID-19 pandemic and any governmental or societal responses thereto; expected cost savings, synergies and other benefits from our merger and acquisition activities might not be realized to the extent anticipated, within the anticipated time frames, or at all, and costs or difficulties relating to integration matters, including but not limited to customer and employee retention and labor shortages, might be greater than expected; the strength of the United States economy in general and the strength of the local economies in which we conduct operations; fluctuations in interest rates and the possibility of a recession; monetary and fiscal policies of the FRB and the U.S. Government and other governmental initiatives affecting the financial services industry; the risks of lending and investing activities, including changes in the level and direction of loan delinquencies and write-offs and changes in estimates of the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses; our ability to access cost-effective funding; the timely development of and acceptance of our new products and services and the perceived overall value of these products and services by users, including the features, pricing and quality compared to competitors' products and services; fluctuations in real estate values and both residential and commercial real estate markets, as well as agricultural business conditions; demand for loans and deposits; legislative or regulatory changes that adversely affect our business; changes in accounting principles, policies, or guidelines; results of regulatory examinations, including the possibility that a regulator may, among other things, require an increase in our reserve for loan losses or write-down of assets; the impact of technological changes; and our success at managing the risks involved in the foregoing. Any forward-looking statements are based upon management’s beliefs and assumptions at the time they are made. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those contained in such statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking statements discussed might not occur, and you should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements.    

Southern Missouri Bancorp, Inc.
UNAUDITED CONDENSED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION

(1)   Nonperforming modifications (referred to as troubled debt restructurings, or TDRs, prior to the July 1, 2023 adoption of ASU 2022-02) are included with nonaccrual loans or accruing loans 90 days or more past due.

Stefan Chkautovich, CFO
573-778-1800