On April 23, 2015, the Company and Focus Business Bank (“Focus”) jointly announced the execution of a definitive agreement and plan of merger and reorganization whereby Focus will merge into Heritage Bank of Commerce in a transaction valued at approximately $59.0 million. The transaction combines two of the leading commercial banking franchises in San Jose, California with more than $2 billion in combined assets. Shareholders of Focus will receive a fixed exchange ratio at closing of 1.8235 shares of the Company’s common stock for each share of Focus common stock. Based on the Company’s stock price as of June 30, 2015, total consideration for each Focus share would be $17.52.
The Company and the Bank have received regulatory approvals from both the Federal Reserve Board of San Francisco and the California Department of Business Oversight for the merger of the Company and Focus. The transaction is subject to the approval of the shareholders of the Company and Focus. The Company and Focus will hold their respective special shareholder meetings on August 11, 2015, at 1:00 p.m. PDT. The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2015, pending shareholder approval and the satisfaction of other customary closing conditions.
Focus is a California-based bank with approximately $408 million in assets at June 30, 2015, with a single branch located in downtown San Jose, CA. As of June 30, 2015, on a pro forma consolidated basis, the combined company would have had approximately $2 billion in assets. The pre‑tax acquisition costs incurred by the Company related to the Focus transaction totaled $542,000 during the first six months of 2015, of which $423,000 was incurred during the second quarter of 2015, and $119,000 was incurred during the first quarter of 2015.
Operating Results
Primarily as a result of growth in the loan portfolio, contribution to revenue from Bay View Funding, a special dividend of $203,000 paid by the FHLB, and increases in core deposits, net interest income increased 29% to $17.6 million for the second quarter of 2015, compared to $13.7 million for the second quarter of 2014, and increased 5% from $16.9 million for the first quarter of 2015. Net interest income increased 28% to $34.5 million for the six months ended June 30, 2015, compared to $27.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2014.
The net interest margin (FTE) expanded to 4.66% for the second quarter of 2015, compared to 4.07% for the second quarter of 2014, and 4.58% for the first quarter of 2015. For the six months ended June 30, 2015, net interest margin increased 56 basis points to 4.62%, from 4.06% for the six months ended June 30, 2014. The increase was primarily due to revenue from the higher yielding Bay View Funding factored receivables portfolio, and the special dividend paid by the FHLB.
There was a $22,000 provision for loan losses for the second quarter of 2015, compared to a $198,000 credit provision for loan losses for the second quarter of 2014, and a $60,000 credit provision for loan losses for the first quarter of 2015. There was a $38,000 credit provision for loan losses for the six months ended June 30, 2015, compared to a $208,000 credit provision for loan losses for the six months ended June 30, 2014.
Noninterest income was $2.2 million for the second quarter of 2015, compared to $2.0 million for the second quarter of 2014, and $1.9 million for the first quarter of 2015. For the six months ended June 30, 2015 and June 30, 2014, noninterest income was $4.1 million.
Total noninterest expense for the second quarter of 2015 increased to $12.6 million, from $10.8 million for the second quarter of 2014, and increased from $12.3 million for the first quarter of 2015. Noninterest expense for the six months ended June 30, 2015 increased 17% to $24.9 million, compared to $21.3 million for the six months ended June 30, 2014. The increase in noninterest expense for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2015, was primarily due to the operating costs of Bay View Funding and costs related to the Focus transaction. The pre‑tax acquisition costs incurred by the Company related to the Focus transaction totaled $542,000 during the first six months of 2015, of which $423,000 was incurred during the second quarter of 2015, and $119,000 was incurred during the first quarter of 2015. Full time equivalent employees were 243, 203, and 243 at June 30, 2015, June 30, 2014, and March 31, 2015, respectively.
Primarily due to a higher net interest income, the efficiency ratio for the second quarter of 2015 improved to 63.70%, compared to 68.45% for the second quarter of 2014, and 65.35% for the first quarter of 2015. The efficiency ratio for the six months ended June 30, 2015 was 64.51%, compared to 68.57% for the six months ended June 30, 2014. The decrease in the efficiency ratio in the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2015 compared to the same periods in 2014 was primarily due to higher net interest income and noninterest income, partially offset by higher noninterest expense.
Income tax expense for the second quarter of 2015 was $2.7 million, compared to $1.8 million for the second quarter of 2014, and $2.4 million for the first quarter of 2015. The effective tax rate for the second quarter of 2015 increased to 37.5%, compared to 35.6% for the second quarter of 2014 and 37.0% for the first quarter of 2015. Income tax expense for the six months ended June 30, 2015 was $5.1 million, compared to $3.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2014. The effective tax rate for the six months ended June 30, 2015 was 37.3%, compared to 35.8% for the six months ended June 30, 2014. The difference in the effective tax rate for the periods reported, compared to the combined Federal and state statutory tax rate of 42%, is primarily the result of the Company’s investment in life insurance policies whose earnings are not subject to taxes, tax credits related to investments in low income housing limited partnerships (net of low income housing investment losses), and tax-exempt interest income earned on municipal bonds. The increase in the effective tax rate for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2015, was primarily due to higher pre-tax income, while the net credits related to investment in low income housing limited partnerships and tax-exempt interest income earned on municipal bonds remained relatively flat.
Balance Sheet Review, Capital Management and Credit Quality
Total assets were $1.68 billion at June 30, 2015, compared to $1.48 billion at June 30, 2014, and $1.65 billion at March 31, 2015.
The investment securities available-for-sale portfolio totaled $209.1 million at June 30, 2015, compared to $261.5 million at June 30, 2014, and $200.8 million at March 31, 2015. At June 30, 2015, the securities available-for-sale portfolio was comprised of $157.6 million agency mortgage-backed securities (all issued by U.S. Government sponsored entities), $36.3 million of corporate bonds, and $15.2 million of single entity issue trust preferred securities. The pre-tax unrealized gain on securities available-for-sale at June 30, 2015 was $2.4 million, compared to a pre-tax unrealized gain on securities available-for-sale of $4.5 million at June 30, 2014, and a pre-tax unrealized gain on securities available-for-sale of $5.7 million at March 31, 2015. During the second quarter of 2015, the Company purchased $20.0 million of agency mortgage-backed securities available-for-sale with an aggregate book yield of 1.89% and duration of 4.89 years.
At June 30, 2015, investment securities held-to-maturity totaled $100.3 million, compared to $96.0 million at June 30, 2014, and $94.6 million at March 31, 2015. At June 30, 2015, the securities held-to-maturity portfolio, at amortized cost, was comprised of $83.5 million tax-exempt municipal bonds and $16.8 million agency mortgage-backed securities. During the second quarter of 2015, the Company purchased $3.2 million of agency mortgage-backed securities held-to-maturity with an aggregate book yield of 2.60% and duration of 5.96 years, and purchased $3.6 million of tax-exempt municipal securities held-to-maturity with an aggregate book yield of 2.74% and duration of 13.10 years.
Loans, excluding loans held-for-sale, increased 14% to $1.13 billion at June 30, 2015, from $990.3 million at June 30, 2014, and increased 3% from $1.10 billion at March 31, 2015. The loan portfolio remains well-diversified with commercial and industrial (“C&I”) loans accounting for 42% of the loan portfolio at June 30, 2015, which included $42.3 million of factored receivables at Bay View Funding. Commercial and residential real estate loans accounted for 45% of the total loan portfolio, of which 48% were owner-occupied by businesses. Consumer and home equity loans accounted for 7% of total loans, and land and construction loans accounted for the remaining 6% of total loans at June 30, 2015. C&I line usage was 40% at June 30, 2015, compared to 42% at June 30, 2014, and 37% at March 31, 2015.
The yield on the loan portfolio was 5.66% for the second quarter of 2015, compared to 4.78% for the second quarter of 2014, and 5.71% for the first quarter of 2015. The yield on the loan portfolio was 5.69% for the six months ended June 30, 2015, compared to 4.82% for the six months ended June 30, 2014. The increase in the yield on the loan portfolio for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2015 compared to the same periods in 2014, primarily reflects the higher yielding Bay View Funding factored receivables portfolio.
NPAs at June 30, 2015 were $5.3 million, or 0.31% of total assets, compared to $8.7 million, or 0.59% of total assets, at June 30, 2014, and $8.4 million, or 0.51% of total assets, at March 31, 2015. At June 30, 2015, the NPAs included no loans guaranteed by the SBA. Foreclosed assets were $421,000 at June 30, 2015, compared to $525,000 at June 30, 2014, and $1.7 million at March 31, 2015. The following is a breakout of NPAs at the periods indicated:
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End of Period:
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NONPERFORMING ASSETS
|
|
June 30, 2015
|
|
|
March 31, 2015
|
|
|
June 30, 2014
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(in $000's, unaudited)
|
|
Balance
|
|
|
% of Total
|
|
|
Balance
|
|
|
% of Total
|
|
|
Balance
|
|
|
% of Total
|
Commercial real estate loans
|
|
$
|
3,160
|
|
|
|
60
|
%
|
|
$
|
4,151
|
|
|
|
49%
|
|
|
$
|
1,693
|
|
|
|
20%
|
SBA loans
|
|
|
741
|
|
|
|
14
|
%
|
|
|
799
|
|
|
|
10%
|
|
|
|
2,963
|
|
|
|
34%
|
Land and construction loans
|
|
|
500
|
|
|
|
10
|
%
|
|
|
1,290
|
|
|
|
15%
|
|
|
|
1,688
|
|
|
|
19%
|
Foreclosed assets
|
|
|
421
|
|
|
|
8
|
%
|
|
|
1,716
|
|
|
|
20%
|
|
|
|
525
|
|
|
|
6%
|
Home equity and consumer loans
|
|
|
327
|
|
|
|
6
|
%
|
|
|
342
|
|
|
|
4%
|
|
|
|
578
|
|
|
|
7%
|
Commercial and industrial loans
|
|
|
104
|
|
|
|
2
|
%
|
|
|
151
|
|
|
|
2%
|
|
|
|
766
|
|
|
|
9%
|
Restructured and loans over 90 days past due and accruing
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
0
|
%
|
|
|
-
|
|
|
|
0%
|
|
|
|
454
|
|
|
|
5%
|
Total nonperforming assets
|
|
$
|
5,253
|
|
|
|
100
|
%
|
|
$
|
8,449
|
|
|
|
100%
|
|
|
$
|
8,667
|
|
|
|
100%
|