AUBN Auburn National Bancorporation Inc

Third Quarter 2015 Highlights:

Auburn National Bancorporation, Inc. (Nasdaq:AUBN) reported net earnings of $1.9 million, or $0.52 per share, for the third quarter of 2015, compared to $1.9 million, or $0.51 per share, for the third quarter of 2014.  Net earnings for the first nine months of 2015 were $5.9 million, or $1.63 per share, compared to $5.6 million, or $1.52 per share, for the first nine months of 2014.

“The Company’s third quarter results reflect solid loan growth and continued improvements in our cost of funds,” said E.L. Spencer, Jr., President, CEO and Chairman of the Board.

Net interest income (tax-equivalent) was $6.0 million for the third quarter of 2015, an increase of 4% compared to the third quarter of 2014.  This increase reflects management’s efforts to increase earnings by shifting the Company’s asset mix through loan growth, focusing on deposit pricing, and reducing higher-cost wholesale funding.   Average loans were $416.2 million in the third quarter of 2015, an increase of $26.8 million or 7%, from the third quarter of 2014.  Average deposits were $715.0 million in the third quarter of 2015, an increase of $36.2 million or 5%, from the first nine months of 2014.

Nonperforming assets were $3.9 million, or 0.48% of total assets, at September 30, 2015, compared to $2.9 million, or 0.37% of total assets, at September 30, 2014.  Annualized net recoveries were 0.04% of average loans for the third quarter of 2015, compared to annualized net charge-offs of 0.28% of average loans for the third quarter of 2014. The Company recorded $0.2 million in provision for loan losses in the third quarter of 2015, compared to $0.3 million in the third quarter of 2014.  Provision expense reflects the absolute level of loans, loan growth, the credit quality of the loan portfolio, and the amount of net charge-offs.  Our allowance for loan losses was 1.21% of total loans at September 30, 2015, compared to 1.20% of total loans at September 30, 2014.                                                                                                                                                     Noninterest income was $1.1 million for the third quarter of 2015, compared to $1.0 million in the third quarter of 2014.  Mortgage lending income decreased by $0.2 million due to a decrease in origination income of $0.1 million and a decrease of $0.1 million in servicing fees, net of related amortization expense.  Although servicing fees were unchanged, amortization expense increased due to faster prepayment speeds.  The decrease in mortgage lending income was largely offset by an increase in securities gains and (losses), net of $0.2 million.  The Company had no realized losses on the sale of securities in the third quarter of 2015, compared to $0.2 million in the third quarter of 2014. Losses realized on the sale of securities in the third quarter of 2014 were solely due to changes in interest rates and not the credit quality of the securities.

Noninterest expense was $3.9 million in the third quarter of 2015, compared to $3.6 million in the third quarter of 2014.  The increase was primarily due to an increase in net expenses related to OREO of $0.2 million.  Net expenses related to OREO increased compared to the third quarter of 2014 primarily due to gains realized on the sale of certain OREO properties in the third quarter of 2014.

Income tax expense was $0.7 million for the third quarter of 2015 and 2014. The Company's income tax expense for the third quarter of 2015 reflects an effective income tax rate of 27.49%, compared to 27.47% for the third quarter of 2014. The Company’s income tax expense is principally affected by tax-exempt earnings on municipal securities investments and bank-owned life insurance. 

The Company paid cash dividends of $0.22 per share in the third quarter of 2015, an increase of 2.3% from the same period in 2014. At September 30, 2015, the Bank’s regulatory capital was well above the minimum amounts required to be “well capitalized” under current regulatory standards.

About Auburn National Bancorporation, Inc.

Auburn National Bancorporation, Inc. (the “Company”) is the parent company of AuburnBank (the “Bank”), with total assets of approximately $818 million. The Bank is an Alabama state-chartered bank that is a member of the Federal Reserve System and has operated continuously since 1907. Both the Company and the Bank are headquartered in Auburn, Alabama. The Bank conducts its business in East Alabama, including Lee County and surrounding areas. The Bank operates full-service branches in Auburn, Opelika, Valley, Hurtsboro and Notasulga, Alabama.  In-store branches are located in the Kroger and Wal-Mart SuperCenter stores in Opelika. The Bank also operates a commercial loan production office in Phenix City, Alabama. Additional information about the Company and the Bank may be found by visiting www.auburnbank.com. 

Cautionary Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Securities Act of 1933 and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including, without limitation, statements about future financial and operating results, costs and revenues, economic conditions in our markets, loan demand, mortgage lending activity, changes in the mix of our earning assets (including those generating tax exempt income) and our deposit  and wholesale liabilities, net interest margin, yields on earning assets, securities valuations and performance, interest rates (generally and those applicable to our assets and liabilities), loan performance, nonperforming assets, other real estate owned, loan losses, charge-offs, other-than-temporary impairments, collateral values, credit quality, asset sales, and market trends, as well as statements with respect to our objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements that are not historical facts. Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements, with respect to our beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, expectations, anticipations, estimates and intentions, involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control, and which may cause the actual results, performance, achievements, or financial condition of the Company or the Bank to be materially different from future results, performance, achievements, or financial condition expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. You should not expect us to update any forward-looking statements.

All written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary notice, together with those risks and uncertainties described in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014 and otherwise in our other SEC reports and filings.

Explanation of Certain Unaudited Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release contains financial information determined by methods other than U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). The attached financial highlights include certain designated net interest income amounts presented on a tax-equivalent basis, a non-GAAP financial measure, including the presentation and calculation of the efficiency ratio. Management uses these non-GAAP financial measures in its analysis of the Company’s performance and believes the presentation of net interest income on a tax-equivalent basis provides comparability of net interest income from both taxable and tax-exempt sources and facilitates comparability within the industry.  Although the Company believes these non-GAAP financial measures enhance investors’ understanding of its business and performance, these non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered an alternative to GAAP. Along with the attached financial highlights, the Company provides reconciliations between the GAAP financial measures and these non-GAAP financial measures.

 

Reports Third Quarter Net Earnings
Financial Highlights (unaudited)
		Quarter ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)			2015				2014				2015					2014
Results of Operations
Net interest income (a)	$		6,011			$	5,769		$		17,995			$		16,928
Less: tax-equivalent adjustment			341				321				1,014					957
Net interest income (GAAP)			5,670				5,448				16,981					15,971
Noninterest income			1,056				1,017				3,544					2,854
Total revenue			6,726				6,465				20,525					18,825
Provision for loan losses			200				300				200					(100	)
Noninterest expense			3,892				3,584				12,235					11,324
Income tax expense			724				709				2,168					2,049
Net earnings	$		1,910			$	1,872		$		5,922			$		5,552
Per share data:
Basic and diluted net earnings:	$		0.52			$	0.51		$		1.63			$		1.52
Cash dividends declared	$		0.22			$	0.215		$		0.66			$		0.645
Weighted average shares outstanding:
Basic and diluted			3,643,416				3,643,328				3,643,392					3,643,262
Shares outstanding, at period end			3,643,465				3,643,328				3,643,465					3,643,328
Book value	$		21.85			$	20.09		$		21.85			$		20.09
Common stock price:
High	$		27.80			$	24.92		$		27.80			$		25.80
Low			25.78				23.17				23.15					22.90
Period-end:			26.47				24.64				26.47					24.64
To earnings ratio			12.37		x		12.38	x			12.37		x			12.38		x
To book value			121		%		123	%			121		%			123		%
Performance ratios:
Return on average equity (annualized)			9.75		%		10.19	%			10.12		%			10.65		%
Return on average assets (annualized)			0.95		%		0.97	%			0.99		%			0.96		%
Dividend payout ratio			42.31		%		42.16	%			40.49		%			42.43		%
Other financial data:
Net interest margin (a)			3.13		%		3.16	%			3.19		%			3.15		%
Effective income tax rate			27.49		%		27.47	%			26.80		%			26.96		%
Efficiency ratio (b)			55.07		%		52.81	%			56.80		%			57.24		%
Asset Quality:
Nonperforming assets:
Nonperforming (nonaccrual) loans	$		3,650			$	1,690		$		3,650			$		1,690
Other real estate owned			278				1,215				278					1,215
Total nonperforming assets	$		3,928			$	2,905		$		3,928			$		2,905
Net (recoveries) charge-offs	$		(41	)		$	274		$		(91	)		$		414
Allowance for loan losses as a % of:
Loans			1.21		%		1.20	%			1.21		%			1.20		%
Nonperforming loans			140		%		281	%			140		%			281		%
Nonperforming assets as a % of:
Loans and other real estate owned			0.93		%		0.73	%			0.93		%			0.73		%
Total assets			0.48		%		0.37	%			0.48		%			0.37		%
Nonperforming loans as a % of total loans			0.86		%		0.43	%			0.86		%			0.43		%
Net (recoveries) charge-offs as % of avg. loans (c)			(0.04	)	%		0.28	%			(0.03	)	%			0.14		%
Selected average balances:
Securities	$		251,393			$	274,155		$		258,299			$		272,180
Loans, net of unearned income			416,210				389,392				406,343					381,947
Total assets			806,764				771,685				800,255					768,756
Total deposits			714,960				678,738				706,754					680,560
Long-term debt			7,217				12,217				8,646					12,217
Total stockholders' equity			78,387				73,499				78,037					69,503
Selected period end balances:
Securities	$		250,142			$	264,827		$		250,142			$		264,827
Loans, net of unearned income			422,572				394,602				422,572					394,602
Allowance for loan losses			5,127				4,754				5,127					4,754
Total assets			817,994				781,136				817,994					781,136
Total deposits			724,311				680,763				724,311					680,763
Long-term debt			7,217				12,217				7,217					12,217
Total stockholders' equity			79,599				73,193				79,599					73,193
(a) Tax equivalent. See “Explanation of Certain Unaudited Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and “Reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP Measures (unaudited).”
(b) Efficiency ratio is the result of noninterest expense divided by the sum of noninterest income and tax-equivalent net interest income.
(c) Net (recoveries) charge-offs are annualized.

Reports Third Quarter Net Earnings
Reconciliation of GAAP to non-GAAP Measures (unaudited):
	Quarter ended September 30,						Nine Months Ended September 30,
(Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)		2015			2014			2015			2014
Net interest income, as reported (GAAP)	$	5,670		$	5,448		$	16,981		$	15,971
Tax-equivalent adjustment		341			321			1,014			957
Net interest income (tax-equivalent)	$	6,011		$	5,769		$	17,995		$	16,928

 

For additional information, contact:
E.L. Spencer, Jr.
President, CEO and 
Chairman of the Board
(334) 821-9200