COLUMBIA, Tenn. (January 27, 2020) – First Farmers and Merchants Corporation (OTC Pink: FFMH), the holding company for First Farmers and Merchants Bank, today announced unaudited financial results for the quarter and year ending December 31, 2019.
Key highlights of First Farmers’ results for 2019 include:
- Net income of $16.1 million or $3.62 per common share, up 13% from $14.2 million or $3.17 per common share for 2018;
- Adjusted net income, which excludes special items, totaled $14.0 million or $3.15 per common share, compared with $13.8 million or $3.08 per common share for 2018 (see non-GAAP reconciliation);
- Total assets reach record $1.4 billion and administered trust assets reach record $5.4 billion;
- Mortgage banking activities revenue reach record $1.1 million, up 31% from $849,000 for 2018;
- Loan growth of $42 million or 5% compared with 2018; and
- Deposit growth of $46 million or 4% compared with 2018.
Commenting on the results, T. Randy Stevens, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of First Farmers, said, “We are very pleased to report record results for 2019 for both net income and adjusted net income, the latter of which excludes the sale of our White Bluff office during the first quarter 2019 and provides the best measure of our financial performance. The year ended with solid loan growth matched with strong credit metrics which meets our expectation of prudent lending. We also experienced increases in net interest income and a 31% rise in mortgage banking activities which contributed to a double digit increase in our net income. Our administered trust assets reached a record $5.4 billion as we celebrate 50 years of offering trust services to our clients. These outstanding results reflect solid execution of our operating plan, which focuses on building long-lasting relationships with our customers, and validate our confidence as we enter 2020.”
Brian K. Williams, President, added, “The operating environment in 2019 certainly presented a few challenges, and I am thankful for the focus of our bank team as First Farmers again delivered record performance. The achievement of record milestones for assets, loans, and deposits is a direct reflection of the commitment and talent of our outstanding team of bankers; and points to the foundation that has been laid to enable future earnings growth and shareholder returns. Underscoring our success last year was our team’s ability to manage our loan growth and adhere to strong credit discipline, which, as a result, led to expansion of our net interest margin at a time when many of our peers experienced margin contraction. Our Board remains committed to First Farmers’ community bank model, as evidenced by the Company’s repurchase of 72,000 shares in 2019 at an average price of $44.14 and the extension of our repurchase program to include up to 200,000 shares through 2020.”
2019 Results of Operations
Net income improved to a record $16.1 million, up $1.9 million, or 13%, from 2018. Propelling earnings for the year was the gain on the sale of the First Farmers White Bluff office of $2.0 million, net of tax, during the first quarter of 2019. Net interest income improved $729,000 as a result of $42 million of loan growth and an improved net interest margin for 2019. Credit trends continued to improve for 2019, which resulted in $360,000 of provision credit for loan and lease losses. Mortgage banking activities revenue increased to a record $1.1 million, up $265,000, or 31%, for 2019. The increase in non-interest expense for 2019 was due to higher salaries and employee benefits of $948,000 related to the investment in key additions to our bank team.
The $418,000 decrease in fourth quarter earnings compared with the linked quarter was driven by a decrease of $305,000 in provision credit and a decrease in non-interest income of $96,000. The decrease in non-interest income was primarily driven by a gain on the redemption of bank-owned life insurance of $150,000 during the third quarter of 2019.
First Farmers ended 2019 with $935 million of loans, a record for the Company, and recorded loan growth of $42 million, or 5% for the year. Total deposits reached a record $1.220 billion for 2019, an increase of $46 million, or 4% for the year. Loan and deposit growth was achieved even though 2019 began with First Farmers selling $4 million in loan balances and $29 million in deposits as it divested its White Bluff office.
Asset Quality
Total nonperforming assets decreased to $1.7 million, or 0.12% of total assets, down $1.0 million from the linked quarter and flat from the year-earlier quarter. The Company ended 2019 with no net charge-offs to average loans or any other real estate repossessed. The allowance for loan and lease losses declined to 0.96% of total loans outstanding, driven by improving credit metrics, compared with 0.99% for the linked quarter and 1.04% for the year-earlier quarter.
Capital Management Initiatives
First Farmers repurchased 25,000 shares of common stock during the fourth quarter at an average price of $45.25 per share under its stock repurchase program. First Farmers’ Board of Directors extended the stock repurchase program for up to 200,000 shares through December 31, 2020.
About First Farmers and Merchants Corporation and First Farmers and Merchants Bank
First Farmers and Merchants Corporation is the holding company for First Farmers and Merchants Bank, a community bank serving the Middle Tennessee area through 22 offices in seven Middle Tennessee counties. As of December 31, 2019, First Farmers reported total assets of $1.4 billion, total shareholders’ equity of $144 million, and administered trust assets of $5.4 billion. For more information about First Farmers, visit us on the Web at www.myfirstfarmers.com under “Investor Relations.”
