BAR HARBOR BANKSHARES quarterly report, Q3 FY2012

Bar Harbor Bankshares — Q3 2012 Form 10-Q

Business context and reporting period. Unaudited results cover the three and nine months ended September 30, 2012; balance-sheet comparisons are with December 31, 2011. The company operates through Bar Harbor Bank & Trust, serving Maine markets. On August 10, it acquired Border Trust Company operations, including three branches, $38.5 million of deposits and $33.6 million of loans. Results include Border Trust from the acquisition date.

Key financial results

Amounts are in millions of dollars except per-share data and percentages.

MetricQ3 2012Q3 2011Nine months 2012Nine months 2011
Net interest income$9.414$8.704$27.384$25.662
Provision for loan losses$0.427$0.750$1.302$1.850
Non-interest income$2.298$2.064$5.972$5.281
Non-interest expense$6.559$5.684$18.524$16.981
Net income$3.368$3.010$9.636$8.652
Diluted EPS$0.86$0.77$2.46$2.23
Tax-equivalent net interest margin3.20%3.24%3.22%3.23%
  • Q3 net income rose 11.9%; nine-month net income rose 11.4%. Q3 ROA was 1.05% and ROE 10.49%; nine-month ROA was 1.04% and ROE 10.37%.
  • Net interest income increased despite lower asset yields: lower funding costs and growth in average earning assets supported results. The tax-equivalent margin declined four basis points in Q3 and one basis point year to date.
  • At September 30, total assets were $1,295.4 million, up 11.0% from year-end; loans were $808.4 million, up 10.9%; available-for-sale securities were $421.8 million, up 10.5%.
  • Deposits were $813.6 million, up 12.6%; total borrowings were $343.8 million, up 7.4%. Shareholders’ equity was $129.2 million.
  • Allowance for loan losses was $8.1 million, or 1.00% of loans. Non-performing loans were $10.7 million, 1.33% of loans, versus $12.9 million and 1.77% at year-end. Nine-month net charge-offs were $1.47 million.
  • Operating cash flow was $15.7 million; investing cash outflow was $83.9 million; financing cash inflow was $69.6 million. Ending cash and cash equivalents were $10.0 million. The bank reported 30-day and 90-day liquidity of 7.6% and 7.8%, respectively, and about $140 million of available FHLB capacity plus a $175.1 million secured Federal Reserve line.
  • The company reported consolidated total risk-based capital of 15.67%, Tier 1 risk-based capital of 14.03%, and Tier 1 leverage of 8.83%; the bank was classified as well capitalized.

Changes, outlook, and risks

  • Border Trust added assets and deposits but also contributed $829,000 in year-to-date non-recurring acquisition expenses, including $657,000 in Q3. Goodwill recorded was $2.073 million. Management cited severance, professional fees, and conversion costs.
  • Credit quality improved overall, though real-estate exposure remains material. A troubled affordable-housing project loan accounted for $2.225 million of non-performing loans; cumulative charge-offs on that loan reached $2.014 million, including $192,000 in Q3.
  • Private-label mortgage-backed securities remained a key risk. The company recorded $781,000 of year-to-date credit impairment losses in earnings and said revised collateral loss-severity and default assumptions drove additional losses. Management expected to recover amortized cost on the portfolio, but warned that adverse repayment performance or fair-value changes could alter that assessment.
  • Management cited Maine economic conditions, tourism, real-estate values, loan performance, competition, and historically low interest rates as key uncertainties. Its rate model estimated net interest income changes versus a flat-rate scenario of -1.02% and +1.60% over one year for a 100-basis-point decline and 200-basis-point rise, respectively; over two years, -3.43% and +6.19%. These are model scenarios, not forecasts.
  • No specific earnings guidance was provided. The board declared a Q4 2012 dividend of $0.30 per share. The share-repurchase authorization was extended through August 19, 2014; no shares were repurchased in the first nine months of 2012.
  • Commitments to originate loans were $56.1 million, unused lines $102.9 million, and undisbursed construction loans $12.1 million. Management said routine litigation was not expected to have a material effect; no material risk-factor changes were reported. Disclosure controls were assessed as effective, with no material quarterly change in internal control over financial reporting.

Important facts for investors to verify

  • Cash-flow presentation: The cash-flow statement labels the $1.325 million change as a “net decrease,” although beginning cash of $8.720 million and ending cash of $10.045 million indicate an increase.
  • Acquisition accounting and integration: Verify final Border Trust fair values, goodwill and intangible amortization, realized cost savings, and whether acquisition-related expenses remain non-recurring.
  • Credit and reserve assumptions: Track the affordable-housing exposure, delinquency and problem-loan trends, charge-offs, and the adequacy of the allowance as loans grow.
  • Investment impairment: Monitor private-label mortgage-backed security collateral performance and the assumptions underlying expected recovery of amortized cost.
  • Funding and rate sensitivity: Assess reliance on borrowings and brokered deposits, seasonal liquidity, and the effect of continued low rates or changing deposit behavior on margin and earnings.