BANC OF CALIFORNIA, INC. annual report, FY2011

First PacTrust Bancorp, Inc. — FY 2011 Form 10-K

Reporting period: Fiscal year ended December 31, 2011; audited annual results, not a standalone fourth-quarter filing. The filing identifies the registrant as First PacTrust Bancorp, Inc. (Nasdaq: BANC), whereas the request metadata names Banc of California. Verify the intended issuer and filing.

Business context

The company is a California thrift holding company operating Pacific Trust Bank, a community bank serving Southern California. Its lending is concentrated in residential mortgages, including adjustable-rate and nontraditional products, alongside commercial real estate and multifamily lending. At year-end, the bank operated nine full-service and four limited-service offices.

Financial performance and condition

MetricFY 2011 / Dec. 31, 2011Comparable 2010
Total assets$999.0 million$861.6 million
Interest income$35.2 million$40.9 million
Net interest income$29.1 million$30.2 million
Net interest margin3.53%3.67%
Provision for loan losses$5.4 million$9.0 million
Noninterest income$4.9 million$4.9 million
Noninterest expense$31.7 million$22.2 million
Net income (loss)$(2.7) million$2.8 million
Loss available to common shareholders$(3.3) million; $(0.31) per share$1.9 million; $0.37 per share
Operating cash flow$13.6 million$23.3 million
Cash and cash equivalents$44.5 million$59.1 million
Deposits$786.3 million$646.3 million
FHLB borrowings$20.0 million$75.0 million
Total shareholders’ equity$184.5 million$136.0 million

Net cash declined $14.6 million. Investing cash flow was $(167.6) million and financing cash flow was $139.3 million. Net loans were $775.6 million, up 14.4%; gross loans were $787.3 million. Residential first mortgages represented 69.5% of gross loans, and multifamily plus commercial real estate loans were a substantially larger share than in 2010. The allowance for loan losses was $12.8 million, or 1.62% of gross loans.

Credit measures improved year over year: nonperforming loans were $19.3 million versus $38.8 million; nonperforming assets were $33.9 million versus $45.4 million. The filing reports $14.7 million of OREO, net of a $4.1 million valuation allowance. Past-due performing loans 30–89 days were $11.0 million, down from $31.5 million.

The bank’s regulatory capital ratios exceeded well-capitalized thresholds: core capital 13.08%, Tier 1 risk-based 17.34%, and total risk-based 18.56%. Management also stated the bank had committed to maintain core and risk-based ratios of 8% and 12%, respectively, while market conditions remained adverse.

Material changes versus 2010

  • The company swung from $2.8 million of net income to a $2.7 million net loss. Interest income fell $5.8 million, while lower funding costs reduced interest expense by $4.8 million; net interest income declined $1.0 million.
  • Noninterest expense rose $9.5 million, chiefly from compensation and staffing, OREO valuation charges, professional fees, and expansion costs. OREO valuation expense was $4.8 million, up from $2.7 million.
  • Loan-loss provision fell $3.6 million, and nonperforming assets declined, though fourth-quarter provision rose to $4.1 million amid legacy problem loans, loan growth, and weaker property values.
  • Assets grew 15.9%, deposits increased 21.7%, and net loans increased 14.4%. Cash fell as lending and securities purchases grew and $55 million of FHLB advances matured.
  • Capital increased following a $27.0 million net common-stock offering and $31.9 million net proceeds from $32.0 million of Treasury SBLF preferred stock. The preferred stock carries a dividend rate that can rise, including to 9% after the applicable period if not redeemed.

Outlook, risks, contingencies, and unusual items

  • Management outlook: No quantified earnings guidance is provided. Management said it expected future earnings to improve significantly and projected taxable income in 2012–2014 sufficient to use at least 85% of the year-end deferred tax asset. These expectations depend on continued asset-quality improvement, loan growth, and execution of expansion plans.
  • Acquisitions: Pending 2012 transactions include Gateway Bancorp, for up to $17 million cash, and Beach Business Bank, with consideration structured principally as stock and cash (subject to contractual alternatives). Both required regulatory approvals and customary conditions; integration, execution, and transaction costs pose risks.
  • Regulatory oversight: The bank remained subject to a 2009 memorandum of understanding requiring business, credit-risk, allowance, and problem-asset reporting measures and limiting brokered deposits absent regulatory non-objection. The bank stated it believed it was in compliance.
  • Credit and concentration risks: California housing weakness, declining collateral values, unemployment, and foreclosure activity could increase losses. About 31.4% of gross loans were Green Account loans; the portfolio also included $382.0 million of interest-only mortgages and $23.4 million of loans with potential negative amortization. Most loans were adjustable-rate, exposing borrowers and the bank to rate changes.
  • Liquidity and funding: $338.2 million of certificates of deposit matured within one year. Available additional borrowing capacity was reported as $130.3 million from the FHLB and $117.1 million from the Federal Reserve. Management expected some maturing deposits to remain but noted flows depend on rates and competition.
  • Other notable items: A $1.3 million deferred-tax-asset valuation allowance was recorded; the recognized net DTA was $7.6 million. The company reported $1.9 million of unrealized losses on private-label mortgage-backed securities and concluded no other-than-temporary impairment existed. A patent suit concerning products similar to Green Accounts was described as not expected to have a material impact, although the company gave no assurance.
  • The independent auditor issued an unqualified opinion on the financial statements and internal control; management also concluded internal control over financial reporting was effective.

Investor verification priorities

  • Confirm the issuer identity: the filing is for First PacTrust Bancorp, Inc., not the company name supplied in the request metadata.
  • Review the allowance adequacy, credit migration, collateral values, OREO assumptions, and the status and performance of restructured loans.
  • Track deposit retention and repricing as $338.2 million of CDs mature in 2012, alongside available borrowing capacity and liquidity needs.
  • Verify regulatory approval, closing terms, purchase accounting, integration costs, and realized benefits for both pending acquisitions.
  • Assess the durability of earnings excluding securities-sale gains and unusual expenses, and monitor the SBLF preferred dividend terms and deferred-tax-asset realization.