CF BANKSHARES INC. annual report, FY2017

CF Bankshares Inc. (Central Federal Corporation) — FY 2017 Form 10-K

Business context and reporting period. The filing covers the fiscal year ended December 31, 2017. The company is a bank holding company whose principal operating subsidiary, CFBank, is a community-oriented national bank serving markets in Ohio. Lending, especially commercial, commercial real estate, multifamily, and residential real estate lending, is its primary business.

Financial and operating metrics

MetricFY 2017 / year-endComparable prior period
Total assets$481.4 millionNot stated in the provided text
Stockholders’ equity$40.3 millionNot stated in the provided text
Gross loans$413.4 million$353.1 million; up 17.1%
Net loans$406.4 million$346.1 million
Securities portfolio$11.8 million fair value$14.1 million fair value
Allowance for loan and lease losses$7.0 million; 1.69% of loans$6.9 million; 1.96% of loans
Nonperforming loans$470,000; 0.11% of loans$704,000; 0.20% of loans
Nonperforming assets$470,000; 0.10% of assets$908,000; 0.21% of assets
Cash, unpledged securities, and deposits at other institutions$46.8 millionNot stated in the provided text
FHLB advances$13.5 millionNot stated in the provided text
Brokered deposits$46.9 millionNot stated in the provided text

The provided filing text does not give clear values for revenue, net income, earnings per share, operating cash flow, net interest margin, or detailed liquidity ratios; the financial statements and management’s discussion are incorporated by reference to the separate 2017 Annual Report.

Material changes versus the prior comparable period

  • Commercial, commercial real estate, and multifamily loans, including construction loans, rose to $276.2 million, up 24.8% year over year and representing 66.8% of gross loans.
  • Commercial loans increased 43.0% to $102.0 million; construction loans rose 66.0% to $42.9 million.
  • Nonperforming loans declined by $234,000, primarily from payments and payoffs. Foreclosed real estate declined to zero from $204,000.
  • The allowance increased slightly in dollars, but declined as a percentage of loans as the loan portfolio expanded. The company reported net recoveries of $45,000 and no provision for loan losses in 2017.
  • Average deposits increased to $369.1 million from $315.7 million. The average rate paid increased to 1.05% from 0.98%; certificates of deposit represented 45.7% of average deposits.
  • The securities portfolio declined to $11.8 million from $14.1 million at fair value.

Outlook, commentary, risks, and unusual items

  • No quantitative earnings or financial guidance is provided in the supplied text. Management says strong capital allowed CFBank to pursue selected construction-lending opportunities. The bank generally sells long-term fixed-rate residential mortgages to limit interest-rate exposure.
  • Management considered the allowance adequate at year-end, while warning that weaker borrower performance, economic conditions, or real estate values could require additional provisions and adversely affect earnings and capital.
  • The company identifies concentrated Ohio markets and growing exposure to commercial, commercial real estate, multifamily, and construction lending as key credit risks. Rising rates could increase payments on adjustable-rate loans, pressure borrowers, raise deposit costs, and affect mortgage originations and loan-sale gains.
  • The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act reduced the federal corporate tax rate to 21% beginning in 2018. Revaluing deferred tax assets resulted in an additional $979,000 of tax expense in the fourth quarter of 2017. The filing also reports $23.1 million of net operating loss carryforwards, with $20.5 million expected to expire unused because of ownership-change limits; the related tax effect was $7.0 million.
  • CFBank’s prior cease-and-desist order and the holding company’s related regulatory commitments had ended by January 2016. Management states CFBank met the requirements to be considered well-capitalized at December 31, 2017; specific capital ratios are not included in the supplied text.
  • The company reported no pending legal proceeding that management believed would materially adversely affect its financial condition or operations. Management concluded financial-reporting controls were effective and reported no material fourth-quarter changes to those controls.

Important facts for investors to verify

  • Review the incorporated 2017 Annual Report for audited income, cash-flow, margin, capital-ratio, liquidity, and full balance-sheet data, which are not included clearly in the supplied filing text.
  • Assess whether rapid loan growth and the increased concentration in commercial and construction lending are matched by underwriting quality, capital, and allowance coverage.
  • Reconcile the filing’s troubled-debt-restructuring figures: the table reports $3.271 million, while the narrative describes approximately $3.4 million at year-end.
  • Confirm the accounting and earnings effects of the $979,000 fourth-quarter deferred-tax revaluation and the $7.0 million tax effect of restricted NOL carryforwards.
  • Monitor brokered-deposit reliance, certificate maturities, funding costs, and the availability of FHLB and other borrowing capacity.