RIVERVIEW BANCORP INC quarterly report, Q3 FY2021

Riverview Bancorp, Inc. — Form 10-Q Summary

Reporting period: Fiscal third quarter and nine months ended December 31, 2020; balance-sheet comparisons are to March 31, 2020. Amounts are in U.S. dollars unless noted.

Business context and financial performance

Riverview is a community-focused bank serving Washington and Oregon, with commercial real estate and business lending as core activities and a trust and asset-management subsidiary. Commercial and construction loans were 92.9% of total loans at December 31, 2020.

MetricThree months ended Dec. 31, 2020Three months ended Dec. 31, 2019Nine months ended Dec. 31, 2020Nine months ended Dec. 31, 2019
Net interest income$11.5 million$11.5 million$33.7 million$34.7 million
Provision for loan lossesNoneNone$6.3 millionNone
Non-interest income$2.8 million$3.2 million$8.3 million$9.5 million
Non-interest expense$9.1 million$9.2 million$26.6 million$27.4 million
Net income$4.0 million$4.1 million$7.1 million$12.9 million
Diluted earnings per share$0.18$0.18$0.32$0.57
Net interest margin3.40%4.23%3.46%4.31%

For the quarter, net income was nearly level year over year. For the nine-month period, net income fell about 45%, primarily reflecting the $6.3 million loan-loss provision and lower non-interest income. The margin decline reflected lower asset yields, including the low-rate environment and PPP loans; falling funding costs partly offset the pressure. Nine-month cash provided by operating activities was $16.1 million, compared with $17.7 million a year earlier. Cash and cash equivalents increased $193.9 million to $235.8 million.

Financial position, liquidity and capital

  • Total assets were $1.436 billion, up from $1.181 billion at March 31, 2020. Deposits rose $246.5 million to $1.237 billion; management attributed growth to PPP proceeds, stimulus payments, increased saving and reduced withdrawals.
  • Net loans were $912.3 million, up $13.4 million. Gross loans included $80.8 million of PPP loans; commercial real estate loans increased while construction, consumer and multifamily balances declined.
  • The allowance for loan losses was $19.2 million, or 2.06% of total loans, versus $12.6 million, or 1.38%, at March 31. Nonperforming loans fell to $393,000 from $1.4 million. Criticized assets rose to $46.5 million from $1.4 million, mainly due to risk-rating changes on pandemic-affected loans.
  • Cash, certificates of deposit held for investment and available-for-sale securities totaled $389.3 million, or 27.1% of assets. The Bank had no FHLB or Federal Reserve advances outstanding and reported $224.9 million of FHLB and $52.4 million of Federal Reserve borrowing capacity, subject to collateral and other conditions.
  • The Bank was categorized as well capitalized. Its total capital ratio was 17.58%, CET1 ratio 16.32% and leverage ratio 9.80% at December 31, 2020.
  • Junior subordinated debentures were $26.7 million. Shareholders’ equity was $151.9 million. The company paid $3.3 million in dividends and repurchased 295,900 shares for $1.4 million during the nine months.

Material changes, outlook and risks

  • COVID-19 remains a material source of uncertainty for borrowers, the economy and company results; management said the ultimate impact could not be reliably estimated. The filing provides no specific earnings or margin guidance.
  • At December 31, eight commercial loans totaling $26.6 million had approved COVID-related payment deferrals, down from 13 loans totaling $49.7 million at September 30. Two consumer and mortgage loans totaling $462,000 also had deferrals. These modifications were not treated as TDRs under applicable relief guidance.
  • Riverview originated $113.5 million of PPP loans through the initial program. At December 31, outstanding PPP balances were $82.4 million, with $1.6 million of unamortized fees; 198 loans totaling $35.1 million had received forgiveness approval. The Bank began processing PPP2 applications in January 2021.
  • Management identifies commercial lending and real-estate exposure as key credit risks. Pandemic-sensitive balances included hotels/motels of $107.5 million, retail strip centers of $84.9 million and restaurants/fast food of $14.4 million. Further economic deterioration could require additional loan-loss provisions.
  • Goodwill was $27.1 million. The October 2020 impairment test found no impairment, but management cautioned that sustained adverse economic or market conditions could trigger a future charge.
  • Other disclosed risks include interest-rate and LIBOR transition exposure, deposit retention, regulatory examinations, and technology, cybersecurity and third-party service disruptions. Management reported effective disclosure controls and no material change in internal control over financial reporting during the quarter.
  • Commitments totaled $147.1 million, including $122.5 million of undisbursed loan funds and unused lines, $22.6 million of loan-originating commitments and $2.0 million of standby letters of credit. Management said ordinary-course litigation was not expected to have a material effect.

Important facts for investors to verify

  • Whether PPP forgiveness and fee recognition, as well as PPP2 activity, materially change loan balances, revenues or liquidity.
  • Whether criticized assets, pandemic-related deferrals and commercial real-estate exposures lead to additional provisions, charge-offs or deterioration in the allowance.
  • Whether deposit growth persists and excess cash can be redeployed without further weakening net interest margin.
  • How interest rates and the LIBOR transition affect asset yields, deposit costs and the company’s floating-rate debentures.
  • Whether goodwill valuation assumptions remain supportable if the company’s share price, market conditions or operating results weaken.