Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. Reports Third Quarter Financial Results

MOUNT PLEASANT, Texas, Oct. 23, 2017 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:GNTY), the holding company for Guaranty Bank & Trust, N.A. today reported third quarter 2017 results.  The company's net income available to common shareholders was $4.1 million, or $0.37 per basic share, for the quarter ended September 30, 2017, compared to $3.4 million, or $0.38 per basic share, for the quarter ended September 30, 2016.  The growth in net income was primarily attributable to growth in net interest income, before the provision for loan losses, of $1.4 million and an increase in noninterest income of $300,000.   Returns on average assets and average equity for the third quarter were 0.87% and 7.99%, respectively, compared to 0.75% and 9.20%, respectively, for the same period during 2016.   The company's earnings per share and return on average equity were impacted by the issuance of 2,300,000 shares of common stock in the company's initial public offering, which closed in May 2017.

Net interest income for the third quarter of 2017 and 2016 was $15.1 million and $13.7 million, respectively, an increase of 10.5%.  Net interest margin for the third quarter of 2017 and 2016 was 3.38% and 3.26%, respectively.  Net interest income and net interest margin, on a taxable equivalent basis, was $15.5 million and 3.55%, respectively, for the third quarter of 2017.

The provision for loan losses was $800,000 in the third quarter of 2017, compared with $800,000 in the second quarter of 2017 and $840,000 in the third quarter of 2016.  The provision for loan losses in the third quarter of 2017 remained consistent with the prior year’s quarter despite loan portfolio growth of 6.35% from September 30, 2016, primarily because a large specific reserve was calculated in the third quarter of 2016 that resulted in a higher provision at that time.  The level of provision during the third quarter of 2017 is primarily attributable to specific reserves calculated for certain impaired loans and a slight increase in general reserves due to minor increases in some qualitative factors.  Nonperforming assets as a percentage of total loans were 0.78% at September 30, 2017, compared to 0.71% at June 30, 2017, and 0.94% at September 30, 2016.

Noninterest income increased 8.8% in the third quarter of 2017 to $3.7 million, compared to $3.4 million in the same quarter a year ago.  Merchant and debit card fees increased 12.8% to $778,000, compared to $690,000 in the same quarter last year due to continued growth in net new accounts and debit cards.  Gain on sales of loans increased 21.2%, from $486,000 during the third quarter of 2016 to $589,000 in the third quarter of 2017.  Other categories of noninterest income increased with the continued growth of the bank. 

Noninterest expense for the third quarter of 2017 totaled $12.2 million, compared to $11.5 million for the third quarter of 2016, an increase of 6.0%.   The increase in noninterest expense in the third quarter of 2017 was primarily driven by a $359,000 increase in salary and employee benefit expense when compared to the same quarter a year ago, a $218,000 increase in occupancy expenses and a $211,000 increase in legal and professional fees.  The increase was partially offset by decreases in FDIC insurance expense of $138,000 and other non-interest expenses of $168,000.  The company's efficiency ratio in the third quarter of 2017 was 64.70%, compared to 67.51% in the same quarter last year.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2017, net income increased 36.1% to $11.6 million from $8.5 million for the same period a year ago.   Basic earnings per share rose to $1.17 for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 from $0.95 during the same period last year.   Net interest income increased 10.9% to $44.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 from $39.8 million during the same period a year ago.   The provision for loan losses totaled $2.3 million, compared to $3.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2016.   Noninterest income was $10.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2017, compared to $9.6 million a year ago.   Noninterest expense was $36.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2017, compared to $34.3 million during the same period last year. 

As of September 30, 2017, consolidated assets for the company totaled $1.9 billion, compared to $1.8 billion at December 31, 2016 and $1.8 billion at September 30, 2016.  Loans totaled $1.3 billion at quarter end, compared to loans of $1.2 billion at December 31, 2016, and $1.2 billion at September 30, 2016.  Deposits totaled $1.6 billion at September 30, 2017, compared to $1.6 billion at December 31, 2016, and $1.5 billion at September 30, 2016.  Shareholders' equity rose to $207.3 million as of September 30, 2017, compared to $141.9 million at December 31, 2016, and $148.0 million at September 30, 2016, primarily as a result of operating earnings and the proceeds of the Company's initial public offering.

The company’s Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Ty Abston, said, "We are pleased with our third quarter and year-to-date results.  During the third quarter, we also announced our expansion into the growth markets of Austin and Ft. Worth, Texas.  We are very pleased with the initial reception we’ve received in these new markets and feel they will be accretive to Guaranty’s future growth prospects."

(1) See Reconciliation of non-GAAP Financial Measures table
(2) The efficiency ratio was calculated by dividing total noninterest expense by net interest income plus noninterest income, excluding securities gains or losses.  Taxes are not part of this calculation.

(1) Excludes outstanding balances of loans held for sale of $3.4 million, $2.4 million, $1.4 million, $2.6 million and $3.1 million as of September 30, 2017, June 30, 2017, March 31, 2017, December 31, 2016 and September 30, 2016, respectively.
(2) Restructured loans-nonaccrual are included in nonaccrual loans which are a component of nonperforming loans.

(1) Includes average outstanding balances of loans held for sale of $2.1 million and $1.7 million for the three months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
(2) Net interest spread is the average yield on interest-earning assets minus the average rate on interest-bearing liabilities.
(3) Net interest margin is equal to net interest income divided by average interest-earning assets, annualized.

(1) Includes average outstanding balances of loans held for sale of $3.5 million and $3.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2017 and 2016, respectively.
(2) Net interest spread is the average yield on interest-earning assets minus the average rate on interest-bearing liabilities.
(3) Net interest margin is equal to net interest income divided by average interest-earning assets, annualized.

(1) Excludes the dilutive effect, if any, of shares of common stock issuable upon exercise of outstanding stock options.

About Non-GAAP Financial Measures

Certain of the financial measures and ratios we present, including “tangible book value per share” are supplemental measures that are not required by, or are not presented in accordance with, U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP). We refer to these financial measures and ratios as “non-GAAP financial measures.”  We consider the use of select non-GAAP financial measures and ratios to be useful for financial and operational decision making and useful in evaluating period-to-period comparisons. We believe that these non-GAAP financial measures provide meaningful supplemental information regarding our performance by excluding certain expenditures or assets that we believe are not indicative of our primary business operating results or by presenting certain metrics on a fully taxable equivalent basis. We believe that management and investors benefit from referring to these non-GAAP financial measures in assessing our performance and when planning, forecasting, analyzing and comparing past, present and future periods.

These non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered a substitute for financial information presented in accordance with GAAP and you should not rely on non-GAAP financial measures alone as measures of our performance. The non-GAAP financial measures we present may differ from non-GAAP financial measures used by our peers or other companies. We compensate for these limitations by providing the equivalent GAAP measures whenever we present the non-GAAP financial measures and by including a reconciliation of the impact of the components adjusted for in the non-GAAP financial measure so that both measures and the individual components may be considered when analyzing our performance.

A reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to the comparable GAAP financial measures is included at the end of the financial statement tables.

About Guaranty Bancshares, Inc.

Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. is a bank holding company that conducts banking activities through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Guaranty Bank & Trust, N.A. As one of the oldest regional community banks in Texas, Guaranty Bank & Trust provides its customers with a full array of relationship-driven commercial and consumer banking products and services, as well as mortgage, trust, and wealth management products and services that are tailored to meet the needs of small and medium-sized businesses, professionals, and individuals. Guaranty Bank & Trust has 26 banking locations across 18 Texas communities located within the East Texas, Dallas/Fort Worth and Central Texas regions of the state.  Visit www.gnty.com for more information.

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Information

This communication contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements reflect our current views with respect to, among other things, future events and our results of operations, financial condition and financial performance. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as “may,” “should,” “could,” “predict,” “potential,” “believe,” “will likely result,” “expect,” “continue,” “will,” “anticipate,” “seek,” “estimate,” “intend,” “plan,” “projection,” “would” and “outlook,” or the negative version of those words or other comparable words of a future or forward-looking nature. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts, and are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry, management’s beliefs and certain assumptions made by management, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and beyond our control. Accordingly, we caution you that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to risks, assumptions and uncertainties that are difficult to predict. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in these forward-looking statements are reasonable as of the date made, actual results may prove to be materially different from the results expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Such factors include, without limitation, the “Risk Factors” referenced in our Registration Statement on Form S-1 filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), other risks and uncertainties listed from time to time in our reports and documents filed with the SEC, including our Annual Reports on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and the following factors: business and economic conditions generally and in the financial services industry, nationally and within our current and future geographic market areas; economic, market, operational, liquidity, credit and interest rate risks associated with our business; the composition of our loan portfolio, including deteriorating asset quality and higher loan charge-offs; the laws and regulations applicable to our business; our ability to achieve organic loan and deposit growth and the composition of such growth; increased competition in the financial services industry, nationally, regionally or locally; our ability to maintain our historical earnings trends; our ability to raise additional capital to execute our business plan; acquisitions and integrations of acquired businesses; systems failures or interruptions involving our information technology and telecommunications systems or third-party servicers; the composition of our management team and our ability to attract and retain key personnel; the fiscal position of the U.S. federal government and the soundness of other financial institutions; and the amount of nonperforming and classified assets we hold. We can give no assurance that any goal or plan or expectation set forth in forward-looking statements can be achieved and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements. The forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this communication, and we do not intend, and assume no obligation, to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the statement is made or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events or circumstances, except as required by applicable law.

Contact:

Cappy A. Payne
Senior Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
(888) 572-9881
investors@gnty.com