SB Financial Group Announces First Quarter 2024 Results

DEFIANCE, Ohio, April 18, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- SB Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: SBFG) (“SB Financial” or the “Company”), a diversified financial services company providing full-service community banking, mortgage banking, wealth management, private client and title insurance services today reported earnings for the first quarter and ended March 31, 2024.

First Quarter 2024 Highlights Over the First Quarter Prior Year Include:

• Net income of $2.4 million down 3.3 percent from $2.5 million in the same quarter last year. Diluted Earnings Per Share (“EPS”) remained steady at $0.35.
• Net interest income totaled $9.2 million, a 11.1 percent decrease from the $10.3 million reported in the first quarter of the prior year.
• Loan growth saw an increase to $991.6 million, up by $15.2 million or 1.6 percent from the $976.3 million in the first quarter of the previous year.
• Nonperforming assets improved to 0.22 percent of total assets, down from 0.30 percent in the same quarter of the prior year.

Trailing Twelve Months Ended March 31, 2024 Highlights Compared to the Prior Year Include:

• EPS was $1.75 for the twelve months ended March 2024, an increase of 1.7 percent from the prior twelve months of $1.72.
• Total deposits were $1.112 billion at the end of March 2024, representing a marginal increase of 0.2 percent from $1.110 billion at the end of March 2023.
• Mortgage origination volume was $209.1 million for the trailing twelve months, with a servicing portfolio of $1.37 billion, which increased by 2.1 percent from the prior year.

"SB Financial Group has demonstrated operational resilience and a keen strategic focus amid the challenging economic conditions during the quarter ended March 31, 2024," stated Mark A. Klein, Chairman, President, and CEO. "Despite a marginal decline in net income from $2.5 million last year to $2.4 million, our operational adaptability ensured solid profitability, with diluted earnings per share consistently at $0.35. This consistency reflects our unwavering commitment to shareholder value even as we navigate through economic headwinds."

"Our loan portfolio expanded to $991.6 million, an increase of $15.2 million, underscoring our disciplined approach to growth and the deep trust our clients place in us. Despite broader market challenges, our deposit base remained stable at $1.11 billion, showcasing our effective management and the enduring strength of our customer relationships. We maintained a conservative risk profile, with notable improvements in asset quality and no significant charge-offs," Mr. Klein noted.

RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

Consolidated Revenue

In the first quarter of 2024, SB Financial Group’s total operating revenue, encompassing net interest income before provision for credit losses and noninterest income, faced significant economic headwinds. Our operating revenue saw a decline of 6.1 percent from the prior year quarter and 13.1 percent from the linked quarter. Although robust, net interest income decreased by 11.1 percent compared to the same period last year, primarily due to increased deposit and funding costs. This also contributed to a 38 basis-point reduction in our net interest margin 1Q 2024 compared to 1Q2023.

Noninterest income, however, showed a positive trajectory, increasing by 7.8 percent from the same quarter last year. This growth was significantly bolstered by a 30.4 percent increase in gains from the sale of mortgages and OMSR. Additionally, mortgage loan servicing fees saw a substantial increase of 25.5 percent. These gains, along with steady customer service fees, built a solid revenue foundation. Despite these strengths, we observed a downturn in revenues from wealth management and title insurance, illustrating the varied performance across our noninterest income streams.

Amid these variances, our strategic focus remains firm. We are dedicated to maintaining a balanced revenue portfolio and dynamically adjusting our strategies to effectively respond to the economic environment. This approach is vital for continuing to create value for our clients and shareholders and demonstrates our commitment to navigating cyclical economic challenges with resilience and foresight.

Mortgage Loan Business

Mortgage loan originations for the first quarter of 2024 totaled $42.9 million, experiencing a contraction from the $49.4 million recorded in the same quarter of the previous year. This downturn reflects the cooling trends within the housing market, indicative of broader economic shifts. Despite this challenging environment, SB Financial Group's strategic agility was evident, with mortgage sales climbing to $36.6 million, or 85 percent of production. This represents an increase of $10.8 million, or approximately 41.9 percent, from the $25.8 million recorded in the prior year quarter, showcasing our ability to capitalize on opportunities within the purchase market.

For this quarter, our mortgage banking net revenue stood at $1.5 million, demonstrating solid performance and an improvement of $0.2 million, or 20.3 percent, from the prior year. This growth, indicative of the robustness of our mortgage servicing operations, is further underscored by the consistent expansion of our servicing portfolio, which grew by 2.0 percent compared to the prior year period, reaching $1.37 billion.

"In a period marked by variable interest rates and a cautious market, SB Financial Group's mortgage banking sector has continued to demonstrate resilience," said Mr. Klein. "The upward trend in mortgage sales, despite a decrease in originations, attests to our team’s market presence and strong brand. Our increased net mortgage banking revenue and the expansion of our servicing portfolio reflect our ongoing commitment to this business line.”

Noninterest Income and Noninterest Expense

For the first quarter of 2024, noninterest income at SB Financial Group surged to $4.0 million, marking a 7.8% increase from the $3.7 million recorded in the prior year quarter. This notable growth is primarily attributable to our strategic initiatives, including enhanced gain-on-sale yields from mortgage loans and higher recapture of servicing rights, which significantly contributed to our financial performance. Additionally, customer service fees rose by $55,000, or 6.7 percent, further reinforcing our strategic focus in this area.

Noninterest expenses for the first quarter were reported at $10.3 million, a reduction of 4.6 percent from the previous year's $10.8 million. This decrease demonstrates our commitment to reducing costs and enhancing operational efficiency, even in a complex and challenging economic environment.

"Our noninterest income has shown consistent growth compared to the same period last year." commented Mr. Klein. "The gains from both mortgage and mortgage servicing fees have been significant, reflecting our agility and expertise in capitalizing on favorable market conditions. On the expense front, we continued to reduce our noninterest expenses, reflecting a diligent and calculated approach to cost management. Our ongoing efforts are focused on maintaining an efficient operational structure, paramount in delivering sustained value to our stakeholders."

Balance Sheet

As of March 31, 2024, SB Financial Group has continued to exhibit financial stability, with total assets amounting to $1.34 billion, reflecting a marginal year-over-year decrease of 0.39 percent. Our loan portfolio, which notably surpassed the $1 billion mark in the linked quarter, adjusted to $991.6 million for the first quarter of 2024. Despite this slight retraction, the total loans have increased by $15.2 million, or 1.6 percent compared to the prior year, demonstrating our commitment to prudent lending and strategic asset management amid evolving economic conditions. Additionally, our cash and cash equivalents have been increasing, providing enhanced liquidity and further stabilizing our financial base.

Shareholders’ equity has slightly contracted by 0.5 percent to $123.7 million compared to the linked quarter. However, the 3.3% growth, year-over-year, is a positive testament to our ongoing efforts to enhance value for our shareholders.

Mark Klein, remarked, “As we navigate the first quarter of 2024, SB Financial Group remains committed to a disciplined approach to growth, ensuring robust asset quality and maintaining a formidable loan portfolio. Despite a competitive landscape, our loan portfolio has demonstrated resilience, underlining the effectiveness of our relationship-driven lending strategy. This performance is anchored by our dedication to our shareholders, as evidenced by the annual increase in our dividend payout. We are poised to continue capitalizing on strategic opportunities to further strengthen our financial position and deliver sustained shareholder value.”

Asset Quality

SB Financial Group has consistently prioritized exceptional asset quality, a commitment that has remained steadfast through the first quarter of 2024. As of March 2024, our reports showcase a robust position, with nonperforming loans constituting a mere 0.25% of total loans—a clear testament to the enduring strength and soundness of our lending practices. This represents a significant improvement, with a 10 basis point reduction from the previous year, which reported nonperforming loans at 0.35% of total loans.

Significantly, the allowance for credit losses to nonperforming loans ratio has reached a strong 643 percent. This not only emphasizes our proactive and preemptive measures in managing asset quality but also exceeds the performance benchmark set in the previous year. This ratio reflects our structured approach to risk management, which is aligned with the Current Expected Credit Loss (CECL) methodology, ensuring we remain well-prepared for any contingencies.

Furthermore, the net loan charge-offs to average loans ratio, annualized at 0.02%, underlines our effective handling of loan repayments and the high quality of our credit portfolio. With such solid metrics, we continue to uphold our strong reputation for risk management and credit excellence.

Mark A. Klein, Chairman, President, and CEO of SB Financial, noted, “Our commitment to asset quality is unwavering and clearly evident in our first-quarter performance. The strength of our loan portfolio is reflected in the low percentage of nonperforming loans and a substantial allowance for potential credit losses, demonstrating our vigilant approach to asset management and our resilience in the face of economic variables."

Webcast and Conference Call

The Company will hold the first quarter 2024 earnings conference call and webcast on April 19, 2024, at 11:00 a.m. EDT. Interested parties may access the conference call by dialing 1-888-338-9469. The webcast can be accessed at ir.yourstatebank.com. An audio replay of the call will be available on the Company’s website.

About SB Financial Group

Headquartered in Defiance, Ohio, SB Financial is a diversified financial services holding company for the State Bank & Trust Company (State Bank) and SBFG Title, LLC dba Peak Title (Peak Title). State Bank provides a full range of financial services for consumers and small businesses, including wealth management, private client services, mortgage banking and commercial and agricultural lending, operating through a total of 23 offices: 22 in nine Ohio counties and one in Fort Wayne, Indiana, and 23 ATMs. State Bank has six loan production offices located throughout the Tri-State region of Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. Peak Title provides title insurance and title opinions throughout the Tri-State region. SB Financial’s common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Capital Market with the ticker symbol “SBFG”.

In May 2023, SB Financial was valued #163 on the American Banker Magazine’s list of top 200 publicly traded Community Bank and Thrifts based on three-year average return on equity.

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements within this document, which are not statements of historical fact, constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties, and actual results may differ materially from those predicted by the forward-looking statements. These risks and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, risks and uncertainties inherent in the national and regional banking industry, changes in economic conditions in the market areas in which SB Financial and its subsidiaries operate, changes in policies by regulatory agencies, changes in accounting standards and policies, changes in tax laws, fluctuations in interest rates, demand for loans in the market areas in SB Financial and its subsidiaries operate, increases in FDIC insurance premiums, changes in the competitive environment, losses of significant customers, geopolitical events, the loss of key personnel and other risks identified in SB Financial’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and documents subsequently filed by SB Financial with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made, and SB Financial undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect events or circumstances after the date on which the statement is made, except as required by law. All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements attributable to SB Financial or any person acting on its behalf are qualified by these cautionary statements.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This press release contains financial information determined by methods other than in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”). Non-GAAP financial measures, specifically pre-tax, pre-provision income, tangible common equity, tangible assets, tangible book value per common share, tangible common equity to tangible assets, return on average tangible common equity, total interest income – FTE, net interest income – FTE and net interest margin – FTE are used by the Company’s management to measure the strength of its capital and analyze profitability, including its ability to generate earnings on tangible capital invested by its shareholders. In addition, the Company excludes the OMSR valuation adjustment from net income to report a non-GAAP adjusted net income level. Although management believes these non-GAAP measures are useful to investors by providing a greater understanding of its business, they should not be considered a substitute for financial measures determined in accordance with GAAP, nor are they necessarily comparable to non-GAAP performance measures that may be presented by other companies.

Investor Contact Information:

Mark A. Klein
Chairman, President and
Chief Executive Officer
Mark.Klein@YourStateBank.com

Anthony V. Cosentino
Executive Vice President and
Chief Financial Officer
Tony.Cosentino@YourStateBank.com