MOOREFIELD, W. Va., July 25, 2019 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Summit Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ: SMMF) today reported record second quarter 2019 net income of $8.56 million, or $0.68 per diluted share. In comparison, earnings for first quarter 2019 were $7.09 million, or $0.56 per diluted share, and for second quarter 2018 were $6.28 million, or $0.51 per diluted share.

For the six months ended June 30, 2019, Summit recorded net income of $15.7 million, or $1.23 per diluted share, compared with $13.7 million, or $1.10 per diluted share, for the comparable 2018 six-month period, representing an increase of 14.1 percent or 11.8 percent per diluted share.

Both quarterly and six-month 2019 earnings were positively impacted by increased net interest income resulting primarily from loan growth as well as a higher net interest margin, significant realized securities gains, and the previously announced gain on sale of our insurance agency, Summit Insurance Services, LLC (“SIS”) in Q2. These results were partially offset by larger write-downs on foreclosed properties in Q2 with the goal of selling such properties more rapidly.

Summit completed its acquisition of Peoples Bankshares, Inc. (“PBI”) and its subsidiary, First Peoples Bank, headquartered in Mullens, West Virginia on January 1, 2019 and converted its business processes and accounts to that of Summit’s during Q2 2019; accordingly, PBI’s results of operations are included in Summit’s consolidated results of operations from the date of acquisition. Therefore, Summit’s second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2019 period results reflect increased levels of average balances, income and expenses compared to the same periods of 2018. At consummation, PBI had total assets of $133.1 million, loans of $42.4 million, and deposits of $112.9 million. In addition, our merger-related expenses totaled $382,000 in Q2 2019 versus $63,000 in the prior quarter.

Highlights for Q2 2019

• Loan balances, excluding mortgage warehouse lines of credit, grew $28.6 million during the quarter, and $61.5 million year-to-date;
• Net interest income increased 14.90 percent (annualized) primarily as result of loan growth and higher loan yields, while funding costs remained well controlled; these factors also contributed to the 6 basis points increase in net interest margin to 3.72 percent;
• Efficiency ratio was 56.21 percent compared to 55.88 percent for Q2 2018;
• Provision for loan losses was $300,000 for the quarter compared to $250,000 for the linked quarter;
• Realized securities gains of $1.09 million in Q2 2019;
• Write-downs of foreclosed properties were $1.20 million in Q2 2019 compared to $249,000 in Q1 2019, while the net gain on sales of foreclosed properties increased from $1,000 in Q1 2019 to $156,000 in Q2 2019; and
• Recognized a $1.91 million pre-tax gain on the sale of SIS.

H. Charles Maddy, III, President and Chief Executive Officer of Summit, commented, “I am very pleased to report that Summit achieved record earnings both for the quarter and the six-month periods just ended. I am particularly gratified by this past quarter’s solid core operating performance highlighted by our quarter-over-quarter strong lending activity, growth in net interest income and higher net interest margin. Further, this past quarter’s sale of SIS unlocked significant value for our shareholders, as the transaction resulted in a $0.54 increase in the Company’s tangible book value per share, while the entity’s earnings historically accounted for less than $0.01 per share of our quarterly earnings.”

Results from Operations

Total revenue for second quarter 2019, consisting of net interest income and noninterest income, increased 21.7 percent to $26.1 million, principally as a result of higher net interest income, increased realized securities gains and the gain on the sale of Summit Insurance Services, LLC, compared to $21.4 million for the second quarter 2018. For the year-to-date period ended June 30, 2019, total revenue was $48.9 million compared to $43.6 million for the same period of 2018, representing a 12.2 percent increase primarily as a result of higher net interest income and the gain on the sale of Summit Insurance Services, LLC.

For the second quarter of 2019, net interest income was $19.3 million, an increase of 11.5 percent from the $17.3 million reported in the prior-year second quarter and a 3.7 percent increase compared to the linked quarter. The net interest margin for second quarter 2019 was 3.72 percent compared to 3.66 percent for the linked quarter and 3.58 percent for the year-ago quarter. Excluding the impact of accretion and amortization of fair value acquisition accounting adjustments, Summit’s net interest margin would have been 3.62 percent for Q2 2019, 3.64 percent for Q1 2019 and 3.56 percent for Q2 2018.

Noninterest income, consisting primarily of insurance commissions from Summit's insurance agency subsidiary, trust and wealth management fees and service fee income from community banking activities, for second quarter 2019 was $6.81 million compared to $4.15 million for the comparable period of 2018. Excluding realized securities gains and the gain on the sale of Summit Insurance Services, LLC, noninterest income was $3.82 million for second quarter 2019, compared to $4.06 million reported for second quarter 2018 and $4.23 million for the linked quarter.

We recorded a $300,000 provision for loan losses during second quarter 2019 and $750,000 in Q2 2018. Our provision continues to be directionally consistent with changes in the credit quality in our loan portfolio.

Q2 2019 total noninterest expense increased 20.4 percent to $15.3 million compared to $12.7 million for the prior-year second quarter and increased 10.6 percent compared to the linked quarter. Our increased noninterest expense is principally due to higher foreclosed properties expense due to increased write-downs on foreclosed properties with the goal of selling such properties more rapidly and to merger-related expenses.

Noninterest expense for the first half of 2019 increased 16.5 percent compared to the first half of 2018. Our increased noninterest expense is principally due to expenses associated with the acquired PBI operations (including merger-related expenses), increased write-downs of foreclosed properties and to deferred director compensation plan expense of $594,000 for the first six months of 2019 compared to $145,000 for the same period of 2018. Under our director deferred compensation plans, directors optionally elect to defer their director fees into a "phantom" investment plan whereby the Company recognizes expense or benefit relative to the phantom returns or losses of such investments. As result of the stock market’s exceptionally robust performance during Q1 2019, we recognized significantly greater quarterly deferred director compensation expense than we recognized previously when market values were lower.

Balance Sheet

At June 30, 2019, total assets were $2.30 billion, an increase of $98.6 million, or 4.5 percent since December 31, 2018. Total loans, net of unearned fees and allowance for loan losses, were $1.81 billion at June 30, 2019, up $123.8 million, or 7.4 percent, from the $1.68 billion reported at year-end 2018. Loans, excluding mortgage warehouse lines of credit, increased $28.6 million during the quarter, or 6.8 percent (on an annualized basis), and have increased $61.5 million, or 7.4 percent (on an annualized basis) since year-end 2018.

At June 30, 2019, deposits were $1.80 billion, an increase of $162.7 million, or 10.0 percent, since year end 2018. During first half 2019, checking deposits increased $78.0 million or 10.5 percent, time deposits grew by $67.5 million or 11.1 percent and savings deposits increased $17.2 million or 6.1 percent.

Shareholders’ equity was $235.7 million as of June 30, 2019 compared to $219.8 million at December 31, 2018. In conjunction with the acquisition of PBI on January 1, 2019, Summit issued 465,931 shares of common stock valued at $9.0 million to the former PBI shareholders.

Tangible book value per common share increased to $17.04 at June 30, 2019 compared to $15.75 at December 31, 2018. Summit had 12,449,986 outstanding common shares at Q2 2019 quarter end compared to 12,312,933 at year end 2018.

As announced in Q3 2018, the Board of Directors authorized the open market repurchase of up to 500,000 shares of the issued and outstanding shares of Summit's common stock. The timing and quantity of stock purchases under this repurchase plan are at the discretion of management. The plan will expire December 31, 2019, but may be discontinued, suspended, or restarted at any time at the Company's discretion. During Q2 2019, 235,717 shares of our common stock were repurchased under the Plan at an average price of $25.74 per share. Through June 30, 2019, the Company has repurchased 447,540 shares under the Plan since its inception at an average price of $23.99 per share.

Asset Quality

As of June 30, 2019, nonperforming assets (“NPAs”), consisting of nonperforming loans, foreclosed properties, and repossessed assets, were $34.9 million, or 1.52 percent of assets. This compares to $34.4 million, or 1.53 percent of assets at the linked quarter-end, and $36.5 million, or 1.66 percent of assets at year end 2018. During Q2 2019, nonperforming loans increased $3.50 million as result of two commercial real estate loan relationships in Virginia totaling $3.85 million that became nonperforming, while foreclosed properties declined by $3.00 million as result of sales activity and the prior noted write-downs.

Second quarter 2019 net loan charge-offs were $280,000, or 0.06 percent of average loans annualized; while adding $300,000 to the allowance for loan losses through the provision for loan losses. The allowance for loan losses stood at 0.72 percent of total loans at June 30, 2019, compared to 0.77 percent at year-end 2018.

About the Company

Summit Financial Group, Inc. is a $2.30 billion financial holding company headquartered in Moorefield, West Virginia. Summit provides community banking services primarily in the Eastern Panhandle and Southern regions of West Virginia and the Northern, Shenandoah Valley and Southwestern regions of Virginia, through its bank subsidiary, Summit Community Bank, Inc., which operates thirty-two banking locations.