The investment securities portfolio totaled $139.4 million at the end of the first quarter of 2010, up 43% from $97.3 million a year ago. At March 31, 2010, the investment portfolio was comprised primarily of debt securities, mortgage-backed securities, and collateralized mortgage obligations, all of which were issued by U. S. Government sponsored entities.
Loans, excluding loans held-for-sale, decreased 17% to $1.01 billion at March 31, 2010, from $1.21 billion at March 31, 2009, and decreased 6% from $1.07 billion at December 31, 2009. At March 31, 2010, commercial and industrial loans accounted for 39% of the total loan portfolio. Commercial real estate loans accounted for another 39% of the total loan portfolio at March 31, 2010, of which 51% were owner occupied by businesses. Land and construction loans continued to decrease and accounted for 15% of the total loan portfolio, and consumer and home equity loans accounted for the remaining 7% of total loans at March 31, 2010.
Nonperforming assets were $69.0 million, or 5.17% of total assets at March 31, 2010, compared to $56.9 million, or 3.89% of total assets at March 31, 2009, and $64.6 million, or 4.74% of total assets at December 31, 2009. The increase in nonperforming assets in the first quarter of 2010, compared to the fourth quarter of 2009, was primarily due to one large commercial real estate credit of $12.5 million being placed on nonaccrual. This credit was charged down to $11.5 million, and we allocated an additional specific reserve of $2.5 million to the allowance for loan losses as of March 31, 2010. At March 31, 2010, land and construction loans were 41% of nonperforming assets, commercial and industrial loans were 15%, commercial real estate loans were 31%, SBA loans were 9%, consumer and home equity loans were 1%, and other real estate owned (“OREO”) was 3%. Nonperforming assets consist of nonaccrual loans, accruing loans 90 days or more past due, restructured loans and OREO. Total OREO decreased to $1.8 million at March 31, 2010, compared to $2.2 million at December 31, 2009, due to deterioration in the estimated fair value of the existing OREO. In the first quarter of 2010, there were no loans transferred to OREO and there were no OREO property sales.
The allowance for loan losses at March 31, 2010 totaled $26.5 million, or 2.64% of total loans, and representing 39.47% of nonperforming loans. Allowance for loan losses a year ago was $23.9 million, or 1.97% of total loans and 42.63% of nonperforming loans. Net charge-offs in the first quarter of 2010 totaled $7.3 million, or 2.83% of average loans, compared to net charge-offs of $11.5 million, or 3.78% of average loans, for the first quarter of 2009, and net charge-offs of $5.9 million, or 2.16% of average loans, for the fourth quarter of 2009.
Total deposits decreased by 7% to $1.08 billion at March 31, 2010, compared to $1.17 billion at March 31, 2009, and decreased by 1% from $1.09 billion at December 31, 2009. The Company’s noninterest-bearing and interest-bearing demand accounts increased $24.0 million, or 6%, at March 31, 2010 from March 31, 2009, and increased $4.3 million, or 1%, from December 31, 2009. Savings and money market accounts declined $52.2 million, or 15%, at March 31, 2010 from March 31, 2009, but increased $11.3 million, or 4%, from December 31, 2009. The decrease in savings and money market accounts was primarily as a result of the decline in real estate transactions, title insurance company, escrow, and real estate exchange facilitators’ accounts to $21.6 million at March 31, 2010, compared to $40.4 million at March 31, 2009, and $23.0 million at December 31, 2009. Time deposits $100,000 and over decreased $46.1 million, or 26%, at March 31, 2010 from March 31, 2009, primarily due to a reduction of public deposits. At March 31, 2010, brokered deposits were $174.5 million, compared to $183.5 million at March 31, 2009, and $178.0 million at December 31, 2009.
Heritage Bank of Commerce is a member of the Certificate of Deposit Account Registry Service (“CDARS”) program. The CDARS program allows customers with deposits in excess of FDIC insured limits to obtain coverage on time deposits through a network of banks within the CDARS program. Deposits gathered through this program are considered brokered deposits under regulatory guidelines. Deposits in the CDARS program totaled $18.5 million at March 31, 2010, $12.3 million at March 31, 2009, and $38.2 million at December 31, 2009.
Shareholders’ equity decreased 7% to $168.1 million, or $10.98 book value per common share, at March 31, 2010, compared to $180.3 million, or $12.04 book value per common share, at March 31, 2009. Shareholders’ equity was $172.3 million, or $11.34 book value per common share, at December 31, 2009. The Company’s consolidated leverage ratio at March 31, 2010 was 10.19%, compared to 10.64% at March 31, 2009, and 10.05% at December 31, 2009. The Company’s consolidated Tier 1 risked-based capital ratio at March 31, 2010 was 11.88%, compared to 11.68% at March 31, 2009, and 11.59% at December 31, 2009. The Company’s total risked-based capital ratio at March 31, 2010 was 13.14%, compared to 12.94% at March 31, 2009, and 12.86% at December 31, 2009.