Comparison of Operating Results for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2023 and 2022
General. Net income increased $698,000, or 28.9%, to $3.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023, compared to $2.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022. The increase was due primarily to increases in net interest income and a reduction in the provision for credit losses and income tax expense, partially offset by a decrease in non-interest income and an increase in non-interest expense.
Interest Income. Interest income increased $2.3 million, or 30.7%, to $9.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023 from $7.4 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022. The increase was due primarily to increases in interest income on loans, which is our primary source of interest income, and interest income on cash, cash equivalents and other interest-earning assets. Interest income on loans increased $1.6 million, or 22.2%, to $8.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023 from $7.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 due to increases in the average balance of loans and the average yield. The average balance of loans increased $52.2 million, or 8.5%, to $667.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023 from $615.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022. The weighted average yield on loans increased 58 basis points to 5.33% for the three months ended March 31, 2023 compared to 4.75% for the three months ended March 31, 2022, as variable rate loans reset to higher interest rates and the rates on new loans exceeded the rates on paid off loans. Interest income on cash, cash equivalents and other interest-earning assets increased $520,000, to $556,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2023 from $39,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2022 due to a 429 basis point increase in the average yield on cash, cash equivalents and other interest-earning assets, partially offset by a $50.1 million decrease in the average balance as excess funds were used to fund loan growth.
Interest Expense. Interest expense increased $617,000, or 70.8%, to $1.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023 compared to $871,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2022, due primarily to a $298,000 increase on interest paid on deposits, and a $288,000 increase on interest paid on advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank.
The increase in interest expense on deposits was due to a 25 basis point increase in the average rate, offset by a $19.7 million decrease in the average balance of interest-bearing deposits to $508.5 million at March 31, 2023 from $528.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022. The average rate on interest-bearing deposits was 0.53% for the three months ended March 31, 2023 compared to 0.28% for the three months ended March 31, 2022.
Interest expense on Federal Home Loan Bank advances increased to $288,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2023 due to an average balance of $24.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023. The average rate on Federal Home Loan Bank advances was 4.85% for the three months ended March 31, 2023. In recent periods, we have relied more heavily on Federal Home Loan Bank advances to supplement deposits to fund loan growth and maintain liquidity. See “Risk Factors—Risks Related to Our Funding—Our inability to generate core deposits may cause us to rely more heavily on wholesale funding strategies for funding and liquidity needs, which could have an adverse effect on our net interest margin and profitability.”
Interest expense on subordinated debentures increased $31,000, or 6.0%, to $534,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2023 compared to $503,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2022. The average rate on subordinated debentures increased 31 basis points to 5.84% for the three months ended March 31, 2023 compared to 5.53% for the three months ended March 31, 2022, due to increases in market interest rates.
Net Interest Income. Net interest income increased $1.7 million, or 26.1%, to $8.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2023 from $6.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, as a result of a $2.3 million increase in interest income, offset by a $617,000 increase in interest expense. Our interest rate spread increased 74 basis points to 4.06% for the three months ended March 31, 2023, compared to 3.32% for the three months ended March 31, 2022, while our net interest margin increased 85 basis points to 4.34% for the three months ended March 31, 2023 compared to 3.48% for the three months ended March 31. 2022.
Provision for Credit Losses. BV Financial adopted ASU 326 on January 1, 2023. Under this new current expected loss model, provisions for credit losses are charged to operations to establish an allowance for credit losses at a level to cover expected losses over the expected life of a loan or securities portfolio. Under the previous
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