Market Committee (“FOMC”) inflation benchmark of 2.0%. Based on recent trends of higher inflation, the FOMC increased the federal funds target rate on September 29, 2018 for the eighth time since December 2015 to 2.25%. The FOMC is expected to continue their gradual pace of interest rate increases aimed at keeping the economy from overheating without moving so fast as to curtail the economic expansion. Accordingly, these interest rate increases may have an adverse impact on our loan growth, asset quality and fund costs.
Review of Financial Position:
Total assets decreased $6,874, to $1,156,733 at September 30, 2018, from $1,163,607 at December 31, 2017. Loans, net decreased to $915,529 at September 30, 2018, compared to $955,971 at December 31, 2017, a decrease of $40,442. All major categories of loans declined in 2018. Business lending, including commercial and commercial real estate loans decreased $25,168 while retail lending, including residential mortgages and consumer loans decreased $15,274 during the nine months ended September 30, 2018. Investment securities increased $3,901, or 4.2%, in the nine months ended September 30, 2018. Noninterest-bearing deposits increased $6,490, while interest-bearing deposits decreased $12,206 in the nine months ended September 30, 2018. Total stockholders’ equity increased 5,775, or 5.4%, to $112,031 at September 30, 2018 from $106,256 atyear-end 2017. For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, total assets averaged $1,155,750, an increase of $544,273 from $611,477 for the same period in 2017. The growth in average assets was primarily a result of the inclusion of the assets for both Riverview and CBT for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, compared to Riverview on a standalone basis for the same period last year. For the third quarter of 2018, total assets and deposits increased $4,929 and $3,042, respectively, while loans, net decreased $24,358.
Investment Portfolio:
The Company’s entire investment portfolio is held asavailable-for-sale, which allows for greater flexibility in using the investment portfolio for liquidity purposes by allowing securities to be sold when favorable market opportunities exist. Investment securitiesavailable-for-sale totaled $97,102 at September 30, 2018, an increase of $3,901, or 4.2%, from $93,201 at December 31, 2017. The reduction was a result of payments, prepayments, and sales on investments partially offset by $20,135 securities acquired in the nine months ended September 30, 2018.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, the investment portfolio averaged $92,162, an increase of $20,911 compared to $71,251 for the same period last year. The increase was primarily attributable to assets acquired from the merger. Thetax-equivalent yield on the investment portfolio decreased to 2.79% for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, from 3.42% for the comparable period of 2017. Thetax-equivalent yield on the investment portfolio for the third quarter of 2018 increased one basis point to 2.82% from 2.81% for the second quarter of 2018.
Securitiesavailable-for-sale are carried at fair value, with unrealized gains or losses net of deferred income taxes reported in the accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) component of stockholders’ equity. We reported a net unrealized holding loss, included as a separate component of stockholders’ equity of $2,141, net of deferred income taxes of $569 at September 30, 2018, and $893, net of deferred income taxes of $238 at December 31, 2017. The increase in the net unrealized holding loss was a result of increases in general market rates.
Loan Portfolio:
Loans, net, decreased to $915,529 at September 30, 2018 from $955,971 at December 31, 2017, a decrease of $40,442, or 4.2%. We experienced declines in all major sectors of loans during the first nine months of 2018. Business loans, including commercial, construction and commercial real estate loans, decreased $25,168, or 3.6%, to $675,583 at September 30, 2018 from $700,751 at December 31, 2017. Retail loans, including residential real estate and consumer loans, decreased $15,274, or 6.0%, to $239,946 at September 30, 2018 from $255,220 atyear-end 2017. Comparatively, loans, net, grew $150,844, or 36.9%, in the first nine months of 2017. Loan originations in the first nine months of 2018 represented a more moderate pace as compared to the same period of 2017. The reduction in loan growth was a result of management’s decision to focus on improving margins on loan originations through employing prudent pricing practices and maintaining strong underwriting standards. For the third quarter of 2018, loans, net decreased $24,358, or 2.6%. Business loans declined $20,726, while retail loans decreased $3,632 during the third quarter of 2018.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, loans, net averaged $935,304, an increase of $457,271 compared to $478,033 for the same period of 2017. Thetax-equivalent yield on the loan portfolio was 5.19% for the nine months ended September 30, 2018, an 84 basis point increase from the comparable period last year. Loan accretion included in loan interest income in the first nine months of 2018 related to acquired loans was $3,753. Thetax-equivalent yield excluding the loan accretion would have been 4.65% in the first nine months of 2018. Thetax-equivalent yield on the loan portfolio increased 29 basis points during the third quarter of 2018 to 5.24% from 4.95% in the second quarter of 2018. The primary causes of the increase in thetax-equivalent yield was the recognition of a higher amount of loan accretion of $1,140 in the third quarter of 2018 compared to $740 in the second quarter of 2018 along with the impact of an increase in the prime rate of interest on variable rate loans.
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