Part I. Financial Information
Item 2. | Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations |
Results of Operations, continued
Results of Operations for the Three Months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017, continued
Income tax expense decreased from $520 thousand for the quarter ended September 30, 2017 to $420 thousand for the quarter ended September 30, 2018, despite the increase inpre-tax earnings, due to a reduction in tax rates pursuant to the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which became effective January 1, 2018 and reduced the Company’s marginal federal income tax rate from 34% to 21%.
Results of Operations for the Nine Months ended September 30, 2018 and 2017
For the nine months ended September 30, 2018, total interest income increased by $2.0 million compared to the nine-month period ended September 30, 2017. The increase in interest income was attributable primarily to loans acquired in the merger with Great State as discussed above. Accretion of purchased loan discounts increased interest income by $803 thousand in the first nine months of 2017 compared to just $730 thousand in the first nine months of 2018, representing a decrease of $73 thousand.
Interest expense on deposits increased by $189 thousand due to the addition of interest-bearing deposits from the Great State merger. Amortization of premiums on acquired time deposits, which reduces interest expense, totaled $197 thousand in the first nine months of 2018, compared to $192 thousand in the first nine months of 2017. Interest on borrowings increased by $32 thousand due to overnight borrowings which were accessed in the second and third quarters of 2018 along with FHLB Advances that were acquired as part of the Great State merger.
The provision for loan losses for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2018 was $258 thousand, compared to $233 thousand for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2017.
Noninterest income increased by $519 thousand for the first nine months of 2018, compared to the same period in 2017. Service charges on deposit accounts increased $145 thousand primarily due to the merger with Great State as well as nonrecurring proceeds from life insurance contracts totaling $303 thousand in 2018. Securities gains decreased by $121 thousand for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2018 compared to the same period last year as increases in interest rates led to decreases in the market value of the Bank’s investment securities portfolio.
Total noninterest expenses increased by $1.3 million for the nine-month period ended September 30, 2018, compared to the same period in 2017. The increase was due primarily to the Great State acquisition and the increase in benefit costs discussed above. Salaries and employee benefits increased by $930 thousand in 2018 compared to 2017.
In total, income before taxes increased by $885 thousand over the first nine months of 2018 compared to the first nine months of 2017. Income tax expense decreased by $202 thousand over the prior year, resulting in an increase in net income of $1.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2018 compared to the same period in 2017.
Financial Condition
Effective July 1, 2018 the Company completed its previously announced merger with Great State, pursuant to the Agreement and Plan of Merger, dated March 1, 2018. In connection with the merger with Great State, the Company acquired $145.5 million in assets at fair value, including $95.1 million in loans. The Company also assumed $133.6 million of liabilities at fair value, including $130.6 million of total deposits with a core deposit intangible asset recorded of $2.4 million, and goodwill of $3.8 million.
With the Great State merger, total assets increased by $131.7 million from December 31, 2017 to September 30, 2018. Net loans increased by $112.6 million, federal funds sold increased by $11.4 million, and interest-bearing deposits in banks increased by $741 thousand.
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