Joseph Coccaro, President and Chief Executive Officer, said, “During the first quarter we successfully converted the Bank to atwo-tier mutual holding company structure. We are pleased with our continued strategy to expand our loan portfolio and the positive overall impacts of doing so on assets and income. We continue our efforts to expand our market presence, improve and expand our technology platform and offerings and manage our interest rate risk. We have been pleased with our excellent loan quality, and low loan delinquencies during the quarter.”
Mr. Coccaro continued, “TheCOVID-19 pandemic has created turmoil around the globe. Virtually all businesses have been impacted by the mandated business closures and restrictions. Thankfully banking is an essential business and we are working very hard helping our customers with emergency funding, loan deferrals and assistance with the PPP. I am hopeful that through the funding of the PPP, most businesses will rebound and there will be a recovery. The economic impact of theCOVID-19 pandemic on the company’s operation was not impacted during the first three months ended March 31, 2020. However, there could be an impact on the company’s financials going forward due to but not limited to, increase in loan delinquencies, problem assets, foreclosures, decline in collateral value and an increase in allowance for loan losses. We expect additional growth in the second quarter due to the volume of PPP loans we originated; however, the impact on our balance sheet should be temporary. I am optimistic community banking will continue to prosper by supporting individuals and small business looking for a community bank.”
Income Statement Analysis
Compared to the first quarter of 2019, net interest income increased $269,000, or 9.6%, to $3.1 million. Our net interest margin increased from 1.77% to 1.79%, while the ratio of average interest-earning assets to average interest-bearing liabilities improved 9.5% to 121.87%. The increase in net interest margin during 2020 was mostly due to the higher ratio of average interest-earning assets to average interest-bearing liabilities.
We recorded a $25,000 provision for loan losses for the three months ended March 31, 2020 compared to no provision for loans losses for the same period last year. Higher loan balances was the reason for the provision, as credit quality for the Bank remained very strong.
Non-interest income was $121,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2020, a decrease of $19,000, or 13.5%, compared to $140,000 in the prior year. Lower mortgage late charges and servicing fees was the primary reason for the decline.
For the first quarter of 2020,non-interest expenses increased $2.6 million to $5.1 million, over the comparable 2019 period. Data processing cost decreased $418,000 or 74.1% due tode-conversion expenses in 2019 for the data processing conversion. Expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2020 included a $2.9 million contribution to the Bogota Charitable Foundation that was formed during the reorganization of the Bank into atwo-tier mutual holding company form of organization. The increase of other general operating expenses was mainly due to increases in professional fees associated with the expense of becoming a public company. Without the contribution to the charitable foundation in 2020 and thede-conversion expense in 2019non-interest expenses increased $9,000 to $2.2 million.
Balance Sheet Analysis
Total assets were $708.7 million at March 31, 2020, representing a decrease of $57.9 million, or 7.6%, from December 31, 2019. Net loans increased $9.5 million or 1.8%, due to new productions of $23.9 million of primarily real estate loans (65% residential and 35% commercial), which were partially offset by $14.4 million in repayments. Securities held to maturity decreased $4.7 million mostly due to maturities in municipal bonds and government agency bonds that were not replaced. Cash and due from banks decreased $62.2 million during the period primarily because of $41.5 million in offering subscriptions that were refunded due to the oversubscription of the stock offering.
Delinquent loans increased $196,000, or 34.5%, during the three month period ending March 31, 2020, finishing at 0.1% of total loans, or $765,000. During the same timeframe,non-performing assets decreased $3,000, or 0.5%, to $587,000. Our allowance for loan losses as a percentage of total gross loans was 0.37% at March 31, 2020.