Other Operating Expense
Total other operating expense was $31.6 million for the third quarter of 2007, up $0.3 million or 1.1% from the comparable quarter one year ago. Miscellaneous operating expense increased by $1.2 million due to a $0.8 million reduction in the reserve for unfunded commitments recognized in the third quarter of 2006 and increased amortization expense of $0.3 million related to our high technology investments in the third quarter of 2007. The decrease in salaries and employee benefits of $1.2 million during the current quarter was attributable to lower bonus accrual expense recorded in the third quarter of 2007.
For the first nine months of 2007, total other operating expense of $93.4 million decreased by $3.1 million, or 3.2%, from the same period last year. The decrease in other operating expense was primarily due to the reversal of certain incentive compensation accruals totaling $1.8 million recorded in the first quarter of 2007 and $2.2 million in retirement expenses for a former senior executive recorded in the first quarter of 2006, partially offset by an increase in miscellaneous operating expenses of $0.9 million primarily due to the aforementioned reduction in the reserves for unfunded commitments recognized in fiscal 2006.
Given the current economic conditions under which we operate, we expect to continue to tightly manage our operating expenses and anticipate expenses for the remainder of 2007 to remain relatively consistent with current levels.
Income Taxes
The effective tax rate for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2007 was 23.0% and 33.6%, respectively, compared to 35.9% and 35.3% for the comparable prior year periods, respectively. The current quarter decrease was due to the disproportionate recognition of federal and state tax credits compared to taxable income in the current quarter in comparison to the comparable prior year period. Factors that may affect the effective tax rate for 2007 include the level of tax-exempt income recognized, the amount of nondeductible expenses incurred and the amount of federal and state tax credits available to offset future taxable income.
Contractual Obligations
Information regarding our contractual obligations is provided in Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006. There have been no material changes in our contractual obligations since December 31, 2006.
In addition to our previously disclosed contractual obligations, FIN 48 tax liabilities were $6.9 million at September 30, 2007. Based on the uncertainties associated with the settlement of these items, we are unable to make reasonably reliable estimates of the period of potential cash settlements, if any, with taxing authorities.
Financial Condition
Total assets at September 30, 2007 grew to $5.6 billion, increasing by $160.4 million or 2.9% compared to year-end 2006.
Loans and leases, net of unearned income, grew to $4.1 billion, increasing by $226.5 million or 5.9% over year-end 2006. The increase was primarily attributable to increases in our residential and commercial real estate mortgage portfolios and our commercial construction portfolio, partially offset by a decrease in our commercial, financial and agricultural loan portfolio. Our mainland loan production offices contributed approximately 44% of our total loan growth during the first nine months of 2007, while our Hawaii lending activity contributed the remaining 56%.
Total deposits at September 30, 2007 grew to $3.9 billion, increasing by $97.8 million over year-end 2006. Noninterest-bearing deposits at September 30, 2007 decreased by $30.4 million, or 4.6%, from fiscal 2006 year-end, while interest-bearing deposits increased by $128.2 million, or 4.0%. The decrease in noninterest-bearing deposits and increase in interest-bearing deposits reflects a continued shift in customer activity from noninterest-bearing deposits into higher-rate time deposits as customers have become increasingly interest rate sensitive.
We remain committed to growing our customer deposit base by focusing our sales and marketing efforts on our premier product, the Exceptional Checking and Savings accounts, as well as by offering periodic certificate of deposit specials. We are also continually looking for ways to provide our customers with innovative products and solutions. In April 2007, we launched our Remote Deposit Central product which allows our commercial customers to deposit checks remotely from the comfort of their office or home office without having to visit our branches. In October 2007, we launched another new product called Choice Checking. Choice Checking is a checking account that allows customers to earn a CD-like interest rate if certain requirements are met. In addition to the attractive rate, there are no minimum balance requirements, no monthly service fees and surcharge fees charged by ATMs nationwide are reimbursed.
Capital Resources
Shareholders' equity was $744.0 million at September 30, 2007, compared to $738.1 million at year-end 2006. Book value per share at September 30, 2007 was $24.87 compared to $24.04 at year-end 2006.
On July 25, 2007, the Company’s board of directors declared a third quarter cash dividend of $0.25 per share, an increase of 8.7% over the $0.23 per share dividend declared in the third quarter of 2006. For the first nine months of 2007, dividends declared totaled $0.73 per share, an increase of 12.3% over the $0.65 per share declared in the first nine months of 2006.
In April 2006, the Company’s board of directors authorized the repurchase and retirement of up to 600,000 shares of the Company’s common stock (the “2006 Repurchase Plan”). The 2006 Repurchase Plan remained in effect through April 26, 2007.
On April 26, 2007, the Company’s board of directors authorized the repurchase and retirement of up to 600,000 shares under a plan that will remain in effect through April 30, 2008 (the “2007 Repurchase Plan”). On July 25, 2007, the Company’s board of directors authorized the repurchase of an additional 1,500,000 shares under the 2007 Repurchase Plan. The repurchase authorization under the 2007 Repurchase Plan rescinded the planned repurchase of any remaining shares under the Company’s 2006 Repurchase Plan.
During the nine months ended September 30, 2007, we repurchased and retired a total of 973,700 shares of common stock for approximately $31.1 million under the 2006 and 2007 Repurchase Plans. At September 30, 2007, a total of 1,182,300 shares remained authorized for repurchase under the 2007 Repurchase Plan.
We have five statutory trusts: CPB Capital Trust I, CPB Capital Trust II, CPB Statutory Trust III, CPB Capital Trust IV and CPB Statutory Trust V, which issued a total of $105.0 million in trust preferred securities. The statutory trusts are not consolidated in the consolidated financial statements as of September 30, 2007. However, the Federal Reserve Board (the “FRB”) has determined that certain cumulative preferred securities, such as the trust preferred securities issued by the capital and statutory trusts, qualify as minority interest, and are included in the calculation of Tier 1 capital up to 25% of total risk-based capital with the excess includable as Tier 2 capital.
Our objective with respect to capital resources is to maintain a level of capital that will support sustained asset growth and anticipated risks. Furthermore, we seek to ensure that regulatory guidelines and industry standards for well-capitalized institutions are met or exceeded.
Regulations on capital adequacy guidelines adopted by the FRB and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”) are as follows. An institution is required to maintain a minimum ratio of qualifying total capital to risk-adjusted assets of 8% and a minimum ratio of Tier 1 capital to risk-adjusted assets of 4%. In addition to the risk-based guidelines, federal banking regulators require banking organizations to maintain a minimum amount of Tier 1 capital to total assets, referred to as the leverage ratio. For a banking organization rated in the highest of the five categories used by regulators to rate banking organizations, the minimum leverage ratio of Tier 1 capital to total assets must be 3%. In addition to these uniform risk-based capital guidelines and leverage ratios that apply across the industry, the regulators have the discretion to set individual minimum capital requirements for specific institutions at rates significantly above the minimum guidelines and ratios.
The following table sets forth the Company’s capital ratios and capital adequacy requirements applicable as of the dates indicated. In addition, FDIC-insured institutions such as our principal banking subsidiary, Central Pacific Bank, must maintain leverage, Tier 1 and total risk-based capital ratios of at least 5%, 6% and 10%, respectively, to be considered “well capitalized” under the prompt corrective action provisions of the FDIC Improvement Act of 1991.