YOUNGSTOWN, Ohio (January 21, 2020) – United Community Financial Corp. (Company) (NASDAQ: UCFC), parent company of Home Savings Bank (Home Savings), announced today that net income for the quarter ended December 31, 2019, was $9.8 million, up 2.8% from the $9.6 million reported for the quarter ended December 31, 2018. Fourth quarter diluted earnings per share increased 6.3% to $0.20 from $0.19 per share reported at the same time last year. These results included $1.4 million of merger costs related to the previously announced merger with First Defiance Financial Corp. Excluding these acquisition costs, the Company’s adjusted net income(non-GAAP) was $11.2 million, up 17.0% and diluted earnings per share were $0.23 per share, up 20.9% for the quarter ending December 31, 2019 when compared to the same quarter last year.
Net income for the twelve months ended December 31, 2019 totaled $39.5 million, up 6.2% from the $37.2 million reported for the twelve months ended December 31, 2018. For the same time period, diluted earnings per share increased to $0.81, up 9.3% from the $0.74 per share previously reported in the prior year. Excluding the $1.4 million in merger costs(after-tax), adjusted net income(non-GAAP) for the twelve months ended December 31, 2019 was $40.8 million up 9.8%, or $0.84 per diluted share or 13.1% when compared to the prior year.
Gary M. Small, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, commented, “The year 2019 proved to be a challenging yet gratifying period for Home Savings. Our team took the steps necessary to overcome the difficulties presented by a tumultuous year for net interest margin management and a very active loan prepayment environment.”
Small continued, “The organization set record levels of commercial and residential new business production, delivered exceptional fee income growth across all business lines, and drove strong deposit growth. As a result we posted excellent financial results … our best earnings on record.”
Concluding, “I am very proud of the efforts of all of our associates. Thanks to their hard work, we remain right on track regarding our pending merger with First Defiance and we look forward to an exciting and successful 2020 with our new partners.”
Strong Loan and Deposit Growth
Total average loans grew $119.2 million (including loans held for sale), or 5.4%, during the last twelve months and $90.6 million, or 4.0% when compared to the same quarter last year. At December 31, 2019, total net loans (including loans held for sale) aggregated $2.4 billion.
The increase in total loans for the period was driven by an increase in commercial loans, which grew $51.4 million, or 5.5%, over the last twelve months. Mortgage loans (including loans held for sale) increased $14.7 million, or 1.4%, over the previous twelve months. Consumer loan growth amounted to $9.2 million, or 3.4%, for the same time period.
Average customer deposits (which exclude brokered certificates of deposit) increased $142.7 million, or 7.5%, from December 31, 2018. During that same time period total business deposits increased $69.1 million, or 26.6%. Averagenon-interest bearing accounts increased $43.9 million or 10.4% while averagenon-interest bearing business deposits increased $27.1 million or 13.4% during the same time period.
Net Interest Income and Margin
Net interest income totaled $21.8 million on a fully taxable equivalent (FTE) basis for the quarter ended December 31, 2019 compared to $23.6 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2018. The fourth quarter of 2018 included the impact of the favorable resolution of an impaired loan that added approximately $1.1 million to loan income during that quarter.
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