Provision for Loan Losses:
A credit loss expense of $290,000 was recorded for the six months ended June 30, 2023, compared to a provision expense of $250,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2022. While Juniata continued to experience favorable asset quality trends, elevated qualitative risk factors, including economic uncertainty, national delinquency trends and the effects of the increasing interest rate environment, in addition to loan growth, were considered.
Management regularly reviews the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses and makes assessments as to specific loan impairment, charge-off expectations, general economic conditions in the Bank’s market area, specific loan quality and other factors. See the earlier discussion in the Financial Condition section explaining the information used to determine the provision.
Non-interest Income:
Non-interest income was $2.6 million during the six months ended June 30, 2023 compared to $2.7 million during the six months ended June 30, 2022, a decrease of $66,000, or 2.5%.
Most significantly impacting the comparative six month periods was a $1.1 million decline in the loss on sales and calls of securities due to the execution of a balance sheet and regulatory capital management strategy in 2022 in which $1.1 million in securities losses were offset by $1.2 million in gains from the termination of two derivatives contracts, recorded in other non-interest income. Also impacting the comparative six month periods was a $110,000 increase in life insurance proceeds during the six months ended June 30, 2023 compared to the six months ended June 30, 2022, which was offset by decreases of $61,000 in fees derived from loan activity, $57,000 in customer service fees and $48,000 in commissions from sales of non-deposit products.
As a percentage of average assets, annualized non-interest income was 0.62% in the first six months of 2023 compared to 0.65% in the comparable 2022 period.
Non-interest Expense:
Non-interest expense was $10.2 million during the six months ended June 30, 2023 compared to $9.9 million during the six months ended June 30, 2022, an increase of $322,000, or 3.3%.
Most significantly impacting non-interest expense in the comparative six month periods was a $298,000 increase in data processing expense primarily due to a $238,000 breakage fee paid to Juniata’s current core service provider as Juniata plans to convert to a new core service provider in the first quarter of 2024, as well as a $209,000 increase in merger and acquisition expense due to the completion of the Path Valley branch acquisition in the second quarter of 2023. These increases were partially offset by a decline of $208,000 in low-income housing partnership amortization expense during the six months ended June 30, 2023 versus the comparable 2022 period due to the completion of the 10-year amortization period in January 2023 for one of Juniata’s low-income housing partnership investments.
As a percentage of average assets, annualized non-interest expense was 2.45% during the six months ended June 30, 2023 compared to 2.42% during the six months ended June 30, 2022.
Provision for income taxes:
An income tax provision of $398,000 was recorded during the six months ended June 30, 2023 compared to an income tax expense of $386,000 recorded during the six months ended June 30, 2022.
The Company qualifies for a federal tax credit for a low-income housing project investment, and the tax provisions for each period reflected the application of the tax credit. The tax credit decreased from $451,000 for the six months ended