Net interest income was flat in 2013 versus 2012 as growth in average loans outstanding of $46 million and investment securities were offset by a 28 basis point narrowing of the Company’s net interest margin to 3.91% in 2013 from 4.19% a year ago. The Company’s average cost of funds declined by seven basis points to 0.20% in 2013 versus 0.27% a year ago.
The Company recorded income tax expense of $3.7 million in 2013 resulting in an effective tax rate of 22.6% versus an income tax benefit of $714 thousand in the comparable 2012 full year period.
Asset Quality
Non-accrual loans, excluding loans categorized as held-for-sale, totaled $15 million or 1.42% of total loans outstanding at December 31, 2013 versus $16 million or 2.10% of loans outstanding at December 31, 2012. At December 31, 2013, approximately 71% of the Company’s non-accrual loans were current with respect to principal and interest payments. The allowance for loan losses as a percentage of total non-accrual loans amounted to 114% at December 31, 2013 versus 108% at December 31, 2012.
Total accruing loans delinquent 30 days or more amounted to $3 million or 0.33% of loans outstanding at December 31, 2013 versus $14 million or 1.81% of loans outstanding as of December 31, 2012.
Total criticized and classified loans were $43 million at December 31, 2013, $64 million at September 30, 2013 and $99 million at December 31, 2012. Criticized loans are those loans that require some degree of heightened monitoring but are not classified. Classified loans were $37 million at December 31, 2013, $53 million at September 30, 2013 and $54 million at December 31, 2012. The allowance for loan losses as a percentage of total classified loans was 47%, 34% and 33%, respectively, at the same dates.
At December 31, 2013, the Company had $16 million in troubled debt restructurings (“TDRs”), primarily consisting of commercial and industrial loans, commercial real estate loans and residential mortgages totaling $6 million, $6 million and $4 million, respectively. The Company had TDRs amounting to $17 million at December 31, 2012.
At December 31, 2013, the Company’s allowance for loan losses amounted to $17 million or 1.62% of period-end loans outstanding. The allowance as a percentage of loans outstanding was 2.28% at December 31, 2012.
Net loan charge-offs of $1.6 million, inclusive of a charge-off of $1.5 million incurred in connection with the previously described loan sale, were recorded in the fourth quarter of 2013 versus net loan recoveries of $326 thousand in the third quarter of 2013 and net loan charge-offs of $2.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2012. As a percentage of average total loans outstanding, these net amounts represented, on an annualized basis, 0.61% for the fourth quarter of 2013, (0.14%) for the third quarter of 2013 and 1.12% for the fourth quarter of 2012.
The Company held no OREO at December 31, 2013. The Company held OREO amounting to $1.6 million at December 31, 2012.
Capital
Total stockholders’ equity was $167 million at December 31, 2013 compared to $164 million at December 31, 2012. The increase in stockholders’ equity versus December 31, 2012 was due to a $13 million increase in retained earnings resulting from net income recorded during 2013. Somewhat offsetting this increase was a $10 million reduction in accumulated other comprehensive income, net of tax, resulting primarily from the negative impact of the increase in interest rates in 2013 on the value of the Company’s available for sale investment portfolio, partially offset by the net change in the Company’s pension benefit obligations.
The Company’s return on average common stockholders’ equity was 7.78% for the year ended December 31, 2013 versus (1.22%) for the comparable 2012 period.
The Bank’s Tier 1 leverage, Tier 1 risk-based and total risk-based capital ratios were 9.74%, 13.67% and 14.92%, respectively, at December 31, 2013. Each of these ratios exceeds the regulatory guidelines for a “well capitalized” institution, the highest regulatory capital category.