Noninterest Expense
Noninterest expense for the third quarter of 2022 was $24.0 million, a slight increase from $23.8 million for the second quarter of 2022. Decreases in data processing and marketing expenses were mostly offset by an increase in other noninterest expense, primarily resulting from legal and professional fees related to the pending acquisition of Town and Country.
Relative to the third quarter of 2021, noninterest expense increased 8.3% from $22.2 million. The increase was primarily attributable to a higher base level of noninterest expense following the NXT acquisition, primarily related to personnel costs and branch operations expenses.
Loan Portfolio
Total loans outstanding, before allowance for loan losses, were $2.58 billion at September 30, 2022, compared with $2.45 billion at June 30, 2022 and $2.15 billion at September 30, 2021. The $128.1 million increase in total loans from June 30, 2022 was primarily attributable to broad growth in all of our geographic markets and a moderation in payoffs and prepayments.
Deposits
Total deposits were $3.64 billion at September 30, 2022, compared with $3.70 billion at June 30, 2022 and $3.42 billion at September 30, 2021. The $58.5 million decrease from June 30, 2022 was primarily attributable to lower balances maintained in retail accounts and a seasonal decrease in public fund accounts following annual real estate tax collections.
Asset Quality
Nonperforming loans totaled $3.2 million, or 0.12% of total loans, at September 30, 2022, compared with $3.4 million, or 0.14% of total loans, at June 30, 2022, and $5.5 million, or 0.26% of total loans, at September 30, 2021.
The Company recorded a provision for loan losses of $0.4 million for the third quarter of 2022, compared to $0.1 million for the second quarter of 2022. The provision was primarily due to the increase in loans during the third quarter of 2022, resulting in a $1.1 million increase in required reserves, and a decrease in specific reserves on loans individually evaluated for impairment, resulting in a $0.7 million decrease in required reserves.
The Company had net charge-offs of $0.1 million, or 0.01% of average loans on an annualized basis, for the third quarter of 2022, compared to net recoveries of $0.1 million, or (0.01)% of average loans on an annualized basis, for the second quarter of 2022, and net recoveries of $21 thousand, or less than 1 basis point of average loans on an annualized basis, for the third quarter of 2021.
The Company’s allowance for loan losses was 0.97% of total loans and 781.66% of nonperforming loans at September 30, 2022, compared with 1.01% of total loans and 721.11% of nonperforming loans at June 30, 2022.