Noninterest Income
Noninterest income for the fourth quarter of 2022 was $7.9 million, a decrease of 4.2% from $8.2 million for the third quarter of 2022. The decrease was primarily attributable to the fourth quarter 2022 results including a negative $0.3 million mortgage servicing rights (“MSR”) fair value adjustment, while the third quarter of 2022 included a positive $0.4 million MSR fair value adjustment. Partially offsetting this decline was a $0.4 million increase in wealth management fees, primarily due to increased farmland brokerage service fees.
Relative to the fourth quarter of 2021, noninterest income decreased 15.7% from $9.4 million. The decline was primarily due to a $0.7 million decrease in gains on sale of mortgage loans. Additionally, the fourth quarter of 2021 results included a positive $0.3 million MSR fair value adjustment.
Noninterest Expense
Noninterest expense for the fourth quarter of 2022 was $27.5 million, a 14.6% increase from $24.0 million for the third quarter of 2022. The increase was primarily due to a $2.6 million accrual related to pending legal matters, a $0.5 million increase in salaries expense, and a $0.4 million increase in benefits expense driven by higher medical benefit costs.
Relative to the fourth quarter of 2021, noninterest expense increased 12.8% from $24.4 million, also primarily attributable to the accrual for pending legal matters and increased salaries and benefits expenses.
Loan Portfolio
Total loans outstanding, before allowance for loan losses, were $2.62 billion at December 31, 2022, compared with $2.58 billion at September 30, 2022 and $2.50 billion at December 31, 2021. The $40.3 million increase in total loans from September 30, 2022 was primarily attributable to growth in the multi-family and commercial and industrial categories. The $26.1 million increase in commercial and industrial loans was driven primarily by higher balances on lines of credit across a variety of industries.
Deposits
Total deposits were $3.59 billion at December 31, 2022, compared with $3.64 billion at September 30, 2022 and $3.74 billion at December 31, 2021. The $56.4 million decrease from September 30, 2022 was primarily attributable to lower balances maintained in public funds and business accounts, while balances maintained in retail accounts remained nearly unchanged.
Asset Quality
Nonperforming loans totaled $2.2 million, or 0.08% of total loans, at December 31, 2022, compared with $3.2 million, or 0.12% of total loans, at September 30, 2022, and $2.8 million, or 0.11% of total loans, at December 31, 2021.
The Company recorded a negative provision for loan losses of $0.7 million for the fourth quarter of 2022, compared to a provision for loan losses of $0.4 million for the third quarter of 2022. The negative provision was primarily due to $0.9 million of net recoveries, partially offset by a $0.3 million increase in required reserves, resulting primarily from the increase in loans during the fourth quarter of 2022.
The Company had net recoveries of $0.9 million, or (0.14)% of average loans on an annualized basis, for the fourth quarter of 2022, compared to net charge-offs of $0.1 million, or 0.01% of average loans on an annualized basis, for the third quarter of 2022, and net charge-offs of $0.1 million, or 0.01% of average loans on an annualized basis, for the fourth quarter of 2021.
The Company’s allowance for loan losses was 0.97% of total loans and 1,175% of nonperforming loans at December 31, 2022, compared with 0.97% of total loans and 782% of nonperforming loans at September 30, 2022.