the effective tax rate compared to the second quarter of 2018 is primarily due to an increase in merger-related expenses related to the acquisition of Access recorded during the second quarter of 2019.
BALANCE SHEET
Assets
At June 30, 2019, total assets were $17.2 billion, an increase of $3.4 billion from $13.8 billion at December 31, 2018, reflecting the impact of the Access acquisition.
On February 1, 2019, the Company completed its acquisition of Access. Below is a summary of the transaction and related impact on the Company’s balance sheet.
| ● | The fair value of assets acquired equaled $2.855 billion, and the fair value of the liabilities assumed equaled $2.559 billion |
| ● | Total loans acquired totaled $2.217 billion with a fair value of $2.173 billion |
| ● | Total deposits assumed totaled $2.228 billion with a fair value of $2.227 billion |
| ● | Total goodwill arising from the transaction equaled $203.3 million |
| ● | Core deposit intangibles acquired totaled $40.9 million |
Fair values are preliminary and subject to refinement for up to one year after the closing date of the acquisition, in accordance with ASC 805, Business Combinations.
Loans held for investment, net of deferred fees and costs, were $12.2 billion at June 30, 2019, an increase of $2.5 billion, or 25.8%, from December 31, 2018. Quarterly average loans increased $2.3 billion, or 23.2%, for the quarter ended June 30, 2019 compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2018 primarily due to the Access acquisition. Refer to "Loan Portfolio" within Item 2 and Note 4 "Loans and Allowance for Loan Losses" in Part I of Item I for additional information on the Company’s loan activity.
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
At June 30, 2019, total liabilities were $14.6 billion, an increase of $2.8 billion from December 31, 2018.
Total deposits were $12.5 billion at June 30, 2019, an increase of $2.5 billion, or 25.5%, from December 31, 2018. Quarterly average deposits increased $2.8 billion, or 29.1%, for the quarter ended June 30, 2019 compared to the quarter ended June 30, 2018 primarily due to the Access acquisition. Refer to “Deposits” within this Item 2 for further discussion on this topic.
At June 30, 2019, stockholders’ equity was $2.5 billion, an increase of $587.7 million from December 31, 2018. The Company’s capital ratios continue to exceed the minimum capital requirements for regulatory purposes. Refer to “Capital Resources” within this Item 2 for additional information on the Company’s capital ratios.
The Company declared and paid a cash dividend of $0.23 per share during the second quarter of 2019, an increase of $0.02 per share, or 9.5%, compared to the dividend paid during the second quarter of 2018. Dividends for the six months ended June 30, 2019 were $0.46, an increase of $0.04 per share, or 9.5% compared to the six months ended June 30, 2018.