Total borrowings increased to $121.6 million at March 31, 2024 from $109.5 million at December 31, 2023 due primarily to higher borrowings from the FHLB. Borrowings decreased $79.4 million from $201.0 million at March 31, 2023.
Additional sources of liquidity available to the Corporation include cash flows from operations, loan payments and payoffs, deposit growth, maturities, calls and sales of securities and the issuance of brokered certificates of deposit.
Capital and Dividends. The Corporation declared a quarterly cash dividend for the first quarter of 2024 of $0.44 per share, which was paid on April 1, 2024. This dividend represents a payout ratio of 43.6 percent of earnings per share for the first quarter of 2024. The Board of Directors of the Corporation continually reviews the amount of cash dividends per share and the resulting dividend payout ratio in light of changes in economic conditions, current and future capital requirements, and expected future earnings.
Total consolidated equity decreased $567,000 at March 31, 2024 compared to December 31, 2023 due primarily to higher unrealized losses in the market value of securities available for sale, which are recognized as a component of other comprehensive income, share repurchases and dividends paid on the Corporation’s common stock, the significant majority of which was offset by net income. The Corporation’s securities available for sale are fixed income debt securities and their unrealized loss position is a result of rising market interest rates since they were purchased. The Corporation expects to recover its investments in debt securities through scheduled payments of principal and interest and unrealized losses are not expected to affect the earnings or regulatory capital of the Corporation or C&F Bank. The accumulated other comprehensive loss related to the Corporation’s securities available for sale increased to $27.1 million at March 31, 2024 compared to $25.0 million at December 31, 2023 due primarily to an increase in debt security market interest rates.
As of March 31, 2024, the most recent notification from the FDIC categorized the C&F Bank as well capitalized under the regulatory framework for prompt corrective action. To be categorized as well capitalized under regulations applicable at March 31, 2024, C&F Bank was required to maintain minimum total risk-based, Tier 1 risk-based, CET1 risk-based and Tier 1 leverage ratios. In addition to the regulatory risk-based capital requirements, C&F Bank must maintain a capital conservation buffer of additional capital of 2.5 percent of risk-weighted assets as required by the Basel III capital rules. The Corporation and C&F Bank exceeded these ratios at March 31, 2024. For additional information, see “Capital Ratios” below. The above mentioned ratios are not impacted by unrealized losses on securities available for sale. In the event that all of these unrealized losses became realized into earnings, the Corporation and C&F Bank would both continue to exceed minimum capital requirements, including the capital conservation buffer, and be considered well capitalized.
In December 2023, the Board of Directors authorized a program, effective January 1, 2024, to repurchase up to $10.0 million of the Corporation’s common stock through December 31, 2024. During the first quarter of 2024, the Corporation repurchased 9,654 shares, or $516,000, of its common stock under this share repurchase program.
About C&F Financial Corporation. The Corporation’s common stock is listed for trading on The Nasdaq Stock Market under the symbol CFFI. The common stock closed at a price of $35.69 per share on April 18, 2024. At March 31, 2024, the book value per share of the Corporation was $64.24 and the tangible book value per share was $56.36. For more information about the Corporation’s tangible book value per share, which is not calculated in accordance with GAAP, please see “Use of Certain Non-GAAP Financial Measures” and “Reconciliation of Certain Non-GAAP Financial Measures,” below.
C&F Bank operates 31 banking offices and four commercial loan offices located throughout eastern and central Virginia and offers full wealth management services through its subsidiary C&F Wealth Management, Inc. C&F Mortgage Corporation and its subsidiary C&F Select LLC provide mortgage loan origination services through offices located in Virginia, Maryland, North Carolina, and West Virginia. C&F Finance Company provides automobile, marine and recreational vehicle loans through indirect lending programs offered in Alabama, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia from its headquarters in Henrico, Virginia.
Additional information regarding the Corporation’s products and services, as well as access to its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), are available on the Corporation’s website at http://www.cffc.com.