| ● | Other expenses decreased $361 thousand and $133 thousand for the three and six months ended June 30, 2020 versus 2019 respectively, primarily due to a reclassification of BSA and consent order compliance expenses in the second quarter of 2020 and lower employee related expenses due to COVID-19. |
Income Tax Expense
For the quarter ended June 30, 2020, the Company reported income tax expense of $1.5 million for an effective tax rate of 22.3 percent, compared to income tax expense of $1.6 million and an effective tax rate of 22.0 percent for the prior year’s quarter. For the six months ended June 30, 2020, the Company reported income tax expense of $3.1 million for an effective tax rate of 22.6 percent, compared to an income expense of $3.2 million and an effective tax rate of 21.5 percent for the six months ended June 30, 2020.
On July 1, 2018, New Jersey’s Assembly Bill 4202 was signed into law. The bill, effective January 1, 2018, imposed a temporary surtax on corporations earning New Jersey allocated income in excess of $1 million at a rate of 2.5% for tax years beginning on or after January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2019, and at a rate of 1.5% for years beginning on or after January 1, 2020, through December 31, 2021. In addition, New Jersey adopted mandatory unitary combined reporting for its Corporation Business Tax, which became effective for periods on or after January 1, 2019.
For additional information on income taxes, see Note 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Financial Condition at June 30, 2020
Total assets increased $181.8 million or 10.6 percent, to $1.9 billion at June 30, 2020, when compared to year end 2019. This increase was primarily due to an increase of $163.1 million in net loans, reflecting $136.0 million from the funding of SBA PPP loans and strong commercial loan growth, and $28.7 million in cash and cash equivalents, partially offset by a decrease of $11.7 million in investments.
Total deposits increased $233.3 million, primarily due to increases of $150.1 million in noninterest-bearing demand deposits, $68.0 million in time deposits and $18.6 million in savings deposits, partially offset by decreases of $3.4 million in interest-bearing demand deposits. Borrowed funds decreased $60.0 million due to a reduction in overnight borrowings.
Total shareholders’ equity increased $5.9 million over year end 2019, primarily due to earnings and an increase in common stock, partially offset by treasury stock purchases, accumulated other comprehensive loss and dividends paid during the six months ended June 30, 2020.
These fluctuations are discussed in further detail in the paragraphs that follow.
Securities Portfolio
The Company’s securities portfolio consists of AFS debt securities and equity investments. The investment securities portfolio is maintained for asset-liability management purposes, as well as for liquidity and earnings purposes.
AFS debt securities are investments carried at fair value that may be sold in response to changing market and interest rate conditions or for other business purposes. Activity in this portfolio is undertaken primarily to manage liquidity and interest rate risk, to take advantage of market conditions that create economically attractive returns and as an additional source of earnings. AFS debt securities consist primarily of obligations of U.S. Government sponsored entities, obligations of state and political subdivisions, mortgage-backed securities, and corporate and other securities.
AFS debt securities totaled $53.1 million at June 30, 2020, a decrease of $11.2 million or 17.4 percent, compared to $64.3 million at December 31, 2019. This net decrease was the result of:
| ● | $8.2 million in principal payments, maturities and called bonds, |
| ● | $6.0 million from the sale of three mortgage-backed securities, two municipal and one corporate bonds, and |