| ● | Other expenses increased $105 thousand and decreased $23 thousand for the three and nine months ended September 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 September 30, 2020, the Company reported income tax expense of $1.9 million for an effective tax rate of 24.5 percent, compared to income tax expense of $1.7 million and an effective tax rate of 22.0 percent for the prior year’s quarter. For the nine months ended September 30, 2020, the Company reported income tax expense of $5.0 million for an effective tax rate of 23.3 percent, compared to an income expense of $4.8 million and an effective tax rate of 21.6 percent for the nine months ended September 30, 2019.
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.
On September 29, 2020, New Jersey’s Assembly Bill 4721 was signed into law. The bill, retroactively effective January 1, 2020, extends the 2.5% corporate income surtax until December 31, 2023. The Division of Taxation will waive any underpayment penalties on 2020 estimated tax payments related to the retroactive increase. In addition, if the federal corporate tax rate is increased to a rate of at least 35% of taxable income, the surtax will be suspended.
For additional information on income taxes, see Note 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements.
Financial Condition at September 30, 2020
Total assets increased $211.9 million or 12.3 percent, to $1.9 billion at September 30, 2020, when compared to year end 2019. This increase was primarily due to an increase of $181.9 million in net loans, reflecting $138.9 million from the funding of SBA PPP loans, strong commercial loan growth and $43.4 million in cash and cash equivalents, partially offset by a decrease of $16.2 million in investments.
Total deposits increased $243.3 million, primarily due to increases of $133.1 million in noninterest-bearing demand deposits, $64.0 million in savings deposits, $29.1 million in interest-bearing demand deposits, and $17.1 million in time deposits. Borrowed funds decreased $43.0 million due to a reduction in overnight borrowings.
Total shareholders’ equity increased $8.5 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 nine months ended September 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.