[PULASKI FINANCIAL CORP. LOGO APPEARS HERE] PULASKI FINANCIAL REPORTS STRONG CORE BANKING RESULTS, LARGELY OFFSET BY INCREASED LOAN LOSS PROVISION o Loans receivable increase 5% during quarter on growth in commercial real estate and commercial and industrial loans o Core deposits increase 8% during quarter on growth in retail checking account balances o Net interest income up 11% for quarter on strong growth in average loans and core deposits o Mortgage revenues up 40% for quarter on widened gross sales margins o Provision for loan losses totals $4.7 million for quarter versus net charge-offs of $1.8 million resulting in reserve build of $2.9 million and ratio of allowance to total loans of 1.35% o Diluted EPS is $0.06 for quarter compared with $0.27 for last year's quarter o Bank maintains "well-capitalized" regulatory status including 7.65% Tier 1 leverage capital ratio and 10.26% total risk-based capital ratio at December 31, 2008 ST. LOUIS, January 20, 2009 -- Pulaski Financial Corp. (Nasdaq Global Select: PULB) today announced net income for the first fiscal quarter ended December 31, 2008 of $566,000, or $0.06 per diluted share, compared with net income of $2.7 million, or $0.27 per diluted share, for the same quarter a year ago. Results for the 2008 quarter were negatively impacted by a $4.7 million provision for loan losses, which included a $1.2 million provision related to one restructured commercial loan. Gary Douglass, President and Chief Executive Officer commented, "It is likely that the December 2008 quarter will go down as one of the worst quarters in history for U.S. banks in terms of reported net losses. These record losses were driven largely by significantly increased loan loss provisions necessitated by an ever-worsening economy. While we believe that we have prudently underwritten our loan portfolio, we are not immune to the negative impact that the economy has had on our borrowers as we also recorded a substantially higher provision for loan losses this quarter. However, unlike many other banks, a significant portion of the increased provision over the amount recorded in our September 2008 quarter was isolated to a single commercial credit that continues to perform under its restructured terms, and we continued to operate profitably while numerous other banks reported large net losses. We were able to accomplish this on the strength of the core operating results of our three major divisions, commercial, retail and mortgage, which delivered meaningful growth in average loans, core deposits, net interest income and mortgage revenues during the quarter." NET INTEREST INCOME INCREASES ON STRONG CORE DEPOSIT AND COMMERCIAL LOAN GROWTH Net interest income rose $912,000, or 11%, to $9.1 million for the first quarter of fiscal 2009 compared with $8.2 million for the same period a year ago. Results for the quarter were driven by growth in the average balance of loans receivable, which increased $127.4 million to $1.12 billion compared with the same period a year ago. Commercial real estate and commercial and industrial loans accounted for substantially all of this growth. The net interest margin was 2.96% for the three months ended December 31, 2008 compared with 3.04% for the quarter ended September 30, 2008 and 3.02% for the comparable quarter a year ago. The Company's net interest margin was negatively impacted during the quarter by the rapid decline in market interest rates. While the Company saw a decline in interest rates on its prime adjusting commercial and home equity loans and on its short-term wholesale borrowings, interest rates paid on its retail deposits did not fall as quickly due to strong competition for deposits. However, the continued maturity of prime-adjusting loans and fixed-rate deposits coupled with improved pricing on new commercial loan originations should benefit the Company's net interest margin in future periods. Growth in core deposits, which have traditionally been the Company's lowest-cost funding source, continues to be one of the Company's primary strategic objectives. This strategy has yielded continued success as core deposits, which include checking, money market and passbook accounts, rose 8%, or $35.8 million, from September 30, 2008 to $465.9 million at December 31, 2008. Non-interest bearing deposits increased $30.5 million, or 40%, during the quarter to $106.9 million. The Company's newest banking locations in Richmond Heights, Clayton, and downtown St. Louis, all of which opened in 2007, had combined deposits totaling $86.2 million at December 31, 2008. This growth was well ahead of management's projections. Also contributing to the Company's overall deposit growth was an increase in CDARS time deposits, which offer the bank's customers the ability to receive FDIC insurance on deposits up to $50 million. CDARS deposits increased $22.9 million from September 30, 2008 to $146.9 million at December 31, 2008. Douglass observed, "We have been successful in growing our core deposits by offering convenient products at reasonable rates, and by capitalizing on our strong reputation and high level of customer service. We continue to resist the temptation to `chase deposits' and have not pursued the irrational pricing strategies offered by many banks in our market area as the result of fierce competition for deposits. Pulaski Bank remains a source of strength within the St. Louis community and, as local depositors have become increasingly concerned over the safety of their deposits, we have benefited from our reputation for quality and conservatism." CONTINUED GROWTH IN MORTGAGE REVENUES BOLSTERS NON-INTEREST INCOME Non-interest income rose 11% to $3.3 million for the quarter compared with $3.0 million in the same period last year due primarily to strong growth in mortgage revenues. Mortgage revenues rose 40% to $1.5 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2008 compared with $1.1 million for the comparable period last year, while the volume of loans sold declined 10% to $255.5 million in the December 2008 quarter compared with $284.0 million in last year's quarter. The increased mortgage revenues resulted from higher gross sales margins and improved operating efficiency during the quarter. Douglass noted, "We were pleased with yet another quarter of growth in our mortgage revenues. This operation has been a consistent source of revenue in this difficult economic environment. However, our first fiscal quarter results did not fully benefit from the impact of the increased mortgage loan application volume we began to see in late November, which approached record levels. Our mortgage loan closings in December 2008 were $157 million, which represented a 146% increase over our November 2008 volume. In addition, we had $304.7 million of mortgage loan applications in process at December 31, 2008 compared with $152.4 million at September 30, 2008 and $131.7 million at December 31, 2007. We are optimistic that we will reap the benefits of this increased mortgage lending activity in our second fiscal quarter and, assuming mortgage interest rates remain low, through the remainder of fiscal 2009." NON-INTEREST EXPENSE Total non-interest expense increased $593,000, or 9%, to $6.9 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2008 compared with $6.3 million for the same period a year ago, due to a $321,000 increase in compensation expense in the current quarter and the absence of gains on derivative financial instruments of $122,000 that were recognized as a recovery in the quarter ended December 31, 2007. The increase in compensation expense was mainly the result of decreased loan origination volume during the quarter resulting in a lower level of such expense that was capitalized as loan origination costs. The Company also began to experience benefits from a more disciplined line-item budget accountability process, which resulted in lower advertising, professional services and postage, document delivery and office supplies expense. ASSET QUALITY Non-performing loans increased $21.7 million during the quarter to $42.4 million at December 31, 2008, primarily as the result of a $16.2 million increase in troubled debt restructurings. The increase in troubled debt restructurings was due to management's decision to proactively modify loan repayment terms with borrowers who were experiencing financial difficulties in the current economic climate with the belief that these actions would maximize the bank's recoveries on these loans. The restructured terms of the loans generally included a reduction of the interest rates and the addition of past due interest to the principal balance of the loans. Many of these borrowers were current at the time of the modification and show strong intent and ability to repay their obligations under the modified terms. At December 31, 2008, $20.8 million, or 92%, of the total restructured loans were performing as agreed under the modified terms of the loans. While these modifications were generally targeted at residential mortgage loan customers, the Company also restructured a $7.8 million commercial real estate loan made to a St. Louis-based customer, which was collateralized by a strip shopping center in Naples, Florida. The Company's lending practices generally limit lending outside of its two primary market areas, St. Louis and Kansas City. However, management has had a long, successful relationship with this borrower. While the borrower had been paid current under the previous loan terms and remains current under the restructured terms, management determined it was necessary to temporarily reduce the interest rate and defer principal payments while the borrower attempts to secure additional tenants in the property. However, after considering the values of the borrower's personal guarantees and the underlying collateral, the Company recorded a $1.2 million provision for loan loss related to this loan during the December 2008 quarter. Douglass commented, "Substantially all of our residential borrowers live in the St. Louis and Kansas City communities that we serve. We are working with many of our troubled borrowers to help them manage through this difficult economic period. The level of loans we restructured during the quarter was unprecedented. However, we feel the current economy warrants proactive measures and we believe these steps will help stave off foreclosures, maximize the bank's recoveries on these loans and ultimately allow more families to remain in their homes while we work through this severe economic downturn." Also contributing to the rise in non-performing assets was a $5.5 million increase in loans past due 90 days or more. The balance of such loans at December 31, 2008 included $9.2 million in first mortgage loans past due, $4.1 million in second mortgage and home equity loans past due and $6.3 million in commercial loans past due. The ratio of the allowance for loan losses to non-performing loans declined to 37.0% at December 31, 2008 compared with 61.8% at September 30, 2008 as the result of the significant increase in non-performing loans. Management believes the decline in this coverage ratio is appropriate due to a change in the mix of non-performing loans during the quarter, specifically increased troubled debt restructurings that were performing under their restructured terms and residential first mortgage loans. At December 31, 2008, 46% of total non-performing loans were residential first mortgage loans, which carry a lower level of inherent risk than other types of loans in the Company's portfolio, especially compared to second mortgage loans and home equity lines of credit where the Company often does not own or service the first mortgage loan. The provision for loan losses for the three months ended December 31, 2008 was $4.7 million compared with $2.8 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2008 and $1.0 million for the same quarter a year ago. The provision in the current-year period included the addition of $1.4 million in specific reserves related to two loans collateralized by commercial real estate. The increased provision was due to the increase in the level of non-performing loans, net charge-offs and growth in performing commercial loans, which carry a higher level of inherent risk than residential loans. The ratio of the allowance for loan losses to total loans increased to 1.35% at December 31, 2008 compared with 1.16% at September 30, 2008. Net charge-offs for the quarter ended December 31, 2008 totaled $1.8 million, or 0.64% of average loans on an annualized basis, compared with $2.0 million, or 0.73% of average loans on an annualized basis, for the quarter ended September 30, 2008 and $302,000, or 0.12% of average loans on an annualized basis, for the December 2007 quarter. Net charge-offs in the December 2008 quarter included $666,000 in residential first mortgages, $471,000 in residential second mortgages and $598,000 in home equity loans. Real estate acquired in settlement of loans declined to $2.6 million at December 31, 2008 compared with $3.5 million at September 30, 2008. Real estate foreclosure losses and expense was $342,000 for the quarter ended December 31, 2008 compared with $870,000 for the quarter ended September 30, 2008 and $229,000 for the same quarter last year. Real estate foreclosure losses and expense include realized losses on the final disposition of foreclosed properties, additional write-downs for declines in the fair market values of properties subsequent to foreclosure, and expenses incurred in connection with maintaining the properties until they are sold. OUTLOOK Douglass commented, "Our focus for 2009 will continue to be on providing valuable community banking services and products to our customers. We will work with our troubled borrowers and manage our asset quality to help control the level of our credit-related costs. We will insist on appropriate market rates on loan renewals and new loan originations while resisting the irrational deposit pricing mentality that exists in today's market as we continue to concentrate on improving our net interest margin. We believe the in-process implementation of our cost management culture, which measures spending productivity and insists on line-item budget accountability from our managers, will help us improve our operating efficiency." Douglass continued, "We believe 2009 will likely be another challenging year for the entire banking industry. As credit losses increase in financial institutions across the nation, we realize that, despite our conservative underwriting practices, we are not immune to the negative impact that the economy has had on our borrowers. We are diligently watching to see how the various government initiatives will curtail the length and depth of the current economic recession and the national mortgage crisis, including the current oversupply of housing and the resulting declines in property values. However, based upon the expectation of continued strong operating performance in our three major divisions that resulted in meaningful growth in commercial loans, core deposits, net interest income and mortgage revenues during the December quarter, we are optimistic about our core operating results for the balance of 2009. This performance capability should be further enhanced by our ability to leverage the capital infusion from the U.S. Treasury we received on January 16, 2009. And finally, with the Federal Reserve's actions taken in November 2008 to lower mortgage interest rates, which have resulted in a sharp increase in refinance activity, we are optimistic that the increased volume we saw in December will continue and will benefit our mortgage revenues for the balance of fiscal 2009." CONFERENCE CALL TOMORROW Pulaski Financial's management will discuss first quarter results and other developments tomorrow, January 21, during a conference call beginning at 11 a.m. EST (10 a.m. CST). The call also will be simultaneously webcast and archived for three months at:http://www.snl.com/irweblinkx/corporateprofile.aspx?iid=4044240. Participants in the conference call may dial 877-473-3757 a few minutes before start time. The call also will be available for replay until February 4, 2009 at 800-642-1687 or 706-645-9291. ABOUT PULASKI FINANCIAL Pulaski Financial Corp., operating in its 87th year through its subsidiary, Pulaski Bank, serves customers throughout the St. Louis metropolitan area. The bank offers a full line of quality retail and commercial banking products through 12 full-service branch offices in St. Louis and three loan production offices in Kansas City and the St. Louis metropolitan area. The Company's website can be accessed at www.pulaskibankstl.com. This news release may contain forward-looking statements about Pulaski Financial Corp., which the Company intends to be covered under the safe harbor provisions contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements that are not historical or current facts, including statements about beliefs and expectations, are forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements cover, among other things, anticipated future revenue and expenses and the future plans and prospects of the Company. These statements often include the words "may," "could," "would," "should," "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "intends," "plans," "targets," "potentially," "probably," "projects," "outlook" or similar expressions. You are cautioned that forward-looking statements involve uncertainties, and important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated, including changes in general business and economic conditions, changes in interest rates, legal and regulatory developments, increased competition from both banks and non-banks, changes in customer behavior and preferences, and effects of critical accounting policies and judgments. For discussion of these and other risks that may cause actual results to differ from expectations, refer to our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2008 on file with the SEC, including the sections entitled "Risk Factors." These risks and uncertainties should be considered in evaluating forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update them in light of new information or future events. PULASKI FINANCIAL CORP. UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS (UNAUDITED) SELECTED BALANCE SHEET DATA DECEMBER 31, SEPTEMBER 30, (DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS EXCEPT PER SHARE DATA) 2008 2008 -------------- ------------ Total assets $ 1,363,158 $ 1,304,150 Loans receivable, net 1,141,329 1,088,737 Allowance for loan losses 15,664 12,762 Loans held for sale, net 79,302 71,966 Investment securities (includes equity securities) 4,641 733 FHLB stock 9,861 10,896 Mortgage-backed & related securities 27,067 25,925 Cash and cash equivalents 23,918 29,078 Deposits 1,001,935 915,311 Federal Reserve borrowings 143,000 40,000 FHLB advances 96,400 210,600 Subordinated debentures 19,589 19,589 Stockholders' equity 82,453 82,361 Book value per share $8.05 $8.06 ASSET QUALITY RATIOS Nonperforming loans as a percent of total loans 3.66% 1.88% Nonperforming assets as a percent of total assets 3.31% 1.87% Allowance for loan losses as a percent of total loans 1.35% 1.16% Allowance for loan losses as a percent of nonperforming loans 36.97% 61.76% THREE MONTHS SELECTED OPERATING DATA ENDED DECEMBER 31, ----------------------------------- (DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS) 2008 2007 ------------- ------------ Interest income $ 16,835 $ 19,370 Interest expense 7,721 11,169 ------------- ------------ Net interest income 9,114 8,201 Provision for loan losses 4,692 1,032 ------------- ------------ Net interest income after provision for loan losses 4,422 7,169 ------------- ------------ Retail banking fees 967 1,028 Mortgage revenues 1,550 1,108 Investment brokerage revenues 261 215 Gain on sale of securities 243 54 Other 293 574 ------------- ------------ Total non-interest income 3,314 2,979 ------------- ------------ Compensation expense 3,342 3,021 Occupancy, equipment and data processing expense 1,781 1,597 Advertising 286 340 Professional services 261 283 Real estate foreclosure losses and expenses, net 342 229 Gain on derivative financial instruments - (122) FDIC deposit insurance premium 199 233 Other 662 700 ------------- ------------ Total non-interest expense 6,873 6,281 ------------- ------------ Income before income taxes 863 3,867 Income tax expense 297 1,135 ------------- ------------ Net income $ 566 $ 2,732 ============= ============ ANNUALIZED PERFORMANCE RATIOS Return on average assets 0.17% 0.94% Return on average equity 2.66% 12.88% Interest rate spread 2.74% 2.65% Net interest margin 2.96% 3.02% SHARE DATA Weighted average shares outstanding - basic 10,114,506 9,780,132 Weighted average shares outstanding - diluted 10,274,626 10,186,789 Basic earnings per share $ 0.06 $ 0.28 Diluted earnings per share $ 0.06 $ 0.27 Dividends per share $ 0.095 $ 0.090 PULASKI FINANCIAL CORP. UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS, Continued (UNAUDITED) LOANS RECEIVABLE DECEMBER 31, SEPTEMBER 30, (DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS) 2008 2008 -------------- ------------ Real estate mortgage: Residential first mortgages $ 265,876 $ 253,132 Residential second mortgages 82,439 86,349 Multi-family residential 31,631 32,547 Commercial real estate 281,217 261,166 ------------- ------------ Total real estate mortgage 661,163 633,194 ------------- ------------ Real estate construction and development: One to four family residential 32,082 34,511 Multi-family residential 9,789 9,607 Commercial real estate 62,309 55,264 ------------- ------------ Total real estate construction and development 104,180 99,382 ------------- ------------ Commercial & Industrial loans 154,581 137,688 Equity line of credit 229,461 225,357 Consumer and installment 6,712 6,896 ------------- ------------ 1,156,097 1,102,517 ------------- ------------ Add (less): Deferred loan costs 5,242 5,205 Loans in process (4,346) (6,223) Allowance for loan losses (15,664) (12,762) ------------- ------------ (14,768) (13,780) ------------- ------------ Total $ 1,141,329 $1,088,737 ============= ============ Weighted average rate at end of period 5.34% 6.02% ============= ============ DECEMBER 31, 2008 SEPTEMBER 30, 2008 ---------------------- -------------------- WEIGHTED WEIGHTED AVERAGE AVERAGE DEPOSITS INTEREST INTEREST (DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS) BALANCE RATE BALANCE RATE -------------------------------------------- Demand Deposit Accounts: Noninterest-bearing checking $ 106,929 0.00% $ 76,404 0.00% Interest-bearing checking 206,143 1.71% 178,698 2.51% Money market 127,856 0.92% 149,141 2.12% Passbook savings accounts 24,963 0.19% 25,829 0.32% -------------- ------------ Total demand deposit accounts 465,891 1.02% 430,072 1.80% -------------- ------------ Certificates of Deposit: (1) $100,000 or less 302,611 2.94% 264,245 3.32% Greater than $100,000 233,433 3.37% 220,994 3.52% -------------- ------------ Total certificates of deposit 536,044 3.13% 485,239 3.41% -------------- ------------ Total deposits $ 1,001,935 2.15% $ 915,311 2.65% ============== ============ (1) Includes brokered deposits $ 152,630 3.53% $ 128,937 3.85% ============== ============ PULASKI FINANCIAL CORP. NONPERFORMING ASSETS AND ALLOWANCE FOR LOAN LOSSES (UNAUDITED) NONPERFORMING ASSETS DECEMBER 31, SEPTEMBER 30, (IN THOUSANDS) 2008 2008 -------------- ------------ Non-accrual loans: Residential real estate first mortgages $ 4,330 $ 5,904 Residential real estate second mortgages 628 752 Commercial and multi-family 1,514 1,125 Real estate-construction and development 1,089 133 Commercial and industrial 3,119 341 Home equity 3,028 1,695 Other 223 160 -------------- ------------ Total non-accrual loans 13,931 10,110 -------------- ------------ Accruing loans past due 90 days or more: Residential real estate first mortgages 4,909 2,543 Residential real estate second mortgages - - Commercial and multi-family - 231 Real estate-construction and development 557 - Home equity 436 1,468 Other - 7 -------------- ------------ Total accruing loans past due 90 days or more 5,902 4,249 -------------- ------------ Troubled debt restructured: Current: Residential real estate first mortgages 9,480 3,801 Residential real estate second mortgages 1,156 659 Commercial and multi-family 7,897 - Commercial and industrial 1,361 537 Home equity 903 - -------------- ------------ Total current restructured loans 20,797 4,997 -------------- ------------ Past due: Residential real estate first mortgages 652 1,184 Residential real estate second mortgages 12 11 Commercial and industrial 1,020 - Home equity 55 112 -------------- ------------ Total past due restructured loans 1,739 1,307 -------------- ------------ Total restructured loans 22,536 6,304 -------------- ------------ Total non-performing loans 42,369 20,663 -------------- ------------ Real estate acquired in settlement of loans: Residential real estate 2,505 3,519 Commercial real estate 104 - -------------- ------------ Total real estate acquired in settlement of loans 2,609 3,519 -------------- ------------ Other nonperforming assets 92 237 -------------- ------------ Total non-performing assets $ 45,070 $ 24,419 ============== ============ THREE MONTHS ENDED DECEMBER 31, ALLOWANCE FOR LOAN LOSSES ----------------------------------- (IN THOUSANDS) 2008 2007 -------------- ------------ Allowance for loan losses, beginning of period $ 12,762 $ 10,421 Provision charged to expense 4,692 1,032 Loans charged off, net: Residential real estate first mortgages (666) (101) Residential real estate second mortgages (471) (134) Commercial and multi-family 14 - Real estate-construction and development (8) - Commercial and industrial (24) - Home equity (598) (21) Other (37) (46) -------------- ------------ Total loans charged off, net (1,790) (302) -------------- ------------ Allowance for loan losses, end of period $ 15,664 $ 11,151 ============== ============ PULASKI FINANCIAL CORP. AVERAGE BALANCE SHEETS (UNAUDITED) THREE MONTHS ENDED ------------------------------------------------------------------------------- DECEMBER 31, 2008 DECEMBER 31, 2007 ----------------------------------- ----------------------------------- (DOLLARS IN THOUSANDS) INTEREST AVERAGE INTEREST AVERAGE AVERAGE AND YIELD/ AVERAGE AND YIELD/ BALANCE DIVIDENDS COST BALANCE DIVIDENDS COST ----------------------------------- ----------------------------------- Interest-earning assets: Loans receivable $ 1,121,838 $15,685 5.59% $ 994,423 $ 18,215 7.33% Loans available for sale 50,739 666 5.25% 51,511 727 5.64% Other interest-earning assets 57,223 483 3.38% 39,313 428 4.35% ----------------------- -------------------------- Total interest-earning assets 1,229,800 16,834 5.48% 1,085,247 19,370 7.14% --------- ------------- Noninterest-earning assets 83,458 76,327 -------------- ------------- Total assets $ 1,313,258 $ 1,161,574 ============== ============= Interest-bearing liabilities: Deposits $ 872,969 $ 6,123 2.81% $ 762,448 $ 8,202 4.30% Borrowed money 254,592 1,598 2.51% 233,572 2,967 5.08% ----------------------- -------------------------- Total interest-bearing liabilities 1,127,561 7,721 2.74% 996,020 11,169 4.49% --------- ------------- Noninterest-bearing deposits 87,028 59,688 Noninterest-bearing liabilities 13,520 21,018 Stockholders' equity 85,149 84,848 -------------- ------------- Total liabilities and stockholders' equity $ 1,313,258 $ 1,161,574 ============== ============= Net interest income $ 9,113 $ 8,201 ========= ============= Interest rate spread 2.74% 2.65% Net interest margin 2.96% 3.02% FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION CONTACT: Ramsey Hamadi Chief Financial Officer Pulaski Financial Corp. (314) 878-2210 Ext. 3825