PVF Capital Corp. Announces Quarterly and Full Year Operating Results

• Linked quarter decline in non-performing assets of $3.7 million.
• Full year net income of $1.4 million.
• Net loss for the fourth quarter of fiscal 2010 of $2.7 million, primarily driven by credit costs.
• Provision for loan losses of $3.9 million during the quarter resulting in an allowance for loan losses of $31.5 million or 5.09% of loans.
• Stable net interest margin of 2.55%.

SOLON, Ohio, Aug. 24, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- PVF Capital Corp. (Nasdaq:PVFC), the parent company of Park View Federal Savings Bank, reported financial results for the fourth quarter and full year ended June 30, 2010. Operating results for the fiscal fourth quarter was a net loss of $2.7 million, or $0.11 basic and diluted loss per share. This compares to a loss of $7.9 million, or $1.02 basic and diluted loss per share, for the prior year comparable period. The net loss for the quarter was primarily due to credit related costs resulting in a provision for loan losses of $3.9 million and $1.3 million associated with the loss and write-down on the disposal of other real estate owned. For the fiscal year 2010, the Company reported net income of $1.4 million, or $0.11 per diluted common share, which included a pretax gain on the cancellation of debt of $17.7 million. Total assets at June 30, 2010 were $859.6 million compared with $912.2 million at June 30, 2009, representing a decrease of 5.77%.

Robert J. King, Jr., President and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "We continue to execute our turnaround plan and move in a positive direction. We are taking decisive steps and work each day to position the Company's infrastructure to support growth and generate profitability."

Fourth Quarter Review

Net Interest Margin

Net interest income was $5.3 million for the quarter ended June 30, 2010, an increase of $68,000, or 1.3%, compared to $5.2 million for the same period of 2009, and was also $138,000, or 2.7%, higher than the quarter ended March 31, 2010. Although the increase in net interest income compared with the prior year period was modest, the improvement was reflective of a smaller but more profitable balance sheet. Net interest margin improved 17 basis points for the quarter to 2.55% compared with 2.38% for the prior year comparable period. The linked quarter margin was unchanged. The improvement in net interest margin compared with the prior year period was fueled by a 94 basis point decline in deposit and funding costs while interest earning asset yields declined only 73 basis points, despite a significantly strengthened liquidity position and a shift in the mix of earning assets to lower yielding overnight funds and investments.

Asset Quality

The provision for loan losses of $3.9 million reflected a decrease of $7.3 million from the prior year comparable period and a decrease of $3.1 from the quarter ended March 31, 2010, as the level and velocity of new problem credits has slowed. The allowance for loan losses totaled $31.5 million, or 5.09% of loans at June 30, 2010, compared with $31.5 million, or 4.50% of loans, and $30.3 million, or 4.76% of loans, at June 30, 2009 and March 31, 2010, respectively.

Non-performing loans totaled $69.0 million at June 30, 2010, down slightly from $70.0 million and $70.5 million at March 31, 2010 and June 30, 2009, respectively. The Company aggressively worked to dispose of its real estate owned assets which was reduced to $8.2 million at June 30, 2010 compared with $11.0 million at March 31, 2010 and $11.6 million at the prior year end.

Mr. King added, "Problem asset resolution and disposition remains our top priority. Despite the continued difficult economy, this past quarter we were able to reduce our level of problem assets, dispose of real estate owned assets, and saw modest improvement in asset quality."

Non-Interest Income

Non-interest income decreased by $486,000 for the quarter compared with the prior year comparable period. The decrease was attributable to lower revenues from mortgage banking, which declined $2.0 million from the year ago period that experienced a higher level of refinancing activity. This was partially offset by a $1.3 million reduction in the loss on sale and write-downs of real estate owned, which totaled $1.3 million for the quarter compared with $2.6 million in the prior year quarter.

Compared with the linked quarter, non-interest income was significantly lower, due to the $9.1 million gain reported in the quarter ended March 31, 2010, which resulted from the cancellation of $10.0 million of subordinated debt.

Non-Interest Expense

Non-interest expense for the current quarter was $6.1 million, a reduction of $553,000, or 8.4%, from the same period a year ago. Lower costs associated with outside services along with lower FDIC insurance premiums as a result of a smaller deposit base contributed to the reduced costs. Non-interest expense was essentially flat when compared with the linked quarter ended March 31, 2010, declining $56,000, or 0.9%.

Balance Sheet

At year end, the Company reported assets of $859.6 million, a decrease of $52.6 million, or 5.8%, from the prior year end period of June 30, 2009. The decline in assets was primarily attributable to lower loans receivable, which totaled $618.9 million and was $81.0 million, or 11.6%, lower than the prior year end, along with fewer loans held for sale, which declined $18.4 million, or 67.8%, due to timing differences between the funding and settlement of the warehouse mortgage portfolio. Very little new portfolio lending has occurred as the Company addresses its asset quality issues and works to reposition its balance sheet and strengthen its capital ratios.

Total deposits at June 30, 2010 were $667.5 million, which was $57.4 million, or 7.9%, and $22.0 million, or 3.2%, lower compared with June 30, 2009 and March 31, 2010, respectively, as the Company is not replacing its maturing brokered deposits and has significantly improved its liquidity position from loan portfolio run off.

Total shareholders' equity was $83.2 million at the end of the period and was $33.7 million higher than the prior year end, primarily as a result of the capital raised as part of the $30 million shareholder rights offering completed in the third fiscal quarter and the net earnings.

Full Year 2010 Review

For the year ended June 30, 2010, net income totaled $1.4 million, or $0.11 basic and diluted earnings per share, compared with a loss of $20.1 million, or $2.59 basic and diluted earnings per share, for the same period of the prior year. The increase in earnings was primarily attributable to the previously discussed gain on the cancellation of debt and a provision for loan losses that was $16.3 million lower in the current year.

Net interest income was higher by $705,000 in the current year period despite a much smaller loan portfolio and enhanced liquidity. The yield on earning assets declined 82 basis points while the Company was able to reduce its cost of interest bearing liabilities by 105 basis points. The net interest margin was 2.43% for 2010, 15 basis points higher than the prior year.

The provision for loan losses totaled $14.9 million for 2010, $16.3 million less than the provision of $31.3 million recorded for 2009.

In addition to the gain on the cancellation of debt noted earlier, net mortgage banking income was $3.3 million lower in 2010 versus 2009, which was primarily a result of the lower interest rate environment and higher refinancing activity which occurred in 2009. The 2009 results were negatively impacted from the inclusion of a $1.8 million charge relative to the Company's investments in preferred stock issued by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation and Federal National Mortgage Association after these organizations were placed under conservatorship. The 2010 results included a decrease of $1.6 million related to losses on the sale or direct write-down of real estate owned compared to the prior year period, while the 2009 period included a $1.2 million gain on the sale of securities.

Non-interest expense totaled $24.5 million for 2010 compared with $23.0 million for 2009. Lower compensation and benefits expense of $880,000 was more than offset by higher costs related to the utilization of outside services, FDIC insurance premiums and expenses associated with real estate owned, which increased $347,000, $972,000 and $1.3 million, respectively.

Park View Federal is a wholly-owned subsidiary of PVF Capital Corp. and operates 17 full-service offices located throughout the Greater Cleveland area. For additional information, visit our web site at www.myparkview.com.

This press release contains statements that are forward-looking, as that term is defined by the Private Securities Litigation Act of 1995 or the Securities and Exchange Commission in its rules, regulations and releases. The Company intends that such forward-looking statements be subject to the safe harbors created thereby. All forward-looking statements are based on current expectation regarding important risk factors including, but not limited to, real estate values and the impact of interest rates on financing. Accordingly, actual results may differ from those expressed in the forward-looking statements, and the making of such statements should not be regarded as a representation by the Company or any other person that results expressed therein will be achieved.

PVF Capital Corp.'s common shares trade on the NASDAQ Capital Market under the symbol PVFC.