PennFed Financial Services, Inc. Reports First-Quarter Earnings


WEST ORANGE, N.J., Oct. 26, 2006 (PRIMEZONE) -- PennFed Financial Services, Inc. (Nasdaq:PFSB), the $2.3 billion holding company for New Jersey-based Penn Federal Savings Bank, announced earnings for the first quarter ended September 30, 2006. Earnings for the current quarter were 17 cents per diluted share compared to earnings for the June 2006 quarter of 21 cents per diluted share.

"With the prolonged flat and, at times, inverted yield curve, the Company, like many community banks, reported further net interest margin compression," said Joseph L. LaMonica, PennFed's President and Chief Executive Officer. The difficult interest rate environment and intense competition for loans and deposits contributed to a reduction in net interest margin. PennFed's net interest margin of 1.38% for the quarter ended September 30, 2006 reflected 18 basis points of compression from the June 2006 quarter. LaMonica stated that, "while we anticipate the margin will continue to be modestly pressured in the short term, stabilization of net interest margin should follow." LaMonica, however, cautioned that, "actual improvement in the margin would probably not begin to occur until the yield curve steepens."

"At PennFed, we continue to focus on asset quality and expense management to somewhat mitigate the effects of a compressing margin," LaMonica stated.

By adhering to high credit standards, credit quality has not deteriorated. Non-performing assets of $2.1 million represented just 0.09% of total assets at September 30, 2006. Chargeoffs for the current quarter were insignificant.

In addition to being recognized as a low-risk lender, the Company has always been known as a low-cost provider of financial services. For the fourth quarter in a row, the Company has maintained a ratio of non-interest expenses to average assets of approximately 1%.

With a slowdown in one- to four-family loan demand, assets at September 30, 2006 reflected growth during the quarter of just over 1%. The Company's focus continues to emphasize the origination of home equity loans in addition to one- to four-family mortgage loans and commercial real estate loans.

During the quarter ended September 30, 2006, total deposits increased $87 million. The shift in the mix of deposits continued as savings account customers moved funds to other higher yielding alternatives. LaMonica noted that, "the New Jersey deposit market is highly competitive. We have seen growth in CDs as customers seeking higher rates are moving their cash into higher interest-bearing time deposits. Nevertheless, the Company continually analyzes the alternative funding sources in the wholesale markets and is committed to utilize such funding when appropriate."

PennFed stockholders of record as of November 10, 2006 will be paid a cash dividend of 7 cents per share on November 24, 2006. The Company's dividend policy will continue to be reviewed on a regular basis.

Certain information provided in this press release excludes income and expense items which management believes should be excluded in order to provide investors with a clear understanding of the results of the Company's normal business operations. These items, which are included in the financial results prepared in accordance with U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP) but which are excluded from adjusted results, are described in a reconciliation table following this press release.

Penn Federal Savings Bank maintains 24 New Jersey branch offices. The Bank's deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation.

This release contains words or phrases, such as "will," "expect," "anticipate," "continue" and similar expressions, that are intended to identify "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including, among other things, changes in economic and competitive conditions in the Company's market area, changes in policies by regulatory agencies, fluctuations in interest rates and demand for loans in the Company's market area, the relationship of short-term interest rates to long-term interest rates, competition and terrorist acts that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical earnings and those presently anticipated or projected. The Company wishes to caution readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The Company wishes to advise readers that the factors listed above, as well as other factors, could affect the Company's financial performance and could cause the Company's actual results for future periods to differ materially from any opinions or statements expressed with respect to future periods in any current statements.



                   PennFed Financial Services, Inc.
            (Holding Company for Penn Federal Savings Bank)
              Selected Consolidated Financial Information
           (dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)

                             September 30,     June 30,   September 30,
                                  2006           2006          2005
                              -----------    -----------   -----------
 Selected Financial
  Condition Data:

  Cash and cash equivalents   $    18,645    $    16,614   $    17,838
  Investments, net                445,442        445,296       425,412
  Mortgage-backed
   securities, net                 60,293         62,963        73,270
  Loans held for sale                 285            217           937
  Loans receivable:
   One- to four-family
    mortgage loans              1,317,415      1,302,230     1,195,924
   Commercial and multi-
    family real estate
    loans                         170,807        172,600       165,882
   Consumer loans                 219,840        204,446       156,894
   Allowance for loan losses       (5,865)        (5,888)       (5,916)
   Other, net                      10,804         10,619         9,410
                              -----------    -----------   -----------
  Loans receivable, net         1,713,001      1,684,007     1,522,194

  FHLB stock                       26,511         27,714        24,586
  Other assets                     70,085         69,699        59,450
                              -----------    -----------   -----------
  Total assets                 $2,334,262    $ 2,306,510   $ 2,123,687
                              ===========    ===========   ===========
  Deposits:
   Checking and money market  $   315,103    $   312,489   $   243,457
   Savings                        280,052        300,247       360,488
   Certificates of deposit
    and accrued interest          906,651        801,852       760,057
                              -----------    -----------   -----------
  Total deposits                1,501,806      1,414,588     1,364,002

  FHLB advances                   465,000        465,465       425,465
  Other borrowings                179,164        240,193       148,134
  Junior subordinated
   debentures                      42,138         42,126        42,093
  Other liabilities                21,772         20,717        18,123
  Stockholders' equity            124,382(a)     123,421       125,870
                              -----------    -----------   -----------
  Total liabilities and
   stockholders' equity       $ 2,334,262    $ 2,306,510   $ 2,123,687
                              ===========    ===========   ===========

  Book value per share        $      9.69    $      9.59   $      9.53

  Equity to assets                   5.33%          5.35%         5.93%

 Asset Quality Data:
  Non-performing loans        $     2,140    $     1,780   $     1,998
  Real estate owned, net                0              0           477
                              -----------    -----------   -----------
  Total non-performing
   assets                     $     2,140    $     1,780   $     2,475
                              ===========    ===========   ===========
  Non-performing loans to
   total loans                       0.12%          0.11%         0.13%
  Non-performing assets to
   total assets                      0.09%          0.08%         0.12%
  Allowance for loan losses
   to non-performing loans         274.07%        330.79%       296.10%
  Allowance for loan losses
   to total gross loans              0.34%          0.35%         0.39%

 Regulatory Capital Ratios
  (of the Bank):
   Tangible capital ratio
    (requirement - 1.50%)            7.17%          7.33%         8.02%
  Core capital ratio
    (requirement - 4.00%)            7.17%          7.33%         8.02%
  Risk-based capital ratio
   (requirement - 8.00%)            13.43%         13.81%        15.39%

 (a) Common shares outstanding as of September 30, 2006 totaled
     12,836,722 shares.



                   PennFed Financial Services, Inc.
            (Holding Company for Penn Federal Savings Bank)
              Selected Consolidated Financial Information
           (dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)


                            For the three months ended
            ----------------------------------------------------------
             Sep. 30,    Jun. 30,    Mar. 31,    Dec. 31,    Sep. 30,
               2006        2006        2006        2005        2005
            ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------
Selected
 Operating
 Data:
 Interest
  and
  dividend
  income      $ 31,243    $ 30,270    $ 28,973    $ 28,350    $ 27,683
 Interest
  expense       23,715      21,814      19,762      18,715      17,491
            ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------
 Net
  interest
  and
  dividend
  income         7,528       8,456       9,211       9,635      10,192
 Provision
  for loan
  losses             0           0           0           0           0
            ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------
 Net
  interest
  and
  dividend
  income
  after
  provision
  for loan
  losses         7,528       8,456       9,211       9,635      10,192
 Non-interest
   income:
  Fees and
   service
   charges         725         718         778         704       3,470
  Net gain
   (loss)
   from
   real
   estate
   owned            22          (2)         (3)          2          (3)
  Net gain
   on
   sales
   of
   loans             9           0           0          21         122
  Income
   on Bank
   Owned
   Life
   Insurance       298         293         239         219         216
  Other            418         204         201         153         181
            ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------
  Total
   non-
   interest
   income        1,472       1,213       1,215       1,099       3,986
 Non-
  interest
  expenses:
  Compen-
   sation &
   employee
   benefits      2,990       2,742       3,134       3,067       3,259
  Net
  occupancy
  expense          587         583         664         594         585
  Equipment        593         534         530         538         971
  Adver-
   tising          120         170         168         165         134
  Federal
   deposit
   insurance
   premium          43          43          45          45          42
  Extin-
   guish-
   ment of
   debt              0           0           0           0       1,351
  Other          1,252       1,325       1,119         979       1,411
            ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------
  Total
   non-
   interest
   expenses      5,585       5,397       5,660       5,388       7,753
            ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------
 Income
  before
  income
  taxes          3,415       4,272       4,766       5,346       6,425
 Income
  tax
  expense        1,151       1,509       1,717       1,892       2,293
            ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------
 Net income    $ 2,264     $ 2,763     $ 3,049     $ 3,454     $ 4,132
            ==========  ==========  ==========  ==========  ==========
 Weighted
  avg.
  no. of
  diluted
  common
  shares    13,177,415  13,241,182  13,349,234  13,509,140  13,700,349
 Diluted
  earnings
  per
  common
  share         $ 0.17      $ 0.21      $ 0.23      $ 0.26      $ 0.30

 Return on
  average
  common
  equity(a)       7.32%       8.97%       9.87%      11.09%      13.12%

 Return on
  average
  assets(a)       0.39%       0.49%       0.56%       0.65%       0.79%

  Average
   total
   assets   $2,316,308  $2,267,507  $2,184,365  $2,137,449  $2,087,261

  Average
   earning
   assets   $2,237,635  $2,188,499  $2,111,183  $2,066,915  $2,017,484

  Yield on
   average
   interest-
   earning
   assets         5.56%       5.53%       5.51%       5.46%       5.47%
  Cost of
   average
   deposits
   and
   borrow-
   ings           4.31%       4.09%       3.90%       3.70%       3.55%
            ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------
  Net
   interest
   rate
   spread         1.25%       1.44%       1.61%       1.76%       1.92%
            ==========  ==========  ==========  ==========  ==========

  Net
   interest
   margin         1.38%       1.56%       1.74%       1.89%       2.05%

  Non-
   interest
   exp. as
   a % of
   avg.
   assets(a)      0.96%       0.95%       1.04%       1.01%       1.49%
  Efficiency
   ratio         62.21%      55.81%      54.27%      50.20%      54.67%

  Loan
   origi-
   nations
   and
   purchases:
   One- to
    four-
    family
    mort-
    gage
    loans     $ 53,628    $ 84,925    $ 64,637    $ 73,061   $ 118,229
   Commercial
    and
    multi-
    family
    real
    estate
    loans        3,188      12,353       7,005      14,387       8,315
   Consumer
   loans        33,271      36,472      36,791      27,996      30,470
            ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------  ----------
   Total
   loan
   origi-
   nations
   and
   pur-
   chases     $ 90,087   $ 133,750   $ 108,433   $ 115,444   $ 157,014
            ==========  ==========  ==========  ==========  ==========

 (a) - Annualized.


                   PennFed Financial Services, Inc.
            (Holding Company for Penn Federal Savings Bank)
              Selected Consolidated Financial Information
           (dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)

                  CALCULATION OF ADJUSTED NET INCOME
                  ----------------------------------

                               For the three months ended
               -------------------------------------------------------
               Sep. 30,     Jun. 30,   Mar. 31,    Dec. 31,    Sep. 30,
                 2006         2006       2006        2005        2005
               -------      -------    -------      ------     -------
 Reported net
  income        $2,264      $2,763      $3,049      $3,454      $4,132

 Adjustments:
  Commercial
   loan pre-
   payment
   premium           0           0           0           0      (2,688)
  Prepayment
   penalty on
   FHLB advances     0           0           0           0       1,351
  Acceleration
   of depreciation
   on  branch
   automation
   system
   software          0           0           0           0         372
  Increase in
   obligation
   under certain
   long-term
   benefit plans     0           0           0           0         259
  Net tax effect     0           0           0           0         247
                 -----       -----       -----       -----       -----
  Adjustments,
   net of
   taxes             0           0           0           0        (459)
                 -----       -----       -----       -----       -----
 "Adjusted"
  net income    $2,264      $2,763      $3,049      $3,454      $3,673
                ======      ======      ======      ======      ======

 Weighted avg
  no. of
  diluted
  common
  shares    13,177,415  13,241,182  13,349,234  13,509,140  13,700,349
 Diluted
  earnings
  per common
  share          $0.17       $0.21       $0.23       $0.26       $0.27
                 -----       -----       -----       -----       -----
 Return on
  average
  common
  equity (a)      7.32%       8.97%       9.87%      11.09%      11.66%

 Return on
  average
  assets (a)      0.39%       0.49%       0.56%       0.65%       0.70%

 Non-interest
  exp. as a
  % of avg
  assets (a)      0.96%       0.95%       1.04%       1.01%       1.11%
 Efficiency
  ratio          62.21%      55.81%      54.27%      50.20%      50.21%

(a) - Annualized.

            

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