Bryn Mawr Bank Corporation Successfully Completes Merger With First Keystone Financial, Inc. and Reports Third Quarter Operating Results

BRYN MAWR, Pa., Nov. 8, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bryn Mawr Bank Corporation (Nasdaq:BMTC), (the "Corporation"), parent of The Bryn Mawr Trust Company (the "Bank"), today announced third quarter 2010 operating results of a diluted loss per share of $0.08 and a net loss of $1.0 million, which includes approximately $4.3 million of pre-tax First Keystone Financial, Inc. ("FKF") merger related expenses and a provision for loan and lease losses of $4.2 million. For the same period last year, the Corporation reported diluted earnings per share of $0.30 and net income of $2.6 million.

Ted Peters, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, commented, "The combination of the two banks has gone extremely well. We are seeing almost no attrition of clients from the First Keystone side and, in fact, anticipate growing their franchise as we move forward. As a result of the merger, the Corporation now has total banking assets of $1.7 billion and 17 full-service branch locations. In addition, the Corporation acquired loans and deposits with a fair market value of $274.8 million and $320.8 million, respectively. Total portfolio loans and leases were $1.2 billion and total deposits were $1.3 billion at September 30, 2010. We are looking forward to a solid fourth quarter and a strong 2011, as most of the FKF merger related expenses are behind us."

For the nine months ended September 30, 2010, the Corporation reported diluted earnings per share of $0.35 and net income of $3.6 million, which includes $5.3 million of pre-tax merger related expenses and a provision for loan and lease losses of $8.3 million. Approximately $6.0 million of the $8.3 million provision for loan and lease losses during this period is related to the two commercial relationships that were included in non-performing assets in prior periods and have been written down to the expected net realizable value based on an updated analysis and certain new valuation information. For the same period last year, the Corporation reported diluted earnings per share and net income of $0.88 and $7.7 million, respectively.

The merger of FKF and its wholly owned subsidiary, First Keystone Bank, into the Corporation and Bank (the "Merger"), was completed on July 1, 2010. In accordance with the merger agreement, the aggregate consideration paid to FKF shareholders consisted of approximately $4.8 million in cash and approximately 1.6 million shares of the Corporation's common stock. Total consideration for fair value purposes was approximately $31.3 million. Shareholders of FKF received 0.6973 shares of the Corporation's common stock plus $2.06 per share cash consideration for each share of FKF common stock they owned as of the effective date of the Merger. The results of FKF's operations and financial condition have been included in the Corporation's unaudited Consolidated Statement of Income and unaudited Consolidated Balance Sheet beginning on July 1, 2010, the date of the acquisition.

Mr. Peters continued, "The First Keystone computer systems and signage were successfully converted to the Bryn Mawr platform on August 25, 2010, a direct result of significant planning and outstanding performance by the entire Bryn Mawr and First Keystone staff. We are now operating wholly under the 'Bryn Mawr Trust' brand and are the largest community bank in the western suburbs of Philadelphia."

SIGNIFICANT ITEMS OF NOTE

• Wealth Management Division assets under management, administration, supervision and brokerage at September 30, 2010 were $3.3 billion, up approximately $420.2 million or 14.6% from the December 31, 2009, and up approximately $580.4 million or 21.4% from September 30, 2009 due largely to the success of new initiatives within this division and improvements in the financial markets.
• Revenue from the Wealth Management Division for the third quarter of 2010 was $3.7 million, down 5.4% from second quarter 2010 revenue of $3.9 million and up 6.7% from third quarter 2009 revenue of $3.5 million. The slight decrease in revenue from the second quarter of 2010 is primarily due to lower estate and tax preparation fees.
• Deposit levels were $1.3 billion at September 30, 2010, an increase of $321.8 million or 34.3% from December 31, 2009. This growth was largely due to the merger with FKF.
• At September 30, 2010, portfolio loan and lease balances totaled $1.2 billion, an increase of $290.7 million or 32.8% compared to $885.7 million at December 31, 2009, primarily due to the merger with FKF. The lease portfolio was $37.6 million at September 30, 2010, evidencing a planned decline of $10.2 million or 21.3% from December 31, 2009. The performance of the lease portfolio has continued to improve as the delinquency rate has declined 122 basis points from 2.87% at December 31, 2009 to 1.65% at September 30, 2010.
• The tax equivalent net interest margin was 3.66% for the third quarter of 2010, down 14 basis points from 3.80% in the second quarter of 2010, due primarily to declining market interest rates and the addition of lower yielding interest-earning assets from the FKF merger. Downward pressure on the margin is expected to continue as borrowers seek to lock in lower long-term rates.
• The Corporation's investment portfolio at September 30, 2010 had a fair market value of $356.8 million compared to $208.2 million at December 31, 2009, due to the addition of the FKF investment portfolio of $100.9 million and the investment of acquired cash balances.
• Net revenue from the sale of residential mortgage loans for the quarter ended September 30, 2010 was $1.2 million due to the continued low interest rate environment creating robust refinancing activity. This compares with $760 thousand for the quarter ended September 30, 2009.
• At September 30, 2010, the allowance for loan and lease losses of $10.3 million was 0.88% of portfolio loans and leases compared to $10.4 million or 1.18% at December 31, 2009. The decrease in the allowance as a percentage of loans and leases is primarily due to the acquisition of the FKF loan portfolio which, in accordance with GAAP, was recorded at its fair value without its previously recorded allowance for loan and lease losses. FKF loans, with a carrying value of approximately $274.8 million, were acquired on July 1, 2010, net of a fair value adjustment of approximately $17.9 million.
• Approximately $3.7 million of the $4.2 million provision for loan and lease losses in the third quarter of 2010 is related to two commercial relationships that were previously mentioned.
• Non-performing loans and leases were 92 basis points of total portfolio loans and leases at September 30, 2010, compared to 78 basis points of total portfolio loans and leases at December 31, 2009.
• The Corporation incurred merger related expenses of approximately $4.3 million during the third quarter of 2010 and $5.3 million on a year-to-date basis, primarily for investment banking, legal, employee severance, and conversion costs and vendor termination fees.
• The merger with FKF resulted in the creation of approximately $10.4 million of goodwill.

Capital ratios as shown in the following table reflect the impact of the FKF merger and the $24.6 million registered direct stock offering completed in May 2010.

DIVIDEND DECLARED

On October 28, 2010, the Corporation's Board of Directors declared a quarterly dividend of $0.14 per share, payable December 1, 2010 to shareholders of record as of November 18, 2010.

The Corporation will hold an earnings conference call at 8:00 a.m. ET on Tuesday, November 9, 2010. Interested parties may participate by calling 1-877-317-6789, conference #444122, at 8:00 a.m. ET. A taped replay of the conference call will be available within two hours of the conclusion of the call and will remain available through December 1, 2010. The number to call for the taped replay is 1-877-344-7529 and the Replay Passcode is 444122. 

The conference call will be simultaneously broadcast live over the Internet through a webcast on the investor relations portion of the Bryn Mawr Bank Corporation's website. To access the call, please visit the website at http://www.bmtc.com/investor_01.cfm.   An online archive of the webcast will be available within one hour of the conclusion of the call. The Corporation has also recently expanded its Investor Relations website to include added resources and information for shareholders and interested investors. Interested parties are encouraged to utilize the expanded resources of the site for more information on Bryn Mawr Bank Corporation or by calling Aaron Strenkoski, Vice President – Finance/Investor Relations at 610-581-4822. 

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS AND SAFE HARBOR

This press release contains statements which, to the extent that they are not recitations of historical fact may constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of the United States Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements may include financial and other projections as well as statements regarding the Corporation's future plans, objectives, performance, revenues, growth, profits, operating expenses or the Corporation's underlying assumptions. The words "may", "would", "should", "could", "will", "likely", "possibly", "expect," "anticipate," "intend", "estimate", "target", "potentially", "probably", "outlook", "predict", "contemplate", "continue", "plan", "forecast", "project" and "believe" or other similar words and phrases may identify forward-looking statements. Persons reading this press release are cautioned that such statements are only predictions, and that the Corporation's actual future results or performance may be materially different.

Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties.   A number of factors, many of which are beyond the Corporation's control, could cause our actual results, events or developments, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, events or developments expressed, implied or anticipated by such forward-looking statements, and so our business and financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. Such factors include, among others, our need for capital, our ability to control operating costs and expenses, and to manage loan and lease delinquency rates; the credit risks of lending activities and overall quality of the composition of our loan, lease and securities portfolio; the impact of economic conditions, consumer and business spending habits, and real estate market conditions on our business and in our market area; changes in the levels of general interest rates, deposit interest rates, or net interest margin and funding sources; changes in banking regulations and policies and the possibility that any banking agency approvals we might require for certain activities will not be obtained in a timely manner or at all or will be conditioned in a manner that would impair our ability to implement our business plans; changes in accounting policies and practices; the inability of key third-party providers to perform their obligations to us; our ability to attract and retain key personnel; competition in our marketplace; war or terrorist activities; cost savings and revenue enhancements associated with our acquisition via the merger of First Keystone Financial, Inc. and First Keystone Bank; and other factors as described in our securities filings. All forward-looking statements and information made herein are based on Management's current beliefs and assumptions as of the date hereof and speak only as of the date they are made. The Corporation does not undertake to update forward-looking statements.

For a complete discussion of the assumptions, risks and uncertainties related to our business, you are encouraged to review our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent annual report on Form 10-K, as well as any changes in risk factors that we may identify in our quarterly or other reports filed with the SEC.