OAK RIDGE, N.C., July 21, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Oak Ridge Financial Services, Inc. ("Oak Ridge"; the "Company") (OTCQB:BKOR), the parent company of Bank of Oak Ridge (the "Bank"), announced unaudited financial results for the second quarter of 2014 today.

The Company recorded quarterly net income for the second quarter of 2014 of $575,000 compared to net income of $219,000 for the second quarter of 2013, an increase of $356,000. Net income available to common shareholders for the second quarter of 2014 was $402,000 compared to income available to common shareholders of $41,000 for the second quarter of 2013, an increase of $361,000. Diluted income per common share increased $0.19 to $0.21 for the second quarter of 2014 compared to diluted income per common share of $0.02 in the second quarter of 2013.

The Company recorded quarterly net income for the six months ended June 30, 2014 of $983,000 compared to net income of $434,000 for the same period of 2013, an increase of $549,000. Net income available to common shareholders for the six months ended June 30, 2014 was $714,000 compared to income available to common shareholders of $78,000 for the same period of 2013, an increase of $636,000. Diluted income per common share increased $0.33 to $0.37 for the six months ended June 30, 2014 compared to diluted income per common share of $0.04 in the same period of 2013.

Ron Black, President and CEO of the Company and the Bank, commented, "During the second quarter, the Company continued to grow loans and deposits while also improving its operating efficiency. From our various initiatives to become more efficient, we reduced our noninterest expense from $3.4 million in the second quarter of 2013 to $3.1 million in the second quarter of 2014, a decrease of $337,000 or 9.9%. The Bank's Employee Stock Ownership Plan was also able to purchase 113,493 shares of newly issued common stock of Oak Ridge Financial Services, Inc. near the end of June 2014, which added approximately $900,000 in new common equity to the Company's balance sheet. I am thankful for the support of our clients, shareholders, employees and Board of Directors as we improve the earnings of the Bank."

Profitability as measured by the Company's annualized return on average assets was 0.65% and 0.25% for the three months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, respectively. For the six months ended June 30, 2014 and 2013, the annualized return on average assets was 0.56% and 0.25%, respectively.

The Company produced net interest income of $3.4 million during the second three months of 2014, which was slightly higher than the $3.3 million generated for the same time period of 2013. The increase was primarily caused by higher interest income, which increased $142,000 or approximately 3.8% to $3.9 million for the second three months of 2014 as compared to the same time period of the prior year. Interest expense decreased slightly to $453,000 for the three months ended June 30, 2014 compared to $458,000 for the same period in 2013.

The Company produced net interest income of $6.7 million during the six months ended June 30, 2014, which was $301,000 higher than the $6.4 million generated for the same time period of 2013. The increase was primarily caused by higher interest income, which increased $288,000 or approximately 3.9% to $7.6 million for the six months ended June 30, 2014 as compared to the same time period of the prior year. Interest expense decreased slightly to $900,000 for the six months ended June 30, 2014 compared to $913,000 for the same period in 2013.

Noninterest income increased $2,000 or approximately 0.3% to $776,000 during the second three months of 2014 as compared to the same time period of 2013. The majority of the net increase was associated with increases in service charges on deposit accounts, gain on sale of securities, and other service charges and fees, offset by decreases in gain on sale of mortgage loans and fee income from accounts receivable financing,

Noninterest income decreased $95,000 or approximately 5.8% to $1.5 million during the six months ended June 30, 2014 as compared to the same time period of 2013. The majority of the net decrease was associated with decreases in gain on sale of mortgage loans and fee income from accounts receivable financing, offset by increases in service charges on deposit accounts, gain on sale of securities, and other service charges and fees.

Noninterest expense decreased $337,000 or approximately 9.9% to $3.1 million for the second three months of 2014 compared to $3.4 million for the same time period of 2013. This decrease is largely due to declines in salaries, professional and advertising, net cost of foreclosed assets, and other expense. Employee benefits increased $74,000 to $263,000 in the three months ended June 30, 2014 from $189,000 during the same period in 2013 largely due to a $60,000 ESOP accrual in 2014 and no such accrual in 2013.

Noninterest expense decreased $617,000 or approximately 9.1% to $6.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2014 compared to $6.8 million for the same time period of 2013. This decrease is largely due to declines in salaries, professional and advertising, net cost of foreclosed assets, and other expense. Employee benefits increased $162,000 to $513,000 in the six months ended June 30, 2014 from $351,000 during the same period in 2013 largely due to a $120,000 ESOP accrual in 2014 and no such accrual in 2013.

Total assets as of June 30, 2014 were $356.3 million, up approximately 2.2% or $7.7 million from $348.5 million as of December 31, 2013. The principal components of the Company's assets as of the end of the time period were $266.7 million in net loans, $15.9 million in cash and cash equivalents and $54.6 million in available-for-sale and held-to-maturity investment securities. During the first six months of 2014, net loans increased to $266.7 million, up approximately 2.3% or $6.0 million from $260.7 million as of December 31, 2013. Cash and cash equivalents increased approximately 16.4% or $2.2 million from $13.7 million as of December 31, 2013, and available-for-sale and held-to-maturity investment securities increased 0.9% or $513,000 from $54.1 million.

The allowance for loan losses was $4.9 million as of June 30, 2014, which represented 1.79% of total loans outstanding. The allowance for loan losses was $5.1 million, or 1.90% of total loans outstanding, as of December 31, 2013. Material improvements in asset quality over the last year lowered the Company's nonperforming assets to total assets to 1.60% as of June 30, 2014 compared to 2.31% as of December 31, 2013. Nonperforming assets decreased to $5.7 million as of June 30, 2014 from $8.1 million as of December 31, 2013. This 32% decrease has been driven by significant efforts by the Bank to dispose of nonperforming assets.

Total liabilities as of June 30, 2014 were $328.3 million, up approximately 1.6% or $5.3 million from $323.1 million as of December 31, 2013. Higher levels of deposits drove the increase as interest-bearing deposits increased $3.7 million or approximately 1.3% from December 31, 2013 to June 30, 2014. Other liabilities also contributed to the overall increase in total liabilities, one of which was a $775,000 increase from December 31, 2013 to June 30, 2014 in a commitment related to an SBIC investment.

Total stockholders' equity as of June 30, 2014 was $27.9 million as compared to total stockholders' equity as of December 31, 2013 of $25.5 million. Most of the increase was a result of the Bank's Employee Stock Ownership Plan purchasing 113,493 shares of newly issued common stock of Oak Ridge Financial Services, Inc. near the end of June 2014, which added approximately $900,000 in new common equity to the Company's balance sheet. Accumulated other comprehensive income increased from $105,000 as of December 31, 2013 to $870,000 as of June 30, 2014, driven by an increase in the market value of the Company's available-for-sale investment securities during that period of time. Net income of $983,000 offset by a $269,000 preferred dividend also contributed to the overall increase in stockholders' equity.

About Oak Ridge Financial Services, Inc.

Oak Ridge Financial Services, Inc. (OTCQB:BKOR) is the holding company for Bank of Oak Ridge. Bank of Oak Ridge (http://www.BankofOakRidge.com) is a community bank with locations in Greensboro, Summerfield and Oak Ridge, North Carolina. The bank was established in 2000 with the goal of delivering Banking As It Should Be®. With a focus on providing personal attention and convenience for every client, we offer a complete range of banking services for individuals and businesses including Saturday and extended weekday hours at all locations, ATM usage world-wide, remote deposits for businesses, and a full line of checking accounts; savings accounts; mortgage services; insurance services; lending options; and wealth management services. Bank of Oak Ridge is a Member FDIC and Equal Housing Lender. For more information, call 336-644-9944 or visit the office location closest to you.

Forward-looking Information

This form contains certain forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and business of the Company. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and are based on the beliefs and assumptions of management of the Company and on the information available to management at the time that these disclosures were prepared. These statements can be identified by the use of words like "expect," "anticipate," "estimate" and "believe," variations of these words and other similar expressions. Readers should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements as a number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, (1) competition in the Company's markets, (2) changes in the interest rate environment, (3) general national, regional or local economic conditions may be less favorable than expected, resulting in, among other things, a deterioration in credit quality and the possible impairment of collectibility of loans, (4) legislative or regulatory changes, including changes in accounting standards, (5) significant changes in the federal and state legal and regulatory environment and tax laws, (6) the impact of changes in monetary and fiscal policies, laws, rules and regulations and (7) other risks and factors identified in the Company's other filings with the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. The Company undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements.