WARSAW, Ind., Oct. 8, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Lakeland Financial Corporation (Nasdaq:LKFN), parent company of Lake City Bank, announced today that it has once again been included on the Sandler O'Neill + Partners Sm-All Stars List. This year marks the third time that Lakeland Financial has been included in the list.
Sandler O'Neill + Partners evaluates all publicly traded banks and thrifts nationwide with a market cap of less than $2.5 billion to identify the top-performing small-cap banks and thrifts in the nation. The analysis focuses on growth, profitability, asset quality and capital strength, evaluating each institution's absolute performance in each of eight financial variables.
Lakeland Financial was selected as one of only 35 institutions out of the initial field of 443 to be recognized for "delivering bottom line results that are markedly better than the industry as a whole."
"Our inclusion in this list of high performing banks is a great honor and reflects the strength of our balance sheet, as well as our consistently strong operating performance," commented David M. Findlay, President and Chief Executive Officer. "This ranking places us in the top 10% of the nationwide peer institutions that Sandler O'Neill evaluated, and reflects the hard work of the entire Lake City Bank team."
Lake City Bank, a $3.4 billion bank headquartered in Warsaw, Indiana, is the fourth largest bank in the state, and the largest bank 100% invested in Indiana. Lake City Bank operates 46 branch offices in northern and central Indiana, delivering technology-driven solutions in a client-centric way to individuals and businesses. The bank is the single bank subsidiary of Lakeland Financial Corporation (Nasdaq:LKFN). For more information visit www.lakecitybank.com.