Beach First Reports Earnings Growth of 19.4 Percent in Second Quarter


MYRTLE BEACH, S.C., July 19, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Beach First National Bancshares, Inc. (Nasdaq:BFNB) today announced that its earnings grew 19.4 percent in the second quarter of 2007 and 25.7 percent in the six months ended June 30, 2007.

Net income for the quarter ended June 30, 2007, increased 19.4 percent, totaling $1,698,433 or $0.34 per diluted share, when compared to the $1,423,091, or $0.29 per diluted share, reported for the quarter ended June 30, 2006. Net income for the six months ended June 30, 2007, increased 25.7 percent, totaling $3,310,817, or $0.67 per diluted share, when compared to the $2,634,898, or $0.54 per diluted share, reported for the six months ended June 30, 2006.

In making the announcement, Walt Standish, president and chief executive officer, said, "I am pleased to report that Beach First continues to perform well in a period of strong growth for the bank and increased competition in the markets we serve. During the second quarter, we further expanded our mortgage lending operation into the Raleigh area, adding more than 25 originators in this exciting market. We also continued to build the infrastructure needed for a growing bank by improving information systems and adding support staff."

Additional Second Quarter Highlights

Annualized return on average shareholders' equity was 14.12 percent for the six months ended June 30, 2007, compared to 12.88 percent for the six months ended June 30, 2006. Annualized return on average assets was 1.20 percent for the six months ended June 30, 2007, compared to 1.22 percent for the same period a year ago. The net interest margin was 4.35 percent for the quarter ended June 30, 2007, when compared to 4.50 percent for the same period a year ago. Book value per share stood at $10.10 per share at June 30, 2007, compared to $8.57 per share at June 30, 2006.

Total assets grew to $584.3 million, which represents an increase of 26.5 percent from June 30, 2006. Total deposits grew to $458.3 million, an increase of 23.6 percent from June 30, 2006. Total loans grew to $457.4 million, a 20.2 percent increase over the June 30, 2006 figure.

Beach First operates six banking locations in Myrtle Beach, Surfside Beach, North Myrtle Beach, Pawleys Island, and Hilton Head Island, South Carolina, and eight mortgage offices in the Carolinas and mid-Atlantic states. Beach First offers a full line of banking products and services, including NetTeller internet banking. The company's stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol BFNB and the website is beachfirst.com.

Certain statements in this news release contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, such as statements relating to future plans and expectations, and are thus prospective. Such forward-looking statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors, such as a downturn in the economy, greater than expected noninterest expenses, excessive loan losses, regulatory actions or changes and other factors, which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. For a more detailed description of factors that could cause or contribute to such differences, please see our Annual Report on Form 10-K and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Although we believe that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements are reasonable, any of the assumptions could prove to be inaccurate. Therefore, we can give no assurance that the results contemplated in the forward-looking statements will be realized. The inclusion of this forward-looking information should not be construed as a representation by our company or any person that the future events, plans, or expectations contemplated by our company will be achieved. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.


           Beach First National Bancshares, Inc. and Subsidiaries
                        Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
                        Consolidated Balance Sheets


                                       June 30,           December 31,
                                 2007           2006          2006
                                 ----           ----          ----
                              (unaudited)   (unaudited)    (audited)

   ASSETS

 Cash and due from banks     $   6,592,898 $   7,656,305 $   5,198,945
 Federal funds sold and
   short term investments       26,072,380     1,140,600    14,010,667
 Investment securities
   available for sale           69,656,885    55,981,528    68,474,531
 Loans, net                    438,976,611   371,267,988   392,848,582
 Mortgage Loans Held for Sale   12,073,613     4,057,820    12,478,222
 Federal Reserve Bank stock        984,000       984,000       984,000
 Federal Home Loan Bank stock    3,395,300     2,318,100     2,475,600
 Premises and equipment, net    15,320,930     9,573,056    14,344,330
 Cash value life insurance       3,488,332     3,361,903     3,424,586
 Other assets                    7,701,741     5,517,653     5,961,876
                             ------------- ------------- -------------
   Total assets              $ 584,262,690 $ 461,858,953 $ 520,201,339
                             ============= ============= =============

   LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY

 LIABILITIES:
 Deposits
   Noninterest bearing
     deposits                $  37,320,198 $  32,062,917 $  37,194,469
   Interest bearing deposits   420,950,438   338,648,329   379,162,660
                             ------------- ------------- -------------
   Total deposits              458,270,636   370,711,246   416,357,129
 Advances from Federal
   Home Loan Bank               55,000,000    32,500,000    37,500,000
 Other borrowings                7,058,507     4,971,581     7,209,820
 Junior subordinated
   debentures                   10,310,000    10,310,000    10,310,000
 Other liabilities               4,749,438     2,546,114     3,364,811
                             ------------- ------------- -------------
   Total liabilities           535,388,581   421,038,941   474,741,760
                             ------------- ------------- -------------

 SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY:
 Common stock, $1 par value;
   10,000,000 shares authorized;
   shares issued and
   outstanding - 4,836,916
   at June 30, 2007, 4,761,762
   at June 30, 2006, and
   4,768,413 at
   December 31, 2006             4,836,916     4,761,762     4,768,413
 Paid-in capital                29,050,951    28,628,641    28,657,576
 Retained earnings              16,017,612     9,148,480    12,706,795
 Accumulated other
   comprehensive income (loss)  (1,031,370)   (1,718,871)     (673,205)
                             ------------- ------------- -------------
   Total shareholders' equity   48,874,109    40,820,012    45,459,579
                             ------------- ------------- -------------
   Total liabilities and
     shareholders' equity    $ 584,262,690 $ 461,858,953 $ 520,201,339
                             ============= ============= =============

        Beach First National Bancshares, Inc. and Subsidiaries
                      Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
                    Consolidated Statements of Income
                              (Unaudited)


                      Six Months Ended          Three Months Ended
                          June 30,                    June 30,
                          --------                    --------
                     2007         2006          2007          2006
                     ----         ----          ----          ----
 INTEREST INCOME
   Interest and
     fees on
     loans      $ 20,056,229  $ 14,623,038  $ 10,339,772  $  7,799,168
   Investment
     securities    1,849,572     1,262,116       944,729       679,972
   Fed funds sold    138,378       226,075        69,351        81,022
 Other                11,860        10,910         5,960         5,653
                ------------  ------------  ------------  ------------
   Total interest
     income       22,056,039    16,122,139    11,359,812     8,565,815

 INTEREST EXPENSE
   Deposits        9,199,762     5,850,959     4,732,477     3,154,070
   Advances from
     the FHLB
     and federal
     funds
     purchased       970,787       687,414       541,971       345,525
   Junior
     subordinated
     debentures      639,985       366,827       321,605       189,580
                ------------  ------------  ------------  ------------
 Total interest
   expense        10,810,534     6,905,200     5,596,053     3,689,175

 Net interest
   income         11,245,505     9,216,939     5,763,759     4,876,640

 PROVISION FOR
   POSSIBLE
   LOAN LOSSES       722,000     1,187,400       370,800       665,200
                ------------  ------------  ------------  ------------
 Net interest
   income after
   provision
   for possible
   loan losses    10,523,505     8,029,539     5,392,959     4,211,440
                ------------  ------------  ------------  ------------

 NONINTEREST INCOME
   Service fees
     on deposit
     accounts        278,023       261,948       142,535       133,982
   Gain on sale
     of loan              --        60,392            --        38,133
   Gain on sale
     of fixed
     asset             4,780            --           930            --
   Income from
     cash value
     life
     insurance        74,416        70,526        37,657        35,676
   Income from
     mortgage
     operations    3,287,803       120,874     1,514,605        54,489
   Other income      842,240       759,026       311,500       698,967
                ------------  ------------  ------------  ------------
   Total
     noninterest
     income        4,487,262     1,272,766     2,007,227       961,247
                ------------  ------------  ------------  ------------

 NONINTEREST EXPENSES
   Salaries and
     wages         4,347,295     2,489,799     2,014,864     1,466,316
   Employee
     benefits        807,422       433,710       406,516       199,403
   Supplies and
     printing         93,086        59,361        41,903        30,922
   Advertising
     and public
     relations       317,052       172,783       173,446        89,268
   Professional
     fees            272,824       269,176       144,836       191,654
   Depreciation
     and
     amortization    522,961       250,125       207,222       119,723
   Occupancy         865,545       405,889       270,992       216,405
   Data
     processing
     fees            353,062       246,776       181,605       129,807
   Other operating
     expenses      2,289,544       859,209     1,322,819       505,538
                ------------  ------------  ------------  ------------
 Total noninterest
   expenses        9,868,791     5,186,828     4,764,203     2,949,036
                ------------  ------------  ------------  ------------

 Income before
   income taxes    5,141,976     4,115,477     2,635,983     2,223,651

 INCOME TAX
   EXPENSE         1,831,159     1,480,579       937,550       800,560
                ------------  ------------  ------------  ------------

 Net income     $  3,310,817  $  2,634,898  $  1,698,433  $  1,423,091
                ============  ============  ============  ============

 BASIC NET
   INCOME PER
   COMMON SHARE $       0.69  $       0.55  $       0.35  $       0.30
                ============  ============  ============  ============
 DILUTED NET
   INCOME PER
   COMMON SHARE $       0.67  $       0.54  $       0.34  $       0.29
                ============  ============  ============  ============

        Beach First National Bancshares, Inc. and Subsidiaries
                    Myrtle Beach, South Carolina
                Asset Quality Ratios and Other Data
                            (Unaudited)
                           (In thousands)

                                June 30,      June 30,    December 31,
                                  2007          2006         2006
                                --------      --------    ------------

 Total nonperforming loans      $  1,432      $  1,696     $   1,625
 Allowance for loan losses         6,332         5,329         5,888
 Return on average equity
   (annualized)                    14.12%        12.88%        14.53%
 Return on average assets
   (annualized)                     1.20%         1.22%         1.33%
 Nonperforming loans as a
   percent of total loans           0.31%         0.45%         0.40%
 Nonperforming assets, past
   due and restructured
   loans to total assets            0.25%         0.37%         0.31%
 Net charge-offs to average
   total loans                      0.04%         0.06%         0.17%
 Allowance for loan losses
   to total loans                   1.38%         1.40%         1.43%
 Allowance for loan losses to
   nonperforming loans            442.18%       314.31%       362.45%


                                                         For the Year
                                 For the three months       ended
                                     Ended June 30,       December 31,
                                ---------------------    -------------
                                  2007         2006           2006
                                  ----         ----           ----

 Interest rate spread                3.80%         3.95%         4.06%
 Net interest margin                 4.35%         4.50%         4.62%


            

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