Hingham Savings Reports First Quarter 2018 Results


HINGHAM, Mass., April 12, 2018 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- HINGHAM INSTITUTION FOR SAVINGS (NASDAQ:HIFS), Hingham, Massachusetts announced earnings for the first quarter ended March 31, 2018.

Net income for the quarter ended March 31, 2018 was $8,912,000 or $4.18 per share basic and $4.08 per share diluted, as compared to $6,112,000 or $2.87 per share basic and $2.80 per share diluted for the same period last year.  For the first quarter of 2018, the Bank’s annualized return on average equity was 18.56% and the annualized return on average assets was 1.56%, as compared to 14.77% and 1.21%, respectively, for the same period in 2017.  This represents a 46% increase in diluted earnings per share over the same period last year.

Effective January 1, 2018, the Bank adopted Financial Accounting Standards Board Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-01, Financial Instruments – Overall, (Subtopic 825-10), which requires changes in the unrealized gains on certain equity securities, net of deferred taxes, to be recognized through the income statement.  Prior to the adoption of ASU 2016-01, these changes were recorded in stockholders’ equity through accumulated other comprehensive income, and only realized gains on sale of securities were recognized through the income statement.  Excluding the after-tax gains on securities, both realized and unrealized, net income for the first quarter of 2018 was $8,159,000 or $3.83 per share basic and $3.73 per share diluted, representing a core return on average equity of 16.99% and a core return on average assets of 1.43%.  This represents a 33% increase in diluted earnings per share over the same period last year.

Growth in the first quarter of 2018 was modest, as deposits increased to $1.532 billion at March 31, 2018, representing 7% annualized growth year-to-date and 9% growth from March 31, 2017.  Net loans increased to $1.872 billion, representing 8% annualized growth year-to-date and 15% growth from March 31, 2017.  Total assets decreased to $2.240 billion, representing a 2% decline from December 31, 2017.  During the first quarter of 2018, the Bank used a portion of its cash balances to reduce outstanding Federal Home Loan Bank advances and listing services time deposits, in order to minimize the carrying cost of its on-balance sheet liquidity.  Total assets have increased 10% from March 31, 2017.  Book value per share was $91.14 as of March 31, 2018, representing 18% annualized growth year-to-date and 16% growth from March 31, 2017.  In addition to the increase in book value per share, the Bank declared $1.68 in dividends per share since March 31, 2017, including a special dividend of $0.34 per share declared during the fourth quarter of 2017.

Key credit and operational metrics remained strong in the first quarter.  At March 31, 2018, non-performing assets totaled 0.08% of total assets, compared to 0.07% at December 31, 2017 and 0.09% at March 31, 2017.  Non-performing loans as a percentage of the total loan portfolio totaled 0.10% at March 31, 2018, compared to 0.09% at December 31, 2017 and 0.08% at March 31, 2017. The Bank recorded $1,000 of net recoveries for the first three months of 2018, as compared to zero net charge-offs for the same period last year.  At March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, the Bank did not own any foreclosed property and at March 31, 2017, the Bank owned only one piece of foreclosed property valued at $563,000.  The efficiency ratio improved to 30.41% for the first quarter of 2018, as compared to 32.45% for the same period last year.  Non-interest expense as a percentage of average assets fell to 0.89% in the first quarter of 2018, as compared to 1.02% for the same period last year. 

President Robert H. Gaughen Jr. stated, “We are pleased to report that returns on equity and assets remained satisfactory in the first quarter of 2018.  At Hingham, we take seriously our role as stewards of shareholders’ capital.  Our emphasis on careful capital allocation, defensive underwriting, process improvement, and disciplined cost control continues to serve our owners well.  Performance in any one period should be viewed cautiously.  The real test of performance in banking is a company’s record of compounding shareholder capital through all stages of the credit cycle.  On this measure, our team strives to set a high bar.  

Beginning this quarter, we are confronted by a communication challenge because of the new accounting standard impacting our equity investments.  The Bank views its equity investments as long-term partnership interests in operating companies and consequently does not view short-term fluctuation in market value, whether positive as it was this quarter, or negative as it surely will be at some point in the future, as indicative of the change in the intrinsic value of the portfolio holdings.  The performance of these holdings should be evaluated on the basis of their contribution to growth in book value per share over time, not via quarterly adjustments to net income. We have historically avoided reporting adjustments to our GAAP income, as such adjustments are often used by management teams to obscure rather than clarify the real economic performance of a company.  We believe that in this instance, however, it is important that our owners understand that quarterly changes in the value of the equity portfolio, whether gains or losses, are impostors just the same.”

Hingham Institution for Savings is a Massachusetts-chartered savings bank located in Hingham, Massachusetts.  Incorporated in 1834, it is one of America’s oldest banks.  The Bank’s Main Office is located in Hingham and the Bank maintains offices on the South Shore, in Boston (South End and Beacon Hill), and on the island of Nantucket.  The Bank is also an active commercial real estate lender in the Greater Washington D.C. metropolitan area.

The Bank’s shares of common stock are listed and traded on The NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbol HIFS.

 
HINGHAM INSTITUTION FOR SAVINGS
Selected Financial Ratios
  
 Three Months Ended
March 31,
 2017 2018
(Unaudited)     
      
Key Performance Ratios     
Return on average assets (1)1.21% 1.56%
Return on average equity (1)14.77  18.56 
Core return on average assets (1) (5)1.21  1.43 
Core return on average equity (1) (5)14.77  16.99 
Interest rate spread (1) (2)3.00  2.75 
Net interest margin (1) (3)3.12  2.93 
Non-interest expense to average assets (1)1.02  0.89 
Efficiency ratio (4)32.45  30.41 
Average equity to average assets8.21  8.41 
Average interest-earning assets to average interest bearing liabilities116.78  117.83 
      


    
 March 31,
2017
December 31,
2017
March 31,
2018
(Unaudited)         
          
Asset Quality Ratios         
Allowance for loan losses/total loans 0.69%0.68% 0.68%
Allowance for loan losses/non-performing loans 846.59 735.74  691.27 
         
Non-performing loans/total loans 0.08 0.09  0.10 
Non-performing loans/total assets 0.07 0.07  0.08 
Non-performing assets/total assets 0.09 0.07  0.08 
         
Share Related        
Book value per share$78.29 $87.29 $91.14 
Market value per share$176.85 $207.00 $206.00 
Shares outstanding at end of period 2,132,750  2,132,750  2,132,750 
          

(1) Annualized.

(2) Interest rate spread represents the difference between the yield on interest-earning assets and cost of interest-bearing liabilities.

(3) Net interest margin represents net interest income divided by average interest-earning assets.

(4) The efficiency ratio represents non-interest expense, divided by the sum of net interest income and non-interest income, excluding gain on equity securities.

(5) Non-GAAP measurements that represent return on average assets and return on average equity, excluding the after-tax gain on equity securities.

 
HINGHAM INSTITUTION FOR SAVINGS
Consolidated Balance Sheets
         
(In thousands, except share amounts)March 31,
2017
 December 31,
2017

 March 31,
2018
(Unaudited)        
ASSETS 
         
Cash and due from banks$6,548 $10,852 $8,901
Federal Reserve and other short-term investments 310,130  344,377  262,367
Cash and cash equivalents 316,678  355,229  271,268
         
CRA investment 7,341  7,341  7,724
Debt securities available for sale 26  17  17
Other equity securities 21,343  26,946  30,089
Securities, at fair value 28,710  34,304  37,830
Federal Home Loan Bank stock, at cost 24,920  27,102  24,530
Loans, net of allowance for loan losses of $11,285 at March 31, 2017, $12,537 at December 31, 2017 and $12,823 at March 31, 2018 1,634,263  1,833,987   1,872,114
Foreclosed assets 563    
Bank-owned life insurance 12,029  12,221  12,289
Premises and equipment, net 14,314  14,068  13,947
Accrued interest receivable 3,576  4,398  4,240
Deferred income tax asset, net 2,226  1,301  1,103
Other assets 2,217  1,989  2,816
Total assets$2,039,496 $2,284,599 $2,240,137
         
LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY        
         
Interest-bearing deposits$1,248,381 $1,320,487 $1,345,639
Non-interest-bearing deposits 154,622  185,375  186,169
Total deposits 1,403,003  1,505,862  1,531,808
Federal Home Loan Bank advances 455,281  579,164  499,124
Mortgage payable 855  812  797
Mortgagors’ escrow accounts 5,787  6,424  6,551
Accrued interest payable 396  575  774
Other liabilities 7,207  5,604  6,695
Total liabilities 1,872,529  2,098,441  2,045,749
         
Stockholders’ equity:        
Preferred stock, $1.00 par value, 2,500,000 shares authorized, none issued     
Common stock, $1.00 par value, 5,000,000 shares authorized; 2,132,750 shares issued and outstanding 2,133  2,133  2,133
Additional paid-in capital 11,619  11,750  11,794
Undivided profits 150,008  165,596  180,461
Accumulated other comprehensive income 3,207  6,679  
Total stockholders’ equity 166,967  186,158  194,388
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity$2,039,496 $2,284,599 $2,240,137
         


 
HINGHAM INSTITUTION FOR SAVINGS
Consolidated Statements of Income
  
 Three Months Ended
March 31,
(In thousands, except per share amounts)2017 2018
(Unaudited)     
      
Interest and dividend income:     
Loans$17,968 $20,417
Debt securities   
Equity securities 353  479
Federal Reserve and other short-term investments 609  1,241
Total interest and dividend income 18,930  22,137
      
Interest expense:     
Deposits 2,518  3,567
Federal Home Loan Bank advances 960  2,093
Mortgage payable 13  12
Total interest expense 3,491  5,672
Net interest income 15,439  16,465
Provision for loan losses 255  285
Net interest income, after provision for loan losses 15,184  16,180
Other income:     
Customer service fees on deposits 219  206
Increase in cash surrender value of bank-owned life insurance 67  68
Gain on equity securities   966
Miscellaneous 45  44
Total other income 331  1,284
Operating expenses:     
Salaries and employee benefits 3,146  3,212
Occupancy and equipment 464  466
Data processing 297  341
Deposit insurance 258  273
Foreclosure 43  5
Marketing 124  138
Other general and administrative 786  668
Total operating expenses 5,118  5,103
Income before income taxes 10,397  12,361
Income tax provision 4,285  3,449
Net income$6,112 $8,912
      
Cash dividends declared per common share$0.32 $0.34
      
Weighted average shares outstanding:     
Basic 2,133  2,133
Diluted 2,181  2,186
      
Earnings per share:     
Basic$2.87 $4.18
Diluted$2.80 $4.08
      


 
HINGHAM INSTITUTION FOR SAVINGS
Net Interest Income Analysis
   
 Three Months Ended March 31,  
 2017  2018 
 AVERAGE
BALANCE
 INTEREST YIELD/
RATE (8)
  AVERAGE
BALANCE
 INTEREST YIELD/
RATE (8)
 
(Dollars in thousands)                 
(Unaudited)                 
                  
Loans (1) (2)$1,625,525 $17,968 4.42% $1,866,138 $20,417 4.38%
Securities (3) (4) 47,643  353 2.96   53,517  479 3.58 
Federal Reserve and other short-term investments 309,143  609 0.79   326,375  1,241 1.52 
Total interest-earning assets 1,982,311  18,930 3.82   2,246,030  22,137 3.94 
Other assets 34,405        38,003      
Total assets$2,016,716       $2,284,033      
                  
Interest-bearing deposits (5)$1,229,476  2,518 0.82  $1,362,569  3,567 1.05 
Borrowed funds 467,988  973 0.83   543,607  2,105 1.55 
Total interest-bearing liabilities 1,697,464  3,491 0.82   1,906,176  5,672 1.19 
Demand deposits 148,841        180,375      
Other liabilities 4,849        5,381      
Total liabilities 1,851,154        2,091,932      
Stockholders’ equity 165,562        192,101      
Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity$2,016,716       $2,284,033      
Net interest income   $15,439       $16,465   
                  
Weighted average spread      3.00%       2.75%
                  
Net interest margin (6)      3.12%       2.93%
                  
Average interest-earning assets to average interest-bearing liabilities (7)      116.78%       117.83%
                  


(1)Before allowance for loan losses.
(2)Includes non-accrual loans.
(3)Excludes the impact of the average net unrealized gain or loss on securities available for sale.
(4)Includes Federal Home Loan Bank stock.
(5)Includes mortgagors' escrow accounts.
(6)Net interest income divided by average total interest-earning assets.
(7)Total interest-earning assets divided by total interest-bearing liabilities.
(8)Annualized.
   

CONTACT:    Patrick R. Gaughen, Executive Vice President (781) 783-1761