Timberland Bancorp Reports First Fiscal Quarter Net Income of $6.30 Million


  • Quarterly EPS of $0.77
  • Quarterly Return on Average Assets of 1.36%
  • Quarterly Return on Average Equity of 10.75%
  • Quarterly Net Interest Margin of 3.60%
  • Deposits Increased by 4% During the Quarter
  • Net Loans Increased by 3% During the Quarter
  • Announces a 4% Increase in the Quarterly Cash Dividend

HOQUIAM, Wash., Jan. 22, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Timberland Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: TSBK) (“Timberland” or “the Company”), the holding company for Timberland Bank (the “Bank”), today reported net income of $6.30 million, or $0.77 per diluted common share, for the quarter ended December 31, 2023. This compares to net income of $6.64 million, or $0.81 per diluted common share, for the preceding quarter and $7.51 million, or $0.90 per diluted common share, for the comparable quarter one year ago.

“We are pleased with the results for the first quarter of fiscal year 2024, which were highlighted by solid earnings, strong growth in loans and deposits, and continued tangible book value per share growth,” stated Dean Brydon, Chief Executive Officer. “Although first quarter earnings were strong, they were lower compared to the year ago quarter, which was the peak of our margin in this cycle before deposit cost increases began compressing margins.”  

As a result of our earnings and strong capital position, Timberland’s Board of Directors announced a $0.01 increase in the quarterly cash dividend to shareholders to $0.24 per share, payable on February 23, 2024, to shareholders of record on February 9, 2024. This represents the 45th consecutive quarter Timberland will have paid a cash dividend.  

“Credit quality continues to be monitored closely and our credit metrics remain relatively strong with only $2,000 in net charge-offs for the quarter and non-performing assets at only 18 basis points of total assets at the end of the first quarter,” Brydon continued. Timberland adopted the new credit loss accounting standard known as CECL on October 1, 2023, which resulted in “Day 1” adjustments of $460,000 to the allowance for credit losses on loans, $65,000 to the allowance for credit losses on unfunded commitments, and the establishment of a $92,000 allowance for credit losses on investment securities. Cumulatively, these CECL adoption adjustments (net of deferred income tax adjustments), resulted in a one-time reduction to shareholders’ equity of $488,000, which had no impact on earnings.  

“Loan origination volumes remained steady and net loans receivable increased by $34 million during the quarter. While the possibility of a slowing economy and a continued higher interest rate environment still exist, we remain optimistic regarding the overall strength of our loan portfolio and the economic opportunities for growth in our markets,” Brydon continued.

“Net interest margin was 3.60% for the quarter, which was a 25 basis points contraction compared to the preceding quarter as the increase in cost of funds continued to outpace the growth in yields on earning assets,” said Jonathan Fischer, President and Chief Operating Officer. “Total deposits increased $66 million during the quarter, with a majority of the increase coming from a few larger balance increases from commercial customers. Competition for deposits remains intense and until rates stabilize, we anticipate additional margin compression in the near term as customers continue to migrate non-interest bearing deposits into interest bearing accounts.”

Earnings and Balance Sheet Highlights (at or for the periods ended December 31, 2023, compared to December 31, 2022, or September 30, 2023):
  
    Earnings Highlights:

  • Earnings per diluted common share (“EPS”) decreased 5% to $0.77 for the current quarter from $0.81 for the preceding quarter and decreased 14% from $0.90 for the comparable quarter one year ago;
  • Net income decreased 5% to $6.30 million for the current quarter from $6.64 million for the preceding quarter and decreased 16% from $7.51 million for the comparable quarter one year ago;
  • Return on average equity (“ROE”) and return on average assets (“ROA”) for the current quarter were 10.75% and 1.36%, respectively;
  • Net interest margin (“NIM”) for the current quarter compressed to 3.60% from 3.85% for the preceding quarter and from 4.03% for the comparable quarter one year ago; and
  • The efficiency ratio for the current quarter was 56.50% compared to 55.52% for the preceding quarter and 51.52% for the comparable quarter one year ago.

   Balance Sheet Highlights:

  • Total assets increased 3% from the prior quarter and increased 3% year-over-year;
  • Net loans receivable increased 3% from the prior quarter and increased 14% year-over-year;
  • Total deposits increased 4% from the prior quarter and increased 2% year-over-year;
  • Total shareholders’ equity increased 2% from the prior quarter and increased 6% year-over-year;
  • Non-performing assets to total assets ratio increased to 0.18% from 0.12% one year ago;
  • Book and tangible book (non-GAAP) values per common share increased to $29.23 and $27.29, respectively, at December 31, 2023; and
  • Liquidity (both on-balance sheet and off-balance sheet) remained strong at December 31, 2023 with only $20 million in borrowings and additional secured borrowing line capacity of $670 million available through the Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) and the Federal Reserve.

Operating Results

Operating revenue (net interest income before the provision for credit losses plus non-interest income) for the current quarter decreased 5% to $18.80 million from $19.76 million for the preceding quarter and decreased 8% from $20.45 million for the comparable quarter one year ago. The decrease in operating revenue compared to the preceding quarter was primarily due to an increase in funding costs, and to a lesser extent, a decrease in non-interest income. These decreases to operating revenue were partially offset by an increase in interest income from loans and overnight funds.

Net interest income decreased $827,000, or 5%, to $16.00 million for the current quarter from $16.83 million for the preceding quarter and decreased $1.74 million, or 10%, from $17.74 million for the comparable quarter one year ago. The decrease in net interest income compared to the preceding quarter was primarily due to an increase in the weighted average cost of interest-bearing liabilities to 2.22% from 1.69% for the preceding quarter. Partially offsetting the increase in funding costs, was an increase in the weighted average yield of interest-earning assets to 5.07% from 4.94% for the preceding quarter and a $29.63 million increase in average total interest-earning assets.

Timberland’s NIM for the current quarter compressed to 3.60% from 3.85% for the preceding quarter and from 4.03% for the comparable quarter one year ago.   The NIM for the current quarter was increased by approximately three basis points due to the collection of $142,000 in pre-payment penalties, non-accrual interest, and late fees and the accretion of $10,000 of the fair value discount on acquired loans.   The NIM for the preceding quarter was increased by approximately two basis points due to the collection of $92,000 in pre-payment penalties, non-accrual interest, and late fees, and the accretion of $11,000 of the fair value discount on acquired loans.   The NIM for the comparable quarter one year ago was increased by approximately three basis points due to the collection of $120,000 in pre-payment penalties, non-accrual interest, and late fees, and the accretion of $28,000 of the fair value discount on acquired loans.

A $379,000 provision for credit losses on loans was recorded for the quarter ended December 31, 2023, primarily due to loan portfolio growth and an increase in non-accrual loans. This compares to a $522,000 provision for credit losses for the preceding quarter and a $525,000 provision for credit losses for the comparable quarter one year ago.

Non-interest income decreased $126,000 or 4%, to $2.80 million for the current quarter from $2.92 million for the preceding quarter and increased $93,000, or 3%, from $2.71 million for the comparable quarter one year ago. The decrease in non-interest income compared to the preceding quarter was primarily due to an $81,000 decrease in BOLI net earnings (as a result of a death benefit claim in the preceding quarter) and smaller changes in several other categories.

Total operating (non-interest) expenses for the current quarter decreased $343,000, or 3%, to $10.62 million from $10.97 million for the preceding quarter and increased $89,000, or 1%, from $10.54 million for the comparable quarter one year ago.   The decrease in operating expenses compared to the preceding quarter was primarily due to a $346,000 decrease in professional fees, and smaller increases in several other expense categories. These decreases were partially offset by a $155,000 increase in salaries and employee benefits and smaller increases in several other expense categories. The decrease in professional fees was primarily due to a decrease in legal fees and a decrease in consulting fees. The increase in salaries and employee benefits was primarily due to annual salary adjustments, which became effective at the beginning of the fiscal year (October 1st). The efficiency ratio for the current quarter was 56.50% compared to 55.52% for the preceding quarter and 51.52% for the comparable quarter one year ago.

The provision for income taxes for the current quarter decreased $78,000, or 5%, to $1.55 million from $1.62 million for the preceding quarter, primarily due to lower taxable income.   Timberland’s effective income tax rate was 19.7% for the quarter ended December 31, 2023 compared to 19.6% for the quarter ended September 30, 2023 and 20.0% for the quarter ended December 31, 2022.  

Balance Sheet Management

Total assets increased $55.21 million, or 3%, during the quarter to $1.90 billion at December 31, 2023 from $1.84 billion at September 30, 2023 and increased $59.57 million, or 3%, from $1.84 billion one year ago. The increase during the current quarter was primarily due to a $33.98 million increase in net loans receivable and a $29.30 million increase in total cash and cash equivalents, which was partially offset by an $8.16 million decrease in investment securities and CDs held for investment. The quarterly increase in assets was primarily funded by a $66.13 million increase in deposits, which was partially offset by a $15.00 million decrease in FHLB borrowings.

Liquidity

Timberland has continued to maintain a strong liquidity position (both on-balance sheet and off-balance sheet) while deploying overnight funds into loans during the past year. Liquidity, as measured by the sum of cash and cash equivalents, CDs held for investment, and available for sale investment securities, was 12.7% of total liabilities at December 31, 2023, compared to 11.6% at September 30, 2023, and 18.9% one year ago. Timberland had secured borrowing line capacity of $670 million available through the FHLB and the Federal Reserve at December 31, 2023. With a strong and diversified deposit base, only 18% of Timberland’s deposits were uninsured or uncollateralized at December 31, 2023. (Note: This calculation excludes public deposits that are fully collateralized.)

Loans

Net loans receivable increased $33.98 million, or 3%, during the quarter to $1.34 billion at December 31, 2023 from $1.30 billion at September 30, 2023. This increase was primarily due to a $20.15 million increase in multi-family loans, a $10.77 million increase in commercial real estate loans, a $9.90 million increase in one- to four-family loans and smaller increases in several other loan categories. These increases to net loans receivable were partially offset by an $8.76 million decrease in construction and land development loans and smaller decreases in several other loan categories.

Loan Portfolio
($ in thousands)

 December 31, 2023 September 30, 2023 December 31, 2022  
 Amount Percent Amount Percent Amount Percent 
Mortgage loans:            
One- to four-family (a)$263,122     18% $253,227  18% $200,285  15% 
Multi-family 147,321  10   127,176  9         96,831            7  
Commercial 579,038  40        568,265  40   542,571  42  
Construction - custom and            
owner/builder 134,878  9        129,699  9     117,592  9  
Construction - speculative
one-to four-family
 17,609  1         17,099  1         11,220           1  
Construction - commercial 36,702  3         51,064  4         36,825           3  
Construction - multi-family 57,019  4         57,140  4         89,040           7  
Construction - land            
development 18,878  1         18,841  1        17,015           1  
Land 28,697  2         26,726  2        25,872           2  
Total mortgage loans 1,283,264        88   1,249,237  88   1,137,251  87  
             
Consumer loans:            
Home equity and second            
Mortgage       39,403  3         38,281  3        35,967  3  
Other 2,926  --           2,772  --          2,482            --  
Total consumer loans 42,329  3         41,053  3        38,449            3  
             
Commercial loans:            
Commercial business loans 136,942  9   135,802  9       127,085            10  
SBA PPP loans 423  --           466  --                631            --  
            Total commercial loans 137,365  9   136,268  9   127,716            10  
Total loans 1,462,958  100%  1,426,558  100%  1,303,416  100% 
Less:            
Undisbursed portion of            
construction loans in            
         Process (104,683)    (103,194)       (112,096)   
Deferred loan origination            
Fees (5,337)    (5,242)          (4,532)   
Allowance for credit losses (16,655)    (15,817)         (14,229)   
Total loans receivable, net$1,336,283    $1,302,305    $1,172,559    

_______________________
(a)   Does not include one- to four-family loans held for sale totaling $1,425, $400, and $0 at December 31, 2023, September 30, 2023, and December 31, 2022, respectively.  

The following table provides a breakdown of commercial real estate (“CRE”) mortgage loans by collateral type as of December 31, 2023:

                                                           CRE Loan Portfolio Breakdown by Collateral
                                                                                      ($ in thousands)

Collateral Type 



Balance
 Percent of CRE Portfolio Percent of Total Loan
Portfolio
 Average   
Balance Per Loan
 Non-Accrual
Industrial warehouse $114,355 20% 8% $1,132 $195
Medical/dental offices  80,767 14  6   1,324  --
Office buildings  65,543 11  5   745  --
Other retail buildings  50,003 9  3   538  --
Mini-storage  37,131 6  2   1,375  --
Hotel/motel  31,973 5  2   2,906  --
Restaurants  27,346 5  2   558  --
Gas stations/Conv. Stores  21,346 4  1   970  --
Nursing homes  18,024 3  1   2,575  --
Shopping centers  10,922 2  1   1,820  --
Mobile home parks  10,917 2  1   520  --
Churches  7,121 1  1   475  --
Additional CRE  103,590 18  7   719  488
Total CRE $579,038 100% 40% $898 $683

Timberland originated $88.93 million in loans during the quarter ended December 31, 2023, compared to $89.25 million for the preceding quarter and $101.67 million for the comparable quarter one year ago. Timberland continues to originate fixed-rate one- to four-family mortgage loans, a portion of which are sold into the secondary market for asset-liability management purposes and to generate non-interest income. During the past 15 months, a larger percentage of single-family loan originations were retained in the portfolio rather than being sold due to the increased yield available on such loans.   During the current quarter, fixed-rate one- to four-family mortgage loans totaling $3.80 million were sold compared to $4.58 million for the preceding quarter and $1.16 million for the comparable quarter one year ago.

Investment Securities
        
Timberland’s investment securities and CDs held for investment decreased $8.16 million, or 2%, to $319.83 million at December 31, 2023, from $327.99 million at September 30, 2023. The decrease was primarily due to maturities and scheduled amortization.

Deposits

Total deposits increased $66.13 million, or 4%, during the quarter to $1.63 billion at December 31, 2023, from $1.56 billion at September 30, 2023. The quarter’s increase consisted of a $79.81 million in money market account balances, an $18.81 million increase in certificates of deposit balances and a $2.73 million increase in NOW checking account balances. These increases were partially offset by a $22.80 million decrease in non-interest bearing deposit balances and a $12.42 million decrease in savings account balances. The increase in money market account balances was primarily due to several larger balance increases with commercial customers.

Deposit Breakdown
($ in thousands)

   
  December 31, 2023 September 30, 2023 December 31, 2022   
  Amount Percent Amount Percent Amount Percent  
Non-interest-bearing demand $433,065 27$455,864 29% $494,370 31 
NOW checking  389,463 24  386,730 25   444,742 28  
Savings  215,948 13  228,366 15   279,514 17  
Money market  269,686 17  189,875 12   229,643 14  
Certificates of deposit under $250  181,762 11  170,221 11   110,897 7  
Certificates of deposit $250 and over  96,145 6  91,714 6   41,924 3  
Certificates of deposit – brokered  41,000 2  38,165 2   -- --  
Total deposits $1,627,069 100% $1,560,935 100% $1,601,090  100 % 

Borrowings

Total borrowings decreased to $20.00 million at December 31, 2023 from $35.00 million at September 30, 2023, as the Company repaid $15.00 million in short-term FHLB borrowings during the current quarter. At December 31, 2023, the weighted average rate on the borrowings was 4.34%.

Shareholders’ Equity and Capital Ratios

Total shareholders’ equity increased $4.30 million, or 2%, to $237.37 million at December 31, 2023, from $233.07 million at September 30, 2023. The increase in shareholders’ equity was primarily due to net income of $6.30 million for the quarter, $355,000 from the exercise of stock options, and a $257,000 reduction in the accumulated other comprehensive loss category for fair value adjustments on available for sale investment securities. These increases to shareholders’ equity were partially offset by the payment of $1.87 million in dividends to shareholders, a $488,000 adjustment to equity for the adoption of a new accounting standard (as discussed below), and the repurchase of 12,330 shares of common stock for $362,000 (an average price of $29.38 per share).   Timberland had 361,812 shares available to be repurchased in accordance with the terms of its existing stock repurchase plan at December 31, 2023.

Timberland remains well capitalized with a total risk-based capital ratio of 19.50%, a Tier 1 leverage capital ratio of 12.14%, a tangible common equity to tangible assets ratio (non-GAAP) of 11.79%, and a shareholders’ equity to total assets ratio of 12.53% at December 31, 2023. Timberland’s held to maturity investment securities were $266.09 million at December 31, 2023, with a net unrealized loss of $11.73 million (pre-tax). Although not permitted by U.S. Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (“GAAP”), including these unrealized losses in accumulated other comprehensive income (loss) (“AOCI”) would result in a ratio of shareholders’ equity to total assets of 12.10%, compared to 12.53%, as reported.

Asset Quality

In accordance with changes in GAAP, on October 1, 2023, Timberland adopted the new credit loss accounting standard known as the Current Expected Credit Loss (“CECL”) model, which replaced the incurred loss model. With the adoption of CECL, the allowance for credit losses (“ACL”) for loans increased by $460,000, the ACL for unfunded commitments increased by $65,000, and an ACL for held to maturity investment securities of $92,000 was established. In addition, the Company recorded an increase to deferred tax assets of $129,000, and a corresponding one-time cumulative reduction to shareholders’ equity of $488,000 as of October 1, 2023, which had no impact on earnings.

Timberland’s non-performing assets to total assets ratio was 0.18% at December 31, 2023 compared to 0.09% at September 30, 2023 and 0.12% at September 30, 2022. There were net charge-offs of $2,000 for the current quarter, compared to net charge-offs of $12,000 for the preceding quarter and a net recovery of $1,000 for the comparable quarter one year ago. During the current quarter a $379,000 provision for credit losses on loans was made, which was partially offset by a $33,000 recapture of credit losses on unfunded commitments and a $10,000 recapture of credit losses on investment securities. The ACL for loans as a percentage of loans receivable was 1.23% at December 31, 2023, compared to 1.20% at September 30, 2023 and 1.20% one year ago.

Total delinquent loans (past due 30 days or more) and non-accrual loans increased $1.35 million or 60%, to $3.60 million at December 31, 2023, from $2.25 million one year ago, and increased $1.94 million, or 116%, from $1.67 million at September 30, 2023. Non-accrual loans increased $1.33 million, or 65%, to $3.37 million at December 31, 2023, from $2.04 million one year ago, and increased $1.85 million, or 122%, from $1.51 million at September 30, 2023. The quarterly increase in non-accrual loans was primarily due to two commercial business loans totaling $1.47 million being put on non-accrual status. These two commercial business loans are partially guaranteed by the U.S. Small Business Administration (“SBA”) and a specific reserve of $197,000 was set up for the non-guaranteed portion of these two loans.

Non-Accrual Loans
($ in thousands)

 December 31, 2023 September 30, 2023 December 31, 2022
 Amount Quantity Amount Quantity Amount Quantity
Mortgage loans:           
One- to four-family$602 4 $368 2 $383 2
Commercial 683 2  683 2  658 2
Construction – custom and           
owner/builder 150 1  -- --  -- --
Land -- --  -- --  425 2
Total mortgage loans 1,435 7  1,051 4  1,466 6
            
Consumer loans:           
Home equity and second           
Mortgage 171 1  177 1  263 3
Other -- --  -- 1  2 1
Total consumer loans 171 1  177 2  265 4
            
Commercial business loans 1,760 6  286 5  304 6
Total loans$3,366 14 $1,514 11 $2,035 16

        
        

About Timberland Bancorp, Inc.
Timberland Bancorp, Inc., a Washington corporation, is the holding company for Timberland Bank. The Bank opened for business in 1915 and primarily serves consumers and businesses across Grays Harbor, Thurston, Pierce, King, Kitsap and Lewis counties, Washington with a full range of lending and deposit services through its 23 branches (including its main office in Hoquiam).    

Disclaimer

Certain matters discussed in this press release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements relate to our financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance or business. Forward-looking statements are not statements of historical fact, are based on certain assumptions and often include the words "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "forecasts," "intends," "plans," "targets," "potentially," "probably," "projects," "outlook" or similar expressions or future or conditional verbs such as "may," "will," "should," "would" and "could." Forward-looking statements include statements with respect to our beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, expectations, assumptions and statements about future economic performance.  These forward-looking statements are subject to known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause our actual results to differ materially from the results anticipated or implied by our forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to: potential adverse impacts to economic conditions in our local market areas, other markets where the Company has lending relationships, or other aspects of the Company's business operations or financial markets, including, without limitation, as a result of employment levels, labor shortages and the effects of inflation, a potential recession or slowed economic growth caused by increasing geopolitical instability (including wars, conflicts, terrorist attacks, natural disasters, and other unexpected events outside of our control), as well as increasing oil prices and supply chain disruptions, and any governmental or societal responses to novel coronavirus disease 2019 ("COVID-19") pandemic, including the possibility of new COVID-19 variants; credit risks of lending activities, including changes in the level and trend of loan delinquencies and write-offs and changes in our allowance for loan losses and provision for loan losses that may be impacted by deterioration in the housing and commercial real estate markets which may lead to increased losses and non-performing loans in our loan portfolio may result in our allowance for loan losses not being adequate to cover actual losses, and require us to materially increase our loan loss reserves; changes in general economic conditions, either nationally or in our market areas; changes in the levels of general interest rates, and the relative differences between short and long-term interest rates, deposit interest rates, our net interest margin and funding sources; uncertainty regarding the future of the London Interbank Offered Rate ("LIBOR"), and the transition away from LIBOR toward new interest rate benchmarks; fluctuations in the demand for loans, the number of unsold homes, land and other properties and fluctuations in real estate values in our market areas; secondary market conditions for loans and our ability to sell loans in the secondary market; results of examinations of us by the Federal Reserve and of our bank subsidiary by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Washington State Department of Financial Institutions, Division of Banks or other regulatory authorities, including the possibility that any such regulatory authority may, among other things, institute a formal or informal enforcement action against us or our bank subsidiary which could require us to increase our allowance for loan losses, write-down assets, change our regulatory capital position or affect our ability to borrow funds or maintain or increase deposits or impose additional requirements or restrictions on us, any of which could adversely affect our liquidity and earnings; legislative or regulatory changes that adversely affect our business including changes in banking, securities and tax law, in regulatory policies and principles, or the interpretation of regulatory capital or other rules and including changes as a result of COVID-19; our ability to attract and retain deposits; our ability to control operating costs and expenses; the use of estimates in determining fair value of certain of our assets, which estimates may prove to be incorrect and result in significant declines in valuation; difficulties in reducing risks associated with the loans in our consolidated balance sheet; staffing fluctuations in response to product demand or the implementation of corporate strategies that affect our work force and potential associated charges; disruptions, security breaches, or other adverse events, failures or interruptions in, or attacks on, our information technology systems or on the third-party vendors who perform several of our critical processing functions; our ability to retain key members of our senior management team; costs and effects of litigation, including settlements and judgments; our ability to implement our business strategies; our ability to manage loan delinquency rates; increased competitive pressures among financial services companies; changes in consumer spending, borrowing and savings habits; the availability of resources to address changes in laws, rules, or regulations or to respond to regulatory actions; our ability to pay dividends on our common stock; the quality and composition of our securities portfolio and the impact if any adverse changes in the securities markets, including on market liquidity; inability of key third-party providers to perform their obligations to us; changes in accounting policies and practices, as may be adopted by the financial institution regulatory agencies or the Financial Accounting Standards Board ("FASB"), including additional guidance and interpretation on accounting issues and details of the implementation of new accounting methods; the economic impact of climate change, severe weather events, natural disasters, pandemics, epidemics and other public health crises, acts of war or terrorism, and other external events on our business; other economic, competitive, governmental, regulatory, and technological factors affecting our operations, pricing, products and services and other risks described in our reports filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Any of the forward-looking statements that we make in this press release and in the other public statements we make are based upon management's beliefs and assumptions at the time they are made. We do not undertake and specifically disclaim any obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements included in this press release to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those contained in such statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking statements discussed in this document might not occur and we caution readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. These risks could cause our actual results for fiscal 2024 and beyond to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements by, or on behalf of, us, and could negatively affect the Company's consolidated financial condition and results of operations as well as its stock price performance.

TIMBERLAND BANCORP INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
 Three Months Ended
($ in thousands, except per share amounts) (unaudited) Dec. 31, Sept. 30, Dec. 31,
   2023   2023  2022
 Interest and dividend income      
 Loans receivable $18,395  $17,532 $14,457
 Investment securities  2,311   2,326  2,214
 Dividends from mutual funds, FHLB stock and other investments  91   85  51
   Interest bearing deposits in banks  1,699   1,619  2,390
  Total interest and dividend income  22,496   21,562  19,112
        
 Interest expense      
 Deposits  6,143   4,574  1,369
 Borrowings  349   157  --
  Total interest expense  6,492   4,731  1,369
  Net interest income  16,004   16,831  17,743
 Provision for credit losses - loans  379   522  525
 Recapture of credit losses – investment securities  (10)  --  --
 Recapture of credit losses - unfunded commitments  (33)  --  --
  Net int. income after provision for (recapture of) credit losses  15,668   16,309  17,218
        
 Non-interest income      
 Service charges on deposits  1,023   1,015  947
 ATM and debit card interchange transaction fees  1,264   1,333  1,251
 Gain on sales of loans, net  78   97  21
 Bank owned life insurance (“BOLI”) net earnings  156   237  156
 Recoveries on investment securities, net      5   2      3
 Other  272   240  327
  Total non-interest income, net  2,798   2,924  2,705
        
 Non-interest expense      
 Salaries and employee benefits  5,911   5,756  5,900
 Premises and equipment  973   982  924
 Loss on sale of premises and equipment, net  --   12  --
 Advertising  186   235  195
 ATM and debit card processing  615   524  483
 Postage and courier  126   135  121
 State and local taxes  319   325  299
 Professional fees  253   599  429
 FDIC insurance expense  210   194  124
 Loan administration and foreclosure  105   118  120
 Data processing and telecommunications  974   933  789
 Deposit operations  320   346  346
 Amortization of core deposit intangible (“CDI”)  56   68  68
 Other, net  576   740  737
  Total non-interest expense, net  10,624   10,967  10,535
        
 Income before income taxes  7,842   8,266  9,388
 Provision for income taxes  1,546   1,624  1,881
  Net income $6,296  $6,642 $7,507
        
 Net income per common share:      
 Basic $0.78  $0.82 $0.91
 Diluted  0.77   0.81  0.90
        
 Weighted average common shares outstanding:      
 Basic  8,114,209   8,094,719  8,232,273
 Diluted  8,166,048   8,156,497  8,318,733


TIMBERLAND BANCORP INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
 
($ in thousands, except per share amounts) (unaudited) Dec. 31, Sept. 30, Dec. 31,
   2023   2023   2022 
Assets      
Cash and due from financial institutions $28,656  $      25,390  $   31,237 
Interest-bearing deposits in banks  129,365         103,331   193,659 
 Total cash and cash equivalents  158,021   128,721   224,896 
        
Certificates of deposit (“CDs”) held for investment, at cost  12,449   15,188   23,392 
Investment securities:      
  Held to maturity, at amortized cost (net of ACL – investment securities)  266,085   270,218   278,585 
 Available for sale, at fair value  40,446   41,771   55,841 
Investments in equity securities, at fair value  848   811   837 
FHLB stock  2,001   3,602   2,194 
Other investments, at cost  3,000   3,000   3,000 
Loans held for sale  1,425   400   -- 
       
Loans receivable  1,352,938   1,318,122   1,186,788 
Less: ACL – loans  (16,655)  (15,817)  (14,229)
 Net loans receivable  1,336,283   1,302,305   1,172,559 
        
Premises and equipment, net  21,584   21,642   21,703 
BOLI  23,122   22,966   22,962 
Accrued interest receivable  6,731   6,004   5,508 
Goodwill  15,131   15,131   15,131 
CDI  621   677   880 
Loan servicing rights, net  1,925   2,124   2,770 
Operating lease right-of-use assets  1,698   1,772   1,912 
Other assets  3,745   3,573   3,374 
 Total assets $1,895,115  $1,839,905  $1,835,544 
        
Liabilities and shareholders’ equity      
Deposits: Non-interest-bearing demand $433,065  $455,864  $494,370 
Deposits: Interest-bearing  1,194,004   1,105,071   1,106,720 
 Total deposits  1,627,069   1,560,935   1,601,090 
        
Operating lease liabilities  1,796   1,867   2,001 
FHLB borrowings  20,000   35,000   -- 
Other liabilities and accrued expenses  8,881   9,030   8,904 
 Total liabilities  1,657,746   1,606,832   1,611,995 
       
Shareholders’ equity      
Common stock, $.01 par value; 50,000,000 shares authorized;
         8,120,708 shares issued and outstanding – December 31, 2023
         8,105,338 shares issued and outstanding – September 30, 2023
         8,231,197 shares issued and outstanding – December 31, 2022        
  


34,869
   


34,771
   


38,878
 
Retained earnings  203,327   199,386   185,406 
Accumulated other comprehensive loss  (827)  (1,084)  (735)
 Total shareholders’ equity  237,369   233,073   223,549 
 Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $1,895,115  $1,839,905  $1,835,544 





KEY FINANCIAL RATIOS AND DATA        
($ in thousands, except per share amounts) (unaudited)
 
 Three Months Ended                  
PERFORMANCE RATIOS: Dec. 31, 2023 Sept. 30, 2023 Dec. 31,   2022
Return on average assets (a)  1.36%  1.45%  1.63%
Return on average equity (a)  10.75%  11.52%  13.63%
Net interest margin (a)  3.60%  3.85%  4.03%
Efficiency ratio  56.50%  55.52%  51.52%
       
ASSET QUALITY RATIOS AND DATA:      
Non-accrual loans $3,366  $1,514  $2,035 
Loans past due 90 days and still accruing  --   --   -- 
Non-performing investment securities  85   82   98 
OREO and other repossessed assets  --   --   -- 
Total non-performing assets (b) $3,451  $1,596  $2,133 
       
Non-performing assets to total assets (b)  0.18%  0.09%  0.12%
Net charge-offs (recoveries) during quarter $2    $12  $(1)
Allowance for credit losses - loans to non-accrual loans,  495%  1,045%  699%
Allowance for credit losses - loans to loans receivable (c)  1.23%  1.20%  1.20%
       
       
       
       
CAPITAL RATIOS:      
Tier 1 leverage capital  12.14%  12.10%  11.46%
Tier 1 risk-based capital  18.25%  18.13%  18.07%
Common equity Tier 1 risk-based capital               18.25%        18.13%  18.07%
Total risk-based capital  19.50%  19.38%  19.32%
Tangible common equity to tangible assets (non-GAAP)  11.79%  11.91%  11.41%
       
BOOK VALUES:      
Book value per common share $29.23    $28.76    $27.16 
Tangible book value per common share (d)  27.29   26.81   25.21 

________________________________________________

(a) Annualized
(b) Non-performing assets include non-accrual loans, loans past due 90 days and still accruing, non-performing investment securities and OREO and other repossessed assets.
(c) Does not include loans held for sale and is before the allowance for loan losses.
(d) Tangible common equity divided by common shares outstanding (non-GAAP).                                

AVERAGE BALANCES, YIELDS, AND RATES - QUARTERLY
($ in thousands)
(unaudited)

 For the Three Months Ended 
 December 31, 2023 September 30, 2023 December 31, 2022 
 Amount Rate Amount Rate Amount      Rate
            
Assets           
Loans receivable and loans held for sale$1,332,971  5.52% $1,300,743  5.39% $1,164,369  4.97%
Investment securities and FHLB stock (1) 317,164  3.03   322,122  2.99         329,396  2.75 
Interest-earning deposits in banks and CDs 126,253  5.38   123,894  5.23   266,439  3.59 
Total interest-earning assets      1,776,388  5.07        1,746,759  4.94        1,760,204  4.34 
Other assets       81,612           84,191           84,806   
Total assets$1,858,000    $1,830,950    $1,845,010   
            
Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity           
NOW checking accounts$376,682  1.51% $390,787  1.27% $439,750  0.45%
Money market accounts 224,939  2.34   198,650  0.98   239,424  0.53 
Savings accounts 220,042  0.22   234,094  0.21   279,832  0.12 
Certificates of deposit accounts 311,353  4.15   284,403  3.85   135,467  1.37 
Total interest-bearing deposits 1,133,016  2.18   1,107,934  1.66   1,094,473  0.50 
Borrowings 28,804  4.81   15,435  4.04   --  -- 
Total interest-bearing liabilities 1,161,820  2.22   1,123,369  1.69   1,094,473  0.50 
            
Non-interest-bearing demand deposits 450,027     465,183     519,307   
Other liabilities 11,878                 11,873     11,002   
Shareholders’ equity 234,275     230,525     220,228   
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity$1,858,000    $1,830,950    $1,845,010   
            
Interest rate spread  2.85%   3.25%   3.84%
Net interest margin (2)  3.60%   3.85%   4.03%
Average interest-earning assets to           
average interest-bearing liabilities 152.90%    155.49%    160.83%  

           _____________________________________
(1) Includes other investments
(2) Net interest margin = annualized net interest income / average interest-earning assets
        

Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to results presented in accordance with GAAP, this press release contains certain non-GAAP financial measures. Timberland believes that certain non-GAAP financial measures provide investors with information useful in understanding the Company’s financial performance; however, readers of this report are urged to review these non-GAAP financial measures in conjunction with GAAP results as reported.

Financial measures that exclude intangible assets are non-GAAP measures. To provide investors with a broader understanding of capital adequacy, Timberland provides non-GAAP financial measures for tangible common equity, along with the GAAP measure. Tangible common equity is calculated as shareholders’ equity less goodwill and CDI. In addition, tangible assets equal total assets less goodwill and CDI.

The following table provides a reconciliation of ending shareholders’ equity (GAAP) to ending tangible shareholders’ equity (non-GAAP) and ending total assets (GAAP) to ending tangible assets (non-GAAP).

($ in thousands) December 31, 2023 September 30, 2023 December 31, 2022
       
Shareholders’ equity $237,369  $233,073  $223,549 
Less goodwill and CDI  (15,752)  (15,808)  (16,011)
Tangible common equity $221,617  $217,265  $207,538 
       
Total assets $1,895,115  $1,839,905  $1,835,544 
Less goodwill and CDI  (15,752)  (15,808)  (16,011)
Tangible assets $1,879,363  $1,824,097  $1,819,533 

Contact: Dean J. Brydon, CEO
Jonathan A. Fischer, President & COO
Marci A. Basich, CFO
(360) 533-4747
www.timberlandbank.com