BEO Bancorp earnings up 87% in 1Q2007
CONTACT:
E. George Koffler, President & CEO, (541) 676-0201
Mark Lemmon, EVP & CFO, (541) 676-0201
Joey J. Warmenhoven, Wedbush Morgan Securities, Market Maker,
(800) 357-3680
John T. Cavender, Howe Barnes Hoefer & Arnett, Market
Maker, (800) 346-5544
(OTC Bulletin Board: BEOB)
Heppner, Oregon, (April 25, 2007)
– BEO Bancorp, parent company
of Bank of Eastern Oregon, reported
an 87% increase in earnings in the first quarter of 2007.
- Earnings for 1Q2007 at $455,000 compared to $243,000 1Q2006.
- Loan growth up 8% year over year.
- Total revenue increases 16% year over year.
- Loan quality strong with past due loans at 0.06% of outstanding loans.
- Loan Loss Reserve increases to 1.26% of outstanding loans.
For further information on the Company or to access
Internet banking, please visit our website at http://www.beobank.com.
Financial Performance:
BEO Bancorp delivered record earnings in the first quarter of
2007 with net income of $455,000. This is an 87% increase
over the $243,000 earned in 1Q2006. Earnings per share for
the first quarter were $1.03 compared to earnings per share of
$.55 in 1Q2006. “We are very pleased that the
company is performing at this level. Our employees are
delivering the impressive results you see in this
release,” said President and CEO,
E. George Koffler.
ROAA improved from .57% in the first quarter of 2006 to .98% in
2007 on an annualized basis. ROAE also improved year over
year increasing from 12.37% to 18.93%.
Revenue and Expense
Total revenue growth was a bright spot with total income of
$3,658,000 in 1Q2007 compared to $3,154,000 in 1Q2006, an
increase of 16%. Leading the way was total fee income,
which grew from $171,000 to $237,000, a 39% increase. Both
the mortgage division and the financial services division had
good results adding to that total.
Expenses grew at a slower pace, increasing from $2,911,000 to
$3,203,000, a 10% increase. Salaries, employee benefits,
and interest expense show the largest increases.
Loan Growth and Credit Quality
The loan portfolio showed steady growth year over year growing
from $108,954,000 to $117,968,000, an 8%
increase. “There was some softness in loan growth we
didn’t anticipate in the first quarter and some
unexpected loan payoffs stunting totals. However, our
pipeline is improving and we are hopeful we will perform at
budgeted numbers for the next three quarters,” said EVP
and CCO, Jeff Bailey. Credit quality remained strong with
past due loans at 0.06% as a percentage of loans at quarter end
compared to no past due loans at the same time last
year. Charge offs for the first quarter were minimal at
$1,280. The loan loss reserve continued to strengthen with
$260,000 added to the LLR in the past year and the LLR to total
loans ending at 1.26% of loans or $1,507,000. Non-accrual
loans were at $121,000 at the end of the quarter.
Deposit Growth and
Operations
Deposits increased at a modest pace year over year, growing
from $162,910,000 to $165,226,000. “We continue to
look for efficiencies in the operation and negotiate terms with
vendors to obtain pricing advantages. We have also
launched a debit card usage campaign that we believe will add
to the bottom line,” said Gary Propheter, EVP and COO.
Net Interest Margin and Interest Rate Risk
The bank’s interest rate risk is very manageable with RSA
to RSL ratios within policy limits. Regarding net interest
margin, the bank is bucking the trend of NIM compression
experienced by many banks. 1Q2007 NIM was
5.15%. This compares to NIM of 4.59% in
1Q2006. “We have been on a year long cost of funds
reduction initiative and it is paying dividends. We are
hopeful that any market changes in the future can be managed to
preserve the margin we now have,” said Mark Lemmon, EVP
and CFO.
Capital and Equity
All measures of capital ratios at the bank and the holding
company improved year over year and linked quarters. At the
bank level, Tier 1 capital improved from 7.87% to 8.55% year
over year.
The equity of the company has grown from $8,206,000 to
$9,879,000, an increase of $1,673,000, or 20% year over year.
About BEO
Bancorp
BEO Bancorp is the holding company for Bank of Eastern Oregon,
which operates 11 branches in six eastern Oregon
counties. Branches are located in Arlington, Ione,
Heppner, Condon, Irrigon, Boardman, Burns, John Day, Prairie
City, Fossil and Moro. Bank of Eastern Oregon also
operates a mortgage division, has loan production offices in
Hermiston and Ontario, and offers brokerage services through
BEO Financial Services. The bank’s web site is www.beobank.com.
