STAMFORD, Conn., Oct. 29, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Patriot National Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: PNBK), the parent company of Patriot Bank, N.A., today announced net income of $1.3 million, or $0.34 basic and diluted earnings per share for the quarter ended September 30, 2021, compared to a net loss of $87,000, or $0.02 basic and diluted loss per share reported in the third quarter of 2020. On a year-to-date basis, net income was $3.2 million, or $0.81 per fully diluted share, compared to a net loss of $2.4 million, or $0.62 fully diluted loss per share during the same year-to-date period in 2020.
The Bank continued to show improved net interest margins, core deposit growth, and lower operating expenses. The prepaid debit card program continues to be an increasing, low-cost funding source for the Bank and has grown substantially to $142.4 million as of September 30, 2021, from the $50.0 million acquired in July 2020. The portfolio growth provides a substantial improvement to the Bank’s net interest margin and overall funding costs.
During the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, the Bank recognized payroll tax credits of $906,000 and $2.9 million, respectively, under the Employee Retention Credit program of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”). Also, during the third quarter, the Bank recorded a credit to provision for loan losses of $300,000 due to overall improvement in asset quality. Pre-tax income was $1.8 million and $4.4 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, respectively. Excluding the employee tax credit, pre-tax income was $896,000 and $1.5 million for the three- and nine-months periods, respectively.
Patriot President & CEO Robert Russell stated: “I am incredibly proud of the continued progress made over the past year. Improvement continues with respect to funding sources, asset quality and asset generation, all of which provide a positive impact on the Bank’s financials. The growth in our prepaid programs is a significant contributor to the reduction in the Bank’s funding costs over the last year. The Company has enhanced processes and added strategic talent to position for an effective future and we are very encouraged by the path we have forged.”
Since 2020, the Bank had provided payment deferrals on approximately $232.7 million of loans as permitted under the CARES Act. Virtually all of those loans deferred have now resumed normal payments. Only three loans remaining on deferral totaled $7.3 million at September 30, 2021.
Financial Results:
As of September 30, 2021, total assets increased to $952.3 million, as compared to $880.7 million at December 31, 2020, primarily due to increase in available-for-sale securities of $74.8 million. Net loans totaled $704.5 million versus $719.6 million as of December 31, 2020. Total deposits increased from $685.7 million at December 31, 2020, to $734.7 million at September 30, 2021.
The Bank has substantially improved its deposit and funding mix over the past year. During the past nine months, total deposits increased $49.0 million, primarily due to growth in prepaid deposits of $68.1 million, which was partially offset by decline of $27.3 million in brokered deposits and certificates of deposits. Excluding brokered deposits, total deposits increased 9.8% during the first nine months of 2021.
Net interest income was $6.3 million and $18.4 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, respectively. Net interest income for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, was $5.9 million and $17.9 million, respectively.
The Bank’s net interest margin showed strong improvement and was 2.87% for the nine months ended September 30, 2021, compared with 2.60% for the comparable 2020 period. As economic activity continues to expand, loan balances are expected to grow, and coupled with reductions in funding costs, the Bank expects further improvements in net interest income.
The recovering economy, lower loan balances and improvement in delinquencies of classified loans resulted in a $300,000 credit of provision for loan losses for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, as compared to a provision for loan losses of $85,000 and $1.8 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively. The majority of the provision in 2020 was primarily attributable to conditions and the uncertainty created by the COVID-19 pandemic. As of September 30, 2021, the allowance for loan losses was 1.41% of total loans, compared with 1.45% at December 31, 2020.
Non-interest income was $923,000 and $2.1 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, respectively. Non-interest income was $704,000 and $1.5 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively. The increase in the current quarter was primarily attributable to a gain of $512,000 recognized from the termination of an interest rate swap cash flow hedge in the third quarter of 2021.
Non-interest expense was $5.7 million and $16.4 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, respectively. Non-interest expense was $6.6 million and $20.9 million for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively. The decrease in non-interest expense in the nine months ended September 30, 2021, was primarily driven by an Employee Retention Credit of $2.9 million under the CARES Act and a reduction of $510,000 in regulatory assessments expense.
For the nine months ended September 30, 2021, a provision for income taxes of $1.2 million was recorded, compared to a benefit for income taxes of $811,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2020.
As of September 30, 2021, shareholders’ equity was $66.7 million, compared with $63.2 million at December 31, 2020. Patriot’s book value per share rose to $16.89 at September 30, 2021, compared with $16.03 at December 31, 2020.
About the Company:
Patriot Bank is headquartered in Stamford and operates 9 branch locations: in Scarsdale, NY; and Darien, Fairfield, Greenwich, Milford, Norwalk, Orange, Stamford, Westport, CT with Express Banking locations at Bridgeport/ Housatonic Community College, downtown New Haven and Trumbull at Westfield Mall. The Bank also maintains SBA lending offices in Stamford, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Ohio, along with a Rhode Island operations center.
Founded in 1994, and now celebrating its 27th year, Patriot National Bancorp, Inc. (“Patriot” or “Bancorp”) is the parent holding company of Patriot Bank N.A. (“Bank”), a nationally chartered bank headquartered in Stamford, CT. Patriot operates with full-service branches in Connecticut and New York and provides lending products and services nationally. Patriot’s mission is to serve its local community and nationwide customer base by providing a growing array of banking solutions to meet the needs of individuals and small businesses owners. Patriot places great value in the integrity of its people and how it conducts business. An emphasis on building strong client relationships and community involvement are cornerstones of our philosophy as we seek to maximize shareholder value.
