Farmers National Banc Corp. Announces 2017 Fourth Quarter Financial Results

Farmers National Banc Corp. (Farmers) (NASDAQ: FMNB) today reported financial results for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2017.

Net income for the three months ended December 31, 2017 was $5.2 million, or $0.19 per diluted share, which compares to $5.4 million, or $0.20 per diluted share, for the three months ended December 31, 2016 and $6.0 million or $0.22 per diluted share for the linked quarter. Excluding a $1.8 million adjustment of the net deferred tax asset resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act that became law in December 2017, offset by tax equated, net acquisition-related adjustments of $48 thousand, net income for the three month period ended December 31, 2017 would have been $7.0 million.

Annualized return on average assets and return on average equity were 0.96% and 8.60%, respectively, for the three month period ending December 31, 2017, compared to 1.08% and 9.74% for the same three month period in 2016, and 1.12% and 10.15% for the linked quarter. Excluding the net deferred tax asset adjustment and the acquisition-related adjustments, the annualized return on average assets and annualized return on average equity for the fourth quarter of 2017 would have been 1.29% and 11.56%, respectively. Farmers’ return on average tangible equity (Non-GAAP) was 10.69% for the quarter ended December 31, 2017 compared to 12.34% for the same quarter in 2016 and 12.69% for the linked quarter. Excluding the acquisition expenses and the deferred tax asset adjustment the return on average tangible equity would have been 14.25%.

Net income for the year ended December 31, 2017 was $22.7 million, or $0.82 per diluted share, compared to $20.6 million or $0.76 per diluted share for 2016. Return on average assets and return on average equity were 1.09% and 9.92%, respectively, for the year ending December 31, 2017, compared to 1.07% and 9.72% for 2016. Excluding the net deferred tax asset adjustment and the acquisition-related adjustments, net income for the twelve month period ended December 31, 2017 would have been $24.8 million or $0.90 per diluted share, and the return on average assets and return on average equity would have been 1.19% and 10.83%, while the return on average tangible equity would have been 13.48%.

On December 22, 2017, H.R.1, known as the "Tax Cuts and Jobs Act,” was signed into law. H.R.1, among other things, reduces the corporate income tax rate to 21%, effective January 1, 2018. As a result of passage of the new tax law, Farmers completed a revaluation of its net deferred tax assets. The Company’s deferred tax assets, net of deferred tax liabilities, represent corporate tax benefits anticipated to be realized in the future. The reduction in the federal corporate tax rate, effective January 1, 2018, reduces these benefits. Farmers determined that its net deferred tax assets would be reduced by approximately $1.8 million in the fourth quarter of 2017, representing an impact on earnings per share of approximately $0.06 per diluted share based fourth quarter weighted average diluted shares outstanding of approximately 27.5 million.

Farmers National Bank has expanded the Commercial Lending Team and its footprint with the addition of three new hires at a new office located in Beachwood, Ohio, a high net-worth marketplace. The Beachwood office is comprised of a Commercial Lending Team Leader and Market President, a Senior Commercial Relationship Manager and a Vice President, Senior Commercial Relationship Manager. Management believes this new expansion will enhance its lending presence in Northeastern Ohio.

Kevin J. Helmick, President and CEO, stated, "We are happy to report a record year in net income for Farmers, and we are excited about our success and entrance into expanded markets and remain focused on our strategic growth plan which has paved the way for the company to exceed $2 billion in assets in 2017. We continue to be encouraged by our loan growth, which has increased 10.5% during the past twelve months, and our 3.5% increase in noninterest income on a year over year basis.”

2017 Fourth Quarter Financial Highlights

• Loan growth
  Total loans were $1.58 billion at December 31, 2017, compared to $1.43 billion at December 31, 2016, representing an increase of 10.5%. The increase in loans is a result of Farmers’ focus on loan growth utilizing a talented lending and credit team, while adhering to a sound underwriting discipline. The increase in loans has occurred mainly in the commercial real estate, residential real estate and agricultural loan categories. Loans now comprise 77.7% of the Bank's average earning assets for the year ended December 31, 2017, an improvement compared to 76.3% for the same period in 2016. This improvement, along with the growth in earning assets, has resulted in a 10.7% increase in tax equated loan income from 2016 to 2017.

• Loan quality
  Non-performing assets to total assets remain at a low level, currently 0.36%. Early stage delinquencies, which are loans 30 – 89 days delinquent, also continue to remain at low levels, at $10.2 million, or 0.65% of total loans, at December 31, 2017. Net charge-offs for the current quarter were $189 thousand, compared to $656 thousand in the same quarter in 2016 and total net charge-offs as a percentage of average net loans outstanding was only 0.05% for the quarter ended December 31, 2017. Lending to the energy sector is insignificant and less than 1% of the loan portfolio.

• Net interest margin
  The net interest margin for the three months ended December 31, 2017 was 3.98%, a 3 basis points increase from the quarter ended December 31, 2016. In comparing the fourth quarter of 2017 to the same period in 2016, asset yields increased 17 basis points, while the cost of interest-bearing liabilities increased 20 basis points. The net interest margin is impacted by the additional accretion as a result of the discounted loan portfolios acquired in the previous mergers, which increased the net interest margin by 3 and 7 basis points for the quarters ended December 31, 2017 and 2016, respectively.

• Noninterest income
  Noninterest income decreased slightly to $6.05 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2017 compared to $6.08 million in 2016. Trust fees increased $140 thousand or 9.5% in the current year’s quarter compared to the same quarter in 2016, and debit card interchange fees also increased $108 thousand or 15%. These increases were offset by a decrease in other operating income of $258 thousand and a decrease in investment commissions of $50 thousand.

• Noninterest expenses
  Farmers has remained committed to managing the level of noninterest expenses. Total noninterest expenses for the fourth quarter of 2017 increased to $15.4 million compared to $15 million in the same quarter in 2016, primarily as a result of increases in salaries and employee benefits of $449 thousand, merger related costs of $433 thousand and advertising expense of $320 thousand. These increases were offset by decreases in other operating expenses of $459 thousand, occupancy and equipment expense of $220 thousand and professional fees of $160 thousand. It is important to note that annualized noninterest expenses measured as a percentage of quarterly average assets decreased from 3.01% in the fourth quarter of 2016 to 2.83% in the fourth quarter of 2017.

• Efficiency ratio
  The efficiency ratio for the quarter ended December 31, 2017 improved to 59.1% compared to 60.4% for the same quarter in 2016. The main factors leading to this improvement were the increase in net interest income and the stabilized level of noninterest expenses relative to average assets as explained in the preceding paragraphs.

2018 Outlook

Mr. Helmick added, "We are pleased by the improvement in our financial results for 2017. As we look forward to 2018, we continue to focus our energy on the seamless integration of our newly acquired bank and customers and we remain committed to the businesses and families we serve and to our community banking approach and culture.”

Founded in 1887, Farmers National Banc Corp. is a diversified financial services company headquartered in Canfield, Ohio, with $2.2 billion in banking assets and $1 billion in trust assets. Farmers National Banc Corp.’s wholly-owned subsidiaries are comprised of The Farmers National Bank of Canfield, a full-service national bank engaged in commercial and retail banking with 41 banking locations in Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana, Stark, Wayne, Medina, Holmes and Cuyahoga Counties in Ohio and Beaver County in Pennsylvania, Farmers Trust Company, which operates four trust offices and offers services in the same geographic markets, and National Associates, Inc. Farmers National Insurance, LLC and Bowers Insurance Agency, Inc., wholly-owned subsidiaries of The Farmers National Bank of Canfield, offer a variety of insurance products.

Non-GAAP Disclosure

This press release includes disclosures of Farmers’ tangible common equity ratio, return on average tangible assets, return on average tangible equity and net income excluding costs related to acquisition activity expenses and adjustments to the net deferred tax asset resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which are financial measures not prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (GAAP). A non-GAAP financial measure is a numerical measure of historical or future financial performance, financial position or cash flows that excludes or includes amounts that are required to be disclosed by GAAP. Farmers believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide both management and investors a more complete understanding of the underlying operational results and trends and Farmers’ marketplace performance. The presentation of this additional information is not meant to be considered in isolation or as a substitute for the numbers prepared in accordance with GAAP. The reconciliations of non-GAAP financial measures are included in the tables following Consolidated Financial Highlights below.

Forward-Looking Statements

This earnings release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, including statements about Farmers’ financial condition, results of operations, asset quality trends and profitability. Forward-looking statements are not historical facts but instead represent only management’s current expectations and forecasts regarding future events, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and outside of Farmers’ control. Forward-looking statements are preceded by terms such as "expects,” "believes,” "anticipates,” "intends” and similar expressions, as well as any statements related to future expectations of performance or conditional verbs, such as "will,” "would,” "should,” "could” or "may.” Farmers’ actual results and financial condition may differ, possibly materially, from the anticipated results and financial condition indicated in these forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause Farmers’ actual results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in Farmers’ Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2016, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) and is available on Farmers’ website (www.farmersbankgroup.com) and on the SEC’s website (www.sec.gov). Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and should not be relied upon as representing management’s views as of any subsequent date. Farmers does not undertake any obligation to update the forward-looking statements to reflect the impact of circumstances or events that may arise after the date of the forward-looking statements.

View source version on businesswire.com: http://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20180131005197/en/