American Savings Bank Reports Second Quarter 2017 Earnings

HONOLULU, July 28, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- American Savings Bank, F.S.B. (American), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc. (HEI) (NYSE - HE) today reported net income of $16.7 million for the second quarter of 2017 compared to $15.8 million in the first, or linked, quarter of 2017 and $13.3 million in the second quarter of 2016. 

"We continued our strong performance into the second quarter, delivering well for our customers, the bank, and for shareholders.  Our results through the second quarter demonstrate broad improvement in our profitability with better yields, efficiency, asset quality, and bottom line return on equity compared to last year," said Richard Wacker, president and chief executive officer of American. "Our balance sheet continued to grow nicely as customers entrusted us with more of their deposits. Total lending was flat as our work to improve commercial loan asset quality offset growth we saw in consumer, home equity, residential, and commercial real estate lending." 

Second quarter of 2017 net income of $16.7 million was $3.4 million higher than the second quarter of 2016 and $0.9 million higher than the first (linked) quarter of 2017. 

Compared to the second quarter of 2016, the $3.4 million increase was primarily driven by $3 million (after-tax) higher net interest income mainly due to growth in the commercial real estate and consumer loan portfolios as well as the deployment of deposit growth into our investment portfolio.  The $1 million (after-tax) lower provision for loan losses was offset by $1 million (after-tax) higher non-interest expense.

Compared to the linked first quarter of 2017, the $0.9 million increase was primarily driven by the following on an after-tax basis:

• $1 million higher net interest income driven mainly by higher loan portfolio yields and growth in our consumer loan and investment portfolios;
• $1 million lower provision for loan losses; and
• $1 million higher noninterest income mainly due to improved performance from bank-owned life insurance investments.

These increases were offset by $2 million (after-tax) higher noninterest expense primarily due to higher compensation and benefits.

Net interest income (pretax) was $55.9 million in the second quarter of 2017, compared to $54.8 million in the linked quarter and $51.0 million in the prior year quarter.  Net interest margin was 3.68% in the second quarter of 2017, unchanged from the linked quarter and 3.58% in the second quarter of 2016.  The higher net interest margin compared to the prior year quarter was primarily attributable to higher investment portfolio yields and growth of our higher yielding consumer and commercial real estate portfolios.

The provision for loan losses (pretax) was $2.8 million in the second quarter of 2017 compared to $3.9 million in the linked quarter and $4.8 million in the second quarter of 2016.  The decrease from the linked quarter reflected improved credit quality.  The second quarter of 2017 net charge-off ratio was 0.21%, compared to 0.29% in the linked quarter and 0.15% in the prior year quarter.  Nonaccrual loans as a percent of total loans receivable held for investment was 0.44% compared to 0.41% in the linked quarter and 1.02% in the prior year quarter.  

Noninterest income (pretax) was $16.2 million in the second quarter of 2017 compared to $15.1 million in the linked quarter and $16.6 million in the prior year quarter. Noninterest expense (pretax) was $44.6 million compared to $41.9 million in the linked quarter and $42.6 million in the second quarter of 2016. 

Total loans were $4.7 billion at June 30, 2017 and included growth in the consumer, home equity line of credit, and residential loan portfolios during the second quarter of 2017.

Total deposits were $5.7 billion at June 30, 2017, an increase of $175 million or 6.3% annualized from December 31, 2016.  Low-cost core deposits increased $143 million or 5.8% annualized from December 31, 2016.  The average cost of funds was 0.21% for the second quarter of 2017 compared to 0.20% for the first quarter of 2017 and 0.23% for the second quarter of 2016.

American's return on average equity was 11.3% for the second quarter of 2017 compared to 10.8% in the linked quarter and 9.2% in the second quarter of 2016.  Return on average assets was 1.02% for the second quarter of 2017, compared to 0.98% in the linked quarter and 0.86% in the same quarter last year.  American's solid results enabled it to pay dividends of $9.4 million to HEI while maintaining healthy capital levels, including a leverage ratio of 8.5% and a total capital ratio of 13.7% at June 30, 2017.

HEI EARNINGS RELEASE, HEI WEBCAST AND CONFERENCE CALL TO DISCUSS EARNINGS AND 2017 EPS GUIDANCE
Concurrent with American's regulatory filing 30 days after the end of the quarter, American announced its second quarter 2017 financial results today.  Please note that these reported results relate only to American and are not necessarily indicative of HEI's consolidated financial results for the second quarter of 2017.

HEI plans to announce its second quarter 2017 consolidated financial results on Thursday, August 3, 2017 and will conduct a webcast and conference call to discuss its consolidated earnings, including American's earnings, and 2017 EPS guidance on Thursday, August 3, 2017, at 9:00 a.m. Hawaii time (3:00 p.m. Eastern time). 

Interested parties within the United States may listen to the conference by calling (844) 834-0652 and international parties may listen to the conference by calling (412) 317-5198.  Parties may also listen to the conference by accessing the webcast on HEI's website at www.hei.com under the heading "Investor Relations."  HEI and Hawaiian Electric Company, Inc. (Hawaiian Electric) intend to continue to use HEI's website as a means of disclosing additional information.  Such disclosures will be included on HEI's website in the Investor Relations section.  Accordingly, investors should routinely monitor such portions of HEI's website, in addition to following HEI's, Hawaiian Electric's and American's press releases, HEI's and Hawaiian Electric's Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) filings and HEI's public conference calls and webcasts.  The information on HEI's website is not incorporated by reference in this document or in HEI's and Hawaiian Electric's SEC filings unless, and except to the extent, specifically incorporated by reference.  Investors may also wish to refer to the Public Utilities Commission of the State of Hawaii (PUC) website at dms.puc.hawaii.gov/dms in order to review documents filed with and issued by the PUC.  No information on the PUC website is incorporated by reference in this document or in HEI's and Hawaiian Electric's SEC filings.

An on-line replay of the August 3, 2017 webcast will be available on HEI's website beginning about two hours after the event.  Replays of the conference call will also be available approximately two hours after the event through August 17, 2017 by dialing (877) 344-7529 or (412) 317-0088 and entering passcode:  10108918.

HEI supplies power to approximately 95% of Hawaii's population through its electric utilities, Hawaiian Electric, Hawaii Electric Light Company, Inc. and Maui Electric Company, Limited and provides a wide array of banking and other financial services to consumers and businesses through American, one of Hawaii's largest financial institutions.

SOURCE Hawaiian Electric Industries, Inc.

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