Pacific Continental Corporation Reports Second Quarter 2012 Results

EUGENE, Ore., July 18, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Pacific Continental Corporation (Nasdaq: PCBK), the holding company of Pacific Continental Bank, today reported financial results for the second quarter 2012.

Recent highlights:

• Net income increased 44.5% over prior year second quarter.
• Continued growth in commercial and owner-occupied commercial real estate loans.
• Loan growth continued for the second consecutive quarter.
• Nonperforming and classified assets continued their contraction.
• Declared quarterly cash dividend of $0.06 per share and special cash dividend of $0.03 per share.
• Continued repurchase of shares with total of 167,756 shares repurchased during current quarter and 409,925 repurchased since the inception of the plan.
• Total risk-based capital ratio of 18.99%, significantly above the 10.0% minimum for "well-capitalized" designation.
• Recognized by the Seattle Business magazine as one of Washington's "100 Best Companies to Work For."
• Ranked by The Seattle Times as one of the top public companies.

Net Income

Net income for second quarter 2012 was $3.1 million, up 44.5% over second quarter 2011. Earnings per diluted share for the current quarter were $0.17 compared to $0.12 for the same quarter last year. Return on average assets and return on average tangible equity for second quarter 2012 were 0.97% and 7.92%, up from the 0.71% and 5.65% reported for second quarter 2011. The efficiency ratio for second quarter 2012 was 62.64%, an improvement over the 63.48% reported for second quarter 2011.

"We continue to shift time and resources from credit collection and management efforts to strategic growth initiatives," said Hal Brown, chief executive officer. "It is gratifying to witness the success of our staff and management in these efforts, which suggests a continuation of performance improvement in future quarters," added Brown.

Year-to-date June 30, 2012, net income was $5.8 million, up $2.2 million or 61.7% over the same period last year. Year-to-date diluted earnings per share were $0.32 for the current year compared to $0.20 for the same period last year, an increase of 60.0%.

Loan growth continues

Outstanding gross loans at June 30, 2012, were $826.8 million, up $1.2 million during the second quarter and up $6.0 million from the year-end. Growth in owner-occupied commercial real estate loans and commercial loans during the second quarter more than offset continued contraction in other categories of real estate loans. Growth in these two categories during the first six months of the year was especially strong increasing 6.7% and 7.6%, respectively, and when compared to one year ago, owner-occupied commercial real estate loans and commercial loans respectively increased 7.4% and 16.8%. The bank continues to enjoy success in lending to health care professionals. Dental practice loans, in particular, now represent 28.2% of the total loan portfolio and the credit quality of the dental portfolio remains very strong.

"Our business model and focused strategy on meeting the credit needs of community-based businesses, nonprofit organizations, health care and professional service providers has proven to be successful in a challenging economic environment," said Roger Busse, president and chief operating officer. "Our activity pipelines continue to strengthen and we are optimistic for growth in future quarters," added Busse.

Capital management

In February 2012, the Company's board of directors authorized the repurchase of up to five percent of the Company's shares issued and outstanding, or approximately 922,000 shares with the purchases to take place over 12 months. During the second quarter 2012, the Company repurchased 167,756 shares at a weighted average price of $8.94 per share. Since the inception of the repurchase plan, the Company repurchased 409,925 shares at a weighted average price of $8.75 per share. Share repurchases and cash dividends during the first and second quarters combined to keep capital levels relatively unchanged from year-end, a strategy that is expected to continue throughout the remainder of 2012.

The Company's capital ratios continue to be well above the minimum FDIC well-capitalized designated levels. At June 30, 2012, the Company's Tier 1 leverage ratio, Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio, and Total risk-based capital ratio were 12.70%, 17.73%, and 18.99% as compared to 13.09%, 17.97%, and 19.22% at December 31, 2011. The FDIC's current minimum well-capitalized designation ratios are 5.00%, 6.00%, and 10.00%, respectively.

Classified assets, provisioning and loan statistics

Classified assets continued a two-year trend of decline and at June 30, 2012, totaled $60.2 million, a decrease of $7.8 million from the end of the prior quarter and down $8.3 million and $32.3 million from December 31, 2011, and June 30, 2011, respectively. Nonperforming assets, a subcategory of classified assets, totaled $30.2 million at June 30, 2012, or 2.30% of total assets, a decrease from December 31, 2011, and June 30, 2011, ratios of 2.92% and 4.60%, respectively.

Loans past-due 30-89 days were 1.04% of total loans at June 30, 2012, compared to 0.41% at December 31, 2011. This is the twelfth consecutive quarter in which this ratio was near or below one percent, a trend that continues to suggest stabilization in the migration of problem loans.

"We are pleased with the continued reduction in our classified and nonperforming assets," said Casey Hogan, chief credit officer. "Based on our pending resolutions and on-going collection activities, we remain optimistic this trend will continue throughout the remainder of 2012," added Hogan.

The Company's second quarter 2012 provision for loan losses totaled $600 thousand down from $1.3 million and $2.0 million recorded in first quarter 2012 and second quarter 2011, respectively. The lower provision for loan losses reflects improving credit quality combined with significantly lower levels of net charge offs. During the second quarter 2012, net loan charge offs totaled $254 thousand compared to $412 thousand in the first quarter 2012 and $1.9 million in the second quarter 2011. A factor contributing to the lower net charge offs during 2012 has been recoveries totaling $1.0 million during the first six months of 2012, including $900 thousand of recoveries during the second quarter 2012.

The allowance for loan losses as a percentage of outstanding loans at June 30, 2012, was 1.96% compared to 1.82% at December 31, 2011, and 1.85% at June 30, 2011.

Core deposit activity

Period-end Company-defined core deposits at June 30, 2012, declined by $7.1 million from the end of first quarter 2012 and were down $34.1 million from December 31, 2011. The decline in core deposits primarily resulted from temporary funds of approximately $20.0 million held at the bank at year-end 2011, combined with the more typical seasonal deposit outflows that historically have occurred during the first half of the year. The majority of the decline in core deposits has occurred in money market accounts, suggesting that businesses are investing cash holdings into other investment options or into expansion of their companies. At period-end June 30, 2012, noninterest-bearing demand deposits totaled $288.1 million, an 11.8% increase from that of a year ago, and now represent 33.8% of core deposits.

Net interest margin

The second quarter 2012 net interest margin was 4.31%, a decline of 8 and 27 basis points from the margins reported for first quarter 2012 and second quarter 2011, respectively. The contraction in the net interest margin was due to lower yields on the Company's loan and securities portfolio. Loan yields continued to contract during the second quarter 2012 when compared to the prior quarter and prior year as new loan production in this historically low interest rate environment was booked at yields lower than the average yield on the existing portfolio. The yield on the securities portfolio was negatively impacted by low long-term interest rates that accelerated prepayments on the agency mortgage-back segment of the portfolio, thus increasing the amortization of premiums and reinvestment of cash flow from the portfolio at lower rates than the average yield on the portfolio.

Noninterest income and expense

Second quarter noninterest income was $1.5 million, relatively unchanged from the prior quarter and was down $172 thousand from the second quarter last year. The decline from last year was primarily due to $474 thousand of gains on the sale of securities that occurred during the second quarter 2011. Excluding the gain on the sale of securities, second quarter 2012 noninterest income was up $302 thousand over the same quarter last year. This improvement was primarily due to an increase in income from an investment in bank-owned-life-insurance ("BOLI"), combined with rental income received during the quarter on other real estate owned properties. Year-to-date noninterest income of $2.9 million was up $131 thousand or 4.7% over last year.

Noninterest expense in second quarter 2012 was relatively unchanged from the prior quarter and declined by $253 thousand or 2.8% from second quarter 2011. Year-to-date noninterest expense of $17.5 million was down $878 thousand or 4.8% from the same period last year. The decrease in noninterest expense for the quarter and year-to-date when compared to the prior year periods was due to reductions in FDIC insurance assessments, other real estate expense, and costs, such as legal fees related to collection of problem assets. A portion of the decline in these two categories was offset by an increase in personnel expense.

Conference call and audio webcast:

Management will conduct a live conference call and audio webcast for interested parties relating to the Company's results for the second quarter 2012 on Thursday, July 19, 2012, at 11:00 a.m. Pacific Time / 2:00 p.m. Eastern Time. To listen to the conference call, interested parties should call (866) 292-1418. Following the formal remarks, a question and answer session will be open to all interested parties. The webcast will be available via Pacific Continental's website (http://www.therightbank.com/). To listen to the live audio webcast, click on the webcast presentation link on the Company's home page a few minutes before the presentation is scheduled to begin. An audio webcast replay is typically available within twenty-four hours following the live webcast and will be archived for one year on the Pacific Continental website. Any questions regarding the conference call presentation or webcast should be directed to Maecey Castle, vice president and director of corporate communications, at (541) 686-8685.

About Pacific Continental Bank

Pacific Continental Bank, the operating subsidiary of Pacific Continental Corporation, delivers highly personalized services through fourteen banking offices in Oregon and Washington. The Bank also operates a loan production office in Tacoma, Washington. Pacific Continental, with $1.3 billion in assets, has established one of the most unique and attractive metropolitan branch networks in the Pacific Northwest with offices in three of the region's largest markets including Seattle, Portland and Eugene. Pacific Continental targets the banking needs of community-based businesses, health care professionals, professional service providers and nonprofit organizations.

Since its founding in 1972, Pacific Continental Bank has been honored with numerous awards and recognitions from highly regarded third-party organizations including The Seattle Times, the Portland Business Journal, the Seattle Business magazine and Oregon Business magazine. A complete list of the company's awards and recognitions – as well as supplementary information about Pacific Continental Bank – can be found online at www.therightbank.com. Pacific Continental Corporation's shares are listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol "PCBK" and are a component of the Russell 2000 Index.

Forward-Looking Statement Safe Harbor

This release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 ("PSLRA"). Such forward-looking statements include but are not limited to statements about future suggested problem loan migration, and are subject to risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those projected, including but not limited to the following: the high concentration of loans of the Company's banking subsidiary in commercial and residential real estate lending; adverse economic trends in the United States and the markets we serve affecting the Bank's borrower base; a continued decline in the housing and real estate market; a continued increase in unemployment or sustained high levels of unemployment; continued erosion or sustained low levels of consumer confidence; changes in the regulatory environment and increases in associated costs, particularly ongoing compliance expenses and resource allocation needs; vendor quality and efficiency; the company's ability to control risks associated with rapidly changing technology both from an internal perspective as well as for external providers; increased competition among financial institutions; fluctuating interest rate environments; a tightening of available credit and other risks and uncertainties discussed in the sections titled "Risk Factors", "Business" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations", as applicable, from Pacific Continental's most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date on which they are made and reflect management's current estimates, projections, expectations and beliefs. Pacific Continental Corporation undertakes no obligation to publicly revise or update the forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that arise after the date of this release. This statement is included for the express purpose of invoking PSLRA's safe harbor provisions.

SOURCE Pacific Continental Corporation