EX-99.1 2 a07-2729_1ex99d1.htm EX-99.1

Exhibit 99.1

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

 

January 25, 2007

For More Information Contact:

 

 Gregory Schreacke

 

 Chief Financial Officer

 

 First Financial Service Corporation

 

 (270) 765-2131

 

First Financial Service Corporation

Announces Annual and Quarterly Results

Elizabethtown, Kentucky, January 25, 2007 — First Financial Service Corporation (the Company, Nasdaq: FFKY) today announced diluted net income per share of $0.60 for the quarter ended December 31, 2006, an increase of 13% from $0.53 for the quarter ended December 31, 2005.  Return on equity was 14.8% for the quarter and return on assets was 1.3%.

Diluted net income per share for the year ended December 31, 2006 was $2.34, an increase of 13% from $2.07 for the year ended December 31, 2005.  For the year ended December 31, 2006, return on equity was 15.0% and return on assets was 1.3%.

On August 15, 2006, the Company declared a 10% stock dividend payable on September 14, 2006 to shareholders of record at the close of business on August 29, 2006.  All per share information has been restated to reflect the 10% stock dividend.

“We are pleased to announce another year of record financial results to our shareholders,” commented President and Chief Executive Officer, B. Keith Johnson.  “We are very pleased with the efforts of our associates during the year and their commitment to serving our customers. Our reputation for service allowed us to cultivate additional relationships across all of our markets generating another year of solid loan and deposit growth, despite a very competitive marketplace.  This growth, along with an increase in net interest margin produced a record level of net interest income, which was the primary driver of our earnings this year.”

The Company’s retail branch network continued to generate encouraging results.  Total deposits have grown at a 7% compound annual growth rate over the past three years.  Total deposits were $641 million at December 31, 2006, an increase of $50 million, or 8% for the year.  The continued development of the retail branch network into the Metro Louisville market also yielded positive results.  The Company had a combined $39.1 million in deposits in its two full-service facilities in the Metro Louisville market experiencing a 30% increase in deposits for the 2006 year following a 71% increase in deposits for the year of 2005.  The Company opened these facilities in the second quarter of 2004 to support its growing customer base in this market.  Twenty-two percent of the Company’s loan portfolio resides in the Metro Louisville market.

The Company’s emphasis on commercial lending generated an 8% compound annual growth rate in the total loan portfolio and a 20% compound annual growth rate in commercial loans over the past three years.  Commercial loans were $475 million at December 31, 2006, an increase of 18%, or $71.8 million from December 31, 2005.

The growth in the Company’s commercial loan portfolio, coupled with the rising interest rate environment, has favorably impacted the level of interest income generated by the Company.  Net interest margin increased to 4.04% for the year ended December 31, 2006, compared to 3.93% for the same period a year ago.  This has resulted in a $480,000 increase in net interest income to $7.6 million for the three months ended December 31, 2006, and a $2.2 million increase in net interest income to $29.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2006, compared to the respective periods in 2005.  The increasing short-term interest rate environment positively impacted net interest margin due to the adjustable rate commercial loans in the Company’s loan portfolio.  However, the net interest margin is likely to compress in future quarters as short-term interest rates peak and the cost of deposits continues to rise.  The cost of deposits typically lags the increase in adjustable loan rates due to certificates of deposit which mature over a longer period of time than immediately adjustable loan rates.




The Company’s asset quality remains favorable.  Net charge-offs as a percent of average total loans were 0.03% for the year ended December 31, 2006 and 0.06% for the year ended December 31, 2005.  The allowance for loan losses as a percent of total loans, decreased to 1.09% at December 31, 2006 compared to 1.15% at December 31, 2005.  The percentage of non-performing loans to total loans was 0.69% at December 31, 2006, compared to 0.97% at December 31, 2005.

Provision for loan loss expense decreased $309,000 to $193,000 for the three months ended December 31, 2006, and $718,000 to $540,000 for the year ended December 31, 2006, compared to the same periods ended December 31, 2005.  The decrease in provision for loan loss expense for the periods was due to higher provisions during 2005 resulting from loan downgrades during the first quarter of 2005.  In addition, improvements in the Company’s security and position of certain classified loans during 2006, resulted in a reduction in the reserve allocated to the loans, which decreased provision for loan loss expense for the three months ended and year ended December 31, 2006.

Non-interest income decreased $93,000 to $1.9 million for the three months ended December 31, 2006.  Non-interest income decreased $328,000 to $7.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2006.  During the year ended December 31, 2005, a $381,000 gain was recorded on the sale of investment securities and a $143,000 gain was recorded on the sale of lots.  No gains on the sale of investments or lots were recorded for the year ended December 31, 2006.  Excluding these one-time items in 2005, non-interest income was relatively flat, decreasing $93,000 for the quarter ended and increasing $196,000 for the year ended December 31, 2006, compared to the same period ending December 31, 2005.

Non-interest expense increased $608,000 to $5.8 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2006, compared to the same quarter ended December 31, 2005.  For the year ended December 31, 2006, non-interest expense increased $1.2 million to $22.0 million, compared to the year ended December 31, 2005.  The primary contributing factor to this increase was an increase in employee compensation expense which increased $417,000 for the quarter ended December 31, 2006 compared to the same quarter in 2005 and $777,000 for the year ended December 31, 2006 compared to the year ended December 31, 2005.  The Company’s efficiency ratio was 59% for the year ended December 31, 2006, compared to 58% for the year ended December 31, 2005.

Income tax expense decreased $231,000 to $896,000 for the quarter ended December 31, 2006, compared to the quarter ended December 31, 2005.  During the fourth quarter the Company re-evaluated its tax contingency reserves and determined that approximately $281,000 was no longer required.  As a result, tax expense was reduced by this amount, resulting in an effective tax rate of 25% in the fourth quarter of 2006 compared to 32% in 2005.  This reduction had a $0.06 impact on diluted earnings per share for the quarter and year.

First Financial Service Corporation is the parent bank holding company of First Federal Savings Bank of Elizabethtown, which was chartered in 1923.  The Bank serves the needs and caters to the economic strengths of the local communities in which it operates and strives to provide a high level of personal and professional customer service.  The Bank offers a variety of financial services to its retail and commercial banking customers.  These services include personal and corporate banking services, and personal investment financial counseling services.  Today, the Bank serves Central Kentucky through its 14 full-service banking centers.

This press release contains forward-looking statements under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 that are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical income and those presently anticipated or projected.  The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this release.  Such risks and uncertainties include those detailed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, risks of adversely changing results of operations, risks related to the Company’s acquisition strategy, risk of loans and investments, including the effect of the change of the local economic conditions, risks associated with the adverse effects of the changes in interest rates, and competition for the Company’s customers by other providers of financial services, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of the Company.

First Financial Service Corporation’s stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Market under the symbol “FFKY.”  Market makers for the stock are:




 

J.J.B. Hilliard, W.L. Lyons Company, Inc.

Keefe, Bruyette & Woods, Inc.

 

 

Stifel Nicolaus & Company

Goldman, Sachs & Company

 

 

First Tennessee Securities

Knight Securities, LP

 

 

Spear, Leeds & Kellogg

Sandler O’Neill

 

 

Howe Barnes Investments, Inc.

 

 

MORE




FIRST FINANCIAL SERVICE CORPORATION

Consolidated Balance Sheets (Unaudited)

 

 

 

December 31,

 

 

 

2006

 

2005

 

 

 

(Dollars in thousands, except 
share data)

 

ASSETS

 

 

 

 

 

Cash and due from banks

 

$

19,082

 

$

20,451

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Securities available-for-sale

 

28,223

 

28,324

 

Securities held-to-maturity, fair value of $23,817 (2006) and $32,434 (2005)

 

24,224

 

33,231

 

Total securities

 

52,447

 

61,555

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Loans held for sale

 

673

 

597

 

Loans, net of unearned fees

 

705,037

 

642,520

 

Allowance for loan losses

 

(7,684

)

(7,377

)

Net loans receivable

 

698,026

 

635,740

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Federal Home Loan Bank stock

 

7,621

 

7,194

 

Cash surrender value of life insurance

 

7,947

 

7,637

 

Premises and equipment, net

 

22,500

 

19,134

 

Real estate owned:

 

 

 

 

 

Acquired through foreclosure

 

918

 

1,022

 

Held for development

 

337

 

337

 

Other repossessed assets

 

82

 

119

 

Goodwill

 

8,384

 

8,384

 

Accrued interest receivable

 

4,094

 

3,051

 

Other assets

 

1,388

 

1,889

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL ASSETS

 

$

822,826

 

$

766,513

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

LIABILITIES:

 

 

 

 

 

Deposits:

 

 

 

 

 

Non-interest bearing

 

$

40,349

 

$

39,145

 

NOW demand

 

73,552

 

76,848

 

Savings

 

53,917

 

99,879

 

Money market

 

84,994

 

66,175

 

Certificates of deposit

 

388,225

 

309,059

 

Total deposits

 

641,037

 

591,106

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Short-term borrowings

 

68,500

 

19,500

 

Advances from Federal Home Loan Bank

 

28,224

 

78,375

 

Subordinated debentures

 

10,000

 

10,000

 

Accrued interest payable

 

273

 

389

 

Accounts payable and other liabilities

 

1,582

 

1,023

 

Deferred income taxes

 

1,112

 

1,379

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL LIABILITIES

 

750,728

 

701,772

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY:

 

 

 

 

 

Serial preferred stock, 5,000,000 shares authorized and unissued

 

 

 

Common stock, $1 par value per share; authorized 10,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding, 4,384,088 shares (2006), and 3,983,530 shares (2005)

 

4,384

 

3,984

 

Additional paid-in capital

 

27,419

 

16,409

 

Retained earnings

 

40,210

 

44,291

 

Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax

 

85

 

57

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

 

72,098

 

64,741

 

TOTAL LIABILITIES AND STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY

 

$

822,826

 

$

766,513

 

 

4




FIRST FINANCIAL SERVICE CORPORATION

Consolidated Statements of Income (Unaudited)

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

Year Ended

 

 

 

December 31,

 

December 31,

 

 

 

2006

 

2005

 

2006

 

2005

 

 

 

(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)

 

Interest Income:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest and fees on loans

 

$

13,696

 

$

11,416

 

$

50,803

 

$

42,481

 

Interest and dividends on investments and deposits

 

711

 

702

 

3,029

 

2,887

 

Total interest income

 

14,407

 

12,118

 

53,832

 

45,368

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Interest Expense:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Deposits

 

5,185

 

3,680

 

18,688

 

13,199

 

Federal funds purchased

 

1,015

 

136

 

1,904

 

148

 

Federal Home Loan Bank advances

 

341

 

951

 

2,621

 

3,803

 

Subordinated debentures

 

230

 

195

 

895

 

712

 

Total interest expense

 

6,771

 

4,962

 

24,108

 

17,862

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net interest income

 

7,636

 

7,156

 

29,724

 

27,506

 

Provision for loan losses

 

193

 

502

 

540

 

1,258

 

Net interest income after provision for loan losses

 

7,443

 

6,654

 

29,184

 

26,248

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-interest Income:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Customer service fees on deposit accounts

 

1,352

 

1,356

 

5,460

 

5,167

 

Gain on sale of mortgage loans

 

175

 

266

 

783

 

868

 

Brokerage commissions

 

96

 

77

 

346

 

313

 

Gain on sale of real estate held for development

 

 

 

 

143

 

Gain on sale of investments

 

 

 

 

381

 

Other income

 

293

 

310

 

1,150

 

1,195

 

Total non-interest income

 

1,916

 

2,009

 

7,739

 

8,067

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-interest Expense:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Employee compensation and benefits

 

3,140

 

2,723

 

11,903

 

11,126

 

Office occupancy expense and equipment

 

516

 

548

 

2,106

 

2,065

 

Marketing and advertising

 

231

 

198

 

859

 

778

 

Outside services and data processing

 

657

 

557

 

2,567

 

2,393

 

Bank franchise tax

 

204

 

195

 

871

 

788

 

Other expense

 

1,043

 

962

 

3,646

 

3,609

 

Total non-interest expense

 

5,791

 

5,183

 

21,952

 

20,759

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Income before income taxes

 

3,568

 

3,480

 

14,971

 

13,556

 

Income taxes

 

896

 

1,127

 

4,634

 

4,412

 

Net Income

 

$

2,672

 

$

2,353

 

$

10,337

 

$

9,144

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1) Shares applicable to basic income per share

 

4,384,266

 

4,382,835

 

4,383,156

 

4,397,852

 

(1) Basic income per share

 

$

0.61

 

$

0.54

 

$

2.36

 

$

2.08

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

(1) Shares applicable to diluted income per share

 

4,435,656

 

4,422,124

 

4,426,871

 

4,427,699

 

(1) Diluted income per share

 

$

0.60

 

$

0.53

 

$

2.34

 

$

2.07

 


(1)            Adjusted to reflect the impact of the 10% stock dividend declared August 15, 2006.

 

5




FIRST FINANCIAL SERVICE CORPORATION

Unaudited Selected Ratios and Other Data

 

 

 

As of and For the

 

As of and For the

 

 

 

Three Months Ended

 

Year Ended

 

 

 

December 31,

 

December 31,

 

Selected Data

 

 

 

2006

 

2005

 

2006

 

2005

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Performance Ratios

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Return on average assets

 

1.31

%

1.23

%

1.31

%

1.22

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Return on average equity

 

14.81

%

14.47

%

15.03

%

14.60

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Average equity to average assets

 

8.85

%

8.51

%

8.71

%

8.33

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net interest margin

 

4.02

%

4.03

%

4.04

%

3.93

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Efficiency ratio from continuing operations

 

60.63

%

56.55

%

58.60

%

58.36

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Book value per share

 

 

 

 

 

$

16.45

 

$

14.77

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Average Balance Sheet Data

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Average total assets

 

$

808,744

 

$

758,665

 

$

788,986

 

$

751,687

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Average interest earning assets

 

757,920

 

707,677

 

739,215

 

700,849

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Average loans

 

694,841

 

632,227

 

667,793

 

613,185

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Average interest-bearing deposits

 

577,201

 

545,663

 

572,845

 

551,479

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Average total deposits

 

617,951

 

588,503

 

615,134

 

592,984

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Average total stockholders’ equity

 

71,581

 

64,527

 

68,755

 

62,639

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Asset Quality Ratios

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-performing loans as a percent of total loans (1)

 

 

 

 

 

0.69

%

0.97

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Non-performing assets as a percent of total loans (1)

 

 

 

 

 

0.83

%

1.15

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Allowance for loan losses as a percent of total loans (1)

 

 

 

 

 

1.09

%

1.15

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Allowance for loan losses as a percent of non-performing loans

 

 

 

 

 

159

%

118

%

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Net charge-offs to total loans (1)

 

 

 

 

 

0.03

%

0.06

%


(1)             Excludes loans held for sale.

 

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