Bryn Mawr Bank Corporation Posts Record Second Quarter Earnings of $8.1 Million, Increases Dividend by 5.3% to $0.20, Reports Strong Loan Growth, Wealth Assets Reach Record High of $8.5 Billion

BRYN MAWR, Pa., July 23, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Bryn Mawr Bank Corporation (NASDAQ:BMTC) (the “Corporation”), parent of The Bryn Mawr Trust Company (the “Bank”), today reported net income of $8.1 million and diluted earnings per share of $0.45 for the three months ended June 30, 2015, as compared to net income of $7.6 million and diluted earnings per share of $0.55 for the same period in 2014.

On a non-GAAP basis, core net income, which excludes due diligence and merger-related expenses and net gain on sale of available for sale investment securities, was $9.0 million, or $0.50 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2015 as compared to $7.8 million, or $0.56 per diluted share, for the same period in 2014. Management believes these non-GAAP measures are important in evaluating the Corporation’s performance. A reconciliation of the non-GAAP to GAAP performance measures is included in the schedules accompanying this earnings release.

In addition to the fluctuations in securities gains and due diligence and merger-related expenses, the provision for loan and lease losses (the “Provision”) increased by $950 thousand for the three months ended June 30, 2015 as compared to the same period in 2014. On a tax-effected basis, this increase in Provision accounts for a $0.03 decrease in diluted earnings per share for the second quarter of 2015 as compared to the same period in 2014.

“While we continue to integrate Continental’s operations into Bryn Mawr’s, we are very pleased with the strong results for the second quarter, as well as the solid loan growth that we experienced during the quarter,” commented Frank Leto, President and Chief Executive Officer. Mr. Leto continued, “With an increase in our quarterly core earnings of $1.2 million, year over year, we are beginning to realize the significant contributions that the Continental merger, as well as our recent insurance acquisitions, are making to our bottom line. Once we have completed the Continental systems conversion, scheduled for the fourth quarter of 2015, we will begin to fully realize the anticipated cost savings, as many of the redundant costs will be eliminated.”

On July 23, 2015, the Board of Directors of the Corporation declared a quarterly dividend of $0.20 per share, payable September 1, 2015 to shareholders of record as of August 4, 2015.

SIGNIFICANT ITEMS OF NOTE

Results of Operations – 2nd Quarter 2015 Compared to 2nd Quarter 2014

• Net income of $8.1 million for the three months ended June 30, 2015 increased $515 thousand, or 6.8%, from $7.6 million for the same period in 2014.
   
• Net interest income for the three months ended June 30, 2015 was $25.1 million, an increase of $5.6 million, or 28.9%, from $19.4 million for the same period in 2014. The increase in net interest income between the periods was largely related to the interest income generated by loans acquired in the January 1, 2015 merger with Continental Bank Holdings, Inc. (“CBHI” and the “Merger”). Average loans for the three months ended June 30, 2015 increased by $517.7 million from the same period in 2014. The increase in interest income resulting from loans acquired in the Merger was partially offset by an increase in interest expense on interest-bearing deposits. Average interest-bearing deposits for the three months ended June 30, 2015 increased by $446.1 million as compared to the same period in 2014, primarily related to the deposits acquired in Merger.
   
• The tax-equivalent net interest margin of 3.81% for the three months ended June 30, 2015 was a 22 basis point decrease from 4.03% for the same period in 2014. The decrease was largely the result of the 15 basis point decline in tax-equivalent yield on portfolio loans, accompanied by a $517.7 million increase in average portfolio loan balances. In addition, average interest-bearing deposits, which increased by $446.1 million, included a 2 basis point increase in the tax-equivalent rate paid. The decline in yield on portfolio loans was primarily related to the lower yields earned on the loans acquired in the Merger. The contribution of fair value mark accretion to the tax equivalent net interest margin accounted for 23 basis points of the margin for the second quarter of 2015 as compared to 20 basis points for the same period in 2014.
   
• Non-interest income for the three months ended June 30, 2015 increased $1.4 million as compared to the same period in 2014. Contributing to this increase was an increase of $660 thousand in insurance revenues, as the Bank experienced a continued increase in fees and commissions resulting from the October 2014 acquisition of Powers Craft Parker and Beard, Inc. and the April 2015 acquisition of the Robert J. McAllister Agency. These two acquisitions continue to enhance this source of non-interest income. In addition, gain on sale of residential mortgage loans increased by $241 thousand, or 44.9%, for the three months ended June 30, 2015 as compared to the same period in 2014. Residential mortgage loans originated for resale during the second quarter of 2015 totaled $63.3 million, representing a 59.9% increase from the $39.6 million originated in the same period in 2014. Revenue from the Wealth Management Division totaled $9.6 million for the second quarter of 2015 as compared to $9.5 million for the same period in 2014.
   
• Non-interest expense for the three months ended June 30, 2015 increased $5.4 million, to $26.0 million, as compared to $20.6 million for the same period in 2014. Increases of $1.4 million, $809 thousand and $1.1 million, in salary and wages, employee benefits and occupancy expenses, respectively, much of which was related to the addition of the Continental staff and offices, contributed to the increase. In addition, due diligence and merger-related costs increased by $917 thousand from the second quarter of 2014, largely due to the Merger and the ongoing integration efforts. Due diligence and merger-related expenses include consultant costs, investment banker fees, contract breakage fees, retention bonuses for severed employees, as well as salary and wages for redundant staffing involved in the integration of the two institutions.
   
• Nonperforming loans and leases of $9.0 million as of June 30, 2015 were 0.42% of total portfolio loans and leases, as compared to $8.4 million, or 0.52% of total portfolio loans and leases as of June 30, 2014. For the three months ended June 30, 2015, the Corporation recorded net loan and lease charge-offs of $187 thousand, as compared to $200 thousand for the same period in 2014. The Provision for the three months ended June 30, 2015 was $850 thousand as compared to a $100 thousand release from the allowance for loan and lease losses (the “Allowance”) for the same period in 2014. Directly correlated with the increase in the Provision was the $64.7 million increase in portfolio loans during the second quarter of 2015.

Results of Operations – 2nd Quarter 2015 Compared to 1st Quarter 2015

• Net income of $8.1 million for the three months ended June 30, 2015 increased $625 thousand, or 8.3%, from $7.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015.
   
• Net interest income for the three months ended June 30, 2015 was $25.1 million, an increase of $275 thousand from $24.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015. The increase in net interest income between the periods was related to a $404 thousand increase in interest on loans, partially offset by a $174 thousand decrease in interest on investment securities. Average investment securities available for sale decreased by $23.2 million for the second quarter of 2015 as compared to the first quarter of 2015.
   
• The tax-equivalent net interest margin of 3.81% for the three months ended June 30, 2015 increased 2 basis points from 3.79% in the first quarter of 2015. The contribution of fair value mark accretion to the tax equivalent net interest margin accounted for 23 basis points of the margin for the second quarter of 2015 as compared to 22 basis points for the first quarter of 2015.
   
• Non-interest income for the three months ended June 30, 2015 decreased $588 thousand from the first quarter of 2015. This decrease was primarily related to an $807 thousand decrease in gain on sale of available for sale investment securities and a $316 thousand decrease in dividends on bank stocks. These decreases were partially offset by a $495 thousand increase in wealth management revenue between the periods.
   
• Non-interest expense for the three months ended June 30, 2015 decreased $1.4 million, to $26.0 million, as compared to $27.4 million for the first quarter of 2015. Largely accounting for the decrease was a $1.2 million decrease in due diligence and merger-related costs.
   
• For the three months ended June 30, 2015, the Corporation recorded net loan and lease charge-offs of $187 thousand, as compared to $859 thousand for the first quarter of 2015. The Provision for the three months ended June 30, 2015 was $850 thousand as compared to $569 thousand for the first quarter of 2015. The primary driver for the Provision increase was the $64.7 million, or 3.1%, increase in portfolio loan balances between March 31, 2015 and June 30, 2015.

Financial Condition – June 30, 2015 Compared to December 31, 2014

• Total portfolio loans and leases of $2.15 billion as of June 30, 2015 increased by $501.0 million from December 31, 2014. In addition to the $424.2 million of portfolio loans acquired in the Merger, strong organic loan growth of $64.7 million during the second quarter of 2015 occurred as the Bank’s expanded footprint and new team of lenders were able to develop many new lending relationships.
   
• The Allowance, as of June 30, 2015, was $15.0 million, or 0.69% of portfolio loans as compared to $14.6 million, or 0.88% of portfolio loans and leases, as of December 31, 2014. The decrease in Allowance as a percentage of portfolio loans and leases was primarily the result of the increase in the balance of portfolio loans from the Merger. Loans acquired in the Merger were marked to their fair value at acquisition, and, as such, no additional Allowance was recorded for the acquired loan portfolio. In order to take this into account when evaluating the adequacy of the Allowance, in addition to other factors, management considers two additional non-GAAP measures: the Allowance as a percentage of originated loans and leases, which was 0.88% as of June 30, 2015 as compared to 0.94% as of December 31, 2014, and the Allowance plus the remaining loan mark, as a percentage of gross loans, which was 1.60% as of June 30, 2015, as compared to 1.27% as of December 31, 2014.
   
• Available for sale investment securities as of June 30, 2015 were $349.5 million, an increase of $119.9 million from December 31, 2014. As a result of the Merger, the Corporation acquired $181.8 million of available for sale investment securities. During the first quarter of 2015, the Corporation sold $63.2 million of these acquired available for sale investment securities in order to shorten the overall duration of the investment portfolio. Proceeds from the sale of available for sale investment securities along with excess cash were used to pay down $94.5 million of short-term FHLB advances assumed from CBHI which matured shortly after the Merger was completed, as well as to prepay $19.5 million of long-term FHLB advances which had also been assumed in the Merger.
   
• Total assets as of June 30, 2015 were $2.95 billion, an increase of $703.5 million from December 31, 2014. The Continental merger accounted for an initial increase in total assets of $742.6 million. Taking into account the assets acquired in the Merger, portfolio loans and leases increased by $76.8 million, available for sale investment securities decreased by $61.9 million, and FHLB stock decreased by $5.0 million.
   
• Wealth assets under management, administration, supervision and brokerage totaled $8.54 billion as of June 30, 2015, an increase of $836.1 million from December 31, 2014.
   
• Deposits of $2.26 billion as of June 30, 2015, increased $572.6 million from December 31, 2014. The Merger accounted for an initial increase of $481.7 million of deposits, which included $93.9 million of non-interest-bearing deposits. In addition, an increase of $95.6 million and a decrease of $4.7 million in non-interest-bearing deposits and interest-bearing deposits, respectively, were recorded between the dates. As of June 30, 2015, non-interest-bearing deposits comprised 28.2% of total deposits as compared to 26.5% as of December 31, 2014.
   
• The capital ratios for the Bank and the Corporation, as shown in the attached tables, indicate levels well above the regulatory minimum to be considered “well capitalized.” All of the Bank’s and the Corporation’s capital ratios have increased from the levels present at December 31, 2014, largely as a result of the stock issued in the CBHI merger and increases in retained earnings.

Other Items of Note

• For the three months ended June 30, 2015, the Corporation repurchased 88,800 shares of common stock under its February 2006 stock buyback program at an average purchase price of $29.58 per share. The repurchase was made in order to offset share issuances in connection with the Corporation’s various stock-based compensation awards, which totaled 98,473 shares during the second quarter of 2015.  

EARNINGS CONFERENCE CALL

The Corporation will hold an earnings conference call at 8:30 a.m. EDT on Friday, July 24, 2015.  Interested parties may participate by dialing (toll-free) 1-877-504-8812 (international (toll) 1-412-902-6656).  A recorded replay of the conference call will be available one hour after the conclusion of the call and will remain available through August 7, 2015.  The recorded replay may be accessed by dialing (toll-free) 1-877-344-7529 (international (toll) 1-412-317-0088) and the conference number is 10067729.

The conference call will be simultaneously broadcast live over the Internet through a webcast on the investor relations portion of the Bryn Mawr Bank Corporation’s website. To access the call, please visit the website at http://services.choruscall.com/links/bmtc150724.html.   An online archive of the webcast will be available within one hour of the conclusion of the call.  The Corporation has also recently expanded its Investor Relations website to include added resources and information for shareholders and interested investors.  Interested parties are encouraged to utilize the expanded resources of the site for more information on Bryn Mawr Bank Corporation.

FORWARD LOOKING STATEMENTS AND SAFE HARBOR

This press release contains statements which, to the extent that they are not recitations of historical fact may constitute forward-looking statements for purposes of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Such forward-looking statements may include financial and other projections as well as statements regarding the Corporation’s future plans, objectives, performance, revenues, growth, profits, operating expenses or the Corporation’s underlying assumptions. The words “may,”  “would,” “should,” “could,” “will,” “likely,” “possibly,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “target,” “potentially,” “probably,” “outlook,” “predict,” “contemplate,” “continue,” “plan,” “forecast,” “project,” “are optimistic,” “are looking,” “are looking forward” and “believe” or other similar words and phrases may identify forward-looking statements. Persons reading this press release are cautioned that such statements are only predictions, and that the Corporation’s actual future results or performance may be materially different.

Such forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks and uncertainties.   A number of factors, many of which are beyond the Corporation's control, could cause our actual results, events or developments, or industry results, to be materially different from any future results, events or developments expressed, implied or anticipated by such forward-looking statements, and so our business and financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected. Such factors include, among others, that the integration of CBHI’s business with the Corporation may take longer than anticipated or be more costly to complete and that the anticipated benefits, including any anticipated cost savings or strategic gains may be significantly harder to achieve or take longer than anticipated or may not be achieved, our need for capital, our ability to control operating costs and expenses, and to manage loan and lease delinquency rates; the credit risks of lending activities and overall quality of the composition of our loan, lease and securities portfolio; the impact of economic conditions, consumer and business spending habits, and real estate market conditions on our business and in our market area; changes in the levels of general interest rates, deposit interest rates, or net interest margin and funding sources; changes in banking regulations and policies and the possibility that any banking agency approvals we might require for certain activities will not be obtained in a timely manner or at all or will be conditioned in a manner that would impair our ability to implement our business plans; changes in accounting policies and practices; the inability of key third-party providers to perform their obligations to us; our ability to attract and retain key personnel; competition in our marketplace; war or terrorist activities; material differences in the actual financial results, cost savings and revenue enhancements associated with our acquisitions; and other factors as described in our securities filings.  All forward-looking statements and information set forth herein are based on management’s current beliefs and assumptions as of the date hereof and speak only as of the date they are made.  The Corporation does not undertake to update forward-looking statements.

For a complete discussion of the assumptions, risks and uncertainties related to our business, you are encouraged to review our filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K, as updated by our quarterly or other reports subsequently filed with the SEC.