LYNCHBURG, Va., April 26, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bank of the James Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:BOTJ), the parent company of Bank of the James, a full-service commercial and retail bank, and Pettyjohn, Wood & White, Inc, an SEC-registered investment advisor, today announced unaudited results of operations for the three month period ended March 31, 2024. The Bank serves Region 2000 (the greater Lynchburg MSA) and the Blacksburg, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Roanoke, and Wytheville, Virginia markets.
Net income for the three months ended March 31, 2024 was $2.19 million or $0.48 per basic and diluted share compared with $1.98 million or $0.43 per basic and diluted share for the three months ended March 31, 2023.
Robert R. Chapman III, CEO, commented: “Our focus on execution – providing superior customer service, offering a robust menu of electronic banking products, and maintaining strong asset quality – has supported our earnings growth. With a proactive response to the interest rate environment on both the asset and liability sides of the balance sheet, we are making gains in stabilizing the Company’s margins while continuing to provide value and fair pricing for commercial, retail and mortgage customers.
“Year-over-year earnings growth reflects in part the Company’s response to prevailing market and interest rate conditions, including our efforts to continue to appropriately price loans and deposits. We are also finding opportunities to enhance returns on the Bank’s investment portfolio. During a period of slower loan activity, we continued to focus on productivity, expense management, and credit quality in an attempt to improve operating efficiency and to support earnings growth, capital strength, and shareholder value.
“Our emphasis on deposit retention and growth establishes a solid foundation for lending, creates opportunities to serve our markets, and builds customer banking relationships. Our strategy continues to generate exceptional customer loyalty and retention.” Chapman noted that in the second quarter of 2024, the Company will expand its presence and deposit-gathering capabilities in the Roanoke, Lexington and Charlottesville markets, opening offices in Buchanan, Virginia (north of Roanoke) and Nellysford, Virginia (located between Lynchburg, Charlottesville and Lexington).
“As national and large regional banks continue to pull back from several of our served markets, we are seizing the opportunity to fill that void, providing the latest banking technology combined with community bank service and physical presence. Building relationships with a growing base of clients positions Bank of the James to maintain and expand those relationships over time.
“We anticipate our focus on growth opportunities as they present themselves, productivity, deposit diversity, and loan quality will support financial strength and shareholder value.”
First Quarter 2024 Highlights
- Total interest income of $10.51 million in the first quarter increased 15.51% compared with $9.10 million a year earlier and was up modestly compared with the fourth quarter of 2023. The consistent growth primarily reflected commercial loan interest rates, the addition of mortgages at higher rates, and a higher yield on Fed Funds sold.
- Net interest income before (recovery of) credit losses was $6.95 million in the first quarter of 2024 compared with $7.64 million a year earlier, primarily reflecting interest income growth more than offset by higher interest expense from deposit growth, increased time deposits, and a higher rate environment.
- Net interest margin was 3.02% for the first three months of 2024 compared with 3.48% a year earlier, and interest rate spread was 2.73% compared with 3.33%, primarily reflecting the impact of the prevailing interest rate environment.
- Total noninterest income for the first three months of 2024 was $3.31 million compared with $3.04 million for the first three months of 2023, led by fee income from commercial treasury services and wealth management income from PWW, which contributed $0.08 per share to first quarter earnings.
- Loans, net of the allowance for credit losses, were $601.11 million at March 31, 2024 compared with $601.92 million at December 31, 2023.
- Asset quality remained strong, with a ratio of nonperforming loans to total loans of 0.09% at March 31, 2024, minimal levels of nonperforming loans, and zero other real estate owned (OREO).
- Total deposits increased to $893.50 million at March 31, 2024 from $878.46 million at December 31, 2023. The ratio of core deposits (noninterest-bearing demand, NOW, savings and money market accounts) was greater than 70% at March 31, 2024.
- Shareholder value measures at March 31, 2024 included modest growth from December 31, 2023 in total stockholders’ equity and retained earnings. Book value per share rose to $13.30 at March 31, 2024 from $13.21 at December 31, 2023 and $11.41 a year earlier.
- On April 16, 2024, the Company’s board of directors approved a quarterly dividend of $0.10 per common share to stockholders of record as of June 7, 2024, to be paid on June 21, 2024.
First Quarter 2024 Operational Review
Net interest income after recovery of credit losses for the quarter ended March 31, 2024 was $7.50 million compared with net interest income after provision for credit losses in the prior year’s first quarter of $7.50 million. The first quarter of 2024 included a $553,000 recovery of credit losses as compared to a $140,000 provision for credit losses for the same period in 2023. The recovery in 2024 was driven in part by a decline in loans and continuing evaluation of risks inherent within the loan portfolio.
Total interest income increased to $10.51 million in the first quarter of 2024 compared to $9.10 million in the first quarter of 2023. The year-over-year increase primarily reflected the Company’s ongoing upward adjustments to variable rate commercial loans and new loans reflecting the prevailing rate environment.
Interest rate adjustments related to variable rate loans along with an increase in the Fed Funds rate continued to have a positive impact on the yields earned on loans and total interest earning assets. The yield on loans was 5.28% and the yield on total earning assets was 4.60% in the first quarter of 2024.
Yields on interest bearing deposits and total interest bearing liabilities increased significantly year-over-year, reflecting the higher rate environment and also the growth in higher-yielding time deposits. The net interest margin in the first quarter of 2024 was 3.02% compared with 3.48% a year earlier. The interest spread declined to 2.73% from 3.33% a year earlier.
J. Todd Scruggs, Executive Vice President and CFO, commented: “Although the significant pressure on margins experienced in 2023 continued through the first quarter of 2024, we anticipate margins should stabilize and possibly expand in the near future as loans continue to reprice upwards and rates on interest-bearing liabilities flatten. We are also reinvesting cash from our amortizing assets in our investment portfolio at higher rates, which we anticipate will have a positive impact on interest spread as 2024 progresses.”
Total interest expense in the first quarter of 2024 was $3.56 million compared with $1.46 million a year earlier, primarily reflecting increased levels of interest-bearing deposits and higher deposit rates commensurate with the prevailing interest rate environment.
Noninterest income in the first quarter of 2024 was $3.31 million compared with $3.04 million in the first quarter of 2023. Noninterest income reflected meaningful income contributions from debit card activity, commercial treasury services, our investment group, and mortgage division along with a strong contribution to earnings by PWW’s investment management activity. Gains on sale of loans held for sale were $927,000 compared with $923,000 a year earlier.
With continuing focus on efficient, productive operations, noninterest expense in the first quarter of 2024 was essentially unchanged from a year earlier. Modest increases in critical data processing and security-related expenditures were offset by reductions in other expenditures.
The Company demonstrated relative year-over-year stability in productivity measures, including return on average equity, return on average assets, and efficiency ratio.
Balance Sheet: Strong Cash Position, Asset Quality, Stability
Total assets increased to $984.89 million at March 31, 2024, compared with $969.37 million at December 31, 2023, with growth primarily reflecting an increase in total cash and cash equivalents to $88.07 million at March 31, 2024 compared with $74.84 million at December 31, 2023.
Loans, net of allowance for credit losses, were $601.12 million at March 31, 2024 compared with $601.92 million at December 31, 2023, primarily reflecting stable but subdued commercial lending and commercial real estate lending activity, and rate-driven and slowness in residential mortgages.
Commercial real estate loans (owner-occupied and non-owner occupied and excluding construction loans) were approximately $305.52 million compared with $306.86 million at December 31, 2023, reflecting a decreasing rate of loan payoffs that began in the first half of 2023. CRE loans, excluding construction, were $311.22 million at March 31, 2023.
Commercial construction/land loans were $22.36 million at March 31, 2024 compared with $21.97 million at December 31, 2023 and down slightly from $23.47 million at March 31, 2023. The Company continued experiencing positive activity and health in commercial construction projects.
Commercial loans (primarily C&I loans) were $68.26 million at March 31, 2024 compared with $65.32 million at December 31, 2023, reflecting a modest recovery in commercial lending and business credit demand. Commercial loans at March 31, 2023 were $71.65 million.
Residential mortgage and residential construction loans were $137.13 million at March 31, 2024 and were relatively stable compared with totals at December 31, 2023. Fueled primarily by the Bank’s practice of retaining a majority of in-house originated mortgages as prevailing interest rates increased, and new home construction activity, residential lending totals were up significantly from $141.86 million at March 31, 2023.
Consumer lending (open-end and closed-end) was $74.80 million at March 31, 2024 – essentially unchanged from totals at December 31, 2023 and down from $77.73 million a year earlier.
Continuing high asset quality continues to have a positive impact on the Company’s financial performance. The ratio of nonperforming loans to total loans at March 31, 2024 was 0.09% compared with 0.06% at December 31, 2023 and 0.08% a year earlier. The allowance for credit losses on loans to total loans decreased to 1.14% at March 31, 2024 from 1.22% on December 31, 2023. Total nonperforming loans were $558,000 at March 31, 2024. As a result of having no OREO, total nonperforming assets were the same as total nonperforming loans.
The Bank added $15.00 million in deposits during the first quarter of 2024, with total deposits at March 31, 2024 of $893.49 million. Compared with December 31, 2023, noninterest bearing demand deposits and time deposits grew, and NOW, money market and savings totals declined slightly.
Chapman stated: “Growing our base of deposits is providing an important foundation for retail, commercial, and mortgage lending and can reduce the need for borrowings. We believe loan activity will gradually pick up as borrowers become more comfortable with the prevailing rate structure. The economic metrics in our served markets continue to look positive, which is reflected in a strong loan pipeline extending into the fourth quarter of this year.”
The Company had strong liquidity in 2023, adding cash and cash equivalents and maintaining access to several off-balance sheet funding options. Entering 2024 with more than sufficient liquidity and funding capabilities, the Company intends to maintain or enhance current levels of liquidity.
Key measures of shareholder value continued trending positively. Book value per share rose to $13.30 from $13.21 at December 31, 2023 and represented significant growth from $11.41 a year earlier at March 31, 2023. Total stockholders’ equity was up slightly to $60.44 million from $60.04 million at December 31, 2023. Retained earnings at March 31, 2024 were $38.41 million compared with $36.68 million at December 31, 2023.
Some balance sheet measures are impacted by treasury rate fluctuations and fair market valuation measurements in the Company’s available-for-sale securities portfolio, and are reflected in accumulated other comprehensive loss. These mark-to-market losses are excluded when calculating the Bank’s regulatory capital ratios. The available-for-sale securities portfolio is composed primarily of securities with explicit or implicit government guarantees, including U.S. Treasuries and U.S. agency obligations, and other highly-rated debt instruments. The Company does not expect to realize the unrealized losses as it has the intent and ability to hold the securities until their recovery, which may be at maturity. Management continues to diligently monitor the creditworthiness of the issuers of the debt instruments within its securities portfolio. At March 31, 2024, the duration of the Company’s overall securities portfolio is approximately 5.75 years.
The Company’s positive financial performance supported its longstanding practice of paying a quarterly cash dividend to shareholders. In 2023, the Company increased the dividend by 25% to $0.10 per share per quarter and completed stock repurchase programs that have enhanced earnings per share and generated shareholder value.
About the Company
Bank of the James, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of the James Financial Group, Inc. opened for business in July 1999 and is headquartered in Lynchburg, Virginia. The Bank currently services customers in Virginia from offices located in Altavista, Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Blacksburg, Charlottesville, Forest, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Lynchburg, Madison Heights, Roanoke, Rustburg, and Wytheville. The Bank offers full investment and insurance services through its BOTJ Investment Services division and BOTJ Insurance, Inc. subsidiary. The Bank provides mortgage loan origination through Bank of the James Mortgage, a division of Bank of the James. The Company provides investment advisory services through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Pettyjohn, Wood & White, Inc., an SEC-registered investment advisor. Bank of the James Financial Group, Inc. common stock is listed under the symbol “BOTJ” on the NASDAQ Stock Market, LLC. Additional information on the Company is available at www.bankofthejames.bank.
