Chris Myers
Analyst · Piper Jaffray. Please go ahead with your question
Thank you, Christina. Good morning, everyone and thank you for joining us again this quarter. Yesterday, we reported net earnings of $35.4 million for the second quarter compared with $34.9 million for the first quarter of 2018, and $28.4 million for the year ago quarter. A second quarter earnings with highest quarterly earnings in CVB's history as were our year-to-date earnings of $70.3 million. Earnings per share were $0.32 for the second quarter compared with $0.32 for the first quarter and $0.26 for the year ago quarter. The second quarter represented our 165th consecutive quarter of profitability, and 115th consecutive quarter of paying cash dividend to our shareholders. In February, we announced that we had entered in to merger agreement with Community Bank pursuant to which Community Bank will merger into Citizens Business Bank. The shareholders of both companies approved the merger on June 21st. Through the first six months of 2018, we earned $70.3 million compared with $56.9 million for the six months of 2017. Diluted earnings per share was $0.64 for the six months period ended June 30, 2018, compared with $0.52 for the same period in 2017. Our tax equivalent net interest margin was 3.82% for the second quarter, compared with 3.68% for the first quarter of 2018 and 3.63% for the second quarter a year ago. Total loans increased slightly by $22 million or 0.46 % to $4.82 billion for the second quarter of 2018. Commercial real estate loans increased by $36 million for the second quarter, while our dairy and livestock loans declined by $14 million. Loan yields were 4.81% for the second quarter of 2018 compared with 4.67% for the first quarter of 2018 and 4.63% for the year ago quarter. At June 30, 2018, the allowance for loan and lease losses was $59.6 million, or 1.24% of total loans, compared with $59.9 million or 1.25% of total loans at March 31st, 2018. Net recoveries on loans were $648,000 for the second quarter of 2018, compared with $1.35 million for the first quarter of 2018, and $2 million for the second quarter of 2017, When the loan loss allowance is combined with the remaining fair market value loan discounts from our acquisitions, the allowance for loan and lease loss ratio was 1.37% as of June 30, 2018, compared with 1.43% for the prior quarter and 1.51% for the year ago quarter. At quarter end, non-performing assets defined as non-accrual loans plus other real estate owned were $10.2 million or 0.13% of total assets. This compares with $10.2 million or 0.12% of total assets for the prior quarter and $16.7 million or 0.20% of total assets at June 30th, 2017. At quarter end, we have loans delinquent 30 to 89 days of only $47,000. Classified loans for the second quarter were $40 million, a $3.2 million decrease from the prior quarter. We will have more detailed information on classified loans available in our second quarter Form 10-Q. Now I'd like to discuss deposits. For the second quarter of 2018, our non-interest bearing deposits total $3.98 billion, compared with $4.06 billion for the prior quarter, and $3.93 billion for the year ago quarter. Averaged non-interest bearing deposits were $3.96 billion for the second quarter of 2018, compared with $3.86 billion for the first quarter of 2018, and $3.89 billion for the second quarter of 2017. Averaged non-interest bearing deposits represented 60% of our total deposits for the second quarter, compared with 59% in the first quarter and 58% for the second quarter of 2017. Although rising short-term interest rates have created pressure to increase funding costs industry-wide, we continue to achieve our objective of maintaining a low-cost, stable source of funding for our loans and securities. Our cost of deposits and customer repurchase agreements for the second quarter was 11 basis points, and our total cost of funds was 12 basis points. Our cost of deposits and cost of funds have remained unchanged compared with both the prior quarter and the prior year. At June 30th, 2018, our total deposits and customer purchase agreements were $6.92 billion, compared with $7.20 billion at March 31st, 2018 and $7.24 billion for the same period a year ago. Interest income. Interest income for the second quarter of 2018 totaled $74.8 million compared with $72.7 million for the first quarter and $72.6 million for the same period a year ago. The increase in interest income for the first quarter of 2018 and the second quarter of 2017 were the result of increased loan yields of 14 basis points and 18 basis points respectively. The tax equivalent yield on earning assets for the quarter was 3.93 % compared with 3.80% for the prior quarter and 3.74% for the year ago quarter. Non-interest income was $9.7 million for the second quarter of 2018, compared with $12.9 million for the prior quarter and $10.8 million for the second quarter of 2017. When gains on the sale of OREO and securities as well as recoveries from loans charged off prior to acquisition, when those are excluded non-interest income actually increased by $794, 000 over the prior quarter, but decreased by $236,000 over the prior year. Now expenses. Non -interest expense for the second quarter was $34.3 million, compared with $35.9 million for the first quarter of 2018 and $36.9 million for the year ago quarter. The second quarter of 2018 included $494,000 in acquisition expenses, compared with $803,000 for the prior quarter and $1.3 million for the second quarter of 2017. Compensation and employee benefit expenses declined by $1.3 million, compared with the first quarter of 2018, driven primarily by a decrease in payroll taxes of approximately $800,000. Non- interest expense totaled 1.68% of average assets for the second quarter, compared with 1.77% for the first quarter and 1.76% for the second quarter of 2017. Now I'd like to turn the call over to Allen Nicholson, our CFO to discuss our effective tax rate, investment portfolio and overall capital position. Allen?