CNB Financial Corporation Reports Second Quarter Earnings for 2012

CLEARFIELD, Pa., July 19, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- CNB Financial Corporation ("CNB") (NASDAQ: CCNE), the parent company of CNB Bank, today announced its earnings for the second quarter and first six months of 2012.  Highlights include the following:

• Net income of $4.3 million for the three months ended June 30, 2012, or $0.35 per share, an 11.4% increase in net income and a 9.4% increase in diluted earnings per share over the three months ended June 30, 2011.
• Net income of $8.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2012, or $0.70 per share, a 21.1% increase in net income and a 20.7% increase in diluted earnings per share over the six months ended June 30, 2011.
• Annualized returns on average assets and equity of 1.03% and 12.70%, respectively, for the six months ended June 30, 2012 compared to returns on average assets and equity of 0.98% and 12.44%, respectively, for the six months ended June 30, 2011.
• Net interest income for the three months ended June 30, 2012 of $13.3 million, an increase of 4.7% over the $12.7 million for the quarter ended March 31, 2012 and an increase of 11.4% over the second quarter of 2011.  Net interest income of $26.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2012 was an 11.8% increase compared to the six months ended June 30, 2011.
• Total loans of $906.8 million at June 30, 2012, an increase of $46.8 million, or 5.4%, compared to March 31, 2012, and an increase of $85.0 million, or 10.3%, compared to June 30, 2011.
• Deposits of $1.46 billion at June 30, 2012, an increase of $206.3 million, or 16.5%, compared to June 30, 2011.
• Total non-performing assets of $18.5 million, or 1.08% of total assets as of June 30, 2012.

Joseph B. Bower, Jr., President and CEO, commented, "The second quarter brought growth in our loan portfolio that we haven't seen in some time.  The increase in our customer base through the strategic initiative of growing core deposits is providing us with many more lending opportunities."

Net Interest Income and Margin

During the six months ended June 30, 2012, net interest income increased $2.7 million, or 11.8%, compared to the six months ended June 30, 2011.  Net interest margin on a fully tax equivalent basis was 3.47% for the six months ended June 30, 2012, compared to 3.55% for the six months ended June 30, 2011, and was also 3.47% in the first and second quarters of 2012, as CNB was able to attract and deploy low cost core deposits into loans within our markets. 

Although the yield on earnings assets decreased from 4.86% during the six months ended June 30, 2011 to 4.48% during the six months ended June 30, 2012, CNB's average earning assets increased from $1.36 billion to $1.59 billion, or 16.7%, resulting in an increase in interest income of $1.9 million, or 6.0%.

Due to growth in core deposits, interest-bearing liabilities have increased significantly during last twelve months. Interest-bearing deposits as of June 30, 2012 grew $191.2 million, or 17.4%, as compared to June 30, 2011.  However, interest expense for the six months ended June 30, 2012 decreased by $820 thousand, or 9.2%, compared to the six months ended June 30, 2011, as a result of decreases in the cost of core deposits.  CNB's strong and growing deposit base and low cost of funds have, along with the increase in average earnings assets described above, offset the decline in yield on earning assets, resulting in the increase in net interest income.

Asset Quality

During the six months ended June 30, 2012, CNB recorded a provision for loan losses of $2.9 million, as compared to a provision for loan losses of $1.8 million for the six months ended June 30, 2011.  During the quarter ended June 30, 2012, CNB recorded a provision for loan losses of $1.7 million, as compared to a provision for loan losses of $992 thousand during the quarter ended June 30, 2011.

In May 2012, CNB management determined that one relationship comprising a commercial loan of $2.1 million and two consumer loans totaling $200 thousand had become impaired.  As of March 31, 2012, the loan relationship was not deemed to be a criticized or classified loan under applicable regulatory guidelines or CNB's internal loan policies.  CNB charged off the balances of the consumer loans and recorded a specific allocation of $1.1 million for the commercial loan based on CNB's evaluation of the borrowers' ability and willingness to repay the loan.  As a result, the provision for loan losses during the quarter ended June 30, 2012 increased by $1.3 million.  It is possible that further deterioration with respect to the loan relationship may occur in the future.

Non-Interest Income

Excluding the effects of the securities transactions described below, non-interest income was $5.2 million for the six months ended June 30, 2012, compared to $5.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2011.  Net realized gains on available-for-sale securities were $1.3 million during the six months ended June 30, 2012, compared to $74 thousand during the six months ended June 30, 2011.  Net realized and unrealized gains on securities for which fair value was elected were $180 thousand and $97 thousand during the six months ended June 30, 2012 and 2011, respectively.  An other-than-temporary impairment charge of $398 thousand was recorded in earnings on structured pooled trust preferred securities during the six months ended June 30, 2011.

Non-Interest Expenses

Total non-interest expenses increased $1.4 million, or 8.6%, during the six months ended June 30, 2012 compared to the six months ended June 30, 2011.  Salaries and benefits expenses increased $904 thousand, or 10.7%, during the six months ended June 30, 2012 compared to the six months ended June 30, 2011, in part due to routine merit increases, an increase in average full-time equivalent employees, and increases in certain employee benefit expenses, such as health insurance premiums, which continue to increase in line with market conditions.  In addition, other non-interest expenses increased from $5.0 million for the six months ended June 30, 2011 to $5.7 million for the six months ended June 30, 2012 as a result of CNB's continued growth. 

Total non-interest expenses on an annualized basis in relation to CNB's average asset size declined from 2.24% for the six months ended June 30, 2011 to 2.12% for the six months ended June 30, 2012.

About CNB Financial Corporation

CNB Financial Corporation is a financial holding company with consolidated assets of approximately $1.7 billion that conducts business primarily through CNB Bank, CNB's principal subsidiary.  CNB Bank is a full-service bank engaging in a full range of banking activities and services, including trust and wealth management services, for individual, business, governmental, and institutional customers.  CNB Bank operations include a loan production office, a private banking division and 27 full-service offices in Pennsylvania, including ERIEBANK, a division of CNB Bank.  More information about CNB and CNB Bank may be found on the internet at www.bankcnb.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This press release includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, with respect to CNB's financial condition, liquidity, results of operations, future performance and business.  These forward-looking statements are intended to be covered by the safe harbor for "forward-looking statements" provided by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  Forward-looking statements are those that are not historical facts. Forward-looking statements include statements with respect to beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, expectations, anticipations, estimates and intentions that are subject to significant risks and uncertainties and are subject to change based on various factors (some of which are beyond CNB's control).  Forward-looking statements often include the words "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "estimates," "forecasts," "intends," "plans," "targets," "potentially," "probably," "projects," "outlook" or similar expressions or future conditional verbs such as "may," "will," "should," "would" and "could."  Such known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause the actual results to differ materially from the statements include, but are not limited to: changes in general business, industry or economic conditions or competition; changes in any applicable law, rule, regulation, policy, guideline or practice governing or affecting financial holding companies and their subsidiaries or with respect to tax or accounting principles or otherwise; adverse changes or conditions in capital and financial markets; changes in interest rates; higher than expected costs or other difficulties related to integration of combined or merged businesses; the inability to realize expected cost savings or achieve other anticipated benefits in connection with business combinations and other acquisitions; changes in the quality or composition of CNB's loan and investment portfolios; adequacy of loan loss reserves; increased competition; loss of certain key officers; continued relationships with major customers; deposit attrition; rapidly changing technology; unanticipated regulatory or judicial proceedings and liabilities and other costs; changes in the cost of funds, demand for loan products or demand for financial services; and other economic, competitive, governmental or technological factors affecting CNB's operations, markets, products, services and prices.  Some of these and other factors are discussed in CNB's annual and quarterly reports previously filed with the SEC.  Such factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements.

The forward-looking statements are based upon management's beliefs and assumptions and are made as of the date of this press release.  CNB undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements included in this press release or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those contained in such statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise, except to the extent required by law.  In light of these risks, uncertainties and assumptions, the forward-looking events discussed in this press release might not occur and you should not put undue reliance on any forward-looking statements.

Financial Tables

The following tables supplement the financial highlights described previously for CNB Financial Corporation.

SOURCE CNB Financial Corporation