CNB Financial Corporation Reports Third Quarter 2010 Earnings of $3.1 Million, a 38% Increase Over Third Quarter 2009

CLEARFIELD, Pa., Oct. 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- CNB Financial Corporation ("CNB") (Nasdaq: CCNE), the parent company of CNB Bank, today announced its earnings for the third quarter and first nine months of 2010.  Highlights include the following:

• Net income of $3.1 million for the quarter ended September 30, 2010, or $0.25 per share, a 38.1% increase in net income and a 3.8% decrease in diluted earnings per share over the quarter ended September 30, 2009.
• Net income of $8.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2010, or $0.83 per share, a 20.5% increase in net income and a 3.7% increase in diluted earnings per share over the nine months ended September 30, 2009.
• Returns on average assets and equity of 0.88% and 12.20%, respectively, for the nine months ended September 30, 2010.  Returns on average assets and equity of 0.92% and 10.67%, respectively, for the three months ended September 30, 2010.
• Total non-performing assets of $7.6 million, or 1.01% of loans + OREO as of September 30, 2010, down from $12.0 million, or 1.62% of loans + OREO as of June 30, 2010.
• Net interest margin on a fully taxable equivalent basis of 3.70% for the nine months ended September 30, 2010 and 3.74% for the quarter ended September 30, 2010.
• Total loans of $752.9 million at September 30, 2010, an increase of $60.4 million, or 8.7% compared to September 30, 2009, and an increase of $11.7 million, or 1.6%, compared to June 30, 2010.
• Deposits of $1,114.7 million at September 30, 2010, an increase of $226.0 million, or 25.4%, compared to September 30, 2009.

Joseph B. Bower, Jr., President and CEO, commented, "Our focus has been on two basic banking objectives, asset quality and core deposit growth, both of which have been trending positive for the year.  As a result, earnings have responded well to the growth in the balance sheet."

Net Interest Income and Margin

During the nine months ended September 30, 2010, net interest income increased $3.3 million, or 11.9%, compared to the comparable period in 2009.  Net interest margin on a fully tax equivalent basis was 3.70% for the nine months ended September 30, 2010, compared to 4.03% for the comparable period in 2009.  Although earning assets continue to grow, these increases have been offset by decreases in the yield on earning assets as a result of the current interest rate environment, and the composition of earning assets has shifted to a greater percentage of investment securities as deposit growth is outpacing loan growth.  Due to significant growth in core deposits, interest-bearing liabilities have grown significantly during the last twelve months. Although interest-bearing deposits as of September 30, 2010 grew $195.7 million, or 25.1%, as compared to September 30, 2009, interest expense for the nine months ended September 30, 2010 increased only $144 thousand, or 1.0%, over the comparable period in 2009. CNB's focus on deposit mix and active management of deposit rates resulted in moderation of interest expense.  Net interest margin increased from 3.57% in the first quarter of 2010 to 3.77% in the second quarter of 2010 and subsequently decreased slightly to 3.74% in the third quarter of 2010 as CNB continued to attract and deploy low cost core deposits into both loans within our markets and securities.  

Asset Quality

During the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2010, CNB decreased its provision for loan losses as compared to the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2009.  For the three month periods ended September 30, 2010 and 2009, the provision for loan losses was $853 thousand and $1.1 million, respectively.  For the nine month periods ended September 30, 2010 and 2009, the provision for loan losses was $2.6 million and $3.0 million, respectively.  The decrease was a result of reductions in net charge-offs, primarily in the consumer discount portfolio, and fewer nonperforming assets.  One commercial loan, a shared national credit in which CNB participates, with a carrying value of $3.8 million at June 30, 2010 and $4.3 million at December 31, 2009 was placed on nonaccrual status during the third quarter of 2009 and was reinstated to accrual status during the third quarter of 2010 with no loss incurred.

Non-Interest Income

Net securities gains realized during the nine months ended September 30, 2010 were $691 thousand, compared to net realized securities gains of $608 thousand for the comparable period in 2009.  During the nine months ended September 30, 2010 and 2009, an other-than-temporary impairment charge of $1.9 million and $1.2 million, respectively, was recorded in earnings on structured pooled trust preferred securities.  CNB's remaining exposure in structured pooled trust preferred securities is $2.7 million at September 30, 2010.  

Excluding the effects of these securities transactions, non-interest income was $7.2 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2010, compared to $7.4 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2009.  Mortgage banking income decreased $410 thousand from the nine months ended September 30, 2009 compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2010, primarily as a result of CNB's decision not to sell loans in the secondary market during the second quarter of 2010.  

Non-Interest Expense

Non-interest expense increased $951 thousand, or 4.2%, during the nine months ended September 30, 2010 compared to the comparable period in 2009.  Salaries and benefits expenses increased $921 thousand, or 8.6%, during the nine months ended September 30, 2010 compared to the comparable period in 2009, primarily as a result of an increase in full-time equivalent employees from 277 at September 30, 2009 to 289 at September 30, 2010.  

Insurance premiums due to the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation ("FDIC") decreased by $208 thousand, or 14.8%, for the nine months ended September 30, 2010 compared to the comparable period in 2009 due to the special assessment in the amount of $475 thousand that was incurred during the quarter ended June 30, 2009.  Excluding this special assessment, FDIC insurance premiums increased $267 thousand during the nine months ended September 30, 2010 as compared to the nine months ended September 30, 2009, as a result of increases in the deposits on which the premium assessment is based as well as higher assessment rates in 2010.

Non-interest expenses increased from $7.4 million during the quarter ended June 30, 2010 to $8.1 million during the quarter ended September 30, 2010 as a result of increases in deferred compensation expense and health care claims expense during the third quarter of 2010.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The non-GAAP measures in this press release are not measures that are defined in generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP").  Tangible book value per share, tangible common equity and tangible assets are non-GAAP financial measures calculated using GAAP amounts.  Tangible book value per share is calculated by dividing tangible common equity by the number of shares outstanding.  Tangible common equity is calculated by excluding the balance of goodwill and other intangible assets from the calculation of stockholders' equity.  Tangible assets is calculated by excluding the balance of goodwill and other intangible assets from the calculation of total assets.  CNB believes that these non-GAAP financial measures provide information to investors that is useful in understanding its financial condition.  Because not all companies use the same calculation of tangible common equity and tangible assets, this presentation may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures calculated by other companies.  A reconciliation of these non-GAAP financial measures is provided below.

About CNB Financial Corporation

CNB Financial Corporation is a financial holding company with consolidated assets of approximately $1.4 billion that conducts business primarily through CNB Bank, the CNB's principal subsidiary.  CNB Bank is a full-service bank engaging in a full range of banking activities and services for individual, business, governmental, and institutional customers.  CNB Bank operations include a loan production office, a private banking division, and 26 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 principals 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 developments could have an adverse impact on CNB's financial position and CNB's results of operations.

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 federal securities laws.  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 as of and for the three and nine month periods ended September 30, 2010 and 2009.

SOURCE CNB Financial Corporation