Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc. Reports 2015 Fourth-Quarter and Full-Year Financial Results

ARCHBOLD, Ohio, Feb. 4, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc. (OTCQX: FMAO) today reported financial results for the 2015 fourth quarter and twelve months ended December 31, 2015.

2015 Fourth Quarter Financial Highlights Include (on a year-over-year basis unless noted):

• 51 consecutive quarters of profitability
• Total loans increased 8.0% from 2015 third quarter
• Net interest income after provision for loan losses increased 2.0% to $7,725,000
• Net income increased 4.2% to $2,772,000
• Earnings per basic and diluted shares increased 5.3% to $0.60
• Noninterest income improved 4.6% to $2,705,000
• Construction of Ft. Wayne, Indiana branch is on track for a 2016 spring opening

2015 Full-Year Financial Highlights Include:

• Total loans increased 10.3% to a record $685,878,000
• Net income increased 7.2% to a record $10,340,000
• Earnings per basic and diluted shares increased 7.7% to a record $2.24
• Noninterest income improved 5.9% to $10,788,000
• Return on average assets of 1.08%, up from 1.02%
• Return on average equity of 8.80%, up from 8.72%
• Tangible book value per share increased 5.4%

Paul S. Siebenmorgen, President and Chief Executive Officer, stated, "We achieved many operating and financial milestones during 2015, which include record earnings, loans, and assets.  These solid financial results are possible because of the strong support of our loyal customers, local communities, dedicated employees, and shareholders.  I am pleased we were able to share our success with our shareholders, and during 2015 we paid $3,943,000 in dividend payments as well as repurchasing 30,685 shares of our common stock.  On January 15, 2016 F&M's Board of Directors authorized the repurchase of up to 200,000 shares of our common stock, reflecting the confidence management and the Board have in our future.  We continue to methodically add F&M offices to grow our presence in locations that share our community banking values.  Most recently, we added our Sylvania office, which opened during the second half of 2014 and exceeded our expectations, while contributing to profits in 2015.  The Company continues to focus on expansion and our next office in Ft. Wayne, Indiana is under construction and on schedule for a 2016 spring opening.  We are excited to expand our footprint to this compelling market.  As a note, we expect the office will be a slight drag on earnings during 2016 as a result of start-up costs, but we are optimistic this will be a temporary impact, and expect the office will contribute significantly to earnings as it matures." 

Income Statement
Net income for the 2015 fourth quarter ended December 31, 2015 was $2,772,000, or $0.60 per basic and diluted share compared to $2,661,000, or $0.57 per basic and diluted share for the same period last year. The 4.2% improvement in net income for the 2015 fourth quarter was primarily due to a 2.0% increase in net interest income after provision for loan losses, and a 4.6% increase in noninterest income, partially offset by a 3.5% increase in noninterest expense. 

Net income for the 2015 twelve months was $10,340,000, or $2.24 per basic and diluted share compared to $9,646,000, or $2.08 per basic and diluted share for the twelve months ended December 31, 2014.  The 7.7% improvement in net income for 2015 was primarily due to a 3.1% increase in net interest income after provision for loan losses, and a 5.9% increase in noninterest income, which was partially offset by a 3.4% increase in noninterest expense. 

Loan Portfolio and Asset Quality
Total loans at December 31, 2015 were $685,878,000, compared to $621,926,000 at December 31, 2014, and $635,239,000 at September 30, 2015.  Total loans for the 2015 fourth quarter compared with the same period last year increased 10.3%, and were up 8.0% from the 2015 third quarter.  The year-over-year improvement resulted primarily from a 19.5% increase in commercial real estate loans, a 10.8% increase in agricultural loans, and a 15.0% increase in agricultural real estate loans, offset by a 9.6% reduction in consumer real estate loans. 

Asset quality remains strong as the company's provision for loan losses for the 2015 fourth quarter was $85,000, compared to $37,000 for the 2014 fourth quarter.  The provision for loan losses for 2015 was $625,000, a 47.5% reduction from 2014.  The allowance for loan losses to nonperforming loans was 293.8% at December 31, 2015, compared to 346.3% at December 31, 2014.  Net charge-offs for the year ended December 31, 2015 were $473,000, or 0.08% of total loans, compared to $480,000 or 0.08% of total loans, at December 31, 2014.  

Stockholders' Equity and Dividends
Tangible stockholders' equity increased to $114,960,000 as of December 31, 2015, compared to $109,034,000 at December 31, 2014.  On a per share basis, tangible stockholders' equity at December 31, 2015 was $24.92 compared with $23.56 at December 31, 2014. The increase in tangible stockholders' equity is the result of growth in retained earnings due to increased profitability.  At December 31, 2015, the company had a Tier 1 leverage ratio of 11.91%, up from 11.70% at December 31, 2014. 

For 2015, the company declared cash dividends of $0.87 per share, which is a 3.6% increase over 2014's dividend payment.  For 2015, the dividend payout ratio was 38.5% compared to 40.0% for the same period last year.

Mr. Siebenmorgen concluded, "On the backdrop of improving local economies, our loan portfolio grew significantly in the fourth quarter.  This growth was driven by strong demand for commercial real estate and commercial and industrial loans.  I am pleased that our loan to deposit ratio was 88.1% at December 31, 2015 compared to 80.8% last year, and 65.0% in 2012.  Not only are we utilizing our deposit base more effectively, but we are also realigning our strategy to provide value to our depositors while building revenue or decreasing costs to the Bank.  The goal of all these strategies is to improve the overall profitability of the bank, and I am encouraged by the progress we made in 2015 as we experienced improvements in both return on average assets and return on average equity. We ended 2015 with favorable momentum, and we are optimistic this will continue throughout 2016." 

About Farmer & Merchants State Bank:
The Farmers & Merchants State Bank is a local independent community bank that has been serving Northwest Ohio and Northeast Indiana since 1897. The Farmers & Merchants State Bank provides commercial banking, retail banking and other financial services through its 22 offices, with expansion underway in the greater Ft. Wayne, Indiana market. Our locations are in Fulton, Defiance, Henry, Lucas, Williams, and Wood counties in northwest Ohio. In Northeast Indiana we have offices located in DeKalb and Steuben counties.

Safe harbor statement
Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc. ("F&M") wishes to take advantage of the Safe Harbor provisions included in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Statements by F&M, including management's expectations and comments, may not be based on historical facts and are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21B of the Securities Act of 1934, as amended. Actual results could vary materially depending on risks and uncertainties inherent in general and local banking conditions, competitive factors specific to markets in which F&M and its subsidiaries operate, future interest rate levels, legislative and regulatory decisions or capital market conditions. F&M assumes no responsibility to update this information. For more details, please refer to F&M's SEC filing, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and quarterly reports on Form 10-Q. Such filings can be viewed at the SEC's website, www.sec.gov.

SOURCE Farmers & Merchants Bancorp, Inc.