STUART, Fla., April 24, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida (NASDAQ-NMS: SBCF), today reported first quarter 2014 net income available to common shareholders of $2.3 million or $0.09 per diluted common share, compared with $1.1 million, or $.06 per diluted common share for 2013. The income resulted from improved earnings and redemption of the company's preferred stock outstanding on December 31, 2013. Seacoast's pretax income for the first quarter of $3.7 million was up 83.4 percent compared to a year ago, while net income was $2.3 million compared to $2.0 million for the same quarter last year.  There was no tax provision in the prior period due to the impact of the valuation allowance for the company's deferred tax assets which was subsequently fully recovered in the third quarter of 2013.

The improved earnings for the quarter reflect growth in customer deposit and loan relationships, improved credit costs and reduced core operating expenses which were offset by lower mortgage banking revenue and severance costs associated with cost reductions announced in the prior quarter. Additional spending related to customer growth initiatives and increased customer adoption of new digital products were also absorbed during the quarter.

Customer Relationship Growth Improves

• Average noninterest bearing demand deposits were up $47.3 million, or 10.9 percent compared with the prior year and $18.2 million, or 15.6 percent linked quarter annualized
• Ending noninterest bearing demand deposits increased to 28.2 percent of total deposits compared with 22.7 percent for the first quarter 2012
• Ending net loan balances increased by 7.5 percent, or $90.7 million compared to first quarter 2013, and $8.8 million linked quarter

Additional Cost Reductions Announced

As previously announced, we implemented annual cost reductions totaling $1.4 million late in the first quarter which resulted in severance expense totaling $212,000 for the quarter.  We have identified and are currently implementing an additional $1.9 million in cost reductions to better align our expense structure as we continue making the investments needed to drive sustainable long term customer growth. We expect our core operating expenses to fall below $17.9 million per quarter when these reductions are fully absorbed starting in the third quarter.  

Innovation Driving Growth

During the quarter spending for new digital products, increased digital adoption and new personnel in marketing and data analytics totaled approximately $860,000 annualized, which we expect to grow to approximately $1.3 million annualized by year end.  Growth in new households continued to accelerate with net new households produced during the quarter more than doubling over the same period in the prior year.  As of quarter end, 47 percent of our online customers have adopted our mobile product offerings.  The total number of services utilized by our retail customers increased to an average of 3.4 per household, primarily due to an increase in debit card activation, direct deposit and mobile banking users.  We continue to focus on helping our customers discover more convenient ways to manage their financial lives while we also work to reduce our legacy fixed costs.

Acquisition Announced

Seacoast also announced today it has entered into a definitive agreement to acquire The BANKshares, Inc., a commercial bank headquartered in Winter Park, Florida, with $656 million in assets.  Information concerning the merger is contained in a press release separately issued concurrent with this first quarter earnings release.  Seacoast Chairman and CEO Dennis Hudson will discuss the merits of the acquisition during tomorrow's previously scheduled earnings conference call.  Dial in instructions are provided below.            

"We see enormous opportunities for growth in our markets and throughout Florida. Community banking will continue to be impacted by the transformation in customer convenience that is effecting banks of all sizes.  We are working to position Seacoast to grow and prosper as consumers and businesses alike are quickly discovering new and more convenient ways to access and manage their financial lives.  We see opportunities to capitalize on these new growth opportunities as we add key personnel in our Central and South Florida markets," said Dennis S. Hudson III, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "Over the past year we have invested significant resources to support this changing environment while cutting legacy costs, which will ultimately be significantly reduced resulting in further improvements to our operating leverage."

Additional detailed information concerning the quarter is presented below. 

Deposit Growth Continues:

Our customer relationship strategy continues to produce low cost funding with retail and business households, which will prove particularly valuable as interest rates increase in the future and result in higher core revenues from both wider margins and increased usage of electronic and digital payment options. Deposit mix continued to improve in the first quarter with noninterest bearing demand deposits increasing to 28.2 percent of total deposits at the end of the first quarter, from 22.7 percent two years earlier. The improved deposit mix resulted in lower total interest expense, which declined $166,000 year over year.

(1)   Total deposits and sweep repurchase agreements, excluding certificates of deposits.

Credit Quality now at Pre-Crisis Levels:

• Restructured loans reduced to $24.5 million, down $16.6 million compared to a year ago;
• Nonperforming loans totaled 2.0 percent of loans, compared with 2.1 percent last quarter and 2.9 percent one year ago; and
• Nonperforming assets to total assets declined to 1.4 percent, compared to 2.1 percent a year ago.

Noninterest Income:

Noninterest income fell short of the prior quarter by 6.8 percent primarily due to a decline in mortgage banking fees as a result of lower mortgage demand and lower service charges on deposits resulting from seasonally higher average balances.  Both items were also impacted by two fewer days in the first quarter compared to the fourth quarter. Interchange fees were up by 11.0 percent, or $139,000 compared to the same period last year due to higher usage and increased customers.

Noninterest Expenses:

Total noninterest expenses of $18.8 million decreased by $176,000, or 0.9 percent compared with the same period last year. Contributing to the reduction in expenses were lower costs in salaries and wages as a result of ongoing expense management, as well as, lower commissions in mortgage banking and wealth fees, year over year. Partially offsetting the reduction in costs were higher levels of marketing expense, up 81.1 percent from first quarter 2013, due to continued focus on expanding the Seacoast brand, digital communications, and building organic growth.

Persistent emphasis on expense reduction resulted in the successful implementation of first quarter cost savings totaling $1.4 million annually. These savings were the result of negotiations with our current vendors for competitive pricing, changes to the organizational structure, and the termination of regulatory agreements and requirements. Our focus remains on building our customer franchise and increasing our loan production, while investing in resources to support revenue growth. Further second quarter cost saving initiatives, forecasted at $1.9 million annually, have been identified and are currently being implemented. These continued efforts in cost management will increase our efficiency through the reduction of legacy costs and other operational expense.   

During the first quarter of 2014, we slowed the growth rate for investments in commercial loan production personnel compared to the prior two years. Our prior year's commercial banking expansion included three Accelerate offices in the Orlando MSA. For the first quarter, 2014, total commercial loan balances outstanding increased $69 million, or 12.1 percent compared to the prior year. Ending consumer loan balances at first quarter 2014 increased by 3.0 percent year over year, with residential loan balances increasing $18 million, or 3.1 percent.

The Company's tier 1 capital ratio is estimated at 17.5 percent and the total risk based capital ratio at 18.7 percent at March 31, 2014.  The tier 1 leverage ratio was 10.6 percent at March 31, 2014. The Company closed on the sale of an additional $25 million in common equity in January 2014 related to the fourth quarter capital raise, which has further strengthened our capital ratios during the quarter.

Seacoast will host a conference call on Friday, April 25, 2014 at 9:30 a.m. (Eastern Time) to discuss the earnings results, business trends and the acquisition of BANKshares, Inc.  Investors may call in (toll-free) by dialing (888) 517-2458 (passcode: 7789246; host: Dennis S. Hudson).  Slides will be used during the conference call and may be accessed at Seacoast's website at SeacoastBanking.net by selecting "Presentations" under the heading "Investor Services."  A replay of the call will be available for one month, beginning the afternoon of April 25, by dialing (888) 843-7419 (domestic), using the passcode 7789246.

Alternatively, individuals may listen to the live webcast of the presentation by visiting Seacoast's website at SeacoastBanking.net.  The link is located in the subsection "Presentations" under the heading "Investor Services."  Beginning the afternoon of April 25, an archived version of the webcast can be accessed from this same subsection of the website.  The archived webcast will be available for one year.   

Seacoast Banking Corporation of Florida is one of the largest community banks headquartered in Florida with approximately $2.3 billion in assets and $1.8 billion in deposits as of March 31, 2014.  The Company provides integrated financial services including commercial and retail banking, wealth management, and mortgage services to customers through 34 traditional branches of its locally-branded wholly-owned subsidiary bank, Seacoast National Bank, and five Accelerate offices fueled by the power of Seacoast National Bank.  Offices stretch from Fort Lauderdale north through the Treasure Coast and into Orlando, and west to Okeechobee and surrounding counties.

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Cautionary Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, including, without limitation, statements about future financial and operating results, ability to realized deferred tax assets, cost savings, enhanced revenues, economic and seasonal conditions in our markets, and improvements to reported earnings that may be realized from cost controls and for integration of banks that we have acquired, as well as statements with respect to Seacoast's objectives, expectations and intentions and other statements that are not historical facts.  Actual results may differ from those set forth in the forward-looking statements.

Forward-looking statements include statements with respect to our beliefs, plans, objectives, goals, expectations, anticipations, estimates and intentions, and involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may be beyond our control, and which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of Seacoast to be materially different from future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. You should not expect us to update any forward-looking statements. 

You can identify these forward-looking statements through our use of words such as "may," "will," "anticipate," "assume," "should," "support", "indicate," "would," "believe," "contemplate," "expect," "estimate," "continue," "further", "point to," "project," "could," "intend" or other similar words and expressions of the future.  These forward-looking statements may not be realized due to a variety of factors, including, without limitation: the effects of future economic and market conditions, including seasonality; governmental monetary and fiscal policies, as well as legislative, tax and regulatory changes; changes in accounting policies, rules and practices; the risks of changes in interest rates on the level and composition of deposits, loan demand, liquidity and the values of loan collateral, securities, and interest sensitive assets and liabilities; interest rate risks, sensitivities and the shape of the yield curve; the effects of competition from other commercial banks, thrifts, mortgage banking firms, consumer finance companies, credit unions, securities brokerage firms, insurance companies, money market and other mutual funds and other financial institutions operating in our market areas and elsewhere, including institutions operating regionally, nationally and internationally, together with such competitors offering banking products and services by mail, telephone, computer and the Internet; and the failure of assumptions underlying the establishment of reserves for possible loan losses.  The risks of mergers and acquisitions, include, without limitation: unexpected transaction costs, including the costs of integrating operations; the risks that the businesses will not be integrated successfully or that such integration may be more difficult, time-consuming or costly than expected; the potential failure to fully or timely realize expected revenues and revenue synergies, including as the result of revenues following the merger being lower than expected; the risk of deposit and customer attrition; any changes in deposit mix; unexpected operating and other costs, which may differ or change from expectations; the risks of customer and employee loss and business disruption, including, without limitation, as the result of difficulties in maintaining relationships with employees; increased competitive pressures and solicitations of customers by competitors; as well as the difficulties and risks inherent with entering new markets.

All written or oral forward-looking statements attributable to us are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary notice, including, without limitation, those risks and uncertainties described in our annual report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2013 under "Special Cautionary Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements" and "Risk Factors", and otherwise in our SEC reports and filings.  Such reports are available upon request from the Company, or from the Securities and Exchange Commission, including through the SEC's Internet website at http://www.sec.gov.