Central Pacific Financial Corp. (NYSE: CPF) (the “Company”), parent company of Central Pacific Bank, today reported net income in the fourth quarter of 2019 of $14.2 million, or fully diluted earnings per share (“EPS”) of $0.50, compared to net income in the fourth quarter of 2018 of $15.8 million, or EPS of $0.54, and net income in the third quarter of 2019 of $14.6 million, or EPS of $0.51. Net income in the year ended December 31, 2019 totaled $58.3 million, or  EPS of $2.03, compared to net income in the year ended December 31, 2018 of $59.5 million, or EPS of $2.01.

“2019 was a pivotal year for the Company as we embarked on our RISE2020 transformation. We continue to make significant progress and are on schedule to meet our 2020 milestones in our digital banking and branch transformation initiatives. We are pleased with the financial results for 2019 which reflect continued execution on revenue growth while we invest for the future,” said Paul Yonamine, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer.

“We concluded 2019 with strong financial results including solid loan and deposit growth and core margin expansion. We look forward to continuing to transform our bank in 2020 and beyond,” said Catherine Ngo, President.

On January 28, 2020, the Company’s Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.23 per share on its outstanding common shares. The dividend will be payable on March 16, 2020 to shareholders of record at the close of business on February 28, 2020.

During the fourth quarter of 2019, the Company repurchased 165,703 shares of common stock, at a total cost of $4.8 million, or an average cost per share of $29.13. During the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company repurchased 797,003 shares of common stock, or approximately 2.8% of its common stock outstanding as of December 31, 2018. Total cost of the shares repurchased during the year ended December 31, 2019 was $22.8 million, or an average cost per share of $28.60. During the year ended December 31, 2019, the Company returned $48.5 million in capital to its shareholders through cash dividends and share repurchases.

In January 2020, the Company’s Board of Directors also authorized the repurchase of up to $30 million of its outstanding common stock under its share repurchase program (the “Repurchase Plan”). This authorization supersedes the remaining repurchase authority under the prior repurchase program, which had $21.1 million in remaining repurchase authority at December 31, 2019.

Earnings Highlights
Net interest income for the fourth quarter of 2019 was $47.9 million, compared to $44.7 million in the year-ago quarter and $45.6 million in the previous quarter. Net interest margin for the fourth quarter of 2019 was 3.43%, compared to 3.28% in the year-ago quarter and 3.30% in the previous quarter. The increases in net interest income and net interest margin from the year-ago and sequential quarters were primarily due to growth in the loan portfolio, combined with higher non-recurring interest and dividends and lower deposit and borrowing costs compared to the year-ago and sequential quarters. These increases were partially offset by lower interest and dividends on investment securities due to the planned runoff of our investment securities portfolio from the year-ago and sequential quarters. Net interest income in the current quarter included higher non-recurring interest and dividends of $0.9 million and $1.1 million from the year-ago and sequential quarters, respectively, which positively impacted net interest income and net interest margin in the current quarter. The non-recurring amounts included in net interest income primarily related to interest recoveries on nonaccrual loans. The decline in deposit and borrowing costs from the year-ago and sequential quarters were primarily attributable to, and consistent with, the three rate cuts by the Federal Reserve during second half of 2019.

Other operating income for the fourth quarter of 2019 totaled $9.8 million, compared to $9.4 million in the year-ago quarter and $10.3 million in the previous quarter. The increase from the year-ago quarter was primarily due to higher merchant and bank card fees and commission and fees on investment services of $0.3 million and $0.2 million, respectively (both included in other service charges and fees), higher income from bank-owned life insurance of $0.4 million, and net losses on sales of investment securities of $0.3 million recorded the year-ago quarter, partially offset by lower mortgage banking income of $0.6 million. The decrease from the previous quarter was primarily due to lower mortgage banking income of $0.6 million, combined with a net loss on the sale of a foreclosed asset during the current quarter of $0.2 million, partially offset by higher commissions and fees on investment services of $0.1 million (included in other service charges and fees).

Other operating expense for the fourth quarter of 2019 totaled $36.2 million, which increased from $33.6 million in the year-ago quarter and increased from $34.9 million in the previous quarter. The increase from the year-ago quarter was primarily due to higher salaries and employee benefits of $2.2 million and higher computer software expense of $0.3 million. The higher salaries and employee benefits compared to the year-ago quarter was partially attributable to the addition of positions in strategic areas and higher commissions, combined with annual merit increases effective in the second quarter of 2019. The increase from the previous quarter was primarily due to higher salaries and employee benefits of $0.6 million and higher computer software expense of $0.2 million. The increases from the year-ago and sequential quarter were also attributable to a lower credit to the reserve for unfunded loan commitments. During the current quarter the Company recorded a credit to the reserve for unfunded loan commitments of $0.2 million (included in other), compared to a credit to the reserve for unfunded loan commitments during the year-ago and previous quarters of $0.5 million. Other operating expense in the fourth quarter of 2019 included approximately $1.3 million in RISE2020-related expenses.

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The efficiency ratio for the fourth quarter of 2019 was 62.81%, compared to 62.21% in the year-ago quarter and 62.48% in the previous quarter.

In the fourth quarter of 2019, the Company recorded income tax expense of $5.2 million, compared to $6.0 million in the year-ago quarter and $4.9 million in the previous quarter. The effective tax rate for the fourth quarter of 2019 was 26.7%, compared to 27.6% in the year-ago quarter and 25.2% in the previous quarter.

Balance Sheet Highlights
Total assets at December 31, 2019 of $6.01 billion increased by $205.6 million, or 3.5% from December 31, 2018, and increased by $36.0 million, or 0.6% from September 30, 2019.

Total loans at December 31, 2019 of $4.45 billion increased by $371.2 million, or 9.1%, and $81.7 million, or 1.9% from December 31, 2018 and September 30, 2019, respectively. The year-over-year increase in total loans were driven by broad-based growth in almost all loan categories. The sequential quarter increase in total loans were primarily due to increases in consumer loans of $43.1 million, residential mortgage loans of $41.1 million, and home equity loans of $15.2 million, partially offset by decreases in commercial mortgage loans of $10.5 million and commercial loans of $6.3 million.

Total deposits at December 31, 2019 of $5.12 billion increased by $173.5 million, or 3.5% from December 31, 2018, and increased by $82.4 million, or 1.6% from September 30, 2019.  The sequential quarter increase in total deposits was primarily attributable to increases in noninterest-bearing demand deposits of $51.3 million, interest-bearing demand deposits of $45.0 million and savings and money market deposits of $6.3 million, partially offset by a decrease in government time deposits of $19.4 million. Core deposits, which include demand deposits, savings and money market deposits, and time deposits less than $100,000, totaled $4.26 billion at December 31, 2019.  This represents an increase of $243.4 million, or 6.1% from December 31, 2018, and $102.7 million, or 2.5% from September 30, 2019. The Company’s loan-to-deposit ratio was 86.9% at December 31, 2019, compared to 82.5% at December 31, 2018 and 86.7% at September 30, 2019.

Asset Quality
Nonperforming assets at December 31, 2019 totaled $1.7 million, or 0.03% of total assets, compared to $2.7 million, or 0.05% of total assets at December 31, 2018, and $1.4 million, or 0.02% of total assets at September 30, 2019.

Loans delinquent for 90 days or more still accruing interest totaled $1.0 million at December 31, 2019, compared to $0.5 million and $0.2 million at December 31, 2018 and September 30, 2019, respectively.

Net charge-offs in the fourth quarter of 2019 totaled $2.3 million, compared to net recoveries of $2.5 million in the year-ago quarter, and net charge-offs of $1.6 million in the previous quarter.

In the fourth quarter of 2019, the Company recorded a provision for loan and lease losses of $2.1 million, compared to a credit of $1.4 million in the year-ago quarter and a provision of $1.5 million in the previous quarter. The increases in the provision from the year-ago and sequential quarters were primarily due to growth in our loan portfolio, combined with increases in net charge-offs. The allowance for loan and lease losses, as a percentage of total loans and leases at December 31, 2019 was 1.08%, compared to 1.17% at December 31, 2018 and 1.10% at September 30, 2019.

Capital
Total shareholders’ equity was $528.5 million at December 31, 2019, compared to $491.7 million and $525.2 million at December 31, 2018 and September 30, 2019, respectively.

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The Company maintained its strong capital position and its capital ratios continue to exceed the levels required to be considered a “well-capitalized” institution for regulatory purposes under Basel III. At December 31, 2019, the Company’s leverage capital, tier 1 risk-based capital, total risk-based capital, and common equity tier 1 ratios were 9.5%, 12.6%, 13.6%, and 11.5%, respectively, compared to 9.5%, 12.6%, 13.7%, and 11.5%, respectively, at September 30, 2019.

Conference Call
The Company’s management will host a conference call today at 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time (8:00 a.m. Hawaii Time) to discuss the quarterly results. Individuals are encouraged to listen to the live webcast of the presentation by visiting the investor relations page of the Company’s website at http://ir.centralpacificbank.com. Alternatively, investors may participate in the live call by dialing 1-877-505-7644. A playback of the call will be available through February 29, 2020 by dialing 1-877-344-7529 (passcode: 10138495) and on the Company’s website.

SOURCE Central Pacific Financial Corp.