Earnings Labs

Landmark Bancorp, Inc. (LARK)

Q1 2021 Earnings Call· Sun, May 9, 2021

$28.01

+3.59%

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Transcript

Operator

Operator

Good day, and welcome to the Landmark Bancorp Q1 Earnings Conference Call. [Operator Instructions] Please note that this event is being recorded. I would now like to turn the conference over to Michael Scheopner, President & Chief Executive Officer. Please go ahead.

Michael Scheopner

Analyst

Thank you, and good morning. Thank you for joining our call today to discuss Landmark's earnings and results of operations for the first quarter ending 2021. Joining the call with me to discuss various aspects of our 2020 performance is Mark Herpich, Chief Financial Officer for the company and the company's chief credit officer Raymond McClanahan Before we get started, I would like to remind our listeners that some of the information we will be providing today falls under the guidelines for forward-looking statements as defined by the Securities and Exchange Commission. As part of these guidelines, I must point out that any statements made during this presentation that discuss our hopes, beliefs, expectations or predictions of the future are forward-looking statements and our actual results could differ materially from those expressed. Additional information on these factors is included from time to time in our 10-K and 10-Q filings, which can be obtained by contacting the company or the SEC. We are pleased to report continued strong learnings for the first quarter of 2021 driven mainly by solid mortgage banking activities continued growth in loans and deposits and stable expenses. First quarter, 2021, that income amounted to $5.4 million resulting in earnings per share on a fully diluted basis of $1 13 cents. Return on average assets for the quarter was 1.7, 7%. And the return on average equity was 17.06%. These are strong ratios. While last year loan growth was very strong. We continued to achieve solid loan growth in the current quarter as total gross loans grew $17 million or an annualized rate of over 9%. Total deposits also increased this quarter by $55 million or an annualized growth rate of over 21%. Additionally strategic liquidations of higher coupon municipal investment securities resulted in a $1.1 million gain…

Mark Herpich

Analyst

Thanks, Michael. And good morning to everyone. Michael alluded to our continued strong net earnings for the first quarter ended March 31, 2021, and then reflect back a year during our 2020 first quarter earnings call. We noted that last year's net earnings of $3.4 million was the highest quarterly earnings landmark Bancorp had ever reported, which makes 2020 one's first quarter earnings of $5.4 million reflective of how far we have come in the last 12 months. Now I would like to make a few comments on various elements, comprising those results. Starting with Earnings Highlights for the first quarter net interest income was $9.6 million and increase of $1.5 million or 18.4% in comparison to the prior year's first quarter, while on a Lynx quarter basis, our net interest income was down 509,000. The growth in net interest income for the first quarter last year was the result of an increase in loan interest of $1.3 million coupled with a decline in interest costs of 814,000 offset by lower securities interest. Average interest earning assets grew by $218.8 million or 24% over the same period last year, and was funded by strong deposit growth of over $240 million over this same period. And it was invested mostly in loans, which grew by $183.3 million or 33.5% this quarter. Balance of our average investment securities balanced declined by $54.2 million from the same period last year. The loan growth was impacted significantly by our SBA PPP loans, which average $111 million during the first quarter and were not present in the first quarter of last year. Interest earned on PPP loans totaled $1.1 million this quarter, Landmark extended for smart engine on a tax equivalent basis declined to 3.51% in the first quarter of 2021 as compared to 3.8,…

Raymond McClanahan

Analyst

Thank you, Mark and good morning to everyone. Gross loans outstanding as of March 31st, 2021, total $730.7 million, this represents a $17 million increase or an annualized growth of 9.6% from the previous quarter in gross loan, total of $713.5 million. This increase is mainly due to an increase in both PPP and commercial real estate loans. SBA paycheck protection program loans experienced a net increase of approximately $17.2 million while commercial real estate loans increased $7.5 million during the quarter non-performing loans, which primarily consists of non-accrual loans and loans greater than 90 days past due total to $11 million or 1.5, 1% of gross loans as of March 31st, 2021. This represents an increase from the year end 2020 level of $10.5 million or 1.47% of gross loans. This slight increase is the result of continued delinquency of one previously identified agricultural loan. We remained focused on improving these totals. Another indicator we monitor as part of our credit risk management efforts is the level of loans past due 30 to 89 days. The level of past due loans between 30 and 89 days still occurring interest totaled $5 million or 0.6, 9% of gross lungs as of March 31st, 2021. This ratio has increased from $1.5 million or 0.2, 1% of gross lens as of December 31st, 2020. This increase is mainly due to the delinquency of two larger credits at quarter end one credit was a $1.3 million commercial loan that had matured and was in the process of renewal. That loan has since been renewed and is now current. The other was a $1.1 million commercial real estate loan that was 44 days past due at quarter end. That loan is also now current. We continue to monitor delinquency trends carefully across all categories…

Michael Scheopner

Analyst

Thanks Raymond. Before we go to questions, I want to summarize by saying our first quarter of 2021 reflected a continued trend, a very positive operating results for landmark. I want to express my thanks and appreciation to all of the associates at landmark national, but their daily focus on executing our strategies, delivering an extra ordinary service to our clients and communities and carrying out our company vision that everyone starts as a customer and leaves as a friend is the key to our success. With that, I'll open the call up to questions that anyone might have.

Operator

Operator

Michael Scheopner

Analyst

Thank You. And I do want to thank everyone for participating in today's earnings call. I appreciate your continued support and the confidence that you had in our company. I look forward to sharing news related to our second quarter, 2021 earnings or 2021 results at our next earnings conference call. Thank you.

Operator

Operator

The conference is now concluded. Thank you for attending today's presentation. You may now disconnect.