/EINPresswire.com/ -- INDIANA, PA--(Marketwired - July 26, 2017) - First Commonwealth Financial Corporation (NYSE: FCF) today announced financial results for the second quarter of 2017.

Second Quarter 2017 Highlights

Franchise Growth

• Total assets grew $574 million compared to the prior quarter following the completion of the acquisition of DCB Financial Corp. in Lewis Center, Ohio on April 3, 2017.
  • Total loans grew $467 million, including $384 million acquired from DCB Financial Corp.
  • Total deposits grew $563 million, including $484 million acquired from DCB Financial Corp.

Earnings

• Second quarter net income was $14.0 million, or $0.14 diluted earnings per share. Core net income (adjusted for acquisition expenses) was $20.4 million, or $0.21 diluted earnings per share.
  • Core earnings per share increased $0.03 from the previous quarter and $0.07 from the prior year quarter; an increase of 16.7% and 50.0%, respectively.

• Total revenue grew $8.8 million, or 12.7% from the prior quarter.
  • Net interest income (FTE) increased $6.1 million, or 11.5% from the prior quarter.
  • Noninterest income grew $2.7 million, or 16.4% from the prior quarter.

• Total noninterest expense increased $15.5 million from the previous quarter and includes $9.9 million of one-time merger-related expenses resulting from the acquisition of DCB Financial Corp.
• Provision for credit losses totaled ($1.6) million, a decrease of $4.8 million as compared to the prior quarter, in part due to the recognition of $3.1 million in recoveries on two loans that had been charged-off in prior periods.
• The annualized return on average tangible common equity for the second quarter of 2017 was 9.74% and the core return on average tangible common equity (excluding merger-related expenses) was 14.03%.

Profitability

• The net interest margin improved four basis points to 3.54% compared to the prior quarter.
• Core return on average assets (adjusted for acquisition expenses) improved 13 basis points to 1.11% compared to the prior quarter.
• The core efficiency ratio improved to 60.19%, driven by revenue growth and well-controlled operational expenses.

"Our results in the second quarter and the first six months of 2017 reflect continued progress towards achieving our strategic objectives of growing revenue, controlling expenses and thoughtfully deploying capital," stated T. Michael Price, President and Chief Executive Officer. "And with the closing and integration of DCB Financial Corp. this past quarter, we add another quality building block to our Ohio presence," Price continued. "This new addition not only provides us with deeper penetration into the robust Columbus market, but it also gives us a group of very talented professionals that care about their communities and can help our loyal customers reach their financial goals."

1. Core operating results are a non-GAAP measure used by management to measure performance in operating the business that management believes enhances investors' ability to better understand the underlying business performance and trends related to core business activities. See supplemental information included with the release for "non-GAAP Financial Measures and Key Performance Indicators" and additional information.

Earnings

Net income for the second quarter of 2017 was $14.0 million, as compared to $12.0 million for the second quarter of 2016. Excluding merger-related expenses of $6.4 million after tax, net income for the second quarter of 2017 was $20.4 million.

Net income for the first six months of 2017 was $29.9 million, as compared to $24.5 million for the same period in 2016. Excluding merger-related expenses of $6.8 million after tax, net income for the first six months of 2017 was $36.7 million.

Net Interest Margin and Net Interest Income

The net interest margin for the second quarter of 2017 was 3.54%, an increase of 4 basis points from the previous quarter and an increase of 27 basis points from the second quarter of 2016. The yield on interest-earning assets increased by 8 basis points and funding costs increased by 4 basis points from the prior quarter. The increase from the previous year is primarily due to improved yields on variable and adjustable loan portfolios following the Federal Reserve's decision to increase short-term rates in December of 2016, March of 2017 and June of 2017, along with the ability to pay down higher cost short-term borrowings following our recent acquisitions. The yield on interest-earning assets increased by 28 basis points and funding costs increased 2 basis points from the year-ago quarter.

Total average earning assets increased $542 million, or 8.8%, from the previous quarter mostly due to the benefit of acquired DCB Financial Corp. balances, as well as average organic loan growth of $58 million and a $101 million increase in the securities portfolio.

Total deposits grew by $563 million in the second quarter of 2017 compared to the previous quarter, which includes $484 million in deposits acquired at the closing of the DCB Financial Corp. acquisition. Total deposits increased by $1.1 billion from the prior year quarter, which includes the addition of $605 million in deposits acquired at the closing of the northern Ohio branch acquisition, as well as the aforementioned acquisition of DCB Financial Corp.

Credit Quality

The provision for credit losses totaled ($1.6) million for the quarter ended June 30, 2017, a decrease of $4.8 million as compared to the prior quarter and a decrease of $12.0 million from the same quarter last year. The decrease from the prior quarter is primarily due to the recognition of $3.1 million of recoveries on two large commercial loans that had been charged-off in prior periods. The decrease from the previous year was due to the aforementioned recoveries and the recognition of a $7.5 million specific reserve for an individual commercial credit in the prior year quarter.

At June 30, 2017, nonperforming loans were $40.2 million, a decrease of $9.7 million from March 31, 2017 and a decrease of $24.2 million from June 30, 2016. The decrease from the first quarter of 2017 was related to the resolution of two commercial manufacturing credits that were placed into nonperforming status in 2016. Nonperforming loans as a percentage of total loans were 0.75%, 1.01% and 1.33% for the periods ended June 30, 2017, March 31, 2017 and June 30, 2016, respectively.

During the second quarter of 2017, net charge-offs (recoveries) were ($1.0) million, compared to $4.7 million in the prior quarter and $5.8 million in the second quarter of 2016. Net charge-offs (recoveries) in the second quarter of 2017 included recoveries for two large commercial credits totaling $3.1 million, which were previously charged-off.

For the originated loan portfolio at June 30, 2017, the allowance for credit losses to total originated loans was 0.98%, compared to 1.01% at March 31, 2017 and 1.24% at June 30, 2016.

Noninterest Income and Noninterest Expense

Noninterest income (excluding net security gains) totaled $19.0 million for the second quarter of 2017 as compared to $16.3 million for the first quarter of 2017 and $15.5 million for the second quarter of 2016. Service charges and card-related interchange income increased $1.0 million and $1.9 million from the prior quarter and the year-ago quarter, respectively, primarily due to acquired customer relationships. Financial advisory and insurance commissions increased $0.7 million and $0.8 million from the prior quarter and year-ago quarter, respectively, due to the aforementioned acquisitions and an expanded sales staff.

Noninterest expense (excluding merger-related expenses) totaled $48.4 million for the second quarter of 2017 as compared to $42.2 million for the first quarter of 2017 and $37.2 million for the second quarter of 2016. The increase from the previous periods was primarily driven by higher operating expenses following the Company's recent acquisitions and $1.1 million in write-downs on OREO properties previously acquired from three commercial customers.

Full time equivalent staff was 1,426 at June 30, 2017 and 1,271 at March 31, 2017 and was 1,168 at June 30, 2016. The increase from the previous periods is the result of the addition of employees from acquisitions and the recent expansion of the mortgage and commercial banking businesses in Ohio.

Dividends and Capital

First Commonwealth Financial Corporation declared a common stock quarterly dividend of $0.08 per share, which is payable on August 18, 2017 to shareholders of record as of August 7, 2017. This dividend represents a 2.4% projected annual yield utilizing the July 25, 2017 closing market price of $13.18.

First Commonwealth's capital ratios for Total, Tier I, Leverage and Common Equity Tier I at June 30, 2017 were 12.2%, 11.3%, 9.6% and 10.2%, respectively. First Commonwealth's current capital levels exceed the fully phased-in Basel III capital requirements issued by U.S. bank regulators.

Conference Call

First Commonwealth will host a quarterly conference call to discuss its financial results for the second quarter 2017 on Wednesday, July 26, 2017 at 2:00 PM (ET). The call can be accessed by dialing (toll free) 1-844-792-3645 or through the company's web page, http://www.fcbanking.com/InvestorRelations. A replay of the call will be available approximately one hour following the conclusion of the conference by dialing 1-877-344-7529 and entering the access code #10110414. A link to the webcast replay will also be accessible on the company's web page for 30 days.

About First Commonwealth Financial Corporation

First Commonwealth Financial Corporation (NYSE: FCF), headquartered in Indiana, Pennsylvania, is a financial services company with 135 banking offices in 20 counties throughout western and central Pennsylvania and central and northeastern Ohio, as well as a Corporate Banking Center in northeast Ohio and mortgage offices in Stow and Dublin, Ohio. First Commonwealth provides a full range of commercial banking, consumer banking, mortgage, wealth management and insurance products and services through its subsidiaries First Commonwealth Bank and First Commonwealth Insurance Agency. For more information about First Commonwealth or to open an account today, please visit www.fcbanking.com.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release contains forward-looking statements about First Commonwealth's future plans, strategies and financial performance. These statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts and often include words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "estimate" or words of similar meaning, or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "would," "should," "could" or "may." Such statements are based on assumptions and involve risks and uncertainties, many of which are beyond First Commonwealth's control. Factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ from those discussed in the forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: (1) local, regional, national and international economic conditions and the impact they may have on First Commonwealth and its customers; (2) volatility and disruption in national and international financial markets; (3) the effects of and changes in trade and monetary and fiscal policies and laws, including the interest rate policies of the Federal Reserve Board; (4) inflation, interest rate, commodity price, securities market and monetary fluctuations; (5) the effect of changes in laws and regulations (including laws and regulations concerning taxes, banking, securities and insurance) with which First Commonwealth must comply; (6) the soundness of other financial institutions; (7) political instability; (8) impairment of First Commonwealth's goodwill or other intangible assets; (9) acts of God or of war or terrorism; (10) the timely development and acceptance of new products and services and perceived overall value of these products and services by users; (11) changes in consumer spending, borrowings and savings habits; (12) changes in the financial performance and/or condition of First Commonwealth's borrowers; (13) technological changes; (14) acquisitions and integration of acquired businesses; (15) First Commonwealth's ability to attract and retain qualified employees; (16) changes in the competitive environment in First Commonwealth's markets and among banking organizations and other financial service providers; (17) the ability to increase market share and control expenses; (18) the effect of changes in accounting policies and practices, as may be adopted by the regulatory agencies, as well as the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, the Financial Accounting Standards Board and other accounting standard setters; (19) the reliability of First Commonwealth's vendors, internal control systems or information systems; (20) the costs and effects of legal and regulatory developments, the resolution of legal proceedings or regulatory or other governmental inquiries, the results of regulatory examinations or reviews and the ability to obtain required regulatory approvals; and (21) other risks and uncertainties described in the reports that First Commonwealth files with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10‐K. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made. First Commonwealth undertakes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date the forward-looking statements are made.

DEFINITIONS AND RECONCILIATION OF NON-GAAP MEASURES

⁽¹⁾ Net interest income has been computed on a fully taxable equivalent basis ("FTE") using the 35% federal income tax statutory rate.
⁽²⁾ Core efficiency ratio excludes from total revenue the impact of derivative mark-to-market and excludes from "total noninterest expense" the amortization of intangibles, unfunded commitment expense and any other unusual items deemed by management to not be related to normal operations, such as merger, acquisition and severance costs.
⁽³⁾ Includes held for sale loans.
⁽⁴⁾ Excludes held for sale loans.