BIRMINGHAM, Ala., May 04, 2020 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — First US Bancshares, Inc. (Nasdaq: FUSB) (the “Company”), the parent company of First US Bank (the “Bank”), today reported net income of $0.8 million, or $0.13 per diluted share, for the quarter ended March 31, 2020, compared to $1.2 million, or $0.18 per diluted share, for both of the quarters ended December 31, 2019 and March 31, 2019.
“Our management team and employees are very focused right now on serving our customers during the global pandemic,” stated James F. House, President and CEO of the Company. “I am proud of their tireless efforts.  Due to the resiliency of our people, as well as the strength and stability of our balance sheet, I believe that we are well positioned to handle the challenges that we see ahead,” continued Mr. House.First Quarter 2020 HighlightsTransfer of Indirect Loans – Effective January 1, 2020, the Company transferred a total of $45.5 million of its indirect loan portfolio from the Bank’s wholly-owned subsidiary, Acceptance Loan Company (“ALC”), to the Bank. The loans transferred include indirect sales lending relationships originated through prominent national or regional retailers that are managed by the Company on a centralized basis. The Company currently operates this lending in 11 states located in the southeastern United States. Management believes that the movement of this portfolio under the Bank’s brand will afford greater opportunity for growth and diversification of the portfolio over time.    Net Interest Margin – Net interest margin was 4.97% for the first quarter of 2020, compared to 5.12% for the fourth quarter of 2019 and 5.17% for the first quarter of 2019. The reduction in net interest margin during the first quarter of 2020 resulted from the prevailing interest rate environment during the quarter, including the 150-basis point reduction in the federal funds rate in March that had an immediate impact on interest earned on the Company’s interest-bearing cash holdings. In response to the changing environment, during the quarter, management reduced rates paid on the majority of its deposit products. These efforts reduced total costs on interest-bearing liabilities during the quarter; however, interest-bearing assets repriced faster than interest-bearing liabilities. Should the interest rate environment hold in the near term, the Company expects to further reduce interest costs as interest-bearing liabilities continue to reprice.  Asset Quality – Non-performing assets, including loans in non-accrual status and other real estate owned (OREO), were $4.7 million as of March 31, 2020 and $4.8 million as of December 31, 2019. As a percentage of total assets, non-performing assets totaled 0.60% as of March 31, 2020, compared to 0.61% as of December 31, 2019. Loan Loss Reserves and Provisioning – The provision for loan and lease losses was $0.6 million during the first quarter of 2020, compared to $0.7 million during the fourth quarter of 2019 and $0.4 million during the first quarter of 2019.  Due to changing economic conditions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Company increased qualitative factors associated with macroeconomic conditions in its calculation of the allowance for loan and lease losses as of March 31, 2020.  The allowance as a percentage of total loans was 1.09% as of March 31, 2020, compared to 1.05% as of December 31, 2019 and 0.97% as of March 31, 2019.  Excluding acquired loans, which continue to be recorded net of  purchase discounts that management believes are adequate to absorb losses inherent in the portfolio, the allowance as a percentage of total loans was 1.31% as of March 31, 2020, compared to 1.29% as of December 31, 2019 and 1.34% as of March 31, 2019. Due to its classification as a smaller reporting company, the Company was not required to and did not adopt the Current Expected Credit Loss (CECL) model during the first quarter of 2020. Management believes that the allowance for loan and lease losses as of March 31, 2020, which was calculated under an incurred loss model, was sufficient to absorb losses in the Company’s loan portfolio based on circumstances existing as of the balance sheet date. However, the economic environment as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic continues to contain a significant level of uncertainty, and accordingly, management will continue to closely monitor the impact of changing economic circumstances on the Company’s loan portfolio.Non-interest Income – Non-interest income totaled $1.3 million during the first quarter of 2020, compared to $1.4 million during the fourth quarter of 2019 and $1.3 million during the first quarter of 2019.Non-interest Expense – Non-interest expense totaled $8.5 million during the first quarter of 2020, compared to $8.3 million during the fourth quarter of 2019 and $8.5 million during the first quarter of 2019.Provision for Income Taxes – The Company recorded $0.3 million in income tax expense for the first quarter of 2020, compared to $0.4 million in both the fourth quarter of 2019 and the first quarter of 2019. For the quarter ended March 31, 2020, the Company’s effective tax rate was 23.6%, compared to 24.0% for the quarter ended December 31, 2019 and 22.1% for the quarter ended March 31, 2019.Cash Dividend – The Company declared a cash dividend of $0.03 per share on its common stock in the first quarter of 2020, which is consistent with the Company’s quarterly dividend declaration for the fourth quarter of 2019. These quarters represented an increase over the Company’s quarterly dividend declarations of $0.02 in the first three quarters of 2019 and each quarter of 2018.Share Repurchases – During the first quarter of 2020, the Company completed share repurchases totaling 38,604 shares of its $0.01 par value common stock at a weighted average price of $11.70 per share.  The shares were repurchased under the Company’s existing share repurchase program, which was originally approved by the Company’s Board of Directors in 2006. As of March 31, 2020, a total of 54,961 shares remained available for repurchase under the program.Regulatory Capital – During the first quarter of 2020, the Bank continued to maintain capital ratios at higher levels than the ratios required to be considered a “well-capitalized” institution under applicable banking regulations. As of March 31, 2020, the Bank’s common equity Tier 1 capital and Tier 1 risk-based capital ratios were each 12.79%. Its total capital ratio was 13.81%, and its Tier 1 leverage ratio was 9.46%.Liquidity – As of March 31, 2020, the Company continued to maintain excess funding capacity sufficient to provide adequate liquidity for loan growth, capital expenditures and ongoing operations. The Company benefits from a strong core deposit base, a liquid investment securities portfolio, and access to funding from a variety of sources, including federal funds lines, Federal Home Loan Bank advances and brokered deposits.Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic and CARES ActAs a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, in March 2020, management implemented the Company’s Pandemic Contingency Plan (the “Plan”). The Plan includes activities designed to promote the safety and well-being of employees and customers, and to monitor the Company’s financial and business risks as a result of the pandemic.  The procedures implemented under the Plan include, but are not limited to:Daily briefings with management and stakeholders to stay current on developments;Increased monitoring and communications with loan and deposit customers;Increased monitoring of the Company’s capital and liquidity positions;Increased cleaning and sanitation of our facilities;Additional communication to ensure that our robust suite of digital offerings are understood by customers;Suspension of non-essential travel for our employees;Implementation of social distancing protocols, including drive-thru only bank branch operations, and limitation of in-person meetings; andIncreased risk monitoring to ensure prudence in all of our management actions.In accordance with the Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”), which was signed into law on March 27, 2020, the Company has implemented initiatives to provide opportunities to borrowers for short-term payment deferments.  In addition, subsequent to March 31, 2020, the Company has participated in funding loans under the Paycheck Protection Program administered by the Small Business Administration. About First US Bancshares, Inc.First US Bancshares, Inc. is a bank holding company that operates banking offices in Alabama, Tennessee and Virginia through First US Bank. In addition, the Company’s operations include Acceptance Loan Company, Inc., a consumer loan company, and FUSB Reinsurance, Inc., an underwriter of credit life and credit accident and health insurance policies sold to the Bank’s and ALC’s consumer loan customers. The Company files periodic reports with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”). Copies of its filings may be obtained through the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov or at www.firstusbank.com. More information about the Company and the Bank may be obtained at www.firstusbank.com. The Company’s stock is traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “FUSB.”Forward-Looking StatementsThis press release contains forward-looking statements, as defined by federal securities laws. Statements contained in this press release that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements. These statements may address issues that involve significant risks, uncertainties, estimates and assumptions made by management. The Company undertakes no obligation to update these statements following the date of this press release, except as required by law. In addition, the Company, through its senior management, may make from time to time forward-looking public statements concerning the matters described herein. Such forward-looking statements are necessarily estimates reflecting the best judgment of the Company’s senior management based upon current information and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Certain factors that could affect the accuracy of such forward-looking statements are identified in the public filings made by the Company with the SEC, and forward-looking statements contained in this press release or in other public statements of the Company or its senior management should be considered in light of those factors. Specifically, with respect to statements relating to the sufficiency of the allowance for loan and lease losses, loan demand, cash flows, growth and earnings potential, expansion and the Company’s positioning to handle the challenges presented by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), these factors include, but are not limited to, the rate of growth (or lack thereof) in the economy generally and in the Bank’s and ALC’s service areas; market conditions and investment returns; changes in interest rates; the impact of the current COVID-19 pandemic on our business, our customers, the communities that we serve and the United States economy, including the impact of actions taken by governmental authorities to try to contain the virus or address the impact of the virus on the United States economy (including, without limitation, the CARES Act) and the resulting effect on our operations, liquidity and capital position and on the financial condition of our borrowers and other customers; the pending discontinuation of LIBOR as an interest rate benchmark; the availability of quality loans in the Bank’s and ALC’s service areas; the relative strength and weakness in the consumer and commercial credit sectors and in the real estate markets; collateral values; and cybersecurity threats. There can be no assurance that such factors or other factors will not affect the accuracy of such forward-looking statements.
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(Unaudited)Non-GAAP Financial MeasuresIn addition to the financial results presented in this press release that have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP), the Company’s management believes that certain non-GAAP financial measures and ratios are beneficial to the reader. These non-GAAP measures have been provided to enhance overall understanding of the Company’s current financial performance and position. Management believes that these presentations provide meaningful comparisons of financial performance and position in various periods and can be used as a supplement to the GAAP-based measures presented in this press release. The non-GAAP financial results presented should not be considered a substitute for the GAAP-based results. Management believes that both GAAP measures of the Company’s financial performance and the respective non-GAAP measures should be considered together.The non-GAAP measures and ratios that have been provided in this press release include measures of operating income, tangible assets and equity, and certain ratios that include tangible assets and equity. Discussion of these measures and ratios is included below, along with reconciliations of each relevant non-GAAP measure to GAAP-based measures included in the financial statements previously presented in the press release.Operating IncomeIn addition to GAAP-based measures of net income, management periodically reviews certain non-GAAP measures of pre-tax income that factor out the impact of discrete income or expense items that, although not unusual, infrequent or nonrecurring, tend to fluctuate significantly from quarter to quarter or are based on events that are not necessarily indicative of the Company’s core operating earnings as a financial institution. An example includes the provision for loan and lease losses which, although a core part of the Company’s operating activities, may fluctuate significantly based on the level of loan growth in a quarter, changes in economic factors or other events during the quarter. Examples of items that are not necessarily considered by management to be core to the Company’s operating earnings include accretion and amortization of discounts, premiums and intangible assets associated with purchase accounting. In its own analysis, management has defined operating income as a non-GAAP financial measure that adjusts net income for the following items:Provision for (benefit from) income taxesAccretion of discount on purchased loansAccretion of premium on purchased time depositsGains (losses) on sales and prepayments of investment securitiesGains (losses) on settlements of derivative contractsGains (losses) on sales of foreclosed real estateProvision for loan and lease lossesAmortization of core deposit intangible assetAcquisition expensesA reconciliation of the Company’s net income to its operating income for each of the most recent five quarters as of March 31, 2020 is set forth below. A limitation of the non-GAAP calculation of operating income presented below is that the adjustments to the comparable GAAP measure (net income) include gains, losses or expenses that the Company does not expect to continue to recognize at a consistent level in the future; however, the adjustments of these items should not be construed as an inference that these gains, losses or expenses are unusual, infrequent or nonrecurring.
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 (Non-U.S. GAAP Unaudited Reconciliation)Tangible Balances and MeasuresIn addition to capital ratios defined by GAAP and banking regulators, the Company utilizes various tangible common equity measures when evaluating capital utilization and adequacy. These measures, which are presented in the financial tables in this press release, may also include calculations of tangible assets. As defined by the Company, tangible common equity represents shareholders’ equity less goodwill and identifiable intangible assets, while tangible assets represent total assets less goodwill and identifiable intangible assets.Management believes that the measures of tangible equity are important because they reflect the level of capital available to withstand unexpected market conditions. In addition, presentation of these measures allows readers to compare certain aspects of the Company’s capitalization to other organizations. In management’s experience, many stock analysts use tangible common equity measures in conjunction with more traditional bank capital ratios to compare capital adequacy of banking organizations with significant amounts of goodwill or other intangible assets that typically result from the use of the purchase accounting method in accounting for mergers and acquisitions.These calculations are intended to complement the capital ratios defined by GAAP and banking regulators. Because GAAP does not include these measures, management believes that there are no comparable GAAP financial measures to the tangible common equity ratios that the Company utilizes. Despite the importance of these measures to the Company, there are no standardized definitions for the measures, and, therefore, the Company’s calculations may not be comparable with those of other organizations. In addition, there may be limits to the usefulness of these measures to investors. Accordingly, management encourages readers to consider the Company’s consolidated financial statements in their entirety and not to rely on any single financial measure. The table below reconciles the Company’s calculations of these measures to amounts reported in accordance with GAAP.
  
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