HAMMOND, La., Oct. 31, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. ("First Guaranty") (NASDAQ: FGBI), the holding company for First Guaranty Bank, announced its unaudited financial results for the third quarter and nine months ending September 30, 2024.

Financial Highlights for the third quarter and nine months ended September 30, 2024, are as follows:

• Total assets increased $371.2 million and were $3.9 billion at September 30, 2024 and $3.6 billion at December 31, 2023. Total loans at September 30, 2024 were $2.8 billion, an increase of $20.9 million, or 0.8%, compared with December 31, 2023. Total deposits were $3.4 billion at September 30, 2024, an increase of $420.8 million, or 14.0%, compared with December 31, 2023. Retained earnings were $72.7 million at September 30, 2024, an increase of $4.7 million compared to $68.0 million at December 31, 2023. Shareholders' equity was $256.4 million and $249.6 million at September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively.
  
  
• Net income for the third quarter of 2024 and 2023 was $1.9 million and $1.8 million, respectively, an increase of $0.2 million or 8.7%. Net income for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 was $11.4 million and $7.9 million, respectively, an increase of $3.5 million or 44.5%.
  
  
• Earnings per common share were $0.11 and $0.10 for the third quarter of 2024 and 2023, respectively, and $0.78 and $0.56 for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Total weighted average shares outstanding were 12,504,717 and 11,431,083 for the third quarter of 2024 and 2023, respectively, and 12,499,799 and 11,022,919 for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The change in shares was due to the issuance of 44,341 and 29,293 shares of common stock under the Equity Bonus Plan during the fourth quarter of 2023 and the first quarter of 2024, respectively, and the issuance of 1,714,287 shares of common stock under private placement in 2023.
  
  
• The allowance for credit losses was 1.20% of total loans at September 30, 2024 compared to 1.13% at December 31, 2023.
  
  
• Net interest income for the third quarter of 2024 was $22.7 million compared to $20.4 million for the same period in 2023. Net interest income for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 was $65.9 million compared to $63.7 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023.
  
  
• The provision for credit losses for the third quarter of 2024 was $4.9 million compared to $0.6 million for the same period in 2023. The provision for credit losses for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 was $14.0 million compared to $1.5 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2023.
  
  
• Charge-offs were $13.7 million during the first nine months ended September 30, 2024 and $2.0 million during the same period in 2023. Recoveries totaled $0.7 million during the first nine months ended September 30, 2024 and $1.2 million during the same period in 2023.
  
  
• Net gains on the sale of loans for the third quarter of 2024 was $1.5 million compared to $0 for the same period in 2023. Net gains on the sale of loans for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 was $1.5 million compared to $12,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2023.
  
  
• First Guaranty had $1.2 million of other real estate owned as of September 30, 2024 compared to $1.3 million at December 31, 2023.
  
  
• The net interest margin for the three months ended September 30, 2024 was 2.51% which was a decrease of 3 basis points from the net interest margin of 2.54% for the same period in 2023. The net interest margin for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 was 2.52% which was a decrease of 23 basis points from the net interest margin of 2.75% for the same period in 2023. First Guaranty attributed the decrease in the net interest margin to the increase in market interest rates that began in 2022 and continued through 2023 that increased the cost of liabilities. Loans as a percentage of average interest earning assets decreased to 80.0% at September 30, 2024 compared to 83.2% at September 30, 2023.
  
  
• Investment securities totaled $664.0 million at September 30, 2024, an increase of $259.9 million when compared to $404.1 million at December 31, 2023. At September 30, 2024, available for sale securities, at fair value, totaled $342.6 million, an increase of $259.1 million when compared to $83.5 million at December 31, 2023. The increase in available for sale securities was primarily due to purchase of Treasury securities. At September 30, 2024, held to maturity securities, at amortized cost and net of the allowance for credit losses totaled $321.4 million, an increase of $0.8 million when compared to $320.6 million at December 31, 2023. The allowance for credit losses for HTM securities was $0.1 million at September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023.
  
  
• Total loans net of unearned income were $2.8 billion at September 30, 2024, a net increase of $20.9 million from December 31, 2023. Total loans net of unearned income are reduced by the allowance for credit losses which totaled $33.3 million at September 30, 2024 and $30.9 million at December 31, 2023, respectively.
  
  
• Nonaccrual loans increased $40.6 million to $65.8 million at September 30, 2024 compared to $25.2 million at December 31, 2023. The increase in total nonaccrual loans was concentrated primarily in one commercial real estate relationship that totaled $37.0 million. This relationship is comprised of five loans secured by real estate located in the Midwest. $13.9 million of this relationship was previously reported in 90 day plus but still accruing at December 31, 2023.
  
  
• At September 30, 2024, our largest non-performing assets were comprised of the following nonaccrual loans: (1) a $37.0 million non-farm non-residential loan relationship comprised of five loans with a specific reserve of $4.1 million; (2) a $3.3 million one- to four-family loan relationship; (3) a $1.8 million commercial real estate loan; (4) a commercial lease loan that totaled $1.7 million; (5) a commercial lease loan that totaled $1.6 million; (6) a $1.3 million one- to four-family loan relationship; and (7) a $1.3 million loan relationship that is classified as purchased credit deteriorated.
  
  
• First Guaranty charged off $2.6 million in loan balances during the third quarter of 2024. The details of the $2.6 million in charged-off loans were as follows:

1. First Guaranty charged off $0.5 million in consumer loans during the third quarter of 2024. The consumer loan charge offs included $0.1 million in credit card loans, $0.1 million of loans secured by automobiles or equipment, and $0.3 million in unsecured loans.
2. First Guaranty charged off $1.0 million on a loan relationship that is classified as purchased credit deteriorated during the third quarter of 2024. This relationship had remaining principal balance of $1.3 million at September 30, 2024.
3. First Guaranty charged off $0.1 million on a commercial and industrial loan relationship during the third quarter of 2024. This relationship had a remaining principal balance of $1.0 million at September 30, 2024.
4. First Guaranty charged off $0.1 million on a one- to four-family loan during the third quarter of 2024. This loan had no remaining principal balance at September 30, 2024.
5. Smaller loans and overdrawn deposit accounts comprised the remaining $0.9 million of charge-offs for the third quarter of 2024.

• Return on average assets for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 was 0.21%, for each period. Return on average assets for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 was 0.42% and 0.33%, respectively. Return on average common equity for the three months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 was 2.40% and 2.27%, respectively. Return on average common equity for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 and 2023 was 5.87% and 4.06% respectively. Return on average assets is calculated by dividing annualized net income by average assets. Return on average common equity is calculated by dividing annualized net income by average common equity.
  
  
• Book value per common share was $17.86 as of September 30, 2024 compared to $17.36 as of December 31, 2023. The increase was due primarily to the recent issuance of new shares and changes in accumulated other comprehensive income ("AOCI"). AOCI is comprised of unrealized gains and losses on available for sale securities, including unrealized losses on available for sale securities at the time of transfer to held to maturity.
  
  
• First Guaranty's Board of Directors declared cash dividends of $0.08 and $0.16 per common share in the third quarter of 2024 and 2023. First Guaranty has paid 125 consecutive quarterly dividends as of September 30, 2024.
  
  
• First Guaranty paid preferred stock dividends of $1.7 million during the first nine months of 2024 and 2023.
  
  
• As previously announced, on June 28, 2024, the Bank consummated a sale-leaseback transaction relating to two stand-alone branches and a portion of the headquarters building which also contains a branch (collectively, the “Properties”). The aggregate cash purchase price was $14.7 million. The sale-leaseback transaction resulted in a pre-tax gain of approximately $13.2 million, or $10.4 million after tax. Aggregate first full year of rent expense under the Lease Agreements will be approximately $1.3 million pre-tax, or $1.0 million after tax.

About First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc.

First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. is the holding company for First Guaranty Bank, a Louisiana state-chartered bank. Founded in 1934, First Guaranty Bank offers a wide range of financial services and focuses on building client relationships and providing exceptional customer service. First Guaranty Bank currently operates thirty-six locations throughout Louisiana, Texas, Kentucky and West Virginia. First Guaranty’s common stock trades on the NASDAQ under the symbol FGBI. For more information, visit www.fgb.net.

Forward Looking Statements

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the U.S. federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements are any statements other than statements of historical fact which represent our current judgement about possible future events. We believe these judgements are reasonable, but these statements are not guarantees of any future events or financial results, and our actual results may differ materially due to a variety of factors, many of which are described in our most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and our other filings with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. We caution readers not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and we undertake no obligation to update or otherwise revise any forward-looking statements.

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CONTACT: ERIC DOSCH, CFO

985.375.0308