Southern States Bancshares, Inc. Announces Third Quarter 2023 Financial Results

Third Quarter 2023 Performance and Operational Highlights

• Core net income⁽¹⁾ of $9.6 million, or $1.06 per diluted share⁽¹⁾

• Net income of $6.6 million, or $0.73 per diluted share

• Net interest income of $20.7 million, an increase of $1.3 million from the prior quarter

• Net interest margin (“NIM”) of 3.78%, up 5 basis points from the prior quarter

• NIM of 3.79% on a fully-taxable equivalent basis (“NIM - FTE”)⁽¹⁾

• Return on average assets (“ROAA”) of 1.15%; return on average stockholders’ equity (“ROAE”) of 12.96%; and return on average tangible common equity (“ROATCE”)⁽¹⁾ of 14.21%

• Core ROAA⁽¹⁾ of 1.66%; and core ROATCE⁽¹⁾ of 20.50%

• Efficiency ratio of 48.01%; and core efficiency ratio of 42.79%

• Linked-quarter loan growth was 13.3% annualized

• Linked-quarter total deposits declined 1.5% annualized, primarily due to a reduction in brokered deposits

• Linked-quarter total deposits, excluding brokered deposits, increased 4.2% annualized from the prior quarter

^{(1) See “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” below for reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to their most closely comparable GAAP financial measures.}

ANNISTON, Ala., Oct. 23, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Southern States Bancshares, Inc. ( SSBK) (“Southern States” or the “Company”), the holding company for Southern States Bank, an Alabama state-chartered commercial bank (the “Bank”), today reported net income of $6.6 million, or $0.73 diluted earnings per share, for the third quarter of 2023. This compares to net income of $8.8 million, or $0.98 diluted earnings per share, for the second quarter of 2023, and net income of $6.7 million, or $0.75 diluted earnings per share, for the third quarter of 2022. The Company reported core net income of $9.6 million, or $1.06 diluted core earnings per share, for the third quarter of 2023. This compares to core net income of $7.1 million, or $0.79 diluted core earnings per share, for the second quarter of 2023, and core net income of $6.8 million, or $0.77 diluted core earnings per share, for the third quarter of 2022 (see “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures”).

During the second quarter of 2023, the Company received a $5.1 million employee retention credit (“ERC”). The second quarter of 2023 included the $5.1 million ERC in noninterest income, and also included $1.2 million in noninterest expense for professional fees paid by the Company in obtaining the ERC. After reviewing the revised IRS guidelines pertaining to ERC issued during the third quarter, the Company determined to return the full $5.1 million ERC to the IRS and has recorded a payable. The Company will also receive a refund of all professional fees totaling $1.2 million related to ERC. Accordingly, the third quarter of 2023 reflects a $5.1 million reduction in noninterest income and a $1.2 million reduction in noninterest expense related to the return of the ERC. This was deemed a change in circumstance between the second and third quarters of 2023. The following table for the three months ended June 30, 2023 and the three months ended September 30, 2023 eliminates the effect of the ERC. There is no impact on the nine months ended September 30, 2023.

Net interest income for the third quarter of 2023 was $20.7 million, an increase of 6.7% from $19.4 million for the second quarter of 2023. The increase was primarily driven by the impact of a higher yield on interest-earning assets due to both growth and higher interest rates, which more than offset a higher cost of interest-bearing deposits primarily due to rising interest rates.

Relative to the third quarter of 2022, net interest income increased $1.3 million, or 6.7%. The increase was primarily the result of a sharp improvement in the yield on interest-earning assets due to both year over year growth and higher interest rates, which outpaced the accelerated rise in costs on interest-bearing liabilities due to a rapid rise in interest rates, coupled with growth in interest-bearing liabilities. A portion of the growth in interest-bearing deposits is due to migration from noninterest-bearing into interest-bearing deposits.

Net interest margin for the third quarter of 2023 was 3.78%, compared to 3.73% for the second quarter of 2023. The increase was primarily due to an increase in the average balance and yield on interest-earning assets, which outpaced the combined effect of higher average balances and cost of interest-bearing deposits.

Relative to the third quarter of 2022, net interest margin decreased from 4.15%. The decrease was primarily due to a rapid increase in interest rates, which accelerated the cost on interest-bearing liabilities at a faster pace than the yield received on interest-earning assets. A shift from noninterest-bearing deposits into interest-bearing deposits also had a negative impact on net interest margin.

Noninterest income for the third quarter of 2023 was reported as a $2.9 million net expense, compared to noninterest income of $6.9 million for the second quarter of 2023. The change in ERC eligibility between the second and third quarters of 2023 is substantially the reason for the significant variation. This decrease was partially offset by a $280,000 increase in swap fees during the third quarter of 2023.

Relative to the third quarter of 2022, noninterest income decreased 316.1% from $1.3 million. The decrease was substantially due to the aforementioned return of ERC. This decrease was partially offset by a $280,000 increase in swap fees during the third quarter of 2023 and $132,000 in dividend income realized on equity securities.

Noninterest expense for the third quarter of 2023 was $8.6 million, a decrease of 36.2% from $13.4 million for the second quarter of 2023. The decrease was substantially attributable to a decrease in salaries and benefits as a result of significantly less retirement expenses during the third quarter of 2023, in addition to several open positions. Additionally, the change in ERC eligibility resulted in a $1.2 million refund of professional fees related to the ERC. Provision for unfunded loan commitments decreased $181,000 during the third quarter of 2023.

Relative to the third quarter of 2022, noninterest expense decreased 16.3% from $10.2 million. The decrease was substantially due to the aforementioned refund of professional fees related to the ERC, a decrease in salaries and benefits as a result of a reduction in employees and a net reduction in forgery/fraud losses during the third quarter of 2023.