Farmers and Merchants Bancshares, Inc. Reports Earnings of $8,090,127 or $2.66 Per Common Share for the Year Ended December 31, 2022

Company Release - 1/24/2023 4:02 PM ET

HAMPSTEAD, Md., Jan. 24, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Farmers and Merchants Bancshares, Inc. (the “Company”) (OTC: FMFG), the parent of Farmers and Merchants Bank (the “Bank”), announced that net income for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $8,090,127, or $2.66 per common share (basic and diluted), compared to $8,149,606, or $2.70 per common share (basic and diluted), for the same period in 2021. The Company’s return on average equity during the year ended December 31, 2022 was 16.03% compared to 14.85% for the same period in 2021. The Company’s return on average assets during the year ended December 31, 2022 was 1.13% compared to 1.16% for the same period in 2021. Income from Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans added approximately $181,000 to net income for the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to $802,000 for the same period in 2021.

Net income for the three months ended December 31, 2022 was $2,014,282, or $0.66 per common share (basic and diluted), compared to $1,965,265, or $0.65 per common share (basic and diluted), for the fourth quarter of 2021.

Net interest income for the year ended December 31, 2022 was $1,248,391 higher than for the same period in 2021 due to a $22.0 million increase in average interest earning assets to $686.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to $664.7 million for the same period in 2021, and an increase in the taxable equivalent net yield on average net interest earning assets to 3.54% for the year ended December 31, 2022 from 3.47% for the year ended December 31, 2021. The taxable equivalent yield on total average interest-earning assets decreased 4 basis points to 3.85% for the year ended December 31, 2022 from 3.89% for the same period in 2021 primarily due to the aforementioned decline in PPP revenue. This decrease was offset by a 13 basis point decrease in the cost of deposits and borrowings to 0.41% for the year ended December 31, 2022 from 0.54% for the same period in 2021. Provision for loan losses totaled $475,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $330,000 for the same period in 2021.

Noninterest income increased by $128,024 for the year ended December 31, 2022 when compared to the same period in 2021 primarily as a result of a $151,206 increase in the gain on sale of SBA loans and a $673,483 net gain from insurance proceeds related to storm damage suffered by its Upperco location during the third quarter of 2022, offset by a $696,470 decrease in mortgage banking revenue reflecting a decline in refinances due to rising interest rates. Noninterest expense was $1,238,681 higher in the year ended December 31, 2022 when compared to the same period in 2021 due primarily to a $730,008 increase in salaries and benefits and a $451,083 increase in other expenses. The increase in salaries and benefits was due to normal annual salary increases as well as the hiring of several new employees. The increase in other expenses was due primarily to third party fees related to the hiring of new employees. Income taxes increased by $52,213 during the year ended December 31, 2022 when compared to the same period in 2021 due to a decrease in the amount of nontaxable income included in pretax income year-over-year. The effective tax rate increased to 23.50% during the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to 22.99% during the same period last year.

Total assets were $718 million at December 31, 2022 compared to $717 million at December 31, 2021. Loans increased to $517 million at December 31, 2022 from $482 million at December 31, 2021 despite a $9 million decrease in PPP loans. Investments in debt securities decreased to $147 million at December 31, 2022 from $171 million at December 31, 2021 due primarily to a $25 million increase in the unrealized loss on available for sale (“AFS”) securities. Deposits decreased to $624 million at December 31, 2022 from $626 million at December 31, 2021. Federal Home Loan bank advances increased to $20 million at December 31, 2022 from $5 million at December 31, 2021. Despite the Company’s strong earnings, the book value of the Company’s common stock decreased to $15.56 per share at December 31, 2022, compared to $18.64 per share at December 31, 2021 due to the decline in the market value of the Company’s AFS investment portfolio as a result of the significant rise in interest rates over the last year. Changes in the market value of the AFS investment portfolio, net of income taxes, are reflected in the Company’s equity but are not included in the income statement. Because the Company has the intent and ability to hold the investments to maturity, no actual losses in the AFS investment portfolio are anticipated and the declines in market value are considered temporary. The decline in the market value of the AFS investment portfolio did not have an impact on regulatory capital because the Bank elected many years ago to not include in the calculation of regulatory capital changes in the market value of the AFS investment portfolio regardless of whether they are positive or negative.

Gary A. Harris, President & CEO, commented “I’d like to wish long-time President & CEO Jim Bosley a happy retirement and thank him again for leading the Bank for over 27 years. Jim left on a high note with net income for 2022 just short of our record earnings set last year. We are also pleased that our loan portfolio grew by 7.2% during 2022 despite PPP loan forgiveness. We look forward to 2023 despite rising rates on deposits which will put pressure on our net interest margin.”

About the Company

The Company is a financial holding company and the parent of the Bank. The Bank was chartered in Maryland in 1919 and has over 100 years of service to the community. The Bank serves the deposit and financing needs of both consumers and businesses in Carroll and Baltimore Counties along the Route 30, Route 795, Route 140, and Route 26 corridors. The main office is located in Upperco, Maryland, with seven additional branches in Owings Mills, Hampstead, Greenmount, Reisterstown, Westminster, and Eldersburg. Certain broker-dealers make a market in the common stock of Farmers and Merchants Bancshares, Inc., and trades are reported through the OTC Markets Group’s Pink Market under the symbol “FMFG”.

Forward-Looking Statements

The statements contained herein that are not historical facts are forward-looking statements (as defined by the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) based on management's current expectations and beliefs concerning future developments and their potential effects on the Company. Such statements involve inherent risks and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and are generally beyond the control of the Company. There can be no assurance that future developments affecting the Company will be the same as those anticipated by management. These statements are evidenced by terms such as “anticipate,” “estimate,” “should,” “will,” “expect,” “believe,” “intend,” and similar expressions. Although these statements reflect management’s good faith beliefs and projections, they are not guarantees of future performance and they may not prove true. These projections involve risk and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those addressed in the forward-looking statements. For a discussion of these risks and uncertainties, see the section of the periodic reports filed by Farmers and Merchants Bancshares, Inc. with the Securities and Exchange Commission entitled “Risk Factors”.


Farmers and Merchants Bancshares, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Balance Sheets
(Unaudited)

  December 31, December 31,
  2022 2021
     
Assets  
     
Cash and due from banks $ 6,414,822     $ 25,258,932  
Federal funds sold and other interest-bearing deposits   848,715       1,203,174  
Cash and cash equivalents   7,263,537       26,462,106  
Certificates of deposit in other banks   100,000       350,000  
Securities available for sale, at fair value   126,314,449       149,237,916  
Securities held to maturity, at cost   20,508,997       21,851,975  
Equity security, at fair value   489,145       543,605  
Restricted stock, at cost   1,332,500       675,400  
Mortgage loans held for sale   428,355       126,500  
Loans, less allowance for loan losses of $4,150,198 and $3,650,268   516,920,540       482,011,334  
Premises and equipment, net   6,186,594       6,259,421  
Accrued interest receivable   1,815,784       1,609,063  
Deferred income taxes, net   8,392,658       2,177,450  
Other real estate owned, net   1,242,365       1,242,365  
Bank owned life insurance   14,585,342       11,556,163  
Goodwill and other intangibles, net   7,042,752       7,051,080  
Other assets   5,587,654       5,522,877  
  $ 718,210,672     $ 716,677,255  
     
Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity
     
Deposits    
Noninterest-bearing $ 126,695,349     $ 124,175,615  
Interest-bearing   496,915,775       502,239,055  
Total deposits   623,611,124       626,414,670  
Securities sold under repurchase agreements   5,175,303       5,414,026  
Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta advances   20,000,000       5,000,000  
Long-term debt, net of issuance costs   15,095,642       16,978,905  
Accrued interest payable   349,910       295,910  
Other liabilities   6,203,730       5,952,286  
    670,435,709       660,055,797  
Stockholders' equity    
Common stock, par value $.01 per share,    
authorized 5,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding    
3,071,214 in 2022 and 3,037,137 shares in 2021   30,712       30,372  
Additional paid-in capital   29,549,914       28,857,422  
Retained earnings   35,300,166       29,128,600  
Accumulated other comprehensive loss   (17,105,829 )     (1,394,936 )
    47,774,963       56,621,458  
  $ 718,210,672     $ 716,677,255  


Farmers and Merchants Bancshares, Inc. and Subsidiaries
Consolidated Statements of Income
(Unaudited)

  Three Months Ended December 31, Twelve Months Ended December 31,
  2022 2021 2022 2021
         
Interest income        
Loans, including fees $ 5,904,409   $ 5,663,588     $ 22,565,034     $ 23,491,614  
Investment securities - taxable   811,146     544,129       2,981,300       1,511,970  
Investment securities - tax exempt   140,160     148,962       570,655       611,323  
Federal funds sold and other interest earning assets   63,001     17,753       152,664       65,496  
Total interest income   6,918,716     6,374,432       26,269,653       25,680,403  
         
Interest expense        
Deposits   404,371     408,539       1,375,691       1,997,873  
Securities sold under repurchase agreements   4,210     6,498       12,768       44,628  
Federal Home Loan Bank advances and long-term debt   214,666     192,256       757,699       762,798  
Total interest expense   623,247     607,293       2,146,158       2,805,299  
Net interest income   6,295,469     5,767,139       24,123,495       22,875,104  
         
Provision for (recovery of) loan losses   380,000     (100,000 )     475,000       330,000  
         
Net interest income after provision for (recovery of) loan losses   5,915,469     5,867,139       23,648,495       22,545,104  
         
Noninterest income        
Service charges on deposit accounts   203,457     201,271       777,901       724,086  
Mortgage banking income   18,214     206,109       214,043       910,513  
Bank owned life insurance income   49,444     55,380       229,179       229,966  
Fair value adjustment of equity security   431     (5,140 )     (62,093 )     (15,354 )
Gain on call of debt security   -     -       -       9,190  
Gain on insurance proceeds, net   673,483     -       673,483       -  
Gain on sale of SBA loans   -     -       158,123       6,917  
Other fees and commissions   73,976     70,815       303,302       300,596  
Total noninterest income   1,019,005     528,435       2,293,938       2,165,914  
         
Noninterest expense        
Salaries   2,208,551     1,848,017       7,865,194       7,214,871  
Employee benefits   430,321     418,565       1,798,150       1,718,465  
Occupancy   219,988     211,670       890,926       948,757  
Furniture and equipment   248,967     197,267       891,250       775,829  
Other   1,106,578     1,083,695       3,921,760       3,470,677  
Total noninterest expense   4,214,405     3,759,214       15,367,280       14,128,599  
         
Income before income taxes   2,720,069     2,636,360       10,575,153       10,582,419  
Income taxes   705,787     671,095       2,485,026       2,432,813  
Net income $ 2,014,282   $ 1,965,265     $ 8,090,127     $ 8,149,606  
         
Earnings per common share - basic and diluted $ 0.66   $ 0.65     $ 2.66     $ 2.70  


Contact: Mr. Gary A. Harris
President & CEO
(410) 374-1510, ext.104


Source: Farmers and Merchants Bancshares, Inc.