Smithfield— KS Bancorp, Inc., parent company of KS Bank, Inc. has announced unaudited results for the fourth quarter of 2019. The Company reported net income of $939,000, or $0.85 per diluted share for the three months ended December 31, 2019, compared to net income of $906,000, for the three months ended December 31, 2018. Net income for the year ended December 31, 2019 totaled $3.6 million, or $3.29 per diluted share, compared to net income of $3.5 million, or $3.00 per diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2018. This represents a 9.67% increase in earnings per share for the twelve months ended December 31, 2019 as compared for the same time period in 2018.
Net interest income for the three months ended December 31, 2019, was $3.3 million as as compared to $3.2 million for the comparable period in 2018. Noninterest income for the three months ended December 31, 2019 was $769,000, compared to $747,000 for the comparable period ended December 31, 2018. Noninterest expense was $2.9 million for the three months ended December 31, 2019 as compared $2.8 million in the comparable period in 2018.
For the year ended December 31, 2019, net interest income was $12.9 million, compared to $12.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. Noninterest income was $3.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to $3.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2018. Noninterest expense was $11.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2019, compared to $11.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2018.
The Company’s unaudited consolidated total assets increased $3.4 million, to $403.7 million at December 31, 2019, compared to $400.3 million at December 31, 2018. Net loan balances increased by $12.2 million, or 4.1%, to $307.8 million at December 31, 2019 compared to $295.6 million at December 31, 2018. The Company’s investment securities totaled $67.1 million at December 31, 2019, compared to $66.0 million at December 31, 2018. Total deposits decreased $3.5 million, to $326.9 million at December 31, 2019, compared to $330.4 million at December 31, 2018. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2019 there was a $3.1 million increase in core deposits and a $8.7 million decrease in brokered funding. Total stockholders’ equity increased $4.7 million or 21.2% from $22.1 million at December 31, 2018 to $26.8 million at December 31, 2019, as a result of accumulated other comprehensive gains and increase in net income. Nonperforming assets consisted of $1.1 million nonaccrual loans at December 31, 2019, representing less than .50% of the Company’s total assets. The Company had no foreclosed real estate owned at December 31, 2019. The allowance for loan losses at December 31, 2019 totaled $4.1 million, or 1.30% of loans.
Commenting on the fourth quarter results, Harold Keen, President and CEO of the Company and the Bank, stated, “With this report for the fourth quarter of 2019, we completed another very successful year. Actually, the most profitable year in the twenty-six years of KS Bancorp, Inc. The earnings per share of $3.29 was a goal met and a result to our focus on quality customer relationships and management of overhead expenses. Community banking is important to our market area and KS Bank is proud to be that community bank.”
In addition, the Company announced today that its Board of Directors has declared a quarterly dividend of $0.10 per share for stockholders of record as of January 24, 2020, with payment to be made on February 12, 2020. KS Bank continues to be well-capitalized according to regulatory standards with total risk-based capital of 14.03%, tier 1 risk- based capital of 12.78%, common equity tier 1 risk- based capital of 12.78%, and a tier 1 leverage ratio of 9.74% at December 31, 2019. The minimum levels to be considered well capitalized for each of these ratios are 10.0%, 8.0%, 6.5%, and 5.0%, respectively.
KS Bancorp, Inc. is a Smithfield, North Carolina-based single bank holding company. KS Bank, Inc., a state-chartered savings bank, is KS Bancorp’s sole subsidiary. The Bank is a full service community bank serving the citizens of eastern North Carolina since 1924. The Bank offers a broad range of personal and business banking products and services, mortgage products and trust services. There are nine full service branches located in Kenly, Selma, Clayton, Garner, Goldsboro, Wilson, Wendell, Smithfield, and Four Oaks, North Carolina. In addition, KS Trust Services has an office in Asheboro, NC and maintains a presence in Waynesville and Wilmington, NC.
