January 15, 2004
LAKELAND FINANCIAL CORPORATION REPORTS RECORD 2003 PERFORMANCE
Warsaw, Indiana (January 15, 2004) – Lakeland Financial Corporation (Nasdaq/LKFN), parent company of Lake City Bank, today reported record net income of $13.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2003, an increase of 12.1% versus $12.4 million for 2002. Diluted net income per common share for the year ended December 31, 2003 was $2.31 versus $2.08 for 2002, an increase of 11.1%.
The Company also announced that the Board of Directors approved a cash dividend for the fourth quarter of $0.19 per share, payable on January 26, 2004 to shareholders of record on January 10, 2004. The quarterly dividend represents a 12% increase over the quarterly dividend of $0.17 paid in 2002.
Michael L. Kubacki, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer, commented on the results, “2003 represents the 16th consecutive year of record earnings for Lakeland Financial Corporation. Our ongoing earnings performance is further evidenced by the consistency of an 11.9% compound annual growth rate in net income over the past five years. Earnings have been driven by an 11.4% compound annual growth rate in average loans and supported by a 9.7% compound annual growth rate in non-interest income. We believe that we have effectively managed noninterest expense over the same time period, recording a compound annual growth rate of 7.0%. This earnings performance has resulted entirely from internal growth in our existing Northern Indiana markets.”
Kubacki continued, “We are equally gratified in the improvement in asset quality during 2003 as we concluded 2003 with total nonperforming assets of $4.3 million, or 0.50% of total loans versus $7.7 million, or 0.94% of total loans, at the end of 2002.”
Net income was $3.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2003, versus $3.3 million for the comparable period in 2002, a decrease of 9.7%. Diluted net income per share for the fourth quarter of 2003 was $0.50 versus $0.57 in the comparable period of 2002. During the fourth quarter of 2003 the Company completed the issuance of $30 million in floating rate trust preferred securities and used part of the proceeds to redeem $20 million in existing fixed rate trust preferred securities. The redemption of the fixed rate securities resulted in a loss on extinguishment of $804,000, or $478,000 on a tax-effected basis. Excluding the impact of the loss on extinguishment, net income for the fourth quarter would have been $3.5 million, or diluted net income per share of $0.58 per share. For the twelve months ended December 31, 2003, net income excluding the impact of the loss on extinguishment would have been $14.3 million, or diluted net income per share of $2.39.
Although excluding this impact is a non-GAAP measure, management believes that it is important to provide such information due to the non-recurring nature of the trust preferred redemption and the ability it provides to more accurately compare the results of the periods presented. Additionally, management uses this information in evaluating the results of the operations of the company for the fourth quarter and the twelve months ended December 31, 2003.
Kubacki commented on the financing activity, “We took advantage of market conditions to replace our existing 9.00% fixed rate trust preferred securities with a variable rate instrument that more appropriately fits our balance sheet structure and should provide the Company with a considerably lower interest cost in 2004. In addition, with the growth in our balance sheet, we further strengthened our regulatory capital position with the increased amount of securities.”
Kubacki further commented, “Despite the decline in our net interest margin, which decreased from 4.02% in 2002 to 3.82% in 2003, we were able to post great earnings growth for the year. With general interest rates remaining close to historical lows, it has become critical to our performance to focus our resources on growth in noninterest income and tight management of our expense environment. We succeeded on both fronts in 2003.”
“Noninterest income for 2003 increased 24.0% to $18.4 million versus $14.9 million in 2002, driven by mortgage sales gains of $3.0 million, an increase of $1.1 million versus 2002. Also adding to the strong increase in noninterest income was a $2.0 million increase in other income, which grew from $3.7 million in 2002 to $5.7 million for the comparable period in 2003. The drivers of this growth were the implementation of an insurance investment program, income due to a reduction in the valuation allowance related to accounting for mortgage servicing rights, increased lease income and gains on securities sales. On December 1, 2003, we completed our acquisition of the Fort Wayne trust operations of Indiana Capital Management and look forward to the revenue opportunities and business synergies that this acquisition will create in the Fort Wayne market,” added Kubacki.
Average loans for the year ended December 31, 2003 increased by 9.9% to $847.6 million versus $770.9 million during 2002. Total loans as of December 31, 2003 were $870.9 million versus $822.7 million as of December 31, 2002 and $847.7 million as of September 30, 2003. Lakeland Financial’s allowance for loan losses as of December 31, 2003 was $10.2 million, or 1.18% of gross loans, compared to $9.5 million, or 1.16% of gross loans, as of December 31, 2002 and $10.1 million, or 1.19% of gross loans as of September 30, 2003. Non-performing assets totaled $4.3 million as of December 31, 2003 versus $7.7 million on December 31, 2002 and $6.2 million as of September 30, 2003. On a linked quarter basis, total nonperforming assets declined by approximately $1.8 million from the end of the third quarter of 2003 to the end of the fourth quarter. The ratio of non-performing assets to loans was 0.50% on December 31, 2003 compared to 0.94% at December 31, 2002 and 0.73% at September 30, 2003.
Kubacki commented, “Average loans during the fourth quarter of 2003 were $860.3 million versus $853.4 million in the third quarter of 2003, an increase of approximately 1%. Net loan growth in the quarter continued to be challenging as our markets experience a slow economic rebound. Notwithstanding the moderate loan growth during the last half of 2003, we are beginning to recognize some improvement in our loan demand as we enter 2004.”
Net charge offs totaled $320,000 in the quarter versus $315,000 in the fourth quarter of 2002 and $102,000 during the third quarter of 2003. Net charge offs totaled $1.6 million during the year ended December 31, 2003 versus $1.5 million during the year ended December 31, 2002. For the year ended December 31, 2003, net charge offs were 0.18% of average loans versus 0.19% in 2002.
For the twelve months ended December 31, 2003, Lakeland Financial’s average equity to average assets ratio was 7.05% versus 6.89% for 2002 and 7.01% for the third quarter of 2003. Average stockholders' equity for the year ended December 31, 2003 was $87.3 million versus $79.1 million for the comparable period in 2002. Average total deposits for the year ended December 31, 2003 were $969.7 million versus $863.7 million for the comparable period in 2002.
Lakeland Financial Corporation is a $1.3 billion bank holding company headquartered in Warsaw, Indiana. Lake City Bank serves Northern Indiana with 42 branches located in the following Indiana counties: Kosciusko, Elkhart, Allen, St. Joseph, DeKalb, Fulton, Huntington, LaGrange, Marshall, Noble, Pulaski and Whitley.
Lakeland Financial Corporation may be accessed on its home page at www.lakecitybank.com. The Company’s common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Stock Market under "LKFN". Marketmakers in Lakeland Financial Corporation common shares include Stifel Nicolaus & Company, Howe Barnes Investments, Inc., Raymond James & Associates, Inc., McDonald Investments, Inc., First Tennessee Capital Markets and Trident Securities.
This document contains, and future oral and written statements of the Company and its management may contain, forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 with respect to the financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, future performance and business of the Company. Forward-looking statements, which may be based upon beliefs, expectations and assumptions of the Company’s management and on information currently available to management, are generally identifiable by the use of words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “plan,” “intend,” “estimate,” “may,” “will,” “would,” “could,” “should” or other similar expressions. Additionally, all statements in this document, including forward-looking statements, speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update any statement in light of new information or future events.
A number of factors, many of which are beyond the ability of the Company to control or predict, could cause actual results to differ materially from those in its forward-looking statements. These factors include, among others, the following: (i) the strength of the local and national economy; (ii) the economic impact of past and any future terrorist attacks, acts of war or threats thereof and the response of the United States to any such attacks and threats; (iii) changes in state and federal laws, regulations and governmental policies concerning the Company’s general business; (iv) changes in interest rates and prepayment rates of the Company’s assets; (v) increased competition in the financial services sector and the inability to attract new customers; (vi) changes in technology and the ability to develop and maintain secure and reliable electronic systems; (vii) the loss of key executives or employees; (viii) changes in consumer spending; (ix) unexpected results of acquisitions; (x) unexpected outcomes of existing or new litigation involving the Company; and (xi) changes in accounting policies and practices. These risks and uncertainties should be considered in evaluating forward-looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements. Additional information concerning the Company and its business, including additional factors that could materially affect the Company’s financial results, is included in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. |
