MILLERSBURG, Ohio, January 26, 2023--(BUSINESS WIRE)--CSB Bancorp, Inc. (OTC Pink: CSBB):

Fourth Quarter Highlights

CSB Bancorp, Inc. (OTC Pink: CSBB) today announced fourth quarter 2022 net income of $3,753,000, or $1.39 per basic and diluted share, as compared to $2,306,000, or $0.85 per basic and diluted share, for the same period in 2021. Income before federal income tax amounted to $4,674,000, an increase of 65% over the same quarter in the prior year. For the year ended December 31, 2022, net income totaled $13,313,000 compared to $10,837,000 for the same period last year, an increase of 23%.

Annualized returns on average common equity ("ROE") and average assets ("ROA") for the quarter were 15.94% and 1.27%, respectively, compared with 9.41% and 0.80% for the fourth quarter of 2021. For the year ended December 31, 2022, ROE and ROA equated to 14.04% and 1.16%, as compared to 11.27% and 0.97% for the year ended in 2021.

Eddie Steiner, President and CEO stated, "Loan balances finished the year 14% higher than the prior year, with commercial and home mortgage loans both reflecting double digit increases. The Bank’s liquidity remains strong, with cash and securities available for sale totaling $236 million at year end. Full year net income of $13 million reflects an eleventh consecutive record. Businesses and individuals are generally striking a cautious borrowing posture based on emerging signs and expectations of a slowing economy. High home prices, lack of houses available for sale, and mortgage interest rates are expected to sustain a dampening effect on home mortgage volumes for some months to come. Commercial loan demand, while not robust, continues to be sufficient to maintain a healthy pipeline at the present time."

Net interest income and noninterest income totaled $10.9 million during the quarter, an increase of $2.3 million from the prior-year fourth quarter. Net interest income increased $2.6 million, or 38%, in the fourth quarter of 2022 compared to the same period in 2021.

Loan interest income including fees increased $1.4 million, or 23%, during fourth quarter 2022 as compared to the same quarter in 2021. The increase was mainly due to average volume and rate increases on loans. Securities interest income increased $1.2 million, or 131%, during the fourth quarter 2022 compared to the same quarter in 2021 from both volume and rate increases. Loan yields for fourth quarter 2022 averaged 4.82%, an increase of 35 basis points from the 2021 fourth quarter average of 4.47%, while securities yields for fourth quarter 2022 averaged 2.07%, compared to 1.36% in the fourth quarter 2021.

The fully taxable equivalent (FTE) net interest margin was 3.33% compared to 2.48% for fourth quarter 2021. Compared to the 2021 fourth quarter, FTE net interest income increased $2.6 million, or 38%, reflecting 85 basis points of net interest margin expansion, and a $29 million, or 3%, increase in average earning assets. The higher interest rate environment drove the increase in yields coupled with loan and security volume growth, partially offset by the higher cost of funds and lower loan fees from the Paycheck Protection Program. The tax equivalency effect on the margin was 0.01% in fourth quarter 2022 and 2021.

Noninterest income decreased 12%, compared to fourth quarter of 2021. The decrease was primarily the result of a $258 thousand, or 94%, decline in gain on sale of mortgages to the secondary market, as refinancing of mortgages slowed, and home purchases were limited by a lack of housing inventory for sale. Offsetting increases were recognized in service charges on deposit accounts, credit card fee income, and earnings from bank owned life insurance values.

Noninterest expense increased 9% from fourth quarter 2021. Salary and employee benefit costs increased $382 thousand, or 12%, compared to the prior year quarter, primarily resulting from increases in compensation and benefits. Marketing and public relations increased by $52 thousand, or 38%, reflecting a return to normalized levels after the pandemic-related curtailment of activities in 2021. Professional and directors’ fees increased $37 thousand, or 11% primarily reflecting a recovery of legal fees in fourth quarter 2021. FDIC insurance expense decreased $26 thousand below the prior year quarter due to improved credit quality. The Company’s fourth quarter efficiency ratio decreased to 56.8% compared to 66.4%.

Federal income tax expense was $921 thousand in the 2022 fourth quarter compared to $534 thousand in the 2021 fourth quarter. The effective tax rates for the 2022 fourth quarter and 2021 fourth quarter were 19.7% and 18.8%, respectively.

Average earning assets for the 2022 fourth quarter increased $29 million, or 3%, from the year-ago quarter, primarily reflecting a $130 million, or 49%, increase in average securities, a $76 million, or 14%, increase in average loans, and a $177 million, or 66%, decrease in deposits mainly held at the Federal Reserve Bank.

Average commercial loan balances for the quarter, including commercial real estate, increased $54 million, or 15%, from prior year levels. Partially offset by a $10 million decrease in average PPP loan balances, commercial loans increased $64 million year over year as construction loans were drawn and borrowers used term loans to fund equipment and other purchases. Average residential mortgage balances increased $16 million, or 12%, above the prior year’s quarter while home equity lines of credit increased $6 million from the prior year’s quarter as balances were drawn and new loans originated. Average consumer credit balances increased $267 thousand, or 2%, versus the same quarter of the prior year. Increased organic loan demand continues to be largely dependent on the pace at which excess liquidity is absorbed by businesses and households and restoration of borrower confidence.

Nonperforming assets were $256 thousand, or 0.04%, of total loans on December 31, 2022, compared to $1.1 million, or 0.20% of total loans, a year ago. Delinquent loan balances as of December 31, 2022, decreased to 0.13% of total loans as compared to 0.27% on December 31, 2021. With the continuing improvement in credit quality, there was no provision for loan losses for the quarter ended December 31, 2022, or 2021.

Net loan charge-offs recognized during fourth quarter 2022 were $170 thousand, or 0.11% annualized, compared to fourth quarter 2021 net loan losses of $27 thousand. The allowance for loan losses amounted to 1.09% of total loans on December 31, 2022, as compared to 1.39% on December 31, 2021.

Average deposit balances grew on a quarter over prior year quarter comparison by $40 million, or 4%. For the fourth quarter 2022, the average cost of deposits amounted to 0.41%, as compared to 0.15% for the fourth quarter 2021. During the fourth quarter 2022, increases in average deposit balances over the prior year quarter included noninterest-bearing demand accounts of $23 million and interest-bearing demand and savings accounts of $22 million, while time deposits decreased $5 million. The average balance of securities sold under repurchase agreement during the fourth quarter of 2022 decreased by $1 million, or 4%, compared to the average for the same period in the prior year.

Shareholders’ equity totaled $95.9 million on December 31, 2022, with 2.7 million common shares outstanding. The average equity to assets ratio amounted to 7.96% on December 31, 2022, and 8.54% on December 31, 2021. The Company declared a fourth quarter dividend of $0.35 per share, producing an annualized yield of 3.6% based on the December 31, 2022 closing price of $38.50.

About CSB Bancorp, Inc.

CSB is a financial holding company headquartered in Millersburg, Ohio, with approximate assets of $1.2 billion as of December 31, 2022. CSB provides a complete range of banking and other financial services to consumers and businesses through its wholly owned subsidiary, The Commercial and Savings Bank, with sixteen banking centers in Holmes, Wayne, Tuscarawas, and Stark counties and Trust offices located in Millersburg, North Canton, and Wooster, Ohio.

Forward-Looking Statement

This release contains forward-looking statements relating to present or future trends or factors affecting the banking industry, and specifically the financial condition and results of operations, including without limitation, statements relating to the earnings outlook of the Company, as well as its operations, markets, and products. Actual results could differ materially from those indicated. Among the important factors that could cause results to differ materially are interest rate changes, softening in the economy, which could materially impact credit quality trends and the ability to generate loans, changes in the mix of the Company’s business, competitive pressures, changes in accounting, tax or regulatory practices or requirements and those risk factors detailed in the Company’s periodic reports and registration statements filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to release revisions to these forward-looking statements or reflect events or circumstances after the date of this release.