Attached files

file filename
8-K - 8-K - FIRST BANCORP /NC/fbnc-20210127.htm



fblogoa091.jpg

News Release

For Immediate Release:For More Information, Contact:
January 27, 2021Elaine Pozarycki
919-834-3090

First Bancorp Reports Fourth Quarter and Annual Results

SOUTHERN PINES, N.C. - First Bancorp (NASDAQ - FBNC), the parent company of First Bank, announced today net income of $23.6 million, or $0.83 per diluted common share, for the three months ended December 31, 2020 compared to $20.9 million, or $0.71 per diluted common share, recorded in the fourth quarter of 2019. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company recorded net income of $81.5 million, or $2.81 per diluted common share compared to $92.0 million, or $3.10 per diluted common share, for 2019.

Earnings for 2020 were impacted by provisions for loan losses related to estimated losses arising from the economic impact of COVID-19. For the three months ended December 31, 2020, the Company recorded a provision for loan losses of $4.0 million compared to $3.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2019. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company recorded a provision for loan losses of $35.0 million compared to $2.3 million for 2019. The impact of the higher provisions for loan losses were partially offset by higher noninterest income realized in 2020, as described further below.

The Company experienced high balance sheet growth during 2020, with total assets increasing by $1.1 billion, or 18.7%. This growth was driven by a $1.3 billion, or 27.2%, increase in deposits during the year.

Net Interest Income and Net Interest Margin

Net interest income for the fourth quarter of 2020 was $56.0 million, a 2.5% increase from the $54.7 million recorded in the fourth quarter of 2019. Net interest income for the year ended December 31, 2020 amounted to $218.1 million, a 0.9% increase from the $216.2 million recorded in 2019. The increases in net interest income for the periods presented were primarily due to growth in average interest-earning assets, which increased by approximately 13.1% in 2020.

The Company’s net interest margin (a non-GAAP measure calculated by dividing tax-equivalent net interest income by average earning assets) for the fourth quarter of 2020 was 3.38%, which was 55 basis points lower than the 3.93% realized in the fourth quarter of 2019. In the fourth quarter 2020, the Company realized approximately $500,000 in interest recoveries, which favorably impacted the net interest margin for the quarter by 3 basis points. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company's net interest margin was 3.56% compared to 4.00% for 2019.

The lower 2020 margins were primarily due to the impact of lower interest rates and the lower incremental reinvestment rates realized from the funds provided by the high deposit growth. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company's interest-earning asset yield declined by 73 basis points compared to a 32 basis point decline in its cost of funds. However, the higher amount of interest-earning assets more than offset the margin compression and resulted in higher net interest income for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2020, compared to the same periods of 2019.


1



The Company continued to have $241 million of PPP loans outstanding at December 31, 2020. The SBA began the forgiveness process in the fourth quarter of 2020, with the Company receiving $4 million in PPP forgiveness payoffs. For the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2020, the yield earned on those loans was 3.75% and 3.56%, which included $1.6 million and $4.1 million of amortization of origination fees, respectively. The Company has $6.0 million in remaining deferred PPP origination fees that will be recognized over the lives of the loans, with accelerated amortization expected to result from the loan forgiveness process.

Provision for Loan Losses and Asset Quality

As permitted by COVID-19 relief legislation enacted in March 2020 and December 2020, the Company has elected to defer the implementation of the Current Expected Credit Loss (CECL) methodology until January 1, 2021. Accordingly, the Company's allowance for loan losses at each period end is based on the Company's estimate of probable losses that have been incurred at the end of such period, including losses arising from the impact of COVID-19, in accordance with the pre-CECL methodology for determining loan losses.

The Company recorded a provision for loan losses of $4.0 million in the fourth quarter of 2020 compared to $3.2 million in the fourth quarter of 2019. For the year ended December 31, 2020, the Company recorded a provision for loan losses of $35.0 million compared to $2.3 million for 2019. The increases in 2020 were primarily related to estimated probable losses arising from the economic impact of COVID-19. With the onset of the pandemic in March 2020, the Company worked with many of its borrowers and provided the option of loan payment deferrals, with the Company deferring approximately $774 million loans at June 30, 2020. At December 31, 2020, loans on deferral status amounted to $16.6 million, or 0.4% of total loans.

Total net loan charge-offs for the fourth quarters of 2020 and 2019 amounted to $0.9 million and $1.0 million, respectively, or 0.07% and 0.09% of average loans on an annualized basis, respectively. For the year ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, total net charge-offs were $4.0 million and $1.9 million, respectively, or 0.09% and 0.04%, respectively, of average loans.

Total nonperforming loans amounted to $44.6 million at December 31, 2020, or 0.94% of total loans, compared to $33.9 million a year earlier, or 0.76% of total loans.

Noninterest Income

Total noninterest income was $20.0 million and $14.7 million for the three months ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. For the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, total noninterest income was $81.3 million and $59.5 million, respectively.

Service charges on deposit accounts amounted to $2.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2020 compared to $3.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2019. For 2020 and 2019, service charges on deposit accounts amounted to $11.1 million and $13.0 million, respectively. The decreases were primarily due to fewer instances of overdraft fees.

Fees from presold mortgages amounted to $4.5 million for the fourth quarter of 2020 compared to $1.3 million in the fourth quarter of 2019. For the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, fees from presold mortgages amounted to $14.2 million and $3.9 million, respectively. The increases in 2020 were primarily due to higher mortgage loan origination volume arising from historically low mortgage loan interest rates.

For the fourth quarters of 2020 and 2019, SBA consulting fees amounted to $1.9 million and $1.0 million, respectively. For 2020 and 2019, SBA consulting fees amounted to $8.6 million and $3.9 million, respectively. The increases in 2020 were due to fees earned by the Company's SBA subsidiary, SBA Complete, related to assisting its third-party client banks with the PPP. SBA Complete recorded approximately $0.9 million and $4.6 million in PPP fees for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2020. At December 31, 2020, SBA
2


Complete also had $1.4 million in deferred revenue that will be recorded as income upon completing the forgiveness portion of the PPP.

During the second quarter of 2020, the Company sold approximately $220 million in mortgage-backed and commercial mortgage-backed securities at a gain of $8.0 million. The securities sold were believed to be favorably impacted by historically low interest rates and Federal Reserve stimulus measures.

Noninterest Expenses

Noninterest expenses amounted to $41.9 million in the fourth quarter of 2020 compared to $39.9 million recorded in the fourth quarter of 2019, an increase of 5.0%. For the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019, noninterest expenses amounted to $161.3 million and $157.2 million, respectively, an increase of 2.6%. The increases were primarily due to higher commission expense resulting from increases in mortgage loan volume in 2020.

Income Taxes

The Company’s effective tax rate was 21.4% and 21.0% for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2020, respectively, compared to 20.4% and 20.8% for the three and twelve months ended December 31, 2019, respectively.

Balance Sheet and Capital

Total assets at December 31, 2020 amounted to $7.3 billion, a 18.7% increase from a year earlier. The growth was driven by an increase in deposits.

Deposit growth for the fourth quarter of 2020 was $214 million, or 14.1% on an annualized basis. Deposit growth for the year ended December 31, 2020 was $1.3 billion, or 27.2%. In addition to deposits arising from PPP loans, this high deposit growth is believed to be due to a combination of stimulus funds and changes in customer behaviors during the pandemic.

Loans decreased in the fourth quarter by $83 million. Loan growth for the year ended December 31, 2020 was $278 million, or 6.2%, which includes $241 million in PPP loans. Loan growth in 2020 was impacted by a number of large commercial loan payoffs, as well as high levels of refinanced mortgage loans.

With the excess liquidity resulting from the high deposit growth, the Company reduced its level of borrowings by $239 million, or 79.4%, at December 31, 2020 compared to a year earlier. The Company has also increased its holdings of investment securities to $1.6 billion at December 31, 2020, an increase of $731 million, or 82.1%, compared to a year earlier.

The Company remains well-capitalized by all regulatory standards, with an estimated Total Risk-Based Capital Ratio at December 31, 2020 of 15.41%, an increase from the 14.89% reported at December 31, 2019. The Company’s tangible common equity to tangible assets ratio was 9.08% at December 31, 2020, a decrease of 112 basis points from a year earlier, which was impacted by the high balance sheet growth.

Comments of the CEO and Other Business Matters

Richard H. Moore, CEO of First Bancorp, commented, “Although our country continues to be in challenging times, we are pleased with our results for 2020. Our balance sheet and capital levels remain strong and position us well for the future." Mr. Moore also stated, "We remain committed to serving our communities with a high level of service during the ongoing pandemic, with almost all branch lobbies remaining open with safety precautions in place. We've also experienced record levels of usage of our easy-to-use mobile banking app."

3


The following is additional discussion of business development and other miscellaneous matters affecting the Company during the fourth quarter of 2020:

On December 15, 2020, the Company announced a quarterly cash dividend of $0.18 per share payable on January 25, 2021 to shareholders of record on December 31, 2020.

During the fourth quarter of 2020, the Company repurchased 131,413 shares of its common stock at an average stock price of $24.10, which totaled $3.2 million.

The Company's Board of Directors has authorized a continuation of its share repurchase program with a maximum repurchase amount of $20 million and an expiration date of December 31, 2021.

* * *
First Bancorp is a bank holding company headquartered in Southern Pines, North Carolina, with total assets of approximately $7.3 billion. Its principal activity is the ownership and operation of First Bank, a state-chartered community bank that operates 101 branches in North Carolina and South Carolina. First Bank Insurance Services is a subsidiary of First Bank and provides insurance products and services to individuals and businesses throughout First Bank’s market area. First Bank also provides SBA loans to customers through its nationwide network of lenders - for more information on First Bank’s SBA lending capabilities, please visit www.firstbanksba.com. First Bancorp’s common stock is traded on The NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “FBNC.”

Please visit our website at www.LocalFirstBank.com.

This press release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, which statements are inherently subject to risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements are statements that include projections, predictions, expectations or beliefs about future events or results or otherwise are not statements of historical fact. Such statements are often characterized by the use of qualifying words (and their derivatives) such as “expect,” “believe,” “estimate,” “plan,” “project,” “anticipate,” or other words or phrases concerning opinions or judgments of the Company and its management about future events. Factors that could influence the accuracy of such forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, the financial success or changing strategies of the Company’s customers, the Company’s level of success in integrating acquisitions, actions of government regulators, the level of market interest rates, and general economic conditions. For additional information about the factors that could affect the matters discussed in this paragraph, see the “Risk Factors” section of the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K available at www.sec.gov. Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date they are made, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update or revise forward-looking statements. The Company is also not responsible for changes made to this press release by wire services, internet services or other media.
4


First Bancorp and Subsidiaries
Financial Summary - Page 1
Three Months Ended
December 31,
Percent
($ in thousands except per share data - unaudited)20202019Change
INCOME STATEMENT
Interest income
   Interest and fees on loans$53,099 56,030 
   Interest on investment securities5,481 5,209 
   Other interest income743 1,730 
      Total interest income59,323 62,969 (5.8)%
Interest expense
   Interest on deposits2,921 6,552 
   Interest on borrowings396 1,761 
      Total interest expense3,317 8,313 (60.1)%
        Net interest income56,006 54,656 2.5%
Total provision for loan losses4,031 3,176 26.9%
Net interest income after provision for loan losses51,975 51,480 1.0%
Noninterest income
   Service charges on deposit accounts2,905 3,427 
   Other service charges, commissions, and fees5,214 4,859 
   Fees from presold mortgage loans4,458 1,267 
   Commissions from sales of insurance and financial products2,333 2,059 
   SBA consulting fees1,922 1,025 
   SBA loan sale gains2,432 1,227 
   Bank-owned life insurance income629 636 
   Securities gains (losses), net— — 
   Other gains (losses), net103 162 
      Total noninterest income19,996 14,662 36.4%
Noninterest expenses
   Salaries expense22,098 20,599 
   Employee benefit expense3,715 3,694 
   Occupancy and equipment related expense3,811 4,093 
   Merger and acquisition expenses— (21)
   Intangibles amortization expense995 1,121 
   Foreclosed property losses (gains), net263 40 
   Other operating expenses11,000 10,365 
      Total noninterest expenses41,882 39,891 5.0%
Income before income taxes30,089 26,251 14.6%
Income tax expense6,441 5,368 20.0%
Net income$23,648 20,883 13.2%
Earnings per common share - diluted$0.83 0.71 16.9%
ADDITIONAL INCOME STATEMENT INFORMATION
   Net interest income, as reported$56,006 54,656 
   Tax-equivalent adjustment (1)457 382 
   Net interest income, tax-equivalent$56,463 55,038 2.6%
(1)This amount reflects the tax benefit that the Company receives related to its tax-exempt loans and securities, which carry interest rates lower than similar taxable investments due to their tax-exempt status. This amount has been computed assuming a 23% tax rate and is reduced by the related nondeductible portion of interest expense.




5


First Bancorp and Subsidiaries
Financial Summary - Page 2
Twelve Months Ended
December 31,
Percent
($ in thousands except per share data - unaudited)20202019Change
INCOME STATEMENT
Interest income
   Interest and fees on loans$213,099 220,784 
   Interest on investment securities21,154 20,888 
   Other interest income3,431 8,435 
      Total interest income237,684 250,107 (5.0)%
Interest expense
   Interest on deposits16,301 25,050 
   Interest on borrowings3,261 8,853 
      Total interest expense19,562 33,903 (42.3)%
        Net interest income218,122 216,204 0.9%
Total provision for loan losses35,039 2,263 1,448.3%
Net interest income after provision for loan losses183,083 213,941 (14.4)%
Noninterest income
   Service charges on deposit accounts11,098 12,970 
   Other service charges, commissions, and fees20,097 19,481 
   Fees from presold mortgage loans14,183 3,944 
   Commissions from sales of insurance and financial products8,848 8,495 
   SBA consulting fees8,644 3,872 
   SBA loan sale gains7,973 8,275 
   Bank-owned life insurance income2,533 2,564 
   Securities gains (losses), net8,024 97 
   Other gains (losses), net(54)(169)
      Total noninterest income81,346 59,529 36.6%
Noninterest expenses
   Salaries expense84,941 79,129 
   Employee benefit expense16,027 16,844 
   Occupancy and equipment related expense15,563 16,145 
   Merger and acquisition expenses— 192 
   Intangibles amortization expense3,956 4,858 
   Foreclosed property losses (gains), net547 939 
   Other operating expenses40,264 39,087 
      Total noninterest expenses161,298 157,194 2.6%
Income before income taxes103,131 116,276 (11.3)%
Income tax expense21,654 24,230 (10.6)%
Net income$81,477 92,046 (11.5)%
Earnings per common share - diluted$2.81 3.10 (9.4)%
ADDITIONAL INCOME STATEMENT INFORMATION
   Net interest income, as reported$218,122 216,204 
   Tax-equivalent adjustment (1)1,468 1,641 
   Net interest income, tax-equivalent$219,590 217,845 0.8%
(1)This amount reflects the tax benefit that the Company receives related to its tax-exempt loans and securities, which carry interest rates lower than similar taxable investments due to their tax-exempt status. This amount has been computed assuming a 23% tax rate and is reduced by the related nondeductible portion of interest expense.


6


First Bancorp and Subsidiaries
Financial Summary - Page 3
Three Months Ended
December 31,
Twelve Months Ended
December 31,
PERFORMANCE RATIOS (annualized)
2020201920202019
Return on average assets (1)1.30 %1.35 %1.20 %1.53 %
Return on average common equity (2)10.58 %9.78 %9.32 %11.32 %
Net interest margin - tax-equivalent (3)3.38 %3.93 %3.56 %4.00 %
Net (recoveries) charge-offs to average loans0.07 %0.09 %0.09 %0.04 %
COMMON SHARE DATA
Cash dividends declared - common$0.18 0.18 0.72 0.54 
Stated book value - common31.26 28.80 31.26 28.80 
Tangible book value - common22.35 20.30 22.35 20.30 
Common shares outstanding at end of period28,579,335 29,601,264 28,579,335 29,601,264 
Weighted average shares outstanding - diluted28,617,409 29,603,816 28,981,567 29,720,499 
CAPITAL RATIOS
Tangible common equity to tangible assets9.08 %10.20 %9.08 %10.20 %
Common equity tier I capital ratio - estimated13.22 %13.28 %13.22 %13.28 %
Tier I leverage ratio - estimated9.88 %11.19 %9.88 %11.19 %
Tier I risk-based capital ratio - estimated14.31 %14.41 %14.31 %14.41 %
Total risk-based capital ratio - estimated15.41 %14.89 %15.41 %14.89 %
AVERAGE BALANCES ($ in thousands)
Total assets$7,240,685 6,159,232 6,765,998 6,027,047 
Loans4,771,446 4,419,982 4,702,743 4,346,331 
Earning assets6,640,732 5,560,099 6,160,100 5,448,400 
Deposits6,232,692 4,939,182 5,644,290 4,824,216 
Interest-bearing liabilities4,085,619 3,716,248 3,897,912 3,720,536 
Shareholders’ equity889,481 847,317 874,532 812,823 
(1) Calculated by dividing annualized net income by average assets.
(2) Calculated by dividing annualized net income by average common equity.
(3) See note 1 on the first page of the Financial Summary for discussion of tax-equivalent adjustments.
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
TREND INFORMATION
($ in thousands except per share data)For the Three Months Ended
INCOME STATEMENTDec. 31, 2020Sept. 30, 2020June 30, 2020Mar. 31, 2020Dec. 31, 2019
Net interest income - tax-equivalent (1)$56,463 55,080 52,954 55,093 55,038 
Taxable equivalent adjustment (1)457 347 330 334 382 
Net interest income56,006 54,733 52,624 54,759 54,656 
Provision for loan losses4,031 6,120 19,298 5,590 3,176 
Noninterest income19,996 21,452 26,193 13,705 14,662 
Noninterest expense41,882 40,439 38,901 40,076 39,891 
Income before income taxes30,089 29,626 20,618 22,798 26,251 
Income tax expense6,441 6,329 4,266 4,618 5,368 
Net income 23,648 23,297 16,352 18,180 20,883 
Earnings per common share - diluted0.83 0.81 0.56 0.62 0.71 
Cash dividends declared per share0.18 0.18 0.18 0.18 0.18 
(1) See note 1 on the first page of this Financial Summary for discussion of tax-equivalent adjustments.

7


First Bancorp and Subsidiaries
Financial Summary - Page 4
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
($ in thousands - unaudited)
At Dec. 31,
2020
At Sept. 30,
2020
At Dec. 31,
2019
One Year
Change
Assets
Cash and due from banks$93,724 92,465 64,519 45.3 %
Interest-bearing deposits with banks273,566 304,731 166,783 64.0 %
     Total cash and cash equivalents367,290 397,196 231,302 58.8 %
Investment securities1,620,683 1,278,906 889,877 82.1 %
Presold mortgages42,271 34,028 19,712 114.4 %
SBA loans held for sale6,077 15,012 — n/m
Total loans4,731,315 4,813,736 4,453,466 6.2 %
Allowance for loan losses(52,388)(49,226)(21,398)144.8 %
Net loans4,678,927 4,764,510 4,432,068 5.6 %
Premises and equipment120,502 118,568 114,859 4.9 %
Operating right-of-use lease assets17,514 18,400 19,669 (11.0)%
Intangible assets254,638 255,489 251,585 1.2 %
Foreclosed real estate 2,424 2,741 3,873 (37.4)%
Bank-owned life insurance106,974 106,345 104,441 2.4 %
Other assets72,451 73,073 76,253 (5.0)%
     Total assets$7,289,751 7,064,268 6,143,639 18.7 %
Liabilities
Deposits:
     Noninterest-bearing checking accounts$2,210,012 2,121,354 1,515,977 45.8 %
     Interest-bearing checking accounts1,172,022 1,102,343 912,784 28.4 %
     Money market accounts1,581,364 1,524,710 1,173,107 34.8 %
     Savings accounts519,266 492,946 424,415 22.3 %
     Brokered deposits20,222 36,736 86,141 (76.5)%
     Internet time deposits249 249 698 (64.3)%
     Other time deposits > $100,000543,894 549,423 563,108 (3.4)%
     Other time deposits226,567 232,465 255,125 (11.2)%
          Total deposits6,273,596 6,060,226 4,931,355 27.2 %
Borrowings61,829 61,816 300,671 (79.4)%
Operating lease liabilities17,868 18,716 19,855 (10.0)%
Other liabilities43,037 42,692 39,357 9.4 %
     Total liabilities6,396,330 6,183,450 5,291,238 20.9 %
Shareholders’ equity
Common stock 400,582 403,351 429,514 (6.7)%
Retained earnings478,489 459,988 417,764 14.5 %
Stock in rabbi trust assumed in acquisition(2,243)(2,230)(2,587)(13.3)%
Rabbi trust obligation2,243 2,230 2,587 (13.3)%
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss)14,350 17,479 5,123 180.1 %
     Total shareholders’ equity893,421 880,818 852,401 4.8 %
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity$7,289,751 7,064,268 6,143,639 18.7 %


n/m - not meaningful
8


First Bancorp and Subsidiaries
Financial Summary - Page 5
For the Three Months Ended
YIELD INFORMATIONDec. 31, 2020Sept. 30, 2020June 30, 2020Mar. 31, 2020Dec. 31, 2019
Yield on loans4.42 %4.38 %4.41 %4.93 %5.03 %
Yield on securities1.62 %2.02 %2.49 %2.65 %2.64 %
Yield on other earning assets0.57 %0.64 %0.55 %1.95 %1.91 %
   Yield on all interest-earning assets3.55 %3.71 %3.80 %4.46 %4.49 %
Rate on interest bearing deposits0.29 %0.37 %0.46 %0.68 %0.76 %
Rate on other interest-bearing liabilities2.55 %2.06 %1.31 %1.91 %2.31 %
   Rate on all interest-bearing liabilities0.32 %0.41 %0.52 %0.78 %0.89 %
     Total cost of funds0.21 %0.26 %0.35 %0.56 %0.63 %
        Net interest margin (1)3.35 %3.46 %3.47 %3.94 %3.90 %
        Net interest margin - tax-equivalent (2)3.38 %3.48 %3.49 %3.96 %3.93 %
        Average prime rate3.25 %3.25 %3.25 %4.42 %4.83 %

(1) Calculated by dividing annualized net interest income by average earning assets for the period.
(2) Calculated by dividing annualized tax-equivalent net interest income by average earning assets for the period. See note 1 on the first page of this Financial Summary for discussion of tax-equivalent adjustments.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
For the Three Months Ended
NET INTEREST INCOME PURCHASE ACCOUNTING ADJUSTMENTS
($ in thousands)
Dec. 31, 2020Sept. 30, 2020June 30, 2020Mar. 31, 2020Dec. 31, 2019
Interest income - increased by accretion of loan discount on acquired loans$802 972 802 1,241 1,161 
Interest income - increased by accretion of loan discount on retained portions of SBA loans737 583 591 600 340 
Interest expense - reduced by premium amortization of deposits19 23 26 31 38 
Interest expense - increased by discount accretion of borrowings(45)(45)(45)(45)(45)
     Impact on net interest income$1,513 1,533 1,374 1,827 1,494 



9


First Bancorp and Subsidiaries
Financial Summary - Page 6

ASSET QUALITY DATA ($ in thousands)
Dec. 31, 2020Sept. 30, 2020June 30, 2020Mar. 31, 2020Dec. 31, 2019
Nonperforming assets
Nonaccrual loans$35,076 31,656 34,922 25,066 24,866 
Troubled debt restructurings - accruing9,497 9,896 9,867 9,747 9,053 
Accruing loans > 90 days past due— — — — — 
Total nonperforming loans44,573 41,552 44,789 34,813 33,919 
Foreclosed real estate2,424 2,741 2,987 3,487 3,873 
Total nonperforming assets$46,997 44,293 47,776 38,300 37,792 
Purchased credit impaired loans not included above (1)$8,591 9,616 9,742 9,839 12,664 
Asset Quality Ratios
Net quarterly (recoveries) charge-offs to average loans - annualized0.07 %(0.06)%0.12 %0.22 %0.09 %
Nonperforming loans to total loans0.94 %0.86 %0.94 %0.76 %0.76 %
Nonperforming assets to total assets0.64 %0.63 %0.69 %0.60 %0.62 %
Allowance for loan losses to total loans1.11 %1.02 %0.89 %0.54 %0.48 %
(1) In the March 3, 2017 acquisition of Carolina Bank and the October 1, 2017 acquisition of Asheville Savings Bank, the Company acquired $19.3 million and $9.9 million, respectively, in purchased credit impaired loans in accordance with ASC 310-30 accounting guidance. These loans are excluded from the nonperforming loan amounts.

10


First Bancorp and Subsidiaries
Financial Summary - Page 7
For the Three Months Ended
NET INTEREST MARGIN, EXCLUDING LOAN DISCOUNT ACCRETION - RECONCILIATION
($ in thousands)
Dec. 31, 2020Sept. 30, 2020June 30, 2020Mar. 31, 2020Dec. 31, 2019
Net interest income, as reported$56,006 54,733 52,624 54,759 54,656 
Tax-equivalent adjustment457 347 330 334 382 
Net interest income, tax-equivalent (A)$56,463 55,080 52,954 55,093 55,038 
Average earning assets (B)$6,640,732 6,294,556 6,102,012 5,595,734 5,560,099 
Tax-equivalent net interest margin, annualized - as reported - (A)/(B)3.38 %3.48 %3.49 %3.96 %3.93 %
Net interest income, tax-equivalent$56,463 55,080 52,954 55,093 55,038 
Loan discount accretion1,539 1,555 1,393 1,841 1,501 
Net interest income, tax-equivalent, excluding loan discount accretion (A)$54,924 53,525 51,561 53,252 53,537 
Average earnings assets (B) $6,640,732 6,294,556 6,102,012 5,595,734 5,560,099 
Tax-equivalent net interest margin, excluding impact of loan discount accretion, annualized - (A) / (B)3.29 %3.38 %3.40 %3.83 %3.82 %

Note: The measure “tax-equivalent net interest margin, excluding impact of loan discount accretion” is a non-GAAP performance measure. Management of the Company believes that it is useful to calculate and present the Company’s net interest margin without the impact of loan discount accretion for the reasons explained in the remainder of this Note. Loan discount accretion is a non-cash interest income adjustment that is related to 1) the Company’s acquisition of loans and represents the portion of the fair value discount that was initially recorded on the acquired loans, and 2) the Company’s origination of SBA loans and the subsequent sale of the guaranteed portions of the loans that results in a discount being recorded on the retained portion of the loans. These discounts are recognized into income over the lives of the loans. At December 31, 2020, the Company had a remaining loan discount balance on acquired loans of $8.9 million compared to $12.7 million at December 31, 2019. At December 31, 2020, the Company had a remaining loan discount balance on SBA loans of $7.3 million compared to $7.1 million at December 31, 2019. For the related loans that perform and pay down over time, the loan discount will also be reduced, with a corresponding increase to interest income. Therefore, management of the Company believes it is useful to also present this ratio to reflect the Company’s net interest margin excluding this non-cash, temporary loan discount accretion adjustment to aid investors in comparing financial results between periods. The Company cautions that non-GAAP financial measures should be considered in addition to, but not as a substitute for, the Company’s reported GAAP results.


11