LOS ANGELES, Oct. 28, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Hanmi Financial Corporation (Nasdaq:HAFC), the holding company for Hanmi Bank, today reported a substantial decline in overall net loss for the third quarter of 2010 as compared to both the immediately preceding and year ago quarters. For the third quarter of 2010, net loss fell to $14.6 million, or $0.12 per share, compared to a second quarter loss of $29.3 million, or $0.57 per share, and a loss of $59.7 million, or $1.26 per share, in the third quarter a year ago. For the first nine months of 2010, net loss totaled $93.3 million, or $1.24 per share, compared to $86.4 million, or $1.86 per share in the first nine months of 2009.
"The strong support of our shareholders, as well as the encouraging demand from the capital market, allowed us to raise gross proceeds of $120 million in new capital at the beginning of the quarter. As a result, the Bank has met the threshold for being considered 'well-capitalized' for regulatory purposes at September 30, 2010," said Jay S. Yoo, President and Chief Executive Officer.
Third Quarter 2010 Highlights
- Hanmi strengthened its capital ratios with the successful sale of $120 million of common stock at a purchase price of $1.20 per share, resulting in net proceeds to the Company of $116.3 million. Hanmi injected $110 million to the Bank which enhanced the Bank's Total Risk Based Capital Ratio to 11.61% as compared with 7.35% in the immediate prior quarter and 9.69% a year ago. The Bank's tangible common equity to tangible assets at quarter end was 8.37%, up from 7.55% a year earlier.
- Non-performing loans fell to $194.7 million, or 8.13% of gross loans, from $242.1 million or 9.67% of gross loans in the second quarter and up from $174.4 million, or 5.85% a year ago. The coverage ratio of the allowance to non-performing loans increased to 90.41% at September 30, 2010, compared to 72.96% at the prior quarter-end and 71.53% at the end of the third quarter a year ago.
- During the first nine months of 2010, the successful deleveraging of the balance sheet reduced total assets by 6% or $194 million to $2.97 billion, with gross loans down 15%.
- The funds raised in the capital offering and sales of loans provided sufficient liquidity with $608 million in cash and securities as of September 30, 2010.
- Although slightly reduced from the prior quarter's 3.56%, the net interest margin (NIM) significantly improved to 3.49% in the third quarter as compared with 3.00% in the third quarter a year ago. Year-to-date NIM increased 93 basis points to 3.58% from 2.65% in the first nine months of 2009.
Successful Capital Raise
As previously announced, Hanmi successfully raised gross proceeds of $120 million of capital with approximately $47 million in its rights offering and $73 million in the best efforts public offering. Of the $116.3 million in net proceeds, $110.0 million was down-streamed from the holding company to the Bank. "With our improved capital position as compared to the immediately preceding quarter, we believe we are now substantially in compliance with our regulatory orders, and are working to finalize our strategic plan and other compliance efforts by the year end," Mr. Yoo stated.
Asset Quality
At September 30, 2010, the allowance for loan losses was $176.1 million, or 7.35% of gross loans, compared to $176.7 million, or 7.05% of gross loans, at June 30, 2010, and $124.8 million, or 4.19% of gross loans a year ago. Hanmi's loan loss allowance to non-performing loans ratio significantly increased to 90.41% from 71.53% a year ago. Third quarter charge-offs, net of recoveries, were down to $21.3 million compared to $38.9 million in the second quarter and $29.9 million in the third quarter of 2009.
Non-performing loans (NPLs) declined 20% to $194.7 million at September 30, 2010 from $242.1 million at June 30, 2010, and up 12% from $174.4 million at September 30, 2009. Of the total $194.7 million NPLs, $33.4 million, or 17.2%, were current on payments and are supported by underlying collateral or have been made to borrowers with additional assets to support their loans. Approximately 94.7% of the total NPLs were impaired with a $16.1 million impairment reserve for those loans. Sales of impaired loans also reduced non-performing assets with 12 loan sales generating $24.7 million in net proceeds in the third quarter. Year-to-date loan sales have generated $114.6 million in net proceeds on the sale of 58 loans. Sales of other real estate owned (OREO) continued during the third quarter, with four properties sold for the net proceed of $2.5 million, resulting in a $235,000 net loss. Year-to-date OREO sales have generated $8.8 million in net proceeds on the sale of 13 properties, resulting in an $81,000 net loss. OREO, real estate acquired through foreclosure, totaled $20.6 million at September 30, 2010, down from $24.1 million at June 30, 2010 and also down from $27.1 million a year ago. "We have been aggressive in selling loans prior to foreclosure, which partially accounts for the reduction of OREO," said Mr. Yoo.
The following table shows non-performing loans by loan category:
The proactive approach to the problematic credits this year reduced delinquent loans on accrual status to $23.9 million, or 1.0% of gross loans at September 30, 2010, from $28.5 million, or 1.0% of gross loans at September 30, 2009. Quarter over quarter, the delinquent loans on accrual status increased from $21.7 million at June 30, 2010 due to the addition of a single construction loan in the amount of $8.7 million. However, delinquency of accrual loans decreased for all other loan categories. The following table shows delinquent loans on accrual status by loan category:
Balance Sheet
"During the past two years, we have employed a strategy to deleverage our balance sheet to reduce portfolio risk and to respond to the economic downturn that negatively impacted our capital levels. With the new capital we have already raised this year, together with the new capital that we expect from the Woori transaction, we plan to move from a downsizing mode into moderately expanding our organization," said Mr. Yoo. Total assets increased slightly at the end of the third quarter to $2.97 billion, from $2.91 billion at June 30, 2010, and down 14% from $3.46 billion at September 30, 2009. Gross loans, net of deferred loan fees, were $2.39 billion at September 30, 2010, down 4% from $2.50 billion at June 30, 2010, and down 20% from $2.98 billion at September 30, 2009.
"We continue to build our core deposits and reduce our reliance on higher-cost certificates of deposits during the third quarter of 2010," stated Brian Cho, EVP & Chief Financial Officer. "We have reduced our reliance on whole sale funding by eliminating broker deposits from the deposit mix. Federal Home Loan Bank advances are also down 4% from a year ago to $153.7 million." Total deposits decreased 16% year-over-year and declined 2% from the prior quarter. Total deposits were $2.53 billion at September 30, 2010, compared to $2.58 billion at June 30, 2010, and $2.99 billion at September 30, 2009.
Results of Operations
Net interest income, before the provision for credit losses, totaled $26.3 million for the third quarter of 2010 which was down slightly from net interest income of $26.5 million in the third quarter a year ago. Higher cash and cash equivalent balances as well as increases in investment securities generated lower yields on assets, but the impact was offset by the decline in cost of funds associated with replacing high-cost time deposits with low-cost deposits. For the first nine months of 2010, net interest income before provision for credit losses totaled $79.9 million compared to $72.8 million in the first nine months of 2009.
Average gross loans decreased 20.2% to $2.46 billion for the third quarter of 2010 from $3.08 billion for the same period of 2009 and declined 19.3% to $2.61 billion for the nine months of 2010 from $3.24 billion for the same period of 2009. Average investment securities increased 7.0% to $223.7 million for the third quarter of 2010 from $209.0 million for the third quarter of 2009 and decreased 10.9% to $169.6 million for the first nine months of 2010 from $190.2 million for the same period of 2009. "The decreases in average gross loans were the direct result of our balance sheet deleveraging strategy" said Cho. Consistent with this strategy, average deposits also decreased 17.5% to $2.56 billion for the third quarter of 2010 from $3.10 billion for the same period in 2009 and declined 17.7% to $2.61 billion for the nine months of 2010 from $3.17 billion for the same period of 2009.
The average yield on the loan portfolio decreased slightly by 6 basis points to 5.44% in the third quarter of 2010, compared to the third quarter a year ago and decreased 11 basis points to 5.37% for the first nine months of 2010 from 5.48% for the same period of 2009. For the first nine months of 2010, the reversal of previously recorded interest income due to the additional non-accrual loans was $2.9 million ($0.3 million in the third quarter and $2.6 million in the first half of the year), resulting in a negative impact on NIM by 13 basis points. The cost of average interest-bearing deposits in the third quarter was 1.65%, down 105 basis points from the third quarter of 2009 and year-to-date it was 1.75%, down 143 basis points from a year ago. As a result, Hanmi's net interest margin improved 49 basis points to 3.49% in the third quarter of 2010 compared to 3.00% in the third quarter of 2009 and improved 93 basis points to 3.58% for the first nine months of 2010 from 2.65% for the same period of 2009.
As a result of the decrease of charge-offs and non-performing loans, the provision for credit losses in the third quarter of 2010 decreased to $22.0 million, compared to $49.5 million in the third quarter a year ago. For the first nine months of 2010, the provision for credit losses totaled $117.5 million down from $119.4 million in the first nine months of 2009.
Total non-interest income in the third quarter of 2010 was $6.5 million compared to $8.2 million in the third quarter of 2009. The decrease in non-interest income is primarily attributable to decreases in service charges on deposit accounts and a decrease in net gain on sales of loans. Service charges on deposit accounts decreased by $833,000 to $3.4 million for the third quarter of 2010 from $4.3 million for the same period of 2009, primarily due to a decrease of $751,000 in NSF charges and a decrease in account analysis fees. Net gain on sale of loans decreased by $635,000 for the third quarter of 2010, compared to the same period in 2009. "The gain on sale of loans was substantial during the third quarter of 2009 when we sold accumulated inventory upon the recovery of the SBA secondary market," Cho noted. For the first nine months of 2010, non-interest income was $20.1 million, a decrease of $4.1 million, or 17.0%, from $24.3 million for the same period in 2009. The decrease was due primarily to a $2.3 million decrease in service charges on deposit accounts associated with the slowed business activities in the depressed economy and a $1.1 million decrease in net gain on sales of investment securities.
Total non-interest expense increased $1.2 million to $24.9 million for the third quarter of 2010, up from $23.7 million in the third quarter a year ago. The overall increase in non-interest expense was primarily due to an $879,000 impairment charge on equity securities, acquired prior to 2004 for Community Reinvestment Act purposes, upon recapitalization of the issuer of such equity securities, an $860,000 compensation expense for the preannounced retention plan payable in November 2010, and a $423,000 increase in directors and officers liability insurance premium driven by the change in risk categories of the Bank. The increase was partially offset by decreases in OREO related expenses and professional fees. Year-to-date non-interest expense increased by $8.2 million to $75.9 million, up 12% from $67.6 million in the first nine months of 2009, primarily due to a higher valuation provision for OREO properties and FDIC insurance premium in addition to the aforementioned expenses.
Conference Call Information
Management will host a conference today at 1:30 p.m. PDT (4.30 p.m. EDT) to discuss these financial results. This call will also be broadcast live via the internet. Investment professionals and all others are invited to access the live call by dialing (857) 350-1589 at 1:30 p.m. (PDT), using access code HANMI. To listen to the call online, either live or archived, visit the Investor Relations page of Hanmi Financial Corporation website at . Shortly after the call concludes, the replay will also be available at (617) 801-6888, using access code #46109720 where it will be archived until November 15, 2010.
About Hanmi Financial Corporation
Headquartered in Los Angeles, Hanmi Bank, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Hanmi Financial Corporation, provides services to the multi-ethnic communities of California, with 27 full-service offices in Los Angeles, Orange, San Bernardino, San Francisco, Santa Clara and San Diego counties, and a loan production office in Washington State. Hanmi Bank specializes in commercial, SBA and trade finance lending, and is a recognized community leader. Hanmi Bank's mission is to provide a full range of quality products and premier services to its customers and to maximize shareholder value. Additional information is available at www.hanmi.com .
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains forward-looking statements, which are included in accordance with the "safe harbor" provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. In some cases, you can identify forward-looking statements by terminology such as "may," "will," "should," "could," "expects," "plans," "intends," "anticipates," "believes," "estimates," "predicts," "potential," or "continue," or the negative of such terms and other comparable terminology. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee future results, levels of activity, performance or achievements. All statements other than statements of historical fact are "forward –looking statements" for purposes of federal and state securities laws, including, but not limited to, statements about anticipated future operating and financial performance, financial position and liquidity, business strategies, regulatory and competitive outlook, investment and expenditure plans, capital and financing needs and availability, plans and objectives of management for future operations, developments regarding our securities purchase agreement with Woori Finance Holdings, and other similar forecasts and statements of expectation and statements of assumption underlying any of the foregoing. These statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors that may cause our actual results, levels of activity, performance or achievements to differ from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statement. These factors include the following: inability to consummate the proposed transaction with Woori Finance Holdings on the terms contemplated in the Securities Purchase Agreement entered into with Woori on May 25, 2010, as amended (the "transaction"); failure to receive regulatory approval for the Transaction; inability to continue as a going concern; inability to raise additional capital on acceptable terms or at all; failure to maintain adequate levels of capital and liquidity to support our operations; the effect of regulatory orders we have entered into and potential future supervisory action against us or Hanmi Bank; general economic and business conditions internationally, nationally and in those areas in which we operate; volatility and deterioration in the credit and equity markets; changes in consumer spending, borrowing and savings habits; availability of capital from private and government sources; demographic changes; competition for loans and deposits and failure to attract or retain loans and deposits; fluctuations in interest rates and a decline in the level of our interest rate spread; risks of natural disasters related to our real estate portfolio; risks associated with Small Business Administration loans; failure to attract or retain key employees; changes in governmental regulation, including, but not limited to, any increase in FDIC insurance premiums; ability to receive regulatory approval for Hanmi Bank to declare dividends to the Company; adequacy of our allowance for loan losses, credit quality and the effect of credit quality on our provision for credit losses and allowance for loan losses; changes in the financial performance and/or condition of our borrowers and the ability of our borrowers to perform under the terms of their loans and other terms of credit agreements; our ability to successfully integrate acquisitions we may make; our ability to control expenses; and changes in securities markets. In addition, we set forth certain risks in our reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission ("SEC"), including attached as an Exhibit to a Current Report on Form 8-K filed with the SEC on June 18, 2010, and our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, as well as current and periodic reports filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission hereafter, which could cause actual results to differ from those projected. We undertake no obligation to update such forward-looking statements except as required by law.
Cautionary Statements
The issuance of the securities to Woori described in this news release have not been and will not be registered under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or any state securities laws, and may not be offered or sold in the United States absent registration or an applicable exemption from the registration requirements of the Securities Act and applicable state securities laws. This press release shall not constitute an offer to sell or the solicitation of an offer to buy any of the securities described herein, nor shall there be any sale of the securities in any jurisdiction or state in which such offer, solicitation or sale would be unlawful prior to registration or qualification under the securities laws of any such jurisdiction or state.
CONTACT: Hanmi Financial Corporation BRIAN E. CHO Chief Financial Officer (213) 368-3200