BRIGHTON, Mass., Feb. 7, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Peoples Federal Bancshares, Inc. (the "Company") (Nasdaq:PEOP), the holding company for Peoples Federal Savings Bank (the "Bank"), announced first quarter earnings for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2011. For the three months ended December 31, 2010, the Company reported net income of $977,000 or $0.15 per share, basic and diluted, as compared to net income of $858,000 for the same period last year. The Company's mutual-to-stock conversion occurred on July 6, 2010, therefore, earnings per share are not presented for periods where the shares were not outstanding for the entire period.
Net interest income for the three months ended December 31, 2010 totaled $4.1 million as compared to $3.4 million for the three months ended December 31, 2009. Noninterest income totaled $539,000, which included $0 gain on the sales of available for-sale-securities for the three months ended December 31, 2010 as compared to $651,000, which included $210,000 gain on the sales of available-for-sale securities for the three months ended December 31, 2009. Noninterest expense totaled $3.1 million for the three months ended December 31, 2010 as compared to $2.7 million for the three months ended December 31, 2009, reflecting higher salaries and employee benefits and increases in other operating expenses.
Since September 30, 2010, the Company's balance sheet has decreased by $15.7 million or 2.9%, to $530.2 million. Net loans increased 4.5%. The increase in loans was primarily due to lending in the residential and commercial real estate loan categories. Cash and cash equivalents decreased by $33.8 million to $80.1 million at December 31, 2010 from $113.9 million at September 30, 2010. This decrease was the result of investing a portion of the stock offering proceeds in available-for-sale securities. FHLB borrowings decreased by $9.0 million, or 27.3%, from September 30, 2010. Deposits decreased by $7.5 million to $383.3 million at December 31, 2010 from $390.8 million at September 30, 2010.
Asset quality has remained stable as non performing assets totaled $2.5 million or 0.47 % of total assets at December 31, 2010, as compared to $3.0 million or 0.54 % of total assets at September 30, 2010. The Company did provide an additional $60,000 to the provision for loan losses during the quarter ended December 31, 2010 reflecting a $16.8 million increase in net loans.
Maurice H. Sullivan, Jr., Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, commented that "Peoples Federal Bancshares, Inc. has begun our first fiscal year after the successful completion of our initial public offering in July 2010. As we implement our plans for the deployment of the capital raised, we will remember the discipline that was used to responsibly grow the Company in the past. We are committed to building profitable lending and deposit relationships, continuing to provide the products and services demanded by our customers and working to strategically lend and invest in the greater Boston market that we serve."
Certain statements herein constitute "forward-looking statements" and actual results may differ from those contemplated by these statements. Forward-looking statements can be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts. They often include words like "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," and "intend" or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "would," "should," "could" or "may." Certain factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from expected results include changes in the interest rate environment, changes in general economic conditions, legislative and regulatory changes that adversely affect the businesses in which Peoples Federal Bancshares, Inc. is engaged and changes in the securities market. The Company disclaims any intent or obligation to update any forward-looking statements, whether in response to new information, future events or otherwise.
CONTACT: Maurice H. Sullivan, Jr. (617) 254-0707