MIDLAND PARK, NJ--(Marketwire - February 28, 2008) - Stewardship Financial Corporation (
NASDAQ:
SSFN), parent of Atlantic Stewardship Bank, announced today net income
earned for the year ended December 31, 2007, of $4.61 million, or $0.87
basic net earnings per share, as compared to net income of $4.75 million or
$0.90 per share for the year ended December 31, 2006. Diluted earnings per
share was $0.87 for the year ended December 31, 2007 compared to $0.89 for
the year ended December 31, 2006. Earnings for the year ended December 31,
2007 were impacted by the receipt of a life insurance payout, which
resulted in miscellaneous income of $459,000. During 2006, the Corporation
realized a gain of $746,000 for the sale of its credit card portfolio and a
loss of $435,000 in the restructuring of its investment portfolio.
Net income for the quarter ended December 31, 2007 was $838,000 compared to
$1.25 million for the same three-month period in 2006. The net income for
the quarter ended December 31, 2006 included a gain of $746,000 on the sale
of the credit card portfolio as well as a loss of $435,000 resulting from
the investment portfolio restructuring. Basic and diluted earnings per
share for the quarter ended December 31, 2007 were $0.16, compared to $0.24
and $0.23, respectively for the same period in 2006.
Net earnings per share data has been restated to reflect a 5% stock
dividend paid in November 2007 and 2006.
Stewardship Financial Corporation's total assets reached $571.9 million at
December 31, 2007, compared to $519.7 million at December 31, 2006,
reflecting total asset growth of 10.0%. Total loans increased $50.6
million, or 13.7%, from $369.5 million at December 31, 2006 to $420.1
million at December 31, 2007. Total deposits increased $38.1 million, or
8.8%, from $434.2 million at December 31, 2006 to $472.3 million at
December 31, 2007. Total stockholders' equity increased 10.1% to $41.1
million at December 31, 2007, compared to $37.3 million a year ago.
Paul Van Ostenbridge, President and Chief Executive Officer of Stewardship
Financial Corporation and Atlantic Stewardship Bank, stated, "We are
pleased to report our strong earnings for 2007, considering the extremely
challenging interest rate environment. In addition, these earnings were
achieved in a year when the Corporation invested in three new branches. We
feel that increasing our branch network by opening branches in North
Haledon, Westwood and Wyckoff will provide strong business development and
earnings opportunities in the future. Recognizing the need to capitalize
on the total business market we serve, we increased the staffing within the
Commercial Lending and Business Development Divisions. These new associates
are already producing positive results. We continue to experience strong
growth in our commercial and commercial real estate lending markets and are
pleased to report that the corporation is not involved in the sub prime
mortgage market. Asset quality remains strong and the increases in the
loan loss reserve directly correlate to the increase in loans. The
management team recognizes that 2008 will also be challenging for community
banks. The 2007 investment in business sales and service associates will
enhance the Corporation's earnings in the upcoming year and we are
confident the new branches will positively impact earnings in future
years."
Stewardship Financial Corporation is the parent company of Atlantic
Stewardship Bank, which has banking offices located in Hawthorne, Midland
Park, Montville, Pequannock, Ridgewood, Waldwick and Wayne, New Jersey. The
Bank opened its newest branches in 2007 in Wyckoff, Westwood and North
Haledon, New Jersey. Atlantic Stewardship Bank, opened in 1985, is a
community bank serving individuals and businesses, and is well known for
tithing ten percent of its pre-tax profit to Christian and local charitable
organizations. In 2007, the Bank's Tithe amounted to $705,000 bringing
total donations since the program began to $5,735,000.
Stewardship Financial Corporation common stock is traded on the NASDAQ
Capital market under the symbol SSFN. Please visit our website at
www.asbnow.com or call 201-444-7100 for information regarding our products
and services.
This information disclosed in this document contains certain "forward
looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation
Reform Act of 1995, and may be identified by the use of such words as
"believe," "expect," "anticipate," "should," "plan," "estimate," and
"potential." Examples of forward looking statements include, but are not
limited to, estimates with respect to the financial condition, results of
operations and business of the Corporation that are subject to various
factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from these
estimates. These factors include: changes in general, economic and market
conditions, legislative and regulatory conditions, or the development of an
interest rate environment that adversely affects the Corporation's interest
rate spread or other income anticipated from operations and investments.
Stewardship Financial Corporation
Financial Highlights
(unaudited)
(In thousands, except per share data)
Year ended Three Months Ended
December 31, December 31,
2007 2006 2007 2006
---------- --------- ---------- ---------
Selected Operating Data:
Total interest income $ 33,310 $ 30,000 $ 8,735 $ 7,889
Total interest expense 13,880 10,916 3,692 3,109
---------- --------- ---------- ---------
Net interest income before
provision for loan loss 19,430 19,084 5,043 4,780
Provision for loan loss 530 264 250 14
---------- --------- ---------- ---------
Net interest income after
provision for loan loss 18,900 18,820 4,793 4,766
Gain on sale of credit card
portfolio - 746 - 746
Gain (loss) on calls and sales
of securities 4 (435) 4 (435)
Life insurance proceeds 459 - - -
Other interest income 3,951 3,878 993 993
---------- --------- ---------- ---------
Total Noninterest income 4,414 4,189 997 1,304
Noninterest expense 16,629 15,629 4,579 4,120
---------- --------- ---------- ---------
Income before income tax
expense 6,685 7,380 1,211 1,950
Income tax expense 2,078 2,627 373 698
---------- --------- ---------- ---------
Net income $ 4,607 $ 4,753 $ 838 $ 1,252
========== ========= ========== =========
Basic earnings per share $ 0.87 $ 0.90 $ 0.16 $ 0.24
Diluted earnings per share $ 0.87 $ 0.89 $ 0.16 $ 0.23
At December 31,
2007 2006
----------- -----------
Selected Financial Data:
Total assets $ 571,905 $ 519,749
Total loans, net of deferred loan fees 420,147 369,544
Allowance for loan losses 4,457 4,101
Total deposits 472,299 434,223
Stockholders' equity 41,090 37,306
At or for the year ended
December 31,
2007 2006
----------- -----------
Selected Financial Ratios:
Annualized return on average assets (ROA) 0.86% 0.96%
Annualized return on average equity (ROE) 11.76% 13.41%
Tier 1 equity to total assets 8.40% 8.53%
Book value per share $ 7.74 $ 7.08
All share data has been restated to include the effect of a 5% stock
dividend paid in November, 2007 and 2006.
Contact Information: Contact:
Mary Beth Steiginga
Assistant Secretary
630 Godwin Avenue
Midland Park, NJ 07432
201-444-7100