First Financial Bankshares Announces First Quarter Earnings Results

ABILENE, Texas, April 20, 2017

Net interest income for the first quarter of 2017 and 2016 was $57.02 million. The net interest margin, on a taxable equivalent basis, was 4.03 percent for the first quarter of 2017 compared to 4.01 percent in the fourth quarter of 2016 and 4.15 percent in the first quarter of 2016. Included in interest income for the first quarter of 2017 was $401 thousand, or three basis points in net interest margin, related to discount accretion from fair value accounting related to the Conroe and Orange acquisitions.  

The provision for loan losses was $1.95 million in the first quarter of 2017 compared with $1.99 million in the fourth quarter of 2016 and $2.33 million in the first quarter of 2016. The continued provision for loan losses in 2017 reflects the continued levels of nonperforming and classified assets, gross charge-offs, as well as the continuing economic effects related to the oil and gas industry. Nonperforming assets as a percentage of loans and foreclosed assets totaled 0.90 percent at March 31, 2017, compared with 0.86 percent at December 31, 2016, and 0.88 percent at March 31, 2016. Classified loans totaled $122.62 million at March 31, 2017, compared to $127.80 million at December 31, 2016, and $142.14 million at March 31, 2016.

At March 31, 2017, loans with oil and gas industry exposure totaled 2.22% of gross loans. These loans comprised $29.08 million of the classified loan totals and $3.21 million of the nonperforming loan totals. There were no charge-offs related to these oil and gas loans for the quarter ended March 31, 2017. At March 31, 2017, the Company's allowance for loan loss reserve specific to its total oil and gas loan portfolio totaled 6.59% of total oil and gas loans.

Noninterest income increased 7.39 percent in the first quarter of 2017 to $21.29 million compared with $19.82 million in the same quarter a year ago. Trust fees increased $1.36 million to $6.02 million in the first quarter of 2017 compared with $4.66 million in the same quarter last year, primarily due to continued growth in the fair value of Trust assets managed to $4.54 billion from $4.01 billion a year ago and an increase of $514 thousand in real estate and lease bonus fees over the same quarter a year ago. ATM, interchange and credit card fees increased 8.52 percent to $6.16 million compared with $5.68 million in the same quarter last year due to continued growth in net new accounts and debit cards. Real estate mortgage fees increased 8.86 percent in the first quarter of 2017 to $3.42 million compared with $3.14 million in the same quarter a year ago.

Noninterest expense for the first quarter of 2017 totaled $42.15 million compared to $41.08 million in the first quarter of 2016. The Company's efficiency ratio in the first quarter of 2017 was 49.67 percent compared with 49.52 percent in the same quarter last year. The increase in noninterest expense in the first quarter of 2017 was primarily driven by a $669 thousand increase in salary and employee benefit expense and an increase in fraud and operational and other losses of $499 thousand when compared to the same quarter a year ago.

As of March 31, 2017, consolidated assets for the Company totaled $6.93 billion compared to $6.81 billion at December 31, 2016 and $6.53 billion at March 31, 2016. Loans totaled $3.39 billion at quarter end compared with loans of $3.38 billion at December 31, 2016, and $3.30 billion at March 31, 2016. Deposits totaled $5.66 billion at March 31, 2017, compared to $5.48 billion at December 31, 2016, and $5.06 billion at March 31, 2016. Shareholders' equity rose to $859.35 million as of March 31, 2017, compared with $837.89 million at December 31, 2016, and $838.61 million at March 31, 2016.