citizens financial services, inc. reports unaudited first quarter 2022 financial results

MANSFIELD, PENNSYLVANIA— April 20, 2022 – Citizens Financial Services, Inc. (OTC Pink: CZFS), parent company of First Citizens Community Bank, released today its unaudited consolidated financial results for the three months ended March 31, 2022.

Highlights

•	The Company has applied to list its common stock on the Nasdaq Capital Market.

•	Net loan growth totaled $36.9 million in the first quarter of 2022, or 10.4% on an annualized basis.

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Net income was $6.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, which is 20.4% less than the net income for 2021’s comparable period. The decrease was due to life insurance proceeds received in the first quarter of 2021 due to the passing of two former employees and decreased amortization associated with loans issued through the Paycheck Protection Program (PPP). The effective tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2022 was 17.9% compared to 16.0% in the comparable period in 2021, with the increase being due to life insurance proceeds being exempt from taxable income.

•	Net interest income before the provision for loan losses was $16.2 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022, a decrease of $179,000, or 1.1%, over the same period a year ago. Amortization associated with PPP loans was $676,000 less in 2022 than 2021

•	Non-performing assets decreased $3,925,000 since March 31, 2021 and total $8,953,000 as of March 31, 2022, which is comparable to the balance at December 31, 2021. As a percent of loans, non-performing assets totaled 0.61%, 0.61% and 0.92% as of March 31, 2022, December 31, 2021 and March 31, 2021.

•	Return on average equity for the three months (annualized) ended March 31, 2022 was 12.46% compared to 17.25% for the three months (annualized) ended March 31, 2021.

•	Return on average tangible equity for the three months (annualized) ended March 31, 2022 was 14.70% compared to 20.74% for the three months (annualized) ended March 31, 2021 (non-GAAP). (1)

•	Return on average assets for the three months (annualized) ended March 31, 2022 was 1.26% compared to 1.77% for the three months (annualized) ended March 31, 2021.

•	If the life insurance proceeds on former employees are excluded, the return on average equity and average assets would be 14.90% and 1.52%, respectively, for three months (annualized) ended March 31, 2021 (non-GAAP). (1)

First Quarter of 2022 Compared to the First Quarter of 2021

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For the three months ended March 31, 2022, net income totaled $6,740,000 which compares to net income of $8,463,000 for the comparable period of 2021, a decrease of $1,723,000 or 20.4%.  Basic earnings per share of $1.71 for the three months ended March 31, 2022 compares to $2.14 for the 2021 comparable period. Annualized return on equity for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021 was 12.46% and 17.25%, while annualized return on assets was 1.26% and 1.77%, respectively, with ratios in 2021 benefitting from life insurance proceeds on two former employees. If the activity associated with the passing of the former employees and the excess PPP amortization for 2021 compared to 2022 are excluded, basic earnings per share in 2021 would have been $1.64 compared to $1.71 for the first quarter of 2022 (non-GAAP) (1)

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Net interest income before the provision for loan losses for the three months ended March 31, 2022 totaled $16,262,000 compared to $16,441,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2021, resulting in a decrease of $179,000, or 1.1%. Amortization on PPP loans decreased $676,000  during 2022 compared to 2021. Average interest earning assets increased $230.6 million for the three months ended March 31, 2022 compared to the same period last year as a result of growth in interest bearing cash, investments and organic loan growth funded by deposit growth.  Average loans increased $51.3 million, while average investment securities increased $153.2 million. The tax effected net interest margin for the three months ended March 31, 2022 was 3.27% compared to 3.73% for the same period last year, which was impacted by the decrease in the average yield on interest earning assets of 57 basis points to 3.58%. The decrease in amortization on PPP loans accounts for 15 bps of the decrease in margin and the yield on interest earning assets. A large component of the remaining decrease is due to the percentage of interest earning assets in cash and investments in 2022 compared to 2021, which earn lower yields than loans.

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The provision for loan losses for the three months ended March 31, 2022 was $250,000, a $400,000 decrease to the comparable period in 2021. The decrease in the provision is attributable to the improved credit metrics of the loan portfolio in comparison to March 31, 2021 and less impact from the COVID-19 pandemic on the economy.

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Total non-interest income was $2,431,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2022, which is $1,804,000 less than the comparable period last year.  The primary drivers were the earnings of bank owned life insurance, which decreased $1,108,000 as the result of the passing of two former employees in 2021, gains on loans sold which decreased $398,000 due to a decrease in refinancing activity with the rise in rates that occurred in the first quarter of 2022, a loss on equity securities of $232,000 as a result of market performance when comparing 2022 to 2021. Other income decreased $205,000 due to fee income on derivative transactions for customers recorded in 2021. There were no corresponding fees in 2022.

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Total non-interest expenses for the three months ended March 31, 2022 totaled $10,231,000 compared to $9,947,000 for the same period last year, which is an increase of $284,000, or 2.86%. Salary and benefit costs increased $650,000 due to an addition 7.3 FTEs and merit increases for 2022. Salary and benefit costs for 2021 benefitted from a $400,000 reduction in deferred compensation due to the passing of a former executive in the first quarter of 2021.   The decrease in ORE expenses of $453,000 is due to gains on the sale of ORE properties that totaled $487,000. There were no gains or losses on sales in the first quarter of 2021.

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The provision for income taxes increased $144,000 when comparing the three months ended March 31, 2022 to the same period in 2021 as a result of a decrease in income before income tax of $1,867,000.  The effective tax rate was 17.9% and 16.0% for the three months ended March 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. It should be noted the earnings on bank owned life insurance are exempt from Federal income tax and accounts for the difference in tax rates between 2021 and 2022.

Balance Sheet and Other Information:

•	At March 31, 2022, total assets were $2.18 billion compared to $2.14 billion at December 31, 2021 and $2.0 billion at March 31, 2021. The loan to deposit ratio as of March 31, 2022 was 78.69% compared to 78.51% as of December 31, 2021 and 83.23% as of March 31, 2021.

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Available for sale securities of $461.5 million at March 31, 2022 increased $49.1 million from December 31, 2021 and $139.5 million from March 31, 2021. The yield on the investment portfolio decreased from 2.18% to 1.70% on a tax equivalent basis due to the amount of securities purchased in 2020 and 2021, which was a low rate environment due to the pandemic. Purchases made in the first quarter of 2022 have been at higher rates than those made in 2020 and 2021.

•	Net loans as of March 31, 2022 totaled $1.46 billion and increased $36.9 million from December 31, 2021, which is 10.4% on an annualized basis. In comparison to March 31, 2021, loans have grown $73.3 million, or 5.3%, and if PPP loans are excluded loans increased $98.7 million or 7.3%.

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The allowance for loan losses totaled $17,556,000 at March 31, 2022 which is an increase of $252,000 from December 31, 2021.  The increase is due to recording a provision for loan losses of $250,000 and recoveries of $7,000, offset by charge-offs of $5,000. The allowance as a percent of total loans was 1.19% as of March 31, 2022 and 1.20% as of December 31, 2021.

•	Deposits increased $42.9 million from December 31, 2021, to $1.88 billion at March 31, 2022, primarily due to customers holding more cash and new customer relationships in the Delaware market.

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Stockholders’ equity totaled $202.7 million at March 31, 2022, compared to $212.5 million at December 31, 2021, a decrease of $9.7 million. Excluding accumulated other comprehensive loss (AOCI), stockholders equity increased $4.9 million and totals $217.5 million. The increase in stockholders equity, excluding AOCI, was attributable to net income for the three months ended March 31, 2022 totaling $6.7 million, offset by cash dividends for the first quarter totaling $1.9.  As a result of changes in interest rates impacting the fair value of investment securities, the unrealized loss on available for sale investment securities, net of tax, increased $16.6 million from December 31, 2021.

Dividend Declared

On March 1, 2022, the Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.475 per share, which was paid on March 25, 2022 to shareholders of record at the close of business on March 11, 2022. This quarterly cash dividend is an increase of 3.26% over the regular cash dividend of $0.460 per share declared one year ago, as adjusted for the 1% stock dividend declared in June 2021.

Citizens Financial Services, Inc. has nearly 1,900 shareholders, the majority of whom reside in markets where its offices are located.

Note: This press release may contain forward-looking statements as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.  These statements are not historical facts; rather, they are statements based on the Company's current expectations regarding its business strategies and their intended results and its future performance.  Forward-looking statements are preceded by terms such as "expects," "believes," "anticipates," "intends" and similar expressions.  Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance.  Numerous risks and uncertainties could cause or contribute to the Company's actual results, performance and achievements to be materially different from those expressed or implied by the forward-looking statements. Factors that may cause or contribute to these differences include, without limitation, changes in general economic conditions, including changes in market interest rates and changes in monetary and fiscal policies of the federal government; legislative and regulatory changes; and other factors disclosed periodically in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.  Because of the risks and uncertainties inherent in forward-looking statements, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on them, whether included in this press release or made elsewhere periodically by the Company or on its behalf.  The Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statements except as may be required by applicable law or regulation.