GLENVILLE, N.Y., Oct. 21, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- TrustCo Bank Corp NY (TrustCo, NASDAQ: TRST) today announced third quarter 2021 net income of $16.8 million or $0.871 diluted earnings per share, compared to net income of $14.1 million or $0.730 diluted earnings per share for the third quarter 2020; and net income of $45.3 million or $2.349 diluted earnings per share for the nine months ended September 30, 2021, compared to net income of $38.6 million or $2.001 diluted earnings per share for the nine months ended September 30, 2020. For all periods presented, share and per share information has been adjusted for the 1 for 5 reverse stock split which occurred on May 28, 2021.

Overview

Robert J. McCormick, Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer noted, “Our continued strong financial results announced today are the foundation upon which we continue to build. With an always-sharp focus on new business opportunities, we have identified increasing demand for our hallmark mortgage products and have expanded our lending areas in Northern New Jersey and on both coasts of Florida. As part of these initiatives, we deployed a new mortgage loan originator in New Jersey, opened a new full-service branch location in Palm Coast, Florida, and are launching a new channel for the delivery of our core lending products by opening a loan origination office in Naples, Florida.”

In September, the Company announced the addition of Curtis N. Powell to the boards of directors of TrustCo and its subsidiary, Trustco Bank. Mr. Powell is Vice President for Human Resources and Environmental Health, Safety, and Risk Management at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, New York. Mr. Powell adds depth to our board talent pool in the areas of human capital and risk management. Chairman McCormick said “Our success-oriented approach extends from our business lines to our boardroom. Curtis Powell shares our commitment to excellence, and we have every confidence that he will be a tremendous asset as the Company navigates the highly dynamic labor market that we now see across our entire business footprint.”

Mr. McCormick also congratulated the employees of Trustco Bank on receiving well-deserved recognition. He said “Our management team knows that our people are the best in the business, but recently Trustco Bank has been rated ‘Best Of’ in several categories by local media outlets. Our team members can be justifiably proud of this recognition.” Trustco Bank also celebrated 65 years of success at its Mayfair Branch in Glenville, New York and, for the 15^th straight year, turned out a formidable team for the Workforce Team Challenge with 75 entrants in the annual 3.5 mile race, held this year in Altamont, New York.

Details

Average loans were up $176.4 million or 4.2% in the third quarter 2021 over the same period in 2020. Average residential loans, our primary lending focus, were up $218.2 million, or 5.9%, in the third quarter 2021 over the same period in 2020. As of September 30, 2021, loans in deferral were not material. Additionally, the Bank had funded 663 Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans totaling $46 million in 2020, and an additional 344 loans totaling $23 million in 2021. As of September 30, 2021, 349 PPP loans totaling $21 million remain outstanding. Average deposits were up $348.2 million or 7.1% for the third quarter 2021 over the same period a year earlier. The increase in deposits was the result of a $551.2 million or 15.5% increase in total average core deposit accounts, which consist of interest bearing and non-interest bearing checking, savings and money market deposits, offset by a decrease in average time deposits of $202.9 million or 15.0%, for the third quarter 2021 over the same period in 2020. Within the core deposits, checking balances were up $287.2 million or 17.4% (including interest bearing and non-interest bearing checking balances), money market balances were up $56.3 million or 8.3%, and savings balances were up $207.6 million or 17.0%. We believe the increase in core deposits continues to reflect the desire of customers to have additional funds in the safety and security offered by TrustCo’s long history of conservative banking. As we move forward, the objective is to encourage customers to retain these additional funds in the expanded product offerings of the Bank through aggressive marketing and product differentiation.

The cost of interest bearing liabilities decreased to 0.15% in the third quarter 2021 from 0.52% in the third quarter 2020. A significant portion of our CD portfolio (time deposits) repriced during the last year, which resulted in lower rates as a result of the ongoing market conditions. The net interest margin for the third quarter 2021 was 2.65%, down 8 basis points from 2.73% in the third quarter of 2020. Net interest income (TE) increased by 4.5% or $1.7 million over the same period last year.

The Bank continued to demonstrate its ability to grow shareholders’ equity as average equity was up $25.8 million or 4.6% in the third quarter of 2021 compared to the same period in 2020. Return on average assets and return on average equity for the third quarter 2021 were 1.08% and 11.40%, respectively, compared to 0.98% and 10.04% for the third quarter 2020. Improving efficiencies to reduce costs continues to remain a key area of focus. As a result, full time equivalent employees decreased from the prior year and quarter partially due to a strategic realignment and the impact of COVID-19 on the labor market. The Bank also purchased 50 thousand shares of stock in the third quarter of 2021 under the previously announced stock repurchase plan. Additionally, on May 28, 2021, the reverse split of the Company’s Common Stock at a ratio of 1 for 5 was implemented on the Nasdaq Global Select Market. All prior period share and per share information, and common stock and surplus amounts have been split adjusted. The board of directors believes that the Reverse Stock Split will likely result in a higher per share trading price, which is intended to generate greater investor interest in TrustCo and improve the marketability of the shares to a broader range of investors. The board of directors also believes that the Reverse Stock Split will result in a number of our shares of outstanding common stock that is similar to the number of outstanding shares of common stock of comparable financial institutions.

Asset quality and loan loss reserve measures have continued to improve as a result of low levels of nonperforming assets and chargeoffs. Nonperforming loans (NPLs) were $20.2 million at September 30, 2021, compared to $21.8 million at September 30, 2020. NPLs were 0.46% and 0.52% of total loans at September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively. The coverage ratio, or allowance for loan losses to NPLs, was 234.7% at September 30, 2021, compared to 225.4% at September 30, 2020. Nonperforming assets (NPAs) were $20.7 million at September 30, 2021, compared to $22.2 million at September 30, 2020. The ratio of allowance for loan losses to total loans was 1.08% as of September 30, 2021 compared to 1.17% as of September 30, 2020. The allowance for loan losses was $47.4 million at September 30, 2021, compared to $49.1 million at September 30, 2020. During 2020, management increased certain allowance qualitative factors based on its assessment of the impact of the current pandemic on local, national, and global economic conditions as well as the perceived risks inherent in specific industries and credit characteristics. Based on this approach, the Company adjusted the pandemic specific provision for the third quarter of 2021. Provision for loan losses for the third quarter of 2021 was a credit of $2.8 million compared to a provision for loan losses for the third quarter of 2020 of $1.0 million. The decrease from the prior year is due to the sustained improvement in asset quality trends and economic conditions during the third quarter. The Company had previously elected to delay its adoption of Accounting Standards Update 2016-13, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments” (“CECL”), as provided by the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (“CARES Act”) until the date on which the National Emergency concerning COVID-19 was terminated or December 31, 2020, whichever occurred first. The December 31, 2020 adoption date under the CARES Act was extended to January 1, 2022 as a part of the COVID-19 relief legislation, which became law in December 2020, and therefore the Company intends to adopt CECL on January 1, 2022.

Net chargeoffs for the third quarter 2021 were $5 thousand versus net chargeoffs in the third quarter 2020 of $21 thousand. The annualized net chargeoffs ratio was 0.00% for the third quarter 2021 and 2020.

At September 30, 2021 the equity to asset ratio was 9.56%, compared to 9.77% at September 30, 2020. Book value per share at September 30, 2021 was $30.50, up 5.1% compared to $29.03 a year earlier.

TrustCo Bank Corp NY is a $6.1 billion savings and loan holding company and through its subsidiary, Trustco Bank, operated 147 offices in New York, New Jersey, Vermont, Massachusetts, and Florida at September 30, 2021.

In addition, the Bank’s Financial Services Department offers a full range of investment services, retirement planning and trust and estate administration services. The common shares of TrustCo are traded on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol TRST.

Those wishing to participate in the call may dial toll-free for the United States at 1-844-200-6205, for Canada at 1-833-950-0062, and all other locations at 1-929-526-1599, Access code 817092. A replay of the call will be available for thirty days by dialing toll-free for the United States at 1-866-813-9403, for Canada at 1-226-828-7578, and all other locations at +44-204-525-0658, Access code 539783. The call will also be audio webcast at https://services.choruscall.com/links/trst211022.html, and will be available for one year.

Safe Harbor Statement
All statements in this news release that are not historical are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Forward-looking statements can be identified by words such as "anticipate," "intend," "plan," "goal," "seek," "believe," "project," "estimate," "expect," "strategy," "future," "likely," "may," "should," "will" and similar references to future periods. Examples of forward-looking statements include, among others, statements we make regarding our expectations for our performance during 2021, including our expectations regarding the effects of COVID-19 on our financial results and our ability to assist our customers in addressing the effects of COVID-19, our expectations with respect to our expansion initiatives in New Jersey and Florida, our ability to retain customers, the impact of Federal Reserve actions regarding interest rates and the growth of loans and deposits throughout our branch network and our ability to capitalize on economic changes in the areas in which we operate. Such forward-looking statements are subject to factors that could cause actual results to differ materially for TrustCo from those discussed, and many of the risks and uncertainties are heightened by or may, in the future, be heightened by the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. TrustCo wishes to caution readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The following important factors, among others, in some cases have affected and in the future could affect TrustCo’s actual results and could cause TrustCo’s actual financial performance to differ materially from that expressed in any forward-looking statement: the effect of the COVID-19 pandemic on our business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations; the impact of the actions taken by governmental authorities to contain COVID-19 or address the impact of COVID-19 on the economy, and the effect of all of such items on our operations, liquidity and capital position, and on the financial condition of our borrowers and other customers; future business strategies related to the implementation of CECL; our ability to continue to originate a significant volume of one-to-four family mortgage loans in our market areas; our ability to continue to maintain noninterest expense and other overhead costs at reasonable levels relative to income; our ability to make accurate assumptions and judgments regarding the credit risks associated with lending and investing activities; the effects of, and changes in, trade, monetary and fiscal policies and laws, including interest rate policies of the Federal Reserve Board, inflation, interest rates, market and monetary fluctuations; restrictions or conditions imposed by our regulators on our operations that may make it more difficult for us to achieve our goals; the future earnings and capital levels of us and Trustco Bank and the continued receipt of approvals from our primary federal banking regulators under regulatory rules to distribute capital to TrustCo, which could affect our ability to pay dividends; results of supervisory monitoring or examinations of Trustco Bank and TrustCo by our respective regulators; adverse conditions in the securities markets that lead to impairment in the value of securities in our investment portfolio; unanticipated effects from the Tax Cut and Jobs Act that may limit its benefits or adversely impact our business; the perceived overall value of our products and services by users, including in comparison to competitors’ products and services and the willingness of current and prospective customers to substitute competitors’ products and services for our products and services; changes in consumer spending, borrowing and saving habits; the effect of changes in financial services laws and regulations and the impact of other governmental initiatives affecting the financial services industry; changes in management personnel; real estate and collateral values; changes in accounting policies and practices, as may be adopted by the bank regulatory agencies, the FASB or PCAOB; disruptions, security breaches, or other adverse events affecting the third-party vendors who perform several of our critical processing functions; technological changes and electronic, cyber and physical security breaches; changes in local market areas and general business and economic trends, as well as changes in consumer spending and saving habits; our success at managing the risks involved in the foregoing and managing our business; and other risks and uncertainties under the heading “Risk Factors” in our most recent annual report on Form 10-K and, if any, in our subsequent quarterly reports on Form 10-Q or other securities filings.