United Community Financial : UCFC Announces Record Results for the Year Net Income $39.5 Million — $0.81 Per Share, or $40.8 Million — $0.84 Per Share Adjusted for Merger Costs 

United Community Financial Corp. (Company) (NASDAQ: UCFC), parent company of Home Savings Bank (Home Savings), announced today that net income for the quarter ended December 31, 2019, was $9.8 million, up 2.8% from the $9.6 million reported for the quarter ended December 31, 2018. Fourth quarter diluted earnings per share increased 6.3% to $0.20 from $0.19 per share reported at the same time last year. These results included $1.4 million of merger costs related to the previously announced merger with First Defiance Financial Corp. Excluding these acquisition costs, the Company’s adjusted net income (non-GAAP) was $11.2 million, up 17.0% and diluted earnings per share were $0.23 per share, up 20.9% for the quarter ending December 31, 2019 when compared to the same quarter last year.

Net income for the twelve months ended December 31, 2019 totaled $39.5 million, up 6.2% from the $37.2 million reported for the twelve months ended December 31, 2018. For the same time period, diluted earnings per share increased to $0.81, up 9.3% from the $0.74 per share previously reported in the prior year. Excluding the $1.4 million in merger costs (after-tax), adjusted net income (non-GAAP) for the twelve months ended December 31, 2019 was $40.8 million up 9.8%, or $0.84 per diluted share or 13.1% when compared to the prior year.

Gary M. Small, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company, commented, “The year 2019 proved to be a challenging yet gratifying period for Home Savings. Our team took the steps necessary to overcome the difficulties presented by a tumultuous year for net interest margin management and a very active loan prepayment environment.”

Small continued, “The organization set record levels of commercial and residential new business production, delivered exceptional fee income growth across all business lines, and drove strong deposit growth. As a result we posted excellent financial results … our best earnings on record.”

Concluding, “I am very proud of the efforts of all of our associates. Thanks to their hard work, we remain right on track regarding our pending merger with First Defiance and we look forward to an exciting and successful 2020 with our new partners.”

Strong Loan and Deposit Growth

Total average loans grew $119.2 million (including loans held for sale), or 5.4%, during the last twelve months and $90.6 million, or 4.0% when compared to the same quarter last year. At December 31, 2019, total net loans (including loans held for sale) aggregated $2.4 billion.

The increase in total loans for the period was driven by an increase in commercial loans, which grew $51.4 million, or 5.5%, over the last twelve months. Mortgage loans (including loans held for sale) increased $14.7 million, or 1.4%, over the previous twelve months. Consumer loan growth amounted to $9.2 million, or 3.4%, for the same time period.

Average customer deposits (which exclude brokered certificates of deposit) increased $142.7 million, or 7.5%, from December 31, 2018. During that same time period total business deposits increased $69.1 million, or 26.6%. Average non-interest bearing accounts increased $43.9 million or 10.4% while average non-interest bearing business deposits increased $27.1 million or 13.4% during the same time period.

Net Interest Income and Margin

Net interest income totaled $21.8 million on a fully taxable equivalent (FTE) basis for the quarter ended December 31, 2019 compared to $23.6 million for the quarter ended December 31, 2018. The fourth quarter of 2018 included the impact of the favorable resolution of an impaired loan that added approximately $1.1 million to loan income during that quarter.

The net interest margin on an FTE basis was 3.22% for the fourth quarter of 2019 compared to 3.58% in the fourth quarter of 2018. Excluding the 16 basis point impact of the aforementioned resolution of an impaired loan, the net interest margin declined 20 basis points. Of this, 5 basis points were from reduced purchase accounting accretion, while the remainder of the decline reflects the near term impact of multiple rate reductions by the Federal Reserve in 2019.

For the full year 2019, the net interest margin was 3.28% compared to 3.43% for the full year 2018. Excluding the income impact of the loan resolution, calendar year 2018 net interest margin would have been 3.39%. Of the 11 basis point reduction 3 basis points were from reduced purchase accounting accretion, and the remaining 8 basis points of the decline can be attributed to the fall in interest rates in 2019.

Asset Quality Remains Strong

Asset quality remained strong during the fourth quarter despite movement in nonperforming loans. At December 31, 2019, nonperforming loans aggregated $12.9 million compared to $6.5 million at the end of the same quarter in the previous year. The Company’s level of nonperforming loans increased primarily as a result of a single credit. The allowance for loan losses at the end of the quarter, as a percent of nonperforming loans was 149.6%. The allowance for loan losses as a percent of loans totaled 0.86% at December 31, 2019 compared to 0.93% the same quarter last year.

The Company recognized a negative provision for loan losses of $422,000 for the fourth quarter of 2019, compared to a provision of $178,000 in the fourth quarter of 2018. The decline in provision is a result of decreased loan balances in the fourth quarter of 2019, quarterly realignment of factors and the resolution of one credit with a specific reserve. For the year, the provision totaled $290,000 compared to $699,000 the previous year. Net charge offs to average loans were 6.6 basis points for the year ended December 31, 2019.

Non-Interest Income

Non-interest income increased 22.6%, or $1.3 million to $6.9 million for the fourth quarter of 2019 compared to $5.6 million for the same quarter last year. The primary drivers for the increase are mortgage banking income (gain on sale) of $686,000 and an increase of $356,000 in the value of mortgage servicing rights along with a $260,000 improvement in security sales. These gains were offset by an increase in the amortization of mortgage servicing rights of $427,000.

The increase in mortgage banking income was primarily driven by increased saleable volumes when comparing the fourth quarter of 2019 to the fourth quarter of 2018. The drop in interest rates resulting in increased refinance activity is the primary driver for the increased volume.

For the full year 2019, non-interest income increased 13.7%, or $3.2 million to $26.6 million compared to $23.4 million for calendar year 2018. The primary reason for this is an increase in mortgage banking income (gain on sale) of $3.5 million along with increased mortgage servicing fees of $289,000. Also adding to the increase was $578,000 from improvement in security gains, along with an 11.6% increase in insurance income and 9.9% increase in investment management fees. This was offset by an increase in mortgage serving rights amortization of $608,000 and a negative mortgage servicing rights valuation adjustment of $1,457,000. The increase in mortgage banking income was primarily driven by an increase in saleable loan volumes of 24.1% and in increase in the gain on sale margin of 43 basis points.

Non-Interest Expense

Non-interest expense was $15.4 million (excluding merger costs) for the fourth quarter of 2019 compared to $17.2 million for the similar quarter last year, a decrease of $1.8 million, or 10.2%. The fourth quarter of 2018 includes a prepayment penalty of $937,000 for the early extinguishment of Federal Home Loan Bank debt. Excluding this expense non-interest expense was down 4.8%. Non-interest expense for the year was $64.1 million (excluding merger costs). When compared to the prior year of $65.1 million, expenses were down 1.5%. When excluding the Federal Home Loan Bank prepayment penalty expenses year over year remained flat. The Company’s efficiency ratio improved to 55.8% for the year versus 57.7% for the same time period a year ago.

Equity

During 2019, the Company repurchased 1,145,434 of its common shares in the open market at an average price of $9.36. Tangible book value per common share at December 31, 2019 was $6.41 compared to $5.18 at December 31, 2018.

Dividend to be paid

Subject to the closing of the merger of United Community with and into First Defiance Financial Corp., which was announced on September 9, 2019, and is expected to close on January 31, 2020, it is anticipated that a dividend will be paid to all First Defiance shareholders, including UCFC’s shareholders whose shares will be converted to First Defiance common shares upon the closing of the merger. First Defiance declared a dividend of $0.22 per share payable on February 21, to shareholders of record as of February 14. This action would be the equivalent of UCFC paying a dividend of $0.08173 on UCFC shares.

Other

Home Savings is a wholly owned subsidiary of the Company, offering a full line of commercial, wealth management and consumer banking products and services with 33 retail banking offices (32 in Ohio and one in Pennsylvania). Home Savings also has residential mortgage loan centers servicing Ohio, West Virginia, western Pennsylvania, northern Kentucky, and eastern Indiana. Additional information on the Company, Home Savings and James & Sons Insurance may be found on the Company’s web site: ir.ucfconline.com.

When used in this press release, the words or phrases “believes,” “will likely result,” “are expected to,” “will continue,” “is anticipated,” “estimate,” “project”, “will have”, “can expect” or similar expressions are intended to identify “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties, including changes in economic conditions in the Company’s market area, changes in policies by regulatory agencies, fluctuations in interest rates, demand for loans in the Company’s market area, competition, and the ability to close the merger of the Company with and into First Defiance Financial Corp. that could cause actual results to differ materially from historical earnings and those presently anticipated or projected. The Company cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any such forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date made. The Company advises readers that the factors listed above could affect the Company’s financial performance and could cause the Company’s actual results for future periods to differ materially from any opinions or statements expressed with respect to future periods in any current statements.

The Company does not undertake, and specifically disclaims any obligation, to release publicly the result of any revisions that may be made to any forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date of such statements or to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events.