EXHIBIT 99.1
SOUTHSIDE BANCSHARES, INC.
ANNOUNCES FINANCIAL RESULTS FOR THE
THREE MONTHS AND YEAR ENDED DECEMBER 31, 2017
NASDAQ Global Select Market Symbol - “SBSI”
Tyler, Texas, (February 6, 2018) Southside Bancshares, Inc. (“Southside” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ:SBSI) today reported its financial results for the three months and year ended December 31, 2017. Southside reported net income of $10.3 million for the three months ended December 31, 2017, a decrease of $1.2 million, or 10.7%, compared to $11.6 million for the same period in 2016. Southside reported net income of $54.3 million for the year ended December 31, 2017, an increase of $5.0 million, or 10.1%, compared to $49.3 million for the same period in 2016.
Diluted earnings per common share were $0.33 for the three months ended December 31, 2017, a decrease of $0.09, or 21.4%, compared to $0.42 for the three months ended December 31, 2016. For the year ended December 31, 2017, diluted earnings per common share were $1.81, the same as for the year ended 2016.
The return on average shareholders’ equity for the year ended December 31, 2017 was 9.65%, compared to 10.54% for the same period in 2016. The return on average assets was 0.96% for the year ended December 31, 2017, compared to 0.94% for the same period in 2016.
“Continued solid performance and the closing of our Diboll transaction during the fourth quarter provided a nice finish to 2017,” stated Lee R. Gibson, President and Chief Executive Officer of Southside. “Earnings per share (diluted) for the fourth quarter were negatively impacted $0.08 due to acquisition cost, net of tax, related to the Diboll transaction. We were also required to recalculate our net deferred tax asset during the fourth quarter to account for the lower corporate tax rates and the reduced future deductions as a result of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act passed in December 2017. This recalculation resulted in a non-cash tax charge that negatively impacted earnings $0.08 per diluted common share for the fourth quarter. The reduction in corporate tax rates is expected to positively impact earnings in 2018 and in future years.”
“Many of our customers have become more optimistic about their economic future as a result of the reduced regulatory burden and the anticipated benefits from lower tax rates. Loans, excluding acquired loans, increased 4.6% during 2017 while maintaining strong asset quality with nonperforming assets at 0.16% of total assets. The economic conditions in Texas, including our market areas, remain solid with the Austin and DFW markets continuing to perform exceptionally well.”
“The completion of the Diboll transaction, healthy, growing markets and tax rate cuts, all provide us a solid foundation on which to build in 2018. I want to thank all of our customers, shareholders, team members and directors for making Southside the success it is today.”
Loans and Deposits
For the year ended December 31, 2017, total loans increased by $737.8 million, or 28.9%, compared to December 31, 2016, with approximately $621.3 million the result of the consummation of the Diboll merger in the fourth quarter. The net increase in our loans was comprised primarily of increases of $319.2 million of commercial real estate loans, $168.1 million of 1-4 family residential loans, $95.7 million of construction loans, $89.2 million of commercial loans, $47.2 million of municipal loans, and $18.5 million of loans to individuals. Oil and gas industry loans totaled 1.50% of the loan portfolio at December 31, 2017, compared to 1.09% at December 31, 2016.
Nonperforming assets decreased during the year ended December 31, 2017 by $4.6 million, or 30.7%, to $10.5 million, or 0.16% of total assets, compared to $15.1 million, or 0.27% of total assets at December 31, 2016, due to the payoff of several nonaccrual commercial loans during 2017.
During the year ended December 31, 2017, the allowance for loan losses increased by $2.9 million, or 16.0%, to $20.8 million, or 0.63% of total loans, compared to 0.70% of total loans at December 31, 2016. The decrease in the allowance as a percentage of total loans was due to the fact that there was no allowance for loan losses recorded for the Diboll loans since credit quality was considered in the fair valuing of loans and the timing of the completion of the merger on November 30, 2017, in relation to year end.
For the year ended December 31, 2017, deposits, net of brokered deposits, increased $956.2 million, or 27.3%, compared to December 31, 2016, primarily due to approximately $899.3 million of deposits assumed in the Diboll merger.
The following information was filed by Southside Bancshares Inc (SBSI) on Tuesday, February 6, 2018 as an 8K 2.02 statement, which is an earnings press release pertaining to results of operations and financial condition. It may be helpful to assess the quality of management by comparing the information in the press release to the information in the accompanying 10-K Annual Report statement of earnings and operation as management may choose to highlight particular information in the press release.