Summit Financial Group, Inc. (NASDAQ:SMMF) today reported third quarter 2016 net income of $4.28 million, or $0.40 per diluted share, compared to $3.66 million, or $0.34 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2015, representing an increase of 16.9 percent, or 17.6 percent per diluted share. Q3 2016 earnings compared to Q3 2015 and Q2 2016 were positively impacted by increased net interest earnings and reduced write-downs of foreclosed properties, which were partially offset by increased personnel costs and smaller gains realized on sales of securities.

Excluding from third quarter 2016 one-time items of income, gain, expense and loss, Q3 2016 core earnings approximated $4.38 million, or $0.41 per diluted share compared to Q3 2015 core earnings of $4.11 million, or $0.38 per diluted share, and to Q2 2016 core earnings of $4.09 million, or $0.37 per diluted share.

For the nine months ended September 30, 2016, Summit recorded net income of $12.59 million, or $1.18 per diluted share, compared with $11.96 million, or $1.12 per diluted share, for the comparable 2015 nine-month period, representing an increase of 5.3 percent, or 5.4 percent per diluted share.

Excluding from the nine-month period ended September 30, 2016 one-time items of income, gain, expense and loss, core earnings approximated $12.42 million, or $1.16 per diluted share compared to core earnings of $12.50 million, or $1.18 per diluted share, for the same period of 2015.

Highlights for Q3 2016 include:

• Core revenues increased 9.2 percent (on an annualized basis) compared to the linked quarter, and 5.8 percent compared to the year ago quarter.
• Loans, excluding mortgage warehouse lines of credit, grew $39.4 million during the quarter, or 14.4 percent (on an annualized basis), and have grown $46.4 million, or 5.7 percent (annualized), year-to-date.
• Nonperforming assets as a percentage of total assets declined for the sixteenth consecutive quarter to 2.36 percent, compared to 2.47 percent for the linked quarter, reaching its lowest level since Q2 2008.
• Net interest margin declined 9 basis points compared to Q3 2015, and 8 basis points compared to the linked quarter.
• Recorded charges of $134,000 to write-down foreclosed properties compared to $259,000 in Q2 2016 and $1,046,000 in Q3 2015.

Charles Maddy, III, President and Chief Executive Officer of Summit, commented, “I am very pleased to report Summit achieved solid operating results in third quarter 2016. I am particularly gratified by the growth in core revenues which principally resulted from a substantial increase in this past quarter’s lending activity. Further, we closed our acquisition of Highland County Bankshares on October 1, 2016, and our pending acquisition of First Century Bankshares has now received all requisite regulatory approvals and is expected to close in early 2017. The opportunities for us represented by these two acquisitions are significant. They combine Summit with two financially strong banks that have similar cultures, core values and guiding principles as ours, and share the same commitment to build long-term client relationships by providing service beyond expectations.”

Results from Operations

Total revenue for third quarter 2016, consisting of net interest income and noninterest income, grew 3.4 percent to $14.8 million compared to $14.3 million for the third quarter 2015. For the year-to-date period ended September 30, 2016, total revenue was $44.2 million compared to $43.3 million for the same period of 2015, representing a 2.0 percent increase.

Total core revenue, excluding nonrecurring items, described above, was $14.7 million for third quarter 2016 compared to $13.9 million for the same prior-year quarter, an increase of 5.8 percent. For the first nine months of 2016, total core revenue (excluding nonrecurring items) was $43.3 million compared to $42.1 million for the first nine months of 2015, a 2.9 percent improvement.

For the third quarter of 2016, net interest income was $12.0 million, an increase of 6.5 percent from the $11.3 million reported in the prior-year third quarter and increased $304,000 compared to the linked quarter. The net interest margin for third quarter 2016 was 3.32 percent compared to 3.41 percent for the year-ago quarter, and 3.40 percent for the linked quarter.

Noninterest income, consisting primarily of insurance commissions from Summit’s insurance agency subsidiary and service fee income from community banking activities, for third quarter 2016 was $2.75 million compared to $2.99 million for the comparable period of 2015. Excluding realized securities gains, noninterest income was $2.69 million for third quarter 2016, compared to $2.62 million reported for third quarter 2015.

We recorded no provision for loan losses during third quarter 2016, compared to $250,000 for both the linked quarter and year-ago quarter.

Noninterest expense continues to be well-controlled. Total noninterest expense decreased 5.1 percent to $8.42 million compared to $8.87 million for the prior-year third quarter. Excluding from noninterest expense (on a pre-tax basis) merger expenses, flood losses, gains/losses on sales of foreclosed properties, and write-downs of foreclosed properties, noninterest expense would have approximated $8.21 million for Q3 2016 compared to $7.79 million for the comparable period of 2015. Noninterest expense for the first nine months of 2016 increased 1.1 percent compared to the first nine months of 2015.

Balance Sheet

At September 30, 2016, total assets were $1.66 billion, an increase of $165.2 million, or 11.1 percent since December 31, 2015. Total loans, net of unearned fees and allowance for loan losses, were $1.23 billion at September 30, 2016, up $155.3 million, or 14.4 percent, from the $1.08 billion reported at year-end 2015. Excluding mortgage warehouse lines of credit, net loans increased $46.3 million or 4.3 percent from year-end 2015.

At September 30, 2016, deposits were $1.16 billion, an increase of $90.1 million, or 8.4 percent, since year end 2015. During first nine months of 2016, checking deposits remained relatively unchanged at $334.8 million, while time deposits and savings deposits increased by $35.2 million and $54.7 million, respectively, or 7.6 percent and 20.5 percent, respectively.

Asset Quality

As of September 30, 2016, nonperforming assets (“NPAs”), consisting of nonperforming loans, foreclosed properties, and repossessed assets, were $39.2 million, or 2.36 percent of assets. This compares to $38.7 million, or 2.47 percent of assets at the linked quarter, and $45.2 million, or 3.07 percent of assets, at third quarter 2015.

Third quarter 2016 net loan charge-off recoveries were $242,000, or 0.09 percent of average loans annualized; with no provision for loan losses. The allowance for loan losses stood at $11.6 million, or 0.93 percent of total loans at September 30, 2016, compared to 1.05 percent at year-end 2015.

Capital Adequacy

Shareholders’ equity was $153.8 million as of September 30, 2016 compared to $143.7 million December 31, 2015 and $140.3 million at September 30, 2015. Tangible book value per common share increased to $13.69 at September 30, 2016 compared to $12.78 at December 31, 2015 and $12.45 at September 30, 2015. Summit had 10,701,841 outstanding common shares at Q3 2016 quarter end compared to 10,671,744 at year end 2015.

Summit’s depository institution, Summit Community Bank, Inc. (the “Bank”), is well in excess of regulatory requirements for a “well capitalized” institution at September 30, 2016. The Bank’s total risk-based capital ratio was 13.4 percent at September 30, 2016 compared to 14.5 percent at December 31, 2015, while its Tier 1 leverage capital ratio was 10.5 percent at September 30, 2016 compared to the 10.8 percent reported at December 31, 2015.

About the Company

Summit Financial Group, Inc. is a $1.66 billion financial holding company headquartered in Moorefield, West Virginia. Summit provides community banking services primarily in the Eastern Panhandle and South Central regions of West Virginia and the Northern and Shenandoah Valley regions of Virginia, through its bank subsidiary, Summit Community Bank, Inc., which operates eighteen banking locations. Summit also operates Summit Insurance Services, LLC in Moorefield, West Virginia and Leesburg, Virginia.