Category: Business

  • MIL-OSI: Fentura Financial, Inc. Announces Third Quarter 2024 Earnings (unaudited)

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Dollars in thousands except per share amounts. Certain items in the prior period financial statements have been reclassified to conform with the September 30, 2024 presentation.

    FENTON, Mich., Oct. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Fentura Financial, Inc. (OTCQX: FETM) announces quarterly net income results of $867 and $5,637 for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, respectively.

    Ronald L. Justice, President and CEO, stated, “We ended the 2024 third quarter with record total assets, deposits, and shareholders’ equity. These results are a testament to the continued hard work of our team members, and the local value we provide our Michigan communities. During the third quarter, we announced a merger with ChoiceOne Financial Services, Inc., pursuant to which ChoiceOne and Fentura will merge in an all-stock transaction. Once completed, the combination will create the third largest publicly traded bank in Michigan with approximately $4.3 billion in consolidated total assets and 56 offices in Western, Central and Southeastern Michigan. We continue to expect to close the transaction in the first quarter of 2025, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions and regulatory approvals.”

    Following is a discussion of our financial performance as of, and for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024. At the end of this document is a list of abbreviations and acronyms.

    Results of Operations (unaudited)
    The following table outlines our QTD results of operations and provides certain performance measures as of, and for the three months ended:

        9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024   12/31/2023   9/30/2023
    INCOME STATEMENT DATA                    
    Interest income   $ 22,194     $ 21,487     $ 21,541     $ 21,033     $ 20,416  
    Interest expense     10,202       9,650       9,315       8,526       7,757  
    Net interest income     11,992       11,837       12,226       12,507       12,659  
    Credit loss expense (reversal)     1,203       796       (43 )     (190 )     (309 )
    Noninterest income     2,210       2,314       2,355       2,145       2,338  
    Noninterest expenses     11,974       10,921       11,166       10,121       10,594  
    Federal income tax expense     158       454       668       937       937  
    Net income   $ 867     $ 1,980     $ 2,790     $ 3,784     $ 3,775  
    PER SHARE                    
    Earnings   $ 0.19     $ 0.44     $ 0.63     $ 0.85     $ 0.85  
    Dividends   $ 0.11     $ 0.11     $ 0.11     $ 0.10     $ 0.10  
    Tangible book value(1)   $ 30.51     $ 29.84     $ 29.38     $ 28.92     $ 27.64  
    Quoted market value                    
    High   $ 40.00     $ 24.39     $ 27.20     $ 27.20     $ 23.74  
    Low   $ 22.16     $ 22.33     $ 24.00     $ 22.26     $ 19.10  
    Close(1)   $ 39.07     $ 22.50     $ 24.40     $ 27.20     $ 23.74  
    PERFORMANCE RATIOS                    
    Return on average assets     0.19 %     0.45 %     0.63 %     0.86 %     0.86 %
    Return on average shareholders’ equity     2.37 %     5.59 %     7.98 %     11.11 %     11.27 %
    Return on average tangible shareholders’ equity     2.54 %     5.98 %     8.55 %     11.94 %     12.14 %
    Efficiency ratio     84.31 %     77.17 %     76.58 %     69.08 %     70.64 %
    Yield on average earning assets (FTE)     5.17 %     5.18 %     5.15 %     5.06 %     4.92 %
    Rate on interest bearing liabilities     3.28 %     3.22 %     3.11 %     2.90 %     2.66 %
    Net interest margin to average earning assets (FTE)     2.80 %     2.85 %     2.92 %     3.01 %     3.05 %
    BALANCE SHEET DATA(1)                    
    Total investment securities   $ 99,724     $ 100,167     $ 103,210     $ 107,615     $ 109,543  
    Gross loans   $ 1,442,389     $ 1,459,929     $ 1,461,465     $ 1,473,471     $ 1,483,720  
    Allowance for credit losses   $ 14,700     $ 15,300     $ 15,300     $ 15,400     $ 15,400  
    Total assets   $ 1,807,370     $ 1,756,629     $ 1,764,629     $ 1,738,952     $ 1,744,939  
    Total deposits   $ 1,470,586     $ 1,427,059     $ 1,438,408     $ 1,394,182     $ 1,401,797  
    Borrowed funds   $ 179,970     $ 178,397     $ 178,500     $ 198,500     $ 201,050  
    Total shareholders’ equity   $ 146,398     $ 143,301     $ 141,074     $ 138,702     $ 132,902  
    Net loans to total deposits     97.08 %     101.23 %     100.54 %     104.58 %     104.75 %
    Common shares outstanding     4,495,005       4,490,087       4,484,447       4,470,871       4,466,221  
    QTD BALANCE SHEET AVERAGES                    
    Total assets   $ 1,797,307     $ 1,762,651     $ 1,771,614     $ 1,740,526     $ 1,739,510  
    Earning assets   $ 1,708,177     $ 1,669,862     $ 1,683,708     $ 1,649,091     $ 1,646,848  
    Interest bearing liabilities   $ 1,237,665     $ 1,204,370     $ 1,205,162     $ 1,165,064     $ 1,156,835  
    Total shareholders’ equity   $ 145,240     $ 142,577     $ 140,574     $ 135,157     $ 132,860  
    Total tangible shareholders’ equity   $ 135,959     $ 133,252     $ 131,204     $ 125,723     $ 123,349  
    Earned common shares outstanding     4,466,951       4,461,580       4,449,376       4,443,463       4,437,415  
    Unvested stock grants     26,500       26,500       31,821       26,018       26,668  
    Total common shares outstanding     4,493,451       4,488,080       4,481,197       4,469,481       4,464,083  
    ASSET QUALITY                    
    Nonperforming loans to gross loans (1)     0.71 %     0.66 %     0.39 %     0.38 %     0.24 %
    Nonperforming assets to total assets (1)     0.58 %     0.56 %     0.34 %     0.35 %     0.23 %
    Allowance for credit losses to gross loans (1)     1.02 %     1.05 %     1.05 %     1.05 %     1.04 %
    Net charge-offs (recoveries) to QTD average gross loans     0.12 %     0.05 %     %   (0.01)%   (0.03)%
    Credit loss expense (reversal) to QTD average gross loans     0.08 %     0.05 %     %   (0.01)%   (0.02)%
    CAPITAL RATIOS(1)                    
    Total capital to risk weighted assets     12.48 %     12.38 %     12.27 %     11.91 %     11.59 %
    Tier 1 capital to risk weighted assets     11.42 %     11.28 %     11.17 %     10.82 %     10.51 %
    CET1 capital to risk weighted assets     10.40 %     10.28 %     10.17 %     9.83 %     9.53 %
    Tier 1 leverage ratio     8.78 %     8.92 %     8.78 %     8.77 %     8.58 %
                         
    (1)At end of period                    

    The following table outlines our YTD results of operations and provides certain performance measures as of, and for the nine months ended (unaudited):

        9/30/2024   9/30/2023   9/30/2022   9/30/2021   9/30/2020
    INCOME STATEMENT DATA                    
    Interest income   $ 65,222     $ 58,648     $ 41,438     $ 35,161     $ 34,355  
    Interest expense     29,167       19,561       3,122       2,091       4,952  
    Net interest income     36,055       39,087       38,316       33,070       29,403  
    Credit loss expense (reversal)     1,956       132       2,258       (218 )     4,652  
    Noninterest income     6,879       7,126       7,997       11,092       15,190  
    Noninterest expenses     34,061       32,547       30,870       27,815       23,939  
    Federal income tax expense     1,280       2,689       2,616       3,328       3,271  
    Net income   $ 5,637     $ 10,845     $ 10,569     $ 13,237     $ 12,731  
    PER SHARE                    
    Earnings   $ 1.26     $ 2.45     $ 2.39     $ 2.86     $ 2.73  
    Dividends   $ 0.33     $ 0.3     $ 0.27     $ 0.24     $ 0.225  
    Tangible book value(1)   $ 30.51     $ 27.64     $ 25.22     $ 26.53     $ 23.50  
    Quoted market value                    
    High   $ 40.00     $ 24.10     $ 29.25     $ 27.40     $ 26.00  
    Low   $ 22.16     $ 18.70     $ 23.00     $ 21.90     $ 12.55  
    Close(1)   $ 39.07     $ 23.74     $ 23.00     $ 25.75     $ 16.93  
    PERFORMANCE RATIOS                    
    Return on average assets     0.42 %     0.85 %     0.95 %     1.36 %     1.45 %
    Return on average shareholders’ equity     5.27 %     11.15 %     11.71 %     14.55 %     15.79 %
    Return on average tangible shareholders’ equity     5.64 %     12.03 %     12.75 %     15.00 %     16.40 %
    Efficiency ratio     79.33 %     70.43 %     66.66 %     62.98 %     53.68 %
    Yield on average earning assets (FTE)     5.17 %     4.84 %     3.99 %     3.83 %     4.12 %
    Rate on interest bearing liabilities     3.20 %     2.35 %     0.49 %     0.37 %     0.93 %
    Net interest margin to average earning assets (FTE)     2.86 %     3.23 %     3.69 %     3.60 %     3.52 %
    BALANCE SHEET DATA(1)                    
    Total investment securities   $ 99,724     $ 109,543     $ 129,886     $ 138,476     $ 78,179  
    Gross loans   $ 1,442,389     $ 1,483,720     $ 1,350,851     $ 1,015,177     $ 1,060,885  
    Allowance for credit losses   $ 14,700     $ 15,400     $ 12,200     $ 10,500     $ 10,100  
    Total assets   $ 1,807,370     $ 1,744,939     $ 1,588,592     $ 1,329,300     $ 1,284,845  
    Total deposits   $ 1,470,586     $ 1,401,797     $ 1,345,209     $ 1,144,291     $ 1,061,470  
    Borrowed funds   $ 179,970     $ 201,050     $ 116,600     $ 50,000     $ 96,217  
    Total shareholders’ equity   $ 146,398     $ 132,902     $ 121,630     $ 124,809     $ 114,081  
    Net loans to total deposits     97.08 %     104.75 %     99.51 %     87.80 %     98.99 %
    Common shares outstanding     4,495,005       4,466,221       4,434,937       4,569,935       4,691,142  
    YTD BALANCE SHEET AVERAGES                    
    Total assets   $ 1,777,188     $ 1,710,941     $ 1,485,489     $ 1,297,657     $ 1,171,415  
    Earning assets   $ 1,687,249     $ 1,620,015     $ 1,391,179     $ 1,230,553     $ 1,116,861  
    Interest bearing liabilities   $ 1,215,731     $ 1,111,687     $ 858,600     $ 748,472     $ 711,449  
    Total shareholders’ equity   $ 142,796     $ 130,068     $ 120,704     $ 121,659     $ 107,711  
    Total tangible shareholders’ equity   $ 133,470     $ 120,482     $ 110,792     $ 117,991     $ 103,712  
    Earned common shares outstanding     4,459,303       4,428,963       4,425,818       4,630,709       4,665,951  
    Unvested stock grants     28,274       28,530       25,462       21,088       13,966  
    Total common shares outstanding     4,487,577       4,457,493       4,451,280       4,651,797       4,679,917  
    ASSET QUALITY                    
    Nonperforming loans to gross loans (1)     0.71 %     0.24 %     0.12 %     0.82 %     0.07 %
    Nonperforming assets to total assets (1)     0.58 %     0.23 %     0.12 %     0.63 %     0.06 %
    Allowance for credit losses to gross loans (1)     1.02 %     1.04 %     0.90 %     1.03 %     0.95 %
    Net charge-offs (recoveries) to YTD average gross loans     0.18 %   (0.03)%     0.05 %     0.02 %     0.03 %
    Credit loss expense (reversal) to YTD average gross loans     0.13 %     0.01 %     0.19 %   (0.02)%     0.44 %
    CAPITAL RATIOS(1)                    
    Total capital to risk weighted assets     12.48 %     11.59 %     10.96 %     13.63 %     15.57 %
    Tier 1 capital to risk weighted assets     11.42 %     10.51 %     10.07 %     12.64 %     14.40 %
    CET1 capital to risk weighted assets     10.40 %     9.53 %     9.04 %     11.33 %     12.77 %
    Tier 1 leverage ratio     8.78 %     8.58 %     8.91 %     10.21 %     9.86 %
                         
    (1)At end of period                    

    Income Statement Breakdown and Analysis

        Quarter to Date
        9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024   12/31/2023   9/30/2023
    Net income   $ 867     $ 1,980     $ 2,790     $ 3,784     $ 3,775  
    Acquisition related items (net of tax)                    
    Other acquisition related expenses     753                          
    Amortization of core deposit intangibles     35       34       36       60       60  
    Total acquisition related items (net of tax)     788       34       36       60       60  
    Other nonrecurring items (net of tax)                    
    Proxy contest related expenses                              
    Prepayment penalties collected     (24 )     (40 )     (58 )     (85 )     (29 )
    Total other nonrecurring items (net of tax)     (24 )     (40 )     (58 )     (85 )     (29 )
    Adjusted net income from operations   $ 1,631     $ 1,974     $ 2,768     $ 3,759     $ 3,806  
                         
    Net interest income   $ 11,992     $ 11,837     $ 12,226     $ 12,507     $ 12,659  
    Prepayment penalties collected     (31 )     (51 )     (73 )     (107 )     (37 )
    Adjusted net interest income   $ 11,961     $ 11,786     $ 12,153     $ 12,400     $ 12,622  
                         
    PERFORMANCE RATIOS                    
    Based on adjusted net income from operations                    
    Earnings per share   $ 0.37     $ 0.44     $ 0.62     $ 0.85     $ 0.86  
    Return on average assets     0.36 %     0.45 %     0.63 %     0.86 %     0.87 %
    Return on average shareholders’ equity     4.47 %     5.57 %     7.92 %     11.03 %     11.37 %
    Return on average tangible shareholders’ equity     4.77 %     5.96 %     8.49 %     11.86 %     12.24 %
    Efficiency ratio     77.45 %     77.15 %     76.65 %     69.06 %     70.31 %
                         
    Based on adjusted net interest income                    
    Yield on average earning assets (FTE)     5.16 %     5.17 %     5.13 %     5.03 %     4.91 %
    Rate on interest bearing liabilities     3.28 %     3.22 %     3.11 %     2.90 %     2.66 %
    Net interest margin to average earning assets (FTE)     2.79 %     2.84 %     2.90 %     2.98 %     3.04 %
                         
        Year to Date September 30   Variance
          2024       2023     Amount   %
    Net income   $ 5,637     $ 10,845     $ (5,208 )   (48.02)%
    Acquisition related items (net of tax)                
    Other acquisition related expenses     753             753     N/M
    Amortization of core deposit intangibles     105       180       (75 )   (41.67)%
    Total acquisition related items (net of tax)     858       180       678     376.67 %
    Other nonrecurring items (net of tax)                
    Proxy contest related expenses           413       (413 )   (100.00)%
    Prepayment penalties collected     (122 )     (133 )     11     (8.27)%
    Total other nonrecurring items (net of tax)     (122 )     280       (402 )   (143.57)%
    Adjusted net income from operations   $ 6,373     $ 11,305     $ (4,932 )   (43.63)%
                     
    Net interest income   $ 36,055     $ 39,087     $ (3,032 )   (7.76)%
    Prepayment penalties collected     (155 )     (169 )     14     (8.28)%
    Adjusted net interest income   $ 35,900     $ 38,918     $ (3,018 )   (7.75)%
                     
    PERFORMANCE RATIOS                
    Based on adjusted net income from operations                
    Earnings per share   $ 1.43     $ 2.55     $ (1.12 )   (43.92)%
    Return on average assets     0.48 %     0.88 %       (0.40)%
    Return on average shareholders’ equity     5.96 %     11.62 %       (5.66)%
    Return on average tangible shareholders’ equity     6.38 %     12.55 %       (6.17)%
    Efficiency ratio     77.08 %     69.06 %       8.02 %
                     
    Based on adjusted net interest income                
    Yield on average earning assets (FTE)     5.16 %     4.83 %       0.33 %
    Rate on interest bearing liabilities     3.20 %     2.35 %       0.85 %
    Net interest margin to average earning assets (FTE)     2.85 %     3.22 %       (0.37)%
                     

    Average Balances, Interest Rate, and Net Interest Income

    The following tables present the daily average amount outstanding for each major category of interest earning assets, nonearning assets, interest bearing liabilities, and noninterest bearing liabilities. These tables also present an analysis of interest income and interest expense for the periods indicated. All interest income is reported on a FTE basis using a federal income tax rate of 21%. Loans in nonaccrual status, for the purpose of the following computations, are included in the average loan balances.

    Net interest income is the amount by which interest income on earning assets exceeds the interest expenses on interest bearing liabilities. Net interest income, which includes loan fees, is influenced by changes in the balance and mix of assets and liabilities and market interest rates. We exert some control over these factors; however, FRB monetary policy and competition have a significant impact. For analytical purposes, net interest income is adjusted to a FTE basis by adding the income tax savings from interest on tax exempt loans, and nontaxable investment securities, thus making period-to-period comparisons more meaningful.

        Three Months Ended
        September 30, 2024   June 30, 2024   September 30, 2023
        Average Balance   Tax Equivalent Interest   Average Yield / Rate   Average Balance   Tax Equivalent Interest   Average Yield / Rate   Average Balance   Tax Equivalent Interest   Average Yield / Rate
    Interest earning assets                                    
    Total loans   $ 1,450,371     $ 19,599   5.38 %   $ 1,462,362     $ 19,550   5.38 %   $ 1,477,343     $ 19,170   5.15 %
    Taxable investment securities     89,175       335   1.49 %     89,751       350   1.57 %     101,549       397   1.55 %
    Nontaxable investment securities     10,580       57   2.14 %     11,059       62   2.25 %     12,670       70   2.19 %
    Interest earning cash and cash equivalents     148,872       2,023   5.41 %     97,511       1,331   5.49 %     43,865       594   5.37 %
    Federal Home Loan Bank stock     9,179       192   8.32 %     9,179       207   9.07 %     11,421       199   6.91 %
    Total earning assets     1,708,177       22,206   5.17 %     1,669,862       21,500   5.18 %     1,646,848       20,430   4.92 %
                                         
    Nonearning assets                                    
    Allowance for credit losses     (15,282 )             (15,300 )             (15,503 )        
    Premises and equipment, net     13,514               13,964               15,210          
    Accrued income and other assets     90,898               94,125               92,955          
    Total assets   $ 1,797,307             $ 1,762,651             $ 1,739,510          
                                         
    Interest bearing liabilities                                    
    Interest bearing demand deposits   $ 460,256     $ 4,054   3.50 %   $ 429,141     $ 3,745   3.51 %   $ 416,500     $ 3,230   3.08 %
    Savings deposits     261,620       416   0.63 %     266,731       408   0.62 %     290,939       429   0.59 %
    Time deposits     336,570       3,865   4.57 %     330,024       3,756   4.58 %     248,389       2,280   3.64 %
    Borrowed funds     179,219       1,867   4.14 %     178,474       1,741   3.92 %     201,007       1,818   3.59 %
    Total interest bearing liabilities     1,237,665       10,202   3.28 %     1,204,370       9,650   3.22 %     1,156,835       7,757   2.66 %
                                         
    Noninterest bearing liabilities                                    
    Noninterest bearing deposits     402,274               405,985               435,398          
    Accrued interest and other liabilities     12,128               9,719               14,417          
    Shareholders’ equity     145,240               142,577               132,860          
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 1,797,307             $ 1,762,651             $ 1,739,510          
    Net interest income (FTE)       $ 12,004           $ 11,850           $ 12,673    
    Net interest margin to earning assets (FTE)           2.80 %           2.85 %           3.05 %
                                         
        Nine Months Ended
        September 30, 2024   September 30, 2023
        Average Balance   Tax Equivalent Interest   Average Yield / Rate   Average Balance   Tax Equivalent Interest   Average Yield / Rate
    Interest earning assets                        
    Total loans   $ 1,461,289     $ 58,758   5.37 %   $ 1,464,959     $ 55,749   5.09 %
    Taxable investment securities     91,041       1,044   1.53 %     106,158       1,250   1.57 %
    Nontaxable investment securities     11,200       186   2.22 %     13,403       227   2.26 %
    Interest earning cash and cash equivalents     114,540       4,673   5.45 %     24,484       955   5.21 %
    Federal Home Loan Bank stock     9,179       600   8.73 %     11,011       515   6.25 %
    Total earning assets     1,687,249       65,261   5.17 %     1,620,015       58,696   4.84 %
                             
    Nonearning assets                        
    Allowance for credit losses     (15,328 )             (15,290 )        
    Premises and equipment, net     13,957               15,342          
    Accrued income and other assets     91,310               90,874          
    Total assets   $ 1,777,188             $ 1,710,941          
                             
    Interest bearing liabilities                        
    Interest bearing demand deposits   $ 436,997     $ 11,358   3.47 %   $ 385,316     $ 7,927   2.75 %
    Savings deposits     266,883       1,237   0.62 %     312,762       1,336   0.57 %
    Time deposits     331,113       11,265   4.54 %     196,838       4,595   3.12 %
    Borrowed funds     180,738       5,307   3.92 %     216,771       5,703   3.52 %
    Total interest bearing liabilities     1,215,731       29,167   3.20 %     1,111,687       19,561   2.35 %
                             
    Noninterest bearing liabilities                        
    Noninterest bearing deposits     408,449               455,069          
    Accrued interest and other liabilities     10,212               14,117          
    Shareholders’ equity     142,796               130,068          
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 1,777,188             $ 1,710,941          
    Net interest income (FTE)       $ 36,094           $ 39,135    
    Net interest margin to earning assets (FTE)           2.86 %           3.23 %
                             

    Volume and Rate Variance Analysis

    The following table sets forth the effect of volume and rate changes on interest income and expense for the periods indicated. For the purpose of this table, changes in interest due to volume and rate were determined as follows:

    Volume – change in volume multiplied by the previous period’s rate.
    Rate – change in the FTE rate multiplied by the previous period’s volume.

    The change in interest due to both volume and rate has been allocated to volume and rate changes in proportion to the relationship of the absolute dollar amounts of the change in each.

        Three Months Ended   Three Months Ended   Nine Months Ended
        September 30, 2024   September 30, 2024   September 30, 2024
        Compared To   Compared To   Compared To
        June 30, 2024   September 30, 2023   September 30, 2023
        Increase (Decrease) Due to   Increase (Decrease) Due to   Increase (Decrease) Due to
        Volume   Rate   Net   Volume   Rate   Net   Volume   Rate   Net
    Changes in interest income                                    
    Total loans   $ 49     $     $ 49     $ (1,847 )   $ 2,276     $ 429     $ (227 )   $ 3,236     $ 3,009  
    Taxable investment securities     (2 )     (13 )     (15 )     (47 )     (15 )     (62 )     (175 )     (31 )     (206 )
    Nontaxable investment securities     (2 )     (3 )     (5 )     (12 )     (1 )     (13 )     (37 )     (4 )     (41 )
    Interest earning cash and cash equivalents     825       (133 )     692       1,424       5       1,429       3,672       46       3,718  
    Federal Home Loan Bank stock           (15 )     (15 )     (161 )     154       (7 )     (137 )     222       85  
    Total changes in interest income     870       (164 )     706       (643 )     2,419       1,776       3,096       3,469       6,565  
                                         
    Changes in interest expense                                    
    Interest bearing demand deposits     380       (71 )     309       359       465       824       1,162       2,269       3,431  
    Savings deposits     (25 )     33       8       (147 )     134       (13 )     (258 )     159       (99 )
    Time deposits     158       (49 )     109       922       663       1,585       4,001       2,669       6,670  
    Borrowed funds     9       117       126       (896 )     945       49       (1,265 )     869       (396 )
    Total changes in interest expense     522       30       552       238       2,207       2,445       3,640       5,966       9,606  
    Net change in net interest income (FTE)   $ 348     $ (194 )   $ 154     $ (881 )   $ 212     $ (669 )   $ (544 )   $ (2,497 )   $ (3,041 )
                                         
        Average Yield/Rate for the Three Months Ended
        9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024   12/31/2023   9/30/2023
    Total earning assets   5.17 %   5.18 %   5.15 %   5.06 %   4.92 %
    Total interest bearing liabilities   3.28 %   3.22 %   3.11 %   2.90 %   2.66 %
    Net interest margin to earning assets (FTE)   2.80 %   2.85 %   2.92 %   3.01 %   3.05 %
                         
        Quarter to Date Net Interest Income (FTE)
        9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024   12/31/2023   9/30/2023
    Interest income   $ 22,194     $ 21,487     $ 21,541   $ 21,033     $ 20,416  
    FTE adjustment     12       13       14     14       14  
    Total interest income (FTE)     22,206       21,500       21,555     21,047       20,430  
    Total interest expense     10,202       9,650       9,315     8,526       7,757  
    Net interest income (FTE)   $ 12,004     $ 11,850     $ 12,240   $ 12,521     $ 12,673  
                         

    Noninterest Income

        Three Months Ended
        9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024   12/31/2023   9/30/2023
    Service charges and fees                    
    Trust and investment services     619       607       641       433       572  
    ATM and debit card     541       545       512       549       568  
    Service charges on deposit accounts     163       162       140       211       244  
    Total     1,323       1,314       1,293       1,193       1,384  
    Net gain on sales of residential mortgage loans     211       177       143       96       164  
    Net gain on sales of commercial loans     133       98       296       226        
    Change in fair value of equity investments     33       (3 )     (10 )     42       (28 )
    Changes in the fair value of MSR     (175 )     (44 )     (96 )     (108 )     119  
    Other                    
    Mortgage servicing fees     389       386       394       398       398  
    Change in cash surrender value of corporate owned life insurance     206       207       204       192       181  
    Other     90       179       131       106       120  
    Total     685       772       729       696       699  
    Total noninterest income   $ 2,210     $ 2,314     $ 2,355     $ 2,145     $ 2,338  
                         
    Memo items:                    
    Residential mortgage operations   $ 425     $ 519     $ 441     $ 386     $ 681  
        Nine Months Ended September 30   Variance
          2024       2023     Amount   %
    Service charges and fees                
    Trust and investment services   $ 1,867     $ 1,704     $ 163     9.57 %
    ATM and debit card     1,598       1,669       (71 )   (4.25)%
    Service charges on deposit accounts     465       686       (221 )   (32.22)%
    Total     3,930       4,059       (129 )   (3.18)%
    Net gain on sales of residential mortgage loans     531       523       8     1.53 %
    Net gain on sales of commercial loans     527       95       432     454.74 %
    Change in fair value of equity investments     20       (29 )     49     (168.97)%
    Changes in the fair value of MSR     (315 )     218       (533 )   (244.50)%
    Other                
    Mortgage servicing fees     1,169       1,210       (41 )   (3.39)%
    Change in cash surrender value of corporate owned life insurance     617       531       86     16.20 %
    Other     400       519       (119 )   (22.93)%
    Total     2,186       2,260       (74 )   (3.27)%
    Total noninterest income   $ 6,879     $ 7,126     $ (247 )   (3.47)%
                     
    Memo items:                
    Residential mortgage operations   $ 1,385     $ 1,951     $ (566 )   (29.01)%
                     

    Residential Mortgage Operations

    Residential mortgage operations includes net gains on sales of loans, changes in the fair value of mortgage servicing rights, and mortgage servicing fees.

    Net gain on sales of residential mortgage loans represents the income earned on the sale of residential mortgage loans into the secondary market. Although elevated interest rates and limited inventories have significantly driven down the volume of new originations and refinancing activity, we continue to actively sell residential mortgage loans into the secondary market. During the third quarter of 2024, residential mortgage originations sold into the secondary market totaled $10,722.

    Changes in the fair value of MSR are highly correlated to changes in interest rates and prepayment speeds. During the third quarter of 2024, the fair value of the servicing portfolio decreased primarily due to a decline in the size of the servicing portfolio, as the portfolio declined by $4,741. Mortgage servicing rights are expected to continue to decline due to likely further reductions in the size of our servicing portfolio as paydowns and maturities are expected to outpace new originations.

    Mortgage servicing fees includes the fees earned for servicing loans that have been sold into the secondary market. The annual decrease in mortgage servicing fees is directly related to the size of the serviced portfolio. Due to reduced levels of secondary market originations and prepayments, the serviced loan portfolio declined by $22,584, or 3.58%, since September 30, 2023. We expect mortgage servicing fees to trend modestly downward in future periods due to decreased secondary market originations.

    All Other Noninterest Income

    Trust and investment services includes income earned from contracts with customers to manage assets for investment and/or to transact on their accounts through the wealth management and trust department. Trust services and wealth management fees are subject to market fluctuations and interest rate changes. We expect trust and investment services fees to modestly increase in future periods.

    ATM and debit card income represents fees earned on ATM and debit card transactions. We expect these fees to approximate current levels in 2024.

    Service charges on deposit accounts includes fees earned from deposit customers for transaction-based charges, account maintenance and overdraft services. These charges have declined in 2024 due to a reduced level of NSF fees charged to customers based on regulatory guidance and overall industry trends. Service charges on deposit accounts are expected to approximate current levels throughout the remainder of the year.

    Net gain on sales of commercial loans represents the income earned from the sale of commercial loans into the secondary market. Throughout 2024, we sold the guaranteed portion of select SBA loans. We anticipate this strategy to continue throughout the remainder of the year.

    Change in cash surrender value of corporate owned life insurance is expected to modestly increase throughout 2024.

    Other includes miscellaneous other income items, none of which are individually significant.

    Noninterest Expenses

        Three Months Ended
        9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024   12/31/2023   9/30/2023
    Compensation and benefits   $ 5,839   $ 5,842   $ 6,066   $ 5,521   $ 5,592
    Professional services     799     963     894     695     726
    Furniture and equipment     668     689     727     696     668
    Occupancy     622     605     623     610     591
    Data processing     751     490     547     505     576
    Loan and collection     349     425     322     301     232
    Advertising and promotional     312     337     348     139     506
    Other                    
    Acquisition related expenses     953                
    FDIC insurance premiums     275     327     299     270     330
    ATM and debit card     214     188     171     158     153
    Telephone and communication     95     86     109     103     115
    Amortization of core deposit intangibles     44     44     45     76     75
    Other general and administrative     1,053     925     1,015     1,047     1,030
    Total     2,634     1,570     1,639     1,654     1,703
    Total noninterest expenses   $ 11,974   $ 10,921   $ 11,166   $ 10,121   $ 10,594
                         
        Nine Months Ended
    September 30
      Variance
          2024     2023   Amount   %
    Compensation and benefits   $ 17,747   $ 16,876   $ 871     5.16 %
    Professional services     2,656     2,729     (73 )   (2.67)%
    Furniture and equipment     2,084     2,079     5     0.24 %
    Occupancy     1,850     1,815     35     1.93 %
    Data processing     1,788     1,654     134     8.10 %
    Loan and collection     1,096     929     167     17.98 %
    Advertising and promotional     997     1,466     (469 )   (31.99)%
    Other                
    Acquisition related expenses     953         953     N/M
    FDIC insurance premiums     901     861     40     4.65 %
    ATM and debit card     573     493     80     16.23 %
    Telephone and communication     290     334     (44 )   (13.17)%
    Amortization of core deposit intangibles     133     227     (94 )   (41.41)%
    Other general and administrative     2,993     3,084     (91 )   (2.95)%
    Total     5,843     4,999     844     16.88 %
    Total noninterest expenses   $ 34,061   $ 32,547   $ 1,514     4.65 %
                     

    Compensation and benefits includes salaries, commissions and incentives, employee benefits, and payroll taxes. Compensation and benefits has increased in 2024 due to an increase in the size of the organization, merit increases, and market based adjustments. We expect a modest increase in overall compensation and benefits throughout the remainder of 2024.

    Professional services include expenses relating to third-party professional services. These services include, but are not limited to, regulatory, auditing, consulting, and legal. Professional services expenses are expected to approximate current levels in future periods.

    Furniture and equipment and occupancy expenses primarily consist of depreciation, repairs and maintenance, certain service contracts, and other related items. These expenses are expected to approximate current levels throughout the remainder of 2024.

    Data processing primarily includes the expenses relating to our core data processor. The increase in data processing in the third quarter of 2024 is primarily due to the loss of incentive credits from our core data processor following our proposed merger announcement. Data processing expenses are expected to modestly increase throughout 2024 due to annual contractual increases from our core data processor.

    Loan and collection includes expenses related to the origination and collection of loans. The increase in such expenses in 2024 is due to increased levels of home ownership grants. Loan and collection expenses are expected to approximate current levels in future periods as loan growth is expected to approximate current levels.

    Advertising and promotional expenses includes media costs and any donations or sponsorships. These expenses also include marketing efforts to attract new and expand existing customer loan and deposit account relationships. Total advertising and promotional expenses have declined in 2024 due to the expiration of certain long-term sponsorship commitments. Advertising and promotional expenses are expected to approximate current levels in future periods.

    Acquisition related expenses includes expenses related to our proposed merger with ChoiceOne Financial Services, Inc., which was announced during the third quarter of 2024. These expenses include services rendered for investment banking, legal and accounting. We expect to incur additional acquisition related expenses in future periods.

    FDIC insurance premiums typically fluctuate each period based on the size of the balance sheet, capital position and overall risk profile. FDIC insurance premiums are expected to approximate current levels in future periods.

    ATM and debit card expenses fluctuate based on customer and non-customer utilization of ATMs and customer debit card volumes. We expect these fees to approximate current levels in future periods.

    Telephone and communication includes expenses relating to our communication systems. These expenses are expected to approximate current levels in future periods.

    Amortization of core deposit intangibles relates to the core deposits acquired from Community Bancorp, Inc. on December 31, 2016 and FSB on December 1, 2021. These core deposit intangibles are being amortized using an accelerated sum-of-years-digits method over their estimated useful lives of seven years. The core deposit intangibles associated with the acquisition of Community Bancorp, Inc. were fully amortized as of December 31, 2023. The core deposit intangibles associated with the acquisition of FSB will be amortized through 2028.

    Other general and administrative includes miscellaneous other expense items. Other general and administrative expenses are expected to approximate current levels in future periods.

    Balance Sheet Breakdown and Analysis

        9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024   12/31/2023   9/30/2023
    ASSETS                    
    Cash and due from banks   $ 199,717   $ 128,590   $ 132,349   $ 90,661   $ 83,365
    Total investment securities     99,724     100,167     103,210     107,615     109,543
    Residential mortgage loans held-for-sale, at fair value     1,861     2,440     1,067     747     1,037
    Gross loans     1,442,389     1,459,929     1,461,465     1,473,471     1,483,720
    Less allowance for credit losses     14,700     15,300     15,300     15,400     15,400
    Net loans     1,427,689     1,444,629     1,446,165     1,458,071     1,468,320
    All other assets     78,379     80,803     81,838     81,858     82,674
    Total assets   $ 1,807,370   $ 1,756,629   $ 1,764,629   $ 1,738,952   $ 1,744,939
                         
    LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY                    
    Total deposits   $ 1,470,586   $ 1,427,059   $ 1,438,408   $ 1,394,182   $ 1,401,797
    Total borrowed funds     179,970     178,397     178,500     198,500     201,050
    Accrued interest payable and other liabilities     10,416     7,872     6,647     7,568     9,190
    Total liabilities     1,660,972     1,613,328     1,623,555     1,600,250     1,612,037
    Total shareholders’ equity     146,398     143,301     141,074     138,702     132,902
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 1,807,370   $ 1,756,629   $ 1,764,629   $ 1,738,952   $ 1,744,939
                         
        9/30/2024 vs 6/30/2024   9/30/2024 vs 9/30/2023
        Variance   Variance
        Amount   %   Amount   %
    ASSETS                
    Cash and due from banks   $ 71,127     55.31 %   $ 116,352     139.57 %
    Total investment securities     (443 )   (0.44)%     (9,819 )   (8.96)%
    Residential mortgage loans held-for-sale, at fair value     (579 )   (23.73)%     824     79.46 %
    Gross loans     (17,540 )   (1.20)%     (41,331 )   (2.79)%
    Less allowance for credit losses     (600 )   (3.92)%     (700 )   (4.55)%
    Net loans     (16,940 )   (1.17)%     (40,631 )   (2.77)%
    All other assets     (2,424 )   (3.00)%     (4,295 )   (5.20)%
    Total assets   $ 50,741     2.89 %   $ 62,431     3.58 %
                     
    LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY                
    Total deposits   $ 43,527     3.05 %   $ 68,789     4.91 %
    Total borrowed funds     1,573     0.88 %     (21,080 )   (10.48)%
    Accrued interest payable and other liabilities     2,544     32.32 %     1,226     13.34 %
    Total liabilities     47,644     2.95 %     48,935     3.04 %
    Total shareholders’ equity     3,097     2.16 %     13,496     10.15 %
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity   $ 50,741     2.89 %   $ 62,431     3.58 %
                     

    Cash and due from banks

        9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024   12/31/2023   9/30/2023
    Cash and due from banks                    
    Noninterest bearing   $ 37,871   $ 35,437     $ 26,128   $ 29,997   $ 35,121  
    Interest bearing     161,846     93,153       106,221     60,664     48,244  
    Total   $ 199,717   $ 128,590     $ 132,349   $ 90,661   $ 83,365  
                         
        9/30/2024 vs 6/30/2024       9/30/2024 vs 9/30/2023
        Variance       Variance
        Amount   %       Amount   %
    Cash and due from banks                    
    Noninterest bearing   $ 2,434     6.87 %       $ 2,750     7.83 %
    Interest bearing     68,693     73.74 %         113,602     235.47 %
    Total   $ 71,127     55.31 %       $ 116,352     139.57 %
                         

    Cash and due from banks fluctuates from period to period based on loan demand and variances in deposit account balances.

    Primary and secondary liquidity sources

    The following table outlines our primary and secondary sources of liquidity as of:

        9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024   12/31/2023   9/30/2023
    Cash and cash equivalents   $ 199,717   $ 128,590   $ 132,349   $ 90,661   $ 83,365
    Fair value of unpledged investment securities     77,019     74,775     73,680     80,247     82,103
    FHLB borrowing availability     190,000     190,000     190,000     170,000     170,000
    Unsecured lines of credit     23,000     23,000     23,000     20,000     20,000
    Funds available through the Fed Discount Window     109     106     107     111     110
    Parent company line of credit     5,100     7,000     3,500     3,500     950
    Total liquidity sources   $ 494,945   $ 423,471   $ 422,636   $ 364,519   $ 356,528
                         

    The increase in cash and cash equivalents as of September 30, 2024 was due to an increase in total deposits (see “Total deposits” below).

    In addition to the above liquidity sources, we also have the option of utilizing wholesale funding sources, such as brokered NOW accounts, brokered time deposits, and internet time deposits. Although wholesale funding sources are typically more expensive than core deposits and other liquidity sources, they are an integral part of our overall asset and liability management strategy.

    Investment securities

        9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024   12/31/2023   9/30/2023
    Available-for-sale                    
    U.S. Government and federal agency   $ 19,432     $ 20,430     $ 20,427     $ 22,425     $ 23,420  
    State and municipal     18,997       19,108       20,403       20,460       20,992  
    Mortgage backed residential     44,086       45,808       47,505       49,076       50,786  
    Certificates of deposit     2,234       2,481       2,729       2,728       3,956  
    Collateralized mortgage obligations – agencies     21,640       22,213       22,778       23,320       24,062  
    Unrealized gain/(loss) on available-for-sale securities     (8,798 )     (12,179 )     (13,027 )     (12,760 )     (15,958 )
    Total available-for-sale     97,591       97,861       100,815       105,249       107,258  
    Held-to-maturity state and municipal     535       791       877       878       879  
    Equity securities     1,598       1,515       1,518       1,488       1,406  
    Total investment securities   $ 99,724     $ 100,167     $ 103,210     $ 107,615     $ 109,543  
                         
        9/30/2024 vs 6/30/2024       9/30/2024 vs 9/30/2023
        Variance       Variance
        Amount   %       Amount   %
    Available-for-sale                    
    U.S. Government and federal agency     (998 )   (4.88)%       $ (3,988 )   (17.03)%
    State and municipal     (111 )   (0.58)%         (1,995 )   (9.50)%
    Mortgage backed residential     (1,722 )   (3.76)%         (6,700 )   (13.19)%
    Certificates of deposit     (247 )   (9.96)%         (1,722 )   (43.53)%
    Collateralized mortgage obligations – agencies     (573 )   (2.58)%         (2,422 )   (10.07)%
    Unrealized gain/(loss) on available-for-sale securities     3,381     (27.76)%         7,160     (44.87)%
    Total available-for-sale     (270 )   (0.28)%         (9,667 )   (9.01)%
    Held-to-maturity state and municipal     (256 )   (32.36)%         (344 )   (39.14)%
    Equity securities     83       5.48 %         192       13.66 %
    Total investment securities   $ (443 )   (0.44)%       $ (9,819 )   (8.96)%
                         

    The amortized cost and fair value of AFS investment securities as of September 30, 2024 were as follows:

        Maturing        
        Due in One Year or Less   After One Year But Within Five Years   After Five Years But Within Ten Years   After Ten Years   Securities with Variable Monthly Payments or Noncontractual Maturities   Total
    U.S. Government and federal agency   $ 6,481   $ 12,951   $   $   $   $ 19,432
    State and municipal     1,624     15,190     1,113     1,070         18,997
    Mortgage backed residential                     44,086     44,086
    Certificates of deposit     2,234                     2,234
    Collateralized mortgage obligations – agencies                     21,640     21,640
    Total amortized cost   $ 10,339   $ 28,141   $ 1,113   $ 1,070   $ 65,726   $ 106,389
    Fair value   $ 10,111   $ 26,620   $ 1,017   $ 1,001   $ 58,842   $ 97,591
                             

    The amortized cost and fair value of HTM investment securities as of September 30, 2024 were as follows:

        Maturing        
        Due in One Year or Less   After One Year But Within Five Years   After Five Years But Within Ten Years   After Ten Years   Securities with Variable Monthly Payments or Noncontractual Maturities   Total
    State and municipal   $ 85   $ 295   $ 155   $   $   $ 535
    Fair value   $ 84   $ 290   $ 152   $   $   $ 526
                             

    Total investment securities have declined in recent periods primarily due to maturities and prepayments. As a result of overall market conditions, we have not replenished maturing securities with new purchases.

    Residential mortgage loans held-for-sale, at fair value

    Loans HFS represent the fair value of loans that have been committed to be sold to the secondary market, but have not yet been delivered. The level of loans HFS fluctuates based on loan demand as well as the timing of loan deliveries to the secondary market.

    Loans and allowance for credit losses

    As outlined in the following tables, our loan portfolio has strategically declined throughout the past 12 months. As a result of current market conditions, we expect minimal loan growth throughout the remainder of 2024. Specifically, our commercial pipeline has declined significantly, and the requests that are being presented are lower dollar balances and often carry an SBA guarantee.

    The following tables outline the composition and changes in the loan portfolio as of:

        9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024   12/31/2023   9/30/2023
    Commercial and industrial   $ 109,188     $ 120,331     $ 114,772     $ 118,089     $ 125,330  
    Commercial real estate     855,270       864,200       867,270       870,693       874,870  
    Total commercial loans     964,458       984,531       982,042       988,782       1,000,200  
    Residential mortgage     419,140       418,403       426,762       431,836       431,740  
    Home equity     55,475       53,133       48,568       48,380       47,069  
    Total residential real estate loans     474,615       471,536       475,330       480,216       478,809  
    Consumer     3,316       3,862       4,093       4,473       4,711  
    Gross loans     1,442,389       1,459,929       1,461,465       1,473,471       1,483,720  
    Allowance for credit losses     (14,700 )     (15,300 )     (15,300 )     (15,400 )     (15,400 )
    Loans, net   $ 1,427,689     $ 1,444,629     $ 1,446,165     $ 1,458,071     $ 1,468,320  
                         
    Memo items:                    
    Residential mortgage loans serviced for others   $ 609,113     $ 613,854     $ 619,160     $ 624,765     $ 631,697  
                         
        9/30/2024 vs 6/30/2024       9/30/2024 vs 9/30/2023
        Variance       Variance
        Amount   %       Amount   %
    Commercial and industrial   $ (11,143 )   (9.26)%       $ (16,142 )   (12.88)%
    Commercial real estate     (8,930 )   (1.03)%         (19,600 )   (2.24)%
    Total commercial loans     (20,073 )   (2.04)%         (35,742 )   (3.57)%
    Residential mortgage     737       0.18 %         (12,600 )   (2.92)%
    Home equity     2,342       4.41 %         8,406       17.86 %
    Total residential real estate loans     3,079       0.65 %         (4,194 )   (0.88)%
    Consumer     (546 )   (14.14)%         (1,395 )   (29.61)%
    Gross loans     (17,540 )   (1.20)%         (41,331 )   (2.79)%
    Allowance for credit losses     600     (3.92)%         700     (4.55)%
    Loans, net   $ (16,940 )   (1.17)%       $ (40,631 )   (2.77)%
                         
    Memo items:                    
    Residential mortgage loans serviced for others   $ (4,741 )   (0.77)%       $ (22,584 )   (3.58)%
                         

    The following table presents historical loan balances by portfolio segment as of:

        9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024   12/31/2023   9/30/2023
    Loans collectively evaluated                    
    Commercial and industrial   $ 102,523   $ 113,254   $ 112,542   $ 115,665   $ 124,860
    Commercial real estate     854,038     864,026     867,270     870,524     874,701
    Residential mortgage     416,864     416,130     423,881     429,109     428,927
    Home equity     55,416     53,056     48,388     48,136     46,898
    Consumer     3,325     3,862     4,093     4,473     4,711
    Subtotal     1,432,166     1,450,328     1,456,174     1,467,907     1,480,097
    Loans individually evaluated                    
    Commercial and industrial     6,665     7,077     2,230     2,424     470
    Commercial real estate     1,232     174         169     169
    Residential mortgage     2,276     2,273     2,881     2,727     2,813
    Home equity     48     77     180     244     171
    Consumer     2                
    Subtotal     10,223     9,601     5,291     5,564     3,623
    Gross Loans   $ 1,442,389   $ 1,459,929   $ 1,461,465   $ 1,473,471   $ 1,483,720
                         

    The following table presents historical allowance for credit losses allocations by portfolio segment as of:

        9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024   12/31/2023   9/30/2023
    Allowance for credit losses for collectively evaluated loans                    
    Commercial and industrial   $ 1,436   $ 1,434   $ 1,300   $ 1,407   $ 1,362
    Commercial real estate     8,347     8,903     8,359     8,467     8,703
    Residential mortgage     4,131     4,133     4,202     4,409     4,439
    Home equity     348     327     305     321     315
    Consumer     51     80     38     44     36
    Unallocated             670     355     294
    Subtotal     14,313     14,877     14,874     15,003     15,149
    Allowance for credit losses for individually evaluated loans                    
    Commercial and industrial     385     423     423     363     248
    Commercial real estate                    
    Residential mortgage             3     34     3
    Home equity                    
    Consumer     2                
    Unallocated                    
    Subtotal     387     423     426     397     251
    Allowance for credit losses   $ 14,700   $ 15,300   $ 15,300   $ 15,400   $ 15,400
                         
    Commercial and industrial   $ 1,784   $ 1,857   $ 1,723   $ 1,770   $ 1,610
    Commercial real estate     8,347     8,903     8,359     8,467     8,703
    Residential mortgage     4,131     4,133     4,205     4,443     4,442
    Home equity     348     327     305     321     315
    Consumer     53     80     38     44     36
    Unallocated             670     355     294
    Allowance for credit losses   $ 14,700   $ 15,300   $ 15,300   $ 15,400   $ 15,400
                         

    Loan concentration analysis

    As a result of current economic conditions, there continues to be a heightened focus in the financial industry for non-owner occupied commercial real estate loans, most specifically retail and office space industries. While we continue to monitor various industries that have been impacted by the pandemic, we also continue to monitor the effects of inflation, supply chain disruption, elevated interest rates, and office space usage associated with an increased remote workforce. The overall credit quality indicators of non-owner occupied commercial real estate loan portfolio have remained strong. Performance is based on debt service coverage ratio, loan to value ratio and payment trends. As of September 30, 2024, there were no delinquencies in the non-owner occupied commercial real estate loan portfolio. We expect the non-owner occupied commercial real estate loan portfolio to experience insignificant growth, if any, in future periods.

    Within the net lease and retail strip center non-owner occupied commercial real estate pools, we have exposure to Rite Aid. During the fourth quarter of 2023, Rite Aid, which operates over 2,000 retail pharmacies across 17 states, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. During the third quarter of 2024, Rite Aid announced that it successfully emerged from bankruptcy protection and will now operate as a private company. However, all Rite Aid stores in Michigan were closed as part of the company’s restructuring. As a result, one commercial real estate loan was partially charged off and its remaining balance was moved to nonaccrual status during the third quarter of 2024. We continue to actively monitor five remaining loans previously associated with Rite Aid.

    With the ongoing pressures on the office sector due to remote work capabilities and less required office space, we continue to monitor the office pool more closely for potential deterioration. It is not expected that there will be much, if any, impact on portfolio performance in this pool in the near future due to existing lease terms, tenant mix, office size, and strong underwriting at origination. Due to current economic uncertainty and the pressures noted above, it is unlikely that we will seek new loan originations in the non-owner occupied office pool in 2024.

    Below is a description of each industry pool within the non-owner occupied commercial real estate loan portfolio:

    Net lease: Loans in this pool represent national credit tenants (or franchisees of the same) or large regional tenants with excellent credit. These loans are typically single tenant net lease credits with strong debt service coverage ratios and lease terms that extend beyond the maturity of the loan.

    Retail strip centers: Loans in this pool represent loans collateralized by retail strip centers. The tenant base within this pool consists primarily of retail space whose average lease periods run between one and ten years. Larger strip centers are usually anchored by a national or regional tenant. Guarantors in this category typically have large liquid reserves.

    Office: Loans in this pool represent loans collateralized by non-owner occupied office buildings. The tenant base includes legal and other professional services whose average lease periods run from three to fifteen years.

    Special use: Loans in this pool represent loans collateralized by special use buildings, which include hotels, motels, assisted living and nursing homes that are not classified as construction or SBA loans.

    Industrial: Loans in this pool represent investment properties used for manufacturing and production.

    Medical office: Loans in this pool represent loans collateralized by non-owner occupied medical office buildings. The tenant base includes medical services whose average lease periods run from three to fifteen years.

    Self storage: Loans in this pool represent self storage buildings. Loan terms are generally five years or less and the lease terms of the units are typically on a month-to-month basis.

    Mixed use: Loans in this pool represent loans collateralized by mixed use real estate. The tenant base within this pool consists primarily of office-retail, office-residential or retail-residential space. The properties are most often purchased by individuals for investment purposes.

    Retail: Loans in this pool represent loans collateralized by single tenant retail buildings whose average lease periods run over five years.

    The following tables present the composition of current and historical non-owner occupied commercial real estate loans, based on loan collateral, by industry pool:

        9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024   12/31/2023   9/30/2023
    Net lease   $ 137,406     $ 141,064     $ 147,103   $ 149,056     $ 160,077  
    Retail strip centers     106,948       106,631       107,834     98,588       96,567  
    Office     61,897       62,237       61,657     61,822       62,959  
    Special use     71,307       71,006       58,278     58,710       57,612  
    Industrial     23,338       23,107       22,575     28,380       28,906  
    Medical office     24,551       24,818       25,380     25,842       28,591  
    Self storage     32,797       32,502       25,660     23,455       21,993  
    Mixed use     16,829       16,980       17,174     17,335       19,833  
    Retail     15,183       17,191       12,533     12,981       14,115  
                         
    Total non-owner occupied commercial real estate loans   $ 490,256     $ 495,536     $ 478,194   $ 476,169     $ 490,653  
                         
        9/30/2024 vs 6/30/2024       9/30/2024 vs 9/30/2023
        Variance       Variance
        Amount   %       Amount   %
    Net lease   $ (3,658 )   (2.59)%       $ (22,671 )   (14.16)%
    Retail strip centers     317       0.30 %         10,381       10.75 %
    Office     (340 )   (0.55)%         (1,062 )   (1.69)%
    Special use     301       0.42 %         13,695       23.77 %
    Industrial     231       1.00 %         (5,568 )   (19.26)%
    Medical office     (267 )   (1.08)%         (4,040 )   (14.13)%
    Self storage     295       0.91 %         10,804       49.12 %
    Mixed use     (151 )   (0.89)%         (3,004 )   (15.15)%
    Retail     (2,008 )   (11.68)%         1,068       7.57 %
                         
    Total non-owner occupied commercial real estate loans   $ (5,280 )   (1.07)%       $ (397 )   (0.08)%
                         

    The following table presents the average loan size of current and historical non-owner occupied commercial real estate loans, based on loan collateral, by industry pool:

        9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024   12/31/2023   9/30/2023
    Net lease   $ 1,383   $ 1,291   $ 1,311   $ 1,316   $ 1,300
    Retail strip centers     2,379     2,197     2,231     2,135     2,115
    Office     1,370     1,363     1,296     1,297     1,294
    Special use     2,612     2,546     2,064     2,079     2,134
    Industrial     933     925     941     1,092     1,072
    Medical office     1,116     1,128     1,103     1,078     1,145
    Self storage     1,923     1,926     1,509     1,380     1,692
    Mixed use     1,324     1,334     1,321     1,333     1,240
    Retail     407     513     447     461     429
                         
    Total non-owner occupied commercial real estate loans   $ 1,489   $ 1,448   $ 1,392   $ 1,379   $ 1,362
                         

    The following table presents current and historical non-owner occupied commercial real estate loans, based on loan collateral, by industry pool as a percentage of gross loans:

        9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024   12/31/2023   9/30/2023
    Net lease   9.53 %   9.66 %   10.07 %   10.12 %   10.79 %
    Retail strip centers   7.41 %   7.30 %   7.38 %   6.69 %   6.51 %
    Office   4.29 %   4.26 %   4.22 %   4.20 %   4.24 %
    Special use   4.94 %   4.86 %   3.99 %   3.98 %   3.88 %
    Industrial   1.62 %   1.58 %   1.54 %   1.93 %   1.95 %
    Medical office   1.70 %   1.70 %   1.74 %   1.75 %   1.93 %
    Self storage   2.27 %   2.23 %   1.76 %   1.59 %   1.48 %
    Mixed use   1.17 %   1.16 %   1.18 %   1.18 %   1.34 %
    Retail   1.05 %   1.18 %   0.86 %   0.88 %   0.95 %
                         
    Total non-owner occupied commercial real estate loans to gross loans   33.98 %   33.93 %   32.74 %   32.32 %   33.07 %
                         

    Asset quality

    The following table summarizes our current, past due, and nonaccrual loans as of:

        9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024   12/31/2023   9/30/2023
    Accruing interest                    
    Current   $ 1,428,014   $ 1,445,780   $ 1,451,432   $ 1,463,668   $ 1,477,386
    Past due 30-89 days     4,152     4,534     4,344     4,239     2,711
    Past due 90 days or more         14     398        
    Total accruing interest     1,432,166     1,450,328     1,456,174     1,467,907     1,480,097
    Nonaccrual     10,223     9,601     5,291     5,564     3,623
    Total loans   $ 1,442,389   $ 1,459,929   $ 1,461,465   $ 1,473,471   $ 1,483,720
    Total loans past due and in nonaccrual status   $ 14,375   $ 14,149   $ 10,033   $ 9,803   $ 6,334
                         

    The following table summarizes the our nonperforming assets as of:

        9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024   12/31/2023   9/30/2023
    Nonaccrual loans   $ 10,223   $ 9,601   $ 5,291   $ 5,564   $ 3,623
    Accruing loans past due 90 days or more         14     398        
    Total nonperforming loans     10,223     9,615     5,689     5,564     3,623
    Other real estate owned     293     293     345     597     345
    Total nonperforming assets   $ 10,516   $ 9,908   $ 6,034   $ 6,161   $ 3,968
                         

    The following table summarizes our charge-offs, recoveries and allowance for credit losses as of, and for the three-month periods ended:

        9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024   12/31/2023   9/30/2023
    Total charge-offs   $ 1,814   $ 814   $ 86     $ 110     $ 16  
    Total recoveries     11     18     29       300       455  
    Net charge-offs (recoveries)   $ 1,803   $ 796   $ 57     $ (190 )   $ (439 )
    Allowance for credit losses   $ 1,203   $ 796   $ (43 )   $ (190 )   $ (309 )
                         

    During the third quarter of 2024, we partially charged off one commercial real estate loan for $1,443 related to the Rite Aid bankruptcy filing. We believe that the credit characteristics are unique and are not an indication of softening in the remainder of our commercial loan portfolio.

    The following table summarizes the our primary asset quality measures as of:

        9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024   12/31/2023   9/30/2023
    Nonperforming loans to gross loans   0.71 %   0.66 %   0.39 %   0.38 %   0.24 %
    Nonperforming assets to total assets   0.58 %   0.56 %   0.34 %   0.35 %   0.23 %
    Allowance for credit losses to gross loans   1.02 %   1.05 %   1.05 %   1.05 %   1.04 %
    Net charge-offs (recoveries) to QTD average gross loans   0.12 %   0.05 %   %   (0.01)%   (0.03)%
    Credit loss expense (reversal) to QTD average gross loans   0.08 %   0.05 %   %   (0.01)%   (0.02)%
                         

    The following table summarizes the average loan size as of:

        9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024   12/31/2023   9/30/2023
    Commercial and industrial   $ 310   $ 343   $ 326   $ 334   $ 353
    Commercial real estate     901     906     900     905     896
    Total commercial loans     740     754     746     752     751
    Residential mortgage     235     234     234     236     234
    Home equity     58     56     53     53     52
    Total residential real estate loans     173     173     174     175     174
    Consumer     12     13     13     13     12
    Gross loans   $ 335   $ 337   $ 336   $ 337   $ 335
                         

    All other assets

    The following tables outline the composition and changes in other assets as of:

        9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024   12/31/2023   9/30/2023
    Premises and equipment, net   $ 13,203     $ 13,661     $ 14,111   $ 14,561     $ 14,928  
    Federal Home Loan Bank stock     9,179       9,179       9,179     9,179       9,179  
    Corporate owned life insurance     28,129       27,877       27,670     27,466       27,274  
    Mortgage servicing rights     8,461       8,636       8,680     8,776       8,884  
    Accrued interest receivable     4,354       4,747       4,869     4,472       4,485  
    Goodwill     8,853       8,853       8,853     8,853       8,853  
    Other assets                    
    Core deposit intangibles     400       444       488     533       609  
    Right-of-use assets     1,062       1,142       1,237     1,333       1,426  
    Other real estate owned     293       293       345     597       345  
    Other     4,445       5,971       6,406     6,088       6,691  
    Total     6,200       7,850       8,476     8,551       9,071  
    All other assets   $ 78,379     $ 80,803     $ 81,838   $ 81,858     $ 82,674  
                         
        9/30/2024 vs 6/30/2024       9/30/2024 vs 9/30/2023
        Variance       Variance
        Amount   %       Amount   %
    Premises and equipment, net   $ (458 )   (3.35)%       $ (1,725 )   (11.56)%
    Federal Home Loan Bank stock           %               %
    Corporate owned life insurance     252       0.90 %         855       3.13 %
    Mortgage servicing rights     (175 )   (2.03)%         (423 )   (4.76)%
    Accrued interest receivable     (393 )   (8.28)%         (131 )   (2.92)%
    Goodwill           %               %
    Other assets                    
    Core deposit intangibles     (44 )   (9.91)%         (209 )   (34.32)%
    Right-of-use assets     (80 )   (7.01)%         (364 )   (25.53)%
    Other real estate owned           %         (52 )   (15.07)%
    Other     (1,526 )   (25.56)%         (2,246 )   (33.57)%
    Total     (1,650 )   (21.02)%         (2,871 )   (31.65)%
    All other assets   $ (2,424 )   (3.00)%       $ (4,295 )   (5.20)%
                         

    The annual decrease in premises and equipment was due to depreciation on our existing premises and equipment.

    Total deposits

    The following tables outline the composition and changes in the deposit portfolio as of:

        9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024   12/31/2023   9/30/2023
    Noninterest bearing demand   $ 398,338     $ 404,521     $ 401,518   $ 423,019     $ 425,820  
    Interest bearing                    
    Savings     264,337       262,538       274,922     273,302       293,310  
    Money market demand     250,715       230,304       229,584     223,827       225,138  
    NOW                    
    Retail NOW     202,030       205,383       203,614     178,892       198,271  
    Brokered NOW                            
                         
    Total NOW Accounts     202,030       205,383       203,614     178,892       198,271  
    Time deposits                    
    Other time deposits     294,862       264,009       268,466     234,838       198,509  
    Brokered time deposits     60,304       60,304       60,304     60,304       60,251  
    Internet time deposits                           498  
                         
    Total time deposits     355,166       324,313       328,770     295,142       259,258  
                         
    Total deposits   $ 1,470,586     $ 1,427,059     $ 1,438,408   $ 1,394,182     $ 1,401,797  
                         
        9/30/2024 vs 6/30/2024       9/30/2024 vs 9/30/2023
        Variance       Variance
        Amount   %       Amount   %
    Noninterest bearing demand   $ (6,183 )   (1.53)%       $ (27,482 )   (6.45)%
    Interest bearing                    
    Savings     1,799       0.69 %         (28,973 )   (9.88)%
    Money market demand     20,411       8.86 %         25,577       11.36 %
    NOW                    
    Retail NOW     (3,353 )   (1.63)%         3,759       1.90 %
    Brokered NOW           %               %
                         
    Total NOW Accounts     (3,353 )   (1.63)%         3,759       1.90 %
    Time deposits                    
    Other time deposits     30,853       11.69 %         96,353       48.54 %
    Brokered time deposits           %         53       0.09 %
    Internet time deposits           %         (498 )   (100.00)%
                         
    Total time deposits     30,853       9.51 %         95,908       36.99 %
                         
    Total deposits   $ 43,527       3.05 %       $ 68,789       4.91 %
                         

    Between March 2022 and July 2023, the FOMC raised its target federal funds rate 11 times, from a target range of 0.00-0.25% to 5.25-5.50%, or 525 basis points, in order to combat rising inflation. This rapid increase in interest rates led to significant competition amongst financial institutions for deposits. In September 2024, the FOMC lowered the target federal funds rate 50 basis points to a target range of 4.75-5.00%. Due to the overall uncertainty regarding potential rate changes in the future, customers have not sought out long-term funds, leading to a shift in demand to higher-yielding non-maturity deposit accounts as well as short-term time deposits.

    Total borrowed funds

    The following tables outline the composition and changes in borrowed funds as of:

        9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024   12/31/2023   9/30/2023
    Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings   $ 160,000   $ 160,000     $ 160,000   $ 180,000     $ 180,000  
    Subordinated debentures     14,000     14,000       14,000     14,000       14,000  
    Other borrowings     5,970     4,397       4,500     4,500       7,050  
    Total borrowed funds   $ 179,970   $ 178,397     $ 178,500   $ 198,500     $ 201,050  
                         
        9/30/2024 vs 6/30/2024       9/30/2024 vs 9/30/2023
        Variance       Variance
        Amount   %       Amount   %
    Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings   $     %       $ (20,000 )   (11.11)%
    Subordinated debentures         %               %
    Other borrowings     1,573     35.77 %         (1,080 )   (15.32)%
    Total borrowed funds   $ 1,573     0.88 %       $ (21,080 )   (10.48)%
                         

    We utilize a mix of borrowed funds and organic deposit growth to fund loan demand. As loan growth has slowed in recent periods, our reliance on FHLB advances has declined.

    Wholesale funding sources

    Although we have been successful at growing market deposits, we utilize wholesale funding sources when necessary to fill gaps when asset growth outpaces deposit growth. Our wholesale funding sources include Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings, correspondent Fed Funds lines and brokered deposits. Although wholesale funding sources are typically more expensive than core deposits, they are an integral part of our funding.

    The following tables outline the composition and changes in wholesale funding sources as of:

        9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024   12/31/2023   9/30/2023
    Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings   $ 160,000   $ 160,000     $ 160,000   $ 180,000     $ 180,000  
    Subordinated debentures     14,000     14,000       14,000     14,000       14,000  
    Other borrowings     5,970     4,397       4,500     4,500       7,050  
    Brokered NOW accounts                          
    Brokered time deposits     60,304     60,304       60,304     60,304       60,251  
    Internet time deposits                         498  
    Total wholesale funds   $ 240,274   $ 238,701     $ 238,804   $ 258,804     $ 261,799  
                         
        9/30/2024 vs 6/30/2024       9/30/2024 vs 9/30/2023
        Variance       Variance
        Amount   %       Amount   %
    Federal Home Loan Bank borrowings   $     %         (20,000 )   (11.11)%
    Subordinated debentures         %               %
    Other borrowings     1,573     35.77 %         (1,080 )   (15.32)%
    Brokered NOW accounts       N/A             N/A
    Brokered time deposits         %         53       0.09 %
    Internet time deposits       N/A         (498 )   (100.00)%
    Total wholesale funds   $ 1,573     0.66 %       $ (21,525 )   (8.22)%
                         

    Accrued interest payable and other liabilities

    Accrued interest payable and other liabilities includes accrued interest payable, federal income taxes payable, deferred federal income taxes payable, and all other liabilities (none of which are individually significant).

    Total shareholders’ equity

    We are considered a “well-capitalized” institution, as our capital ratios exceed the minimum designated standards necessary in accordance with Basel III guidelines. As of September 30, 2024, the Bank’s total capital ratio was 12.78%, tier 1 capital ratio was 11.72%, and tier 1 leverage ratio was 9.02%. The minimum requirements to be considered well-capitalized are a total capital ratio of 10.00%, tier 1 capital ratio of 8.00%, and tier 1 leverage ratio of 5.00%. While we continue to be considered well-capitalized, we are focused on enhancing our capital ratios through earnings of the Bank as well as asset growth moderation strategies in 2024.

    The following tables outline the composition and changes in shareholders’ equity as of:

        9/30/2024   6/30/2024   3/31/2024   12/31/2023   9/30/2023
    Common stock   $ 74,826     $ 74,690     $ 74,555     $ 74,230     $ 74,118  
    Retained earnings     78,467       78,094       76,607       74,309       70,972  
    Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income     (6,895 )     (9,483 )     (10,088 )     (9,837 )     (12,188 )
    Total shareholders’ equity   $ 146,398     $ 143,301     $ 141,074     $ 138,702     $ 132,902  
                         
        9/30/2024 vs 6/30/2024       9/30/2024 vs 9/30/2023
        Variance       Variance
        Amount   %       Amount   %
    Common stock   $ 136       0.18 %       $ 708       0.96 %
    Retained earnings     373       0.48 %         7,495       10.56 %
    Accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income     2,588     (27.29)%         5,293     (43.43)%
    Total shareholders’ equity   $ 3,097       2.16 %       $ 13,496       10.15 %
                         

    The Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of up to $10,000 of common stock. As of September 30, 2024, we had $1,393 of common stock available to repurchase through the program. We did not execute any repurchases of our common stock during 2024.

    Stock Performance

    The following table compares the cumulative total shareholder return on our common stock for the year-to-date, 1 year, 3 year, and 5 year periods ended September 30, 2024. The National OTC Peer Group was developed by selecting all OTC traded bank holding companies with total assets between $1 billion and $3 billion as of 03/31/2024 that had a quoted stock price on Bloomberg. The Midwest / Great Lakes OTC Peer Group represents those institutions included in the National OTC Peer Group that are headquartered in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin.

      # in Peer Group   YTD   1 Year   3 Year   5 Year
    Fentura Financial, Inc. (OTCQX:FETM)     45.40 %   67.28 %   59.12 %   100.80 %
                       
    National OTC Peers 43   (1.01)%   (3.49)%   2.11 %   8.44 %
    Fentura Ranking out of 44     1     1     4     4  
                       
    Midwest / Great Lakes OTC Peers 17   (1.97)%   (5.16)%   (1.63)%   1.35 %
    Fentura Ranking out of 18     1     1     1     1  
                       

    Abbreviations and Acronyms

    ABA: American Bankers Association FTE: Fully taxable equivalent
    ACH: Automated Clearing House GAAP: Generally Accepted Accounting Principles
    ACL: Allowance for credit losses HFS: Held-for-sale
    AFS: Available-for-sale HTM: Held-to-maturity
    AIR: Accrued interest receivable HFS: Held-for-sale
    AOCI: Accumulated other comprehensive income HTM: Held-to-maturity
    ARRC: Alternative Reference Rates Committee IRA: Individual retirement account
    ASC: Accounting Standards Codification ITM: Interactive Teller Machine
    ASU: Accounting Standards Update LIBOR: London Interbank Offered Rate
    ATM: Automated teller machine MSR: Mortgage servicing rights
    CDI: Core deposit intangible N/M: Not meaningful
    CET1: Common equity tier 1 NASDAQ: National Association of Securities Dealers Automated Quotations
    COLI: Corporate owned life insurance NOW: Negotiable order of withdrawal
    DRIP: Dividend Reinvestment Plan NSF: Non-sufficient funds
    EPS: Earnings Per Common Share OCI: Other comprehensive income
    ESOP: Employee Stock Ownership Plan OIS: Overnight Index Swap
    FASB: Financial Accounting Standards Board OREO: Other real estate owned
    FDIC: Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation OTTI: Other-than-temporary impairment
    FHLB: Federal Home Loan Bank QTD: Quarter-to-date
    FHLLC: Fentura Holdings LLC SAB: Staff Accounting Bulletin
    FHLMC: Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation SBA: U.S. Small Business Administration
    FNMA: Federal National Mortgage Association SEC: Securities and Exchange Commission
    FOMC: Federal Open Market Committee SERP: Supplemental Executive Retirement Plan
    FRB: Federal Reserve Bank SOFR: Secured Overnight Funding Rate
    FSB: Farmers State Bank of Munith TLM: Troubled loan modifications
       

    About Fentura Financial, Inc. and The State Bank

    Fentura Financial, Inc. is the holding company for The State Bank. It was formed in 1987 and is traded on the OTCQX exchange under the symbol FETM, and has been recognized as one of the Top 50 performing stocks on that exchange.

    The State Bank is a 5-Star Bauer Financial rated commercial, retail and trust bank headquartered in Fenton, Michigan. It currently operates 20 full-service offices and one loan production center serving Bay, Genesee, Ingham, Jackson, Livingston, Oakland, Saginaw, and Shiawassee counties. The State Bank believes in the potential of banking to help create better lives, better businesses, and better communities, and works to achieve this through its full array of consumer, mortgage, SBA, commercial and wealth management banking and advisory services, together with philanthropic and volunteer support to organizations and groups within the communities it serves. More information can be found at www.thestatebank.com or www.fentura.com.

    Cautionary Statement: This press release contains certain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements concerning future growth in earning assets and net income. Such statements are subject to certain risks and uncertainties which could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, economic, competitive, governmental and technological factors affecting the Company’s operations, markets, products, services, interest rates and fees for services. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date of this press release.

    Contacts:  Ronald L. Justice  Aaron D. Wirsing
      President & CEO Chief Financial Officer
      Fentura Financial, Inc.   Fentura Financial, Inc.
      810.714.3902 810.714.3925
      ron.justice@thestatebank.com aaron.wirsing@thestatebank.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI USA: In Bipartisan Push, Congressman Mfume, Maryland, Virginia Lawmakers Call on President to Address Venezuelan Crab Imports

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Kweisi Mfume (MD-07)

    WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, U.S. Congressman Kweisi Mfume (D-Md.), Senators Chris Van Hollen, Ben Cardin (both D-Md.), Mark Warner, and Tim Kaine (both D-Va.) along with U.S. Representatives Dutch Ruppersberger (D-Md.), John Sarbanes (D-Md.), Rob Wittman (R-Va.), Andy Harris (R-Md.), , David Trone (D-Md.), and Glenn Ivey (D-Md.) wrote to President Joe Biden outlining their concerns with the recent surge of crabmeat imports from Venezuela and its impact on the Chesapeake Bay region’s seafood economy as well as public health. In their letter, the lawmakers urge the President to launch an investigation through the International Trade Commission into the harm that these imports pose to our domestic seafood industry, and press the Administration to encourage a fairer seafood trade relationship. 

    “We write to express our significant concerns with the influx of crabmeat from Venezuela, which has threatened the viability of local fisheries across the Chesapeake Bay. Domestic seafood producers in Maryland and Virginia have experienced significant strain due to the influx of imported Venezuelan crabmeat, some of which is mislabeled and contaminated. In 2018, Venezuelan crabmeat mislabeled as originating from Maryland caused an outbreak of foodborne illnesses, resulting in multiple hospitalizations,” the lawmakers began.

    Highlighting the economic damage caused by Venezuelan imports, they wrote, “Since then, the supply of imported crabmeat has increased, threatening the future livelihood of domestic industry and creating the conditions for a 62 percent decrease in the domestic supply. This has harmed crab fishing industries throughout the Chesapeake Bay, which produces 50 percent of the United States’ total blue crab harvest, a proportion that is now diminishing year over year. There are now fewer than 20 Maryland crab picking and seafood processing companies, down from 53 in 1995.”

    They go on to urge the President to:

    1. Direct the United States International Trade Commission to conduct an investigation, per Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974, looking into the harm caused by Venezuelan crabmeat imports and recommending remedies.

    2. Use the full array of informal actions available to you to address this trade issue, including through negotiations, utilization of World Trade Organization Committees, bilateral dialogues, and other activities.

    The full text of the letter is available here and below.

    Dear President Biden:

    We write to express our significant concerns with the influx of crabmeat from Venezuela, which has threatened the viability of local fisheries across the Chesapeake Bay. Domestic seafood producers in Maryland and Virginia have experienced significant strain due to the influx of imported Venezuelan crabmeat, some of which is mislabeled and contaminated. In 2018, Venezuelan crabmeat mislabeled as originating from Maryland caused an outbreak of foodborne illnesses, resulting in multiple hospitalizations. Since then, the supply of imported crabmeat has increased, threatening the future livelihood of domestic industry and creating the conditions for a 62 percent decrease in the domestic supply. This has harmed crab fishing industries throughout the Chesapeake Bay, which produces 50 percent of the United States’ total blue crab harvest, a proportion that is now diminishing year over year. There are now fewer than 20 Maryland crab picking and seafood processing companies, down from 53 in 1995.

    Chesapeake Bay crab fisheries and processors follow a strict set of regulations to ensure that the Bay remains one of the most sustainable crab fisheries in the world, that the blue crabs harvested there are of the highest quality, and that the industry does no harm to other species. Foreign competitors often confront little or no such regulation. Not only does this imbalance put local fisheries and seafood businesses at a steep disadvantage, it can also put consumers at increased risk. Consumers are often misled about what they are eating, and sometimes even made sick, as was the case when imported Venezuelan crabmeat was linked with multiple cases of Vibrio parahaemolyticus infections.

    We urge your Administration to use all of the tools at its disposal to remedy this unsustainable situation. Specifically, we urge you to:

    1. Direct the United States International Trade Commission to conduct an investigation, per Section 201 of the Trade Act of 1974, looking into the harm caused by Venezuelan crabmeat imports and recommending remedies.

    2. Use the full array of informal actions available to you to address this trade issue, including through negotiations, utilization of World Trade Organization Committees, bilateral dialogues, and other activities. 

    The Chesapeake Bay crab industry has faced numerous challenges, and the region has worked hard to preserve the blue crab population over the years. This industry carries unique cultural importance for the broader Mid-Atlantic region, enriching and enhancing the regional culinary landscape. Without the federal government stepping in to protect American manufacturers from unfair competition, they might not make it through this crisis. If they do not, Maryland, Virginia, and the country, will be all the poorer for it.

    Sincerely,

    ###

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Building small business opportunity in Prince Edward Island

    Source: Government of Canada News (2)

    West Prince Ventures is helping Island companies prepare for growth  

    October 24, 2024 · Alberton, Prince Edward Island · Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA)

    Entrepreneurs and small businesses propel the economy in Canada and bring job opportunities to rural communities. Support in the early stages of business development is vital to ensuring long-term, sustainable growth. Through Community Business Development Corporations (CBDCs), the Government of Canada provides expertise and delivers essential programs to businesses throughout the Atlantic region.

    Improving access to professional services

    Today, Bobby Morrissey, Member of Parliament for Egmont, announced a non-repayable contribution of $305,150 to West Prince Ventures (CBDC Western PEI) to deliver the Consultant Advisory Services (CAS) program, in partnership with CBDC East and CBDC Central, from 2024 through to the end of March 2026. The announcement was made on behalf of the Honourable Gudie Hutchings, Minister of Rural Economic Development and Minister responsible for ACOA.

    The investment will help up to 60 companies across Prince Edward Island with their next stage of growth through access to professional services for business planning and management, market readiness, export growth, and technology adoption.

    From October 20 to 26, during Small Business Week 2024, Canadians are celebrating the crucial role that local companies play in building and strengthening communities.

    Today’s announcement demonstrates the Government of Canada’s commitment to job growth and capacity building in rural Atlantic Canada.

    Connor Burton
    Press Secretary
    Office of the Minister of Rural Economic Development and of the
    Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency
    Connor.Burton@acoa-apeca.gc.ca

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI: Mountain America’s Sixth Annual Month of Caring Makes a Positive Impact Across Six States

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    A Media Snippet accompanying this announcement is available by clicking on this link.

    SANDY, Utah, Oct. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Mountain America Credit Union recently wrapped up its sixth annual Month of Caring, held annually in September. An inspirational initiative, Month of Caring epitomizes the core philosophy of “people helping people,” a value deeply embedded in the credit union. Throughout the month, Mountain America team members across Arizona, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, and Utah were granted paid time off to engage in various charitable endeavors.

    Month of Caring provides an opportunity for Mountain America employees to connect with their local communities and make a meaningful impact. Since its inception in 2019, the initiative has grown significantly, with team members contributing more than 20,400 service hours to various charitable organizations. In 2024, team members dedicated 3,800 volunteer hours, the equivalent of 475 workdays, and counting.

    “Month of Caring is a testament to our commitment to community service,” said Sterling Nielsen, president and chief executive officer at Mountain America. “Our employees’ dedication to making a positive impact is truly inspiring, and we are proud to support their efforts year-round.”

    Mountain America team members actively engaged in a wide variety of service projects during the Month of Caring. Highlights from this year’s activities include:

    Hygiene kits for kids: Team members assembled 2,500 hygiene kits for the Young Caring for Our Young Foundation. which will be given to homeless children or kids living in poverty.

    Animal shelters: Volunteers supported various animal shelters, including the Humane Society of Utah’s Barktoberfest celebration.

    USANA Kids Eat: Team members packed nearly 800 backpacks to food-insecure kids have access to meals and snacks outside of school.

    Utah’s Hogle Zoo: Volunteers supported a variety of tasks to help keep the zoo functioning at a high level, benefiting both the animals and the families who visit. Service included prepping and freezing food for animals, weeding and planting, painting animal care areas and the zoo boardwalk, and replacing soil, grave and mulch in animal areas.

    Supporting veterans: Through Project Sanctuary and Hope for the Warriors, team members helped at a veteran family retreat and made thank you cards for service members.

    Courage Reins: Team members helped this equine-assisted therapy charity by cleaning pastures and an arena, and prepping toys and educational materials for upcoming clients.

    September 11 commemoration: Team members assisted with events to honor this day.

    Teaching golf: Volunteers taught golf to children through the Fremont County Junior Golf Association.

    “Month of Caring highlights our ongoing commitment to community involvement,” said Trent Savage, senior vice president and chief human resources officer at Mountain America. “It’s rewarding to see our employees actively contributing to the well-being of the communities where we live and work.”

    The total hours served across the organization will continue to increase through the year’s end. While serving the community is encouraged during Month of Caring, team members aren’t limited to using their hours only in the month of September. This gives teams flexibility and control over when and where they utilize their service hours as well as maintaining adequate staff within branches.

    To learn more about Mountain America’s community involvement, visit macu.com/newsroom.

    About Mountain America Credit Union
    With more than 1 million members and $20 billion in assets, Mountain America Credit Union helps its members define and achieve their financial dreams. Mountain America provides consumers and businesses with a variety of convenient, flexible products and services, as well as sound, timely advice. Members enjoy access to secure, cutting-edge mobile banking technology, over 100 branches across six states, and more than 50,000 surcharge-free ATMs. Mountain America—guiding you forward. Learn more at macu.com.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Russia: Dmitry Chernyshenko: Open week Nauka 0 in China is another bridge of friendship between our countries

    Translation. Region: Russian Federation –

    Source: Government of the Russian Federation – An important disclaimer is at the bottom of this article.

    Previous news Next news

    Dmitry Chernyshenko sent greetings to the participants of the Nauka 0 festival, which opened in the city of Shenzhen in China

    Deputy Prime Minister of Russia Dmitry Chernyshenko sent greetings to the participants of the Nauka 0 festival, which opened in the city of Shenzhen in China. The event is being held as part of the foreign program of the Decade of Science and Technology, announced by the President of Russia.

    “This year, the Open Week is dedicated to the 75th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China and the establishment of diplomatic relations between Russia and China. 10 years ago, Russian President Vladimir Putin and Chinese President Xi Jinping made a historic decision to establish a joint university, MSU-PPI. During this time, it has become the flagship of bilateral cooperation in higher education, science and innovation. Today, more than 3.4 thousand undergraduate and graduate students study at 14 faculties at MSU-PPI, and large advanced research centers have been created. The landmark initiative of MSU and its rector Viktor Antonovich Sadovnichy – the Open Week Nauka 0 in China – is another bridge of friendship between our countries, their university and academic communities,” the Deputy Prime Minister said.

    Dmitry Chernyshenko added that the main theme of the week – “Science Around Us” – will unite more than 500 different events. Leading Russian and Chinese scientists, popularizers of science and representatives of science-intensive companies will share their knowledge and practices in the field of research and development.

    Rector of Moscow University, Academician Viktor Sadovnichy, speaking about the Nauka 0 Open Week in Shenzhen, noted the importance of the event for the development of science and education.

    “This is the second time that we are holding the Nauka 0 Open Week at the joint Russian-Chinese university MSU-PPI. This is a gift from the university community of Russia and China to all those who share our conviction that science and education are the key areas of civilization development and the basis for cooperation between peoples in the modern world. As part of the Nauka 0 Open Week, our students and teachers, as well as leading scientists from academic institutes, will take part in hundreds of popular science and educational events. Their goal is to once again remind society of the results and significance of the researcher’s work. It is important to demonstrate, using outstanding scientific achievements as an example, how scientists’ discoveries affect our present and future,” Viktor Sadovnichy emphasized.

    On the Russian side, the festival is organized by the Ministry of Education and Science of Russia with the support of Lomonosov Moscow State University, the Russian Academy of Sciences, scientific and educational organizations and corporations. On the Chinese side, the organizers are the joint Russian-Chinese university MSU-PPI in Shenzhen, and the government of Shenzhen.

    Leading Russian scientists will give popular science lectures from October 25 to 27. During master classes, festival visitors will also learn what liquid wires are, create a magnet, feed a single-celled hydra, and extract DNA from a banana. They will see a unique FNIRS device designed to read brain parameters in several people at the same time. Visitors will also try to determine the age of a fish by its scales, print their own DNA on a 3D printer, and learn Chinese calligraphy. And during a “bio tour,” participants will learn about the flora of the MSU-PPI campus.

    The festival aims to tell the general public in a clear and accessible language what science is, what scientists do, how scientific research improves the quality of life and what prospects it opens up for modern man.

    Please note: This information is raw content directly from the source of the information. It is exactly what the source states and does not reflect the position of MIL-OSI or its clients.

    MIL OSI Russia News

  • MIL-OSI Canada: Governments strengthening Ontario’s food supply system

    Source: Government of Canada News

    News release

    365 agri-food businesses will receive funding to enhance operational resilience to diseases and pests

    October 25, 2024 – Toronto, Ontario – Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

    The governments of Canada and Ontario are investing up to $7.5 million to support 365 projects that will help the province’s farmers, food processors, and essential farm-supporting agribusinesses protect their operations against pests and diseases while enhancing operational resilience and strengthening public trust in our food supply system.

    The funding through the Biosecurity Enhancement Initiative, combined with cost-shared investments by the sector, is expected to generate up to $31.5 million in total biosecurity enhancements across Ontario’s agri-food sector.

    Under the initiative, farmers, processors, and select farm-supporting agri-food businesses were eligible for cost-share funding ranging from 35% to 50%, depending on the project category. Supported activities include the implementation of technologies that reduce the spread of animal and plant diseases and capital upgrades that enhance biosecurity (such as constructing isolation facilities and wash bays).

    Examples of projects include:

    • Up to $50,000 for a sheep farm in Clarington to build a new barn to improve its on-farm isolation and separation processes.
    • Up to $50,000 for an Ottawa-area farm to purchase and implement an electronic traceability collection system to improve biosecurity and animal health for its cattle farming operation.
    • Up to $29,353 for a berry farm in Niagara Region for a steam treatment system to eliminate damaging pests and diseases.

    This initiative is funded through the Sustainable Canadian Agricultural Partnership (Sustainable CAP), a 5-year, $3.5-billion investment by federal, provincial and territorial governments to strengthen competitiveness, innovation, and resiliency of Canada’s agriculture, agri‐food and agri‐based products sector. This includes $1 billion in federal programs and activities and a $2.5-billion commitment that is cost-shared 60% federally and 40% provincially/territorially for programs that are designed and delivered by provinces and territories.

    Quotes

    “Keeping our food safe while applying best management practices is vital to ensuring Ontario’s agri-food system continues to thrive. These projects will help enhance biosecurity along our supply chains so we can keep feeding Canadians, and the world.”

    – The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food

    “Maintaining and strengthening Ontario’s world-class food safety system is the number one priority for this ministry. This initiative builds on our government’s consistent record of enhancing the resilience of Ontario’s food supply chains and boosting our standing as a globally trusted producer of agri-food commodities and goods.”

    – Rob Flack, Ontario Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness

    “We are pleased with the government’s Biosecurity Enhancement Initiative, which has enabled 70 producers to enhance biosecurity measures on their farms. This funding plays an important role in protecting the health of our livestock, ensuring the long-term sustainability of our industry, and maintaining confidence in the safety of Ontario-produced pork. By investing in biosecurity, we are strengthening our farms and safeguarding our food system against potential threats.”

    – Tara Terpstra, Board Chair, Ontario Pork

    Quick facts

    • Enhancing the sector’s ability to anticipate, mitigate and respond to diseases and pests was a key priority set for Sustainable CAP by the federal-provincial-territorial agricultural ministers in The Guelph Statement.

    • In 2023, Ontario’s agri-food industry contributed almost $51 billion in GDP to the provincial economy and employed over 871,000 people.

    Associated links

    Contacts

    For media:

    Annie Cullinan
    Director of Communications
    Office of the Minister of Agriculture and Agri-Food
    annie.cullinan@agr.gc.ca

    Media Relations
    Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
    Ottawa, Ontario
    613-773-7972
    1-866-345-7972
    aafc.mediarelations-relationsmedias.aac@agr.gc.ca
    Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn
    Web: Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada

    Makena Mahoney
    Minister’s Office
    Makena.Mahoney@ontario.ca

    Meaghan Evans
    Communications Branch
    OMAFRA.media@ontario.ca
    519-826-3145

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI Canada: New program ignites growth for local businesses

    Source: Government of Canada regional news

    Sturgeon County is home to 2,880 businesses, 97 per cent of which are small businesses. Alberta’s government is providing more than $30,000 to Sturgeon County through the Canada-Alberta Labour Market Development Agreement to support the county’s new Business Catalyst Supports Program. This program is aimed at helping small businesses attract and retain talent.

    The Canada-Alberta Labour Market Development Agreement is a federal-provincial initiative designed to enhance employment opportunities and skills development for Albertans through targeted programs and services.

    Launching during Small Business Week, Oct. 20-26, the Business Catalyst Supports Program will provide much needed business resources to address growing labour market shortages in Sturgeon County.

    “The Business Catalyst Supports Program is crucial for rural communities. By equipping our local businesses with the tools to attract and retain talent, we are not just strengthening individual companies, we are boosting the entire community. When businesses thrive, so do our local economies, creating more jobs and opportunities for Albertans.”

    Tany Yao, parliamentary secretary for Small Business and Northern Development

    Sturgeon County’s Business Catalyst Supports Program, running from March 2024 to March 2026, aims to tackle critical labour market shortages by providing resources and knowledge to rural small and medium-sized enterprises. This means local businesses can become more competitive and appeal to job seekers, ultimately leading to a stronger, more vibrant community.

    “One of the challenges we hear from entrepreneurs is how difficult it can be to find and keep good employees. The Business Catalyst Supports Program provides entrepreneurs with specialized market insight and resources to help them gain an edge in this competitive labour market. We’re thrilled to partner with Alberta’s government and the Town of Morinville to keep building Sturgeon County as the preferred destination for business. We will continue working with our partners to create a community that provides opportunity and a place to put down roots.”

    Alanna Hnatiw, mayor, Sturgeon County

    As part of this initiative, Sturgeon County will release a video series featuring practical tips for local businesses on how to enhance their appeal to job seekers. Additionally, a networking event for small business owners happened on Oct. 24. This event offered a chance to connect, share insights and build valuable relationships within the community.

    Quick facts

    • The Canada-Alberta Labour Market Development Agreement was created in 1996 to support economic development and small business success.
      • The full value of the grant provided by Alberta’s government is $30,114.
    • Sturgeon County’s Business Catalyst Supports Program launched in March and will operate until March 2026.
    • Small Business Week is an annual event that the Business Development Bank of Canada has supported for 45 years.
    • Small businesses make up more than 95 per cent of all businesses in Alberta, employing nearly 35 per cent of the private sector workforce and contributing to 27 per cent of the province’s GDP.
    • Almost 19 per cent of Albertans, or one in five people, are starting or have opened a business. This is much higher than the national average of about 16 per cent.
    • In 2023, the number of incorporated businesses across Alberta grew by 11 per cent compared to the year before – to a total of 55,476.

    Related information

    • Small business resources  
    • Business Catalyst Supports Program
    • Sturgeon County Networking event

    Related news

    • Small Business Week statement (Oct. 20, 2024)

    MIL OSI Canada News

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why Donald Trump’s accusations of election interference are a lose-lose situation for Keir Starmer

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Christopher Featherstone, Associate Lecturer, Department of Politics, University of York

    With less than two weeks to go until the US presidential election, another surprise twist has emerged. Donald Trump has accused the “far-left” Labour party in the UK of election interference by sending volunteers to help the Kamala Harris campaign. This news must have come as a surprise to prime minister Keir Starmer.

    The core of the accusations made by Trump and his team is that Labour was offering financial support to volunteers and helping them arrange accommodation for their trips to the US – and that this amounted to “illegal foreign national contributions” to the Harris campaign.

    And at the centre of those accusations appears to be a now-deleted LinkedIn post from a Labour official saying she had “10 spots available” to campaign in North Carolina. Labour insists this did not mean any financial support was being offered. Labour figures have suggested the campaigning was being done by private citizens.

    Trump’s lawyers filed a complaint with the Federal Elections Commission (FEC) against both the Labour party and the Harris campaign on October 22 claiming otherwise. And the finance point is key, since – under the rules of the FEC – foreign volunteers can assist a campaign, but only if they are unpaid. 10 Downing Street insists the campaigners associated with Labour were not being paid.


    Want more politics coverage from academic experts? Every week, we bring you informed analysis of developments in government and fact check the claims being made.

    Sign up for our weekly politics newsletter, delivered every Friday.


    While there are important questions that need to be answered as to whether the Labour party did break US election rules, the questions about the implications of Trump’s accusations for US-UK relations are likely to be of even greater significance.

    Regardless of whether Trump’s accusations are sustained by the FEC, they are likely to frame his perception of the Starmer government should he win the presidency in less than two weeks’ time. Labour has made improving relations with politicians on both sides of the aisle in Washington a priority. These efforts appear to have been undermined overnight with Trump’s accusations.

    These accusations will likely be investigated after the election has been held. If Trump wins the presidency, he will have enormous influence over this investigation and the surrounding media coverage, which would be an unwelcome situation for Starmer to find himself in.

    Starmer visits Joe Biden at the White House in September 2024.
    Flickr/Number 10, CC BY-NC-ND

    Potentially even more serious is the fact that if Trump loses, this could be the story that he focuses on to explain why he lost. It may seem trivial but triviality has not stopped Trump before. The suggestion that Labour helped Harris could prove just as useful to Trump as the unfounded claims of widespread “voter fraud” in 2020 that helped him seed an insurrection on January 6.

    Whether the FEC finds that the role of Labour activists in the Harris campaign constitutes foreign interference or not, entanglement in this story is unlikely to help relations with either a Trump or a Harris White House.

    UK invovlement in US elections

    Foreign activists have long been involved in US election campaigning – and they do so on both sides.

    The current UK foreign secretary, David Lammy, campaigned for Barack Obama in 2012. In 2017, the Australian Labor party was fined by the FEC for paying for their volunteer’s flights to the US to campaign for Bernie Sanders in Democratic primaries.




    Read more:
    What US election interference law actually says about Labour volunteers


    Indeed, the Trump campaign has used foreign activists and campaigners in the past. Before he decided to run for the seat of Clacton-on-Sea in July 2024, Nigel Farage claimed that he was going to devote his time to campaigning for Trump. Farage has repeatedly been on stage with Trump at his rallies. Former UK prime minister Liz Truss also attended the Republican National Convention in 2024, supporting Trump and calling Joe Biden, then the Democratic Party’s nominee, “weak”.

    What is rare, however, is FEC scrutiny on all this campaigning. While the involvement of foreign volunteers is legal and normal in the US, the rules are rarely debated or tested by a legal probe. These accusations may initiate renewed attention to the issue, and potentially a change in these rules in future elections.

    Importantly, while the coverage of Trump’s accusations against Labour and the Harris campaign have received huge coverage in the UK, attention in the US is limited. Much of the US media coverage has focused on allegations from John Kelly against Trump. Kelly, Trump’s former chief of staff, has accused Trump of being a fascist and of having said that he wished he had generals like “Hitler’s generals”. Trump’s claims about the UK have therefore received far less attention in the US than might have been anticipated. This will have diminished the impact of Trump’s claims with US voters, good news for the future. But Starmer should still be concerned about the impact on diplomatic relations.

    As with many of Donald Trump’s accusations and more controversial comments, there are a lot of moving parts. Trump showed how important his own personal attitudes were in US diplomacy during his previous administration. He is unlikely to forget about these accusations anytime soon, whether he wins or loses.

    Christopher Featherstone does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    ref. Why Donald Trump’s accusations of election interference are a lose-lose situation for Keir Starmer – https://theconversation.com/why-donald-trumps-accusations-of-election-interference-are-a-lose-lose-situation-for-keir-starmer-242063

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Global: Why billionaire philanthropy might not be as generous as you think

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Tobias Jung, Professor of Management, University of St Andrews

    Walmart heiress Alice Walton is one of the richest people in the world and a celebrated philanthropist, whose lifetime giving total recently hit an estimated US$1.5 billion (£1.2 billion). Her largest gift to date, US$390 million in the year to September 2023, included US$249 million for the Alice L Walton School of Medicine in her family’s hometown in Arkansas, US.

    Walton’s other major philanthropic activities include founding the Alice L. Walton Foundation, to increase access to the arts, improve education, enhance health and advance economic opportunities. She also established the Art Bridges Foundation to expand access to American art across the nation. So it seems unsurprising that Forbes magazine ranks Walton as one of the 30 biggest lifetime givers in the US.

    Her philanthropic efforts have also been recognised with accolades and awards: from being named one of the world’s most influential people by Time magazine, to receiving the Smithsonian Institution’s Archives of American Art Medal and the Getty Medal for contributions to the arts and humanities.

    But before joining the celebrations, it is important to reflect on billionaire philanthropy for a moment.

    From almost a decade of research at the Centre for the Study of Philanthropy & Public Good, it is clear that any billionaire philanthropy comes with questions about the societal costs underpinning it. In the case of huge businesses such as Walmart (a retail chain of hypermarkets, discounters and grocery shops), the sort of areas that come in for scrutiny are labour practices and the treatment of workers, the impact on communities and the environment, as well as tax practices and the cost to the taxpayer.

    Such concerns are not new, of course. They are continuations of debates that go back to at least the beginning of the 20th century and the potential tensions between the business practices and philanthropic activities of major industrialists – from Andrew Carnegie, JP Morgan and John D. Rockefeller back then to Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, Meta chief executive Mark Zuckerberg or the Sackler family, founders of Purdue Pharma, nowadays.

    There are also questions about the extent to which billionaire philanthropy is actually generous. While US$1.5 billion might sound impressive, it seems a bit like small change when examined more closely.

    The size of the sacrifice

    With an estimated net worth of US$91.3 billion, Walton has given away around 1.64% of her wealth. According to Forbes’ ranking of billionaires’ philanthropy, this puts her in the second lowest category of philanthropists: those who have given away between 1% and 4.99% of their wealth.

    It makes her more generous than her older brother Rob Walton, who is classified as having given away less than 1% of his wealth, but her US$1.5 billion is dwarfed by the philanthropic efforts of some of her contemporaries, such as novelist and philanthropist MacKenzie Scott or investor Warren Buffett.

    Scott, with an estimated net worth of US$35.3 billion, has already given away more than US$17 billion, or almost half of her wealth. Buffett, who has given around US$60 billion to date, has promised to give away 99% of his wealth, currently sitting at US$146.4 billion, during his lifetime or at death.

    But do these philanthropic efforts actually present personal sacrifices?

    It is difficult to get access to billionaires’ income data, but we can assume that a balanced portfolio for a wealthy investor can currently provide an annual return of around 5-8%. In the case of the US$91.3 billion fortune that Walton holds, this could mean an annual return of up to US$7.3 billion per year, acknowledging that depending on investment strategies and successes this might be lower or substantially higher. Compared to this, US$1.5 billion appears, once again, to be quite small.

    Whether they present major or meaningful contributions for the billionaire themselves is outlined by Warren Buffett.

    “I am giving up nothing that has utility to me”.

    Buffett is a signatory of the Giving Pledge, a campaign he launched in 2010 with Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates and Gates’ then-wife Melinda French Gates as an invitation to billionaires to commit the majority of their wealth to philanthropy.

    In his pledge, Buffett highlights that although he will give away 99% of his wealth, in fulfilling this pledge neither he nor his family will give up anything they will ever need or want. The remaining 1% of their wealth is sufficient – he has highlighted that “this pledge will leave my lifestyle untouched and that of my children as well”.

    So it seems that while billionaire philanthropy might be impressive in absolute terms, and offers significant opportunities for addressing urgent social, cultural, economic, political and environmental challenges, in relative terms its actual contribution might be quite negligible.

    This is particularly the case when you compare the societal costs associated with amassing billionaire fortunes with the societal contributions their philanthropy makes, and taking into account the wider damage that extraordinary economic inequality brings about.

    So while the major sums involved in billionaire philanthropy can offer unrivalled potential for change, it is still necessary and important to ask questions about the actual significance, scale and sacrifices for all of the parties involved.

    Tobias Jung does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    ref. Why billionaire philanthropy might not be as generous as you think – https://theconversation.com/why-billionaire-philanthropy-might-not-be-as-generous-as-you-think-241862

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI Global: The US is now at risk of losing to China in the race to send people back to the Moon’s surface

    Source: The Conversation – UK – By Jacco van Loon, Reader in Astrophysics, Keele University

    Who will be first to return humans to the lunar surface? Merlin74 / Shutterstock

    Will the next human to walk on the Moon speak English or Mandarin? In all, 12 Americans landed on the lunar surface between 1969 and 1972. Now, both the US and China are preparing to send humans back there this decade.

    However, the US lunar programme is delayed, in part because the spacesuits and lunar-landing vehicle are not ready. Meanwhile, China has pledged to put astronauts on the Moon by 2030 – and it has a habit of sticking to timelines.

    Just a few years ago, such a scenario would have seemed unlikely. But there now appears to be a realistic possibility that China could beat the US in a race that America, arguably, has defined. So who will return there first, and does it really matter?

    Nasa’s Moon programme is called Artemis. The US has involved international and commercial partners to spread the cost. Nasa set out a plan to get American boots back on lunar soil over the course of three missions. In November 2022, Nasa launched its Orion spacecraft on a loop around the Moon without humans aboard. This was the Artemis I mission.

    Artemis II, scheduled for late 2025, is similar to Artemis I, but this time Orion will carry four astronauts. They will not land; this will be left for Artemis III. For this third mission, Nasa will send a man and the first woman to the lunar surface. Though as yet unnamed, one of them will be the first person of colour on the Moon.

    Artemis III astronauts are set to use SpaceX’s Starship vehicle to land on the Moon.
    Nasa

    Artemis III was scheduled to launch this year, but the timescale has slipped several times. A review in December 2023 gave a one in three chance that Artemis III would not have launched by February 2028. The mission is currently slated to happen no earlier than September 2026.

    Meanwhile, China’s space programme seems to be moving at speed, without significant failures or delays. In April 2024, Chinese space officials announced that the country was on track to put its astronauts on the Moon by 2030.

    It’s an extraordinary trajectory for a country that launched its first astronaut in 2003. China has been operating space stations since 2011 and has been ticking off important, challenging firsts through its Chang’e lunar exploration programme.




    Read more:
    Nations realise they need to take risks or lose the race to the Moon


    These robotic missions returned samples from the surface, including from the lunar far side. They have tested technology that could be crucial for landing humans. The next mission will touch down at the lunar south pole, a region that attracts intense interest because of the presence of water ice in shadowed craters there.

    This water could be used for life support by a lunar base and turned into rocket propellant. Making rocket propellant on the Moon would be cheaper than bringing it from Earth, making lunar exploration more affordable. It is for these reasons that Artemis III will land at the south pole. It’s also the planned location for US and Chinese-led bases.

    On September 28 2024, China showed off a spacesuit, to be worn by its Moon walkers, or “selenauts”. The suit is designed to protect the wearer against extreme temperature variations and unfiltered solar radiation. It is lightweight and flexible. Is it a sign of China already overtaking the US in one aspect of the Moon race? The company manufacturing the Artemis Moon suit, Axiom Space, is currently having to modify several aspects of the reference design given to them by Nasa.

    The lander that will carry US astronauts from lunar orbit to the surface is also delayed. In 2021, Elon Musk’s SpaceX was given the contract to build this vehicle. It is based on SpaceX’s Starship, which consists of a 50m-long spacecraft that launches on the most powerful rocket ever built.

    On October 13 2024, Starship scored a successful fifth test flight. But several challenging steps are required before the Starship Human Landing System can carry astronauts down to the lunar surface. Starship cannot fly directly to the Moon. It must refuel in Earth orbit first (using other Starships that act as propellant “tankers”). SpaceX needs to demonstrate refuelling and conduct a test landing on the Moon without crew before Artemis III can proceed.

    In addition, during Artemis I, Orion’s heat shield suffered considerable damage as the spacecraft made the high-temperature return through Earth’s atmosphere. Nasa engineers have been working to find a remedy before the Artemis II mission.

    Too complicated?

    Some critics argue that Artemis is too complex, referring to the intricate way in which astronauts and Moon lander are brought together in lunar orbit, the large number of independently operating commercial partners and the number of Starship launches required. Depending who you ask, between four and 15 Starship flights are needed to complete the refuelling for Artemis III.

    Former Nasa administrator Michael Griffin has advocated a simpler strategy, broadly along the lines of how China expects to accomplish its lunar landing. His vision sees Nasa relying on traditional commercial partners such as Boeing, rather than relative “newbies” such as SpaceX.

    However, simple is not necessarily better or cheaper. The Apollo programme was simpler, but at almost three times the cost of Artemis. SpaceX has been more successful, and economical, than Boeing in sending crews to the International Space Station.

    The Artemis I mission was broadly successful, but Orion’s heat shield suffered damage.
    Nasa

    New technology is not developed through simple, tried approaches but in bold endeavours that push boundaries. The James Webb Space Telescope is highly complex, with its folded mirror and distant position in space, but it allows astronomers to peer into the depths of the universe as no other telescope can. Innovation is especially crucial bearing in mind future ambitions such as asteroid mining and a settlement on Mars.

    Does it matter whether the first 21st-century selenauts are Chinese or American? This is largely a question about the relationship between governments and their citizens, and between nations.

    Democratic governments depend on public support to safeguard funding for expensive, long-term ventures – and prestige is an important selling point. But prestige in a 21st-century Moon race will be earned by doing it well, not sooner. Rushing back to the Moon could be costly, both financially and in the risk to human life.

    Governments must set an example of responsible behaviour. Peace, inclusivity and sustainability should be guiding principles. Going back to the Moon must not be about dominion or superiority. It should be a chance to show that we can improve on how we have previously behaved on Earth.

    Jacco van Loon does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    ref. The US is now at risk of losing to China in the race to send people back to the Moon’s surface – https://theconversation.com/the-us-is-now-at-risk-of-losing-to-china-in-the-race-to-send-people-back-to-the-moons-surface-241716

    MIL OSI – Global Reports

  • MIL-OSI USA: Historic Deployment: First time in 70 years, the Wyoming Army Guard 2-300th Field Artillery Regiment deploys together

    Source: US State of Wyoming

    The Wyoming National Guard held send-off ceremonies for different batteries of the 2nd Battalion, 300th Field Artillery Regiment in Torrington, Gillette, Lander and Casper on July 30, 2024, supporting the Soldiers and their families as they embark on their eighth deployment in the past 20 years.

    The send-off ceremony formally recognizes the Soldiers and their families who are about to deploy. It also demonstrates that they have the full support of their community, leadership and loved ones, according to Lt. Col. Michael Kingman, 2-300th commander. This is the first full battalion deployment in over 70 years to conduct a field artillery mission.

    “This deployment marks the eighth time since September 11, 2001, that this formation has answered the nation’s call,” Kingman said. “Most of those deployments involved only portions of the battalion. This mission marks the first time the battalion has deployed as an integrated whole on a field artillery mission since the Korean War.”

    More than 360 Soldiers will deploy to several Middle Eastern countries to support Operations Spartan Shield and Inherent Resolve.

    The ceremony started with the arrival of the official party.

    Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon presided over the ceremonies, joined by Maj. Gen. Greg Porter, Wyoming adjutant general, Chief Master Sgt. Josh Moore, command senior enlisted leader for the Wyoming Guard, Lt. Col. Michael Kingman, 2-300th commander, Command Sgt. Maj. Spencer Jolly, 2-300th command sergeant major, along with other battery and company leadership.

    In the next part of the ceremony, Governor Gordon, General Porter, and Lieutenant Colonel Kingman shared their commitment to support and gratitude.

    Since taking office in 2019, the governor has made it a point to personally send off each service member and their families during deployments. He shared his thoughts with the Soldiers.

    “You are Wyoming proud, Wyoming strong, Wyoming proficient and Wyoming professional,” the governor said. “Thank you. All of us at home, your families, and all of us will know you are protecting us. We thank you from the depths of our hearts, from the bottom of our souls.”

    Governor Gordon also expressed his commitment to the families.

    “We feel that as much service as our men and women on the front lines give, it is also their families that stand watch,” he said. “We will stand 100 percent with the families as well. Thank you to every family member for your service.”

    General Porter spoke about the 2-300th’s rich history of serving the nation.

    “For over 136 years, Wyoming citizen Soldiers have raised their right hands and said, ‘I will do the nation’s bidding. I will wear the cloth of my country and go forth to do what needs to be done,’” the general said. “That is an incredible sacrifice, and I deeply appreciate all of you here in the community who are here to congratulate and recognize that sacrifice.”

    General Porter also highlighted the role of Soldiers as community members.

    “They are also mothers and fathers, sisters and brothers, friends, family members, coaches, ministers and teachers. Our guardsmen and women are an indelible part of the community, and when they leave, they leave a gap,” Porter said. “We will fill this gap for you. We will ensure your community is safe while you deploy, and more importantly, we will ensure your families are taken care of.”

    Lieutenant Colonel Kingman also thanked the families for their sacrifices and encouraged families to reach out if they need assistance.

    “It’s been said, and I believe it to be true, that they have the tougher task, staying behind,” he said. “For the Soldier who goes forward, time often flies. We will be mission-focused here very soon, and these 60 days will go by quickly because we will be busy. But for all the friends and family at home facing the daily grind, they will be going through that without the needed support from their loved ones at their side. I encourage you all to not suffer in silence. If you need someone to talk to, need encouragement, need a hot water heater fixed, or if a door won’t close properly—whatever it is—reach out. We have someone who is not only willing but eager to assist in solving whatever problem comes up.”

    The following segments are long-standing traditions of presenting an “Entering Wyoming” highway sign, the Wyoming flag and casing the 2-300th colors.

    An “Entering Wyoming” highway sign was presented to each battery. The sign will be displayed at each headquarters. Similar signs have been given to every Wyoming Army National Guard unit that has deployed since the Korean War.

    “For the Wyoming National Guard, this sign serves as a visual reminder to all who enter the area that they are in Cowboy Guard territory,” said 1st Lt. Chad Onthank, 920th Forward Support Command executive officer.

    Next, the governor presented the Wyoming flag to the 2-300th to remind each Soldier that those Wyomingites at home are with you every step of the way.

    Finally, Kingman and Jolly cased the battalion colors to show the unit has a mission forward and will deploy.

    For the deployment, Kingman issued a challenge to his Soldiers.

    “I am committed to ensuring that you have the best possible leadership and training every step of the way,” he said. “I am confident that if you work hard, are a good teammate, and keep a positive attitude, we can all come out of this experience as better friends, spouses, parents, Soldiers and human beings.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI: Project Rise Partners Issues Open Letter to Paramount Shareholders

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    NEW YORK, Oct. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —

    Dear Paramount Shareholders,

    We are Project Rise Partners, a special-purpose vehicle comprised of Malka Investment Trust and Rise Beyond LLC. We are a group of investors with backgrounds in entertainment, media, finance, technology, real estate, and hospitality who are committed to Paramount Global’s future success and have formally offered Paramount $13.5 billion cash, which includes up to $5 billion debt restructuring, which we believe is far better for Paramount and its shareholders than their current agreement with Skydance Media.

    We’ve included a summary in the below table which demonstrates why our offer is significantly more favorable and fair to the shareholders when compared to the current Skydance agreement. This superior offer we have already presented is both well-financed and more beneficial to the shareholders because we recognize they are the ones who have built and sustained Paramount. Our offer rewards all stakeholders and ensures that your many different types of investments in the company are not just acknowledged but rewarded.

    Our view is straightforward: shareholders deserve a deal that reflects Paramount’s true value, as well as fairness and transparency in the process. Our offer is backed by a robust set of investors with a specific emphasis on investing into Paramount’s growth, while also providing shareholders a premium over recent market prices. We are confident that our offer not only surpasses other proposals, including the one from Skydance, but it also aligns with the long-term interests of Paramount, its employees, and you, its shareholders.

    Most importantly, we want to reiterate that we are dedicated to treating all shareholders fairly. Our proposal ensures that every investor receives favorable terms in a straightforward way. We believe that this approach honors the trust you have placed in Paramount and provides a path forward that delivers significant value to every shareholder.

    We look forward to engaging with you further and sharing the detailed financial terms of our offer. Thank you for your consideration, and we are confident that, together, we can shape a prosperous future for Paramount Global.

    Sincerely,
    Project Rise Partners
    C/O Malka Investment Trust

    Item Skydance Offer PRP Offer Delta
    Total Cash Consideration $7.2B $13.5B +17%
    Class A offer price $23 $24 +4.3%
    Class B offer price $15 $16 +6.7%
    Balance sheet infusion $1.5B $2B (incl. in total cash) +33%
    Warrants dilution 200M warrants None  
    Debt Restructuring package None Up to $5B (incl. in total cash)  
    Skydance share dilution +317M shares None  
    Overall dilution +615M New shares None  
    Dilution impact to existing Class B 50+% dilution None  
     

    Media Contact:
    media@malkatrust.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI Economics: OEUK news OEUK: Autumn Statement must support a homegrown energy transition 25 October 2024

    Source: Offshore Energy UK

    Headline: OEUK news

    OEUK: Autumn Statement must support a homegrown energy transition

    25 October 2024

    Leading trade body Offshore Energies UK (OEUK) urges the Chancellor to use next week’s Autumn Statement to back the UK’s homegrown offshore energy sector and make the UK an irresistible place for energy investment.

    North Sea oil and gas is a strategic economic asset that has provided a national dividend through energy and economic security for the last 60 years. The North Sea and its expert workforce can continue to power the country for decades to come.

    OEUK analysis published last month highlighted that the proposals to extend the windfall tax on the oil and gas sector will deter the very investment needed across our energy landscape. There is a more prosperous path for government and Industry. While we use oil and gas, we must prioritise investment in our homegrown production, value in our economy, and jobs.

    A letter from 46 supply chain companies to the Government has set out the scale of the challenge they face. The Chancellor is urged to use the Autumn statement to support and nurture the ecosystem of small, medium, and large companies across the UK’s energy mix.

    David Whitehouse, OEUK’s CEO, comments:

    “We recognise that the demands on the Exchequer are challenging. Unlocking economic growth is the solution, and building on industrial strengths is key to our path forward.

    “The North Sea is a strategic national asset and must be treated as such. Our homegrown offshore energy sector has powered the UK for the past 60 years, and the sector’s firms and skilled people are critical to our energy future as drivers of economic growth.

    “We welcome steps to accelerate the deployment of renewable energy, and the recognition that we will use oil and gas for decades to come. Windfall taxes extended on oil and gas producers when no windfall exists deter the very investment that we need across our energy transition. While we use oil and gas, we must surely prioritise investment in our homegrown production, value in our economy, and our jobs.

    “In the past 100 days, it has been good to see the engagement of our new Government with the proud and innovative workers and firms in our offshore energy industry. The Government has heard from people across the sector, and now decisions will be made.

    “On Wednesday, the Autumn Statement will be a marker. We are in a global race for energy investment. Let us choose the path that encourages and attracts it, to build on our national strengths, so the whole of the UK can win.”


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    MIL OSI Economics

  • MIL-OSI: Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines Announces Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results, Declares Dividend

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DES MOINES, Iowa, Oct. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  

    Third Quarter 2024 Highlights

    • Net income of $204 million
    • Voluntary community and housing contributions of $40 million
    • Affordable Housing Program (AHP) assessments of $23 million
    • Advances totaled $98.9 billion
    • Mortgage loans held for portfolio, net totaled $11.4 billion
    • Letters of credit totaled $18.2 billion
    • Retained earnings totaled $3.4 billion

    Dividend

    The Board of Directors approved a third quarter 2024 dividend to be paid at an annualized rate of 9.50 percent on average activity-based stock, and 6.00 percent on average membership stock, unchanged from the prior quarter. The Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines (the Bank) expects to make dividend payments totaling $137 million on November 13, 2024.

    Affordable Housing and Community Impact

    The Bank’s housing and community development programs are central to its mission by providing reliable liquidity and funding to help its members build strong communities and support their affordable housing needs. The Bank contributes 10 percent of its net income each year to its AHP, an annual grant program that supports the creation, preservation, or purchase of affordable housing. This program includes a competitive AHP and two down payment products called Home$tart and the Native American Homeownership Initiative. During the third quarter of 2024, the Bank accrued AHP assessments of $23 million and disbursed $13 million of AHP funds through this program. The Bank recorded an additional $4 million voluntary AHP contribution during the third quarter of 2024.

    In addition to its AHP, the Bank offers its members other voluntary programs to further its housing mission and provide more support for affordable housing initiatives. During the third quarter of 2024, the Bank authorized an additional $4 million through Mortgage Rate Relief (MRR), which will provide a total of approximately $29 million in subsidy to those seeking affordable homeownership. MRR is designed to make homeownership attainable for borrowers at or below 80 percent of the area median income, by providing them an interest rate that is approximately two percentage points lower than the current market rate. During the third quarter of 2024, the Bank funded $210 million of loans under this program and recorded $20 million in subsidy expense. During the third quarter of 2024, the Bank launched a new program, the Habitat for Humanity® Advance Rate Discount. This program provides up to $100 million in zero percent advances to members that originate or purchase mortgage loans from a Habitat for Humanity® affiliate. During the third quarter of 2024, the Bank originated $70 million of zero percent advances and recorded $16 million in subsidy expense.

    Financial Results Discussion

    Net Income – For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Bank recorded net income of $204 million and $708 million compared to $265 million and $706 million for the same periods in 2023.

    Net Interest Income – For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Bank recorded net interest income of $327 million and $995 million, a decrease of $13 million and an increase of $36 million when compared to the same periods in 2023. The decline during the three months ended September 30, 2024 was primarily due to lower average advance balances, which also reduced earnings on invested capital. The decline was offset in part by improved asset-liability spreads on our investments, driven by higher-yielding mortgage-backed security (MBS) purchases.

    Net interest income during the nine months ended September 30, 2024 increased primarily due to higher asset-liability spread resulting largely from higher-yielding MBS purchases and increased longer-term advances, as well as higher short-term interest rates, which improved earnings on invested capital. The increase was partially offset by lower average advance balances.

    Other Income (Loss) – For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Bank recorded other losses of $14 million and $19 million, a decline of $17 million and an improvement of $10 million when compared to the same periods in 2023. The decline in other (income) loss during the three months ended September 30, 2024 was primarily due to the net changes in fair value on the Bank’s trading securities, fair value option instruments, and economic derivatives. During the nine months ended September 30, 2024, the improvement in other (income) loss was driven by net gains recorded on litigation settlements and increased fees on standby letters of credit. The increase was offset in part by the net changes in fair value on the Bank’s trading securities, fair value option instruments, and economic derivatives.

    Other Expense – For the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024, the Bank recorded other expense of $86 million and $191 million, an increase of $38 million and $47 million when compared to the same periods in 2023. The increase during the three and nine months ended September 30, 2024 was primarily driven by an increase in voluntary community and housing contributions of $35 million and $32 million when compared to the same periods in 2023. Additionally, the increase during the nine months ended September 30, 2024 was driven by higher contract labor and consultant costs.

    Assets – The Bank’s total assets decreased to $162.0 billion at September 30, 2024, from $184.4 billion at December 31, 2023, driven primarily by a decline in advances. Advances decreased $23.6 billion due mainly to a decline in borrowings by large depository institution members, offset in part by an increase in borrowings by insurance companies.

    Capital – Total capital decreased to $9.3 billion at September 30, 2024 from $9.8 billion at December 31, 2023, primarily due to a decrease in activity-based capital stock resulting from a decline in advance balances.

    Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines
    Financial Highlights
    (preliminary and unaudited)
    Dollars in millions
    Selected Balance Sheet Items September 30,
    2024
      December 31,
    2023
    Advances $ 98,923     $ 122,530  
    Investments   49,649       49,828  
    Mortgage loans held for portfolio, net   11,398       9,967  
    Total assets   161,979       184,406  
    Consolidated obligations   150,532       171,498  
    Capital stock – Class B putable   5,892       6,873  
    Retained earnings   3,422       3,138  
    Total capital   9,284       9,831  
    Total regulatory capital1   9,323       10,023  
    Regulatory capital ratio   5.76 %     5.44 %
    1 Total regulatory capital includes capital stock, mandatorily redeemable capital stock, and retained earnings. The regulatory capital ratio is calculated as regulatory capital as a percentage of period end assets.

            

      For the Three Months Ended   For the Nine Months Ended
      September 30,   September 30,
    Operating Results   2024       2023       2024       2023  
    Net interest income $ 327     $ 340     $     995     $    959  
    Provision (reversal) for credit losses on mortgage loans               (2 )     1  
    Other income (loss)   (14 )     3       (19 )     (29 )
    Other expense   86       48       191       144  
    Affordable Housing Program assessments   23       30       79       79  
    Net income $ 204     $ 265     $ 708     $ 706  
    Performance Ratios              
    Net interest spread   0.48 %     0.42 %     0.45 %     0.42 %
    Net interest margin   0.77       0.74       0.75       0.71  
    Return on average equity (annualized)   8.40       11.31       9.77       10.28  
    Return on average assets (annualized)   0.47       0.56       0.52               0.51  

    The financial results reported in this earnings release for the third quarter of 2024 are preliminary until the Bank announces unaudited financial results in its Third Quarter 2024 Form 10-Q filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, expected to be available next month at www.fhlbdm.com and www.sec.gov.

    The Bank is a member-owned cooperative whose mission is to be a reliable provider of funding, liquidity, and services for its members so that they can meet the housing, business, and economic development needs of the communities they serve. The Bank is wholly owned by over 1,250 members, including commercial banks, savings institutions, credit unions, insurance companies, and community development financial institutions. The Bank serves Alaska, Hawaii, Idaho, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, North Dakota, Oregon, South Dakota, Utah, Washington, Wyoming, and the U.S. Pacific territories of American Samoa, Guam, and the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands. The Bank is one of 11 regional banks that make up the Federal Home Loan Bank System.

    Statements contained in this announcement, including statements describing the objectives, projections, estimates, or future predictions in the Bank’s operations, may be forward-looking statements. These statements may be identified by the use of forward-looking terminology, such as believes, projects, expects, anticipates, estimates, intends, strategy, plan, could, should, may, and will or their negatives or other variations on these terms. By their nature, forward-looking statements involve risk or uncertainty, and actual results could differ materially from those expressed or implied or could affect the extent to which a particular objective, projection, estimate, or prediction is realized. As a result, you are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements. A detailed discussion of the more important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results and events to differ from such forward-looking statements can be found in the “Risk Factors” section of the Bank’s Annual Report on Form 10-K and Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q filed with the SEC. These forward-looking statements apply only as of the date they are made, and the Bank undertakes no obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise.

    Contact: Julie DeVader          
    515.412.2172
    jdevader@fhlbdm.com

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Bank of the James Announces Third Quarter, First Nine Months of 2024 Financial Results and Declaration of Dividend

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    LYNCHBURG, Va., Oct. 25, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Bank of the James Financial Group, Inc. (the “Company”) (NASDAQ:BOTJ), the parent company of Bank of the James (the “Bank”), a full-service commercial and retail bank, and Pettyjohn, Wood & White, Inc. (“PWW”), an SEC-registered investment advisor, today announced unaudited results of operations for the three month and nine month periods ended September 30, 2024. The Bank serves Region 2000 (the greater Lynchburg MSA) and the Blacksburg, Buchanan, Charlottesville, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Nellysford, Roanoke, and Wytheville, Virginia markets.

    Net income for the three months ended September 30, 2024 was $1.99 million or $0.44 per basic and diluted share compared with $2.08 million or $0.46 per basic and diluted share for the three months ended September 30, 2023. Net income for the nine months ended September 30, 2024 was $6.33 million or $1.39 per share compared with $6.60 million or $1.44 per share for the nine months ended September 30, 2023.

    Robert R. Chapman III, CEO of the Bank, commented: “The Company delivered stable, strong earnings that contributed to building value, growing stockholders’ equity, and a significant increase in book value per share. Our performance once again generated positive returns for shareholders, which have for many years included paying a quarterly cash dividend.

    “Our performance reflected strong interest expense management, sound investment practices, and a balanced and diversified stream of interest and noninterest income. Disciplined credit management has supported superior asset quality, maximizing the value of the revenue generated. Our team of skilled, dedicated professionals continue to do an outstanding job meeting customers’ financial needs, which has led to consistently positive and steady financial results.

    “Even through a period of unusually high interest rates that has moderated lending activity and provided challenges, we have worked with customers to find solutions. A healthy loan portfolio has been a key growth driver as total assets surpassed the $1 billion mark in the third quarter. Assets have increased more than $30 million during 2024, primarily reflecting loan portfolio growth, net of fees, of more than $25 million since the beginning of the year.

    “Initiatives to earn new deposits and a focus on retaining customers’ deposits have led to growth of total deposits since the beginning of the year. At September 30, 2024, interest bearing demand accounts have grown by $2.7 million, time deposits have increased, and noninterest-bearing demand deposits have held steady. We continue to focus on building this important source of funding for loans and providing liquidity.

    “Strategic locations in Buchanan, Virginia, opened at the end of the second quarter, and Nellysford, Virginia, opened at the beginning of the third quarter, are off to strong starts and further expand the Bank’s footprint and deposit-gathering capabilities.

    “The third quarter reflected healthy year-over-year growth of noninterest income. Expanding fee income from wealth management, treasury services for our business customers, and gains on sales of originated mortgage loans to the secondary market have fueled noninterest income.

    “During the third quarter of 2024, we saw encouraging signs that stabilizing interest rates, slowing inflation, and continued economic health in our served markets is supporting positive trends. We are continuing to see increased commercial lending demand, positive trends in residential mortgage volume and origination fees, and continued deposit growth.

    “Looking ahead, we feel that the interest rate environment and continuing economic stabilization and predictability will be clear positives. We anticipate a gradual lessening of the intense pressure on margins and slowing of interest expense increases that have characterized the past two years.

    “Our longstanding commitment to building strong, lasting banking relationships with customers has provided many opportunities to demonstrate the Bank of the James’ value. As a result, use of our commercial cash management services and digital banking capabilities continues to grow, retail customers take advantage of a wide range of digital and in-person banking options, and residential mortgage customers and retail banking customers benefit from our efficient service, digital capabilities and integrated financial offerings.

    “We feel the Company is well-positioned to continue on our path of providing superior value to our shareholders, customers, and the communities we serve.”

    Third Quarter and First Nine Months of 2024 Highlights

    • Total interest income of $11.56 million in the third quarter of 2024 increased 14% from a year earlier, and increased from $10.94 million in the second quarter of 2024. In the first nine months of 2024, total interest income of $33.01 million rose 15% compared with a year earlier. The growth in the quarter and first nine months primarily reflected commercial loan interest rates, commercial real estate (CRE) growth, and the addition of higher-rate residential mortgages.
    • Net interest income after provision for (recovery of) credit losses in the third quarter of 2024 was down marginally compared with the third quarter of 2023. For the first nine months of 2024, net interest income after provision for (recovery of) credit losses was relatively stable compared with the first nine months of 2023. The first nine months of 2024 reflected loan loss recoveries driven by strong asset quality. The third quarter of 2024 reflects a small credit loss provision based primarily on loan growth. Results in both 2024 periods reflected the impact of elevated interest expense.
    • Net interest margin in the third quarter of 2024 was 3.16%, marginally lower than a year earlier but up from second quarter of 2024 net interest margin of 3.02%. Interest spread was 2.81% in the third quarter of 2024. In the first nine months of 2024, net interest margin was 3.07% and interest spread was 2.73%.
    • Total noninterest income for the third quarter of 2024 rose 19% compared with the third quarter of 2023, and in the first nine months of 2024 increased 17% compared with the first nine months of 2023. Growth primarily reflected gains on sale of loans held for sale, strong wealth management fee income contributions from PWW, and fee income generated by commercial treasury services and residential mortgage originations.
    • Loans, net of the allowance for credit losses, increased to $627.11 million at September 30, 2024 compared with $601.92 million at December 31, 2023, primarily reflecting overall loan stability and growth in CRE and residential mortgage loans.
    • Measures of asset quality included a ratio of nonperforming loans to total loans of 0.20% at September 30, 2024, minimal levels of nonperforming loans, and zero other real estate owned (OREO).
    • Total assets increased to $1.01 billion at September 30, 2024 from $969.37 million at December 31, 2023.
    • Total deposits increased to $907.61 million at September 30, 2024 compared with $878.46 million at December 31, 2023.
    • Shareholder value measures at September 30, 2024 reflected consistent growth from December 31, 2023 in total stockholders’ equity and retained earnings. Book value per share of $15.15 has increased significantly from $13.58 at June 30, 2024 and $13.21 at December 31, 2023.
    • On October 15, 2024, the Company’s board of directors approved a quarterly dividend of $0.10 per common share to stockholders of record as of November 22, 2024, to be paid on December 6, 2024.

    Third Quarter, First Nine Months of 2024 Operational Review

    Net interest income after provision for credit losses for the third quarter of 2024 was $7.42 million compared to net interest income after recovery of credit losses of $7.53 million a year earlier. In the first nine months of 2024, net interest income after recovery of credit losses was $22.13 million compared with $22.63 million a year earlier. The Company recorded a small provision for credit losses in the third quarter of 2024, primarily due to higher loan levels. The credit loss recovery in the first nine months of 2024 was $584,000 compared with $278,000 in the first nine months of 2023.

    Total interest income increased to $11.56 million in the third quarter of 2024 compared with $10.14 million a year earlier. The first nine months of 2024 total interest income was $33.01 million, up from $28.82 million in the first nine months of 2023. The year-over-year increases primarily reflected upward adjustments to variable rate commercial loans and new loans reflecting the prevailing rate environment.

    Investment portfolio management has enabled the Company to capitalize on attractive Fed funds rates. In the third quarter of 2024, the yield on all interest-earning assets was 4.86% compared with 4.43% a year earlier. The yield on interest-bearing loans, including fees, was 5.65% in the third quarter of 2024 compared with 5.13% a year earlier. The interest rates on certain existing commercial loans continue to reprice upward in accordance with their terms.

    Total interest expense in the third quarter and first nine months of 2024 increased significantly compared with the prior periods of 2023, primarily reflecting higher deposit rates commensurate with the prevailing interest rate environment, and growth of interest-bearing time deposits. Rates on interest-bearing deposits and total interest-bearing liabilities have placed continuing pressure on margins. The net interest margin in the third quarter of 2024 was 3.16% and the interest spread was 2.81% compared with 3.21% and 2.94%, respectively, in the third quarter of 2023.

    J. Todd Scruggs, Executive Vice President and CFO of the Bank commented: “Even before the Federal Reserve announced a 50 basis point reduction in rates, we anticipated that a stabilizing rate environment would gradually lessen the pressure on margins we have experienced. While not directly reflecting the Fed rate cut announced in mid-September, our third quarter net interest margin of 3.16% improved from the 3.02% margin in the second quarter of 2024. We anticipate continuing gradual margin and spread improvement in future quarters.”

    Noninterest income in the third quarter of 2024 rose 19% to $3.82 million compared with $3.20 million in the third quarter of 2023. In the first nine months of 2024, noninterest income was up 17% to $11.32 million from $9.70 million a year earlier.

    Noninterest income reflected income contributions from debit card activity, a gain on an investment in an SBIC fund, commercial treasury services, and the mortgage division. In the third quarter of 2024, income from wealth management fees increased 19% compared with a year earlier and gains on sale of loans held for sale rose 34% from a year earlier.

    Noninterest expense in the third quarter of 2024 was $8.78 million, up 8% compared with $8.14 million in the first nine months of 2023. Noninterest expense in the first nine months of 2024 was $25.60 million, up 6% from $24.09 million a year earlier. Noninterest expense in the first nine months of 2024 reflected additional personnel costs related to staffing new locations, and the decision to begin accruing for anticipated year-end performance-based compensation ahead of the fourth quarter.

    Balance Sheet: Strong Cash Position, Asset Quality, Stability

    Total assets grew to $1.01 billion at September 30, 2024 compared with $969.37 million at December 31, 2023, with the increase primarily reflecting loan growth.

    Loans, net of allowance for credit losses, were $627.11 million at September 30, 2024 compared with $601.92 million at December 31, 2023, primarily reflecting growth of commercial real estate loans and strong, stable residential mortgage, consumer, and construction lending.

    Commercial real estate loans (owner-occupied and non-owner occupied and excluding construction loans) were $333.77 million compared with $306.86 million at December 31, 2023, reflecting a decreasing rate of loan payoffs and new loans. Of this amount, commercial non-owner occupied was approximately $189.98 million and commercial owner occupied was $143.79 million. The Bank closely monitors concentrations in these segments. We have no commercial real estate loans secured by large office buildings in large metropolitan city centers.

    Commercial construction/land loans and residential construction/land loans were $50.00 million at September 30, 2024 compared with $53.64 million at December 31, 2023. The Company continued experiencing positive activity and health in commercial and residential construction projects.

    Commercial and industrial loans were $60.34 million at September 30, 2024, reflecting a continuing trend of stability in this loan segment. Commercial and industrial loans were $64.92 million at June 30, 2024 and $65.32 million at December 31, 2023.

    Residential mortgage loans were $114.99 million at September 30, 2024 compared with $112.73 million at June 30, 2024 and $106.99 million at December 31, 2023. Growth of retained mortgages has been minimal, as the Bank has continued to focus on selling the majority of originated mortgage loans to the secondary market. Consumer loans (open-end and closed-end) were $75.09 million at September 30, 2024, essentially unchanged from totals at December 31, 2023.

    Ongoing high asset quality continues to have a positive impact on the Company’s financial performance. The ratio of nonperforming loans to total loans at September 30, 2024 was 0.20% compared with 0.06% at December 31, 2023. The allowance for credit losses on loans to total loans was 1.12% at September 30, 2024 compared with 1.22% on December 31, 2023. Total nonperforming loans were $1.30 million at September 30, 2024. As a result of having no OREO, total nonperforming assets were the same as total nonperforming loans.

    Total deposits were $907.61 million at September 30, 2024, compared with $878.46 million at December 31, 2023. Noninterest bearing demand deposits were $132.22 million compared with $134.28 million at December 31, 2023. Initiatives to attract deposit business and new locations contributed to the approximately $2.8 million growth in NOW, money market, and savings totals since December 31, 2023. Time deposits were $234.42 million at September 30, 2024 compared with $205.96 million at December 31, 2023. At both September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the Bank had no brokered deposits.

    Key measures of shareholder value continued trending positively. Book value per share rose to $15.15 compared with $13.21 at December 31, 2023, reflecting strong financial performance and a smaller unrealized loss in the Company’s available-for-sale investment portfolio. Total stockholders’ equity rose to $68.83 million from $60.04 million at December 31, 2023. Retained earnings at September 30, 2024 were $41.64 million compared with $36.68 million at December 31, 2023.

    Some balance sheet measures are impacted by interest rate fluctuations and fair market valuation measurements in the Company’s available-for-sale securities portfolio and are reflected in accumulated other comprehensive loss. These mark-to-market losses are excluded when calculating the Bank’s regulatory capital ratios. The available-for-sale securities portfolio is composed primarily of securities with explicit or implicit government guarantees, including U.S. Treasuries and U.S. agency obligations, and other highly-rated debt instruments. The Company does not expect to realize the unrealized losses as it has the intent and ability to hold the securities until their recovery, which may be at maturity. Management continues to diligently monitor the creditworthiness of the issuers of the debt instruments within its securities portfolio.

    About the Company

    Bank of the James, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Bank of the James Financial Group, Inc. opened for business in July 1999 and is headquartered in Lynchburg, Virginia. The Bank currently services customers in Virginia from offices located in Altavista, Amherst, Appomattox, Bedford, Blacksburg, Buchanan, Charlottesville, Forest, Harrisonburg, Lexington, Lynchburg, Madison Heights, Nellysford, Roanoke, Rustburg, and Wytheville. The Bank offers full investment and insurance services through its BOTJ Investment Services division and BOTJ Insurance, Inc. subsidiary. The Bank provides mortgage loan origination through Bank of the James Mortgage, a division of Bank of the James. The Company provides investment advisory services through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Pettyjohn, Wood & White, Inc., an SEC-registered investment advisor. Bank of the James Financial Group, Inc. common stock is listed under the symbol “BOTJ” on the NASDAQ Stock Market, LLC. Additional information on the Company is available at www.bankofthejames.bank.

    Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

    This press release contains statements that constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words “believe,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “anticipate,” “plan” and similar expressions and variations thereof identify certain of such forward-looking statements which speak only as of the dates on which they were made. Bank of the James Financial Group, Inc. (the “Company”) undertakes no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events, or otherwise. Readers are cautioned that any such forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties, and that actual results may differ materially from those indicated in the forward-looking statements as a result of various factors. Such factors include, but are not limited to, competition, general economic conditions, potential changes in interest rates, changes in the value of real estate securing loans made by the Bank as well as geopolitical conditions. Additional information concerning factors that could cause actual results to materially differ from those in the forward-looking statements is contained in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

    CONTACT: J. Todd Scruggs, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer (434) 846-2000.

    FINANCIAL RESULTS FOLLOW

    Bank of the James Financial Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
    Consolidated Balance Sheets
    (dollar amounts in thousands, except per share amounts)

           
      (unaudited)    
    Assets 9/30/2024   12/31/2023
    Cash and due from banks $ 22,692     $ 25,613  
    Federal funds sold   86,515       49,225  
    Total cash and cash equivalents   109,207       74,838  
           
    Securities held-to-maturity, at amortized cost (fair value of $3,328 as of September 30, 2024 and $3,231 as of December 31, 2023) net of allowance for credit loss of $0 as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023   3,610       3,622  
    Securities available-for-sale, at fair value   192,469       216,510  
    Restricted stock, at cost   1,821       1,541  
    Loans held for sale   3,239       1,258  
    Loans, net of allowance for credit losses of $7,078 as of September 30, 2024 and $7,412 as of December 31, 2023   627,112       601,921  
    Premises and equipment, net   19,378       18,141  
    Interest receivable   2,697       2,835  
    Cash value – bank owned life insurance   22,716       21,586  
    Customer relationship intangible   6,865       7,285  
    Goodwill   2,054       2,054  
    Income taxes receivable         128  
    Deferred tax asset   7,576       8,206  
    Other assets   9,319       9,446  
    Total assets $ 1,008,063     $ 969,371  
           
    Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity      
    Deposits      
    Noninterest bearing demand $ 132,223     $ 134,275  
    NOW, money market and savings   540,966       538,229  
    Time   234,421       205,955  
    Total deposits   907,610       878,459  
           
    Capital notes, net   10,046       10,042  
    Other borrowings   9,444       9,890  
    Income taxes payable   212        
    Interest payable   758       480  
    Other liabilities   11,159       10,461  
    Total liabilities $ 939,229     $ 909,332  
           
    Stockholders’ equity      
                 
    Common stock $2.14 par value; authorized 10,000,000 shares; issued and outstanding 4,543,338 as of September 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023   9,723       9,723  
    Additional paid-in-capital   35,253       35,253  
    Accumulated other comprehensive (loss)   (17,782 )     (21,615 )
    Retained earnings   41,640       36,678  
    Total stockholders’ equity $ 68,834     $ 60,039  
           
    Total liabilities and stockholders’ equity $ 1,008,063     $ 969,371  
     

    Bank of the James Financial Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
    Consolidated Statements of Operation
    (dollar amounts in thousands, except per share amounts)

      For the Three Months Ended   For the Nine Months Ended
      September 30,   September 30,
    Interest Income   2024     2023       2024       2023  
    Loans $ 9,004   $ 7,990     $ 25,375     $ 23,251  
    Securities              
    US Government and agency obligations   369     321       1,068       962  
    Mortgage backed securities   442     435       1,974       1,255  
    Municipals – taxable   298     286       872       853  
    Municipals – tax exempt   18     18       55       55  
    Dividends   12     8       59       49  
    Corporates   136     139       407       423  
    Interest bearing deposits   303     134       628       375  
    Federal Funds sold   981     812       2,569       1,601  
    Total interest income   11,563     10,143       33,007       28,824  
                   
    Interest Expense              
    Deposits              
    NOW, money market savings   1,487     894       4,145       1,916  
    Time deposits   2,375     1,683       6,731       3,918  
    FHLB borrowings                   31  
    Finance leases   18     22       58       66  
    Other borrowings   92     98       278       297  
    Capital notes   82     82       245       245  
    Total interest expense   4,054     2,779       11,457       6,473  
                   
    Net interest income   7,509     7,364       21,550       22,351  
                   
    Provision for (recovery of) credit losses   92     (164 )     (584 )     (278 )
                   
    Net interest income after recovery of provision for credit losses   7,417     7,528       22,134       22,629  
                   
    Noninterest income              
    Gain on sales of loans held for sale   1,326     989       3,526       3,065  
    Service charges, fees and commissions   991     1,004       2,930       2,942  
    Wealth management fees   1,244     1,050       3,583       3,098  
    Life insurance income   189     139       531       405  
    Gain on sales and calls of securities, net   31           669        
    Other   42     19       82       179  
                   
    Total noninterest income   3,823     3,201       11,321       9,689  
                   
    Noninterest expenses              
    Salaries and employee benefits   4,920     4,683       14,256       13,296  
    Occupancy   514     458       1,493       1,389  
    Equipment   640     501       1,879       1,813  
    Supplies   131     118       397       399  
    Professional   718     682       2,214       2,075  
    Data processing   764     689       2,263       2,079  
    Marketing   220     204       481       683  
    Credit   190     218       612       623  
    Other real estate       3             36  
    FDIC insurance   94     126       329       321  
    Amortization of intangibles   140     46       420       420  
    Other   445     412       1,258       957  
    Total noninterest expenses   8,776     8,140       25,602       24,091  
                   
    Income before income taxes   2,464     2,589       7,853       8,227  
                   
    Income tax expense   474     511       1,527       1,631  
                   
    Net Income $ 1,990   $ 2,078     $ 6,326     $ 6,596  
                   
    Weighted average shares outstanding – basic and diluted   4,543,338     4,543,338       4,543,338       4,568,789  
                   
    Earnings per common share – basic and diluted $ 0.44   $ 0.46     $ 1.39     $ 1.44  
     

    Bank of the James Financial Group, Inc. and Subsidiaries
    Dollar amounts in thousands, except per share data
    unaudited

    Selected Data: Three
    months
    ending
    Sep 30,
    2024
    Three
    months
    ending
    Sep 30,
    2023
    Change Year
    to
    date
    Sep 30,
    2024
    Year
    to
    date
    Sep 30,
    2023
    Change
    Interest income $ 11,563   $ 10,143     14.00 % $ 33,007   $ 28,824     14.51 %
    Interest expense   4,054     2,779     45.88 %   11,457     6,473     77.00 %
    Net interest income   7,509     7,364     1.97 %   21,550     22,351     -3.58 %
    Provision for (recovery of) credit losses   92     (164 )   -156.10 %   (584 )   (278 )   110.07 %
    Noninterest income   3,823     3,201     19.43 %   11,321     9,689     16.84 %
    Noninterest expense   8,776     8,140     7.81 %   25,602     24,091     6.27 %
    Income taxes   474     511     -7.24 %   1,527     1,631     -6.38 %
    Net income   1,990     2,078     -4.23 %   6,326     6,596     -4.09 %
    Weighted average shares outstanding – basic   4,543,338     4,543,338         4,543,338     4,568,789     (25,451 )
    Weighted average shares outstanding – diluted   4,543,338     4,543,338         4,543,338     4,568,789     (25,451 )
    Basic net income
    per share
    $ 0.44   $ 0.46   $ (0.02 ) $ 1.39   $ 1.44   $ (0.05 )
    Fully diluted net income per share $ 0.44   $ 0.46   $ (0.02 ) $ 1.39   $ 1.44   $ (0.05 )
    Balance Sheet at
    period end:
    Sep 30,
    2024
    Dec 31,
    2023
    Change Sep 30,
    2023
    Dec 31,
    2022
    Change
    Loans, net $ 627,112   $ 601,921     4.19 % $ 599,585   $ 605,366     -0.95 %
    Loans held for sale   3,239     1,258     157.47 %   3,325     2,423     37.23 %
    Total securities   196,079     220,132     -10.93 %   185,603     189,426     -2.02 %
    Total deposits   907,610     878,459     3.32 %   880,203     848,138     3.78 %
    Stockholders’ equity   68,834     60,039     14.65 %   50,129     50,226     -0.19 %
    Total assets   1,008,063     969,371     3.99 %   960,887     928,571     3.48 %
    Shares outstanding   4,543,338     4,543,338         4,543,338     4,628,657     (85,319 )
    Book value per share $ 15.15   $ 13.21   $ 1.94   $ 11.03   $ 10.85   $ 0.18  
    Daily averages: Three
    months
    ending
    Sep 30,
    2024
    Three
    months
    ending
    Sep 30,
    2023
    Change Year
    to
    date
    Sep 30,
    2024
    Year
    to
    date
    Sep 30,
    2023
    Change
    Loans $ 629,860   $ 612,021     2.91 % $ 617,582   $ 618,152     -0.09 %
    Loans held for sale   3,845     4,421     -13.03 %   3,454     3,548     -2.65 %
    Total securities (book value)   220,730     222,969     -1.00 %   237,215     223,391     6.19 %
    Total deposits   902,615     869,655     3.79 %   895,000     862,212     3.80 %
    Stockholders’ equity   61,576     52,564     17.14 %   60,564     51,274     18.12 %
    Interest earning assets   946,518     909,774     4.04 %   937,793     897,364     4.51 %
    Interest bearing liabilities   785,980     740,516     6.14 %   776,672     733,343     5.91 %
    Total assets   995,101     953,546     4.36 %   986,132     945,389     4.31 %
    Financial Ratios: Three
    months
    ending
    Sep 30,
    2024
    Three
    months
    ending
    Sep 30,
    2023
    Change Year
    to
    date
    Sep 30,
    2024
    Year
    to
    date
    Sep 30,
    2023
    Change
    Return on average assets   0.80 %   0.86 %   (0.06 )   0.86 %   0.93 %   (0.07 )
    Return on average equity   12.86 %   15.68 %   (2.82 )   13.95 %   17.20 %   (3.25 )
    Net interest margin   3.16 %   3.21 %   (0.05 )   3.07 %   3.33 %   (0.26 )
    Efficiency ratio   77.44 %   77.05 %   0.39     77.89 %   75.19 %   2.70  
    Average equity to
    average assets
      6.19 %   5.51 %   0.68     6.14 %   5.42 %   0.72  
    Allowance for credit losses: Three
    months
    ending
    Sep 30,
    2024
    Three
    months
    ending
    Sep 30,
    2023
    Change Year
    to
    date
    Sep 30,
    2024
    Year
    to
    date
    Sep 30,
    2023
    Change
    Beginning balance $ 6,951   $ 7,586     -8.37 % $ 7,412   $ 6,259     18.42 %
    Retained earnings adjustment related to impact of adoption of ASU 2016-13           N/A         1,245     -100.00 %
    Provision for (recovery of) credit losses*   106     (130 )   -181.54 %   (494 )   (188 )   162.77 %
    Charge-offs       (144 )   -100.00 %   (84 )   (196 )   -57.14 %
    Recoveries   21     8     162.50 %   244     200     22.00 %
    Ending balance   7,078     7,320     -3.31 %   7,078     7,320     -3.31 %

    * does not include provision for or recovery of unfunded loan commitment liability

    Nonperforming assets: Sep 30,
    2024
    Dec 31,
    2023
    Change Sep 30,
    2023
    Dec 31,
    2022
    Change
    Total nonperforming loans $ 1,295   $ 391     231.20 % $ 585   $ 633     -7.58 %
    Other real estate owned           N/A         566     -100.00 %
    Total nonperforming assets   1,295     391     231.20 %   585     1,199     -51.21 %
    Asset quality ratios: Sep 30,
    2024
    Dec 31,
    2023
    Change Sep 30,
    2023
    Dec 31,
    2022
    Change
    Nonperforming loans to total loans   0.20 %   0.06 %   0.14     0.10 %   0.10 %   (0.01 )
    Allowance for credit losses for loans to total loans   1.12 %   1.22 %   (0.10 )   1.21 %   1.02 %   0.18  
    Allowance for credit losses for loans to nonperforming loans   546.56 %   1894.56 %   1,348.00     1251.28 %   989.42 %   261.86  

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI USA: Rep. Obernolte, Rep. Panetta laud FAA’s approval of powered lift aircraft

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congressman Jay Obernolte (R-Hesperia)

    WASHINGTON – U.S. Congressman Jay Obernolte (R-CA) and Congressman Jimmy Panetta (D-CA), who together co-chair the bipartisan Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) Caucus, applaud the decision by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) to issue a final rule for powered lift operations. The Integration of Powered-Lift: Pilot Certification and Operations Special Federal Aviation Regulation (SFAR) provides a comprehensive framework for certifying the initial cadre of powered-lift instructors and pilots, a major step forward for the growing AAM industry.  

    “I commend the decision by the FAA to approve powered lift as a new category of civil aircraft, the first in over 80 years, and their continued efforts to promote innovation in America’s aviation industry,” said Rep. Obernolte. “This rule will allow these aircraft to provide services such as air taxi, cargo delivery, and an array of other operations within the United States. The possibilities of powered lift operations are transformative, and this rule allows industry to provide these services by creating an operational system for advanced air mobility.” 

    “With the proper federal regulatory framework, Advanced Air Mobility has the potential to revolutionize how we move people and goods throughout our country,” said Rep. Panetta.  “The Federal Aviation Administration’s final rule is a significant step forward in allowing powered lift aircraft to be integrated into our airspace and allow these operations to take flight.  I look forward to continuing our bipartisan work to advocate for the future of aviation and the innovation in California’s 19thCongressional District powering these exciting aircraft.”   

    Due to the concerted efforts of Rep. Obernolte, Rep. Panetta, members of theAAM Caucus, and FAA Administrator Whitaker, powered lift will be the first completely new category of civil aircraft since helicopters were introduced in the 1940s. The rule makes changes to existing regulations, establishes an SFAR for instructor and pilot certification and training, applies helicopter operating requirements to some phases of flight, adopts a performance-based approach to certain operating rules, and allows powered-lift pilot training with a single set of flight controls instead of two.

    What They’re Saying: 

    •  “Supernal is pleased to see the FAA finalize the rulemaking for pilot training and operations for the AAM industry, while adopting a more flexible approach to requirements such as dual controls” said Jaiwon Shin, CEO of Supernal. “We look forward to continued collaboration with the FAA and Congress to position the US as a global leader in this exciting new industry.”  
    • “We applaud the FAA on the release of the SFAR ahead of schedule as it represents a tremendous milestone for our country and the eVTOL industry. Now, Archer has a clear roadmap to pioneer eVTOL here in the U.S. Our team is full speed ahead in our ongoing partnership with the FAA as we work towards commercialization as soon as possible,” said Adam Goldstein, founder and CEO of Archer.  
    • “The regulation published will ensure the U.S. continues to play a global leadership role in the development and adoption of clean flight,” said JoeBen Bevirt, Founder and CEO of Joby. “Delivering ahead of schedule is a testament to the dedication, coordination and hard work of the rulemaking team.” 
    • “Advanced air mobility promises to change the very definition of on-demand aviation worldwide,” National Business Aviation Association President and CEO Ed Bolen said. “Given the speed at which the technology is developing, it is critical that all stakeholders have clear, official guidance for AAM operations. We commend the FAA for providing that guidance with the publication of this new rule.” 

    ### 

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Senator Marshall on Fox Business: President Trump’s Cabinet Must Be Confirmed ASAP

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Kansas Roger Marshall

    Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Roger Marshall, M.D. joined Fox Business: The Bottom Line to discuss the Senate’s imminent vote to confirm Pete Hegseth as Secretary of Defense, the determination of the Republican-led Senate to confirm President Trump’s Cabinet and Robert F. Kennedy, Jr.’s upcoming Senate confirmation hearings.
    Senator Marshall sits on both the Senate Finance and Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committees, both of which will be holding hearings next week to consider the nomination of RFK Jr. for Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). Senator Marshall has met with both Hegseth and RFK Jr. and believes they are the best picks to carry out President Trump’s America First Agenda at the DOD and HHS.

    You may click HERE or on the image above to watch Senator Marshall’s full interview.
    Highlights from Senator Marshall’s interview include:
    On Pete Hegseth being confirmed as Secretary of Defense, other Trump nominees on deck:
    “I’m sure optimistic. [Pete Hegseth is] on second base right now. He passed the procedural vote with one vote to spare. So I’m very optimistic. And I just want to emphasize why this is important. President Trump is issuing all these executive orders. We need these nominees then get in there to do the job and execute those orders. So we need Pete to jump in there. He’s going to do a great job recruiting, a great job with the morale, and just rewarding people for their merit, as opposed to anything else.”
    “[Democrats have] resorted to character assassination…But regardless, I think that once we get Pete across the finish line, Kristi Nome is on deck, she’s going to step up. I expect her to get across pretty easily, as you mentioned. Sean Duffy is there in the hole waiting as well. So I think we’re in good shape.”
    On GOP-led Senate’s determination to confirm President Trump’s Cabinet:
    “We’re willing to stay here and punish the Democrats. The good news is we had them kicking and screaming, so we’re over the target. We’re all committed to staying here this weekend. They can try to slow things down, and as long as they keep jamming us, we’re just going to stay up here and keep working away. I don’t think we’ll have to get to those recess appointments, but if necessary, we will. I’m really optimistic, if we just keep plugging away here, we’re going to get them all across the finish line.”
    On Robert F. Kennedy Jr.’s upcoming Senate confirmation hearing:
    “Look, he has an army of people behind him. I mean, just a groundswell of people out there. 77 million…people voted for President Trump, and one of the reasons was because of Bobby Kennedy Jr….I think that the American public is going to carry Bobby through that nomination process. He’s brilliant. He’s going to do a great job- all those things. And I think when people just listen to his heart, that he loves this country, that he wants to make America healthy again, and he knows how to do it, so I expect that groundswell of support to get him over the finish line.”

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI Security: Defense Contractor Sentenced to 15 Months in Prison for Fraud, Money Laundering, and Unlawful Export of Technical Data

    Source: Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) State Crime News

    Yuksel Senbol, 36, of Orlando, Florida, was sentenced today to 15 months in prison for conspiracy to defraud the United States, conspiracy to commit wire fraud, wire fraud, conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering, conspiracy to violate the Export Control Reform Act, violating the Export Control Reform Act, and violating the Arms Export Control Act. As part of her sentence, the court also entered an order of forfeiture in the amount of $275,430.90, the proceeds of Senbol’s fraud and money laundering scheme. Senbol entered pleaded guilty on May 7.

    According to facts taken from public filings, beginning in approximately April 2019, Senbol operated a front company in the Middle District of Florida called Mason Engineering Parts LLC. She used this front company to assist her co-conspirators, Mehmet Ozcan and Onur Simsek, to fraudulently procure contracts to supply critical military components to the Department of Defense. These components were intended for use in the Navy Nimitz and Ford Class Aircraft Carriers, Navy Submarines, Marine Corps Armored Vehicles, and Army M-60 Series Tank and Abrahams Battle Tanks, among other weapons systems.

    To fraudulently procure the government contracts, Senbol and her co-conspirators falsely represented to the U.S. government and U.S. military contractors that Mason Engineering Parts LLC was a vetted and qualified manufacturer of military components, when in fact, the parts were being manufactured by Ozcan and Simsek in Turkey. As Senbol knew, Simsek’s involvement had to be concealed from the U.S. government because he had been debarred from contracting with the U.S. government after being convicted of a virtually identical scheme in the Southern District of Florida.

    In order to enable Ozcan and Simsek to manufacture the components in Turkey, Senbol assisted them in obtaining sensitive, export-controlled drawings of critical U.S. military technology. Using software that allowed Ozcan to remotely control her computer — and thus evade security restrictions that limited access to these sensitive military drawings to computers within the United States — Senbol knowingly facilitated the illegal export of these drawings. She did so despite having executed numerous agreements promising to safeguard the drawings from unlawful access or export, and in spite of the clear warnings on the face of each drawing that it could not be exported without obtaining a license.

    Once Ozcan and Simsek manufactured the components in Turkey, they shipped them to Senbol, who repackaged them — making sure to remove any reference to their Turkish origin. The conspirators then lied about the origin of the parts to the U.S. government and a U.S. government contractor to receive payment for the parts. Senbol then laundered hundreds of thousands of dollars in criminal proceeds back to Turkey through international wire transfers.

    This scheme continued until uncovered and disrupted by federal investigators. Parts supplied by Senbol were tested by the U.S. military and were determined not to conform with product specifications. Many of the components supplied to the U.S. military by Senbol were “critical application items,” meaning that failure of these components would have potentially rendered the end system inoperable.

    Alleged co-conspirators Mehmet Ozcan and Onur Simsek are fugitives.

    The General Services Administration, Office of Inspector General; Defense Criminal Investigative Service; Department of Commerce, Bureau of Industry and Security; Air Force Office of Special Investigations; FBI; Homeland Security Investigations; and Department of State, Directorate of Defense Trade Controls are investigating the case.

    Assistant U.S. Attorneys Daniel J. Marcet and Lindsey Schmidt for the Middle District of Florida and Trial Attorney Stephen Marzen of the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Section are prosecuting the case.

    MIL Security OSI

  • MIL-Evening Report: Want genuine progress towards restoring nature? Follow these 4 steps

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Yi Fei Chung, PhD candidate in Environmental Policy, The University of Queensland

    Black Dingo/Shutterstock

    “Nature positive” is seemingly everywhere. Two weeks ago, Australia hosted the first Global Nature Positive Summit. This week, nations are meeting in Colombia for a global biodiversity summit to discuss progress on nature positive commitments.

    Nature positive has a simple meaning: ensuring more nature in future than there is now. Making it a reality is the hard part.

    It’s necessary because nature is in trouble. Once common species are becoming threatened and threatened species are going extinct. Humans, too, will be severely impacted. When ecosystems are healthy, they provide vital benefits. Insects pollinate crops, trees slow floodwaters, earthworms, fungi and soil critters make healthy soil and natural vistas improve our mental wellbeing.

    While Australia’s government is working to embed nature positive ideas in environmental reform efforts, we may see lip service rather than real change. The government’s Nature Positive Plan faces opposition from businesses and politicians ahead of a looming election. And the plan itself doesn’t fully align with true nature positive outcomes.

    In our article published today in Science, we lay out four vital steps to ensure nature positive policies are actually positive for nature.

    Step 1: Ensure biodiversity increases are absolute

    At present, Australia’s planned nature positive reforms would only require developers removing habitat to achieve a relative net gain for nature compared to business as usual.

    We have argued this approach won’t work – it should be an absolute net gain.

    It might sound abstract – but it makes all the difference. For instance, consider a population of endangered koalas living on the site of a new mine. Any negative impact to koalas would have to be offset with a benefit to the species elsewhere, usually on a separate site.

    If Australia had absolute net gain in effect, the company would have to ensure there are more koalas overall. If the mine site and an offset site had a combined population of 100 koalas before the development, this combined population would need to be more than 100 koalas after the development – even though some will be lost.

    But let’s say these 100 koalas over two sites were expected to fall to 80, even if the mine didn’t happen. In this case, a relative net gain could be achieved if the mine and offset site had 90 koalas. The population fell, but less than it would have otherwise.

    Most state and national conservation laws use relative net gain in their biodiversity offsets. It slows the biodiversity decline – but it’s still a decline.

    By contrast, England brought in a net gain approach in February of this year, with developers now required to provide a 10% net gain in biodiversity.

    Importantly, the vast majority of developments affecting threatened species habitat never require any offset at all. Plugging this major gap is also key.




    Read more:
    Developers in England will be forced to create habitats for wildlife – here’s how it works


    For nature positive to work properly, any damage done to a species by a development has to be offset by net gain. Pictured: Peak Hill gold mine in NSW.
    Phillip Wittke/Shutterstock

    Step 2: Avoid conservation payments in risky situations

    The Australian government plans to introduce conservation payments, where developers can pay into a government-managed fund rather than providing direct offsets.

    If developers were to cut down trees used by the critically endangered Leadbeater’s possum, for example, they could choose either to improve habitat elsewhere to offset the damage – or they could pay into the fund instead.

    This is a risky plan. For one, it’s often almost impossible or extremely expensive to find suitable habitat for critically endangered species because they have very little habitat remaining.

    It’s far better to avoid all further habitat removal. For developers, this would mean avoiding damage to rare habitat in the first place.

    Even where offsetting is possible, payments are often inadequate to cover the cost of purchasing and managing an offset site.




    Read more:
    Developers aren’t paying enough to offset impacts on koalas and other endangered species


    Then there’s the time lag. The fund might take years to buy or restore habitat sites, adding to already-long delays between damage and any benefit. And worse, under the government’s proposal, the money could be used for different, potentially less threatened species.

    Under Queensland’s scheme, most developers choose to pay into a fund rather than create their own offset sites. Very little of these offset funds have been spent.

    Meanwhile, the latest independent assessment of the New South Wales biodiversity offset payment scheme recommended the fund be completely phased out.



    Step 3: Go beyond compensation

    Compensating for new damage is important. But it’s not nearly enough. Over the last century, we have done huge damage to the natural world. Australia’s southern seas were once ringed with oyster reefs, for instance, but these were nearly all fished out.

    We need to begin to recover what was lost by restoring ecosystems, managing weeds and reducing risk of diseases.

    Nature-positive laws should include funding and actions designed to produce absolute gains in biodiversity over and above any required compensation.

    The world has long seriously underfunded conservation, including threatened species recovery, ecosystem restoration and protected area management. Australia alone needs a roughly 20-fold increase in funding to actually bring back threatened species.

    While this sounds large, it’s off an extraordinarily low base – just A$122 million in 2019. By contrast, we spend over $100 billion on human health each year.

    Two years ago, the government passed the first of its nature-positive reforms to create a nature repair market aimed at drawing more funds into nature restoration. But as the market will rely on voluntary private sector investment, we don’t know how much funding will flow or whether it will focus on threatened species recovery.

    Step 4: Effectively implement nature positive laws

    Ensuring compliance with new nature-positive laws requires transparent and effective enforcement, such as through the independent national environment protection authority with extra powers proposed in Australia.

    Its independence and powers may be less than required, due to proposed call-in powers allowing the minister to overrule decisions. True independence and adequate resources are crucial.

    If governments do pass environmental reforms, we need to collect adequate and robust data on species to know if they are actually working to boost nature recovery. At present, many Australian threatened species remain unmonitored.

    Is nature positive within reach?

    It’s not easy to create a future with more nature than we have now. Australia’s current government took office vowing to embrace nature positive. To date, their reforms are not yet likely to make that a reality.




    Read more:
    Australia desperately needs a strong federal environmental protection agency. Our chances aren’t looking good


    But the task will only get more urgent. Meaningful nature-positive policy means ensuring targets of absolute net gain for threatened species, ensuring strict compensation for any nature loss, independently resourcing and financing other recovery efforts and implementing these laws effectively.

    With a course correction, Australia can still act as a leading example for other nations as they reform their own policies to meet nature-positive ambitions. Now is the time for real and decisive action.

    We acknowledge our research coauthors, Brooke Williams (Queensland University of Technology), Martine Maron (University of Queensland), Jonathan Rhodes (Queensland University of Technology), Jeremy Simmonds (2rog), and Michelle Ward (Griffith University).

    Yi Fei Chung has received funding from UQ Research Training Scholarship. He is also involving in a Australian Research Council Linkage Project with financial and in-kind support from the NSW Department of Planning and Environment, the Biodiversity Conservation Trust, Tweed Shire Council, and the NSW Koala Strategy.

    Hannah Thomas has received funding from WWF-Australia and an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship. She is an early-career leader with the Biodiversity Council.

    ref. Want genuine progress towards restoring nature? Follow these 4 steps – https://theconversation.com/want-genuine-progress-towards-restoring-nature-follow-these-4-steps-240569

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-Evening Report: What is stereotactic radiation therapy for prostate cancer? How does it compare to other treatments?

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Sathana Dushyanthen, Academic Specialist & Senior Lecturer in Cancer Sciences & Digital Health| Superstar of STEM| Science Communicator, The University of Melbourne

    Nenad Cavoski/Shutterstock

    Prostate cancer is Australia’s most commonly diagnosed cancer. One in six men will be diagnosed by the time they turn 85.

    Cancers are abnormal groups of cells that grow uncontrollably and start invading neighbouring sites. They can also spread to other organs in the body. This is known as metastases.

    Treatment of early disease, when cancer is confined to the original site, is focused on that single area, most often with surgery or radiation therapy. Treatment of advanced disease, when it has spread, often relies on treatments that can travel all around the body such as chemotherapy or immunotherapy.

    A more advanced form of radiation therapy, called stereotactic ablative radiotherapy, may be able to treat both early and advanced cancers. So how does it work? And how does it compare to existing therapies?

    It delivers a higher dose to a smaller target

    Stereotactic radiotherapy uses high doses of radiation to target and kill cancer cells. It uses newer machines that can deliver very focused radiation beams. Combined with advances in imaging and radiation planning software this allows clinicians to “track” and target cancers.

    This results in such high precision – with a targeting accuracy less than 1mm – that cancers can be safely treated with minimal risk of damaging surrounding healthy organs.

    Having a higher dose means radiotherapy can be delivered in fewer treatments (one to five sessions over one to two weeks) where it previously would have been divided into many small doses (20 to 40), delivered over weeks or even months.

    Stereotactic radiotherapy has increasingly been used to treat cancer in the brain and lungs. But new data has shown it can also effectively treat prostate cancer.

    What did the new study find?

    A study published this month in the New England Journal of Medicine compared two groups of patients with early prostate cancer with a median age of 69.8 years. Half (433 participants) received five sessions of stereotactic radiation therapy, the other half (431 participants) received standard radiation therapy consisting of at least 20 sessions.

    The researchers found no long-term difference in outcomes between the groups, with 95% of patients showing no evidence of disease five years after treatment. These cure rates are equivalent to patients who had their prostates surgically removed.

    Early evidence suggests that stereotactic radiation therapy appears to be as effective, less onerous and less invasive than currently available treatment options.

    The new therapy appears as effective as standard therapy but with fewer side effects.
    PeopleImages.com – Yuri A/Shutterstock

    Prostate cancer that has spread beyond its original site is, unfortunately, incurable in most circumstances. Treatments for this stage of disease are aimed at suppressing or controlling the cancer for as long as possible.

    However, studies have shown stereotactic radiation therapy can be used to target disease that has spread to distant sites in patients who have advanced prostate cancer.
    Researchers found stereotactic radiation therapy could render patients free of clinically evident disease for eight to 13 months, delaying the need for hormone therapy or chemotherapy.

    How do the side effects compare to other cancer treatments?

    Stereotactic radiation therapy is delivered daily, with painless radiation beams. In the weeks following delivery it is common to notice soreness and/or inflammation at the treated site. This reaches a level requiring medication in one-third of cases.

    Erectile function is frequently impacted during prostate cancer treatment, as the nerves and blood vessels responsible for erections are often damaged.

    Another recent study comparing stereotactic radiation therapy to surgery found 48% of patients treated with stereotactic radiation therapy had difficulties with their sexual function two years after treatment compared to 75% of patients who had surgery.

    Comparison of differences between traditional radiotherapy and stereotactic radiotherapy.
    Precision Radiation Oncology

    What are the costs? And who can access it?

    Newer and more advanced radiation treatment machines can deliver more precise treatments, but these are much more expensive than standard machines. They also have more complex maintenance and operational requirements.

    However, traditional radiotherapy machines can also be upgraded to provide stereotactic precision.

    While the initial investment costs can be high, cost-benefit analyses show stereotactic radiation therapy for lung cancer costs the health system less than other cancer treatments and conventional radiotherapy. This is in part because treatment is completed far more quickly. Formal cost-benefit analyses have not been completed for prostate cancer but are likely to be similar.

    Stereotactic radiation therapy is now widely available at most major Australian public hospitals for many cancer types, including selected lung cancers, kidney cancers, advanced brain cancers and bone cancers. This has no out-of-pocket costs for patients. It is also provided in many private centres.

    However, even when a centre can deliver stereotactic radiation therapy, there is still significant variation in the devices used to deliver the therapy.

    In addition, the actual planning and delivery of radiation therapy is a complex skill. Studies have shown that patients treated by clinicians with higher caseloads have better outcomes, due to their greater familiarity with these specialised techniques.

    Radiotherapy departments throughout the world have rapidly upgraded their capability over the past few years to provide stereotactic radiotherapy. After the recent clinical trial findings, it’s likely prostate cancer will be added to the list of cancers treated this way.

    David Kok has a clinical appointment at Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre which provides prostate cancer treatments including stereotactic radiotherapy, conventional radiotherapy and surgery.

    Sathana Dushyanthen does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

    ref. What is stereotactic radiation therapy for prostate cancer? How does it compare to other treatments? – https://theconversation.com/what-is-stereotactic-radiation-therapy-for-prostate-cancer-how-does-it-compare-to-other-treatments-241467

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-Evening Report: Astronomers just found complex carbon molecules in space – a step closer to deciphering the origins of life

    Source: The Conversation (Au and NZ) – By Maria Cunningham, Honorary Senior Lecturer, School of Physics, UNSW Sydney

    Part of the Taurus molecular cloud. ESA, CC BY-SA

    A team led by researchers at MIT in the United States has discovered large molecules containing carbon in a distant interstellar cloud of gas and dust.

    This is exciting for those of us who keep lists of known interstellar molecules in the hope that we might work out how life arose in the universe.

    But it’s more than just another molecule for the collection. The result, reported today in the journal Science, shows that complex organic molecules (with carbon and hydrogen) likely existed in the cold, dark gas cloud that gave rise to our Solar System.

    Furthermore, the molecules held together until after the formation of Earth. This is important for our understanding of the early origins of life on our planet.

    Difficult to destroy, hard to detect

    The molecule in question is called pyrene, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon or PAH for short. The complicated-sounding name tells us these molecules are made of rings of carbon atoms.

    Carbon chemistry is the backbone of life on Earth. PAHs have long been known to be abundant in the interstellar medium, so they feature prominently in theories of how carbon-based life on Earth came to be.

    A pyrene molecule, consisting of carbon atoms (black) and hydrogen atoms (white).
    Jynto/Wikimedia Commons, CC BY

    We know there are many large PAHs in space because astrophysicists have detected signs of them in visible and infrared light. But we didn’t know which PAHs they might be in particular.

    Pyrene is now the largest PAH detected in space, although it’s what is known as a “small” or simple PAH, with 26 atoms. It was long thought such molecules could not survive the harsh environment of star formation when everything is bathed in radiation from the newborn suns, destroying complex molecules.

    In fact, it was once thought molecules of more than two atoms could not exist in space for this reason, until they were actually found.
    Also, chemical models show pyrene is very difficult to destroy once formed.

    Last year, scientists reported they found large amounts of pyrene in samples from the asteroid Ryugu in our own Solar System. They argued at least some of it must have come from the cold interstellar cloud that predated our Solar System.

    So why not look at another cold interstellar cloud to find some? The problem for astrophysicists is that we don’t have the tools to detect pyrene directly – it’s invisible to radio telescopes.

    Using a tracer

    The molecule the team has detected is called 1-cyanopyrene, what we call a “tracer” for pyrene. It is formed from pyrene interacting with cyanide, which is common in interstellar space.

    The researchers used the Green Bank Telescope in West Virginia to look at the Taurus molecular cloud or TMC-1, in the Taurus constellation. Unlike pyrene itself, 1-cyanopyrene can be detected by radio telescopes. This is because 1-cyanopyrene molecules act as small radio-wave emitters – tiny versions of earthly radio stations.

    As scientists know the proportions of 1-cyanopyrene compared to pyrene, they can then estimate the amount of pyrene in the interstellar cloud.

    The amount of pyrene they found was significant. Importantly, this discovery in the Taurus molecular cloud suggests a lot of pyrene exists in the cold, dark molecular clouds that go on to form stars and solar systems.

    A wide-field view of part of the Taurus molecular cloud ~450 light-years from Earth. Its relative closeness makes it an ideal place to study the formation of stars. Many dark clouds of obscuring dust are clearly visible against the background stars.
    ESO/Digitized Sky Survey 2. Acknowledgement: Davide De Martin.

    The complex birth of life

    We are gradually building a picture of how life on Earth evolved. This picture tells us that life came from space – well, at least the complex organic, pre-biological molecules needed to form life did.

    That pyrene survives the harsh conditions associated with the birth of stars, as shown by the findings from Ryugu, is an important part of this story.

    Simple life – consisting of a single cell – appeared in Earth’s fossil record almost immediately (in geological and astronomical terms) after the planet’s surface had cooled enough to not vaporise complex molecules. This happened more than 3.7 billion years ago in Earth’s approximately 4.5 billion history.

    For simple organisms to then appear so quickly in the fossil record, there’s just not enough time for chemistry to start with mere simple molecules of two or three atoms.

    The new discovery of 1-cyanopyrene in the Taurus molecular cloud shows complex molecules could indeed survive the harsh conditions of our Solar System’s formation. As a result, pyrene was available to form the backbone of carbon-based life when it emerged on the early Earth some 3.7 billion years ago.

    This discovery also links to another important finding of the last decade – the first chiral molecule in the interstellar medium, propylene oxide. We need chiral molecules to make the evolution of simple lifeforms work on the surface of the early Earth.

    So far, our theories that molecules for early life on Earth came from space are looking good.

    Maria Cunningham has received funding from The Australian Research Council. In the past she has collaborated with Anthony Remijan, one of the co-authors on the Science paper discussed in this publication. Their last co-authored paper was in 2015.

    ref. Astronomers just found complex carbon molecules in space – a step closer to deciphering the origins of life – https://theconversation.com/astronomers-just-found-complex-carbon-molecules-in-space-a-step-closer-to-deciphering-the-origins-of-life-241889

    MIL OSI AnalysisEveningReport.nz

  • MIL-OSI USA: NBC News: Democratic senators slam McDonald’s for menu price hikes they say have outpaced inflation

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    October 22, 2024
    Three Democratic senators are asking McDonald’s about its menu price hikes in recent years, arguing that the increases are higher than they should be – even with inflation and rising operating costs.
    In a letter sent late Monday afternoon, Sens. Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, Bob Casey of Pennsylvania and Ron Wyden of Oregon demanded that McDonald’s President and CEO Chris Kempczinski explain the chain’s pricing decisions.
    “McDonald’s own reports indicate that the company’s price increases may be outstripping inflation,” read the letter, which was shared first with NBC News. 

    Read the full story here.
    By:  Elizabeth ChuckSource: NBC News

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: The Verge: Democrats want DOJ to prosecute tax prep companies for privacy violations

    US Senate News:

    Source: United States Senator for Massachusetts – Elizabeth Warren
    October 22, 2024
    A group of Democratic lawmakers are urging the Justice Department to prosecute tax prep companies accused of improperly sharing user information with Meta and Google through their advertising pixels.
    Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), and Rep. Katie Porter (D-CA), are calling on the DOJ to take action against tax prep companies that they say failed to protect taxpayer privacy. In a new letter shared exclusively with The Verge, the lawmakers advance their previous calls for law enforcers to investigate these companies.

    Read the full story here.
    By:  Lauren FeinerSource: The Verge

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Kaptur Announces $18.57 Million in Awards From the Federal Rail Administration to Northern Ohio & Western Railway and Napoleon, Defiance & Western Railway

    Source: United States House of Representatives – Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09)

    Toledo, Ohio – Today, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09) announced a total of $18.57 Million in awards from the Federal Rail Administration secured alongside the Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) for Northern Ohio & Western Railway and Napoleon, Defiance & Western Railway.

    The first award for critical safety upgrades for Napoleon, Defiance & Western Railway totals $12.17 Million and was secured alongside the Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) through the Bipartisan Infrastructure law, also known as the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act. The project involves final design and construction activities to replace deteriorating and broken rail and ties and expanded capacity along the eastern half of the Napoleon, Defiance & Western Railway. The project is the third and final phase of the full corridor rehabilitation of Napoleon, Defiance & Western track. The project aligns with the selection criteria by enhancing safety as the project will improve safety, resilience, and operational efficiency with added benefit to Paulding and Defiance Counties. The Ohio Rail Development Commission and Napoleon, Defiance & Western Railway will contribute 25 percent of the total project cost.

    The second award for major rail upgrades for Northern Ohio & Western Railway totals $6.4 Million and was secured alongside the Ohio Rail Development Commission (ORDC) also through the Bipartisan Infrastructure law. This involves construction to upgrade track infrastructure across the approximately 24-mile rail line owned by the Sandusky County, Seneca County, and the City of Tiffin Port Authority and is operated by the Northern Ohio & Western Railway. The project aligns with the selection criteria by enhancing safety and improving system and service performance as the project will return the line to FRA standards. The Ohio Rail Development Commission and the Sandusky County-Seneca County-City of Tiffin Port Authority will contribute 20 percent of the total project cost.

    “I am encouraged to see these new investments in rail coming to Northern Ohio, and I know that this will be transformative for the people of Defiance County, Sandusky County, and so many across our region. This funding continues the lasting impact of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law as an engine of economic development for the state of Ohio,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur (OH-09). “Rail safety was a major impetus for our desire to pass the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act, and now we are seeing investment and opportunity coming back to our region in transformational ways. We are working together to make our communities safer, and bring back major investment that underscores rail as the spine of our Northern Ohio economy. I will never stop fighting to deliver for the people of Northern Ohio.”

    These investments follow a $10,792,157 award Congresswoman Kaptur announced on October 3, 2023 for major rail upgrades for Napoleon, Defiance, & Western Railway. On September 22, 2023 Congresswoman Kaptur hosted a roundtable discussion on the future of passenger rail in Northern Ohio and the Great Lakes Region with participants including international, national, regional, and local transit, labor, and civic leaders and included FRA Administrator Amit Bose, Amtrak CEO Stephen Gardner, and Eddie Hall, President of the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen.

    # # #

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: Burgum highlights impact of Destination Development program with ribbon cutting for Good Bear Bay Lodge

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    Gov. Doug Burgum along with North Dakota Department of Commerce Tourism and Marketing Director Sara Otte Coleman and others celebrated the opening today of the Good Bear Bay Lodge at Indian Hills Resort, a unique new lodging option on the shores of Lake Sakakawea. 

    The Good Bear Bay Lodge fills a gap in the area’s lodging options, offering a spacious 4-bedroom, 2.5-bath lodge ideal for families or larger groups. It boasts a full kitchen, a comfortable living area and, as a highlight, an extended covered outdoor patio that provides an additional gathering space.

    “North Dakota’s tourism industry continues to thrive, and the Good Bear Bay Lodge is a shining example of how expanding services at one of our state’s key destinations, Lake Sakakawea, can help us attract more visitors from across the country and address our workforce challenges,” Burgum said. “This new lodge provides a unique accommodation option for families and groups seeking a memorable escape on Lake Sakakawea.”

    The lodge was made possible with the help of the Commerce’s Destination Development Grant program, which was approved by the state Legislature in 2023 and signed into law by Burgum. The program awarded $25 million in matching grants to 14 projects last November. 

    “There was tremendous interest in the program, with 81 projects requesting more than $151.5 million in funding,” Otte Coleman said. “The Good Bear Bay Lodge stood out for its ability to fill a gap in family lodging and extend the time visitors spend in our state’s most scenic areas.”  

    The Good Bear Bay Lodge is built on a slab foundation, ensuring easy accessibility for guests of all abilities. The lodge is open year-round, allowing visitors to enjoy everything Lake Sakakawea has to offer, from ice fishing in the winter to summer water sports and fall hunting.

    “We are thrilled to open the Good Bear Bay Lodge and provide families and groups with a comfortable and convenient place to stay,” said Kelly Sorge, co-owner of Indian Hills Resort. “We’ve received a lot of interest already, and we’re excited to welcome guests and share the beauty of Lake Sakakawea.”

    Indian Hills Resort offers a variety of experiences for guests, including kayak and paddleboard rentals, a pontoon for rent, and guide services. The resort is also pet-friendly and caters to the needs of hunters, fishermen and families with children. 

    Today’s ribbon cutting marks the second opening of a project completed with Destination Development grant support in as many months. On Sept. 11, Lt. Gov. Tammy Miller attended the unveiling of Citizens Alley, a public space in downtown Minot for recreation and community engagement. Miller also attended the groundbreaking in August for a new events center at Woodland Resort on the shores of Devils Lake, another Destination Development project. 

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI USA: North Dakota Development Fund Awards $5 Million to Support Automation Projects in 13 Communities

    Source: US State of North Dakota

    The North Dakota Development Fund (NDDF) received $5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funding during the 67th Legislative Assembly Special Session to create Automate ND, a grant program addressing workforce shortages by enabling companies to invest in automation equipment. This initiative helps companies increase productivity, improve working conditions, and drive revenue growth, all while contributing to North Dakota’s economic expansion. 

    “The Automate ND program received overwhelming interest, with 42 projects across 21 communities requesting over $11.8 million. We were able to fund 18 projects, showing a clear demand from businesses looking to leverage automation as a solution to workforce constraints,” said Shayden Akason, Deputy Director of Economic Development and Finance at Commerce. “To keep up with growing demand, it’s vital that we recruit and retain a qualified workforce while also supporting automation investments. North Dakota has a history of innovation, and this program is another step in helping businesses stay at the forefront of innovation. 

     

    The awarded projects span various industries, including manufacturing, agriculture, and advanced technology, focusing on automating essential processes. Notable recipients include: 

     

    • Precision Equipment Manufacturing, LLC (Fargo) – $97,386.79 for robotic welding and tooling equipment. This trailer manufacturer has been fabricating components in North Dakota for 20 years (total project cost: $207,616.87).  
    • Agri-Cover, Inc. (Jamestown) – $282,924.00 for robot arms and autonomous carts. Agri-Cover manufactures roll-up/hard covers for pickups, truck toppers, and pickup racks (total project cost: $709,783.00). 
    • Amber Waves, Inc. (Richardton) – $142,382.16 to automate a wash bay. Amber Waves specializes in hopper bottom grain bins (total project cost: $348,814.32). 
    • Marv Haugen Enterprises, Inc. (Casselton) – $267,862.50 for a robotic welding cell. This company manufactures over 100 types of telehandler, Skid-Steer, and wheel loader attachments (total project cost: $553,095.00). 
    • Northland Truss Systems, Inc. (Abercrombie) – $483,431.73 for an autonomous linear saw, jigging, and laser system. Northland Truss manufactures wood truss systems (total project cost: $1,016,606.46). 
    • ComDel Innovation, LLC (Wahpeton) – $500,000.00 for an autonomous mobile robot, automated cleaning equipment, and vision-guided robotics. ComDel is a contract manufacturer specializing in injection molding, metal stamping, and production machining (total project cost: $1,064,894.95). 
    • The Dairy Dozen (Milner) – $500,000.00 for a milking robot, automated manure collector, and automated feed pusher. This dairy operation is undergoing facility and process improvements (total project cost: $1,119,166.24). 
    • Killdeer Mountain Manufacturing, Inc. (KMM) (Killdeer/Dickinson) – $159,089.50 for automated parts storage and retrieval units. KMM is a third-generation, family-owned business specializing in aerospace and military-grade cable assemblies (total project cost: $318,179.00). 
    • YMI Industries, Inc. (Grand Forks) – $71,519.00 for an automatic bender and bar feeder. YMI provides precision machining services to OEM manufacturers and innovators (total project cost: $155,538.00). 
    • DR Millwork Company (dakBUILT) (Kindred) – $130,655.00 for a high-speed edge bander. This company provides custom woodwork and cabinetry (total project cost: $272,510.00). 
    • FlexTM, Inc. (Wahpeton) – $129,665.24 for a robotic welder. FlexTM supplies OEMs with complex weld assemblies and CNC machining (total project cost: $314,393.12). 
    • Integrity Steel Supply, LLC (Mapleton) – $500,000.00 for a robotic welder. Integrity Steel produces structural steel, joist, and deck systems (total project cost: $1,622,450.00). 
    • Malach USA, LLP (Valley City) – $500,000.00 for a robotic brake press. Malach is a metal and machining shop (total project cost: $1,205,500.00). 
    • Mid-Mac Marketing, Inc. (MidMach) (Jamestown) – $500,000.00 for three robotic welding cells. MidMach focuses on metal fabrication for the energy and agriculture sectors (total project cost: $1,227,600.00). 
    • Champ Industries USA, Inc. (Fargo) – $240,514.00 for an automated tool-loading brake press. Champ partners with OEMs and Tier One Suppliers in metal fabrication and assembly (total project cost: $489,288.00). 
    • Blue Flint Ethanol LLC (Underwood) – $28,500.00 to automate milling, liquefaction, and fermentation stages of ethanol production (total project cost: $175,609.00). 
    • PS Industries Incorporated (PSI) (Grand Forks) – $190,441.06 for an automated robotic press and CNC tube bender. PSI manufactures safety and fall-protection products for multiple industries, including the military and energy sectors (total project cost: $757,381.00). 
    • Wood Products, Inc. (dba American Woods) (Grand Forks) – $186,926.33 for automated material handling carts. American Woods manufactures residential furniture (total project cost: $347,036.00). 

     

    Applicants were required to conduct a feasibility study, assessing Smart Manufacturing readiness, with guidance from Impact Dakota. Jodie Mjoen, CEO of Impact Dakota, commended state leadership for their proactive approach to tackling workforce challenges, emphasizing the shift from offshoring to smarter advanced manufacturing solutions that create fulfilling job opportunities. 

     

    “Hats off to our state leadership, legislators, governor Burgum and Commerce team for leading the nation in addressing critical workforce challenges. Their efforts have been a driving force, sparking significant joint private industry & public policy investments in advanced manufacturing right here in North Dakota,” said Jodie Mjoen, CEO of Impact Dakota. He added, “For the past 30 years, the focus was on making products cheaper by offshoring. But in the next 30 years, it will be about making products smarter through advanced manufacturing. It’s incredibly rewarding to see the relief and excitement on the faces of our hardworking friends and neighbors in manufacturing, who now have vital solutions for filling and retaining challenging jobs. Workers previously tasked with dangerous, dull, and dirty jobs are being reallocated to higher paying, more fulfilling roles in programming and operating advanced manufacturing equipment in thriving factories across North Dakota. Now that’s what I call a win-win!” 

     

    Commerce, alongside Impact Dakota, remains dedicated to fostering automation and innovation in North Dakota businesses, continuing to support applicants in their pursuit of growth and success. 

     

    For further information about the Automate ND Grant Program, please visit the following link: ndgov /AutomateND. 

    MIL OSI USA News

  • MIL-OSI: First Western Reports Third Quarter 2024 Financial Results

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    Third Quarter 2024 Summary

    • Net income available to common shareholders of $2.1 million in Q3 2024, compared to $1.1 million in Q2 2024
    • Diluted earnings per share of $0.22 in Q3 2024, compared to $0.11 in Q2 2024
    • Total deposits increased 3.7% from $2.41 billion in Q2 2024 to $2.50 billion in Q3 2024. Noninterest-bearing deposits increased 19% from $397 million in Q2 2024 to $474 million in Q3 2024
    • Loan-to-Deposit ratio decreased from 101.9% in Q2 2024 to 95.2% in Q3 2024

    DENVER, Oct. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — First Western Financial, Inc. (“First Western” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: MYFW), today reported financial results for the third quarter ended September 30, 2024.

    Net income available to common shareholders was $2.1 million, or $0.22 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2024. This compares to net income of $1.1 million, or $0.11 per diluted share, for the second quarter of 2024, and net income of $3.1 million, or $0.32 per diluted share, for the third quarter of 2023.

    Scott C. Wylie, CEO of First Western, commented, “We generated a higher level of profitability in the third quarter while continuing to prioritize prudent risk management and a conservative approach to new loan production. We continued to effectively control expense levels while also making investments in the business that will support our profitable growth in the future. We are executing well on our balance sheet management strategies, which resulted in further reduction in our loan-to-deposit ratio, primarily driven by a significant increase in noninterest-bearing deposits, which increased 19% from the end of the prior quarter. We also saw positive trends in asset quality, including a significant reduction in non-performing loans and classified loans, as well as increases in our book value per share and tangible book value per share, which further strengthened our balance sheet.”

    “With our successful efforts to reposition our balance sheet including increasing our liquidity with a lower loan-to-deposit ratio, we are well positioned to generate a higher level of loan growth in 2025 as loan demand increases. We also expect to see expansion in our net interest margin and an increase in non-interest income from our mortgage business as interest rates decline, which should further improve our level of profitability. We are seeing positive trends in a number of key areas that we expect to continue, which we believe should result in steady improvement in our financial performance, operating leverage, and further value created for our shareholders,” said Mr. Wylie.

      For the Three Months Ended
      September 30,   June 30,   September 30,
    (Dollars in thousands, except per share data)   2024       2024       2023  
    Earnings Summary          
    Net interest income $ 15,568     $ 15,778     $   16,766  
    Provision for credit losses   501       2,334       329  
    Total non-interest income   6,972       6,972       6,099  
    Total non-interest expense   19,368       19,001       18,314  
    Income before income taxes   2,671       1,415       4,222  
    Income tax expense   537       339       1,104  
    Net income available to common shareholders   2,134       1,076       3,118  
    Basic earnings per common share   0.22       0.11       0.33  
    Diluted earnings per common share   0.22       0.11       0.32  
               
    Return on average assets (annualized)   0.30 %     0.15 %     0.44 %
    Return on average shareholders’ equity (annualized)   3.43       1.73       5.08  
    Return on tangible common equity (annualized)(1)   3.93       2.00       5.82  
    Net interest margin   2.32       2.35       2.46  
    Efficiency ratio(1)   84.89       82.13       78.89  

    ____________________

    (1) Represents a Non-GAAP financial measure. See “Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for a reconciliation of our Non-GAAP measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.

    Operating Results for the Third Quarter 2024

    Revenue

    Total income before non-interest expense was $22.0 million for the third quarter of 2024, compared to $20.4 million for the second quarter of 2024. Gross revenue(1) was $22.7 million for the third quarter of 2024, compared to $23.1 million for the second quarter of 2024. The increase in total income before non-interest expense was primarily driven by a decrease in Provision for credit losses. Relative to the third quarter of 2023, total income before non-interest expense decreased 2.2% from $22.5 million. Gross revenue decreased 1.7% from $23.1 million for the third quarter of 2023. The decrease in total income before non-interest expense was driven by an increase in Interest expense due to higher deposit costs, offset partially by higher Interest income and Net mortgage gains.

    (1) Represents a Non-GAAP financial measure. See “Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for a reconciliation of our Non-GAAP measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.

    Net Interest Income

    Net interest income for the third quarter of 2024 was $15.6 million, a decrease of 1.3% from $15.8 million in the second quarter of 2024. The decrease quarter over quarter was driven by an increase in interest expense due to an increase in interest-bearing deposits and partially due to having one additional day in the quarter. Interest income was negatively impacted by $0.4 million in the quarter due to the addition of a non-performing loan. Relative to the third quarter of 2023, net interest income decreased 7.1% from $16.8 million. The decrease compared to the prior year third quarter was due to higher Interest expense driven primarily by higher deposit costs, offset partially by higher Interest income.

    Net Interest Margin

    Net interest margin for the third quarter of 2024 decreased 3 basis points to 2.32% from 2.35% reported in the second quarter of 2024, primarily due to an unfavorable mix shift in average deposit balances. Net interest margin was negatively impacted by 6 basis points in the quarter due to the addition of a non-performing loan.

    The yield on interest-earning assets remained flat at 5.67% in the third quarter of 2024 versus 5.67% in the second quarter of 2024 and the cost of interest-bearing deposits remained flat at 4.19% in the third quarter of 2024 versus 4.19% in the second quarter of 2024.

    Relative to the third quarter of 2023, net interest margin decreased from 2.46%, primarily due to pricing pressure on interest-bearing deposits, offset partially by higher loan yields.

    Non-interest Income

    Non-interest income for the third quarter of 2024 remained flat at $7.0 million compared to $7.0 million in the second quarter of 2024. Activity throughout the quarter included an increase in Risk management and insurance fees, offset by decreased Net gain on mortgage loans.

    Relative to the third quarter of 2023, non-interest income increased 14.8% from $6.1 million. Increases were driven primarily by increases in net gain on mortgage loans and risk management and insurance fees.

    Non-interest Expense

    Non-interest expense for the third quarter of 2024 was $19.4 million compared to $19.0 million for the second quarter of 2024. The increase was primarily driven by increases in Salaries and employee benefits due to increased front office headcount and Marketing expenses, partially offset by a decrease in other operational expenses due to a partial recovery on a fraud loss from the first quarter.

    Relative to the third quarter of 2023, non-interest expense increased 6.0% from $18.3 million, driven primarily by an increase in Salaries and employee benefits, occupancy costs, and technology enhancements.

    The Company’s efficiency ratio(1) was 84.9% in the third quarter of 2024, compared with 82.1% in the second quarter of 2024 and 78.9% in the third quarter of 2023.

    (1) Represents a Non-GAAP financial measure. See “Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for a reconciliation of our Non-GAAP measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.

    Income Taxes

    The Company recorded Income tax expense of $0.5 million for the third quarter of 2024, compared to Income tax expense of $0.3 million for the second quarter of 2024 and $1.1 million for the third quarter of 2023. The increase in the third quarter of 2024 compared to the second quarter of 2024 was attributable to the increase in Income before income taxes.        

    Loans

    Total loans held for investment were $2.39 billion as of September 30, 2024, a decrease of 2.85% from $2.46 billion as of June 30, 2024. The decline was primarily due to net decreases in the cash, securities and other and commercial and industrial portfolios, offset partially by net growth in the 1 – 4 family residential portfolio. Another contributing factor to the decline was the foreclosure of a property in the quarter, which decreased non-performing loans by $30 million and increased Other real estate owned (“OREO”) by $25.6 million. Relative to the third quarter of 2023, total loans held for investment decreased from $2.54 billion as of September 30, 2023.

    Deposits

    Total deposits were $2.50 billion as of September 30, 2024, compared to $2.41 billion as of June 30, 2024. The increase was driven primarily by an increase in Noninterest-bearing deposits. Relative to the third quarter of 2023, total deposits increased from $2.42 billion as of September 30, 2023, driven primarily by an increase in time deposits due to new and expanded deposit relationships.

    Borrowings

    Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”) and Federal Reserve borrowings were a combined $62.4 million as of September 30, 2024, a decrease of $129.1 million from $191.5 million as of June 30, 2024. The change when compared to June 30, 2024 was driven by a decrease in FHLB borrowing due to the deposit growth and loan balance decline that occurred in the quarter. Relative to the third quarter of 2023, borrowings decreased $197.5 million from $259.9 million as of September 30, 2023. The decrease in borrowings from September 30, 2023 is driven by an increase in deposits and decrease in loans.

    Subordinated notes were $52.5 million as of September 30, 2024, compared to $52.5 million as of June 30, 2024. Subordinated notes increased $0.2 million from $52.3 million as of September 30, 2023.

    Assets Under Management

    Assets Under Management (“AUM”) increased to $7.47 billion as of September 30, 2024, compared to $7.01 billion as of June 30, 2024 and $6.40 billion as of September 30, 2023. The increase when compared to June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023 was primarily attributable to improving market conditions resulting in an increase in the value of AUM.

    Credit Quality

    Non-performing assets totaled $52.1 million, or 1.79% of total assets, as of September 30, 2024, compared to $49.3 million, or 1.68% of total assets, as of June 30, 2024. The increase in non-performing assets during the quarter was primarily due to the addition of a non-performing loan and foreclosed property, partially offset by non-performing loan pay downs, charge-offs, and the sale of a non-performing loan. As of September 30, 2023, non-performing assets totaled $56.1 million, or 1.87% of total assets. Relative to the third quarter of 2023, the decrease in non-performing assets was primarily driven by pay downs, charge-offs, and the sale of a non-performing loan, partially offset by additions to Other real estate owned (“OREO”) and non-performing loans. OREO totaled $37.0 million as of September 30, 2024 an increase of $25.6 million from $11.4 million as of June 30, 2024. As of September 30, 2023, the Company held no OREO.

    Non-performing loans totaled $15.0 million as of September 30, 2024, a decrease of $22.9 million from $37.9 million as of June 30, 2024. As of September 30, 2023, non-performing loans totaled $56.1 million. The decrease when compared to June 30, 2024 and September 30, 2023 was driven by the migration of one loan relationship out of non-performing loans and into OREO, pay downs, charge-offs, and the sale of a non-performing loan, partially offset by additions to non-performing loans.

    During the third quarter of 2024 the Company recorded a provision expense of $0.5 million, compared to a provision expense of $2.3 million in the second quarter of 2024 and $0.3 million in the third quarter of 2023. The decrease in provision expense recorded in the third quarter of 2024 compared to second quarter of 2024 was primarily driven by decreased provision on individually analyzed loans in the third quarter.

    Capital

    As of September 30, 2024, First Western (“Consolidated”) and First Western Trust Bank (“Bank”) exceeded the minimum capital levels required by their respective regulators. As of September 30, 2024, the Bank was classified as “well capitalized,” as summarized in the following table:

      September 30,
      2024  
    Consolidated Capital  
    Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets 10.06 %
    Common Equity Tier 1 (“CET1”) to risk-weighted assets 10.06  
    Total capital to risk-weighted assets 13.19  
    Tier 1 capital to average assets 8.04  
       
    Bank Capital  
    Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets 11.39 %
    CET1 to risk-weighted assets 11.39  
    Total capital to risk-weighted assets 12.13  
    Tier 1 capital to average assets 9.11  

    Book value per common share increased 0.8% from $25.55 as of June 30, 2024 to $25.75 as of September 30, 2024. Book value per common share decreased 0.04% from $25.76 as of September 30, 2023.

    Tangible book value per common share(1) increased 0.9% from $22.27 as of June 30, 2024, to $22.47 as of September 30, 2024. Tangible book value per common share increased 0.2% from $22.42 as of September 30, 2023.

    During the third quarter of 2024, the Company repurchased 5,501 shares of its common stock at an average price of $16.27 under its stock repurchase program, which authorized the repurchase of up to 200,000 shares of its common stock. As of September 30, 2024, the Company had up to 194,499 shares remaining under the current stock repurchase authorization.

    (1) Represents a Non-GAAP financial measure. See “Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for a reconciliation of our Non-GAAP measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.

    Conference Call, Webcast and Slide Presentation

    The Company will host a conference call and webcast at 10:00 a.m. MT/ 12:00 p.m. ET on Friday, October 25, 2024. Telephone access: https://register.vevent.com/register/BI453d1a8caedc4cd7a7cc436a4d09c5c9.

    A slide presentation relating to the third quarter 2024 results will be accessible prior to the scheduled conference call. The slide presentation and webcast of the conference call can be accessed on the Events and Presentations page of the Company’s investor relations website at https://myfw.gcs-web.com.

    About First Western

    First Western is a financial services holding company headquartered in Denver, Colorado, with operations in Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming, California, and Montana. First Western and its subsidiaries provide a fully integrated suite of wealth management services on a private trust bank platform, which includes a comprehensive selection of deposit, loan, trust, wealth planning and investment management products and services. First Western’s common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Global Select Market under the symbol “MYFW.” For more information, please visit www.myfw.com.

    Non-GAAP Financial Measures

    Some of the financial measures included in this press release are not measures of financial performance recognized in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States (“GAAP”). These non-GAAP financial measures include “Tangible Common Equity,” “Tangible Common Book Value per Share,” “Return on Tangible Common Equity,” “Efficiency Ratio,” “Gross Revenue,” and “Allowance for Credit Losses to Adjusted Loans”. The Company believes these non-GAAP financial measures provide both management and investors a more complete understanding of the Company’s financial position and performance. These non-GAAP financial measures are supplemental and are not a substitute for any analysis based on GAAP financial measures. Not all companies use the same calculation of these measures; therefore, this presentation may not be comparable to other similarly titled measures as presented by other companies. Reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to GAAP financial measures are provided at the end of this press release.

    Forward-Looking Statements

    Statements in this news release regarding our expectations and beliefs about our future financial performance and financial condition, as well as trends in our business and markets are “forward-looking statements” as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements often include words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “plan,” “estimate,” “project,” “position,” “outlook,” or words of similar meaning, or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “opportunity,” “could,” or “may.” The forward-looking statements in this news release are based on current information and on assumptions that we make about future events and circumstances that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that are often difficult to predict and beyond our control. As a result of those risks and uncertainties, our actual financial results in the future could differ, possibly materially, from those expressed in or implied by the forward-looking statements contained in this news release and could cause us to make changes to our future plans. Those risks and uncertainties include, without limitation, the lack of soundness of other financial institutions or financial market utilities may adversely affect the Company; the Company’s ability to engage in routine funding and other transactions could be adversely affected by the actions and commercial soundness of other financial institutions; financial institutions are interrelated because of trading, clearing, counterparty or other relationships; defaults by, or even rumors or questions about, one or more financial institutions or financial market utilities, or the financial services industry generally, may lead to market-wide liquidity problems and losses of client, creditor and counterparty confidence and could lead to losses or defaults by other financial institutions, or the Company; integration risks and projected cost savings in connection with acquisitions; the risk of geographic concentration in Colorado, Arizona, Wyoming, California, and Montana; the risk of changes in the economy affecting real estate values and liquidity; the risk in our ability to continue to originate residential real estate loans and sell such loans; risks specific to commercial loans and borrowers; the risk of claims and litigation pertaining to our fiduciary responsibilities; the risk of competition for investment managers and professionals; the risk of fluctuation in the value of our debt securities; the risk of changes in interest rates; and the risk of the adequacy of our allowance for credit losses and the risk in our ability to maintain a strong core deposit base or other low-cost funding sources. Additional information regarding these and other risks and uncertainties to which our business and future financial performance are subject is contained in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 15, 2024 (“Form 10-K”), and other documents we file with the SEC from time to time. We urge readers of this news release to review the “Risk Factors” section our Form 10-K and any updates to those risk factors set forth in our subsequent Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, Current Reports on Form 8-K, and our other filings with the SEC. Also, our actual financial results in the future may differ from those currently expected due to additional risks and uncertainties of which we are not currently aware or which we do not currently view as, but in the future may become, material to our business or operating results. Due to these and other possible uncertainties and risks, readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on the forward-looking statements contained in this news release, which speak only as of today’s date, or to make predictions based solely on historical financial performance. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as of the date on which it is made, and we do not undertake any obligation to update or review any forward-looking statement, whether as a result of new information, future developments or otherwise, except as required by law.

    Contacts:
    Financial Profiles, Inc.
    Tony Rossi
    310-622-8221
    MYFW@finprofiles.com
    IR@myfw.com

    First Western Financial, Inc.
    Condensed Consolidated Statements of Income (unaudited)


      Three Months Ended
      September 30,   June 30,   September 30,
    (Dollars in thousands, except per share amounts)   2024       2024       2023  
    Interest and dividend income:          
    Loans, including fees $ 35,353     $ 35,275     $ 34,141  
    Loans accounted for under the fair value option   141       168       300  
    Debt securities   708       651       607  
    Interest-bearing deposits in other financial institutions   1,754       1,855       1,292  
    Dividends, restricted stock   134       105       141  
    Total interest and dividend income   38,090       38,054       36,481  
               
    Interest expense:          
    Deposits   21,150       20,848       17,467  
    Other borrowed funds   1,372       1,428       2,248  
    Total interest expense   22,522       22,276       19,715  
    Net interest income   15,568       15,778       16,766  
    Less: provision for credit losses   501       2,334       329  
    Net interest income, after provision for credit losses   15,067       13,444       16,437  
               
    Non-interest income:          
    Trust and investment management fees   4,728       4,875       4,846  
    Net gain on mortgage loans   1,451       1,820       654  
    Bank fees   392       327       427  
    Risk management and insurance fees   367       109       145  
    Income on company-owned life insurance   108       106       96  
    Net loss on loans accounted for under the fair value option   (233 )     (315 )     (252 )
    Unrealized gain (loss) recognized on equity securities   24       (2 )     (19 )
    Other   135       52       202  
    Total non-interest income   6,972       6,972       6,099  
    Total income before non-interest expense   22,039       20,416       22,536  
               
    Non-interest expense:          
    Salaries and employee benefits   11,439       11,097       10,968  
    Occupancy and equipment   2,126       2,080       1,807  
    Professional services   1,893       1,826       1,867  
    Technology and information systems   1,045       1,042       906  
    Data processing   1,101       1,101       1,159  
    Marketing   374       243       355  
    Amortization of other intangible assets   57       56       62  
    Other   1,333       1,556       1,190  
    Total non-interest expense   19,368       19,001       18,314  
    Income before income taxes   2,671       1,415       4,222  
    Income tax expense   537       339       1,104  
    Net income available to common shareholders $ 2,134     $ 1,076     $ 3,118  
    Earnings per common share:          
    Basic $ 0.22     $ 0.11     $ 0.33  
    Diluted   0.22       0.11       0.32  
    First Western Financial, Inc.
    Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheets (unaudited)


      September 30,   June 30,   September 30,
    (Dollars in thousands)   2024       2024       2023  
    Assets          
    Cash and cash equivalents:          
    Cash and due from banks $ 18,979     $ 6,374     $ 6,439  
    Interest-bearing deposits in other financial institutions   257,243       239,425       265,045  
    Total cash and cash equivalents   276,222       245,799       271,484  
               
    Held-to-maturity debt securities (fair value of $70,826, $71,067 and $66,487, respectively), net of allowance for credit losses of $71   76,745       78,927       75,539  
    Correspondent bank stock, at cost   5,746       10,804       11,305  
    Mortgage loans held for sale, at fair value   12,324       26,856       12,105  
    Loans held for sale, at fair value   473              
    Loans (includes $8,646, $10,190, and $15,464 measured at fair value, respectively)   2,383,199       2,456,063       2,530,459  
    Allowance for credit losses   (18,796 )     (27,319 )             (23,175 )
    Loans, net   2,364,403       2,428,744       2,507,284  
    Premises and equipment, net   24,350       24,657       25,410  
    Accrued interest receivable   10,455       11,339       11,633  
    Accounts receivable   4,864       5,118       5,292  
    Other receivables   10,397       4,875       3,052  
    Other real estate owned, net   37,036       11,421        
    Goodwill and other intangible assets, net   31,684       31,741       31,916  
    Deferred tax assets, net   4,075       6,123       6,624  
    Company-owned life insurance   16,849       16,741       16,429  
    Other assets   36,325       34,410       24,680  
    Total assets $ 2,911,948     $ 2,937,555     $ 3,002,753  
               
    Liabilities          
    Deposits:          
    Noninterest-bearing $ 473,576     $ 396,702     $ 476,308  
    Interest-bearing   2,029,478       2,014,190       1,943,688  
    Total deposits   2,503,054       2,410,892       2,419,996  
    Borrowings:          
    Federal Home Loan Bank and Federal Reserve borrowings   62,373       191,505       259,930  
    Subordinated notes   52,508       52,451       52,279  
    Accrued interest payable   3,339       2,243       3,203  
    Other liabilities   41,843       33,589       21,089  
    Total liabilities   2,663,117       2,690,680       2,756,497  
               
    Shareholders’ Equity          
    Total shareholders’ equity   248,831       246,875       246,256  
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $ 2,911,948     $ 2,937,555     $ 3,002,753  
    First Western Financial, Inc.
    Consolidated Financial Summary (unaudited)

      September 30,   June 30,   September 30,
    (Dollars in thousands)   2024       2024       2023  
    Loan Portfolio          
    Cash, Securities, and Other(1) $ 116,856     $ 143,720     $ 148,669  
    Consumer and Other   14,978       15,645       23,975  
    Construction and Development   301,542       309,146       349,436  
    1-4 Family Residential   920,709       904,569       913,085  
    Non-Owner Occupied CRE   608,494       609,790       527,377  
    Owner Occupied CRE   176,165       189,353       208,341  
    Commercial and Industrial   239,660       277,973       349,515  
    Total   2,378,404       2,450,196       2,520,398  
    Loans accounted for under the fair value option   8,884       10,494       16,105  
    Total loans held for investment   2,387,288       2,460,690       2,536,503  
    Deferred (fees) costs and unamortized premiums/(unaccreted discounts), net(2)   (4,089 )     (4,627 )     (6,044 )
    Loans (includes $8,646, $10,190, and $15,464 measured at fair value, respectively) $ 2,383,199     $ 2,456,063     $ 2,530,459  
    Mortgage loans held for sale   12,324       26,856       12,105  
    Loans held for sale   473              
               
    Deposit Portfolio          
    Money market deposit accounts $ 1,350,619     $ 1,342,753     $ 1,388,726  
    Time deposits   533,452       519,597       373,459  
    Interest checking accounts   130,255       135,759       164,000  
    Savings accounts   15,152       16,081       17,503  
    Total interest-bearing deposits   2,029,478       2,014,190       1,943,688  
    Noninterest-bearing accounts   473,576       396,702       476,308  
    Total deposits $ 2,503,054     $ 2,410,892     $ 2,419,996  

    ____________________
    (1) Includes PPP loans of $2.6 million as of September 30, 2024, $3.1 million as of June 30, 2024, and $4.9 million as of September 30, 2023.
    (2) Includes fair value adjustments on loans held for investment accounted for under the fair value option.

    First Western Financial, Inc.
    Consolidated Financial Summary (unaudited) (continued)


      As of or for the Three Months Ended
      September 30,   June 30,   September 30,
    (Dollars in thousands)   2024       2024       2023  
    Average Balance Sheets          
    Assets          
    Interest-earning assets:          
    Interest-bearing deposits in other financial institutions $ 129,629     $ 141,600     $   102,510  
    Debt securities   79,007       75,461       78,057  
    Correspondent bank stock   6,281       4,801       7,162  
    Loans   2,429,927       2,443,937       2,485,704  
    Mortgage loans held for sale   18,423       20,254       12,680  
    Loans held at fair value   9,691       11,314       16,715  
    Total interest-earning assets   2,672,958       2,697,367       2,702,828  
    Allowance for credit losses   (27,236 )     (24,267 )     (22,122 )
    Noninterest-earning assets   161,072       143,514       125,774  
    Total assets $ 2,806,794     $ 2,816,614     $ 2,806,480  
               
    Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity           
    Interest-bearing liabilities:           
    Interest-bearing deposits $ 2,007,265     $ 2,001,691     $ 1,846,318  
    FHLB and Federal Reserve borrowings   62,589       67,196       125,250  
    Subordinated notes   52,470       52,414       52,242  
    Total interest-bearing liabilities   2,122,324       2,121,301       2,023,810  
    Noninterest-bearing liabilities:          
    Noninterest-bearing deposits   395,755       412,741       512,956  
    Other liabilities   40,089       34,051       24,228  
    Total noninterest-bearing liabilities   435,844       446,792       537,184  
    Total shareholders’ equity   248,626       248,521       245,486  
    Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity $ 2,806,794     $ 2,816,614     $ 2,806,480  
               
    Yields/Cost of funds (annualized)          
    Interest-bearing deposits in other financial institutions   5.38 %     5.27 %     5.00 %
    Debt securities   3.57       3.47       3.09  
    Correspondent bank stock   8.49       8.80       7.81  
    Loans   5.74       5.75       5.42  
    Loan held at fair value   5.79       5.97       7.12  
    Mortgage loans held for sale   5.87       6.83       6.70  
    Total interest-earning assets   5.67       5.67       5.35  
    Interest-bearing deposits   4.19       4.19       3.75  
    Total deposits   3.50       3.47       2.94  
    FHLB and Federal Reserve borrowings   4.03       4.14       4.58  
    Subordinated notes   5.60       5.66       6.08  
    Total interest-bearing liabilities   4.22       4.22       3.86  
    Net interest margin   2.32         2.35       2.46  
    Net interest rate spread   1.45       1.45       1.49  
    First Western Financial, Inc.
    Consolidated Financial Summary (unaudited) (continued)

      As of or for the Three Months Ended
      September 30,   June 30,   September 30,
    (Dollars in thousands, except share and per share amounts)   2024       2024       2023  
    Asset Quality          
    Non-performing loans $ 15,031     $ 37,909     $ 56,146  
    Non-performing assets   52,067       49,330       56,146  
    Net charge-offs (recoveries)   9,319       (9 )     190  
    Non-performing loans to total loans   0.63 %     1.54 %     2.21 %
    Non-performing assets to total assets   1.79       1.68       1.87  
    Allowance for credit losses to non-performing loans   125.05       72.06       41.28  
    Allowance for credit losses to total loans   0.79       1.11       0.92  
    Allowance for credit losses to adjusted loans(1)   0.79       1.12       0.92  
    Net charge-offs to average loans   0.38     *     0.01  
               
    Assets Under Management $ 7,465,757     $ 7,011,796     $ 6,395,786  
               
    Market Data          
    Book value per share at period end $ 25.75     $ 25.55     $ 25.76  
    Tangible book value per common share(1)   22.47       22.27       22.42  
    Weighted average outstanding shares, basic   9,663,131       9,647,345       9,553,331  
    Weighted average outstanding shares, diluted   9,825,515       9,750,667       9,743,270  
    Shares outstanding at period end   9,664,101       9,660,548       9,560,209  
               
    Consolidated Capital          
    Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets   10.06 %     9.92 %     9.32 %
    CET1 to risk-weighted assets   10.06       9.92       9.32  
    Total capital to risk-weighted assets   13.19       13.44       12.45  
    Tier 1 capital to average assets   8.04       7.91       7.96  
               
    Bank Capital          
    Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets   11.39 %     11.22 %     10.42 %
    CET1 to risk-weighted assets   11.39       11.22       10.42  
    Total capital to risk-weighted assets   12.13       12.35       11.31  
    Tier 1 capital to average assets   9.11       8.95       8.88  

    ____________________
    (1) Represents a Non-GAAP financial measure. See “Reconciliation of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for a reconciliation of our Non-GAAP measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure.
    * Value results in an immaterial amount.

    First Western Financial, Inc.
    Consolidated Financial Summary (unaudited) (continued)
    Reconciliations of Non-GAAP Financial Measures  
      As of or for the Three Months Ended
      September 30,   June 30,   September 30,
    (Dollars in thousands, except share and per share amounts)   2024       2024       2023  
    Tangible Common          
    Total shareholders’ equity $ 248,831     $ 246,875     $ 246,256  
    Less: goodwill and other intangibles, net   31,684       31,741       31,916  
    Tangible common equity $ 217,147     $ 215,134     $ 214,340  
               
    Common shares outstanding, end of period   9,664,101       9,660,548       9,560,209  
    Tangible common book value per share $ 22.47     $ 22.27     $ 22.42  
    Net income available to common shareholders   2,134       1,076       3,118  
    Return on tangible common equity (annualized)   3.93 %     2.00 %     5.82 %
               
    Efficiency          
    Non-interest expense $ 19,368     $ 19,001     $ 18,314  
    Less: amortization   57       56       62  
    Adjusted non-interest expense $ 19,311     $ 18,945     $ 18,252  
               
    Total income before non-interest expense $ 22,039     $ 20,416     $ 22,536  
    Less: unrealized (loss)/gain recognized on equity securities   24       (2 )     (19 )
    Less: net loss on loans accounted for under the fair value option   (233 )     (315 )     (252 )
    Plus: provision for credit losses   501       2,334       329  
    Gross revenue $ 22,749     $ 23,067     $ 23,136  
    Efficiency ratio   84.89 %     82.13 %     78.89 %
               
    Allowance for Credit Loss to Adjusted Loans          
    Total loans held for investment $ 2,387,288     $ 2,460,690     $ 2,536,503  
    Less: PPP loans   2,603       3,129       4,876  
    Less: loans accounted for under fair value   8,884       10,494       16,105  
    Adjusted loans $ 2,375,801     $ 2,447,067     $ 2,515,522  
               
    Allowance for credit losses $ 18,796     $ 27,319     $ 23,175  
    Allowance for credit losses to adjusted loans   0.79 %     1.12 %     0.92 %

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Dime Community Bancshares Declares Quarterly Cash Dividend for Series A Preferred Stock

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    HAUPPAUGE, N.Y., Oct. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Dime Community Bancshares, Inc. (Nasdaq: DCOM, DCOMP and DCOMG) (the “Company”) announced that its Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.34375 per share on the Company’s 5.50% Fixed-Rate Non-Cumulative Perpetual Preferred Stock, Series A, payable on November 15, 2024 to holders of record as of November 8, 2024.

    ABOUT DIME COMMUNITY BANCSHARES, INC.

    Dime Community Bancshares, Inc. is the holding company for Dime Community Bank, a New York State-chartered trust company with over $13.7 billion in assets and the number one deposit market share among community banks on Greater Long Island (1).

    Dime Community Bancshares, Inc.
    Investor Relations Contact:
    Avinash Reddy
    Senior Executive Vice President – Chief Financial Officer
    Phone: 718-782-6200; Ext. 5909
    Email: avinash.reddy@dime.com

     ¹ Aggregate deposit market share for Kings, Queens, Nassau & Suffolk counties for community banks with less than $20 billion in assets.

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Lake Shore Bancorp, Inc. Declares Third Quarter 2024 Dividend

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    DUNKIRK, N.Y., Oct. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Lake Shore Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company”) (NASDAQ: LSBK), the holding company for Lake Shore Savings Bank (the “Bank”), announced today that the Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.18 per share on its outstanding common stock on October 23, 2024. The dividend is expected to be paid on November 8, 2024 to stockholders of record as of November 4, 2024. The Company received the written approval from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia (the “Reserve Bank”) on September 30, 2024 to pay a cash dividend of $0.18 per share to its stockholders.

    About Lake Shore
    Lake Shore Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ Global Market: LSBK) is the mid-tier holding company of Lake Shore Savings Bank, a federally chartered, community-oriented financial institution headquartered in Dunkirk, New York. The Bank has ten full-service branch locations in Western New York, including four in Chautauqua County and six in Erie County. The Bank offers a broad range of retail and commercial lending and deposit services. The Company’s common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Market as “LSBK”. Additional information about the Company is available at www.lakeshoresavings.com.

    Safe-Harbor
    This release contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, that are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about the Company’s and the Bank’s industry, and management’s beliefs and assumptions. Words such as anticipates, expects, intends, plans, believes, estimates and variations of such words and expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements reflect management’s current views of future events and operations. These forward-looking statements are based on information currently available to the Company as of the date of this release. It is important to note that these forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve and are subject to significant risks, contingencies, and uncertainties, many of which are difficult to predict and are generally beyond our control including, but not limited to, compliance with the Bank’s Consent Order and an Individual Minimum Capital Requirement both issued by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, compliance with the Written Agreement with the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, data loss or other security breaches, including a breach of our operational or security systems, policies or procedures, including cyber-attacks on us or on our third party vendors or service providers, economic conditions, the effect of changes in monetary and fiscal policy, inflation, unanticipated changes in our liquidity position, climate change, geopolitical conflicts, public health issues, increased unemployment, deterioration in the credit quality of the loan portfolio and/or the value of the collateral securing repayment of loans, reduction in the value of investment securities, the cost and ability to attract and retain key employees, regulatory or legal developments, tax policy changes, dividend policy changes, and our ability to implement and execute our business plan and strategy and expand our operations. These factors should be considered in evaluating forward looking statements and undue reliance should not be placed on such statements, as our financial performance could differ materially due to various risks or uncertainties. We do not undertake to publicly update or revise our forward-looking statements if future changes make it clear that any projected results expressed or implied therein will not be realized.

    Source: Lake Shore Bancorp, Inc.
    Category: Financial

    Investor Relations/Media Contact
    Taylor M. Gilden
    Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer
    Lake Shore Bancorp, Inc.
    31 East Fourth Street
    Dunkirk, New York 14048
    (716) 366-4070 ext. 1065

    The MIL Network

  • MIL-OSI: Athene Announces Fixed Income Investor Conference Call

    Source: GlobeNewswire (MIL-OSI)

    WEST DES MOINES, Iowa, Oct. 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Athene Holding Ltd. (“Athene”), a leading retirement services company and subsidiary of Apollo Global Management, Inc. (NYSE:APO), announced it will host a Fixed Income Investor conference call on Thursday, November 14, 2024 at 10:00AM ET.

    The call will feature members of Athene’s senior management team, who will provide an update on current business trends, new business origination, the investment portfolio, and capital.

    An accompanying presentation, live webcast, and webcast replay will be available on the Investor Relations section of Athene’s website at ir.athene.com.

    Conference Call Details:
    Dial-in: Toll-free at 877-404-1236 (domestic) or + 1 215-268-9888 (international)

    About Athene
    Athene is a leading retirement services company with $330 billion of total assets as of June 30, 2024, and operations in the United States, Bermuda, Canada, and Japan. Athene is focused on providing financial security to individuals by offering an attractive suite of retirement income and savings products and also serves as a solutions provider to corporations. For more information, please visit www.athene.com.

    Contact:

    Jeanne Hess
    Vice President, External Relations
    +1 646 768 7319
    jeanne.hess@athene.com

    The MIL Network