SEC Form 10-Q filed by Southern First Bancshares Inc.

4/30/24 10:32:53 AM ET

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UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

FORM 10-Q

☒ QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the Quarterly Period Ended March 31, 2024

☐ TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15 (d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the Transition Period from to

Commission file number 000-27719

Southern First Bancshares, Inc.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

South Carolina		58-2459561
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)

6 Verdae Boulevard
Greenville, S.C.		29607
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip Code)

864-679-9000
(Registrant’s telephone number, including area code)

Not Applicable
(Former name, former address, and former fiscal year, if changed since last report)

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

Title of each class	Trading Symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock	SFST	The Nasdaq Global Market

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).
Yes ☒ No ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, or a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Large accelerated filer	☐	Accelerated filer	☒
Non-accelerated filer	☐	Smaller Reporting Company	☐
		Emerging growth company	☐

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act). Yes ☐ No ☒

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date:

8,156,109 shares of common stock, par value $0.01 per share, were issued and outstanding as of April 30, 2024.

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SOUTHERN FIRST BANCSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
March 31, 2024 Form 10-Q

INDEX

		Page
PART I – CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1.	Consolidated Financial Statements

	Consolidated Balance Sheets	3

	Consolidated Statements of Income	4

	Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income	5

	Consolidated Statements of Shareholders’ Equity	6

	Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows	7

	Notes to Unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements	8

Item 2.	Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations	27

Item 3.	Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk	42

Item 4.	Controls and Procedures	42

PART II – OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1.	Legal Proceedings	43

Item 1A.	Risk Factors	43

Item 2.	Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds	43

Item 3.	Defaults upon Senior Securities	43

Item 4.	Mine Safety Disclosures	43

Item 5.	Other Information	43

Item 6.	Exhibits	43

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PART I. CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Item 1. CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

SOUTHERN FIRST BANCSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS



	March 31,			December 31,
(dollars in thousands, except share data)	2024			2023
	(Unaudited)			(Audited)
ASSETS
Cash and cash equivalents:
Cash and due from banks	$	13,925			28,020
Federal funds sold		144,595			119,349
Interest-bearing deposits with banks		8,789			8,801
Total cash and cash equivalents		167,309			156,170
Investment securities:
Investment securities available for sale		125,996			134,702
Other investments		18,499			19,939
Total investment securities		144,495			154,641
Mortgage loans held for sale		11,842			7,194
Loans		3,643,766			3,602,627
Less allowance for credit losses		(40,441	)		(40,682	)
Loans, net		3,603,325			3,561,945
Bank owned life insurance		52,878			52,501
Property and equipment, net		93,007			94,301
Deferred income taxes, net		12,321			12,200
Other assets		20,527			16,837
Total assets	$	4,105,704			4,055,789
LIABILITIES
Deposits	$	3,460,681			3,379,564
FHLB advances and related debt		240,000			275,000
Subordinated debentures		36,349			36,322
Other liabilities		53,418			52,436
Total liabilities		3,790,448			3,743,322
SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Preferred stock, par value $.01 per share, 10,000,000 shares authorized		-			-
Common stock, par value $.01 per share, 10,000,000 shares authorized, 8,156,109 and 8,088,186 shares issued and outstanding at March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively		82			81
Nonvested restricted stock		(5,257	)		(3,596	)
Additional paid-in capital		124,159			121,777
Accumulated other comprehensive loss		(11,797	)		(11,342	)
Retained earnings		208,069			205,547
Total shareholders’ equity		315,256			312,467
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	$	4,105,704			4,055,789

See notes to consolidated financial statements that are an integral part of these consolidated statements.

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SOUTHERN FIRST BANCSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(Unaudited)



	For the three months
	ended March 31,
(dollars in thousands, except share data)	2024			2023
Interest income
Loans	$	45,605			36,748
Investment securities		1,478			613
Federal funds sold and interest-bearing deposits with banks		1,280			969
Total interest income		48,363			38,330
Interest expense
Deposits		26,932			17,179
Borrowings		2,786			727
Total interest expense		29,718			17,906
Net interest income		18,645			20,424
Provision for (reversal of) credit losses		(175	)		1,825
Net interest income after provision for (reversal of) credit losses		18,820			18,599
Noninterest income
Mortgage banking income		1,164			622
Service fees on deposit accounts		387			325
ATM and debit card income		544			555
Income from bank owned life insurance		377			332
Other income		192			210
Total noninterest income		2,664			2,044
Noninterest expenses
Compensation and benefits		10,857			10,356
Occupancy		2,557			2,457
Outside service and data processing costs		1,846			1,629
Insurance		955			689
Professional fees		618			660
Marketing		369			366
Other		898			947
Total noninterest expenses		18,100			17,104
Income before income tax expense		3,384			3,539
Income tax expense		862			836
Net income	$	2,522			2,703
Earnings per common share
Basic	$	0.31			0.34
Diluted		0.31			0.33
Weighted average common shares outstanding
Basic		8,110,249			8,025,876
Diluted		8,141,921			8,092,270

See notes to consolidated financial statements that are an integral part of these consolidated statements.

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SOUTHERN FIRST BANCSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(Unaudited)



	For the three months ended March 31,
(dollars in thousands)	2024			2023
Net income	$	2,522			2,703
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Unrealized gain (loss) on securities available for sale:
Unrealized holding gain (loss) arising during the period, pretax		(578	)		2,070
Tax benefit (expense)		123			(435	)
Other comprehensive income (loss)		(455	)		1,635
Comprehensive income	$	2,067			4,338

See notes to consolidated financial statements that are an integral part of these consolidated statements.

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SOUTHERN FIRST BANCSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
(Unaudited)



	For the three months ended March 31,
(dollars in thousands,	Common stock				Preferred stock				Nonvested restricted			Additional paid-in		Accumulated other comprehensive			Retained
except share data)	Shares		Amount		Shares		Amount		stock			capital		income (loss)			earnings		Total
December 31, 2022		8,011,045	$	80		-	$	-	$	(3,306	)	$	119,027	$	(13,410	)	$	192,121	$	294,512
Net income		-		-		-		-		-			-		-			2,703		2,703
Proceeds from exercise of stock options		1,000		-		-		-		-			17		-			-		17
Issuance of restricted stock Retained earnings		35,930		-		-		-		(1,521	)		1,521		-			-		-
Compensation expense related to restricted stock, net of tax		-		-		-		-		365			-		-			-		365
Compensation expense related to stock options, net of tax Common stock		-		-		-		-		-			118		-			-		118
Other comprehensive income		-		-		-		-		-			-		1,635			-		1,635
Additional paid-in capital
March 31, 2023 Preferred stock		8,047,975	$	80		-	$	-	$	(4,462	)	$	120,683	$	(11,775	)	$	194,824	$	299,350
December 31, 2023		8,088,186	$	81		-	$	-	$	(3,596	)	$	121,777	$	(11,342	)	$	205,547	$	312,467
Net income		-		-		-		-		-			-		-			2,522		2,522
Proceeds from exercise of stock options		11,000		-		-		-		-			167		-			-		167
Issuance of restricted stock, net of forfeitures		56,923		1		-		-		(2,112	)		2,111		-			-		-
Compensation expense related to restricted stock, net of tax		-		-		-		-		451			-		-			-		451
Compensation expense related to stock options, net of tax		-		-		-		-		-			104		-			-		104
Other comprehensive loss		-		-		-		-		-			-		(455	)		-		(455	)

March 31, 2024		8,156,109	$	82		-	$	-	$	(5,257	)	$	124,159	$	(11,797	)	$	208,069	$	315,256

See notes to consolidated financial statements that are an integral part of these consolidated statements.

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SOUTHERN FIRST BANCSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Unaudited)



	For the three months ended March 31,
(dollars in thousands)	2024			2023
Operating activities
Net income	$	2,522			2,703
Adjustments to reconcile net income to cash provided by operating activities:
Provision for (reversal of) credit losses		(175	)		1,825
Depreciation and other amortization		1,214			1,203
Accretion and amortization of securities discounts and premium, net		131			129
Net change in operating leases		39			53
Compensation expense related to stock options and restricted stock grants		555			483
Gain on sale of loans held for sale		(1,014	)		(530	)
Loans originated and held for sale		(36,524	)		(17,892	)
Proceeds from sale of loans held for sale		32,890			15,360
Increase in cash surrender value of bank owned life insurance		(377	)		(331	)
Increase in other assets		(3,690	)		(508	)
Increase (decrease) in other liabilities		1,505			(1,258	)
Net cash (used for) provided by operating activities		(2,924	)		1,237
Investing activities
Increase (decrease) in cash realized from:
Increase in loans, net		(41,380	)		(144,641	)
Purchase of property and equipment		(280	)		(180	)
Purchase of investment securities:
Available for sale		(5,191	)		-
Other investments		(4,302	)		(18,264	)
Payments and maturities, calls and repayments of investment securities:
Available for sale		13,190			1,252
Other investments		5,742			19,000
Net cash used for investing activities		(32,221	)		(142,833	)
Financing activities
Increase in cash realized from:
Increase in deposits, net		81,117			292,910
Decrease in Federal Home Loan Bank advances and other borrowings, net		(35,000	)		(50,000	)
Proceeds from the exercise of stock options		167			17
Net cash provided by financing activities		46,284			242,927
Net increase in cash and cash equivalents		11,139			101,331
Cash and cash equivalents at beginning of the period		156,170			170,874
Cash and cash equivalents at end of the period	$	167,309			272,205
Supplemental information
Cash paid for
Interest	$	27,617			16,801
Schedule of non-cash transactions
Unrealized gain (loss) on securities, net of income taxes		(455	)		1,635

See notes to consolidated financial statements that are an integral part of these consolidated statements.

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SOUTHERN FIRST BANCSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARY
NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

NOTE 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies

Nature of Business

Southern First Bancshares, Inc. (the “Company”) is a South Carolina corporation that owns all of the capital stock of Southern First Bank (the “Bank”) and all of the stock of Greenville First Statutory Trusts I and II (collectively, the “Trusts”). The Trusts are special purpose non-consolidated entities organized for the sole purpose of issuing trust preferred securities. The Bank’s primary federal regulator is the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the “FDIC”). The Bank is also regulated and examined by the South Carolina Board of Financial Institutions. The Bank is primarily engaged in the business of accepting demand deposits and savings deposits insured by the FDIC, and providing commercial, consumer and mortgage loans to the general public.

Basis of Presentation

The accompanying consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Article 10 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all the information and footnotes required by accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments (consisting of normal recurring accruals) considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. Operating results for the three-month period ended March 31, 2024 are not necessarily indicative of the results that may be expected for the year ending December 31, 2024. For further information, refer to the consolidated financial statements and footnotes thereto included in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023 as filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) on March 5, 2024. The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company and the Bank. In accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 810, “Consolidation,” the financial statements related to the Trusts have not been consolidated.

Business Segments

The Company, through the Bank, provides a broad range of financial services to individuals and companies in South Carolina, North Carolina, and Georgia. These services include demand, time and savings deposits, lending services and ATM processing and mortgage banking services. While the Company’s management periodically reviews limited production information for these revenue streams, that information is not complete as it does not include a full allocation of revenue, costs and capital from key corporate functions. Management will continue to evaluate these lines of business for separate reporting as facts and circumstances change. Accordingly, the Company’s various banking operations are not considered by management to constitute more than one reportable operating segment.

Risk and Uncertainties

In the normal course of its business, the Company encounters two significant types of risks: economic and regulatory. There are three main components of economic risk: interest rate risk, credit risk and market risk. The Company is subject to interest rate risk to the degree that its interest-bearing liabilities mature or reprice at different speeds, or on different bases, than its interest-earning assets. Credit risk is the risk of default within the Company’s loan portfolio that results from borrowers’ inability or unwillingness to make contractually required payments. Market risk reflects changes in the value of collateral underlying loans receivable and the valuation of real estate held by the Company. There were three significant bank failures in the first five months of 2023, primarily due to the failed banks’ lack of liquidity as depositors sought to withdraw their deposits. Due to rising interest rates, the failed banks were unable to sell investment securities held to meet liquidity needs without realizing substantial losses. As a result of the recent bank failures and in an effort to strengthen public confidence in the banking system and protect depositors, regulators announced that any losses to the Deposit Insurance Fund to support uninsured depositors will be recovered by a special assessment on banks, as required by law, which has and could continue to increase the cost of our FDIC insurance assessments. The ultimate impact of these bank failures on the economy, financial institutions and their depositors, as well as any governmental regulatory responses or actions resulting from the same, remains difficult to predict at this time.

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The Company is subject to the regulations of various governmental agencies. These regulations can and do change significantly from period to period. The Company also undergoes periodic examinations by the regulatory agencies, which may subject the Company to changes with respect to the valuation of assets, the amount of required credit loss allowance and operating restrictions resulting from the regulators’ judgments based on information available to them at the time of their examinations.

The Bank makes loans to individuals and businesses in the Upstate, Midlands, and Lowcountry regions of South Carolina as well as the Triangle, Triad and Charlotte regions of North Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia for various personal and commercial purposes. The Bank’s loan portfolio has a concentration of real estate loans. As of March 31, 2024 and 2023, real estate loans represented 84.3% and 84.8%, respectively, of total loans. However, borrowers’ ability to repay their loans is not dependent upon any specific economic sector.

As of March 31, 2024, the Company’s and the Bank’s capital ratios were in excess of all regulatory requirements. While management believes that we have sufficient capital to withstand an extended economic recession, our reported and regulatory capital ratios could be adversely impacted by future credit losses.

The Company maintains access to multiple sources of liquidity, including a $15.0 million holding company line of credit with another bank which could be used to support capital ratios at the subsidiary bank. As of March 31, 2024, the $15.0 million line was unused.

Use of Estimates

The preparation of consolidated financial statements in conformity with GAAP requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities as of the date of the consolidated financial statements and the reported amount of income and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could differ from those estimates. Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant change in the near term relate to the determination of the allowance for credit losses, real estate acquired in the settlement of loans, fair value of financial instruments, and valuation of deferred tax assets.

Reclassifications

Certain amounts, previously reported, have been reclassified to state all periods on a comparable basis and had no effect on shareholders’ equity or net income.

Subsequent Events

Subsequent events are events or transactions that occur after the balance sheet date but before financial statements are issued. Recognized subsequent events are events or transactions that provide additional evidence about conditions that existed at the date of the balance sheet, including the estimates inherent in the process of preparing financial statements. Non-recognized subsequent events are events that provide evidence about conditions that did not exist at the date of the balance sheet but arose after that date.

Newly Issued, But Not Yet Effective Accounting Standards

In December 2022, the FASB issued amendments to defer the sunset date of the Reference Rate Reform Topic of the Accounting Standards Codification from December 31, 2022 to December 31, 2024, because the current relief in Reference Rate Reform Topic may not cover a period of time during which a significant number of modifications may take place. The amendments were effective upon issuance. The Company does not expect these amendments to have a material effect on its financial statements.

In December 2023, the FASB amended the Income Taxes topic in the Accounting Standards Codification to improve the transparency of income tax disclosures. The amendments are effective for annual periods beginning after December 15, 2024. Early adoption is permitted for annual financial statements that have not yet been issued or made available for issuance. The Company does not expect these amendments to have a material effect on its financial statements.

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NOTE 2 – Investment Securities

The amortized costs and fair value of investment securities are as follows:

Schedule of amortized costs and fair value of investment securities

	March 31, 2024
	Amortized		Gross Unrealized				Fair
(dollars in thousands) Corporate bonds [Member]	Cost		Gains		Losses		Value
Available for sale Asset-backed securities [Member]
Corporate bonds	$	2,140		-		253		1,887
US treasuries US treasuries [Member]		999		-		111		888
US government agencies US government agencies [Member]		20,183		-		1,986		18,197
State and political subdivisions		22,579		-		3,042		19,537
Asset-backed securities Mortgage-backed securities [Member]		34,247		33		76		34,204
Mortgage-backed securities		60,782		-		9,499		51,283
Total investment securities available for sale	$	140,930		33		14,967		125,996

		December 31, 2023
		Amortized		Gross Unrealized				Fair
		Cost		Gains		Losses		Value
Available for sale
Corporate bonds	$	2,147		-		237		1,910
US treasuries		9,495		1		102		9,394
US government agencies		20,594		-		1,938		18,656
State and political subdivisions		22,642		11		2,912		19,741
Asset-backed securities		33,450		2		216		33,236
Mortgage-backed securities		60,730		-		8,965		51,765
Total investment securities available for sale	$	149,058		14		14,370		134,702

Contractual maturities and yields on the Company’s investment securities at March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 are shown in the following table. Expected maturities may differ from contractual maturities because issuers may have the right to call or prepay obligations with or without call or prepayment penalties.

Schedule of maturities and yields on the company’s investment securities

	March 31, 2024
		Less than one year				One to five years				Five to ten years				Over ten years				Total
(dollars in thousands)			Amount	Yield			Amount	Yield			Amount	Yield			Amount	Yield			Amount	Yield
Available for sale
Corporate bonds Corporate bonds [Member]		$	-	-		$	-	-		$	1,887	2.01	%	$	-	-		$	1,887	2.01	%
US treasuries			-	-			888	1.27	%		-	-			-	-			888	1.27	%
US government agencies US government agencies [Member]			980	0.45	%		2,380	1.00	%		14,837	4.38	%		-	-			18,197	3.72	%
State and political subdivisions			-	-			902	1.94	%		5,744	1.89	%		12,891	2.15	%		19,537	2.07	%
Asset-backed securities Asset-backed securities [Member]			-	-			211	6.21	%		-	-			33,993	6.61	%		34,204	6.61	%
Mortgage-backed securities Mortgage-backed securities [Member]			-	-			6,626	1.29	%		3,419	1.54	%		41,238	2.04	%		51,283	1.91	%
Total investment securities Total investment securities [Member]		$	980	0.45	%	$	11,007	1.37	%	$	25,887	3.28	%	$	88,122	3.82	%	$	125,996	3.47	%

			December 31, 2023
			Less than one year				One to five years				Five to ten years				Over ten years				Total
(dollars in thousands)			Amount	Yield			Amount	Yield			Amount	Yield			Amount	Yield			Amount	Yield
Available for sale
Corporate bonds		$	-	-		$	-	-		$	1,910	2.01	%	$	-	-		$	1,910	2.01	%
US treasuries			8,497	5.42	%		897	1.27	%		-	-			-	-			9,394	5.02	%
US government agencies			970	0.45	%		2,385	1.00	%		15,301	4.41	%		-	-			18,656	3.77	%
State and political subdivisions			-	-			906	1.94	%		5,769	1.89	%		13,066	2.15	%		19,741	2.06	%
Asset-backed securities			-	-			296	(6.13	%)		-	-			32,940	6.63	%		33,236	6.57	%
Mortgage-backed securities			-	-			4,795	1.15	%		5,400	1.59	%		41,570	2.00	%		51,765	1.87	%
Total investment securities		$	9,467	4.91	%	$	9,279	0.98	%	$	28,380	3.20	%	$	87,576	3.76	%	$	134,702	3.55	%

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The tables below summarize gross unrealized losses on investment securities and the fair market value of the related securities at March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, aggregated by investment category and length of time that individual securities have been in a continuous unrealized loss position.

Schedule of gross unrealized losses on investment securities and fair market value of related securities

													March 31, 2024
	Less than 12 months						12 months or longer						Total
(dollars in thousands)	#		Fair value		Unrealized losses		#		Fair value		Unrealized losses		#		Fair value		Unrealized losses
Available for sale
Corporate bonds		-	$	-	$	-		1	$	1,887	$	253		1	$	1,887	$	253
US treasuries		-		-		-		1		888		111		1		888		111
US government agencies		2		7,133		39		10		11,064		1,947		12		18,197		1,986
State and political subdivisions		2		759		4		30		18,778		3,038		32		19,537		3,042
Asset-backed		4		11,343		31		7		4,567		45		11		15,910		76
Mortgage-backed securities		1		1,387		8		64		49,896		9,491		65		51,283		9,499
Total investment securities		9	$	20,622	$	82		113	$	87,080	$	14,885		122	$	107,702	$	14,967

	December 31, 2023
		Less than 12 months						12 months or longer						Total
(dollars in thousands)		#		Fair value		Unrealized losses		#		Fair value		Unrealized losses		#		Fair value		Unrealized losses
Available for sale
Corporate bonds		-	$	-	$	-		1	$	1,910	$	237		1	$	1,910	$	237
US treasuries		-		-		-		1		897		102		1		897		102
US government agencies		2		7,533		50		10		11,123		1,888		12		18,656		1,938
State and political subdivisions		-		-		-		30		18,964		2,912		30		18,964		2,912
Asset-backed		8		26,746		145		7		4,866		71		15		31,612		216
Mortgage-backed securities Mortgage-backed securities [Member]		2		2,869		36		62		48,896		8,929		64		51,765		8,965
Total investment securities		12	$	37,148	$	231		111	$	86,656	$	14,139		123	$	123,804	$	14,370

At March 31, 2024, the Company had 122 individual investments that were in an unrealized loss position. The unrealized losses were primarily attributable to changes in interest rates, rather than deterioration in credit quality. The individual securities are each investment grade securities. The Company considers factors such as the financial condition of the issuer including credit ratings and specific events affecting the operations of the issuer, volatility of the security, underlying assets that collateralize the debt security, and other industry and macroeconomic conditions. The Company does not intend to sell these securities, and it is more likely than not that the Company will not be required to sell these securities before recovery of the amortized cost. The issuers of these securities continue to make timely principal and interest payments under the contractual terms of the securities. As such, there is no allowance for credit losses on available for sale securities recognized as of March 31, 2024.

Other investments are comprised of the following and are recorded at cost which approximates fair value.

Schedule of other investments

(dollars in thousands)	March 31, 2024		December 31, 2023
Federal Home Loan Bank stock	$	14,633		16,063
Other nonmarketable investments		3,463		3,473
Investment in Trust Preferred subsidiaries		403		403
Total other investments	$	18,499		19,939

The Company has evaluated other investments for impairment and determined that the other investments are not impaired as of March 31, 2024 and that ultimate recoverability of the par value of the investments is probable. All of the FHLB stock is used to collateralize advances with the FHLB.

At March 31, 2024, there were no securities pledges as collateral for repurchase agreements from brokers.

Table of Contents

NOTE 3 – Mortgage Loans Held for Sale

Mortgage loans originated and intended for sale in the secondary market are reported as loans held for sale and carried at fair value under the fair value option with changes in fair value recognized in current period earnings. At the date of funding of the mortgage loan held for sale, the funded amount of the loan, the related derivative asset or liability of the associated interest rate lock commitment, less direct loan costs becomes the initial recorded investment in the loan held for sale. Such amount approximates the fair value of the loan. At March 31, 2024, mortgage loans held for sale totaled $11.8 million compared to $7.2 million at December 31, 2023.

NOTE 4 – Loans and Allowance for Credit Losses

The following table summarizes the composition of our loan portfolio. Total gross loans are recorded net of deferred loan fees and costs, which totaled $6.9 million as of March 31, 2024 and $7.0 million as of December 31, 2023.



	March 31, 2024						December 31, 2023
(dollars in thousands)Commercial [Member]	Amount			% of Total			Amount			% of Total
Commercial
Owner occupied REOwner occupied RE [Member]	$	631,047			17.3	%	$	631,657			17.5	%
Non-owner occupied RENon-owner occupied RE [Member]		944,530			25.9	%		942,529			26.2	%
ConstructionConstruction [Member]		157,464			4.3	%		150,680			4.2	%
BusinessBusiness [Member]		520,073			14.3	%		500,161			13.9	%
Total commercial loansConsumer [Member]		2,253,114			61.8	%		2,225,027			61.8	%
Consumer
Real estateReal estate [Member]		1,101,573			30.2	%		1,082,429			30.0	%
Home equityHome equity [Member]		184,691			5.1	%		183,004			5.1	%
Construction		53,216			1.5	%		63,348			1.7	%
OtherOther [Member]		51,172			1.4	%		48,819			1.4	%
Total consumer loans		1,390,652			38.2	%		1,377,600			38.2	%
Total gross loans, net of deferred fees		3,643,766			100.0	%		3,602,627			100.0	%
Less—allowance for credit losses		(40,441	)					(40,682	)
Total loans, net	$	3,603,325					$	3,561,945

Maturities and Sensitivity of Loans to Changes in Interest Rates

The information in the following tables summarizes the loan maturity distribution by type and related interest rate characteristics based on the contractual maturities of individual loans, including loans which may be subject to renewal at their contractual maturity. Renewal of such loans is subject to review and credit approval, as well as modification of terms upon maturity. Actual repayments of loans may differ from the maturities reflected below, because borrowers have the right to prepay obligations with or without prepayment penalties.

Table of Contents



					March 31, 2024
(dollars in thousands)	One year or less		After one but within five years		After five but within fifteen years		After fifteen years		Total
Commercial
Owner occupied RE	$	15,855		185,107		388,424		41,661		631,047
Non-owner occupied RE		77,445		516,176		326,650		24,259		944,530
Construction		32,425		61,546		63,493		-		157,464
Business		117,557		218,031		180,132		4,353		520,073
Total commercial loans		243,282		980,860		958,699		70,273		2,253,114
Consumer
Real estate		10,230		52,771		310,383		728,189		1,101,573
Home equity		2,878		27,460		149,530		4,823		184,691
Construction		382		901		31,926		20,007		53,216
Other		12,564		34,683		3,103		822		51,172
Total consumer loans		26,054		115,815		494,942		753,841		1,390,652
Total gross loans, net of deferred fees	$	269,336		1,096,675		1,453,641		824,114		3,643,766

	December 31, 2023
(dollars in thousands)		One year or less		After one but within five years		After five but within fifteen years		After fifteen years		Total
Commercial
Owner occupied RE	$	17,358		177,203		395,130		41,966		631,657
Non-owner occupied RE		68,601		517,622		331,727		24,579		942,529
Construction		26,762		64,432		59,486		-		150,680
Business		114,432		194,416		186,927		4,386		500,161
Total commercial loans		227,153		953,673		973,270		70,931		2,225,027
Consumer
Real estate		10,593		51,956		301,095		718,785		1,082,429
Home equity		2,716		27,578		147,855		4,855		183,004
Construction		-		252		39,459		23,637		63,348
Other		11,157		33,592		3,265		805		48,819
Total consumer loans		24,466		113,378		491,674		748,082		1,377,600
Total gross loans, net of deferred fees	$	251,619		1,067,051		1,464,944		819,013		3,602,627

Table of Contents

The following table summarizes the loans due after one year by category.



	March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
	Interest Rate			Interest Rate
(dollars in thousands)		Fixed	Floating or Adjustable		Fixed	Floating or Adjustable
Commercial
Owner occupied RE	$	600,279	14,913		605,199	9,100
Non-owner occupied RE		746,525	120,560		768,048	105,880
Construction		96,176	28,863		81,326	42,592
Business		293,897	108,619		293,920	91,809
Total commercial loans		1,736,877	272,955		1,748,493	249,381
Consumer
Real estate		1,091,343	-		1,071,836	-
Home equity		11,485	170,328		11,441	168,847
Construction		52,834	-		63,348	-
Other		12,127	26,481		11,525	26,137
Total consumer loans		1,167,789	196,809		1,158,150	194,984
Total gross loans, net of deferred fees	$	2,904,666	469,764		2,906,643	444,365

Credit Quality Indicators

The Company tracks credit quality based on its internal risk ratings. Upon origination, a loan is assigned an initial risk grade, which is generally based on several factors such as the borrower’s credit score, the loan-to-value ratio, the debt-to-income ratio, etc. After loans are initially graded, they are monitored regularly for credit quality based on many factors, such as payment history, the borrower’s financial status, and changes in collateral value. Loans can be downgraded or upgraded depending on management’s evaluation of these factors. Internal risk-grading policies are consistent throughout each loan type.

A description of the general characteristics of the risk grades is as follows:

	●	Pass—A pass loan ranges from minimal to average credit risk; however, still has acceptable credit risk.

	●	Watch—A watch loan exhibits above average credit risk due to minor weaknesses and warrants closer scrutiny by management.

	●	Special mention—A special mention loan has potential weaknesses that deserve management’s close attention. If left uncorrected, these potential weaknesses may result in deterioration of the repayment prospects for the loan or the institution’s credit position at some future date.

	●	Substandard—A substandard loan is inadequately protected by the current sound worth and paying capacity of the obligor or of the collateral pledged, if any. Loans so classified must have a well-defined weakness, or weaknesses, which may jeopardize the liquidation of the debt. A substandard loan is characterized by the distinct possibility that the Bank will sustain some loss if the deficiencies are not corrected.

	●	Doubtful—A doubtful loan has all of the weaknesses inherent in one classified as substandard with the added characteristic that the weaknesses make collection or liquidation in full, on the basis of the currently existing facts, conditions and values, highly questionable and improbable.

Table of Contents

The following table presents loan balances classified by credit quality indicators by year of origination as of March 31, 2024.



										March 31, 2024
(dollars in thousands)		2024	2023	2022	2021	2020		Prior			Revolving		Revolving Converted to Term	Total
Commercial
Owner occupied RE
Pass	$	11,770	42,283	180,226	134,787	63,949		164,174			85		-	597,274
Watch		-	-	3,429	456	15,880		10,101			-		-	29,866
Special Mention		-	-	177	-	-		2,889			-		-	3,066
Substandard		-	-	-	-	-		841			-		-	841
Total Owner occupied RE		11,770	42,283	183,832	135,243	79,829		178,005			85		-	631,047

Non-owner occupied RE
Pass		12,575	79,336	303,755	169,028	105,833		226,072			303		-	896,902
Watch		-	1,002	2,596	448	527		15,911			-		-	20,484
Special Mention		-	-	967	7,707	-		9,049			-		-	17,723
Substandard		-	-	-	305	-		9,116			-		-	9,421
Total Non-owner occupied RE		12,575	80,338	307,318	177,488	106,360		260,148			303		-	944,530

Construction
Pass		3,563	28,027	86,648	26,741	11,087		-			-		-	156,066
Watch		-	-	1,398	-	-		-			-		-	1,398
Total Construction		3,563	28,027	88,046	26,741	11,087		-			-		-	157,464

Business
Pass		8,232	52,166	134,401	45,948	18,339		61,981			163,010		-	484,077
Watch		-	120	17,160	1,814	980		4,600			6,942		5	31,621
Special Mention		-	231	942	89	500		1,736			101		-	3,599
Substandard		-	-	-	151	-		625			-		-	776
Total Business		8,232	52,517	152,503	48,002	19,819		68,942			170,053		5	520,073
Current period gross write-offs		-	-	-	-	(346	)	-			-		-	(346	)
Total Commercial loans		36,140	203,165	731,699	387,474	217,095		507,095			170,441		5	2,253,114

Consumer
Real estate
Pass		18,718	146,761	281,881	276,118	171,468		168,438			-		-	1,063,384
Watch		-	488	5,615	7,360	3,883		5,876			-		-	23,222
Special Mention		-	142	2,487	1,905	1,282		5,253			-		-	11,069
Substandard		-	275	350	631	986		1,656			-		-	3,898
Total Real estate		18,718	147,666	290,333	286,014	177,619		181,223			-		-	1,101,573

Home equity
Pass		-	-	-	-	-		-			173,125		-	173,125
Watch		-	-	-	-	-		-			6,103		-	6,103
Special Mention		-	-	-	-	-		-			5,007		-	5,007
Substandard		-	-	-	-	-		-			456		-	456
Total Home equity		-	-	-	-	-		-			184,691		-	184,691

Construction
Pass		664	13,604	30,974	7,974	-		-			-		-	53,216
Total Construction		664	13,604	30,974	7,974	-		-			-		-	53,216

Other
Pass		1,979	1,171	2,411	2,174	1,387		3,253			37,657		-	50,032
Watch		-	8	25	345	-		156			51		-	585
Special Mention		-	32	330	71	-		73			36		-	542
Substandard		-	-	-	-	-		-			13		-	13
Total Other		1,979	1,211	2,766	2,590	1,387		3,482			37,757		-	51,172
Current period gross write-offs		-	-	-	-	-		(38	)		(40	)	-	(78	)
Total Consumer loans		21,361	162,481	324,073	296,578	179,006		184,705			222,448		-	1,390,652
Total loans	$	57,501	365,646	1,055,772	684,052	396,101		691,800			392,889		5	3,643,766
Total Current period gross write-offs		-	-	-	-	(346	)	(38	)		(40	)	-	(424	)

Table of Contents

The following table presents loan balances classified by credit quality indicators by year of origination as of December 31, 2023.


	December 31, 2023
(dollars in thousands)	2023		2022			2021		2020			2019		Prior			Revolving			Revolving Converted to Term			Total
Commercial
Owner occupied RE
Pass	$	42,846		180,654			138,549		64,818			59,880		110,502			85			166			597,500
Watch		-		3,460			460		15,997			3,525		6,616			-			-			30,058
Special Mention		-		181			-		-			-		3,057			-			-			3,238
Substandard		-		-			-		-			-		861			-			-			861
Total Owner occupied RE		42,846		184,295			139,009		80,815			63,405		121,036			85			166			631,657

Non-owner occupied RE
Pass		84,617		298,063			162,697		107,364			59,260		163,990			9,249			-			885,240
Watch		1,007		3,260			9,914		533			5,545		10,630			-			-			30,889
Special Mention		-		-			7,759		-			8,252		879			-			-			16,890
Substandard		-		-			313		-			8,088		1,109			-			-			9,510
Total Non-owner occupied RE		85,624		301,323			180,683		107,897			81,145		176,608			9,249			-			942,529
Current period gross write-offs		-		(200	)		-		-			-		(42	)		-			-			(242	)

Construction
Pass		27,262		86,161			24,399		11,459			-		-			-			-			149,281
Watch		-		1,399			-		-			-		-			-			-			1,399
Total Construction		27,262		87,560			24,399		11,459			-		-			-			-			150,680

Business
Pass		48,705		134,999			48,557		18,868			17,292		47,708			146,745			1,431			464,305
Watch		127		15,867			1,833		1,010			842		3,584			7,570			506			31,339
Special Mention		241		961			98		857			184		447			150			97			3,035
Substandard		-		-			155		-			132		1,195			-			-			1,482
Total Business		49,073		151,827			50,643		20,735			18,450		52,934			154,465			2,034			500,161
Current period gross write-offs		-		-			-		(28	)		-		-			(15	)		(22	)		(65	)
Total Commercial loans		204,805		725,005			394,734		220,906			163,000		350,578			163,799			2,200			2,225,027

Consumer
Real estate
Pass		144,179		273,585			278,138		176,395			66,087		105,383			-			-			1,043,767
Watch		490		5,658			8,230		3,917			2,051		3,890			-			-			24,236
Special Mention		143		2,499			1,657		1,291			2,220		3,360			-			-			11,170
Substandard		-		-			635		817			318		1,486			-			-			3,256
Total Real estate		144,812		281,742			288,660		182,420			70,676		114,119			-			-			1,082,429

Home equity
Pass		-		-			-		-			-		-			171,003			-			171,003
Watch		-		-			-		-			-		-			6,393			-			6,393
Special Mention		-		-			-		-			-		-			4,283			-			4,283
Substandard		-		-			-		-			-		-			1,325			-			1,325
Total Home equity		-		-			-		-			-		-			183,004			-			183,004
Current period gross write-offs		-		-			-		-			-		-			(438	)		-			(438	)

Construction
Pass		14,339		39,893			9,116		-			-		-			-			-			63,348
Total Construction		14,339		39,893			9,116		-			-		-			-			-			63,348

Other
Pass		1,278		2,551			2,361		1,457			803		2,604			36,549			-			47,603
Watch		9		29			348		-			15		163			58			-			622
Special Mention		33		333			-		-			23		82			41			-			512
Substandard		-		-			75		-			-		-			7			-			82
Total Other		1,320		2,913			2,784		1,457			841		2,849			36,655			-			48,819
Current period gross write-offs		-		-			-		-			-		-			(16	)		-			(16	)
Total Consumer loans		160,471		324,548			300,560		183,877			71,517		116,968			219,659			-			1,377,600
Total loans	$	365,276		1,049,553			695,294		404,783			234,517		467,546			383,458			2,200			3,602,627
Total Current period gross write-offs		-		(200	)		-		(28	)		-		(42	)		(469	)		(22	)		(761	)

Table of Contents

The following tables present loan balances by age and payment status.



	March 31, 2024
(dollars in thousands)	Accruing 30- 59 days past due		Accruing 60-89 days past due		Accruing 90 days or more past due		Nonaccrual loans		Accruing current		Total
Commercial
Owner occupied RE	$	-		-		-		-		631,047		631,047
Non-owner occupied RE		8,031		27		-		1,410		935,062		944,530
Construction		-		-		-		-		157,464		157,464
Business		428		18		-		488		519,139		520,073
Consumer
Real estate		2,903		-		-		1,380		1,097,290		1,101,573
Home equity		231		127		-		367		183,966		184,691
Construction		-		-		-		-		53,216		53,216
Other		-		7		-		1		51,164		51,172
Total loans	$	11,593		179		-		3,646		3,628,348		3,643,766
Total loans over 90 days past due		-		-		-		-		-		889

		December 31, 2023
(dollars in thousands)		Accruing 30- 59 days past due		Accruing 60-89 days past due		Accruing 90 days or more past due		Nonaccrual loans		Accruing current		Total
Commercial
Owner occupied RE	$	74		-		-		-		631,583		631,657
Non-owner occupied RE		8,102		-		-		1,423		933,004		942,529
Construction		-		-		-		-		150,680		150,680
Business		567		-		-		319		499,275		500,161
Consumer
Real estate		1,750		-		-		985		1,079,694		1,082,429
Home equity		601		30		-		1,236		181,137		183,004
Construction		-		-		-		-		63,348		63,348
Other		25		25		-		-		48,769		48,819
Total loans	$	11,119		55		-		3,963		3,587,490		3,602,627
Total loans over 90 days past due		-		-		-		-		-		1,300

As of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, loans 30 days or more past due represented 0.36% and 0.37% of the Company’s total loan portfolio, respectively. Commercial loans 30 days or more past due were 0.24% and 0.27% of the Company’s total loan portfolio as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively. Consumer loans 30 days or more past due were 0.11% and 0.09% of total loans as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively.

Table of Contents

The table below summarizes nonaccrual loans by major categories for the periods presented.



	March 31, 2024								December 31, 2023
	Nonaccrual		Nonaccrual				Nonaccrual		Nonaccrual
	loans		loans		Total		loans		loans		Total
	with no		with an		nonaccrual		with no		with an		nonaccrual
(dollars in thousands)		allowance		allowance		loans		allowance		allowance		loans
Commercial
Owner occupied RE	$	-		-		-	$	-		-		-
Non-owner occupied RE		646		764		1,410		653		770		1,423
Construction		-		-		-		-		-		-
Business		-		488		488		164		155		319
Total commercial		646		1,252		1,898		817		925		1,742
Consumer
Real estate		625		755		1,380		-		985		985
Home equity		367		-		367		343		893		1,236
Construction		-		-		-		-		-		-
Other		-		1		1		-		-		-
Total consumer		992		756		1,748		343		1,878		2,221
Total nonaccrual loans	$	1,638		2,008		3,646	$	1,160		2,803		3,963

The Company did not recognize interest income on nonaccrual loans for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and March 31, 2023. The accrued interest reversed during the three months ended March 31, 2024 and March 31, 2023 was not material. Foregone interest income on the nonaccrual loans for the three-month period ended March 31, 2024 and March 31, 2023 was not material.0

The table below summarizes information regarding nonperforming assets.

Schedule of nonperforming assets

(dollars in thousands)	March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
Nonaccrual loans	$	3,646			3,963
Other real estate owned		-			-
Total nonperforming assets	$	3,646			3,963
Nonperforming assets as a percentage of:
Total assets		0.09	%		0.10	%
Gross loans		0.10	%		0.11	%
Total loans over 90 days past due	$	889			1,300
Loans over 90 days past due and still accruing		-			-

Modifications to Borrowers Experiencing Financial Difficulty

The Company adopted Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2022-02, Financial Instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326) Troubled Debt Restructurings and Vintage Disclosures (“ASU 2022-02”) effective January 1, 2023. The amendments in ASU 2022-02 eliminated the recognition and measure of troubled debt restructurings and enhanced disclosures for loan modifications to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty.

The allowance for credit losses incorporates an estimate of lifetime expected credit losses and is recorded on each asset upon origination or acquisition. The starting point for the estimate of the allowance for credit losses is historical loss information, which includes losses from modifications of receivables to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty. The Company uses a probability of default/loss given default model to determine the allowance for credit losses. An assessment of whether a borrower is experiencing financial difficulty is made on the date of a modification.

Because the effect of most modifications made to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty is already included in the allowance for credit losses because of the measurement methodologies used to estimate the allowance, a change to the allowance for credit losses is generally not recorded upon modification.

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There were no loans modified to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty during the three months ended March 31, 2024. The following table shows the amortized cost basis of the loans modified to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty during the twelve months ended December 31, 2023, disaggregated by class of loans and type of concession granted and describes the financial effect of the modifications made to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty.


						Term Extension
(dollars in thousands)	Amortized Cost Basis		% of Total Loan Type			Financial Effect
Commercial Business	$	309		0.06	%	Added a 1-year term to both of the loans modified. One loan was granted an extended amortization due to the inability to pay on a 3-year amortization. The other loan was given an interest only period due to the ability to pay only interest to get the loan renewed.

Neither of the two loans modified had a payment default during the period. The Company closely monitors the performance of the loans that are modified for borrowers experiencing financial difficulty to understand the effectiveness of its modification efforts. Both loans are in current payment status since the loan modification occurred in the third quarter of 2023. There have been no commitments to lend additional funds to the borrowers experiencing financial difficulty as of March 31, 2024.

Allowance for Credit Losses

The Company maintains an allowance for credit losses to provide for expected credit losses. Losses are charged against the allowance when management believes that the principal is uncollectable. Subsequent recoveries, if any, are credited to the allowance. Allocations of the allowance are made for specific loans and for pools of similar types of loans, although the entire allowance is available for any loan that, in management’s judgment, should be charged against the allowance. A provision for credit losses is taken based on management’s ongoing evaluation of the appropriate allowance balance.

A formal evaluation of the adequacy of the credit loss allowance is conducted quarterly. This assessment includes procedures to estimate the allowance and test the adequacy and appropriateness of the resulting balance. The level of the allowance is based upon management's evaluation of historical default and loss experience, current and projected economic conditions, asset quality trends, known and inherent risks in the portfolio, adverse situations that may affect the borrowers' ability to repay a loan, the estimated value of any underlying collateral, composition of the loan portfolio, industry and peer bank loan quality indications and other pertinent factors, including regulatory recommendations. Management believes the level of the allowance for credit losses is adequate to absorb all expected future losses inherent in the loan portfolio at the balance sheet date. The allowance is increased through provision for credit losses and decreased by charge-offs, net of recoveries of amounts previously charged-off.

The Company uses a lifetime probability of default and loss given default modeling approach to estimate the allowance for credit losses on loans. This method uses historical correlations between default experience and the age of loans to forecast defaults and losses, assuming that a loan in a pool shares similar risk characteristics such as loan product type, risk rating and loan age, and demonstrates similar default characteristics as other loans in that pool, as the loan progresses through its lifecycle. The Company calculates lifetime probability of default and loss given default rates based on historical loss experience, which is used to calculate expected losses based on the pool’s loss rate and the age of loans in the pool. Management believes that the Company’s historical loss experience provides the best basis for its assessment of expected credit losses to determine the allowance for credit losses. The Company uses its own internal data to measure historical credit loss experience within the pools with similar risk characteristics over an economic cycle. The probability of default and loss given default method also includes assumptions of observed migration over the lifetime of the underlying loan data. Loans that do not share risk characteristics are evaluated for expected credit losses on an individual basis and excluded from the collective evaluation.

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Management also considers further adjustments to historical loss information for current conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts that differ from the conditions that exist for the period over which historical information is evaluated as well as other changes in qualitative factors not inherently considered in the quantitative analyses. The Company generally utilizes a four-quarter forecast period in evaluating the appropriateness of the reasonable and supportable forecast scenarios which are incorporated through qualitative adjustments. There is immediate reversion to historical loss rates. The qualitative categories and the measurements used to quantify the risks within each of these categories are subjectively selected by management but measured by objective measurements period over period. The data for each measurement may be obtained from internal or external sources. The current period measurements are evaluated and assigned a factor commensurate with the current level of risk relative to past measurements over time. The resulting qualitative adjustments are applied to the relevant collectively evaluated loan pools. These adjustments are based upon quarterly trend assessments in certain economic factors such as labor, inflation, consumer sentiment and real disposable income, as well as associate retention and turnover, portfolio concentrations, and growth characteristics. The qualitative analysis increases or decreases the allowance allocation for each loan pool based on the assessment of factors described above.

The following tables summarize the activity related to the allowance for credit losses for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and March 31, 2023 under the CECL methodology.



									Three months ended March 31, 2024
	Commercial											Consumer
(dollars in thousands)	Owner occupied RE		Non- owner occupied RE			Construction			Business			Real Estate		Home Equity		Construction			Other			Total
Balance, beginning of period	$	6,118		11,167			1,594			7,385			10,647		2,600		677			494		40,682
Provision for credit losses		-		-			-			-			-		-		-			-		-
Loan charge-offs		-		-			-			(346	)		-		-		-			(78	)	(424	)
Loan recoveries		-		-			-			15			-		119		-			49		183
Net loan recoveries (charge-offs)		-		-			-			(331	)		-		119		-			(29	)	(241	)
Balance, end of period	$	6,118		11,167			1,594			7,054			10,647		2,719		677			465		40,441
Net charge-offs to average loans (annualized)																						0.03	%
Allowance for credit losses to gross loans																						1.11	%
Allowance for credit losses to nonperforming loans																						1,109.13	%

										Three months ended March 31, 2023
		Commercial														Consumer
(dollars in thousands)		Owner occupied RE		Non-owner occupied RE			Construction			Business			Real Estate		Home Equity		Construction			Other		Total
Balance, beginning of period	$	5,867		10,376			1,292			7,861			9,487		2,551		893			312		38,639
Provision for credit losses		117		1,038			(182	)		150			592		53		(83	)		170		1,855
Loan charge-offs		-		(160	)		-			(1	)		-		-		-			-		(161	)
Loan recoveries		-		31			-			12			-		59		-			-		102
Net loan recoveries (charge-offs)		-		(129	)		-			11			-		59		-			-		(59	)
Balance, end of period	$	5,984		11,285			1,110			8,022			10,079		2,663		810			482		40,435
Net charge-offs to average loans (annualized)																						0.01	%
Allowance for credit losses to gross loans																						1.18	%
Allowance for credit losses to nonperforming loans																						854.33	%

There was no provision for credit losses recorded during the first quarter of 2024, compared to a provision of $1.9 million for the first quarter of 2023. No provision was recorded during the first quarter of 2024 due to continued low net charge-offs and a continued decline of the expected loss rates in the allowance for credit losses.

Collateral dependent loans are loans for which the repayment is expected to be provided substantially through the operation or sale of the collateral and the borrower is experiencing financial difficulty. The Company reviews individually evaluated loans for designation as collateral dependent loans, as well as other loans that management of the Company designates as having higher risk. These loans do not share common risk characteristics and are not included within the collectively evaluated loans for determining the allowance for credit losses.

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Under CECL, for collateral dependent loans, the Company has adopted the practical expedient to measure the allowance for credit losses based on the fair value of collateral. The allowance for credit losses is calculated on an individual loan basis based on the shortfall between the fair value of the loan's collateral, which is adjusted for liquidation costs/discounts, and amortized cost. If the fair value of the collateral exceeds the amortized cost, no allowance is required.

The following tables present an analysis of collateral-dependent loans of the Company as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023.



					March 31, 2024
	Real		Business
(dollars in thousands)	estate		assets		Other		Total
Commercial
Owner occupied RE	$	-		-		-		-
Non-owner occupied RE		723		-		-		723
Construction		-		-		-		-
Business		-		-		-		-
Total commercial		723		-		-		723
Consumer
Real estate		789		-		-		789
Home equity		367		-		-		367
Construction		-		-		-		-
Other		-		-		-		-
Total consumer		1,156		-		-		1,156
Total	$	1,879		-		-		1,879

	December 31, 2023
		Real		Business
(dollars in thousands)		estate		assets		Other		Total
Commercial
Owner occupied RE	$	-		-		-		-
Non-owner occupied RE		720		-		-		720
Construction		-		-		-		-
Business		164		-		-		164
Total commercial		884		-		-		884
Consumer
Real estate		166		-		-		166
Home equity		343		-		-		343
Construction		-		-		-		-
Other		-		-		-		-
Total consumer		509		-		-		509
Total	$	1,393		-		-		1,393

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Allowance for Credit Losses - Unfunded Loan Commitments

The allowance for credit losses for unfunded loan commitments was $1.7 million and $1.8 million at March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively, and is separately classified on the balance sheet within other liabilities. The following table presents the balance and activity in the allowance for credit losses for unfunded loan commitments for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and for the twelve months ended December 31, 2023.



	Three months ended			Twelve months ended
(dollars in thousands)	March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
Balance, beginning of period	$	1,831			2,780
Provision for (reversal of) credit losses		(175	)		(949	)
Balance, end of period	$	1,656			1,831
Unfunded Loan Commitments	$	710,669			724,606
Reserve for Unfunded Commitments to Unfunded Loan Commitments		0.23	%		0.25	%

NOTE 5 – Derivative Financial Instruments

The Company utilizes derivative financial instruments primarily to manage its exposure to changes in interest rates. All derivative financial instruments are recognized as either assets or liabilities and measured at fair value.

The Company enters into commitments to originate residential mortgage loans held for sale, at specified interest rates and within a specified period of time, with clients who have applied for a loan and meet certain credit and underwriting criteria (interest rate lock commitments). These interest rate lock commitments (“IRLCs”) meet the definition of a derivative financial instrument and are reflected in the balance sheet at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in current period earnings. Unrealized gains and losses on the IRLCs are recorded as derivative assets and derivative liabilities, respectively, and are measured based on the value of the underlying mortgage loan, quoted mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”) prices and an estimate of the probability that the mortgage loan will fund within the terms of the interest rate lock commitment, net of estimated commission expenses.

The Company manages the interest rate and price risk associated with its outstanding IRLCs and mortgage loans held for sale by entering into derivative instruments such as forward sales of MBS. These derivatives are free- standing derivatives and are not designated as instruments for hedge accounting. Management expects these derivatives will experience changes in fair value opposite to changes in fair value of the IRLCs and mortgage loans held for sale, thereby reducing earnings volatility. The Company takes into account various factors and strategies in determining the portion of the mortgage pipeline (IRLCs and mortgage loans held for sale) it wants to economically hedge. The gain or loss resulting from the change in the fair value of the derivative is recognized in the Company’s statement of income during the period of change.

The Company entered into a pay-fixed portfolio layer method fair value swap, designated as a hedging instrument, with a total notional amount of $200.0 million in the second quarter of 2023. The hedging instrument matures on May 25, 2028. The Company is designating the fair value swap under the portfolio layer method (“PLM”). Under this method, the hedged item is designated as a hedged layer of a closed portfolio of financial loans that is anticipated to remain outstanding for the designated hedged period. Adjustments are made to record the swap at fair value on the consolidated balance sheets, with changes in fair value recognized in interest income. The carrying value of the fair value swap on the consolidated balance sheets will also be adjusted through interest income, based on changes in fair value attributable to changes in the hedged risk.

The following table represents the carrying value of the portfolio layer method hedged asset and liability and the cumulative fair value hedging adjustment included in the carrying value of the hedged asset as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023.


	March 31, 2024				December 31, 2023
(dollars in thousands)		Carrying Amount		Hedged Asset		Carrying Amount		Hedged Liability
Fixed Rate Asset/Liability¹	$	203,206	$	3,206	$	199,518	$	482

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These amounts included the amortized cost basis of closed portfolios of fixed rate loans used to designate hedging relationships in which the hedged item is the stated amount of the assets in the closed portfolio anticipated to be outstanding for the designated hedged period. As of March 31, 2024, the amortized cost basis of the closed portfolio used in this hedging relationship was $706.9 million, the cumulative basis adjustment associated with this hedging relationship was $3.2 million, and the amount of the designated hedged item was $200.0 million.

The following table summarizes the Company’s outstanding financial derivative instruments at March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023.


				March 31, 2024
				Fair Value
(dollars in thousands)	Notional		Balance Sheet Location	Asset/(Liability)
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:
Fair value swap Fair value swap [Member]	$	200,000	Other assets	$	3,206

Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:
Mortgage loan interest rate lock commitments		28,986	Other assets		316
MBS forward sales commitments MBS forward sales commitments [Member]		19,500	Other liabilities		(59	)
Total derivative financial instruments	$	248,486		$	3,463

					December 31, 2023
					Fair Value
(dollars in thousands)		Notional	Balance Sheet Location		Asset/(Liability)
Derivatives designated as hedging instruments:
Fair value swap	$	200,000	Other liabilities	$	(482	)

Derivatives not designated as hedging instruments:
Mortgage loan interest rate lock commitments		12,973	Other assets		159
MBS forward sales commitments		10,000	Other liabilities		(68	)
Total derivative financial instruments	$	222,973		$	(391	)

Accrued interest receivable related to the interest rate swap as of March 31, 2024 totaled $291,000 and is excluded from the fair value presented in the table above.

The Company assesses the effectiveness of the fair value swap hedge with a regression analysis that compares the changes in forward curves to determine the value. The effective portion of changes in fair value of derivatives designated as fair value hedges is recorded through interest income. The Company does not offset derivative assets and derivative liabilities for financial statement presentation purposes.

The following table summarizes the effect of the fair value hedging relationship recognized in the consolidated statements of income for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and March 31, 2023.


	Three months ended March 31,
(dollars in thousands)		2024		2023
Gain (loss) on fair value hedging relationship:
Hedged asset	$	3,688		-
Fair value derivative designated as hedging instrument		(3,738	)	-
Total gain (loss) recognized in interest income on loans	$	(50	)	-

NOTE 6 – Fair Value Accounting

FASB ASC 820, “Fair Value Measurement and Disclosures,” defines fair value as the exchange price that would be received for an asset or paid to transfer a liability (an exit price) in the principal or most advantageous market for the asset or liability in an orderly transaction between market participants on the measurement date. FASB ASC 820 also establishes a fair value hierarchy which requires an entity to maximize the use of observable inputs and

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minimize the use of unobservable inputs when measuring fair value. The standard describes three levels of inputs that may be used to measure fair value:

	Level 1 – Quoted market price in active markets
	Quoted prices in active markets for identical assets or liabilities. Level 1 assets and liabilities include certain debt and equity securities that are traded in an active exchange market.

	Level 2 – Significant other observable inputs
	Observable inputs other than Level 1 prices such as quoted prices for similar assets or liabilities; quoted prices in markets that are not active; or other inputs that are observable or can be corroborated by observable market data for substantially the full term of the assets or liabilities. Level 2 assets and liabilities include fixed income securities and mortgage-backed securities that are held in the Company’s available-for-sale portfolio and valued by a third-party pricing service, as well as certain individually evaluated loans.

Level 3 – Significant unobservable inputs

Unobservable inputs that are supported by little or no market activity and that are significant to the fair value of the assets or liabilities. Level 3 assets and liabilities include financial instruments whose value is determined using pricing models, discounted cash flow methodologies, or similar techniques, as well as instruments for which the determination of fair value requires significant management judgment or estimation. These methodologies may result in a significant portion of the fair value being derived from unobservable data.

The methods of determining the fair value of assets and liabilities presented in this note are consistent with our methodologies disclosed in Note 12 of the Company’s 2023 Annual Report on Form 10-K. See Note 5 for how the derivative asset fair value is determined. The Company’s loan portfolio is initially fair valued using a segmented approach, using the eight categories of loans as disclosed in Note 4 – Loans and Allowance for Credit Losses. Loans are considered a Level 3 classification.

Assets and Liabilities Recorded at Fair Value on a Recurring Basis

The tables below present the recorded amount of assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023.



					March 31, 2024
(dollars in thousands)	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Assets
Securities available for sale
Corporate bonds Level 1 [Member]	$	-		1,887		-		1,887
US treasuries Level 2 [Member]		-		888		-		888
US government agencies Level 3 [Member]		-		18,197		-		18,197
State and political subdivisions		-		19,537		-		19,537
Asset-backed securities		-		34,204		-		34,204
Mortgage-backed securities		-		51,283		-		51,283
Mortgage loans held for sale		-		11,842		-		11,842
Mortgage loan interest rate lock commitments		-		316		-		316
Derivative asset		-		3,206		-		3,206
Total assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis	$	-		141,360		-		141,360
Liabilities
MBS forward sales commitments	$	-		59		-		59
Total liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis	$	-		59		-		59

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	December 31, 2023
(dollars in thousands)	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Assets
Securities available for sale:
Corporate bonds	$	-		1,910		-		1,910
US treasuries		-		9,394		-		9,394
US government agencies		-		18,656		-		18,656
State and political subdivisions		-		19,741		-		19,741
Asset-backed securities		-		33,236		-		33,236
Mortgage-backed securities		-		51,765		-		51,765
Mortgage loans held for sale		-		7,194		-		7,194
Mortgage loan interest rate lock commitments		-		159		-		159
Total assets measured at fair value on a recurring basis	$	-		142,055		-		142,055
Liabilities
Derivative liability	$	-		482		-		482
MBS forward sales commitments		-		68		-		68
Total liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring basis	$	-		550		-		550

Assets and Liabilities Recorded at Fair Value on a Nonrecurring Basis

The tables below present the recorded amount of assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023.


					As of March 31, 2024
(dollars in thousands)	Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Assets
Individually evaluated loans	$	-		1,638		2,153		3,791
Total assets measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis	$	-		1,638		2,153		3,791

						As of December 31, 2023
(dollars in thousands)		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3		Total
Assets
Individually evaluated loans	$	-		1,160		2,976		4,136
Total assets measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis	$	-		1,160		2,976		4,136

The Company had no liabilities carried at fair value or measured at fair value on a nonrecurring basis.

For Level 3 assets and liabilities measured at fair value on a recurring or nonrecurring basis as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the significant unobservable inputs used in the fair value measurements were as follows:

	Valuation Technique	Significant Unobservable Inputs	Range of Inputs
Individually evaluated loans	Appraised Value/ Discounted Cash Flows	Discounts to appraisals or cash flows for estimated holding and/or selling costs or age of appraisal	0-25%

Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Financial instruments require disclosure of fair value information, whether or not recognized in the consolidated balance sheets, when it is practical to estimate the fair value. A financial instrument is defined as cash, evidence of an ownership interest in an entity or a contractual obligation which requires the exchange of cash. Certain items are specifically excluded from the disclosure requirements, including the Company’s common stock, premises and equipment and other assets and liabilities.

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The estimated fair values of the Company’s financial instruments at March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 are as follows:



					March 31, 2024
(dollars in thousands)	Carrying Amount		Fair Value		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Financial Assets:
Other investments, at cost	$	18,499		18,499		-		-		18,499
Loans¹		3,598,837		3,269,154		-		-		3,269,154
Financial Liabilities:
Deposits		3,460,681		2,954,382		-		2,954,382		-
Subordinated debentures		36,349		40,617		-		40,617		-

	December 31, 2023
(dollars in thousands)	Carrying Amount		Fair Value		Level 1		Level 2		Level 3
Financial Assets:
Other investments, at cost	$	19,939		19,939		-		-		19,939
Loans¹		3,557,120		3,337,768		-		-		3,337,768
Financial Liabilities:
Deposits		3,379,564		2,961,182		-		2,961,182		-
Subordinated debentures		36,322		40,712		-		40,712		-

¹	Carrying amount is net of the allowance for credit losses and individually evaluated loans.

NOTE 7 – Leases

The Company had operating right-of-use (“ROU”) assets, included in property and equipment, of $21.8 million and $22.2 million as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively. The Company had lease liabilities, included in other liabilities, of $24.3 million and $24.6 million as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively. We maintain operating leases on land and buildings for various office spaces. The lease agreements have maturity dates ranging from April 2025 to February 2032, some of which include options for multiple five-year extensions. The weighted average remaining life of the lease term for these leases was 5.67 years as of March 31, 2024. The ROU asset and lease liability are recognized at lease commencement by calculating the present value of lease payments over the lease term. The ROU assets also include any initial direct costs incurred and lease payments made at or before commencement date and are reduced by any lease incentives.

The discount rate used in determining the lease liability for each individual lease was the FHLB fixed advance rate which corresponded with the remaining lease term at implementation of the accounting standard and as of the lease commencement date for leases subsequently entered into. The weighted average discount rate for leases was 2.29% as of March 31, 2024.

The total operating lease costs were $593,000 and $595,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively.

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Operating lease payments due as of March 31, 2024 were as follows:

Schedule of maturities of lease liabilities
(dollars in thousands)		Operating Leases
2024	$	1,578
2025		2,157
2026		2,210
2027		2,267
2028		2,015
Thereafter		20,187
Total undiscounted lease payments		30,414
Discount effect of cash flows		6,117
Total lease liability	$	24,297

NOTE 8 – Earnings Per Common Share

The following schedule reconciles the numerators and denominators of the basic and diluted earnings per share computations for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2024 and 2023. Dilutive common shares arise from the potentially dilutive effect of the Company’s stock options that were outstanding at March 31, 2024. The assumed conversion of stock options can create a difference between basic and dilutive net income per common share. At March 31, 2024 and 2023, there were 212,863 and 205,689 options, respectively, that were not considered in computing diluted earnings per common share because they were anti-dilutive.

Schedule of earnings per share calculation
	Three months ended March 31,
(dollars in thousands, except share data)		2024	2023
Numerator:
Net income available to common shareholders	$	2,522	2,703
Denominator:
Weighted-average common shares outstanding – basic		8,110,249	8,025,876
Common stock equivalents		31,672	66,394
Weighted-average common shares outstanding – diluted		8,141,921	8,092,270
Earnings per common share:
Basic	$	0.31	0.34
Diluted		0.31	0.33

Item 2. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.

The following discussion reviews our results of operations for the three month period ended March 31, 2024 as compared to the three month period ended March 31, 2023 and assesses our financial condition as of March 31, 2024 as compared to December 31, 2023. You should read the following discussion and analysis in conjunction with the accompanying consolidated financial statements and the related notes and the consolidated financial statements and the related notes for the year ended December 31, 2023 included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for that period. Results for the three month period ended March 31, 2024 are not necessarily indicative of the results for the year ending December 31, 2024 or any future period.

Unless the context requires otherwise, references to the “Company,” “we,” “us,” “our,” or similar references mean Southern First Bancshares, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiary. References to the “Bank” refer to Southern First Bank.

Cautionary Warning Regarding forward-looking statements

This report contains statements which constitute forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the “Exchange Act”). Forward-

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looking statements may relate to our financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, or future performance. These statements are based on many assumptions and estimates and are not guarantees of future performance. Our actual results may differ materially from those anticipated in any forward-looking statements, as they will depend on many factors about which we are unsure, including many factors which are beyond our control. The words “may,” “would,” “could,” “should,” “will,” “seek to,” “strive,” “focus,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “believe,” “continue,” “assume,” “intend,” “plan,” and “estimate,” as well as similar expressions, are meant to identify such forward-looking statements. Potential risks and uncertainties that could cause our actual results to differ from those anticipated in any forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to:

●

Restrictions or conditions imposed by our regulators on our operations;

●

Increases in competitive pressure in the banking and financial services industries;

●

Changes in access to funding or increased regulatory requirements with regard to funding, which could impair our liquidity;

●

Changes in deposit flows, which may be negatively affected by a number of factors, including rates paid by competitors, general interest rate levels, regulatory capital requirements, returns available to clients on alternative investments and general economic or industry conditions;

●

Credit losses as a result of declining real estate values, increasing interest rates, increasing unemployment, changes in payment behavior or other factors;

●

Credit losses due to loan concentration;

●

Changes in the amount of our loan portfolio collateralized by real estate and weaknesses in the real estate market;

●

Our ability to successfully execute our business strategy;

●

Our ability to attract and retain key personnel;

●

The success and costs of our expansion into the Charlotte, North Carolina, Greensboro, North Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia markets and into potential new markets;

●

Risks with respect to future mergers or acquisitions, including our ability to successfully expand and integrate the businesses and operations that we acquire and realize the anticipated benefits of the mergers or acquisitions;

●

Changes in the interest rate environment which could reduce anticipated or actual margins;

●

Changes in political conditions or the legislative or regulatory environment, including new governmental initiatives affecting the financial services industry;

●

Changes in economic conditions resulting in, among other things, a deterioration in credit quality;

●

Changes occurring in business conditions and inflation;

●

Increased cybersecurity risk, including potential business disruptions or financial losses;

●

Changes in technology;

●

The adequacy of the level of our allowance for credit losses and the amount of loan loss provisions required in future periods;

●

Examinations by our regulatory authorities, including the possibility that the regulatory authorities may, among other things, require us to increase our allowance for credit losses or write-down assets;

●

Changes in U.S. monetary policy, the level and volatility of interest rates, the capital markets and other market conditions that may affect, among other things, our liquidity and the value of our assets and liabilities;

●

Any increase in FDIC assessments which will increase our cost of doing business;

●

Risks associated with complex and changing regulatory environments, including, among others, with respect to data privacy, artificial intelligence, information security, climate change or other environmental, social and governance matters, and labor matters, relating to our operations;

●

The rate of delinquencies and amounts of loans charged-off;

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●

The rate of loan growth in recent years and the lack of seasoning of a portion of our loan portfolio;

●

Our ability to maintain appropriate levels of capital and to comply with our capital ratio requirements;

●

Adverse changes in asset quality and resulting credit risk-related losses and expenses;

●

Changes in accounting standards, rules and interpretations and the related impact on our financial statements;

●

Risks associated with actual or potential litigation or investigations by customers, regulatory agencies or others;

●

Adverse effects of failures by our vendors to provide agreed upon services in the manner and at the cost agreed;

●

The potential effects of events beyond our control that may have a destabilizing effect on financial markets and the economy, such as epidemics and pandemics, war or terrorist activities, such as the war in Ukraine, the Middle East conflict, and the conflict between China and Taiwan, disruptions in our customers’ supply chains, disruptions in transportation, essential utility outages or trade disputes and related tariffs; and

●

Other risks and uncertainties detailed in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, in Part II, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” of our Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q, and in our other filings with the SEC.

If any of these risks or uncertainties materialize, or if any of the assumptions underlying such forward-looking statements proves to be incorrect, our results could differ materially from those expressed in, implied or projected by, such forward-looking statements. We urge investors to consider all of these factors carefully in evaluating the forward-looking statements contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q. We make these forward-looking statements as of the date of this document and we do not intend, and assume no obligation, to update the forward-looking statements or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those expressed in, or implied or projected by, the forward-looking statements, except as required by law.

OVERVIEW

Our business model continues to be client-focused, utilizing relationship teams to provide our clients with a specific banker contact and support team responsible for all of their banking needs. The purpose of this structure is to provide a consistent and superior level of professional service, and we believe it provides us with a distinct competitive advantage. We consider exceptional client service to be a critical part of our culture, which we refer to as “ClientFIRST.”

At March 31, 2024, we had total assets of $4.11 billion, a 1.2% increase from total assets of $4.06 billion at December 31, 2023. The largest component of our total assets is loans which were $3.64 billion and $3.60 billion at March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively. Our liabilities and shareholders’ equity at March 31, 2024 totaled $3.79 billion and $315.3 million, respectively, compared to liabilities of $3.74 billion and shareholders’ equity of $312.5 million at December 31, 2023. The principal component of our liabilities is deposits which were $3.46 billion and $3.38 billion at March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively.

Like most community banks, we derive the majority of our income from interest received on our loans and investments. Our primary source of funds for making these loans and investments is our deposits, on which we pay interest. Consequently, one of the key measures of our success is our amount of net interest income, or the difference between the income on our interest-earning assets, such as loans and investments, and the expense on our interest-bearing liabilities, such as deposits and borrowings. Another key measure is the spread between the yield we earn on these interest-earning assets and the rate we pay on our interest-bearing liabilities, which is called our net interest spread. In addition to earning interest on our loans and investments, we earn income through fees and other charges to our clients.

Our net income to common shareholders was $2.5 million and $2.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Diluted earnings per share (“EPS”) was $0.31 for the first quarter of 2024 as compared to $0.33 for the same period in 2023. The decrease in net income was primarily driven by a decrease in net interest income resulting from an increase in deposit and funding costs.

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results of operations

Net Interest Income and Margin

Our level of net interest income is determined by the level of earning assets and the management of our net interest margin. Our net interest income was $18.6 million for the first quarter of 2024, an 8.7% decrease over net interest income of $20.4 million for the first quarter of 2023, driven primarily by an $11.8 million increase in interest expense on our deposit accounts, partially offset by a $10.0 million increase in interest income. In addition, our net interest margin, on a tax-equivalent basis (TE), was 1.94% for the first quarter of 2024 compared to 2.36% for the same period in 2023.

We have included a number of tables to assist in our description of various measures of our financial performance. For example, the “Average Balances, Income and Expenses, Yields and Rates” table reflects the average balance of each category of our assets and liabilities as well as the yield we earned or the rate we paid with respect to each category during the three month periods ended March 31, 2024 and 2023. A review of this table shows that our loans typically provide higher interest yields than do other types of interest-earning assets, which is why we direct a substantial percentage of our earning assets into our loan portfolio. Similarly, the “Rate/Volume Analysis” tables demonstrate the effect of changing interest rates and changing volume of assets and liabilities on our financial condition during the periods shown. We also track the sensitivity of our various categories of assets and liabilities to changes in interest rates, and we have included tables to illustrate our interest rate sensitivity with respect to interest-earning accounts and interest-bearing accounts.

The following tables entitled “Average Balances, Income and Expenses, Yield and Rates” set forth information related to our average balance sheets, average yields on assets, and average costs of liabilities. We derived these yields by dividing income or expense by the average balance of the corresponding assets or liabilities. We derived average balances from the daily balances throughout the periods indicated. During the same periods, we had no securities purchased with agreements to resell. All investments owned have an original maturity of over one year. Nonaccrual loans are included in the following tables. Loan yields have been reduced to reflect the negative impact on our earnings of loans on nonaccrual status. The net of capitalized loan costs and fees are amortized into interest income on loans.

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Average Balances, Income and Expenses, Yields and Rates

	For the Three Months Ended March 31,
	2024						2023
(dollars in thousands)		Average Balance		Income/ Expense	Yield/ Rate⁽¹⁾			Average Balance		Income/ Expense	Yield/ Rate⁽¹⁾
Interest-earning assets
Federal funds sold and interest-bearing deposits with banks	$	94,420	$	1,280	5.44	%	$	85,966	$	969	4.57	%
Investment securities, taxable		137,271		1,436	4.20	%		87,521		530	2.46	%
Investment securities, nontaxable⁽²⁾		8,097		55	2.70	%		10,266		106	4.21	%
Loans⁽³⁾		3,622,972		45,605	5.05	%		3,334,530		36,748	4.47	%
Total interest-earning assets		3,862,760		48,376	5.02	%		3,518,283		38,353	4.42	%
Noninterest-earning assets		155,362						161,310
Total assets	$	4,018,122					$	3,679,593
Interest-bearing liabilities
NOW accounts	$	295,774		660	0.90	%	$	303,176		440	0.59	%
Savings & money market		1,620,521		16,299	4.03	%		1,661,878		11,992	2.93	%
Time deposits		801,734		9,973	4.99	%		543,425		4,747	3.54	%
Total interest-bearing deposits		2,718,029		26,932	3.97	%		2,508,479		17,179	2.78	%
FHLB advances and other borrowings		241,319		2,229	3.71	%		18,243		200	4.45	%
Subordinated debentures		36,333		557	6.15	%		36,224		527	5.90	%
Total interest-bearing liabilities		2,995,681		29,718	3.98	%		2,562,946		17,906	2.83	%
Noninterest-bearing liabilities		707,890						818,123
Shareholders’ equity		314,551						298,524
Total liabilities and shareholders’ equity	$	4,018,122					$	3,679,593
Net interest spread					1.04	%					1.59	%
Net interest income (tax equivalent) / margin			$	18,658	1.94	%			$	20,447	2.36	%
Less: tax-equivalent adjustment⁽²⁾				13						23
Net interest income			$	18,645					$	20,424

(1)

Annualized for the three month period.

(2)

The tax-equivalent adjustment to net interest income adjusts the yield for assets earning tax-exempt income to a comparable yield on a taxable basis.

(3)

Includes mortgage loans held for sale.

Our net interest margin (TE) decreased 42 basis points to 1.94% during the first quarter of 2024, compared to the first quarter of 2023, primarily due to our deposit and borrowing costs increasing faster than our loan yield as our interest-bearing liabilities have been more sensitive to changes in the federal funds rate over the past two years. Our average interest-bearing liabilities grew by $432.7 million during the first quarter of 2024 from the prior year, while the rate on these liabilities increased 115 basis points to 3.98%. In contrast, our average interest-earning assets grew by $344.5 million during the first quarter of 2024 from the prior year, while the average yield on these assets increased by only 60 basis points to 5.02% during the same period.

The increase in our average interest-bearing liabilities during the first quarter of 2024 resulted primarily from a $209.6 million increase in our interest-bearing deposits from the prior year, while the 115 basis point increase in rate on our interest-bearing liabilities was driven by a 119 basis point increase in deposit rates.

The increase in average interest-earning assets for the first quarter of 2024 related primarily to an increase of $288.4 million in our average loan balances from the prior year. The 60 basis point increase in yield on our interest-earning assets was driven by a 58 basis point increase in loan yield as our loan portfolio has repriced at rates higher than historical rates for the majority of the past 12 months.

Our net interest spread was 1.04% for the first quarter of 2024 compared to 1.59% for the same period in 2023. The net interest spread is the difference between the yield we earn on our interest-earning assets and the rate we pay on our interest-bearing liabilities. The 115 basis point increase in the rate on our interest-bearing liabilities was partially offset by a 60 basis point increase in yield on our interest-earning assets, resulting in a 55 basis point decrease in our net interest spread for the 2024 period. We anticipate continued pressure on our net interest spread

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and net interest margin in future periods as a significant portion of our loan portfolio is at fixed rates which do not move with the Federal Reserve’s interest rate increases, while our deposit accounts reprice much more quickly.

Rate/Volume Analysis

Net interest income can be analyzed in terms of the impact of changing interest rates and changing volume. The following tables set forth the effect which the varying levels of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities and the applicable rates have had on changes in net interest income for the periods presented.


	Three Months Ended
		March 31, 2024 vs. 2023								March 31, 2023 vs. 2022
		Increase (Decrease) Due to								Increase (Decrease) Due to
(dollars in thousands)		Volume	Rate		Rate/ Volume		Total			Volume		Rate		Rate/ Volume		Total
Interest income
Loans	$	3,234	5,168		455		8,857		$	7,189		4,328		1,300		12,817
Investment securities		297	382		186		865			(103	)	309		(67	)	139
Federal funds sold and interest-bearing deposits with banks		45	254		12		311			(2	)	945		(33	)	910
Total interest income		3,576	5,804		653		10,033			7,084		5,582		1,200		13,866
Interest expense
Deposits		503	8,987		263		9,753			253		12,521		3,497		16,271
FHLB advances and other borrowings		2,444	(31	)	(384	)	2,029			1		170		17		188
Subordinated debentures		2	28		-		30			1		146		-		147
Total interest expense		2,949	8,984		(121	)	11,812			255		12,837		3,514		16,606
Net interest income	$	627	(3,180	)	774		(1,779	)	$	6,829		(7,255	)	(2,314	)	(2,740	)

Net interest income, the largest component of our income, was $18.6 million for the first quarter of 2024 and $20.4 million for the first quarter of 2023, a $1.8 million, or 8.7%, decrease year over year. The decrease during 2024 was driven by an $11.8 million increase in interest expense primarily due to higher rates on our interest-bearing deposits, combined with an increase in average FHLB advances and other borrowings. Partially offsetting the increase in interest expense was a $10.0 million increase in interest income which was primarily driven by an increase in yield on our loan portfolio, combined with a $288.4 million increase in average loan balances for the first quarter of 2024.

Provision for Credit Losses

The provision for credit losses, which includes a provision for losses on unfunded commitments, is a charge to earnings to maintain the allowance for credit losses and reserve for unfunded commitments at levels consistent with management’s assessment of expected losses in the loan portfolio at the balance sheet date. We review the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses on a quarterly basis. Please see the discussion included in Note 4 – Loans and Allowance for Credit Losses for a description of the factors we consider in determining the amount of the provision we expense each period to maintain this allowance.

We recorded a $175,000 reversal of the provision for credit losses during the first quarter of 2024, compared to a $1.8 million provision for credit losses in the first quarter of 2023. No provision for credit losses was recorded during the first quarter of 2024 as we continue to experience low net charge-offs, and the expected loss rates in our allowance for credit losses continue to decline. During the first quarter of 2024, we reversed $175,000 of the reserve for unfunded commitments due to a decrease in the balance of unfunded commitments at March 31, 2024, compared to December 31, 2023.

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Noninterest Income

The following table sets forth information related to our noninterest income.


	Three months ended March 31,
(dollars in thousands)	2024		2023
Mortgage banking income	$	1,164		622
Service fees on deposit accounts		387		325
ATM and debit card income		544		555
Income from bank owned life insurance		377		332
Other income		192		210
Total noninterest income	$	2,664		2,044

Noninterest income was $2.7 million for the first quarter of 2024, a $620,000, or 30.3%, increase from noninterest income of $2.0 million for the first quarter of 2023. Mortgage banking income continues to be the largest component of our noninterest income at $1.2 million for the first quarter of 2024. The increase in noninterest income resulted primarily from a $542,000, or 87.1%, increase in mortgage banking income over the prior year which was driven by higher mortgage volume during the first quarter of 2024.

Noninterest expenses

The following table sets forth information related to our noninterest expenses.


	Three months ended March 31,
(dollars in thousands)	2024		2023
Compensation and benefits	$	10,857		10,356
Occupancy		2,557		2,457
Outside service and data processing costs		1,846		1,629
Insurance		955		689
Professional fees		618		660
Marketing		369		366
Other		898		947
Total noninterest expense	$	18,100		17,104

Noninterest expense was $18.1 million for the first quarter of 2024, a $996,000, or 5.8%, increase from noninterest expense of $17.1 million for the first quarter of 2023. The increase in noninterest expense was driven primarily by the following:

●

Compensation and benefits expense increased $501,000, or 4.8%, relating primarily to annual salary increases and higher benefit related expenses.

●

Outside service and data processing costs increased $217,000, or 13.3%, relating primarily to increases in item processing, electronic banking and software licensing and maintenance costs.

●

Insurance costs increased $266,000, or 38.6%, as a result of higher FDIC insurance premiums.

Our efficiency ratio was 84.9% for the first quarter of 2024, compared to 76.1% for the first quarter of 2023. The efficiency ratio represents the percentage of one dollar of expense required to be incurred to earn a full dollar of revenue and is computed by dividing noninterest expense by the sum of net interest income and noninterest income. The higher ratio during the first quarter of 2024, compared to the first quarter of 2023, relates primarily to the decrease in net interest income combined with higher noninterest expenses.

We incurred income tax expense of $862,000 and $836,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. Our effective tax rate was 25.5% and 23.6% for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The higher tax rate during the first quarter of 2024 was driven by the effect of equity compensation transactions during the quarter.

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Balance Sheet Review

Investment Securities

At March 31, 2024, the $144.5 million in our investment securities portfolio represented approximately 3.5% of our total assets. Our available for sale investment portfolio included corporate bonds, US treasuries, US government agency securities, state and political subdivisions, asset-backed securities and mortgage-backed securities with a fair value of $126.0 million and an amortized cost of $140.9 million, resulting in an unrealized loss of $14.9 million. At December 31, 2023, the $154.6 million in our investment securities portfolio represented approximately 3.8% of our total assets, including investment securities with a fair value of $134.7 million and an amortized cost of $149.1 million for an unrealized loss of $14.4 million. In addition, other investments, which include FHLB Stock and other nonmarketable investments, decreased $1.4 million from December 31, 2023 to $18.5 million at March 31, 2024.

Loans

Since loans typically provide higher interest yields than other types of interest earning assets, a substantial percentage of our earning assets are invested in our loan portfolio. Average loans, excluding mortgage loans held for sale, for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and 2023 were $3.62 billion and $3.33 billion, respectively. Before the allowance for credit losses, total loans outstanding at March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 were $3.64 billion and $3.60 billion, respectively.

The principal component of our loan portfolio is loans secured by real estate mortgages. As of March 31, 2024, our loan portfolio included $3.07 billion, or 84.3%, of real estate loans, compared to $3.05 billion, or 84.8%, at December 31, 2023. Most of our real estate loans are secured by residential or commercial property. We obtain a security interest in real estate, in addition to any other available collateral, in order to increase the likelihood of the ultimate repayment of the loan. Generally, we limit the loan-to-value ratio on loans to coincide with the appropriate regulatory guidelines. We attempt to maintain a relatively diversified loan portfolio to help reduce the risk inherent in concentration in certain types of collateral and business types. Home equity lines of credit totaled $184.7 million as of March 31, 2024, of which approximately 48% were in a first lien position, while the remaining balance was second liens. At December 31, 2023, our home equity lines of credit totaled $183.0 million, of which approximately 46% were in first lien positions, while the remaining balance was in second liens. The average home equity loan had a balance of approximately $86,000 and a loan to value of 70% as of March 31, 2024, compared to an average loan balance of $85,000 and a loan to value of approximately 73% as of December 31, 2023. Further, 0.3% and 0.8% of our total home equity lines of credit were over 30 days past due as of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, respectively.

Following is a summary of our loan composition at March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023. During the first three months of 2024, our loan portfolio increased by $41.1 million, or 1.14%, with a $28.1 million increase in commercial loans while consumer loans increased by $13.0 million during the period. The majority of the increase was in loans secured by real estate. Our level of non-owner occupied commercial real estate and multi-family loans represents 271.4% of the Bank’s total risk-based capital at March 31, 2024. Our consumer real estate portfolio grew by $19.1 million and includes high quality 1-4 family consumer real estate loans. Our average consumer real estate loan currently has a principal balance of $468,000, a term of 23 years, and an average rate of 4.18% as of March 31, 2024, compared to a principal balance of $469,000, a term of 23 years, and an average rate of 4.10% as of December 31, 2023.

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	March 31, 2024						December 31, 2023
(dollars in thousands)	Amount			% of Total			Amount			% of Total
Commercial
Owner occupied RE	$	631,047			17.3	%	$	631,657			17.5	%
Non-owner occupied RE		944,530			25.9	%		942,529			26.2	%
Construction		157,464			4.3	%		150,680			4.2	%
Business		520,073			14.3	%		500,161			13.9	%
Total commercial loans		2,253,114			61.8	%		2,225,027			61.8	%
Consumer
Real estate		1,101,573			30.2	%		1,082,429			30.0	%
Home equity		184,691			5.1	%		183,004			5.1	%
Construction		53,216			1.5	%		63,348			1.7	%
Other		51,172			1.4	%		48,819			1.4	%
Total consumer loans		1,390,652			38.2	%		1,377,600			38.2	%
Total gross loans, net of deferred fees		3,643,766			100.0	%		3,602,627			100.0	%
Less—allowance for credit losses		(40,441	)					(40,682	)
Total loans, net	$	3,603,325					$	3,561,945

Nonperforming assets

Nonperforming assets include real estate acquired through foreclosure or deed taken in lieu of foreclosure and loans on nonaccrual status. Generally, a loan is placed on nonaccrual status when it becomes 90 days past due as to principal or interest, or when we believe, after considering economic and business conditions and collection efforts, that the borrower’s financial condition is such that collection of the contractual principal or interest on the loan is doubtful. A payment of interest on a loan that is classified as nonaccrual is recognized as a reduction in principal when received. Our policy with respect to nonperforming loans requires the borrower to make a minimum of six consecutive payments in accordance with the loan terms and to show capacity to continue performing into the future before that loan can be placed back on accrual status. As of March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, we had no loans 90 days past due and still accruing.

Following is a summary of our nonperforming assets.


(dollars in thousands)	March 31, 2024		December 31, 2023
Commercial	$	1,898		1,742
Consumer		1,748		2,221
Total nonaccrual loans		3,646		3,963
Other real estate owned		-		-
Total nonperforming assets	$	3,646		3,963

At March 31, 2024, nonperforming assets were $3.6 million, or 0.09% of total assets and 0.10% of gross loans. Comparatively, nonperforming assets were $4.0 million, or 0.10% of total assets and 0.11% of gross loans at December 31, 2023. Nonaccrual loans decreased $317,000 during the first three months of 2024 due primarily to two relationships that returned to accrual status and one relationship that paid off during the quarter.

The amount of foregone interest income on nonaccrual loans in the first three months of 2024 and 2023 was not material. At March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, the allowance for credit losses represented 1,109.13% and 1,026.55% of the total amount of nonperforming loans, respectively. A significant portion of the nonperforming loans at March 31, 2024 were secured by real estate. We have evaluated the underlying collateral on these loans and believe that the collateral on these loans is sufficient to minimize future losses.

As a general practice, most of our commercial loans and a portion of our consumer loans are originated with relatively short maturities of less than ten years. As a result, when a loan reaches its maturity we frequently renew

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the loan and thus extend its maturity using similar credit standards as those used when the loan was first originated. Due to these loan practices, we may, at times, renew loans which are classified as nonaccrual after evaluating the loan’s collateral value and financial strength of its guarantors. Nonaccrual loans are renewed at terms generally consistent with the ultimate source of repayment and rarely at reduced rates. In these cases, we will generally seek additional credit enhancements, such as additional collateral or additional guarantees to further protect the loan. When a loan is no longer performing in accordance with its stated terms, we will typically seek performance under the guarantee.

In addition, at March 31, 2024, 84.3% of our loans were collateralized by real estate and 89.1% of our individually evaluated loans were secured by real estate. Included in our real estate portfolio at March 31, 2024 was $222.1 million of loans, or 6.1% of our total loan portfolio, collateralized by office properties, $172.6 million of loans, or 4.7%, collateralized by retail properties, $147.4 million of loans, or 4.0%, collateralized by hotels, and $112.6 million of loans, or 3.1%, collateralized by multifamily properties. We utilize third party appraisers to determine the fair value of collateral dependent loans. Our current loan and appraisal policies require us to obtain updated appraisals on an annual basis, either through a new external appraisal or an appraisal evaluation. Individually evaluated loans are reviewed on a quarterly basis to determine the level of impairment. As of March 31, 2024, we did not have any individually evaluated real estate loans carried at a value in excess of the appraised value. We typically charge-off a portion or create a specific reserve for individually evaluated loans when we do not expect repayment to occur as agreed upon under the original terms of the loan agreement.

At March 31, 2024, individually evaluated loans totaled $4.5 million with a reserve of approximately $697,000 allocated in the allowance for credit losses. Comparatively, individually evaluated loans totaled $4.8 million at December 31, 2023 for which $3.7 million of these loans had a reserve of approximately $688,000 allocated in the allowance for credit losses.

Allowance for Credit Losses

The allowance for credit losses was $40.4 million, representing 1.11% of outstanding loans and providing coverage of 1,109.13% of nonperforming loans at March 31, 2024 compared to $40.7 million, or 1.13% of outstanding loans and 1,026.58% of nonperforming loans at December 31, 2023. At March 31, 2023, the allowance for credit losses was $40.4 million, or 1.18% of outstanding loans and 854.33% of nonperforming loans.

Deposits and Other Interest-Bearing Liabilities

Our primary source of funds for loans and investments is our deposits and advances from the FHLB. In the past, we have chosen to obtain a portion of our certificates of deposits from areas outside of our market in order to obtain longer term deposits than are readily available in our local market. Our internal guidelines regarding the use of brokered CDs limit our brokered CDs to 30% of total deposits, which allows us to take advantage of the attractive terms that wholesale funding can offer while mitigating the related inherent risk.

Our retail deposits represented $3.00 billion, or 86.7% of total deposits, while our wholesale deposits represented $459.8 million, or 13.3%, of total deposits at March 31, 2024. At December 31, 2023, retail deposits represented $3.00 billion, or 88.8%, of our total deposits and wholesale deposits were $379.4 million, representing 11.2% of our total deposits. Our loan-to-deposit ratio was 105% at March 31, 2024 and 107% at December 31, 2023.

The following is a detail of our deposit accounts:


	March 31,		December 31,
(dollars in thousands)	2024		2023
Non-interest bearing	$	671,708		674,167
Interest bearing:
NOW accounts		293,064		310,218
Money market accounts		1,603,796		1,605,278
Savings		32,248		31,669
Time, less than $250,000		206,657		190,167
Time and out-of-market deposits, $250,000 and over		653,208		568,065
Total deposits	$	3,460,681		3,379,564

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Our primary focus is on increasing core deposits, which exclude out-of-market deposits and time deposits of $250,000 or more, in order to provide a relatively stable funding source for our loan portfolio and other earning assets. Our core deposits were stable at $2.81 billion at March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023. In addition, at March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, we estimate that we have approximately $1.3 billion, or 37.8% and 38.7% of total deposits, respectively, in uninsured deposits, including related interest accrued and unpaid. Since it is not reasonably practicable to provide a precise measure of uninsured deposits, the amounts above are estimates and are based on the same methodologies and assumptions used by the FDIC for the Bank’s regulatory reporting requirements.

The following table shows the average balance amounts and the average rates paid on deposits.


	Three months ended March 31,
	2024					2023
(dollars in thousands)	Amount		Rate			Amount		Rate
Noninterest-bearing demand deposits	$	653,223		0.00	%	$	766,916		0.00	%
Interest-bearing demand deposits		295,774		0.90	%		303,176		0.59	%
Money market accounts		1,588,788		4.11	%		1,621,885		3.01	%
Savings accounts		31,734		0.17	%		39,993		0.06	%
Time deposits less than $250,000		146,477		4.41	%		59,469		4.57	%
Time deposits greater than $250,000		655,256		5.12	%		483,956		3.43	%
Total deposits	$	3,371,252		3.20	%	$	3,275,395		2.13	%

During the first three months of 2024, our average transaction account balances decreased by $162.5 million, or 6.0%, from the prior year, while our average time deposit balances increased by $258.3 million, or 47.5%.

All of our time deposits are certificates of deposits. The maturity distribution of our time deposits $250,000 or more at March 31, 2024 was as follows:


(dollars in thousands)	March 31, 2024
Three months or less	$	84,482
Over three through six months		65,646
Over six through twelve months		144,396
Over twelve months		358,684
Total	$	653,208

Time deposits that meet or exceed the FDIC insurance limit of $250,000 at March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 were $653.2 million and $568.1 million, respectively. We have a relationship with IntraFi Promontory Network, allowing us to provide deposit customers with access to aggregate FDIC insurance in amounts exceeding $250,000. This gives us the ability, as and when needed, to attract and retain large deposits from insurance conscious customers. With IntraFi, we have the option to keep deposits on balance sheet or sell them to other members of the network.

At March 31, 2024, the Company had $240.0 million of convertible fixed rate FHLB advances with a weighted average rate of 3.65%, while at December 31, 2023, the Company had $275.0 million in FHLB Advances. Of the $275.0 million outstanding at December 31, 2023, $35.0 million was at a variable rate and $240.0 million was at fixed rates. The $240.0 million was secured with approximately $1.30 billion of mortgage loans and $14.6 million of stock in the FHLB at March 31, 2024. The $275.0 million was secured with approximately $1.25 billion of mortgage loans and $16.1 million of stock in the FHLB at December 31, 2023.

Listed below is a summary of the terms and maturities of the advances outstanding at March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023.

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	March 31,					December 31,
(dollars in thousands)	2024					2023
Maturity	Amount		Rate			Amount		Rate
February 29, 2024	$	-		-		$	35,000		5.57	%
April 28, 2028		40,000		3.51	%		40,000		3.51	%
May 15, 2028		35,000		3.13	%		35,000		3.13	%
June 28, 2028		40,000		3.54	%		40,000		3.54	%
July 10, 2028		45,000		3.78	%		45,000		3.78	%
July 10, 2028		40,000		3.87	%		40,000		3.87	%
July 10, 2028		40,000		3.96	%		40,000		3.96	%
	$	240,000		3.65	%	$	275,000		3.89	%

Liquidity and Capital Resources

Liquidity is our ability to fund operations, to meet depositor withdrawals, to provide for customers’ credit needs, and to meet maturing obligations and existing commitments. Our liquidity principally depends on our cash flows from operating activities, investment in and maturity of assets, changes in balances of deposits and borrowings, and our ability to borrow funds. The bank failures in the first five months of 2023 exemplify the potential serious results of the unexpected inability of insured depository institutions to obtain needed liquidity to satisfy deposit withdrawal requests, including how quickly such requests can accelerate once uninsured depositors lose confidence in an institution’s ability to satisfy its obligations to depositors. We seek to ensure our funding needs are met by maintaining a level of liquidity through asset and liability management. Liquidity management involves monitoring our sources and uses of funds in order to meet our day-to-day cash flow requirements while maximizing profits. Liquidity management is made more complicated because different balance sheet components are subject to varying degrees of management control. For example, the timing of maturities of our investment portfolio is fairly predictable and subject to a high degree of control at the time investment decisions are made. However, net deposit inflows and outflows are far less predictable and are not subject to the same degree of control.

At March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, our cash and cash equivalents totaled $167.3 million and $156.2 million, respectively, or 4.1% and 3.9% of total assets, respectively. Our investment securities at March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 amounted to $144.5 million and $154.6 million, respectively, or 3.5% and 3.8% of total assets, respectively. Investment securities traditionally provide a secondary source of liquidity since they can be converted into cash in a timely manner.

Our ability to maintain and expand our deposit base and borrowing capabilities serves as our primary source of liquidity. We plan to meet our future cash needs through the liquidation of temporary investments, the generation of deposits, loan payoffs, and from additional borrowings. In addition, we will receive cash upon the maturity and sale of loans and the maturity of investment securities. We maintain five federal funds purchased lines of credit with correspondent banks totaling $108.5 million for which there were no borrowings against the lines of credit at March 31, 2024. We also had $236.1 million pledged and available with the Federal Reserve Discount Window at March 31, 2024. Comparatively, at December 31, 2023, we had $227.1 million pledged and available with the Federal Reserve Discount Window. At December 31, 2023, we had $13.0 million of marketable investment securities pledged in the Federal Reserve’s Bank Term Funding Program which closed on March 11, 2024.

We are also a member of the FHLB, from which applications for borrowings can be made. The FHLB requires that securities, qualifying mortgage loans, and stock of the FHLB owned by the Bank be pledged to secure any advances from the FHLB. The unused borrowing capacity currently available from the FHLB at March 31, 2024 was $590.0 million, based primarily on the Bank’s qualifying mortgages available to secure any future borrowings. However, we are able to pledge additional securities to the FHLB in order to increase our available borrowing capacity. In addition, at March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023 we had $386.8 million and $388.3 million, respectively, of letters of credit outstanding with the FHLB to secure client deposits.

We have a relationship with IntraFi Promontory Network, allowing us to provide deposit customers with access to aggregate FDIC insurance in amounts exceeding $250,000. This gives us the ability, as and when needed, to attract and retain large deposits from insurance conscious customers. With IntraFi, we have the option to keep deposits on balance sheet or sell them to other members of the network. Additionally, subject to certain limits, the Bank can

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use IntraFi to purchase cost-effective funding without collateralization and in lieu of generating funds through traditional brokered CDs or the FHLB. In this manner, IntraFi can provide us with another funding option. Thus, it serves as a deposit-gathering tool and an additional liquidity management tool. Under the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief, and Consumer Protection Act, a well capitalized bank with a CAMELS rating of 1 or 2 may hold reciprocal deposits up to the lesser of 20% of its total liabilities or $5 billion without those deposits being treated as brokered deposits.

We also have a line of credit with another financial institution for $15.0 million, which was unused at March 31, 2024. The line of credit was issued on December 28, 2023 at an interest rate of the U.S. Prime Rate plus 0.25% and a maturity date of February 28, 2025.

We believe that our existing stable base of core deposits, federal funds purchased lines of credit with correspondent banks, availability with the Federal Reserve Discount Window, and borrowings from the FHLB will enable us to successfully meet our long-term liquidity needs. However, as short-term liquidity needs arise, we have the ability to sell a portion of our investment securities portfolio to meet those needs.

Total shareholders’ equity was $315.3 million at March 31, 2024 and $312.5 million at December 31, 2023. The $2.8 million increase from December 31, 2023 is primarily related to net income of $2.5 million during the first three months of 2024 and stock option exercises and equity compensation expenses of $722,000, partially offset by a $455,000 loss in other comprehensive income related to our available for sale securities.

The following table shows the return on average assets (net income divided by average total assets), return on average equity (net income divided by average equity), equity to assets ratio (average equity divided by average assets), and tangible common equity ratio (total equity less preferred stock divided by total assets) annualized for the three months ended March 31, 2024 and the year ended December 31, 2023. Since our inception, we have not paid cash dividends.


	March 31, 2024			December 31, 2023
Return on average assets		0.25	%		0.34	%
Return on average equity		3.22	%		4.44	%
Return on average common equity		3.22	%		4.44	%
Average equity to average assets ratio		7.83	%		7.71	%
Tangible common equity to assets ratio		7.68	%		7.70	%

Under the capital adequacy guidelines, regulatory capital is classified into two tiers. These guidelines require an institution to maintain a certain level of Tier 1 and Tier 2 capital to risk-weighted assets. Tier 1 capital consists of common shareholders’ equity, excluding the unrealized gain or loss on securities available for sale, minus certain intangible assets. In determining the amount of risk-weighted assets, all assets, including certain off-balance sheet assets, are multiplied by a risk-weight factor of 0% to 100% based on the risks believed to be inherent in the type of asset. Tier 2 capital consists of Tier 1 capital plus the general reserve for credit losses, subject to certain limitations. We are also required to maintain capital at a minimum level based on total average assets, which is known as the Tier 1 leverage ratio.

Regulatory capital rules, which we refer to as Basel III, impose minimum capital requirements for bank holding companies and banks. The Basel III rules apply to all national and state banks and savings associations regardless of size and bank holding companies and savings and loan holding companies other than “small bank holding companies,” generally holding companies with consolidated assets of less than $3 billion. In order to avoid restrictions on capital distributions or discretionary bonus payments to executives, a covered banking organization must maintain a “capital conservation buffer” on top of our minimum risk-based capital requirements. This buffer must consist solely of common equity Tier 1, but the buffer applies to all three measurements (common equity Tier 1, Tier 1 capital and total capital). The capital conservation buffer consists of an additional amount of CET1 equal to 2.5% of risk-weighted assets.

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To be considered “well capitalized” for purposes of certain rules and prompt corrective action requirements, the Bank must maintain a minimum total risked-based capital ratio of at least 10%, a total Tier 1 capital ratio of at least 8%, a common equity Tier 1 capital ratio of at least 6.5%, and a leverage ratio of at least 5%. As of March 31, 2024 our capital ratios exceed these ratios and we remain “well capitalized.”

The following table summarizes the capital amounts and ratios of the Bank and the regulatory minimum requirements.


						March 31, 2024
	Actual					For capital adequacy purposes minimum plus the capital conservation buffer					To be well capitalized under prompt corrective action provisions minimum
(dollars in thousands)	Amount		Ratio			Amount		Ratio			Amount		Ratio
Total Capital (to risk weighted assets)	$	393,470		12.29	%	$	256,023		8.00	%	$	320,029		10.00	%
Tier 1 Capital (to risk weighted assets)		353,461		11.04	%		192,017		6.00	%		256,023		8.00	%
Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (to risk weighted assets)		353,461		11.04	%		144,013		4.50	%		208,019		6.50	%
Tier 1 Capital (to average assets)		353,461		8.77	%		161,255		4.00	%		201,569		5.00	%

						December 31, 2023
	Actual					For capital adequacy purposes minimum plus the capital conservation buffer					To be well capitalized under prompt corrective action provisions minimum
(dollars in thousands)	Amount		Ratio			Amount		Ratio			Amount		Ratio
Total Capital (to risk weighted assets)	$	390,197		12.28	%	$	254,278		8.00	%	$	317,847		10.00	%
Tier 1 Capital (to risk weighted assets)		350,455		11.03	%		190,708		6.00	%		254,278		8.00	%
Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (to risk weighted assets)		350,455		11.03	%		143,031		4.50	%		206,601		6.50	%
Tier 1 Capital (to average assets)		350,455		8.47	%		165,414		4.00	%		206,767		5.00	%

The following table summarizes the capital amounts and ratios of the Company and the minimum regulatory requirements.


						March 31, 2024
	Actual					For capital adequacy purposes minimum plus the capital conservation buffer ⁽¹⁾					To be well capitalized under prompt corrective action provisions minimum
(dollars in thousands)	Amount		Ratio			Amount		Ratio				Amount	Ratio
Total Capital (to risk weighted assets)	$	403,062		12.59	%	$	256,023		8.00	%		N/A		N/A
Tier 1 Capital (to risk weighted assets)		340,053		10.63	%		192,017		6.00	%		N/A		N/A
Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (to risk weighted assets)		327,053		10.22	%		144,013		4.50	%		N/A		N/A
Tier 1 Capital (to average assets)		340,053		8.44	%		161,255		4.00	%		N/A		N/A

						December 31, 2023
	Actual					For capital adequacy purposes minimum plus the capital conservation buffer ⁽¹⁾					To be well capitalized under prompt corrective action provisions minimum
(dollars in thousands)	Amount		Ratio			Amount		Ratio			Amount	Ratio
Total Capital (to risk weighted assets)	$	399,551		12.57	%	$	254,278		8.00	%	N/A		N/A
Tier 1 Capital (to risk weighted assets)		336,809		10.60	%		190,708		6.00	%	N/A		N/A
Common Equity Tier 1 Capital (to risk weighted assets)		323,809		10.19	%		143,031		4.50	%	N/A		N/A
Tier 1 Capital (to average assets)		336,809		8.14	%		165,436		4.00	%	N/A		N/A

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(1)

The prompt corrective action provisions are only applicable at the Bank level. The Bank exceeded the general minimum regulatory requirements to be considered “well capitalized.”

The ability of the Company to pay cash dividends to shareholders is dependent upon receiving cash in the form of dividends from the Bank. The dividends that may be paid by the Bank to the Company are subject to legal limitations and regulatory capital requirements. Since our inception, we have not paid cash dividends to shareholders.

Effect of Inflation and Changing Prices

The effect of relative purchasing power over time due to inflation has not been taken into account in our consolidated financial statements. Rather, our financial statements have been prepared on an historical cost basis in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles.

Unlike most industrial companies, our assets and liabilities are primarily monetary in nature. Therefore, the effect of changes in interest rates will have a more significant impact on our performance than will the effect of changing prices and inflation in general. In addition, interest rates may generally increase as the rate of inflation increases, although not necessarily in the same magnitude. As discussed previously, we seek to manage the relationships between interest sensitive assets and liabilities in order to protect against wide rate fluctuations, including those resulting from inflation.

Off-Balance Sheet Risk

Commitments to extend credit are agreements to lend money to a client as long as the client has not violated any material condition established in the contract. Commitments generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses and may require the payment of a fee. At March 31, 2024 unfunded commitments to extend credit were $710.7 million, of which $116.0 million were at fixed rates and $595.0 million were at variable rates. At December 31, 2023, unfunded commitments to extend credit were $724.6 million, of which approximately $145.6 million were at fixed rates and $579.0 million were at variable rates. A significant portion of the unfunded commitments related to commercial business loans and consumer home equity lines of credit. We evaluate each client’s credit worthiness on a case-by-case basis. The amount of collateral obtained, if deemed necessary by us upon extension of credit, is based on our credit evaluation of the borrower. The type of collateral varies but may include accounts receivable, inventory, property, plant and equipment, and commercial and residential real estate. As of March 31, 2024, the reserve for unfunded commitments was $1.7 million or 0.23% of total unfunded commitments. As of December 31, 2023, the reserve for unfunded commitments was $1.8 million or 0.25% of total unfunded commitments.

At March 31, 2024 and December 31, 2023, there were commitments under letters of credit for $12.0 million and $16.1 million, respectively. The credit risk and collateral involved in issuing letters of credit is essentially the same as that involved in extending loan facilities to customers. Since most of the letters of credit are expected to expire without being drawn upon, they do not necessarily represent future cash requirements.

Except as disclosed in this report, we are not involved in off-balance sheet contractual relationships, unconsolidated related entities that have off-balance sheet arrangements or transactions that could result in liquidity needs or other commitments that significantly impact earnings.

Critical Accounting Estimates

We have adopted various accounting policies that govern the application of accounting principles generally accepted in the United States and with general practices within the banking industry in the preparation of our financial statements.

Certain accounting policies inherently involve a greater reliance on the use of estimates, assumptions and judgments and, as such, have a greater possibility of producing results that could be materially different than originally reported, which could have a material impact on the carrying values of our assets and liabilities and our results of operations. Of the significant accounting policies used in the preparation of our consolidated financial statements, we have identified certain items as critical accounting policies based on the associated estimates, assumptions, judgments and complexity. See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and

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Results of Operations—Critical Accounting Estimates” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, for a description our significant accounting policies that use critical accounting estimates.

Accounting, Reporting, and Regulatory Matters

See Note 1 – Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements included elsewhere in this report for details of recently issued accounting pronouncements and their expected impact on our consolidated financial statements.

Other accounting standards that have been issued or proposed by the FASB or other standards-setting bodies that do not require adoption until a future date are not expected to have a material impact on the consolidated financial statements upon adoption.

Item 3. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK.

Market risk is the risk of loss from adverse changes in market prices and rates, which principally arises from interest rate risk inherent in our lending, investing, deposit gathering, and borrowing activities. Other types of market risks, such as foreign currency exchange rate risk and commodity price risk, do not generally arise in the normal course of our business.

We actively monitor and manage our interest rate risk exposure in order to control the mix and maturities of our assets and liabilities utilizing a process we call asset/liability management. The essential purposes of asset/liability management are to seek to ensure adequate liquidity and to maintain an appropriate balance between interest sensitive assets and liabilities in order to minimize potentially adverse impacts on earnings from changes in market interest rates. Our asset/liability management committee (“ALCO”) monitors and considers methods of managing exposure to interest rate risk. We have both an internal ALCO consisting of senior management that meets no less than quarterly and a board risk committee that meets quarterly. These committees are responsible for maintaining the level of interest rate sensitivity of our interest sensitive assets and liabilities within board-approved limits.

As of March 31, 2024, the following table summarizes the forecasted impact on net interest income using a base case scenario given upward and downward movements in interest rates of 100, 200, and 300 basis points based on forecasted assumptions of prepayment speeds, nominal interest rates and loan and deposit repricing rates. Estimates are based on current economic conditions, historical interest rate cycles and other factors deemed to be relevant. However, underlying assumptions may be impacted in future periods which were not known to management at the time of the issuance of the Consolidated Financial Statements. Therefore, management’s assumptions may or may not prove valid. No assurance can be given that changing economic conditions and other relevant factors impacting our net interest income will not cause actual occurrences to differ from underlying assumptions. In addition, this analysis does not consider any strategic changes to our balance sheet which management may consider as a result of changes in market conditions.

Interest rate scenario	Change in net interest income from base
Up 300 basis points		(7.17	)%
Up 200 basis points		(4.75	)%
Up 100 basis points		(2.36	)%
Base		-
Down 100 basis points		3.99	%
Down 200 basis points		6.87	%
Down 300 basis points		9.51	%

Item 4. CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES.

Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures

Management, including our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of our disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Exchange Act Rules 13a-15(e) and 15d-15(e)) as of the end of the period covered by this report. Based upon that evaluation, our Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial

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Officer concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective to ensure that information required to be disclosed in the reports we file and submit under the Exchange Act is (i) recorded, processed, summarized and reported as and when required and (ii) accumulated and communicated to our management, including our Chief Executive Officer and the Chief Financial Officer, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.

Changes in Internal Control over Financial Reporting

There has been no change in the Company’s internal control over financial reporting during the three months ended March 31, 2024, that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal control over financial reporting.

PART II. OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS.

We are a party to claims and lawsuits arising in the course of normal business activities. Management is not aware of any material pending legal proceedings against the Company which, if determined adversely, would have a material adverse impact on the company’s financial position, results of operations or cash flows.

Item 1A. RISK FACTORS.

Investing in shares of our common stock involves certain risks, including those identified and described in Item 1A. of our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2023, as well as cautionary statements contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, including those under the caption “Cautionary Warning Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” set forth in Part I, Item 2 of this Form 10-Q, risks and matters described elsewhere in this Form 10-Q, and in our other filings with the SEC.

There have been no material changes to the risk factors previously disclosed in the Company’s (i) Annual Report on Form 10-K for fiscal year ended December 31, 2023.

Item 2. UNREGISTERED SALES OF EQUITY SECURITIES, USE OF PROCEEDS, AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES.

(a)

Sales of Unregistered Securities - None

(b)

Use of Proceeds – Not applicable

(c)

Issuer Purchases of Securities

As of March 31, 2024, the Company does not have an authorized share repurchase program.

Item 3. DEFAULTS UPON SENIOR SECURITIES.

None.

Item 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES.

Not applicable.

Item 5. OTHER INFORMATION.

Trading Plans

During the three months ended March 31, 2024, no director or “officer” of the Company adopted or terminated a “Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement” or a “non-Rule 10b5-1 trading arrangement,” as each term is defined in Item 408 of Regulation S-K of the Securities Act of 1933.

Item 6. EXHIBITS.

The exhibits required to be filed as part of this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q are listed in the Index to Exhibits attached hereto and are incorporated herein by reference.

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INDEX TO EXHIBITS


Exhibit Number	Description

31.1	Rule 13a-14(a) Certification of the Principal Executive Officer.

31.2	Rule 13a-14(a) Certification of the Principal Financial Officer.

32	Section 1350 Certifications.

101	The following materials from the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q of Southern First Bancshares, Inc. for the quarter ended March 31, 2024, formatted in iXBRL (Inline eXtensible Business Reporting Language): (i) Consolidated Balance Sheets, (ii) Consolidated Statements of Income, (iii) Consolidated Statements of Comprehensive Income, (iv) Consolidated Statement of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity, (v) Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows and (vi) Notes to Unaudited Consolidated Financial Statements.

104	Cover Page Interactive Data File (embedded within the Inline XBRL document)

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SIGNATURES

Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.


		SOUTHERN FIRST BANCSHARES, INC.
		Registrant


Date: April 30, 2024		/s/R. Arthur Seaver, Jr.
		R. Arthur Seaver, Jr.
		Chief Executive Officer (Principal Executive Officer)


Date: April 30, 2024		/s/R. Arthur Seaver, Jr.

		(Principal Financial and Accounting Officer)

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Date	Price Target	Rating	Analyst
1/3/2024	$34.00 → $44.00	Neutral → Overweight	Piper Sandler
12/5/2022	$51.00	Neutral	Piper Sandler
8/1/2022	$52.00 → $50.00	Buy → Neutral	DA Davidson

SEC Form 10-Q filed by Southern First Bancshares Inc.

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