Community Shores Reports 2010 Full-Year and Fourth Quarter Results

MUSKEGON, Mich., Feb. 8, 2011 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Community Shores Bank Corporation ("Community Shores") (OTCBB:CSHB), Muskegon's only locally-headquartered, independent community banking organization, today reported a 2010 net loss of $8.88 million, or ($6.05) per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $4.96 million, or ($3.38) per diluted share for 2009. For the 2010 fourth quarter, the Company reported a net loss of $3.33 million, or ($2.27) per diluted share, compared with a net loss of $2.79 million, or ($1.90) per diluted share, for the year-ago fourth quarter. Full-year and quarterly results continue to reflect declining property valuations in Community Shores' markets.

Heather D. Brolick, president and chief executive officer of Community Shores Bank Corporation, commented, "The fourth quarter losses are, primarily, a result of current appraisals on impaired loans with real estate collateral and foreclosed assets. While some properties stabilized and maintained value in excess of our projections, we experienced continued declination in values on certain non-owner occupied commercial property and development loans. Clearly, market values have been difficult to assess, even for the appraisers. On a positive note, the significant write-downs on foreclosed properties have fostered sales activity. In the fourth quarter alone, 13 foreclosed properties sold. Since year-end 2009, the Company's non-performing assets and 90 day past due totals declined by $4.1 million."

"While our nonperforming assets are slowly declining, the Bank continues to maintain large liquidity reserves. At year-end 2010, nearly 25 percent of our balance sheet was in cash and liquid investments. Much of the detrimental impact this tactic has had on interest income has been offset by lower costing funds. We believe the benefits of the liquidity position from a safety and soundness point of view offset the impact on earnings."

Operating Results

Total revenue, consisting of net interest income and noninterest income, was $8.52 million for 2010 compared to $8.76 million for the prior year. Net interest income for 2010 was $6.95 million, up $165,000 or 2.4 percent, from the $6.79 million earned in 2009. The net interest margin expanded 5 basis points in 2010. The net interest margin at 3.06% includes the favorable impact of a 67 basis point improvement in the Company's cost of funds which more than offset a smaller loan portfolio and interest reversed from loans moved to nonaccrual status. Ms. Brolick added, "We continue to benefit from maturing high priced time deposits. Since year-end 2009, the weighted average rate on the time deposit portfolio declined 126 basis points. Our fourth quarter net interest margin was 3.22 percent, 8 basis points behind last year's fourth quarter, but 39 basis points up from the linked quarter. We anticipate further margin improvements in 2011 as 35 percent of interest-bearing deposits are scheduled to re-price, primarily in the second half of the year."

Noninterest income was $1.57 million, a decrease of $403,000, or 20.4 percent, from the $1.97 million reported in 2009. Service charges and mortgage banking income, the Company's two primary noninterest revenue generators, together accounted for $1.10 million of 2010 noninterest income, a decline of $163,000 or 12.9 percent, from 2009 levels. Service charges on customer deposit accounts declined by $118,000, primarily due to lower overdraft fees.

The loan loss provision for 2010 was $6.02 million. This compares to the $2.61 million provision in 2009. Net charge-offs were $5.02 million, or 2.82 percent of average loans in 2010 compared to $3.18 million, or 1.64 percent of average loans in 2009. In the fourth quarter of 2010, the Company had a loan loss provision of $2.64 million and had net charge-offs of $2.39 million or 5.63 percent of average loans annualized. In the fourth quarter of 2009, loan loss provision of $1.69 million was recorded and net charge offs were $692,000. At year-end 2010, the allowance for loan losses was $4.79 million, or 2.88 percent of total loans, compared with 2.65 percent of total loans in the linked quarter and 2.05 percent of total loans in the year-ago quarter.

Noninterest expense was $11.4 million for 2010 compared to $11.0 million for 2009, up $395,000 or 3.6 percent. Foreclosed asset impairments increased $670,000 year over year. Ignoring the increase in this expense, non-interest expense decreased $274,000, or 2.5 percent. Overall, controllable operating expenses reflect continued improvement.

Balance Sheet

Total assets at December 31, 2010 were $237.9 million, up $6.5 million from December 31, 2009. Total loans, including loans held for sale, declined by $17.8 million, or 9.7 percent, to $166.5 million at year-end 2010. Conversely, cash and investments increased $29.8 million since year-end 2009. Ms. Brolick added, "Liquidity is important for the Company to successfully live within the parameters outlined in the Consent Order."

Total deposits were $219.3 million at December 31, 2010, up $20.7 million, or 10.4 percent from year-ago levels. Year-over-year, noninterest-bearing depository accounts increased by $8.44 million, or 34 percent, and now comprise approximately 15.2 percent of total deposits, up from 12.5 percent at 2009 year-end. "As the only locally headquartered community bank in our market area, we have continued to grow local deposits. Our customer base has been extremely supportive and improvements in our core funding mix will have a positive impact on margin," explained Brolick.

Asset Quality

Ms. Brolick continued, "We continue to make steady progress in reducing the number and dollar amount of our non-performing assets. We expect this trend to continue through the coming year, although we recognize that land development absorption will be slow and methodical. As announced earlier this year, we have one complete development, consisting of 47 lots, under contract. Positively, the first two lots in that development were purchased two months ahead of schedule." 

Nonperforming assets, consisting of nonperforming loans, loans >90 days past due and still accruing, and foreclosed real estate, were $11.6 million, or 4.89 percent of total assets at December 31, 2010, compared to $14.4 million (5.81 percent of total assets) and $15.7 million (6.82 percent of total assets), at September 30, 2010 and December 31, 2009, respectively. Nonperforming assets decreased by $4.1 million year-over-year, and $2.8 million compared to the previous quarter. Included in that were sales of foreclosed real estate of $3.4 million in 2010 with $1.6 million of those sales during the fourth quarter. Brolick added, "Economic conditions are positively impacting our clients and we were able to successfully restructure 18 troubled loans, with outstanding balances of $5.089 million at December 31, 2010."  

Capitalization

At December 31, 2010, consolidated shareholders' equity totaled $0.85 million, a decline of $8.89 million, or 91.3 percent, from December 31, 2009.  As of December 31, 2010, the Bank's Tier I leverage was 4.25 percent of total assets, while Tier I Capital and Total Risk-based Capital were at 5.79 percent and 7.06 percent of total risk-weighted assets, respectively.

Ms. Brolick concluded, "Our capital levels have been adversely impacted by our loan losses and the high level of associated legal, carrying and collection expenses. As projected by Management and the Board of Directors, our present capital position remains adequate. We know that positive effects from an improving economy will take an extended amount of time and that 2011 will continue to be challenging. We have continually reduced overhead and operating expenses and have become very proficient in managing our problem credits. We acknowledge that this has taken a significant toll on our shareholders. In response, we continue to work tirelessly to reduce the risk profile of the Bank, maintain a strong commitment to our local market by working with clients through this very challenging cycle, and seek resolution to our capital deficiency."

About the Company

Community Shores Bank Corporation is the only independent community banking organization headquartered in Muskegon. The Company serves businesses and consumers in the western Michigan counties of Muskegon and Ottawa from four branch offices. Community Shores Bank opened for business in January 1999, and has grown to $238 million in assets. The Company's stock is traded over-the-counter on the OTC Bulletin Board under the symbol 'CSHB.' For further information, please visit the Company's web site at: www.communityshores.com .

Forward-Looking Statements

This news release contains comments or information that constitute forward-looking statements (within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995) that are based on current expectations that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from the results expressed in forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such a difference include changes in interest rates and interest rate relationships; demand for products and services; the degree of competition by traditional and non-traditional competitors; changes in banking regulation; changes in tax laws; changes in prices, levies and assessments; the impact of technological advances; governmental and regulatory policy changes; the outcomes of contingencies; trends in customer behavior as well as their ability to repay loans; changes in the national and local economy; changes in the local real estate market and other factors, including risk factors referred to from time to time in filings made by Community Shores with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Community Shores undertakes no obligation to update or clarify forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.