Prime Meridian Holding Co (PMHG)·Q3 2024 Earnings Summary
Executive Summary
- Q3 2024 delivered a strong rebound: net earnings rose 46.7% quarter-over-quarter to $2.603M and 22.8% year-over-year; diluted EPS was $0.78 vs $0.54 in Q2 and $0.66 in Q3 2023 .
- Operating efficiency improved materially; the efficiency ratio fell to 58.24% (vs 65.02% in Q2), aided by lower software and marketing costs; net interest margin ticked up to 3.63% (vs 3.55% in Q2) .
- Balance sheet growth continued: deposits reached $824.0M (+10.1% YTD) and gross loans reached $692.7M (+6.2% YTD), with residential/home equity driving loan mix; liquidity sources totaled $612.2M (74.3% of deposits) .
- Credit quality normalized: net charge-offs were just $11K vs $800K in Q2; allowance for credit losses on loans ended at $5.4M (0.78% of total loans) .
- Street consensus was unavailable for PMHG at the time of analysis; no earnings call transcript was attached to the 8-K (press release and investor presentation only), so catalysts center on demonstrated efficiency gains, NIM improvement, and deposit growth trajectory .
What Went Well and What Went Wrong
What Went Well
- “Very proud of the Bank's performance this quarter… we are running efficiently… doing more, with less,” CEO Sammie D. Dixon, Jr. commented, reflecting tangible efficiency improvements (efficiency ratio 58.24%) .
- Net interest income rose 7.4% QoQ and 10.5% YoY to $7.941M, driven by higher loan yields, asset mix shift into higher-yielding cash, and lower FHLB borrowing; NIM improved to 3.63% .
- Deposit and loan growth were broad-based: deposits +$75.3M YTD and loans +$40.7M YTD, with most loan growth in residential/home equity; book value per share increased to $26.87 .
What Went Wrong
- Funding costs remained elevated: average rate on interest-bearing liabilities increased to 3.09% vs 2.96% in Q2 and 2.19% in Q3 2023, tempering NIM vs prior year (3.63% vs 3.68% in Q3 2023) .
- Noninterest expense was still up 4.5% YoY to $4.934M, with higher salaries/benefits and software-related costs following 4Q’23 core conversion .
- Mortgage banking and deposit service fees (NSF) remain variable; noninterest income was flat QoQ and its mix reflects softer NSF fees even as debit card and mortgage banking improved YoY .
Financial Results
Segment and portfolio composition (loans by class):
Balance sheet KPIs:
Notes: Revenue calculated as Net Interest Income plus Total Noninterest Income using reported 8‑K figures .
Guidance Changes
No formal revenue, margin, OpEx, tax rate, or segment guidance was disclosed in the Q3 2024 8-K press release (the filing provided the press release and investor presentation exhibits only) .
Earnings Call Themes & Trends
Management Commentary
- “Very proud of the Bank's performance this quarter… we are running efficiently and are optimizing the performance of our systems as well as our team.”
- “Growth is happening in all areas of the Bank and our efficiency ratio is down right where we want it… we are doing more, with less.”
- Q2 tone: “We are positioning ourselves for the next chapter… tighter, leaner team… ready to put more points on the board.”
- Q1 tone: “Technology upgrades during the fourth quarter… operational efficiencies we are just now starting to leverage.”
Q&A Highlights
No public earnings call transcript or Q&A was attached to the Q3 2024 8-K; the filing provided a press release and investor presentation exhibits only . Similarly, Q2 and Q1 8-Ks attached press releases/presentations without transcripts .
Estimates Context
Wall Street consensus EPS/revenue estimates from S&P Global were unavailable for PMHG at the time of this report; therefore, beat/miss analysis vs Street cannot be provided. Values would be retrieved from S&P Global when available.
Key Takeaways for Investors
- Strong sequential profit recovery: net earnings +46.7% QoQ to $2.603M; diluted EPS $0.78 vs $0.54 in Q2, reflecting tighter expenses and lower credit loss expense .
- Operating leverage improved: efficiency ratio 58.24% (vs 65.02% in Q2); management emphasized doing “more, with less,” indicating sustainable focus on cost discipline .
- NIM uptick with favorable asset/funding mix: NIM 3.63% vs 3.55% in Q2; reduced FHLB borrowings and higher-yielding cash boosted net interest income .
- Deposits and loans expanding: deposits +$75.3M YTD to $824.0M; loans +$40.7M YTD to $692.7M, with continued push in residential/home equity .
- Credit normalization: net charge-offs just $11K vs $800K in Q2; allowance 0.78% of loans; NPAs/Assets at 0.26% .
- Liquidity robust: total sources $612.2M (74.3% of deposits); off-balance sheet capacity $430.6M, on-balance sheet liquidity $181.6M .
- Near-term trading focus: efficiency improvements and NIM recovery act as catalysts; watch deposit costs and funding mix as key variables affecting NIM trajectory (NIM still slightly below Q3 2023 at 3.63% vs 3.68%) .