SOUTH HILL, Va., Oct. 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Citizens Community Bank (OTC Bulletin Board: CZYB) today reported third quarter and year-to-date results for the quarter ended September 30, 2010. For the third quarter of 2010, net income available to common shareholders equaled $38,248, a decrease of $21,833 or 36.3% from the third quarter of 2009. Basic and diluted earnings per share to common shareholders equaled $0.03 for the third quarter of 2010 compared to $0.04 for the third quarter of 2009. Core operating results as measured by pre-provision, pre-tax earnings equaled $502,623, an increase of $149,743 or 42.4% over the third quarter of 2009. When excluding a $104,747 valuation writedown on other real estate owned in the third quarter of 2009, adjusted core operating results increased $44,996 or 9.8%.

For the nine month period ended September 30, 2010, net income available to common shareholders totaled $210,063, an increase of $83,500 or 66.0% over the first nine months of 2009. Year to date, basic and diluted earnings per share to common shareholders equaled $0.15 compared to $0.09 for the same period in 2009. When excluding the $104,747 valuation writedown in 2009 adjusted core operating results, which are pre-provision and pre-tax earnings, equaled $1,479,676, up $618,712 or 71.9% over the first three quarters of 2009.

At September 30, 2010, total assets were $170.6 million, a decline of $1.3 million or 0.8% from December 31, 2009. Gross loans amounted to $131.3 million, a decline of $1.2 million or 0.9% from year end 2009. The investment portfolio declined $4.0 million or 16.8% over the past nine months as cash flows and maturities were reinvested into overnight investments. Total deposits equaled $141.6 million, a slight decrease of $705,310 or 0.5% since December 31, 2009.

President and CEO Thomas C. Manson stated, "The steady improvement in our year-to-date earnings is evidence of a strong balance sheet and healthy but aggressive management tactics. While short-term volatility and market uncertainty remain at the forefront of our conscience, we have been able to capitalize on the strength of our net interest margin to balance an aggressive approach in rebranding and managing charge-offs while continuing to build our loan loss reserve."

For the third quarter of 2010, net interest income totaled $1,651,138, an increase of $129,987 or 8.5% over the third quarter of 2009. The growth in net interest income was attributable to a stronger net interest margin. For the quarter ended September 30, 2010, the net interest margin was 4.11%, up 37 basis points over the third quarter of 2009. The strength in the net interest margin was generated through substantially lower funding costs, which offset a decline in the yield on earning assets.

For the three month period ended September 30, 2010, average earning assets totaled $160.1 million, down $2.4 million from the same period in 2009. Earning assets yields declined 26 basis points to 5.67%; however, this was more than offset by a 73 basis points decline in the cost of interest bearing liabilities to 1.84% over the comparable period.

For the first nine months of 2010, net interest income totaled $5,003,550, an increase of $818,885 or 19.6% over the first nine months of 2009 due to a wider net interest margin. For the first three quarters of 2009 average earning assets remained relatively changed at $159.3 million; however average earning asset yields declined by 10 basis points to 5.86%. This was more than offset through lower funding costs, with the cost of interest liabilities dropping 91 basis points to 1.94% for the same comparable period.

Noninterest income totaled $242,322, an increase of $19,179 or 8.6% when excluding $104,747 of valuation writedowns on other real estate during the third quarter of 2009. The increase reflected higher service charge revenue on deposit accounts, ATMs, along with other operating income. For the third quarter of 2010, fee revenue on secondary mortgages declined by $9,210 or 33.7% over the same period last year. For the nine months ended September 30, 2010, noninterest income equaled $691,803, up $107,915 or 18.5% when excluding the $104,747 of valuation writedowns in 2009. The increase in fee revenue reflected higher income from service charges on deposit accounts, ATMs, and other operating income which includes rental income from other real estate owned.

Noninterest expense equaled $1,390,837, an increase of $104,170 or 8.1% over the third quarter of 2009 as expenses related to the branding and marketing of the new "CCB" were incurred as well as slightly higher employment costs over the comparable period. Salaries and compensation expenses were $25,710 or 4.5% higher than the third quarter of 2009. For the nine months ended September 30, 2010, noninterest expense totaled $4,215,677, an increase of $308,088 or 7.9% due primarily to branding and marketing related expenses coupled with an increase in overall loan related and general operating expenses. Salaries and benefits, which represented 43.3% of noninterest expense, increased 2.4% or $42,247 over the first three quarters of 2009.

For the three months ended September 30, 2010, provision for loan losses amounted to $391,000 an increase of $177,900 over the third quarter of 2009. For the first three quarters of 2010, provision for loan losses equaled $996,724, an increase of $525,114 over the first nine months of 2009. The elevated level of provision expenses resulted from the recent level of charge-offs and the Bank increasing its loan loss reserve ratio as nonperforming assets remained elevated in this weak local and national economy.

For the third quarter of 2010, net loan charge-offs equaled $294,018 or 0.90% of average loans on an annualized basis compared to $74,697 or 0.23% of loans for the third quarter of 2009. For the nine months ended September 30, 2010, net charge-offs stood at $681,579 or 0.69% of average loans, compared to $176,330 or 0.18% one year ago. Nonperforming loans equaled $4,737,530 or 3.61% of outstanding loans compared to $3,593,182 or 2.73% on September 30, 2009. Of the $4,737,530 in nonperforming loans, $818,887, were troubled debt restructured loans that were not accruing interest as these loans were in nonaccrual status prior to the restructuring. At September 30, 2010, there were $766,428 of troubled debt restructurings that were accruing interest and included with nonperforming loans.

All of the restructured loans, which include accruing and nonaccrual troubled debt restructurings were complying with their modified terms. There were no loans 90 days past due and still accruing interest as of September 30, 2010. As of September 30 2010, the Bank held $1,106,923 of other real estate owned. The allowance for loan losses equaled 1.85% of loans as of September 30, 2010 compared to 1.38% on September 30, 2009 and 1.60% on December 31, 2009.

Citizens Community Bank is a Virginia state chartered bank headquartered in South Hill, Va. Opened in December 1999, it operates five branches, three in south central Virginia and two in northern North Carolina. For more information and additional financial data, please visit www.ccbsite.com.

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" that concern future events which are subject to risks and uncertainties. Any such statements are based on certain assumptions and analyses by the Bank and other factors it believes are appropriate in the circumstances. The Bank's actual results, events and developments may differ materially from those contemplated by any forward-looking statement.

                          Citizens Community Bank
                           Financial Highlights

                          Three months ended
    (Unaudited)              September 30,
    (Actual
     dollars,
     except per
     share data)          ------------------
    Selected
     Operating
     Data:                2010               2009
                          ----               ----

    Net interest
     income         $1,651,138         $1,521,151
    Provision for
     loan losses       391,000            213,100
    Noninterest
     income            242,322            118,396
    Noninterest
     expense         1,390,837          1,286,667
                     ---------          ---------
    Income before
     income tax        111,623            139,780
    Income tax
     expense            25,000             31,324
                        ------             ------
    Net income         $86,623           $108,456
                       =======           ========
    Less:
     Preferred
     dividends         $48,375            $48,375
                       -------            -------
    Net income
     available to
     common
    shareholders       $38,248            $60,081
                       =======            =======

    Income per
     share
     available to
    common
     shareholders:
    Basic                $0.03              $0.04
                         =====              =====
    Diluted              $0.03              $0.04
                         =====              =====

    Average shares
     outstanding,
     basic           1,364,670          1,364,670
    Average shares
     outstanding,
     diluted         1,364,670          1,364,670



                             Nine months ended
    (Unaudited)                September 30,
    (Actual
     dollars,
     except per
     share data)            ------------------
    Selected
     Operating
     Data:            2010                          2009
                      ----                          ----

    Net interest
     income         $5,003,550                    $4,184,665
    Provision for
     loan losses    996,724                       471,610
    Noninterest
     income         691,803                       479,141
    Noninterest
     expense        4,215,677                     3,907,589
                    ---------                     ---------
    Income before
     income tax     482,952                       284,607
    Income tax
     expense        127,764                        33,811
                    -------                        ------
    Net income      $355,188                      $250,796
                    ========                      ========
    Less:
     Preferred
     dividends      $145,125                      $124,233
                    --------                      --------
    Net income
     available to
     common
    shareholders    $210,063                      $126,563
                    ========                      ========

    Income per
     share
     available to
    common
     shareholders:
    Basic            $0.15                         $0.09
                     =====                         =====
    Diluted          $0.15                         $0.09
                     =====                         =====

    Average shares
     outstanding,
     basic          1,364,670                     1,364,670
    Average shares
     outstanding,
     diluted        1,364,670                     1,364,670

                                  Citizens Community Bank
                                   Financial Highlights
                              (Unaudited)          (Audited)
                                September
                                   30,           December 31,
    (Actual dollars, except
     per share data)                    2010               2009
                                        ----               ----
    Balance Sheet Data:

    Total assets              $170,550,824       $171,862,449
    Loans, net                 128,817,766        130,301,003
    Deposits                   141,600,825        142,306,135
    Borrowings                   7,000,000          8,000,000
    Preferred stock              3,053,167          3,030,667
    Stockholders' equity        21,744,972         21,396,677
    Book value per share
     (1)                            $13.70             $13.46
    Total shares
     outstanding                 1,364,670          1,364,670



                          Three months ended           Nine months ended
                            September 30,                September 30,
                          ------------------          -----------------
                            2010         2009            2010        2009
                            ----         ----            ----        ----
    (Unaudited)
    Asset Quality
     Ratios:
    Allowance for
     loan loss        $2,433,860   $1,817,855      $2,433,860  $1,817,855
    Nonperforming
     assets            5,844,453    4,968,751       5,844,453   4,968,751
    Nonperforming
     loans             4,737,530    3,593,182       4,737,530   3,593,182
    Other real
     estate owned      1,106,923    1,375,569       1,106,923   1,375,569
    Net charge-offs      294,018       74,697         681,579     176,330
    Allowance for
     loan loss to
     total loans            1.85%        1.38%           1.85%       1.38%
    Nonperforming
     loans to total
     loans                  3.61%        2.73%           3.61%       2.73%
    Nonperforming
     assets to total
     assets                 3.43%        2.87%           3.43%       2.87%
    Net charge-offs
     to average
     loans                  0.90%        0.23%           0.69%       0.18%

    Selected
     Performance
     Ratios:
    Return on
     average assets         0.09%        0.14%           0.16%       0.10%
    Return on
     average common
     equity                 0.80%        1.28%           1.50%       0.92%
    Net interest
     margin                 4.11%        3.74%           4.22%       3.54%
    Overhead
     efficiency            73.45%       78.48%          74.02%      83.79%

    Note: (1) Book value excludes $3,053,167 and $3,030,667 of preferred
     stock for 2010 and 2009, respectively.

SOURCE Citizens Community Bank