Fox Chase Bancorp, Inc. Reports Earnings for the Three Months Ended March 31, 2016

HATBORO, Pa., April 27, 2016 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Fox Chase Bancorp, Inc. (the "Company") FXCB, the holding company for Fox Chase Bank (the "Bank"), today announced net income of $2.2 million, or $0.20 per diluted share, for the three months ended March 31, 2016, compared to net income of $2.3 million, or $0.20 per diluted share, for the three months ended March 31, 2015.  

The first quarter 2016 results include after-tax merger-related professional fees of $320,000 ($0.03 per share).  The first quarter 2015 results include after-tax core data processing system conversion-related expenses of $152,000 ($0.01 per share).

Commenting on performance for the quarter, Thomas M. Petro, President and CEO said, "The Company continues to execute on its commercial business strategy as average commercial loans increased 10.2% as compared to the same quarter in 2015.  We continue to be excited about the merger with Univest Corporation of Pennsylvania and are moving forward to obtain the necessary approvals to close the transaction in the third quarter of 2016.  We believe this affiliation will create a stronger franchise and provide greater benefits to customers, shareholders and the communities we serve."

Highlights for the quarter ended March 31, 2016 included:

• Total average assets were $1.13 billion for the three months ended March 31, 2016 as compared to $1.12 billion for the three months ended December 31, 2015 and $1.10 billion for the three months ended March 31, 2015. Average commercial loans increased by $62.6 million, or 10.2%, to $678.1 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016, compared to $615.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015.  Additionally, average commercial loans increased by $33.7 million, or 5.2%, for the three months ended March 31, 2016, compared to $644.4 million for the three months ended December 31, 2015. 
• Total assets were $1.13 billion at March 31, 2016 as compared to $1.13 billion at December 31, 2015 and $1.12 billion at March 31, 2015.  Total commercial loans increased by $13.8 million, or 2.0%, to $687.3 million at March 31, 2016, compared to $673.5 at December 31, 2015, and increased $44.8 million, or 7.0%, compared to $642.5 million at March 31, 2015.                                             
• Nonperforming assets totaled $5.2 million, or 0.46% of total assets, at March 31, 2016 and at December 31, 2015, respectively, and $6.2 million, or 0.55% of total assets, at March 31, 2015.
• Net interest income decreased $128,000, or 1.5%, to $8.5 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016, compared to $8.7 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015. The net interest margin was 3.16% for the three months ended March 31, 2016, 3.10% for the three months ended December 31, 2015, and 3.29% for the three months ended March 31, 2015.  The increase in net interest margin as compared to the three months ended December 31, 2015 was primarily due to a reduction in excess liquidity from the three months ended December 31 2015.  The decrease from the three months ended March 31, 2015 was primarily due to the receipt of a $254,000 special dividend from the FHLB of Pittsburgh, which increased the net interest margin by 0.10%.
• Credit related costs, which include (i) provision for loan losses, (ii) valuation adjustments on assets acquired through foreclosure and (iii) net (loss) gain on sale of assets acquired through foreclosure, totaled $61,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2016, compared to $98,000 for the three months ended December 31, 2015 and $487,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2015.  Net loan charge-offs totaled $37,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2016, compared to $161,000 for the three months ended December 31, 2015 and $24,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2015. There were no commercial loan charge-offs during the three months ended March 31, 2016.
• The allowance for loan losses was $10.6 million, or 1.34% of total loans, at March 31, 2016, compared to $10.6 million, or 1.36% of total loans, at December 31, 2015 and $11.2 million, or 1.46% of total loans at March 31, 2015.
• Noninterest income increased $95,000, or 16.6%, to $666,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2016 compared to $571,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2015 primarily due to an increase of $95,000 in income on bank-owned life insurance as the Bank purchased $10.0 million of bank-owned life insurance in the third quarter of 2015 and an increase of $67,000 in other noninterest income primarily due to increased cash management fees offset by a decrease of $45,000 in equity in earnings of affiliate due to lower mortgage volumes.
• Noninterest expense increased $120,000, or 2.1%, to $5.9 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016, compared to $5.8 million for the three months ended March 31, 2015.  This increase was primarily due to an increase of $224,000 in salaries, benefits and other compensation and an increase of $175,000 in professional fees related to legal fees regarding the merger offset by a decrease of $165,000 in data processing fees.  Data processing fees were higher in 2015 due to the Bank's change in outsourced data processing systems, which was completed in the fourth quarter of 2015.
• Excluding the $346,000 of pre-tax merger-related costs incurred in the three months ended March 31, 2016 and the pre-tax one-time core data processing system costs of $230,000 during the three months ended March 31, 2015, noninterest expense remained flat at $5.5 million.
• The efficiency ratio was 63.7% and 62.2% for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively. Excluding the previously discussed merger-related costs for 2016 and one-time core data processing systems conversion costs for 2015, the efficiency ratio was 60.0% and 59.7% for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and 2015, respectively.
• Income tax provision increased $304,000, or 41.8%, to $1.0 million for the three months ended March 31, 2016, compared to $727,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2015.  Income tax provision for the three months ended March 31, 2015 includes the reversal of an $182,000 valuation allowance on certain state deferred tax assets. The effective income tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2016 and March 31, 2015 was 31.4% and 24.2%, respectively.  Excluding the reversal, the effective income tax rate for the three months ended March 31, 2015 was 30.3%.  

The Company also announced that its Board of Directors declared a cash dividend of $0.14 per outstanding share of common stock. The dividend will be paid on or about May 26, 2016 to stockholders of record as of the close of business on May 12, 2016. 

Fox Chase Bancorp, Inc. is the stock holding company of Fox Chase Bank. The Bank is a Pennsylvania state-chartered savings bank originally established in 1867.  The Bank offers traditional banking services and products from its main office in Hatboro, Pennsylvania and nine branch offices in Bucks, Montgomery, Chester and Philadelphia Counties in Pennsylvania and Atlantic and Cape May Counties in New Jersey.  For more information, please visit the Bank's website at www.foxchasebank.com.

This news release contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. Forward-looking statements can generally be identified by the fact that they do not relate strictly to historical or current facts.  They often include words like "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate" and "intend" or future or conditional verbs such as "will," "would," "should," "could" or "may."  Statements in this release that are not strictly historical are forward-looking and are based upon current expectations that may differ materially from actual results.  These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the statements made herein.  These risks and uncertainties involve general economic trends, changes in interest rates, loss of deposits and loan demand to other financial institutions, substantial changes in financial markets; changes in real estate value and the real estate market, regulatory changes, possibility of unforeseen events affecting the industry generally, the uncertainties associated with newly developed or acquired operations, the outcome of pending litigation, and market disruptions and other effects of terrorist activities.  The Company undertakes no obligation to update these forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances after the date hereof or to reflect the occurrence of unforeseen events, except as required under the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission.