PAB Bankshares, Inc. Announces Fourth Quarter 2002 Earnings


VALDOSTA, Ga., Feb. 7, 2003 (PRIMEZONE) -- PAB Bankshares, Inc. (AMEX:PAB), the holding company for The Park Avenue Bank of Valdosta, Georgia, announced preliminary earnings for the fourth quarter ending December 31, 2002. The Company reported net income of $1.26 million, or $.13 per diluted share, for the quarter, compared to a net loss of $4.68 million, or -$.49 per diluted share, during the fourth quarter of 2001. The loss in the fourth quarter of 2001 was due primarily to an $11.2 million provision for loan losses taken during the period as compared to the $1.1 million provided in the fourth quarter of 2002. "While our earnings for the quarter and for the year are improved, 2003 will be even more challenging for us given the state of the economy, the shrinkage of our balance sheet and historic low interest rates," stated Michael E. Ricketson, President and Chief Executive Officer.

The Company's return on average assets for the fourth quarter of 2002 was .67% compared to -2.14% one year ago. The return on average equity for the fourth quarter of 2002 was 7.09% compared to -25.68% one year ago. The Company's net interest margin improved to 4.18% during the fourth quarter of 2002, compared to 3.32% one year ago.

For the year to date, the Company reported net income of $6.35 million, or $.67 per diluted share, compared to net income of $148,000, or $.02 per diluted share, for 2001.

At December 31, 2002, the Company's assets totaled $747.9 million, which is a 12.9% decrease compared to total assets of $859.1 million one year ago. The Company also reported total loans of $555.2 million and total deposits of $606.7 million at year end.

The allowance for loan losses was $12.1 million, or 2.18% of total loans, at December 31, 2002, compared to $15.8 million, or 2.47% of total loans, at December 31, 2001. Total nonperforming loans have decreased $5.7 million, or 35.4%, from a high of $16.1 million at June 30, 2002 to $10.4 million. As a percentage of total loans, total nonperforming loans were 1.87% at December 31, 2002. "We have made progress in improving our asset quality, but we still have a lot of work to do in order to get the level of nonperforming assets into a more acceptable range," Mr. Ricketson added. Net charge-offs amounted to 1.06% of average total loans for the year, compared to .75% for 2001.

The Company operates 18 banking offices in Georgia and Florida. The Company's common stock is traded on the American Stock Exchange under the symbol "PAB". More information on the Company and the products and services available through its subsidiary bank is available on the Internet at www.pabbankshares.com.

Certain matters set forth in this news release are forward-looking statements, including statements regarding the Company's future performance, asset quality and level of nonperforming assets which are based upon management's beliefs as well as assumptions made by and data currently available to management. These forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and a variety of factors could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from the anticipated or expected results expressed in these forward-looking statements. The following list, which is not intended to be an all-encompassing list of risks and uncertainties affecting the Company, summarizes several factors that could cause the Company's actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or expected in these forward-looking statements: (1) competitive pressures among depository and other financial institutions may increase significantly; (2) changes in the interest rate environment may reduce margins; (3) general economic conditions may be less favorable than expected, resulting in, among other things, a deterioration in credit quality and/or a reduction in demand for credit; (4) legislative or regulatory changes, including changes in accounting standards, may adversely affect the business in which we are engaged; (5) costs or difficulties related to the integration of our businesses, including our charter consolidations, and our merger partners may be greater than expected; (6) expected cost savings associated with mergers may not be fully realized or realized within the expected time frame; (7) deposit attrition, customer loss or revenue loss following mergers and charter consolidations may be greater than expected; (8) competitors may have greater financial resources and develop products that enable such competitors to compete more successfully than us; (9) adverse changes may occur in the bond and equity markets; and (10) restrictions or conditions imposed by our regulators on our operations may make it more difficult for us to achieve our goals. The Company undertakes no obligation to revise these statements following the date of this press release.


 PAB Bankshares, Inc.
 Selected Financial Data

 (In thousands, except per share and other data)


                      12/31/02    12/31/01     12/31/00     12/31/99
                     ----------  ----------   ----------   ----------
 Quarter To Date
 (Columns may not total due to rounding)

 Summary of
  Operations:
 Interest income     $   11,354  $   14,492   $   15,498   $   12,966
 Interest expense         4,142       7,833        8,338        6,033
                     ----------  ----------   ----------   ----------
   Net interest
    income                7,212       6,659        7,160        6,933
                     ----------  ----------   ----------   ----------
 Provision for
  loan losses             1,088      11,151        3,004          401
 Other income             1,842       5,367        1,512        1,795
 Other expense            6,197       7,909        6,586        5,271
                     ----------  ----------   ----------   ----------
   Income before
    income tax
    expense               1,769      (7,034)        (918)       3,056
 Income tax
  expense                   511      (2,352)        (335)         800
                     ----------  ----------   ----------   ----------
   Net income        $    1,258  $   (4,682)  $     (583)  $    2,256
                     ==========  ==========   ==========   ==========
 Net interest
  income on a
  tax-equivalent
  basis              $    7,253  $    6,686   $    7,188   $    6,965
 Securities gains
  (losses)           $      203  $    1,739   $       (4)  $       (1)

 Selected Average
  Balances:
 Total assets        $  749,221  $  867,310   $  737,495   $  657,590
 Earning assets         687,761     799,649      677,177      598,496
 Loans                  554,676     646,729      558,796      492,956
 Deposits               607,295     717,228      584,480      507,295
 Stockholders'
  equity                 70,373      72,351       71,977       69,471

 Common Share Data:
 Outstanding at
  period end          9,430,413   9,409,913    9,501,947    9,617,406
 Weighted average
  outstanding         9,430,413   9,443,325    9,505,475    9,612,634
 Diluted weighted
  average
  outstanding         9,462,289   9,491,166    9,552,088    9,749,162

 Per Share Ratios:
 Net income
  - basic            $     0.13  $    (0.49)  $    (0.06)  $     0.23
 Net income
  - diluted                0.13       (0.49)       (0.06)        0.23
 Dividends declared        --          0.11         0.11         0.10

 Profitability &
  Efficiency
  Ratios (Annualized):
 Return on average
  assets (ROA)             0.67%      -2.14%       -0.31%        1.36%
 Return on average
  equity (ROE)             7.09%    -25.68%       -3.21%        12.90%
 Net interest margin       4.18%       3.32%        4.22%        4.62%
 Efficiency ratio         66.14%      86.94%       65.89%       53.98%



 PAB Bankshares, Inc.
 Selected Financial Data

 (In thousands, except per share and other data)

                      12/31/02    12/31/01     12/31/00     12/31/99
                     ----------  ----------   ----------   ----------
 Year To Date
 (Columns may not total due to rounding)

 Summary of
  Operations:
 Interest income     $   48,079  $   62,715   $   57,526   $   49,495
 Interest expense        19,989      35,600       28,674       22,906
                     ----------  ----------   ----------   ----------
   Net interest
    income               28,090      27,115       28,852       26,589
                     ----------  ----------   ----------   ----------
 Provision for
  loan losses             2,575      12,220        4,099          985
 Other income             8,013      11,923        5,756        6,060
 Other expense           24,368      26,921       21,874       18,966
                     ----------  ----------   ----------   ----------
   Income before
    income tax
    expense               9,160        (103)       8,635       12,698
 Income tax
  expense                 2,813        (251)       2,909        4,005
                     ----------  ----------   ----------   ----------
   Net income        $    6,347  $      148   $    5,726   $    8,693
                     ==========  ==========   ==========   ==========
 Net interest
  income on a
  tax-equivalent
  basis              $   28,225  $   27,216   $   28,968   $   26,718
 Securities gains
  (losses)           $      261  $    1,741   $      (24)  $      (34)

 Selected Average
  Balances:
 Total assets        $  779,958  $  847,100   $  694,674   $  629,634
 Earning assets         719,352     780,120      640,889      576,729
 Loans                  586,712     616,156      534,340      467,149
 Deposits               641,449     694,219      548,276      500,582
 Stockholders'
  equity                 67,975      72,268       70,706       68,161

 Common Share Data:
 Outstanding at
  period end          9,430,413   9,409,913    9,501,947    9,617,406
 Weighted average
  outstanding         9,426,761   9,482,709    9,528,387    9,612,634
 Diluted weighted
  average
  outstanding         9,459,768   9,550,080    9,598,790    9,749,162

 Per Share Ratios:
 Net income
  - basic            $     0.67  $     0.02   $     0.60   $     0.90
 Net income
  - diluted                0.67        0.02         0.60         0.89
 Dividends declared        0.11        0.44         0.43         0.39

 Profitability &
  Efficiency Ratios:
 Return on average
  assets (ROA)             0.81%       0.02%        0.82%        1.38%
 Return on average
  equity (ROE)             9.34%       0.20%        8.10%       12.75%
 Net interest
  margin                   3.92%       3.49%        4.52%        4.63%
 Efficiency ratio         67.04%      74.02%       60.39%       57.12%


 PAB Bankshares, Inc.
 Selected Financial Data

 (In thousands, except per share and other data)

                               12/31/02  12/31/01  12/31/00  12/31/99
                               --------  --------  --------  --------
 Selected Period End Balances:
 Total assets                  $747,911  $859,143  $794,907  $664,969
 Earning assets                 683,456   790,546   722,490   606,744
 Loans                          555,238   637,825   580,737   494,417
 Allowance for loan losses       12,097    15,765     8,185     5,037
 Deposits                       606,730   720,398   637,180   516,204
 Stockholders' equity            71,265    65,372    70,780    69,611

 Selected Asset Quality
  Factors:
 Nonaccrual loans              $ 10,378  $ 10,581  $  2,430  $  2,395
 Other impaired loans              --        --       4,433      --
 Loans 90 days or more past
  due and still accruing           --       1,598       509       273
 Other real estate &
  repossessions                   1,284     1,312       567       763

 Liquidity Ratios:
 Total loans to total
  deposits                        91.51%    88.54%    91.14%    95.78%
 Average loans to average
  earning assets                  81.56%    78.98%    83.37%    81.00%
 Noninterest-bearing
  deposits to total deposits      14.45%    11.31%    11.09%    12.58%
 Capital Adequacy Ratios:
 Average equity to average
  assets                           8.72%     8.53%    10.18%    10.83%
 Dividend payout ratio            16.39%  2855.42%    72.08%    43.54%

 Asset Quality Ratios:
 Net charge-offs to average
  loans (YTD)                      1.06%     0.75%     0.26%     0.24%
 Nonperforming loans to
  total loans                      1.87%     1.91%     1.27%     0.54%
 Nonperforming assets to
  total assets                     1.56%     1.57%     0.99%     0.52%
 Allowance for loan losses
  to total loans                   2.18%     2.47%     1.41%     1.02%
 Allowance for loan losses to
  nonperforming loans            116.56%   129.44%   111.03%   188.79%

 Other Key Ratios:
 Book value per share          $   7.56  $   6.95  $   7.45  $   7.24
 Assets per employee
  ($millions)                      2.39      2.71      2.77      2.42


            

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