Southcoast Announces First Quarter Earnings


MT. PLEASANT, S.C., April 28, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Southcoast Financial Corporation (Nasdaq:SOCB) announced that it had unaudited net income of $303,000, or $.07 per basic share, for the quarter ended March 31, 2009. This compares to unaudited net income of $744,000, or $0.16 per basic share, for the quarter ended March 31, 2008. The March 31, 2009 earnings per share are based on 4,521,890 basic average shares compared to 4,792,108 average shares for the first quarter of 2008.

President and Chief Executive Officer L. Wayne Pearson said, "We recognize the challenging times we live in. Despite these challenging times, our regulatory capital remains strong," said Pearson.

Total assets as of March 31, 2009 were $529.1 million compared to $525.9 million as of March 31, 2008; an increase of 0.6%. Loans, excluding loans held for sale, increased to $391.6 million, up 1.6% from $385.3 million as of March 31, 2008. Deposits during the same period increased 5.1% to $373.3 million. As of March 31, 2009, the ratio of nonperforming assets to total assets was 2.97% and the allowance for loan losses as a percentage of loans was 1.71%.

Southcoast Financial Corporation, headquartered in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina, is the holding company of Southcoast Community Bank. The Bank, which opened for business July 20, 1998, is a state chartered commercial bank operating from its main office at 530 Johnnie Dodds Boulevard in Mt. Pleasant, South Carolina and nine branches in the Charleston, South Carolina area. Trading in Southcoast Financial Corporation's common stock is traded on the NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol SOCB.



 Southcoast Financial Corporation
 SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
 (dollars in thousands, except earnings per share)


                                              Three Months Ended
                                            March 2009   March 2008
                                                  (Unaudited)
 INCOME STATEMENT DATA
    Net interest income                     $  3,288     $  3,453
    Provision for loan losses                    100          381
    Noninterest income                           641          795
    Noninterest expenses                       3,570        2,923
    Net income                                   303          744

 PER SHARE DATA *
  Net income per share
     Basic                                  $   0.07     $   0.16
     Diluted                                $   0.07     $   0.16

 BALANCE SHEET DATA
   Total assets                             $529,130     $525,897
   Total deposits                            373,319      355,064
   Total loans (net)                         384,913      381,076
   Investment securities                      64,262       67,908
   Total earning assets                      452,812      456,609
   Other borrowings                           90,854       96,880
   Junior subordinated debentures             10,310       10,310
   Shareholders' equity                       54,647       59,505

 Average shares outstanding
   Basic                                   4,521,890    4,792,108
   Diluted                                 4,521,890    4,792,108

 Key ratios **
   Return on assets                            0.23%        0.60%
   Return on equity                            2.24%        4.94%
   Equity to asset ratio                      10.33%       11.31%
   Non-performing assets to assets             2.97%        1.07%
   Reserve to loans                            1.71%        1.10%
   Net interest margin                         2.84%        3.13%



                   Year      Year       Year        Year       Year
                  Ended      Ended      Ended       Ended      Ended
                 Dec. 2008  Dec. 2007  Dec. 2006  Dec. 2005  Dec. 2004

 INCOME
  STATEMENT
  DATA
   Net interest
    income        $ 15,113   $ 14,354   $ 16,145   $ 13,914   $ 10,692
   Provision
    for loan
    losses           4,294          0        723        865      1,146
   Noninterest
    income           2,576      2,554      3,837      2,725      2,700
   Noninterest
    expenses        13,403     11,999     11,542      9,243      7,966
   Net income          217      3,429      4,839      4,189      2,982

 PER SHARE DATA *
  Net income
    per share
     Basic        $   0.05   $   0.63   $   0.81   $   0.97   $   0.76
     Diluted      $   0.05   $   0.63   $   0.80   $   0.97   $   0.75

 BALANCE SHEET
   DATA
   Total
    assets        $534,965   $500,852   $481,856   $476,599   $366,102
   Total
    deposits       366,811    342,755    310,893    311,554    258,153
   Total
    loans (net)    397,123    374,117    363,246    371,656    293,207
   Investment
    securities      62,282     62,609     46,461     35,203     24,831
   Total
    earning
    assets         476,031    443,200    445,119    440,942    344,482
   Other
    borrowings      97,590     81,230     67,841     67,000     58,000
   Junior
    subordi-
    nated
    debentures      10,310     10,310     21,655     21,655     11,345
   Share-
    holders'
    equity          55,233     62,741     78,803     73,315     36,571

 Average shares
  outstanding
   Basic         4,631,135  5,419,474  6,007,137  4,335,319  3,945,175
   Diluted       4,631,135  5,423,915  6,012,445  4,340,470  4,001,380

 Key ratios **
   Return on
    assets           0.04%      0.71%      1.00%      1.04%      0.98%
   Return on
    equity           0.37%      4.96%      6.22%      9.28%      8.56%
   Equity to
    asset
    ratio           10.32%     12.53%     16.35%     15.38%      9.99%
   Non-
    performing
    assets to
    assets           3.06%      0.91%      0.18%      0.11%      0.27%
   Reserve to
    loans            1.83%      1.14%      1.19%      1.14%      1.15%
   Net
    interest
    margin           3.33%      3.40%      3.64%      3.69%      3.78%


 *  Per share data has been adjusted for 10% stock dividends in 2007,
    2006, and 2005.

 ** Ratios for three months are annualized.


                   Southcoast Financial Corporation
                     Consolidated Income Statement
               (Dollars in thousands, except share data)


                                                  Quarter  Ended
                                            March 31,       March 31,
                                              2009            2008
                                           (Unaudited)     (Unaudited)
 Interest Income
  Interest and fees on loans                $   6,019        $   6,834

  Interest on investments                         712              818
  Interest on Fed funds sold                        1               12
                                            ---------        ---------
    Total interest income                       6,732            7,664

 Interest expense                               3,444            4,211
                                            ---------        ---------
    Net interest income                         3,288            3,453
 Provision for loan losses                        100              381
                                            ---------        ---------
    Net interest after provision                3,188            3,072

 Other noninterest income                         641              795
                                            ---------        ---------
    Total operating income                      3,829            3,867

 Noninterest expense
  Salaries and benefits                         2,066            1,723
  Occupancy and furniture
   and equipment                                  665              574
  Other expenses                                  839              626
                                            ---------        ---------
    Total noninterest expense                   3,570            2,923

 Income before taxes                              259              944
 Income tax expense(benefit)                      (44)             200
                                            ---------        ---------
 Net income                                 $     303        $     744
                                            =========        =========
 Basic net income per common share          $    0.07        $    0.16

 Diluted net income per common share        $    0.07        $    0.16

 Average number of common shares
     Basic                                  4,521,890        4,792,108
     Diluted                                4,521,890        4,792,108


                   Southcoast Financial Corporation
                      Consolidated Balance Sheets

                     March 31   March 31  Dec. 31   Dec. 31   Dec. 31
                      2009        2008      2008     2007      2006
                   (Unaudited)(Unaudited)(Audited) (Audited) (Audited)
 Assets
 Cash and due
  from banks          $ 19,903  $ 22,327  $ 10,659  $  7,033  $  7,008
 Federal Funds
  sold                     364     1,176    11,902     3,774    31,204
 Investments            64,262    67,908    62,282    62,609    46,460
 Loans held for
  sale                     984         0       417       384       140
 Loans                 391,611   385,316   404,533   378,414   367,611
 Less: Allowance
  for loan losses        6,698     4,240     7,410     4,297     4,364
                      --------  --------  --------  --------  --------
 Net loans             384,913   381,076   397,123   374,117   363,247
 Fixed assets           27,774    26,687    23,813    26,735    25,126
 Other assets           30,930    26,723    28,769    26,200     8,671
                      --------  --------  --------  --------  --------
   Total Assets       $529,130  $525,897  $534,965  $500,852  $481,856
                      ========  ========  ========  ========  ========
 Liabilities &
  Shareholders'
  Equity
 Deposits:
  Non-interest
   bearing            $ 30,508  $ 30,821  $ 27,932  $ 32,607  $ 34,694
  Interest bearing     342,811   324,243   338,879   310,148   276,199
                      --------  --------  --------  --------  --------
   Total deposits      373,319   355,064   366,811   342,755   310,893
 Other borrowings       85,084    96,880    97,591    81,230    67,841
 Other liabilities       5,770     4,138     5,020     3,816     2,664
 Junior
  subordinated
  debentures            10,310    10,310    10,310    10,310    21,655
                      --------  --------  --------  --------  --------
   Total
    liabilities        474,483   466,392   479,732   438,111   403,053

 Shareholders'
  Equity
  Common Stock          53,477    56,099    53,442    60,157    75,316
  Retained Earnings
   and Accumulated
   Other
   Comprehensive
   Income or Loss        1,170     3,406     1,791     2,584     3,487
                      --------  --------  --------  --------  --------
    Total
     shareholders'
     equity             54,647    59,505    55,233    62,741    78,803
                      --------  --------  --------  --------  --------
    Total
     Liabilities
     and
     Shareholders'
     equity           $529,130  $525,897  $534,965  $500,852  $481,856
                      ========  ========  ========  ========  ========

 Book Value Per
  Share               $  12.08  $  12.61  $  12.24  $  12.52  $  14.41
 Reserve to Loans
  Ratio                  1.71%     1.10%     1.83%     1.14%     1.19%


            

Contact Data