RBAZ Bancorp, Inc. Announces Unaudited Financial Results for the Quarter Ending June 30, 2023

Republic Bank of Arizona

31.5% Increase in Earnings YoY

PHOENIX, July 27, 2023 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- RBAZ Bancorp, Inc. (OTCIQ: RBAZ) (the “Company”), parent company of Republic Bank of Arizona (the “Bank” or “RBAZ”), announced a consolidated net income of $561,000, or $0.31 per share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2023 and $1,023,000, or $0.57 per share, for the six months ended June 30, 2023 as compared to a consolidated net income of $405,000, or $0.22 per share, for the quarter ended June 30, 2022 and $778,000, or $0.43 per share, for the six months ended June 30, 2022. Current year earnings of $0.57 per share were attributable entirely to core operations. Prior year earnings of $0.43 per share were comprised of $0.34 per share attributable to core operations and $0.09 per share due to impacts from the Paycheck Protection Program.

President and CEO Brian Ruisinger stated, “We are pleased to report a 31.5% year-to-date increase in net earnings over the same period last year primarily driven by our significant loan production. Our growth was recognized by the ICBA in its Top Lenders of 2023 publication, in which RBAZ ranked in the Top 10 for commercial lending for institutions with less than $300 million in assets. This growth was accomplished while maintaining asset quality at a high level evidenced by no past due loans and non-performing loans significantly less than peer at quarter-end.”

Mr. Ruisinger continued, “After a tumultuous Q1 in the banking industry, we experienced a calming in Q2. However, the Federal Reserve continued increasing rates causing higher cost of funds resulting in added pressure on liquidity and margins. While RBAZ is not immune to these challenges, we have been able to capitalize on opportunities presented by the robust economy in the Phoenix area. RBAZ remains well capitalized and poised for continued growth in its mission to be the premier Arizona-based community bank, as reflected in our Bauer Five-Star bank rating.”

June 30, 2023 Company Highlights Include:

• Total loans of $176,986,000 increased $14,032,000, or 8.6%, from December 31, 2022 as the Company experienced significant, diversified loan growth in the first half of the year.

• Total deposits of $240,169,000 increased $36,837,000, or 18.1%, from December 31, 2022 as the Company supplemented short-term deposits gathered in the first quarter with core deposit generation in the second quarter through deepening of existing relationships and cultivation of new banking relationships. Management prioritized liquidity in its 2023 Strategic Plan and deployed additional resources into deposit production.

• Total interest income increased $1,182,000 to $3,393,000 for the quarter ended June 30, 2023 outpacing total interest income of $2,211,000 for the same period of the prior year equating to an increase of 53.5%.

• Cost of deposits increased to 1.75% for the quarter ended June 30, 2023 from 0.32% for the quarter ended June 30, 2022 as the result of upward rate pressure as the Federal Reserve increased interest rates by 3.50% since the second quarter of 2022.

• Total non-interest expense increased $479,000 to $1,765,000 for the quarter ended June 30, 2023 compared to $1,286,000 for the same period of the prior year resulting primarily from several additional full-time employees, the addition of the Gilbert branch, and investments made in technology and marketing in support of the Company’s growth.
  
  

The Bank remains “Well Capitalized” under the Community Bank Leverage Ratio (CBLR) framework as follows:

	June 30, 2023 (%)	Ratio to be Well Capitalized (%)
CBLR ratio	10.39	9.00

About the Company
RBAZ Bancorp, Inc. was established on June 10, 2021 as a single-bank holding company for its Arizona state-chartered bank subsidiary, Republic Bank of Arizona. The Company is traded over-the-counter as RBAZ.

About the Bank

Republic Bank of Arizona is a locally owned, community bank in Phoenix, Scottsdale and Gilbert, Arizona. RBAZ is a full service, community bank providing deposit and loan products and convenient, online and mobile banking to individuals, businesses and professionals. The Bank was established in April 2007 and is headquartered at 645 E. Missouri Avenue, Suite 108, Phoenix, AZ. Our second location is at 6909 E. Greenway Parkway, Suite 150, Scottsdale, AZ. Our third location opened in October 2022 at 1417 W. Elliot Road, Gilbert, AZ. The Bank is the wholly-owned subsidiary of RBAZ Bancorp, Inc. For further information, please visit our web site: www.republicbankaz.com.

Forward-looking Statements

This press release may include forward-looking statements about the Company and the Bank (collectively referred to herein as the “Company”), for which the Company claims the protection of safe harbor provisions contained in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements are based on management’s knowledge and belief as of today and include information concerning the Company’s possible or assumed future financial condition, and its results of operations and business. Forward-looking statements are subject to risks and uncertainties. A number of important factors could cause actual results to differ materially from those in the forward-looking statements. Those factors include fluctuations in interest rates, government policies and regulations (including monetary and fiscal policies), legislation, economic conditions, borrower capacity to repay, operational factors and competition in the geographic and business areas in which the Company conducts its operations. All forward-looking statements included in this press release are based on information available at the time of the release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking statement.

	Summary Company Financial Information (unaudited)
	For the three months ended June 30,				For the six months ended June 30,				Year-End
		2023		2022		2023		2022		2022
	(dollars in thousands, except per share data)
Summary Income Data:
Interest income	$3,393		$2,211		$6,434		$4,145		$9,218
Interest expense		1,096		267		2,037		515		1,674
Net interest income		2,297		1,944		4,397		3,630		7,544
Provision for credit losses		-		105		-		105		218
Non-interest income		194		28		405		35		511
Non-interest expense		1,765		1,286		3,449		2,476		5,386
Income before income taxes		726		581		1,353		1,084		2,451
Provision for income tax		165		176		330		306		538
Net income	$561		$405		$1,023		$778		$1,913
Per Share Data:
Shares outstanding end-of-period		1,808		1,797		1,808		1,797		1,797
Earnings per common share	$0.31		$0.22		$0.57		$0.43		$1.06
Diluted earnings per common share	$0.30		$0.21		$0.55		$0.41		$1.02
Book value per share	$10.57		$9.78		$10.57		$9.78		$10.11
Selected Balance Sheet Data:
Total assets	$266,716		$249,658		$266,716		$249,658		$237,620
Securities available-for-sale, at fair value		39,880		42,608		39,880		42,608		43,441
Securities held-to-maturity		11,326		12,342		11,326		12,342		12,176
Loans		176,986		135,293		176,986		135,293		162,954
Allowance for credit losses		2,116		1,602		2,116		1,602		1,764
Deposits		240,169		225,084		240,169		225,084		203,332
Other borrowings		5,914		5,885		5,914		5,885		14,900
Shareholders’ equity		19,112		17,573		19,112		17,573		18,166
Performance Ratios:
Return on average shareholders’ equity (annualized) (%)		11.74		9.22		10.71		8.85		10.53
Net interest margin (%)		3.61		3.13		3.58		3.07		3.21
Average assets	$261,179		$256,644		$254,415		$247,843		$239,864
Return on average assets (annualized) (%)		0.86		0.63		0.80		0.63		0.80
Shareholders’ equity to assets (%)		7.17		7.04		7.17		7.04		7.64
Efficiency ratio (%)		70.86		65.21		71.82		67.56		66.87
Asset Quality Data:
Nonaccrual loans	$224			$-	$224			$-	$118
Troubled debt restructurings	$88		$173		$88		$173		$156
Other real estate		$-		$-		$-		$-		$-
Nonperforming loans	$224		$139		$224		$139		$118
Nonperforming loans to total assets (%)		0.08		0.06		0.08		0.06		0.05
Nonperforming loans to total loans (%)		0.13		0.10		0.13		0.10		0.07
Reserve for credit losses to total loans (%)		1.20		1.18		1.20		1.18		1.08
Reserve for credit losses to nonperforming loans (%)		944.64		1,152.52		944.64		1,152.52		1,494.92
Net recoveries for period		$-	$9		$352		$29		$78
Average loans	$169,623		$130,784		$165,612		$133,956		$138,529
Ratio of net recoveries to average loans (%)	n/a			0.01		0.21		0.02		0.06

Contact: Brian Ruisinger
President and Chief Executive Officer
Phone: 602.280.9404
Email: bruisinger@republicaz.com