Intervest Bancshares Corporation Reports 2012 First Quarter Earnings of $2.8 Million or $0.13 Per Share

Intervest Bancshares Corporation (NASDAQ-GS: IBCA), parent company of Intervest National Bank, today reported its financial results for the first quarter of 2012. Financial highlights follow.

• Net earnings for the first quarter of 2012 ("Q1-12") increased to $2.8 million, or $0.13 per diluted common share, from $1.7 million, or $0.08 per share, for the first quarter of 2011 ("Q1-11").
• Earnings before deducting provisions for loan and real estate losses, real estate expenses, income taxes and preferred dividend requirements increased to $6.9 million in Q1-12, from $6.3 million in Q1-11.
• Provisions for loan and real estate losses decreased to $0.5 million in Q1-12, from $2.0 million in Q1-11. The allowance for loan losses amounted to $29.2 million at March 31, 2012 and represented 2.52% of total outstanding loans.
• Net interest and dividend income decreased to $10.0 million in Q1-12, from $10.4 million in Q1-11, while the net interest margin improved slightly to 2.16% in Q1-12, from 2.14% in Q1-11. New loan originations for Q1-12 increased to $50 million, from $7 million in Q1-11.
• Noninterest expenses decreased to $4.2 million in Q1-12, from $4.4 million in Q1-11. The efficiency ratio (which measures the Company's ability to control expenses as a percentage of revenues) continued to be excellent and was 38% in Q1-12, compared to 41% in Q1-11.
• Nonaccrual loans and real estate owned (REO) totaled $81 million at March 31, 2012, compared to $86 million at December 31, 2011. Nonaccrual loans include certain restructured loans (TDRs) that are current as to payments and performing in accordance with their renegotiated terms, but are required to be classified nonaccrual based on regulatory guidance. At March 31, 2012, such loans totaled $44 million compared to $46 million at December 31, 2011 and they were yielding approximately 5%.
• Intervest National Bank's regulatory capital ratios continued to increase and be well above its minimum requirements. At March 31, 2012, its actual capital ratios were as follows: Tier One Leverage - 11.73%; Tier One Risk-Based - 16.88%; and Total Risk-Based Capital - 18.14%, compared to its minimum requirements of 9%, 10% and 12%, respectively. The Bank's Tier 1 capital amounted to $225 million and was $52 million in excess of the required minimum for its Tier One Leverage ratio.
• Book value per common share was $8.04 at March 31, 2012, compared to $8.07 at December 31, 2011, reflecting increased common shares outstanding from restricted stock awards made to directors and employees in Q1-12 under the Company's Long Term Incentive Plan.

Net earnings for Q1-12 increased by $1.1 million over Q1-11 due to the following: a $1.5 million decrease in the total provision for loan and real estate losses (resulting from fewer credit rating downgrades on loans); a $0.8 million increase in noninterest income (reflecting primarily higher income from loan prepayments) and a $0.2 million decrease in noninterest expenses (reflecting primarily a $0.5 million decrease in FDIC premiums, partially offset by a $0.3 million aggregate increase in salaries, benefits and stock compensation expense). The total of these items was partially offset by a $0.9 million increase in income tax expense (due to higher pre-tax income); a $0.4 million decrease in net interest and dividend income (as described below) and a $0.1 million increase in real estate expenses. The effective income tax rate was 45% in both quarterly periods.

The decrease in net interest and dividend income in Q1-12 compared to Q1-11 reflected a planned reduction in the size of the Bank's balance sheet as well as fewer suitable lending opportunities during the period. In Q1-12, total average interest-earning assets decreased by $110 million from Q1-11, reflecting a $164 million decrease in average loans, partially offset by a $54 million net increase in average security and overnight investments. At the same time, average deposits and borrowed funds decreased by $101 million and $11 million, respectively, while average stockholders' equity increased by $12 million. The reduction in the balance sheet positively impacted the Bank's regulatory capital ratios. The slightly higher net interest margin was attributable to lower rates paid on deposit accounts and the run off of higher-cost CDs and borrowings, largely offset by payoffs of higher yielding loans and calls of security investments due to declining interest rates, coupled with the re-investment of a large portion of these cash inflows into new securities and loans at lower market interest rates. Overall, the average cost of funds decreased by 42 basis points to 2.54% in Q1-12, from 2.96% in Q1-11, while the average yield on earning assets decreased at a slower pace by 38 basis points to 4.50% in Q1-12, from 4.88% in Q1-11.

Total assets at March 31, 2012 decreased to $1.91 billion from $1.97 billion at December 31, 2011, primarily reflecting a decrease in security investments, partially offset by an increase in cash and short-term investments.

Cash and short-term investments increased to $90 million at March 31, 2012 from $30 million at December 31, 2011. This category will fluctuate based on various factors, including liquidity needs, loan demand, deposit flows, calls of securities, repayments of borrowed funds and alternative investment opportunities. The Bank expects to utilize a large portion of the balance to fund new loans over the next several quarters. At March 31, 2012, the Bank had $41 million of potential new real estate loans in its origination pipeline.

Securities held to maturity decreased by $109 million to $591 million at March 31, 2012 from $700 million at December 31, 2011, reflecting calls of securities exceeding new purchases. A portion of the proceeds was used to fund planned deposit outflow and a portion was being held temporarily in cash and short-term investments as denoted above. At March 31, 2012, the securities portfolio, which represented 31% of total assets and was comprised almost all of U.S. government agency debt securities, had a weighted-average yield to earliest call date of 1.36% and a weighted-average remaining contractual maturity of 4.8 years. The Bank invests primarily in U.S. government agency debt obligations to emphasize safety and liquidity. In March 2012, the Bank also began purchasing residential mortgage-backed pass through securities issued by GNMA, FNMA and FHLMC in an effort to increase the overall yield on its investment portfolio.

Loans totaled $1.15 billion at March 31, 2012, compared to $1.16 billion at December 31, 2011. The decrease reflected $45 million of payoffs and $12 million of amortization and $1.4 million of chargeoffs, partially offset by $50 million of new loans. Loans paid off during Q1-12 had a weighted-average yield of 6.31%. New loans, nearly all with fixed interest rates, had a weighted-average yield, term and loan-to-value ratio of approximately 5%, 5 years and 60%, respectively.

Nonaccrual loans and REO aggregated to $81 million, or 4.2% of total assets, at March 31, 2012, compared to $86 million, or 4.3%, at December 31, 2011. Nonaccrual loans totaled $53 million at March 31, 2012 and $57 million at December 31, 2011 and included $44 million (12 loans) and $46 million (12 loans) of TDRs that were current at each date, respectively. All the TDRs classified as nonaccrual have performed as agreed under their renegotiated terms and interest income is being recorded on a cash basis. During Q1-12, based on annual updated appraisals received on the underlying collateral properties, a portion of three of the above TDRs (or $1.4 million of aggregate principal) was charged off for financial statement purposes. The borrowers remain obligated to pay all contractual principal due on the TDRs.

The allowance for loan losses at March 31, 2012 was $29.2 million, representing 2.52% of total net loans, compared to $30.4 million, or 2.61%, at December 31, 2011. The allowance included specific reserves for impaired loans (comprised of all nonaccrual loans as well as accruing TDRs) at each date totaling $7 million and $8 million, respectively.

At March 31, 2012, the Company had a deferred tax asset totaling $36.3 million, which included remaining unused NOL and AMT credit carryforwards totaling $32 million for Federal tax purposes and $63 million for State and Local tax purposes. These carryforwards are available to reduce taxes payable on the Company's future taxable income.

Deposits at March 31, 2012 decreased to $1.60 billion from $1.66 billion at December 31, 2011, primarily reflecting a $60 million decrease in CD accounts, of which $16.5 million were brokered. Borrowed funds and related interest payable at March 31, 2012 decreased to $72.1 million, from $78.6 million at December 31, 2011, due to the maturity and repayment of $7 million of FHLB borrowings, partially offset by a $0.5 million increase in accrued interest payable on trust preferred securities (TRUPs). Since February 2010, as required by its regulator and as permitted by the underlying documents, the Company has suspended the payment of interest on $55 million of its debt in the form of TRUPs as well as the declaration and payment of TARP dividends on $25 million of preferred stock held by the U.S. Treasury. Stockholders' equity increased to $201 million at March 31, 2012 from $198 million at December 31, 2011, primarily due to $3.3 million of net earnings before preferred dividend requirements.

Intervest Bancshares Corporation (IBC) is a bank holding company. Its operating subsidiary is Intervest National Bank (INB), a nationally chartered commercial bank that has its headquarters and full-service banking office at One Rockefeller Plaza, in New York City, and a total of six full-service banking offices in Clearwater and Gulfport, Florida. IBC's Common Stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market: Trading Symbol IBCA. This release may contain forward-looking information. Words such as "may," "will," "could," "should," "would," "believe," "anticipate," "estimate," "expect," "intend," "plan," "project," "assume," "indicate," "continue," "target," "goal," and similar words or expressions of the future are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Except for historical information, the matters discussed herein are subject to certain risks and uncertainties that may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in forward looking statements: the regulatory agreements to which IBC and INB are currently subject to and any operating restrictions arising therefrom including availability of regulatory approvals or waivers; changes in economic conditions and real estate values both nationally and in our market areas; changes in our borrowing facilities, volume of loan originations and deposit flows; changes in the levels of our non-interest income and provisions for loan and real estate losses; changes in the composition and credit quality of our loan portfolio; legislative or regulatory changes, including increased expenses arising therefrom; changes in interest rates which may reduce our net interest margin and net interest income; increases in competition; technological changes which we may not be able to implement; changes in accounting or regulatory principles, policies or guidelines; changes in tax laws and our ability to utilize our deferred tax asset, including NOL and AMT carryforwards; and our ability to attract and retain key members of management. Reference is made to IBC's filings with the SEC for further discussion of risks and uncertainties regarding our business. Historical results are not necessarily indicative of our future prospects.