CORPORATE FINANCIALS ONLINE
Fastest direct links to news from publicly-traded companies.

Latest Earnings News Latest Dividend News   All Latest News   

Go to GSBI company menu
                      Granite State: Earnings News Release


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: William G. Pike
         Executive Vice President & CFO
         (603) 352-1600


              GRANITE STATE BANKSHARES, INC. ANNOUNCES INCREASES
               IN SECOND QUARTER AND YEAR TO DATE CORE EARNINGS

Keene, New Hampshire - July 11, 2000 -- Granite State Bankshares, Inc.
(NASD: GSBI) today announced net earnings for the three and six months ended
June 30, 2000 of $2,522,000 and $5,031,000 compared to net earnings of
$2,557,000 and $4,827,000 for the three and six months ended June 30, 1999.
Basic earnings per share were $.45 and $.89 for the three and six months ended
June 30, 2000, compared to $.44 and $.83 for the three and six months ended
June 30, 1999. Diluted earnings per share were $.45 and $.89 for the three and
six months ended June 30, 2000 compared to $.43 and $.81 for the three and six
months ended June 30, 1999.

Earnings before income taxes, exclusive of net gains on sales of securities
available for sale (core earnings), were $3,933,000 and $7,820,000,
respectively, for the three and six months ended June 30, 2000, compared to
$3,683,000 and $7,204,000, respectively, for the three and six months ended
June 30, 1999, representing increases of 6.79% and 8.55%, respectively.

Net interest and dividend income for the three and six months ended June 30,
2000 was $8,081,000 and $16,012,000, compared with $7,970,000 and $15,878,000
for the three and six months ended June 30, 1999. Interest rate spread for the
three and six months ended June 30, 2000 was 3.46% and 3.43%, compared with
3.54% and 3.53% for the three and six months ended June 30, 1999.

The provision for possible loan losses for the three and six months ended
June 30, 2000 was $50,000 and $80,000, compared with $0 and $50,000 for the
three and six months ended June 30, 1999.

Total assets at June 30, 2000 were $876,738,000 compared to $867,677,000 at
December 31, 1999.

Total nonperforming assets were $1,928,000 or 0.22% of total assets at June
30, 2000 and consisted of $1,315,000 of nonperforming loans and $613,000 of
other real estate owned. At December 31, 1999, total nonperforming assets were
$2,804,000 or 0.32% of total assets and consisted of $1,516,000 of
nonperforming loans and $1,288,000 of other real estate owned. The allowance
for possible loan losses was $7,032,000 or 534.75% of nonperforming loans at
June 30, 2000. At December 31, 1999, the allowance for possible loan losses was
$7,032,000, or 463.85% of nonperforming loans.

Stockholders' equity at June 30, 2000 and December 31, 1999 was $68,997,000 and
$70,369,000, respectively, representing 7.87% and 8.11% of total assets,
respectively.

Chairman and CEO Charles W. Smith said, "We are pleased with the continued
increase in core earnings and the continued reduction in the level of
nonperforming assets.  We are also pleased that in a period of rising interest
rates, our interest rate spread and the net yield on interest earning assets
increased for the three months ended June 30, 2000 compared to the three months
ended March 31, 2000."

Granite State Bankshares, Inc. is the parent company for Granite Bank, a New
Hampshire state-chartered commercial bank and the largest independent bank in
the state of New Hampshire with 18 offices operating throughout southern New
Hampshire.

                 GRANITE STATE BANKSHARES, INC. and SUBSIDIARY
                          Selected Balance Sheet Data
                    ($ in thousands, except per share data)



                                        June 30,      December 31,
                                          2000           1999
                                        --------      ------------
                                              (unaudited)

Total assets                           $ 876,738     $   867,677
Securities held to maturity               18,014          18,017
Securities available for sale            201,276         215,572
Stock in Federal Home Loan Bank
 of Boston                                 7,201           7,201
Loans held for sale                          141             479

Loans                                    587,100         568,694
Unearned income                            1,156           1,248
Allowance for possible loan losses         7,032           7,032
Net loans                                578,912         560,414

Nonperforming loans                        1,315           1,516
Other real estate owned                      613           1,288
Total nonperforming assets                 1,928           2,804
Nonperforming assets as a percent
 of total assets                           0.22%           0.32%
Allowance for possible loan losses
 as a percent of nonperforming loans     534.75%         463.85%

Total deposits                           650,260         628,018

Securities sold under agreements
 to repurchase                            74,097          75,042

Other borrowings-Federal Home Loan
 Bank of Boston                           80,539          90,563

Stockholders' equity                      68,997          70,369

Book value per share                       12.51           12.24


                 GRANITE STATE BANKSHARES, INC. and SUBSIDIARY
                       Selected Operating Statement Data
                    ($ in thousands, except per share data)


                                       Three Months Ended      Six Months Ended
                                            June 30,               June 30,
                                       ------------------      ----------------
                                        2000        1999       2000       1999
                                       ------      ------     ------     ------
                                           (unaudited)           (unaudited)

Interest and dividend income         $ 15,579    $ 14,753   $ 30,893   $ 29,623
Interest expense                        7,498       6,783     14,881     13,745
                                       ------      ------     ------     ------
  Net interest and dividend income      8,081       7,970     16,012     15,878
Provision for possible loan losses         50           0         80         50
Net gains on sales of securities
 available for sale                         0         286          6        291
Other noninterest income                1,376       1,188      2,642      2,297
Other noninterest expenses              5,474       5,475     10,754     10,921
                                       ------      ------     ------     ------
  Earnings before income taxes          3,933       3,969      7,826      7,495
Income taxes                            1,411       1,412      2,795      2,668
                                       ------      ------     ------     ------
  Net earnings                       $  2,522    $  2,557   $  5,031   $  4,827
                                       ======      ======     ======     ======
Weighted average shares outstanding
  Basic                             5,561,220   5,804,985  5,632,999  5,817,752
  Diluted                           5,585,656   5,967,108  5,669,282  5,972,978

Net earnings per share-basic           $ 0.45      $ 0.44     $ 0.89     $ 0.83
                                         ====        ====       ====       ====

Net earnings per share-diluted         $ 0.45      $ 0.43     $ 0.89     $ 0.81
                                         ====        ====       ====       ====

Dividends declared per share           $ 0.16      $ 0.14     $ 0.32     $ 0.28
                                         ====        ====       ====       ====
Key Operating Ratios:
  Return on Average Assets              1.17%       1.21%      1.17%      1.14%
                                        =====       =====      =====      =====

  Return on Average Equity             14.50%      13.96%     14.38%     13.27%
                                       ======      ======     ======     ======

  Weighted Average Interest
   Rate Spread                          3.46%       3.54%      3.43%      3.53%
                                        =====       =====      =====      =====

  Net Yield on Average Interest
   Earning Assets                       3.98%       4.01%      3.94%      3.99%
                                        =====       =====      =====      =====


Ends.



Go to GSBI company menu


CORPORATE FINANCIALS ONLINE, INC.
webmaster@cfonews.com
Copyright © 1995-98 Corporate Financials Online, Inc.