Announces $3.0 Million Share Repurchase Program

Limestone Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: LMST) (“the Company”), parent company of Limestone Bank (“the Bank”), today reported unaudited results for the third quarter of 2021. Net income available to common shareholders for the third quarter of 2021 was $4.3 million, or $0.57 per basic and diluted common share, compared with $2.1 million, or $0.28 per basic and diluted share, for the third quarter of 2020. Net income for the nine months ended September 30, 2021, was $11.5 million, or $1.51 per diluted common share, compared with net income of $5.9 million, or $0.79 per diluted share, for the nine months ended September 30, 2020.

At its meeting on October 20, 2021, the Board of Directors approved a share repurchase program authorizing the Company to purchase up to $3.0 million of the Company’s Common Shares over time. Subject to applicable rules and regulations, the shares may be purchased from time to time in the open market or in privately negotiated transactions. Such purchases will be at times and in amounts as the Company deems appropriate, based on factors such as availability of shares, market conditions, the trading price of the shares, the Company’s financial performance and liquidity, legal and regulatory capital requirements, and other business conditions. The repurchase program does not obligate the Company to acquire any particular number of common shares, and it may be modified, terminated, or suspended at any time at the Company’s discretion. The share repurchase program expires on December 31, 2022.

Assets increased $13.9 million, or 1.0%, during the third quarter. The Company grew deposits by $8.9 million, or 0.8%, and reduced lower earning cash and cash equivalents by $26.6 million quarter over quarter. The loan portfolio increased $20.7 million, or 2.2%, during the third quarter to $968.1 million at September 30, 2021, compared to $947.4 million at June 30, 2021, and decreased from $974.5 million at September 30, 2020. SBA Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loans totaled $5.7 million at September 30, 2021, compared to $21.0 million at June 30, 2021, and $42.3 million at September 30, 2020.

Net Interest Income and Average Earning Assets – Net interest income increased to $11.6 million for the third quarter of 2021, compared to $10.9 million for the second quarter of 2021, and $9.9 million for the third quarter of 2020. Average loans decreased to $952.6 million for the third quarter of 2021, compared to $961.9 million for the second quarter of 2021, and $963.5 million for the third quarter of 2020.

Net interest margin increased to 3.61% for the third quarter of 2021, compared with 3.45% for the second quarter of 2021, and 3.27% for the third quarter of 2020. The yield on earning assets increased to 4.03% in the third quarter of 2021, compared to 3.91% in the second quarter of 2021, and 3.98% in the third quarter of 2020. The yield on earning assets in the first nine months of 2021 was negatively impacted by lower interest rates on the Bank’s fed funds, certain floating rate investment securities, loans with variable rate pricing features, and new loans originated in the lower interest rate environment, including PPP loans which carry a rate of 1.0%. The negative impact of lower rates was offset by an increase in loan fee income discussed below.

Loan fee income can meaningfully impact net interest income, loan yields, and net interest margin. The amount of loan fee income included in total interest income was $1.5 million, $933,000, and $387,000 for the quarters ended September 30, 2021, June 30, 2021, and September 30, 2020, respectively. This represents 48 basis points, 29 basis points, and 13 basis points of yield on earning assets and net interest margin for the quarters ended September 30, 2021, June 30, 2021, and September 30, 2020, respectively. Loan fee income for the third quarter of 2021 included $1.4 million in fees earned on SBA PPP loans, compared to $692,000 in the second quarter of 2021, and $195,000 in the third quarter of 2020, which represents 43 basis points, 22 basis points, and six basis points of earning asset yield and net interest margin for those quarters, respectively.

The cost of interest-bearing liabilities was 0.56% for the third quarter of 2021, compared to 0.61% in the second quarter of 2021, and 0.90% in the third quarter of 2020. The cost of interest-bearing liabilities continued to decline as a result of continued improvement in deposit mix, as well as the downward repricing of time deposits. Time deposits declined $23.1 million during the third quarter of 2021 as approximately $66.0 million of time deposits with an average rate of 0.43% matured and redeemed or repriced at lower interest rates. During the third quarter of 2021, newly originated or renewed time deposits had an average rate of 0.17% and an average term of approximately 14 months.

Net interest income increased to $33.2 million for the first nine months of 2021, compared with $29.8 million for the first nine months of 2020. Average loans decreased to $959.6 million for the first nine months of 2021, compared to $963.7 million for the first nine months of 2020. PPP loans averaged $19.4 million and $20.6 million for the first nine months of 2021 and 2020, respectively.

Net interest margin increased to 3.53% in the first nine months of 2021, compared with 3.30% for the first nine months of 2020. The yield on earning assets decreased to 4.00% for the first nine months of 2021, compared to 4.23% for the first nine months of 2020. The amount of loan fee income included in total interest income was $3.3 million and $1.1 million for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively. This represents 35 basis points and 13 basis points of yield on earning assets and net interest margin for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Loan fee income included PPP fees of $2.5 million and $373,000 for the nine months ended September 30, 2021 and 2020, respectively, which represents 27 basis points and five basis points of earning asset yield and net interest margin for those nine-month periods, respectively. The cost of interest-bearing liabilities was 0.62% for the first nine months of 2021, compared to 1.15% in the first nine months of 2020.

As of September 30, 2021, time deposits comprise $280.5 million of the Company’s liabilities including $48.2 million with a current average rate of 0.32%, which reprice or mature in the fourth quarter of 2021. The following table denotes contractual time deposit maturities and average rates as of September 30, 2021:

Provision and Allowance for Loan Losses – The allowance for loan losses to total loans was 1.34% at September 30, 2021, compared to 1.33% at June 30, 2021, and 1.18% at September 30, 2020. A provision for loan loss of $300,000 and $650,000, or $0.03 and $0.06 per common share after taxes, was recorded in the third quarter and first nine months of 2021, respectively, compared to $1.4 million and $3.5 million, or $0.14 and $0.37 per common share after taxes, in the third quarter and the first nine months of 2020, respectively. The 2021 loan loss provisions were attributable to net loan charge-offs and growth trends within the portfolio during the third quarter and year, while the provisions for 2020 were largely attributable to the uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic related economic and business disruptions. Net loan recoveries were $36,000 and net loan charge-offs were $120,000, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2021, respectively, compared to net loan charge-offs of $97,000 and $395,000, for the three and nine months ended September 30, 2020, respectively. At September 30, 2021, the allowance for loan losses remained elevated in relation to recent historical levels due to continued uncertainty surrounding the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the U.S. Government’s economic responses to the COVID-19 pandemic through monetary policy and fiscal stimulus have provided meaningful support to the economy, management deemed it prudent to continue to maintain its qualitative environmental factor in the allowance for loan losses to account for the ongoing pandemic risk. The Bank also granted eligible loan modifications under Section 4013 of the CARES Act. CARES Act loan modifications were $4.5 million as of September 30, 2021 and June 30, 2021, and $64.9 million at September 30, 2020. At September 30, 2021, there is one commercial real estate loan secured by a retail entertainment facility totaling $4.4 million, which remains subject to, and is performing in accordance with, a COVID-19 modification. The loan is graded substandard, has been evaluated under ASC-310-10, and allocated a specific reserve of $2.2 million.

Non-interest Income and Expense – Non-interest income for the third quarter of 2021 increased $694,000 to $2.4 million, compared with $1.7 million for the third quarter of 2020. The increase was primarily related to a $465,000 gain on the call of a corporate bond from the Bank’s available for sale securities portfolio. The bond was called before maturity and owned at a discount to par value. Bank card interchange fees also increased $163,000 from the third quarter of 2020 due to an increase in debit card transactions. Non-interest expense decreased $29,000, or 0.4%, to $8.1 million for the third quarter of 2021, compared with $8.1 million for the third quarter of 2020. The decrease in the third quarter of 2021 was primarily due to a decrease in deposit and state franchise tax expense of $270,000, as a result of the elimination of the Kentucky bank franchise tax discussed below. This decrease was partially offset by an increase in salaries and employee benefits of $169,000 as a result of an increase in average FTEs as compared to the third quarter of 2020.

Non-interest income for the first nine months of 2021 increased $1.4 million to $6.5 million, compared with $5.1 million for the first nine months of 2020. The increase was primarily due to an increase in bank card interchange fees of $583,000 as a result of an increase in debit card transactions, a $191,000 gain on the sale of OREO from the second quarter of 2021, and a $465,000 gain on the call of an available for sale bond discussed above. Non-interest expense decreased $562,000, or 2.3%, to $24.0 million for the first nine months of 2021, compared with $24.6 million for the first nine months of 2020. The decrease was primarily attributable to a decrease of $810,000 in deposit and state franchise tax expense. This decrease was partially offset by an increase in deposit account related expense of $194,000 due to an increase in debit card transactions and an increase in FDIC insurance of $167,000 due to no expense being recorded during the first quarter of 2020 as the Bank was utilizing assessment credits.

Income Taxes – Income tax expense was $1.4 million and $3.6 million for the third quarter of 2021 and for the first nine months of 2021, respectively, compared with $190,000 and $944,000 for the third quarter of 2020 and for the first nine months of 2020, respectively. Effective January 1, 2021, the state of Kentucky eliminated the bank franchise tax, which was previously recorded as a non-interest expense, and implemented a state income tax at a statutory rate of 5%. State income tax expense was $275,000 and $724,000 for the third quarter of 2021 and for the first nine months of 2021, respectively, compared to a state income tax benefit of $244,000 and $395,000 for the third quarter of 2020 and for the first nine months of 2020, respectively, which were related to the establishment of a net deferred tax asset due to the tax law change.

About Limestone Bancorp, Inc.

Limestone Bancorp, Inc. (NASDAQ: LMST) is a Louisville, Kentucky-based bank holding company which operates banking centers in 14 counties through its wholly-owned subsidiary Limestone Bank. The Bank’s markets include metropolitan Louisville in Jefferson County and the surrounding counties of Bullitt and Henry and extend south along the Interstate 65 corridor. The Bank serves south central, southern, and western Kentucky from banking centers in Barren, Butler, Daviess, Edmonson, Green, Hardin, Hart, Ohio, and Warren counties. The Bank also has banking centers in Lexington, Kentucky, the second largest city in the state, and Frankfort, Kentucky, the state capital. Limestone Bank is a traditional community bank with a wide range of personal and business banking products and services.

Forward-Looking Statements

Statements in this press release relating to Limestone Bancorp’s plans, objectives, expectations or future performance are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The words “believe,” “may,” “should,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “expect,” “intend,” “objective,” “possible,” “seek,” “plan,” “strive” or similar words, or negatives of these words, identify forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties. Although the Company's management believes the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements contained herein are reasonable, any of these assumptions could be inaccurate. Therefore, there can be no assurance the forward-looking statements included herein will prove to be accurate. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from those discussed in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: the impact and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and national, state and local emergency conditions the pandemic has produced; economic conditions both generally and more specifically in the markets in which the Company and its subsidiaries operate; competition for the Company's customers from other providers of financial services; government legislation and regulation, which change from time to time and over which the Company has no control; changes in interest rates; material unforeseen changes in liquidity, results of operations, or financial condition of the Company's customers; and other risks detailed in the Company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, all of which are difficult to predict and many of which are beyond the control of the Company. See Risk Factors outlined in the Company's Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020.

Additional Information

Unaudited supplemental financial information for the third quarter ending September 30, 2021, follows.