1. VABK reported Q1 2025 net income of $4.5 million, up 23%. 2. Increased loan balances boosted net interest income significantly. 3. Quarterly dividend was raised by 9.1% to $0.36 per share. 4. Book value per share rose to $30.93, a 9.2% annual increase. 5. Noninterest income declined due to the absence of prior year gains.
The strong performance and dividend increase position VABK favorably compared to peers. Historically, positive earnings and dividend growth have led to stock price appreciation.
The earnings increase and dividend growth suggest financial health and shareholder return, important to investors.
The immediate effects of the earnings report and dividend may boost stock prices soon, typical of strong earnings releases.
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va., April 24, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Virginia National Bankshares Corporation (NASDAQ: VABK) (the "Company") today reported quarterly net income of $4.5 million, or $0.83 per diluted share, for the quarter ended March 31, 2025, compared to $3.6 million, or $0.68 per diluted share, recognized for the quarter ended March 31, 2024.
The increase in first quarter net income year-over-year was primarily the result of increased net interest income, resulting from increased interest income from higher average loan balances compared to the prior period, combined with decreased interest expense, as we reduced our cost of funds associated with deposits as well as borrowings.
On April 23, 2025, the Company's Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.36 per share of common stock payable on May 30, 2025, to the holders of record at the close of business on May 15, 2025. The quarterly cash dividend represents an annual yield to shareholders of approximately 4.09% based on the closing price of the Company's common stock on April 23, 2025 and an increase of 9.1% over the prior quarterly dividend of $0.33 per share.
President and Chief Executive Officer's comments: "The Bank reported a strong first quarter, producing net income of $4.5 million, a 23% increase over net income of $3.6 million posted a year ago," stated Glenn W. Rust, President and Chief Executive Officer. "Our focus on loan growth and reducing ongoing operating expenses during 2024 has positioned the Bank for a strong 2025. Our credit quality metrics and capital and liquidity positions continue to be solid and the increase in our quarterly dividend reflects our Board of Director's continuing commitment to provide a fair return to our shareholders."
First quarter 2025 compared to first quarter 2024
Noninterest income for the three months ended March 31, 2025 decreased $418 thousand, or 19.2%, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2024, as a gain on early redemption of debt of $379 thousand and Masonry wealth management fees of $190 thousand were recognized in the prior year first quarter and not repeated in 2025. The declines were partially offset by a gain on the sale of a branch building of $278 thousand.
Noninterest expense for the three months ended March 31, 2025 remained flat, increasing a mere $6 thousand, or 0.07%, compared to the three months ended March 31, 2024. Decreased compensation expense of $216 thousand due to lower headcount was partially offset by increased legal fees of $165 thousand related to special projects and general inflationary increases in the costs of other services.
The effective tax rates amounted to 16.7% and 15.5% for the three months ended March 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively. For each period, the effective income tax rate differed from the U.S. statutory rate of 21% due to the recognition of low-income housing tax credits and the effect of tax-exempt income from municipal bonds and income from bank owned life insurance policies. The effective tax rate for the prior year period was lower than the current year due to the application of prior period tax adjustments.
Book value per share increased to $30.93 as of March 31, 2025, compared to $28.31 as of March 31, 2024, and tangible book value per share (a non-GAAP financial measure) was $28.84 as of March 31, 2025 compared to $25.99 as of March 31, 2024. These values increased as net retained income increased and the impact of intangible assets declined due to the ongoing amortization of the Company's core deposit intangible asset.
Cash dividends of $1.8 million, or $0.33 per share, were declared and paid during the first quarter of 2025. The remaining 60% of net income was retained.
Virginia National Bankshares Corporation, headquartered in Charlottesville, Virginia, is the bank holding company for Virginia National Bank. The Bank has seven banking offices throughout Fauquier and Prince William counties, four banking offices in Charlottesville and Albemarle County (including one limited-service banking facility), and banking offices in Winchester and Richmond, Virginia. The Bank offers a full range of banking and related financial services to meet the needs of individuals, businesses and charitable organizations, including the fiduciary services of VNB Trust and Estate Services. The Company's common stock trades on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol "VABK." Additional information on the Company is also available at www.vnbcorp.com.
The accounting and reporting policies of the Company conform to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles ("GAAP") and prevailing practices in the banking industry. However, management uses certain non-GAAP measures to supplement the evaluation of the Company's performance. Management believes presentations of these non-GAAP financial measures provide useful supplemental information that is essential to a proper understanding of the operating results of the Company's core businesses. These non-GAAP disclosures should not be viewed as a substitute for, or more important than, operating results determined in accordance with GAAP, nor are they necessarily comparable to non-GAAP performance measures that may be presented by other companies. Reconciliations of GAAP to non-GAAP measures are included at the end of this release.
Certain statements in this release may contain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such statements include, without limitation, statements with respect to the Company's operations, performance, future strategy and goals, and are often characterized by use of qualified words such as "expect," "believe," "estimate," "project," "anticipate," "intend," "will," "should," or words of similar meaning or other statements concerning the opinions or judgement of the Company and its management about future events. While Company management believes such statements to be reasonable, future events and predictions are subject to circumstances that are not within the control of the Company and its management. Actual results may differ materially from those included in the forward-looking statements due to a number of factors, including, without limitation, the effects of and changes in: inflation, interest rates, market and monetary fluctuations; liquidity and capital requirements; market disruptions including pandemics or significant health hazards, severe weather conditions, natural disasters, terrorist activities, financial crises, political crises, war and other military conflicts or other major events, the governmental and societal responses thereto, or the prospect of these events; changes, particularly declines, in general economic and market conditions in the local economies in which the Company operates, including the effects of declines in real estate values; the effects of, and changes in, trade, monetary and fiscal policies and laws, including interest rate policies of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System; the impact of changes in laws, regulations and guidance related to financial services including, but not limited to, taxes, banking, securities and insurance; changes in accounting principles, policies and guidelines; the financial condition of the Company's borrowers; the Company's ability to attract, hire, train and retain qualified employees; an increase in unemployment levels; competitive pressures on loan and deposit pricing and demand; fluctuation in asset quality; assumptions that underlie the Company's ACL; the value of securities held in the Company's investment portfolio; performance of assets under management; cybersecurity threats or attacks and the development and maintenance of reliable electronic systems; changes in technology and their impact on the marketing of new products and services and the acceptance of these products and services by new and existing customers; the willingness of customers to substitute competitors' products and services for the Company's products and services; the risks and uncertainties described from time to time in the Company's press releases and filings with the SEC; and the Company's performance in managing the risks involved in any of the foregoing. Many of these factors and additional risks and uncertainties are described in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2024 and other reports filed from time to time by the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission. These statements speak only as of the date made, and the Company does not undertake to update any forward-looking statements to reflect changes or events that may occur after this release.