Southeastern Bank Financial Corp., the holding company for Georgia Bank & Trust Company of Augusta, today reported record quarterly net income of $4.4 million for the three months ended Dec. 31, 2013, or $0.65 in diluted earnings per share, compared to $3.9 million, or $0.58 in diluted earnings per share, in the fourth quarter of 2012. For the full year, the company reported record net income of $16.3 million, or $2.45 per diluted share, compared to net income of $14.4 million, or $2.16 per diluted share, for 2012.

"We are pleased to have continued our consistently solid performance for 2013 with record earnings for both the fourth quarter and the year," said President and Chief Executive Officer R. Daniel Blanton. "We continued to grow net interest income in a historically low interest rate environment and grew loans in a market with lingering low demand. Another reflection of our strong performance is our improved asset quality, with healthy reductions in nonperforming assets allowing for a continued reduction in our provision for loan losses."

Total assets at Dec. 31, 2013, were $1.7 billion, an increase of $26.8 million from Dec. 31, 2012. Loans outstanding at the end of the fourth quarter were $916.4 million, an increase of $14.9 million from Dec. 31, 2012. Total deposits were $1.5 billion at Dec. 31, 2013, an increase of $33.5 million from Dec. 31, 2012. Cash and cash equivalents totaled $47.3 million at the end of the fourth quarter of 2013.

Net interest income for the fourth quarter of 2013 totaled $13.1 million, a slight increase from the same period in 2012. Noninterest income for the fourth quarter totaled $3.6 million, a decrease from $5.5 million for the same period a year ago, due to lower mortgage origination volume and bond losses taken to improve the Banks' interest rate risk profile in anticipation of rising rates. Noninterest expense was $9.1 million in the fourth quarter of 2013, a 19.3 percent decrease from a year ago resulting from reduced salary and other real estate expenses.

The net interest margin was 3.21 percent for the quarter-ended Dec. 31, 2013, compared to 3.31 percent for the third quarter of 2013, and 3.30 percent for the same period a year ago. Annualized return on average assets (ROA) was 1.01 percent for the fourth quarter of 2013, an increase of 9 basis points from the same period a year ago, and annualized return on average shareholder's equity (ROE) was 13.02 percent, an increase of 150 basis points from the fourth quarter of 2012.

Nonperforming assets at Dec. 31, 2013, were 1.58 percent of total assets, compared to 1.78 percent at Sept. 30, 2013, and 2.08 percent at Dec. 31, 2012. Net charge-offs for the fourth quarter of 2013 totaled 0.68 percent of average loans on an annualized basis, compared to 1.17 percent annualized in the third quarter of 2013 and 0.84 percent annualized in the fourth quarter of 2012. The company held $1.0 million in OREO at Dec. 31, 2013, compared to $3.5 million at December 31, 2012.

The company's loan-loss provision expense was $1.4 million in the fourth quarter of 2013, a 26.3 percent decrease from $1.9 million in the third quarter of 2013, and a 11.50 percent decrease from $1.6 million in the fourth quarter a year ago. The allowance for loan losses at Dec. 31, 2013, was $26.4 million, or 2.92 percent of loans outstanding, compared to $28.8 million, or 3.31 percent of loans outstanding, at Dec. 31, 2012.

Net interest income for the 12 months ended Dec. 31, 2013, was $52.8 million, a 2.3 percent increase from $51.6 million in the full year 2012. Noninterest income was $18.5 million for the 12 months ended Dec. 31, 2013, a 15.4 percent decrease from $21.9 million in the same period of 2012, as a result of a decrease in mortgage income for the year and intentionally taken bond losses. Noninterest expense was $40.4 million for the full year 2013, compared to $44.4 million in the same period in 2012.

"We saw expected decreases in noninterest income for the fourth quarter and the year," said Blanton. "We have actively worked to position the balance sheet for increasing interest rates, and we maintain strong loan loss reserves, in keeping with our consistent long term approach to our business."

On January 15, 2014, the Board of Directors of Southeastern Bank Financial Corp. declared a regular quarterly cash dividend of $0.13 per share of common stock payable on February 14, 2014, to shareholders of record as of January 31, 2014. Based on the share price of $21.18 at the close of business on Thursday, January 30, 2014, this dividend represents an annualized yield to shareholders of 2.46%.