Business
First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. Announces Key Developments and Second Quarter 2024 Financial Results
HAMMOND, La., July 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. ("First Guaranty") (NASDAQ: FGBI), the holding company for First Guaranty
About this update from First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"HAMMOND, La., July 24, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First Guaranty Bancshares, Inc. (\"First Guaranty\") (NASDAQ: FGBI), the holding company for First Guaranty Bank, announced its key developments and unaudited financial results for the second quarter and six months ending June 30, 2024. Key developments are as follows: First Guaranty is initiating changes to its business strategy. The changes include slowing the trajectory of the bank’s asset growth, further increasing the capital position, and working with leaner staff while utilizing automation and technological advances. First Guaranty has reduced staff by 71 positions. This reduction represents approximately 15% of the bank’s workforce. Each of the affected employees will receive 60 days of pay, payment for their unused vacation time, their elected healthcare coverage through September 30, 2024, and will have the opportunity to apply for open positions within the bank. First Guaranty will continue its other noninterest expense reductions previously undertaken earlier in the year.First Guaranty anticipates that the change to the business strategy will generate a reduction in noninterest expense of approximately $12.0 million pre-tax on an annual basis which includes the reduction in staff. The cost savings are anticipated to impact the fourth quarter of 2024 by about $2.0 million pre-tax. It is anticipated that about $3.0 million in pre-tax savings will be realized per quarter for 2025.First Guaranty’s Board of Directors anticipates paying a quarterly cash dividend of $0.08 per share for the third and fourth quarters of 2024.As previously announced, on June 28, 2024, the Bank consummated a sale-leaseback transaction relating to two stand-alone branches and a portion of the headquarters building which also contains a branch (collectively, the “Properties”). The aggregate cash purchase price was $14.7 million. The sale-leaseback transaction resulted in a pre-tax gain of approximately $13.2 million, or $10.4 million after tax. Aggregate first full year of rent expense under the Lease Agreements will be approximately $1.3 million pre-tax, or $1.0 million after tax. Financial Highlights for the second quarter and six months ended June 30, 2024, are as follows: Total assets increased $62.8 million and were $3.6 billion at June 30, 2024 and December 31, 2023. Total loans at June 30, 20...