Business
Patriot Returns to Profitability and Reports First Quarter 2021 Net Income of $854 thousand
STAMFORD, Conn., May 13, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Patriot National Bancorp, Inc. (“Patriot,” “Bancorp” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: PNBK), the parent company of

About this update from Patriot National Bancorp Inc.
[{"type":"text","content":"STAMFORD, Conn., May 13, 2021 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Patriot National Bancorp, Inc. (“Patriot,” “Bancorp” or the “Company”) (NASDAQ: PNBK), the parent company of Patriot Bank, N.A. (the “Bank”), today announced pre-tax income of $1.2 million and net income of $854 thousand, or $0.22 basic and diluted earnings per share for the quarter ended March 31, 2021, compared to a net loss of $1.1 million reported in the first quarter of 2020. Profitability in the first quarter was achieved as the Bank demonstrated improved net interest margins, core deposit growth, lower operating expenses, and a lower loan loss provision. In addition, during the quarter the Bank recognized a payroll tax credit of $843 thousand under the Employee Retention Credit program of the CARES Act. These factors were partially offset by a lower loan balance as loan payoffs outpaced new loan originations. Further improvements in profitability are projected as loan balances begin to grow and SBA loan and sale activity resumes. Since 2020, the Bank had provided CARES Act payment deferrals on approximately $232.7 million of loans. A significant percentage of the loans deferred as a result of the CARES Act have now resumed normal payments. The balance of loans remaining on deferral in conjunction with the CARES Act had declined to $37.7 million at March 31, 2021. Patriot President & CEO Robert Russell stated: “The Bank continues to make progress in the areas of income creation and expense management during challenging operational circumstances. Staff remain focused on service and process improvements to help Patriot become an efficient and high performing organization. We remain steadfast in our pursuit of efficiency and performance. The leadership team has expanded with experienced banking professionals now added to our team to help us achieve our goals and strengthen the Bank’s accountability culture.” Mr. Russell added: “we believe the changes and our culture have us on the right path of success for us, our customers and our communities.” Financial Results: As of March 31, 2021, total assets increased to $886.2 million, as compared to $880.7 million at December 31, 2020. Net loans totaled $666.3 million versus $719.6 million as of December 31, 2020. Total deposits increased from $685.7 million at December 31, 2020 to $692.9 million at March 31, 2021. Excluding the decli...