Professional Bancorp Reports 1999 Results


SANTA MONICA, Calif., March 13, 2000 (PRIMEZONE) - Professional Bancorp (AMEX:MDB), the holding company for First Professional Bank, N.A., as anticipated in a news release last month, today reported a net loss for the year ended December 31, 1999 of $8.4 million, or $4.15 per share, on interest income of $18.3 million, compared with net income of $1.4 million, or $0.74 per diluted share, a year ago.

The company attributed the net loss in 1999 to a provision for loan losses of $13.9 million compared with $0.4 million in 1998. The allowance for loan losses increased to $5.9 million at December 31, 1999 from $2.2 million for the year ended 1998.

The company also said that aggregate gross loans grew by $44.7 million to $162.6 million at December 31, 1999 from $117.9 million at December 31, 1998.

Professional Bancorp, Inc., based in Santa Monica, California, is a holding company whose subsidiary, First Professional Bank, N.A., is a commercial bank that provides a variety of financial services and products to the health care community.

# # #

Certain information set forth in this press release may constitute "forward looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and are subject to certain risks and uncertainties. The Company's actual results may differ significantly from the results discussed in such forward-looking statements. Factors that might cause such a difference include, but are not limited to, economic conditions, competition in the geographic and business areas in which the Company conducts operations, fluctuations in interest rates, credit quality, year 2000 data systems compliance, and government regulations. For additional information concerning these factors, see "Item 1. Business - Factors That May Affect Results" contained in the Company's Annual Report on Form 10K for the year ended December 31, 1998.


           Professional Bancorp, Inc. and Subsidiary
                 Consolidated Balance Sheets
                    Selected Financial Data
                         in thousands
                         (unaudited)
 

                                          December 31,  December 31,
                                                 1999          1998
                                            -----------   -----------
 Cash and cash equivalents                      43,419        31,965
 Securities available-for-sale                  45,525        80,891
 Securities held-to-maturity                    18,200        24,081
  Loans:
   Commercial                                  124,403        93,952
   Real estate secured commercial               27,538        11,698
   Equity lines of credit                        4,330         5,931
   Other lines of credit                         4,689         4,817
   Installment                                   1,608         1,482
   Lease financing                                 ---            32
                                            ----------    ----------
      Gross loans                              162,568       117,912
   Allowance for loan losses                   (5,873)       (2,200)
   Deferred loan fees, net                       (211)         (193)
                                            ----------   -----------
      Net Loans                                156,484       115,519
                                            ----------    ----------
 
 Other assets                                    9,692         7,245
                                            ----------    ----------
   Total assets                             $  273,320    $  259,701
                                            ==========    ==========
 
  Deposits:
   Demand, noninterest-bearing              $  109,561    $  109,422
   Demand, interest-bearing                     16,033        16,710
   Savings and money market                     84,783        75,501
   Time deposits                                45,651        28,948
                                            ----------    ----------
 Total deposits                                256,028       230,581
                                            ----------    ----------
 
 Convertible notes                                 679         1,116
 Accrued interest payable and 
   other liabilities                             2,306         2,683
                                            ----------    ----------
   Total liabilities                           259,013       234,380
                                            ----------    ----------
 
 Shareholders' equity                           16,969        25,592
 Unrealized loss on securities 
   available-for-sale, net of taxes            (2,662)         (271)
                                            ----------    ----------
 Total shareholders' equity                     14,307        25,321
                                            ----------    ----------
 Total liabilities and shareholders' equity $  273,320    $  259,701
                                            ==========    ==========
 
 
 
 
             Professional Bancorp, Inc. and Subsidiary
               Consolidated Statements of Operations
                 in thousands (except share data)
                            (Unaudited)
 
 
                                          Year Ended     Year Ended
                                          December 31,   December 31,
                                              1999          1998
                                         ------------    -----------
 
 Total interest income                         18,295         16,948
 Total interest expense                         3,413          3,629
                                           ----------     ----------
 Net interest income                           14,882         13,319
 
 Provision for loan losses                     13,993            406
                                           ----------     ----------
 Net interest income after provision
   for loan losses                                889         12,913
                                           ----------     ----------
 
 Other operating income                         1,852          1,735
 
 Other operating expenses                      14,300         12,227
                                           ----------     ----------
 
 Earnings (loss) before taxes                 (11,559)         2,421
 Provision for income taxes 
   expense (benefit)                           (3,199)           989
                                           ----------     ----------
 
 Net earnings (loss)                       $   (8,360)    $    1,432
                                           ===========    ==========
 
 Earnings per share:
      Basic                                $   (4.15)      $    0.81
      Diluted                              $   (4.15)      $    0.74
 
 
 
 
                                          December 31,   December 31,
                                              1999           1998
                                         ------------    -----------
 Other Financial Information:
 
 Total nonperforming assets               $   8,412     $   1,631
 
 Allowance for loan losses as a 
   percent of nonperforming loans            69.82%        161.88%
 
 Nonperforming loans to total loans           5.17%          1.15%
 
 Capital Ratios - Bank only
      Leverage                                4.63%          8.37%
      Tier 1 risk based                       7.85%         15.12%
      Total risk based                        9.13%         16.37%


            

Contact Data