CAUTIONARY LANGUAGE ABOUT FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Annual Report on Form 10-K includes “forward-looking statements” within the meaning and protections of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Act, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, or the Exchange Act. All statements other than statements of historical fact are statements that could be forward-looking statements. You can identify these forward-looking statements through our use of words such as “may,” “will,” “anticipate,” “assume,” “should,” “indicate,” “would,” “believe,” “contemplate,” “expect,” “estimate,” “continue,” “plan,” “project,” “could,” “intend,” “target” and other similar words and expressions of the future. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: (i) statements of our goals, intentions and expectations; (ii) statements regarding our business plans, prospects, growth and operating strategies; (iii) statements regarding the asset quality of our loan and investment portfolios; and (iv) estimates of our risks and future costs and benefits.
These forward-looking statements are based on current beliefs and expectations of our management and are inherently subject to significant business, economic and competitive uncertainties and contingencies, many of which are beyond our control. In addition, these forward-looking statements are subject to assumptions with respect to future business strategies and decisions that are subject to change. The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements:
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changes in laws or government regulations or policies affecting financial institutions, including changes in regulatory fees and capital requirements;
general economic conditions, either nationally or in our market areas, that are worse than expected;
competition among depository and other financial institutions;
changes in the prices, values and sales volume of residential and commercial real estate in Montana;
inflation and changes in the interest rate environment that reduce our margins or reduce the fair value of financial instruments;
adverse changes or volatility in the securities markets;
our ability to enter new markets successfully and capitalize on growth opportunities;
our ability to successfully integrate acquired businesses;
changes in consumer spending, borrowing and savings habits;
changes in our organization, compensation and benefit plans;
our ability to continue to increase and manage our commercial and residential real estate, multi-family, and commercial business loans;
possible impairments of securities held by us, including those issued by government entities and government sponsored enterprises;
the level of future deposit premium assessments;
the impact of a recurring recession on our loan portfolio (including cash flow and collateral values), investment portfolio, customers and capital market activities;
the impact of the current restructuring of the U.S. financial and regulatory system;
the failure of assumptions underlying the establishment of allowance for possible loan losses and other estimates;
changes in the financial performance and/or condition of our borrowers and their ability to repay their loans when due; and
the effect of changes in accounting policies and practices, as may be adopted by the regulatory agencies, as well as the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board, the Financial Accounting Standards Board and other accounting standard setters.
Because of these and other uncertainties, our actual future results may be materially different from the results indicated by these forward-looking statements. For a further list and description of various risks, relevant factors and uncertainties that could cause future results or events to differ materially from those expressed or implied in our forward-looking statements, see the Item 1A, “Risk Factors” and Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” sections contained elsewhere in this report, as well as other reports that we file with the SEC.
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DESCRIPTION OF BUSINESS.
General
Eagle Bancorp Montana, Inc. (“Eagle” or “the Company”), is a Delaware corporation that holds 100% of the capital stock of American Federal Savings Bank (“American Federal” or “the Bank”), a federally chartered stock savings bank headquartered in Helena, Montana. Eagle’s principal business is to hold the capital stock of American Federal. On April 5, 2010, Eagle completed a second-step conversion from a partially-public mutual holding company structure to a fully publicly-owned stock holding company structure. As part of that transaction it also completed a related stock offering. As a result of the conversion and offering, the Company became the stock holding company for American Federal Savings Bank, and Eagle Financial MHC and Eagle Bancorp ceased to exist. The Company sold a total of 2,464,274 shares of common stock at a purchase price of $10.00 per share in the offering for gross proceeds of $24.6 million. Concurrent with the completion of the offering, each share of Eagle Bancorp common stock owned by the public was exchanged for 3.800 shares of the Company’s common stock owned immediately prior to completion of the transaction.
American Federal was founded in 1922 as a Montana chartered building and loan association and has conducted operations in Helena since that time. In 1975, the Bank adopted a federal thrift charter. The Bank currently has six full service offices. We also have seven automated teller machines located in our market area and we participate in the CashCard® and Money Pass® ATM networks. The Bank’s website can be found at www.americanfederalsavingsbank.com. The contents on or accessible through, our website are not incorporated into this filing.
Business Strategy
Our strategy is to continue profitable operations through building a diversified loan portfolio and positioning the Bank as a full-service community bank that offers both retail and commercial loan and deposit products in all of its markets. We believe that this focus will enable us to continue to grow our franchise, while maintaining our commitment to customer service, high asset quality, and sustained net earnings. The following are the key elements of our business strategy:
Continue to diversify our portfolio through growth in commercial real estate and commercial business loans as a complement to our traditional single family residential real estate lending. Such loans now constitute about 45.6% of total loans;
Continue to emphasize the attraction and retention of lower cost long-term core deposits;
Seek opportunities where presented to acquire other institutions or expand our branch structure;