M&T Bank Profit Tumbles, Shares Rise

After a second-quarter earnings post that saw M&T Bank(MTB Quote) profits tumble, investors sent its shares climbing. Shares of jumped $2.89, or more than 5%, to $57.33.

On Monday morning, the northeast regional player reported that its net income came to $51.2 million, though its net available to common shareholders came to $40.5 million, or 36 cents per share, compared with $160.3 million, or $1.44 per share, in the year-ago period.

But the earnings total was besieged by charges. After excluding certain items -- including expenses related to M&T's acquisition of Provident Bankshares, which hit M&T for 35 cents per share this quarter -- its operating earnings came to 79 cents a share.

A survey of analysts by Thomson Reuters showed that most expected M&T to produce earnings at 48 cents per share.

In a press release announcing M&T's second-quarter results, Chief Financial Officer Rene Jones took note of a few of the bank's better sequential numbers.

"Net interest margin dramatically improved from 3.19% in the first quarter of 2009 to 3.43%," Jones said in the release. "Core deposits continued their impressive growth, up an annualized 24% from the initial quarter of 2009 excluding Provident's impact."

And he was far from done: "Residential mortgage banking revenues remained strong as compared with record revenues recorded in the first quarter of this year. Fee income was improved from the first quarter, reflecting higher credit-related fees, insurance income and seasonally higher deposit service charges. Finally, credit costs for the quarter remain in line with internal expectations and we believe that they continue to remain favorable as compared with the industry."