Summit Financial Group Reports 2010 Third Quarter Results

MOOREFIELD, W.V., Oct. 28, 2010 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Summit Financial Group, Inc. ("Company" or "Summit") (Nasdaq:SMMF) today reported a third quarter net loss applicable to common shares of $0.2 million, or ($0.03) per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $3.0 million applicable to common shares, or ($0.40) per diluted share, for the linked quarter, and net income of $1.4 million, or $0.19 per diluted share, for the 2009 third quarter. For the first nine months of 2010, the Company reported a net loss applicable to common shares of $3.1 million, or ($0.42) per diluted share, compared to a net loss of $0.3 million, or ($0.04) per diluted share for the 2009 nine months year-to-date period.

H. Charles Maddy III, President and Chief Executive Officer of Summit, commented, "Our primary focus has been to reduce our portfolio of nonperforming assets, which has been the principal factor contributing to lower earnings performance. We made significant progress this past quarter, highlighted by the sale of a foreclosed hotel property for $11 million, the second hotel sale of the year. Nonperforming loans and delinquencies have both declined since year-end 2009, and we are seeing fewer additions to the problem loan portfolio. However, progress with the disposition of foreclosed real estate has been more difficult to achieve.

"We continue to manage our problem assets through a combination of asset sales, loan workouts and charge-offs. While we have made progress, the return of our real estate markets to normal activity levels has been slower than we anticipated. We believe we are moving in the right direction; we have been aggressively charging-off our problem assets and establishing adequate reserves to address current and potential problem loans. Although the costs of credit administration have escalated, we have maintained operating expenses at a fairly stable level through staff reductions, salary freezes and the rescission of executive bonuses until profitability normalizes. On the revenue side, nonaccruals have negatively affected interest income, but we have been fairly successful managing our funding costs to partially offset the impact. We look forward to a significant fourth quarter margin improvement following the recent maturity or repricing of $103.9 million of high-cost wholesale borrowings."

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