Equity Financial Holdings Reports Third Quarter 2015 Results

TORONTO, Nov. 12, 2015 /CNW/ - Equity Financial Holdings Inc. (TSX: EQI) ("EQI" or the "Corporation"), which offers residential mortgage loans through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Equity Financial Trust Company ("Equity Trust"), today reported its interim consolidated financial results for the quarter ended September 30, 2015.

(dollar amounts, except per-share, are in $000s)

Third Quarter 2015 Financial Highlights

• Mortgage originations of $62,171, up 39% quarter over quarter and up 269% year over year
• Mortgage loan book balance of $340,119, up 8% over the prior quarter, up 14% year to date
• Net interest margin of 2.81%
• Net interest income of $2,553, up 5% quarter over quarter
• Adjusted net loss of $254, adjusted basic loss per share of $0.03¹
• Net loss of $601, including charge for contingent consideration of $400 ($347 after tax) ¹

Year to Date 2015 Financial Highlights

• Mortgage originations of $135,526, up 163% year over year
• Net interest margin of 2.90%
• Net interest income of $7,483, down 26% year over year due to lower average loan book
• Adjusted net loss of $986, adjusted basic loss per share of $0.10¹
• Net loss of $1,853, including charge for contingent consideration of $1,000 ($867 after tax) ¹
• Regulatory capital of $84,355 as at September 30, 2015
• Book value per share of $9.85 as at September 30, 2015

Equity Financial Holdings CEO Michael R. Jones said,

"Our mortgage loan book grew for the second consecutive quarter, ending at a balance of $340,119 as at September 30, 2015, an increase of 8% since June 30, 2015.  Our mortgage loan book has grown by $42,745 or 14% since the beginning of the year as we continue to demonstrate our improved originations capacity in 2015.  We originated mortgages of $62,171 in the third quarter of 2015, an increase of 39% compared to the second quarter of 2015 and an increase of 269% year over year.  Year to date, our mortgage originations have increased by 163% to $135,526, compared to $51,541 in the first nine months of 2014.

We expect our mortgage loan book to grow in the fourth quarter as we continue to serve the alternative residential mortgage market in Ontario by building our key mortgage broker relationships.  Our staffing plan for the year is complete and the primary focus of our management team is now to increase the size of our mortgage loan book while also preserving our average net interest margin, leading to profitable earnings levels in the near term.  Management also expects to leverage technology in the coming year to enhance efficiency and scalability in support of anticipated growth."

Financial Highlights (unaudited)
		For the three months ended						For the nine months ended
($000s, except per share and percentage amounts)		September 30,		June 30,		September 30,		September 30,		September 30,
			2015		2015		2014		2015		2014
OPERATIONS
Net interest income		$	2,553	$	2,434	$	3,213	$	7,483	$	10,050
(Increase) reversal of provision for credit losses			(106)		(128)		146		(266)		193
Non‑interest income			465		457		407		1,219		1,194
Net interest income and other income, including
	(increase) reversal of provision for credit losses		2,912		2,763		3,766		8,436		11,437
Net interest margin			2.81%		2.88%		3.34%		2.90%		3.24%
Net (loss) income		$	(601)	$	(992)	$	535	$	(1,853)	$	(2,690)
(Loss) earnings per share ‑ basic/diluted		(0.06) / (0.06)		(0.10) / (0.10)		0.06 / 0.06		(0.19) / (0.19)		(0.28) / (0.28)
ROE (annualized) ^1			(2.5)%		(4.2)%		2.30%		(2.6)%		(3.8)%
ADJUSTED (LOSS) INCOME AND EPS
Adjusted (loss) income		$	(254)	$	(472)	$	535	$	(986)	$	1,404
Adjusted (loss) earnings per share ‑ basic/diluted ^2		(0.03) / (0.03)		(0.05) / (0.05)		0.06 / 0.06		(0.10) / (0.10)		0.15 / 0.15

			September 30,		June 30,		December 31,
As at			2015		2015		2014
BALANCE SHEET
Assets			$	383,366	$	366,394	$	334,953
Mortgages receivable, net				340,119		314,086		297,375
Deposits				285,465		268,704		235,597
Shareholders' equity				93,608		93,975		94,851
FINANCIAL STRENGTH
Capital Measures ^3
	Regulatory capital (all‑in basis)		$	84,355	$	84,653	$	85,332
	Leverage ratio			21.4%		23.0%		25.9%
	Common equity tier 1 ratio (all‑in basis)			55.5%		60.0%		65.5%
Share Information
	Book value per common share		$	9.85	$	9.86	$	9.98
	Common share price ‑ close			7.85		8.15		10.35
	Common shares outstanding			9,539,508		9,529,508		9,507,508
	Market capitalization		$	74,885	$	77,665	$	98,403

^1	See definition of ROE ("return on equity") under Non‑IFRS Financial Measures section of our MD&A for the quarter ended September 30, 2015.
^2	Adjusted net (loss) income, adjusted basic (loss) earnings per share, adjusted diluted (loss) earnings per share are defined in the Non‑IFRS Financial Measures section of our MD&A for the quarter ended September 30, 2015.
^3	These figures relate to the Corporation's operating subsidiary, Equity Trust, and are calculated under Basel III.

Interim Consolidated Financial Statements and Management's Discussion and Analysis for the quarter ended September 30, 2015 can be found on SEDAR at www.sedar.com and on our website at www.equityfinancialtrust.com.

Analyst Conference Call

EQI will hold a conference call on November 16, 2015 at 10 a.m. Eastern Time to discuss its operating results and to answer questions. Participants can dial in locally at 647.427.7450 or toll free at 1.888.231.8191 and use Conference ID 78888500.

Conference Call Archive

A telephone replay of the call will be available between 1:00 p.m. Eastern Time November 16, 2015 and midnight December 14, 2015 by calling 416.849.0833 or toll free at 1.855.859.2056 (enter passcode 78888500).

Forward Looking Information

Certain portions of this press release as well as other public statements by the Corporation contain "forward-looking information" within the meaning of applicable Canadian securities legislation, which is also referred to as "forward-looking statements", which may not be based on historical fact. Wherever possible, words such as "will", "plans," "expects," "targets," "continues", "estimates," "scheduled," "anticipates," "believes," "intends," "may," "could," "would" or might, and the negative of such expressions or statements that certain actions, events or results "may," "could," "would," "might" or "will" be taken, occur or be achieved, have been used to identify forward-looking information. Such forward-looking statements include, without limitation, the Corporation's expectations in respect of earnings, fee income, expense levels, future loans and originations, repayment by borrowers, general economic, political and market factors in North America and internationally, interest and foreign exchange rates, global equity and capital markets activities, the Corporation's expected need for equity or debt financing, business competition, technological change, changes in government regulations and regulatory guidelines, unexpected judicial or regulatory proceedings, catastrophic events, and the Corporation's ability to complete strategic transactions and integrate acquisitions and other factors. Forward looking statements should not be read as guarantees of future events, future performance or results, and will not necessarily be accurate indicators of the times at, or by which, such events, performance or results will be achieved, if achieved at all.

All material assumptions used in making forward-looking statements are based on management's knowledge of current business conditions and expectations of future business conditions and trends, including their knowledge of the current credit, interest rate and liquidity conditions affecting the Corporation and the Canadian economy, retail mortgage markets, housing sales and capital markets. Certain material factors or assumptions are applied by the Corporation in making forward-looking statements, including without limitation, factors and assumptions regarding interest rates, availability of key personnel, the effect of competition, government regulation of its business, computer failure or security breaches, future capital requirements, its ability to fund its mortgage business, the value of mortgage originations, the competitive nature of the alternative mortgage market, the expected margin between the interest earned on its mortgage portfolio and the interest to be paid on its deposits, the relative continued health of real estate markets, acceptance of its products in the marketplace, as well as its operating cost structure and the current tax regime.

Forward-looking statements reflect the Corporation's current views with respect to future events and are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from results contemplated by the forward-looking statements. Readers should not place undue reliance on such forward-looking statements, as they reflect the Corporation's current views with respect to future events and are subject to risks and uncertainties and are necessarily based upon a number of estimates and assumptions that, while considered reasonable by the Corporation, are inherently subject to significant business, economic, regulatory, competitive, political and social uncertainties and contingencies. Many factors could cause the Corporation's actual results, performance or achievements to be materially different from any future results, performance, or achievements that may be expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements, including among others, a significant downturn in capital markets or the economy as a whole, errors or omissions by the Corporation in providing services to its customers, significant increases in the cost of complying with applicable regulatory requirements, civil unrest, economic recession, pandemics, war and acts of terrorism which may adversely impact the North American and global economic and financial markets, inability to raise funds through public or private financing significant changes in interest rates, failure by Equity Trust  to meet ongoing regulatory requirements, the failure of borrowers or counterparties to honour their financial or contractual obligations to Equity Trust, failure by Equity Trust to adequately monitor and/or adjust its mortgage portfolio management practices for changing circumstances, failure by the Corporation to attract and to retain the necessary employees to meet its needs, failure by Equity Trust to adequately monitor the services provided by third party service providers or to establish alternative arrangements if required, failure by Equity Trust to secure sufficient deposits from securities dealers or a sufficient level of mortgage origination from its mortgage broker network, a failure of the computer systems of the Corporation or one or more of its service providers or the risks detailed from time-to-time in the Corporation's quarterly filings, annual information forms, annual reports and annual filings with securities regulators. The preceding list is not exhaustive of possible factors. The Corporation disclaims any intent or obligation to update or revise publicly any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, estimates, future events or results, or otherwise, unless required to do so by applicable laws. The forward looking statements contained herein are expressly qualified in their entirety by this cautionary statement.

About Equity Financial Holdings Inc.

The Corporation is a financial services company operating through its wholly-owned subsidiary, Equity Trust, a federally regulated deposit-taking institution. Equity Trust serves the Canadian alternative mortgage market by offering residential mortgage loans to non and near-prime customers who do not meet the conventional underwriting standards of the major Canadian banks.  Learn more at www.equityfinancialtrust.com.

1

Adjusted net loss and adjusted basic loss per share are defined in the Non-IFRS Financial Measures section of our MD&A for the quarter ended September 30, 2015. Reported net losses includes a charge for contingent consideration of $400 ($347 after tax) for the third quarter of 2015 and $1,000 ($867 after tax) for the year to date 2015, related to the 2013 sale of our transfer agent and corporate trust business. Contingent consideration payable of $1,000 is the maximum contractual amount.

SOURCE Equity Financial Holdings Inc.

Equity Financial Holdings Inc., Michael R. Jones, President & CEO, 647.277.0106, www.equityfinancialtrust.com