Results of Operations for the Years Ended September 30, 2021, 2020 and 2019
General.
2021 vs. 2020. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021, the Company recognized net income of $7.8 million, or $0.98 per diluted share, as compared to net income of $9.6 million, or $1.12 per diluted share, for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020.
2020 vs. 2019. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020, the Company recognized net income of $9.6 million, or $1.12 per diluted share, as compared to net income of $9.5 million, or $1.07 per diluted share, for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2019.
Net Interest Income.
2021 vs. 2020. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021, net interest income was $23.2 million as compared to $22.8 million for fiscal 2020. The increase was due to a $4.6 million, or 23.8%, decrease in interest paid on deposits and borrowings. This was largely offset by a decrease of $4.2 million, or 9.9%, in interest income. The weighted average cost of borrowings and deposits decreased to 1.53% for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021 from 1.79% for fiscal 2020 primarily due to decreases in market rates of interest. The decrease in interest income was primarily due to the decrease in the weighted average balance of interest-earning assets of $99.3 million and to a lesser extent by the 5 basis point decline to 3.49% in the weighted average yield earned on our interest-earning assets. The decrease in the average balance of interest-earning assets was primarily due to paydowns in the investment portfolio, primarily mortgage-backed securities.
2020 vs. 2019. For the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020, net interest income was $22.8 million as compared to $24.8 million for fiscal 2019. The decrease primarily was due to a decrease of $1.6 million, or 6.0%, in interest on loans combined with a $136,000 or 0.7% increase in interest expense. The weighted average yield on interest-earning assets decreased by 38 basis points, to 3.54%, for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020 from 3.92% for fiscal 2019 primarily due to the reduction in market yields of interest which created downward pressure on our yields in all interest-earning asset categories, in particular commercial real estate and construction loans which generally bear adjustable rates. The increase in interest expense was due to a $74.7 million increase in the average balance of interest-bearing liabilities used to fund growth during fiscal 2020. The weighted average cost of borrowings and deposits decreased by 12 basis points to 1.79% for fiscal 2020 from 1.91% for fiscal 2019.
Provision for Loan Losses.
2021 vs. 2020. The Company recorded provisions for loan losses of $200,000 for the fiscal year ended September 30, 2021, compared to a $3.0 million provision for loan losses for fiscal 2020, as the $3.0 million provision expense incurred in fiscal 2020, combined with minimal charge-offs, was deemed sufficient to maintain the allowance at a level sufficient to cover all inherent and probable losses in the current portfolio prior to the fourth quarter of fiscal 2021. During the fiscal year ending September 30, 2021, the Company recorded one charge off of $40,000 while during the same periods the Company recorded recoveries aggregating $54,000. During the fiscal year ending September 30, 2020, the Company recorded charge offs of $145,000. During the fiscal year ended September 30, 2020, the Company recorded recoveries aggregating $30,000. Although our COVID-19 loan deferrals were as high as $149.7 million during portions of fiscal 2020, all existing deferrals had ended by September 30, 2020. All of the loans which had been on deferral were current as of September 30, 2021.
The allowance for loan losses totaled $8.5 million, or 1.4% of total loans, and 101.6% of total non-performing loans at September 30, 2021 (which included loans acquired at their fair value as a result of the acquisition of Polonia Bancorp as of January 1, 2017) as compared to $8.3 million, or 1.4% of total loans and 63.7% of total non-performing loans at September 30, 2020. The Company believes that the allowance for loan losses at September 30, 2021 was sufficient to cover all inherent and known losses associated with the loan portfolio at such date.