M&T Bank Corporation reported stable earnings for the first quarter.
The quarter’s earnings as compared with the first quarter of 2011 reflect higher net interest income, lower credit costs, and higher trust income and residential mortgage banking revenues. While not significant in the recent quarter, last year’s earnings were lifted by $39 million of realized gains from the sale of investment securities ($24 million after-tax effect, or $.20 of diluted earnings per common share), as M&T repositioned its balance sheet in anticipation of the acquisition of Wilmington Trust.
Commenting on the recent quarter’s performance, Rene F. Jones, Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer, said, “M&T’s first quarter results reflect our continued progress with the integration of Wilmington Trust, lower credit costs and improvement in several revenue categories, including net interest income, mortgage banking revenues, trust income and fees for providing deposit services.
Assets taken in foreclosure of defaulted loans were $140 million at March 31, 2012, down from $218 million and $157 million at March 31, 2011 and December 31, 2011, respectively. The decline in such assets at the two most recent quarter-ends as compared with March 31, 2011 resulted predominantly from the sale during the second quarter of 2011 of a commercial real estate property in New York City with a carrying value of $99 million. Reflected in assets taken in foreclosure of defaulted loans at March 31, 2012 and December 31, 2011 were $40 million and $48 million, respectively, of assets related to the Wilmington Trust acquisition.
Contributing to the rise from the year-earlier quarter were higher trust income, predominantly related to the Wilmington Trust acquisition, and mortgage banking revenues.
