STRASBURG, Va., July 29, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- First National Corporation (the “Company” or “First National”) (NASDAQ: FXNC), the bank holding company of First Bank (the “Bank”), reported consolidated net income of $5.7 million and basic and diluted earnings per common share of $0.64 and $0.63, respectively, for the second quarter ended June 30, 2026. 

"Our quarterly and year-to-date results reflect steady execution of our intentional, profitable growth strategy. Growth in average loan and deposit balances lifted net interest income, and net loans expanded for a second straight quarter as our new and legacy banking teams continue to deepen customer relationships. The net interest margin in excess of four percent combined with expense management and strong asset quality delivered a strong second quarter and first half of the year.  I am also pleased to report that we received all regulatory approvals for the pending sale of our North Carolina branches which we expect to close early in the fourth quarter, continuing our branch optimization initiative announced earlier this year," said Scott C. Harvard, President and Chief Executive Officer of First National Corporation.

FINANCIAL HIGHLIGHTS FOR SECOND QUARTER 2026

NET INTEREST INCOME

For the second quarter of 2026, the Company’s net interest margin fully tax equivalent ("FTE")⁽¹⁾ was 4.15%, compared to 3.99% for the first quarter of 2026 and 3.95% in the second quarter of 2025. The Company’s net interest margin (FTE)⁽¹⁾ for the second quarter of 2026 includes the impact of acquisition accounting fair value adjustments. Net accretion income related to acquisition accounting was $245 thousand, a 5-basis point incremental increase to the net interest margin for the second quarter ended June 30, 2026. Prior period acquisition accounting resulted in net accretion income of $211 thousand, or a 4-basis point incremental increase to the net interest margin for the quarter ended March 31, 2026, and net accretion income of $907 thousand, or a 19-basis point incremental increase to the net interest margin for the second quarter ended June 30, 2025.

Earning asset yields for the second quarter of 2026 increased 11-basis points to 5.31% compared to the first quarter of 2026. For the second quarter of 2026, net interest income FTE⁽¹⁾ was $20.1 million, an increase of $1.3 million from $18.8 million in the first quarter of 2026 due to an increase in average interest-earning assets, improved yields, reduced funding costs and average and net loan growth.

The impact of acquisition accretion and amortization is reflected in the following table (dollars in thousands):

ALLOWANCE AND PROVISION FOR CREDIT LOSSES

The Company recorded a $426 thousand provision for credit losses in the second quarter of 2026, compared to $450 thousand for the first quarter of 2026. The second quarter provision was comprised of a $350 thousand provision for credit losses on loans, a $79 thousand provision for credit losses on unfunded commitments, and a $3 thousand reduction in the credit losses on securities.  Net charge-offs totaled $105 thousand in the second quarter of 2026, compared to net charge-offs of $542 thousand in the first quarter of 2026 and net charge-offs of $448 thousand in the second quarter of 2025.

The allowance for credit losses on loans totaled $14.9 million, or 1.00% of total loans on June 30, 2026, compared to $14.7 million, or 1.00% of total loans on March 31, 2026, and $15.2 million, or 1.05% of total loans on June 30, 2025. The allowance for credit losses to total loans remained consistent with the prior period and decreased from the prior year due to declines in specific reserves on individually analyzed loans. The allowance for credit losses to non-performing assets coverage was 315% on June 30, 2026, compared to 331% on March 31, 2026, and 223% on June 30, 2025. 

NONINTEREST INCOME AND EXPENSE

Noninterest income increased $194 thousand to $4.0 million for the second quarter of 2026 from $3.8 million in the prior quarter. The increase in noninterest income includes increases in ATM and check card income, other operating income, and brokered mortgage fees compared to the prior quarter.

Noninterest expense increased $455 thousand to $16.4 million for the second quarter of 2026 from $16.0 million in the prior quarter. The increase in noninterest expense includes increases in other operating expense, marketing expense, legal and professional fees, supplies expense, and data processing expense.

The sale of two banking offices in Roanoke Rapids and Louisburg, North Carolina, including most of the deposit and loan accounts associated with those offices, has received all required regulatory approvals with a planned transaction date in October 2026. The company anticipates a one-time gain on the sale of the offices in the fourth quarter of 2026.  The Bank also plans to consolidate three additional banking offices and discontinue low volume ATMs at non-branch locations before year-end. The sale and consolidation combined will reduce the number of banking offices from 33 to 28 by year end. The goals of these branch optimization actions are to streamline operations, improve profitability and allocate resources to faster growing markets. 

INCOME TAXES

Income tax expense was $1.4 million for the second quarter of 2026, compared to $1.2 million for the first quarter of 2026. The effective tax rate of 19.5% for the second quarter of 2026 remained consistent with 19.5% in the first quarter of 2026. 

BALANCE SHEET

On June 30, 2026, total assets were $2.076 billion, an increase of $34.2 million or 1.7% from June 30, 2025. Total assets were consistent with the prior quarter with the increase in loan growth offset by the decrease in cash and cash equivalents, and the increase from the prior year was driven by loan growth and additional securities available for sale.

On June 30, 2026, loans held for investment ("LHFI") net of allowance totaled $1.472 billion, an increase of $22.7 million or 3.0% annualized from $1.450 billion on March 31, 2026, and an increase of $44.2 million or 3.1% from June 30, 2025. Net loan growth in the second quarter and for the year has been driven by increased production from newly hired bankers along with our continued focus on relationship banking. 

On June 30, 2026, total investments were $322.8 million, a decrease of $1.7 million or 0.5% from March 31, 2026, and an increase of $23.2 million or 7.7% from June 30, 2025. Available for sale ("AFS") securities totaled $227.8 million on June 30, 2026, and $217.7 million on March 31, 2026, and $187.6 million on June 30, 2025. The increase compared to the prior year was driven by security purchases exceeding portfolio cashflows and utilization of excess cash. Total net unrealized losses on the AFS securities portfolio were $15.8 million on June 30, 2026, compared to $16.2 million on March 31, 2026, and $18.9 million on June 30, 2025. Held to maturity securities are carried at amortized cost and totaled $89.4 million on June 30, 2026, $101.3 million on March 31, 2026, and $106.4 million on June 30, 2025.

On June 30, 2026, total deposits were $1.831 billion, a decrease of $6.2 million or 0.3% from the prior quarter, and an increase of $28.0 million or 1.6% from June 30, 2025. While total deposits as of June 30, 2026 declined when compared to March 31, 2026, average deposit balances for the second quarter were up $49.6 million or 2.7%. Overall, the deposit balances were relatively stable in comparison with the prior quarter and the prior year with increases primarily in savings and interest-bearing demand deposits. There were $25.0 million in other borrowings with the Federal Home Loan Bank on June 30, 2026, March 31, 2026, and June 30, 2025.

LIQUIDITY

Liquidity sources available to the Bank, including interest-bearing deposits in banks, unpledged securities available for sale, at fair value, and available lines of credit totaled $747.8 million on June 30, 2026, $764.2 million on March 31, 2026, and $633.7 million on June 30, 2025.

The Bank maintains liquidity to fund loan growth and to meet potential demand from deposit customers, including potential volatile deposits. The estimated amount of uninsured customer deposits totaled $573.8 million on June 30, 2026, $558.9 million on March 31, 2026, and $545.7 million on June 30, 2025. Excluding municipal deposits that have collateral pledged, the estimated amount of uninsured customer deposits totaled $466.9 million on June 30, 2026, $461.3 million on March 31, 2026, and $451.9 million on June 30, 2025.

ASSET QUALITY

Non-performing assets ("NPAs") increased slightly from the prior period and improved from the prior year as previously reserved loans were charged off since the second quarter of 2025. Management classifies NPAs as non-accrual loans and other real estate owned ("OREO"). The Bank had no OREO on June 30, 2026, March 31, 2026, or June 30, 2025. NPAs as a percentage of total loans were 0.32% on June 30, 2026, up from 0.30% on March 31, 2026, but down from 0.47% on June 30, 2025. NPAs increased by $292 thousand to $4.7 million on June 30, 2026, compared to $4.4 million on March 31, 2026, but decreased by $2.1 million from $6.8 million on June 30, 2025.

There were no loans past due over 90 days or more and still accruing interest on June 30, 2026, March 31, 2026, or June 30, 2025. Loans past-due 30-89 days and still accruing interest decreased to $2.5 million, or 0.17% of total loans on June 30, 2026, compared to $5.0 million, or 0.34% of total loans on March 31, 2026, and $3.2 million, or 0.22%, of total loans on June 30, 2025.  The health care provider portfolio balance continues to decline with $8.6 million in loan balances and $3.4 million in unamortized premiums. The portfolio has loans totaling $1.8 million currently on non-accrual that are specifically reserved for $1.3 million. 

CAPITAL

During the second quarter of 2026, the Company declared and paid cash dividends of $0.17 per common share, compared to $0.17 in the first quarter of 2026 and $0.155 in the second quarter of 2025. Tangible book value per share⁽¹⁾ grew to $19.71 at June 30, 2026, from $19.11 per share at March 31, 2026, and $17.40 at June 30, 2025.

The following table provides capital ratios and values for the periods ended:

ABOUT FIRST NATIONAL CORPORATION

First National Corporation (NASDAQ: FXNC) is the parent company and bank holding company of First Bank, a community bank that first opened for business in 1907 in Strasburg, Virginia. The Bank offers loan and deposit products and services through its bankers, consumer and business mobile banking platforms, a network of ATMs located throughout its market area, a loan production office, a customer service center in a retirement community, and thirty-three banking office locations located throughout the Shenandoah Valley, the Roanoke Valley, the Richmond MSA, the south-central regions of Virginia, and in northern North Carolina. In addition to providing traditional banking services, the Bank operates a wealth management division under the name First Bank Wealth Management. First Bank also owns First Bank Financial Services, Inc., which owns an interest in a title insurance company.

NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES

In addition to financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”), the Company uses certain non-GAAP financial measures that provide useful information for financial and operational decision making, evaluating trends, and comparing financial results to other financial institutions. The non-GAAP financial measures presented in this document include adjusted operating net income, adjusted operating non-interest expense, adjusted basic and diluted earnings per share, adjusted return on average assets, adjusted return on average equity, pre-provision pre-tax earnings, adjusted pre-provision pre-tax earnings, fully taxable equivalent interest income, the net interest margin, the efficiency ratio, tangible book value per share, and tangible common equity to tangible assets.

The Company believes certain non-GAAP financial measures enhance the understanding of its business and performance. Non-GAAP financial measures are supplemental and not a substitute for, or more important than, financial measures prepared in accordance with GAAP and may not be comparable to those reported by other financial institutions. A reconciliation of non-GAAP financial measures to the most directly comparable GAAP financial measure is included at the end of this release.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain information contained in this discussion may include “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. These forward-looking statements relate to the Company’s plans, objectives, strategies, expectations and intentions, including with respect to pending branch sales and other branch optimization initiatives, and other statements that are not historical facts, and other statements identified by words such as “believes,” “expects,” “anticipates,” “estimates,” “intends,” “plans,” “targets,” "will," "continue," and “projects,” as well as similar expression. Although the Company believes that its expectations with respect to the forward-looking statements are based upon reliable assumptions within the bounds of its knowledge of its business and operations, there can be no assurance that the Company will achieve the anticipated benefits of its plans and strategies or that its actual results, performance, or achievements will not differ materially from any future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties and speak only as of the date of this release. The Company undertakes no obligations to update or revise any forward-looking statement, except as required by law. For details on factors that could affect expectations, future events, or results, see the risk factors and other cautionary language included in First National Corporation’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2025 and other filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission (the “SEC”).

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