10-Q 1 tenq.htm Converted by EDGARwiz





UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 10-Q

 

[X] QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the Quarterly Period Ended June 30, 2005

 

[   ] TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

Commission File Number: 0-12507

 

ARROW FINANCIAL CORPORATION

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

New York

 

22-2448962

(State or other jurisdiction of

 

(IRS Employer Identification

incorporation or organization)

 

Number)

 

250 GLEN STREET, GLENS FALLS, NEW YORK 12801

(Address of principal executive offices)   (Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code:   (518) 745-1000

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

 

Yes    X        No        

 

Indicate by checkmark whether the registrant is an accelerated filer (as defined in Exchange Act Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

 

Yes    X        No        

 

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer’s classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

 

Class

   

Outstanding as of July 29, 2005

Common Stock, par value $1.00 per share

   

10,114,219




1







ARROW FINANCIAL CORPORATION

FORM 10-Q

June 30, 2005


INDEX



PART I

FINANCIAL INFORMATION

Page

Item 1.

Financial Statements:

 
 

Consolidated Balance Sheets (unaudited)

    as of June 30, 2005 and December 31, 2004


3

 

Consolidated Statements of Income (unaudited)

    for the Three Month and Six Month Periods Ended June 30, 2005 and 2004


4

 

Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity (unaudited)

    for the Six Month Periods Ended June 30, 2005 and 2004


5

 

Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows (unaudited)

    for the Six Month Periods Ended June 30, 2005 and 2004


7

 

Notes to Unaudited Consolidated Interim Financial Statements


8

 

Independent Auditors’ Review Report


11

Item 2.

Management's Discussion and Analysis of

   Financial Condition and Results of Operations


12

Item 3.

Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk


37

Item 4.

Controls and Procedures


38

PART II

OTHER INFORMATION

 

Item 1

Legal Proceedings


38

Item 2

Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds


38

Item 3

Defaults Upon Senior Securities


38

Item 4

Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders


39

Item 5

Other Information


39

Item 6

Exhibits


39

SIGNATURES


39




2






ARROW FINANCIAL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS

(Dollars in Thousands) (Unaudited)


 

June 30,

2005   

December 31,

2004      

ASSETS

  

Cash and Due from Banks

$    33,541 

$    29,805 

Federal Funds Sold

             --- 

        7,000 

  Cash and Cash Equivalents

      33,541 

      36,805 

Securities Available-for-Sale

321,101 

325,248 

Securities Held-to-Maturity  (Approximate Fair

   Value of $108,524 at June 30, 2005 and $110,341 at December 31, 2004)

106,478 

108,117 

Loans

952,938 

875,311 

  Allowance for Loan Losses

     (12,168)

     (12,046)

     Net Loans

940,770 

863,265 

Premises and Equipment, Net

 15,422 

 14,939 

Other Real Estate and Repossessed Assets, Net

 29 

 136 

Goodwill

14,355 

10,717 

Other Intangible Assets, Net

3,106 

1,019 

Other Assets

      19,503 

      17,703 

      Total Assets

$1,454,305 

$1,377,949 

LIABILITIES          

  

Deposits:            

  

  Demand

$  178,708 

$  167,667 

  Regular Savings, N.O.W. & Money Market Deposit Accounts

612,543 

607,820 

  Time Deposits of $100,000 or More

113,062 

 85,906 

  Other Time Deposits

     200,925 

     170,887 

      Total Deposits

  1,105,238 

  1,032,280 

Short-Term Borrowings:

  

  Federal Funds Purchased and Securities Sold Under Agreements to Repurchase

49,164 

42,256 

  Other Short-Term Borrowings

 1,755 

 1,720 

Federal Home Loan Bank Advances

145,000 

150,000 

Junior Subordinated Obligations Issued to Unconsolidated Subsidiary Trusts

20,000 

20,000 

Other Liabilities

      15,281 

      13,659 

      Total Liabilities

 1,336,438 

 1,259,915 

SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

  

Preferred Stock, $5 Par Value; 1,000,000 Shares Authorized

--- 

--- 

Common Stock, $1 Par Value; 20,000,000 Shares Authorized

   (13,478,703 Shares Issued at June 30, 2005 and December 31, 2004)

13,479 

13,479 

Surplus

128,266 

127,312 

Undivided Profits

27,799 

23,356 

Unallocated ESOP Shares (81,185 Shares at June 30, 2005

    and 93,273 Shares at December 31, 2004)

(1,182)

(1,358)

Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income

 (1,540)

 429 

Treasury Stock, at Cost (3,274,798 Shares at June 30,    

  2005 and 3,189,485 Shares at December 31, 2004)

      (48,955)

      (45,184)

      Total Shareholders’ Equity

     117,867 

     118,034 

      Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity

$1,454,305 

$1,377,949 









See Notes to Unaudited Consolidated Interim Financial Statements.



3






ARROW FINANCIAL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME

(In Thousands, Except Per Share Amounts)(Unaudited)


 

Three Months      

Six Months     

 

Ended June 30,  

Ended June 30,  

 

2005

2004

2005

2004

INTEREST AND DIVIDEND INCOME

    

Interest and Fees on Loans

$13,248

$12,523

$25,707

$25,278

Interest on Federal Funds Sold

 35

 42

44

62

Interest and Dividends on Securities Available-for-Sale

3,489

3,491

6,907

7,038

Interest on Securities Held-to-Maturity

   1,004

   1,006

   1,985

   1,986

Total Interest and Dividend Income

 17,776

 17,062

 34,643

 34,364

     

INTEREST EXPENSE   

    

Interest on Deposits:

    

Time Deposits of $100,000 or More

 975

 345

1,666

  699

Other Deposits

2,787

2,671

 5,123

 5,396

Interest on Short-Term Borrowings:  

    

Federal Funds Purchased and Securities Sold   

    

Under Agreements to Repurchase

144

 69

261

124

Other Short-Term Borrowings

        5

        2

        8

        4

Federal Home Loan Bank Advances

    1,416

    1,580

    3,055

    3,158

Junior Subordinated Obligations Issued to Unconsolidated

   Subsidiary Trusts

      294

      284

      571

      568

Total Interest Expense

   5,621

   4,951

 10,684

   9,949

NET INTEREST INCOME

12,155

12,111

23,959

24,415

Provision for Loan Losses

      176

      254

      408

      539

NET INTEREST INCOME AFTER

    

  PROVISION FOR LOAN LOSSES

  11,979

  11,857

 23,551

 23,876

     

OTHER INCOME

    

Income from Fiduciary Activities

1,181

1,060

2,288

2,116

Fees for Other Services to Customers

1,948

1,904

3,548

3,584

Net Gains on Securities Transactions

125

---

189

210

Insurance Commissions

488

6

883

11

Other Operating Income

      140

      165

       268

       438

Total Other Income

   3,882

   3,135

   7,176

   6,359

     

OTHER EXPENSE  

    

Salaries and Employee Benefits

5,288

4,778

10,343

9,583

Occupancy Expense of Premises, Net

757

699

1,464

1,394

Furniture and Equipment Expense

746

695

1,511

1,389

Other Operating Expense

   2,384

   2,001

   4,342

   3,933

Total Other Expense

   9,175

   8,173

 17,660

 16,299

     

INCOME BEFORE PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES

6,686

6,819

13,067

13,936

Provision for Income Taxes

   2,006

   2,121

   3,957

   4,373

NET INCOME

$ 4,680

$ 4,698

 $ 9,110

 $ 9,563

     

Average Shares Outstanding:

    

  Basic

10,131

10,123

10,160

10,120

  Diluted

10,304

10,358

10,348

10,358

     

Per Common Share:   

    

  Basic Earnings

$    .46

$    .46

$    .90

$    .94

  Diluted Earnings

    .45

    .45

  .88

  .92


Share and Per Share amounts have been restated for the September 2004 3% stock dividend.

See Notes to Unaudited Consolidated Interim Financial Statements.



4






ARROW FINANCIAL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

(In Thousands, Except Share and Per Share Amounts) (Unaudited)


 

Shares

Issued

Common

Stock

Surplus

Undivided

Profits

Unallo-

cated

ESOP

Shares

Accumulated

Other Com-

prehensive

(Loss)

Income

Treasury

Stock

Total

Balance at December 31, 2004

13,478,703 

$13,479 

$127,312 

$23,356 

$(1,358)

$    429 

$(45,184)

$118,034 

Comprehensive Income, Net of Tax:

        

  Net Income

--- 

--- 

--- 

9,110 

--- 

--- 

--- 

     9,110 

  Increase in Additional Pension

    Liability Over Unrecognized

    Prior Service Cost (Pre-tax $570)

--- 

--- 

--- 

--- 

--- 

(343)

--- 

(343)

  Net Unrealized Securities Holding

    Losses Arising During the Period,

    Net of Tax (Pre-tax $2,515)

--- 

--- 

--- 

--- 

--- 

(1,512)

--- 

(1,512)

  Reclassification Adjustment for

    Net Securities Gains Included in

    Net Income, Net of Tax

    (Pre-tax $189)

--- 

--- 

--- 

--- 

--- 

  (114)

--- 

       (114)

      Other Comprehensive Loss

       

    (1,969)

        Comprehensive Income

       

     7,141 

         

Cash Dividends Declared,

  $.46 per Share

--- 

--- 

--- 

(4,667)

--- 

--- 

--- 

(4,667)

Stock Options Exercised

  (64,320 Shares)

--- 

--- 

 149 

--- 

--- 

--- 

565 

714 

Shares Issued Under the Directors’

  Stock Purchase Plan (2,264

  Shares)

--- 

--- 

40 

--- 

--- 

--- 

20 

60 

Shares Issued Under the Employee

  Stock Purchase Plan (12,105

  Shares)

--- 

--- 

202 

--- 

--- 

--- 

147 

349 

Tax Benefit for Exercise of

  Stock Options

--- 

--- 

397 

--- 

--- 

--- 

--- 

397 

Allocation of ESOP Stock

  (12,088 Shares)

--- 

--- 

166 

--- 

176 

--- 

--- 

342 

Purchase of Treasury Stock

  (164,035 Shares)

              --- 

         --- 

           --- 

         --- 

        --- 

        --- 

    (4,503)

    (4,503)

Balance at June 30, 2005

13,478,703 

$13,479 

$128,266 

$27,799 

$(1,182)

$(1,540)

$(48,955)

$117,867 


        
































See Notes to Unaudited Consolidated Interim Financial Statements.



5






ARROW FINANCIAL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY

(In Thousands, Except Share and Per Share Amounts) (Unaudited)


 

Shares

Issued

Common

Stock

Surplus

Undivided

Profits

Unallo-

cated

ESOP

Shares

Accumulated

Other Com-

prehensive

(Loss)

 Income

Treasury

Stock

Total

Balance at December 31, 2003

13,086,119

$13,086

$113,335

$24,303

$(1,769)

$ 1,084

$(44,174)

$105,865

Comprehensive Income, Net of Tax:

        

  Net Income

---

---

---

9,563

---

---

---

 9,563

  Increase in Additional Pension

    Liability Over Unrecognized

    Prior Service Cost (Pre-tax $40)

     

(24)

 

(24)

  Net Unrealized Securities Holding

    Losses Arising During the Period,

    Net of Tax (Pre-tax $4,923)

---

---

---

---

---

(2,960)

---

(2,960)

  Reclassification Adjustment for

    Net Securities Gains Included in

    Net Income, Net of Tax

    (Pre-tax $210)

---

---

---

---

---

  (126)

---

       (126)

      Other Comprehensive Loss

       

    (3,110)

        Comprehensive Income

       

     6,453

         

Cash Dividends Declared,

  $.44 per Share

---

---

---

(4,412)

---

---

---

(4,412)

Stock Options Exercised

  (60,138 Shares)

---

---

 106

---

---

---

467

573

Shares Issued Under the Employee

  Stock Purchase Plan (12,357

  Shares)

---

---

206

---

---

---

97

303

Shares Issued Under the Directors’

  Stock Plan (1,206 Shares)

---

---

26

---

---

---

10

36

Tax Benefit for Exercise of

  Stock Options

---

---

158

---

---

---

---

158

Allocation of ESOP Stock

  (18,339 Shares)

---

---

257

---

267

---

---

524

Purchase of Treasury Stock

  (44,370 Shares)

              ---

         ---

           ---

         ---

        ---

        ---

    (1,260)

     (1,260)

Balance at June 30, 2004

13,086,119

$13,086

$114,088

$29,454

$(1,502)

$(2,026)

$(44,860)

$108,240


        































Share and Per Share amounts have been restated for the September 2004 3% stock dividend.

See Notes to Unaudited Consolidated Interim Financial Statements.



6






 ARROW FINANCIAL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS

(Dollars in Thousands)(Unaudited)


 

Six Months

 

Ended June 30,

 

2005

2004

Operating Activities:

  

Net Income

 $ 9,110 

 $ 9,563 

Adjustments to Reconcile Net Income to Net Cash

  

Provided by Operating Activities:

  

Provision for Loan Losses

  408 

  539 

Depreciation and Amortization

1,113 

1,618 

Compensation Expense for Allocated ESOP Shares

166 

257 

Net Gains on the Sale of Securities Available-for-Sale

(195)

(210)

Losses on the Sale of Securities Available-for-Sale

 6 

 --- 

Loans Originated and Held-for-Sale

(1,381)

(7,497)

Proceeds from the Sale of Loans Held-for-Sale

2,312 

7,609 

Net Losses (Gains) on the Sale of Loans, Premises and Equipment,

Other Real Estate Owned and Repossessed Assets

(64)

(Increase) Decrease in Deferred Tax Assets

(181)

45 

Shares Issued Under the Directors’ Stock Plan

60 

36 

(Increase) Decrease in Interest Receivable

 (532)

 87 

Increase (Decrease) in Interest Payable

   267 

   (127)

Increase in Other Assets

(268)

(2,081)

Increase (Decrease) in Other Liabilities

   1,356 

  (1,111)

Net Cash Provided By Operating Activities

 12,481 

   8,664 

Investing Activities:

  

Proceeds from the Sale of Securities Available-for-Sale

   28,178 

   20,226 

Proceeds from the Maturities and Calls of Securities Available-for-Sale

   19,361 

   36,714 

Purchases of Securities Available-for-Sale

 (46,455)

 (56,162)

Proceeds from the Maturities of Securities Held-to-Maturity

   6,916 

   2,957 

Purchases of Securities Held-to-Maturity

 (5,375)

 (5,335)

Net Increase in Loans

  (70,853)

  (11,839)

Proceeds from the Sales of Premises and Equipment,

Other Real Estate Owned and Repossessed Assets

     470 

     431 

Purchases of Premises and Equipment

      (226)

  (1,052)

Net Cash Used In Investing Activities

 (67,984)

 (14,060)

Financing Activities:

  

Net Increase (Decrease) in Deposits

 10,746 

 (8,949)

Net Increase in Short-Term Borrowings

   6,943 

   6,531 

Federal Home Loan Bank Advances

75,000 

20,000 

Federal Home Loan Bank Repayments

(80,000)

(12,500)

Net Increase from Branch Acquisitions

47,084 

--- 

Tax Benefit from Exercise of Stock Options

397 

158 

Purchases of Treasury Stock

(4,503)

(1,260)

Treasury Stock Issued for Stock-Based Plans

   1,063 

     876 

Allocation of ESOP Shares

     176 

     267 

Cash Dividends Paid

  (4,667)

  (4,412)

Net Cash Provided By Financing Activities

 52,239 

      711 

Net Decrease in Cash and Cash Equivalents

(3,264)

(4,685)

Cash and Cash Equivalents at Beginning of Period

 36,805 

 33,326 

Cash and Cash Equivalents at End of Period

$33,541 

$28,641 

Supplemental Cash Flow Information:

  

Interest Paid

 $10,416 

 $10,076 

Income Taxes Paid

   2,866 

   5,244 

Transfer of Loans to Other Real Estate Owned and Repossessed Assets

     403 

     493 




See Notes to Unaudited Consolidated Interim Financial Statements.



7






ARROW FINANCIAL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

NOTES TO UNAUDITED CONSOLIDATED INTERIM FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

June 30, 2005



1.   Financial Statement Presentation   


In the opinion of the management of Arrow Financial Corporation (Arrow), the accompanying unaudited consolidated interim financial statements contain all of the adjustments necessary to present fairly the financial position as of June 30, 2005 and December 31, 2004; the results of operations for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2005 and 2004; the changes in shareholders’ equity for the six-month periods ended June 30, 2005 and 2004; and the cash flows for the six-month periods ended June 30, 2005 and 2004.  All such adjustments are of a normal recurring nature.  The unaudited consolidated interim financial statements should be read in conjunction with the annual consolidated financial statements of Arrow for the year ended December 31, 2004, included in Arrow’s 2004 Form 10-K.



2.   Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income (In Thousands)


The following table presents the components, net of tax, of accumulated other comprehensive (loss) income as of June 30, 2005 and December 31, 2004:


 

2005

2004

Excess of Additional Pension Liability Over Unrecognized Prior Service Cost

$   (693)

$(351)

Net Unrealized Holding (Losses) Gains on Securities Available-for-Sale

    (847)

   780 

  Total Accumulated Other Comprehensive (Loss) Income

$(1,540)

$ 429 



3.   Earnings Per Common Share (In Thousands, Except Per Share Amounts)


The following table presents a reconciliation of the numerator and denominator used in the calculation of basic and diluted earnings per common share (EPS) for the three-month and six-month periods ended June 30, 2005 and 2004:


 

Income

Shares

Per Share

 

(Numerator)

(Denominator)

Amount

For the Three Months Ended June 30, 2005:

   

Basic EPS

$4,680

 10,131

$.46

Dilutive Effect of Stock Options

      ---

    173

 

Diluted EPS

$4,680

10,304

$.45

For the Three Months Ended June 30, 2004:

   

Basic EPS

$4,698

 10,123

$.46

Dilutive Effect of Stock Options

      ---

    235

 

Diluted EPS

$4,698

10,358

$.45


 

Income

Shares

Per Share

 

(Numerator)

(Denominator)

Amount

For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2005:

   

Basic EPS

$9,110

 10,160

$.90

Dilutive Effect of Stock Options

       ---

    188

 

Diluted EPS

$9,110

10,348

$.88

For the Six Months Ended June 30, 2004:

   

Basic EPS

$9,563

 10,120

$.94

Dilutive Effect of Stock Options

       ---

    238

 

Diluted EPS

$9,563

10,358

$.92




8






4.   Stock-Based Compensation Plans


Arrow accounts for its stock-based compensation plans under the recognition and measurement principles of APB Opinion No. 25, “Accounting for Stock Issued to Employees,” and related interpretations.  No stock-based employee compensation cost has been reflected in net income for stock awards granted under these plans (other than for certain stock appreciation rights attached to options granted in 1992 and earlier, all of which have been exercised as of January 2002), as all awards granted under these plans have been options having an exercise price equal to the market value of the underlying common stock on the date of grant.  However, options granted do generally impact diluted earnings per share by increasing the weighted average diluted shares outstanding and thereby decreasing diluted earnings per share as compared to basic earnings per share.


There were no options granted in the first six months of 2005.  The weighted-average fair value of options granted during 2004 was $6.49 per option.  The fair value of each option grant is estimated on the date of grant using the Black-Scholes option-pricing model with the following weighted-average assumptions used for grants in 2004: dividend yield of 3.28%; expected volatility of 27.2%; risk free interest rate of 3.76%; and expected lives of 7.0 years.  Arrow also sponsors an Employee Stock Purchase Plan (ESPP) under which employees purchased Arrow’s common stock at a 15% discount below market price at the time of purchase for the first two months of 2005, but at a 5% discount below market price for all subsequent purchases.  Under APB 25, a plan with a discount of 15% or less is not considered compensatory and expense is not recognized.  Under SFAS No. 123, however, a stock purchase plan with a discount in excess of 5% is considered a compensatory plan and thus the ESPP was considered a compensatory plan for the first two months of 2005, and the entire discount for that period was considered compensation expense in the pro forma disclosures set forth below.  The effects of applying SFAS No. 123 on pro forma net income in the recently completed period may not be representative of the effects on pro forma net income for future periods.  


The following table illustrates the effect on net income and earnings per share if we had applied the fair value recognition provisions of SFAS No. 123, “Accounting for Stock-Based Compensation,” to stock-based employee compensation plans.


 

Quarter Ended

June 30,

Six Months Ended

June 30,

 

2005

2004

2005

2004

Net Income, as Reported

$4,680

$4,698

$9,110

$9,563

Deduct: Total stock-based employee compensation expense determined under fair value based method for all awards, net of related tax effects

   (134)

   (137)

   (285)

   (271)

Pro Forma Net Income

$4,546

$4,561

$8,825

$9,292

     

Earnings per Share:

    

  Basic - as Reported

$.46

$.46

$.90

$.94

  Basic - Pro Forma

.45

.45

.87

.92

  Diluted - as Reported

.45

.45

.88

.92

  Diluted - Pro Forma

.44

.44

.85

.90


In December 2004, the FASB issued a revised Statement of Financial Accounting Standards No. 123 (SFAS No. 123R), “Share-Based Payment.”  SFAS No. 123R requires that we measure the cost of employee services received in exchange for an award of equity instruments based on the fair value of the award on the grant date.  That cost will be recognized over the period during which an employee is required to provide service in exchange for the award (i.e. the vesting period), which is typically four years for Arrow.  In a press release dated April 14, 2005, the SEC delayed the effective date of SFAS No. 123R to the first quarter of 2006.




9






5.   Guarantees


Arrow does not issue any guarantees that would require liability-recognition or disclosure, other than its standby letters of credit.  Standby and other letters of credit are conditional commitments issued by Arrow to guarantee the performance of a customer to a third party.  Those guarantees are primarily issued to support public and private borrowing arrangements, including bond financing and similar transactions.  The credit risk involved in issuing letters of credit is essentially the same as that involved in extending loan facilities to customers.  Typically, these instruments have terms of twelve months or less.  Some expire unused, and therefore, the total amounts do not necessarily represent future cash requirements.  Some have automatic renewal provisions.


For letters of credit, the amount of the collateral obtained, if any, is based on management’s credit evaluation of the counter-party.   Arrow had approximately $3.0 million of standby letters of credit on June 30, 2005, most of which will expire within one year and some of which were not collateralized.  At that date, all the letters of credit were for private borrowing arrangements.  The fair value of the Arrow’s standby letters of credit at June 30, 2005 was insignificant.


6.   Retirement Plans (In Thousands)


The following table provides the components of net periodic benefit costs for the three months ended June 30:


 

Pension

Benefits

Postretirement

Benefits

 

2005

2004

2005

2004

Service Cost

$465 

$246 

$ 46 

$ 44 

Interest Cost

639 

346 

115 

97 

Expected Return on Plan Assets

(963)

(527)

--- 

--- 

Amortization of Prior Service Cost (Credit)

(57)

32 

(6)

(17)

Amortization of Transition Obligation

--- 

--- 

26 

10 

Amortization of Net Loss (Gain)

  150 

   16 

   42 

   46 

  Net Periodic Benefit Cost

$234 

$113 

$223 

$180 

     


The following table provides the components of net periodic benefit costs for the six months ended June 30:


 

Pension

Benefits

Postretirement

Benefits

 

2005

2004

2005

2004

Service Cost

$  797 

$  492 

$ 89 

$ 88 

Interest Cost

1,095 

692 

221 

194 

Expected Return on Plan Assets

(1,651)

(1,054)

--- 

--- 

Amortization of Prior Service Cost (Credit)

(97)

64 

(11)

(34)

Amortization of Transition Obligation

--- 

--- 

50 

20 

Amortization of Net Loss (Gain)

    257 

      32 

   81 

   92 

  Net Periodic Benefit Cost

$  401 

$  226 

$430 

$360 

     


We previously disclosed in our financial statements for the year ended December 31, 2004 that we do not expect to make a contribution to the qualified defined benefit pension plan during 2005.  However, we recently determined that it was appropriate to contribute approximately $792 thousand to the plan, the maximum actuarially recommended contribution for the 2005 plan year.


In December 2003, the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 (the Act) became law in the United States, however, final regulations were not issued until January 2005.  The Act introduced a prescription drug benefit under Medicare as well as a federal subsidy to sponsors of retiree health care benefit plans that provide a benefit that is at least actuarially equivalent to Medicare Part D under the Act.  The measures of the accumulated non-pension postretirement benefit obligation and net periodic non-pension postretirement benefit cost do not reflect any amount associated with the subsidy at June 30, 2005, because we were unable to conclude whether the benefits provided by the plan are actuarially equivalent to Medicare Part D under the Act.




10






7.   Recently Issued Accounting Pronouncements


In January 2003, the FASB issued FASB Interpretation No. 46 (“FIN 46”), “Consolidation of Variable Interest Entities”.  The objective of this interpretation was to provide guidance on how to identify a variable interest entity (“VIE”) and determine when the assets, liabilities, non-controlling interests, and results of operations of a VIE need to be included in a company’s consolidated financial statements.  FIN 46 was effective for all VIE’s created after January 31, 2003.  However, the FASB postponed that effective date to December 31, 2003.  In December 2003, the FASB issued a revised FIN 46 (FIN 46 R), which further delayed this effective date until March 31, 2004 for VIE’s created prior to February 1, 2003, except for special purpose entities, which were required to adopt either FIN 46 or FIN 46 R as of December 31, 2003.  The requirements of FIN 46 R resulted in the deconsolidation of our wholly-owned subsidiary trusts, formed to issue redeemable preferred securities (“trust preferred securities”) to the public, the proceeds of which are used by the trust to acquire subordinated debt of Arrow.  Under final rules issued February 28, 2005 by the Federal Reserve Board, trust preferred securities may continue to qualify as Tier 1 capital for bank regulatory purposes, in an amount not to exceed 25% of Tier 1 capital.  The final rule limits restricted core capital elements to a percentage of the sum of core capital elements, net of goodwill less any associated deferred tax liability.  We have issued trust preferred securities in 2003 and 2004 totaling $20 million.  Up to half of total capital may consist of so-called "Tier 2" capital, comprising a limited amount of subordinated debt, preferred stock not qualifying as Tier 1 capital, certain other instruments and a limited amount of the allowance for loan losses.


Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm


The Board of Directors and Shareholders

Arrow Financial Corporation:


We have reviewed the condensed consolidated balance sheet of Arrow Financial Corporation and subsidiaries (the “Company”) as of June 30, 2005, the related condensed consolidated statements of income for the three-month and six month periods ended June 30, 2005 and 2004, and the related condensed consolidated statements of changes in shareholders’ equity and cash flows for the six-month periods ended June 30, 2005 and 2004.  These consolidated financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management.


We conducted our reviews in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States).  A review of interim financial information consists principally of applying analytical procedures and making inquiries of persons responsible for financial and accounting matters.  It is substantially less in scope than an audit conducted in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the objective of which is the expression of an opinion regarding the financial statements taken as a whole.  Accordingly, we do not express such an opinion.


Based on our reviews, we are not aware of any material modifications that should be made to the consolidated financial statements referred to above for them to be in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.


We have previously audited, in accordance with standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States), the consolidated balance sheet of Arrow Financial Corporation and subsidiaries as of December 31, 2004, and the related consolidated statements of income, changes in shareholders’ equity and cash flows for the year then ended (not presented herein); and in our report dated March 7, 2005, we expressed an unqualified opinion on those consolidated financial statements.  In our opinion, the information set forth in the accompanying consolidated balance sheet as of December 31, 2004, is fairly stated, in all material respects, in relation to the consolidated balance sheet from which it has been derived.




/s/ KPMG LLP



Albany, New York

August 9, 2005






11






Item 2.

ARROW FINANCIAL CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF

FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

JUNE 30, 2005


Note on Terminology - In this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q, the terms “Arrow,” “the registrant,” “we,” “us,” and “our” generally refer to Arrow Financial Corporation and its subsidiaries, as a group, except where the context indicates otherwise.  Arrow is a two-bank holding company headquartered in Glens Falls, New York.  Our banking subsidiaries are Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Company whose main office is located in Glens Falls, New York, and Saratoga National Bank and Trust Company whose main office is located in Saratoga Springs, New York.


At certain points in this Report, our performance is compared with that of our “peer group” of financial institutions.  Peer data has been obtained from the Federal Reserve Board’s March 2005 “Bank Holding Company Performance Report.”  Unless otherwise specifically stated, our peer group is comprised of the group of the 214 domestic bank holding companies identified in that report having from $1 to $3 billion in total consolidated assets.


Forward Looking Statements - The information contained in this Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q contains statements that are not historical in nature but rather are based on our beliefs, assumptions, expectations, estimates and projections about the future.  These statements are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, and involve a degree of uncertainty and attendant risk.  Words such as “expects,” “believes,” “anticipates,” “estimates” and variations of such words and similar expressions often identify such forward-looking statements.  Some of these statements, such as those included in the interest rate sensitivity analysis in Item 3, entitled “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk,” are merely presentations of what future performance or changes in future performance would look like based on hypothetical assumptions and on simulation models.  Other forward-looking statements are based on our general perceptions of market conditions and trends in activity, both locally and nationally, as well as current management strategies for future operations and development.


Certain forward-looking statements in this Report are referenced in the table below:


Topic

Page

Location

Impact of changing interest rates

22

Last paragraph

 

25

First paragraph

 

25

Last paragraph

 

37

Fifth paragraph

Impact of competition for indirect loans

24

Third paragraph

Expected demand for residential real estate loans

24

Fourth paragraph

Liquidity

29

Last paragraph


These statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks and uncertainties that are difficult to quantify or, in some cases, to identify.  In the case of all forward-looking statements, actual outcomes and results may differ materially from what the statements predict or forecast.  


Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to, unexpected changes in economic and market conditions, including unanticipated fluctuations in interest rates or consumer spending; new developments in state and federal regulation; enhanced competition from unforeseen sources; new emerging technologies; unexpected loss of key personnel; unanticipated market or business opportunities; and similar uncertainties inherent in banking operations or business generally.  Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on these forward-looking statements, which speak only as of the date hereof.  We undertake no obligation to revise or update these forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events.  This Quarterly Report should be read in conjunction with our Annual Report on Form 10-K for December 31, 2004.




12






USE OF NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES


The Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has adopted Regulation G, which applies to all public disclosures, including earnings releases, made by registered companies that contain “non-GAAP financial measures.”  GAAP is generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America.  Under Regulation G, companies making such disclosures must also disclose, along with the each GAAP financial measure, certain additional information, including a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measures to the closest comparable GAAP financial measures and a statement of the company’s reasons for utilizing the non-GAAP financial measure as part of its financial disclosures.  At the same time that the SEC issued Regulation G, it also made amendments to Item 10 of Regulation S-K, requiring companies to make the same types of supplemental disclosures whenever they include non-GAAP financial measures in their filings with the SEC.  The SEC has exempted from the definition of “non-GAAP financial measures” certain specific types of commonly used financial measures that are not based on GAAP.  When these exempted measures are included in public disclosures or SEC filings, supplemental information is not required.  The following measures used in this Report which have not been specifically exempted by the SEC may nevertheless constitute "non-GAAP financial measures" within the meaning of the SEC's new rules, although we are unable to state with certainty that the SEC will so regard them.


Tax-Equivalent Net Interest Income and Net Interest Margin: Net interest income, as a component of the tabular presentation by financial institutions of Selected Financial Information regarding their recently completed operations, is commonly presented on a tax-equivalent basis.  That is, to the extent that some component of the institution's net interest income will be exempt from taxation (e.g., was received by the institution as a result of its holdings of state or municipal obligations), an amount equal to the tax benefit derived from that component is added back to the net interest income total.  This adjustment is considered helpful in comparing one financial institution's net interest income (pre-tax) to that of another institution, as each will have a different proportion of tax-exempt items in their portfolios.  Moreover, net interest income is itself a component of a second financial measure commonly used by financial institutions, net interest margin, which is the ratio of net interest income to average earning assets.  For purposes of this measure as well, tax-equivalent net interest income is generally used by financial institutions, again to provide a better basis of comparison from institution to institution.  We follow these practices.


The Efficiency Ratio: Financial institutions often use an "efficiency ratio" as a measure of expense control.  The efficiency ratio typically is defined as the ratio of noninterest expense to net interest income and noninterest income.  As in the case of net interest income generally, net interest income as utilized in calculating the efficiency ratio is typically expressed on a tax-equivalent basis.  Moreover, most financial institutions, in calculating the efficiency ratio, also adjust both noninterest expense and noninterest income to exclude from these items (as calculated under GAAP) certain component elements, such as intangible asset amortization (deducted from noninterest expense) and securities gains or losses (excluded from noninterest income).  We follow these practices.







13






OVERVIEW


Selected Quarterly Information:

(Dollars In Thousands, Except Per Share Amounts)

Share and Per Share amounts have been restated for the September 2004 3% stock dividend.


 

Jun 2005

Mar 2005

Dec 2004

Sep 2004

Jun 2004

Net Income

$4,680 

$4,430 

$4,948 

$4,968 

$4,698 

      

Transactions Recorded in Net Income (Net of Tax):

     

Net Securities Gains (Losses)

75 

38 

97 

(5)

--- 

Net Gains on Sales of Loans

13 

91 

43 

16 

      

Period End Shares Outstanding

10,123 

10,159 

10,196 

10,109 

10,120 

Basic Average Shares Outstanding

10,131 

10,192 

10,140 

10,108 

10,123 

Diluted Average Shares Outstanding

10,304 

10,398 

10,384 

10,342 

10,358 

Basic Earnings Per Share

.46 

.43 

.49 

.49 

.46 

Diluted Earnings Per Share

.45 

.43 

.48 

.48 

.45 

Cash Dividends

.23 

.23 

.23 

.22 

.22 

Stock Dividends/Splits

--- 

--- 

--- 

3% 

--- 

      

Average Assets

$1,450,237 

$1,396,720 

$1,389,030 

$1,387,233 

$1,396,678 

Average Equity

116,880 

117,854 

115,287 

110,619 

109,416 

Return on Average Assets, annualized

1.29%

1.29%

1.42%

1.42%

1.35%

Return on Average Equity, annualized

16.06   

15.24   

17.07   

17.87   

17.27   

      

Average Earning Assets

$1,378,822 

$1,328,106 

$1,318,540 

$1,317,910 

$1,329,145 

Average Paying Liabilities

1,144,577 

1,103,276 

1,088,995 

1,086,762 

1,111,544 

Interest Income, Tax-Equivalent 1

18,398 

17,480 

17,672 

17,670 

17,717 

Interest Expense

5,621 

5,063 

4,721 

4,536 

4,951 

Net Interest Income, Tax-Equivalent 1

12,777 

12,417 

12,951 

13,134 

12,766 

Tax-Equivalent Adjustment

622 

613 

631 

632 

655 

Net Interest Margin 1


3.72% 

3.79% 

3.91% 

3.96% 

3.86% 


Efficiency Ratio Calculation 1

     

Noninterest Expense

$  9,175 

$  8,485 

$  8,383 

$  8,290 

$  8,173 

Less: Intangible Asset Amortization

      (122)

        (20)

        (14)

         (9)

         (9)

   Net Noninterest Expense 1

$  9,053 

$  8,465 

$  8,369 

$  8,281 

$  8,164 

Net Interest Income, Tax-Equivalent

$12,777 

$12,417 

$12,951 

$13,134 

$12,766 

Noninterest Income

3,882 

3,294 

3,568 

3,266 

3,135 

Less Net Securities Gains or Losses

      (125)

        (64)

     (161)

          9 

         --- 

   Net Gross Income, Adjusted 1

$16,534 

$15,647 

$16,358 

$16,409 

$15,901 

Efficiency Ratio 1

54.75% 

54.10% 

51.16% 

50.47% 

51.34% 


Period-End Capital Information:

     

Tier 1 Leverage Ratio

8.54% 

9.07% 

9.23% 

8.62% 

8.40% 

Total Shareholders’ Equity (i.e. Book Value)

$117,867 

$115,773 

$118,034 

$113,151 

$108,240 

Book Value per Share

11.64 

11.40 

11.58 

11.19 

10.70 

Intangible Assets

17,461 

11,682 

11,736 

9,478 

9,476 

Tangible Book Value per Share

9.92 

10.25 

10.43 

10.26 

9.76 




14






Selected Quarterly Information, Continued:


 

Jun 2005

Mar 2005

Dec 2004

Sep 2004

Jun 2004

Mar 2004

Dec 2004

Sep 2004

Jun 2004

Net Loans Charged-off as a

  Percentage of Average Loans, Annualized

.04%

.09%

.13%

.06%

.09%

.10%

.08%

.07%

.13%

Provision for Loan Losses as a

  Percentage of Average Loans, Annualized

 .08   

 .11   

 .13   

 .09   

 .12   

 .13

 .11

 .19

 .19

Allowance for Loan Losses as a

  Percentage of Period-end Loans

1.28   

1.34   

1.38   

1.37   

1.38   

1.39

1.38

1.36

1.36

Allowance for Loan Losses as a

  Percentage of Nonperforming Loans

620.79   

652.13   

571.18   

382.73   

471.22   

550.72   

427.37

544.24

578.50

Nonperforming Loans as a

  Percentage of Period-end Loans

 .21   

 .21   

 .24   

 .36   

 .29   

 .25

 .29

 .25

 .23

Nonperforming Assets as a

  Percentage of Period-end Total Assets

 .14   

 .15   

 .16   

 .24   

 .20   

 .16

 .20

 .17

 .17


1 See “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” on page 13.



Selected Six-Month Period Information:

(Dollars In Thousands, Except Per Share Amounts)

Share and Per Share amounts have been restated for the September 2004 3% stock dividend.


    

Jun 2005

Jun 2004

Net Income

   

$9,110

$9,563

      

Transactions Recorded in Net Income (Net of Tax):

     

Net Securities Gains

   

  114

  126

Net Gains on Sales of Loans

   

16

68

Net Gains on the Sale of Other Real Estate Owned

   

5

---

Recovery Related to Former Vermont Operations

   

----

46

      

Period End Shares Outstanding

   

10,123

10,120

Basic Average Shares Outstanding

   

10,160

10,120

Diluted Average Shares Outstanding

   

10,348

10,358

Basic Earnings Per Share

   

.90  

.94

Diluted Earnings Per Share

   

.88  

.92  

Cash Dividends

   

.46  

.44  

      

Average Assets

   

$1,423,626

$1,387,715

Average Equity

   

117,364

109,147

Return on Average Assets

   

1.29%

1.39%

Return on Average Equity

   

15.65   

17.62   

      

Average Earning Assets

   

$1,353,604

$1,319,958

Average Paying Liabilities

   

1,124,040

1,106,044

Interest Income, Tax-Equivalent 1

   

35,878

35,655

Interest Expense

   

10,684

9,949

Net Interest Income, Tax-Equivalent 1

   

25,194

25,706

Tax-Equivalent Adjustment

   

1,235

1,291

Net Interest Margin 1


   

3.75%

3.92%


Efficiency Ratio Calculation 1

     

Noninterest Expense

   

$17,660

$16,299

Less: Intangible Asset Amortization

   

     (142)

       (18)

   Net Noninterest Expense 1

   

 17,518

 16,281

Net Interest Income, Tax-Equivalent

   

25,194

25,706

Noninterest Income

   

6,293

6,359

Less Net Securities Gains or Losses

   

     (189)

     (210)

   Net Gross Income, Adjusted 1

   

 31,298

 31,855

Efficiency Ratio 1

   

55.97%

51.11%




15






Selected Six-Month Period Information, Continued:


    

Jun 2005

Jun 2004


Tier 1 Leverage Ratio

   

8.54%

8.40%

Total Shareholders’ Equity (i.e. Book Value)

   

$117,867

$108,240

Book Value per Share

   

11.64

10.70

Intangible Assets

   

17,461

9,476

Tangible Book Value per Share

   

9.92

9.76

      

Net Loans Charged-off as a

  Percentage of Average Loans, Annualized

   

.06%

.09%

Provision for Loan Losses as a

  Percentage of Average Loans, Annualized

   

 .09

 .13

Allowance for Loan Losses as a

  Percentage of Period-end Loans

   

1.28

1.38

Allowance for Loan Losses as a

  Percentage of Nonperforming Loans

   

620.79

471.22

Nonperforming Loans as a

  Percentage  of Period-end Loans

   

 .21

 .29

Nonperforming Assets as a

  Percentage of Period-end Total Assets

   

 .14

 .20


1 See “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” on page 13.



16






Average Consolidated Balance Sheets and Net Interest Income Analysis

(see “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” on page 13)

(Fully Taxable Basis using a marginal tax rate of 35%)

(Dollars In Thousands)


Quarter Ended June 30,

2005

2004

  

Interest

Rate

 

Interest

Rate

 

Average

Income/

Earned/

Average

Income/

Earned/

 

Balance

Expense

Paid

Balance

Expense

Paid

Federal Funds Sold

$   5,082

$      35

2.76%

$   18,516

$      42

0.91%

       

Securities Available-for-Sale:

      

  Taxable

323,146

 3,404

4.231  

333,637

 3,410

4.111  

  Non-Taxable

 11,267

   136

4.84  

 11,354

   134

4.75  

Securities Held-to-Maturity:

      

  Taxable

    397

 3

3.03  

    274

 4

5.87  

  Non-Taxable

111,706

1,497

5.38  

105,462

1,515

5.78  

       

Loans

   927,224

 13,323

5.76  

   859,902

 12,612

5.90  

       

  Total Earning Assets

1,378,822

 18,398

5.35  

1,329,145

 17,717

5.36  

       

Allowance For Loan Losses

(12,102)

  

(11,933)

  

Cash and Due From Banks

35,705

  

35,209

  

Other Assets

       47,812

  

       44,257

  

  Total Assets

$1,450,237

  

$1,396,678

  
       

Deposits:

      

 Interest-Bearing  NOW Deposits

$  317,774

834

1.05  

$  372,472

1,119

1.21  

 Regular and Money  Market Savings

305,338

  617

0.81  

289,340

  470

0.65  

 Time Deposits of  $100,000 or More

137,875

  975

2.84  

 65,411

  345

2.12  

 Other Time Deposits

  194,692

  1,336

2.75  

  176,405

  1,082

2.47  

   Total Interest-Bearing Deposits

955,679

 3,762

1.58  

903,628

 3,016

1.34  

 

      

Short-Term Borrowings

 34,557

  206

2.39  

 42,696

   71

0.67  

Long-Term Debt

   154,341

  1,653

4.30  

   165,220

  1,864

4.54  

  Total Interest-Bearing Liabilities

1,144,577

  5,621

1.97  

1,111,544

  4,951

1.79  

       

Demand Deposits

173,194

  

160,184

  

Other Liabilities

      15,586

  

      15,534

  

  Total Liabilities

1,333,357

  

1,287,262

  

Shareholders’ Equity

    116,880

  

    109,416

  

  Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity

$1,450,237

  

$1,396,678

  
       

Net Interest Income (Fully Taxable Basis)

 

12,777

  

12,766

 

Net Interest Spread

  

3.38

  

3.57

Net Interest Margin

  

3.72

  

3.86

       

Reversal of Tax-Equivalent Adjustment

 

     (622)

(.18)

 

     (655)

(.20)

Net Interest Income, As Reported

 

$12,155

  

$12,111

 



17






Average Consolidated Balance Sheets and Net Interest Income Analysis

(see “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures” on page 13)

(Fully Taxable Basis using a marginal tax rate of 35%)

(Dollars In Thousands)


Six Months Ended June 30,

2005

2004

  

Interest

Rate

 

Interest

Rate

 

Average

Income/

Earned/

Average

Income/

Earned/

 

Balance

Expense

Paid

Balance

Expense

Paid

Federal Funds Sold

$     3,340

$      44

2.66%

$     13,634

$      62

0.91%

       

Securities Available-for-Sale:

      

  Taxable

324,138

 6,758

4.201  

330,378

 6,871

4.181  

  Non-Taxable

 10,012

   242

4.87  

 11,782

   275

4.69  

Securities Held-to-Maturity:

      

  Taxable

    402

 8

4.01  

    285

 8

5.64  

  Non-Taxable

110,637

2,963

5.40  

105,684

2,980

5.67  

       

Loans

     905,075

 25,863

5.76  

     858,195

 25,459

5.97  

       

  Total Earning Assets

1,353,604

 35,878

5.35  

1,319,958

 35,655

5.43  

       

Allowance For Loan Losses

(12,074)

  

(11,898)

  

Cash and Due From Banks

35,500

  

34,642

  

Other Assets

       46,596

  

       45,013

  

  Total Assets

$1,423,626

  

$1,387,715

  
       

Deposits:

      

 Interest-Bearing  NOW Deposits

$   311,095

1,528

0.99  

$   371,154

2,242

1.21  

 Regular and Money  Market Savings

296,674

1,154

0.78  

284,648

  917

0.65  

 Time Deposits of  $100,000 or More

123,557

1,666

2.72  

 66,161

  699

2.12  

 Other Time Deposits

   184,763

   2,441

2.66  

   178,805

   2,237

2.52  

   Total Interest-Bearing Deposits

916,089

 6,789

1.49  

900,768

 6,095

1.36  

 

      

Short-Term Borrowings

 41,846

  372

1.79  

 40,166

  128

0.64  

Long-Term Debt

   166,105

   3,523

4.28  

   165,110

   3,726

4.54  

  Total Interest-Bearing Liabilities

1,124,040

 10,684

1.92  

1,106,044

   9,949

1.81  

       

Demand Deposits

166,585

  

156,373

  

Other Liabilities

      15,637

  

      16,151

  

  Total Liabilities

1,306,262

  

1,278,568

  

Shareholders’ Equity

    117,364

  

    109,147

  

  Total Liabilities and Shareholders’ Equity

$1,423,626

  

$1,387,715

  
       

Net Interest Income (Fully Taxable Basis)

 

25,194

  

25,706

 

Net Interest Spread

  

3.43

  

3.62

Net Interest Margin

  

3.75

  

3.92

       

Reversal of Tax-Equivalent Adjustment

 

   (1,235)

(.18)

 

   (1,291)

(.20)

Net Interest Income, As Reported

 

$23,959

  

$24,415

 



18






OVERVIEW


We reported earnings of $4.680 million for the second quarter of 2005, a decrease of $18 thousand, or 0.4%, as compared to $4.698 million for the second quarter of 2004.  Diluted earnings per share were $.45 for both quarters.  Average shares outstanding were virtually the same for the two periods, representing the offsetting effect of our common stock repurchases against our issuances of common stock under our stock-based plans.  For the first six months of 2005 we reported earnings of $9.110 million, a decrease of $453 thousand, or 4.7%, as compared to $9.563 million for the first six months of 2004.  Diluted earnings per share were $.88 and $.92 for the respective 2005 and 2004 six-month periods.


Although our net earnings and earnings per share for the quarter were virtually unchanged from last year’s results and for the six-month period were down from last year’s results, total assets and total equity increased between the periods.  Thus returns on average assets and returns on average equity decreased between the periods.


The return on average assets for the second quarter of 2005 was 1.29%, compared to 1.35% for the second quarter of 2004, a decrease of 6 basis points, or 4.4%.  The return on average equity for the second quarter of 2005 was 16.06%, compared to 17.27% for the second quarter of 2004, a decrease of 121 basis points, or 7.0%.  For the first six months of 2005, the return on average assets was 1.29%, compared to 1.39% for the prior year period, a decrease of 10 basis points, or 7.2%.  The return on average equity for the first six months of 2005 was 15.65%, compared to 17.62% for the prior year period, a decrease of 197 basis points, or 11.2%.


The principal reason for the declining earnings ratios from the 2004 periods to the 2005 periods was the decrease in the net interest margin.  For the second quarter of 2005, the net interest margin was 3.72%, down 14 basis points, or 3.6%, from the 3.86% margin for the second quarter of 2004 and down 7 basis points, or 1.8%, from the first quarter of 2005.


Total assets were $1.45 billion at June 30, 2005, which represented an increase of $76.4 million, or 5.5%, from December 31, 2004, and an increase of $74.2 million, or 5.4%, above the level at June 30, 2004.


Total shareholders’ equity was $117.9 million at June 30, 2005 virtually unchanged from December 31, 2004.  This was the result of the offsetting impact of increases from retained earnings and stock issuances and decreases from repurchases of our common stock and unrealized losses in the available-for-sale securities portfolio.  Our risk-based capital ratios and Tier 1 leverage ratio continued to exceed regulatory minimum requirements at period-end.  At June 30, 2005 both our banks qualified as "well-capitalized" under federal bank guidelines.  Efficient utilization of capital remains a high priority of Arrow.


CHANGE IN FINANCIAL CONDITION


Summary of Selected Consolidated Balance Sheet Data

(Dollars in Thousands)



At Period-End

$ Change

$ Change

% Change

% Change

 

Jun 2005

Dec 2004

Jun 2004

From Dec

From Jun

From Dec

From Jun

Federal Funds Sold

$            --- 

$       7,000 

$           --- 

$(7,000)

$       --- 

(100.0)%

---%

Securities Available-for-Sale

 321,101 

 325,248 

 343,374 

(4,147)

(22,273)

(1.3)

(6.5)

Securities Held-to-Maturity

106,478 

108,117 

108,047 

(1,639)

(1,569)

(1.5)

(1.5)

Loans (1)

 952,938 

 875,311 

 866,127 

77,627 

86,811 

8.9

10.0

Allowance for Loan Losses

12,168 

12,046 

11,984 

122 

   184 

1.0

1.5

Earning Assets (1)

1,380,517 

1,315,676 

1,317,548 

64,841 

62,969 

4.9

4.8

Total Assets

$1,454,305 

$1,377,949 

$1,380,139 

$76,356 

$74,166 

5.5

5.4

        

Demand Deposits

$  178,708 

$  167,667 

$  167,768 

$11,041 

$10,940 

6.6

6.5

NOW, Regular Savings & Money

  Market Deposit Accounts

 612,543 

 607,820 

 634,195 

4,723 

(21,652)

0.8

(3.4)

Time Deposits of $100,000 or More

113,062 

85,906 

64,177 

27,156 

48,885 

31.6

76.2

Other Time Deposits

   200,925 

   170,887 

   171,527 

 30,038 

 29,398 

17.6

17.1

Total Deposits

1,105,238 

1,032,280 

1,037,667 

72,958 

67,571 

7.1

6.5

Short-Term Borrowings

  50,919 

  43,976 

  47,467 

6,943 

 3,452 

15.8

7.3

Federal Home Loan Bank Advances

145,000 

150,000 

157,500 

(5,000)

 (12,500)

(3.3)

(7.9)

Shareholders' Equity

$  117,867 

$  118,034 

$  108,240 

$   (167)

$  9,627 

(0.1)

8.9

(1) Includes Nonaccrual Loans



19






Branch Acquisition:  Our acquisition of three HSBC branches on April 8, 2005 included approximately $62 million in deposits balances and $8 million in loan balances.  The acquisition also resulted in an increase of $5.9 million in intangible assets.  Deposit balances at the branches through June 30, 2005 have stayed generally level.  Changes to our balance sheet, described in the next two paragraphs, include the impact of the branch acquisition.


Sources of Funds:  Deposit balances increased $73.0 million over the first six months of 2005 and were the primary source of our increase in sources of funds.  The combined balance of short-term borrowings and Federal Home Loan Bank (FHLB) advances increased slightly.  Municipal deposits are a significant segment of our deposit balances and represented 15.5% of total deposits at June 30, 2005.  Municipal deposits, which typically are at seasonal lows during the summer, nevertheless decreased by $14.7 million from June 30, 2004 to June 30, 2005.  This decrease was more than offset by increases in consumer and business deposit balances, which increased by $82.3 million from June 30, 2004 to June 30, 2005.  During the first six months of 2005, federal funds sold and investment securities were actually a source of funds, as the combination of sales, maturities and amortization of mortgage-backed securities offset purchases of new securities by approximately $12.7 million.


Deployment of Funds into Earning Assets:  The primary use of our increased sources of funds, cited above, from December 31, 2004 to June 30, 2005 was to fund a $77.6 net increase in the loan portfolio.  Over half of the increase ($39.4 million) was in our largest loan segment, indirect consumer loans (principally automobile financing).  However, we also experienced increases in all our other loan segments: commercial, residential real estate and other consumer lending.


Deposit Trends


The following two tables provide information on trends in the balance and mix of our deposit portfolio by presenting, for each of the last five quarters, the quarterly average balances by deposit type and the percentage of total deposits represented by each deposit type.


Quarterly Average Deposit Balances

(Dollars in Thousands)


  

Quarter Ending

  

Jun 2005

Mar 2005

Dec 2004

Sep 2004

Jun 2004

Demand Deposits

 

$   173,194

$   159,903

$   166,433

$   172,793

$   160,184

Interest-Bearing Demand Deposits

 

317,774

304,344

348,795

309,544

372,472

Regular and Money Market Savings

 

305,338

287,914

293,883

298,104

289,340

Time Deposits of $100,000 or More

 

137,875

109,080

 73,775

 71,558

 65,411

Other Time Deposits

 

     194,692

     174,722

     170,857

     171,166

     176,405

  Total Deposits

 

$1,128,873

$1,035,963

$1,053,743

$1,023,165

$1,063,812


Percentage of Average Quarterly Deposits

  

Quarter Ending

  

Jun 2005

Mar 2005

Dec 2004

Sep 2004

Jun 2004

Demand Deposits

 

15.3%

15.4%

15.8%

16.9%

15.1%

Interest-Bearing Demand Deposits

 

28.1   

29.4   

33.1   

30.3   

35.0   

Regular and Money Market Savings

 

27.1   

27.8   

27.9   

29.1   

27.2   

Time Deposits of $100,000 or More

 

12.2   

10.5   

7.0   

7.0   

6.1   

Other Time Deposits

 

  17.3   

  16.9   

  16.2   

  16.7   

  16.6   

  Total Deposits

 

100.0%

100.0%

100.0%

100.0%

100.0%


For a variety of reasons, including the seasonality of municipal deposits noted above, we typically experience little net deposit growth in the first quarter of the year, but more significant growth in the second quarter.  Average deposit balances followed this pattern for the first two quarters of 2005.  The average balance of deposits actually decreased from the fourth quarter of 2004 to the first quarter of 2005, but all categories of deposits (except regular and money market savings) experienced growth in the second quarter of 2005 above first quarter balances, including balances acquired in the branch acquisition.




20






During the uninterrupted period of declining interest rates from May 2000 through the first half of 2004, we experienced a trend (typical for financial institutions) where maturing time deposits are transferred to non-maturity transaction accounts.  This period of declining rates ended in June 2004 as the Federal Reserve initiated a series of nine 25 basis point increases in prevailing rates extending through June 2005.  As a result of this rising rate environment we began to experience a reversal of the prior trend in deposit account migration as our customers, including municipal accounts, started to transfer some of their non-maturity balances back into time deposits.  At June 30, 2005 time deposits represented 28.4% of total deposits, up from 22.7% at June 30, 2004.  This higher percentage was still well below the ratio of 41.0% at June 30, 2000.


In addition to the branches acquired in April 2005, we opened a new branch in Queensbury, New York in June 2004.  Otherwise, the increase in deposits between the two periods was achieved through our existing base of branches.  We have no brokered deposits.


Quarterly Average Rate Paid on Deposits

  

Quarter Ending

  

Jun 2005

Mar 2005

Dec 2004

Sep 2004

Jun 2004

Demand Deposits

 

---%

---%

---%

---%

---%

Interest-Bearing Demand Deposits

 

1.05

0.92

0.96

0.80

1.21

Regular and Money Market Savings

 

0.81

0.76

0.73

0.68

0.65

Time Deposits of $100,000 or More

 

2.84

2.57

2.25

2.15

2.12

Other Time Deposits

 

2.75

2.56

2.46

2.34

2.47

  Total Deposits

 

1.34

1.19

1.08

0.98

1.14


Key Interest Rate Changes 1999 – 2005

 

Federal

 

Date

Funds Rate

Prime Rate

June 30, 2005

3.25%

6.25%

May 3, 2005

3.00

6.00

March 22, 2005

2.75

5.75

February 2, 2005

2.50

5.50

December 14, 2004

2.25

5.25

November 10, 2004

2.00

5.00

September 21, 2004

1.75

4.75

August 10, 2004

1.50

4.50

June 30, 2004

1.25

4.25

June 25, 2003

1.00

4.00

November 6, 2002

1.25

4.25

December 11, 2001

1.75

4.75

November 6, 2001

2.00

5.00

October 2, 2001

2.50

5.50

September 17, 2001

3.00

6.00

August 21, 2001

3.50

6.50

June 27, 2001

3.75

6.75

May 15, 2001

4.00

7.00

April 18, 2001

4.50

7.50

March 20, 2001

5.00

8.00

January 31, 2001

5.50

8.50

January 3, 2001

6.00

9.00

May 16, 2000

6.50

9.50

March 21, 2000

6.00

9.00

February 2, 2000

5.75

8.75

November 16, 1999

5.50

8.50

August 25, 1999

5.25

8.25

June 30, 1999

5.00

8.00


Our net interest income has traditionally been sensitive to and impacted by changes in prevailing market interest rates, due to the fact that our deposit liabilities tend to reprice more rapidly than our earning assets.  Thus generally there has been a negative correlation between changes in interest rates particularly during periods when interest rates begin to change direction, and our net interest income in immediately ensuing periods.  When interest rates begin to decline, net interest income has increased in ensuing periods, and vice versa.  As indicated in the preceding table, prevailing interest rates economy-wide increased in the second half of 1999 and throughout 2000, following a long period of flat or slowly-declining prevailing interest rates.  The 1999 rate hikes had a moderately negative impact on financial results for 1999, as we experienced decreases in net interest spread and net interest margin.  However, the full negative impact of rising rates was felt more sharply in 2000, when the decrease in net interest margin due to rising rates was significant.



21






In the first quarter of 2001, after an extended period of stable interest rates and six months of moderate rate increases, the Federal Reserve Board reversed direction and began decreasing short-term interest rates rapidly and significantly in response to perceived weakening in the economy.  By December 2001, the total decrease in prevailing short-term interest rates for the year was 425 basis points.  In the first eleven months of 2002, there were no rate changes, but the Federal Reserve Board then decreased rates another 50 basis points in November 2002.  As a result of this rapid and substantial rate decrease, we experienced a decrease in the cost of deposits not only in of 2001, but for the next three years as well, although the Federal Reserve did not reduce short-term rates again until June 2004.  Yet although our deposit rates began to decrease in the first quarter of 2001, we did not experience a decrease in the average yield in our loan portfolio until the second quarter of 2001.  Yields on our loan portfolio then continued to decrease through the remainder of 2001 and for the next three years, and into 2005.  See the “Loan Trends” section in this Report beginning on page 23, for a more complete analysis of yield trends in the loan portfolio.


During 2003 and the first half of 2004, the effect of the Federal Reserve’s rate decreases on our deposit rates began to diminish, because rates on several of our deposit products, such as savings and NOW accounts, were already priced at such low levels that further significant decreases in the rates for such products was not practical or sustainable.  Yields on our loan portfolio, however, continued to fall significantly in 2003 and 2004, putting serious pressure on the net interest margin.  Thus the decreasing rate environment initially had a positive impact on net interest income during 2001 and 2002, as net interest margins increased both years, but in 2003 and into 2004, impact turned negative, as yields on earning assets decreased more rapidly than rates paid on paying liabilities, and net interest margin began to shrink.


The net interest margin for the full year of 2003 was 4.05%, a decrease of 45 basis points, or 10.0%, from the prior year.  During 2003 the yields on earning assets fell 91 basis points, while the cost of paying liabilities fell only 57 basis points.  The net interest margin for the first quarter of 2004 was 3.97%, an increase of 2 basis points from the net interest margin for the fourth quarter of 2003, as both the yields on average earning assets and the cost of paying liabilities decreased slightly from the fourth quarter of 2003.  However, the narrowing of the net interest margin resumed in the second quarter of 2004 as it decreased 11 basis points from the net interest margin for the first quarter of 2004.  Yields on average earning assets decreased 14 basis points from the first quarter, while the cost of paying liabilities only decreased 4 basis points.


In the second quarter of 2004, the Federal Reserve reversed direction and began to increase prevailing rates with five successive 25 basis point increases in the federal funds rate in the remainder of 2004 and four more such increases in 2005.  This change in direction did not immediately impact either our cost of paying liabilities or our yield on earning assets, both because of normal time-lag in the responsiveness of our rates to Federal Reserve actions and for reasons unique to our portfolios.  The change in the mix of our total deposits in the third quarter of 2004, reflecting our decision to de-emphasize certain high cost municipal deposits, resulted in a reduced average rate paid on deposits during the quarter, with a resulting positive impact on net interest margin, which increased by 10 basis points to 3.96% from the second quarter.  The cost of all NOW accounts fell from 1.21% for the second quarter to .80% for the third quarter.  The yield on earning assets, meanwhile, only decreased 3 basis points from the prior quarter.  By the fourth quarter of 2004, the increases in the target federal funds rate started to have the expected impact on our net interest margin.  Rates paid on new time deposits began to exceed the rates on maturing time deposits.  Thus our net interest margin for the fourth quarter of 2004 decreased by 5 basis points from the third quarter to 3.91%.  Meanwhile, there was very little change in rates earned on average earning assets from the third quarter to the fourth quarter.  The decrease in net interest margin was primarily due to the fact that, in the aggregate, the cost of deposits and other borrowed funds was increasing faster than rates on earning assets.


During the first two quarters of 2005 the Federal Reserve made four more 25 basis point increases in prevailing rates.  We have been slow to increase rates on our non-maturity deposit products, but we did increase rates paid on time deposits in response to the Federal Reserve’s actions.  Maturing time deposits, therefore, began to reprice at higher rates. As noted above, we also began to experience a significant shift from non-maturity deposits to time deposits.  The costs of total deposits increased 11 basis points during the first quarter, to 1.19% from 1.08% from the fourth quarter of 2004, and another 15 basis points in the second quarter of 2005 to 1.34%.  Meanwhile, the taxable equivalent yield on our loan portfolio lagged behind our deposit rate movement; yields decreased 3 basis points from the fourth quarter of 2004 to the first quarter of 2005, and stayed flat at 5.76% for the second quarter of 2005.


In both rising and falling rate environments, we face significant competitive pricing pressures in our marketplace for both deposits and loans, and thus ultimately both assets and liabilities may be expected to reprice proportionately in response to changes in market rates.



22






Non-Deposit Sources of Funds


We have borrowed funds from the Federal Home Loan Bank ("FHLB") under a variety of programs, including fixed and variable rate short-term borrowings and borrowings in the form of "convertible advances."  These convertible advances have original maturities of 2 to 10 years and are callable by the FHLB at certain dates beginning no earlier than one year from the issuance date.  If the advances are called, we may elect to receive replacement advances from the FHLB at the then prevailing FHLB rates of interest.  At June 30, 2005 these advances included $35 million of overnight borrowings.


In each of 2004 and 2003 we privately placed $10 million of capital securities issued by subsidiary Delaware business trusts specifically formed for the purpose of facilitating such funding.  The proceeds of the offering of the trust’s securities are invested in a like amount of subordinated debentures used by our holding company.  The securities are reflected as “Junior Subordinated Obligations Issued to Unconsolidated Subsidiary Trusts” on our consolidated balance sheet as of June 30, 2005.  The securities have certain features that make them an attractive funding vehicle, principally their status as qualifying regulatory capital.  Under final rules issued February 28, 2005 by the Federal Reserve, trust preferred securities may qualify as Tier 1 capital, in an amount not to exceed 25% of Tier 1 capital, net of goodwill less any associated deferred tax liability.  Both of our issues qualify as regulatory capital under capital adequacy guidelines discussed below.  However, both issues of trust preferred securities are subject to early redemption by us if the proceeds cease to qualify as Tier 1 capital of Arrow, which would only happen if bank regulatory authorities were to reverse their current position that trust preferred securities issued by subsidiaries of bank holding companies, up to certain threshold levels, qualify for such treatment.


Loan Trends


The following two tables present, for each of the last five quarters, the quarterly average balances by loan type and the percentage of total loans represented by each loan type.


Quarterly Average Loan Balances

(Dollars in Thousands)

  

Quarter Ending

  

Jun 2005

Mar 2005

Dec 2004

Sep 2004

Jun 2004

Commercial and Commercial Real Estate

 

$219,560

$210,373

$205,016

$202,967

$200,235

Residential Real Estate

 

286,680

280,735

281,939

284,273

280,636

Home Equity

 

 50,027

 45,598

 44,774

 43,041

 40,500

Indirect Consumer Loans

 

328,487

306,794

305,953

305,746

301,972

Other Consumer Loans 1

 

    42,470

    39,181

    38,934

    37,542

    36,559

 Total Loans

 

$927,224

$882,681

$876,616

$873,569

$859,902


Percentage of Quarterly Average Loans

  

Quarter Ending

  

Jun 2005

Mar 2005

Dec 2004

Sep 2004

Jun 2004

Commercial and Commercial Real Estate

 

23.7%

23.8%

23.4%

23.2%

23.3%

Residential Real Estate

 

30.9   

31.8   

32.2   

32.6   

32.6   

Home Equity

 

5.4   

5.2   

5.1   

4.9   

4.7   

Indirect Consumer Loans

 

35.4   

34.8   

34.9   

35.0   

35.1   

Other Consumer Loans

 

    4.6   

    4.4   

    4.4   

    4.3   

    4.3   

 Total Loans

 

100.0%

100.0%

100.0%

100.0%

100.0%


1 Other Consumer Loans includes certain home improvement loans, secured by mortgages, in this table of average loan balances.



23






Indirect Loans: For several years preceding the third quarter of 2001, the indirect consumer loan portfolio (consisting principally of auto loans financed through local dealerships where we acquire the dealer paper) was the fastest growing segment of our loan portfolio, both in terms of absolute dollar amount and as a percentage of the overall portfolio.  Over the subsequent quarters, this segment of the portfolio, while remaining the largest in total outstanding balances, ceased to grow in absolute terms and decreased as a percentage of the overall portfolio.  This flattening out of indirect loan totals was largely the result of aggressive campaigns of zero rate and other subsidized financing by auto manufacturers, commencing in the fall of 2001.  During the fourth quarter of 2002, and for the first two quarters of 2003, the indirect portfolio experienced a small amount of growth as we became more rate competitive, but the level of indirect loans was flat for the third quarter of 2003 and decreased by $11.9 million during the fourth quarter of 2003.  During the first half of 2004 indirect loan balances continued to decline, and then rose slightly during the second half of the year.  


During the first quarter of 2005, we experienced an increase in indirect loans, which did not have a large impact on the average balance (an $841 thousand increase from the prior quarter), but the balance at period-end reached $312.9 million due to significant demand in the last month of the quarter.  We continued to experience strong demand for indirect loans throughout the second quarter of 2005, for a variety of factors, including modifications by the automobile manufacturers of their subsidized financing programs.  The average balances increased by $21.7 million, or 7.1%, from the first quarter 2005 average balance.


Indirect loans still represent the largest category of loans (35.4%) in our portfolio, and any developments threatening our indirect loan business generally may be expected to have a negative impact on our financial performance.  If auto manufacturers continue or resume their heavily subsidized financing programs, our indirect loan portfolio is likely to continue to experience rate pressure and limited, if any, overall growth.


Residential Real Estate Loans: Residential real estate loans represented the second largest segment of our loan portfolio at June 30, 2005, at 30.9% of loans at period-end.  This segment of our portfolio increased by $14.3 million from year-end 2003 to 2004, despite the fact that we sold (with servicing retained) $15.4 million of low-rate fixed rate mortgages during 2004.  To date in 2005, we have retained nearly all residential real estate loans originated.  In the first quarter of 2005, these originations were not able to keep up with principal amortization and payoffs resulting in a net decrease in the average balance from the fourth quarter of 2004.  However, demand increased during the second quarter of 2005 and the average balance increased by $5.9 million, or 2.1%, from the average first quarter balance.  Residential mortgage demand has remained moderate during 2004 and into 2005 and we expect that, if we continue to retain all or most originations, we will be able to maintain the level of residential real estate loans and may experience some continued growth.


Commercial and Commercial Real Estate Loans: We have experienced strong to moderate demand for commercial loans in recent periods, a trend that has persisted for several years.  Commercial and commercial real estate loans have grown each year for the past five years, both in dollar amount and as a percentage of the overall loan portfolio.  These loans represented the fastest growing segment in our loan portfolio for the first quarter of 2005.  The average balance of commercial and commercial real estate loans increased $9.2 million, or 4.4%, from the first quarter of 2005 to the second quarter of 2005.


Quarterly Taxable Equivalent Yield on Loans

  

Quarter Ending

  

Jun 2005

Mar 2005

Dec 2004

Sep 2004

Jun 2004

Commercial and Commercial Real Estate

 

6.52%

6.36%

6.51%

6.24%

6.14%

Residential Real Estate

 

5.93   

6.01   

5.93   

5.98   

6.08   

Home Equity

 

5.24   

4.87   

4.53   

4.33   

4.20   

Indirect Consumer Loans

 

5.01   

5.10   

5.19   

5.35   

5.57   

Other Consumer Loans

 

7.22   

7.00   

7.17   

7.42   

7.51   

 Total Loans

 

5.76   

5.76   

5.79   

5.80   

5.90   




24






In general, the yield (tax-equivalent interest income divided by average loans) on our loan portfolio and other earning assets has been impacted by changes in prevailing interest rates, as previously discussed on page 21 and 22 under the heading "Key Interest Rate Changes 1999 - 2005."  We expect that such will continue to be the case, that is, that loan yields will continue to rise and fall with changes in prevailing market rates, although the timing and degree of responsiveness will continue to be influenced by a variety of other factors, including the makeup of the loan portfolio, the yield curve (i.e. the relationship between short-term rates and long-term rates), consumer expectations and preferences, competition and the rate at which the portfolio expands.  Many of the loans in the commercial portfolio have variable rates tied to prime, FHLB or U.S. Treasury indices.   Additionally, there is a significant amount of cash flow from normal amortization and prepayments in all loan categories, and the portfolio reprices at current rates as new loans are generated at the current yields or existing loans are renegotiated.  As noted in the earlier discussion, during the recently concluded long period of declining rates (from early 2001 to mid-2004), we experienced a time lag between the impact of declining rates on the deposit portfolio (which was felt relatively quickly) and the impact on the loan portfolio (which occurred more slowly).  During early stages of this decline, the time lag had a positive impact on net interest margin, followed by a negative impact in the later states of the decline.


The net interest margin expanded during 2001 and into the first quarter of 2002 as deposit rates decreased rapidly.  Our deposit rates began to flatten out in mid-2002, while loan yields continued to decline.  As a result, the net interest margin began to contract in the second quarter of 2002.  Generally, this pattern persisted through the remainder of 2002, all of 2003 and through the third quarter of 2004, with the cost of deposits decreasing slightly, and loan yields decreasing somewhat faster.  By the fourth quarter of 2004, the cost of our deposits began to increase while the yields on loans were still slowly decreasing, as the yield on new loan originations generally was still below the portfolio average.  The result was continuing shrinkage of the net interest margin.  The average yield on the loan portfolio decreased 1 basis point in the fourth quarter of 2004, 3 basis points in the first quarter of 2005 then stayed flat for the second quarter of 2005.  This put increasing pressure not only in the continued decline in net interest margin but also on net interest income.  During the first quarter of 2005, we experienced a significant decrease in net interest income in comparison to the prior-year quarter.  For the second quarter of 2005, net interest income was virtually the same as the prior-year second quarter.


If rates, both short-term and long-term, continue to increase in forthcoming periods, as many analysts have forecasted, we expect that ultimately the yield on our loan portfolio will start to increase, matching the increasing cost of deposits that we are already experiencing.  We can give no assurances that this will happen, however.  Unless and until it does, we may experience further reductions in our net interest margin, to the detriment of net interest income and earnings generally.




25






Asset Quality


The following table presents information related to our allowance and provision for loan losses for the past five quarters.  


Summary of the Allowance and Provision for Loan Losses

(Dollars in Thousands)(Loans Stated Net of Unearned Income)


 

Jun 2005

Mar 2005

Dec 2004

Sep 2004

Jun 2004

Loan Balances:

     

Period-End Loans

$  952,938 

$  898,792 

$  875,311 

$  876,939 

$  866,127 

Average Loans, Year-to-Date

 905,075 

 882,681 

 866,690 

 863,357 

 858,195 

Average Loans, Quarter-to-Date

927,224 

882,681 

876,616 

873,569 

859,902 

Period-End Assets

1,454,305 

1,415,967 

1,377,949 

1,384,793 

1,380,139 

      

Allowance for Loan Losses, Year-to-Date:

     

Allowance for Loan Losses, Beginning of Period

 $12,046 

 $12,046 

 $11,842 

 $11,842 

 $11,842 

Provision for Loan Losses, Y-T-D

   408 

   232 

 1,020 

   744 

   539 

Loans Charged-off

(450)

(247)

(1,062)

(726)

(531)

Recoveries of Loans Previously Charged-off

       164 

         53 

       246 

       196 

       134 

  Net Charge-offs, Y-T-D

      (286)

      (194)

      (816)

      (530)

      (397)

Allowance for Loan Losses, End of Period

 $12,168 

 $12,084 

 $12,046 

 $12,056 

 $11,984 

      

Allowance for Loan Losses, Quarter-to-Date:

     

Allowance for Loan Losses, Beginning of Period

 $12,084 

 $12,046 

 $12,056 

 $11,984 

 $11,923 

Provision for Loan Losses, Q-T-D

   176 

   232 

   276 

   205 

   254 

Loans Charged-off

(204)

(247)

(336)

(195)

(272)

Recoveries of Loans Previously Charged-off

       112 

         53 

         50 

         62 

         79 

  Net Charge-offs, Q-T-D

        (92)

      (194)

      (286)

      (133)

      (193)

Allowance for Loan Losses, End of Period

 $12,168 

 $12,084 

 $12,046 

 $12,056 

 $11,984 

      

Nonperforming Assets, at Period-End:

     

Nonaccrual Loans

 $1,761 

 $1,853 

 $2,103 

 $2,839 

 $2,113 

Loans Past due 90 Days or More

     

 

and Still Accruing Interest

    199 

    --- 

     6 

    311 

    430 

Loans Restructured and in

     

Compliance with Modified Terms

       --- 

       --- 

       --- 

       --- 

       --- 

Total Nonperforming Loans

 1,960 

 1,853 

 2,109 

 3,150 

 2,543 

Repossessed Assets

10 

126 

136 

123 

207 

Other Real Estate Owned

       19 

     105 

       --- 

       --- 

       --- 

Total Nonperforming Assets

$1,989 

$2,084 

$2,245 

$3,273 

$2,750 

      

Asset Quality Ratios:

     

Allowance to Nonperforming Loans

620.79% 

652.13% 

571.18% 

382.73% 

471.22% 

Allowance to Period-End Loans

  1.28    

  1.34    

  1.38    

  1.37    

  1.38    

Provision to Average Loans (Quarter)

 0.08    

 0.11    

 0.13    

 0.09    

 0.12    

Provision to Average Loans (YTD)

 0.09    

 0.11    

 0.12    

 0.12    

 0.13    

Net Charge-offs to Average Loans (Quarter)

    0.04    

    0.09    

    0.13    

    0.06    

    0.09    

Net Charge-offs to Average Loans (YTD)

    0.06    

    0.09    

    0.09    

    0.08    

    0.09    

Nonperforming Loans to Total Loans

0.21    

0.21    

0.24    

0.36    

0.29    

Nonperforming Assets to Total Assets

0.14    

0.15    

0.16    

0.24    

0.20    



26






Our nonperforming assets at June 30, 2005 amounted to $2.0 million, a decrease of $256 thousand, or 11.4%, from December 31, 2004, and a decrease of $761 thousand, or 27.7%, from June 30, 2004.  


At period-end, nonperforming assets represented .14% of total assets, a 2 basis point decrease from .16% at year-end 2004 and a 6 basis point decrease from .20% at June 30, 2004.  These ratios are at or near our historical low.  At March 31, 2005 the ratio of nonperforming assets to total assets for our peer group was .52%.


The balance of other non-current loans as to which interest income was being accrued (i.e. loans 30-89 days past due as defined in bank regulatory guidelines) totaled $4.3 million at June 30, 2005 and represented 0.45% of loans outstanding at that date, as compared to approximately $4.6 million of non-current loans at December 31, 2004 representing 0.52% of loans outstanding.  These non-current loans at June 30, 2005 were composed of approximately $3.3 million of consumer loans, principally indirect automobile loans, $.4 million of residential real estate loans and commercial loans of $.6 million.


The percentage of our performing loans that demonstrate characteristics of potential weakness from time to time, typically a very small percentage, depend principally on economic conditions in our geographic market area of northeastern New York State.  In general, the economy in this area has been relatively strong in recent periods, extending back two or three years.  The regional economy was healthy from 1997-2000, and when the U.S. experienced a mild recession in 2001 and 2002, the economic downturn was not as severe in our geographic market area as in most areas.  During that periods and in ensuing years, the unemployment rate in the "Capital District" in and around Albany and areas north, including our principal service areas in Warren and Washington counties, has been at or below the national average.  However, the unemployment rate has been slightly above the national average in recent months in our other service areas including Clinton and Essex Counties, near the Canadian border.


The ratio of the 2005 second quarter net charge-offs to average loans (annualized) was .04%, down 5 basis points from the ratio for the second quarter of 2004.  The provision for loan losses was $176 thousand for the second quarter of 2005, compared to a provision of $254 thousand for the second quarter of 2004.  The provision as a percentage of average loans (annualized) was .08% for the second quarter of 2005, a decrease of 4 basis points from the .12% ratio for the comparable 2004 period.  The decrease in the provision was due primarily to the improved quality of the portfolio, i.e., the fact that nonperforming loans, as a percent of total loans outstanding, declined from .24% at December 31, 2004 to .21% at June 30, 2005.


The allowance for loan losses at June 30, 2005 amounted to $12.2 million, or 1.28% of outstanding loans, 10 basis points lower than the ratio at December 31, 2004 and also 10 basis points lower than the ratio at June 30, 2004.   The allowance as a percent of nonperforming loans was 620.79% at June 30, 2005.



27






CAPITAL RESOURCES


Shareholders' equity decreased $167 thousand during the first six months of 2005.  During the period, net income of $9.1 million was reduced by stock repurchases (net of new stock issuances through stock plans) totaling $3.4 million, cash dividends of $4.7 million ($.46 per share) and net unrealized losses on securities available-for-sale (net of tax) of approximately $1.6 million. From June 30, 2004 to June 30, 2005, shareholders' equity increased by $9.6 million, or 8.9%.  Current and prior period changes in shareholders' equity are presented in the Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders' Equity, on pages 5 and 6 of this report.


On April 27, 2005 the Board of Directors approved a stock repurchase program authorizing the repurchase, at the discretion of senior management, of up to $5 million of Arrow’s common stock over the next twelve months in open market or negotiated transactions.  This program replaced a similar stock repurchase program, approved by the Board in April 2004, under which we repurchased approximately $3.7 million of common stock out of the $5 million authorized for repurchase.  See Part II, Item 2 of this Report for further information on stock repurchases and repurchase programs.


The following discussion of capital focuses on regulatory capital ratios, as defined and mandated for financial institutions by federal bank regulatory authorities.  Regulatory capital, although a financial measure that is not provided for or governed by GAAP, nevertheless has been exempted by the SEC from the definition of "non-GAAP financial measures" in the SEC's Regulation G governing disclosure of non-GAAP financial measures.  (See the note on page 13 regarding Non-GAAP Financial Measurese.)  Thus, certain information which is required to be presented in connection with disclosure of non-GAAP financial measures need not be provided, and has not been provided, for the regulatory capital measures discussed below.  


Our holding company and both of our subsidiary banks are currently subject to two sets of regulatory capital measures, a leverage ratio test and risk-based capital guidelines.  The risk-based guidelines assign risk weightings to all assets and certain off-balance sheet items of financial institutions and establish an 8% minimum ratio of qualified total capital to risk-weighted assets.  At least half of total capital must consist of "Tier 1" capital, which comprises common equity and common equity equivalents, retained earnings, a limited amount of permanent preferred stock and a limited amount of trust preferred securities, less intangible assets.  Up to half of total capital may consist of so-called "Tier 2" capital, comprising a limited amount of subordinated debt, other preferred stock, certain other instruments and a limited amount of the allowance for loan losses.  The second regulatory capital measure, the leverage ratio test, establishes minimum limits on the ratio of Tier 1 capital to total tangible assets, without risk weighting.  For top-rated companies, the minimum leverage ratio is 3%, but lower-rated or rapidly expanding companies may be required to meet substantially higher minimum leverage ratios.  Federal banking law mandates certain actions to be taken by banking regulators for financial institutions that are deemed undercapitalized as measured by these ratios.  The law establishes five levels of capitalization for financial institutions ranging from "critically undercapitalized" to "well-capitalized."  The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Modernization Act also ties the ability of banking organizations to engage in certain types of non-banking financial activities to such organizations' continuing to qualify as "well-capitalized" under these standards.  


In each of 2003 and 2004, we issued $10 million of trust preferred securities in a private placement.  (See the discussion of trust preferred securities on page 23 under “Non-Deposit Sources of Funds.”)  Under final rules issued by the Federal Reserve Board on February 28, 2005, these securities may qualify as Tier 1 capital in an amount not to exceed 25% of Tier 1 capital, net of goodwill less any associated deferred tax liability.


As of June 30, 2005, the Tier 1 leverage and risk-based capital ratios for Arrow and our subsidiary banks were as follows:  


Summary of Capital Ratios

  

Tier 1

Total

  

Risk-Based

Risk-Based

 

Leverage

Capital

Capital

 

   Ratio

     Ratio

     Ratio

Arrow Financial Corporation

8.56%

12.87%

14.13%

Glens Falls National Bank & Trust Co.

8.44

13.20

14.45

Saratoga National Bank & Trust Co.

8.82

10.72

13.17

 

Regulatory Minimum

3.00

4.00

8.00

FDICIA's "Well-Capitalized" Standard

5.00

6.00

10.00




28






All capital ratios of our bank holding company and our subsidiary banks at June 30, 2005 were above minimum capital standards for financial institutions.  Additionally, at such date our bank holding company and our subsidiary banks qualified as “well-capitalized” under FDICIA, based on their capital ratios on that date.


Arrow’s common stock is traded on The Nasdaq Stock MarketSM under the symbol AROW.  The high and low prices listed below represent actual sales transactions, as reported by Nasdaq.


On July 27, 2005, we announced the 2005 third quarter cash dividend of $.24 payable on September 15, 2005.


Quarterly Per Share Stock Prices and Dividends

(Restated for the September 2004 five-for-four stock split)



  


Cash

Dividends

  Declared

   
 

Sales Price

 

Low

High

2004

   

First Quarter

$26.806

$30.340

$.214

Second Quarter

27.427

29.903

.223

Third Quarter

25.748

31.544

.223

Fourth Quarter

27.990

33.000

.230

    

2005

   

First Quarter

$26.750

$32.000

$.230

Second Quarter

24.000

29.880

.230

Third Quarter (payable September 15, 2005)

  

.240



Quarter Ended June 30,

2005

2004

Dividends Per Share

$.23

$.22

Diluted Earnings Per Share

.45

.45

Dividend Payout Ratio

51.11%

48.89%

Total Equity (in thousands)

$117,867

$108,240

Shares Issued and Outstanding (in thousands)

10,123

10,120

Book Value Per Share

$11.64

$10.70

Intangible Assets (in thousands)

$17,461

$9,476

Tangible Book Value Per Share

$9.92

$9.76



LIQUIDITY


Liquidity is measured by our ability to raise cash when we need it at a reasonable cost.  We must be capable of meeting expected and unexpected obligations to our customers at any time.   Given the uncertain nature of customer demands as well as the desire to maximize earnings, we must have available sources of funds, on- and off-balance sheet, that can be accessed in time of need.  We measure and monitor our basic liquidity as a ratio of liquid assets to short-term liabilities, both with and without the availability of borrowing arrangements.


In addition to regular loan repayments, securities available-for-sale represent a primary source of on-balance sheet cash flow.  Certain securities are designated by us at the time of purchase as available-for-sale.  Selection of such securities is based on their ready marketability, ability to collateralize borrowed funds, yield and maturity.


In addition to liquidity arising from balance sheet items, we have supplemented liquidity with additional off-balance sheet sources such as credit lines with the Federal Home Loan Bank ("FHLB").  We have established overnight and 30 day term lines of credit with the FHLB each in the amount of $118.3 million.  If advanced, such lines of credit are collateralized by our pledge of mortgage-backed securities, loans and FHLB stock.  In addition, we have in place borrowing facilities from correspondent banks and the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and also have identified repurchase agreements and brokered certificates of deposit as potential additional sources of funding.


We are not aware of any known trends, events or uncertainties that will have or are reasonably likely to have a material adverse effect or make material demands on our liquidity in upcoming periods.  



29






RESULTS OF OPERATIONS:

Three Months Ended June 30, 2005 Compared With

Three Months Ended June 30, 2004


Summary of Earnings Performance

(Dollars in Thousands, Except Per Share Amounts)


 

Quarter Ending

  
 

Jun 2005

Jun 2004

Change

% Change

Net Income

$4,680

$4,698

$(18)

(0.4)%

Diluted Earnings Per Share

.45

.45

---

---

Return on Average Assets

1.29%

1.35%

(.06)%

(4.4)

Return on Average Equity

16.06%

17.27%

 (1.21)%

(7.0)


We reported earnings (net income) of $4.7 million for the second quarter of 2005, a decrease of $18 thousand, or 0.4%, from the second quarter of 2004.   Diluted earnings per share were $.45 for both quarters.  The flat earnings comparison was largely attributable to the fact that net interest income was also virtually unchanged (although net interest margin was reduced, as discussed in the following section).  Included in net income are: (i) net securities gains, net of tax, of $75 thousand for the 2005 quarter, and (ii) net gains on the sale of loans to the secondary market, net of tax, of $13 thousand and $16 thousand for the respective 2005 and 2004 quarters.


The following narrative discusses the quarter-to-quarter changes in net interest income, other income, other expense and income taxes.


Net Interest Income


Summary of Net Interest Income

(Taxable Equivalent Basis)

(Dollars in Thousands)

 

Quarter Ending

  
 

Jun 2005

Jun 2004

Change  

% Change

Interest and Dividend Income

$18,398

$17,717

$681

3.8%

Interest Expense

   5,621

   4,951

 670

13.5

Net Interest Income

  $12,777

  $12,766

$ 11

  0.1

    

Taxable Equivalent Adjustment

       622

       655

(33)

  (5.0)

    

Average Earning Assets (1)

  $1,378,822

$1,329,145

 $49,677

    3.7

Average Paying Liabilities

 1,144,577

 1,111,544

  33,033

    3.0

    

Yield on Earning Assets (1)

      5.35%

      5.36%

    (0.01)%

    (0.1)

Cost of Paying Liabilities

      1.97   

      1.79   

  0.18

     10.1

Net Interest Spread

      3.38   

      3.57   

 (0.19)

 (5.3)

Net Interest Margin

      3.72  

      3.86   

    (0.14)

(3.6)

(1) Includes Nonaccrual Loans


Our net interest margin (net interest income on a tax-equivalent basis divided by average earning assets, annualized) decreased from 3.86% for the second quarter of 2004 to 3.72% for the second quarter of 2005.  (See the discussion under “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures,” on page 13, regarding net interest income and net interest margin, which are commonly used non-GAAP financial measures.)  The negative impact of this decrease in net interest margin on net interest income was largely offset, however, by the $49.7 million increase in average earning assets between the second quarter of 2004 and the second quarter of 2005.  As a result, net interest income, on a taxable equivalent basis, was essentially unchanged from the 2004 quarter to the 2005 quarter.  The decrease in net interest margin was significantly influenced by the interest rate environment during the period.  As discussed above in this Report under the sections entitled “Deposit Trends,” “Key Interest Rate Changes 1999-2005" and “Loan Trends,” beginning in June 2004 after a long-term downward trend, prevailing interest rates began to rise.  As expected, certain deposit liabilities immediately began to reprice upward in ensuing quarters, while the yield on average earning assets has been slower to respond, leading to margin shrinkage.


The provisions for loan losses were $176 thousand and $254 thousand for the quarters ended June 30, 2005 and 2004, respectively.  The provision for loan losses was discussed previously under the heading "Summary of the Allowance and Provision for Loan Losses."



30






Other Income


Summary of Other Income

(Dollars in Thousands)

 

Quarter Ending

  
 

Jun 2005

Jun 2004

Change

% Change

Income From Fiduciary Activities

  $1,181 

  $1,060 

$121 

    11.4%

Fees for Other Services to Customers

   1,948 

   1,904 

   44 

    2.3

Net Gains on Securities Transactions

     125 

     --- 

     125 

---

Insurance Commissions

488 

482 

8033.3

Other Operating Income

    140 

    165 

       (25)

     (15.2)

Total Other Income

$3,882 

$3,135 

$747 

23.8


Income from fiduciary activities totaled $1.2 million for the second quarter of 2005, an increase of $121 thousand, or 11.4%, from the second quarter of 2004.  A principal cause of the increase was an increase in the pricing of fiduciary services.  In addition, the market value of assets under trust administration and investment management at June 30, 2005, increased to $806.0 million, an increase of $22.7 million, or 2.9%, from June 30, 2004.  The modest increase in assets overcame the loss of a large relationship.  Among other services offered, the trust division serves as custodian for funds placed with us by third party providers of 401(k) retirement plans.  Beginning in the fourth quarter of 2004, one of these providers began performing all services for its advised plans itself.  The reduction in trust assets and related revenues net of direct expenses were approximately $36.0 million and $39 thousand, respectively.


Income from fiduciary activities also includes fee income from serving as investment adviser for our proprietary mutual funds.  These mutual funds are the North Country Funds, which include the North Country Equity Growth Fund (NCEGX) and the North Country Intermediate Bond Fund (NCBDX.  The combined funds represented a market value of $149.7 million at June 30, 2005.  The funds were introduced in March 2001, and are advised by our subsidiary investment adviser, North Country Investment Advisers, Inc.  Currently, the funds are held almost entirely by accounts managed by the Trust Departments of our subsidiary banks.  The funds are also offered on a retail basis at most of the branch locations of our banking subsidiaries.


Fees for other services to customers (primarily service charges on deposit accounts, credit card merchant fee income, referral payments from third party marketers of financial products and servicing income on sold loans) was $1.9 million for the second quarter of 2005, an increase of $44 thousand, or 2.3%, from the 2004 second quarter.  The increase was primarily attributable to an increase in merchant credit card servicing fees.


For the second quarter of 2005, total other income included net securities gains of $125 thousand on the sale of $14.2 million of securities available-for-sale (primarily CMO’s and other mortgage-bacekd securities).  In the 2004 quarter, there were no significant securities sales, and no securities gains or losses.  The following table presents sales and purchases in the available-for-sale investment portfolio for the second quarters of 2005 and 2004:


Investment Sales and Purchases: Available-for-Sale Portfolio

(In Thousands)

 

Second Quarter

 

2005

2004

Investment Sales

  

Collateralized Mortgage Obligations

$8,542 

$  --- 

Other Mortgage-Backed Securities

1,582 

--- 

U.S. Agency Securities

--- 

--- 

State and Municipal Obligations

  --- 

  --- 

Other

   4,081 

 145 

  Total Sales

$14,205 

$145 

Net Gains

$125 

$--- 

   

Investment Purchases

  

Collateralized Mortgage Obligations

$       --- 

$       --- 

Other Mortgage-Backed Securities

5,093 

30,302 

U.S. Agency Securities

2,978 

19,892 

State and Municipal Obligations

  481 

  --- 

Other

   2,722 

   5,785 

  Total Purchases

$11,274 

$55,979 




31






The sales and purchases in the second quarter of 2005 were primarily to replace certain collateralized mortgage obligations in the portfolio.


The purchases of U.S. agency securities in the second quarter of 2004 represented a reinvestment of proceeds from the sales of agency securities late in the first quarter of 2004.  The purchases of other mortgage-backed securities in the second quarter of 2004 was funded by normal cashflows from collateralized mortgage obligations and other mortgage-backed securities.  The securities transactions in the 2004 period (first quarter sales and second quarter purchases) represented a significant restructuring of the portfolio implemented by management for various strategic reasons, including the ability to replace lower yielding agency securities with relatively short remaining maturities with those bearing higher yields and longer duration.


The increase in insurance commissions between the 2004 second quarter and the comparable 2005 quarter resulted from our acquisition of an insurance agency, Capital Financial Group, Inc., at the end of 2004.  Capital Financial specializes in group health insurance.


Other operating income includes data processing servicing fee income received from one unaffiliated upstate New York bank, and net gains or losses on the sale of loans, other real estate owned and other assets.  Other operating income of $140 thousand in second quarter of 2005 represented a decrease of $25 thousand, or 15.2%, from the 2004 quarter.  The decrease was primarily due to a decrease in miscellaneous income.



Other Expense


Summary of Other Expense

(Dollars in Thousands)


 

Quarter Ending

  
 

Jun 2005

Jun 2004

Change

% Change

Salaries and Employee Benefits

  $5,288 

  $4,778 

    $   510 

10.7%

Occupancy Expense of Premises, Net

     757 

     699 

     58 

8.3

Furniture and Equipment Expense

     746 

     695 

    51 

   7.3

Other Operating Expense

  2,384 

  2,001 

     383 

  19.1

Total Other Expense

  $9,175 

  $8,173 

   $1,002 

      12.3

    

Efficiency Ratio

54.75%

51.34%

3.41%

 6.6


Other expense for the second quarter of 2005 was $9.2 million, an increase of $1.0 million, or 12.3%, over other expense for the second quarter of 2004.  For the second quarter of 2005, our efficiency ratio was 54.75%.  This ratio, which is a non-GAAP financial measure, is a comparative measure of a financial institution's operating efficiency.  The efficiency ratio (a ratio where lower is better) is the ratio of noninterest expense (excluding intangible asset amortization) to net interest income (on a tax-equivalent basis) and other income (excluding net securities gains or losses).  See the discussion on page 13 of this report under the heading “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”  The efficiency ratio included by the Federal Reserve Board in its "Peer Holding Company Performance Reports" excludes net securities gains or losses, but does not exclude intangible asset amortization from this calculation.   Although our efficiency ratio increased from 2004 to 2005, it still compares favorably to the March 31, 2005 peer group ratio of 61.78%.


The November 2004 acquisition of an insurance agency, Capital Financial Group, and the April 2005 acquisition of three branches led to increases in all expense categories, however, approximately $100,000 of these increased expenses, primarily in the areas of advertising and supplies, are not expected to be experienced in future periods.


Salaries and employee benefits expense increased $510 thousand, or 10.7%, from the second quarter of 2004 to the second quarter of 2005.  The increase was primarily attributable to staff increases, including 11.8 full-time equivalent employees in our newly acquired insurance agency and 14.6 full-time equivalent employees in the branch acquisition and normal merit increases.  On an annualized basis, the ratio of total personnel expense (salaries and employee benefits) to average assets was 1.46% for the second quarter of 2005, 16 basis points less than the ratio for our peer group of 1.62% at March 31, 2005.


Occupancy expense was $757 thousand for the second quarter of 2005, a $58 thousand increase, or 8.3%, over the second quarter of 2004.  The increase was primarily attributable to building maintenance expenses.  Furniture and equipment expense was $746 thousand for the second quarter of 2005, a $51 thousand increase, or 7.3%, above the second quarter of 2004.  The increase was primarily attributable to an increase in depreciation expense.



32






Other operating expense was $2.4 million for the second quarter of 2005, an increase of $383 thousand, or 19.1% from the second quarter of 2004.  An increase of $113 in intangible asset amortization related to both the acquisition of the insurance agency and the three branches.  The other areas of significant increases included advertising and supplies, which were primarily attributable to the branch acquisition.


Income Taxes


Summary of Income Taxes

(Dollars in Thousands)

 

Quarter Ended

  
 

Jun 2005

Jun 2004

Change

% Change

Provision for Income Taxes

  $2,006

  $2,121

    $(115)

(5.4)%

Effective Tax Rate

 30.00%

 31.10%

    (1.10)%

 (3.5)


The provisions for federal and state income taxes amounted to $2.0 million for the second quarter of 2005 and $2.1 million for the second quarter of 2004.  


RESULTS OF OPERATIONS:

Six Months Ended June 30, 2005 Compared With

Six Months Ended June 30, 2004


Summary of Earnings Performance

(Dollars in Thousands, Except Per Share Amounts)

 

Six Months Ending

  
 

Jun 2005

Jun 2004

Change

% Change

Net Income

$9,110

$9,563

$(453)

(4.4)%

Diluted Earnings Per Share

.88

.92

(.04)

(4.3)

Return on Average Assets

1.29%

1.39%

(.10)%

(7.2)

Return on Average Equity

15.65%

17.62%

 (1.97)%

(11.2)


We reported earnings (net income) of $9.1 million for the first six months of 2005, a decrease of $453 thousand, or 4.4%, from the first six months of 2004.  The reasons for the decline are discussed elsewhere in this Report, including under the heading “Overview” on page 19.  Diluted earnings per share were $.88 and $.92 for the 2005 and 2004 periods.  Included in net income are: (i) net securities gains, net of tax, of $114 thousand and $126 thousand for the respective 2005 and 2004 periods, (ii) net gains on the sale of loans to the secondary market, net of tax, of $16 thousand and $68 thousand for the respective 2005 and 2004 periods, and (iii) a recovery related to our former Vermont operations of $46 thousand, net of tax, in 2004.


The following narrative discusses the six-month to six-month changes in net interest income, other income, other expense and income taxes.


Net Interest Income


Summary of Net Interest Income

(Taxable Equivalent Basis)

(Dollars in Thousands)

 

Six Months Ending

  
 

Jun 2005

Jun 2004

Change  

% Change

Interest and Dividend Income

$35,878

$35,655

$ 223 

0.6%

Interest Expense

  10,684

   9,949

  735 

 7.4

Net Interest Income

  $25,194

  $25,706

$(512)

  (2.0)

    

Taxable Equivalent Adjustment

 $ 1,235

$ 1,291

$(56)

  (4.3)

    

Average Earning Assets (1)

$1,353,604

$1,319,958

 $33,646

   2.5

Average Paying Liabilities

1,124,040

1,106,044

  17,996

    1.6

    

Yield on Earning Assets (1)

      5.35%

      5.43%

    (0.08)%

    (1.5)

Cost of Paying Liabilities

      1.92   

      1.81   

    0.11

     6.1

Net Interest Spread

      3.43   

      3.62   

 (0.19)

 (5.2)

Net Interest Margin

      3.75   

      3.92   

    (0.17)

(4.3)

(1) Includes Nonaccrual Loans



33






Our net interest margin (net interest income on a tax-equivalent basis divided by average earning assets, annualized) decreased from 3.92% for the first six months of 2005 to 3.75% for the first six months of 2005.  (See the discussion under “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures,” on page 13, regarding net interest income and net interest margin, which are commonly used non-GAAP financial measures.)  The negative impact of this decrease in net interest margin on net interest income was offset, but only partially by the $33.6 million increase in average earning assets between the two periods.  Net interest income, on a taxable equivalent basis, was down $512 thousand, or 2.0%, from the 2004 period to the 2005 period.  The decrease in both net interest income and net interest margin between the two periods was significantly influenced by the interest rate developments in 2004 and 2005.  As discussed above in this Report under the sections entitled “Deposit Trends,” “Key Interest Rate Changes 1999-2005" and “Loan Trends,” beginning in June 2004 prevailing interest rates, after a long-term downward trend, began to rise.  As expected, deposit liabilities repriced upward more rapidly than earning assets (which have not experienced significant increased yields even as of mid-year 2005), leading to margin shrinkage.


The provisions for loan losses were $408 thousand and $539 thousand for the six months ended June 30, 2005 and 2004, respectively.  The provision for loan losses was discussed previously under the heading "Summary of the Allowance and Provision for Loan Losses."


Other Income


Summary of Other Income

(Dollars in Thousands)


 

Six Months Ending

  
 

Jun 2005

Jun 2004

Change

% Change

Income From Fiduciary Activities

  $2,288 

  $2,116 

$172 

    8.1%

Fees for Other Services to Customers

   3,548 

   3,584 

   (36)

     (1.0)

Net Gains on Securities Transactions

     189 

     210 

     (21)

(10.0)

Insurance Commissions

883 

11 

872 

7927.3

Other Operating Income

    268 

    438 

      (170)

     (38.8)

Total Other Income

$7,176 

$6,359 

$817 

12.8


Income from fiduciary activities totaled $2.3 million for the first six months of 2005, an increase of $172 thousand, or 8.1%, from the first six months of 2004.  A principal cause of the increase was an increase in the pricing of fiduciary services.  Another factor was an increase in the market value of assets under trust administration and investment management, which amounted to $806.0 million at June 30, 2005, an increase of $22.7 million, or 2.9%, from June 30, 2004.  This modest increase was achieved despite the loss of a large account, discussed above under the heading “Other Income” in the quarter-to-quarter comparison.


Income from fiduciary activities also includes fee income from our serving as investment adviser for our proprietary mutual funds.  These mutual funds are the North Country Funds, which include the North Country Equity Growth Fund (NCEGX) and the North Country Intermediate Bond Fund (NCBDX.  The funds are discussed above under the heading “Other Income” in the quarter-to-quarter comparison.


Fees for other services to customers (primarily service charges on deposit accounts, credit card merchant fee income, referral payments from third party marketers of financial products and servicing income on sold loans) equaled $3.5 million for the first six months of 2005, a decrease of $36 thousand, or 1.0%, from the 2004 first six months.  The decrease was primarily attributable to a general decrease in service charges on deposit accounts, although we did increase fees on several products, beginning on March 1, 2005.


For the first six months of 2005, total other income included securities gains of $189 thousand on the sale of $28.0 million of securities available-for-sale (primarily collateralized mortgage obligations).  For the first six months of 2004, total other income included $210 thousand of net securities gains on the sale of $20.0 million of available-for-sale securities (primarily U.S. agency securities).  The following table presents sales and purchases in the available-for-sale investment portfolio for the first six months of 2005 and 2004:



34






Investment Sales and Purchases: Available-for-Sale Portfolio

(In Thousands)


 

First Six Months

 

2005

2004

Investment Sales

  

Collateralized Mortgage Obligations

$21,269

$       ---

Other Mortgage-Backed Securities

1,582

---

U.S. Agency Securities

---

19,816

State and Municipal Obligations

  ---

  ---

Other

    5,138

      200

  Total Sales

$27,989

$20,016

Net Gains

$189

$210

   

Investment Purchases

  

Collateralized Mortgage Obligations

$8,027

$       ---

Other Mortgage-Backed Securities

15,331

30,302

U.S. Agency Securities

13,065

19,892

State and Municipal Obligations

4,426

  111

Other

   5,606

   5,857

  Total Purchases

$46,455

$56,162

   


The sales and purchases in the first six months of 2005 were primarily to replace certain collateralized mortgage obligations in the portfolio.


The purchases of U.S. agency securities in the first six months of 2004 represented a reinvestment of proceeds from the sales of agency securities.  The purchases of other mortgage-backed securities in the first six months of 2004 was funded by normal cashflows from maturing collateralized mortgage obligations and other mortgage-backed securities.  The sale and reinvestment transactions in the 2004 period represented a significant restructuring of the portfolio implemented by management for various strategic reasons, including the ability to replace agency securities with relatively short remaining maturities with higher yielding and longer duration securities.


The increase in insurance commissions between the two periods came as the result of our acquisition of an insurance agency, Capital Financial Group, Inc., at the end of 2004.  Capital Financial specializes in group health insurance.


Other operating income includes data processing servicing fee income received from one unaffiliated upstate New York bank, and net gains or losses on the sale of loans, other real estate owned and other assets.  In all periods we sell all student loan originations to Sallie Mae shortly after closing the loans, in most cases resulting in small gains.  In the 2004 period, other operating income also included a pre-tax $77 thousand recovery for our former Vermont operations and $112 thousand in gains on loan sales.  During the first six months of 2004, we sold $5.3 million of newly originated low-rate residential real estate loans in the secondary market.  During the first six months of 2005, we retained nearly all loan originations of this type.  Gains on the sale of loans in the 2005 period were only $27 thousand.  Otherwise, other operating income was essentially unchanged between the two periods.


Other Expense


Summary of Other Expense

(Dollars in Thousands)


 

Six Months Ending

  
 

Jun 2005

Jun 2004

Change

% Change

Salaries and Employee Benefits

  $10,343

  $ 9,583

    $  760 

7.9%

Occupancy Expense of Premises, Net

   1,464

   1,394

     70 

5.0

Furniture and Equipment Expense

   1,511

   1,389

     122 

    8.8

Other Operating Expense

   4,342

   3,933

     409 

  10.4

Total Other Expense

  $17,660

  $16,299

   $1,361 

      8.4

    

Efficiency Ratio

55.97%

51.11%

4.86%

 9.5




35






Other expense for the first six months of 2005 was $17.7 million, an increase of $1.4 million, or 8.4%, over the expense for the first six months of 2004.  For the first six months of 2005, our efficiency ratio was 55.97%.  This ratio, which is a non-GAAP financial measure, is a comparative measure of a financial institution's operating efficiency.  The efficiency ratio (a ratio where lower is better) is the ratio of noninterest expense (excluding intangible asset amortization) to net interest income (on a tax-equivalent basis) and other income (excluding net securities gains or losses).  See the discussion on page 13 of this report under the heading “Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures.”  The efficiency ratio included by the Federal Reserve Board in its "Peer Holding Company Performance Reports" excludes net securities gains or losses, but does not exclude intangible asset amortization from this calculation.   Although our efficiency ratio increased from 2004 to 2005, it still compares favorably to the March 31, 2005 peer group ratio of 61.78%.


The November 2004 acquisition of an insurance agency, Capital Financial Group, and the April 2005 acquisition of three branches led to increases in all expense categories, however, approximately $100,000 of these increased expenses, primarily in the areas of advertising and supplies, are not expected to be experienced in future periods.


Salaries and employee benefits expense increased $760 thousand, or 7.9%, from the first six months of 2004 to the first six months of 2005.  The increase is primarily attributable to increases in personnel, including 11.8 full-time equivalent employees in our newly acquired insurance agency and 14.6 full-time equivalent employees in the branch acquisition as well as normal merit increases.  On an annualized basis, the ratio of total personnel expense (salaries and employee benefits) to average assets was 1.47% for the first six months of 2005, 15 basis points less than the ratio for our peer group of 1.62% at March 31, 2005.


Occupancy expense was $1.5 million for the first six months of 2005, a $70 thousand increase, or 5.0%, over the first six months of 2004.  The increase was primarily attributable to building maintenance expenses.  Furniture and equipment expense was $1.5 million for the first six months of 2005, a $122 thousand increase, or 8.8%, above the first six months of 2004.  The increase was primarily attributable increases in data processing and depreciation expenses.


Other operating expense was $4.3 million for the first six months of 2005, an increase of $409 thousand, or 10.4% from the first six months of 2004.  An increase of $123 in intangible asset amortization was related to both the acquisition of the insurance agency and the three branches.  The other areas of significant increases included advertising and supplies, which were primarily attributable to the branch acquisition.



Income Taxes


Summary of Income Taxes

(Dollars in Thousands)

 

Six Months Ended

  
 

Jun 2005

Jun 2004

Change

% Change

Provision for Income Taxes

  $3,957

  $4,373

    $(416)

(9.5)%

Effective Tax Rate

 30.28%

 31.38%

    (1.10)%

 (3.5)


The provisions for federal and state income taxes amounted to $4.0 million for the first six months of 2005 and $4.4 million for the first six months of 2004.  



36







Item 3.

QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK


In addition to credit risk in our loan portfolio and liquidity risk, discussed earlier, our business activities also generate market risk.  Market risk is the possibility that changes in the market for our products and services, including changes in prevailing market interest rates, will make our position less valuable.  The ongoing monitoring and management of market risk is an important component of our asset/liability management process which is governed by policies that are reviewed and approved annually by the Board of Directors.  The Board of Directors delegates responsibility for carrying out asset/liability oversight and control to management's Asset/Liability Committee (“ALCO”).  ALCO develops guidelines and strategies impacting our asset/liability profile based upon estimated market risk sensitivity, policy limits and overall market interest rate levels and trends.  To date, we have not made use of derivatives, such as interest rate swaps, in our risk management process.


Interest rate risk is the most significant market risk affecting us.  Interest rate risk is the exposure of Arrow’s net interest income to changes in interest rates, assuming other variables affecting our business are unchanged. Interest rate risk is directly related to the different maturities and repricing characteristics of interest-bearing assets and liabilities, as well as to prepayment risks primarily for mortgage related assets, early withdrawal of time deposits, and the fact that the speed and magnitude of responses to interest rate changes vary by product.


ALCO utilizes the results of a detailed and dynamic simulation model to quantify the estimated exposure of net interest income to sustained interest rate changes.  While ALCO routinely monitors simulated net interest income sensitivity over a rolling two-year horizon, it also utilizes additional tools to monitor potential longer-term interest rate risk.


The simulation model captures the impact of changing interest rates on the interest income received and interest expense paid on all interest-sensitive assets and liabilities reflected on our consolidated balance sheet.  This sensitivity analysis is compared to ALCO policy limits which specify a maximum tolerance level for net interest income exposure over a one year horizon, assuming no balance sheet growth and a 200 basis point upward and downward shift in interest rates, where interest-bearing assets and liabilities reprice at their earliest possible repricing date.  A parallel and pro rata shift in rates over a 12 month period is assumed.  


The resulting sensitivity analysis reflects only a hypothetical circumstance involving modification of a single variable affecting our profitability and operations, that is, prevailing interest rates, and does not represent a forecast.  As noted elsewhere in this report, the Federal Reserve Board took certain actions in recent years to bring about a decrease in prevailing short-term interest rates, which initially had a positive effect on our net interest income and subsequently a counteracting negative effect.  Rates, which were at very low levels a year ago, have since increased as a result of Federal Reserve Board decisions at each of its meetings since mid-2004 to increase the Fed funds rate.  Management believes there is some likelihood that prevailing market rates generally, especially short-term rates, may continue to rise in remaining periods of 2005.  A rising rate environment, or even a vacillating rate scenario, may continue to have a negative impact on our net interest margin, at least in the immediately ensuing periods.


The hypothetical estimates underlying the sensitivity analysis utilized by ALCO are based upon numerous assumptions including: the nature and timing of interest rate levels including yield curve shape, prepayments on loans and securities, deposit decay rates, pricing decisions on loans and deposits, reinvestment/replacement of asset and liability cash flows, and others.  While assumptions are developed based upon current economic and local market conditions, management cannot make any assurance as to the predictive nature of these assumptions including how customer preferences or competitor influences might change.


Also, as market conditions vary from those assumed in the sensitivity analysis, actual results will differ due to prepayment/refinancing levels likely deviating from those assumed, the varying impact of interest rate changes on caps or floors on adjustable rate assets, the potential effect of changing debt service levels on customers with adjustable rate loans, depositor early withdrawals and product preference changes, unanticipated shifts in the yield curve and other internal/external variables.  Furthermore, the sensitivity analysis does not reflect actions that ALCO might take in responding to or anticipating changes in interest rates.  



37






Item 4.

CONTROLS AND PROCEDURES


Senior management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of the design and operation of Arrow's disclosure controls and procedures (as defined in Rule 13a-15(e) under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended) as of June 30, 2005. Based upon that evaluation, senior management, including the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, concluded that our disclosure controls and procedures were effective. Further, there were no changes made in our internal control over financial reporting that occurred during the most recent fiscal quarter that materially affected, or are reasonably likely to materially affect, our internal control over financial reporting.



PART II - OTHER INFORMATION

Item 1.

Legal Proceedings


Arrow is not involved in any material pending legal proceedings, other than ordinary routine litigation occurring in the normal course of our business.


Item 2.

Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds


Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities


None


Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities


The following table presents information about purchases by Arrow of our own equity securities (i.e. Arrow’s common stock) during the three months ended June 30, 2005:


Second Quarter 2005

Calendar Month

Total Number of

Shares Purchased1

Average Price

Paid Per Share1

Total Number of

Shares Purchased as

Part of Publicly

Announced

Plans or Programs2

Maximum

Approximate Dollar

Value of Shares that

May Yet be

Purchased Under the

Plans or Programs3

April

43,916

$25.30

41,000

$5,000,000

May

7,670

25.79

5,000

4,873,500

June

44,800

28.08

15,000

4,459,290

Total

96,386

26.63

61,000

 


1The total number of shares purchased and the average price paid per share include, in addition to other purchases, shares purchased in the market under the Arrow Financial Corporation Automatic Dividend Reinvestment Plan (DRIP) by the administrator of the DRIP and shares surrendered (or deemed surrendered) to Arrow by holders of options to acquire Arrow common stock in connection with the exercise of such options.  In the months indicated, the listed number of shares purchased included the following numbers of shares purchased through such methods:  April – DRIP purchases (2,916 shares); May – DRIP purchases (2,670 shares), June – DRIP purchases (14,639 shares) and shares surrendered in connection with option exercises (15,161 shares).


2Includes only shares subject to publicly announced stock repurchase programs, including both the $5 million stock repurchase program authorized by the Board if Directors in April 2004 and the $5 million stock repurchase program approved by the Board in April 2005 (the “2005 Repurchase Program”).  Does not include shares purchased or subject to purchase under the DRIP or any compensatory stock or stock option plan.


3Dollar amount of repurchase authority remaining at month-end under the 2005 Repurchase Program, Arrow’s only publicly-announced stock repurchase program in effect at such dates.


Item 3.

Defaults Upon Senior Securities - None




38






Item 4.

Submission of Matters to a Vote of Security Holders


At the Arrow's Annual Meeting of Shareholders held April 27, 2005, shareholders elected the following directors to Class A of the Board of Directors.   The voting results were as follows:



Director

Term

Expiring In


For

Withhold

Authority

Broker

Non-Votes

Kenneth C. Hopper, M.D.

2008

8,365,056

91,465    

---

Elizabeth O’C. Little

2008

8,377,961

78,560    

---

Michael F. Massiano

2008

8,401,071

55,450    

---

Richard J. Reisman, D.M.D.

2008

8,372,342

84,178    

---


Item 5.

Other Information  


(a)

On April 27, 2005, the Board of Directors of the Company approved an increase in the directors’ fees payable to non-officer directors.  The annual retainer for non-officer directors was increased from $10,000 to $12,500, effective April 27, 2005, with the entire amount of the increase to be payable in Company stock under the Company’s Directors’ Stock Plan.  The additional annual retainer for the Audit Committee Chairperson was increased from $2,500 to $5,000, and the additional annual retainer for to the Compensation/Nomination Committee Chairperson was increased from $2,500 to $3,000, each effective on April 27, 2005, and payable in cash.


At the same time, the Board of Directors of the Company approved increases in directors’ fees payable to non-officer directors of the Company’s two subsidiary banks.  The annual retainer for non-officer bank directors was increased from $5,000 to $6,000, effective April 27, 2005, with the entire amount of the increase being payable in Company stock under the Company’s Directors’ Stock Plan.  The additional annual retainer for the Trust Committee Chairperson at Glens Falls National Bank and Trust Company was increased from $2,500 to $3,000, and the additional annual retainer for the Chairman of the Board of Saratoga National Bank and Trust Company was increased from $2,500 to $3,000, each effective on April 27, 2005, and payable in cash.


Otherwise, the fees payable to directors of the Company and its subsidiary banks previously in effect were left unchanged.


(b)

None


Item 6.

Exhibits


Exhibit 31.1

Certification of Chief Executive Officer under SEC Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a)

Exhibit 31.2

Certification of Chief Financial Officer under SEC Rule 13a-14(a)/15d-14(a)

Exhibit 32

Certifications of Chief Executive Officer under and Chief Financial Officer under 18 U.S.C. Section 1350 and SEC Rule 13a-14(b)/15d-14(b)




39








SIGNATURES


Pursuant to the requirements of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, the Registrant has duly caused this report to be signed on its behalf by the undersigned thereunto duly authorized.


ARROW FINANCIAL CORPORATION

Registrant


Date:    August 9, 2005

s/Thomas L. Hoy

 

Thomas L. Hoy, President and

 

Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Board

 

Date:    August 9, 2005

s/John J. Murphy

 

John J. Murphy, Executive Vice President,

 

Treasurer and Chief Financial Officer

 

(Principal Financial Officer and

 

Principal Accounting Officer)





40