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PR Newswire·

Southern First Reports Results for Second Quarter 2023

GREENVILLE, S.C., July 25, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Southern First Bancshares, Inc. (NASDAQ:SFST), holding company for Southern First Bank, today announced its financial results for the three-month period ended June 30, 2023.

"I am proud of our team's performance during a volatile quarter for the banking industry," stated Art Seaver, the Company's Chief Executive Officer. "It was a strong quarter in terms of new deposit accounts, loan growth, mortgage production, and credit quality. We witnessed margin stabilization in the latter half of the quarter and expect continued momentum in the second half of the year."

2023 Second Quarter Highlights

  • Net income was $2.5 million and diluted earnings per common share were $0.31 for Q2 2023
  • Total deposits increased 20% to $3.4 billion at Q2 2023, compared to $2.9 billion at Q2 2022
  • Total loans increased 24% to $3.5 billion at Q2 2023, compared to $2.8 billion at Q2 2022
  • Book value per common share increased to $37.42 at Q2 2023, or 6%, over Q2 2022
  • Credit quality remains strong with nonperforming assets to total assets of 0.08% and past due loans to total loans of 0.07% at Q2 2023
  • Core deposits decreased 2% to $2.9 billion at Q2 2023, compared to Q1 2023 and increased 11% from Q2 2022

 





Quarter Ended





June 30

March 31

December 31

September 30

June 30





2023

2023

2022

2022

2022

Earnings ($ in thousands, except per share data):













Net income available to common shareholders

$

2,458

2,703

5,492

8,413

7,240

Earnings per common share, diluted



0.31

0.33

0.68

1.05

0.90

Total revenue(1)



21,561

22,468

25,826

28,134

27,149

Net interest margin (tax-equivalent)(2)



2.05 %

2.36 %

2.88 %

3.19 %

3.35 %

Return on average assets(3)



0.26 %

0.30 %

0.63 %

1.00 %

0.92 %

Return on average equity(3)



3.27 %

3.67 %

7.44 %

11.57 %

10.31 %

Efficiency ratio(4)



80.67 %

76.12 %

63.55 %

57.03 %

58.16 %

Noninterest expense to average assets (3)



1.82 %

1.89 %

1.87 %

1.92 %

2.02 %

Balance Sheet ($ in thousands):













Total loans(5)

$

3,537,616

3,417,945

3,273,363

3,030,027

2,845,205

Total deposits



3,433,018

3,426,774

3,133,864

3,001,452

2,870,158

Core deposits(6)



2,880,507

2,946,567

2,759,112

2,723,592

2,588,283

Total assets



4,002,107

3,938,140

3,691,981

3,439,669

3,287,663

Book value per common share



37.42

37.16

36.76

35.99

35.39

Loans to deposits



103.05 %

99.74 %

104.45 %

100.95 %

99.13 %

Holding Company Capital Ratios(7):













Total risk-based capital ratio



12.38 %

12.67 %

12.91 %

13.58 %

13.97 %

Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio



10.40 %

10.66 %

10.88 %

11.49 %

11.83 %

Leverage ratio



8.48 %

8.80 %

9.17 %

9.44 %

9.71 %

Common equity tier 1 ratio(8)



9.99 %

10.23 %

10.44 %

11.02 %

11.33 %

Tangible common equity(9)



7.53 %

7.60 %

7.98 %

8.37 %

8.60 %

Asset Quality Ratios:













Nonperforming assets/ total assets



0.08 %

0.12 %

0.07 %

0.08 %

0.09 %

Classified assets/tier one capital plus allowance for credit losses



4.68 %

5.10 %

4.71 %

5.24 %

7.29 %

Loans 30 days or more past due/ loans(5)



0.07 %

0.11 %

0.11 %

0.07 %

0.10 %

Net charge-offs (recoveries)/average loans(5) (YTD annualized)



0.03 %

0.01 %

(0.05 %)

(0.06 %)

0.02 %

Allowance for credit losses/loans(5)



1.16 %

1.18 %

1.18 %

1.20 %

1.20 %

Allowance for credit losses/nonaccrual loans



1,363.11 %

854.33 %

1,470.74 %

1,388.87 %

1,166.70 %

[Footnotes to table located on page 6]

 

INCOME STATEMENTS – Unaudited



















Quarter Ended





June 30

March 31

December 31

September 30

June 30

(in thousands, except per share data)



2023

2023

2022

2022

2022

Interest income













Loans

$

41,089

36,748

33,939

29,752

26,610

Investment securities



706

613

562

506

448

Federal funds sold



891

969

525

676

180

  Total interest income



42,686

38,330

35,026

30,934

27,238

Interest expense













Deposits



21,937

17,179

10,329

5,021

1,844

Borrowings



1,924

727

578

459

510

  Total interest expense



23,861

17,906

10,907

5,480

2,354

Net interest income



18,825

20,424

24,119

25,454

24,884

Provision for credit losses



910

1,825

2,325

950

1,775

Net interest income after provision for credit losses



17,915

18,599

21,794

24,504

23,109

Noninterest income













Mortgage banking income



1,337

622

291

1,230

1,184

Service fees on deposit accounts



331

325

316

318

327

ATM and debit card income



536

555

558

542

548

Income from bank owned life insurance



338

332

344

315

315

Loss on disposal of fixed assets



-

-

-

-

(394)

Other income



194

210

198

275

285

  Total noninterest income



2,736

2,044

1,707

2,680

2,265

Noninterest expense













Compensation and benefits



10,287

10,356

9,576

9,843

9,915

Occupancy



2,518

2,457

2,666

2,442

2,219

Outside service and data processing costs



1,705

1,629

1,521

1,529

1,528

Insurance



897

689

551

507

367

Professional fees



751

660

788

555

693

Marketing



335

366

282

338

329

Other



900

947

1,029

832

737

  Total noninterest expenses



17,393

17,104

16,413

16,046

15,788

Income before provision for income taxes



3,258

3,539

7,088

11,138

9,586

Income tax expense



800

836

1,596

2,725

2,346

Net income available to common

shareholders

$

2,458

2,703

5,492

8,413

7,240















Earnings per common share – Basic

$

0.31

0.34

0.69

1.06

0.91

Earnings per common share – Diluted



0.31

0.33

0.68

1.04

0.90

Basic weighted average common shares



8,051

8,026

7,971

7,972

7,945

Diluted weighted average common shares



8,069

8,092

8,071

8,065

8,075

[Footnotes to table located on page 6]

 

Net income for the second quarter of 2023 was $2.5 million, or $0.31 per diluted share, a $244 thousand decrease from the first quarter of 2023 and a $4.8 million decrease from the second quarter of 2022.  Net interest income decreased $1.6 million for the second quarter of 2023, compared to the first quarter of 2023, and decreased $6.1 million, compared to the second quarter of 2022. The decrease in net interest income from the prior quarter and prior year was driven primarily by an increase in interest expense on our deposit accounts related to the Federal Reserve's 500-basis point interest rate hikes during the past 16 months.     

The provision for credit losses was $910 thousand for the second quarter of 2023, compared to $1.8 million for the first quarter of 2023 and for the second quarter of 2022.  The provision expense during the second quarter of 2023 includes a $1.1 million provision for loan losses and a $185 thousand reversal of the reserve for unfunded commitments.

Noninterest income totaled $2.7 million for the second quarter of 2023, a $692 thousand increase from the first quarter of 2023 and an $471 thousand increase from the second quarter of 2022.  Mortgage banking income is the largest component of our noninterest income. For the second quarter of 2023, mortgage banking income was $1.3 million, an increase of $715 thousand from the prior quarter income and an $153 thousand increase from the second quarter of 2022. 

Noninterest expense for the second quarter of 2023 was $17.4 million, a $288 thousand increase from the first quarter of 2023, and a $1.6 million increase from the second quarter of 2022. The increase in noninterest expense from the previous quarter was driven by increases in insurance expense and professional fees, while the increase from the prior year related to increases in compensation and benefits, occupancy, and insurance expenses. Compensation and benefits expense increased from the previous year, driven by annual salary increases and the hiring of new team members. Occupancy expense increased from the prior year due primarily to increased depreciation and maintenance expense on our new headquarters building, while insurance costs increased from the prior quarter and year due to higher FDIC insurance premiums.

Our effective tax rate was 24.5% for the second quarter of 2023, 23.6% for the first quarter of 2023, and 24.5% for the second quarter of 2022. The higher tax rate in the second quarter of 2023 as compared to the first quarter of 2023 relates primarily to the effect of equity compensation transactions on our tax rate during the quarter.

NET INTEREST INCOME AND MARGIN - Unaudited











For the Three Months Ended



June 30, 2023

March 31, 2023

June 30,2022

(dollars in thousands)

Average

Balance

Income/

Expense

Yield/

Rate(3)

Average

Balance

Income/

Expense

Yield/

Rate(3)

Average

Balance

Income/

Expense

Yield/

Rate(3)

Interest-earning assets



















Federal funds sold and interest-bearing deposits

$     71,004

$      891

5.03 %

$     85,966

$      969

4.57 %

$     80,909

$      180

0.89 %

  Investment securities, taxable

93,922

623

2.66 %

87,521

530

2.46 %

98,527

404

1.64 %

  Investment securities, nontaxable(2)

10,200

108

4.24 %

10,266

106

4.21 %

10,382

56

2.16 %

  Loans(10)

3,511,225

41,089

4.69 %

3,334,530

36,748

4.47 %

2,795,274

26,610

3.82 %

    Total interest-earning assets

3,686,351

42,711

4.65 %

3,518,283

38,353

4.42 %

2,985,092

27,250

3.66 %

  Noninterest-earning assets

155,847





161,310





154,659





    Total assets

$3,842,198





$3,679,593





$3,139,751





Interest-bearing liabilities



















NOW accounts

$   297,234

537

0.72 %

$   303,176

440

0.59 %

$   389,563

144

0.15 %

Savings & money market

1,727,009

15,298

3.55 %

1,661,878

11,992

2.93 %

1,267,174

1,200

0.38 %

Time deposits

573,095

6,102

4.27 %

543,425

4,747

3.54 %

278,101

500

0.72 %

Total interest-bearing deposits

2,597,338

21,937

3.39 %

2,508,479

17,179

2.78 %

1,934,838

1,844

0.38 %

FHLB advances and other borrowings

135,922

1,382

4.08 %

18,243

200

4.45 %

53,179

105

0.79 %

Subordinated debentures

36,251

542

6.00 %

36,224

527

5.90 %

36,143

405

4.49 %

Total interest-bearing liabilities

2,769,511

23,861

3.46 %

2,562,946

17,906

2.83 %

2,024,160

2,354

0.47 %

Noninterest-bearing liabilities

771,388





818,123





833,943





Shareholders' equity

301,299





298,524





281,648





Total liabilities and shareholders' equity

$3,842,198





$3,679,593





$3,139,751





Net interest spread





1.19 %





1.59 %





3.19 %

Net interest income (tax equivalent) /

margin



$18,850

2.05 %



$20,447

2.36 %



$24,896

3.35 %

Less:  tax-equivalent adjustment(2)



25





23





12



Net interest income



$18,825





$20,424





$24,884



[Footnotes to table located on page 6]























 

Net interest income was $18.8 million for the second quarter of 2023, a $1.6 million decrease from the first quarter of 2023, driven by a $6.0 million increase in interest expense, partially offset by a $4.4 million increase in interest income, on a taxable basis. The increase in interest expense was driven by $88.9 million growth in average interest-bearing deposit balances at an average rate of 3.39%, a 61-basis points increase over the previous quarter, partially offset by $176.7 million growth in average loan balances at an average yield of 4.69%, an increase of 22-basis points from the first quarter of 2023.  In comparison to the second quarter of 2022, net interest income decreased $6.1 million, resulting primarily from $662.5 million growth in average interest-bearing deposit balances during the 12 months ended June 30, 2023, combined with a 301-basis point increase in deposit rates.  Our net interest margin, on a tax-equivalent basis, was 2.05% for the second quarter of 2023, a 31-basis point decrease from 2.36% for the first quarter of 2023 and a 130-basis point decrease from 3.35% for the second quarter of 2022.  As a result of the Federal Reserve's 500-basis point interest rate hikes during the past 12 months, the rate on our interest-bearing liabilities has increased by 299-basis points during the second quarter of 2023 in comparison to the second quarter of 2022. However, the yield on our interest-earning assets, driven by our loan portfolio, has increased by only 99-basis points during the same time period, resulting in the lower net interest margin during the second quarter of 2023. 

BALANCE SHEETS - Unaudited













Ending Balance







June 30

March 31

December 31

September 30

June 30



(in thousands, except per share data)



2023

2023

2022

2022

2022



Assets















Cash and cash equivalents:















  Cash and due from banks

$

24,742

22,213

18,788

16,530

21,090



  Federal funds sold



170,145

242,642

101,277

139,544

124,462



  Interest-bearing deposits with banks



10,183

7,350

50,809

4,532

36,538



    Total cash and cash equivalents



205,070

272,205

170,874

160,606

182,090



Investment securities:















  Investment securities available for sale



91,548

94,036

93,347

91,521

98,991



  Other investments



12,550

10,097

10,833

5,449

5,065



    Total investment securities



104,098

104,133

104,180

96,970

104,056



Mortgage loans held for sale



15,781

6,979

3,917

9,243

18,329



Loans (5)



3,537,616

3,417,945

3,273,363

3,030,027

2,845,205



Less allowance for credit losses



(41,105)

(40,435)

(38,639)

(36,317)

(34,192)



    Loans, net



3,496,511

3,377,510

3,234,724

2,993,710

2,811,013



Bank owned life insurance



51,791

51,453

51,122

50,778

50,463



Property and equipment, net



96,964

97,806

99,183

99,530

96,674



Deferred income taxes



12,356

12,087

12,522

18,425

15,078



Other assets



19,536

15,967

15,459

10,407

9,960



    Total assets

$

4,002,107

3,938,140

3,691,981

3,439,669

3,287,663



Liabilities















Deposits

$

3,433,018

3,426,774

3,133,864

3,001,452

2,870,158



FHLB Advances



180,000

125,000

175,000

60,000

50,000



Subordinated debentures



36,268

36,241

36,214

36,187

36,160



Other liabilities



51,307

50,775

52,391

54,245

48,708



    Total liabilities



3,700,593

3,638,790

3,397,469

3,151,884

3,005,026



Shareholders' equity















Preferred stock - $.01 par value; 10,000,000 shares

authorized



-

-

-

-

-



Common Stock - $.01 par value; 10,000,000 shares

authorized



81

80

80

80

80



Nonvested restricted stock



(4,051)

(4,462)

(3,306)

(3,348)

(3,230)



Additional paid-in capital



120,912

120,683

119,027

118,433

117,714



Accumulated other comprehensive loss



(12,710)

(11,775)

(13,410)

(14,009)

(10,143)



Retained earnings



197,282

194,824

192,121

186,629

178,216



    Total shareholders' equity



301,514

299,350

294,512

287,785

282,637



    Total liabilities and shareholders' equity

$

4,002,107

3,938,140

3,691,981

3,439,669

3,287,663



Common Stock















Book value per common share

$

37.42

37.16

36.76

35.99

35.39



Stock price:















  High



31.34

45.05

49.50

47.16

50.09



  Low



21.33

30.70

41.46

41.66

42.25



  Period end



24.75

30.70

45.75

41.66

43.59



Common shares outstanding



8,058

8,048

8,011

7,997

7,986



[Footnotes to table located on page 6]



 

ASSET QUALITY MEASURES - Unaudited















Quarter Ended













June 30

March 31

December 31

September 30

June 30









(dollars in thousands)



2023

2023

2022

2022

2022









Nonperforming Assets





















Commercial





















  Non-owner occupied RE

$

754

1,384

247

253

981









  Commercial business



137

1,196

182

79

-









Consumer





















  Real estate



1,053

1,075

1,099

904

552









  Home equity



1,072

1,078

1,099

1,379

1,398









Total nonaccrual loans



3,016

4,733

2,627

2,615

2,931









Other real estate owned



-

-

-

-

-









Total nonperforming assets

$

3,016

4,733

2,627

2,615

2,931









Nonperforming assets as a percentage of:





















  Total assets



0.08 %

0.12 %

0.07 %

0.08 %

0.09 %









  Total loans



0.09 %

0.14 %

0.08 %

0.09 %

0.10 %









Classified assets/tier 1 capital plus allowance for credit

losses



4.68 %

5.10 %

4.71 %

5.24 %

7.29 %



























Quarter Ended













June 30

March 31

December 31

September 30

June 30









(dollars in thousands)



2023

2023

2022

2022

2022









Allowance for Credit Losses





















Balance, beginning of period

$

40,435

38,639

36,317

34,192

32,944









Loans charged-off



(440)

(161)

-

-

(316)









Recoveries of loans previously charged-off



15

102

22

1,600

39









  Net loans (charged-off) recovered



(425)

(59)

22

1,600

(277)









Provision for credit losses



1,095

1,855

2,300

525

1,525









Balance, end of period

$

41,105

40,435

38,639

36,317

34,192









Allowance for credit losses to gross loans



1.16 %

1.18 %

1.18 %

1.20 %

1.20 %









Allowance for credit losses to nonaccrual loans



1,363.11 %

854.33 %

1,470.74 %

1,388.87 %

1,166.70 %









Net charge-offs to average loans QTD (annualized)



0.03 %

0.01 %

0.00 %

(0.22 %)

0.04 %









 

Total nonperforming assets decreased by $1.7 million during the second quarter of 2023, representing 0.08% of total assets, compared to 0.12% in the first quarter of 2023. The decrease in nonperforming assets during the second quarter of 2023 results primarily from two commercial loans that were sold and one commercial loan returning to accrual status. In addition, our classified asset ratio decreased to 4.68% for the second quarter of 2023 from 5.10% in the first quarter of 2023 and from 7.29% in the second quarter of 2022.

On June 30, 2023, the allowance for credit losses was $41.1 million, or 1.16% of total loans, compared to $40.4 million, or 1.18% of total loans, at March 31, 2023, and $34.2 million, or 1.20% of total loans, at June 30, 2022. We had net charge-offs of $425 thousand, or 0.03% annualized, for the second quarter of 2023, compared to net charge-offs of $59 thousand for the first quarter of 2023 and net charge-offs of $277 thousand for the second quarter of 2022. There was a provision for credit losses of $1.1 million for the second quarter of 2023, compared to a provision of $1.9 million for the first quarter of 2023 and a provision of $1.5 million for the second quarter of 2022.

LOAN COMPOSITION - Unaudited







Quarter Ended





June 30

March 31

December 31

September 30

June 30

(dollars in thousands)



2023

2023

2022

2022

2022

Commercial













Owner occupied RE

$

613,874

615,094

612,901

572,972

551,544

Non-owner occupied RE



951,536

928,059

862,579

799,569

741,263

Construction



115,798

94,641

109,726

85,850

84,612

Business



511,719

495,161

468,112

419,312

389,790

Total commercial loans



2,192,927

2,132,955

2,053,318

1,877,703

1,767,209

Consumer













Real estate



1,047,904

993,258

931,278

873,471

812,130

Home equity



185,584

180,974

179,300

171,904

161,512

Construction



61,044

71,137

80,415

77,798

76,878

Other



50,157

39,621

29,052

29,151

27,476

Total consumer loans



1,344,689

1,284,990

1,220,045

1,152,324

1,077,996

Total gross loans, net of deferred fees



3,537,616

3,417,945

3,273,363

3,030,027

2,845,205

Less—allowance for credit losses



(41,105)

(40,435)

(38,639)

(36,317)

(34,192)

Total loans, net

$

3,496,511

3,377,510

3,234,724

2,993,710

2,811,013

 

DEPOSIT COMPOSITION - Unaudited







Quarter Ended





June 30

March 31

December 31

September 30

June 30

(dollars in thousands)



2023

2023

2022

2022

2022

Non-interest bearing

$

698,084

740,534

804,115

791,050

799,169

Interest bearing:













   NOW accounts



308,762

303,743

318,030

357,862

364,189

   Money market accounts



1,692,900

1,748,562

1,506,418

1,452,958

1,320,329

   Savings



36,243

39,706

40,673

42,335

41,944

   Time, less than $250,000



114,691

106,679

89,877

79,387

62,340

   Time and out-of-market deposits, $250,000 and over



582,338

487,550

374,751

277,860

282,187

Total deposits

$

3,433,018

3,426,774

3,133,864

3,001,452

2,870,158

 

Footnotes to tables:



 (1) Total revenue is the sum of net interest income and noninterest income.

 (2) The tax-equivalent adjustment to net interest income adjusts the yield for assets earning tax-exempt income to a comparable yield on a taxable

basis.

 (3) Annualized for the respective three-month period.

 (4) Noninterest expense divided by the sum of net interest income and noninterest income.

 (5) Excludes mortgage loans held for sale.

 (6) Excludes out of market deposits and time deposits greater than $250,000.

 (7) June 30, 2023 ratios are preliminary.

 (8) The common equity tier 1 ratio is calculated as the sum of common equity divided by risk-weighted assets.

 (9) The tangible common equity ratio is calculated as total equity less preferred stock divided by total assets.

(10) Includes mortgage loans held for sale.

 

About Southern First Bancshares

Southern First Bancshares, Inc., Greenville, South Carolina is a registered bank holding company incorporated under the laws of South Carolina.  The company's wholly owned subsidiary, Southern First Bank, is the second largest bank headquartered in South Carolina.  Southern First Bank has been providing financial services since 1999 and now operates in 12 locations in the Greenville, Columbia, and Charleston markets of South Carolina as well as the Charlotte, Triangle and Triad regions of North Carolina and Atlanta, Georgia. Southern First Bancshares has consolidated assets of approximately $4.0 billion and its common stock is traded on The NASDAQ Global Market under the symbol "SFST."  More information can be found at www.southernfirst.com.

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Certain statements in this news release contain "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, such as statements relating to future plans and expectations, and are thus prospective.  Such forward-looking statements are identified by words such as "believe," "expect," "anticipate," "estimate," "preliminary", "intend," "plan," "target," "continue," "lasting," and "project," as well as similar expressions.  Such statements are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors which could cause actual results to differ materially from future results expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements.  Although we believe that the assumptions underlying the forward-looking statements are reasonable, any of the assumptions could prove to be inaccurate.  Therefore, we can give no assurance that the results contemplated in the forward-looking statements will be realized.  The inclusion of this forward-looking information should not be construed as a representation by our company or any person that the future events, plans, or expectations contemplated by our company will be achieved.

The following factors, among others, could cause actual results to differ materially from the anticipated results or other expectations expressed in the forward-looking statements: (1) competitive pressures among depository and other financial institutions may increase significantly and have an effect on pricing, spending, third-party relationships and revenues; (2) the strength of the United States economy in general and the strength of the local economies in which the company conducts operations may be different than expected; (3) the rate of delinquencies and amounts of charge-offs, the level of allowance for credit loss, the rates of loan and deposit growth as well as pricing of each product, or adverse changes in asset quality in our loan portfolio, which may result in increased credit risk-related losses and expenses; (4) changes in legislation, regulation, policies, or administrative practices, whether by judicial, governmental, or legislative action, including, but not limited to, changes affecting oversight of the financial services industry or consumer protection; (5) the impact of changes to Congress on the regulatory landscape and capital markets; (6) adverse conditions in the stock market, the public debt market and other capital markets (including changes in interest rate conditions) could continue to have a negative impact on the company; (7) changes in interest rates, which may continue to affect the company's net income, interest expense, prepayment penalty income, mortgage banking income, and other future cash flows, or the market value of the company's assets, including its investment securities; (8) elevated inflation which causes adverse risk to the overall economy, and could indirectly pose challenges to our clients and to our business; (9) any increase in FDIC assessments which have increased and may continue to increase our cost of doing business; and (10) changes in accounting principles, policies, practices, or guidelines.  Additional factors that could cause our results to differ materially from those described in the forward-looking statements can be found in our reports (such as Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K) filed with the SEC and available at the SEC's Internet site (http://www.sec.gov).  All subsequent written and oral forward-looking statements concerning the company or any person acting on its behalf is expressly qualified in its entirety by the cautionary statements above.  We do not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date the forward-looking statements are made, except as required by law.

FINANCIAL & MEDIA CONTACT:

ART SEAVER  864-679-9010

WEB SITE: www.southernfirst.com

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SOURCE Southern First Bancshares, Inc.