Profitability earns Visalia bank a national ranking

Visalia-based Valley Commerce Bancorp, the parent company of Valley Business Bank, recently was recognized by American Banker magazine for its financial performance, earning a place among the publication’s Top 200 Community Banks for the third consecutive year.

The list and ranking is based on each institution’s return on average equity over the prior three years. It assesses the profitability of 684 publicly traded community banks and thrifts with assets under $2 billion.

Valley Commerce Bancorp reported return on average equity of 10.08 percent per year over the three-year period 2013-15, a rate that placed it 116th on the Top 200 list. That compares to nearly 21 percent for the No. 1 institution, Wisconsin-based Ridgestone Financial Services. But it is well above the average of 6.49 percent for the entire pool of 684 small community banks.

The Visalia bank made its first appearance on the Top 200 list in 2014, ranking 191st with a three-year average equity return of 8.83 percent. It improved to a return of 9.63 percent and a rank of 142nd on the 2015 list.

Valley Commerce Bancorp was established in April 1996 and recently celebrated its 20th anniversary. It has four offices in Visalia, Tulare, Woodlake and Fresno, and as of Dec. 31 had assets of almost $421 million. Its stock is traded on the OTC Pink over-the-counter bulletin board under the symbol VCBP. Shares were quoted at $16.20 per share after the market’s close Monday, unchanged since May 18.

This story was originally published May 23, 2016 at 4:47 PM with the headline "Profitability earns Visalia bank a national ranking."