UPDATE 1-Macatawa Bank Q4 trails analysts' view, to cut jobs

Mon Jan 26, 2009 5:40pm EST
 
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* Q4 shr loss wider than estimates

* To cut staff by about 10 pct

* Management to forego 2008 bonus

* Employees to miss 2009 pay hikes

Jan 26 (Reuters) - Macatawa Bank Corp (MCBC.O) posted a wider-than-expected loss for the fourth quarter on higher expnses and said it would reduce staff by about 10 percent.

The Holland, Michigan-based company also said its management will forego bonuses in 2008 and all employees will forego annual pay hikes in 2009. Quarterly loss was $35.1 million, or $2.11 a share, compared with a loss of $2.6 million, or 15 cents a share, last year. The company said fourth-quarter results included non-cash impairment charges of $27 million. Three analysts on average expected the company to post a loss of 15 cents a share, excluding special items, according to Reuters Estimates.

Non-interest expense jumped three-fold to $43.9 million, including the impairment charge.

Net interest income fell $1.2 million to $13.5 million and net interest margin fell 24 basis points to 2.74 percent.

Shares of Macatawa, which operates 26 branch offices, closed at $2.72 Monday on Nasdaq. (Reporting by Amiteshwar Singh in Bangalore; Editing by Anil D'Silva)

 

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