Company Description
Kentucky First Federal Bancorp (Nasdaq: KFFB) is a savings and loan holding company in the finance and insurance sector. According to company disclosures, Kentucky First Federal Bancorp is the parent of First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Hazard and First Federal Savings Bank of Kentucky. Through these subsidiary banks, the company is engaged mainly in accepting deposits from the general public and using those funds to originate loans secured by real estate.
The company’s activities are focused on traditional savings institution banking. As described in available information, its primary products and services include residential mortgage loans, multi-family loans, construction loans, and various types of deposit accounts. These lending and deposit activities are centered in Kentucky, with operations primarily in Perry, Franklin, Boyle, and Garrard counties and surrounding areas.
Bank Subsidiaries and Local Footprint
Based on recent company descriptions, First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Hazard operates one banking office in Hazard, Kentucky. First Federal Savings Bank of Kentucky operates three banking offices in Frankfort, two banking offices in Danville, and one banking office in Lancaster, all in Kentucky. This footprint reflects a community banking focus in specific local markets rather than a broad national network.
The company has stated that its deposits and loans are sourced from the communities it serves. Deposits provide funding for its loan portfolio, which includes loans secured by first mortgages on owner-occupied residential real estate and other real estate-secured loans. Kentucky First Federal Bancorp also reports that it uses brokered certificates of deposit and Federal Home Loan Bank advances as funding sources, as discussed in its earnings releases.
Stock Listing and Ownership Structure
Kentucky First Federal Bancorp’s common stock is registered under Section 12(b) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and trades on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC under the symbol KFFB, as indicated in its Form 8-K filings. The company has reported in multiple press releases that its shares are traded on the Nasdaq National Market under this symbol.
Company disclosures note that a majority of its outstanding common shares are held by First Federal MHC, a mutual holding company. For example, in several earnings releases the company reports that approximately 58.5% of its outstanding shares are held by First Federal MHC. This ownership structure is typical of mutual holding company organizations in the savings institution sector.
Business Focus and Financial Reporting
In its public earnings announcements, Kentucky First Federal Bancorp emphasizes net interest income, interest expense, and interest income as key drivers of performance. The company discusses how changes in the interest rate environment affect its net interest margin, funding costs, and yields on interest-earning assets. It also reports on non-interest income, including net gains on sales of loans, and non-interest expenses such as data processing fees, professional fees, and FDIC insurance premiums.
The company has highlighted the impact of an elevated or changing interest rate environment on its results, noting periods when funding sources repriced more quickly than assets and periods when the repricing of assets began to outpace increases in funding costs. It has also described the use of adjustable-rate loans in its portfolio and the effect of contractual terms such as initial fixed periods and annual caps on loan repricing.
Capital, Regulation, and Risk Management
Public statements from Kentucky First Federal Bancorp indicate that its subsidiary banks are subject to regulatory oversight, including from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) in the case of First Federal Savings Bank of Kentucky. The company has referenced an agreement with the OCC and Individual Minimum Capital Requirements, and has discussed actions taken to address regulatory expectations, including increased professional fees related to corrective actions.
The company has also described the adoption of the current expected credit loss (CECL) accounting standard for its allowance for credit losses. It reported increases to the allowance for credit losses on loans and unfunded commitments at the time of adoption and noted the resulting impact on retained earnings and deferred tax items. In its releases, Kentucky First Federal Bancorp discusses provisions for credit losses and management’s assessment of loan portfolio growth and credit risk.
Management and Governance
Kentucky First Federal Bancorp’s governance and management structure are documented in its proxy statement and Form 8-K filings. The company’s Board of Directors oversees both the holding company and its banking subsidiaries. The definitive proxy statement describes the annual meeting of stockholders, the election of directors, and advisory votes on executive compensation and the frequency of such votes.
In 2024 and 2025, the company reported changes in board composition and executive leadership. A 2024 news release announced that R. Clay Hulette was selected to the company’s board of directors. Subsequent Form 8-K filings and news releases in 2025 describe his appointment as Chief Executive Officer of Kentucky First Federal Bancorp and as President and Chief Executive Officer of First Federal Savings Bank of Kentucky, initially on an interim basis subject to regulatory approval. A later Form 8-K reports that the company and First Federal Savings Bank of Kentucky received final regulatory non-objection to his service in these roles.
The company has also disclosed that Don D. Jennings continues to serve as President of the holding company and Chairman of the Board of Directors of First Federal Savings Bank of Kentucky, and that he has been appointed Director of Operations of that bank. These leadership roles and transitions are documented in the company’s press releases and Form 8-K filings.
Dividends and Capital Management
In January 2024, Kentucky First Federal Bancorp announced that its Board of Directors voted to suspend the payment of the quarterly cash dividend on the company’s common stock indefinitely. In that press release, the company cited compressed net interest margins, lower earnings at the bank level, and regulatory scrutiny on liquidity and dividend payout ratios as reasons for the suspension. The company stated that its subsidiary banks were well-capitalized under applicable regulatory requirements and that asset quality remained good, but that lower earnings limited the ability to fund operations and dividends while maintaining adequate liquidity.
The company has indicated that future dividend payments would depend on the banks’ ability to generate positive retained earnings and enhanced liquidity, and that the Board intended to re-evaluate the payment of a quarterly dividend in the future. These statements appear in the company’s dividend suspension announcement.
Shareholder Meetings and Voting
The definitive proxy statement for the 2025 annual meeting describes the items of business presented to stockholders, including the election of directors, ratification of the independent registered public accounting firm, an advisory vote on executive compensation, and an advisory vote on the frequency of executive compensation votes. The proxy materials explain voting procedures, quorum requirements, and the role of First Federal MHC as a majority stockholder.
The company reports that its annual meeting is held in Hazard, Kentucky, and that stockholders of record as of a specified record date are entitled to vote. It also describes how shares held in street name or in the company’s 401(k) plan are voted, including the role of plan trustees and the treatment of uninstructed shares.
Geographic Focus and Market Areas
According to company descriptions, Kentucky First Federal Bancorp’s operations are concentrated in specific Kentucky markets. First Federal Savings and Loan Association of Hazard operates in Hazard, Kentucky. First Federal Savings Bank of Kentucky operates in Frankfort, Danville, and Lancaster, Kentucky. The company also notes that it mainly operates in Perry, Franklin, Boyle, and Garrard counties and surrounding counties in Kentucky. This regional focus shapes its deposit base, loan portfolio, and exposure to local real estate markets.
Risk Factors and Forward-Looking Statements
In its earnings releases and other public communications, Kentucky First Federal Bancorp includes forward-looking statement disclaimers referencing the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. The company identifies risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ from forward-looking statements. These include general economic conditions, prices for real estate in its market areas, the interest rate environment and its impact on business and results of operations, competitive conditions in the financial services industry, inflation, demand for loans and deposits, potential credit losses, the ability to attract and retain qualified employees, data security, litigation and regulatory matters, and changes in laws and regulations.
The company also refers readers to the risk factors discussed in Item 1A of its Annual Report on Form 10-K for specific fiscal years and in its Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q for certain periods. These references indicate that detailed risk disclosures are provided in its SEC filings.
Summary
Overall, Kentucky First Federal Bancorp is a Nasdaq-listed savings institution holding company that operates through two subsidiary banks in Kentucky. It focuses on deposit-taking and real estate-secured lending, including residential mortgage, multi-family, and construction loans, in defined local markets. Public information emphasizes the effects of interest rate movements on its net interest margin, the adoption of CECL for credit loss accounting, regulatory relationships, and governance matters such as executive appointments and shareholder voting.