ESSA Bancorp, Inc. announced unaudited consolidated earnings results for the first quarter ended December 31, 2017. For the quarter, the company reported total interest income was $15,376,000 against $14,650,000 a year ago. The primary driver was growth in interest income from loans to $12.8 million in fiscal first quarter 2017, up from $12.3 million a year earlier. Net interest income was $11,768,000 against $11,632,000 a year ago. Income before income taxes was $2,455,000 against $2,337,000 a year ago. Net loss was $1,638,000 against net income of $1,937,000 a year ago. Diluted loss per share were $0.15 against earnings of $0.18 a year ago. For the fiscal first quarter of 2018, the company’s return on average assets and return on average equity were negative 0.36% and negative 3.53%, compared with positive 0.43% and positive 4.37%, respectively, in the corresponding period of fiscal 2017. The returns in the fiscal first quarter of 2018 primarily reflected the impact of the one-time charge to income tax expense.