Brighton-based Peoples Federal Bancshares, the holding company for Peoples Federal Savings Bank, recently posted a 7.8 percent decrease in net income for its second quarter this fiscal year, ended Sept. 30.

The company’s net income came out to $545,000 for the quarter ended on March 31, compared with $588,000 for the same period last year.

Net interest and dividend income during this period totaled $4.1 million, a 2.4 percent drop from the $4.2 million it posted during its second quarter last year. Non-interest income totaled $488,000, compared with $375,000 last year. Non-interest expense totaled $3.6 million during the second quarter of both this year and last year.

The company posted a 3.6 percent, or $20.3 million, increase in total assets to $578.3 million at the end of the quarter, compared with $558 million as of March 31, 2012.

Deposits increased $12.1 million to $428.8 million at March 31, 2013 from $416.7 million at Sept. 30, 2012. Loans, net decreased $2 million, or 0.5 percent, as residential real estate, commercial real estate and commercial loans decreased due to loan prepayments. The decreases were offset, in part, by increases in construction and commercial loans.