Certain statements contained in this report that are not historical facts may constitute “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended (the “Exchange Act”), and are intended to be covered by the safe harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements, which are based on certain assumptions and describe the Company’s future plans, strategies and expectations, can generally be identified by the use of words such as “may,” “will,” “should,” “could,” “would,” “plan,” “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate” or words of similar meaning. These forward-looking statements include statements relating to the Company’s anticipated future financial performance, projected growth and management’s long-term performance goals, as well as statements relating to the anticipated effects on results of operations and financial condition from developments or events, the Company’s business and growth strategies.
These forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks, assumptions and uncertainties, and could be affected by many factors. The following list, which is not intended to be an all-encompassing list of risks and uncertainties affecting the Company, summarizes several factors that could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from those anticipated or expected in these forward-looking statements:
Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date on which they are made. The Company does not undertake any obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date the forward-looking statements are made.
The Bank offers investment products and services to customers through SBT Investment Services, Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Bank, and its affiliation with the securities broker/dealer, LPL Financial LLC.
Disclosure of the Company’s significant accounting policies is included in Note 2 to the consolidated financial statements of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2012. Some of these policies are particularly sensitive, requiring significant judgments, estimates and assumptions to be made by management. One of these significant policies relates to the provision for loan losses. See the heading “Provision for Loan Losses” below for further details about the Bank’s current provision.
Key financial highlights for the period ending June 30, 2013 compared to the period ending June 30, 2012 include total asset growth of $42 million or 12%, deposit growth of $17 million or 6%, loan growth of $32 million or 14%, and non-interest income growth of $342 thousand or 21% for the six months ended June 30, 2013 over the same period ending June 30, 2012.
Other highlights for the second quarter of 2013 compared to the second quarter of 2012 include an increase in non-interest income of $16 thousand or 2%, a decrease of $0.06 in earnings per share to $0.43 as of June 30, 2013 compared to $0.49 as of June 30, 2012. There was also a decrease of $0.06 per diluted share for the same three month periods. Total non-accrual loans and loans 30 or more days past due increased to 1.04% of total loans outstanding as of June 30, 2013 from 0.44% of total loans outstanding as of June 30, 2012, primarily due to two related business loans totaling $1.1 million that were placed on non-accrual status during the second quarter of 2013. Both loans are fully collateralized and the Bank does not except to incur any loss on these two loans.
Total deposits at June 30, 2013 were $325 million, an increase of $17 million or 6% over a year ago. This growth was mainly in core deposits (demand accounts). As of June 30, 2013, 30% of total deposits were in non-interest bearing demand accounts, 48% were in low-cost savings and NOW accounts and 22% were in time deposits.
At June 30, 2013 loans outstanding were $255 million, an increase of $32 million, or 14%, over a year ago. Commercial loans grew by $14 million or 25% and residential mortgage loans grew by $20 million or 19% while Consumer loans declined by $2 million or 3%. The profile of the Company’s loan portfolio remains relatively low-risk. The Company’s allowance for loan losses at June 30, 2013 was 1.04% of total loans. The Company had non-accrual loans totaling $2.7 million equal to 1.07% of total loans as of June 30, 2013 compared to non-accrual loans totaling $848 thousand or 0.38% of total loans as of June 30, 2012. Total non-accrual and delinquent loans on June 30, 2013 were 1.38% of loans outstanding compared to 0.45% as of June 30, 2012.
Total revenues, consisting of net interest and dividend income plus noninterest income, were $3.630 million in the second quarter of 2013 compared to $3.616 million for the second quarter of 2012, an increase of less than 1%. Net interest and dividend income decreased by $2 thousand or less than 1%, primarily due to a decline in loan yields. Noninterest income increased by $16 thousand or 2% primarily due to an increase in service charge and fee income.
The Company’s taxable-equivalent net interest margin (taxable-equivalent net interest and dividend income divided by average earning assets) was 3.10% for the second quarter of 2013, compared to 3.34% for the second quarter of 2012. The Company’s cost of funds declined 7 basis points while the yield on interest earning assets decreased 30 basis points during the second quarter of 2013, compared to the second quarter of 2012.
Total noninterest expenses increased by $104 thousand or 3.5% to $3.050 million for the second quarter of 2013 from $2.946 million for the second quarter 2012. This increase was primarily due to expenses associated with growing the Bank’s revenues as well as expenses related to the relocation of the Company’s administrative offices to a larger facility. Salaries and employee benefit expenses increased by $111 thousand or 6.9%. Premises and equipment increased by $17 thousand. Data processing fees increased by $23 thousand. Offsetting a portion of these increases in expense were decreases in professional fees by $51 thousand and FDIC assessment fees by $36 thousand.
Capital levels for the Bank on June 30, 2013 were above those required to meet the regulatory “well-capitalized” designation.
Results of Operation
Net Interest Income and Net Interest Margin
The Company’s earnings depend largely upon the difference between the income received from its loan portfolio and investment securities and the interest paid on its liabilities, including interest paid on deposits and borrowings. This difference is “net interest income.” The net interest income, when expressed as a percentage of average total interest-earning assets, is referred to as the net yield on interest-earning assets. The Company’s net interest income is affected by the change in the level and the mix of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities, referred to as volume changes. The Company’s net yield on interest-earning assets is also affected by changes in yields earned on assets and rates paid on liabilities, referred to as rate changes. Interest rates charged on the Company’s loans are affected principally by the demand for such loans, the supply of money available for lending purposes and competitive factors. These factors are in turn affected by general economic conditions and other factors beyond the Company’s control, such as federal economic policies, the general supply of money in the economy, legislative tax policies, governmental budgetary matters and the actions of the Federal Reserve Bank.
Net interest and dividend income after provision for loan losses plus non-interest income was $3.550 million for the second quarter of 2013 compared to $3.556 million for the second quarter of 2012. The Company’s net interest margin, defined as the ratio of taxable equivalent net interest and dividend income to interest-earning assets or net yield on earning assets, decreased to 3.10% for the quarter ended June 30, 2013 from 3.34% for the quarter ended June 30, 2012. The Company’s net interest spread, defined as the difference between the yield on earning assets and the cost of deposits and borrowings, decreased to 3.01% for the quarter ended June 30, 2013 from 3.24 % for the quarter ended June 30, 2012. The Company’s cost of deposits and borrowings decreased to 0.34% for the second quarter ended June 30, 2013 from 0.41% for the second quarter ended June 30, 2012.
Net interest and dividend income after provision for loan losses plus non-interest income was $7.217 million for the first six months of 2013 compared to $6.862 million for the first six months of 2012. The Company’s net interest margin, defined as the ratio of taxable equivalent net interest and dividend income to interest-earning assets or net yield on earning assets, decreased to 3.06% for the six months ended June 30, 2013 from 3.25% for the six months ended June 30, 2012. The Company’s net interest spread, defined as the difference between the yield on earning assets and the cost of deposits and borrowings, decreased to 2.97% for the six months ended June 30, 2013 from 3.15 % for the six months ended June 30, 2012. The Company’s cost of deposits and borrowings decreased to 0.34% for the six months ended June 30, 2013 from 0.41% for the six months ended June 30, 2012.
Provision for Loan Losses
The provision for loan losses is charged to earnings to bring the total allowance for loan losses to a level deemed appropriate by management based on such factors as historical experience, the volume and type of lending conducted by the Company, the amount of non-performing loans, regulatory policies, generally accepted accounting principles, general economic conditions, and other factors related to the collectability of loans in the Company’s portfolio.
Each month, the Company reviews the allowance for loan losses and makes additional provisions to the allowance, as determined by the Company’s guidelines. The total allowance for loan losses at June 30, 2013 was $2.643 million or 1.04% of outstanding loans compared to $2.439 million or 1.10% of outstanding loans as of June 30, 2012. The Company charged off three loans totaling $43 thousand in the second quarter of 2013 compared to three loans totaling $52 thousand in the second quarter of 2012. During the second quarter of 2013, the Company had seven recoveries totaling $2 thousand compared to eight recoveries totaling $8 thousand for the second quarter of 2012. The Company believes the allowance for loan losses is appropriate. For the six months ended June 30, 2013, the Company charged off a total of 5 loans totaling $67 thousand compared to 8 loans totaling $191 thousand for the first six months ended June 30, 2012. The Company had 15 recoveries totaling $5 thousand in the first six months ended June 30, 2013 compared to 15 recoveries totaling $10 thousand for the six months ended June 30, 2012.
Non-interest Income and Noninterest Expense
Total non-interest income (which is derived mainly from service and overdraft charges) for the three months ended June 30, 2013 was $964 thousand compared to $948 thousand for the same period in the prior year. Total non-interest income for the six months ended June 30, 2013 was $2.001 million compared to $1.659 million for the six months ended June 30, 2012. At June 30, 2013, the Company had approximately 21,098 deposit accounts compared to 20,988 deposit accounts at June 30, 2012.
Total non-interest expense for the three months ended June 30, 2013 was $3.050 million compared to $2.946 million for the same period in the prior year. These expenses were due mainly to strategic initiatives to position the Company for future growth. The ratio of annualized operating expenses to average assets was 3.17% for the second quarter of 2013 compared to 3.32% for the second quarter of 2012. Total non-interest expenses for the six months ended June 30, 2013 was $6.040 million compared to $5.592 million for the six months ended June 30, 2012.
Salaries and employee benefits comprised approximately 56% of total non-interest expense for the three months ended June 30, 2013 and 54% of total non-interest expense for the same period in the prior year. For the six months ended June 30, 2013, Salaries and employee benefits comprised approximately 57% of total non-interest expense compared to 53.5% for the same six months period ended June 30, 2012. Other major categories included premises and equipment, which comprised approximately 11% of non-interest expense for the three months ended June 30, 2013 and 11% for the three months ended June 30, 2012; advertising and promotions expenses, which comprised approximately 6% of total non-interest expense for each of the three months ended June 30, 2013 and 2012; and professional fees, which comprised approximately 4% and 6%, respectively, of total non-interest expense for the three months ended June 30, 2013 and 2012.
Salaries and employee benefits comprised approximately 57% of total non-interest expense for the six months ended June 30, 2013 compared to 54% for the same six months period ended June 30, 2012. Other major categories included premises and equipment, which comprised approximately 11% of non-interest expense for the six months ended June 30, 2013 and 12% for the six months ended June 30, 2012; advertising and promotions expenses, which comprised approximately 6% of total non-interest expense for the six months ended June 30, 2013 and 2012; and professional fees, which comprised approximately 4% of the total non-interest expense for the six months ended June 30, 2012 compared to 5.7% for the six months ended June 30, 2012.
Income Taxes
The effective income tax rate for the three months ended June 30, 2013 and 2012 was 19.8% and 25.7%, respectively. Due to the creation on January 1, 2011 of a Passive Investment Company (“PIC”) under Connecticut tax legislation for the purpose of holding certain mortgage loans, the Company will no longer incur state income tax liability except for the minimum tax since the PIC’s earnings, net of certain allocated expenses, is exempt from Connecticut state income tax as long as the PIC meets certain ongoing qualifications.
Financial Condition
Investment Portfolio
The fair market value of investments in available-for-sale securities as of June 30, 2013 was $99.743 million, which is 1.9% below amortized cost, compared to $91.820 million, which was 1.9% above amortized cost as of December 31, 2012. The Company has the ability to hold debt securities until maturity, or for the foreseeable future if classified as available-for-sale, and equity securities until recovery to cost basis occurs.
Management periodically reviews all investment securities with significant declines in fair value for potential other-than-temporary impairment pursuant to the guidance in ASC 320-10, “Investments – Debt and Equity Securities.” ASC 320-10 addresses the determination as to when an investment is considered impaired, whether the impairment is other-than-temporary, and the measurement of an impairment loss. Management evaluates the Company’s investment portfolio on an ongoing basis. As of June 30, 2013, there were no investment securities in the investment portfolio that management determined to be other-than-temporarily impaired.
In order to maintain a reserve of readily sellable assets to meet the Company’s liquidity and loan requirements, the Company purchases United States Treasury securities and other investments. Sales of “federal funds” (short-term loans to other banks) are regularly utilized. Placement of funds in certificates of deposit with other financial institutions may be made as alternative investments pending utilization of funds for loans or other purposes.
Securities may be pledged to meet regulatory requirements imposed as a condition to receipt of deposits of public funds and repurchase agreements. At June 30, 2013, the Company had 42 securities with a carrying value totaling $16.484 million pledged for such purposes. At December 31, 2012, the Company had 37 securities with a carrying value totaling $14.819 million pledged for such purposes.
As of June 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the Company’s investment portfolio consisted of U.S. government and agency securities, municipal securities, corporate bonds, mortgage-backed securities and money market securities. The Company’s policy is to stagger the maturities of its investment securities to meet overall liquidity requirements of the Company.
Loan Portfolio
The Company’s loan portfolio as of the end of the Second quarter of 2013 was comprised of approximately 72% mortgage and consumer loans and 28% commercial loans. The Company does not have any concentrations in its loan portfolio by industry or group of industries. However, as of June 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, respectively, approximately 88% and 86%, respectively, of the Company’s loans were secured by residential real property located in Connecticut.
There were approximately $125.482 million of residential mortgage loans as of June 30, 2013, which represented a 6.06% increase from December 31, 2012. The Company sold eighty two loans in the three months ended June 30, 2013 with an aggregate principal balance of $18.729 million, which resulted in a gain of $418 thousand. For the six months ended June 30, 2012, the Company sold two hundred and one loans with an aggregate principal balance of $45.057 million, which resulted in a gain of $814 thousand. The Company is an approved originator of loans that can be sold to the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation and the Federal Home Loan Bank.
At June 30, 2013, the Company had total consumer loan balances of approximately $11.953 million, representing an 8.00% increase from the consumer loan balances at December 31, 2012. As of June 30, 2013, the Company had approximately $10.853 million in consumer auto loans purchased from BCI Financial Corp. (“BCI”) on its books compared to approximately $9.747 million in auto loans purchased from BCI on its books as of December 31, 2012. The Company has an agreement with BCI pursuant to which the Company purchases auto loans from BCI. As part of the agreement, BCI services the loans for the Company.
The June 30, 2013 balance for commercial and commercial real estate loans, including construction loans, was $71.201 million, a 17.83% increase from the commercial loan balance at December 31, 2012. The Company’s commercial loans are made to borrowers for the purpose of providing working capital, financing the purchase of equipment, or financing other business purposes. Such loans include loans with maturities ranging from thirty days to one year and “term loans,” which are loans with maturities normally ranging from one year to twenty-five years. Short-term business loans are generally intended to finance current transactions and typically provide for periodic principal payments, with interest payable monthly. Term loans normally provide for fixed or floating interest rates, with monthly payments of both principal and interest.
The Company’s construction loans are primarily interim loans made by the Company to finance the construction of commercial and single-family residential property. These loans are typically short-term. The Company generally pre-qualifies construction loan borrowers for permanent “take-out” financing as a condition to making the construction loan. The Company will also occasionally make loans for speculative housing construction or for acquisition and development of raw land.
The Company’s other real estate loans consist primarily of loans originated based on the borrower’s cash flow and which are secured by deeds of trust on commercial and residential property to provide another source of repayment in the event of default. It is the Company’s policy to restrict real estate loans without credit enhancement to no more than 80% of the lower of the appraised value or the purchase price of the property, depending on the type of property and its utilization.
The Company offers both fixed and floating rate loans. Maturities on such loans typically range from five to thirty years. The Company has been designated as an approved SBA lender. The Company’s SBA loans are categorized as commercial or real estate depending on the underlying collateral. Also, the Company has been approved as an originator of loans that can be sold to the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation.
The Company is subject to certain lending limits. With certain exceptions, the Company is permitted under applicable law to make related extensions of credit to any single borrowing entity of up to 15% of the Company’s capital and reserves. Credit equaling an additional 10% of the Company’s capital and reserves may be extended if the credit is fully secured by limited types of qualified collateral. As of June 30, 2013, the Company’s lending limits were $4.555 million and $7.591 million, respectively. As of December 31, 2012, these lending limits were $4.777 million and $7.962 million, respectively. The Company sells participations in its loans when necessary to stay within lending limits.
Interest on performing loans is accrued and taken into income daily. Loans over 90 days past due are deemed non-performing and are placed on non-accrual status. Interest received on non-accrual loans is credited to income only upon receipt and, in certain circumstances, may be applied to principal until the loan has been repaid in full, at which time the interest received is credited to income. The Company had 14 non-accrual loans at June 30, 2013 with an aggregate balance of approximately $2.703 million compared to 11 non-accrual loans at December 31, 2012 with an aggregate balance of approximately $1.240 million.
When appropriate or necessary to protect the Company’s interests, real estate pledged as collateral on a loan may be taken by the Company through foreclosure or a deed in lieu of foreclosure. Real estate property acquired in this manner by the Company is known as “other real estate owned” (“OREO”) and is carried on the books of the Company as an asset at the lesser of the Company’s recorded investment or the fair value less estimated costs to sell. The Company had two OREO properties at June 30, 2013 carried on the books at $178 thousand.
A loan whose terms have been modified due to financial difficulties of a borrower is reported as a troubled debt restructure (“TDR”). All TDRs are placed on non-accrual status until the loan qualifies for return to accrual status. Loans qualify for return to accrual status once borrowers have demonstrated performance with the restructured terms of the loan agreement for a minimum of six months. The Company had one TDR loan at June 30, 2013 with a balance of approximately $66 thousand, compared to one TDR loan at December 31, 2012 with a balance of approximately $68 thousand.
Non-payment of loans is an inherent risk in the banking business. That risk varies with the type and purpose of the loan, the collateral which is utilized to secure payment and, ultimately, the creditworthiness of the borrower. In order to minimize this credit risk, the Company requires that all loans be approved by at least two officers, one of whom must be an executive officer. Commercial loans greater than $500 thousand, as well as other loans in certain circumstances, must be approved by the Loan Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors.
The Company has an internal review process to verify credit quality and risk classifications. In addition, the Company also maintains a program of annual review of certain new and renewed loans by an outside loan review consultant. Loans are graded from “pass” to “loss” depending on credit quality, with “pass” representing loans that are fully satisfactory as additions to the Company’s portfolio. These are loans which involve a degree of risk that is not unwarranted given the favorable aspects of the credit and which exhibit both primary and secondary sources of repayment. Classified loans identified in the review process are added to the Company’s Internal Watch list and an allowance for credit losses is established for such loans, if appropriate. Additionally, the Bank is examined regularly by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation and the State of Connecticut Department of Banking, at which times a further review of loans is conducted.
The Company had classified loans with an aggregate outstanding balance of $10.804 million as of June 30, 2013 compared to $8.979 million as of December 31, 2012. The Company had no exposure to sub-prime loans in its loan portfolio as of June 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012. The Company’s overall asset quality and loan loss reserves of 1.04% of loans as of June 30, 2013 compared favorably to its peer banks.
The Company maintains an allowance for loan losses to provide for potential losses in the loan portfolio. Additions to the allowance are made by charges to operating expenses in the form of a provision for loan losses. All loans that are judged to be uncollectible are charged against the allowance, while all recoveries are credited to the allowance. Management conducts a critical evaluation of the loan portfolio monthly. This evaluation includes an assessment of the following factors: the results of the Company’s internal loan review, any external loan review, any regulatory examination, loan loss experience, estimated potential loss exposure on each credit, concentrations of credit, value of collateral, any known impairment in the borrower’s ability to repay, qualitative risk factors, and present and prospective economic conditions.
Deposits
Deposits are the Company’s primary source of funds. At June 30, 2013, the Company had a deposit mix of 41% checking, 37% savings and 22% certificates of deposit. The Company’s net interest income is enhanced by its percentage of non-interest-bearing deposits. As of December 31, 2012, the deposit mix was 42% checking, 37% savings, and 21% certificates of deposit. At June 30, 2013, 30% of the total deposits of $324.6 million were non-interest-bearing compared to 27% of the Company’s total deposits of $340.4 million being non-interest-bearing at December 31, 2012. As of June 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the Company had $30.6 million and $45.7 million, respectively, in deposits from public sources.
The Company’s deposits are obtained from a cross-section of the communities it serves. No material portion of the Company’s deposits has been obtained from or is dependent upon any one person or industry. The Company’s business is not seasonal in nature. The Company accepts deposits in excess of $100 thousand from customers. Those deposits are priced to remain competitive. Through the Promontory Interfinancial Network LLC’s Certificate of Deposit Accounts Registry Service (“CDARS”) program, the Bank had brokered deposits of $4.650 million as of June 30, 2013 and $4.544 million as of December 31, 2012.
Borrowings
As of June 30, 2013, the Company had $26 million in Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston (FHLBB) borrowings on its balance sheet compared to $0 as of December 31, 2012. Of this total, $12 million was made up of two 1- month term advances taken in June 2013. One was for $7 million at a rate of 0.18% and maturing on July 3, 2013 and the other one was for $5 million at a rate of 0.20% maturing on July 19, 2013. The remaining balance, $14 million, consisted of daily overnight advances. As of July 31, 2013, the Company had $5 million of outstanding borrowings on its balance sheet.
The Company is not dependent upon funds from sources outside the United States and has not made any loans to a foreign entity.
Liquidity and Asset-Liability Management
Liquidity management for banks requires that funds always be available to pay any anticipated deposit withdrawals and maturing financial obligations promptly and fully in accordance with their terms. The balance of the funds required is generally provided by payments on loans, sale of loans, liquidation of assets, borrowings, and the acquisition of additional deposit liabilities. One method the bank utilizes for acquiring additional liabilities is through the acceptance of “brokered deposits” (defined to include not only deposits received through deposit brokers but also deposits bearing interest in excess of 75 basis points over market rates), typically attracting large certificates of deposit at high interest rates. The Company is a member of Promontory Interfinancial Network LLC’s Certificate of Deposit Account Registry Service (“CDARS”). This allows the Company to offer its customers FDIC insurance on deposits in excess of $250 thousand, which reflects the deposit insurance limits in effect on the report date, by placing the deposits in the CDARS network. Accounts placed in this manner are considered brokered deposits. As of June 30, 2013, the Company had $4.650 million of deposits in the CDARS network compared to $4.544 million of deposits in the CDARS network as of December 31, 2012.
Liquidity of a financial institution, such as the Bank, is measured by its ability to have sufficient liquid assets to meet its short term obligations. The net sum of liquid assets less anticipated current obligations represents the basic surplus of the Company. The Company maintains a portion of its funds in cash deposits in other banks, federal funds sold and available-for-sale securities to meet its obligations for anticipated depositors’ demands in the near future. As of June 30, 2013, the Company held $7.9 million in cash and cash equivalents, net of required FRB reserves of $5.4 million, and $83.3 million in available-for-sale securities, net of pledged securities of $16.5 million, for total liquid assets of $91.16 million. At June 30, 2013, the Company anticipated short-term liability obligations of $65.0 million for a basic surplus of $26.2 million, representing 6.85% of total assets. As of December 31, 2012, the Company held $29.4 million in cash and cash equivalents, net of required FRB reserves of $4.7 million, and $77.0 million in available-for-sale securities, net of pledged securities of $14.8 million, for total liquid assets of $106.4 million. At December 31, 2012, the Company’s anticipated short term liability obligations were $43.2 million for a basic surplus of $63.2 million, which represented 17% of total assets.
The careful planning of asset and liability maturities and the matching of interest rates to correspond with this matching of maturities is an integral part of the active management of an institution’s net yield. To the extent maturities of assets and liabilities do not match in a changing interest rate environment, net yields may be affected. Even with perfectly matched repricing of assets and liabilities, risks remain in the form of prepayment of assets, timing lags in adjusting certain assets and liabilities that have varying sensitivities to market interest rates and basis risk. In its overall attempt to match assets and liabilities, management takes into account rates and maturities offered in connection with its certificates of deposit and provides for the extension of variable rate loans to borrowers. The Company has generally been able to control its exposure to changing interest rates by maintaining floating interest rate loans, shorter term investments, and a majority of its certificates of deposit with relatively short maturities.
The Executive Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors meets at least quarterly to monitor the Company’s investments and liquidity needs and oversee its asset-liability management. In between meetings of the Executive Committee, the Company’s management oversees the Bank’s liquidity.
Capital Requirements
The banking industry is subject to capital adequacy requirements based on risk-adjusted assets. The risk-based guidelines are used to evaluate capital adequacy and are based on the institution’s asset risk profile, including investments and loans, and off-balance sheet exposures, such as unused loan commitments and standby letters of credit. The guidelines require that a portion of total capital be core, or Tier 1. Tier 1 capital is the aggregate of common stockholders’ equity and perpetual preferred stock, less goodwill and certain other deductions. Total capital consists of Tier 1 capital plus the allowance for loan losses subject to certain limitations. Leverage ratio is defined as Tier 1 capital divided by average assets.
At June 30, 2013 and December 31, 2012, the Company’s capital exceeded all minimum regulatory requirements and the Company was considered to be “well capitalized” as defined in the regulations issued by the FDIC.
On July 2, 2013, the Federal Reserve Board approved the final rules implementing the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision’s capital guidelines for United States banks. The rules include a new common equity Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets ratio of 4.5% and a common equity Tier 1 capital conservation buffer of 2.5% of risk-weighted assets. The final rules also raise the minimum ratio of Tier 1 capital to risk-weighted assets from 4.0% to 6.0% and require a minimum leverage ratio of 4.0%. The final rules also implement strict eligibility criteria for regulatory capital instruments. The phase-in period for the final rules will begin for the Company on January 1, 2015, with full compliance with all of the final rule’s requirements phased in over a multi-year schedule. Management is currently evaluating the provisions of the final rules and their expected impact to the Company.
Inflation and Deflation
The impact of changes in the general price level of goods or services on financial institutions, either through inflation or deflation, may differ significantly from the impact exerted on other companies. Banks, as financial intermediaries, have numerous assets and liabilities whose values are affected by both inflation and deflation. This is especially true for companies, such as a bank, with a high percentage of interest-rate-sensitive assets and liabilities. Banks seek to reduce the impact of inflation or deflation, and the coincident increase or decrease in interest rates, by managing their interest-rate-sensitivity gap. The Company attempts to manage its interest-rate-sensitivity gap and to structure its mix of financial instruments so as to minimize the potential adverse effects inflation or deflation may have on its net interest income and, therefore, its earnings and capital.
Based on the Company’s interest-rate-sensitivity position, the Company may be adversely affected by changes in interest rates in the short term. As such, management of the money supply and interest rates by the Federal Reserve to control the general price level of goods or services has an indirect impact on the earnings of the Company. Also, changes in interest rates may have a corresponding impact on the ability of borrowers to repay loans made by the Company.
Off Balance Sheet Arrangements
As of June 30, 2013, The Company had in place mandatory commitments to sell approximately $2.7 million of loans secured by 1-to-4 family residential properties to the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (Freddie Mac). As of December 31, 2012, there were no such commitments in place.
Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
Not required.
The Company has initiatives in place to ensure compliance with the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. The Company has an Internal Compliance Committee that is responsible for the monitoring of, and compliance with, all federal regulations. This committee makes reports on compliance matters to the Audit and Compliance Committee of the Company’s Board of Directors.
Evaluation of Disclosure Controls and Procedures
The Company’s management, with the participation of the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer, has evaluated the effectiveness of the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures as of June 30, 2013. Based upon this evaluation, the Company’s Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have concluded that, as of that date, the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures were effective at ensuring that required information will be disclosed on a timely basis.
As used herein, “disclosure controls and procedures” mean controls and other procedures of the Company that are designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Securities Exchange Act is recorded, processed, summarized and reported within the time periods specified in the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and forms. Disclosure controls and procedures include, without limitation, controls and procedures designed to ensure that information required to be disclosed by the Company in the reports that it files or submits under the Securities Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to the Company’s management, including its principal executive and principal financial officers, or persons performing similar functions, as appropriate to allow timely decisions regarding required disclosure.
Changes in Internal Controls over Financial Reporting
There was no change in the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting during the quarter ended June 30, 2013 that has materially affected, or is reasonably likely to materially affect, the Company’s internal controls over financial reporting.
PART II - OTHER INFORMATION
The Company is not a party to any pending legal proceeding, nor is its property the subject of any pending legal proceeding, other than routine litigation that is incidental to its business. The Company is not aware of any pending or threatened litigation that could have a material adverse effect upon its business, operating results, or financial condition. Moreover, the Company is not a party to any administrative or judicial proceeding, including, but not limited to, proceedings arising under Section 8 of the Federal Deposit Insurance Act.
To the best of the Company’s knowledge, none of its directors or officers, or their respective affiliates, or a beneficial owner of 5% or more of the Company’s securities is a party adverse to the Company or has a material interest adverse to the Company in any legal proceeding.
Not required.
Item 2. Unregistered Sales of Equity Securities and Use of Proceeds
None.
Item 3. Defaults upon Senior Securities
None.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
None.