Item 1A.Risk Factors
An investment in the Company’s common stock is subject to risks inherent to the Company’s business. The material risks and uncertainties that management believes affect the Company are described below. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones facing the Company. Additional risks and uncertainties that management is not aware of or focused on or that management currently deems immaterial may also impair the Company’s business operations. You should carefully consider the risks described below, as well as the other information included or incorporated by reference in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, before making an investment in the Company’s common stock. If any of the following risks occur, the Company’s financial condition and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected, and you could lose all or part of your investment. In this section, the term "Company" includes City National unless the circumstances dictate otherwise.
Economic Risks
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic is adversely affecting our business and financial results. The ultimate impact will depend on future developments, which cannot be predicted, including the scope and duration of the pandemic and actions taken by governmental authorities in response to the pandemic.
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic continues to create extensive disruptions to the global economy and to the lives of individuals throughout the world. Business and consumer customers of the Company are experiencing varying degrees of financial distress as a result of the unprecedented uncertainty, volatility and disruption in the financial markets and in governmental, commercial and consumer activity caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Given the ongoing and dynamic nature of the circumstances, it is not possible to accurately predict the extent, severity or duration of these conditions or when normal economic and operating conditions will resume. For this reason, the extent to which the COVID-19 pandemic affects our business, operations and financial condition, as well as our regulatory capital and liquidity ratios, is highly uncertain and unpredictable and depends on, among other things, new information that may emerge concerning the scope, duration and severity of the COVID-19 pandemic, actions taken by governmental authorities and other parties in response to the pandemic, the scale of distribution and public acceptance of vaccines for COVID-19 and the effectiveness of such vaccines in stemming or stopping the spread of COVID-19 and the rise of any variants or new strains of the COVID-19 virus. The adverse impact on the markets in which we operate and on our business, operations and financial condition is expected to remain elevated until the pandemic subsides. Even after the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, it will likely take time for the U.S. economy to recover, and the length of the recovery period is unknown. The Company's business could be materially and adversely affected during any such recovery period. To the extent the effects of COVID-19 adversely impact the Company's business and financial results, it might also have a heightening effect of the other risks described in this section.
As a participating lender in the Paycheck Protection Program, ("PPP"), we may be subject to additional risks regarding holding the PPP loans at unfavorable interest rates, the Company's processing of PPP loans, and the dependency we have on the federal government's continuation and support of the program.
The CARES Act was enacted on March 27, 2020. Among many other components, the CARES Act provides for payment forbearance on mortgages or loans to borrowers experiencing a hardship during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Company has offered deferral and forbearance plans and made PPP loans with a maturity of two years to small businesses consistent with the CARES Act that are fully guaranteed by the Small Business Administration ("SBA"). The PPP loans will be fully forgiven if the funds are used by the borrowers for payroll costs, mortgage interests, rent and utilities and loan payments will also be deferred until the SBA has determined whether the loan is eligible to be partially or fully forgivable. In addition, no collateral or personal guarantees are required for PPP loans. These PPP loans are typically larger in amount than loans to individuals and, therefore, have the potential for larger losses on a single loan basis. The borrowers may not be able to repay the loans if the SBA determines that they are only partially forgivable or not forgivable at all. The borrowers, despite having a PPP loan, may not be able to maintain the level of employees and salary levels required for forgiveness due to the current economic conditions and thereby create the risk that the PPP loan will not be forgiven in full. Also, the borrower’s ability to repay the loan may not recover when the COVID-19 pandemic subsides, and the federal government may not timely pay the amounts that it would owe the Company pursuant to the terms of the loans, the guarantees and the PPP. Further, the Company may lend to borrowers under the PPP with creditworthiness or credit supports that are less than normal practice and may be subject to the risk of PPP fraud cases.
Additionally, every PPP borrower is in a challenging financial position that may negatively impact its ability to repay if the loans are not subject to forgiveness. If the Company’s borrowers under the PPP loan fail to qualify for loan forgiveness or are unable to repay their loans, the Company is at heightened risk of holding these loans that are at unfavorable interest rates and underwriting standards as compared to the loans to customers to whom the Company would have otherwise lent. Moreover, while the PPP loans are fully guaranteed by the SBA, if the SBA makes a determination that there was a deficiency in the manner in which the PPP loan was originated, funded or serviced by the Company, which may or may not be related to an ambiguity in the law, rules or guidance regarding operation of the PPP, the SBA may deny its liability under the guaranty, reduce the amount of the guaranty, or, if the Company has already been paid under the guaranty, seek recovery from the Company of any loss related to the deficiency.
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Finally, due to the short timeframe between the passing of the CARES Act and the implementing of the PPP, there is some ambiguity in the laws and guidance regarding the operation of the PPP. Several large banks have been subject to litigation as it relates to the process and procedures that banks used in processing applications for the PPP. We may be exposed to the risk of litigation, from both customers and non-customers who approached the Company requesting PPP loans. Any litigation filed against the Company or the Bank may be costly, regardless of the outcome, and result in significant financial liability or adversely affect our reputation. As a result, the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
Economic Conditions in the Company's Market Areas Could Negatively Impact the Company's Business and Financial Condition.
The Company’s business is concentrated in West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia and southeastern Ohio. As a result, the Company’s results of operation, cash flows and financial condition are affected by local and regional economic conditions. A downturn in the economies within the Company’s market areas, or in any one of them, could negatively impact the Company’s results of operation and financial condition. Some examples of economic deterioration include declines in economic growth, declines in consumer and business confidence, increases in inflation, increases in the cost of capital and credit, and limitations in the availability of credit. The Company’s financial performance generally, and the ability of its customers to pay interest on and repay principal of outstanding loans to City National, is highly dependent on the strength of the economic and business environment in the market areas where the Company operates and in the United States as a whole. Additionally, the value of collateral securing loans made and held by City National is impacted by the strength of the economy. Deteriorating economic conditions in the Company’s market areas could cause declines in the overall quality of the loan portfolio requiring charge-off of a greater percentage of loans and/or an increase in the allowance for credit losses, which could negatively impact the Company’s results of operations and financial condition.
While the economic and business environments in West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia and southeastern Ohio have shown resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, and have shown improvement since the brief recession of 2020, there can be no assurance that such resilience and improvement will continue or that the economies in the Company’s market areas, or the United States as a whole, will not slip into another recession. A lack of continued economic improvement or economic recession could adversely affect the Company’s results of operation and financial condition. An economic slowdown could have the following consequences:
•Loan delinquencies may increase;
•Problem assets and foreclosures may increase;
•Demand for City National's products and services may decline; and
•Collateral (including real estate) that secures loans made by City National may decline in value, in turn reducing customers’ borrowing power and making existing loans less secure.
The oil, natural gas and coal industries, and businesses ancillary thereto, play an important role in the economies of West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia and southeastern Ohio. The volatility in oil and gas prices since 2014 has negatively impacted oil and gas and other businesses in the Company’s market areas. Additionally, the coal industry continues to be in decline as a result of increased environmental and safety regulatory burden, increased competition from alternative energy sources and a decline in demand for coal. The Company has limited direct exposure to coal industry specific loans. Prolonged low oil and gas prices, and continued decline in the coal industry, could result in downward pressure on businesses in the Company’s market area which could negatively affect City National’s customers (both individuals and businesses). As a result, the Company’s operating results and financial condition could be negatively impacted.
Credit and Interest Rate Risks
The Value of Real Estate Collateral May Fluctuate Significantly Resulting in an Under-Collateralized Loan Portfolio.
The market value of real estate, particularly real estate held for investment, can fluctuate significantly in a short period of time as a result of market conditions in the geographic area in which the real estate is located. If the value of the real estate serving as collateral for the Company's loan portfolio were to decline materially, a significant part of the Company's loan portfolio could become under-collateralized. If the loans that are collateralized by real estate become troubled during a time when market conditions are declining or have declined, then, in the event of foreclosure, we may not be able to realize the amount of collateral that we anticipated at the time of originating the loan. This could have a material adverse effect on the Company's provision for credit losses and the Company's operating results and financial condition.
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The Company Is Subject to Lending Risk, and the Impacts of Interest Rate Changes Could Adversely Impact the Company.
There are inherent risks associated with the Company’s lending activities. These risks include, among other things, the impact of changes in interest rates and changes in the economic conditions in the markets where the Company operates. Increases in interest rates and/or weakening economic conditions could adversely impact the ability of borrowers to repay outstanding loans or the value of the collateral securing these loans. The Company is also subject to various laws and regulations that affect its lending activities. Failure to comply with applicable laws and regulations could subject the Company to regulatory enforcement action that could result in restrictions of the Company's activities or the assessment of significant civil money penalties against the Company.
A substantial portion of the Company's loan portfolio is comprised of residential and commercial real estate loans. The Company's concentration of real estate loans may subject the Company to additional risk, such as fluctuations in market value of collateral, environmental liability associated with hazardous or toxic substances found on, in or around the collateral, and difficulty monitoring income-producing property serving as a source of repayment and collateral. Any of these or other risks relating to real estate loans could adversely affect the collection by the Company of the outstanding loan balances.
Default on the Repayment of Loans May Impact Operating Expenses and Earnings.
The Company’s customers may default on the repayment of loans, which may negatively impact the Company’s earnings due to loss of principal and interest income. Increased operating expenses may result from management's allocation of time and resources to the collection and work-out of the loan. Collection efforts may or may not be successful causing the Company to write off the loan or repossess the collateral securing the loan, which may or may not exceed the balance of the loan.
Remediation Costs for Real Property Could Impact the Financial Outcomes of the Company.
A significant portion of the Company’s loan portfolio is secured by real property. In the ordinary course of the Company's business, it sometimes takes title to real property collateral through foreclosure after a borrower defaults on the loan for which the real property is collateral. There is a risk that hazardous or toxic substances could be present on properties that the Company acquires by way of foreclosure. The Company may be liable for remediation costs, as well as for personal injury and property damage relating to any hazardous or toxic substances present on the properties it acquires in foreclosure. Environmental laws may require the Company to incur substantial expenses and may materially reduce the affected property’s value or limit the Company’s ability to use or sell the affected property. Furthermore, remediation costs and financial and other liabilities associated with an environmental hazard could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.
Changes to Interest Rates Could Impact the Financial Outcomes of the Company.
Changes in monetary policy, including changes in interest rates, could influence not only the interest income the Company receives on loans and securities and the amount of interest it pays on deposits and borrowings, but such changes could also affect (i) the Company’s ability to originate loans and obtain deposits, (ii) the fair value of the Company’s financial assets and liabilities, and (iii) the average duration of the Company’s mortgage-backed securities portfolio. The Company’s earnings and cash flows are largely dependent upon its net interest income. Net interest income is the difference between interest income earned on interest-earning assets, such as loans and securities, and interest expense paid on interest-bearing liabilities, such as deposits and borrowed funds. Interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors that are beyond the Company’s control, including general economic conditions and policies of various governmental and regulatory agencies and, in particular, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. If the interest rates paid on deposits and other borrowings increase at a faster rate than the interest rates received on loans and other investments, the Company’s net interest income, and therefore its earnings and net profit, could be adversely affected. Earnings also could be adversely affected if the interest rates received on loans and other investments fall more quickly than the interest rates paid on deposits and other borrowings. Changes in interest rates may also negatively affect the ability of the Company's borrowers to repay their loans, particularly as interest rates rise and adjustable-rate loans become more expensive.
Although management believes it has implemented effective asset and liability management strategies, including the use of derivatives as hedging instruments, to reduce the potential effects of changes in interest rates on the Company’s results of operations, any substantial, unexpected, prolonged change in market interest rates could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations. See the section in Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk located elsewhere in this report for further discussion related to the Company’s management of interest rate risk.
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The Company’s Allowance for Credit Losses May Not be Sufficient.
The Company maintains an allowance for credit losses, which is a valuation account that is deducted from the loans' amortized cost basis to present the net amount expected to be collected on the loans. Loans are charged off against the allowance when management believes the uncollectibility of a loan balance is confirmed. Expected recoveries do not exceed the aggregate of amounts previously charged-off and expected to be charged-off. Management estimates the allowance balance using relevant available information, from internal and external sources, relating to past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Historical credit loss experience provides the basis for the estimation of expected credit losses. Adjustments to historical loss information are made for differences in current loan-specific risk characteristics, such as differences in underwriting standards, portfolio mix, delinquency level, or term as well as for changes in environmental conditions, such as changes in unemployment rates, property values, or other relevant factors. These evaluations are conducted at least quarterly and more frequently if deemed necessary.
The determination of the appropriate level of the allowance for credit losses inherently involves a high degree of subjectivity and requires the Company to make significant estimates of current credit risks and future trends, all of which may undergo material changes. Changes in economic conditions affecting borrowers, new information regarding existing loans, identification of additional problem loans and other factors, both within and outside of the Company’s control, may require an increase in the allowance for credit losses. In addition, bank regulatory agencies periodically review the Company’s allowance for credit losses and may require an increase in the provision for credit losses or the recognition of further loan charge-offs based on judgments different than those of management. Any increases in the allowance for credit losses will result in a decrease in net income and capital, and may have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.
See the section captioned "Allowance for Credit Losses" in Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations located elsewhere in this report for further discussion related to the Company’s process for determining the appropriate level of the allowance for credit losses.
The Company May Be Adversely Impacted By The Transition From LIBOR As A Reference Rate.
The United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority and the administrator of LIBOR have announced that the publication of the most commonly used U.S. dollar London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) settings will cease to be published or cease to be representative after June 30, 2023. The publication of all other LIBOR settings ceased to be published as of December 31, 2021. Given consumer protection, litigation, and reputation risks, the bank regulatory agencies have indicated that entering into new contracts that use LIBOR as a reference rate after December 31, 2021, would create safety and soundness risks and that they will examine bank practices accordingly. Therefore, the agencies encouraged banks to cease entering into new contracts that use LIBOR as a reference rate as soon as practicable and in any event by December 31, 2021. The Company discontinued originating LIBOR-based loans effective December 31, 2021 and will negotiate loans using its preferred replacement index, the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”).
The transition from LIBOR has resulted in and could continue to result in added costs and employee efforts and could present additional risk. The Company is subject to litigation and reputational risks if it is unable to renegotiate and amend existing contracts with counterparties that are dependent on LIBOR, including contracts that do not have fallback language. The timing and manner in which each customer’s contract transitions to AMERIBOR, SOFR or BSBY will vary on a case-by-case basis. There continues to be substantial uncertainty as to the ultimate effects of the LIBOR transition, including with respect to the acceptance and use of AMERIBOR, SOFR, BSBY and other benchmark rates. Since AMERIBOR, SOFR and BSBY rates are calculated differently, payments under contracts referencing new rates will differ from those referencing LIBOR, which may lead to increased volatility as compared to LIBOR. The transition has impacted the Company’s market risk profiles and required changes to its risk and pricing models, valuation tools, product design and hedging strategies. Furthermore, failure to adequately manage this transition process with the Company’s customers could adversely impact its reputation. Although the Company is currently unable to assess what the ultimate impact of the transition from LIBOR will be, failure to adequately manage the transition could have a material adverse effect on its business, financial condition and results of operations.
As described in NoteTwo of Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, management has reviewed all contracts, identified those that will be affected, and will transition the LIBOR based loans to SOFR, or another index, by June 30, 2023.
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Risks Related to an Investment in the Company's Securities
The Value of the Company’s Common Stock Fluctuates.
The market for the Company’s common stock may experience significant price and volume fluctuations in response to a number of factors including actual or anticipated variations in operating results, changes in expectations of future financial performance, changes in estimates by securities analysts, governmental regulatory action, banking industry reform measures, customer relationship developments and other factors, many of which are beyond the Company’s control.
Furthermore, the stock market in general, and the market for financial institutions in particular, have experienced extreme volatility that often has been unrelated to the operating performance of particular companies. These broad market and industry fluctuations may adversely affect the trading price of the Company’s common stock, regardless of actual operating performance.
The Trading Volume in the Company’s Common Stock Is Less Than That of Other Larger Financial Services Companies.
Although the Company’s common stock is listed for trading on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the trading volume in its common stock is less than that of other financial services companies. A public trading market having the desired characteristics of depth, liquidity and orderliness depends on the presence in the marketplace of willing buyers and sellers of the Company’s common stock at any given time. This presence depends on the individual decisions of investors and general economic and market conditions over which the Company has no control. Given the lower trading volume of the Company’s common stock, significant sales of the Company’s common stock, or the expectation of these sales, could cause the Company’s stock price to fall.
Future Sales of Shares of the Company’s Common Stock Could Negatively Affect its Market Price.
Future sales of substantial amounts of the Company’s common stock, or the perception that such sales could occur, could adversely affect the market price of the Company’s common stock in the open market. We make no prediction as to the effect, if any, that future sales of shares, or the availability of shares for future sale, will have on the market price of the Company’s common stock.
Shares of the Company’s Common Stock Are Not FDIC Insured.
Neither the FDIC nor any other governmental agency insures the shares of the Company’s common stock. Therefore, the value of common stock of the Company will be based on market value and may decline.
Strategic Risks
Due to Increased Competition, the Company May Not be Able to Attract and Retain Banking Customers.
The Company faces substantial and intense competition in all areas of its operation, including interest rates and other terms for loans and deposits and the range and quality of services provided. Competition comes from a variety of different competitors, many of which have competitive advantages over the Company. The Company faces competition from:
•local, regional and national banks;
•savings and loans associations;
•Internet banks;
•credit unions;
•mutual funds;
•mortgage banking firms;
•finance companies;
•financial technology ("fin-tech") companies;
•brokerage firms;
•investment advisory and wealth management firms;
•investment banking firms; and
•other entities.
In particular, many of City National’s competitors are larger banks and financial institutions whose greater resources may afford them a marketplace advantage by enabling them to maintain numerous banking locations and mount extensive
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promotional and advertising campaigns. Additionally, the Company’s competitors may have products and services not offered by the Company, which may cause current and potential customers to choose those institutions over the Company. The financial services industry could become even more competitive as a result of legislative, regulatory, and technological changes and the continued consolidation within the banking industry. Consumer preferences and expectations continue to evolve, and technology and regulatory changes have lowered barriers to entry and made it possible for banks to expand their geographic reach by providing services over the internet and for non-banks to offer products and services typically provided by banks. Many of our non-bank competitors have fewer regulatory constraints and expenses associated with regulatory compliance and may have lower cost structures, such as credit unions that are not subject to federal income tax.
The Company’s ability to compete successfully depends on a number of factors, including our ability to develop, maintain, and build long-term customer relationships; our ability to expand our market area and range of services and products offered; our ability to keep up-to-date with technological advancements, both with respect to new and existing products and with respect to cybersecurity; customer satisfaction with our products and services; and general industry and economic trends. Failure to perform successfully in any of these areas could significantly weaken our competitive position. If the Company is unable to attract new customers and retain current customers, loan and deposit growth could decrease, causing the Company’s results of operations and financial condition to be negatively impacted.
New Lines of Business or New Products and Services May Subject the Company to Additional Risks.
From time to time, the Company may implement new lines of business or offer new products and services within existing lines of business. There are substantial risks and uncertainties associated with these efforts, particularly in instances where the markets are not fully developed. In developing and marketing new lines of business and/or products and services, the Company may invest significant time and resources. External factors, such as compliance with regulations, competitive alternatives, and shifting market preferences, may also impact the successful implementation of a new line of business or a new product or service. If we are unable to successfully manage these risks in the development and implementation of new lines of business or new products or services, it could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and result of operations.
The Company Faces Technological Change and the Emergence of Nonbank Alternatives to the Financial System.
Consumers may decide not to use banks to complete their financial transactions or invest or deposit their funds. Technology and other changes, including the emergence of fin-tech companies are allowing parties to complete financial transactions through alternative methods that historically have involved banks. For example, consumers can pay bills and transfer funds directly without the assistance of banks. The process of eliminating banks as intermediaries, known as "disintermediation," could result in the loss of fee income, as well as the loss of customer deposits and the related income generated from those deposits. The loss of these revenue streams and the lower cost of deposits as a source of funds could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
The banking and financial services industry continually undergoes technological change, with frequent introductions of new technology-driven products and services. The Company’s future success depends on its ability to addresses the needs and preferences of its customers by using technology to provide products and services that enhance customer convenience and that create additional efficiencies in the Company’s operations. Many of the Company’s competitors have greater resources to invest in technological improvements, and the Company may not be able to implement new technology-driven products and services as quickly and effectively as its competitors. In addition, the necessary process of updating technology can itself lead to disruptions in the availability or function of systems. Failure to successfully keep pace with technological change affecting the financial services industry could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business and results of operations.
The Value of the Company's Investments Could Decline.
The Company holds available-for-sale investment securities, which are carried at fair value. The determination of fair value for certain of these securities requires significant judgment of the Company’s management. Therefore, the market price the Company receives for its investment securities could be less than the carrying value for such securities. Further, the value of the Company’s investment portfolio could decline for numerous reasons, many of which are outside the Company’s control, including general market conditions, volatility in the securities market, and inflation rates or expectations of inflation. A portion of the Company’s investment portfolio consists of municipal securities. The value of these securities is subject to additional factors, including the financial condition of the government issuer and general demand for municipal securities.
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The Company May Be Required to Write Down Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets, Causing Its Financial Condition and Results to Be Negatively Affected.
When the Company acquires a business, a portion of the purchase price of the acquisition is allocated to goodwill and other identifiable intangible assets. The excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net identifiable tangible and intangible assets acquired determines the amount of the purchase price that is allocated to goodwill acquired. At December 31, 2021, the Company’s goodwill and other identifiable intangible assets were approximately $117 million. Under current accounting standards, if the Company determines goodwill or intangible assets are impaired, it would be required to write down the value of these assets. The Company conducts an annual review to determine whether goodwill and other identifiable intangible assets are impaired. The Company recently completed such an impairment analysis and concluded that no impairment charge was necessary for the year ended December 31, 2021. The Company cannot provide assurance whether it will be required to take an impairment charge in the future. Any impairment charge would have a negative effect on its shareholders’ equity and financial results and may cause a decline in the Company's stock price.
The Company May Require Additional Capital in the Future, But That Capital May Not Be Available or May Be Dilutive.
The Company faces liquidity risk, which is the possibility that the Company may not be able to meet its obligations as they come due, both to creditors and customers, or capitalize on growth opportunities because of a lack of liquidity. Lack of liquidity can be caused by an inability to liquidate assets or obtain adequate financing on a timely basis, at a reasonable cost and on other reasonable terms, and within acceptable risk tolerances. The Company is also required by its regulators to maintain specified levels of capital to maintain its operations. The Company’s business needs and future growth, including future acquisitions or organic growth into new markets and business lines, may require it to raise additional capital.
One of the Company’s main sources for liquidity is customer deposits. Increased competition and the availability of alternative products may reduce the Company’s ability to attract and retain core deposits. If customers move money out of bank deposits into other investments, we could lose a relatively low cost source of funds.
The Company’s ability to raise additional capital, whether in the form of debt or equity, is dependent on several factors, including the condition of capital markets, investment demand, and the Company’s financial condition and performance. We cannot assure that we will be able to raise additional capital in the future on terms that are favorable or acceptable to us, or at all.
The issuance of debt may increase our capital costs and reduce our liquidity. The issuance of equity securities, including common stock or one or more series of preferred stock, of the Company may reduce the value of our common stock and have a dilutive effect on holders of our common stock. The Company may issue debt or equity securities that are senior in priority to our common stock as to distributions and liquidation, which could negatively affect the value of our common stock.
Acquisition and Other Growth Opportunities May Present Challenges.
Any future acquisitions may result in unforeseen difficulties, which could require significant time and attention from the Company’s management that would otherwise be directed at developing its existing business and managing expenses. In addition, the Company could discover undisclosed liabilities resulting from any acquisitions for which it may become responsible. Further, the benefits that the Company anticipates from these acquisitions may not develop. We may experience difficulty integrating businesses acquired through mergers and acquisitions and may fail to realize the expected revenue increases, cost savings, increases in market presence, and other projected benefits from acquisition activity. Acquisitions utilizing the Company’s common stock as consideration may dilute the value of the Company’s common stock, which dilution may not be recouped or recovered for a significant amount of time after the acquisition, if ever.
Any merger or acquisition opportunity that we decide to pursue will ultimately be subject to regulatory approval and other closing conditions. We may expend significant time and resources pursing potential acquisitions that are never consummated due to lack of regulatory approval or other issues. Competition for acquisition candidates in the banking industry is intense. We may expend significant time and resources evaluating acquisition candidates and conducting due diligence that does not lead to an acquisition opportunity.
The Company may implement new lines of business, enter new market areas, or offer new products and services from time to time. There can be substantial risks and uncertainties associated with these efforts. The Company may invest significant time and resources in developing and marketing new lines of business, but the benefits that the Company anticipates from these activities may not develop as expected. External factors, such as compliance with regulations,
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competitive alternatives, and shifting market preferences may impact the Company’s ability to successfully implement organic growth strategies. Failure to successfully manage these risks could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.
Operational Risks
The Company May be Adversely Affected by the Soundness of Third Parties, Including Other Financial Institutions.
The Company's business is highly dependent on third party vendors, especially with respect to information technology and telecommunication systems, payment processing system, and mobile and online banking systems. Our operations rely heavily on the secure processing, storage, transmission, and monitoring of information and transactions, and many of these services are outsourced to third party vendors. The failure of these systems or the inability of a third party vendor to continue providing these services on a reliable basis could adversely affect our operations. In addition, the failure of third parties to comply with applicable laws and regulations, or fraud or misconduct on the part of any of these third parties, could disrupt our operations and adversely affect our reputation. It may be difficult for us to replace some of our critical third party vendors, particularly vendors providing our core banking, debit card services and information services, in a timely manner and on terms that are favorable or acceptable to us. Any of these events could increase our expenses and have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Financial services institutions are interrelated with one another as a result of trading, clearing, counterparty, and other relationships. The Company has exposure to many different industries and counterparties, and routinely executes transactions with counterparties in the financial services industry, including commercial banks, brokers and dealers, investment banks, and other institutional clients. Many of these transactions expose the Company to credit risk in the event of a default by a counterparty or client. In addition, the Company’s credit risk may be exacerbated when the collateral held by the Company cannot be realized upon or is liquidated at prices not sufficient to recover the full amount of the credit or derivative exposure due to the Company. Any such losses could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations. Further, as a result of financial entities and technology systems becoming more interdependent and complex, a cybersecurity incident, information breach or loss, or technology failure that comprises the systems or data of one financial entity could have a material impact on counterparties or other market participants, including the Company.
The Company Depends on the Accuracy and Completeness of Information About Our Customers and Counterparties.
The Company relies on information provided to us by or on behalf of customers and other third parties, including financial statements, credit reports, and other financial information, in deciding whether to extend credit or enter into other transactions and in evaluating and monitoring our loan portfolio. The Company also relies on representations from our customers, counterparties, and other third parties, such as independent auditors, as to the accuracy and completeness of that information. Reliance on inaccurate, incomplete, fraudulent or misleading financial or business information could result in credit losses, reputational damage, or other effects that could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operation.
The Company May Be Required to Repurchase Mortgage Loans or Indemnify Mortgage Loan Purchasers.
The Company sells some of the fixed rate residential mortgage loans it originates to mortgage loan purchasers in the secondary market. Purchasers of residential mortgage loans, such as government sponsored entities, often require sellers of residential mortgage loans to either repurchase loans previously sold or reimburse purchasers for losses related to loans previously sold under certain circumstances, such as failure to comply with the purchaser’s purchase criteria, breach of a representation or warranty related to the loan or its origination, or borrower fraud. There is no assurance that a purchaser of the Company’s residential mortgage loans will not demand repurchase or indemnification for losses, which could increase the Company’s expenses in defending such claims and negatively affect the Company’s financial condition and results of operation.
The Company's Risk Management Practices May Prove to be Inadequate or Not Fully Effective.
The Company's risk management framework seeks to mitigate risk and appropriately balance risk and return. The Company has established policies and procedures intended to identify, monitor and manage the types of risk which it is subject to, including credit risk, market risk, liquidity risk, operational risk and reputational risk. Although the Company has devoted significant resources to develop its risk management policies and procedures and expects to continue to do so in the future, these policies and procedures, as well as its risk management techniques, may not be fully effective. In addition, as regulations and markets in which the Company operates continue to evolve, its risk management framework may not always
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keep sufficient pace with those changes. If the Company's risk management framework does not effectively identify or mitigate its risks, the Company could suffer unexpected losses and could be materially adversely affected. Management of the Company's risks in some cases depends upon the use of analytical and/or forecasting models. If the models the Company uses to mitigate these risks are inadequate, it may incur increased losses. In addition, there may be risks that exist, or that develop in the future, that the Company has not appropriately anticipated, identified or mitigated.
The Company May Not Be Able to Attract and Retain Skilled Key Employees.
The Company’s success depends, in in large part, on its ability to attract, retain, motivate and develop key employees. Competition for key employees is ongoing and the Company may not be able to attract, retain or hire the key employees who are wanted or needed, which may also negatively impact the Company’s ability to execute identified business strategies. Because the Company operates primarily in specific geographic markets, its hiring pool is also limited by those markets. Competition for key employees may require the Company to offer higher compensation to attract or retain key employees, which may adversely affect the salaries and employee benefit costs of the Company.
Various restrictions on the compensation which may be paid to certain executive officers were imposed under the Dodd-Frank Act and other legislation and regulations. In addition, the Company’s incentive compensation structure is subject to review by regulators, who may identify deficiencies in the structure or issue additional guidance on the Company’s compensation practices, causing the Company to make changes that may affect its ability to offer competitive compensation to these individuals or that place it at a disadvantage to non-financial service competitors. The Company’s ability to attract and retain talented employees may be affected by these restrictions, or any new executive compensation limits or regulations.
Risks Related to Legal, Reputational and Compliance Matters
Certain Banking Laws May Have an Anti–Takeover Effect.
Application of certain federal banking laws and regulations applicable to the Company and City National, including regulatory approval requirements for change in control, merger or other business combination transactions, could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire the Company or City National, even if doing so would be perceived to be beneficial to the Company's shareholders. These laws and regulations effectively inhibit a non–negotiated merger or other business combination, which, in turn, could adversely affect the market price of the Company's common stock.
The Company’s Ability to Pay Dividends Is Limited.
Although the Board of Directors has declared cash dividends in the past, the Company's current ability to pay dividends is largely dependent upon the receipt of dividends from City National. Federal laws impose restrictions on the ability of City National to pay dividends. Holders of shares of the Company’s common stock are entitled to dividends if, and when, they are declared by the Company’s Board of Directors out of funds legally available for that purpose. Additional restrictions are placed upon the Company by the policies of federal regulators, including the Federal Reserve Board’s November 14, 1985 policy statement, which provides that bank holding companies should pay dividends only out of the past year’s net income, and then only if their prospective rate of earnings retention appears consistent with their capital needs, asset quality, and overall financial condition. In general, future dividend policy is subject to the discretion of the Board of Directors and will depend upon a number of factors, including the Company’s and City National’s future earnings, capital requirements, regulatory constraints and financial condition. There can be no assurance that the Company will continue to pay dividends to its shareholders in the future.
The Company and City National Are Extensively Regulated.
The Company operates in a highly regulated environment and is subject to supervision and regulation by a number of governmental regulatory agencies, including the Federal Reserve Board, the OCC and the FDIC. Regulations adopted by these agencies, which are generally intended to provide protection for depositors and customers rather than for the benefit of shareholders, govern a comprehensive range of matters including but not limited to (i) ownership and control of the Company's equity, (ii) acquisition of other companies and businesses, (iii) permissible activities, (iv) maintenance of adequate capital levels and (v) other operational aspects. Compliance with banking regulations is costly and restricts certain of our activities, including the payment of dividends, mergers and acquisitions, investments, loan amounts and concentrations, interest rates, opening and closing branch locations, and other activities. The bank regulatory agencies also possess broad authority to prevent or remedy unsafe or unsound practices or violations of law. These agencies have significant discretion in their ability to enforce penalties and further limit the Company's activities if the Company fails to comply with applicable regulations.
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The Dodd-Frank Act instituted major changes to the bank and financial institutions regulatory regimes, and additional changes continue to be proposed and implemented by various regulatory agencies. Other changes to statutes, regulations or regulatory policies, including changes in interpretation or implementation of statutes, regulations or policies, could affect the Company in substantial and unpredictable ways. Such changes could subject the Company to reduced revenues, additional costs, limit the types of financial services and products the Company may offer and/or increase the ability of non-banks to offer competing financial services and products, among other things. The burden and expenses associated with regulatory compliance have been increasing and may continue to increase. Failure to comply with laws, regulations or policies could result in sanctions by regulatory agencies, civil money penalties and/or reputation damage, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company's business, financial condition and results of operations.
Proposals to change the laws and regulations governing financial institutions are frequently raised in Congress and before bank regulatory authorities. Changes in applicable laws or regulations could materially affect the Company’s business, and the likelihood of any major changes in the future and their effects are impossible to determine. Moreover, it is impossible to predict the ultimate form any proposed legislation might take or how it might affect the Company.
The Company’s Controls and Procedures May Fail or Be Circumvented.
Any failure or circumvention of the Company’s controls and procedures or failure to comply with regulations related to controls and procedures could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, results of operations and financial condition. Management regularly reviews and updates the Company’s internal controls, disclosure controls and procedures, and corporate governance policies and procedures. Any system of controls, no matter how well designed and operated, is based in part on certain assumptions and can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurances that the objectives of the system are met.
Significant Legal Actions Could Result in Substantial Liabilities.
From time to time, the Company is subject to claims related to its operations. These claims and legal actions, including supervisory actions by its regulators, could involve large monetary claims and cause the Company to incur significant defense expenses. As a result, the Company may be exposed to substantial liabilities, which could negatively affect its shareholders’ equity and financial results.
The Company Faces Reputational Risk.
The Company faces threats to its reputation from many sources, including adverse sentiment about financial institutions generally, unethical practices, employee misconduct, failure to deliver expected standards of service or quality, regulatory compliance deficiencies, and questionable or fraudulent activities of the Company’s employees and customers. Negative publicity may arise regarding the Company’s business, employees, or customers, with or without merit, and could result in the loss of customers, investors and employees, costly litigation, a decline in revenue, and increased regulatory oversight.
The Company Is Subject to Possible Claims and Litigation Relating to Fiduciary Activities.
A significant portion of the business conducted in the Company's trust division involves the Company assuming the special role of a fiduciary to its customers and to the beneficiaries of its customers' assets. Customers or beneficiaries could make claims and take legal action relating to the Company’s fiduciary activities. Whether such claims and legal action related to the Company's performance of its fiduciary responsibilities are founded or unfounded, if such matters are not resolved in a manner favorable to the Company, they may result in significant financial liability. Furthermore, the mere existence of a claim or legal action related to the Company’s fiduciary activities could adversely affect the Company’s reputation among customers and prospective customers. Any financial liability or reputation damage could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, which, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on its financial condition and results of operations.
Changes in Tax Law and Accounting Standards Could Materially Affect the Company's Operations.
Changes in tax laws, or changes in the interpretation of existing tax laws, could materially adversely affect the Company’s operations. Similarly, new accounting standards, changes to existing accounting standards, and changes to the methods of preparing financial statements could impact the Company’s reported financial condition and results of operations. These factors are outside the Company’s control and it is impossible to predict changes that may occur and the effect of such changes.
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Risks Related to Privacy and Technology
System Failure, Cybersecurity Breaches, Fraud and Employee Misconduct Could Subject the Company to Increased Operating Costs, as Well as Litigation and Other Potential Losses.
The computer systems and network infrastructure that the Company uses could be vulnerable to unforeseen hardware and cybersecurity issues, including "hacking" and "identity theft." The Company’s operations are dependent upon its ability to protect its computer equipment against damage from fire, power loss, telecommunications failure or a similar catastrophic event. Any damage or failure that causes an interruption in the Company’s operations could have an adverse effect on its financial condition and results of operations. In addition, the Company’s operations are dependent upon its ability to protect the computer systems and network infrastructure utilized by the Company, including its mobile and Internet banking activities, against damage from physical break-ins, cybersecurity breaches, acts of vandalism, computer viruses, theft of information, misplaced or lost data, programming and/or human errors, and other disruptive problems. The Company is further exposed to the risk that its third-party service providers may be unable to fulfill their contractual obligations with respect to managing the Company’s information and systems. Any cybersecurity breach or other disruptions, whether by the Company or its third-party vendors, would jeopardize the security of information stored in and transmitted through the Company’s computer systems and network infrastructure, which may result in significant liability to the Company, damage its reputation and inhibit current and potential customers from its using Internet banking services. The Company could incur substantial costs and suffer other negative consequences, such as: remediation costs, such as liability for stolen assets or information, repairs of system damage, and incentives to customers in an effort to maintain relationships after an attack; increased cybersecurity protection costs, such as organizational changes, deploying additional personnel and protection technologies, training employees, and engaging third party experts and consultants; and damage to the Company's competitiveness, stock price, and long-term shareholder values.
Despite efforts to ensure the integrity of the Company's systems, the Company will not be able to anticipate all security breaches of these types, nor will it be able to implement guaranteed preventive measures against such security breaches. Persistent attackers may succeed in penetrating defenses given enough resources, time and motive. The techniques used by cyber criminals change frequently, may not be recognized until launched, and can originate from a wide variety of sources, including outside groups such as external service providers, organized crime affiliates, terrorist organizations or hostile foreign governments. These risks may increase in the future as the Company continues to increase its mobile payment and other Internet-based product offerings and expand its internal usage of web-based products and applications.
A successful attack to the Company's system security or the system security of one of its critical third-party vendors could cause it serious negative consequences, including significant disruption of operations, misappropriation of confidential information, and damage to its computers or systems or those of its customers and counterparties. A successful security breach could result in violations of applicable privacy and other laws, financial loss to the Company or to its customers, loss of confidence in its security measures, significant litigation exposure, and harm to its reputation, all of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company.
Criminals are committing fraud at an increasing rate and are using more sophisticated techniques. The Company faces risk of fraudulent activity in many forms, including online payment transfer fraud, debit card fraud, check fraud, mechanical devices attached to ATMs or ITMs, phishing attacks to obtain personal information, email-related frauds and the impersonation of Company executives or vendors, and impersonation of clients through the use of falsified or stolen credentials. The Company may suffer losses as a result of fraudulent activity committed against it, its customers, and other counterparties.
The Company could be adversely affected if one of its employees causes a significant operational breakdown or failure, either as a result of human error or where an individual purposefully sabotages or fraudulently manipulates the Company’s operations or systems. Misconduct by employees could include fraudulent, improper or unauthorized activities on behalf of customers or improper use of confidential information. Employee errors or misconduct could subject the Company to regulatory enforcement action, legal action, reputational damage, and other losses.
General Risk Factors
The Company Relies Heavily on Its Management Team, and the Unexpected Loss of Key Management May Adversely Affect Its Operations.
The Company's success to date has been strongly influenced by its ability to attract and to retain senior management personnel experienced in banking in the markets it serves. Competition for key personnel is intense. The Company's ability to retain executive officers and the current management teams will continue to be important to the successful implementation
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of its strategies. The Company has employment agreements with these key employees in the event of a change of control, as well as confidentiality, non-solicitation and non-competition agreements related to its stock options. The unexpected loss of services of any key management personnel, or the inability to recruit and retain qualified personnel in the future, could have an adverse effect on the Company's business and financial results.
Severe Weather, Natural Disasters, Acts of War or Terrorism, and Other External Events Could Significantly Impact the Company's Business.
Severe weather, natural disasters, health emergencies, acts of war or terrorism, and other adverse external events, especially those that directly affect the Company’s market areas, could have a significant impact on the Company’s ability to conduct business. These events could adversely affect the ability of borrowers to repay outstanding loans, decrease the value of collateral securing loans, cause significant property and infrastructure damage, and affect the stability of the Company’s deposit base. The Company may experience decreased revenue, increased charge-offs, and other expenses.
Climate Change Could Materially Impact the Company’s Underlying Customers or the General Economic Conditions, Resulting in Impacts on the Company.
The Company’s business, as well as the operations and activities of its customers, could be negatively impacted by climate change. Climate change presents both immediate and long-term risks to the Company and its customers, and these risks are expected to increase over time. Climate change presents multi-faceted risks, including: operational risk from the physical effects of climate events on the Company and its customers’ facilities and other assets; credit risk from borrowers with significant exposure to climate risk; transition risks associated with the transition to a less carbon-dependent economy; and reputational risk from stakeholder concerns about the Company’s practices related to climate change, the Company’s carbon footprint, and the Company’s business relationships with clients who operate in carbon-intensive industries. The Company’s success depends on its relationships with customers and general economic conditions. Because the Company’s customer base is geographically concentrated in West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia, and Ohio, if the customers in those geographies are physically impacted by climate change, the Company may be financially impacted as well. In addition, an economic transition to mitigate climate change on a broader scale could have a negative or destabilizing impact on the general economic conditions of the country, which could also have a negative impact on the financial outcomes of the Company.
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Item 1B.Unresolved Staff Comments
None.
Item 2.Properties
City National owns the Company’s executive office, located at 25 Gatewater Road, Charleston, West Virginia. This facility has approximately 60,000 square feet and houses the Company's executive and administrative personnel.
City National owns seventy-five bank branch locations and leases nineteen bank branch locations, pursuant to operating leases. All of the properties are suitable and adequate for their current operations. City National also operates two loan production offices leased in Charlotte, North Carolina and Cincinnati, Ohio.
The Company also owns parcels of real estate for potential future branch development.
Item 3.Legal Proceedings
The Company is engaged in various legal actions that it deems to be in the ordinary course of business. As these legal actions are resolved, the Company could realize positive and/or negative impact to its financial performance in the period in which these legal actions are ultimately decided. There can be no assurance that current actions will have immaterial results, either positive or negative, or that no material actions may be presented in the future.
Item 4.Mine Safety Disclosures
None.
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PART II
Item 5.Market for Registrant's Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters, and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Common Stock Market and Dividends
The Company’s common stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol "CHCO". This table sets forth the cash dividends declared per share and information regarding the closing market prices per share of the Company’s common stock for the periods indicated. The price ranges are based on transactions as reported on the NASDAQ Global Select Market. At February 18, 2022, there were 2,516 shareholders of record.
The Company generally pays dividends on a quarterly basis. As noted in the section captioned "Dividends and Other Payments" included in Item 1. Business, the section captioned "Liquidity and Capital Resources" included in Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and in Note Sixteen of Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, the Company’s ability to pay dividends to its shareholders is dependent upon the ability of City National to pay dividends to the Company. At December 31, 2021, City National could pay $76.9 million in dividends without prior regulatory permission.
Stock Performance
The following graph sets forth the cumulative total shareholder return (assuming reinvestment of dividends) to the Company’s shareholders during the five-year period ended December 31, 2021, as well as the Nasdaq Composite Index and the KBW Nasdaq Bank Index.
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This graph shall not be deemed to be incorporated by reference into any filing under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, or the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, unless the Company specifically incorporates this report by reference. It will not be otherwise filed under such Acts.
Item 6. Reserved
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Item 7.Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
Statistical Information
The information noted below is provided pursuant to Guide 3 -- Statistical Disclosure by Bank Holding Companies.
Description of Information PageReference
Item I. Distribution of Assets, Liabilities and Stockholders'
Equity; Interest Rates and Interest Differential
a. Average Balance Sheets 32
b. Analysis of Net Interest Earnings 33
c. Rate Volume Analysis of Changes in Interest Income and Expense 33
II. Investment Portfolio
a. Maturity Schedule of Investments 41
III. Loan Portfolio
a. Types of Loans 42
b. Maturities and Sensitivity to Changes in Interest Rates 42
c. Other Interest Bearing Assets None
d. Risk Elements 72
V. Deposits
a. Breakdown of Deposits by Categories, Average Balance and Average Rate Paid 32
b. Maturity Schedule of Uninsured Time Certificates of Deposit 48
VI. Return on Equity and Assets 31
VII. Short-term Borrowings 37
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CITY HOLDING COMPANY
City Holding Company (the "Company"), a West Virginia corporation headquartered in Charleston, West Virginia, is a registered financial holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act and conducts its principal activities through its wholly owned subsidiary, City National Bank of West Virginia ("City National"). City National is a retail and consumer-oriented community bank with 94 bank branches in West Virginia (58), Kentucky (19), Virginia (13) and Ohio (4). City National provides credit, deposit, and trust and investment management services to its customers in a broad geographical area that includes many rural and small community markets in addition to larger cities including Charleston (WV), Huntington (WV), Martinsburg (WV), Ashland (KY), Lexington (KY), Winchester (VA) and Staunton (VA). In the Company's key markets, the Company's primary subsidiary, City National, generally ranks in the top three relative to deposit market share and the top two relative to branch share (Charleston/Huntington MSA, Beckley/Lewisburg counties, Staunton MSA and Winchester, VA/WV Eastern Panhandle counties). In addition to its branch network, City National's delivery channels include automated-teller-machines ("ATMs"), interactive-teller-machines ("ITMs"), mobile banking, debit cards, interactive voice response systems, and Internet technology. The Company’s business activities are currently limited to one reportable business segment, which is community banking.
COVID-19 Pandemic/Update
The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic has placed significant health, economic and other major pressure throughout the communities the Company serves, the United States and the entire world. The Company previously implemented a number of procedures in response to the pandemic to support the safety and well-being of our employees, customers and shareholders including pushing as much traffic as possible to our drive-thru facilities, providing extensions and deferrals to loan customers affected by COVID-19 and participating in the CARES Act Paycheck Protection Program ("PPP"). The Company continues to closely monitor this pandemic and will continue to make changes to respond to the pandemic as this situation continues to evolve.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
The accounting policies of the Company conform to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and require management to make estimates and develop assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and related footnotes. These estimates and assumptions are based on information available to management as of the date of the financial statements. Actual results could differ significantly from management’s estimates. As this information changes, management’s estimates and assumptions used to prepare the Company’s financial statements and related disclosures may also change. The most significant accounting policies followed by the Company are presented in Note One of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included herein. Based on the valuation techniques used and the sensitivity of financial statement amounts to the methods, assumptions, and estimates underlying those amounts, management has identified: (i) the determination of the allowance for credit losses and (ii) income taxes to be the accounting areas that require the most subjective or complex judgments and, as such, could be most subject to revision as new information becomes available.
Allowance for Credit Losses
The Allowance for Credit Losses section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K provides management’s analysis of the Company’s allowance for credit losses and related provision. The allowance for credit losses is a valuation account that is deducted from the loans' amortized cost basis to present the net amount expected to be collected on the loans. Loans are charged off against the allowance when management believes the uncollectibility of a loan balance is confirmed. Expected recoveries do not exceed the aggregate of amounts previously charged-off and expected to be charged-off. Management estimates the allowance balance using relevant available information, from internal and external sources, relating to past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Historical credit loss experience provides the basis for the estimation of expected credit losses. Adjustments to historical loss information are made for differences in current loan-specific risk characteristics, such as differences in underwriting standards, portfolio mix, delinquency level, or term as well as for changes in environmental conditions, such as changes in unemployment rates, property values, or other relevant factors. These evaluations are conducted at least quarterly and more frequently if deemed necessary. Additionally, all commercial loans within the portfolio are subject to internal risk grading. Risk grades are generally assigned by the primary lending officer and are periodically evaluated by the Company’s internal loan review process.
In evaluating the appropriateness of its allowance for credit losses, the Company stratifies the loan portfolio into six major groupings. The Company has identified the following portfolio segments and measures the allowance for credit losses using the following methods:
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Portfolio Segment Measurement Method
Commercial and industrial Migration
Commercial real estate:
1-4 family Migration
Hotels Migration
Multi-family Migration
Non Residential Non-Owner Occupied Migration
Non Residential Owner Occupied Migration
Residential real estate Vintage
Home equity Vintage
Consumer Vintage
Migration is an analysis that tracks a closed pool of loans for a configurable period of time and calculates a loss ratio on only those loans in the pool at the start date based on outstanding balance. Vintage is a predictive loss model that includes a reasonable approximation of probable and estimable future losses by tracking each loan's net losses over the life of the loan as compared to its original balance. For demand deposit overdrafts, the allowance for credit losses is measured using the historical loss rate. Loans that do not share risk characteristics are evaluated on an individual basis. Loans evaluated individually are not included in the collective evaluation. When management determines that foreclosure is probable, the expected credit losses are based on the fair value of the collateral at the reporting date, adjusted for selling costs as appropriate.
Expected credit losses are estimated over the contractual term of the loan, adjusted for expected prepayments when appropriate. The contractual term excludes expected extensions, renewals, and modifications unless either of the following applies: management has a reasonable expectation at the reporting date that a troubled-debt restructuring will be executed with an individual borrower or the extension or renewal options are included in the original or modified contract at the reporting date and are not unconditionally cancellable by the Company.
The Company uses a number of economic variables in its scenarios to estimate the allowance for credit losses, with the most significant drivers being an unemployment rate forecast and qualitative adjustments. In the December 31, 2021 estimate, the Company assumed an unemployment forecast range of 3.5% to 5.2%, which has decreased from a range of 4.6% to 9% utilized in the December 31, 2020 estimate. Historical loss rates from periods where the average unemployment rate matches the forecast range are considered when calculating the forecast period loss rate. The impact of the changes in the unemployment forecast range between December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2021 resulted in a decrease in the ACL of approximately $0.6 million.
Based on sensitivity analysis of all portfolios, a 0.0050% change (slight improvement or decline on bank's scale) in all 11 qualitative risk factors (where assigned) would have a $1.8 million impact on the reserve allocation. Changing each factor by 0.01% (moderate improvement or decline) would have a $3.7 million impact. Management recognizes that these are extreme scenarios and it is very unlikely that all risk factors would change by 0.005% or 0.01% simultaneously. Between December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2021, management assigned a "moderate improvement," or 1 basis point decrease, to the overall economic conditions and unemployment qualitative factors and eliminated the 0.055% COVID-19 qualitative adjustment. Management also assigned a “moderate improvement,” or 1 basis point decrease to 0.01%, to the delinquency trend factor for all pools. In total, the qualitative changes reduced the ACL by approximately $2.9 million.
Income Taxes
The Income Taxes section of this Annual Report on Form 10-K provides management’s analysis of the Company’s income taxes. The Company is subject to federal and state income taxes in the jurisdictions in which it conducts business. In computing the provision for income taxes, management must make judgments regarding interpretation of laws in those jurisdictions. Because the application of tax laws and regulations for many types of transactions is susceptible to varying interpretations, amounts reported in the financial statements could be changed at a later date upon final determinations by taxing authorities. On a quarterly basis, the Company estimates its annual effective tax rate for the year and uses that rate to provide for income taxes on a year-to-date basis. The Company's unrecognized tax benefits could change over the next twelve months as a result of various factors. The Company is currently open to audit under the statute of limitations by the Internal Revenue Service and various state taxing authorities for the years ended December 31, 2018 and forward.
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The effective tax rate is calculated by taking the statutory rate and adjusting for permanent and discrete items. The discrete items can vary between periods but historically have remained consistent.
FINANCIAL SUMMARY
The Company’s financial performance over the previous three years is summarized in the following table:
Earnings per common share, basic $ 5.67 $ 5.55 $ 5.43
Earnings per common share, diluted $ 5.66 $ 5.55 $ 5.42
*ROA (Return on Average Assets) is a measure of the effectiveness of asset utilization. ROE (Return on Average Equity) is a measure of the return on shareholders’ investment. ROATCE (Return on Average Tangible Common Equity) is a measure of the return on shareholders’ equity less intangible assets.
BALANCE SHEET ANALYSIS
Selected balance sheet fluctuations and ratios are summarized in the following table (in millions):
December 31,
Tangible equity to tangible assets 9.58 % 10.33 %
Investment securities increased $227.5 million, from $1.21 billion at December 31, 2020, to $1.43 billion at December 31, 2021 due to an increase in deposit balances and decreased loan demand.
Gross loans decreased $78.3 million (2.2%) from December 31, 2020 to $3.54 billion at December 31, 2021. PPP loans decreased $48.8 million from $55.4 million at December 31, 2020 to $6.6 million at December 31, 2021. Excluding outstanding PPP loans (included in the commercial and industrial loan category), total loans decreased $29.4 million, (0.8%), from December 31, 2020 to $3.54 billion at December 31, 2021. Residential real estate loans decreased $38.7 million (2.4%); home equity loans decreased $14.1 million (10.4%); and consumer loans decreased $6.8 million (14.2%). These decreases were partially offset by increases in commercial and industrial loans ($22.1 million, or 7.5%) (excluding PPP loans).
Total deposits increased $273.1 million from December 31, 2020 to $4.93 billion at December 31, 2021. Noninterest bearing demand deposits increased $196.1 million, savings deposits increased $159.4 million, and interest bearing demand deposits increased $108.6 million. These increases were partially offset by a decrease in time deposits of $191.1 million.
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TABLE ONE
AVERAGE BALANCE SHEETS AND NET INTEREST INCOME
(In thousands)
Assets
Loan portfolio(1):
Previously securitized loans(5) — 568 — — 599 — — 684 —
Securities:
Liabilities
Net yield on earning assets 2.89 % 3.16 % 3.59 %
1.For purposes of this table, non-accruing loans have been included in average balances and the following net loan fees (in thousands) have been included in interest income:
2.Includes the Company's residential real estate and home equity loan categories.
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3.Included in the above table are the following amounts (in thousands) for the accretion of the fair value adjustments related to the Company's acquisitions:
Installment loans to individuals 87 143 47
4.Includes the Company’s consumer and DDA overdrafts loan categories.
5.Effective January 1, 2012, the carrying value of the Company's previously securitized loans was reduced to $0.
6.Computed on a fully federal tax-equivalent basis assuming a tax rate of approximately 21%.
NET INTEREST INCOME
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TABLE TWO
RATE/VOLUME ANALYSIS OF CHANGES IN INTEREST INCOME AND INTEREST EXPENSE
(In thousands)
Volume Rate Net Volume Rate Net
Interest-earning assets:
Loan portfolio
Previously securitized loans — (31) (31) — (85) (85)
Securities:
Interest-bearing liabilities:
1.Fully federal taxable equivalent using a tax rate of approximately 21%.
2021 vs. 2020
The Company’s net interest income increased from $154.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $155.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The Company’s tax equivalent net interest income increased $1.2 million, or 0.8%, from $155.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $156.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. The Company recognized $4.0 million of loan fees associated with PPP loans during 2021 as compared to $1.6 million during 2020. However, lower loan yields (which fell 29 basis points) decreased net interest income by $10.0 million. Additionally, lower average loan balances ($95.6 million) lowered net interest income by $4.2 million and a decrease in accretion from fair value adjustments decreased interest income by $1.7 million. Higher investment balances (which increased $262.2 million) increased net interest income by $7.2 million, while investment yields (which decreased by 45 basis points) decreased net interest income by $6.0 million. Lower rates paid on interest bearing liabilities (40 basis points) and lower average time deposit balances (down $172.3 million) increased net interest income by $11.7 million and $2.6 million, respectively. The Company’s reported net interest margin declined from 3.16% for the year ended December 31, 2020 to 2.89% for the year ended December 31, 2021. Excluding the favorable impact of the accretion from the fair value adjustments, the net interest margin would have been 2.85% for the year ended December 31, 2021 and 3.08% for the year ended December 31, 2020.
2020 vs. 2019
The Company’s net interest income decreased from $161.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $154.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. The Company’s tax equivalent net interest income decreased $6.5 million, or 4.0%, from $162.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $155.7 million for the year ended December 31, 2020.
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Lower loan yields (68 basis points) and investment yields (48 basis points) decreased net interest income by $24.5 million and $5.4 million, respectively. These decreases were partially offset by lower rates paid on interest bearing liabilities (40 basis points), higher investment balances ($195.9 million), and higher commercial loan balances ($99.3 million, driven largely by PPP loans) which increased net interest income by $13.1 million, $6.5 million, and $4.7 million, respectively. In addition, the Company recognized $1.6 million of loan fees associated with PPP loans during 2020. The Company’s reported net interest margin declined from 3.59% for the year ended December 31, 2019 to 3.16% for the year ended December 31, 2020. Excluding the favorable impact of the accretion from the fair value adjustments, the net interest margin would have been 3.08% for the year ended December 31, 2020 and 3.51% for the year ended December 31, 2019.
Non-GAAP Financial Measures
Management of the Company uses measures in its analysis of the Company's performance other than those in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles in the United States of America ("GAAP"). These measures are useful when evaluating the underlying performance of the Company's operations. The Company's management believes that these non-GAAP measures enhance comparability of results with prior periods and demonstrate the effects of significant gains and charges in the current period. The Company's management believes that investors may use these non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate the Company's financial performance without the impact of those items that may obscure trends in the Company's performance. These disclosures should not be viewed as a substitute for financial measures determined in accordance with GAAP, nor are they comparable to non-GAAP financial measures that may be presented by other companies.
TABLE THREE
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
(In thousands)
Accretion related to fair value adjustments (0.04) (0.08) (0.08)
Net interest margin (excluding accretion) 2.85 % 3.08 % 3.51 %
Effect of goodwill and other intangibles, net (1.76) (1.85) (2.13)
Tangible common equity to tangible assets 9.58 % 10.33 % 10.98 %
Return on tangible equity ("GAAP") 15.3 % 15.6 % 17.3 %
Impact of sale of VISA shares — (2.4) —
Impact of merger related expenses — — 0.1
Return on tangible equity, excluding the above items 15.3 % 13.2 % 17.4 %
Return on assets ("GAAP") 1.49 % 1.66 % 1.80 %
Impact of sale of VISA shares — (0.24) —
Impact of merger related expenses — — 0.02
Return on assets, excluding the above items 1.49 % 1.42 % 1.82 %
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NON-INTEREST INCOME AND NON-INTEREST EXPENSE
2021 vs. 2020
Selected income statement fluctuations and ratios are summarized in the following table (dollars in millions):
For the year ended December 31,
Full-time equivalent employees 905 926
Non-interest income was $69.6 million for 2021 as compared to $82.7 million for 2020. During 2020, the Company sold the entirety of its Visa Inc. Class B common shares (86,605 shares) in a cash transaction that resulted in a pre-tax gain of $17.8 million, or $0.84 diluted per share on an after-tax basis. Additionally, the Company reported $0.3 million of realized security gains on the sale of investment securities and $0.5 million of unrealized fair value gains on the Company’s equity securities during 2021 compared to $0.9 million of unrealized fair value losses on the Company’s equity securities during 2020. Exclusive of these items, non-interest income increased from $65.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 to $68.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2021. This increase was largely attributable to an increase of $3.9 million, or 17.0%, in bankcard revenues and a $0.7 million, or 8.8%, increase in trust and investment management fee income. These increases were partially offset by a decrease of $0.7 million, or 15.0%, in other income and a decrease of $0.5 million in bank owned life insurance due to lower death benefit proceeds received during 2021 compared to 2020.
Non-interest expenses increased from $115.3 million for 2020 to $117.2 million for 2021. This increase was primarily due to an increase in telecommunication expenses ($0.7 million), FDIC insurance expense ($0.7 million), bankcard expenses ($0.6 million), occupancy related expenses ($0.3 million), advertising expenses ($0.3 million), and equipment and software related expense ($0.3 million). These increases were partially offset by a decrease in other expenses ($0.6 million) and repossessed asset gains ($0.3 million).
2020 vs. 2019
Selected income statement fluctuations are summarized in the following table (dollars in millions):
For the year ended December 31,
Merger related expenses — 0.8 (0.8) (100) %
Non-interest expense, excluding merger related expenses 115.3 116.8 (1.5) (1) %
Non-interest income was $82.7 million for 2020 as compared to $68.5 million for 2019. During 2020, the Company sold the entirety of its Visa Inc. Class B common shares (86,605 shares) in a cash transaction which resulted in a pre-tax gain of $17.8 million, or $0.84 diluted per share on an after-tax basis. Additionally, the Company reported $0.9 million of unrealized fair value losses on the Company’s equity securities compared to $0.9 million of unrealized fair value gains on the Company’s equity securities during 2019. Exclusive of these items, non-interest income decreased from $67.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 to $65.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2020. This decrease was largely attributable to a decrease of $5.8 million, or 18.3%, in service charges as average deposit balances have increased during the COVID-19
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pandemic. This decrease was partially offset by an increase of $2.0 million, or 9.3%, in bankcard revenues, an increase of $0.7 million, or 17.3%, in other income (largely due to fees from loan interest rate swap originations), an increase of $0.7 million in bank owned life insurance due to higher death benefit proceeds received during 2020 compared to 2019, and an increase of $0.6 million in trust and investment management fee income.
During 2019, the Company recognized $0.8 million of acquisition and integration expenses associated with the completed acquisitions of Poage Bankshares, Inc. ("Poage") and Farmers Deposit Bancorp, Inc. ("Farmers"). Excluding these expenses, non-interest expenses decreased from $116.8 million for 2019 to $115.3 million for 2020. This decrease was primarily due to a decrease in occupancy related expense of $0.8 million, other expenses of $0.8 million (largely on the strength of a gain from the sale of a branch bank location acquired in connection with the acquisition of Farmers), advertising of $0.6 million, repossessed asset losses of $0.4 million, and telecommunication expense of $0.3 million. These decreases were partially offset by an increase in equipment and software related expenses ($1.2 million), bankcard expenses ($0.3 million), and FDIC insurance expense ($0.2 million).
INCOME TAXES
Selected information regarding the Company's income taxes is presented in the table below (dollars in millions):
For the year ended December 31,
A reconciliation of the effective tax rate to the statutory rate is included in Note Eleven of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
Deferred income taxes reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amount of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. The Company was in a net deferred tax asset position ($0.1 million) at December 31, 2021 and a net deferred tax liability position ($3.2 million) at December 31, 2020. The increase from net deferred tax liability to net deferred tax asset was largely due to a decrease in the Company's investment valuation, primarily in the mortgage-backed security portfolio.
The components of the Company’s net deferred tax assets/liabilities are disclosed in Note Eleven of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements. Realization of the most significant net deferred tax assets is primarily dependent on future events taking place that will reverse the current deferred tax assets. The deferred tax asset and/or liability associated with unrealized securities losses and/or gains is the tax impact of the unrealized gains and/or losses on the Company’s available-for-sale security portfolio. The impact of the Company’s unrealized losses is noted in the Company’s Consolidated Statements of Changes in Shareholders’ Equity as an adjustment to Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss). This deferred tax asset/liability would be realized if the unrealized securities gains/losses on the Company's securities were realized from either the sales or maturities of the related securities. The deferred tax asset associated with the allowance for credit losses is expected to be realized as additional loan charge-offs, which have already been provided for within the Company’s financial statements, and is recognized for tax purposes. The Company believes that it is more likely than not that each of the deferred tax assets will be realized and that no significant valuation allowances were necessary as of December 31, 2021 or 2020.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Liquidity
The Company evaluates the adequacy of liquidity at both the Parent Company level and at the banking subsidiary level. At the Parent Company level, the principal source of cash is dividends from its banking subsidiary, City National. Dividends paid by City National to the Parent Company are subject to certain legal and regulatory limitations. Generally, any dividends in amounts that exceed the earnings retained by City National in the current year plus retained net profits for the preceding two years must be approved by regulatory authorities. At December 31, 2021, City National could pay dividends up to $76.9 million without prior regulatory permission.
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During 2021, the Parent Company used cash obtained from the dividends received primarily to: (1) pay common dividends to shareholders and (2) fund repurchases of the Company's common shares. Additional information concerning sources and uses of cash by the Parent Company is discussed in Note Eighteen of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.
During the first quarter of 2020, the Company repaid its Subordinated Debentures, assumed as part of its acquisition of Poage, at a price of 100% of the principal amount. These securities were issued in December 2006 and were callable in whole or in part any time after December 22, 2012.
The Parent Company anticipates continuing the payment of dividends, which are expected to approximate $36.1 million on an annualized basis for 2022 based on common shareholders of record at December 31, 2021 at a dividend rate of $2.40 per share for 2022. However, dividends to shareholders can, if necessary, be suspended. In addition to these anticipated cash needs, the Parent Company has operating expenses and other contractual obligations, which are estimated to require $1.2 million of additional cash over the next 12 months. As of December 31, 2021, the Parent Company reported a cash balance of $26.9 million and management believes that the Parent Company’s available cash balance, together with cash dividends from City National, will be adequate to satisfy its funding and cash needs over the next twelve months. Excluding the dividend payments discussed above, the Parent Company has no significant commitments or obligations in years after 2022.
City National manages its liquidity position in an effort to effectively and economically satisfy the funding needs of its customers and to accommodate the scheduled repayment of borrowings. Funds are available to City National from a number of sources, including depository relationships, sales and maturities within the investment securities portfolio, and borrowings from the Federal Home Loan Bank ("FHLB") and other financial institutions. As of December 31, 2021, City National’s assets are significantly funded by deposits and capital. City National maintains borrowing facilities with the FHLB and other financial institutions that can be accessed as necessary to fund operations and to provide contingency funding mechanisms. As of December 31, 2021, City National had the capacity to borrow an additional $2.1 billion from the FHLB and other financial institutions under existing borrowing facilities. City National maintains a contingency funding plan, incorporating these borrowing facilities, to address liquidity needs in the event of an institution-specific or systemic financial industry crisis. Also, although it has no current intention to do so, City National could liquidate its unpledged securities, if necessary, to provide an additional funding source. City National also segregates certain mortgage loans, mortgage-backed securities, and other investment securities in a separate subsidiary so that it can separately monitor the asset quality of these primarily mortgage-related assets, which could be used to raise cash through securitization transactions or obtain additional equity or debt financing if necessary.
The Company manages its asset and liability mix to balance its desire to maximize net interest income against its desire to minimize risks associated with capitalization, interest rate volatility, and liquidity. With respect to liquidity, the Company has chosen a conservative posture and believes that its liquidity position is strong. As illustrated in the Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows, the Company generated $102.3 million of cash from operating activities during 2021, primarily from interest income received on loans and investments, net of interest expense paid on deposits and borrowings.
The Company has obligations to extend credit, but these obligations are primarily associated with existing home equity loans that have predictable borrowing patterns across the portfolio. The Company has investment security balances with carrying values that totaled $1.43 billion at December 31, 2021, and that greatly exceeded the Company’s non-deposit sources of borrowing, which totaled $312 million.
The Company’s net loan to asset ratio is 58.7% as of December 31, 2021 and deposit balances fund 82.0% of total assets as compared to 79.5% for its peers (Bank Holding Company Peer Group, as of the most recent data available as of September 30, 2021, which includes commercial banks with assets ranging from $3 billion to $10 billion). Further, the Company’s deposit mix has a very high proportion of transaction and savings accounts that fund 64.2% of the Company’s total assets and the Company uses time deposits over $250,000 to fund 2.2% of total assets compared to its peers, which fund (4.3)% of total assets with such deposits.
Capital Resources
During 2021, Shareholders’ Equity decreased $20 million, or 2.9%, from $701 million at December 31, 2020 to $681 million at December 31, 2021. This decrease was primarily due to common share repurchases of $59 million, cash dividends declared of $36 million, and other comprehensive loss of $17 million (due to a decrease in the Company's investment valuation), partially offset by net income of $88 million.
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During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company repurchased approximately 760,000 common shares at a weighted average price of $77.21 per share as part of a one million share repurchase plan authorized by the Board of Directors in March 2021. At December 31, 2021, the Company could repurchase approximately 315,000 shares under the current plan.
The Basel III Capital Rules require City Holding and City National to maintain minimum CET 1, Tier 1 and Total Capital ratios, along with a capital conservation buffer, effectively resulting in new minimum capital ratios (which are shown in the table below). The capital conservation buffer is designed to absorb losses during periods of economic stress. Banking institutions with a ratio of CET 1 capital to risk-weighted assets above the minimum but below the conservation buffer (or below the combined capital conservation buffer and countercyclical capital buffer, when the latter is applied) will face constraints on dividends, equity repurchases and compensation based on the amount of the shortfall. The Basel III Capital Rules also provide for a "countercyclical capital buffer" that is applicable to only certain covered institutions and does not have any current applicability to City Holding Company or City National Bank.
The Company’s regulatory capital ratios for both City Holding and City National include the 2.5% capital conservation buffer and are illustrated in the following tables (in thousands):
Capital Amount Ratio Capital Amount Ratio Capital Amount Ratio
CET 1 Capital
Tier 1 Capital
Total Capital
Tier 1 Leverage Ratio
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Capital Amount Ratio Capital Amount Ratio Capital Amount Ratio
CET 1 Capital
Tier 1 Capital
Total Capital
Tier 1 Leverage Ratio
As of December 31, 2021, management believes that City Holding Company, and its banking subsidiary, City National, were "well capitalized." City Holding is subject to regulatory capital requirements administered by the Federal Reserve, while City National is subject to regulatory capital requirements administered by the OCC and the FDIC. Regulatory agencies can initiate certain mandatory actions if either City Holding or City National fails to meet the minimum capital requirements, as shown above. As of December 31, 2021, management believes that City Holding and City National meet all capital adequacy requirements.
In November 2019, the federal banking regulators published final rules implementing a simplified measure of capital adequacy for certain banking organizations that have less than $10 billion in total consolidated assets. Under the final rules, which went into effect on January 1, 2020, depository institutions and depository institution holding companies that have less than $10 billion in total consolidated assets and meet other qualifying criteria, including a leverage ratio of greater than 9%, off–balance–sheet exposures of 25% or less of total consolidated assets and trading assets plus trading liabilities of 5% or less of total consolidated assets, are deemed "qualifying community banking organizations" and are eligible to opt into the "community bank leverage ratio framework." A qualifying community banking organization that elects to use the community bank leverage ratio framework and that maintains a leverage ratio of greater than 9% is considered to have satisfied the generally applicable risk–based and leverage capital requirements under the Basel III Rules and, if applicable, is considered to have met the "well capitalized" ratio requirements for purposes of its primary federal regulator’s prompt corrective action rules, discussed below. The final rules include a two–quarter grace period during which a qualifying community banking organization that temporarily fails to meet any of the qualifying criteria, including the greater–than–9% leverage capital ratio requirement, is generally still deemed "well capitalized" so long as the banking organization maintains a leverage capital ratio greater than 8%. A banking organization that fails to maintain a leverage capital ratio greater than 8% is not permitted to use the grace period and must comply with the generally applicable requirements under the Basel III Rules and file the appropriate regulatory reports. The Company and its subsidiary bank do not have any immediate plans to elect to use the community bank leverage ratio framework but may make such an election in the future.
Contractual Obligations
The Company has various financial obligations that may require future cash payments according to the terms of the obligations. Demand, both noninterest- and interest-bearing, and savings deposits are, generally, payable immediately upon demand at the request of the customer. Therefore, the contractual maturity of these obligations is presented in the following table as "less than one year." Time deposits, typically certificates of deposit, are customer deposits that are evidenced by an agreement between the Company and the customer that specify stated maturity dates; early withdrawals by the customer are subject to penalties assessed by the Company. Short-term borrowings and long-term debt represent borrowings of the Company and have stated maturity dates. Operating leases between the Company and the lessor have stated expiration dates and renewal terms.
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TABLE FOUR
CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS
The composition of the Company's contractual obligations as of December 31, 2021 is presented in the following table (in thousands):
Contractual Maturity in
Less than One Year Greater than One Year Total
Deferred compensation plans — 2,777 2,777
(1)Includes interest on both fixed- and variable-rate obligations. The interest associated with variable-rate obligations is based upon interest rates in effect at December 31, 2021. The contractual amounts to be paid on variable-rate obligations are affected by market interest rates that could materially affect the contractual amounts to be paid.
The Company’s liability for uncertain tax positions at December 31, 2021 was $1.8 million pursuant to ASC Topic 740. This liability represents an estimate of tax positions that the Company has taken in its tax returns that may ultimately not be sustained upon examination by tax authorities. As the ultimate amount and timing of any future cash settlements cannot be predicted with reasonable reliability, this estimated liability has been excluded from the contractual obligations table.
As disclosed in Note Fourteen of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, the Company has entered into agreements with its customers to extend credit or to provide conditional commitments to provide payment on drafts presented in accordance with the terms of the underlying credit documents (including standby and commercial letters of credit). The Company also provides overdraft protection to certain demand deposit customers that represent an unfunded commitment. As a result of the Company’s off-balance sheet arrangements for 2021 and 2020, no material revenue, expenses, or cash flows were recognized. In addition, the Company had no other indebtedness or retained interests nor entered into agreements to extend credit or provide conditional payments pursuant to standby and commercial letters of credit.
INVESTMENTS
The investment portfolio is structured to provide flexibility in managing liquidity needs and interest rate risk, while providing acceptable rates of return.
The majority of the Company’s investment securities continue to be mortgage-backed securities. These securities are collateralized by both residential and commercial properties. The mortgage-backed securities in which the Company has invested are predominantly issued by government-sponsored agencies such as Fannie Mae (“FNMA”), Freddie Mac (“FHLMC”) and Ginnie Mae (“GNMA”).
The Company's municipal bond portfolio of $272 million as of December 31, 2021 has an average tax equivalent yield of 2.50% with an average maturity of 13.1 years. The average dollar amount invested in each security is $1.2 million. The portfolio has 92% rated "A" or better and the remaining portfolio is unrated, as the issuances represented small issuances of revenue bonds. Additional credit support has been purchased by the issuer for 28% of the portfolio, while 72% has no additional credit support. Management re-underwrites 100% of the portfolio on an annual basis, using the same guidelines that are used to underwrite its commercial loans. Revenue bonds were 55% of the portfolio, while the remaining 45% were general obligation bonds. Geographically, the portfolio supports the Company's footprint, with 17% of the portfolio being
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from municipalities throughout West Virginia, and the remainder from communities in Texas, Washington, Ohio and various other states.
The weighted average yield of the Company's investment portfolio is presented in the following table (dollars in thousands):
Within After One But After Five But After
One Year Within Five Years Within Ten Years Ten Years
Amount Yield Amount Yield Amount Yield Amount Yield
Securities available-for-sale:
Mortgage-backed securities:
Private label — — — — — — 9,108 3.90
Trust preferred securities — — — — — — 4,203 1.57
Weighted-average yields on tax-exempt obligations of states and political subdivisions have been computed on a taxable-equivalent basis using the federal statutory tax rate of 21%. Average yields on investments available-for-sale are computed based on amortized cost. Mortgage-backed securities have been allocated to their respective maturity groupings based on their contractual maturity.
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TABLE FIVE
LOAN PORTFOLIO
Loans decreased $78.3 million (2.2%) from December 31, 2020 to $3.54 billion at December 31, 2021. PPP loans decreased $48.8 million from $55.4 million at December 31, 2020 to $6.6 million at December 31, 2021. Excluding outstanding PPP loans (included in the commercial and industrial loan category), total loans decreased $29.4 million, (0.8%), from December 31, 2020 to $3.54 billion at December 31, 2021. The composition of the Company’s loan portfolio as of the dates indicated follows (in thousands):
The commercial and industrial ("C&I") loan portfolio consists of loans to corporate and other legal entity borrowers, primarily small to mid-size industrial and commercial companies. C&I loans typically involve a higher level of risk than other loan types, including industry specific risks such as the pertinent economy, new technology, labor rates and cyclicality, as well as customer specific factors, such as cash flow, financial structure, operating controls and asset quality. Collateral securing these loans includes equipment, machinery, inventory, receivables and vehicles. C&I loans decreased $27 million to $346 million at December 31, 2021, largely due to a decrease in PPP loans, which decreased from $55 million at December 31, 2020 to $7 million at December 31, 2021. Excluding the decrease in PPP loans, C&I loans increased $21 million from December 31, 2020 to December 31, 2021.
Commercial real estate loans consist of commercial mortgages, which generally are secured by nonresidential and multi-family residential properties, including hotel/motel and apartment lending. Commercial real estate loans are to many of the same customers and carry similar industry risks as C&I loans, but have different collateral risk. Commercial real estate loans remained flat at $1.48 billion at December 31, 2021. At December 31, 2021, $12 million of the commercial real estate loans were for commercial properties under construction.
In order to group loans with similar risk characteristics, the portfolio is further segmented by product types:
◦Commercial 1-4 Family loans consist of residential single-family, duplex, triplex, and fourplex rental properties and totaled $107.9 million as of December 31, 2021. Risk characteristics are driven by rental housing demand as well as economic and employment conditions. These properties exhibit greater risk than multi-family properties due to fewer income sources.
◦The Hotel portfolio is comprised of all lodging establishments and totaled $311.3 million as of December 31, 2021. Risk characteristics relate to the demand for both business and personal travel.
◦Multi-family consists of 5 or more family residential apartment lending. The portfolio totaled $215.7 million as of December 31, 2021. Risk characteristics are driven by rental housing demand as well as economic and employment conditions.
◦Non-residential commercial real estate includes properties such as retail, office, warehouse, storage, healthcare, entertainment, religious, and other nonresidential commercial properties. The non-residential product type is further segmented into owner- and non-owner occupied properties. Nonresidential non-owner occupied commercial real
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estate totaled $639.8 million while nonresidential owner-occupied commercial real estate totaled $204.2 million as of December 31, 2021. Risk characteristics relate to levels of consumer spending and overall economic conditions.
The Company categorizes commercial loans by industry according to the North American Industry Classification System ("NAICS") to monitor the portfolio for possible concentrations in one or more industries. Management monitors industry concentrations against internally established risk-based capital thresholds. As of December 31, 2021, City National was within its internally designated concentration limits. As of December 31, 2021, City National's loans to borrowers within the Lessors of Nonresidential Buildings categories exceeded 10% of total loans (14%). No other NAICS industry classification exceeded 10% of total loans as of December 31, 2021. Management also monitors non-owner occupied commercial real estate as a percent of risk based capital (based upon regulatory guidance). At December 31, 2021, the Company had $1.4 billion of commercial loans classified as non-owner occupied and was within its designated concentration threshold.
Residential real estate loans decreased $39 million from December 31, 2020 to $1.55 billion at December 31, 2021. Residential real estate loans include loans for the purchase or refinance of consumers' residence and first-priority home equity loans allow consumers to borrow against the equity in their home. These loans primarily consist of single family three- and five-year adjustable rate mortgages with terms that amortize up to 30 years. City National also offers fixed-rate residential real estate loans. Residential purchase real estate loans are generally underwritten to comply with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines, while first priority home equity loans are underwritten with typically less documentation, lower loan-to-value ratios and shorter maturities. Additionally, the Company periodically purchases residential mortgage loans. The credit and collateral documents for each potential purchased loan are reviewed to ensure the credit metrics are acceptable to management. At December 31, 2021, $17 million of the residential real estate loans were for properties under construction.
Home equity loans decreased $14 million from December 31, 2020 to $122 million at December 31, 2021. City National's home equity loans represent loans to consumers that are secured by a second (or junior) priority lien on a residential property. Home equity loans allow consumers to borrow against the equity in their home without paying off an existing first priority lien. These loans include home equity lines of credit ("HELOC") and amortized home equity loans that require monthly installment payments. Second priority lien home equity loans are underwritten with less documentation than first priority lien residential real estate loans but typically have similar loan-to-value ratios and other terms as first priority lien residential real estate loans. The amount of credit extended is directly related to the value of the real estate securing the loan at the time the loan is made.
All mortgage loans, whether fixed rate or adjustable rate, are originated in accordance with acceptable industry standards and comply with regulatory requirements. Fixed rate mortgage loans are processed and underwritten in accordance with Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac guidelines, while adjustable rate mortgage loans are underwritten in accordance with City National's internal loan policy.
Consumer loans may be secured by automobiles, boats, recreational vehicles, certificates of deposit and other personal property, or they may be unsecured. The Company manages the risk associated with consumer loans by monitoring such factors as portfolio size and growth, internal lending policies and pertinent economic conditions. City National's underwriting standards are continually evaluated and modified based upon these factors. Consumer loans decreased $7 million from 2020 to $41 million at December 31, 2021.
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The following table shows the scheduled maturity of loans outstanding as of December 31, 2021 (in thousands):
The maturity table above is based on actual loan maturity dates and does not consider prepayments or any other
assumptions.
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ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES
The Company adopted ASU No. 2016-13, "Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments" effective January 1, 2020, using the modified retrospective method for all financial assets measured at amortized cost and off-balance sheet credit exposures. ASU No. 2016-13 replaced the incurred loss impairment methodology with a methodology that reflects expected credit losses and requires consideration of a broader range of reasonable and supportable information to inform credit loss estimates. The new current expected credit losses model ("CECL") applies to the allowance for credit losses, available-for-sale and held-to-maturity debt securities, purchased financial assets with credit deterioration and certain off-balance sheet credit exposures. Results for reporting periods beginning after January 1, 2020 are presented under ASU No. 2016-13, while prior period amounts continue to be reported in accordance with previously applicable GAAP.
Management systematically monitors the loan portfolio and the appropriateness of the allowance for credit losses on a quarterly basis to provide for expected losses inherent in the portfolio. Management assesses the risk in each loan type based on historical trends, the general economic environment of its local markets, individual loan performance and other relevant factors. The Company's estimate of future economic conditions utilized in its provision estimate is primarily dependent on expected unemployment ranges over a two-year period. Beyond two years, a straight line reversion to historical average loss rates is applied over the life of the loan pool in the migration methodology. The vintage methodology applies future average loss rates based on net losses in historical periods where the unemployment rate was within the forecasted range.
Individual credits in excess of $1 million are selected at least annually for detailed loan reviews, which are utilized by management to assess the risk in the portfolio and the appropriateness of the allowance.
Determination of the Allowance for Credit Losses "ACL" is subjective in nature and requires management to periodically reassess the validity of its assumptions. Differences between actual losses and estimated losses are assessed such that management can timely modify its evaluation model to ensure that adequate provision has been made for risk in the total loan portfolio.
As a result of the Company’s quarterly analysis of the adequacy of the ACL, the Company recorded a recovery of credit losses of $3.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2021, compared to a provision for credit losses of $10.7 million for the comparable period in 2020. The determination of the Company’s allowance for credit losses is largely dependent on expected unemployment ranges. Due to improvements in the outlook for unemployment ranges utilized by the Company and adjustments to other qualitative and other factors, during 2021 the Company partially recovered a portion of the provision for credit losses incurred in the quarter ended March 31, 2020 related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Based on the Company’s analysis of the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses and in consideration of the known factors utilized in computing the allowance, management believes that the allowance for credit losses as of December 31, 2021 is adequate to provide for expected losses inherent in the Company’s loan portfolio. Future provisions for credit losses will be dependent upon trends in loan balances including the composition of the loan portfolio, changes in loan quality and loss experience trends, and recoveries of previously charged-off loans, among other factors.
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TABLE SIX
ALLOCATION OF THE ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES
The allocation of the allowance for credit losses by portfolio segment and the percent of loans in each category to total loans is shown in the table below (dollars in thousands). The allocation of a portion of the allowance in one portfolio segment does not preclude its availability to absorb losses in other portfolio segments.
The ACL decreased from $24.5 million at December 31, 2020 to $18.2 million at December 31, 2021. Below is a summary of the changes in the components of the ACL from December 31, 2020 to December 31, 2021.
The allowance attributed to the commercial real estate loan portfolio decreased $3.7 million from $11.0 million at December 31, 2020 to $7.3 million at December 31, 2021. This decrease was primarily due to a reduction in the unemployment forecast range, a reduction in qualitative factor adjustments, and a payoff and partial charge-off of a previously identified individually analyzed loan.
The allowance attributed to the residential real estate portfolio decreased $2.4 million from $8.1 million at December 31, 2020 to $5.7 million at December 31, 2021. This decrease was primarily due to a reduction in the unemployment forecast range, a reduction in qualitative factor adjustments, and a decrease in loan balances.
The following table shows asset quality ratios as of December 31, 2021 and 2020:
Net charge offs to average loans 0.09 % 0.10 %
(Recovery of) provision for credit losses to average loans (0.09) 0.29
Allowance for credit losses to nonperforming loans 290.15 200.69
Allowance for credit losses to total loans 0.51 0.68
Non-performing assets as a percentage of total loans and OREO 0.21 0.38
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GOODWILL
The Company evaluates the recoverability of goodwill and indefinite lived intangible assets annually as of November 30th, or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances warrant, such as a material adverse change in the Company's business. Goodwill is considered to be impaired when the carrying value of a reporting unit exceeds its estimated fair value. Indefinite-lived intangible assets are considered impaired if their carrying value exceeds their estimated fair value. As described in Note One of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, the Company conducts its business activities through one reportable business segment – community banking. Fair values are estimated by reviewing the Company’s stock price as it compares to book value and the Company’s reported earnings. In addition, the impact of future earnings and activities is considered in the Company’s analysis. The Company had approximately $109 million of goodwill at December 31, 2021 and 2020, and no impairment was required to be recognized in 2021 or 2020, as the estimated fair value of the Company has continued to exceed its book value.
CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT
The Company has time certificates of deposit that meet or exceed the FDIC insurance limit of $250,000 totaling an estimated $352.8 million. Scheduled maturities of uninsured time certificates of deposit are estimated at December 31, 2021 and are summarized in the table below (in thousands).
TABLE SEVEN
MATURITY DISTRIBUTION OF UNINSURED CERTIFICATES OF DEPOSIT
Amounts
Three months or less $ 54,173
Over three months through six months 40,172
Over six months through twelve months 35,802
FAIR VALUE MEASUREMENTS
The Company determines the fair value of its financial instruments based on the fair value hierarchy established in ASC Topic 820, whereby the fair value of certain assets and liabilities is an exit price, representing the amount that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants. ASC Topic 820 establishes a three-level hierarchy for disclosure of assets and liabilities recorded at fair value. The hierarchy classification is based on whether the inputs in the methodology for determining fair value are observable or unobservable. Observable inputs reflect market-based information obtained from independent sources (Level 1 or Level 2), while unobservable inputs reflect management’s estimate of market data (Level 3). Assets and liabilities that are actively traded and have quoted prices or observable market data require a minimal amount of subjectivity concerning fair value. Management’s judgment is necessary to estimate fair value when quoted prices or observable market data are not available.
At December 31, 2021, approximately 24% of total assets, or $1.45 billion, consisted of financial instruments recorded at fair value. Most of these financial instruments used valuation methodologies involving observable market data, collectively Level 1 and Level 2 measurements, to determine fair value. At December 31, 2021, approximately $24 million of derivative liabilities were recorded at fair value using methodologies involving observable market data. The Company does not believe that any changes in the unobservable inputs used to value the financial instruments mentioned above would have a material impact on the Company’s results of operations, liquidity, or capital resources. See Note Seventeen of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information regarding ASC Topic 820 and its impact on the Company’s financial statements.
LEGAL ISSUES
The Company is engaged in various legal actions that it deems to be in the ordinary course of business. As these legal actions are resolved, the Company could realize impacts to its financial performance in the period in which these legal actions are ultimately decided. There can be no assurance that current actions will have immaterial results, or that no material actions may be presented in the future.
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RECENT ACCOUNTING PRONOUNCEMENTS AND DEVELOPMENTS
Note Two, "Recent Accounting Pronouncements," of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, discusses recently issued new accounting pronouncements and their expected impact on the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
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Item 7A.Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Market risk is the risk of loss due to adverse changes in current and future cash flows, fair values, earnings or capital due to adverse movements in interest rates and other factors, including foreign exchange rates, underlying credit risk and commodity prices. Because the Company has no significant foreign exchange activities and holds no commodities, interest rate risk represents the primary risk factor affecting the Company’s balance sheet and net interest margin. Significant changes in interest rates by the Federal Reserve could result in similar changes in LIBOR and SOFR interest rates, prime rates, and other benchmark interest rates that could materially affect the estimated fair value of the Company’s investment securities portfolio, interest paid on the Company’s short-term and long-term borrowings, interest earned on the Company’s loan portfolio and interest paid on its deposit accounts. The Company utilizes derivative instruments, primarily in the form of interest rate swaps, to help manage its interest rate risk on commercial loans.
The Company’s Asset and Liability Committee ("ALCO") has been delegated the responsibility of managing the Company’s interest-sensitive balance sheet accounts to maximize earnings while managing interest rate risk. ALCO, comprised of various members of executive and senior management, is also responsible for establishing policies to monitor and limit the Company’s exposure to interest rate risk and to manage the Company’s liquidity position. ALCO satisfies its responsibilities through at least quarterly meetings during which product pricing issues, liquidity measures and interest sensitivity positions are monitored.
In order to measure and manage its interest rate risk, the Company uses an asset/liability management simulation software model to periodically update the interest sensitivity position of the Company’s balance sheet. The model is also used to perform analyses that measure the impact on net interest income and capital as a result of various changes in the interest rate environment. Such analyses quantify the effects of various interest rate scenarios on projected net interest income.
The Company’s policy objective is to avoid negative fluctuations in net income or the economic value of equity of more than 15% within a 12-month period, assuming an immediate parallel increase of 100 to 400 basis points. The Company measures the long-term risk associated with sustained increases and decreases in rates through analysis of the impact to changes in rates on the economic value of equity.
The following table summarizes the sensitivity of the Company’s net income to various interest rate scenarios. The results of the sensitivity analyses presented below differ from the results used internally by ALCO in that, in the analyses below, interest rates are assumed to have an immediate and sustained parallel shock. The Company recognizes that rates are volatile, but rarely move with immediate and parallel effects. Internally, the Company considers a variety of interest rate scenarios that are deemed to be possible while considering the level of risk it is willing to assume in "worst-case" scenarios such as shown by the following:
These estimates are highly dependent upon assumptions made by management, including, but not limited to, assumptions regarding the manner in which interest-bearing demand deposit and savings deposit accounts reprice in different interest rate scenarios, changes in the composition of deposit balances, pricing behavior of competitors, prepayments of loans and deposits under alternative rate environments, and new business volumes and pricing. As a result, there can be no assurance that the estimates above will be achieved in the event that interest rates increase or decrease during 2022 and beyond. The estimates above do not necessarily imply that the Company will experience increases in net income if market
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interest rates rise. The table above indicates how the Company’s net income and the economic value of equity behave relative to an increase or decrease in rates compared to what would otherwise occur if rates remain stable.
Based upon the estimates above, the Company believes that its net income is positively correlated with increasing rates as compared to the level of net income the Company would expect if interest rates remain flat or decrease.
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Item 8.Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
REPORT ON MANAGEMENT’S ASSESSMENT OF INTERNAL CONTROL OVER FINANCIAL REPORTING
The management of City Holding Company is responsible for the preparation, integrity, and fair presentation of the consolidated financial statements included in this annual report. The consolidated financial statements of City Holding Company have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and necessarily include some amounts that are based on the best estimates and judgments of management.
The management of City Holding Company is responsible for establishing and maintaining adequate internal control over financial reporting that is designed to produce reliable financial statements in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles. The system of internal control over financial reporting is evaluated for effectiveness by management and tested for reliability through a program of internal audits with actions taken to correct potential deficiencies as they are identified. Because of inherent limitations in any internal control system, no matter how well designed, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected, including the possibility of the circumvention or overriding of controls. Accordingly, even an effective internal control system can provide only reasonable assurance with respect to financial statement preparation. Further, because of changes in conditions, internal control effectiveness may vary over time.
Management assessed the effectiveness of the Company's internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021 based upon the criteria set forth by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO) in Internal Control - Integrated Framework (2013 Framework). Based on our assessment, management believes that, as of December 31, 2021, the Company's system of internal control over financial reporting is effective based on those criteria. Crowe LLP, the Company’s independent registered public accounting firm, has issued an attestation report on the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting. This report appears on page 53.
February 24, 2022
/s/ Charles R. Hageboeck /s/ David L. Bumgarner
Charles R. Hageboeck David L. Bumgarner
President & Chief Executive Officer Chief Financial Officer
Principal Executive Officer Principal Financial Officer
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REPORT OF INDEPENDENT REGISTERED PUBLIC ACCOUNTING FIRM
Shareholders and the Board of Directors
of City Holding Company and Subsidiaries
Charleston, West Virginia
Opinions on the Financial Statements and Internal Control over Financial Reporting
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of City Holding Company and Subsidiaries (the "Company") as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, changes in shareholders’ equity, and cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2021, and the related notes (collectively referred to as the "financial statements"). We also have audited the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework: (2013) issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (COSO).
In our opinion, the financial statements referred to above present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the years in the three-year period ended December 31, 2021 in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America. Also in our opinion, the Company maintained, in all material respects, effective internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2021, based on criteria established in Internal Control - Integrated Framework: (2013) issued by COSO.
Change in Accounting Principle
As discussed in Note 2 to the financial statements, the Company has changed its method of accounting for credit losses effective January 1, 2020 due to the adoption of Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) Accounting Standards Codification No. 326, Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (ASC 326). The Company adopted the credit loss standard using the modified retrospective method such that prior period amounts are not adjusted and continue to be reported in accordance with previously applicable generally accepted accounting principles.
Basis for Opinions
The Company’s management is responsible for these financial statements, for maintaining effective internal control over financial reporting, and for its assessment of the effectiveness of internal control over financial reporting, included in the accompanying Report on Management’s Assessment of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements and an opinion on the Company’s internal control over financial reporting based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) ("PCAOB") and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audits to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud, and whether effective internal control over financial reporting was maintained in all material respects.
Our audits of the financial statements included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. Our audit of internal control over financial reporting included obtaining an understanding of internal control over financial reporting, assessing the risk that a material weakness exists, and testing and evaluating the design and operating effectiveness of internal control based on the assessed risk. Our audits also included performing such other procedures as we considered necessary in the circumstances. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinions.
Definition and Limitations of Internal Control Over Financial Reporting
A company’s internal control over financial reporting is a process designed to provide reasonable assurance regarding the reliability of financial reporting and the preparation of financial statements for external purposes in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles. A company’s internal control over financial reporting includes those policies and procedures
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that (1) pertain to the maintenance of records that, in reasonable detail, accurately and fairly reflect the transactions and dispositions of the assets of the company; (2) provide reasonable assurance that transactions are recorded as necessary to permit preparation of financial statements in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles, and that receipts and expenditures of the company are being made only in accordance with authorizations of management and directors of the company; and (3) provide reasonable assurance regarding prevention or timely detection of unauthorized acquisition, use, or disposition of the company’s assets that could have a material effect on the financial statements.
Because of its inherent limitations, internal control over financial reporting may not prevent or detect misstatements. Also, projections of any evaluation of effectiveness to future periods are subject to the risk that controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions, or that the degree of compliance with the policies or procedures may deteriorate.
Critical Audit Matter
The critical audit matter communicated below is a matter arising from the current period audit of the consolidated financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (i) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the consolidated financial statements and (ii) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matter below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matter or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.
Allowance for Credit Losses – Qualitative Factors
As more fully described in Notes 1, 2 and 5 of the consolidated financial statements, the Company’s allowance for credit losses represents management’s best estimate of expected losses in the loan portfolio. Estimates of expected credit losses for loans are based on reasonable and supportable forecast of future economic conditions, historical loss experience and qualitative factors.
Management estimates the allowance for credit losses balance using relevant available information, from internal and external sources, relating to past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Historical credit loss experience provides the basis for the estimation of expected credit losses. Adjustments to historical loss information (i.e., qualitative adjustments) are made for differences in current loan-specific risk characteristics, such as differences in underwriting standards, portfolio mix, delinquency level, or term as well as for changes in environmental conditions, such as changes in unemployment rates, property values, or other relevant factors.
The principal consideration resulting in our determination that auditing the allowance for credit losses qualitative adjustments is a critical audit matter is the high degree of subjectivity involved in management’s assessment of the risk of loss associated with each adjustment, and the determination of the adjustment amounts to historical loss rates.
The primary procedures performed to address this critical audit matter included:
•Testing the effectiveness of controls over the Company’s preparation and review of the allowance for credit loss calculation, specifically testing controls over the completeness and accuracy of data used as the basis for adjustments related to the qualitative factors, and testing management’s review of the reasonableness of qualitative factors.
•Substantively testing management’s process for developing the qualitative factors, including assessing the relevance and reliability of data used to develop the factors and evaluating for reasonableness the judgments and assumptions used in the determination of the adjustment amounts.
/s/ Crowe LLP
We have served as the Company's auditor since 2019.
Louisville, Kentucky
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FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
CITY HOLDING COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES
(in thousands)
Assets
Interest-bearing deposits in depository institutions 532,827 451,247
Investment securities available for sale, at fair value 1,408,165 1,176,797
Deferred tax assets, net 63 —
Liabilities
Deposits:
Interest-bearing:
Short-term borrowings:
Securities sold under agreements to repurchase 312,458 295,956
Deferred tax liabilities, net — 3,202
Commitments and contingencies - see Note Fourteen
Shareholders’ Equity
Accumulated other comprehensive income (loss):
Unrealized gain on securities available-for-sale 17,745 36,894
Underfunded pension liability (3,485) (5,661)
Total Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income (Loss) 14,260 31,233
To be read with the attached notes to consolidated financial statements.
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CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
CITY HOLDING COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES
(in thousands, except earnings per share data)
Year Ended December 31
Interest Income
Interest on investment securities:
Interest on deposits in depository institutions 693 492 1,332
Interest Expense
Interest on long-term debt — 100 182
Non-Interest Income
Net gains on sale of investment securities 312 62 69
Sale of VISA shares — 17,837 —
Non-Interest Expense
Repossessed asset (gains) losses, net of expenses (57) 245 634
Merger related costs — — 797
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CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME, CONTINUED
CITY HOLDING COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES
(in thousands, except earnings per share data)
Year Ended December 31
Effect of dilutive securities 26 20 19
Basic earnings per common share $ 5.67 $ 5.55 $ 5.43
Diluted earnings per common share $ 5.66 $ 5.55 $ 5.42
To be read with the attached notes to consolidated financial statements.
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CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
CITY HOLDING COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES
(in thousands)
Year Ended December 31
Available-for-Sale Securities
Reclassification adjustment for net gains (312) (62) (69)
Defined Benefit Pension Plan
Recognition of unrealized gains (losses) 1,726 (352) (1,447)
Change in underfunded pension liability 2,848 737 (530)
Other comprehensive (loss) income before income taxes (22,321) 33,394 26,516
To be read with the attached notes to consolidated financial statements.
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CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CHANGES IN SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
CITY HOLDING COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES
(dollars and shares in thousands)
Other comprehensive income, net of tax — — — — 20,322 20,322
Cash dividends declared ($2.20 per share) — — (36,066) — — (36,066)
Stock-based compensation expense, net — 2,516 — — — 2,516
Restricted awards granted — (1,657) — 1,657 — —
Cumulative change in accounting principle — — (2,335) — — (2,335)
Other comprehensive income, net of tax — — — — 25,393 25,393
Cash dividends declared ($2.29 per share) — — (36,525) — — (36,525)
Stock-based compensation expense, net — 3,253 — — — 3,253
Restricted awards granted — (2,146) — 2,146 — —
Other comprehensive loss, net of tax — — — — (16,973) (16,973)
Cash dividends declared ($2.34 per share) — — (36,242) — — (36,242)
Stock-based compensation expense, net — 3,121 — — — 3,121
Restricted awards granted — (1,860) — 1,860 — —
To be read with the attached notes to consolidated financial statements.
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CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
CITY HOLDING COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES
(in thousands)
Year Ended December 31
Net periodic employee benefit cost 569 723 622
Pension contributions (1,000) (450) —
Unrealized and realized investment securities (gains) losses (816) 801 (957)
Gain from the sale of VISA shares — (17,837) —
Excess tax benefit from stock-compensation expense (579) (165) (461)
Increase in value of bank-owned life insurance (3,895) (4,424) (3,766)
Loans held for sale:
Asset write down — — 297
Change in accrued interest receivable 166 (4,224) 855
Securities available-for-sale
Securities held-to-maturity
Proceeds from maturities and calls — — 11,706
Other investments
Proceeds from the sale of VISA shares — 17,837 —
Proceeds from the disposals of premises and equipment 367 483 598
Proceeds from the disposition of assets held-for-sale — 540 2,285
Proceeds from bank-owned life insurance policies 2,156 2,019 2,423
Payments for low income housing tax credits (2,891) (4,892) (5,530)
Sale of Virginia Beach branch, net — — (24,661)
Repayment of long-term debt — (4,056) —
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CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS CONTINUED
CITY HOLDING COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES
(in thousands)
Year Ended December 31
Proceeds from exercise of stock options 691 223 526
Supplemental Cash Flow Information:
To be read with the attached notes to consolidated financial statements.
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NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
CITY HOLDING COMPANY AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTE ONE – SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING AND REPORTING POLICIES
Summary of Significant Accounting and Reporting Policies: The accounting and reporting policies of City Holding Company and its subsidiaries (the "Company") conform with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles and require management to make estimates and develop assumptions that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and related footnotes. Actual results could differ from management’s estimates. The following is a summary of the more significant policies.
Principles of Consolidation: The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of City Holding Company and its wholly owned subsidiaries. All significant intercompany accounts and transactions have been eliminated in the consolidated financial statements.
The Company determines whether it has a controlling financial interest in an entity by first evaluating whether the entity is a voting interest entity or a variable interest entity in conformity with U. S. generally accepted accounting principles. Voting interest entities are entities in which the total equity investment at risk is sufficient to enable the entity to finance itself independently and provides the equity holders with the obligation to absorb losses, the right to receive residual returns and the right to make decisions about the entity’s activities. The Company consolidates voting interest entities in which it has all, or at least a majority of, the voting interest. As defined in applicable accounting standards, variable interest entities (VIEs) are entities that lack one or more of the characteristics of a voting interest entity. A controlling financial interest in a VIE is present when an enterprise has both the power to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and an obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that could potentially be significant to the VIE. The enterprise with a controlling financial interest, known as the primary beneficiary, consolidates the VIE. The Company also invests in certain limited partnerships that operate qualified low-income housing tax credit developments. These investments are considered variable interest entities for which the Company is not the primary beneficiary. Accordingly, the accounts of these entities are not included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
Certain amounts in the prior year financial statements have been reclassified to conform to the current year presentation. Such reclassifications had no impact on total shareholders’ equity or net income for any period.
Description of Principal Markets and Services: The Company is a registered financial holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act headquartered in Charleston, West Virginia, and conducts its principal activities through its wholly-owned subsidiary, City National Bank of West Virginia ("City National"). City National is a retail and consumer-oriented community bank with 94 banking offices in West Virginia, Kentucky, Virginia and southeastern Ohio. City National provides credit, deposit, and trust and investment management services to its customers. In addition to its branch network, City National's delivery channels include automated-teller-machines ("ATMs"), interactive-teller-machines ("ITMs"), mobile banking, debit cards, interactive voice response systems and Internet technology. The Company conducts its business activities through one reportable business segment - community banking.
Cash and Due from Banks: The Company considers cash, due from banks, and interest-bearing deposits in depository institutions as cash and cash equivalents. City National was previously required to maintain an average reserve balance with the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond to compensate for services provided by the Federal Reserve and to meet statutory required reserves for demand deposits. On March 15, 2020, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve waived the average reserve balance requirement effective March 26, 2020.
Securities: Management determines the appropriate classification of securities at the time of purchase. If management has the intent and the Company has the ability at the time of purchase to hold debt securities to maturity, they are classified as investment securities held-to-maturity and are stated at amortized cost, adjusted for amortization of premiums and accretion of discounts. Debt securities which the Company may not hold to maturity are classified as investment securities available-for-sale. Securities available-for-sale are carried at fair value, with the unrealized gains and losses, net of tax, reported in comprehensive income. Securities classified as available-for-sale include securities that management intends to use as part of its asset/liability and liquidity management strategy and that may be sold in response to changes in interest rates, resultant prepayment risk, and other factors. Certain investment securities that do not have readily determinable fair values and for which the Company does not exercise significant influence are carried at cost and classified as other investment securities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. These cost-method investments are reviewed for impairment at least annually or sooner if events or changes in circumstances indicate the carrying value may not be recoverable. Marketable equity securities that consist of investments made by the Company in equity positions of various
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