Item 1A. Risk Factors
Risks Related to our Loan Portfolio
The concentration of our loan portfolio in loans secured by commercial, multi-family and residential real estate properties located in Greater Long Island and Manhattan could materially adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations if general economic conditions or real estate values in this area decline.
Unlike larger banks that are more geographically diversified, our loan portfolio consists primarily of real estate loans secured by commercial, multi-family and residential real estate properties located in Greater Long Island and Manhattan. The local economic conditions in Greater Long Island and Manhattan have a significant impact on the volume of loan originations and the quality of loans, the ability of borrowers to repay these loans, and the value of collateral securing these loans. A considerable decline in the general economic conditions caused by inflation, recession, unemployment or other factors beyond our control would impact these local economic conditions and could negatively affect our financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, decreases in tenant occupancy may also have a negative effect on the ability of borrowers to make timely repayments of their loans, which would have an adverse impact on our earnings.
If our regulators impose limitations on our commercial real estate lending activities, earnings could be adversely affected.
In 2006, the federal bank regulatory agencies (collectively, the “Agencies”) issued joint guidance entitled “Concentrations in Commercial Real Estate Lending, Sound Risk Management Practices” (the “CRE Guidance”). Although the CRE Guidance did not establish specific lending limits, it provides that a bank’s commercial real estate lending exposure may receive increased supervisory scrutiny where total non-owner occupied commercial real estate loans, including loans secured by apartment buildings, investor commercial real estate and construction and land loans, represent 300% or more of an institution’s total risk-based capital and the outstanding balance of the commercial real estate loan portfolio has increased by 50% or more during the preceding 36 months. The Consolidated Company’s non-owner occupied commercial real estate level equaled 554% of total risk-based capital at December 31, 2022. Including owner-occupied commercial real estate, the Consolidated Company’s ratio of commercial real estate loans to total risk-based capital ratio would be 636% at December 31, 2022.
If our regulators were to impose restrictions on the amount of commercial real estate loans we can hold in our portfolio, or require higher capital ratios as a result of the level of commercial real estate loans held, our earnings would be adversely affected.
The performance of our multi-family real estate loans could be adversely impacted by regulation.
Multi-family real estate loans generally involve a greater risk than residential real estate loans because of legislation and government regulations involving rent control and rent stabilization, which are outside the control of the borrower or the Bank, and could impair the value of the security for the loan or the future cash flow of such properties. For example, on June 14, 2019, the State of New York enacted legislation increasing the restrictions on rent increases in a rent-regulated apartment building, including, among other provisions, (i) repealing the vacancy bonus and longevity bonus, which allowed a property owner to raise rents as much as 20% each time a rental unit became vacant, (ii) eliminating high rent vacancy deregulation and high-income deregulation, which allowed a rental unit to be removed from rent stabilization once it crossed a statutory high-rent threshold and became vacant, or the tenant’s income exceeded the statutory amount in the preceding two years, and (iii) eliminating an exception that allowed a property owner who offered preferential rents to tenants to raise the rent to the full legal rent upon renewal. The legislation still permits a property owner to charge up to the full legal rent once the tenant vacates. As a result of this legislation as well as previously existing laws and regulations, it is possible that rental income might not rise sufficiently over time to satisfy increases in the loan rate at repricing or increases in overhead expenses (e.g., utilities, taxes, etc.). In addition, if the cash flow from a collateral property is reduced (e.g., if leases are not obtained or renewed), the borrower’s ability to repay the loan and the value of the security for the loan may be impaired.
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Increases to the allowance for credit losses may cause our earnings to decrease.
Customers may not repay their loans according to the original terms, and the collateral securing the payment of those loans may be insufficient to pay any remaining loan balance. Hence, we may experience significant credit losses, which could have a material adverse effect on our operating results. Since the first quarter of 2021, we have been required to determine periodic estimates of lifetime expected credit losses on loans and recognize the expected credit losses as allowances for credit losses. This method of loan loss accounting represents a change from the previous method of providing allowances for loan losses that are probable, and greatly increased the types of data we need to collect and review to determine the appropriate level of the allowance for credit losses. We make various assumptions and judgments about the collectability of our loan portfolio, including the creditworthiness of borrowers and the value of the real estate and other assets serving as collateral for the repayment of loans. In determining the amount of the allowance for credit losses, we rely on loan quality reviews, our past loss experience and that of our peer group, and an evaluation of economic conditions, among other factors. If our assumptions prove to be incorrect, the allowance for credit losses may not be sufficient to cover expected losses in the loan portfolio, resulting in additions to the allowance for credit losses. Material additions to the allowance for credit losses through charges to earnings would materially decrease our net income.
Additionally, bank regulators periodically review our allowance for credit losses and may require us to increase our provision for credit losses or loan charge-offs. Any increase in our allowance for credit losses or loan charge-offs as required by these regulatory authorities could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and/or financial condition.
We are subject to the CRA and fair lending laws, and failure to comply with these laws could lead to material penalties.
The CRA, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Housing Act and other fair lending laws and regulations impose nondiscriminatory lending requirements on financial institutions. With respect to the Bank, the NYSDFS, FRB, CFPB, the United States Department of Justice and other federal and state agencies are responsible for enforcing these laws and regulations. A successful regulatory challenge to an institution’s performance under the CRA or fair lending laws and regulations could result in a wide variety of sanctions, including the required payment of damages and civil money penalties, injunctive relief, imposition of restrictions on mergers and acquisitions activity and restrictions on expansion. Private parties may also have the ability to challenge an institution’s performance under fair lending laws in private class action litigation. Such actions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The Company is subject to environmental liability risk associated with lending activities.
A significant portion of the Company’s loan portfolio is secured by real property. During the ordinary course of business, the Company may foreclose on and take title to properties securing certain loans. In doing so, there is a risk that hazardous or toxic substances could be found on these properties. If hazardous or toxic substances are found, the Company may be liable for remediation costs, as well as for personal injury and property damage. 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. In addition, future laws or more stringent interpretations or enforcement policies with respect to existing laws may increase the Company’s exposure to environmental liability. Environmental reviews of real property before initiating foreclosure may not be sufficient to detect all potential environmental hazards. The remediation costs and any other financial liabilities associated with an environmental hazard could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to Interest Rates
Changes in interest rates could affect our profitability.
Our ability to earn a profit, like most financial institutions, depends primarily on net interest income, which is the difference between the interest income that we earn on our interest-earning assets, such as loans and investments, and the interest
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expense that we pay on our interest-bearing liabilities, such as deposits and borrowings. Our profitability depends on our ability to manage our assets and liabilities during periods of changing market interest rates.
During 2022, in response to accelerated inflation, the Federal Reserve implemented monetary tightening policies, resulting in significantly increased interest rates. In a period of rising interest rates, the interest income earned on our assets may not increase as rapidly as the interest paid on our liabilities.
A sustained decrease in market interest rates could also adversely affect our earnings. When interest rates decline, borrowers tend to refinance higher-rate, fixed-rate loans at lower rates. Under those circumstances, we may not be able to reinvest those prepayments in assets earning interest rates as high as the rates on those prepaid loans or in investment securities.
Changes in interest rates also affect the fair value of the securities portfolio. Generally, the value of securities moves inversely with changes in interest rates. As of December 31, 2022, the securities portfolio totaled $1.54 billion.
Management is unable to predict fluctuations of market interest rates, which are affected by many factors, including inflation, recession, unemployment, monetary policy, domestic and international disorder and instability in domestic and foreign financial markets, and investor and consumer demand.
We are required to transition from the use of LIBOR.
We have material contracts that are indexed to the London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”). In 2017, the Chief Executive of the United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority, which regulated LIBOR, announced that the publication of LIBOR would not be guaranteed after 2021. LIBOR will be discontinued after June 2023.
There have been ongoing efforts to establish an alternative reference rate to LIBOR. Regulators, industry groups and certain committees (e.g. the Alternative Reference Rates Committee) have published recommended fallback language for LIBOR-linked financial instruments, identified recommended alternatives for LIBOR (e.g. the Secured Overnight Financing Rate, or “SOFR”), and proposed implementations of the recommended alternatives in floating-rate financial instruments. The March 2022 enactment of the Adjustable Interest Rate (LIBOR) Act and the Federal Reserve’s proposed regulations addressed the discontinuation of LIBOR and established a replacement benchmark rate, based on SOFR, that will automatically apply to agreements that rely on LIBOR and do not have an alternative contractual fallback benchmark. These SOFR-based replacement benchmarks may also apply automatically to contracts with fallback provisions that authorize a particular person to determine the replacement benchmark. We have analyzed our LIBOR-indexed contracts, the significant majority of which already provided for a fallback rate. Where the fallback rate is not specified or is no longer considered an economic equivalent to the LIBOR-derived rate previously used, we are working with counterparties to agree upon a replacement rate and have generally selected the rate recommended by the Federal Reserve.
While the LIBOR Act and implementing regulations will help to transition legacy LIBOR contracts to a new benchmark rate, the substitution of SOFR for LIBOR may have economic impacts on parties to affected contracts. When LIBOR rates are no longer available and we are required to implement substitute indices for the calculation of interest rates, we may incur expenses in effecting the transition, and may be subject to disputes or litigation with customers over the appropriateness or comparability to LIBOR of the substitute indices, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations. Additionally, since alternative rates are calculated differently, payments under contracts referencing new rates will differ from those referencing LIBOR. There may be changes in the rules or methodologies used to calculate SOFR or other benchmark rates, which may have an adverse effect on the value of or return on financial assets and liabilities that are based on or are linked to those rates.
Risks Related to Regulation
We operate in a highly regulated environment, Federal and state regulators periodically examine our business, and we may be required to remediate adverse examination findings.
The FRB and the NYSDFS periodically examine our business, including our compliance with laws and regulations. If, as a result of an examination, a federal banking agency were to determine that our financial condition, capital resources, asset
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quality, earnings prospects, management, liquidity or other aspects of any of our operations had become unsatisfactory, or that we were in violation of any law or regulation, we may take a number of different remedial actions as we deem appropriate. These actions include the power to enjoin “unsafe or unsound” practices, to require affirmative action to correct any conditions resulting from any violation or practice, to issue an administrative order that can be judicially enforced, to direct an increase in our capital, to restrict our growth, to assess civil monetary penalties against our officers or directors, to remove officers and directors and, if it is concluded that such conditions cannot be corrected or there is an imminent risk of loss to depositors, to terminate our deposit insurance and place it into receivership or conservatorship. If we become subject to any regulatory actions, it could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations, financial condition and growth prospects.
Additionally, the CFPB has the authority to issue consumer finance regulations and is authorized, individually or jointly with bank regulatory agencies, to conduct investigations to determine whether any person is, or has, engaged in conduct that violates new and existing consumer financial laws or regulations. Banks with assets in excess of $10 billion are subject to requirements imposed by the Dodd-Frank Act and its implemented regulations, including the examination authority of the CFPB to assess our compliance with federal consumer financial laws, imposition of higher FDIC premiums, reduced debit card interchange fees, and enhanced risk management frameworks, all of which increase operating costs and reduce earnings. In addition, in accordance with a memorandum of understanding entered into between the CFPB and U.S. Department of Justice, the two agencies have agreed to coordinate efforts related to enforcing the fair lending laws, which includes information sharing and conducting joint investigations, and have done so on a number of occasions.
We face a risk of noncompliance and enforcement action with the federal Bank Secrecy Act (the “BSA”) and other anti-money laundering and counter terrorist financing statutes and regulations.
The BSA, the USA PATRIOT Act and other laws and regulations require financial institutions, among others, to institute and maintain an effective anti-money laundering compliance program and to file reports such as suspicious activity reports and currency transaction reports. Our products and services, including our debit card issuing business, are subject to an increasingly strict set of legal and regulatory requirements intended to protect consumers and to help detect and prevent money laundering, terrorist financing and other illicit activities. We are required to comply with these and other anti-money laundering requirements. The federal banking agencies and the U.S. Treasury Department’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network are authorized to impose significant civil money penalties for violations of those requirements and have recently engaged in coordinated enforcement efforts against banks and other financial services providers with the U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration and Internal Revenue Service. We are also subject to increased scrutiny of compliance with the regulations administered and enforced by the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control. If we violate these laws and regulations, or our policies, procedures and systems are deemed deficient, we would be subject to liability, including fines and regulatory actions, which may include restrictions on our ability to pay dividends and the ability to obtain regulatory approvals to proceed with certain aspects of our business plan, including acquisitions.
Failure to maintain and implement adequate programs to combat money laundering and terrorist financing could also have serious reputational consequences for us. Any of these results could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
Risks Related to our Debt Securities
The subordinated debentures that we issued have rights that are senior to those of our common shareholders.
In 2015, the Company issued $40.0 million of 5.75% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Debentures due 2030. In 2022, the Company issued $160.0 million of 5.00% Fixed-to-Floating Rate Subordinated Debentures due 2032. Because these subordinated debentures rank senior to our common stock, if we fail to make timely principal and interest payments on the subordinated debentures, we may not pay any dividends on our common stock. Further, if we declare bankruptcy, dissolve
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or liquidate, we must satisfy all of our subordinated debenture obligations before we may pay any distributions on our common stock.
Strategic Risks
Expansion of our branch network may adversely affect our financial results.
We cannot be certain that the opening of new branches will be accretive to earnings or that it will be accretive to earnings within a reasonable period of time. Numerous factors contribute to the performance of a new branch, such as suitable location, qualified personnel, and an effective marketing strategy. Additionally, it takes time for a new branch to gather sufficient loans and deposits to generate income sufficient to cover its operating expenses. Difficulties we experience in opening new branches may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Mergers and acquisitions involve numerous risks and uncertainties.
The Company has in the past and may in the future pursue mergers and acquisitions opportunities. Mergers and acquisitions involve a number of risks and challenges, including the expenses involved; potential diversion of management’s attention from other strategic matters; integration of branches and operations acquired; outflow of customers from the acquired branches; retention of personnel from acquired companies or branches; competing effectively in geographic areas not previously served; managing growth resulting from the transaction; and dilution in the acquirer's book and tangible book value per share.
Our growth or future losses may require us to raise additional capital in the future, but that capital may not be available when it is needed or the cost of that capital may be very high.
We are required by federal and state regulatory authorities to maintain adequate levels of capital to support our operations. While we anticipate that our capital resources will satisfy our capital requirements for the foreseeable future, we may at some point need to raise additional capital to support our operations or continued growth, both internally and through acquisitions. Any capital we obtain may result in the dilution of the interests of existing holders of our common stock, or otherwise adversely affect your investment.
Our ability to raise additional capital, if needed, will depend on conditions in the capital markets at that time, which are outside our control, and on our financial condition and performance. Accordingly, we cannot make assurances of our ability to raise additional capital if needed, or if the terms will be acceptable to us. If we cannot raise additional capital when needed, our ability to further expand our operations through internal growth and acquisitions could be materially impaired and our financial condition and liquidity could be materially and adversely affected.
Operational Risk Factors
Our business may be adversely affected by conditions in the financial markets and economic conditions generally.
A favorable business environment is generally characterized by, among other factors, economic growth, efficient capital markets, low inflation, high business and investor confidence, and strong business earnings. Unfavorable or uncertain economic and market conditions can be caused by declines in economic growth, declines in housing and real estate valuations, business activity or investor or business confidence; limitations on the availability or increases in the cost of credit and capital; increases in inflation or interest rates; geopolitical conflicts; natural disasters; or a combination of these or other factors.
The Company's performance could be negatively affected to the extent there is deterioration in business and economic conditions, including persistent inflation, an inverted yield curve, rising prices, and supply chain issues or labor shortages, which have direct or indirect material adverse impacts on us, our customers, and our counterparties. Recessionary conditions may significantly affect the markets in which we do business, the financial condition of our borrowers, the value of our loans and investments, and our ongoing operations, costs and profitability. Declines in real estate values and sales volumes and increased unemployment levels may result in higher than expected loan delinquencies, increases in our
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levels of nonperforming and classified assets and a decline in demand for our products and services. Such events may cause us to incur losses and may adversely affect our capital, liquidity, and financial condition.
Strong competition within our market area may limit our growth and profitability.
Our primary market area is located in Greater Long Island and Manhattan. Competition in the banking and financial services industry remains intense. Our profitability depends on the continued ability to successfully compete. We compete with commercial banks, savings banks, credit unions, insurance companies, and brokerage and investment banking firms. Many of our competitors have substantially greater resources and lending limits than us and may offer certain services that we do not provide. In addition, competitors may offer deposits at higher rates and loans with lower fixed rates, more attractive terms and less stringent credit structures than we have been willing to offer.
Our future success depends on the success and growth of Dime Community Bank.
Our primary business activity for the foreseeable future will be to act as the holding company of the Bank. Therefore, our future profitability will depend on the success and growth of this subsidiary. The continued and successful implementation of our growth strategy will require, among other things that we increase our market share by attracting new customers that currently bank at other financial institutions in our market area. In addition, our ability to successfully grow will depend on several factors, including favorable market conditions, the competitive responses from other financial institutions in our market area, and our ability to maintain good asset quality. While we believe we have the management resources, market opportunities and internal systems in place to obtain and successfully manage future growth, growth opportunities may not be available, and we may not be successful in continuing our growth strategy. In addition, continued growth requires that we incur additional expenses, including salaries, data processing and occupancy expense related to new branches and related support staff. Many of these increased expenses are considered fixed expenses. Unless we can successfully continue our growth, our results of operations could be negatively affected by these increased costs.
The loss of key personnel could impair our future success.
Our future success depends in part on the continued service of our executive officers, other key management, and staff, as well as our ability to continue to attract, motivate, and retain additional highly qualified employees. The loss of services of one or more of our key personnel or our inability to timely recruit replacements for such personnel, or to otherwise attract, motivate, or retain qualified personnel could have an adverse effect on our business, operating results and financial condition.
Our business may be adversely affected by fraud and other financial crimes.
Our loans to businesses and individuals and our deposit relationships and related transactions are subject to exposure to the risk of loss due to fraud and other financial crimes. While we have policies and procedures designed to prevent such losses, losses may still occur. In the past, we have experienced losses due to fraud.
Risks associated with system failures, interruptions, or breaches of security could negatively affect our operations and earnings.
Information technology systems are critical to our business. We collect, process and store sensitive customer data by utilizing computer systems and telecommunications networks operated by us and third-party service providers. We have established policies and procedures to prevent or limit the impact of system failures, interruptions, and security breaches, but such events may still occur or may not be adequately addressed if they do occur. In addition, any compromise of our systems could deter customers from using our products and services. Although we take numerous protective measures and otherwise endeavor to protect and maintain the privacy and security of confidential data, these systems may be vulnerable to unauthorized access, computer viruses, other malicious code, cyberattacks, including distributed denial of service attacks, cyber-theft and other events that could have a security impact. If one or more of such events were to occur, this
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potentially could jeopardize confidential and other information processed and stored in, and transmitted through, our systems or otherwise cause interruptions or malfunctions in our operations or our customers' operations.
In addition, we maintain interfaces with certain third-party service providers. If these third-party service providers encounter difficulties, or if we have difficulty communicating with them, our ability to adequately process and account for transactions could be affected, and our business operations could be adversely affected. Threats to information security also exist in the processing of customer information through various other vendors and their personnel.
The occurrence of any system failures, interruption, or breach of security could damage our reputation and result in a loss of customers and business, thereby subjecting us to additional regulatory scrutiny, or could expose us to litigation and possible financial liability. We may be required to expend significant additional resources to modify our protective measures or to investigate and remediate vulnerabilities or other exposures, and we may be subject to litigation and financial losses that are not fully covered by our insurance. Any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
We are exposed to cyber-security risks, including denial of service, hacking, and identity theft.
There have been well-publicized distributed denials of service attacks on large financial services companies. Distributed denial of service attacks are designed to saturate the targeted online network with excessive amounts of network traffic, resulting in slow response times, or in some cases, causing the site to be temporarily unavailable. Hacking and identity theft risks, in particular, could cause serious reputational harm. Cyber threats are rapidly evolving, and we may not be able to anticipate or prevent all such attacks. We may incur increasing costs in an effort to minimize these risks and could be held liable for any security breach or loss.
Public health emergencies like the COVID-19 outbreak may have an adverse impact on our business and results of operations
The COVID-19 pandemic caused significant economic dislocation in the United States. Certain industries were particularly hard-hit, including the travel and hospitality industry, the restaurant industry and the retail industry. Additionally, the spread of COVID-19 temporarily caused us to modify our business practices, including placing restrictions on employee travel and implementing remote work practices. As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic or any other public health emergency, and related governmental responses to any outbreak, we may be subject to the following risks, any of which could have a material, adverse effect on our business, financial condition, liquidity, or results of operations: demand for our products and services may decline; if consumer and business activities are restricted, loan delinquencies, problem assets, and foreclosures may increase, resulting in increased charges and reduced income; collateral for loans, especially real estate, may decline in value, which could increase loan losses; our allowance for credit losses may have to be increased if borrowers experience financial difficulties; a material decrease in net income or a net loss over several quarters could affect our ability to pay cash dividends; cyber security risks may be increased as the result of an increase in the number of employees working remotely; critical services provided by third-party vendors may become unavailable; and the Company may experience unanticipated unavailability or loss of key employees, harming our ability to execute our business strategy.
Severe weather, acts of terrorism and other external events could impact our ability to conduct business.
Weather-related events have adversely impacted our market area in recent years, especially areas located near coastal waters and flood prone areas. Such events that may cause significant flooding and other storm-related damage may become more common events in the future. Financial institutions have been, and continue to be, targets of terrorist threats aimed at compromising operating and communication systems and the metropolitan New York area remains a central target for potential acts of terrorism. Such events could cause significant damage, impact the stability of our facilities and result in additional expenses, impair the ability of borrowers to repay their loans, reduce the value of collateral securing repayment of loans, and result in the loss of revenue. While we have established and regularly test disaster recovery procedures, the occurrence of any such event could have a material adverse effect on our business, operations and financial condition.
Additionally, global markets may be adversely affected by natural disasters, the emergence of widespread health emergencies or pandemics, cyberattacks or campaigns, military conflict, terrorism or other geopolitical events. Global market fluctuations may affect our business liquidity. Also, any sudden or prolonged market downturn in the U.S. or
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abroad, as a result of the above factors or otherwise could result in a decline in revenue and adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition, including capital and liquidity levels.
Damage to the Company’s reputation could adversely impact our business.
The Company's reputation is important to our success. Our ability to attract and retain customers, investors, employees and advisors may depend upon external perceptions of the Company. Damage to the Company's reputation could cause significant harm to our business and prospects and may arise from numerous sources, including litigation or regulatory actions, compliance failures, customer services failures, or unethical behavior or misconduct of employees, advisors and counterparties. Adverse developments with respect to the financial services industry may also, by association, negatively impact the Company's reputation or result in greater regulatory or legislative scrutiny of or litigation against the Company.
Furthermore, shareholders and other stakeholders have begun to consider how corporations are addressing environmental, social and governance (“ESG”) issues. Governments, investors, customers and the general public are increasingly focused on ESG practices and disclosures, and views about ESG are diverse and rapidly changing. These shifts in investing priorities may result in adverse effects on the trading price of the Company’s common stock if investors determine that the Company has not made sufficient progress on ESG matters. The Company could also face potential negative ESG-related publicity in traditional media or social media if shareholders or other stakeholders determine that we have not adequately considered or addressed ESG matters. If the Company, or our relationships with certain customers, vendors or suppliers became the subject of negative publicity, our ability to attract and retain customers and employees, and our financial condition and results of operations, could be adversely impacted.
Accounting-Related Risks
Changes in our accounting policies or in accounting standards could materially affect how we report our financial results.
Our accounting policies are fundamental to understanding our financial results and condition. Some of these policies require the use of estimates and assumptions that may affect the value of our assets or liabilities and financial results. Some of our accounting policies are critical because they require management to make difficult, subjective and complex judgments about matters that are inherently uncertain and because it is likely that materially different amounts would be reported under different conditions or using different assumptions. If such estimates or assumptions underlying our financial statements are incorrect, we may experience material losses.
From time to time, the FASB and the SEC change the financial accounting and reporting standards or the interpretation of those standards that govern the preparation of our external financial statements. These changes are beyond our control, can be hard to predict and could materially impact how we report our results of operations and financial condition. We could be required to apply a new or revised standard retroactively, resulting in our restating prior period financial statements in material amounts.
If we determine our goodwill or other intangible assets to be impaired, the Company’s financial condition and results of operations would be negatively affected.
When the Company completes a business combination, a portion of the purchase price of the acquisition is allocated to goodwill and other identifiable intangible assets. The amount of the purchase price which is allocated to goodwill and other intangible assets is determined by the excess of the purchase price over the net identifiable assets acquired. At least annually (or more frequently if indicators arise), the Company evaluates goodwill for impairment. If the Company determines goodwill or other intangible assets are impaired, the Company will be required to write down these assets. Any write-down would have a negative effect on the consolidated financial statements.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
Not applicable.
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Item 2. Properties
The Company’s corporate headquarters is located at 898 Veterans Highway in Hauppauge, New York. The Bank’s main office is located at 2200 Montauk Highway in Bridgehampton, New York.
As of December 31, 2022, we operated 59 branch locations throughout Greater Long Island and Manhattan, of which 43 were leased and 16 were owned.
For additional information on our premises and equipment, see Note 7. “Premises and Fixed Assets, net and Premises Held for Sale” in the notes to the consolidated financial statements.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
In the ordinary course of business, the Holding Company and the Bank are routinely named as a defendant in or party to various pending or threatened legal actions or proceedings. Certain of these matters may seek substantial monetary damages against the Holding Company or the Bank. In the opinion of management, as of December 31, 2022, neither the Holding Company nor the Bank were involved in any actions or proceedings that were likely to have a material adverse impact on the Company’s consolidated financial condition and results of operations.
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures
Not applicable.
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PART II
Item 5. Market for Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
Our common stock trades on the NASDAQ® Stock Market under the symbol “DCOM”. Prior to the Merger, our common shares were traded under the symbol “BDGE”. At February 16, 2023, we had approximately 1,112 shareholders of record, not including the number of persons or entities holding stock in nominee or the street name through various banks and brokers.
DCOM Performance Graph
Pursuant to the regulations of the SEC, the graph below compares our performance with that of the total return for the NASDAQ® Composite Index and the S&P SmallCap 600 Banks Index from December 31, 2017 through December 31, 2022. The graph assumes the reinvestment of dividends in additional shares of the same class of equity securities as those listed below. The following performance graph reflects the performance of BDGE prior to the Merger.
Year Ended December 31,
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Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities
The following table presents information regarding purchases of common stock during the three months ended December 31, 2022:
Total Total Number of Maximum Number
Number Average Shares Purchased of Shares that May
of Shares Price Paid as Part of Publicly Yet be Purchased
Period Purchased Per Share Announced Programs Under the Programs (1)
Item 6. [Reserved]
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
In this Annual Report on Form 10-K, unless otherwise mentioned, the terms the “Company”, “we”, “us” and “our” refer to Dime Community Bancshares, Inc. and our wholly-owned subsidiary, Dime Community Bank (the “Bank”). We use the term “Holding Company” to refer solely to Dime Community Bancshares, Inc. and not to our consolidated subsidiary.
Overview
Dime Community Bancshares, Inc., a New York corporation, is a bank holding company formed in 1988. On a parent-only basis, the Holding Company has minimal operations, other than as owner of Dime Community Bank. The Holding Company is dependent on dividends from its wholly-owned subsidiary, Dime Community Bank, its own earnings, additional capital raised, and borrowings as sources of funds. The information in this report reflects principally the financial condition and results of operations of the Bank. The Bank's results of operations are primarily dependent on its net interest income, which is the difference between interest income on loans and investments and interest expense on deposits and borrowings. The Bank also generates non-interest income, such as fee income on deposit and loan accounts, merchant credit and debit card processing programs, loan swap fees, investment services, income from its title insurance subsidiary, and net gains on sales of securities and loans. The level of non-interest expenses, such as salaries and benefits, occupancy and equipment costs, other general and administrative expenses, expenses from the Bank’s title insurance subsidiary, and income tax expense, further affects our net income. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior year amounts and the related discussion and analysis to conform to the current year presentation. These reclassifications did not have an impact on net income or total stockholders' equity.
COVID-19 Pandemic Response
Following the March 2020 passage of the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), administered by the SBA, the Company participated in assisting its customers with applications for resources through the program. Since the inception of the program, the consolidated PPP originations for the Company through December 31, 2021, including originations by both Legacy Dime and Bridge, exceeded $1.90 billion. Following the completion of the PPP, the Company sold its 2021 PPP loan originations in order to re-deploy funds into ongoing loan portfolio growth. The Company believes that the remainder of its SBA PPP loans will ultimately be forgiven by the SBA in accordance with the terms of the program. As of December 31, 2022, the Company had SBA PPP loans totaling $5.8 million, net of deferred fees. It is the Company’s expectation that loans funded through the PPP are fully guaranteed by the U.S. government.
We continue to monitor unfunded commitments, including commercial and home equity lines of credit, for evidence of increased credit exposure as borrowers utilize these lines for liquidity purposes.
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It is possible that there will be continued material, adverse impacts to significant estimates, asset valuations, and business operations, including intangible assets, investments, loans, deferred tax assets, and derivative counter party risk, changes in consumer behavior, and supply chain interruptions as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Future government actions in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, including vaccination mandates, may also affect our workforce, human capital resources, and infrastructure.
Critical Accounting Estimates
Note 1 Summary of Significant Accounting Policies, to the Company’s Audited Consolidated Financial Statement for the year ended December 31, 2022 contains a summary of significant accounting policies. These accounting policies may require various levels of subjectivity, estimates or judgement by management. Policies with respect to the methodologies it uses to determine the allowance for credit losses on loans held for investment and fair value of loans acquired in a business combinations are critical accounting policies because they are important to the presentation of the Company’s consolidated financial condition and results of operations. These critical accounting estimates involve a significant degree of complexity and require management to make difficult and subjective judgments which often necessitate assumptions or estimates about highly uncertain matters. The use of different judgments, assumptions or estimates could result in material variations in the Company’s consolidated results of operations or financial condition.
Management has reviewed the following critical accounting estimates and related disclosures with its Audit Committee.
Allowance for Credit Losses on Loans Held for Investment
Methods and Assumptions Underlying the Estimate
On January 1, 2021, we adopted the Current Expected Credit Losses (“CECL”) Standard, which requires that loans held for investment be accounted for under the current expected credit losses model. The allowance for credit losses is established and maintained through a provision for credit losses based on expected losses inherent in our loan portfolio. Management evaluates the adequacy of the allowance on a quarterly basis, and additions to the allowance are charged to expense and realized losses, net of recoveries, are charged against the allowance.
Determining the appropriateness of the allowance is complex and requires judgment by management about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain. In determining the allowance for credit losses for loans that share similar risk characteristics, the Company utilizes a model which compares the amortized cost basis of the loan to the net present value of expected cash flows to be collected. Expected credit losses are determined by aggregating the individual cash flows and calculating a loss percentage by loan segment, or pool, for loans that share similar risk characteristics. For a loan that does not share risk characteristics with other loans, the Company will evaluate the loan on an individual basis. Within the model, assumptions are made in the determination of probability of default, loss given default, reasonable and supportable economic forecasts, prepayment rate, curtailment rate, and recovery lag periods. Management assesses the sensitivity of key assumptions at least annually by stressing the assumptions to understand the impact on the model.
Statistical regression is utilized to relate historical macro-economic variables to historical credit loss experience of a peer group of banks that operate in and around Dime’s footprint. These models are then utilized to forecast future expected loan losses based on expected future behavior of the same macro-economic variables. Adjustments to the quantitative results are made using qualitative factors. These factors include: (1) lending policies and procedures; (2) international, national, regional and local economic business conditions and developments that affect the collectability of the portfolio, including the condition of various markets; (3) the nature and volume of the loan portfolio; (4) the experience, ability, and depth of the lending management and other relevant staff; (5) the volume and severity of past due loans; (6) the quality of our loan review system; (7) the value of underlying collateral for collateralized loans; (8) the existence and effect of any concentrations of credit, and changes in the level of such concentrations; and (9) the effect of external factors such as competition and legal and regulatory requirements on the level of estimated credit losses in the existing portfolio.
For loans that do not share risk characteristics, the Company evaluates these loans on an individual basis based on various factors. Factors that may be considered are borrower delinquency trends and non-accrual status, probability of foreclosure or note sale, changes in the borrower’s circumstances or cash collections, borrower’s industry, or other facts and circumstances of the loan or collateral. The expected credit loss is measured based on net realizable value, that is, the
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difference between the discounted value of the expected future cash flows, based on the original effective interest rate, and the amortized cost basis of the loan. For collateral dependent loans, expected credit loss is measured as the difference between the amortized cost basis of the loan and the fair value of the collateral, less estimated costs to sell.
Uncertainties Regarding the Estimate
Estimating the timing and amounts of future losses is subject to significant management judgment as these projected cash flows rely upon the estimates discussed above and factors that are reflective of current or future expected conditions. These estimates depend on the duration of current overall economic conditions, industry, borrower, or portfolio specific conditions. Volatility in certain credit metrics and differences between expected and actual outcomes are to be expected.
Customers may not repay their loans according to the original terms, and the collateral securing the payment of those loans may be insufficient to pay any remaining loan balance. Bank regulators periodically review our allowance for credit losses and may require us to increase our provision for credit losses or loan charge-offs.
Impact on Financial Condition and Results of Operations
If our assumptions prove to be incorrect, the allowance for credit losses may not be sufficient to cover expected losses in the loan portfolio, resulting in additions to the allowance. Future additions or reductions to the allowance may be necessary based on changes in economic, market or other conditions. Changes in estimates could result in a material change in the allowance through charges to earnings would materially decrease our net income.
We may experience significant credit losses if borrowers experience financial difficulties, which could have a material adverse effect on our operating results.
In addition, various regulatory agencies, as an integral part of the examination process, periodically review the allowance for credit losses. Such agencies may require the Bank to recognize adjustments to the allowance based on their judgments of the information available to them at the time of their examination.
Fair value of loans acquired in a business combination
Methods and Assumptions Underlying the Estimate
On February 1, 2021, the Company completed a merger of equals business combination accounted for as a reverse merger using the acquisition method of accounting. As a part of accounting for the Merger, fair value estimates were calculated with a combination of assumptions by management and by using a third party. The fair value often involved third-party estimates utilizing input assumptions by management which may be complex or uncertain. The fair value of acquired loans was based on a discounted cash flow methodology that considers factors such as type of loan and related collateral, and requires management’s judgment on estimates about discount rates, expected future cash flows, market conditions and other future events.
For purchased financial loans with credit deterioration (“PCD”), an estimate of expected credit losses was made for loans with similar risk characteristics and was added to the purchase price to establish the initial amortized cost basis of the PCD loans. Any difference between the unpaid principal balance and the amortized cost basis is considered to relate to non-credit factors and resulted in a discount or premium. Discounts and premiums are recognized through interest income on a level-yield method over the life of the loans. For acquired loans not deemed PCD at acquisition, the differences between the initial fair value and the unpaid principal balance are recognized as interest income on a level-yield basis over the lives of the related loans.
Uncertainties Regarding the Estimate
Management relied on economic forecasts, internal valuations, or other relevant factors which were available at the time of the Merger in the determination of the assumptions used to calculate the fair value of the acquired loans. The estimates about discount rates, expected future cash flows, market conditions and other future events were subjective and may differ from estimates.
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Impact on Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The estimate of fair values on acquired loans contributed to the recorded goodwill from the Merger. In future income statement periods, interest income on loans will include the amortization and accretion of any premiums and discounts resulting from the fair value of acquired loans. Additionally, the provision for credit losses on acquired individually analyzed PCD loans may be impacted due to changes in the assumptions used to calculate expected cash flows.
Comparison of Operating Results Years Ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020
The Company’s results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2021 include income for the eleven months following the Merger and the results of Legacy Dime for the month ended January 31, 2021. The Company’s historical operating results as of and for the year ended December 31, 2020, as presented and discussed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, only include the historical results of Legacy Dime. Accordingly, the Company’s historical operating results as of and for periods before February 1, 2021, including the year ended December 31, 2020, as presented and discussed in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, do not include the historical results of Bridge.
General. Net income was $152.6 million in 2022, compared to $104.0 million in 2021, and $42.3 million in 2020. During 2022, net interest income increased by $22.3 million, provision for credit losses decreased by $0.8 million, and non-interest expense decreased by $44.6 million. These items were partially offset by a non-interest income decrease of $3.9 million and an income tax expense increase of $15.2 million. During 2021, net interest income increased by $179.9 million, provision for credit losses decreased by $20.0 million, and non-interest income increased by $20.8 million. These items were partially offset by a non-interest expense increase of $127.5 million and an income tax expense increase of $31.5 million.
The discussion of net interest income for the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021, and 2020 should be read in conjunction with the following tables, which set forth certain information related to the consolidated statements of income for those periods, and which also present the average yield on assets and average cost of liabilities for the periods indicated. The average yields and costs were derived by dividing income or expense by the average balance of their related assets or liabilities during the periods represented. Average balances were derived from average daily balances. No tax-equivalent adjustments have been made for interest income exempt from Federal, state, and local taxation. The yields include loan fees consisting of amortization of loan origination and commitment fees and certain direct and indirect origination costs, prepayment fees, and late charges that are considered adjustments to yields. Loan fees included in interest income were $3.1 million in 2022, $12.5 million in 2021, and $7.5 million in 2020. There are no out-of-period adjustments included in the rate/volume analysis in the following table.
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Average Balance Sheets
Year Ended December 31,
Average Average Average
Balance Interest Cost Balance Interest Cost Balance Interest Cost
Assets:
Interest-earning assets:
Liabilities and Stockholders' Equity:
Interest-bearing liabilities:
Net interest spread (2) 2.93 % 3.02 % 2.68 %
Net interest margin (3) 3.25 % 3.15 % 2.90 %
(1) Amounts are net of deferred origination costs/ (fees) and allowance for credit losses, and include loans held for sale.
(2) Net interest rate spread represents the difference between the yield on average interest-earning assets and the cost of average interest-bearing liabilities.
(3) Net interest margin represents net interest income divided by average-interest earning assets.
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Rate/Volume Analysis
Years Ended December 31,
Increase/(Decrease) Due to Increase/(Decrease) Due to
Volume Rate Total Volume Rate Total
Interest-earning assets: (In thousands)
Interest-bearing liabilities:
Other short-term borrowings 654 781 1,435 4 (45) (41)
Derivative cash collateral 888 924 1,812 — — —
(1) Amounts are net of deferred origination costs/ (fees) and allowance for credit losses, and include loans held for sale.
Net Interest Income. Net interest income was $379.9 million in 2022, $357.6 million in 2021, and $177.7 million in 2020. Average interest-earning assets were $11.68 billion in 2022, $11.35 billion in 2021 and $6.12 billion in 2020. Net interest margin was 3.25% in 2022, 3.15% in 2021, and 2.90% in 2020.
Interest Income. Interest income was $439.2 million in 2022, $384.6 million in 2021, and $234.0 million in 2020. During 2022, interest income increased $54.6 million from 2021, primarily reflecting increases in interest income of $55.7 million on real estate loans, and $6.6 million on securities. The increased interest income on real estate loans was primarily due to growth of $829.5 million in the average balances, and a 28-basis point increase in yield during the period due to the rising interest rate environment. The increased interest income from securities was primarily due to the increase in the average balances of $392.4 million, offset in part by a 2-basis point decrease in the yield. During 2021, interest income increased $150.6 million from 2020, primarily reflecting increases in interest income of $102.5 million on real estate loans, $38.5 million on commercial and industrial (“C&I”) loans, $8.5 million on securities, and $1.4 million on other loans. The increased interest income on real estate loans was due to an increase of $3.05 billion in the average balance of such loans in the period, offset in part by a 24-basis point decrease in the yield. The increased interest income on C&I loans was primarily due to growth of $960.0 million in the average balances, and a 13-basis point increase in yield during the period. The increased interest income from securities was primarily due to the increase in the average balances of $775.2 million, offset in part by a 97-basis point decrease in the yield. The increased average balances in 2021 versus 2020 were related primarily to the Merger transaction.
Interest Expense. Interest expense was $59.4 million in 2022, $27.0 million in 2021, and $56.3 million in 2020. During 2022, interest expense increased $32.3 million from 2021, primarily reflecting increases in interest expense of $15.2 million on savings accounts, $5.1 million on FHLBNY advances and $4.4 million on money market accounts. The increase in interest expense on savings accounts was primarily due to increased rates offered on savings accounts and, an increase of $673.1 million in the average balances of such accounts. The increase in interest expense on FHLB advances was primarily due to the increased cost of wholesale borrowings. The increase in interest expense on money market accounts was primarily due to increased rates offered on money market accounts. During 2021, interest expense decreased $29.3 million from 2020, primarily reflecting decreases in interest expense of $15.9 million on FHLBNY advances, and $14.6 million on CDs. The decrease in interest expense on CDs was primarily due to decreased rates offered on CD accounts and, a decrease of $216.2 million in the average balances of such accounts. The decrease in interest expense on FHLBNY advances was primarily due to a decrease of $806.2 million in the average balances of FHLBNY advances, and a decrease of 92 basis points in the cost of such borrowings.
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Provision for Credit Losses. The Company recognized a provision for credit losses of $5.4 million in 2022, $6.2 million in 2021 and $26.2 million in 2020. The $5.4 million provision for credit losses recognized in 2022 was associated with growth in the loan portfolio and a deterioration of forecasted macroeconomic conditions, offset by a reduction in reserves on individually analyzed loans and unfunded commitments. The $6.2 million provision for credit losses recognized in 2021 included a provision recorded on acquired non-PCD loans for the Day 2 accounting of acquired loans from the Merger, offset by improvements in forecasted macroeconomic conditions, and releases of reserves on individually analyzed loans. The $26.2 million provision for credit losses recognized in 2020 resulted mainly from an increase in the general reserve allowance for credit losses due to an adjustment of qualitative factors to account for the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and related economic disruption, and additional specific reserves on non-performing loans. The provision for credit losses recognized in 2022 and 2021 was calculated in accordance with the CECL Standard adopted by the Company on January 1, 2021. The provision for credit losses recognized in 2020 was calculated in accordance with prior GAAP, in accordance with ASC 310.
Non-Interest Income.Non-interest income was $38.2 million in 2022, $42.1 million in 2021, and $21.3 million in 2020. During 2022, non-interest income decreased $3.9 million from 2021, due primarily to a decrease in gains on the sales of SBA PPP loans, and a decrease in gain on sale of residential loans and other non-interest income of $1.3 million each. Offsetting these declines was an increase in BOLI income of $3.3 million and no loss on termination of derivatives in 2022 (versus a $16.5 million loss on termination of derivatives in 2021). During 2021, non-interest income increased $20.8 million from 2020, due primarily to a gain on the sale of SBA PPP loans of $20.7 million, an increase in service charges and other fees of $10.4 million, and an increase in other non-interest income of $3.0 million, partially offset by an increase in loss on termination of derivatives of $9.9 million, a decrease in loan level derivative income of $6.0 million, and a decrease in net gain on sale of securities and other assets of $2.9 million.
Non-Interest Expense. Non-interest expense was $200.7 million in 2022, $245.3 million in 2021, and $117.8 million in 2020. During 2022, non-interest expense decreased $44.6 million from 2021, primarily due to not recognizing any merger expenses and transaction costs and branch restructuring costs in 2022 (versus $44.8 million in merger expenses and transaction costs and $5.1 million of branch restructuring costs in 2021). These declines were offset by an increase of $11.8 million in salaries and employee benefits expenses. During 2021, non-interest expense increased $127.5 million from 2020, reflecting an increase of $47.6 million in salaries and employee benefits expense, an increase of $29.6 million in merger expenses and transaction costs, an increase of $14.5 million in occupancy and equipment expense, an increase of $8.3 million in data processing costs, an increase of $7.2 million in other expenses, and an increase of $5.9 million in professional services expenses, all of which increased primarily due to the Merger. We also incurred branch restructuring costs of $5.1 million during the 2021 period.
Non-interest expense was 1.61%, 2.03%, and 1.83% of average assets during 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively. The increase in 2021 was primarily due to merger expenses and transaction costs.
Income Tax Expense. Income tax expense was $59.4 million in 2022, $44.2 million in 2021, and $12.7 million in 2020. Income tax expense increased $15.2 million during 2022 compared to 2021, primarily as a result of $63.7 million of higher pre-tax income during 2022. Income tax expense increased $31.5 million during 2021 compared to 2020, primarily as a result of $93.2 million of higher pre-tax income during 2021.
The Company’s consolidated tax rate was 28.0%, 29.8% and 23.0% in 2022, 2021, and 2020, respectively. The increase in the effective tax rate in 2022 and 2021 compared to 2020 was primarily the result of the loss of benefits from Legacy Dime’s REITs as the Company’s total assets exceeded $8 billion, and non-deductible expenses during 2021.
Comparison of Financial Condition at December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021
Assets. Assets totaled $13.19 billion at December 31, 2022, $1.13 billion above their level at December 31, 2021, primarily due to an increase in the loan portfolio of $1.32 billion, partially offset by a decrease in cash and due from banks of $224.4 million, and a decrease in total securities of $206.6 million.
Total net loans held for investment increased $1.32 billion during the year ended December 31, 2022, to $10.48 billion at period end. During the period, the Bank had originations of $2.83 billion.
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Total securities decreased $206.6 million during the year ended December 31, 2022, to $1.54 billion at period end, primarily due to proceeds from principal payments and calls of $195.3 million and an increase in unrealized losses of $109.7 million, offset in part by purchases of $102.4 million. We transferred $372.2 million of securities available-for-sale to securities held-to-maturity during the year ended December 31, 2022.
Liabilities. Total liabilities increased $1.15 billion during the year ended December 31, 2022, to $12.02 billion at period end, primarily due to an increase of $1.11 billion in FHLBNY advances, and an increase of $148.5 million in derivative cash collateral. We maintained a higher level of borrowings to support loan growth and offset a $204.6 million decline in deposits.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, the Company did not terminate any derivatives. During the year ended December 31, 2021, the Company terminated 34 derivatives with notional values totaling $785.0 million, resulting in a termination value of $16.5 million which was recognized in loss on termination of derivatives in non-interest income.
Stockholders’ Equity. Stockholders’ equity decreased $23.0 million during the year ended December 31, 2022 to $1.17 billion at period end, primarily due to an increase in accumulated other comprehensive loss of $88.2 million, repurchases of shares of common stock of $46.8 million, common stock dividends of $37.2 million and preferred stock dividends of $7.3 million, offset in part by net income for the period of $152.6 million.
Loan Portfolio Composition
The following table presents an analysis of outstanding loans by loan type, excluding loans held for sale, net of unearned discounts and premiums and deferred origination fees and costs, at the dates presented:
During the year ended December 31, 2022, our real estate loans and C&I loans increased $1.19 billion and $138.2 million, respectively.
Loan Purchases, Sales and Servicing
In the event that the Bank were to sell loans in the secondary market or through securitization, it generally retains servicing rights on the loans sold. Servicing fees are typically derived based upon the difference between the actual origination rate and contractual pass-through rate of the loans at the time of sale. At December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Bank had recorded servicing right assets ("SRAs") of $3.1 million and $3.8 million, respectively, associated with the sale of loans to third-party institutions in which the Bank retained the servicing of the loan. The Bank outsources the servicing of a portion of our one-to-four family mortgage loan portfolio to an unrelated third-party under a sub-servicing agreement. Fees paid under the sub-servicing agreement are reported as a component of other non-interest expense in the consolidated statements of income.
Loan Maturity and Repricing
As of December 31, 2022, $8.21 billion, or 77.7% of the loan portfolio was scheduled to mature or reprice within five years.
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The following table distributes our loans held for investment portfolio at December 31, 2022 by the earlier of the maturity or next repricing date. ARMs are included in the period during which their interest rates are next scheduled to adjust. The table does not include scheduled principal amortization.
Less than 1 year 1 to 5 years 5 to 15 years Over 15 years Total
Amount Amount Amount Amount Amount
(In thousands)
The following table presents our loans held for investment with maturity or next repricing due after December 31, 2023:
Due after December 31, 2023
Fixed Adjustable Total
(In thousands)
Asset Quality
General
We do not originate or purchase loans, either whole loans or loans underlying mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”), which would have been considered subprime loans at origination, i.e., real estate loans advanced to borrowers who did not qualify for market interest rates because of problems with their income or credit history. See Note 4 to our consolidated financial statements for a discussion of evaluation for impaired securities.
Monitoring and Collection of Delinquent Loans
Our management reviews delinquent loans on a monthly basis and reports to our Board of Directors at each regularly scheduled Board meeting regarding the status of all non-performing and otherwise delinquent loans in our loan portfolio.
Our loan servicing policies and procedures require that an automated late notice be sent to a delinquent borrower as soon as possible after a payment is ten days late in the case of multifamily residential, commercial real estate loans, and C&I loans, or fifteen days late in connection with one-to-four family or consumer loans. Thereafter, periodic letters are mailed and phone calls placed to the borrower until payment is received. When contact is made with the borrower at any time prior to foreclosure, we will attempt to obtain the full payment due or negotiate a repayment schedule with the borrower to avoid foreclosure.
Accrual of interest is generally discontinued on a loan that meets any of the following three criteria: (i) full payment of principal or interest is not expected; (ii) principal or interest has been in default for a period of 90 days or more (unless the loan is both deemed to be well secured and in the process of collection); or (iii) an election has otherwise been made to maintain the loan on a cash basis due to deterioration in the financial condition of the borrower. Such non-accrual determination practices are applied consistently to all loans regardless of their internal classification or designation. Upon entering non-accrual status, we reverse all outstanding accrued interest receivable.
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We generally initiate foreclosure proceedings on real estate loans when a loan enters non-accrual status based upon non-payment, unless the borrower is paying in accordance with an agreed upon modified payment agreement. We obtain an updated appraisal upon the commencement of legal action to calculate a potential collateral shortfall and to reserve appropriately for the potential loss. If a foreclosure action is instituted and the loan is not brought current, paid in full, or refinanced before the foreclosure action is completed, the property securing the loan is transferred to Other Real Estate Owned (“OREO”) status. We generally attempt to utilize all available remedies, such as note sales in lieu of foreclosure, in an effort to resolve non-accrual loans and OREO properties as quickly and prudently as possible in consideration of market conditions, the physical condition of the property and any other mitigating circumstances. We have not initiated any expected or imminent foreclosure proceedings that are likely to have a material adverse impact on our consolidated financial statements. In the event that a non-accrual loan is subsequently brought current, it is returned to accrual status once the doubt concerning collectability has been removed and the borrower has demonstrated performance in accordance with the loan terms and conditions for a period of generally at least six months.
The C&I portfolio is actively managed by our lenders and underwriters. Most credit facilities typically require an annual review of the exposure and borrowers are required to submit annual financial reporting and loans are structured with financial covenants to indicate expected performance levels. Smaller C&I loans are monitored based on performance and the ability to draw against a credit line is curtailed if there are any indications of credit deterioration. Guarantors are also required to update their financial reporting. All exposures are risk rated and those entering adverse ratings due to financial performance concerns of the borrower or material delinquency of any payments or financial reporting are subjected to added management scrutiny. Measures taken typically include amendments to the amount of the available credit facility, requirements for increased collateral, additional guarantor support or a material enhancement to the frequency and quality of financial reporting. Loans determined to reach adverse risk rating standards are monitored closely by Credit Administration to identify any potential credit losses. When warranted, loans reaching a Substandard rating could be reassigned to the Workout Group for direct handling.
Non-accrual Loans
Within our held-for-investment loan portfolio, non-accrual loans totaled $34.2 million at December 31, 2022 and $40.3 million at December 31, 2021.
TDRs
We are required to recognize loans for which certain modifications or concessions have been made as TDRs. A TDR has been created in the event that, for economic or legal reasons, any of the following concessions has been granted that would not have otherwise been considered to a debtor experiencing financial difficulties. The following criteria are considered concessions:
● A reduction of interest rate has been made for the remaining term of the loan
● The outstanding principal amount and/or accrued interest have been reduced
In instances in which the interest rate has been reduced, management would not deem the modification a TDR in the event that the reduction in interest rate reflected either a general decline in market interest rates or an effort to maintain a relationship with a borrower who could readily obtain funds from other sources at the current market interest rate, and the terms of the restructured loan are comparable to the terms offered by the Bank to non-troubled debtors.
We modified twelve loans in a manner that met the criteria for a TDR during the year ended December 31, 2022. We modified four loans in a manner that met the criteria for a TDR during the year ended December 31, 2021.
Accrual status for TDRs is determined separately for each TDR in accordance with our policies for determining accrual or non-accrual status. At the time an agreement is entered into between the Bank and the borrower that results in our determination that a TDR has been created, the loan can be on either accrual or non-accrual status. If a loan is on non-accrual status at the time it is restructured, it continues to be classified as non-accrual until the borrower has demonstrated compliance with the modified loan terms for a period of at least six months. Conversely, if at the time of restructuring the
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loan is performing (and accruing) it will remain accruing throughout its restructured period, unless the loan subsequently meets any of the criteria for non-accrual status under our policy and agency regulations. Within the allowance for credit losses, losses are estimated for TDRs on accrual status as well as TDRs on non-accrual status that are one-to-four family loans or consumer loans, on a pooled basis with loans that share similar risk characteristics. TDRs on non-accrual status excluding one-to-four family and consumer loans are individually evaluated to determine expected credit losses. For collateral-dependent TDRs where we have determined that foreclosure of the collateral is probable, or where the borrower is experiencing financial difficulty and we expect repayment of the loan to be provided substantially through the operation or sale of the collateral, the allowance for credit losses (“ACL”) is measured based on the difference between the fair value of collateral, less the estimated costs to sell, and the amortized cost basis of the loan as of the measurement date. For non-collateral-dependent loans, the ACL is measured based on the difference between the present value of expected cash flows and the amortized cost basis of the loan as of the measurement date.
Please refer to Note 5 to our condensed consolidated financial statements for a further discussion of TDRs.
OREO
Property acquired by the Bank, or a subsidiary, as a result of foreclosure on a mortgage loan or a deed in lieu of foreclosure is classified as OREO. Upon entering OREO status, we obtain a current appraisal on the property and reassesses the likely realizable value (a/k/a fair value) of the property quarterly thereafter. OREO is carried at the lower of the fair value or book balance, with any write downs recognized through a provision recorded in non-interest expense. Only the appraised value, or either a contractual or formal marketed value that falls below the appraised value, is used when determining the likely realizable value of OREO at each reporting period. We typically seek to dispose of OREO properties in a timely manner. As a result, OREO properties have generally not warranted subsequent independent appraisals.
There was no carrying value of OREO properties on our consolidated balance sheets at December 31, 2022 or December 31, 2021. We did not recognize any provisions for losses on OREO properties during the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 or 2020.
Past Due Loans
Loans Delinquent 30 to 59 Days
At December 31, 2022, we had loans totaling $23.5 million that were past due between 30 and 59 days. At December 31, 2021, we had loans totaling $61.2 million that were past due between 30 and 59 days. The 30 to 59-day delinquency levels fluctuate monthly, and are generally considered a less accurate indicator of near-term credit quality trends than non-accrual loans.
Loans Delinquent 60 to 89 Days
At December 31, 2022, we had loans totaling $0.7 million that were past due between 60 and 89 days. At December 31, 2021, we had loans totaling $12.1 million that were past due between 60 and 89 days. The 60 to 89-day delinquency levels fluctuate monthly, and are generally considered a less accurate indicator of near-term credit quality trends than non-accrual loans.
Accruing Loans 90 Days or More Past Due
At December 31, 2022, there were no accruing loans 90 days or more past due. At December 31, 2021, we had nine loans with an aggregate outstanding balance of $3.0 million, all of which were 90 days or more past due. These loans were either well secured, awaiting a forbearance extension or formal payment deferral, or will likely be forgiven through the PPP or repurchased by the SBA, and, therefore, remained on accrual status and were deemed performing assets.
Reserve for Loan Commitments
We maintain a reserve, recorded in other liabilities, associated with unfunded loan commitments accepted by the borrower. The amount of reserve was $2.8 million at December 31, 2022 and $4.4 million at December 31, 2021. This reserve is
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determined based upon the outstanding volume of loan commitments at each period end. Any increases or reductions in this reserve are recognized in provision for credit losses.
Allowance for Credit Losses
On January 1, 2021, the Company adopted ASU No. 2016-13 "Financial Instruments – Credit Losses (Topic 326)". ASU 2016-13 was effective for the Company as of January 1, 2020. Under Section 4014 of the CARES Act, financial institutions required to adopt ASU 2016-13 as of January 1, 2020 were provided an option to delay the adoption of the CECL framework. The Company elected to defer adoption of CECL until January 1, 2021. This standard requires that the measurement of all expected credit losses for financial assets held at the reporting date be based on historical experience, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. This standard requires financial institutions and other organizations to use forward-looking information to better inform their credit loss estimates.
The adoption of the CECL Standard resulted in an initial decrease of $3.9 million to the allowance for credit losses and an increase of $1.4 million to the reserve for unfunded commitments. The after-tax cumulative-effect adjustment of $1.7 million was recorded as an increase to retained earnings as of January 1, 2021.
A provision of $5.4 million and $6.2 million were recorded during the twelve-month periods ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The $5.4 million provision for credit losses recognized in 2022 was associated with growth in the loan portfolio and a deterioration of forecased economic conditions, offset by a reduction in reserves on individually analyzed loans and unfunded commitments. The $6.2 million provision for credit losses recognized in 2021 included a provision recorded on acquired non-PCD loans for the Day 2 accounting of acquired loans from the Merger offset by improvements in forecasted macroeconomic conditions, and release of reserves on individually analyzed loans.
For further discussion of the allowance for credit losses and related activity during the years ended December 31, 2022, 2021 and 2020, please see Note 5 to the consolidated financial statements.
The following table presents our allowance for credit losses allocated by loan type and the percent of each to total loans at the dates indicated.
Percent Percent Percent
of Loans of Loans of Loans
in Each in Each in Each
Category Category Category
Allocated to Total Allocated to Total Allocated to Total
Amount Loans Amount Loans Amount Loans
(Dollars in thousands)
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The following table sets forth information about our allowance for credit losses at or for the dates indicated:
(Dollars in thousands)
Multifamily residential and residential mixed-use — 0.01 0.10
CRE — 0.09 —
Acquisition, development, and construction — — —
Investment Activities
Securities available-for-sale
Our consolidated investment in securities available-for-sale totaled $950.6 million at December 31, 2022. The average duration of these securities was 3.5 years as of December 31, 2022.
The following table presents the amortized cost, fair value and weighted average yield of our securities available-for-sale at December 31, 2022, categorized by remaining period to contractual maturity:
Weighted
Amortized Fair Average
Cost Value Yield
(Dollars in Thousands)
The entire carrying amount of each security at December 31, 2022 is reflected in the above table in the maturity period that includes the final security payment date and, accordingly, no effect has been given to periodic repayments or possible prepayments. The weighted average duration of our securities available-for-sale approximated 3.5 years as of December 31, 2022 when giving consideration to anticipated repayments or possible prepayments, which is significantly less than their weighted average maturity.
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The following table presents the weighted average contractual maturity of our securities available-for-sale:
December 31,
Weighted average contractual maturity (years) - Available-for-sale:
Treasury securities 2.33
Corporate securities 7.88
Pass-through MBS issued by GSEs and agency CMOs 17.35
State and municipal obligations 4.21
Securities held-to-maturity
Our investment in securities held-to-maturity totaled $585.8 million at December 31, 2022. The average duration of these securities was 6.1 years as of December 31, 2022.
The following table presents the amortized cost, fair value and weighted average yield of our securities held-to-maturity at December 31, 2022, categorized by remaining period to contractual maturity:
Weighted
Amortized Fair Average
Cost Value Yield
(Dollars in Thousands)
Due within 1 year $ — $ — — %
The entire carrying amount of each security at December 31, 2022 is reflected in the above table in the maturity period that includes the final security payment date and, accordingly, no effect has been given to periodic repayments or possible prepayments. The weighted average duration of our securities held-to-maturity approximated 6.1 years as of December 31, 2022 when giving consideration to anticipated repayments or possible prepayments, which is significantly less than their weighted average maturity.
The following table presents the weighted average contractual maturity of our securities held-to-maturity:
December 31,
Weighted average contractual maturity (years) - Held-to-maturity:
Agency notes 7.26
Corporate securities 9.59
Pass-through MBS issued by GSEs and agency CMOs 22.16
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Sources of Funds
Deposits
The following table presents our deposit accounts and the related weighted average interest rates at the dates indicated:
Percent Percent Percent
of Weighted Of Weighted Of Weighted
Total Average Total Average Total Average
Amount Deposits Rate Amount Deposits Rate Amount Deposits Rate
(Dollars in Thousands)
The weighted average maturity of our CDs at December 31, 2022 was 7.6 months, compared to 7.7 months at December 31, 2021.
As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the portion of deposit accounts in excess of the $250,000 FDIC insurance limit was $5.73 billion and $5.83 billion, respectively.
The following table sets forth the amount of time deposits in uninsured accounts by maturity, all of which are CDs:
(In thousands) December 31, 2022
Maturity Period
Three months or less $ 132,925
Over three through six months 241,143
Over six through twelve months 125,971
Over twelve months 41,901
As of December 31, 2022, the portion of uninsured time deposits in excess of the $250,000 FDIC insurance limit was $420.4 million.
Our Board of Directors authorized the Bank to accept brokered deposits up to an aggregate limit of 10.0% of total assets. At December 31, 2022, brokered deposits totaled $538.9 million, which included purchased CDs from the CDARS program, purchased MMAs from the ICS program and purchased CDs through a broker. At December 31, 2021, brokered deposits totaled $200.0 million, which included purchased MMAs from the ICS program. At December 31, 2020, brokered deposits totaled $343.0 million, which included purchased CDs from the CDARS program, purchased MMAs from the ICS program and purchased CDs through a broker.
Borrowings
The Bank’s total borrowing line with FHLBNY equaled $4.13 billion at December 31, 2022. The Bank had $1.13 billion of FHLBNY advances outstanding at December 31, 2022, and $25.0 million at December 31, 2021. The Bank maintained sufficient collateral, as defined by the FHLBNY (principally in the form of real estate loans), to secure such advances.
The Company had $1.4 million outstanding of securities sold under agreements to repurchase (“repurchase agreements”) at December 31, 2022. The Company had $1.9 million outstanding of securities sold under agreements to repurchase at December 31, 2021.
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Liquidity and Capital Resources
The Board of Directors of the Bank has approved a liquidity policy that it reviews and updates at least annually. Senior management is responsible for implementing the policy. The Bank’s Asset Liability Committee (“ALCO”) is responsible for general oversight and strategic implementation of the policy and management of the appropriate departments are designated responsibility for implementing any strategies established by ALCO. On a daily basis, appropriate senior management receives a current cash position report and one-week forecast to ensure that all short-term obligations are timely satisfied and that adequate liquidity exists to fund future activities. Reports detailing the Bank’s liquidity reserves are presented to appropriate senior management on a monthly basis, and the Board of Directors at each of its meetings. In addition, a twelve-month liquidity forecast is presented to ALCO in order to assess potential future liquidity concerns. A forecast of cash flow data for the upcoming 12 months is presented to the Board of Directors on an annual basis.
Liquidity is primarily needed to meet customer borrowing commitments and deposit withdrawals, either on demand or on contractual maturity, to repay borrowings as they mature, to fund current and planned expenditures and to make new loans and investments as opportunities arise. The Bank’s primary sources of funding for its lending and investment activities include deposits, loan and MBS payments, investment security principal and interest payments and advances from the FHLBNY. The Bank may also sell or securitize selected multifamily residential, mixed-use or one-to-four family residential real estate loans to private sector secondary market purchasers, and has in the past sold such loans to FNMA and FHLMC. The Company may additionally issue debt or equity under appropriate circumstances. Although maturities and scheduled amortization of loans and investments are predictable sources of funds, deposit flows and prepayments on real estate loans and MBS are influenced by interest rates, economic conditions and competition.
The Bank is a member of AFX, through which it may either borrow or lend funds on an overnight or short-term basis with other member institutions. The availability of funds changes daily.
The Bank utilizes repurchase agreements as part of its borrowing policy to add liquidity. Repurchase agreements represent funds received from customers, generally on an overnight basis, which are collateralized by investment securities. As of December 31, 2022, the Bank’s repurchase agreements totaled $1.4 million, included in other short-term borrowings on the consolidated balance sheets.
The Bank gathers deposits in direct competition with commercial banks, savings banks and brokerage firms, many among the largest in the nation. It must additionally compete for deposit monies against the stock and bond markets, especially during periods of strong performance in those arenas. The Bank’s deposit flows are affected primarily by the pricing and marketing of its deposit products compared to its competitors, as well as the market performance of depositor investment alternatives such as the U.S. bond or equity markets. To the extent that the Bank is responsive to general market increases or declines in interest rates, its deposit flows should not be materially impacted. However, favorable performance of the equity or bond markets could adversely impact the Bank’s deposit flows.
Total deposits decreased $204.6 million during the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to an increase of $5.93 billion during the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in total deposits during the 2021 period was primarily due to the acquisition of deposits in the Merger. Within deposits, core deposits (i.e., non-CDs) decreased $466.7 million during the year ended December 31, 2022 and increased $6.40 billion during the year ended December 31. 2021. CDs increased $262.1 million during the year ended December 31, 2022 compared to a decrease of $469.4 million during the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in CDs during the current period was primarily due to a $294.1 million increase in brokered CDs.
The Bank increased its outstanding FHLBNY advances by $1.11 billion during the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to a $1.18 billion decrease during the year ended December 31, 2021. See Note 13. “Federal Home Loan Bank Advances” to our consolidated financial statements for further information.
Subordinated debentures totaled $200.3 million at December 31, 2022 and $197.1 million at December 31, 2021. See Note 14. “Subordinated Debentures” to our consolidated financial statements for further information.
In the event that the Bank should require funds beyond its ability or desire to generate them internally, an additional source of funds is available through its borrowing line at the FHLBNY or borrowing capacity through AFX and lines of credit
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with unaffiliated correspondent banks. At December 31, 2022, the Bank had an additional unused borrowing capacity of $1.57 billion through the FHLBNY, subject to customary minimum FHLBNY common stock ownership requirements (i.e., 4.5% of the Bank’s outstanding FHLBNY borrowings).
During the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, real estate loan originations totaled $2.67 billion and $1.67 billion, respectively. During the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, C&I loan originations totaled $160.1 million and $647.6 million, respectively. Included in the 2021 period was PPP loan originations of $579.9 million. The PPP program ended on May 31, 2021.
The Bank did not have proceeds from sales of securities available-for-sale during the year ended December 31, 2022. Proceeds from sales of available-for-sale securities totaled $138.1 million during the year ended December 31, 2021. Purchases of available-for-sale securities totaled $39.2 million and $1.10 billion during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Proceeds from pay downs and calls and maturities of available-for-sale securities were $165.1 million and $411.0 million for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
The Bank did not have proceeds from sales of held-to-maturity securities during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021. Purchases of held-to-maturity securities totaled $63.2 million and $40.2 million during the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Proceeds from pay downs and calls and maturities of held-to-maturity securities were $31.7 million and $1.4 million for the year ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
The Company and the Bank are subject to minimum regulatory capital requirements imposed by its primary federal regulator. As a general matter, these capital requirements are based on the amount and composition of an institution’s assets. At December 31, 2022, each of the Company and the Bank were in compliance with all applicable regulatory capital requirements and the Bank was considered "well capitalized" for all regulatory purposes.
The Holding Company repurchased 1,431,241 shares of its common stock during the year ended December 31, 2022. The Holding Company repurchased 1,755,061 shares of its common stock during the year ended December 31, 2021. As of December 31, 2022, up to 1,603,760 shares remained available for purchase under the authorized share repurchase programs. See "Part II - Item 5. Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities" for additional information about repurchases of common stock.
The Holding Company paid $7.3 million in cash dividends on its preferred stock during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
The Holding Company paid $36.8 million and $39.4 million in cash dividends on its common stock during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
Contractual Obligations
The Bank generally has outstanding at any time borrowings in the form of FHLBNY advances, short-term or overnight borrowings, subordinated debt, as well as customer CDs with fixed contractual interest rates. In addition, the Bank is obligated to make rental payments under leases on certain of its branches and equipment.
Off-Balance Sheet Arrangements
As part of its loan origination business, the Bank generally has outstanding commitments to extend credit to borrowers, which are originated pursuant to its regular underwriting standards. Available lines of credit may not be drawn on or may expire prior to funding, in whole or in part, and amounts are not estimates of future cash flows. As of December 31, 2022, the Bank had $271.6 million of firm loan commitments that were accepted by the borrowers.
Additionally, in connection with a loan securitization transaction that was completed in 2017, the Bank executed a reimbursement agreement with FHLMC that obligates the Company to reimburse FHLMC for any contractual principal and interest payments on defaulted loans, not to exceed 10% of the original principal amount of the loans comprising the aggregate balance of the loan pool at securitization. The maximum exposure under this reimbursement obligation is $28.0 million. The Bank has pledged $28.0 million of pass-through MBS issued by GSEs as collateral.
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Recently Issued Accounting Standards
For a discussion of the impact of recently issued accounting standards, please see Note 1 to the Company’s consolidated financial statements.
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
General
The Company’s largest component of market risk remains interest rate risk. The Company is not subject to foreign currency exchange or commodity price risk. During the year ended December 31, 2022, we conducted zero transactions involving derivative instruments requiring bifurcation in order to hedge interest rate or market risk.
Asset/Liability Management
Management considers interest rate risk to be the most significant market risk for the Company. Market risk is the risk of losses from adverse changes in market prices and rates. Interest rate risk is the exposure to adverse changes in net income as a result of changes in interest rates.
The Company’s primary earnings source is net interest income, which is affected by changes in the level of interest rates, the relationship between rates, the impact of interest rate fluctuations on asset prepayments, the level and composition of deposits and liabilities, and the credit quality of earning assets. Our asset and liability management objectives are to maintain a strong, stable net interest margin, to utilize its capital effectively without taking undue risks, to maintain adequate liquidity, and to reduce vulnerability of our operations to changes in interest rates.
Our Asset and Liability Committee evaluates periodically, but no less than four times annually, the impact of changes in market interest rates on assets and liabilities, net interest margin, capital and liquidity. Risk assessments are governed by policies and limits established by senior management, which are reviewed and approved by the Board of Directors at least annually. The economic environment continually presents uncertainties as to future interest rate trends. The Asset and Liability Committee regularly utilizes a model that projects net interest income based on increasing or decreasing interest rates, in order to be better able to respond to changes in interest rates.
At December 31, 2022, $1.31 billion, or 85.2%, of our available-for-sale and held-to-maturity securities had fixed interest rates. At December 31, 2022, $7.70 billion, or 72.9%, of our loan portfolio had adjustable or floating interest rates. Changes in interest rates affect the value of interest-earning assets and, in particular, the securities portfolio. Generally, the value of securities fluctuates inversely with changes in interest rates. Increases in interest rates could result in decreases in the market value of interest-earning assets, which could adversely affect stockholders’ equity and the results of operations if sold. The Company is also subject to reinvestment risk associated with changes in interest rates. Changes in market interest rates also could affect the type (fixed-rate or adjustable-rate) and amount of loans originated and the average life of loans and securities, which can impact the yields earned on loans and securities. In periods of decreasing interest rates, the average life of loans and securities held may be shortened to the extent increased prepayment activity occurs during such periods which, in turn, may result in the investment of funds from such prepayments in lower yielding assets. Under these circumstances, the Company is subject to reinvestment risk to the extent that management is unable to reinvest the cash received from such prepayments at rates that are comparable to the rates on existing loans and securities. Additionally, increases in interest rates may result in decreasing loan prepayments with respect to fixed rate loans (and, therefore, an increase in the average life of such loans), may result in a decrease in loan demand, and may make it more difficult for borrowers to repay adjustable rate loans. In addition, increases in interest rates may result in the extensions of the average life of securities which may result in lower cash flows to the Bank.
Interest Rate Risk Exposure Analysis
Economic Value of Equity ("EVE") Analysis. In accordance with agency regulatory guidelines, the Company simulates the impact of interest rate volatility upon EVE using several interest rate scenarios. EVE is the difference between the present value of the expected future cash flows of the Company’s assets and liabilities and the value of any off-balance sheet items, such as derivatives, if applicable.
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Traditionally, the fair value of fixed-rate instruments fluctuates inversely with changes in interest rates. Increases in interest rates thus result in decreases in the fair value of interest-earning assets, which could adversely affect the Company’s consolidated results of operations in the event they were to be sold, or, in the case of interest-earning assets classified as available-for-sale, reduce the Company’s consolidated stockholders’ equity, if retained. The changes in the value of assets and liabilities due to fluctuations in interest rates measure the interest rate sensitivity of those assets and liabilities.
In order to measure the Company’s sensitivity to changes in interest rates, EVE is calculated under market interest rates prevailing at a given quarter-end ("Pre-Shock Scenario"), and under various other interest rate scenarios ("Rate Shock Scenarios") representing immediate, permanent, parallel shifts in the term structure of interest rates from the actual term structure observed in the Pre-Shock Scenario. An increase in the EVE is considered favorable, while a decline is considered unfavorable. The changes in EVE between the Pre-Shock Scenario and various Rate Shock Scenarios due to fluctuations in interest rates reflect the interest rate sensitivity of the Company’s assets, liabilities, and off-balance sheet items that are included in the EVE. Management reports the EVE results to the Board of Directors on a quarterly basis. The report compares the Company’s estimated Pre-Shock Scenario EVE to the estimated EVE calculated under the various Rate Shock Scenarios.
The Company’s valuation model makes various estimates regarding cash flows from principal repayments on loans and deposit decay rates at each level of interest rate change. The Company’s estimates for loan repayment levels are influenced by the recent history of prepayment activity in its loan portfolio, as well as the interest rate composition of the existing portfolio, especially in relation to the existing interest rate environment. In addition, the Company considers the amount of fee protection inherent in the loan portfolio when estimating future repayment cash flows. Regarding deposit decay rates, the Company tracks and analyzes the decay rate of its deposits over time, with the assistance of a reputable third-party, and over various interest rate scenarios. Such results are utilized in determining estimates of deposit decay rates in the valuation model. The Company also generates a series of spot discount rates that are integral to the valuation of the projected monthly cash flows of its assets and liabilities. The valuation model employs discount rates that it considers representative of prevailing market rates of interest with appropriate adjustments it believes are suited to the heterogeneous characteristics of the Company’s various asset and liability portfolios. No matter the care and precision with which the estimates are derived, actual cash flows could differ significantly from the Company’s estimates resulting in significantly different EVE calculations.
The analysis that follows presents, as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the estimated EVE at both the Pre-Shock Scenario and the +100 Basis Point Rate and +200 Basis Point Rate Shock Scenarios.
Dollar Percentage Dollar Percentage
(Dollars in thousands) EVE Change Change EVE Change Change
Rate Shock Scenarios
The Company’s Pre-Shock Scenario EVE increased from $1.22 billion at December 31, 2021 to $1.64 billion at December 31, 2022. The primary factor contributing to the increase in EVE at December 31, 2022, was the increase in value of the Bank’s low-cost deposit base relative to the current rate environment. Throughout 2022, market interest rates utilized in the calculation of economic value increased materially across all yield curve points. However, the Bank continued to maintain a relatively low-cost funding base during this time even as market rates have risen measurably, resulting in additional economic value.
The Company’s EVE in the +100 Basis Point Rate and +200 Basis Point Rate Shock Scenarios increased from $1.33 billion and $1.41 billion, respectively, at December 31, 2021, to $1.70 billion and $1.72 billion, respectively, at December 31, 2022.
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Income Simulation Analysis. As of the end of each quarterly period, the Company also monitors the impact of interest rate changes through a net interest income simulation model. This model estimates the impact of interest rate changes on the Company’s net interest income over forward-looking periods typically not exceeding 36 months (a considerably shorter period than measured through the EVE analysis). Management reports the net interest income simulation results to the Company’s Board of Directors on a quarterly basis. The following table discloses the estimated changes to the Company’s net interest income in various time periods assuming gradual changes in interest rates over a 12-month period beginning December 31, 2022, for the given rate scenarios:
Percentage Change in Net Interest Income
Gradual Change in Interest rates of: Year-One Year-Two
Management also examines the potential impact to net interest income by simulating the impact of instantaneous changes to interest rates. The following table discloses the estimated changes to the Company’s net interest income in various time periods associated with the given interest rate shock scenarios:
Percentage Change in Net Interest Income
Instantaneous Rate Shock Scenarios Year-One Year-Two
- 100 Basis Points (1.2)% (4.9)%
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Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data
For the Company’s consolidated financial statements with the notes thereto, see pages hereafter.
DIME COMMUNITY BANCSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION
(Dollars in thousands except share amounts)
December 31,
Assets:
Securities available-for-sale, at fair value 950,587 1,563,711
Loans held for sale — 5,493
Loans held for investment, net of fees and costs 10,566,831 9,244,661
Premises held for sale — 556
Other intangible assets 6,484 8,362
Liabilities:
Federal Home Loan Bank of New York ("FHLBNY") advances 1,131,000 25,000
Other short-term borrowings 1,360 1,862
Commitments and contingencies
Stockholders' equity:
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of deferred taxes (94,379) (6,181)
Unearned equity awards (8,078) (7,842)
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
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DIME COMMUNITY BANCSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(Dollars in thousands except per share amounts)
Year Ended December 31,
Interest income:
Interest expense:
Derivative cash collateral 1,812 — —
Non-interest income:
Gain on sale of residential loans 448 1,758 1,884
Net gain on equity securities — 131 361
Net gain on sale of securities and other assets 1,397 1,705 4,592
Loss on termination of derivatives — (16,505) (6,596)
Non-interest expense:
Curtailment loss (gain) — 1,543 (1,651)
Merger expenses and transaction costs — 44,824 15,256
Branch restructuring costs — 5,059 —
Amortization of other intangible assets 1,878 2,622 —
Earnings per common share:
See notes to consolidated financial statements.
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DIME COMMUNITY BANCSHARES, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(Dollars in thousands except per share amounts)
Year Ended December 31,
Other comprehensive income (loss):
Change in unrealized gain (loss) on securities:
Change in pension and other postretirement obligations:
Reclassification adjustment for curtailment loss — 1,543 (1,651)
Change in the net actuarial gain (2,062) 6,563 2,817
Change in unrealized gain (loss) on derivatives:
Other comprehensive (loss) income before income taxes (128,663) (336) 8
Deferred tax benefit (40,465) (79) (8)
Total other comprehensive (loss) income, net of tax (88,198) (257) 16
See notes to consolidated financial statements.