Item 1A. Risk Factors
Like other financial institutions and bank holding companies, the success of our business is subject to a number of risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside our control. The material risks and uncertainties of which we are currently aware are set forth below under headings that are provided for convenience and intended to organize the risks and uncertainties into related categories to improve readability for investors; no inference should be drawn, however, that the placement of a risk factor under a particular category means it is not applicable to another category of risks or that it may be more or less material than another risk factor. Regardless, if any of the events or circumstances described below actually occur, our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects could be harmed. These risks are not the only ones we may face. Other risks of which we are not aware, including those which relate to the banking and financial services industry in general and us in particular, or those which we do not currently believe are material, may harm our future business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects. You should consider carefully the following important factors in evaluating us and our business before you make an investment decision about our securities.
Regulatory and Compliance Risks
New governmental regulations and/or changes in existing governmental regulations could have a material, adverse effect on the Company.
The Company is extensively regulated under federal and state banking laws and regulations that are intended primarily for the protection of depositors, the DIF, and the banking system as a whole. Both the scope of the laws and regulations and the intensity of the supervision to which our business is subject have increased in recent years in response, we believe, to the financial crisis as well as other factors, such as technological and market changes. Regulatory enforcement and fines have also increased across the banking and financial services sector. Many of these changes have occurred as a result of the Dodd-Frank Act and its implementing regulations. The Company expects its business will remain subject to extensive regulation and supervision.
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Regulations, along with the currently existing tax, accounting, securities, insurance, employment, monetary, and other laws and regulations, rules, standards, policies, and interpretations control the methods by which we conduct business, implement strategic initiatives and tax compliance, and govern financial reporting and disclosures. In addition, the Company is subject to changes in federal and state laws as well as changes in banking and credit regulations and governmental economic and monetary policies. Congress may enact legislation from time-to-time that affects the regulation of the financial services industry, and state legislatures may enact legislation from time-to-time affecting the regulation of financial institutions chartered by or operating in those states. Federal and state regulatory agencies also periodically propose and adopt changes to their regulations or change the manner in which existing regulations are applied.
Tax legislative initiatives or assessments could adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
We are subject to income and other taxes in the United States and in the various jurisdictions in which we operate. The laws and regulations related to tax matters are extremely complex and subject to varying interpretations. Although management believes our positions are reasonable, we are subject to audit by the Internal Revenue Service in the United States and by tax authorities in all the jurisdictions in which we conduct business operations. While we believe we comply with all applicable tax laws, rules, and regulations in the relevant jurisdictions, the tax authorities may determine that we owe additional taxes or apply existing laws and regulations more broadly, which could result in a significant increase in liabilities for taxes and interest in excess of accrued liabilities.
New tax legislative initiatives, including increases in the corporate tax rate, may be enacted, impacting our effective tax rate at the federal and state level and potentially adversely affecting our tax positions or tax liabilities. In addition, unilateral or multi-jurisdictional actions by various tax authorities, including an increase in tax audit activity, could have an adverse impact on our tax liabilities.
We may be subject to more stringent capital requirements in the future, the impact of which could have a material risk on our operations.
Federal and state banking regulators also possess broad powers to take supervisory actions as they deem appropriate. These supervisory actions may result in higher capital requirements, higher deposit insurance premiums, and limitations on the Company’s activities that could have a material adverse effect on its business and profitability. For example, in July 2013, the FDIC and the federal banking agencies approved a new rule that substantially amended the regulatory risk-based capital rules applicable to us by adopting “Basel III” regulatory capital reforms and other changes required by the Dodd-Frank Act.
That rule included minimum risk-based capital and leverage ratios, which became effective for us on January 1, 2015, and refined the definition of what constitutes “capital” for calculating these ratios. The rule required unrealized gains and losses on certain “available-for-sale” securities holdings to be included for calculating regulatory capital requirements unless a one-time opt-out is exercised. In addition, the final rule established a “capital conservation buffer” that, once fully phased in and combined with established minimum common equity, risk-based assets capital, and total capital ratios, will exceed the prompt corrective action “well-capitalized” thresholds. (According to the FDIC Improvement Act of 1991, a depository institution is “well-capitalized” if it has a total risk-based capital ratio of 10% or greater; a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 8.0% or greater; a Tier 1 leverage ratio of 5.0% or greater; a common equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 6.5% or greater; and is not subject to a regulatory order, agreement, or directive to meet and maintain a specific capital level for any capital measure.)
In January 2019, the phase-in of the new capital conservation buffer requirement was completed. An institution will be subject to limitations on paying dividends, engaging in share repurchases, and paying discretionary bonuses if its capital level falls below the buffer amount. These limitations will establish a maximum percentage of eligible retained income that can be utilized for such actions.
Changes in accounting standards could materially negatively impact our financial statements.
From time-to-time, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) and the SEC change the financial accounting and reporting standards that govern the preparation of our financial statements. These changes can materially impact how we record and report our financial condition and results of operations. For example, the FASB issued amendments to its guidance on the credit impairment of financial instruments. The amendments were effective for fiscal year 2020, which introduced a new impairment model based on current expected credit losses (“CECL”) rather than incurred losses. As a result of the amendments, we increased our allowance for credit losses, which had a significant impact on our results of operations.
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Any failure to comply with laws and regulations, including the Community Reinvestment Act (CRA) and fair lending laws, could lead to material penalties.
We must comply with the CRA, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Fair Housing Act, and other fair lending laws and regulations that impose non-discriminatory lending and other requirements on financial institutions. A failure to comply with these laws 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. In addition to actions by the U.S. Department of Justice and other federal agencies, including the Federal Reserve and CFPB, who are responsible for enforcing these laws, our compliance with fair lending laws could be challenged in private class action litigation. The costs of defending any such challenge and any adverse outcome arising from such a challenge could damage our reputation or could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
We are subject to the USA PATRIOT Act, OFAC guidelines and requirements, the BSA, and related FinCEN and FFIEC Guidelines and regulations and any failure to comply with them could result in material implications that could harm our business.
We are routinely examined by our regulators for compliance with the USA PATRIOT Act, OFAC guidelines and requirements, the BSA, and related FinCEN and FFIEC Guidelines. Failure to maintain and implement adequate programs and fully comply with all of the relevant laws or regulations could have serious legal, financial, and reputational consequences for us, including causing applicable bank regulatory authorities not to approve merger or acquisition transactions when regulatory approval is required, or to prohibit such transactions even if approval is not required. Regulatory authorities have imposed cease and desist orders and significant civil money penalties against institutions found to be violating these regulations. If any of the foregoing were to come to pass, our business, financial condition, or results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.
Credit Risks
We are subject to lending risks and risks associated with loan sector concentrations to which other companies may not be exposed, which could adversely affect the Company.
We take on credit risk by virtue of making loans and extending loan commitments and letters of credit. Our credit standards, procedures, and policies may not prevent us from incurring substantial credit losses, particularly in light of market developments.
Our loans held for investment portfolio are concentrated in commercial real estate and commercial business loans. As of December 31, 2021, we had $5.5 billion of commercial loans, including $4.0 billion of commercial real estate loans, representing approximately 59.1% of our loans held for investment portfolio. These loans may involve greater risks than other types of lending. Because payments on such loans are often dependent on the successful operation or development of the property or business involved, repayment of such loans is more sensitive than other types of loans to adverse conditions in the real estate market or the general economy. Commercial loans typically are made based on borrowers’ ability to make repayment from the cash flow of the commercial venture. If the cash flow from business operations is reduced, the borrower’s ability to repay the loan may be impaired. Due to the larger average size of each commercial loan as compared with other loans, as well as the collateral that is generally less readily-marketable, losses incurred on commercial loans could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
In addition, as of December 31, 2021, we had $2.9 billion of agricultural, agricultural real estate, construction real estate, and residential real estate loans, representing approximately 31.2% of our total loans held for investment portfolio. Many of our borrowers operate in industries that are directly or indirectly impacted by changes in commodity prices, such as agriculture, livestock, and energy businesses, as well as businesses indirectly impacted by commodities prices, such as businesses that transport commodities or manufacture equipment used in production of commodities. Changes in commodity products prices depend on local, regional, and global events or conditions that affect supply and demand for the relevant commodity. Deterioration in economic conditions or in the real estate market could result in increased delinquencies and foreclosures and could have an adverse effect on the collateral value for many of these loans and on the repayment ability of many of our borrowers. Deterioration in economic conditions or in the real estate market could also reduce the number of loans we make to businesses in the construction and real estate industry, which could negatively impact our interest income and results of operations. Similarly, the occurrence of a natural or man-made disaster in our market areas could impair the value of the collateral we hold for real estate secured loans. Any one or a combination of the factors identified above could negatively impact our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.
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A decline in economic conditions could reduce demand for our products and services and negatively impact the credit quality of loans, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations.
Our clients are located predominantly in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming. Unlike larger banks that are more geographically diversified, our profitability largely depends on the general economic conditions in these areas. Deterioration in economic conditions could result in the following consequences, any of which could have a material, adverse effect on our business, financial condition, liquidity, and results of operations:
•demand for our products and services may decline;
•loan delinquencies, problem assets, and foreclosures may increase;
•collateral for loans, especially real estate, may decline in value;
•future borrowing power of our clients may be reduced;
•the value of our securities portfolio may decline; and
•the net worth and liquidity of loan guarantors may decline, impairing their ability to honor commitments to us.
Additionally, a significant decline in general economic conditions caused by inflation, recession, acts of terrorism, an outbreak of hostilities, or other international or domestic calamities, including wars or international conflicts with respect to which the United States may or may not be directly involved in Eastern Europe or elsewhere in the world, unemployment, or other economic and geopolitical factors beyond our control, could further impact these local economic conditions and negatively affect our business and results of operations.
Deflationary pressures, while possibly lowering our operating costs, could also have a significant negative effect on our borrowers, especially our business borrowers, and the values of underlying collateral securing loans, which could negatively affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
If we experience loan credit losses in excess of estimated amounts, our earnings could be adversely affected.
The risk of credit losses on loans varies with, among other things, general economic conditions, the composition of our loan portfolio, the creditworthiness of the borrower over the term of the loan, and, in the case of a collateralized loan, the value and marketability of the collateral for the loan. We maintain an allowance for credit losses based upon, among other things, historical experience, delinquency trends, economic conditions, and regular reviews of loan portfolio quality. Based upon such factors, management makes various assumptions and judgments about the ultimate collectability of our loan portfolio and provides an allowance for credit losses. These assumptions and judgments are complex and difficult to determine given the significant uncertainty surrounding future conditions in the general economy and banking industry. If management’s assumptions and judgments prove to be incorrect and the allowance for credit losses is inadequate, or if banking authorities or regulations require us to increase the allowance for credit losses, our net income may be adversely affected. As a result, an increase in credit losses could have a material adverse effect on our earnings, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.
The soundness of other financial institutions could adversely affect the Company.
Financial services companies are interrelated as a result of trading, clearing, counterparty, or other relationships. We have exposure to many different industries and counterparties. For example, we execute transactions with counterparties in the financial services industry, including brokers and dealers, commercial banks, investment banks, and other institutional clients. As a result, defaults by, or even rumors or questions about, one or more financial services companies or the financial services industry generally have led to market-wide liquidity problems and could lead to losses or defaults by us or by other institutions. Many of these transactions expose us to increased credit risk in the event of default of a counterparty or client.
We may be adversely affected by volatility in oil and gas prices, and declining demand for coal could negatively impact the demand and credit quality of loans.
Adverse developments in the demand for coal due to tightening environmental regulations, the suspension of new coal leasing on federal lands, and fuel competition from low natural gas prices may impact the economies of the Powder River Basin in Montana and Wyoming. Adverse developments in the energy sector could have spillover effects on the broader economies of our market areas, including commercial and residential real estate values and the general level of economic activity. The State of Wyoming derives a significant portion of its operating budget from energy extraction and related industries. As such, reductions in oil, gas, and coal-related revenues may have additional negative economic implications for the State of Wyoming. There is no assurance that our business, financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows will not be adversely impacted by increases in non-performing oil and gas loans, or by the direct and indirect effects of current and future conditions in the energy industry.
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Liquidity Risks
We are subject to liquidity risks which could impair our cash flows and adversely affect the Company.
Liquidity is the ability to meet current and future cash flow needs on a timely basis at a reasonable cost. Our liquidity is used to make loans and repay deposit liabilities as they become due or are demanded by clients. Potential alternative sources of liquidity include federal funds purchased and securities sold under repurchase agreements. We maintain a portfolio of investment securities and hold overnight funds that may be used as a secondary source of liquidity to the extent the securities are not pledged for collateral. Other potential sources of liquidity include the sale of loans, the utilization of available government and regulatory assistance programs, the ability to acquire brokered deposits, the issuance of additional collateralized borrowings such as Federal Home Loan Bank advances, the issuance of debt or equity securities, and borrowings through the Federal Reserve’s discount window. Without sufficient liquidity from these potential sources, we may not be able to meet the cash flow requirements of our depositors and borrowers.
Additionally, our access to funding sources in amounts adequate to finance our activities or on terms that are acceptable to us could be impaired by factors specific to us, the financial services industry, or the economy in general. Factors that could reduce our access to liquidity sources include a downturn in our local or national economies, difficult or illiquid credit markets, or adverse regulatory actions against us. A failure to maintain adequate liquidity could have a material, adverse effect on our regulatory standing, business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Loss of deposits or a change in deposit mix could increase the Company’s funding costs and negatively affect the Company’s operations.
Deposits are a low cost and stable source of funding. We depend on checking and savings, negotiable order of withdrawal, and money market deposit account balances and other forms of client deposits as our primary source of funding. The availability of internet banking products has increased the mobility of client deposits. We compete with banks and other financial institutions for deposits. Funding costs may increase because the Company may lose deposits and replace them with more expensive sources of funding. Clients may shift their deposits into higher-cost products or the Company may need to raise its interest rates to remain competitive in the marketplace. Higher funding costs reduce the Company’s net interest income and net income.
Market Risks
Changes in interest rates may have an adverse effect on demand for our products and services and on our profitability.
Our earnings and cash flows are largely dependent on net interest income, which is the difference between interest income earned on interest-earning assets, such as loans and investment securities, and interest expense paid on interest-bearing liabilities, such as deposits and borrowed funds. The level of net interest income is primarily a function of the average balance of interest-earning assets, the average balance of interest-bearing liabilities, and the spread between the yield on such assets and the cost of such liabilities. The narrowing of interest rate spreads could adversely affect our earnings and financial condition. We cannot control or predict with certainty changes in interest rates. Regional and local economic conditions, competitive pressures, and the policies of regulatory authorities, including monetary policies of the Federal Open Market Committee, affect interest income and interest expense.
Changes in monetary policy, including changes in interest rates, could influence not only the interest we receive on loans and securities and the amount of interest we pay on deposits and borrowings, but could also adversely affect (1) our ability to originate loans and obtain deposits, (2) the fair value of our financial assets and liabilities, including mortgage servicing rights, (3) our ability to realize gains on the sale of assets, and (4) the average duration of our mortgage-backed securities and collateralized mortgage obligations portfolios. For example, rising interest rates could adversely affect our mortgage banking business because higher interest rates could cause clients to apply for fewer mortgages. Similarly, rising interest rates would increase the required periodic payment for variable rate loans and may result in an increase in non-performing loans. Additionally, rising interest rates may increase the cost of our deposits, which are a primary source of funding. Any substantial, unexpected, or prolonged change in market interest rates could have a material, adverse effect on our cash flows, financial condition, and results of operations.
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Changes in interest rates can also affect the slope of the yield curve. A decline in the current yield curve or a flatter or inverted yield curve could cause our net interest income and net interest margin to contract, which could have a material adverse effect on our net income and cash flows, as well as the value of our assets. An inverted yield curve may also adversely affect the yield on investment securities by increasing the prepayment risk on certain securities. A flattening or inversion of the yield curve or a negative interest rate environment in the United States could create downward pressure on our net interest margin.
Changes in interest rates could also have a negative impact on our results of operations by reducing the ability of borrowers to repay their current loan obligations or by reducing our margins and profitability. As of December 31, 2021, 46.4% of our loans were advanced to our clients on a variable or adjustable-rate basis. As a result, an increase in interest rates could result in increased loan defaults, foreclosures, and charge-offs and could necessitate further increases to the allowance for credit losses, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations. In addition, a decrease in interest rates could negatively impact our margins and profitability.
United States trade policies and other factors beyond the Company’s control, including the imposition of tariffs and retaliatory tariffs, may adversely impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Uncertainties continue regarding the potential for a renegotiation of international trade agreements by the Biden administration after changes in United States trade policies, legislation, treaties, and tariffs were enacted by the Trump administration. These changes, including trade policies and tariffs affecting other countries, including China, countries comprising the European Union or Middle East, Canada, and Mexico, and retaliatory tariffs by such countries, could materially harm our business. Tariffs and retaliatory tariffs have been imposed, and additional tariffs and retaliatory tariffs are periodically discussed. In addition, COVID-19 and concerns regarding the extent to which it may continue to spread, including the currently discovered and potential future variants of COVID-19, have affected, and may increasingly affect, international trade (including supply chains and export levels), travel, employee productivity and other economic activities.
A trade war or other governmental action related to tariffs or international trade agreements or policies, as well as COVID-19 or other potential epidemics or pandemics, have the potential to negatively impact our and/or our clients’ costs, demand for our clients’ products, and/or the U.S. economy or certain sectors thereof and, thus, adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
The Company may experience significant competition from new or existing competitors, which may reduce its client base or cause it to lower prices for its products and services in order to maintain market share.
There is intense competition among banks in the Company’s market area. In addition, the Company competes with other providers of financial services, such as savings and loan associations, credit unions, consumer finance companies, securities firms, insurance companies, commercial finance and leasing companies, factoring companies, the mutual funds industry, financial technology (“fin-tech”) companies, full-service brokerage firms, and discount brokerage firms, some of which are subject to less extensive regulations than us with respect to the products and services they provide. Our success depends, in part, on our ability to adapt our products and services to evolving industry standards and client expectations. There is increasing pressure to provide products and services at lower prices. Lower prices can reduce our net interest margin and revenues from our fee-based products and services.
In addition, the adoption of new technologies by competitors, including internet banking services, mobile applications, advanced ATM functionality, and cryptocurrencies could require us to make substantial expenditures to modify or adapt our existing products and services. Also, these and other capital investments in our business may not produce expected growth in earnings anticipated at the time of the expenditure. The Company may not be successful in introducing new products and services, achieving market acceptance of its products and services, anticipating or reacting to consumers’ changing technological preferences, or developing and maintaining loyal clients. In addition, we could lose market share to the shadow banking system or other non-traditional banking organizations. Some of our larger competitors may have greater capital and resources than the Company, higher lending limits, and products and services not offered by us. Any potential adverse reactions to our financial condition or status in the marketplace, as compared to its competitors, could limit our ability to attract and retain clients and to compete for new business opportunities. The inability to attract and retain clients or to effectively compete for new business may have a material and adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
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The Company also experiences competition from non-bank companies inside and outside of its market area and, in some cases, from companies other than those traditionally considered financial sector participants. In particular, technology companies have begun to focus on the financial sector and offer software and products primarily over the internet, with an increasing focus on mobile device delivery. These companies generally are not subject to regulatory requirements comparable to those to which financial institutions are subject, and may accordingly realize certain cost savings and offer products and services at more favorable rates and with greater convenience to the client. For example, a number of companies offer bill pay and funds transfer services that allow clients to avoid using a bank. Technology companies are generally positioned and structured to quickly adapt to technological advances and directly focus resources on implementing those advances. This competition could result in the loss of fee income and client deposits and related income. In addition, changes in consumer spending and saving habits could adversely affect our operations, and the Company may be unable to develop competitive and timely new products and services in response. As the pace of technology and change advance, continuous innovation is expected to exert long-term pressure on the financial services industry.
Many of our loans held for investment and our obligations for borrowed money are priced based on variable interest rates tied to the London Inter-Bank Offered Rate, or LIBOR, which became unavailable as of December 31, 2021, and uncertainties caused by any transition away from LIBOR may have material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
LIBOR has been used extensively in the United States as a reference rate for various financial contracts, including adjustable-rate loans, asset-backed securities, and interest rate swaps. On March 5, 2021, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority (the “FCA”), which regulates LIBOR, announced that (i) 24 LIBOR settings would cease to exist immediately after December 31, 2021 (all seven euro LIBOR settings; all seven Swiss franc LIBOR settings; the Spot Next, 1-week, 2-month, and 12-month Japanese yen LIBOR settings; the overnight, 1-week, 2-month, and 12-month sterling LIBOR settings; and the 1-week and 2-month US dollar LIBOR settings); (ii) the 1-month, 3-month, 6-month and 12-month US LIBOR settings would cease to exist after June 30, 2023; and (iii) the FCA would consult on whether the remaining nine LIBOR settings should continue to be published on a synthetic basis for a certain period using the FCA’s proposed new powers that the UK government is legislating to grant to them. Central banks and regulators in a number of major jurisdictions (for example, United States, United Kingdom, European Union, Switzerland and Japan) have convened working groups to find, and implement the transition to, suitable replacements for interbank offered rates. The Company relies on USD LIBOR, which ceased to be available for new origination as of December 31, 2021.
The Federal Reserve, FDIC and the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, because of concerns associated with consumer protection, litigation and reputational risks that could in turn create safety and soundness risks, have encouraged banks to cease entering into new contracts that use U.S. dollar LIBOR as a reference rate as soon as practical. The Company ceased USD LIBOR origination as of December 31, 2021. The cessation of or practical inability to use LIBOR quotes or the future unavailability or unreliability of LIBOR creates substantial risks to the banking industry, including us. Unless alternative rates can be negotiated and become accepted, our variable-rate loans, funding, and derivative obligations that specify the use of a LIBOR index would no longer be able to adjust as anticipated. This could adversely affect our asset and liability management and could lead to more asset and liability mismatches and interest rate risk unless appropriate LIBOR alternatives are developed. It could also disrupt the capital and credit markets as a result of confusion or uncertainty. The Company has programmatically applied LIBOR unavailability within financial contracts, as well as defined alternative indexes for new origination. Legacy LIBOR contracts are being prepared for transition away from LIBOR prior to the June 30, 2023, final cessation date.
The Federal Reserve has sponsored the Alternative Reference Rates Committee, or ARRC, which serves as a forum to coordinate and track planning as market participants currently using LIBOR consider (a) transitioning to alternative reference rates where it is deemed appropriate and (b) addressing risks in legacy contracts language given the possibility that LIBOR might cease publication. On July 29, 2021, the ARCC formally recommended the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (“SOFR”) as its preferred alternative replacement rate for LIBOR. The Financial Stability Board has taken an interest in LIBOR and possible replacement indices as a matter of risk management. The International Organization of Securities Commissions, or IOSCO, has been active in this area and is expected to call on market participants to have backup options if a reference rate, such as LIBOR, ceases publication. The International Swap Dealers Association has published guidance on interest rate benchmarks and alternatives in July and August 2018.
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The market transition away from LIBOR to an alternative reference rate is complex. If LIBOR rates are no longer available and we are required to implement replacement reference rates for the calculation of interest rates under our loan agreements with borrowers, we may incur significant expense in effecting the transition and may be subject to disputes or litigation with our borrowers over the appropriateness or comparability of the replacement reference rates to LIBOR. The replacement reference rates could also result in a reduction of our interest income. We may also receive inquiries and other actions from regulators in respect to the Company’s preparation and readiness for the replacement of LIBOR with alternative reference rates.
Operational Risks
Our Company faces cyber-security risks, including “denial-of-service attacks,”“hacking,” and “identity theft” that could result in the disclosure of confidential information, adversely affect our business or reputation, and create significant legal and financial exposure.
Our computer systems and network infrastructure are subject to security risks and could be susceptible to cyber-attacks, such as denial-of-service attacks, hacking, malware, terrorist activities, or identity theft. Financial services institutions and companies engaged in data processing have reported breaches in the security of their websites or other systems, some of which have involved sophisticated and targeted attacks intended to obtain unauthorized access to confidential information, destroy data, disable or degrade service, or sabotage systems, often through the introduction of computer viruses, malware, ransomware, cyber-attacks, and other means. Denial-of-service attacks have been launched against a number of large financial services institutions, primarily resulting in inconvenience. Future ransomware and cyber-attacks could be more disruptive and damaging. Hacking and identity theft risks, in particular, could cause serious reputational harm to the Company and the Bank.
The hardware and software we purchase from suppliers to facilitate financial services and perform company operations are also at risk of having embedded malware, viruses, and other methods intended to develop unauthorized access to confidential information. These types of attacks, known as “supply-chain attacks,” have become more prevalent and are creating additional risks through the solutions and tools upon which we rely. While we have a third-party risk management program to oversee our vendors and procurement, our ability to successfully mitigate these risks that occur in the hardware and software of these vendors is limited. To the extent we experience supply-chain attacks, our business and reputation could be materially adversely affected.
In addition, we provide our clients with the ability to bank remotely, including online, through their mobile device, and over the telephone. The secure transmission of confidential information over the internet and other remote channels is a critical element of remote banking. Our network could be vulnerable to unauthorized access, computer viruses, malware, phishing schemes, and other internal and external security breaches. We may be required to spend significant capital and other resources to protect against threats, or to alleviate problems caused by security breaches or malicious software. To the extent that our activities or the activities of our clients involve the storage and transmission of confidential information, security breaches, and viruses could expose us to claims, regulatory scrutiny, litigation, and other possible liabilities.
Despite efforts to ensure the integrity of our systems, cyber threats are rapidly evolving and we may not be able to anticipate or prevent all such attacks, nor may we be able to implement guaranteed preventive measures against such security breaches. The techniques used by cyber criminals change frequently, may not be recognized until launched or later, and can originate from a wide variety of sources, including outside groups such as external service providers. These risks may increase in the future as we continue to increase our mobile payment and other internet-based product offerings and expand our internal usage of web-based products and applications. Further, targeted social engineering attacks may be sophisticated and difficult to prevent and our employees, clients, or other users of our systems may be fraudulently induced to disclose sensitive information, allowing cyber criminals to gain access to our systems or data of our clients.
A successful penetration or circumvention of system security could cause us serious negative consequences, including significant disruption of operations, misappropriation of confidential information, or damage to our computers or systems or to those of our clients and counterparties. A successful security breach could result in violations of applicable privacy and other laws, financial loss to us or to our clients, loss of confidence in our security measures, significant litigation exposure, and harm to our reputation, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.
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Privacy, information security, and data protection laws, rules, and regulations could affect or limit how we collect and use personal information, increase our costs, and adversely affect our business opportunities.
We are subject to various privacy, information security, and data protection laws, including: (i) certain limitations on our ability to share non-public personal information about our clients with non-affiliated third parties; (ii) requirements for certain disclosures to clients about our information collection, sharing, and security practices and that afford clients the right to “opt out” of any information sharing by us with non-affiliated third parties (with certain exceptions); and (iii) requirements that we develop, implement, and maintain a written information security program containing appropriate safeguards based on our size and complexity, the nature and scope of our activities, and the sensitivity of client information we process, as well as plans for responding to data security breaches. Compliance with current or future privacy, data protection, and information security laws (including those regarding security breach notification) affecting client or employee data could result in higher compliance and technology costs and could restrict our ability to provide certain products and services, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial conditions, or results of operations. Our failure to comply with privacy, data protection, and information security laws could result in potentially significant regulatory or governmental investigations or actions, litigation, fines, sanctions, and damage to our reputation, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
Our goodwill may become impaired, which may adversely impact our results of operations and financial condition.
The excess purchase price over the fair value of net assets from acquisitions, or goodwill, is evaluated for impairment at least annually and on an interim basis if an event or circumstance indicates it is likely an impairment has occurred. In testing for impairment, the Company performs a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is in excess of its carrying value. If it is not more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is in excess of the carrying value, the fair value of net assets is estimated based on analyses of our market value, discounted cash flows, and peer values. Consequently, the determination of the fair value of goodwill is sensitive to market-based economics and other key assumptions. Variability in market conditions or in key assumptions could result in impairment of goodwill, which is recorded as a non-cash adjustment to income. An impairment of goodwill could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations. As of December 31, 2021, we had goodwill of $621.6 million, or 31.3% of our total stockholders’ equity.
We invest in Collateralized Loan Obligations (CLO) securities, which may expose us to losses in connection with such investments.
We invest in certain AAA senior tranches of the capital structure in CLO securities. The senior tranche takes priority with respect to the interest and principal cash flows of the CLO security, while retaining the last priority in a loss scenarios. The senior tranches are relatively more liquid than the subordinated notes due to the accompanying credit enhancement. The value of any investment in this asset class could decrease depending on the performance of the underlying collateral in the CLO. As of December 31, 2021, we had available-for-sale CLO securities with an estimated fair value of $899.4 million, or 18.7% of our available-for-sale investment portfolio.
The Company relies on other companies to provide certain key components of its business infrastructure.
We are reliant upon certain external vendors to provide products and services necessary to maintain our day-to-day operations and we outsource many of our major systems, such as certain data processing, loan servicing, and deposit processing systems. While the Company has selected these external vendors and systems carefully and continues to manage and oversee these vendors, it does not control their operations. Failure of certain external vendors or systems to perform or provide services in accordance with contractual arrangements could be disruptive to our operations and limit our ability to provide certain products and services demanded by our clients. Because our information technology and telecommunications systems interface with and depend on third-party systems, we could experience disruptions if demand for such services exceeds capacity or such third-party systems fail or experience interruptions. If significant, sustained, or repeated, a system failure or disruption could compromise our ability to operate effectively, damage our reputation, result in a loss of client business, and/or subject us to additional regulatory scrutiny and possible financial liability. Any of the failures or disruptions mentioned above could negatively impact our financial condition, results of operations, cash flows, and prospects. Replacing these third-party vendors could also entail significant delay and expense.
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Our reputation is very important to our ability to maintain, attract and retain client relationships and if our reputation were impaired it, could have an adverse effect on the Company.
Our clients expect us to deliver personalized financial services with the highest standards of performance, professionalism, compliance, and ethics. Damage to our reputation could undermine retention of our current clients and our ability to attract potential clients while also impairing the confidence of our counterparties and vendors, the result of which affects our ability to effect transactions. Maintaining our reputation depends, in part, on our ability to identify and address issues that may arise such as potential conflicts of interest, anti-money laundering, fair lending issues, client personal information and privacy issues, cyber-security, employee, client and other third-party fraud, record-keeping, regulatory investigations, and any litigation that may arise from the failure or perceived failure of us to comply with legal and regulatory requirements. To maintain our reputation, we also must prevent third parties from infringing on the “First Interstate Bank” brand and associated trademarks and our other intellectual property. Our reputation or prospects could be significantly damaged by adverse publicity or negative information regarding our Company, whether or not true, that may be posted on social media, reported in the news, or posted in other parts of the internet. Defending of our reputation, trademarks, and other intellectual property, including through litigation, could result in costs that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or results of operations.
We are dependent upon the services of our management team and directors and if the services of any of them were to become unavailable, it could have an adverse effect on the Company.
Our future success and profitability is substantially dependent upon the management skills of senior management and directors. The unanticipated loss or unavailability of key employees could harm our ability to operate our business or execute our business strategy. We may not be successful in retaining key employees or finding and integrating suitable successors in the event of key employee loss or unavailability.
We may not be able to attract and retain qualified employees to operate our business effectively, which could have an adverse effect on our business.
As a result of low unemployment rates in our historical geographic footprint and the Northwest region of the United States, there is substantial competition to attract and retain talented and diverse employees in our markets. It may be difficult for us to attract and retain qualified employees at all management and staffing levels. Failure to attract and retain employees and maintain adequate staffing of qualified personnel could adversely impact our operations and our ability to execute our business strategy. Furthermore, relatively low unemployment rates may lead to significant increases in labor costs such as salaries, wages, and employee benefits expenses as we compete for qualified and skilled employees, which could negatively impact our results of operations and prospects.
On February 1, 2022, we completed our merger with Great Western. The success of the merger will depend in part on our ability to retain the talents and dedication of key employees currently employed by us and those who were employed with Great Western prior to the merger. It is possible that these employees may decide not to remain in our employ now that the merger has been consummated. If we are unable to retain key employees, including members of management, who are critical to the successful integration and future operations of the combined companies, we could face disruptions in our operations, loss of existing clients, loss of institutional knowledge and other key information, expertise or know-how, and unanticipated additional recruitment costs. In addition, if key employees terminate their employment, our business activities may be adversely affected and management’s attention may be diverted from successfully integrating the combined companies and hiring suitable replacements, all of which may cause our business to suffer.
Costs associated with repossessed properties, including environmental remediation, may adversely impact our results of operations, cash flows, and financial condition.
A significant portion of our loan portfolio is secured by real property. During the ordinary course of business, we may foreclose on and take title to properties serving as collateral for certain loans. There are significant costs associated with our ownership of these properties including, but not limited to, personnel costs, taxes and insurance, completion and repair costs, and valuation adjustments. Additionally, we may experience unfavorable pricing in connection with our disposition of foreclosed properties. These costs, along with unfavorable pricing upon disposition, may adversely affect our cash flows, financial condition, and results of operations.
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If hazardous or toxic substances are found on these properties, we may be liable for remediation costs, as well as for personal injury and property damage. Environmental laws may require us to incur substantial expenses and may materially reduce the affected property’s value or limit our 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 our exposure to environmental liability. The remediation costs and any other financial liabilities associated with an environmental hazard could have a material, adverse effect on our cash flows, financial condition, and results of operations.
If our systems of internal operating controls were to become ineffective, our financial information could be negatively impacted.
We establish and maintain systems of internal operational controls that provide us with critical information used to manage our business. These systems are subject to various inherent limitations, including cost, judgments used in decision-making, assumptions about the likelihood of future events, the soundness of our systems, the possibility of human error, and the risk of fraud. Moreover, controls may become inadequate because of changes in conditions or processes and the risk that the degree of compliance with policies or procedures may deteriorate over time. Because of these limitations, any system of internal operating controls may not be successful in preventing all errors or fraud or in making all material information known in a timely manner to the appropriate levels of management. From time-to-time, control deficiencies and losses from operational malfunctions or fraud have occurred and may occur in the future. Any future deficiencies, weaknesses, or losses related to internal operating control systems could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.
We may not effectively implement new technology-driven products and services or be successful in marketing these products and services to our clients, which could negatively impact our business.
The financial services industry is continually undergoing rapid technological change with frequent introductions of new technology-driven products and services. The effective use of technology enables financial institutions to better serve clients and perform more efficiently. Our future success depends, in part, upon our ability to use technology to provide products and services that will satisfy clients’ demands for convenience, as well as create additional efficiencies in our operations. Many of our competitors have substantially greater resources to invest in technological improvements. We may not be able to effectively implement new technology-driven products and services or be successful in marketing these products and services to our clients. Failure to successfully keep pace with technological change affecting the financial services industry could have a material, adverse impact on our business and, in turn, on our financial condition, results of operations, and prospects.
Strategic Risks
If we are not able to execute on our intended expansion plans, our business, reputation, and results of operations could be materially, adversely affected.
Our current plans for organic growth and growth through merger and acquisition opportunities in our core and other markets may be adversely affected by a number of factors, including competition from other banking and financial institutions, many of which have resources significantly greater than ours, and a decline in the number of attractive financial institution acquisition targets headquartered in our geographic markets. This competition, especially as the number of acquisition targets decreases, could, for example, increase acquisition purchase prices in our targeted areas for growth, which could reduce our potential returns on successfully completed acquisitions or otherwise make such acquisitions too expensive to be attractive to consummate.
Furthermore, as a regulated financial institution, our ability to pursue or complete attractive acquisitions or de novo or other expansion opportunities could be negatively impacted by regulatory approval issues, including delays in obtaining required approvals or an inability to obtain required regulatory approvals on terms deemed reasonable to us or at all. In considering whether to approve or deny our expansion proposals, government regulators consider our capital, liquidity, profitability, regulatory compliance, including with respect to consumer protection laws and CRA obligations, and levels of goodwill and intangibles. They also must consider, from time-to-time, regulatory initiatives designed to limit systemic risk that may have the effect of limiting our desired expansion. If our regulators are not satisfied with one or more of the foregoing financial metrics, or regulatory initiatives turn out to be unexpected impediments to growth, our expansion opportunities could be delayed or diminished, all to the detriment of our financial results.
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Difficulties in combining the operations of acquired entities or assets with our own operations or assessing the effectiveness of businesses in which we make strategic investments or with which we enter into strategic contractual relationships may prevent us from achieving the expected benefits from these acquisitions, investments, or relationships.
Acquisitions of other companies or of financial assets and related deposits and other liabilities present risks and uncertainties to us based in part on the nature of the business or assets and liabilities acquired. For example, if an acquisition includes loan portfolios, the extent of credit losses following completion of the acquisition could adversely affect our combined results of operations. Similarly, if an acquisition includes deposits, the extent of deposit attrition after closing could adversely affect our combined results of operations. Acquisitions of banking companies typically include both loans and deposits, and the extent of any post-closing credit losses and deposit attrition could be affected by a number of factors, including the state of the economy following the acquisition and the geographic area or markets in which the target operates. If the markets were to react negatively to the announcement of the acquisition, or if the economy were to suffer or enter into a recession following an acquisition, we may not timely, or at all, achieve the expected benefits of an acquisition and our business and the value of our Class A common stock could be harmed.
Acquisitions of other companies or of financial assets and related deposits and other liabilities also present risks and uncertainties to us in addition to those presented by the nature of the business acquired. These risks include unanticipated costs incurred in connection with the integration of the acquired business. For example, the total cost and time required to complete the integration successfully could be greater than estimated and result in higher acquisition costs than expected or a loss of market opportunity due to any such delay. Furthermore, the results of litigation or governmental investigations that may have been pending at the time of an acquisition, or may be filed or commenced thereafter, as a result of an acquisition or otherwise, may be materially underestimated and harm our operating results more than originally anticipated. On the other hand, some or all of the anticipated benefits of a particular acquisition, such as cost savings from synergies or strategic gains from being able to offer product sets to a broader potential client base, may not be realized. It can take longer or require greater resources than originally expected to achieve any of such benefits. It also may prove impossible to achieve them at all or in their entirety as a result of unexpected factors or events. As a result, any acquisition could ultimately prove dilutive to our equity and shareholders’ earnings per share, thereby adversely affecting our financial condition and results of operations.
Acquisitions may also result in business disruptions that could cause clients to remove their accounts from us and move their business to competing financial institutions. It is possible that the integration process related to acquisitions could also result in the disruption of our ongoing businesses or inconsistencies in standards, controls, procedures, and policies that could adversely affect our ability to maintain relationships with clients and employees. The loss of key employees in connection with an acquisition could also adversely affect our ability to successfully conduct our business. Acquisition and integration efforts could divert management attention and resources, which could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. Additionally, the operation of the acquired branches may adversely affect our existing profitability, and we may not be able to achieve results in the future similar to those achieved by the existing banking business or manage growth resulting from the acquisition effectively, any of which could harm our business and reputation.
In addition to post-acquisition integration related risks, inherent uncertainties exist when assessing or integrating the operations of another business into which we may make an investment or with which we may enter into a commercial relationship. We may not be able to fully achieve the strategic objectives and planned operating efficiencies relevant to an investment or strategic relationship. In addition, the markets and industries in which we and the potential investment targets operate are highly competitive. Investment targets and commercial contract counterparties may lose clients or otherwise perform poorly or unprofitably, or in the case of a strategic relationship, cause us to lose clients or perform poorly or unprofitably. Future investment activities and efforts to monitor or reap the benefits of a new strategic relationship may require us to devote substantial time and resources and may cause these investments and relationships to be unprofitable or cause us to be unable to pursue other business opportunities, any of which could harm our business.
Combining Great Western with Us may be more difficult, costly, or time consuming than expected and we may fail to realize the anticipated benefits of the acquisition.
The success of our recently-completed merger with Great Western will depend, in part, on the ability to realize the anticipated benefits and cost savings from combining our businesses. To do so, we must successfully integrate and combine Great Western’s businesses in a manner that permits those cost savings to be realized. If we and Great Western are not able to achieve these objectives successfully, the anticipated benefits of the merger may not be realized fully or at all or may take longer to realize than expected. In addition, the actual cost savings and anticipated benefits of the merger could be less than anticipated, and integration may result in additional unforeseen expenses.
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Prior to the merger, we and Great Western operated independently. The success of the merger will depend, in part, on our ability to combine and integrate successfully the businesses of both companies in a manner that does not materially disrupt existing client relations or result in decreased revenue or reputational harm. It is possible that the integration process could result in the loss of key employees, the disruption of our business, difficulties in integrating operations and systems, including communications systems, administrative and information technology infrastructure and financial reporting and internal control systems, or inconsistencies in standards, controls, procedures and policies that adversely affect our ability to maintain relationships with clients, depositors, and employees or to achieve the anticipated benefits and cost savings of the merger. Any disruption to our business could cause our clients to move their business to a competing financial institution. Integration efforts may also divert management attention and resources. These integration matters could have an adverse effect on us for an undetermined period.
We are expected to incur significant costs related to the merger and integration.
We have incurred and expect to incur certain non-recurring costs associated with the merger. These costs include legal, financial advisory, accounting, consulting and other advisory fees, severance/employee benefit-related costs, public company filing fees and other regulatory fees, printing costs, and other related costs.
We are also expected to incur substantial costs in connection with the integration of Great Western. There are a large number of processes, policies, procedures, operations, technologies, and systems that may need to be integrated, including purchasing, accounting and finance, payroll, compliance, treasury management, branch operations, vendor management, risk management, lines of business, pricing, and benefits. While we have assumed that a certain level of costs will be incurred, there are many factors beyond our control that could affect the total amount or the timing of the integration costs. Moreover, many of the costs that will be incurred are, by their nature, difficult to estimate accurately. These integration costs may result in us taking charges against earnings, the amount and timing of which are uncertain at present.
Common Stock Risks
Volatility in the price and volume of our common stock may be unfavorable.
The market price of our common stock is volatile and could be subject to wide fluctuations in price in response to various factors, some of which are beyond our control. These factors include:
•prevailing market conditions;
•our historical performance and capital structure;
•estimates of our business potential and earnings prospects;
•an overall assessment of our management;
•conversion by our Class B shareholders of their shares into Class A common stock to liquidate their holdings;
•our performance relative to our peers;
•market demand for our shares;
•perceptions of the banking industry in general;
•political influences on investor sentiment; and
•consumer confidence.
At times, the stock markets, including the NASDAQ Stock Market on which our common stock is listed, may experience significant price and volume fluctuations. As a result, the market price of our common stock is likely to be similarly volatile and investors in our common stock may experience a decrease in the value of their shares, including decreases unrelated to our operating performance or prospects.
In addition, following periods of volatility in the overall market and the market price of a company’s securities, securities class action litigation has often been instituted against companies. This litigation, if instituted against us, could result in substantial costs and a diversion of our management’s attention and resources.
“Anti-takeover” provisions and the regulations to which we are subject may also make it more difficult for a third party to acquire control of us, even if the change in control could be deemed beneficial to stockholders.
We are a financial and bank holding company incorporated in the State of Montana. Anti-takeover provisions in Montana law and our articles of incorporation and bylaws, as well as regulatory approvals that would be required under federal law, could make it more difficult for a third party to acquire control of us and may prevent stockholders from receiving a premium for their shares of our Class A common stock. These provisions could adversely affect the market price of our Class A common stock and could reduce the amount stockholders might receive if we are sold.
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Our articles of incorporation provide that our Board may issue up to 100,000 shares of preferred stock, in one or more series, without stockholder approval and with such terms, conditions, rights, privileges, and preferences as the Board may deem appropriate. In addition, our articles of incorporation provide for staggered terms for our Board and limitations on persons authorized to call a special meeting of stockholders. In addition, certain provisions of Montana law may have the effect of inhibiting a third party from making a proposal to acquire us or of impeding a change of control under circumstances that otherwise could provide the holders of our common stock with the opportunity to realize a premium over the then-prevailing market price of such common stock.
Further, the acquisition of specified amounts of our common stock (in some cases, the acquisition or control of more than 5% of our voting stock) may require certain regulatory approvals, including the approval of the Federal Reserve and one or more of our state banking regulatory agencies. The filing of applications with these agencies and the accompanying review process can take several months. This and the other factors described above may hinder or even prevent a change in control of us, even if a change in control would be beneficial to our stockholders.
Our dividend policy, or our ability to pay dividends, may change.
We are a legal entity separate and distinct from our subsidiary Bank. Since we are a holding company with no significant assets other than the capital stock of our subsidiaries, we depend upon dividends from our Bank for a substantial part of our revenue. Accordingly, our ability to pay dividends, cover operating expenses, and acquire other institutions depends primarily upon the receipt of dividends or other capital distributions from the Bank. The ability of our Bank to pay dividends to us is subject to, among other things, its earnings, financial condition, and need for funds, as well as federal and state governmental policies and regulations applicable to us and the Bank, which limit the amount that may be paid as dividends without prior approval.
Although we have historically paid dividends to our stockholders, we have no obligation to continue doing so and may change our dividend policy at any time without notice to our stockholders. Holders of our common stock are only entitled to receive such cash dividends as our board of directors may declare out of funds legally available for such payments. The amount of any dividend declaration is subject to our evaluation of our strategic plans, growth initiatives, capital availability, projected liquidity needs, and other factors.
An investment in our common stock is not an insured deposit.
Our common stock is not a bank savings account or deposit and, therefore, is not insured against loss by the FDIC, any other deposit insurance fund, or any other public or private entity. As a result, holders of our common stock could lose some or all of their investment.
Future equity issuances could result in dilution, which could cause our common stock price to decline.
We may issue additional shares of common stock in the future pursuant to current or future employee equity compensation plans or in connection with future acquisitions or financings. Should we choose to raise capital by selling shares of common stock for any reason, the issuance would have a dilutive effect on the holders of our common stock and could have a material negative effect on the market price of our common stock. In addition, our Class B common stock is convertible into Class A common stock at any time at the sole discretion of the holders of shares of Class B common stock and, by virtue of the number of shares of our common stock issued in the merger with Great Western, all of such shares of Class B common stock will automatically convert on a one-for-one basis into shares of Class A common stock on the record date for our next meeting of stockholders. The increase in the number of shares of our common stock listed on Nasdaq as a result of the conversion could have a material negative effect on the market price of our common stock.
The common stock is equity and is subordinate to our existing and future indebtedness.
Shares of our Class A and Class B common stock are equity interests and do not constitute indebtedness. As such, shares of our Class A and Class B common stock rank junior to all our indebtedness, including any subordinated term loans, subordinated debentures held by trusts that have issued trust-preferred securities, and other non-equity claims on us with respect to assets available to satisfy claims on us. In the future, we may make additional offerings of debt or equity securities or we may issue additional debt or equity securities as consideration for future mergers and acquisitions.
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General Risk Factors
The continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic and government response to the pandemic has caused a significant global disruption which has adversely affected, and may continue to adversely affect, our business, results of operations, liquidity, and financial condition.
Since the onset of the pandemic in the spring of 2020, Federal, state, and local governments have responded to the disease caused by the novel coronavirus (also known as, and referred to herein, as “COVID-19”) pandemic in a variety of ways including, without limitation, by declaring states of emergency and implementing various measures to slow the spread of COVID-19. The economic impact of the COVID-19 pandemic has affected a broad range of industries, including banking, travel, hospitality, and entertainment. With the wide-spread distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines, and the United States moving beyond the most acute phases of the pandemic into recovery, our branches and drive-ups are functioning at normal operating hours and are fully staffed. Although the impact of the COVID-19 vaccines has significantly reduced the severity of COVID-19 within the United States, the resurgence or waves of new mutations, strains, and variants in the virus have emerged that have increased the spread but not necessarily the severity of COVID-19. This has resulted in a return of restrictions in certain regions of the United States, including vaccine mandates, mask mandates and other emergency measures. The recent wave of certain strains of COVID-19 and the possibility of future waves of new mutations, strains, and variants have created greater uncertainty as to the overall duration and severity of the pandemic. As a result, even with a burgeoning recovery, there continues to be uncertainty as to the long-term effect COVID-19 will have on the economy and the Company.
The Federal Reserve returned to a zero-interest rate policy in March 2020 and the U.S. government enacted several fiscal stimulus measures to counteract the economic disruption caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and provide economic assistance to businesses and households. The dramatic lowering of market interest rates in a short period of time had an adverse effect on the Company’s asset yields. The extent of these impacts will depend on future developments, including, among others, governmental, regulatory and private sector actions and responses, new information that may emerge concerning the COVID-19 pandemic, new strains of the virus that causes COVID-19, and actions taken to contain or prevent further spread, each of which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted. The U.S. government has not enacted further fiscal stimulus measures since enacting the American Rescue Plan of 2021 in March 2021.
Our business is dependent upon the ability and willingness of our clients to conduct banking and other financial transactions, including the payment of loan obligations. COVID-19 has and continues to disrupt the business, activities, and operations of our clients, which may cause a decline in demand for our products and services and which may, in turn, result in a significant decrease in our business, negatively impacting our liquidity position and financial results. Our financial results could also be impacted by an inability of our clients to meet their loan commitments because of their losses associated with the effects of COVID-19 on their businesses, resulting in increased risk of delinquencies, defaults, foreclosures, declining collateral values, and other losses to our Bank. In addition, as a result of the pandemic, the Bank has incurred increased operational expenses, including the costs of health and safety measures at our corporate headquarters and our branch locations, compliance costs after becoming subject to new regulatory and other requirements, and increased cyber security and other costs associated with online and remote activity. Moreover, current and future governmental action may temporarily require the Company to conduct business differently with respect to foreclosures, repossessions, payments, deferrals, and other client-related transactions.
Failures in our risk management policies, procedures, and controls could adversely affect our ability to manage this portfolio going forward and could result in an increased rate of delinquencies in, and increased losses from, this portfolio, which, accordingly, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
As a result of COVID-19 and certain measures taken by the U.S. government, our clients have experienced labor disruptions resulting from reduced employee availability and productivity. This may impact our clients’ operations and their ability to deliver products and services.
In addition, our workforce has been and may continue to be impacted by COVID-19. The precautions we are taking to protect the safety and well-being of our employees and clients, may be inadequate, and we cannot predict the level of disruption that will occur to our employees’ ability to provide support and service to our clients. The spread could also negatively impact availability of key personnel and employee productivity, as well as the business and operations of third-party service providers who perform critical services for us, which could adversely impact our ability to deliver products and services to our clients.
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There is pervasive uncertainty surrounding the future economic conditions that will emerge in the months and years following the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. In recent releases, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported a significant increase in inflation on the United States economy. It is not yet clear whether such increases will be transitory, related solely to the burgeoning recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic or whether recent reports represent the beginning of a longer-term trend. As a result, management is confronted with a significant and unfamiliar degree of uncertainty in estimating the impact of the pandemic on credit quality, revenues, and asset values. Asset quality may deteriorate and the amount of our allowance for credit losses may not be sufficient for future credit losses we may experience. This could require us to increase our reserves and recognize more expense in future periods. The changes in market rates of interest and the impact on our ability to price our products may reduce our net interest income in the future or negatively impact the demand for our products. There is also risk that operational costs could continue to increase as we maintain existing facilities in accordance with health guidelines, which could impact negatively the results of our operations and financial condition.
The extent to which the continuation of the COVID-19 pandemic and the Federal, state, and local government responses to it, fiscal stimulus, interest rate policies, and other government intervention, and the burgeoning recovery in the United States economy impacts our business, results of operations, and financial condition, as well as our regulatory capital and liquidity ratios, will depend on future developments that remain uncertain and cannot be predicted, including the scope and continued duration of the COVID-19 pandemic, the impact of new strains of the virus, and additional actions taken by governmental authorities, and other third parties in response to the pandemic.
Our business is subject to the risks of certain global conditions, earthquakes, tsunamis, floods, fires, and other natural catastrophic events.
A major catastrophe, such as a pandemic, disease outbreak, or other natural disaster including extreme weather or other events, such as an earthquake, tsunami, flood, fire, winter storms, or other type of natural disaster, could adversely affect our financial condition or results in a prolonged interruption of our business. We have operations and clients in the Northwest, a geographical region that has been or may be affected by disease, earthquake, volcano, tsunami, and flooding activity, which could be adversely impacted by these natural disasters or other severe weather in the region. Unpredictable natural and other disasters could have an adverse effect on the Company in that such events could materially disrupt our operations or the ability or willingness of our clients to access the financial services offered by the Company. These events could reduce our earnings and cause volatility in its financial results for any fiscal quarter or year and have a material, adverse effect on our financial condition and/or results of operations and prospects.
Climate change manifesting as physical or transition risks could adversely affect our operations, businesses and customers.
There is an increasing concern over the risks of climate change and related environmental sustainability matters. The physical risks of climate change include discrete events, such as flooding and wildfires, and longer term shifts in climate patterns, such as extreme heat, sea level rise, and more frequent and prolonged drought. Such events could disrupt our operations or those of our clients or third parties on which we rely, including through direct damage to assets and indirect impacts from supply chain disruption and market volatility. Additionally, transitioning to a low carbon economy may entail extensive policy, legal, technology, and market initiatives. Transition risks, including changes in consumer preferences and additional regulatory requirements or taxes, could increase our expenses and undermine our strategies. In addition, our reputation and client relationships may be damaged as a result of our practices related to climate change, including our involvement, or our clients’ involvement, in certain industries or projects associated with causing or exacerbating climate change, as well as any decisions we make to continue to conduct or change our activities in response to considerations relating to climate change. As climate risk is interconnected with all key risk types, we have developed and continue to enhance processes to embed climate risk considerations into our risk management strategies such as market, credit and operational risks; however, because the timing and severity of climate change may not be predictable, our risk management strategies may not be effective in mitigating climate risk exposure.
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments
None.
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Item 2. Properties
Our principal executive offices and one of our banking offices are anchor tenants in an 18-story commercial building located in Billings, Montana. The building is owned by a joint venture limited liability company in which FIB owns a 50.0% interest. We lease approximately 100,060 square feet of office space in the building. We also own a 66,112 square foot building that houses our operations center in Billings, Montana. As of December 31, 2021, we provided banking services at 147 locations in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming, of which 36 properties are leased from independent third parties and 111 properties are owned by us. We believe each of our facilities is suitable and adequate to meet our current operational needs.
Item 3. Legal Proceedings
In the normal course of business, we may be named or threatened to be named as a defendant in various lawsuits. We record accruals for outstanding legal matters when it is believed to be probable that a loss will be incurred and the amount can be reasonably estimated. Management, following consultation with legal counsel, does not expect the ultimate disposition of any or a combination of any such ongoing or anticipated matters to have a material, adverse effect on our business, financial condition, or operating results.
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
The Class A common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market under the symbol “FIBK.” As of December 31, 2021, we had 1,421 record shareholders, including the Wealth Management division of FIB as trustee for 456,933 shares of Class A common stock held on behalf of 580 individual participants in the Savings and Profit Sharing Plan for Employees of First Interstate BancSystem, Inc., or the Savings Plan. The Class B common stock is not and will not be listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market or any other exchange. Therefore, no trading market is expected to develop in the Class B common stock.
Dividends
It is our policy to pay a quarterly dividend to all common shareholders. The Board recently approved a quarterly cash dividend amount of $0.41 per share of common stock. While we currently intend to continue paying quarterly dividends, the Board may change or eliminate the payment of future dividends.
Dividend Restrictions
For a description of restrictions on the payment of dividends, see Part I, Item 1, “Business — Government Regulation and Supervision — Dividends and Restrictions on Transfers of Funds,” and Part II, Item 7, “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Capital Resources and Liquidity Management” included herein.
Sales of Unregistered Securities
There were no sales of equity securities by us during the years ended December 31, 2021, 2020, or 2019 that were not registered under the Securities Act of 1933.
Purchases of Equity Securities by the Issuer and Affiliated Purchasers
The following table provides information with respect to purchases made by or on behalf of us or any “affiliated purchasers” (as defined in Rule 10b-18(a)(3) under the Exchange Act), of our common stock during the three months ended December 31, 2021.
Total Number of Shares Maximum Number of Shares
(1) Stock repurchases were redemptions of vested restricted shares tendered in lieu of cash for payment of income tax withholding amounts by participants of the Company’s 2015 Equity Compensation Plan.
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Performance Graph
The performance graph below compares the cumulative total shareholder return on our Class A common stock with the cumulative total return on equity securities of companies included in the NASDAQ Composite Index and the KBW NASDAQ Bank index, measured on the last trading day of each year shown. The KBW NASDAQ Bank index is designed to track the performance of the leading banks and thrifts that are publicly-traded in the U.S and includes 24 banking stocks representing the large U.S. national money centers, regional banks and thrift institutions. The NASDAQ Composite Index is a comparative broad market index comprised of all domestic and international common stocks listed on the NASDAQ Stock Market. This graph assumes a $100 investment in our Class A common stock on December 31, 2016, and reinvestment of dividends on the date of payment without commissions. The plot points on the graph were provided by SNL Financial LC, Charlottesville, VA. The performance graph represents past performance, which may not be indicative of the future performance of our Class A common stock.
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Item 6. Reserved
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2021. We make statements in this section that are forward-looking statements within the meaning of the federal securities laws. All of such forward-looking statements are expressly qualified by reference to the cautionary statements provided under the caption “Cautionary Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” included on page 1 in Part I of this report. Furthermore, a number of known and unknown factors may cause our actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from those expressed or implied by the following discussion. Therefore, you are encouraged to read in its entirety the information provided under the caption “Risk Factors” included under Item 1A in Part I of this report for a discussion of risk factors that may negatively impact our expected results, performance, or achievements discussed below.
Executive Overview
We are a financial and bank holding company headquartered in Billings, Montana. As of December 31, 2021, we had consolidated assets of $19.7 billion, deposits of $16.3 billion, loans held for investment of $9.3 billion, and total stockholders’ equity of $2.0 billion.
As of December 31, 2021, we had 147 banking offices in operation, including detached drive-up facilities, in communities across Idaho, Montana, Oregon, South Dakota, Washington, and Wyoming. We added an additional 174 banking offices on February 1, 2022 in Arizona, Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota upon completion of our merger with Great Western, the results of which will be discussed in our future periodic reports that we file with the Securities and Exchange Commission from and after the date of acquisition. Through our bank subsidiary, FIB, we deliver a comprehensive range of banking products and services—including online and mobile banking—to individuals, businesses, municipalities, and others throughout our market areas. Our clients participate in a wide variety of industries, including agriculture, construction, education, energy, governmental services, healthcare, mining, professional services, retail, tourism, and wholesale trade.
Our Business
Our principal business activity is lending to, accepting deposits from, and conducting financial transactions with and for individuals, businesses, municipalities, and other entities. We derive our income principally from interest charged on loans and, to a lesser extent, from interest and dividends earned on investments. We also derive income from non-interest sources such as fees received in connection with various lending and deposit services; trust, employee benefit, investment, and insurance services; mortgage loan originations, sales, and servicing; merchant and electronic banking services; and, from time-to-time, gains on sales of assets. Our principal expenses include interest expense on deposits and borrowings, operating expenses, provisions for credit losses, and income tax expense.
Our loan portfolio consists of a mix of real estate, consumer, commercial, agricultural, and other loans, including fixed and variable rate loans. Our real estate loans comprise commercial real estate, construction (including residential, commercial, and land development loans), residential, agricultural, and other real estate loans. Fluctuations in the loan portfolio are directly related to the economies of the communities we serve. While each loan originated must meet minimum underwriting standards established in our credit policies, bankers are granted discretion within pre-approved limits in approving and pricing loans to assure that the banking offices are responsive to competitive issues and community needs in each market area. We fund our loan portfolio primarily with the core deposits from our clients, generally without utilizing brokered deposits and with minimal reliance on wholesale funding sources. For additional information about our underwriting standards and loan approval process, see “Business—Lending Activities,” included in Part I, Item 1 of this report.
Recent Trends and Developments
Acquisitions
During the past few years, we have increased our community banking footprint across the Rocky Mountain and Pacific Northwest regions, in large part due to our acquisition activity. We continue to evaluate bank acquisitions and other strategic opportunities on an on-going basis.
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On February 1, 2022, the Company completed its merger with Great Western. In accordance with the definitive agreement, Great Western merged with and into the Company, with the Company continuing as the surviving corporation. Great Western stockholders received approximately 0.8425 shares of FIBK Class A common stock for each Great Western share of common stock they owned. The total aggregate consideration paid in the merger to the Great Western stockholders was approximately 46.9 million shares of the Company’s Class A Common Stock, representing approximately $1.7 billion in value, in the aggregate, based on the opening price per share of the Company’s Class A common stock on the February 1, 2022 closing date of the merger.
Immediately following the closing, GWB was merged with and into FIB, and will continue to operate under the GWB name as a division of FIB. The conversion of bank systems and branches is expected to occur in May 2022. After the conversion, GWB branches are expected to be branded as FIB branches. For additional information on the merger with GWB, see “Risk Factors” included in Part I, Item 1A and “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements – Subsequent Events” included in Part IV, Item 15 of this report, and our Current Report on Form 8-K dated February 1, 2022.
COVID-19
Management continues to monitor the impact of COVID-19 on the Company’s financial results. Over the past year, the COVID-19 pandemic has affected our operations to a limited degree, although it has had varying degrees of disruptions and restrictions on our borrowers and to our borrowers’ operations, staffing, and demand for certain products and services. While the economy has shown signs of recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics has reported a significant increase in inflation on the United States economy and it is not yet clear whether such increases will be transitory, or whether recent reports represent the beginning of a longer-term trend. COVID-19 has also severely disrupted supply chains and adversely affected production, demand, sales, and employee productivity across a range of industries, including those of our borrowers. With the wide-spread distribution of the COVID-19 vaccines, and the United States moving beyond the most acute phases of the pandemic into recovery, other than isolated temporary branch closures related to COVID-19, our branches and drive-ups are functioning at normal operating hours and are adequately staffed. Although the impact of the COVID-19 vaccines initially resulted in success in reducing the spread of COVID-19 within the United States, the Delta and Omicron variants have increased the spread of COVID-19 in multiple regions across the United States at varying times to peak pandemic levels. This has resulted in a return of mask mandates and other emergency measures in certain regions of the United States. The Company is monitoring this resurgence as well as the broader economic conditions impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic and their potential impact on the Company’s operations and financial results and remains poised to change course should conditions require. As such, the scope, duration, and severity of the pandemic is not yet fully known. As a result, even with a burgeoning recovery, there continues to be some uncertainty as to the long-term effect on the economy and the Company.
Primary Factors Used in Evaluating Our Business
As a banking institution, we manage and evaluate various aspects of both our financial condition and our results of operations. We monitor our financial condition and performance and evaluate the levels and trends of the line items included in our balance sheet and statements of income, as well as various financial ratios that are commonly used in our industry. We analyze these ratios and financial trends against both our own historical levels and the financial condition and performance of comparable banking institutions in our region and nationally.
Results of Operations
Principal tools we use in managing and evaluating our results of operations include tracking performance as measured by certain metrics including return on average equity, return on average assets, efficiency ratio, non-interest expense as a percent of total average assets, earnings per share, total shareholder return, net interest income, non-interest income, non-interest expense, and net income. Net interest income is affected by a number of factors such as the level of interest rates, changes in interest rates, and changes in the volume and composition of interest earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities. Changes in interest rate spread, which is the difference between interest earned on assets and interest paid on liabilities, has the most significant impact on net interest income. Other factors like volume of loans, investment securities, and other interest earning assets, compared to the volume of interest-bearing deposits and indebtedness, also cause changes in our net interest income between periods. Non-interest bearing sources of funds, such as demand deposits and stockholders’ equity, help support earning assets.
The impact of funding, including non-interest-bearing deposit sources, is captured in the net interest margin, which is calculated as net interest income divided by average earning assets. We evaluate our net interest income by assessing the yields on our loans and other earning assets, the costs of our deposits and other funding sources, and the levels of our net interest spread and net interest margin.
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We seek to increase our non-interest income over time, and we evaluate our non-interest income relative to the trends of the individual types of non-interest income in view of prevailing market conditions.
We manage our non-interest expenses in consideration of growth opportunities and our community banking model that emphasizes client service and responsiveness. We evaluate our non-interest expense on factors that include our non-interest expense relative to our average assets, our efficiency ratio, and the trends of the individual categories of non-interest expense.
Finally, we seek to increase our net income and provide favorable shareholder returns over time, and we evaluate our net income relative to the performance of similar bank holding companies on factors that include return on average assets, return on average equity, total shareholder return, and growth in earnings.
Financial Condition
We manage and evaluate our financial condition by focusing on liquidity, the diversification and quality of our loans, the adequacy of our allowance for credit losses, the diversification and terms of our deposits and other funding sources, the re-pricing characteristics and maturities of our assets and liabilities, including potential interest rate exposure, and the adequacy of our capital levels. We seek to maintain sufficient levels of cash and investment securities to meet potential payment and funding obligations, and we evaluate our liquidity on factors that include the levels of cash and highly liquid assets relative to our liabilities, the quality and maturities of our investment securities, the ratio of loans held for investment to deposits, and any reliance on brokered certificates of deposit or other wholesale funding sources.
We seek to maintain a diverse and high-quality loan portfolio and evaluate our asset quality on factors that include the allocation of our loans among loan types, credit exposure to any single borrower or industry type, non-performing assets as a percentage of loans held for investment and OREO, and loan charge-offs as a percentage of average loans. We maintain our allowance for credit losses based on an estimate of expected credit losses in the loans held for investment portfolio over the life of the loan, including the incorporation of a one-year forecast period at each balance sheet date, and we evaluate the level of our allowance for credit losses relative to our overall loan portfolio and the level of non-performing loans and potential charge-offs.
We seek to fund our assets primarily using core client deposits spread among various deposit categories, and we evaluate our deposit and funding mix on factors that include the allocation of our deposits among deposit types, the level of our non-interest-bearing deposits, the ratio of our core deposits (i.e. excluding time deposits above $250,000) to our total deposits, and our reliance on brokered deposits or other wholesale funding sources, such as borrowings from other banks or agencies. We seek to manage the mix, maturities, and re-pricing characteristics of our assets and liabilities to maintain relative stability of our net interest rate margin in a changing interest rate environment, and we evaluate our asset-liability management using models to evaluate the changes to our net interest income under different interest rate scenarios.
Finally, we seek to maintain adequate capital levels to absorb unforeseen operating losses and to help support the growth of our balance sheet. We evaluate our capital adequacy using the regulatory and financial capital ratios including leverage capital ratio, tier 1 risk-based capital ratio, total risk-based capital ratio, tangible common equity to tangible assets, and tier 1 common capital to total risk-weighted assets.
Critical Accounting Estimates and Significant Accounting Policies
Our consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) in the United States and follow general practices within the banking industry. Application of these principles requires management to make estimates, assumptions, and judgments that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. The most significant accounting policies we follow are summarized in “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” included in Part IV, Item 15 of this report.
Our critical accounting estimates are summarized below. Management considers an accounting estimate to be critical if: (1) the accounting estimate requires management to make particularly difficult, subjective, and/or complex judgments about matters that are inherently uncertain, and (2) changes in the estimate that are reasonably likely to occur from period to period, or the use of different estimates that management could have reasonably used in the current period, would have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements, results of operations, or liquidity.
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Allowance for Credit Losses
The allowance for credit losses is a valuation account that creates an allowance for credit losses expected over the life of loans at each balance sheet date which is deducted from the loans’ amortized cost basis to present the net amount expected to be collected on the loans. Increases in the allowance are recorded through net income as a provision for credit loss expense. Decreases in the allowance are recorded through net income as a reversal of provision for credit loss expense. Loans are charged-off against the allowance when management believes the uncollectibility of a loan balance is confirmed. Expected recoveries recorded in the valuation account do not exceed the aggregate of loan amounts previously charged-off and loans expected to be charged-off. The allowance for credit losses represents management’s estimate of expected credit losses in the loans held for investment portfolio over the life of the loan, including the incorporation of a one-year forecast period for economic conditions.
We perform a quarterly assessment of the risks inherent in our loan portfolio, as well as a detailed review of each significant loan we have assessed to have weaknesses that does not share common risk characteristics with other loans. Based on this analysis, we record a provision for credit losses in order to maintain the allowance for credit losses at appropriate levels. In determining the allowance for credit losses, management estimates the allowance balance using relevant available information, from internal and external sources, relating to past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts. Historical credit loss experience provides the basis for the estimation of expected credit losses. Adjustments to historical loss information are made for differences in current loan-specific risk characteristics such as differences in underwriting standards, portfolio mix, delinquency level, or term as well as for changes in environmental and economic conditions, such as changes in unemployment rates, property values, or other relevant factors. The allowance for credit losses is measured on a collective (pool) basis when similar risk characteristics exist.
For loans acquired in a business combination with no significant evidence of credit deterioration since origination, the Company estimates an allowance for credit losses of the loans determined using the same methodology as other loans held for investment.
The allowance for credit losses is maintained at an amount we believe to be sufficient to provide for estimated losses expected over the life of the loans at each balance sheet date resulting from management’s assessment of the quantitative and qualitative factors utilized to determine the allowance for credit losses. Management monitors qualitative and quantitative trends in the loan portfolio, including changes in the levels of past due, internally classified, and non-performing loans. Changes in the estimates and assumptions are possible and may have a material impact on our allowance, and as a result, on our consolidated financial statements or results of operations.
See “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” for a description of the methodology used to determine the allowance for credit losses and our policy pertaining to acquired loans. See “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements—Loans” for a discussion on the factors driving changes in the amount of the allowance for credit losses. See also Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors—Credit Risks.”
Goodwill
The excess purchase price over the fair value of net assets from acquisitions, or goodwill, is evaluated for impairment at least annually and on an interim basis if an event or circumstance indicates it is likely impairment has occurred. Goodwill impairment is determined by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit to its carrying amount. In any given year the Company may elect to perform a qualitative assessment to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is in excess of its carrying value. If it is not more likely than not that the fair value of the reporting unit is in excess of the carrying value, or if the Company elects to bypass the qualitative assessment, a quantitative impairment test is performed. In performing a quantitative test for impairment, the fair value of net assets is estimated based on analyses of the Company’s market value, discounted cash flows, and peer values. The determination of goodwill impairment is sensitive to market-based economics and other key assumptions used in determining or allocating fair value. Variability in the market and changes in assumptions or subjective measurements used to estimate fair value are reasonably possible and may have a material impact on our consolidated financial statements or results of operations.
Our annual goodwill impairment test is performed each year as of July 1. The Company performed its 2021 annual goodwill impairment qualitative assessment and determined the Company’s goodwill was not considered impaired. We monitor our performance and evaluate our goodwill for impairment annually or more frequently as needed.
For additional information regarding goodwill, see “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies,” included in Part IV, Item 15 of this report and “Risk Factors—Operational Risks,” included in Part I, Item 1A of this report.
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Fair Values of Loans Acquired in Business Combinations
Loans acquired in business combinations are initially recorded at fair value as adjusted for credit risk and an allowance for credit losses at the date of acquisition. For loans with no significant evidence of credit deterioration since origination, the difference between the fair value and the unpaid principal balance of the loan at the acquisition date is amortized into interest income using the effective interest method over the remaining period to contractual maturity.
Loans acquired with evidence of deterioration in credit quality since origination, or PCD loans, are accounted for in accordance with ASC Topic 326-20 “Financial instruments - credit losses.” Determining the fair value of the loans involves estimating the amount and timing of principal and interest cash flows initially expected to be collected on the loans and discounting those cash flows at an appropriate market rate of interest. An allowance for credit losses is recognized by estimating the expected credit losses of the purchased asset and recording an adjustment to the acquisition date fair value to establish the initial amortized cost basis of the asset. Differences between the established fair value, or amortized cost basis, and the unpaid principal balance of the asset is considered to be a non-credit discount/premium and is accreted/amortized into interest income using the interest method in accordance with ASC 310-10. Subsequent changes to the allowance for credit losses are recorded through provision for credit loss expense using the same methodology as other loans held for investment.
For additional information regarding acquired loans, see “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies,” “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements—Acquisitions,” and “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements—Loans Held for Investment,” included in Part IV, Item 15 of this report.
Results of Operations
The following discussion and analysis is intended to provide detail about the results of operations by comparing the years ended December 31, 2021 to December 31, 2020. A similar discussion and analysis that compares the fiscal year 2020 to the fiscal year ended December 31, 2019, may be found in Part II, Item 7, “Results of Operations” of our Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Net Income
Net income increased $30.9 million, or 19.2%, to $192.1 million, or $3.11 per diluted share, in 2021, compared to $161.2 million, or $2.53 per diluted share, in 2020. There were $11.6 million of acquisition related expenses in 2021 related to the 2022 acquisition of GWB compared to no acquisition related expenses incurred in 2020. The after-tax impact of acquisition related expenses on earnings per share was $0.15 in 2021.
Performance Ratios
Return on average common stockholders’ equity 9.73 8.12 9.53
(1)Our efficiency ratio definition conforms with the FDIC definition for all periods presented as non-interest expense less amortization of intangible assets divided by net interest income plus non-interest income.
(2)Common stock dividend payout ratio represents dividends per common share divided by basic earnings per common share.
Net Interest Income
Net interest income, the largest source of our operating income, is derived from interest, dividends, and fees received on interest earning assets, less interest expense incurred on interest bearing liabilities. Interest earning assets primarily include loans and investment securities. Interest bearing liabilities include deposits and various forms of indebtedness. Net interest income is affected by the level of interest rates, changes in interest rates, and changes in the composition of interest earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities.
Changes in interest rate spread, which is the difference between interest earned on assets and interest paid on liabilities, has the most significant impact on net interest income. Other factors like volume of loans, investment securities, and other interest earning assets compared to the volume of interest-bearing deposits and indebtedness also cause changes in our net interest income between periods. Non-interest-bearing sources of funds, such as demand deposits and stockholders’ equity, help to support earning assets.
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The following table presents, for the periods indicated, condensed average balance sheet information using daily average balances, together with interest income and yields earned on average interest earning assets and interest expense and rates paid on average interest-bearing liabilities.
Average Balance Sheets, Yields, and Rates
Year Ended December 31,
Interest earning assets:
Federal funds sold 0.1 — — 0.1 — — 0.8 — —
Interest-bearing liabilities:
Less FTE adjustments (2) (2.2) (2.0) (2.0)
(1)Average loan balances include mortgage loans held for sale and non-accrual loans. Interest income on loans includes amortization of deferred loan fees net of deferred loan costs of $40.6 million, $32.5 million, and $3.9 million during 2021, 2020, and 2019, respectively.
(2)Interest income and average rates for tax exempt loans and securities are presented on a fully taxable equivalent, or FTE, basis utilizing the 21% federal income tax rate.
(3)Net FTE interest margin during the period equals (i) the difference between interest income on interest earning assets and the interest expense on interest bearing liabilities, divided by (ii) average interest earning assets for the period.
(4)Calculated by dividing total interest on interest-bearing liabilities by the sum of total interest-bearing liabilities plus non-interest-bearing deposits.
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Net FTE interest income decreased $8.6 million to $490.4 million during 2021, as compared to $499.0 million in 2020. The decrease is primarily attributable to lower levels of interest earned on earning assets because of lower market yields following the steep decline in the Federal Funds rate in March of 2020, and a full year of interest on higher long-term debt balances resulting from the May 2020 subordinated debt offering. Partially offsetting these net interest income declines were increased levels of income earned through forgiveness of PPP loans, higher levels of investment securities and interest-bearing deposits, and lower cost of funds on interest-bearing deposit balances. Also contributing to the decline in net FTE interest income during 2021, as compared to 2020, was interest accretion related to the fair value of acquired loans of $9.1 million during 2021 as compared to $13.1 million in 2020, of which $5.0 million was the result of early loan payoffs during 2021, as compared to $5.2 million in 2020. There were no recoveries of previously charged-off interest in 2021, as compared to $0.4 million in 2020. The Company’s net interest margin ratio decreased 61 basis points to 2.86% during 2021, as compared to 3.47% in 2020. Exclusive of interest accretion related to acquired loans and the impact of recoveries of charged-off interest, our 2021 net interest margin ratio decreased 57 basis points over our similarly calculated net interest margin ratio in 2020, which was attributable to the aforementioned interest rate declines and a shift in the mix of earning assets toward lower yielding investment securities and interest-bearing deposits.
The table below sets forth, for the periods indicated, a summary of the changes in interest income and interest expense resulting from estimated changes in average asset and liability balances (volume) and estimated changes in average interest rates (rate). Changes which are not due solely to volume or rate have been allocated to these categories based on the respective percent changes in average volume and average rate as they compare to each other.
Analysis of Interest Changes Due To Volume and Rates
(Dollars in millions) Volume Rate Net Volume Rate Net Volume Rate Net
Interest earning assets:
Interest bearing liabilities:
Other borrowed funds — — — — — — (0.2) — (0.2)
(1)Interest income and average rates for tax exempt loans and securities are presented on a FTE basis.
Provision for Credit Losses
Fluctuations in the provision for credit losses reflect management’s estimate of possible credit losses based upon the composition of our loan portfolio, evaluation of the borrowers’ ability to repay, collateral value underlying loans, loan loss trends, and estimated effects of current and forecasted economic conditions on our loans held for investment portfolio. During 2021, the Company reversed $14.6 million of provision for credit losses, as compared to a provision for credit losses of $56.9 million in 2020, with the difference largely attributable to the increase in allowance related to the adoption of CECL in 2020 and the subsequent economic challenges presented by the COVID-19 pandemic. The allowance for credit losses is updated quarterly based on the current loan portfolio, asset quality metrics, and a review of the current economic outlook. The provision for credit losses is reflective of net charge-offs of $7.3 million, or 0.07% of average loans outstanding, for 2021, compared to $14.2 million, or 0.14% of average loans outstanding in 2020.
For information regarding our non-performing loans, see “Non-Performing Assets” included herein. For information regarding our allowance for credit losses, see “Financial Condition—Allowance for Credit Losses” included herein.
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Non-interest Income
Our principal sources of non-interest income primarily include fee-based revenues such as payment services, mortgage banking and wealth management revenues, service charges on deposit accounts, and other service charges, commissions, and fees. The following table presents the composition of our non-interest income as of the dates indicated:
Non-interest Income Year Ended December 31, $ Change % Change
Non-interest income decreased $6.2 million, or 4.0%, to $150.5 million in 2021, as compared to $156.7 million in 2020. Significant components of these fluctuations are discussed below.
Payment services revenues consist of interchange revenue that merchants pay for processing electronic payment transactions, associated fees earned from the issuance of business credit cards, consumer credit cards, and debit cards, and ATM service fees. Payment services revenues increased $4.0 million, or 9.7%, to $45.1 million in 2021, as compared to $41.1 million for the same period in 2020, primarily due to increased business credit card and debit card volume.
Mortgage banking revenues include origination and processing fees on residential real estate loans held for sale, gains on residential real estate loans sold to third parties, income earned from the servicing of mortgages originated by the Company which are held by third parties, and any impairments to the Company’s mortgage servicing rights valuation or subsequent recovery of those impairments. Fluctuations in market interest rates have a significant impact on mortgage banking revenues. Higher interest rates can reduce the demand for home loans and loans to refinance existing mortgages. Conversely, lower interest rates generally stimulate refinancing and home loan origination. Mortgage banking revenues decreased $6.5 million, or 13.7%, to $40.8 million in 2021, as compared to $47.3 million in 2020. The decrease was primarily driven by a decline in origination volume compared to 2020. The impact of volume declines on mortgage banking revenue was compounded by an intentional decrease in the percentage of originations sold on the secondary market through the first half of 2021. The decrease in realized gain on sale was partially offset by a $6.9 million recovery in our mortgage servicing rights impairment during 2021 as compared with $9.9 million in valuation impairment charges taken in 2020. Loans originated for home purchases accounted for approximately 56.8% of 2021 loan production, as compared to approximately 42.7% in 2020.
Wealth management revenues are principally comprised of fees earned for management of trust assets and investment services. Wealth management revenues increased $2.5 million in 2021, or 10.5%, to $26.3 million, as compared to $23.8 million in 2020, primarily due to an increase in trust service fees and investment services related to an increase in assets under management. The Company had $5.9 billion of assets under management at December 31, 2021 compared to $5.2 billion at December 31, 2020.
Service charge fees are primarily driven by service and overdraft charges on deposit accounts. These service charges decreased $1.1 million, or 6.3%, to $16.5 million in 2021, as compared to $17.6 million in 2020. The decrease in 2021 is primarily due to higher levels of client account balances and changes in client behavior resulting in lower service and overdraft charges. In January 2022, the Company announced, beginning in the second quarter of 2022, it will be eliminating non-sufficient funds fees and reducing overdraft related charges.
Other service charges, commissions, and fees primarily include fees earned on certain derivative interest rate contracts, insurance commissions, and safe deposit boxes. Other service charges, commissions, and fees decreased $4.2 million, or 34.7%, to $7.9 million in 2021, as compared $12.1 million in 2020, primarily due to lower levels of fees earned on derivative interest rate swap contracts offered to clients in 2021.
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Other income primarily includes company-owned life insurance revenues, check printing income, agency stock dividends and gains on sales of miscellaneous assets. Other income decreased $1.7 million, or 11.7%, to $12.8 million in 2021, as compared to $14.5 million for the same period in 2020, principally due to higher life insurance benefits earned in 2020, partially offset by higher gains on sales of assets in 2021.
Non-interest Expense
The following table presents the composition of our non-interest expense as of the dates indicated:
Non-interest Expense Year Ended December 31, $ Change % Change
Non-interest expense increased $18.0 million, or 4.6%, to $405.5 million in 2021, as compared to $387.5 million in 2020. Included in the year over year increase were acquisition related expenses of $11.6 million and a legal settlement of $1.0 million. Excluding these expenses, non-interest expense increased $5.4 million, or 1.4%, as compared to 2020. Significant components of these changes are discussed in more detail below.
Salaries and wages expense decreased $8.8 million, or 5.1%, to $164.9 million in 2021, as compared to $173.7 million in 2020. The decrease was a result of lower levels of mortgage loan originator commissions and lower levels of short-term incentive accruals during 2021 as compared to 2020, partially offset by normal merit increases.
Employee benefits expense increased $6.4 million, or 13.0%, to $55.8 million in 2021, as compared to $49.4 million in 2020, primarily due to higher health insurance costs and higher long-term incentive accruals as compared to 2020.
Furniture and equipment expense increased $2.1 million, or 13.5%, to $17.6 million in 2021, as compared to $15.5 million in 2020, primarily due to an increase in depreciation expense.
Professional fee expense increased $1.2 million, or 11.0%, to $12.1 million in 2021, as compared to $10.9 million in 2020, primarily related to investment advisory services.
Core deposit intangibles represent the intangible value of depositor relationships resulting from deposit liabilities assumed, as a result of acquisitions, and are amortized using the accelerated method over the estimated useful lives of the related deposits. Core deposit intangibles amortization expense decreased $1.0 million, or 9.2%, to $9.9 million in 2021, as compared to $10.9 million in 2020.
Other expenses primarily include advertising and public relations costs; office supply, postage, freight, telephone, and travel expenses; donations expense; debit and credit card expenses; board of director fees; legal expenses; and other losses. Other expenses increased $5.3 million, or 8.8%, to $65.7 million in 2021, as compared to $60.4 million in 2020. The increase in other expenses were primarily the result of higher donation expense, legal settlement, and higher debit and credit card processing fees and related rewards expense.
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Acquisition related expenses primarily include legal and professional fees; technology, conversion, and contract termination costs; employee severance and retention payments; and travel expenses. Acquisition related expenses of $11.6 million were incurred during 2021 related to the 2022 acquisition of GWB, compared to no acquisition related expenses incurred during 2020. For additional information regarding our GWB acquisition, see “Recent Trends and Developments” included herein. For additional information regarding our 2019 acquisitions refer to “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements—Acquisitions,” included in Part IV, Item 15 of the Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020.
Income Tax Expense
Our effective federal tax rate was 17.4% for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to 17.5% for the year ended December 31, 2020. Fluctuations in effective federal income tax rates are primarily due to the timing of federal tax credits resulting from our participation in the New Markets Tax Credits Program, a program through the U.S. Department of Treasury aimed at attracting private capital into low-income communities. For additional information about our participation in the New Markets Tax Credits Program, see “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements—Summary of Significant Accounting Policies,” included in Part IV, Item 15 of this report.
State income tax applies primarily to pretax earnings generated within Idaho, Montana, Oregon, and South Dakota. Our effective state tax rate was 5.1% for the year ended December 31, 2021 compared to 5.4% for the year ended December 31, 2020.
Financial Condition
The financial condition discussion below is based upon our Consolidated Balance Sheet in Part IV, Item 15 of this Report. A similar discussion and analysis comparing fiscal year 2020 to fiscal year ended December 31, 2019 may be found in Part II, Item 7, “Financial Condition” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2020, which is incorporated herein by reference.
Total assets increased $2,023.2 million, or 11.5%, to $19,671.9 million as of December 31, 2021, from $17,648.7 million as of December 31, 2020, primarily as a result of higher deposits, which resulted in an increase in cash and cash equivalents of $68.0 million, an increase to our investment securities portfolio of $2,447.8 million, partially offset by a decrease in loans held for investment of $475.8 million.
Loans Held for Sale
Loans held for sale consist of residential mortgage loans that are pending sale to investors in the secondary market. Loans held for sale decreased $43.9 million, or 59.3%, to $30.1 million as of December 31, 2021, compared to $74.0 million as of December 31, 2020. The decrease was primarily due to the decline in mortgage loans originated for sale over the second half of 2021.
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Loans Held for Investment, Net of Deferred Fees and Costs
The following table presents the composition of our loan portfolio as of the dates indicated:
Loans Outstanding
(Dollars in millions)
As of December 31,
Real estate:
Deferred loan and fees and costs (12.3) (21.0) (5.5) (4.4) (2.5)
Loans held for investment, net of deferred fees and costs, decreased $475.8 million, or 4.9%, to $9,331.7 million as of December 31, 2021, from $9,807.5 million as of December 31, 2020. Significant contributing portfolios are discussed in greater detail below.
Real Estate Loans. We provide interim construction and permanent financing for both single-family and multi-unit properties, medium-term loans for commercial, agricultural and industrial property and/or buildings and equity lines of credit secured by real estate.
Commercial real estate loans. Commercial real estate loans include loans for property and improvements used commercially by the borrower or for lease to others for the production of goods or services. Approximately 41.7% and 45.5% of our commercial real estate loans were owner occupied as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively. Commercial real estate loans increased $228.3 million, or 6.1%, to $3,971.5 million as of December 31, 2021, from $3,743.2 million as of December 31, 2020. Growth primarily occurred in Idaho, Oregon, and Washington offset by decreases in Wyoming and South Dakota.
Construction loans. Construction loans are primarily to commercial builders for residential lot development and the construction of single-family residences and commercial real estate properties. Construction loans are generally underwritten pursuant to pre-approved permanent financing. As of December 31, 2021, our construction loan portfolio was divided among the following categories: approximately $262.0 million, or 26.0%, residential construction; approximately $498.0 million, or 49.4%, commercial construction; and approximately $247.8 million, or 24.6%, land acquisition and development. This compares to approximately $250.9 million, or 24.1%, residential construction; approximately $523.5 million, or 50.4%, commercial construction; and approximately $265.0 million, or 25.5%, land acquisition and development as of December 31, 2020. Construction loans decreased $31.6 million, or 3.0%, to $1,007.8 million as of December 31, 2021, from $1,039.4 million as of December 31, 2020, primarily due to decreases in both commercial and land acquisition and development loans, which was partially offset by an increase in residential construction loans.
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Residential real estate loans. Retained residential real estate loans are typically secured by first liens on the financed property and generally mature in less than 15 years. Included in residential real estate loans were home equity loans and lines of credit of $394.6 million and $384.0 million as of December 31, 2021 and December 31, 2020, respectively. Residential real estate loans increased $141.9 million, or 10.2%, to $1,538.2 million as of December 31, 2021, from $1,396.3 million as of December 31, 2020 as a result of our decision to hold a portion of our mortgage loans originated on our balance sheet. During 2021 and 2020, we sold most of our residential real estate loan production to secondary investors.
Consumer Loans. Our consumer loans include direct personal loans; credit card loans and lines of credit; and indirect loans created when we purchase consumer loan contracts advanced for the purchase of automobiles, boats, and other consumer goods from the consumer product dealer network within the market areas we serve. Personal loans and indirect dealer loans are generally secured by automobiles, recreational vehicles, boats, and other types of personal property and are made on an installment basis. Credit cards are offered to clients in our market areas. Lines of credit are generally floating rate loans that are unsecured or secured by personal property. Approximately 79.2% and 78.5% of our consumer loans as of December 31, 2021 and 2020, respectively, were indirect consumer loans. Consumer loans decreased $94.2 million, or 9.2%, to $931.7 million as of December 31, 2021, from $1,025.9 million as of December 31, 2020. Within the consumer loan portfolio, indirect consumer loans decreased $67.5 million, or 8.4%, direct consumer loans decreased $21.4 million, or 14.2%, and credit card loans decreased $5.3 million, or 7.5%.
Commercial Loans. We provide a mix of variable and fixed rate commercial loans. The loans are typically made to small and medium-sized manufacturing, wholesale, retail, and service businesses for working capital needs and business expansions. Commercial loans generally include lines of credit, business credit cards, and loans with maturities of five years or less and outstanding balances tend to be cyclical in nature. The loans are generally made with business operations as the primary source of repayment and are typically collateralized by inventory, accounts receivable, equipment, and/or personal guarantees. Commercial loans decreased $678.4 million, or 31.5%, to $1,475.5 million as of December 31, 2021, from $2,153.9 million as of December 31, 2020, primarily as a result of PPP loan activity. Commercial loans included $100.0 million of PPP loans as of December 31, 2021 compared to $739.8 million as of December 31, 2020. During 2021, $1,120.1 million of PPP loans were forgiven by the Small Business Administration and the Company funded an additional $480.3 million of PPP loans. Exclusive of PPP loans, commercial loans decreased $38.7 million, primarily due to pay-downs within the portfolio.
Agricultural Loans. Our agricultural loans generally consist of short- and medium-term loans and lines of credit that are primarily used for crops, livestock, equipment, and general operations. Agricultural loans are ordinarily secured by assets such as livestock or equipment and are repaid from the operations of the farm or ranch. Agricultural loans generally have maturities of five years or less, with operating lines for one production season. Agricultural loans decreased $43.7 million, or 17.6%, to $203.9 million as of December 31, 2021, from $247.6 million as of December 31, 2020, primarily due to payoffs and pay-downs within the portfolio.
The following table presents the maturity distribution of our loan portfolio and the sensitivity of the loans to changes in interest rates as of December 31, 2021:
Maturities and Interest Rate Sensitivities(Dollars in millions)
Non-accrual loans — — — 24.9 24.9
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Non-Performing Assets
Non-performing assets include non-accrual loans, loans contractually past due by 90 days or more and still accruing interest, and OREO. The following table sets forth information regarding non-performing assets as of the dates indicated:
Non-Performing Assets and Troubled Debt Restructurings
(Dollars in millions)
Non-performing loans:
(1)Accruing loans modified in troubled debt restructurings are not considered non-performing loans. While still considered impaired under applicable accounting guidance for the 2017 to 2019 periods, these loans are performing as agreed under their modified terms and management expects performance to continue.
(2)Including accruing troubled debt restructurings described in footnote 1, the ratio of non-performing assets to loans held for investment and OREO would be 0.34%, 0.55%, 0.70%, 0.92% and 1.26% as of December 31, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively.
(3)Including accruing troubled debt restructurings described in footnote 1, the ratio of non-performing assets to total assets would be 0.16%, 0.30%, 0.43%, 0.59% and 0.78% as of December 31, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively.
(4)Including accruing troubled debt restructurings described in footnote 1, the ratio of allowance for credit losses to non-performing loans would be 407.67%, 281.84%, 134.91%, 114.55% and 84.72% as of December 31, 2021, 2020, 2019, 2018, and 2017, respectively.
Non-performing loans. Non-performing loans include non-accrual loans and loans contractually past due 90 days or more and still accruing interest. Non-performing loans decreased $20.3 million, or 42.3%, to $27.7 million as of December 31, 2021, from $48.0 million as of December 31, 2020. Non-accrual loans, the largest component of non-performing loans, decreased $14.6 million, or 37.0%, to $24.9 million as of December 31, 2021, from $39.5 million as of December 31, 2020. This decrease was primarily due to movement of non-performing loans out of the portfolio through pay-downs, charge-offs, and the resolution of workout strategies in the commercial loan portfolio.
Non-accrual loans. We generally place loans on non-accrual status when they become 90 days past due unless they are well secured and in the process of collection. When a loan is placed on non-accrual status, any interest previously accrued but not collected is reversed from income. Non-accrual loans decreased approximately $14.6 million, to $24.9 million, as of December 31, 2021, from $39.5 million as of December 31, 2020, primarily as a result of charge-offs and the execution and resolution of workout strategies of non-performing loans. Accruing loans past due 90 days or more decreased $5.7 million, or 67.1%, primarily due to decreases in commercial real estate and agricultural loan portfolios. Loans are returned to accrual status when all principal and interest amounts contractually due are brought current and when, in the opinion of management, the loans are estimated to be fully collectible as to both principal and interest.
For additional information regarding non-performing loans, see “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements—Loans Held For Investment” included in financial statements included Part IV, Item 15 of this report.
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OREO. OREO consists of real property acquired through foreclosure on the collateral underlying defaulted loans. We initially record OREO at fair value less estimated selling costs. Any excess of loan carrying value over the fair value of the real estate acquired is recorded as a charge against the allowance for credit losses. Estimated losses that result from the ongoing periodic valuation of these properties are charged to earnings in the period in which they are identified. The fair values of OREO properties are estimated using appraisals and management estimates of current market conditions. OREO properties are appraised every 18-24 months unless deterioration in local market conditions indicates the need to obtain new appraisals sooner. OREO properties are evaluated by management quarterly to determine if additional write-downs are appropriate or necessary based on current market conditions. Quarterly evaluations include a review of the most recent appraisal of the property and reviews of recent appraisals and comparable sales data for similar properties in the same or adjacent market areas. Commercial and agricultural OREO properties are listed with unrelated third party professional real estate agents or brokers local to the areas where the marketed properties are located. Residential properties are typically listed with local realtors, after any redemption period has expired. We rely on these local real estate agents and/or brokers to list the properties on the local multiple listing system, to provide marketing materials and advertisements for the properties, and to conduct open houses. OREO decreased to $2.0 million as of December 31, 2021, from $2.5 million as of December 31, 2020. As of December 31, 2021, 79.2% of our OREO balance was related to commercial properties, 13.3% was related to an agricultural real estate property, and 7.5% was related to a 1-4 family property.
The following table sets forth the allocation of our non-performing loans among our different types of loans as of the dates indicated.
Non-Performing Loans by Loan Type(Dollars in millions) As of December 31,
Real estate:
Construction:
Collateral-dependent loans. Collateral-dependent loans rely solely on the operation or sale of the collateral for repayment. In evaluating the overall risk associated with a loan, the Company considers character, overall financial condition and resources, and payment record of the borrower; the prospects for support from any financially responsible guarantors; and the nature and degree of protection provided by the cash flow and value of any underlying collateral. The loan may become collateral-dependent where the borrower is experiencing financial difficulty and as sources of repayment become inadequate over time and that repayment is expected to be provided substantially through the operation or sale of the collateral. Collateral-dependent loans decreased to $11.7 million as of December 31, 2021, from $17.5 million as of December 31, 2020.
Troubled Debt Restructurings. Modifications of performing loans are made in the ordinary course of business and are completed on a case-by-case basis as negotiated with the borrower. Loan modifications typically include interest rate concessions, interest-only periods, short-term payment deferrals, and extension of amortization periods to provide payment relief. A loan modification is considered a troubled debt restructuring if the borrower is experiencing financial difficulties and we, for economic or legal reasons, grant a concession to the borrower that we would not otherwise consider. Those modifications deemed to be troubled debt restructurings are monitored centrally to ensure proper classification as a troubled debt restructuring and if or when the loan may be placed on accrual status.
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As of December 31, 2021, we had loans renegotiated in troubled debt restructurings of $6.2 million, of which $3.9 million were reported as non-accrual loans in the non-performing asset and troubled debt restructurings and non-performing loan tables above. The remaining $2.3 million were on accrual status and are reported as troubled debt restructurings in the non-performing asset and troubled debt restructurings table above.
As of December 31, 2020, we had loans renegotiated in troubled debt restructurings of $14.5 million, of which $11.3 million were reported as non-accrual loans in the non-performing asset and troubled debt restructurings and non-performing loan tables above. The remaining $3.2 million were on accrual status and are reported as troubled debt restructurings in the non-performing asset and troubled debt restructurings table above.
For additional information regarding loans modified in troubled debt restructurings, see “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements—Loans Held For Investment” included in financial statements included Part IV, Item 15 of this report.
Allowance for Credit Losses
The Company performs a quarterly assessment of the adequacy of its allowance for credit losses in accordance with GAAP. The methodology used to assess the adequacy is consistently applied to the Company’s loans held for investment portfolio. The allowance for credit losses is established through a provision for credit losses based on our evaluation of quantitative and qualitative risk factors in our loan portfolio at each balance sheet date. In determining the allowance for credit losses, we estimate losses on specific loans, or groups of loans, where the expected loss can be identified and reasonably determined. The balance of the allowance for credit losses is based on internally assigned risk classifications of loans, historical loan loss rates, changes in the nature or tenure of the loan portfolio, overall portfolio quality, industry concentrations, delinquency trends, current environmental and economic factors, and the estimated impact of current and forecasted economic conditions on certain historical loan loss rates. See the discussion under “Critical Accounting Estimates and Significant Accounting Policies — Allowance for Credit Losses” above.
The allowance for credit losses is increased by provisions charged against earnings and net recoveries of charged-off loans and is reduced by negative provisions credited to earnings and net loan charge-offs. The allowance for credit losses consists of three elements:
(1)Specific valuation allowances associated with collateral-dependent loans. Specific valuation allowances are determined based on assessment of the fair value of the collateral underlying the loans as determined through independent appraisals, the present value of future cash flows, observable market prices, and any relevant qualitative or environmental factors impacting loans.
(2)Historical valuation allowances based on loan loss experience for similar loans with similar characteristics and trends. The Company applies probability of default and loss given default methodologies for all portfolio segments. The Company uses a transition matrix for probability of default components of the methodology and a historical average for the loss given default components of the methodology. The probability of default and loss given default is applied to the current principal balance as of the reporting date. The transition matrix determines the probability of default by tracking the historical movement of loans between loan risk tiers over a defined period of time. Loan transitions are measured by either internal ratings or delinquency status. Those loans tracked by ratings are generally commercial purpose including agricultural, commercial, and commercial real estate. Those loans tracked by delinquency are generally consumer in nature, with the exception of multi-family and credit cards. The loss given default used as the basis for the estimate of credit losses is comprised of the Company’s historical loss experiences from 2008 to the current period, based on a migration analysis of our historical loss experience, designed to account for credit deterioration. The model compares the most recent period losses to prior period defaults to calculate the loss given default, which is averaged over the historical observations.
(3)General valuation allowances determined based on changes in the nature of the loan portfolio, overall portfolio quality, industry concentrations, delinquency trends, general economic conditions or forecasts, and other qualitative risk factors, both internal and external to us, including the incorporation of a one-year forecast period for economic conditions.
Based on the assessment of the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses, the Company records provisions for credit losses to maintain the allowance for credit losses at appropriate levels.
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Loans acquired in business combinations are initially recorded at fair value as adjusted for credit risk and an allowance for credit losses at the date of acquisition. For loans with no significant evidence of credit deterioration since origination, the difference between the fair value and the unpaid principal balance of the loan at the acquisition date is amortized into interest income using the effective interest method over the remaining period to contractual maturity. An allowance for credit loss is recorded for the life of loan expected credit losses on loans acquired without evidence of credit deterioration. Subsequent changes to the allowance for credit losses are recorded through provision expense using the same methodology as other loans held for investment.
For loans acquired in business combinations with evidence of deterioration in credit quality since origination, the Company determines the fair value of the loans by estimating the amount and timing of principal and interest cash flows initially expected to be collected on the loans and discounting those cash flows at an appropriate market rate of interest. An allowance for credit losses is recognized by estimating the expected credit losses of the purchased asset and recording an adjustment to the acquisition date fair value to establish the initial amortized cost basis of the asset. Differences between the established amortized cost basis, and the unpaid principal balance of the asset, is considered to be a non-credit discount/premium and is accreted/amortized into interest income using the level yield interest method. Subsequent changes to the allowance for credit losses are recorded through provision expense using the same methodology as other loans held for investment.
Loans, or portions thereof, are charged-off against the allowance for credit losses when management believes the collectability of the principal is unlikely, or, with respect to consumer installment loans, according to an established delinquency schedule. Generally, loans are charged-off when (1) there has been no material principal reduction within the previous 90 days and there is no pending sale of collateral or other assets, (2) there is no significant or pending event which will result in principal reduction within the upcoming 90 days, (3) it is clear that we will not be able to collect all or a portion of the loan, (4) payments on the loan are sporadic, will result in an excessive amortization, or are not consistent with the collateral held, or (5) foreclosure or repossession actions are pending. Loan charge-offs do not directly correspond with the receipt of independent appraisals or the use of observable market data if the collateral value is determined to be sufficient to repay the principal balance of the loan.
If a collateral-dependent loan is adequately collateralized, a specific valuation allowance is not recorded. As such, significant changes in collateral-dependent and non-performing loans do not necessarily correspond proportionally with changes in the specific valuation component of the allowance for credit losses. Additionally, the Company expects the timing of charge-offs will vary between quarters and will not necessarily correspond proportionally to changes in the allowance for credit losses or changes in non-performing or collateral dependent loans due to timing differences among the initial identification of a collateral-dependent loan, recording of a specific valuation allowance for collateral-dependent loans, and any resulting charge-off of uncollectible principal.
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The following table sets forth information regarding our allowance for credit losses as of the dates and for the periods indicated.
Allowance for Credit Losses
(Dollars in millions)
Allowance for credit losses on loans: (1)
Initial impact of adopting ASC 326 — 30.0 — — —
Charge-offs:
Real estate
Agricultural 0.7 — — — —
Recoveries:
Real estate
Agricultural — — — 0.2 —
Allowance for off-balance sheet credit losses:
Beginning balance $ 3.7 $ — $ — $ — $ —
Initial impact of adopting ASC 326 — 2.3 — — —
Provision for off-balance sheet credit losses 0.1 1.4 — — —
Ending balance $ 3.8 $ 3.7 $ — $ — $ —
Total (reversal of) provision for credit losses (14.6) 56.9 13.9 8.6 11.0
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