ITEM 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The Company is a state chartered, federally registered bank holding company, incorporated in 1985. The Company is the sole stockholder of Rockland Trust, a Massachusetts trust company chartered in 1907. For a full list of corporate entities see Item 1 “Business — General.”
All material intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation. Certain previously reported amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year’s presentation, including a reclassification of the Company’s small business portfolio, with the majority of the portfolio reclassified into the commercial and industrial category, and the remainder of the portfolio, consisting of loans secured by non-owner occupied real estate, reclassified to the commercial real estate category.
The following should be read in conjunction with the Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes.
Executive Level Overview
Management evaluates the Company’s operating results and financial condition using measures that include net income, earnings per share, return on assets and equity, return on tangible common equity, net interest margin, tangible book value per share, asset quality indicators, and many others. These metrics are used by management to make key decisions regarding the Company’s balance sheet, liquidity, interest rate sensitivity, and capital resources and assist with identifying opportunities for improving the Company’s financial position or operating results. The Company is focused on organic growth, but will also consider acquisition opportunities that are expected to provide a satisfactory financial return, including the recent acquisition of Enterprise, which closed on July 1, 2025. The transaction included the acquisition of $3.9 billion in loans and $4.4 billion in deposits, each at fair value, and resulted in the addition of twenty-seven branch locations in northern Massachusetts and southern New Hampshire.
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2025 Results
Net income for the year ended December 31, 2025 was $205.1 million, or $4.44 on a diluted earnings per share basis, as compared to $192.1 million, or $4.52, on a diluted earnings per share basis for the year ended December 31, 2024, representing increases of 6.8% and a decrease of 1.8%, respectively. Financial results for 2025 and 2024 also reflected pre-tax merger-related costs of $39.6 million and a $34.5 million provision for credit losses on non-PCD loans attributable to the closing of the Enterprise acquisition. Excluding these merger-related expenses and provision for credit losses on non-PCD loans, and their related tax effects, full year 2025 operating net income was $260.4 million, or $5.64, on a diluted earnings per share basis compared to full year 2024 operating net income of $193.4 million, or $4.55, on a diluted earnings per share basis. See “Non-GAAP Measures” below for a reconciliation of non-GAAP measures.
Full year 2025 results reflected the following key drivers:
•Successful close of Enterprise acquisition on July 1, 2025
•Net interest margin increase of 29 basis points to 3.57% as compared to the full year 2024;
•Loan growth of 27.5% mainly due to the Enterprise acquisition, robust organic commercial and industrial loan growth;
•Deposit growth of 31.5%, mainly due to the Enterprise acquisition, organic growth in the demand deposit and money market categories;
•Total loan loss provision was $65.5 million for the year, inclusive of $34.5 million recognized for non-PCD loans acquired from Enterprise;
•Wealth assets under administration increased to $9.2 billion;
•Focused expense management;
•Tangible book value per share of $47.55, grew by $0.59 for the year; and
•Repurchase of approximately 936,000 shares for $62.4 million.
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Interest-Earning Assets
The results depicted in the following table reflect the trend of the Company’s interest-earning assets over the past five years. The Company employs a longer term strategy that typically emphasizes loan growth commensurate with overall economic growth. For the year-ended 2025, the increase in interest-earning assets was driven primarily the Enterprise acquisition, which included the addition of $3.9 billion in loans and $590.3 million in available for sale securities. The following table summarizes the Company’s period end interest-earning assets for each year presented:
Management strives to be disciplined about loan pricing and considers interest rate sensitivity when generating loan assets. In addition, management takes a disciplined approach to credit underwriting, seeking to avoid undue credit risk and credit losses.
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Funding and the Net Interest Margin
The Company’s overall sources of funding reflect strong business and retail deposit growth with a management emphasis on core deposit growth to fund loans. The increase in funding sources during 2025 were driven primarily by the addition of $4.4 billion in deposits acquired from Enterprise during the third quarter of 2025. The following chart shows the period end balances of the Company’s funding sources for each of the trailing five years:
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The net interest margin of 3.57% increased 29 basis points when compared to the prior year, including an 8 basis point lift from acquired loan purchase accounting accretion. The remaining increase was driven by the acquisition of a slightly higher adjusted margin from Enterprise and continued benefit from long term asset repricing. The following table shows the net interest margin and cost of deposits trends for the trailing five year period:
Non-interest Income
Non-interest income is primarily comprised of deposit account fees, interchange and ATM fees, investment management fees and mortgage banking income. The increases in non-interest income during 2025 were driven primarily by the impact of the Enterprise acquisition. The following chart shows the components of non-interest income over the past five years:
Expense Control
Management seeks to take a balanced approach to non-interest expense control by monitoring ongoing operating expenses while making needed capital expenditures and prudently investing in growth initiatives. The Company’s primary expenses arise from Rockland Trust’s employee salaries and benefits, as well as expenses associated with buildings and equipment.
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The following chart depicts the Company’s efficiency ratio on a GAAP basis (calculated by dividing non-interest expense by the sum of non-interest income and net interest income), as well as the Company’s efficiency ratio on a non-GAAP operating basis, (calculated by dividing non-interest expense, excluding certain non-core items, by the sum of non-interest income, excluding certain non-core items, and net interest income), over the past five years:
*See “Non-GAAP Measures” below for a reconciliation to GAAP financial measures.
Capital
The Company’s approach with respect to revenue and expense is designed to promote long-term earnings growth, which in turn contributes to capital growth. Capital is primarily impacted by earnings retention, dividends, changes in other comprehensive income, and opportunistic share repurchases. In addition, during 2025 capital results were impacted by the closing of the Enterprise acquisition. The following chart shows the Company’s book value and tangible book value per share over the past five years:
*See “Non-GAAP Measures” below for a reconciliation to GAAP financial measures.
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Cash dividends declared by the Company increased from an aggregate of $2.28 per share in 2024 to $2.36 per share in 2025, representing an increase of 3.5%. Additionally, during 2025, the Company repurchased approximately 936,000 shares of its common stock for $62.4 million.
Non-GAAP Measures
When management assesses the Company’s financial performance for purposes of making day-to-day and strategic decisions, it does so based upon the performance of its core banking business, which is primarily derived from the combination of net interest income and non-interest or fee income, reduced by operating expenses, the provision for credit losses, and the impact of income taxes and other non-core items shown in the table that follows. There are items that impact the Company’s results that management believes are unrelated to its core banking business such as gains or losses on the sales of securities, merger and acquisition expenses, provision for credit losses on acquired portfolios, loss on extinguishment of debt, impairment and other items. Management, therefore, excludes items management considers to be non-core when computing the Company’s non-GAAP operating earnings and operating EPS, non-interest income on an operating basis, non-interest expense on an operating basis, and efficiency ratio on an operating basis. Management believes excluding these items facilitates greater visibility into the Company’s core banking business and underlying trends that may, to some extent, be obscured by inclusion of such items.
Management also supplements its evaluation of financial performance with analysis of tangible book value per share (which is computed by dividing stockholders’ equity less goodwill and identifiable intangible assets, or “tangible common equity,” by common shares outstanding), the tangible common equity ratio (which is computed by dividing tangible common equity by “tangible assets,” defined as total assets less goodwill and other intangibles), and return on average tangible common equity (which is computed by dividing net income by average tangible common equity). The Company has included information on tangible book value per share, the tangible common equity ratio and return on average tangible common equity because management believes that investors may find it useful to have access to the same analytical tools used by management. As a result of merger and acquisition activity, the Company has recognized goodwill and other intangible assets in conjunction with business combination accounting principles. Excluding the impact of goodwill and other intangibles in measuring asset and capital values for the ratios provided, along with other bank standard capital ratios, provides a framework to compare the capital adequacy of the Company to other companies in the financial services industry.
These non-GAAP measures should not be viewed as a substitute for operating results and other financial measures determined in accordance with GAAP. An item which management excludes when computing these non-GAAP measures can be of substantial importance to the Company’s results for any particular quarter or year. The Company’s non-GAAP performance measures, including operating net income, operating EPS, operating return on average assets, operating return on average common equity, adjusted margin, tangible book value per share and the tangible common equity ratio, are not necessarily comparable to non-GAAP performance measures which may be presented by other companies.
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The following table summarizes the impact of non-core items on net income and reconciles non-GAAP net operating earnings to net income available to common shareholders for the periods indicated:
Years Ended December 31
Net Income Diluted Earnings Per Share
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)
Non-GAAP adjustments
Provision for non-PCD acquired loans 34,519 — 0.75 —
Non-interest expense components
Net tax benefit associated with non-core items (1) (19,239) (535) (0.42) (0.01)
(1)The net tax benefit associated with non-core items is determined by assessing whether each non-core item is included or excluded from net taxable income and applying the Company’s combined marginal tax rate only to those items included in net taxable income.
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The following table summarizes the impact of non-core items with respect to the Company’s total revenue, non-interest income as a percentage of total revenue, and the efficiency ratio for the periods indicated:
Years Ended December 31
(Dollars in thousands)
Less:
Ratios
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The following table summarizes the calculation of the Company’s tangible common equity ratio and tangible book value per share for the periods indicated:
Years Ended December 31
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)
Tangible common equity
Tangible assets
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SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA
The selected consolidated financial and other data of the Company set forth below does not purport to be complete and should be read in conjunction with, and is qualified in its entirety by, the more detailed information, including the Consolidated Financial Statements and related notes, appearing elsewhere herein.
Table 1 - Selected Financial Data
As of or for the Years Ended December 31
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)
Financial condition data
Operating data
Per share data
Performance ratios
Asset quality ratios
Capital ratios
(1) Represents a non-GAAP measurement. For reconciliation to GAAP measurement, see Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations - Executive Level Overview - Non-GAAP Measures”.
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Financial Position
Securities Portfolio The Company’s securities portfolio primarily consists of U.S. Treasury, U.S. government agency securities, agency mortgage-backed securities, agency collateralized mortgage obligations, taxable and non-taxable municipal securities and small business administration pooled securities. Also included in the Company’s securities portfolio are trading and equity securities related to certain employee benefit programs. The majority of these securities are investment grade debt obligations with average lives of five years or less. U.S. government agency securities entail a lesser degree of risk than loans made by the Bank by virtue of the guarantees that back them, require less capital under risk-based capital rules than non-insured or non-guaranteed mortgage loans, are more liquid than individual mortgage loans, and may be used to collateralize borrowings or other obligations of the Bank. The Bank views its securities portfolio as a source of income and liquidity. Interest and principal payments generated from securities provide a source of liquidity to fund loans and meet short-term cash needs.
Total securities increased by $598.2 million, or 22.1%, at December 31, 2025 as compared to December 31, 2024, primarily attributable to the acquisition of the Enterprise available for sale securities portfolio. During the twelve months ended December 31, 2025, new purchases of $426.2 million and $55.4 million in unrealized gains in the available for sale portfolio were offset by sales, maturities, calls, and paydowns in the combined available for sale and held to maturity portfolios. The ratio of securities to total assets decreased to 13.3% at December 31, 2025 as compared to 14.0% at December 31, 2024. The Company estimates expected credit losses for its available for sale and held to maturity securities in accordance with the CECL methodology, as described in Note 1, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” within the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Report.
The following table sets forth the fair value of available for sale securities and the amortized cost of held to maturity securities along with the percentage distribution:
Table 2 - Securities Portfolio Composition
December 31
Amount Percent Amount Percent
(Dollars in thousands)
Fair value of securities available for sale
Non-taxable municipal securities 12,558 0.6 % 194 — %
Taxable municipal securities 220,520 11.0 % — — %
Small business administration pooled securities 37,832 1.9 % 40,838 3.3 %
Amortized cost of securities held to maturity
The Company’s available for sale securities are carried at fair value and are categorized within the fair value hierarchy based on the observability of model inputs. Securities which require inputs that are both significant to the fair value measurement and unobservable are classified as level 3 within the fair value hierarchy. At December 31, 2025 and 2024, the Company had no securities categorized as level 3 within the fair value hierarchy.
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The following table sets forth the weighted average yield for each range of contractual maturities of the Bank’s available for sale and held to maturity securities portfolios at December 31, 2025. Actual maturities will differ from contractual maturities because borrowers may have the right to call or prepay obligations with or without call or prepayment penalties. Weighted average yields in the table below have been calculated based on the amortized cost of the security.
Table 3 - Securities Portfolio, Weighted Average Yields
Weighted Average Yield
Securities available for sale:
U.S. government agency securities 1.4 % 1.2 % — — 1.3 %
U.S. treasury securities 0.8 % 1.2 % — — 1.0 %
Agency mortgage-backed securities 1.2 % 3.0 % 2.1 % 4.0 % 3.6 %
Agency collateralized mortgage obligations — 4.2 % 2.1 % 4.3 % 4.3 %
Non-taxable municipal securities 3.9 % 3.7 % 4.1 % — 3.8 %
Taxable municipal securities — 4.2 % 4.4 % 2.8 % 4.3 %
Pooled trust preferred securities issued by banks and insurers — — — 4.4 % 4.4 %
Small business administration pooled securities — — 2.7 % 1.9 % 2.1 %
Total available for sale securities 1.0 % 2.2 % 3.7 % 4.0 % 2.9 %
Securities held to maturity:
U.S. treasury securities — 1.3 % 1.5 % — 1.3 %
Agency mortgage-backed securities 2.8 % 2.8 % 1.9 % 3.2 % 2.7 %
Agency collateralized mortgage obligations 3.2 % 1.9 % 1.0 % 1.5 % 1.7 %
Small business administration pooled securities — — 2.5 % 4.0 % 4.0 %
Total held to maturity securities 2.9 % 2.4 % 1.9 % 2.4 % 2.4 %
As of December 31, 2025, the weighted average life of the securities portfolio was 3.7 years and the modified duration was 3.3 years.
At December 31, 2025, the aggregate book value of securities issued by Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and the U.S. Department of the Treasury exceeded 10% of stockholders’ equity. Accordingly, the following table discloses the aggregate book value and market value of these securities at December 31, 2025:
Table 4 - Aggregate Book Value and Market Value of Select Securities
Aggregate Book Value Aggregate Market Value
(Dollars in thousands)
Securities issued by:
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Residential Mortgage Loan Sales The Bank’s residential mortgage loans are generally originated in compliance with terms, conditions and documentation which permit the sale of such loans to investors in the secondary market. Loan sales in the secondary market provide funds for additional lending and other banking activities. Depending on market conditions, the Bank may sell the servicing of the sold loans for a servicing released premium, simultaneous with the sale of the loan. For the remainder of the sold loans for which the Company retains the servicing, a mortgage servicing asset is recognized. Additionally, as part of its asset/liability management strategy, the Bank may opt to retain certain residential real estate loan originations for its portfolio. When a loan is sold, the Company enters into agreements that contain representations and warranties about the characteristics of the loans sold and their origination. The Company may be required to either repurchase mortgage loans or to indemnify the purchaser from losses if representations and warranties are found to be not accurate in all material respects. The Company incurred no material losses related to mortgage repurchases during the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023.
The volume of residential real estate loan sales fluctuate based on customer demands, which is often driven by the interest rate environment. The following table shows the total residential loans that were closed and whether the amounts were held in the portfolio or sold (or held for sale) in the secondary market for the periods indicated:
Table 5 - Closed Residential Real Estate Loans
Years Ended December 31
(Dollars in thousands)
When a loan is sold, the Company may decide to also sell the servicing of sold loans for a servicing release premium, simultaneously with the sale of the loan, or the Company may opt to sell the loan and retain the servicing. The table below reflects additional information related to loans which were sold during the periods indicated:
Table 6 - Residential Mortgage Loan Sales
Years Ended December 31
(Dollars in thousands)
(1)All loans sold with servicing rights retained during the above periods were sold without recourse.
In the event of a sale with servicing rights retained, a mortgage servicing asset is established, which represents the then current estimated fair value based on market prices for comparable mortgage servicing contracts, when available, or alternatively is based on a valuation model that calculates the present value of estimated future net servicing income. The valuation model incorporates assumptions that market participants would use in estimating future net servicing income, such as the cost to service, the discount rate, an inflation rate, ancillary income, prepayment speeds and default rates and losses. Servicing rights are recorded in other assets in the Consolidated Balance Sheets, are amortized in proportion to and over the period of estimated net servicing income, and are assessed for impairment based on fair value at each reporting date. Impairment is determined by stratifying the rights based on predominant characteristics, such as interest rate, loan type and investor type. Impairment is recognized through a valuation allowance, to the extent that fair value is less than the capitalized amount. If the Company later determines that all or a portion of the impairment no longer exists, a reduction of the allowance may be recorded as an increase to income. The principal balance of loans serviced by the Bank on behalf of investors was $266.0 million at December 31, 2025 and $280.2 million at December 31, 2024.
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The following table shows the adjusted cost of the servicing rights associated with these loans and the changes for the periods indicated:
Table 7 - Mortgage Servicing Asset
(Dollars in thousands)
Change in valuation allowance (12) 161
See Note 10, “Derivatives and Hedging Activities,” within the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Report for more information on mortgage activity and mortgage related derivatives.
Loan Portfolio The Company’s total loan portfolio at December 31, 2025 increased $4.0 billion, or 27.5%, when compared to December 31, 2024, primarily due to the Enterprise acquisition. On the commercial side, the commercial and industrial portfolio increased organically by 9.1% but was offset by a decline in the commercial real estate and commercial construction portfolios. Organically, the consumer real estate portfolio increased by 1.2%, driven by growth within the home equity portfolio.
The following table summarizes loan growth/decline during the periods indicated:
Table 8 - Components of Loan Growth/(Decline)
December 31 December 31 Enterprise Organic Growth/ Organic Growth/
2025 2024 Acquisition (Decline) $ (Decline) %
(Dollars in thousands)
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The following table sets forth information concerning the composition of the Bank’s loan portfolio by loan type at the dates indicated:
Table 9 - Loan Portfolio Composition
December 31
(Dollars in thousands)
Amount Percent Amount Percent
The following table summarizes loans by contractual maturity as of December 31, 2025, along with the indication of whether interest rates are fixed or adjustable:
Table 10 - Scheduled Contractual Loan Amortization
1 Year or Less 1 - 5 Years 5 - 15 years (2) After 15 Years Total
(Dollars in thousands)
Fixed rate
Adjustable rate
(1)Includes certain construction loans that will convert to commercial mortgages and will be reclassified to commercial real estate upon the completion of the construction phase.
(2)Loans having no schedule of repayments or no stated maturity are reported as being due in the 5-15 years category above.
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Generally, the actual maturity of loans is substantially shorter than their contractual maturity due to prepayments and, in the case of real estate loans, due-on-sale clauses, which generally give the Bank the right to declare a loan immediately due and payable in the event that, among other things, the borrower sells the property subject to the mortgage and the loan is not repaid. The average life of real estate loans tends to increase when current real estate loan rates are higher than rates on mortgages in the portfolio and, conversely, tends to decrease when rates on mortgages in the portfolio are higher than current real estate loan rates. Due to the fact that the Bank may, consistent with industry practice, renew a significant portion of commercial and commercial real estate loans at or immediately prior to their maturity by renewing the loans on substantially similar or revised terms, the principal repayments actually received by the Bank are anticipated to be significantly less than the amounts contractually due in any particular period. In other circumstances, a loan, or a portion of a loan, may not be repaid due to the borrower’s inability to satisfy the contractual obligations of the loan.
Asset Quality The Company continually monitors the asset quality of the loan portfolio using all available information. Based on this assessment, loans demonstrating certain payment issues or other weaknesses may be categorized as delinquent, non-performing and/or put on non-accrual status. Further details surrounding relevant asset quality categories are summarized below:
DelinquencyThe Company’s philosophy toward managing its loan portfolios is predicated upon careful monitoring, which stresses early detection and response to delinquent and default situations. The Company seeks to make arrangements to resolve any delinquent or default situation over the shortest possible time frame. Generally, the Company requires that a delinquency notice be mailed to a borrower upon expiration of a grace period (typically no longer than 15 days beyond the due date). Reminder notices may be sent and telephone calls may be made prior to the expiration of the grace period. If the delinquent status is not resolved within a reasonable time frame following the mailing of a delinquency notice, the Bank’s personnel charged with managing its loan portfolios contacts the borrower to ascertain the reasons for delinquency and the prospects for payment. Any subsequent actions taken to resolve the delinquency will depend upon the nature of the loan and the length of time that the loan has been delinquent. The borrower’s needs are considered as much as reasonably possible without jeopardizing the Bank’s position. A late charge is usually assessed on loans upon expiration of the grace period as permitted by loan agreements.
Non-accrual Loans As a general rule, loans 90 days or more past due with respect to principal or interest are classified as non-accrual loans, or sooner if management considers such action to be prudent. However, certain loans that are 90 days or more past due may be kept on an accruing status if the loans are well secured and in the process of collection. Income accruals are suspended on all non-accrual loans and all previously accrued and uncollected interest is reversed against current income. A loan remains on non-accrual status until it becomes current with respect to principal and interest and remains current for a minimum period of six months, the loan is liquidated, or when the loan is determined to be uncollectible and is charged-off against the allowance for credit losses.
Loan ModificationsIn the course of resolving problem loans, the Company may choose to modify the contractual terms of certain loans. The Company attempts to work out an alternative payment schedule with the borrower in order to avoid or cure a default. Terms may be modified to fit the ability of the borrower to repay in line with its current financial status and may include adjustments to term extensions, interest rates, and accommodations for other than insignificant payment delays and/or a combination thereof. These actions are intended to minimize economic loss and avoid foreclosure or repossession of collateral. If such efforts by the Company do not result in satisfactory performance, the loan is referred to legal counsel, at which time foreclosure proceedings are initiated. At any time prior to a sale of the property at foreclosure, the Company may terminate foreclosure proceedings if the borrower is able to work out a satisfactory payment plan. All loan modifications are reviewed by the Company to identify if a borrower is deemed to be experiencing financial difficulty at time of the modification.
Purchased Credit Deteriorated LoansPurchased Credit Deteriorated (“PCD”) loans are acquired loans which have shown a more-than-insignificant deterioration in credit quality since origination. PCD loans are recorded at amortized cost with an allowance for credit losses recorded upon purchase.
Non-performing Assets Non-performing assets are typically comprised of non-performing loans and other real estate owned (“OREO”). Non-performing loans consist of non-accrual loans and loans that are 90 days or more past due but still accruing interest.
OREO consists of real estate properties, which have primarily served as collateral to secure loans, that are controlled or owned by the Bank. These properties are recorded at fair value less estimated costs to sell at the date control is established, resulting in a new cost basis. The amount by which the recorded investment in the loan exceeds the fair value (net of estimated costs to sell) of the foreclosed asset is charged to the allowance for credit losses. Subsequent declines in the fair value of the foreclosed asset below the new cost basis are recorded through the use of a valuation allowance. Subsequent increases in the
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fair value are recorded as reductions in the valuation allowance, but not below zero. All costs incurred thereafter in maintaining the property are generally charged to non-interest expense. In the event the real estate is utilized as a rental property, net rental income and expenses are recorded as incurred within non-interest expense.
The following table sets forth information regarding non-performing assets held by the Bank at the dates indicated:
Table 11 - Non-performing Assets
December 31
(Dollars in thousands)
Loans accounted for on a non-accrual basis
Commercial construction 3,693 —
Other real estate owned 2,100 —
Non-performing loans as a percent of gross loans 0.45 % 0.70 %
Non-performing assets as a percent of total assets 0.34 % 0.52 %
The following table summarizes the changes in non-performing assets for the periods indicated:
Table 12 - Activity in Non-performing Assets
(Dollars in thousands)
Non-performing assets beginning balance $ 101,529 $ 54,493
Acquired non-performing loans 22,918 —
Loans transferred to other real estate owned/other assets (2,100) —
Loans restored to performing status (8,769) (12,576)
New to other real estate owned 2,100 —
Sale of other real estate owned — (110)
Allowance for Credit Losses The allowance for credit losses is maintained at a level that management considers appropriate to provide for the Company’s current estimate of expected lifetime credit losses on loans measured at amortized cost. The allowance is increased by providing for credit losses through a charge to expense and by credits for recoveries of loans previously charged-off and is reduced by loans being charged-off.
In accordance with its Allowance for Credit Losses Program, the Company uses the Current Expected Credit Losses (or “CECL”) model methodology to estimate credit losses for financial assets on a collective basis for loans sharing similar risk characteristics using a quantitative model combined with an assessment of certain qualitative factors designed to address forecast risk and model risk inherent in the quantitative model output. The model estimates expected credit losses using loan
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level data over the contractual life of the exposure, which is adjusted for estimated prepayments. Economic forecasts are incorporated into the estimate over a reasonable and supportable forecast period of 12 months, beyond which is a reversion to the Company’s historical long-run average over a period of six months. The Company’s qualitative assessment is structured based upon nine qualitative risk factors impacting the expected risk of loss within the loan portfolio, with an additional factor designed to capture model imprecision. Loans that do not share similar risk characteristics with any pools of assets are subject to individual assessment and are removed from the collectively assessed pools to avoid double counting. For the loans that will be individually assessed, the Company uses either a discounted cash flow approach or a fair value of collateral approach. The latter approach is used for loans deemed to be collateral dependent or when foreclosure is probable.
Management’s allowance for credit loss estimate incorporates an economic forecast over a reasonable and supportable period of 12 months. As of December 31, 2025, management utilized the Moody’s Baseline forecast to estimate the effect of anticipated current and future economic conditions on the Company’s allowance for credit losses. This scenario selected by management assumes that general economic conditions will reflect a slight increase in momentum in the near term, that monetary policy will be impacted by a gradual reduction in Federal Reserve policy rates, and that progress toward inflation will be slowed as a result of changes in international trade policies. Additionally, the allowance for credit losses is qualitatively adjusted on a quarterly basis in order to ensure coverage for relationships that are deemed to be more at risk within certain industries, specific collateral types, or other specific characteristics that may be highly impacted by the current economic environment.
The balance of allowance for credit losses increased by $19.9 million to $189.9 million as of December 31, 2025, as compared to $170.0 million at December 31, 2024. The increase was driven primarily by $43.5 million in initial allowance reserves recorded on the acquired Enterprise portfolio, including $34.5 million and $9.0 million attributable to non-PCD and PCD loans, respectively, as well as additional specific reserve allocations on certain commercial loans during 2025. These increases were partially offset by charge-offs on several classified commercial loans which had been previously reserved for.
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The following table summarizes the ratio of net charge-offs to average loans outstanding within each major loan category for the periods presented:
Table 13 - Summary Net Charge-Offs to Average Loans Outstanding
(Dollars in thousands)
Commercial construction — 1,112,459 — %
Residential real estate — 2,688,113 — %
Commercial real estate — 6,811,838 — %
Commercial construction — 800,254 — %
Residential real estate — 2,434,114 — %
Commercial construction — 1,019,871 — %
Residential real estate — 2,217,971 — %
(1)Other consumer portfolio is inclusive of deposit account overdrafts recorded as loan balances and the associated net charge-offs.
Net charge-offs were $54.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, compared to $8.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. The elevated charge-off activity for the year ended December 31, 2025 was primarily attributable to charge-offs recognized on several classified commercial loans during the year.
For purposes of the allowance for credit losses, management segregates the portfolio based upon loans sharing similar risk characteristics. The allocation of the allowance for credit losses is made to each loan category using the analytical techniques and estimation methods described in this Report. While these amounts represent management’s best estimate of credit losses at the evaluation dates, they are not necessarily indicative of either the categories in which actual losses may occur or the extent of actual losses that may be recognized within each category. Each of these loan categories possess unique risk characteristics that are considered when determining the appropriate level of allowance for each segment. The total allowance is available to absorb losses from any segment of the loan portfolio.
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The following table sets forth the allocation of the allowance for credit losses by loan category at the dates indicated:
Table 14 - Summary of Allocation of Allowance for Credit Losses
December 31
(Dollars in thousands)
To determine if a loan should be charged-off, all possible sources of repayment are analyzed. Possible sources of repayment include the potential for future cash flows, the value of the Bank’s collateral, and the strength of co-makers or guarantors. When available information confirms that specific loans or portions thereof are uncollectible, these amounts are promptly charged-off against the allowance for credit losses and any recoveries of such previously charged-off amounts are credited to the allowance.
Regardless of whether a loan is unsecured or collateralized, the Company charges off the amount of any confirmed loan loss in the period when the loans, or portions of loans, are deemed uncollectible. For troubled, collateral-dependent loans, loss-confirming events may include an appraisal or other valuation that reflects a shortfall between the value of the collateral and the carrying value of the loan or receivable, or a deficiency balance following the sale of the collateral.
For additional information regarding the Bank’s allowance for credit losses, see Note 1, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” and Note 4, “Loans, Allowance for Credit Losses and Credit Quality” within the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Report.
Federal Home Loan Bank Stock The FHLB is a cooperative that provides services to its member banking institutions. The primary reason for the FHLB of Boston membership is to gain access to a reliable source of wholesale funding as a tool to manage liquidity and interest rate risk. The purchase of stock in the FHLB is a requirement for a member to gain access to funding. The Company either purchases additional FHLB stock or is subject to redemption of FHLB stock proportional to the volume of funding received. The Company views the holdings as a necessary long-term investment for the purpose of balance sheet liquidity and not for investment return. The Company’s investments in FHLB of Boston stock decreased to $21.8 million at December 31, 2025 compared to $31.6 million at December 31, 2024 in conjunction with paydowns of FHLB term borrowings during the twelve months of 2025, including the paydown of approximately $50.0 million of FHLB borrowings assumed from the Enterprise acquisition.
Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets were $1.2 billion and $1.0 billion at December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024.
The Company typically performs its annual goodwill impairment testing during the third quarter of the year, unless certain indicators suggest earlier testing to be warranted, using a combined qualitative and quantitative approach. The initial qualitative approach assesses whether the existence of events or circumstances led to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of the Company’s single reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If, after assessing the totality of events and circumstances, the Company determines it is more likely than not that the fair value is less than carrying value, a quantitative impairment test is performed to compare carrying value to the fair value of the reporting unit. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss will be recognized in an amount equal to that excess, limited to the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit. The Company’s annual impairment test was performed as of August 31, 2025 and it was determined that the Company’s goodwill was not impaired.
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Other intangible assets are also reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount of the assets may not be recoverable. There were no other events or changes during the fourth quarter of 2025 that indicated impairment of goodwill and other intangible assets. For additional information regarding the goodwill and other intangible assets, see Note 6, “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets” within the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 hereof.
Cash Surrender Value of Life Insurance Policies The Bank holds life insurance policies for the purpose of offsetting its future obligations to its employees under its retirement and benefits plans. The cash surrender value of life insurance policies was $378.6 million and $304.0 million at December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively, reflecting approximately $68.4 million of policies obtained from the Enterprise acquisition.
The Company recorded tax exempt income from life insurance policies in the amounts of $9.4 million, $8.1 million, and $7.9 million for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The Company also recorded gains on life insurance benefits of $2.0 million, $457,000, and $2.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
Deposits At December 31, 2025, total deposits were $20.1 billion, representing a $4.8 billion, or 31.5% increase compared to $15.3 billion at December 31, 2024. Total non-interest bearing demand deposits comprised 27.8% of total deposits at December 31, 2025, down only slightly from 28.7% at December 31, 2024. The total cost of deposits was 1.53% for the year ended December 31, 2025, representing a decrease of 10 basis points from the prior year.
The Company’s deposits are comprised primarily of core deposits (demand, savings and money market), as well as time deposits. The 2025 growth in deposit balances was driven primarily by $4.4 billion in balances acquired from Enterprise, as well as organic growth of $458.1 million, or 2.3%, during the twelve months ended 2025. The Company’s ratio of core deposits, inclusive of reciprocal money market deposits, to total deposits represented 83.7% at December 31, 2025 compared to 81.7% at December 31, 2024. In addition, the Company may also utilize brokered deposit sources, as needed, with balances of $6.0 million and $61.2 million outstanding at December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively. The decrease was due to the maturity of $55.3 million of brokered certificates of deposit during 2025.
Excluding the effects of the Enterprise acquisition, the Company’s deposits have increased on a net organic basis as compared to the prior year end as summarized in the table below:
Table 15 - Components of Deposit Growth/(Decline)
(Dollars in thousands)
The Company’s deposit accounts are insured to the maximum extent permitted by the Deposit Insurance Fund which is administered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (“FDIC”). The FDIC offers insurance coverage on deposits up to the federally insured limit of $250,000. The Company participates in the IntraFi Network, allowing it to provide easy access to multi-million dollar FDIC deposit insurance protection on certificate of deposit and money market investments for consumers, businesses and public entities. This channel allows the Company to access a reciprocal deposit exchange that can be used to benefit customers seeking increased FDIC insurance protection, and amounted to $1.6 billion and $1.1 billion in deposits, at December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively. The estimated balance of uninsured deposits at the Bank were $6.5 billion and $5.0 billion as of December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, respectively. Included in these amounts are $932.0 million and $814.0 million of collateralized deposits, which offer additional protection.
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Scheduled maturities of time deposits not covered by deposit insurance at December 31, 2025, were as follows:
Table 16 - Maturities of Uninsured Time Deposits
(Dollars in thousands)
Due within 3 months or less $ 326,355
Due after 3 months through 6 months 168,058
Due after 6 months through 12 months 58,302
Total uninsured time deposits (1) 561,434
(1)Amounts of uninsured time deposits presented in the table above are estimates determined based upon a relative proportion of customer account balances in excess of FDIC insurance limits, and in a manner consistent with the Company’s regulatory reporting requirements.
Borrowings The Company’s borrowings consist of both short-term and long-term borrowings and provide the Bank with one of its primary sources of funding. Maintaining available borrowing capacity provides the Bank with a contingent source of liquidity. Borrowings were $825.8 million at December 31, 2025, representing an increase of $124.5 million, compared to December 31, 2024. The increase was driven primarily by a $300.0 million subordinated debt raise completed by the Company in March 2025, as well as a $50.0 million line of credit advance during the fourth quarter of 2025. These increases were partially offset by $237.0 million in paydowns on FHLB borrowings during the twelve months ended December 31, 2025. Additionally, at the July 15, 2025 call date, the Company redeemed in full $60.0 million in subordinated notes assumed as part of the Enterprise merger. The Company also paid down approximately $50.0 million in FHLB borrowings acquired from Enterprise. See Note 8, “Borrowings” within the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Report for more information regarding borrowings.
Liquidity and Capital Resources The Company proactively manages its liquidity and cash flow requirements with the intent to maintain stable, cost-effective funding and to promote the strength of its overall balance sheet. The liquidity position of the Company is continuously monitored by management and adjustments are made to appropriately balance sources and uses of funds, as needed. For further details surrounding the Company’s liquidity risks and related strategy, see the “Risk Management – Liquidity Risk” section below within Item 7 Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations within this Report.
At December 31, 2025, the Company and the Bank exceeded the minimum requirements for Common Equity Tier 1 capital, Tier 1 capital, total capital, and Tier 1 leverage capital, inclusive of the capital conservation buffer. See Note 19, “Regulatory Matters” within the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Report for more information regarding capital requirements.
Investment Management
The following table presents total assets under administrations and number of accounts held by the Rockland Trust Investment Management Group at the following dates:
Table 17 - Assets Under Administration
(Dollars in thousands)
Number of trust, fiduciary and agency accounts 7,843 6,637 6,550
The Company’s Investment Management Group provides investment management and trust services to individuals, institutions, small businesses, and charitable institutions.
Accounts maintained by the Investment Management Group consist of managed and non-managed accounts. Managed accounts are those for which the Bank is responsible for administration and investment management and/or investment advice, while non-managed accounts are those for which the Bank acts solely as a custodian or directed trustee. The Bank receives fees
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dependent upon the level and type of service(s) provided. The Investment Management Group generated gross fee revenues of $45.0 million, $38.3 million, and $34.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively. Total assets under administration as of December 31, 2025 were $9.2 billion, including $444.3 million of investment solutions designed by Rockland Trust that are administered and executed through its agreement with LPL Financial (“LPL”), compared to $7.0 billion and $418.2 million, respectively, at December 31, 2024. The Company also has a subsidiary that is a registered investment advisor, Bright Rock Capital Management, LLC, which provides institutional quality investment management services to both institutional and high net worth clients. As of December 31, 2025 and December 31, 2024, included in the assets under administration amounts above, there were $520.5 million and $491.5 million, respectively, relating to the Company’s registered investment advisor.
The administration of trust and fiduciary accounts is monitored by the Trust Committee of the Bank’s Board of Directors. The Trust Committee has delegated administrative responsibilities to three committees, one for investments, one for administration, and one for operations, all of which are comprised of Investment Management Group officers who meet no less than quarterly.
The Bank has an agreement with LPL and its affiliates and their insurance subsidiary, LPL Insurance Associates, Inc., to offer the sale of mutual fund shares, unit investment trust shares, general securities, fixed and variable annuities and life insurance. Registered representatives who are both employed by the Bank and licensed and contracted with LPL are onsite to offer these products to the Bank’s customer base. These same agents are also approved and appointed with various other broker general agents for the purposes of processing insurance solutions for clients. The retail investments and insurance revenues were $5.1 million, $4.4 million, and $5.6 million for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively.
Results of Operations
Table 18 - Summary of Results of Operations
Years Ended December 31
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)
Diluted earnings per share $ 4.44 $ 4.52 $ 5.42
Net Interest Income The amount of net interest income is affected by changes in interest rates and by the volume, mix, and interest rate sensitivity of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities.
On a fully tax-equivalent basis, net interest income was $713.9 million for the year ended December 31, 2025, representing a 26.0% increase from net interest income of $566.5 million for the year ended December 31, 2024. The 2025 increase in net interest income was primarily attributable to increased average interest earning assets obtained from the Enterprise acquisition, as well as higher yields on interest earning assets, which were positively impacted by the accretion of purchase accounting marks from the Enterprise acquisition, and decreased funding costs. These factors resulted in a net interest margin of 3.57%, representing an increase of 29 basis point, as compared to 3.28% for the prior year.
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The following table presents the Company’s average balances, net interest income, interest rate spread, and net interest margin for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023. Non-taxable income from loans and securities is presented on a fully tax-equivalent basis by adjusting tax-exempt income upward by an amount equivalent to the prevailing federal income taxes that would have been paid if the income had been fully taxable.
Table 19 - Average Balance, Interest Earned/Paid & Average Yields
Years Ended December 31
(Dollars in thousands)
Interest-earning assets
Securities
Loans
Interest-bearing liabilities
Deposits
Borrowings
Line of credit, net 1,905 116 6.09 % — — — % — — — %
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Supplemental Information
Cost of total funding liabilities 1.68 % 1.81 % 1.18 %
(1)The total amount of adjustment to present interest income and yield on a fully tax-equivalent basis is $5.1 million, $4.7 million, and $4.5 million for 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
(2)Interest rate spread represents the difference between the weighted average yield on interest-earning assets and the weighted average costs of interest-bearing liabilities.
(3)Net interest margin represents net interest income as a percentage of average interest-earning assets.
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The following table presents certain information on a fully-tax equivalent basis regarding changes in the Company’s interest income and interest expense for the periods indicated. For each category of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities, information is provided with respect to changes attributable to (1) changes in rate (change in rate multiplied by prior year volume), (2) changes in volume (change in volume multiplied by prior year rate) and (3) changes in volume/rate (change in rate multiplied by change in volume) which is allocated to the change due to rate column:
Table 20 - Volume Rate Analysis
Years Ended December 31
(Dollars in thousands)
Income on interest-earning assets
Securities
Non-taxable securities (1) (17) 445 428 — — — — — —
Loans
Expense of interest-bearing liabilities
Deposits
Borrowings
Line of credit 116 — 116 — — — — — —
Long-term borrowings — — — — — — — (31) (31)
(1)The table above reflects income determined on a fully tax equivalent basis. See footnote to Table 19 above for the related adjustments.
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Provision For Credit Losses The provision for credit losses represents the charge to expense that is required to maintain an adequate level of allowance for credit losses. The Company recorded a provision for credit losses of $65.5 million, $36.3 million and $23.3 million for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024, and 2023, respectively. The increase in the current period includes $34.5 million related to non-PCD loans acquired from Enterprise. The increases between 2024 and 2023 are attributable to idiosyncratic events within the commercial portfolios.
The Company’s allowance for credit losses, as a percentage of total loans, was 1.03%, 1.17% and 1.00% at December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively. The decrease from the prior periods is due to charge-offs taken on loans that were specifically reserved for at those periods. See Note 4, “Loans, Allowance for Credit Losses and Credit Quality” within the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Report, for further details surrounding the primary drivers of the provision for credit losses during the period.
Non-interest Income The following table sets forth information regarding non-interest income for the periods shown:
Table 21 - Non-interest Income
Years Ended December 31
Change
(Dollars in thousands)
The primary reasons for significant variances in the non-interest income categories shown in the preceding table are noted below:
•Deposit account fees were higher than the year ago period as a result of increases in overdraft and cash management fees, as well as increased volume attributable to Enterprise acquisition.
•Interchange and ATM fees increased year-over-year primarily due to increased volume due to the Enterprise acquisition and timing of vendor rebates.
•Investment management and advisory income increased year-over-year, and is primarily attributable to higher asset-based revenue resulting from higher levels of assets under administration, which increased by $2.2 billion, or 31.0%, from $7.0 billion at December 31, 2024 to $9.2 billion at December 31, 2025, including the addition of $1.5 billion in assets under administration acquired from Enterprise. This increase was partially offset by lower insurance commissions recognized in 2025 as compared to 2024.
•Mortgage banking income increased year-over-year, driven by higher origination volume as compared to the same prior year period.
•The increase in cash surrender value of life insurance policies were primarily attributable to policies obtained in connection with the Enterprise acquisition.
•Gain on life insurance benefits increased year-over-year as the Company received higher levels of proceeds on life insurance policies.
•Loan level derivative income increased year-over-year, reflecting fluctuations in customer demand fueled by changes in the macroeconomic environment.
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•Other noninterest income increased year-over-year, driven primarily by business owner advisory services of $533,000, credit card fee income of $502,000, checkbook fees of $319,000, and payment processing income of $294,000. These increases were partially offset by decreases in FHLB dividend income and less equity securities unrealized gains.
Non-interest Expense The following table sets forth information regarding non-interest expense for the periods shown:
Table 22 - Non-interest Expense
Years Ended December 31
Change
(Dollars in thousands)
The primary reasons for significant variances in the non-interest expense categories shown in the preceding tables are noted below:
•Salaries and employee benefits increased year-over-year primarily attributable to increases in general salaries of $30.4 million, including the impact of an expanded employee base as a result of the Enterprise acquisition, as well as increases in incentive programs of approximately $6.9 million, medical plan insurance of $4.3 million, payroll taxes of $3.5 million and commissions of $2.4 million.
•Occupancy and equipment expense increased year-over-year, primarily attributable to the expanded branch network, real estate and other fixed assets obtained from the Enterprise acquisition.
•Data processing increases reflect overall increased levels of transactional activity in conjunction with the Company’s growth, including the Enterprise acquisition.
•Software and subscriptions increased primarily due to the Company’s continued investment in its technology infrastructure.
•FDIC assessment expense increased in comparison to the prior year, primarily attributable to an increased assessment rate following the Enterprise acquisition.
•Debit card expenses increased year-over-year, driven primarily by a one-time credit of $1.1 million recognized during 2024.
•Consulting expense decreased year-over-year due primarily to the timing of strategic initiatives.
•Amortization of intangible assets increased, driven by increased amortization attributable to the core deposit intangible, customer list and other intangible assets established as part of the Enterprise acquisition.
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•The Company incurred merger and acquisition expenses of $39.6 million and $1.9 million during the years ended 2025 and 2024, respectively, related to the Company’s acquisition of Enterprise. The majority of the merger expense related to change in control and severance contracts, vendor systems contract terminations, as well as legal and professional fees.
•Other non-interest expenses increased year-over year, driven primarily by increases in internet banking expense of $837,000, examinations and audits of $784,000, loan workout costs of $739,000, director fees of $619,000, telecommunications costs of $592,000, contract labor of $395,000, reciprocal deposit fees of $372,000, business development and customer events of $310,000, along with other miscellaneous expenses. These increases were partially offset by decreases in card issuance costs, losses on equity securities, defined benefit plan costs, and other losses and change-offs .
Income Taxes The tax effect of all income and expense transactions is recognized by the Company in each year’s consolidated statements of income, regardless of the year in which the transactions are reported for income tax purposes. The following table sets forth information regarding the Company’s tax provision and applicable tax rates for the periods indicated:
Table 23 - Tax Provision and Applicable Tax Rates
Years Ended December 31
(Dollars in thousands)
The effective tax rate is impacted by pre-tax income levels, a decrease in the statutory state tax rate, as well as increased tax benefits from low-income housing tax credits. The effective tax rates in the table are lower than the blended statutory tax rates due to the impact of discrete items, including tax benefits related to equity compensation, as well as certain tax preference assets such as life insurance policies, tax exempt bonds and federal tax credits, such as low income housing tax credits.
For additional information related to the Company’s income taxes see Note 11, “Income Taxes” and Note 12, “Low Income Housing Project Investments” within the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Report.
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act (“OBBBA”) was enacted on July 4, 2025. Among other things, the new law makes permanent certain expiring business tax provisions of the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. These include provisions which allow businesses to immediately expense, for tax purposes, the cost of new investments in certain qualified depreciable assets and the cost of qualified domestic research and development. The OBBBA also imposes a floor on tax deductions taken on charitable contributions. Further, the OBBBA significantly changes U.S. tax law related to foreign operations and certain tax credits; however, such changes are not anticipated to have a material impact to the Company’s financial statements.
Dividends The Company declared quarterly cash dividends totaling $2.36 per common share in 2025 and $2.28 per common share in 2024. The 2025 and 2024 ratio of dividends paid to earnings was 50.65% and 50.08%, respectively.
Since substantially all of the funds available for the payment of dividends are derived from the Bank, future dividends of the Company will depend on the earnings of the Bank, its financial condition, its need for funds, applicable governmental policies and regulations, and other such matters as the Board of Directors deems appropriate.
Comparison of 2024 vs. 2023 For a discussion of our results for the year ended December 31, 2024 compared to the year ended December 31, 2023, please see Item 7. “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” in our Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC on February 28, 2025.
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Risk Management
The Board of Directors has approved an Enterprise Risk Management Policy and Risk Appetite Statement to state the Company’s goals and objectives in identifying, measuring, and managing the risks associated with the Company’s current and near future anticipated size and complexity. Management is responsible for comprehensive enterprise risk management, and continually strives to adopt and implement practices that strike an appropriate balance between risk and reward and permit the achievement of strategic goals in a controlled environment.
The Company has implemented the “three lines of defense” enterprise risk management model . The first line of defense represents all operating business units, and corporate functions. Under the purview of the Chief Risk Officer, the second line of defense monitors and provides risk management advice across all risk domains, and is comprised of Enterprise Risk Management/Operational Risk, Enterprise Compliance, and Information Security. The activities of the second line of defense are overseen by and reported to the Board Risk Committee on a regular basis. Under the purview of the Chief Internal Auditor, the third line of defense is the independent assurance function primarily executed by the Company’s internal audit department. Third line of defense audit activities are overseen by and reported to the Company’s Board Audit Committee on a regular basis. Risk management efforts are further supported and bolstered through a formal and robust risk governance structure comprised of various management level committees that are designed to identify, monitor, report and mitigate top risks faced by the Company based on its risk taxonomy as described below.
The Board of Directors, with the assistance of its Risk Committee, exercised oversight of the Company’s risk management program and practices. As risks must be taken to create value, the Board of Directors has approved a Risk Appetite Statement that defines the acceptable residual risk appetite for the Company and the nine major risk types identified as having the potential to create significant adverse impacts on the Company, such as financial losses, reputational damage, legal or regulatory actions, failure to achieve strategic objectives, diminished customer experience, and/or cultural erosion. The nine major risk categories identified by the Company and addressed in the Risk Appetite Statement are strategic and emerging risk, culture risk, credit risk, liquidity risk, market and interest rate risk, operational risk, reputation risk, regulatory and compliance risk, and technology and cyber risk, each of which is discussed below.
Strategic and Emerging Risk Strategic and emerging risk is the risk arising from adverse strategic or business decisions, misalignment of strategic direction with the Company’s mission and values, failure to execute strategies or tactics, or an inadequate adaptation or lack of responsiveness to industry and/or operating environment changes. Management seeks to mitigate strategic and emerging risk through strategic planning, frequent executive review of strategic plan progress, monitoring of competitors and technology, assessment of new products, new branches, and new business initiatives, customer advocacy, and crisis management planning.
Culture Risk Culture risk is the risk arising from failed leadership and/or ineffective colleague engagement and workplace management that causes the Company to lose sight of core values and, through acts or omissions, damage the relationship-based culture that has been one of the foundations of the Company’s success. Management seeks to mitigate culture risk through effective employee relations, leadership that encourages continuous improvement, cultural development and reinforcement of core values, communication of clear ethical and behavioral standards, consistent enforcement of policies and programs, discipline of misbehavior, alignment of incentives and compensation, and by promoting a company-wide focus on respect for individual differences and differing perspectives.
Credit Risk Credit risk is the risk arising from the failure of a borrower or a counterparty to a contract to make payments as agreed, and includes the risks arising from inadequate collateral and mismanagement of loan concentrations. While the collateral securing loans may be sufficient in some cases to recover the amount due, in other cases the Company may experience significant credit losses that could have an adverse effect on its operating results. The Company makes assumptions and judgments about the collectability of its loan portfolio, including the creditworthiness of its borrowers and counterparties and the value of collateral for the repayment of loans. For further discussion regarding the credit risk and the credit quality of the Company’s loan portfolio, see Note 5, “Loans, Allowance for Credit Losses and Credit Quality” within the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Report.
Liquidity Risk Liquidity risk is the risk arising from the Company being unable to meet obligations when due. Liquidity risk includes the inability to access funding sources or manage fluctuations in available funding levels. Liquidity risk also results from a failure to recognize or address market condition changes that affect the ability to liquidate assets quickly with minimal value loss.
The Company’s primary sources of funds are deposits, borrowings, and the amortization, prepayment, and maturities of loans and securities. The Bank utilizes its extensive branch network to access retail customers who provide a base of in-market
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core deposits. These funds are principally comprised of demand deposits, interest checking accounts, savings accounts, and money market accounts. Interest rates, economic conditions, and competitive factors greatly influence deposit levels.
The Company measures funds availability and surplus under both stress and non-stress conditions. In addition, liquidity monitoring ensures appropriate oversight of funding exposures and reliance, as well as available capacity. The Company continually monitors both on and off balance sheet liquidity sources to understand vulnerabilities and when adjustments to the balance between sources and uses of funds may be necessary.Management regularly performs liquidity stress testing to assess potential liquidity outflows or funding concerns resulting from economic or industry disruptions, volatility in the financial markets, or unforeseen credit events.The results of these scenarios are used to inform the Company’s Contingency Funding Plan and help provide the basis for its liquidity needs.
The Company prioritizes core deposits as a primary funding source and continues to maintain a variety of available liquidity sources, including FHLB advances, and Federal Reserve borrowing capacity. These funding sources serve as a contingent source of liquidity and, when profitable lending and investment opportunities exist, the Company may access them to provide the liquidity needed to grow the balance sheet. The amount and type of assets that the Company has available to pledge affects the Company’s FHLB and Federal Reserve borrowing capacity. The Company’s lending decisions, therefore, can also affect its liquidity position.
The Company may also have the ability to raise additional funds through the issuance of equity or unsecured debt privately or publicly, as demonstrated by the $300.0 million subordinated debt issuance completed by the Company during the first quarter of 2025. Additionally, the Company is able to acquire brokered certificates of deposits at its discretion. The availability and cost of equity or debt on an unsecured basis is dependent on many factors, including the Company’s financial position, the market environment, and the Company’s credit rating. The Company monitors the factors that could affect its ability to raise liquidity through these channels.
The table below shows current and unused liquidity capacity from various sources at the dates indicated:
Table 24 - Sources of Liquidity
December 31
(Dollars in thousands)
(1)Loans and securities with a carrying value of $4.5 billion and $3.8 billion at December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, were pledged to the Federal Home Loan Bank of Boston.
(2)Represents line of credit available to the parent Company.
(3)Loans and securities with a carrying value of $8.3 billion and $4.6 billion at December 31, 2025 and 2024, respectively, were pledged to the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston.
(4)The additional borrowing capacity has not been assessed for these categories.
In addition to customary operational liquidity practices, the Board and management recognize the need to establish reasonable guidelines to manage a heightened liquidity risk environment. Catalysts for elevated liquidity risk can be Company-specific issues and/or systemic macro-economic or industry-wide events. Management is therefore responsible for instituting systems and controls designed to provide advanced detection of potentially significant funding shortages, establishing methods for assessing and monitoring risk levels, and instituting responses that may alleviate or circumvent a potential liquidity crisis.
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Management has established a Contingency Funding Plan to provide a framework to detect potential liquidity problems and appropriately address them in a timely manner.
Market and Interest Rate Risk Market risk refers to the risk of potential losses arising from changes in interest rates and the value of assets due to market conditions or other external factors or events. Interest rate risk is the most significant market risk to which the Company has exposure to due to the nature of its operations.
Interest rate risk is the sensitivity of income to changes in interest rates. Interest rate changes, as well as fluctuations in the level and duration of assets and liabilities, affect net interest income, which is the Company’s primary source of revenue. Interest rate risk arises directly from the Company’s core banking activities. In addition to directly affecting net interest income, changes in the level of interest rates can also affect the amount of loans originated, the timing of cash flows on loans and securities, and the fair value of securities and derivatives, and have other effects.
Management strives to control interest rate risk within limits approved by the Board of Directors that reflect the Company’s tolerance for interest rate risk over short-term and long-term horizons. The Company attempts to manage interest rate risk by identifying, quantifying, and, where appropriate, hedging exposure. If assets and liabilities do not re-price simultaneously and in equal volume, the potential for interest rate exposure exists. It is the Company’s objective to maintain stability in the growth of net interest income through the maintenance of an appropriate mix of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities and, when necessary within limits management deems prudent, with hedging instruments such as interest rate swaps, floors, and caps.
The Company quantifies its interest rate exposures using net interest income and Economic Value of Equity analysis. Key assumptions in these analyses relate to behavior of interest rates and behavior of the Company’s deposit and loan customers. The most material assumptions relate to the prepayment of loans and securities and the life and sensitivity of non-maturity deposits (e.g., demand deposit, savings, and money market accounts). The risk of prepayment tends to increase when interest rates fall. Since future prepayment behavior of loan customers is uncertain, interest rate sensitivity of loans cannot be determined with precision and actual behavior may differ from assumptions to a significant degree. Non-maturity deposits, assumptions over customer behavior, shifts in deposits categories, and magnitude of impact to the cost of deposits all may differ from what is currently anticipated by the models or analyses.
Given the volatility associated with market rates, and the uncertainty surrounding future rate movements, management has continued to maintain a more neutral interest rate risk position. The Company runs numerous scenarios to quantify and effectively assist in managing interest rate risk, including instantaneous parallel shifts over one and two year horizons, and a series of non-parallel shocks to evaluate the impact of different yield curve shape. Key highlights of the Company’s net interest income sensitivity is summarized in the following table:
Table 25 - Interest Rate Sensitivity
Years Ended December 31
Year 1 Year 1
Parallel rate shocks (basis points)
The results depicted in the table above are dependent on material assumptions, such as prepayment rates, decay rates, pricing decisions on loans and deposits, and other factors, which management believes are reasonable. These assumptions may be impacted by customer preferences or competitive influences and therefore actual experience may differ from the assumptions in the model. Accordingly, although the tables provide an indication of the Company’s interest rate risk exposure at a particular point in time, such measurements are not intended to and do not provide a precise forecast of the effect of changes in market interest rates, and actual results may differ.
The most significant market factors affecting the Company’s net interest income during the year ended December 31, 2025 were the shape of the U.S. Government securities and interest rate swap yield curve, the U.S. prime interest rate, the Secured Overnight Financing Rate, and other interest rates offered on long-term fixed rate loans.
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The Company manages the interest rate risk inherent in both its loan and borrowing portfolios by using interest rate swap agreements and interest rate caps and floors. An interest rate swap is an agreement in which one party agrees to pay a floating rate of interest on a notional principal amount in exchange for receiving a fixed rate of interest on the same notional amount for a predetermined period from the other party. Interest rate caps and floors are agreements where one party agrees to pay a floating rate of interest on a notional principal amount for a predetermined period to a second party if certain market interest rate thresholds are realized. While interest is paid or received in swap, cap, and floors agreements, the notional principal amount is not exchanged. The Company may also manage the interest rate risk inherent in its mortgage banking operations by entering into forward sales contracts under which the Company agrees to deliver whole mortgage loans to various investors. See Note 10, “Derivatives and Hedging Activities” within Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Report for additional information regarding the Company’s derivative financial instruments.
Movements in foreign currency rates or commodity prices do not directly or materially affect the Company’s earnings. Movements in equity prices may have a modest impact on earnings by affecting the volume of activity or the amount of fees from investment-related business lines. See Note 3, “Securities” within the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Report.
Operational RiskOperational risk is the risk arising from human error or misconduct, transaction errors or delays, inadequate or failed internal systems or processes, data unavailability, loss, or poor quality, or adverse external events. Operational risk includes fraud risk and model risk. Potential operational risk exposure exists throughout the Company. The continued effectiveness of colleagues and operational infrastructure are integral to mitigating operational risk, and any shortcomings subject the Company to risks that vary in size, scale and scope.
Reputation Risk Reputation risk is the risk arising from negative public opinion of the Company and the Bank. Management seeks to mitigate reputational risk through actions that include a structured process of customer complaint resolution and ongoing reputational monitoring.
Regulatory and Compliance Risk Regulatory and Compliance risk is the risk arising from violations of laws or regulations, non-conformance with prescribed practices, internal bank policies and procedures, or ethical standards. Compliance risk includes consumer compliance risk, legal risk, and regulatory compliance risk. Management seeks to mitigate compliance risk through compliance training and regulatory change management processes.
Technology and Cyber Risk Technology and Cyber risk is the risk of losses or other impacts arising from the failure of technology systems to function in accordance with expectations and business requirements. Technology risks include technical failures, unlawful tampering with technical systems, cyber security, terrorist activities, ineffectiveness or exposure due to interruption in third party support. Management seeks to mitigate technology risk through appropriate security and controls over data and its technological environment. The Bank manages cybersecurity threats proactively and maintains robust controls to protect its critical systems and information assets by investing in secure, reliable and resilient technology infrastructure, fostering a culture of technology risk awareness and continuously improving its technology risk management practices.
Contractual Obligations, Commitments, Contingencies and Off-Balance Sheet Obligations
In the ordinary course of business the Company has entered into contractual obligations, commitments, residential loans sold with recourse and other off-balance sheet financial instruments. Refer to the accompanying notes to consolidated financial statements in this report for further information and the expected timing of the applicable payments as of December 31, 2025. These include payments related to (i) borrowings (Note 8 - Borrowings), (ii) lease obligations (Note 17 - Leases), (iii) time deposits with stated maturity dates (Note 7 - Deposits), (iv) commitments to extend credit (Note 18 - Commitments and Contingencies), (v) derivative positions (Note 10 - Derivatives and Hedging Activities), and (vi) unfunded commitments on low income housing project investments (Note 12 - Low Income Housing Project Investments). Also refer to Table 24 - Sources of Liquidity within Item 7 of this Report for further details surrounding the Company’s current and unused liquidity resources.
Impact of Inflation and Changing Prices
The consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto presented in Item 8 of this Report have been prepared in accordance with GAAP which requires the measurement of financial position and operating results in terms of historical dollars without considering changes in the relative purchasing power of money over time due to inflation.
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The financial nature of the Company’s consolidated financial statements is more clearly affected by changes in interest rates than by inflation. Interest rates do not necessarily fluctuate in the same direction or in the same magnitude as the prices of goods and services. However, inflation does affect the Company because, as prices increase, the money supply grows and interest rates are affected by inflationary expectations. The impact on the Company is a noted increase in the size of loan requests with resulting growth in total assets. In addition, operating expenses may increase without a corresponding increase in productivity. There is no precise method, however, to measure the effects of inflation on the Company’s consolidated financial statements. Accordingly, any examination or analysis of the financial statements should take into consideration the possible effects of inflation.
Critical Accounting Estimates
Critical accounting policies are defined as those that are reflective of significant judgments and uncertainties, and could potentially result in materially different results under different assumptions and conditions. Certain estimates associated with these policies inherently have a greater reliance on the use of assumptions and judgments and, as such, have a greater possibility of producing results that could be materially different than originally reported. These critical accounting estimates are defined as estimates made in accordance with GAAP that involve a significant level of estimation uncertainty and have had, or are reasonably likely to have, a material impact on financial condition or results of operations. Management believes that the Company’s most critical accounting policies and estimates upon which the Company’s financial condition depends, and which involve the most complex or subjective decisions or assessments, are as follows:
Allowance for Credit Losses - Loans Held for Investment The Company estimates the allowance for credit losses in accordance with the CECL methodology for loans measured at amortized cost. The allowance for credit losses is established based upon the Company’s current estimate of expected lifetime credit losses. Arriving at an appropriate amount of allowance for credit losses involves a high degree of judgment.
The Company estimates credit losses on a collective basis for loans sharing similar risk characteristics using a quantitative model combined with an assessment of certain qualitative factors designed to address forecast risk and model risk inherent in the quantitative model output. Management’s judgment is required for the selection and application of these factors which are derived from historical loss experience as well as assumptions surrounding expected future losses and economic forecasts.
Loans that no longer share similar risk characteristics with any pools of assets are subject to individual assessment and are removed from the collectively assessed pools to avoid double counting. For the loans that are individually assessed, the Company uses either a discounted cash flow (“DCF”) approach or a fair value of collateral approach. The latter approach is used for loans deemed to be collateral dependent or when foreclosure is probable. Changes in these judgments and assumptions could be due to a number of circumstances which may have a direct impact on the provision for loan losses and may result in changes to the amount of allowance. The allowance for credit losses is increased by the provision for credit losses and by recoveries of loans previously charged off. Loan losses are charged against the allowance when management’s assessments confirm that the Company will not collect the full amortized cost basis of a loan.
Management performs periodic sensitivity and stress testing using available economic forecasts in order to evaluate the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses under varying scenarios. Given the Company’s benign loss history, the analyses performed have not resulted in a material change to the quantitative allowance but have informed management’s determination of qualitative adjustments and act as corroborating evidence as to the appropriateness of the allowance as a whole. For additional discussion of the Company’s methodology of assessing the appropriateness of the allowance for credit losses, see Note 4, “Loans, Allowance for Credit Losses and Credit Quality” within the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Report.
Income Taxes The Company accounts for income taxes using two components of income tax expense, current and deferred. Current taxes represent the net estimated amount due to or to be received from taxing authorities in the current year. In estimating accrued taxes, management assesses the relative merits and risks of the appropriate tax treatment of transactions, taking into account statutory, judicial, and regulatory guidance in the context of the Company’s tax position. Deferred tax assets and liabilities represent the future effects on income taxes that result from temporary differences between the tax basis of assets and liabilities and their reported amounts in the financial statements, and carry-forwards that exist at the end of a period. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are measured using enacted tax rates and provisions of the enacted tax law and are not discounted to reflect the time-value of money. The effect of any change in enacted tax rates on deferred tax assets and liabilities is recognized in income in the period that includes the enactment date. Deferred tax assets are assessed for recoverability and the Company may record a valuation allowance if it believes based on available evidence that it is more likely than not that the deferred tax assets recognized will not be realized before their expiration. The amount of the deferred
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tax asset recognized and considered realizable could be reduced if projected income is not achieved due to various factors such as unfavorable business conditions. If projected income is not expected to be achieved, the Company may record a valuation allowance to reduce its deferred tax assets to the amount that it believes can be realized in its future tax returns. Additionally, deferred tax assets and liabilities are calculated based on tax rates expected to be in effect in future periods. Previously recorded tax assets and liabilities need to be adjusted when the expected date of the future event is revised based upon current information. The Company may also record an unrecognized tax benefit related to uncertain tax positions taken by the Company on its tax returns for which there is less than a 50% likelihood of being recognized upon a tax examination. All movements in unrecognized tax benefits are recognized through the provision for income taxes. Taxes are discussed in more detail in Note 11, “Income Taxes” within the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Report.
Business Combinations In accordance with applicable accounting guidance, the Company recognizes assets acquired and liabilities assumed at their respective fair values as of the date of acquisition, with the related transaction costs expensed in the period incurred. The Company may use third party valuation specialists to assist in the determination of fair value of certain assets and liabilities at the acquisition date, including loans, core deposit intangibles and time deposits. While the Company uses its best estimates and assumptions to accurately value assets acquired and liabilities assumed on the acquisition date, the estimates are inherently uncertain. The allowance for credit losses on PCD loans is recognized within business combination accounting. The allowance for credit losses on non-PCD loans is recognized as a provision expense in the same period as the business combination. For further discussion of the Company’s accounting policies for estimating credit losses on acquired loans, see Note 4, “Loans, Allowance for Credit Losses and Credit Quality” within the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Report.
Valuation of Goodwill/Intangible Assets and Analysis for Impairment The Company has increased its market share through the acquisition of entire financial institutions accounted for under the acquisition method of accounting, as well as from the acquisition of branches (not the entire institution) and other non-banking entities. For all acquisitions, the Company is required to record assets acquired and liabilities assumed at their fair value, which is an estimate determined by the use of internal or other valuation techniques, which may include the use of third-party specialists. Goodwill is evaluated for impairment at least annually, or more often if warranted, using a combined qualitative and quantitative impairment approach. The initial qualitative approach assesses whether the existence of events or circumstances led to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. If, after assessing the totality of events and circumstances, the Company determines it is more likely than not that the fair value is less than carrying value, a quantitative impairment test is performed to compare carrying value to the fair value of the reporting unit. If the carrying amount of the reporting unit exceeds its fair value, an impairment loss will be recognized in an amount equal to that excess, limited to the total amount of goodwill allocated to that reporting unit.
The Company’s goodwill relates to acquisitions that are fully integrated into the retail banking operations, which management does not consider to be at risk of failing step one in the near future. The Company’s other intangible assets are subject to amortization and are reviewed for impairment whenever events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying amount may not be recoverable. When applicable, the Company tests each of the other intangibles by comparing the carrying value of the intangible to the sum of the undiscounted cash flows expected to result from the use and eventual disposition of the asset.
Valuation of Investment Securities Securities that the Company has the ability and intent to hold until maturity are classified as securities held-to-maturity and are accounted for using historical cost, adjusted for amortization of premium and accretion of discount. Trading and equity securities are carried at fair value, with unrealized gains and losses recorded in other non-interest income. All other securities are classified as securities available-for-sale and are carried at fair market value. The fair values of securities are based on either quoted market price or third-party pricing services. In general, the third-party pricing services employ various methodologies, including but not limited to, broker quotes and proprietary models. Management does not typically adjust the prices received from third-party pricing services. Depending upon the type of security, management employs various techniques to analyze the pricing it receives from third-parties, such as reviewing model inputs, reviewing comparable trades, analyzing changes in market yields and, in certain instances, reviewing the underlying collateral of the security. Management reviews changes in fair values from period to period and performs testing to ensure that the prices received from the third parties are consistent with their expectation of the market.
Management determines if the market for a security is active primarily based upon the frequency of which the security, or similar securities, are traded. For securities which are determined to have an inactive market, fair value models are calibrated and to the extent possible, significant inputs are back tested on a quarterly basis. The third-party service provider performs calibration and testing of the models by comparing anticipated inputs to actual results, on a quarterly basis. Unrealized gains and losses on securities available-for-sale are reported, on an after-tax basis, as a separate component of stockholders’ equity in accumulated other comprehensive income.
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Recent Accounting Developments
See Note 1, “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” within the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Report.
ITEM 7A. QUANTITATIVE AND QUALITATIVE DISCLOSURES ABOUT MARKET RISK
See “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Risk Management” in Item 7 of this Report.
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ITEM 8. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS AND SUPPLEMENTARY DATA
Report of Independent Registered Public Accounting Firm
To the Shareholders and the Board of Directors of Independent Bank Corp.
Opinion on the Financial Statements
We have audited the accompanying consolidated balance sheets of Independent Bank Corp. (the Company) as of December 31, 2025 and 2024, the related consolidated statements of income, comprehensive income, stockholders’ equity and cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2025 and the related notes (collectively referred to as the “consolidated financial statements”). In our opinion, the consolidated financial statements present fairly, in all material respects, the financial position of the Company at December 31, 2025 and 2024, and the results of its operations and its cash flows for each of the three years in the period ended December 31, 2025, in conformity with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.
We also have audited, in accordance with the standards of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (United States) (PCAOB), the Company’s internal control over financial reporting as of December 31, 2025, based on criteria established in Internal Control—Integrated Framework issued by the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations of the Treadway Commission (2013 framework), and our report dated February 27, 2026 expressed an unqualified opinion thereon.
Basis for Opinion
These financial statements are the responsibility of the Company’s management. Our responsibility is to express an opinion on the Company’s financial statements based on our audits. We are a public accounting firm registered with the PCAOB and are required to be independent with respect to the Company in accordance with the U.S. federal securities laws and the applicable rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission and the PCAOB.
We conducted our audits in accordance with the standards of the PCAOB. Those standards require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements are free of material misstatement, whether due to error or fraud. Our audits included performing procedures to assess the risks of material misstatement of the financial statements, whether due to error or fraud, and performing procedures that respond to those risks. Such procedures included examining, on a test basis, evidence regarding the amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. Our audits also included evaluating the accounting principles used and significant estimates made by management, as well as evaluating the overall presentation of the financial statements. We believe that our audits provide a reasonable basis for our opinion.
Critical Audit Matters
The critical audit matters communicated below are matters arising from the current period audit of the financial statements that were communicated or required to be communicated to the audit committee and that: (1) relate to accounts or disclosures that are material to the financial statements and (2) involved our especially challenging, subjective, or complex judgments. The communication of critical audit matters does not alter in any way our opinion on the consolidated financial statements, taken as a whole, and we are not, by communicating the critical audit matters below, providing a separate opinion on the critical audit matters or on the accounts or disclosures to which they relate.
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Allowance for credit losses
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/s/ Ernst & Young LLP
We have served as the Company’s auditor since 2009
Boston, Massachusetts
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INDEPENDENT BANK CORP.
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Dollars in thousands)
December 31
Assets
Securities
Loans held for sale (at fair value) 35,909 7,271
Loans
Cash surrender value of life insurance policies 378,576 303,965
Liabilities and Stockholders’ Equity
Deposits
Borrowings
Line of credit (less unamortized debt issuance costs of $47) 49,953 —
Commitments and contingencies — —
Stockholders’ Equity
Deferred compensation obligation 3,452 3,383
Accumulated other comprehensive loss, net of tax (39,754) (90,007)
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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INDEPENDENT BANK CORP.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
Years Ended December 31
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)
Interest income
Non-taxable interest and dividends on securities 345 6 6
Interest on federal funds sold and short-term investments 19,766 5,669 5,186
Interest expense
Non-interest income
Increase in cash surrender value of life insurance policies 9,434 8,086 7,868
Non-interest expenses
Diluted earnings per share $ 4.44 $ 4.52 $ 5.42
Cash dividends declared per common share $ 2.36 $ 2.28 $ 2.20
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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INDEPENDENT BANK CORP.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
Years Ended December 31
(Dollars in thousands)
Other comprehensive income (loss), net of tax
Net change in fair value of securities available for sale 42,761 16,743 32,426
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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INDEPENDENT BANK CORP.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF STOCKHOLDERS’ EQUITY
(Dollars in thousands, except per share data)
Other comprehensive income — — — — — — 48,257 48,257
Common dividend declared ($2.20 per share) — — — — — (96,456) — (96,456)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options, net of cash paid 3,238 — — — 81 — — 81
Stock based compensation — — — — 6,377 — — 6,377
Shares issued under direct stock purchase plan 46,963 — — — 2,682 — — 2,682
Other comprehensive income — — — — — — 24,820 24,820
Common dividend declared ($2.28 per share) — — — — — (96,845) — (96,845)
Proceeds from exercise of stock options, net of cash paid 1,667 — — — 81 — — 81
Stock based compensation — — — — 6,523 — — 6,523
Shares issued under direct stock purchase plan 58,331 — — — 3,287 — — 3,287
Other comprehensive income — — — — — — 50,253 50,253
Proceeds from exercise of stock options, net of cash paid 380 — — — — — — —
Stock based compensation — — — — 8,985 — — 8,985
Shares issued under direct stock purchase plan 39,364 — — — 2,575 — — 2,575
(1)Inclusive of $608,000, $311,000 and $1.8 million impact of excise tax attributable to shares repurchased under a repurchase program for the years ended December 31, 2025, 2024 and 2023, respectively.
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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INDEPENDENT BANK CORP.
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
Years Ended December 31
(Dollars in thousands)
Cash flow from operating activities
Adjustments to reconcile net income to net cash provided by operating activities
Change in unamortized net loan costs and fees (1,979) (1,739) (1,856)
Net loss on sale of securities 64 — —
Net loss on bank premises and equipment 130 155 310
Realized gain on sale leaseback transaction — — (193)
Change in fair value on loans held for sale (457) 20 (97)
Net change in:
Cash flows provided by (used in) investing activities
Proceeds from sales of securities available for sale 74,303 — —
Purchases of securities available for sale (426,161) (129,379) —
Net decrease (increase) in Federal Home Loan Bank stock 16,621 11,984 (38,339)
Purchases of life insurance policies (117) (114) (162)
Net cash acquired in business combinations 97,760 — —
Proceeds from the sale of bank premises and equipment 295 92 113
Net cash provided by (used in) investing activities 5,050 (33,010) (211,650)
Cash flows provided by (used in) financing activities
Proceeds from line of credit, net of issuance costs 49,937 — —
Proceeds from subordinated debentures, net of issuance costs 295,843 — —
Repayments of subordinated debentures (60,000) (50,000) —
Net proceeds from exercise of stock options — 80 80
Restricted stock awards issued, net of awards surrendered (1,459) (815) (1,142)
Proceeds from shares issued under direct stock purchase plan 2,549 3,254 2,662
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Cash paid during the year for
Supplemental schedule of non-cash investing and financing activities
Common stock issued for acquisition $ 477,266 $ — $ —
Fair value of assets acquired, net of cash acquired $ 4,930,778 $ — $ —
Fair value of liabilities assumed $ 4,551,272 $ — $ —
The accompanying notes are an integral part of these consolidated financial statements.
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Table of Contents
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
INDEPENDENT BANK CORP.
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
NOTE 1 SUMMARY OF SIGNIFICANT ACCOUNTING POLICIES
Nature of Operations
Independent Bank Corp. (the “Company”) is a bank holding company, the principal subsidiary of which is Rockland Trust Company (“Rockland Trust” or the “Bank”). Rockland Trust is a state-chartered commercial bank which provides a variety of banking, investment and financial services through its retail branches, commercial banking centers, investment management offices, and mortgage lending centers located throughout Eastern Massachusetts as well as in Worcester County, southern New Hampshire, and Rhode Island. Rockland Trust deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, subject to regulatory limits. The Company’s primary source of income is from providing loans to individuals and small-to-medium sized businesses in its market area. Rockland Trust is a community-oriented commercial bank, and the community banking business is the Company’s only reportable operating segment.
Principles of Consolidation
The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of the Company, the Bank and other wholly-owned subsidiaries, except subsidiaries that are not deemed necessary to be consolidated. All significant intercompany balances and transactions have been eliminated in consolidation.
The Company determines whether it has a controlling financial interest in an entity by first evaluating whether the entity is a voting interest entity or a variable interest entity under GAAP. Voting interest entities are entities in which the total equity investment at risk is sufficient to enable the entity to finance itself independently and provides the equity holders with the obligation to absorb losses, the right to receive residual returns and the right to make decisions about the entity’s activities. The Company would consolidate voting interest entities in which it has all, or at least a majority of, the voting interest. As defined in applicable accounting standards, variable interest entities (“VIEs”) are entities that lack one or more of the characteristics of a voting interest entity. A controlling financial interest in a VIE is present when the Company has both the power and ability to direct the activities of the VIE that most significantly impact the VIE’s economic performance and an obligation to absorb losses or the right to receive benefits that could potentially be significant to the VIE.
The Company also owns the common stock of various trusts which have issued trust preferred securities. These trusts are VIEs in which the Company is not the primary beneficiary and, therefore, are not consolidated. The trust’s only assets are junior subordinated debentures issued by the Company, which were acquired by the trust using the proceeds from the issuance of the trust preferred securities and common stock. The junior subordinated debentures are included in long-term debt and the Company’s equity interest in the trust is included in other assets in the accompanying Consolidated Balance Sheets. Interest expense on the junior subordinated debentures is reported in interest expense on long-term debt in the accompanying Consolidated Statements of Income.
Reclassification
Certain previously reported amounts have been reclassified to conform to the current year’s presentation, including a reclassification of the Company’s small business portfolio, with the majority of the portfolio reclassified into the commercial and industrial category, and the remainder of the portfolio, consisting of loans secured by non-owner occupied real estate, reclassified to the commercial real estate category.
Use of Estimates
The preparation of financial statements in conformity with accounting principles generally accepted in the United States of America (“GAAP”) requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities and disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenues and expenses during the reporting periods. Actual results could vary from these estimates. Material estimates that are particularly susceptible to significant changes in the near-term relate to the determination of the allowance for expected credit losses on loans held for investment, income taxes, valuation and allowance for expected credit losses on investment securities, and the valuation of goodwill and other intangible assets and their respective analyses of impairment.
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Table of Contents
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
Concentrations of Credit Risk
The vast majority of the Bank’s lending activities are conducted in New England. The Bank originates commercial and industrial loans, commercial and residential real estate loans, including construction loans, home equity loans, and other consumer loans for its portfolio. The Bank tracks concentrations of credit across numerous categories and segments based on aggregate credit exposure, which includes direct, indirect or contingent obligations to a borrower or group of borrowers engaged in one industry and by property type. The Bank considers a concentration to exist when aggregate credit exposure of a category or segment exceeds 25% of the Bank's total risk-based capital (inclusive of Tier 2 capital instruments).
Business Combinations
In accordance with applicable accounting guidance, the Company recognizes assets acquired and liabilities assumed at their respective fair values as of the date of acquisition, with the related transaction costs expensed in the period incurred. The Company may use third party valuation specialists to assist in the determination of fair value of certain assets and liabilities at the acquisition date, including loans, core deposit intangibles and time deposits. While the Company uses its best estimates and assumptions to accurately value assets acquired and liabilities assumed on the acquisition date, the estimates are inherently uncertain. The allowance for credit losses on purchased credit deteriorated (“PCD”) loans is recognized within business combination accounting. The allowance for credit losses on non-PCD loans is recognized as a provision expense in the same period as the business combination.
Cash and Cash Equivalents
For purposes of reporting cash flows, cash and cash equivalents may include cash on hand, amounts due from banks, inclusive of interest-earning deposits held at banks, and federal funds sold. Generally, federal funds are sold for up to two week periods.
Securities
Investment securities are classified at the time of purchase as available for sale, held to maturity, trading, or equity. Classification is constantly re-evaluated for consistency with corporate goals and objectives. Trading and equity securities are recorded at fair value with subsequent changes in fair value recorded in earnings. Debt securities that management has the positive intent and ability to hold to maturity are classified as held to maturity and recorded at amortized cost. Securities not classified as held to maturity or trading are classified as available for sale and recorded at fair value, with changes in fair value excluded from earnings and reported in other comprehensive income, net of related tax. Purchase premiums and discounts are included in the amortized cost and are recognized in interest income, using the interest method, to arrive at periodic interest income at a constant effective yield, thereby reflecting the securities market yield. Gains and losses on the sale of securities are recorded on the trade date and are determined using the specific identification method. Such gains and losses are recognized within non-interest income or non-interest expense within the Consolidated Statements of Income.
Accrued interest receivable balances are excluded from the amortized cost of held to maturity securities and the fair value of available for sale securities and are included within other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Management has elected not to measure an allowance for credit losses on these balances as the Company employs a timely write-off policy. It is the Company’s policy that a security is placed on non-accrual status at the time any principal or interest payments become 90 days delinquent, and interest earned but not collected for a security placed on non-accrual is reversed against interest income.
Allowance for Credit Losses - Available for Sale Securities
The Company’s available for sale securities are carried at fair value and assessed for estimated credit losses in accordance with the current expected credit loss (“CECL” methodology). For available for sale securities in an unrealized loss position, management will first evaluate whether there is intent to sell, or if it is more likely than not that the Company will be required to sell a security prior to anticipated recovery of its amortized cost basis. If either of these criteria are met, the Company will record a write-down of the security’s amortized cost basis to fair value through income. For those available for sale securities which do not meet the intent or requirement to sell criteria, management will evaluate whether the decline in fair value is a result of credit related matters or other factors. In performing this assessment, management considers the creditworthiness of the issuer including whether the security is guaranteed by the U.S. Federal Government or other government agency, the extent to which fair value is less than amortized cost, and changes in credit rating during the period, among other factors. If this assessment indicates the existence of credit losses, the security will be written down to fair value,
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Table of Contents
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS — (Continued)
as determined by a discounted cash flow analysis. To the extent the estimated cash flows do not support the amortized cost, the deficiency is considered to be due to credit loss and is recognized in earnings.
Changes in the allowance for credit losses are recorded as a provision for (or reversal of) credit loss expense. Losses are charged against the allowance when the uncollectability of a security is confirmed, or when either of the aforementioned criteria surrounding intent or requirement to sell have been met.
Allowance for Credit Losses - Held to Maturity Securities
The Company measures expected credit losses on held to maturity securities on a collective basis by major security type in accordance with the CECL methodology. Management classifies the held to maturity portfolio into the following major security types: U.S. Treasury, Agency Mortgage-Backed Securities, Agency Collateralized Mortgage Obligations, and Small Business Administration Pooled Securities. Securities in the Company’s held to maturity portfolio are primarily guaranteed by either the U.S. Federal Government or other government sponsored agencies with a long history of no credit losses. As a result, management has determined these securities to have a zero loss expectation and therefore does not estimate an allowance for credit losses on these securities.
Loans Held for Sale
The Bank may choose to classify new residential real estate mortgage loans as held for sale based on intent, which is determined when loans are underwritten. Loans that are classified as held for sale at the time of origination are accounted for under the fair value option, whereby any changes in fair value relating to loans intended for sale are recorded in earnings and are offset by changes in fair value relating to interest rate lock commitments and forward sales commitments. Gains and losses on residential loan sales (sales proceeds minus carrying amount) are recorded in mortgage banking income. Upfront costs and fees related to items for which the fair value option is elected are recognized in earnings as incurred and are not deferred.
Alternatively, any loans not originated for sale but subsequently transferred from held for investment to held for sale are valued at the lower of cost or fair value on an individual asset basis. Prospectively, any cost amounts in excess of fair value would be recorded as a valuation allowance and recognized as a reduction of other non-interest income.
Loans Held for Investment
Loans that the Company has the intent and ability to hold until maturity or payoff are carried at amortized cost (net of the allowance for credit losses). Amortized cost is the principal amount outstanding, adjusted by partial charge-offs and net of deferred loan costs or fees. For originated loans, loan fees and certain direct origination costs are deferred and amortized into interest income over the expected term of the loan using the level-yield method. When a loan is paid off, the unamortized portion of the deferred amount is recognized in interest income. Interest income on loans is accrued based upon the daily principal amount outstanding except for loans on non-accrual status.
As a general rule, loans 90 days or more past due with respect to principal or interest are classified as non-accrual loans, or sooner if management considers such action to be prudent. However, loans that are 90 days or more past due may be kept on an accruing status if the loan is well secured and in the process of collection. Income accruals are suspended on all non-accrual loans in a timely manner and all previously accrued and uncollected interest is reversed against current income. A loan remains on non-accrual status until it becomes current with respect to principal and interest and remains current for a minimum period of six months, the loan is liquidated, or when the loan is determined to be uncollectible and is charged-off against the allowance for credit losses. When doubt exists as to the collectability of a loan, any payments received are applied to reduce the amortized cost of the loan to the extent necessary to eliminate such doubt. For all loan portfolios, a charge-off occurs when the Company determines that a specific loan, or portion thereof, is uncollectible. This determination is made based on management’s review of specific facts and circumstances of the individual loan, including assessing the viability of the customer’s business or project as a going concern, the expected cash flows to repay the loan, the value of the collateral and the ability and willingness of any guarantors to perform.
In the course of resolving problem loans, the Company may choose to modify the contractual terms of certain loans. The Company attempts to work out an alternative payment schedule with the borrower in order to avoid or cure a default. Terms may be modified to fit the ability of the borrower to repay in line with its current financial status and may include adjustments to term extensions, interest rates, other than insignificant payment delays and/or a combination thereof. These actions are intended to minimize economic loss and avoid foreclosure or repossession of collateral. If such efforts by the Bank do not result in satisfactory performance, the loan is referred to legal counsel, at which time foreclosure proceedings are initiated. At any time prior to a sale of the property at foreclosure, the Bank may terminate foreclosure proceedings if the borrower is able to
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work out a satisfactory payment plan. Any loans that are modified are reviewed by the Company to determine whether the modification is the direct result of a borrower experiencing financial difficulty. The Company accounts for loans modified to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty in a manner consistent with other loans held for investment.
Allowance for Credit Losses - Loans Held for Investment
The allowance for credit losses is established based upon the Company’s current estimate of expected lifetime credit losses on loans measured at amortized cost, also referred to as the CECL methodology. Credit losses are charged against the allowance when management’s assessments confirm that the Company will not collect the full amortized cost basis of a loan. Subsequent recoveries, if any, are credited to the allowance.
Under the CECL methodology, the Company estimates credit losses for financial assets on a collective basis for loans sharing similar risk characteristics using a quantitative model combined with an assessment of certain qualitative factors designed to address forecast risk and model risk inherent in the quantitative model output. The quantitative model utilizes a factor-based approach to estimate expected credit losses using Probability of Default (“PD”), Loss Given Default (“LGD”) and Exposure at Default (“EAD”), which are derived from internal historical default and loss experience. The model estimates expected credit losses using loan level data over the estimated life of the exposure, considering the effect of prepayments. Economic forecasts are incorporated into the estimate over a reasonable and supportable forecast period, beyond which is a reversion to the Company’s historical long-run average. Management has determined a reasonable and supportable period of 12 months, and a straight line reversion period of 6 months, to be appropriate for purposes of estimating expected credit losses. The qualitative risk factors impacting the expected risk of loss within the portfolio include the following:
•Lending policies and procedures
•Economic and business conditions
•Nature and volume of loans
•Changes in management
•Changes in credit quality
•Changes in loan review system
•Changes to underlying collateral values
•Concentrations of credit risk
•Other external factors
•Model imprecision
Loans that do not share similar risk characteristics with any pools of assets are subject to individual evaluation and are removed from the collectively assessed pools to avoid double counting. For the loans that are individually evaluated, the Company uses either a discounted cash flow (“DCF”) approach or a fair value of collateral approach. The latter approach is used for loans deemed to be collateral dependent or when foreclosure is probable.
Loan modifications made to borrowers experiencing financial difficulty are evaluated on a collective basis with loans sharing similar risk characteristics in accordance with the CECL methodology.
Accrued interest receivable amounts are excluded from balances of loans held at amortized cost and are included within other assets on the Consolidated Balance Sheets. Management has elected not to measure an allowance for credit losses on these amounts as the Company employs a timely write-off policy. Consistent with the Company’s policy for non-accrual loans, accrued interest receivable is typically written off when loans reach 90 days past due and are placed on non-accrual status.
Allowance for Credit Losses - Unfunded Lending Commitments
In the ordinary course of business, the Company enters into commitments to extend credit, commercial letters of credit, and standby letters of credit. The allowance for credit losses on these unfunded loan commitments provides for potential exposure inherent with the funding of unused portions on legal commitments that are not unconditionally cancellable by the Company. Management evaluates the need for a reserve on unfunded lending commitments in a manner consistent with loans held for investment. The reserve for unfunded lending commitments is included in other liabilities on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
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Acquired Loans
Loans acquired through purchase or a business combination are recorded at their fair value at the acquisition date. The Company performs an assessment of acquired loans to first determine if such loans have experienced a more than insignificant deterioration in credit quality since their origination and thus should be classified and accounted for as PCD loans. For loans that have not experienced a more than insignificant deterioration in credit quality since origination, referred to as non-PCD loans, the Company records such loans at fair value, with any resulting discount or premium accreted or amortized into interest income over the remaining life of the loan using the interest method. Additionally, upon the purchase or acquisition of non-PCD loans, the Company measures and records a reserve for credit losses based on the Company’s methodology for determining the allowance under CECL. The allowance for non-PCD loans is recorded through a charge to provision for credit losses in the period in which the loans were purchased or acquired.
Acquired loans that are classified as PCD are acquired at fair value, including any resulting discounts or premiums. Discounts and premiums are accreted or amortized into interest income over the remaining life of the loan using the interest method. In contrast to non-PCD loans, the initial allowance for credit losses on PCD loans is established through an adjustment to the acquired loan balance, rather than through a charge to provision for credit losses, in the period in which the loans were acquired. The allowance for PCD loans is determined based upon the Company’s methodology for estimating the allowance under CECL, and is recorded as an adjustment to the acquired loan balance on the date of acquisition. The Company evaluates acquired loans for deterioration in credit quality based on a variety of characteristics, including, but not limited to non-accrual and delinquency status, downgrades in credit quality since origination, loans that have been modified, along with any other factors identified by the Company through its initial analysis of acquired loans which may indicate there has been a more than insignificant deterioration in credit quality since origination. At the acquisition date, an estimate of expected credit losses is made for groups of PCD loans with similar risk characteristics and individual PCD loans without similar risk characteristics, if applicable.
Subsequent to acquisition, the allowances for credit losses for both non-PCD and PCD loans are determined with the use of the Company’s allowance methodology under CECL, in the same manner as all other loans.
Transfers and Servicing of Financial Assets
Transfers of financial assets are accounted for as sales when control over the assets has been surrendered. Control over transferred assets is deemed to be surrendered when (1) the assets have been isolated from the Company, (2) the transferee obtains the right (free of conditions that constrain it from taking advantage of that right) to pledge or exchange the transferred assets, and (3) the Company does not maintain effective control over the transferred assets through an agreement to repurchase them before their maturity.
Loans held for sale are generally sold with servicing rights released, however if rights are retained, servicing assets are recognized as separate assets. Servicing rights are originally recorded at fair value within other assets, but subsequently are amortized in proportion to and over the period of estimated net servicing income, and are assessed for impairment at each reporting date. Fair value is based on market prices for comparable mortgage servicing contracts, when available, or alternatively, is based on a valuation model that calculates the present value of estimated future net servicing income. The valuation model incorporates assumptions that market participants would use in estimating future net servicing income, such as the cost to service, the discount rate, the custodial earnings rate, an inflation rate, ancillary income, prepayment speeds, default rates and losses. Impairment is determined by stratifying the rights based on predominant characteristics, such as interest rate, loan type and investor type. Impairment is recognized through a valuation allowance, to the extent that fair value is less than the capitalized amount. If the Company later determines that all or a portion of the impairment no longer exists, a reduction of the allowance may be recorded as an increase to income.
Servicing fee income is recorded for fees earned for servicing loans for investors. The fees are based on a contractual percentage of the outstanding principal or a fixed amount per loan, and are recorded as income when earned. The amortization of mortgage servicing rights is recorded as a reduction of loan servicing fee income.
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