stba-20241231
UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
Washington, D.C. 20549
Form 10-K
For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024
or
For the transition period from to
Commission file number0-12508
S&T BANCORP, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)
(Address of principal executive offices) (zip code)
Registrant’s telephone number, including area code (800) 325-2265
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:
Title of each class Trading Symbol Name of each exchange on which registered
Common Stock, par value $2.50 per share STBA NASDAQ Global Select Market
Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None
(Title of class)
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.
Yes☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.
Yes ☐No☒
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.
Yes☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).
Yes☒ No ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer, a smaller reporting company, or an emerging growth company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer,” “smaller reporting company,” and “emerging growth company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.
Large accelerated filer ☒ Accelerated filer ☐
Non-accelerated filer ☐ Smaller reporting company ☐
Emerging growth company ☐
If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of
the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C.
7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report. Yes ☒ No ☐
If securities are registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act, indicate by check mark whether the financial statements of the registrant included in the filing reflect the correction of an error to previously issued financial statements. ☐
Indicate by check mark whether any of those error corrections are restatements that required a recovery analysis of incentive-based compensation received by any of the registrant’s executive officers during the relevant recovery period pursuant to § 240.10D-1(b). ☐
Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act). Yes ☐ No ☒
State the aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the price at which the common equity was last sold, or the average bid and asked price of such common equity, as of the last business day of the registrant's most recently completed second fiscal quarter. The aggregate estimated fair value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates of the registrant as of June 30, 2024:
Common Stock, $2.50 par value – $1,262,919,520
The number of shares outstanding of each of the registrant's classes of common stock as of February 21, 2025:
Common Stock, $2.50 par value – 38,261,027
DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE
Portions of the definitive Proxy Statement of S&T Bancorp, Inc., to be filed pursuant to Regulation 14A for the 2025 annual meeting of shareholders are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.
Table of Contents
S&T BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
Page No.
Part I
Item 1. Business 2
Item 1A. Risk Factors 11
Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments 21
Item 1C. Cybersecurity 21
Item 2. Properties 22
Item 3. Legal Proceedings 22
Item 4. Mine Safety Disclosures 23
Part II.
Item 6. Reserved 25
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk 48
Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data 50
Item 9A. Controls and Procedures 106
Item 9B. Other Information 106
Item 9C. Disclosure Regarding Foreign Jurisdictions that Prevent Inspections 106
Part III
Item 10. Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance 107
Item 11. Executive Compensation 107
Item 14. Principal Accounting Fees and Services 107
Part IV
Item 15. Exhibits, Financial Statement Schedules 108
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S&T BANCORP, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
PART I
Item 1. BUSINESS
General
S&T Bancorp, Inc. was incorporated on March 17, 1983 under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as a bank holding company and is registered with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, or the Federal Reserve Board, under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended, or the BHCA, as a bank holding company and a financial holding company. S&T Bancorp, Inc. has four active direct wholly-owned subsidiaries including S&T Bank, 9th Street Holdings, Inc., STBA Capital Trust I and DNB Capital Trust II, and owns a 50 percent interest in Commonwealth Trust Credit Life Insurance Company, or CTCLIC. When used in this Report, “S&T,” “we,” “us” or “our” may refer to S&T Bancorp, Inc. individually, S&T Bancorp, Inc. and its consolidated subsidiaries or certain of S&T Bancorp, Inc.’s subsidiaries or affiliates, depending on the context. As of December 31, 2024, we had approximately $9.7 billion in assets, $7.7 billion in total loans, $7.8 billion in deposits and $1.4 billion in shareholders’ equity.
S&T Bank is a full-service bank that operates in Pennsylvania and Ohio. S&T Bank deposits are insured by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, or FDIC, to the maximum extent provided by law. S&T Bank has four active wholly-owned operating subsidiaries including S&T Insurance Group, LLC, S&T Bancholdings, Inc., Stewart Capital Advisors, LLC and DN Acquisition Company, Inc.
Through S&T Bank and our non-bank subsidiaries, we offer consumer, commercial and small business banking services, which include accepting time and demand deposits and originating commercial and consumer loans, brokerage services and trust services including serving as executor and trustee under wills and deeds and as guardian and custodian of employee benefits. We also manage private investment accounts for individuals and institutions through our registered investment advisor. Total Wealth Management assets under administration, which are not accounted for as part of our assets, were $2.0 billion at December 31, 2024.
The main office of both S&T Bancorp, Inc. and S&T Bank is located at 800 Philadelphia Street, Indiana, Pennsylvania, and our phone number is (800) 325-2265.
Human Capital Management
Our commitment to our customers starts with a talented team. To attract and retain our talented team, we strive to make S&T an inclusive workplace that provides our employees with opportunities to develop and grow. The S&T mindset is to encourage, develop and inspire all employees to achieve their best, motivated by their own personal progress and development. Our commitment is to foster an inclusive workplace where everyone utilizes their knowledge, skills, abilities and unique interests to help each other find success and drive positive results. S&T fosters an inclusive work culture where employees work together to better our company, products and services and community. We are committed to promoting a workplace that develops all people through ensuring fairness in all aspects of employment, educating our employees and fostering a culture to address employees’ and customers’ needs. As of December 31, 2024, we had approximately 1,206 full time equivalent employees.
Our Team and Culture
Our purpose is building a better future together through people-forward banking. We believe that all banking should be personal. We cultivate relationships rooted in trust, strengthened by going above and beyond and renewed with every interaction. We move banking forward, building better lives together by always putting people first.
Our team strives to embody values to encourage a culture that has enabled us to be named a top workplace. The following five core values support our purpose:
Make People our Purpose
Humility, empathy and a sincere desire to uplift each other and our community guide our actions every day. We are people in service of people, committed to constantly improving our communication and connection and delivering the right solutions.
Do the Right Thing
We are built on trust and following through on our promises. We hold ourselves accountable by delivering results, continuously learning and striving for better every day.
Go Above and Beyond
We go as far as we possibly can to help advance the cause of our colleagues, customers and communities. In every case, we seek the right solutions based on a holistic understanding of the opportunities ahead of us.
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Value Every Voice
We stand for inclusivity, accessibility and opportunity. We listen for forward-looking ideas to better ourselves and improve our experience. And we always welcome an honest and open dialogue with our colleagues, customers and the community at large.
Win as One Team
We function as one connected team working together to deliver a seamless experience. We communicate, collaborate and care enough to go the extra mile for the colleagues we work alongside, the customers we serve and the communities where we live.
Talent Development and Training
S&T strives to provide our employees access to comprehensive training to enhance all job positions. Our corporate training department maintains oversight of trainings to ensure it is implemented and monitored properly and encourages career development for our employees. Our training programs offer a blended learning approach comprised of classroom, asynchronous online learning and synchronous online sessions. Our learning management systems and vendor relationships provide employees regulatory, compliance, skill-based, technology, leadership and career development trainings.
We encourage all employees to develop their skill sets and careers through a variety of internal and external training opportunities to align our organization for long-term success. We are dedicated to investing in and developing our managers, supervisors and future leaders of S&T. Our multi-tier succession plan includes replacement planning of vacancies, ongoing talent development and career path design of current employees. Additional resources that support these initiatives include S&T's annual training and recruitment plans that identify specific actionable programs and efforts. In 2024, our employees logged approximately 77,290 training hours, on average 64 hours per employee.
Safety, Health and Wellness
The safety, health and well-being of our employees is a top priority. We offer our employees and their families access to a variety of flexible and convenient health and welfare programs that provide resources to help them maintain and/or improve their physical and mental health. We also have a financial wellness program that assists our employees and their families with budgeting and various personal financial content consisting of an online personal financial program and internally produced webinars. We believe in the education and offering of programs and initiatives that make lasting positive impacts in the lives of our employees.
Access to United States Securities and Exchange Commission Filings
All of our reports filed electronically with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, or the SEC, including this Annual Report on Form 10-K for the fiscal year ended December 31, 2024, our prior annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and our annual proxy statements, as well as any amendments to those reports, are accessible at no cost on our website at www.stbancorp.com under Financials, SEC Filings. These filings are also accessible on the SEC’s website at www.sec.gov. The charters of the Audit Committee, the Compensation and Benefits Committee, the Credit Risk Committee, the Executive Committee, the Nominating and Corporate Governance Committee and the Risk Committee as well as the Complaints Regarding Accounting, Internal Accounting Controls or Auditing Matters ("Whistleblower Policy"), the Code of Conduct for the CEO and CFO, the General Code of Conduct, the Shareholder Communications Policy and the Corporate Governance Guidelines are also available at www.stbancorp.com under Governance.
Supervision and Regulation
General
S&T is extensively regulated under federal and state law. Regulation of bank holding companies and banks is intended primarily for the protection of consumers, depositors, borrowers, the Federal Deposit Insurance Fund, or DIF, and the banking system as a whole, and not for the protection of shareholders or creditors. The following describes certain aspects of that regulation and does not purport to be a complete description of all regulations that affect S&T, or all aspects of any regulation discussed here. To the extent statutory or regulatory provisions are described, the description is qualified in its entirety by reference to the particular statutory or regulatory provisions. The discussion of the regulations applicable to S&T provided below is based on our status as an institution with less than $10 billion in assets. If S&T’s assets cross the $10 billion threshold, we will be subject to different and additional regulations than those described below.
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The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, or Dodd-Frank Act, enacted in July 2010, has had and will continue to have a broad impact on the financial services industry, including significant regulatory and compliance changes addressing, among other things: (i) enhanced resolution authority of troubled and failing banks and their holding companies; (ii) increased capital and liquidity requirements; (iii) increased regulatory examination fees; (iv) changes to assessments to be paid to the FDIC for federal deposit insurance; (v) enhanced corporate governance and executive compensation requirements and disclosures; and (vi) numerous other provisions designed to improve supervision and oversight of, and strengthen safety and soundness for, the financial services sector. Additionally, the Dodd-Frank Act established a new framework for systemic risk oversight within the financial system to be distributed among new and existing federal regulatory agencies, including the Financial Stability Oversight Council, the Federal Reserve Board, or FRB, the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency, or OCC, and the FDIC. While many requirements called for in the Dodd-Frank Act have been implemented, these regulations are subject to continuing interpretation and potential amendment. Given the continued uncertainty associated with the ongoing implementation of the requirements of the Dodd-Frank Act by the various regulatory agencies, including the manner in which the remaining provisions will be implemented and the interpretation of and potential amendments to existing regulations, the full extent of the impact of such requirements on financial institutions’ operations remains unclear, but management expects will continue to affect us in some way. The continuing changes resulting from the Dodd-Frank Act may impact the profitability of our business activities, require changes to business practices, increase our operating and compliance costs, or otherwise adversely affect our business. These changes may also require us to invest significant management attention and resources to evaluate and make necessary changes in order to comply with new statutory and regulatory requirements.
In addition, proposals to change the laws and regulations governing the banking industry are frequently raised in Congress, in state legislatures and before the various bank regulatory agencies that may impact S&T. Such initiatives to change the laws and regulations may include proposals to expand or contract the powers of bank holding companies and depository institutions or proposals to substantially change the financial institution regulatory system. Any such legislation could change bank statutes and our operating environment in substantial and unpredictable ways. If enacted, such legislation could affect how S&T and S&T Bank operate and could significantly increase costs, impede the efficiency of internal business processes, limit our ability to pursue business opportunities in an efficient manner, or affect the competitive balance among banks, credit unions and other financial institutions, any of which could materially and adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations. The likelihood and timing of any changes and the impact such changes might have on S&T is impossible to determine with any certainty.
S&T
We are a bank holding company subject to regulation under the BHCA and the examination and reporting requirements of the FRB. Under the BHCA, a bank holding company may not directly or indirectly acquire ownership or control of more than five percent of the voting shares or substantially all of the assets of any additional bank, or merge or consolidate with another bank holding company, without the prior approval of the FRB.
As a bank holding company, we are expected under statutory and regulatory provisions to serve as a source of financial and managerial strength to our subsidiary bank. A bank holding company is also expected to commit resources, including capital and other funds, to support its subsidiary bank.
We elected to become a financial holding company under the BHCA in 2001 and thereby may engage in a broader range of financial activities than are permissible for traditional bank holding companies. In order to maintain our status as a financial holding company, we must remain “well-capitalized” and “well-managed” and the depository institutions controlled by us must remain “well-capitalized,” “well-managed” (as defined in federal law) and have at least a “satisfactory” Community Reinvestment Act, or CRA, rating. Refer to Note 23. Regulatory Matters to the consolidated financial statements contained in Part II, Item 8 of this Report for information concerning the current capital ratios of S&T and S&T Bank. No prior regulatory approval is required for a financial holding company with total consolidated assets less than $50 billion to acquire a company, other than a bank or savings association, engaged in activities that are financial in nature or incidental to activities that are financial in nature, as determined by the FRB, unless the total consolidated assets to be acquired exceed $10 billion. The BHCA identifies several activities as “financial in nature” including, among others, securities underwriting; dealing and market making; sponsoring mutual funds and investment companies; insurance underwriting and sales agency; investment advisory activities; merchant banking activities and activities that the FRB has determined to be closely related to banking. Banks may also engage in, subject to limitations on investment, activities that are financial in nature, other than insurance underwriting, insurance company portfolio investment, real estate development and real estate investment, through a financial subsidiary of the bank, if the bank is “well-capitalized,” “well-managed” and has at least a “satisfactory” CRA rating.
If S&T or S&T Bank ceases to be “well-capitalized” or “well-managed,” we will not be in compliance with the requirements of the BHCA regarding financial holding companies or requirements regarding the operation of financial subsidiaries by insured banks.
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If a financial holding company is notified by the FRB of such a change in the ratings of any of its subsidiary banks, it must take certain corrective actions within specified time frames. Furthermore, if S&T Bank was to receive a CRA rating of less than “satisfactory,” then we would be prohibited from engaging in certain new activities or acquiring companies engaged in certain financial activities until the rating is raised to “satisfactory” or better.
We are presently engaged in non-banking activities through the following six entities:
•9th Street Holdings, Inc. was formed in June 1988 to hold and manage a group of investments previously owned by S&T Bank and to give us additional latitude to purchase other investments.
•S&T Bancholdings, Inc. was formed in August 2002 to hold and manage a group of investments previously owned by S&T Bank and to give us additional latitude to purchase other investments.
•CTCLIC is a joint venture with another financial institution, and acts as a reinsurer of credit life, accident and health insurance policies that were sold by S&T Bank and the other institution. S&T Bank and the other institution each have ownership interests of 50 percent in CTCLIC.
•S&T Insurance Group, LLC distributes life insurance and long-term disability income insurance products. During 2001, S&T Insurance Group, LLC and Attorneys Abstract Company, Inc. entered into an agreement to form S&T Settlement Services, LLC, or STSS, with respective ownership interests of 55 percent and 45 percent. STSS is a title insurance agency servicing commercial customers. We also have a 30 percent partnership interest in Evergreen Insurance, LLC.
•Stewart Capital Advisors, LLC was formed in August 2005 and is a registered investment advisor that manages private investment accounts for individuals and institutions.
•DN Acquisition Company, Inc. was acquired with the DNB First merger on November 30, 2019. DN Acquisition Company, Inc. was formed to acquire and hold Other Real Estate Owned acquired through foreclosure or deed in-lieu-of foreclosure, as well as Bank-occupied real estate.
S&T Bank
As a Pennsylvania-chartered, FDIC-insured non-member commercial bank, S&T Bank is subject to the supervision and regulation of the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities, or PADBS, and the FDIC. We are also subject to various requirements and restrictions under federal and state law, including requirements to maintain reserves against deposits, restrictions on the types, amount and terms and conditions of loans that may be granted and limits on the types of other activities in which S&T Bank may engage and the investments it may make. In addition, pursuant to the Federal Bank Merger Act, S&T Bank must obtain the prior approval of the FDIC before it can merge or consolidate with or acquire the assets or assume the deposit liabilities of another bank.
S&T Bank is subject to affiliate transaction rules in Sections 23A and 23B of the Federal Reserve Act as implemented by the FRB's Regulation W, that limit the amount of transactions between itself and S&T or any other company or entity that controls or is under common control with any company or entity that controls S&T Bank, including for most purposes any financial or depository institution subsidiary of S&T Bank. Under these provisions, “covered” transactions, including making loans, purchasing assets, issuing guarantees and other similar transactions, between a bank and its parent company or any other affiliate, generally are limited to 10 percent of the bank subsidiary’s capital and surplus, and with respect to all transactions with affiliates, are limited to 20 percent of the bank subsidiary’s capital and surplus. Loans and extensions of credit from a bank to an affiliate generally are required to be secured by eligible collateral in specified amounts, and in general all affiliated transactions must be on terms consistent with safe and sound banking practices. Furthermore, in general, transactions between a bank and its affiliates must be on terms and conditions that are at least as favorable to the bank as the terms that would apply in comparable transactions between the bank and a third party. The Dodd-Frank Act expanded the affiliate transaction rules to broaden the definition of affiliate to include as covered transactions securities borrowing or lending, repurchase or reverse repurchase agreements and derivative activities, and to strengthen collateral requirements and limit Federal Reserve exemptive authority.
Federal law also constrains the types and amounts of loans that S&T Bank may make to its executive officers, directors and principal shareholders. Among other things, these loans are limited in amount, must be approved by the bank’s board of directors in advance, and must be on terms and conditions as favorable to the bank as those available to an unrelated person. The Dodd-Frank Act strengthened restrictions on loans to insiders and expanded the types of transactions subject to the various limits to include credit exposure arising from a derivative transaction, a repurchase or reverse repurchase agreement and a securities lending or borrowing transaction. The Dodd-Frank Act also placed restrictions on certain asset sales to and from an insider to an institution, including requirements that such sales be on market terms and, in certain circumstances, approved by the institution’s board of directors.
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Insurance of Accounts; Depositor Preference
The deposits of S&T Bank are insured up to applicable limits per insured depositor by the Deposit Insurance Fund, or DIF, as administered by the FDIC. The Dodd-Frank Act codified FDIC deposit insurance coverage per separately insured depositor for all account types at $250,000.
As an FDIC-insured bank, S&T Bank is subject to FDIC insurance assessments, which are imposed based upon the calculated risk the institution poses to the DIF.
Under the current assessment system, for an institution with less than $10 billion in assets, assessment rates are determined based on a combination of financial ratios and CAMELS (capital adequacy, asset quality, management, earnings, liquidity and sensitivity) composite ratings. The assessment rate schedule can change from time to time, at the discretion of the FDIC, subject to certain limits. Under the current system, premiums are assessed quarterly. Assessments are calculated as a percentage of average consolidated total assets less average tangible equity during the assessment period. As part of its semiannual update of the restoration plan established by the FDIC to facilitate restoration of the reserve ratio of the DIF to the statutory minimum in the mandated time frame, the FDIC adopted a final rule in October 2022. The new rule, applicable to all insured depository institutions, increased the initial base deposit insurance assessment rate schedules uniformly by 2 basis points, beginning in the first quarterly assessment period of 2023 (January 1 through March 31, 2023). The increase in assessment rate schedules is intended to increase the likelihood that the reserve ratio of the DIF reaches the statutory minimum of 1.35 percent by the statutory deadline of September 30, 2028. Second, the proposed change in assessment rates is further intended to support growth in the DIF in progressing toward the 2 percent Designated Reserve Ratio, or DRR, established by the FDIC. The FDIC has indicated that the new assessment rate schedules will remain in effect unless and until the DRR meets or exceeds 2 percent, absent further FDIC action. Under the new rule, the total base assessment rates on an annualized basis range from 2.5 basis points for certain “well-capitalized,” “well-managed” banks, with the highest ratings, to 42 basis points for complex institutions posing the most risk to the DIF compared to the 2022 rates that ranged from 1.5 to 40. S&T’s total assets were below $10 billion at December 31, 2024.
In November 2023, the FDIC approved a final rule to implement special assessments to recover the loss to the DIF associated with protecting uninsured depositors following the closures of Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank. The assessment base for the special assessment is equal to estimated uninsured deposits reported as of December 31, 2022, adjusted to exclude the first $5 billion. The special assessment will be collected at an annual rate of approximately 13.4 basis points for an anticipated total of eight quarterly assessment periods, beginning in the first quarterly assessment period of 2024 (January 1 through March 31, 2024). Because the Bank's uninsured deposits were below $5 billion at December 31, 2022, this special assessment is not applicable to S&T.
The FDIC may terminate the deposit insurance of any insured depository institution if it determines, after hearing that the institution has engaged in unsafe or unsound practices, that the institution is in an unsafe or unsound condition to continue operations or has violated any applicable law, regulation, rule, order or condition imposed by the FDIC or the FRB. It also may suspend deposit insurance temporarily during the hearing process if the institution has no tangible capital. If insurance of accounts is terminated, the accounts at the institution at the time of termination, less subsequent withdrawals, will continue to be insured for a period of six months to two years, as determined by the FDIC.
Under federal law, deposits and certain claims for administrative expenses and employee compensation against insured depository institutions are afforded a priority over other general unsecured claims against such an institution, including federal funds and letters of credit, in the liquidation or other resolution of such an institution by a receiver. Such priority creditors would include the FDIC.
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Capital
The FRB and the FDIC have issued substantially similar minimum risk-based and leverage capital rules applicable to the banking organizations they supervise. On December 31, 2024, both S&T and S&T Bank met the applicable minimum regulatory capital requirements.
The following table summarizes the leverage and risk-based capital ratios for S&T and S&T Bank:
(dollars in thousands) Amount Ratio Amount Ratio Amount Ratio
Leverage Ratio
Common Equity Tier 1 (to Risk-Weighted Assets)
Tier 1 Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)
Total Capital (to Risk-Weighted Assets)
The banking regulatory agencies may from time to time require that a banking organization maintain capital above the minimum prescribed levels, whether because of its financial condition or actual or anticipated growth.
The risk-based capital standards establish a systematic, analytical framework that makes regulatory capital requirements more sensitive to differences in risk profiles among banking organizations, takes off-balance sheet exposures explicitly into account in assessing capital adequacy and minimizes disincentives to holding liquid, low-risk assets. For purposes of the risk-based ratios, assets and specified off-balance sheet instruments are assigned to broad risk categories, each with appropriate weights. The resulting capital ratios represent capital as a percentage of total risk-weighted assets and off-balance sheet items. The leverage ratio represents capital as a percentage of total average assets adjusted as specified in the guidelines.
Generally, under the guidelines, common equity Tier 1 capital consists of common stock instruments that meet the eligibility criteria in the rule, retained earnings, accumulated other comprehensive income and common equity Tier 1 minority interest, less applicable regulatory adjustments and deductions including goodwill, intangible assets subject to limitation and certain deferred tax assets subject to limitation. Tier 1 capital is comprised of common equity Tier 1 capital plus generally non-cumulative perpetual preferred stock, Tier 1 minority interests and, for bank holding companies with less than $15 billion in consolidated assets at December 31, 2009, certain restricted capital instruments including qualifying cumulative perpetual preferred stock and grandfathered trust preferred securities, up to a limit of 25 percent of Tier 1 capital, less applicable regulatory adjustments and deductions. Tier 2, or supplementary, capital generally includes portions of trust preferred securities and cumulative perpetual preferred stock not otherwise counted in Tier 1 capital, as well as preferred stock, subordinated debt, total capital minority interests not included in Tier 1, and the allowance for credit losses, or ACL, in an amount not exceeding 1.25 percent of standardized risk-weighted assets, less applicable regulatory adjustments and deductions. Total capital is the sum of Tier 1 and Tier 2 capital.
The regulatory capital rules also require a banking organization to maintain a capital conservation buffer composed of common equity Tier 1 capital in an amount greater than 2.50 percent of total risk-weighted assets beginning in 2019. As a result, since 2019, a banking organization has been required to maintain a common equity Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio greater than 7.00 percent, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio greater than 8.50 percent and a Total risk-based capital ratio greater than 10.50 percent; otherwise, it will be subject to restrictions on capital distributions and discretionary bonus payments. Since 2019, the minimum capital requirements plus the capital conservation buffer exceed the regulatory capital ratios required for an insured depository institution to be well-capitalized under prompt corrective action law, described in "Other Safety and Soundness Regulations."
Federal regulators periodically propose amendments to the regulatory capital rules and the related regulatory framework and consider changes to the capital standards that could significantly increase the amount of capital needed to meet applicable standards. The timing of adoption, ultimate form and effect of any such proposed amendments cannot be predicted.
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Payment of Dividends
S&T is a legal entity separate and distinct from its banking and other subsidiaries. A substantial portion of our revenues consist of dividend payments we receive from S&T Bank. The payment of common dividends by S&T is subject to certain requirements and limitations of Pennsylvania law. S&T Bank, in turn, is subject to federal and state laws and regulations that limit the amount of dividends it can pay to S&T. In addition, both S&T and S&T Bank are subject to various general regulatory policies relating to the payment of dividends, including requirements to maintain adequate capital above regulatory minimums. The FRB has indicated that banking organizations should generally pay dividends only if (i) the organization’s net income available to common shareholders over the past year has been sufficient to fully fund the dividends and (ii) the prospective rate of earnings retention appears consistent with the organization’s capital needs, asset quality and overall financial condition. Thus, under certain circumstances based upon our financial condition, our ability to declare and pay quarterly dividends may require consultation with the FRB and may be prohibited by applicable FRB guidance.
Other Safety and Soundness Regulations
There are a number of obligations and restrictions imposed on bank holding companies such as us and our depository institution subsidiary by federal law and regulatory policy. These obligations and restrictions are designed to reduce potential loss exposure to the FDIC’s DIF in the event an insured depository institution becomes in danger of default or is in default. Under current federal law, for example, the federal banking agencies possess broad powers to take prompt corrective action to resolve problems of insured depository institutions. The extent of these powers depends upon whether the institution in question is “well-capitalized,” “adequately capitalized,” “undercapitalized,” “significantly undercapitalized” or “critically undercapitalized,” as defined by the law. As of December 31, 2024, S&T Bank was classified as “well-capitalized.” Refer to the above section titled Capital within this Item 1. Business section for capital requirements. The classification of depository institutions is primarily for the purpose of applying the federal banking agencies’ prompt corrective action provisions and is not intended to be and should not be interpreted as a representation of overall financial condition or prospects of any financial institution.
The federal banking agencies’ prompt corrective action powers, which increase depending upon the degree to which an institution is undercapitalized, can include, among other things, requiring an insured depository institution to adopt a capital restoration plan, which cannot be approved unless guaranteed by the institution’s parent company; placing limits on asset growth and restrictions on activities, including restrictions on transactions with affiliates; restricting the interest rates the institution may pay on deposits; restricting the institution from accepting brokered deposits; prohibiting the payment of principal or interest on subordinated debt; prohibiting the holding company from making capital distributions, including payment of dividends, without prior regulatory approval; and, ultimately, appointing a receiver for the institution.
The federal banking agencies have also adopted guidelines prescribing safety and soundness standards relating to internal controls and information systems, internal audit systems, loan documentation, credit underwriting, interest rate exposure, asset growth, fees and compensation and benefits. In general, the guidelines require appropriate systems and practices to identify and manage specified risks and exposures. The guidelines prohibit excessive compensation as an unsafe and unsound practice and characterize compensation as excessive when the amounts paid are unreasonable or disproportionate to the services performed by an executive officer, employee, director or principal shareholder. In addition, the agencies have adopted regulations that authorize, but do not require, an agency to order an institution that has been given notice by an agency that it is not in compliance with any of such safety and soundness standards to submit a compliance plan. If, after being so notified, an institution fails to submit an acceptable compliance plan, the agency must issue an order directing action to correct the deficiency and may issue an order directing other actions of the types to which an “undercapitalized” institution is subject under the prompt corrective action provisions described above.
Regulatory Enforcement Authority
The enforcement powers available to federal banking agencies are substantial and include, among other things and in addition to other powers described herein, the ability to assess civil money penalties and impose other civil and criminal penalties, to issue cease-and-desist or removal orders, to appoint a conservator to conserve the assets of an institution for the benefit of its depositors and creditors and to initiate injunctive actions against banks and bank holding companies and “institution affiliated parties,” as defined in the Federal Deposit Insurance Act. In general, these enforcement actions may be initiated for violations of laws and regulations, and engagement in unsafe or unsound practices. Other actions or inactions may provide the basis for enforcement action, including misleading or untimely reports filed with regulatory authorities.
At the state level, the PADBS also has broad enforcement powers over S&T Bank, including the power to impose fines and other penalties and to appoint a conservator or receiver.
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Interstate Banking and Branching
The BHCA currently permits bank holding companies from any state to acquire banks and bank holding companies located in any other state, subject to certain conditions, including certain nationwide and state-imposed deposit concentration limits. In addition, because of changes to law made by the Dodd-Frank Act, S&T Bank may now establish de novo branches in any state to the same extent that a bank chartered in that state could establish a branch.
Community Reinvestment, Fair Lending and Consumer Protection Laws
In connection with its lending activities, S&T Bank is subject to a number of state and federal laws and regulations designed to protect consumers and promote lending to various sectors of the economy and population. The federal laws include, among others, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, the Truth-in-Lending Act, the Truth-in-Savings Act, the Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act and the CRA. In addition, federal rules require disclosure of privacy policies to consumers.
The purpose of the CRA is to help address inequities in credit access for low and moderate-income (LMI) individuals and communities. It is designed to encourage regulated banks to help meet the credit needs of the local communities in which they are chartered. The FRB, the FDIC and the OCC implement the CRA through their CRA regulations, which establish the framework for how the agencies assess a bank’s record of helping to meet the credit needs of the communities that they serve, including LMI neighborhoods, consistent with safe and sound operations. The CRA requires the appropriate federal banking agency, in connection with its examination of a bank, to assess the bank’s record in meeting the credit needs of the communities served by the bank, including LMI neighborhoods. Furthermore, such assessment is required of any bank that has applied, among other things, to merge or consolidate with or acquire the assets or assume the liabilities of an insured depository institution, or to open or relocate a branch office. In the case of a bank holding company, including a financial holding company, applying for approval to acquire a bank or bank holding company, the FRB will assess the record of each subsidiary bank of the applicant bank holding company in considering the application. Under the CRA, institutions are assigned a rating of “outstanding,” “satisfactory,” “needs to improve” or “unsatisfactory.” S&T Bank was rated “satisfactory” in its most recent CRA performance evaluation.
More recently, on October 24, 2023, the FDIC, OCC and FRB jointly issued a final rule to the CRA designed to strengthen and modernize the regulations implementing the CRA. The changes are designed to encourage banks to expand access to credit, investment and banking services in LMI communities, adapt to changes in the banking industry, including mobile and internet banking, provide greater clarity and consistency in the application of the CRA regulations and tailor CRA evaluations and data collection to bank size and type. Most of the final rule’s requirements will be applicable beginning in January 2026, while the remaining requirements, including data reporting requirements, will be applicable in January 2027.
With respect to consumer protection, the Dodd-Frank Act created the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or the CFPB, which took over rulemaking responsibility on July 21, 2011 for the principal federal consumer financial protection laws, such as those identified above. Institutions that have assets of $10 billion or less, such as S&T Bank, are subject to the rules established by the CFPB, but will continue to be supervised in this area by their state and primary federal regulators, which in the case of S&T Bank is the FDIC.
Fair lending laws prohibit discrimination in the provision of bank's lending practices, and the enforcement of these laws has been a focus for bank regulators. Fair lending laws include the Equal Credit Opportunity Act and the Fair Housing Act, which outlaw discrimination in credit transactions and residential real estate on the basis of prohibited factors including, among others, race, color, national origin, sex and religion. A lender may be liable for policies that result in a disparate treatment of or have a disparate impact on a protected class of applicants or borrowers. If a pattern or practice of lending discrimination is alleged by a regulator, then that agency is required to refer the matter to the U.S. Department of Justice, or DOJ, for investigation. S&T Bank is required to have a fair lending program that is of sufficient scope to monitor the inherent fair lending risk of the institution and that appropriately remediates issues which are identified.
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During 2013, the CFPB issued a series of final rules related to mortgage loan origination and mortgage loan servicing, which became effective in 2014. In particular, on January 10, 2013, the CFPB issued a final rule implementing the ability-to-repay and qualified mortgage (QM) provisions of the Truth-in-Lending Act, as amended by the Dodd-Frank Act (“QM Rule.”) The ability-to-repay provision requires creditors to make reasonable, good-faith determinations that borrowers are able to repay their mortgage loans before extending the credit, based on a number of factors and consideration of financial information about the borrower from reasonably reliable third party documents. Under the Dodd-Frank Act and the QM Rule, loans meeting the definition of “qualified mortgage” are entitled to a presumption that the lender satisfied the ability-to-repay requirements. The presumption is a conclusive presumption/safe harbor for prime loans meeting the QM requirements, and a rebuttable presumption for higher-priced/subprime loans meeting the QM requirements. The QM Rule also adds an explicit maximum 43 percent debt-to-income ratio (DTI) for borrowers if the loan is to meet the QM definition, though some mortgages that meet government-sponsored enterprise, or GSE, Federal Housing Administration, or FHA, and Veterans Affairs, or VA, underwriting guidelines may, for a period not to exceed seven years, meet the QM definition without being subject to the 43 percent DTI limits (GSE Patch). In December 2020, the CFPB published a final rule that replaced the 43 percent DTI ratio limit in the general QM definition (the “General QM Rule”) with a limit based on the loan’s pricing. The final rule also created a new category of qualified mortgage, called a seasoned qualified mortgage, for first lien, fixed rate covered loans that meet certain performance requirements, are held in the portfolio of the originating creditor or first purchaser for a 36-month period, comply with general restrictions on product features and points and fees, and meet certain underwriting requirements. The compliance date of the final rules was October 1, 2022. These rules did not have a material impact on our mortgage business.
Anti-Money Laundering Rules
S&T Bank is subject to the Bank Secrecy Act, its implementing regulations and other anti-money laundering laws and regulations, including the USA Patriot Act of 2001. Among other things, these laws and regulations require S&T Bank to take steps to prevent the bank from being used to facilitate the flow of illegal or illicit money, to report large currency transactions and to file suspicious activity reports. S&T Bank is also required to develop and implement a comprehensive anti-money laundering compliance program. Banks must also have in place appropriate “know your customer” policies and procedures which includes requirements to (1) identify and verify, subject to certain exceptions, the identity of the beneficial owners of all legal entity customers at the time a new account is opened, and (2) include in its anti-money laundering program, risk-based procedures for conducting ongoing customer due diligence, which are to include procedures that (a) assist in understanding the nature and purpose of customer relationships for the purpose of developing a customer risk profile, and (b) require ongoing monitoring to identify and report suspicious transactions and, on a risk basis, to maintain and update customer information. Violations of these requirements can result in substantial civil and criminal sanctions. In addition, provisions of the USA Patriot Act of 2001 require the federal financial institution regulatory agencies to consider the effectiveness of a financial institution’s anti-money laundering activities when considering applications for bank mergers and bank holding company acquisitions.
Other Dodd-Frank Provisions
In December 2013, federal regulators adopted final regulations regarding the Volcker Rule established in the Dodd-Frank Act. The Volcker Rule generally prohibits banks and their affiliates from engaging in proprietary trading and investing in and sponsoring certain unregistered investment companies generally covering hedge funds and private equity funds, subject to certain exemptions. Banking entities had until July 21, 2017 to conform their activities to the requirements of the rule. Since S&T generally does not engage in the activities prohibited by the Volcker Rule, the effectiveness of the rule has not had a material effect on S&T Bank or its affiliates.
In addition, the Dodd-Frank Act provides that the amount of any interchange fee charged for electronic debit transactions by debit card issuers having assets over $10 billion must be reasonable and proportional to the actual cost of a transaction to the issuer. The FRB has adopted a rule which limits the maximum permissible interchange fees that such issuers can receive for an electronic debit transaction. This rule, Regulation II, was effective October 1, 2011, and then amended on October 3, 2022 to require debit card issuers to provide at least two unaffiliated payment card networks to process card-not-present debit card transactions. Regulation II does not apply to a bank that, together with its affiliates, has less than $10 billion in assets, which includes S&T.
Cybersecurity
We are subject to a variety of regulatory expectations and requirements regarding cybersecurity and data privacy. Federal regulators have issued statements regarding cybersecurity addressing the controls that financial institutions should design and business continuity planning and recovery processes that should be in place. Additionally, the FDIC, OCC and FRB issued a final rule that became effective in May 2022, requiring banking organizations that experience a computer-security incident to notify certain entities and its federal regulator of the computer-security incident as soon as possible and no later than 36 hours after the bank determines a computer-security incident has occurred. This rule also requires banking organizations to notify
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their customers of a computer-security incident that has caused, or is reasonably likely to cause, a material service disruption or degradation for four or more hours. Moreover, in March 2022, the Cyber Incident Reporting for Critical Infrastructure Act, or CIRCIA, was enacted and once final rules are adopted, will require certain covered entities to report a covered cyber incident to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency, or CISA, within 72 hours after a covered entity reasonably believes an incident has occurred. Separate reporting to CISA will also be required within 24 hours if a ransom payment is made as a result of a ransomware attack. In April 2024, the CISA issued proposed rules under the CIRCIA that would clarify the scope of cyber incidents to be reported and would further define covered entities subject to the CIRCIA. Public comments were due in July 2024 and the final rules are expected to be adopted later in 2025. Furthermore, in September 2023, the SEC’s Cybersecurity Risk Management, Strategy, Governance and Incident Disclosure rules went into effect requiring, among other disclosure obligations, companies to publicly disclose the occurrence of a material cybersecurity incident, including the material aspects of the nature, scope and timing of the incident and the material impact on the company including financial condition and results of operation beginning with any material cybersecurity incidents occurring on or after December 18, 2023.
State regulators have also been increasingly active in implementing privacy and cybersecurity standards and regulations, including data breach notification requirements. We actively monitor developments regarding regulatory expectations and federal and state requirements with respect to cybersecurity and data breach notifications.
Competition
S&T Bank competes with other local, regional and national financial services providers, such as other financial holding companies, commercial banks, credit unions, finance companies, brokerage and insurance firms and financial technology companies, including competitors that provide their products and services online and through mobile devices. Some of our competitors are not subject to the same level of regulation and oversight that is required of banks and bank holding companies and are thus able to operate under lower cost structures. Our wealth management business competes with trust companies, mutual fund companies, investment advisory firms, law firms, brokerage firms and other financial services companies.
Changes in bank regulation, such as changes in the products and services banks can offer and permitted involvement in non-banking activities by bank holding companies, as well as bank mergers and acquisitions, can affect our ability to compete with other financial services providers. Our ability to do so will depend upon how successfully we can respond to the evolving competitive, regulatory, technological and demographic developments affecting our operations.
Our customers are primarily in Pennsylvania and the contiguous states of Ohio, New York, West Virginia, New Jersey, Delaware and Maryland. The majority of our commercial and consumer loans are made to businesses and individuals in these states resulting in a geographic concentration. Our market area has a high density of financial institutions, some of which are significantly larger institutions with greater financial resources than us, and many of which are our competitors to varying degrees. Our competition for loans comes principally from commercial banks, mortgage banking companies, credit unions, online lenders and other financial service companies. Our most direct competition for deposits has historically come from commercial banks and credit unions. We face additional competition for deposits from non-depository competitors such as the mutual fund industry, securities and brokerage firms, insurance companies and financial technology companies. Since larger competitors have advantages in attracting business from larger corporations, we do not generally attempt to compete for that business. Instead, we concentrate our efforts on attracting the business of individuals, and small and medium-size businesses. We consider our competitive advantages to be customer service and responsiveness to customer needs, the convenience of banking offices and hours, access to electronic banking services and the availability and pricing of our customized banking solutions. We emphasize personalized banking and the advantage of local decision-making in our banking business.
The financial services industry is likely to become more competitive as further technological advances enable more companies to provide financial services on a more efficient and convenient basis. Technological innovations have lowered traditional barriers to entry and enabled many companies to compete in financial services markets. Many customers now expect a choice of banking options for the delivery of services, including traditional banking offices, telephone, internet, mobile, ATMs, self-service branches, in-store branches and/or digital and technology based solutions. These delivery channels are offered by traditional banks and savings associations, credit unions, brokerage firms, asset management groups, financial technology companies, finance and insurance companies, internet-based companies and mortgage banking firms.
Item 1A. RISK FACTORS
Investments in our common stock involve risk. The following discussion highlights the risks that we believe are material to S&T, potentially impacting our business, results of operations, financial condition and cash flows. However, other factors not discussed below or elsewhere in this Annual Report on Form 10-K could adversely affect our businesses, results of operations and financial condition. Therefore, the risk factors below do not necessarily include all risks that we may face.
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Risks Related to Credit
Our ability to assess the credit-worthiness of our customers may diminish, which may adversely affect our results of operations.
We incur credit risk by virtue of making loans and extending loan commitments and letters of credit. Credit risk is one of our most significant risks. We manage our exposure to credit risk through the use of consistent underwriting standards that emphasize “in-market” lending while avoiding excessive industry and other concentrations. Our credit administration function employs risk management techniques to ensure that loans adhere to corporate policy and problem loans are promptly identified. There can be no assurance that such measures will be effective in avoiding undue credit risk. If the models and approaches that we use to select, manage and underwrite our consumer and commercial loan products change and our underwriting standards do not reflect or capture the rapid changes in the economy, we may have higher credit losses.
The value of the collateral used to secure our loans may not be sufficient to compensate for the amount of unpaid loans and we may be unsuccessful in recovering the remaining balances from our customers.
Decreases in collateral values, particularly with respect to our commercial real estate, or CRE, and commercial and industrial, or C&I, could adversely affect our customers’ ability to repay these loans, which in turn could impact our profitability. Repayment of our commercial loans is often dependent on the cash flow of the borrower, which may become unpredictable. If the value of the assets, such as real estate or business assets, serving as collateral for the loan portfolio were to decline materially, a significant part of the loan portfolio could become under-collateralized. If the loans that are secured by real estate become troubled when real estate market conditions are declining or have declined, in the event of foreclosure, we may not be able to realize the amount of collateral that was anticipated at the time of originating the loan. The underlying business assets that serve as collateral for C&I loans may be specific and unique to the borrowers industry; therefore, when the borrower encounters financial difficulties, the business assets may not have sufficient value. This could result in higher charge-offs which could have a material adverse effect on our operating results and financial condition.
Changes in the overall credit quality of our portfolio can have a significant impact on our earnings.
Like other lenders, we face the risk that our customers will not repay their loans. We reserve for losses in our loan portfolio based on our assessment of expected credit losses. Management determines the amount of allowance for credit losses, or ACL, through undergoing a periodic review of the loan portfolio, where it considers historical losses, the national unemployment forecast produced by the Federal Reserve combined with qualitative factors around current conditions including changes in lending policies and practices, economic conditions, changes in the loan portfolio, changes in lending management, results of internal loan reviews, asset quality trends, collateral values, concentrations of credit risk and other external factors. This process, which is critical to our financial results and condition, requires complex judgment including our assessment of economic conditions, which are difficult to predict. The amount of future losses is difficult to predict because it is susceptible to changes in economic, operating and other conditions, including changes in interest rates, which may be beyond our control. Although we have policies and procedures in place to determine future losses, due to the subjective nature of this area, there can be no assurance that our management has accurately assessed the level of allowances reflected in our consolidated financial statements. We may underestimate our expected credit losses and fail to hold an ACL sufficient to account for these losses. Incorrect assumptions could lead to material underestimates of expected losses and an inadequate ACL. As our assessment of expected losses changes, we may need to increase or decrease our ACL, which could significantly impact our financial results and profitability.
Our loan portfolio is concentrated within our market area, and our lack of geographic diversification increases our risk profile.
The regional economic conditions within our market area affect the demand for our products and services as well as the ability of our customers to repay their loans and the value of the collateral securing these loans. A significant decline in the regional economy caused by inflation, recession, unemployment or other factors could negatively affect our customers, the quality of our loan portfolio and the demand for our products and services. Any sustained period of increased payment delinquencies, foreclosures or losses caused by adverse market or economic conditions in our market area could adversely affect the value of our assets, revenues, results of operations and financial condition. Moreover, we cannot give any assurance that we will benefit from any market growth or favorable economic conditions in our primary market area.
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Our loan portfolio has a significant concentration of commercial loans that have a higher risk of loss.
The majority of our loans are to commercial borrowers including commercial and industrial, or C&I, CRE and construction loans. The commercial loan portfolio typically involves a higher degree of credit risk than other types of loans. For the C&I segment this is due to the customer’s repayment ability being based upon the success of its business operations, the susceptibility of the customer’s business to changing economic conditions, the dependence of our customer on maintaining sufficient cash flow to make payments on the loan and our reliance on the underlying collateral, which is usually only the business assets that may not have sufficient value when the borrower encounters financial difficulties. For the CRE segment higher risk is due to higher loan principal amounts, where the repayment of these loans is generally dependent, in large part, on sufficient income from the properties securing the loans to cover operating expenses and debt service. Because payments on loans secured by CRE often depend upon the successful operation and management of the properties, repayment of these loans may be affected by factors outside the borrower’s control, including adverse conditions in the real estate market or the economy. Additionally, we have a number of significant credit exposures to commercial borrowers, and while the majority of these borrowers have numerous projects that make up the total aggregate exposure, if one or more of these borrowers default or have financial difficulties, we could experience higher credit losses, which could adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations. Further, an individual commercial loan balance is typically larger than other loans in our portfolio, creating the potential for larger credit losses on an individual loan. The deterioration of one or a few of these loans could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Risks Related to General Economic Conditions
General economic conditions may adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
Various aspects of our business could be impacted by general macroeconomic conditions including, among others, inflation, interest rates, rising or elevated unemployment, declines in GDP, consumer spending, property values, supply chain complications and economic uncertainty. These conditions generally have a negative impact on businesses, financial markets and consumers, which may impact the underlying credit quality of our customers. The following could increase the risk of our customers defaulting or becoming delinquent in their obligations to us, which could increase credit losses and adversely affect our credit portfolios and provision for credit losses: (i) increased cost of borrowings, (ii) additional borrowings and increased leverage, (iii) drawdown from savings due to business disruption, (iv) financial difficulties, or (v) business losses, particularly for borrowers in our C&I or CRE portfolio. Furthermore, the United States has recently enacted significant new tariffs and may enact additional tariffs. Additionally, federal agencies have been instructed to evaluate key aspects of U.S. trade policy and issue reports to the president no later than April 30, 2025. Changes to United States tariffs and/or other trade policies may have a negative effect on the underlying credit quality of our customers, and increase the risk of our customers defaulting or becoming delinquent in their obligations to us. If the macroeconomic environment worsens, our credit portfolio and ACL could be adversely impacted. These unfavorable economic conditions could also impact the demand for loans and other products and services offered by us, the level of customer deposits, the value of our investment securities, loans held for sale or other assets secured by residential or commercial real estate, or the level of net interest income or net interest margin. Any of these developments could adversely impact our business, financial condition, results of operations or cash flows.
We may not accurately predict the nature and timing of the policies of the Federal Reserve and other governmental agencies and their impact on interest rates and financial markets, which could negatively impact our financial condition and results of operations.
The monetary policies of the Federal Reserve have a significant impact on interest rates, the value of financial instruments and other assets and liabilities, and overall financial market performance. These policies have a significant impact on the activities and results of operations of banks and bank holding companies such as S&T. An important function of the Federal Reserve is to monitor the national supply of bank credit and set certain interest rates. The actions of the Federal Reserve influence the rates of interest that we charge on loans and that we pay on borrowings and interest-bearing deposits. In addition, monetary policy actions by governmental authorities in the European Union or other countries could have an impact on global interest rates, which could affect rates in the U.S. We may not accurately predict the nature or timing of future changes in monetary policies and interest rates or the precise effects that they may have on our activities and financial results, which could negatively impact our financial condition and results of operations.
Financial challenges at other banking institutions and further adverse developments affecting the financial services industry, and the soundness of financial institutions, and further disruption to the economy and U.S. banking system may adversely affect our business, results of operations, liquidity and stock price.
Several bank receiverships in 2023 caused a state of volatility in the financial services industry and uncertainty with respect to liquidity and the health of the U.S. banking system. Although we were not directly affected by these bank receiverships, this news caused fear among depositors, which caused them to withdraw or attempt to withdraw their funds from these and other
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financial institutions. Uncertainty may be compounded by the reach and depth of media attention, including social media, and its ability to disseminate concerns or rumors about any events of these kinds or other similar risks, and have in the past and may in the future lead to market-wide liquidity problems. Additionally, the stock prices of many financial institutions dropped and became volatile. While the FDIC resolution of these banks was done in a manner that protected depositors, there remains concern over the U.S. banking system as a result of continued economic volatility. Furthermore, financial services institutions are interrelated as a result of trading, clearing, counterparty, or other relationships, which may expose us to credit risk and losses in the event of a default by a counterparty or client. As a result of these events, we face the potential for reputational risk, deposit outflows and increased credit risk which, individually or in the aggregate, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations and liquidity.
Furthermore, if such levels of financial market and economic disruption and volatility continue, if actual events or concerns or rumors involving limited liquidity, defaults, or other adverse developments, or if other banks and financial institutions enter receivership or become insolvent in the future in response to financial conditions affecting the banking system and financial markets, our ability to access our existing cash, cash equivalents and investments may be threatened due to market-wide liquidity problems. While we maintain liquidity primarily through customer deposits and through access to other short-term funding sources, including advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank, or FHLB, our efforts to monitor and manage liquidity risk may not be successful or sufficient to deal with dramatic or unanticipated increases or reductions in our liquidity, particularly in light of the impact of increased interest rates on the market value of investment securities. This situation could have a material adverse impact on our results of operations and financial condition.
Additionally, regulatory pressures and additional regulation of financial institutions as a result of the industry developments could have material adverse effects on our business, results of operations, financial condition and growth prospects.
Geopolitical tensions and conflicts between nations has created significant economic and financial disruptions and uncertainties, which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The continuing conflict resulting from Russia’s military attack on Ukraine in February 2022 and other armed conflicts such as that involving Hamas and Israel beginning in October 2023 may cause detrimental effects on the global economy. This conflict, as well as further escalation of tensions between Israel and various countries in the Middle East and North Africa may cause additional detrimental effects on the global economy, including financial and capital markets, which could adversely impact our earnings.
Although the extent and duration of these military conflicts and any future escalation of such hostilities, market disruptions and volatility, and the result of any diplomatic negotiations remains uncertain, these consequences, including those we cannot yet predict, may cause our business, financial condition, results of operations and the price of our common stock to be adversely affected.
Risks Related to Our Operations
Failure to keep pace with technological changes could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
The financial services industry is constantly undergoing rapid technological change with frequent introductions of new technology-driven products and services. The effective use of technology increases efficiency and enables financial institutions to better service customers and reduce costs. Our future success depends, in part, upon our ability to address the needs of our customers by using technology to provide products and services that will satisfy their demands, as well as create additional efficiencies within our operations. Many of our large competitors have substantially greater resources to invest in technological improvements. We may not be able to effectively implement new technology-driven products and services quickly or be successful in marketing these products and services to our customers. Failure to successfully keep pace with technological change affecting the financial services industry, including but not limited to changes affecting our information systems resulting in incidents, attacks or breaches in cybersecurity, could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
A cyber attack, information or security breach, or a failure of ours or of a third-party's infrastructure, computer and data management systems could adversely affect our ability to conduct our business or manage our exposure to risk, result in the disclosure or misuse of confidential or proprietary information, increase our costs to maintain and update our operational and security systems and infrastructure, and adversely impact our results of operations, liquidity and financial condition, as well as cause reputational harm.
Our business is highly dependent on the security and efficacy of our infrastructure, computer and data management systems, as well as those of third parties with whom we interact. Cybersecurity risks for financial institutions have significantly
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increased in recent years in part because of the proliferation of new technologies, the use of the Internet and telecommunications technologies to conduct financial transactions, and the increased sophistication and activities of organized crime, hackers, terrorists and other external parties, including foreign state actors. Our operations rely on the secure processing, transmission, storage and retrieval of confidential, proprietary and other information in our computer and data management systems and networks, and in the computer and data management systems and networks of third parties. We rely on digital technologies, computer, database and email systems, software, and networks to conduct our operations. In addition, to access our network and products and services, our customers and third parties may use personal mobile devices or computing devices that are outside of our network environment. We have taken measures to implement backup systems and other safeguards to support our operations, but our ability to conduct business may be adversely affected by any significant disruptions to us or to third parties with whom we interact. We further issue debit cards which are susceptible to compromise at the point of sale via the physical terminal through which transactions are processed and by other means of hacking. The security and integrity of these transactions are dependent upon the retailers’ vigilance and willingness to invest in technology and upgrades. Issuing debit cards to our clients exposes us to potential losses, which, in the event of a data breach at one or more major retailers may adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.
Financial services institutions, and third parties whom they conduct business with, have been subject to, and are likely to continue to be the target of, cyber attacks, including computer viruses, malicious or destructive code, phishing attacks, denial of service or other security breaches that could result in the unauthorized release, gathering, monitoring, misuse, loss or destruction of confidential, proprietary and other information of the institution, its employees or customers or of third parties, or otherwise materially disrupt network access or business operations. For example, denial of service attacks have been launched against a number of large financial institutions and several large retailers have disclosed substantial cybersecurity breaches affecting debit accounts of their customers. We have experienced cybersecurity incidents in the past, such as vendor malware attacks, phishing and other social engineering schemes designed to gain access to confidential information from our employees, customers or vendors and, although not material, we anticipate that we could experience further incidents of that nature as well as other types of attempts or incidents. There can be no assurance that we will not suffer material losses or other material consequences relating to technology failure, cyber incidents or other information or security breaches.
In addition to external threats, insider threats also present a risk to us. Insiders, having legitimate access to our systems and the information contained in them, have the opportunity to make inappropriate use of the systems and information, or as a result of human error, misconduct or malfeasance, expose us to risk. We have policies, procedures, and controls in place designed to prevent or limit this risk, but we cannot guarantee that these policies, procedures and controls fully mitigate this risk. Additionally, a number of our employees have shifted to working from remote locations, which we expect to remain high for the foreseeable future, increasing the number of surfaces that require protection and the overall risks and exposures to cyber threats.
We have taken and continue to take measures to design, implement and reassess our controls, backup systems and other safeguards to support our operations, but no matter how well designed or implemented, we may not be able to anticipate and prevent all potential types of security incidents and breaches, and we may not be able to implement effective preventive measures against such security breaches in a timely manner. As cyber threats continue to evolve, we may also be required to expend significant additional resources to continue to modify or enhance our systems or to investigate and remediate vulnerabilities. System enhancements and updates have further potential to create risks associated with implementing and integrating new systems. Due to the complexity and interconnectedness of information technology systems, the process of enhancing our systems can itself create a risk of systems disruptions and security issues. Any of these matters could result in failure, circumvention of our security systems, or significant disruptions to us or third parties with whom we interact, misappropriation or destruction of our confidential information and/or that of our customers, or damage to our customers’ and/or third parties’ computers or systems, loss of our customers and business opportunities, and could result in a violation of applicable privacy laws and other laws, litigation exposure, regulatory fines, penalties or intervention, loss of confidence in our security measures, reputational damage, reimbursement or other compensatory costs, and additional compliance costs. In addition, any of the matters described above could have a material adverse impact on our results of business operations and financial condition.
Any of the foregoing risks may cause us to experience a cybersecurity incident, attack or breach. A successful security breach of our information or security systems or those of third parties whom we interact with could incur substantial costs or other negative consequences which cause us to suffer material losses. Examples of such material losses include, but are not limited to: (1) remediation costs, such as liability for stolen assets or information, repairs of system damage, and incentives to customers in an effort to maintain relationships after an attack; (2) violations of applicable privacy and other laws; (3) loss of confidence in its security measures; (4) increased cybersecurity protection costs, such as organizational changes, deploying additional personnel and protection technologies, training employees, and engaging third party experts and consultants; (5) significant litigation exposure; (6) harm to our reputation; (7) financial loss; and (8) damage to our competitiveness, stock price, and long-term shareholder values. There can be no assurance we will not suffer material losses or other material consequences relating to technology failure, cyber incidents or other information or security breaches experienced by us or the third parties whom we interact.
While we maintain a cyber insurance policy that is designed to cover a majority of loss resulting from cybersecurity breaches, there is no assurance such coverage or other protective measures we employ will be adequate to address all potential material adverse impacts as cybersecurity incidents increase in frequency and magnitude. Any breach of our system security
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could result in disruption of our operations, unauthorized access to confidential customer information, significant regulatory costs, litigation exposure and other possible damages, loss or liability. Such costs or losses could exceed the amount of available insurance coverage, if any, and would adversely affect our earnings.
Moreover, we are subject to laws and regulations in the United States and other jurisdictions regarding privacy, data protection and data security and there continues to be heightened legislative and regulatory focus in this area. These laws and regulations are rapidly evolving and increasing in complexity and will require us to incur costs, some of which may be significant, to achieve and maintain compliance and could restrict our ability to provide certain products and services which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations. Furthermore, as cybersecurity incidents increase in frequency and magnitude, we may be unable to obtain cybersecurity insurance in amounts and on terms we view as adequate for our operations.
For more information on how the Company manages cybersecurity risk, please refer to the discussion provided below under “Part I, Item 1C. Cybersecurity.”
Fraudulent activity associated with our products and services could adversely affect our results of operations, financial condition and stock price, negatively impact our brand and reputation and result in regulatory intervention or sanctions.
As a financial institution we are exposed to operational risk in the form of fraudulent activity that may be committed by customers, other third parties, or employees, targeting us and our customers. The risk of fraud continues to increase for the financial services industry. Fraudulent activity has escalated, become more sophisticated, and continues to evolve, as there are more options to access financial services. While we believe we have operational risk controls in place to prevent or detect
fraud or to mitigate the impact of any fraud, we cannot provide assurance that we can prevent or detect fraud or that we will not experience future fraud losses or incur costs or other damage related to such fraud, at levels that adversely affect our results of operation, financial condition or stock price. Furthermore, fraudulent activity could negatively impact our brand and reputation, which could also adversely affect our results of operation, financial condition or stock price. Fraudulent activity could also lead to regulatory intervention or regulatory sanctions.
We rely on certain critical third-party providers for a number of services that are important to our business. An interruption or cessation of an important service by any critical third-party provider could have a material adverse effect on our business.
We are dependent for the majority of our technology, including our core operating system, on certain critical third-party providers. If these companies were to discontinue providing services to us, we may experience significant disruption to our business. In addition, each of these third parties faces the risk of cyber attack, information breach or loss, or technology failure. If any of our critical third-party service providers experience such difficulties, or if there is any other disruption in our relationships with them, we may be required to find alternative sources of such services. We are dependent on these critical third-party providers securing their information systems, over which we have limited control, and a breach of their information systems could adversely affect our ability to process transactions, service our clients or manage our exposure to risk and could result in the disclosure of sensitive, personal customer information, which could have a material adverse impact on our business through damage to our reputation, loss of business, remedial costs, additional regulatory scrutiny or exposure to civil litigation and possible financial liability. Assurance cannot be provided that we could negotiate terms with alternative service sources that are as favorable or could obtain services with similar functionality as found in existing systems without the need to expend substantial resources, if at all, thereby resulting in a material adverse impact on our business and results of operations.
Failure to continue to attract, develop, and maintain a highly skilled workforce may have an adverse effect on our business.
Our business requires that we attract, develop, and maintain a highly skilled workforce. Competition for qualified employees and personnel in the banking industry is strong, and there are a limited number of qualified persons with knowledge of, and experience in, the banking industry where we conduct our business. Our ability to attract and retain skilled personnel cost effectively is subject to a variety of external factors, including the limited availability of qualified personnel in the workforce in the local markets in which we operate, unemployment levels within those markets, prevailing wage rates, which have increased significantly, health and other insurance costs, and changes in employment and labor laws. Furthermore, the complexities introduced into the labor market as a result of the transition to increased work-from-home arrangements have impacted the competitive landscape in our labor market. Based on current conditions in the labor market, we have experienced some difficulty in retaining and attracting personnel and there is no assurance that we will be able to continue to successfully do so.
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Risks Related to Our Business Strategy
Our strategy includes growth plans through organic growth and by means of acquisitions. Our financial condition and results of operations could be negatively affected if we fail to grow or fail to manage our growth effectively.
We intend to continue pursuing a growth strategy through organic growth within our current footprint and through market expansion. We also actively evaluate acquisition opportunities as another source of growth. We cannot give assurance that we will be able to expand our existing market presence, or successfully enter new markets or that any such expansion will not adversely affect our results of operations. Failure to manage our growth effectively could have a material adverse effect on our business, future prospects, financial condition or results of operations and could adversely affect our ability to successfully implement our business strategy.
Our failure to find suitable acquisition candidates, or successfully bid against other competitors for acquisitions, could adversely affect our ability to fully implement our business strategy. If we are successful in acquiring other entities, the process of integrating such entities will divert significant management time and resources. We may not be able to integrate efficiently or operate profitably any entity we may acquire. We may experience disruption and incur unexpected expenses in integrating acquisitions. These failures could adversely impact our future prospects and results of operation.
We are subject to competition from both banks and non-banking companies.
The financial services industry is highly competitive, and we encounter strong competition for deposits, loans and other financial services in our market area, including online providers of these products and services. Our principal competitors include other local, regional and national financial services providers, such as other financial holding companies, commercial banks, financial technology companies, credit unions, finance companies and brokerage and insurance firms, including competitors that provide their products and services online. Many of our non-bank competitors are not subject to the same degree of regulation that we are and have advantages over us in providing certain services. Additionally, many of our competitors are significantly larger than we are and have greater access to capital and other resources. Failure to compete effectively for deposit, loan and other financial services customers in our markets could cause us to lose market share, slow our growth rate and have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
We may be required to raise capital in the future, but that capital may not be available or may not be on acceptable terms when it is needed.
We are required by federal regulatory authorities to maintain adequate capital levels to support operations. While we believe we currently have sufficient capital, if we cannot raise additional capital when needed, we may not be able to meet these requirements. In addition, our ability to further expand our operations through organic growth, which includes growth within our current footprint and growth through market expansion, may be adversely affected by any inability to raise necessary capital. Our ability to raise additional capital at any given time is dependent on capital market conditions at that time and on our financial performance and outlook.
Risks Related to Interest Rates and Investments
Our net interest income could be negatively affected by interest rate changes which may adversely affect our financial condition.
Our results of operations are largely dependent on net interest income, which is the difference between the interest and fees earned on interest-earning assets and the interest paid on interest-bearing liabilities. Therefore, any change in general market interest rates, including changes resulting from the FRB’s policies, can have a significant effect on our net interest income and total income. There may be mismatches between the maturity and repricing of our assets and liabilities that could cause the net interest rate spread to compress, depending on the level and type of changes in the interest rate environment. Interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors that are beyond our control, including general economic conditions and the policies of various governmental agencies. In addition, some of our customers often have the ability to prepay loans or redeem deposits with either no penalties or penalties that are insufficient to compensate us for the lost income. A significant reduction in our net interest income will adversely affect our business and results of operations. If we are unable to manage interest rate risk effectively, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be materially harmed.
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Declines in the value of investment securities held by us could require write-downs, which would reduce our earnings.
In order to diversify earnings and enhance liquidity, we own debt instruments of the U.S. government, U.S.government agencies and U.S. municipalities. We may be required to record impairment charges on our debt securities if they suffer a decline in value due to the underlying credit of the issuer. Additionally, the value of these investments may fluctuate depending on the interest rate environment, general economic conditions and circumstances specific to the issuer. Volatile market conditions may detrimentally affect the value of these securities, such as through reduced valuations due to the perception of heightened credit or liquidity risks. Changes in the value of these instruments may result in a reduction to earnings and/or capital, which may adversely affect our results of operations and financial condition.
Risks Related to Regulatory Compliance and Legal Matters
We are subject to extensive governmental regulation and supervision.
As discussed above, under "Supervision and Regulation" in Item 1, we are subject to extensive state and federal regulation, supervision and legislation that govern nearly every aspect of our operations. The regulations are primarily intended to protect depositors, customers and the banking system as a whole, not shareholders. These regulations affect our lending practices, capital structure, investment practices, dividend policy and growth, among other things. Congress and federal regulatory agencies continually review banking laws, regulations and policies for possible changes. The Dodd-Frank Act, enacted in July 2010, instituted major changes to the banking and financial institutions regulatory regimes. Other changes to statutes, regulations or policies could affect us in substantial and unpredictable ways. Any regulatory changes could subject us to additional costs of regulatory compliance and of doing business, limit the types of financial services and products we may offer and/or increase the ability of non-banks to offer competing financial services and products, among other things, and could divert management’s time from other business activities. Failure to comply with applicable laws, regulations, policies or supervisory guidance could lead to enforcement and other legal actions by federal or state authorities, including criminal or civil penalties, the loss of FDIC insurance, the revocation of a banking charter, other sanctions by regulatory agencies, and/or damage to our reputation. The ramifications and uncertainties of the level of government intervention and regulatory changes in the U.S. financial system could also adversely affect us. The regulations that we are subject to at this time relate to institutions with assets less than $10 billion. Should our assets cross the $10 billion threshold, we will be subject to different and additional regulations. Failure to comply with the different or additional regulations could further adversely affect us.
Our controls and policies and procedures may fail or be circumvented, which may result in a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Management regularly reviews and updates our internal controls, disclosure controls and procedures and operating, risk management and corporate governance policies and procedures. Any system of controls, policies and procedures, however well designed and operated, is based in part on certain assumptions and can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurances that the objectives of the system are met. Any failure or circumvention of internal controls, disclosure controls and procedures, or operating, risk management and corporate governance policies and procedures, whether as a result of human error, misconduct or malfeasance, or failure to comply with regulations related to controls and policies and procedures could have a material adverse effect on our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Furthermore, we may in the future discover areas of our internal controls, disclosure controls and procedures, or operating, risk management and corporate governance policies and procedures that need improvement. Failure to maintain effective controls or to timely implement any necessary improvement of our internal and disclosure controls, or operating, risk management and corporate governance policies and procedures, could, among other things, result in losses from errors, harm our reputation, or cause investors to lose confidence in our reported financial information, all of which could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.
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Negative public opinion could damage our reputation and adversely impact our earnings and liquidity.
Reputational risk, or the risk to our business, earnings, liquidity and capital from negative public opinion, is inherent in our operations. Negative public opinion could result from our actual or alleged conduct in a variety of areas, including legal and regulatory compliance, lending practices, corporate governance, cybersecurity incident or breach, failures by third parties whom we interact with, litigation, ethical issues or inadequate protection of customer information. Financial companies are highly vulnerable to reputational damage when they are found to have harmed customers, particularly retail customers, through conduct that is illegal or viewed as unfair, deceptive, manipulative or otherwise wrongful. We are dependent on third-party providers for a number of services that are important to our business. Refer to the risk factor titled, “We rely on certain critical third-party providers for a number of services that are important to our business. An interruption or cessation of an important service by any third-party provider could have a material adverse effect on our business.” for additional information. A failure by any of these third-party service providers could cause a disruption in our operations, which could result in negative public opinion about us or damage to our reputation. We expend significant resources to comply with regulatory requirements, and the failure to comply with such regulations could result in reputational harm or significant legal or remedial costs. Damage to our reputation could adversely affect our ability to retain and attract new customers and employees, expose us to litigation and regulatory action and adversely impact our earnings and liquidity.
Our ability to pay dividends on our common stock may be limited.
Holders of our common stock will be entitled to receive only such dividends as our Board of Directors may declare out of funds legally available for such payments. The payment of common stock dividends by S&T is subject to certain requirements and limitations of Pennsylvania law. Although we have historically declared cash dividends on our common stock, we are not required to do so and our Board of Directors could reduce, suspend or eliminate our dividend at any time. Substantial portions of our revenue consist of dividend payments we receive from S&T Bank. The payment of common dividends by S&T Bank is subject to certain requirements and limitations under federal and state laws and regulations that limit the amount of dividends it can pay to S&T. In addition, both S&T and S&T Bank are subject to various general regulatory policies relating to the payment of dividends, including requirements to maintain adequate capital above regulatory minimums. Any decrease to or elimination of the dividends on our common stock could adversely affect the market price of our common stock.
Our business could be negatively impacted by environmental, social and governance, or ESG, matters, including climate change and related legislative and regulatory initiatives.
ESG standards, expectations and norms are constantly changing. There has been an increased focus from regulators, investors, customers, employees and other stakeholders concerning ESG practices and disclosure, including climate change, hiring practices, the diversity of the work force, diversity, equity and inclusion practices, racial and social justice issues and shareholder rights.
Environmental focus and concern over the effects of climate change have resulted in increased political and social initiatives directed toward climate change. Governments have entered into international agreements with respect to climate change, and U.S. federal and state legislatures, regulatory agencies and supervisory authorities, including those with oversight of financial institutions, have proposed initiatives seeking to mitigate the effects of climate change. While many of the current regulatory proposals do not apply directly to S&T, continued focus on climate change may lead to the promulgation of new regulations or supervisory guidance applicable to S&T and, as a result, we may experience increased compliance costs and other compliance-related risks. Furthermore, our customers could be impacted by regulatory initiatives focused on addressing and mitigating the effects of climate change resulting in an adverse impact on their financial condition and creditworthiness. Depending on the nature of the initiative, the business impacted, and the composition of loan portfolio, our business and results of operations could be negatively impacted by climate change initiatives directed at our customers. In January 2025, an executive order to withdraw the United States from the Paris Agreement was issued. While it is not possible to predict the impact these actions may have on our business or the business of our customers, such actions could prompt more activity from state and local legislatures and administrative agencies to pass new laws or regulations on climate change that could adversely impact our business and the business of our customers. Additionally, our business and the business of our customers could be negatively impacted by disruptions in economic activity resulting from the physical impacts of climate change.
Furthermore, new government regulations with respect to other ESG matters could also result in new or more stringent forms of ESG oversight and expanded mandatory and voluntary reporting, diligence, disclosure and ESG-related compliance costs. In addition, we could be criticized for the scope of such initiatives or perceived as not acting responsibly in connection with these matters. Failure to adapt to or comply with regulatory requirements or investor or stakeholder expectations and standards with respect to ESG matters or failure to successfully manage varied stakeholder expectations could have a material adverse impact on our future results of operations, financial position, cash flows, ability to do business with certain third parties and our stock price.
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Risks Related to Liquidity
We rely on a stable core deposit base as our primary source of liquidity.
We are dependent for our funding on a stable base of core deposits. Our ability to maintain a stable core deposit base is a function of our financial performance, our reputation and the security provided by FDIC insurance, which combined, gives customers confidence in us. If any of these considerations deteriorates, the stability of our core deposits could be harmed. In addition, deposit levels may be affected by factors such as general interest rate levels, rates paid by competitors, returns available to customers on alternative investments and general economic conditions. Accordingly, we may be required from time to time to rely on other sources of liquidity to meet withdrawal demands or otherwise fund operations. Additional funding sources accessible to S&T include borrowing availability through the Federal Reserve Borrower-in-Custody Program, the FHLB, federal funds lines with other financial institutions and brokered deposits.
Our ability to meet contingency funding needs, in the event of a crisis that causes a disruption to our core deposit base, is dependent on access to wholesale markets, including funds provided by the Federal Reserve Borrower-in-Custody Program, the FHLB of Pittsburgh and other short-term funding sources, including brokered deposits.
We own stock in the FHLB, in order to qualify for membership in the FHLB system, which enables us to borrow on our line of credit that is secured by a blanket lien on a significant portion of our loan portfolio. Changes or disruptions to the FHLB or the FHLB system in general may materially impact our ability to meet short and long-term liquidity needs or meet growth plans. Additionally, we cannot be assured that the FHLB will be able to provide funding to us when needed, nor can we be certain that the FHLB will provide funds specifically to us, should our financial condition and/or our regulators prevent access to our line of credit. We have other funding sources that
can be used such as the Federal Reserve Borrower-in-Custody Program and brokered deposits. The inability to access this source of funds could have a materially adverse effect on our ability to meet our customer’s needs. Our financial flexibility could be severely constrained if we were unable to maintain our access to funding or if adequate financing is not available at acceptable interest rates.
Risks Related to Owning Our Stock
The market price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly in response to a number of factors.
Our quarterly and annual operating results have varied significantly in the past and could vary significantly in the future, which makes it difficult for us to predict our future operating results. Our operating results may fluctuate due to a variety of factors, many of which are outside of our control, including the changing U.S. economic environment and changes in the commercial and residential real estate market, any of which may cause our stock price to fluctuate. If our operating results fall below the expectations of investors or securities analysts, the price of our common stock could decline substantially. Additionally, our stock price can fluctuate significantly in response to a variety of factors including, among other things:
•volatility of stock market prices and volumes in general;
•changes in market valuations of similar companies;
•the nature and composition of our ownership base;
•investor views on the attractiveness of a given sector in the market;
•the flow of capital among market sectors;
•changes in the conditions of credit markets;
•changes in accounting policies or procedures as required by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, or FASB, or other regulatory agencies;
•legislative and regulatory actions, including the impact of the Dodd-Frank Act and related regulations, that may subject us to additional regulatory oversight which may result in increased compliance costs and/or require us to change our business model;
•government intervention in the U.S. financial system and the effects of and changes in trade and monetary and fiscal policies and laws, including the interest rate policies of the FRB;
•additions or departures of key members of management;
•fluctuations in our quarterly or annual operating results; and
•changes in analysts’ estimates of our financial performance.
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General Risk Factors
We may be a defendant from time to time in a variety of litigation and other actions, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
From time to time, customers and others make claims and take legal action pertaining to the performance of our responsibilities. Whether customer claims and legal action related to the performance of our responsibilities are founded or unfounded, if such claims and legal actions are not resolved in a manner favorable to us, they may result in significant expenses, attention from management and financial liability. Any financial liability or reputational damage could have a material adverse effect on our business, which, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Item 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
There are no unresolved SEC staff comments.
Item 1C. CYBERSECURITY
Risk Management and Strategy
S&T’s Information Security Program provides policies, procedures, controls and technical measures to assess, identify and manage material cybersecurity risks. The Information Security Program is a part of S&T’s overall Enterprise Risk Management, or ERM Program. The Information Security Program is designed to achieve the following objectives:
•protecting data through the use of automated and manual processes;
•periodically assessing and updating the program to address an evolving threat environment;
•maintaining a team of IT security professionals that continually monitor, detect, analyze, investigate and report cybersecurity threats; and
•ensuring business continuity and disaster recovery.
We based and tailored our framework on the National Institute of Standards and Technology, or NIST, Cybersecurity Framework and the Center for Internet Security, or CIS, Critical Security Controls.
The S&T Information Security Program utilizes a defense in depth strategy that leverages multiple security measures to protect the bank's assets. We encrypt and leverage data loss prevention technology for sensitive data and use advanced transport layer security encryption for our applications. S&T employees are required to undergo annual information security awareness training, which includes information regarding evolving threats such as phishing, malware and social engineering testing.
S&T performs periodic risk assessments that seek to identify both technical and physical risks to information systems. The assessments incorporate cybersecurity-related principles from the Federal Financial Institutions Examination Council, or FFIEC, Information Technology Examination Handbook, regulatory guidance and concepts from other industry standards, including the NIST Cybersecurity Framework. An assessment typically includes:
•identifying reasonably foreseeable internal and external threats that could result in a cybersecurity incident;
•assessing the likelihood and potential impact of those threats; and
•assessing the sufficiency of policies, procedures, practices, and technical measures in place to manage risks.
In addition to periodic risk assessments, S&T evaluates changes to IT systems or physical systems for any information security impacts. S&T utilizes staff and independent third parties to conduct annual penetration testing and IT security health assessments. We engage third parties to facilitate tabletop incident response and business continuity exercises. Additionally, we participate in various cybersecurity industry forums and have access to law enforcement analysis regarding current threats.
Our third-party risk management program is integrated into our Information Security Program within our ERM Program. The policies, procedures and practices applicable to the cybersecurity components of the third-party risk management program were developed and are maintained consistent with the FFEIC IT Examination Handbook, as well as guidance from our prudential regulators. We perform a risk assessment, including cyber threats, associated with use of third-party vendors and exercise appropriate due diligence before entering into a vendor arrangement. We also engage a third party to actively monitor our cybersecurity risks and gather threat intelligence of select vendors and their products and services. Additionally, we conduct information security assessments before sharing or allowing the hosting of sensitive data in computing environments managed by third parties. Our contracts governing third party engagements require certain security and privacy protections where applicable. All third parties with access to our information systems must review and acknowledge our Acceptable Use Policy before access is granted.
When a cybersecurity incident occurs, whether detected internally or from third-party cybersecurity incidents, we evaluate the incident for criticality across a range of contributing indicators, including service availability, impact to operations, reputational impact, regulatory and legal considerations, data sensitivity and direct financial impact. The potential impact of the incident, individually or in aggregate, is evaluated by the Chief Security Officer, or CSO, continuously across these criteria. We
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have escalation procedures to notify members of senior and executive management, the Board (or an applicable subset) and regulators in a timely manner based on the criticality of the cybersecurity incident. S&T also has in place incident response and business continuity plans. The Incident Response Program outlines the policies, procedures and technical measures for identifying an incident, assessing its nature and scope, minimizing and containing the impact, investigating the root cause and reporting, as applicable. S&T uses data from incidents to reassess risk, evaluate and implement any additional controls deemed necessary and measure the success of the incident response team. The Incident Response Program also includes staff training, annual updates and testing. The Business Continuity Plan defines the policies, procedures and technical measures to restore systems and critical operations. S&T also maintains business continuity plans for critical systems and applications managed or hosted by third-party vendors.
To date, risks from cybersecurity threats, including as a result of any previous cybersecurity incidents, have not materially affected us, including our business strategy, results of operations or financial condition. We may nevertheless be unsuccessful in the future in preventing or mitigating a cybersecurity incident that could have a material impact on our business, results of operations or financial condition. At December 31, 2024, management has assessed known cybersecurity incidents for potential materiality and disclosure using formal documented processes and has determined that there have been no material cybersecurity incidents, individually or in aggregate.
Governance
Board Oversight
The Risk Committee is appointed by the Board and is authorized to perform its functions in assisting the Board with fulfilling its fiduciary responsibilities with respect to its oversight and assessment of S&T’s enterprise-wide risk management framework. The Risk Committee oversees risk from cybersecurity threats as a part of its oversight of the ERM Program. The Risk Committee regularly reviews reports from, and has discussions with, S&T’s Chief Risk Officer, or CRO, Chief Operating Officer, or COO, CSO, and Director of Operational Risk Management regarding cybersecurity risks, the threat landscape, updates on incidents and reports on our investments in cybersecurity risk mitigation and governance. The Risk Committee chairperson reports activities and recommendations with respect to such matters to the Board as are relevant and deemed appropriate by the Risk Committee. In the event of a material cybersecurity event, the CSO is responsible for promptly reporting such incidents to the CRO, executive management and the Board. A special meeting of the Board will be held, as deemed necessary by the Chairperson of the Board in consultation with the Chair of the Risk Committee.
Management’s Role
At the management level, the ERM Committee, CRO, COO, CSO, Director of Information Technology and Director of Operational Risk Management are responsible for assessing and managing material risks from cybersecurity threats. The ERM Committee reports information to the Risk Committee on a quarterly basis, or more often as needed.
Risk Management leadership, which assists the ERM Committee in assessing and managing cybersecurity threats, include our CRO, COO, CSO, Director of Information Technology and Director of Operational Risk Management. Our CRO who oversees the risk management information security program reports to our CEO, but has direct access to the Risk Committee.Our CRO is a Certified Public Accountant, holds a Certification in Risk Management Assurance and has over 25 years of financial services experience. Our COO has over 20 years of banking technology and operations experience, including serving as head of digital for a business unit at a large national bank. Our CSO reports to the CRO and has 18 years of information technology and cybersecurity experience, including prior roles as chief information officer, assistant director of information technology, chief information security officer and chief security officer in federal law enforcement and banking organizations. Our Director of Information Technology has 25 years of information technology and cybersecurity experience. Our Director of Operational Risk Management has 11 years of information technology and cybersecurity experience, including serving as a former chief information officer for a financial institution.
For more information regarding the risks associated with cybersecurity that may impact our business strategy, results of operations or financial condition, see “ Part I, “Item 1A. Risk Factors” of this Annual Report on Form10-K.
Item 2. PROPERTIES
S&T Bancorp, Inc. headquarters is located in Indiana, Pennsylvania. We operate in Pennsylvania and Ohio. At December 31, 2024, we operate 71 banking branches and three loan production offices, of which 41 are leased facilities.
Item 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS
The nature of our business generates a certain amount of litigation that arises in the ordinary course of business. However, in management’s opinion, there are no proceedings pending that we are a party to or to which our property is subject that would be material in relation to our financial condition or results of operations. In addition, no material proceedings are pending nor are known to be threatened or contemplated against us by governmental authorities or other parties.
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Item 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES
Not applicable.
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PART II
Item 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED SHAREHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES
Stock Prices and Dividend Information
Our common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market System, or NASDAQ, under the symbol STBA. As of the close of business on January 31, 2025, we had approximately 2,328 shareholders of record. The number of record-holders does not reflect the number of persons or entities holding stock in nominee name through banks, brokerage firms and other nominees.
As discussed under "Our ability to pay dividends on our common stock may be limited." included in Item 1A. Risk Factors in Part I, the amount and timing of dividends is subject to the discretion of the Board and depends upon business conditions and regulatory requirements. The Board has the discretion to change the dividend at any time for any reason. The Board of Directors presently intends to continue the policy of paying quarterly cash dividends. The amount of any future dividends will depend on economic and market conditions, our financial condition and operating results and other factors, including applicable government regulations and policies. S&T’s Board of Directors approved a quarterly cash dividend of $0.34 per share on January 29, 2025.
Certain information relating to securities authorized for issuance under equity compensation plans is set forth under the heading Equity Compensation Plan Information in Part III, Item 12 Security Ownership of Certain Beneficial Owners and Management and Related Stockholder Matters of this Report.
Purchases of Equity Securities
The following table is a summary of our purchases of common stock during the fourth quarter of 2024:
(1) On January 24, 2024, our Board of Directors authorized a new $50 million share repurchase plan. The new plan replaced the existing share repurchase plan effective immediately and is set to expire May 30, 2025. This repurchase authorization permits S&T to repurchase shares of S&T's common stock from time to time through a combination of open market and privately negotiated repurchases up to the authorized $50 million aggregate value of S&T's common stock. The specific timing, price and quantity of repurchases will be at the discretion of S&T and will depend on a variety of factors, including general market conditions, the trading price of the common stock, legal and contractual requirements and S&T’s financial performance. The repurchase plan does not obligate S&T to repurchase any particular number of shares. S&T expects to fund any repurchases from cash on hand and internally generated funds. Any share repurchases will not begin until permissible under applicable laws.
(2)Includes excise tax on repurchases, net of issuances for restricted stock awards.
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Five-Year Cumulative Total Return
The following chart compares the cumulative total shareholder return on our common stock with the cumulative total shareholder return of the NASDAQ Composite Index(1) and the NASDAQ Bank Index(2) assuming a $100 investment in each on December 31, 2019 and the reinvestment of dividends.
Source: Bloomberg
Period Ending
(1)The NASDAQ Composite Index measures all NASDAQ domestic and international based common type stocks listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market.
(2)The NASDAQ Bank Index contains securities of NASDAQ-listed companies classified according to the Industry Classification Benchmark as Banks. These companies include banks providing a broad range of financial services, including retail banking, loans and money transmissions.
Item 6. [RESERVED]
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Item 7. MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
This section reviews our financial condition for each of the past two fiscal years and results of operations for each of the past three fiscal years. The Company's discussion and analysis focuses on significant factors impacting the financial condition and results of operations for the year ended December 31, 2024 as compared to the year ended December 31, 2023. This discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with our Consolidated Financial Statements and Supplementary Data and related notes within this Annual Report on Form 10-K. A similar discussion and analysis that compares the year ended December 31, 2023 to the year ended December 31, 2022 may be found in Item 7, "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” on our Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2023, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, or SEC, on February 27, 2024. Certain reclassifications have been made to prior periods to place them on a basis comparable with the current period presentation.
Important Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements
This Annual Report on Form 10-K contains or incorporates statements that we believe are “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements generally relate to our financial condition, results of operations, plans, objectives, outlook for earnings, revenues, expenses, capital and liquidity levels and ratios, asset levels, asset quality, financial position and other matters regarding or affecting S&T and its future business and operations. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words or phrases such as “will likely result,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “estimate,” “forecast,” “project,” “intend,” “believe,” “assume,” “strategy,” “trend,” “plan,” “outlook,” “outcome,” “continue,” “remain,” “potential,” “opportunity,” “comfortable,” “current,” “position,” “maintain,” “sustain,” “seek,” “achieve” and variations of such words and similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as will, would, should, could or may. Although we believe the assumptions upon which these forward-looking statements are based are reasonable, any of these assumptions could prove to be inaccurate and the forward-looking statements based on these assumptions could be incorrect. The matters discussed in these forward-looking statements are subject to various risks, uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results and trends to differ materially from those made, projected or implied in or by the forward-looking statements depending on a variety of uncertainties or other factors including, but not limited to: credit losses and the credit risk of our commercial and consumer loan products; changes in the level of charge-offs and changes in estimates of the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses, or ACL; cybersecurity concerns; rapid technological developments and changes; operational risks or risk management failures by us or critical third parties, including fraud risk; our ability to manage our reputational risks; sensitivity to the interest rate environment, a rapid increase in interest rates or a change in the shape of the yield curve; a change in spreads on interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities; regulatory supervision and oversight, including changes in regulatory capital requirements and our ability to address those requirements; unanticipated changes in our liquidity position; unanticipated changes in regulatory and governmental policies impacting interest rates and financial markets; changes in accounting policies, practices or guidance; legislation affecting the financial services industry as a whole, and S&T, in particular; developments affecting the industry and the soundness of financial institutions and further disruption to the economy and U.S. banking system; the outcome of pending and future litigation and governmental proceedings; increasing price and product/service competition; the ability to continue to introduce competitive new products and services on a timely, cost-effective basis; managing our internal growth and acquisitions; the possibility that the anticipated benefits from acquisitions cannot be fully realized in a timely manner or at all, or that integrating the acquired operations will be more difficult, disruptive or costly than anticipated; containing costs and expenses; reliance on significant customer relationships; an interruption or cessation of an important service by a third-party provider; our ability to attract and retain talented executives and other employees; general economic or business conditions, including the strength of regional economic conditions in our market area; ESG practices and disclosures, including climate change, hiring practices, the diversity of the work force and racial and social justice issues; deterioration of the housing market and reduced demand for mortgages; deterioration in the overall macroeconomic conditions or the state of the banking industry that could warrant further analysis of the carrying value of goodwill and could result in an adjustment to its carrying value resulting in a non-cash charge to net income; the stability of our core deposit base and access to contingency funding; re-emergence of turbulence in significant portions of the global financial and real estate markets that could impact our performance, both directly, by affecting our revenues and the value of our assets and liabilities, and indirectly, by affecting the economy generally and access to capital in the amounts, at the times and on the terms required to support our future businesses and geopolitical tensions and conflicts between nations.
Many of these factors, as well as other factors, are described elsewhere in this report, including Part I, Item 1A, Risk Factors and any of our subsequent filings with the SEC. Forward-looking statements are based on beliefs and assumptions using information available at the time the statements are made. We caution you not to unduly rely on forward-looking statements because the assumptions, beliefs, expectations and projections about future events may, and often do, differ materially from actual results. Any forward-looking statement speaks only as to the date on which it is made, and we undertake no obligation to update any forward-looking statement to reflect developments occurring after the statement is made.
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Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates
Our consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles, or GAAP. Application of these principles requires management to make estimates, assumptions and judgments that affect the amounts reported in the consolidated financial statements and accompanying notes. These estimates, assumptions and judgments are based on information available as of the date of the consolidated financial statements; accordingly, as this information changes, the consolidated financial statements could reflect different estimates, assumptions and judgments. Certain policies are based, to a greater extent, on estimates, assumptions and judgments of management and, as such, have a greater possibility of producing results that could be materially different than originally reported.
Our most significant accounting policies are presented in Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Part II, Item 8 of this Report. These policies, along with the disclosures presented in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, provide information on how significant assets and liabilities are valued in the consolidated financial statements and how those values are determined.
We view critical accounting policies to be those which are highly dependent on subjective or complex estimates, assumptions and judgments and where changes in those estimates and assumptions could have a significant impact on the consolidated financial statements. Further, we view critical accounting estimates as those 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 our financial condition or results of operations. We currently view the determination of the ACL and goodwill to be critical accounting policies. We did not significantly change the manner in which we applied our critical accounting policies or developed related assumptions or estimates during 2024. We have reviewed these critical accounting estimates and related disclosures with the Audit Committee.
Allowance for Credit Losses
Our expected credit loss methodology requires consideration of a broader range of information to estimate expected credit losses over the lifetime of an asset. The ACL is a valuation reserve established and maintained by charges against operating income. It is an estimate of expected credit losses, measured over the contractual life of a loan, that considers historical loss experience, current conditions and forecasts of future economic conditions.
Management’s evaluation process used to determine the appropriateness of the ACL is complex and requires the use of estimates, assumptions and judgments which are inherently subject to high uncertainty. The evaluation process combines several factors: historical loan loss experience, managements ongoing review of lending policies and practices, experience and depth of staff, quality of the loan grading system, the fair value of underlying collateral, concentration of loans to specific borrowers or industries, existing economic conditions and forecasts, segment specific risks and other quantitative and qualitative factors which could affect future credit losses. Our reasonable and supportable forecast is based primarily on the national unemployment forecast produced by the Federal Reserve and is for a period of two years. For periods beyond our two-year forecast, we revert to historical loss rates utilizing a straight-line method over a one-year reversion period. Because current economic conditions and forecasts can change and future events are inherently difficult to predict, the anticipated amount of estimated credit losses on loans and the appropriateness of the ACL could change significantly. It is challenging to estimate how potential changes in any one economic factor or input might affect the overall allowance because a wide variety of factors and inputs may be directionally inconsistent, such that improvement in one factor may offset deterioration in others.
In conjunction with our capital stress testing process, we consider different economic scenarios that impact the ACL. Among other balance sheet and income statement changes, our severely adverse scenario would have resulted in an increase to the ACL of approximately 75 percent. This severely adverse scenario shows how sensitive the ACL can be to key qualitative and quantitative assumptions underlying the overall ACL calculation. To the extent actual losses are higher than management estimates, additional provision for credit losses could be required and could adversely affect our earnings or financial position in future periods.
Goodwill
As a result of acquisitions, we have recorded goodwill in our Consolidated Balance Sheets. Goodwill represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of net assets acquired.
The acquisition method of accounting requires that assets acquired and liabilities assumed in business combinations are recorded at their fair values. This often involves estimates based on third-party valuations or internal valuations based on discounted cash flow analyses or other valuation techniques which are inherently subjective. Business combinations also typically result in goodwill which is subject to ongoing periodic impairment tests based on the fair values of the reporting units to which the acquired goodwill relates.
The carrying value of goodwill is tested annually for impairment each October 1st or more frequently if events and circumstances indicate that it may be impaired. We test for impairment by comparing the fair value of the reporting unit with its
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carrying amount. An impairment charge would be recognized if the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit's fair value. A qualitative assessment is performed to determine whether it is more likely than not that the reporting unit's fair value is less than it's carrying value. We perform a quantitative impairment test only if we conclude that it is more likely than not that a reporting unit's fair value is less than the carrying amount. Determining the fair value of a reporting unit is judgmental and involves the use of significant estimates and assumptions. The fair value of the reporting unit is determined by using both a discounted cash flow model and market based models. The discounted cash flow model has many assumptions including future earnings projections, a long-term growth rate and discount rate. The market based method calculates the fair value based on observed price multiples for similar companies. The fair values of each method are then weighted based on the relevance and reliability in the current economic environment.
Based upon our qualitative assessment performed for our annual impairment analysis as of October 1, 2024, we concluded that goodwill is not impaired.
Recent Accounting Pronouncements and Developments
Note 1. Summary of Significant Accounting Policies in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements, which is included in Part II, Item 8 Financial Statements and Supplementary Data of this Report, discusses new accounting pronouncements that we have adopted and the expected impact of accounting pronouncements recently issued or proposed, but not yet required to be adopted.
Explanation of Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures
In addition to traditional financial measures presented in accordance with GAAP, our management uses, and this report contains or references, certain non-GAAP financial measures discussed below. We believe these non-GAAP financial measures provide information useful to investors in understanding our underlying business, operational performance and performance trends as they facilitate comparisons with the performance of other companies in the financial services industry. Although we believe that these non-GAAP financial measures enhance investors’ understanding of our business and performance, these non-GAAP financial measures should not be considered alternatives to GAAP or considered to be more important than financial results determined in accordance with GAAP, nor are they necessarily comparable with non-GAAP measures which may be presented by other companies.
The interest income on interest-earning assets, net interest income and net interest margin are presented on an FTE basis (non-GAAP). The FTE basis (non-GAAP) adjusts for the tax benefit of income on certain tax-exempt loans and securities and the dividend-received deduction for equity securities using the federal statutory tax rate of 21 percent for each period. We believe this to be the preferred industry measurement of net interest income that provides a relevant comparison between taxable and non-taxable sources of interest income.
The following table reconciles interest and dividend income and net interest income per the Consolidated Statements of Net Income to interest income, net interest income and net interest margin on an FTE basis (non-GAAP) for the periods presented:
Years ended December 31,
Plus: taxable equivalent adjustment 0.03 % 0.03 % 0.02 %
Net Interest Margin on an FTE Basis (Non-GAAP) 3.82 % 4.13 % 3.76 %
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The efficiency ratio is noninterest expense divided by noninterest income plus net interest income, on an FTE basis (non-GAAP), which ensures comparability of net interest income arising from both taxable and tax-exempt sources and is consistent with industry practice. Below is a reconciliation of the non-GAAP efficiency ratio.
Years ended December 31,
Efficiency Ratio (Non-GAAP)
Plus: net losses (gains) on sale of securities 7,938 — (198)
Less: gain on Visa class B-1 exchange (3,492) — —
Return on average tangible shareholders' equity (non-GAAP) is a key profitability metric used by management to measure financial performance. The following table provides a reconciliation of return on average tangible shareholders' equity (non-GAAP) by reconciling net income (GAAP) per the Consolidated Statements of Net Income to net income before amortization of intangibles and average shareholder's equity to average tangible shareholders' equity for the periods presented:
Years ended December 31,
Plus: amortization of intangibles net of tax 904 1,042 1,199
Executive Overview
We are a bank holding company that is headquartered in Indiana, Pennsylvania with assets of $9.7 billion at December 31, 2024. We operate in Pennsylvania and Ohio providing a full range of financial services with retail and commercial banking products, cash management services, trust and brokerage services. Our common stock trades on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “STBA.”
We earn revenue primarily from interest on loans and securities and fees charged for financial services provided to our customers. We incur expenses for the cost of deposits and other funding sources, provision for credit losses and other operating costs such as salaries and employee benefits, data processing, occupancy and tax expense.
Our purpose is building a better future together through people-forward banking. We believe that all banking should be personal. We cultivate relationships rooted in trust, strengthened by going above and beyond and renewed with every interaction. Our strategic priorities for 2025 and beyond will be focused on growing our deposit franchise, core profitability, asset quality and talent and engagement.
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Earnings Summary
The following table presents a summary of key profitability metrics for the periods presented:
Years ended December 31,
Earnings per share - diluted $ 3.41 $ 3.74 $ 3.46
Return on average shareholders' equity 9.86 % 11.80 % 11.47 %
We earned net income of $131.3 million for 2024 compared to net income of $144.8 million in 2023. Diluted earnings per share, or EPS, was $3.41 in 2024 compared to $3.74 in 2023. The decrease in both net income and EPS in 2024 can be attributed to declining interest rates, as compared to 2023 when we had record net income and EPS due to the impact of rising interest rates on our net income.
Net interest income decreased $14.6 million, or 4.18 percent, to $334.8 million in 2024 compared to $349.4 million in 2023. Net interest income on an FTE basis (non-GAAP) decreased $14.4 million, or 4.11 percent, compared to 2023. The net interest margin, or NIM, on an FTE basis (non-GAAP) decreased 31 basis points to 3.82 percent in 2024 compared to 4.13 percent in 2023. The decreases in net interest income and NIM on an FTE basis (non-GAAP) were primarily due to the impact of higher interest rates on total interest-bearing liabilities. While higher interest rates positively impacted interest income and rates on interest-earning assets, it was more than offset by higher interest expense and rates on interest-bearing liabilities. NIM is reconciled to net interest margin adjusted to an FTE basis (non-GAAP) above in the "Explanation of Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" section of this Management’s Discussion and Analysis, or MD&A.
The provision for credit losses decreased $17.8 million to $0.1 million for 2024 compared to $17.9 million for 2023. The significant decline in the provision for credit losses was mainly due to a lower level of ACL related to decreases in our criticized and classified loans and a decrease in net loan charge-offs. Net loan charge-offs were $8.3 million, or 0.11 percent of average loans, in 2024 compared to $13.2 million, or 0.18 percent of average loans, in 2023.
Noninterest income decreased $8.5 million to $49.1 million in 2024 compared to $57.6 million in 2023. The decrease
was mainly related to $7.9 million of realized losses in 2024 from the repositioning of securities into longer duration, higher-yielding securities. Other noninterest income decreased $0.8 million in 2024 compared to 2023 primarily due to a $3.9 million gain on the sale of other real estate owned, or OREO, in 2023 compared to a gain of $3.5 million from the exchange offer for Visa Class B-1 common stock in 2024.
Noninterest expense increased $8.6 million to $218.9 million in 2024 compared to $210.3 million in 2023. Salaries and employee benefits increased $10.5 million primarily due to higher salaries related to annual merit increases, the acquisition of new talent and higher incentives and medical costs. Professional services and legal decreased $2.4 million primarily due to higher consulting expenses in 2023 compared to 2024. Other noninterest expense decreased $3.2 million primarily due to the adoption of PAM and a $2.1 million decrease in loan collection and appraisal expense compared to 2023. As a result of adopting PAM, amortization expense related to tax credit equity investments of $4.3 million is included in income tax expense for 2024 compared to $2.1 million included in other noninterest expense in 2023. The efficiency ratio (non-GAAP) for 2024 was 55.99 percent compared to 51.35 percent for 2023. A reconciliation of the efficiency ratio (non-GAAP) is provided above in the "Explanation of Use of Non-GAAP Financial Measures" section of this MD&A.
The provision for income taxes decreased $0.4 million to $33.6 million in 2024 compared to $34.0 million in 2023. The decrease in our income tax provision was primarily due to a $14.0 million decrease in income before taxes in 2024 compared to 2023 partially offset by the adoption of PAM as explained above. The effective tax rate increased to 20.4 percent in 2024 compared to 19.0 percent in 2023. The increase in the effective tax rate was primarily due to the adoption of PAM.
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Net Interest Income
Our principal source of revenue is net interest income. Net interest income represents the difference between the interest and fees earned on interest-earning assets and the interest paid on interest-bearing liabilities. Net interest income is affected by changes in the average balance of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities and changes in interest rates and spreads. The level and mix of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities is managed by our Asset and Liability Committee, or ALCO, in order to mitigate interest rate and liquidity risks of the balance sheet. A variety of ALCO strategies were implemented, within prescribed ALCO risk parameters, to produce what we believe is an acceptable level of net interest income.
As part of our interest rate risk management strategy, we use interest rate swaps to add stability to net interest income by managing our exposure to interest rate movements. During 2022, we entered into interest rate swaps with a total notional amount of $500.0 million with original maturities ranging from three to five years. There were no new interest rates swaps entered into in 2024 or 2023. Our strategy is to reduce our exposure to variability in expected future cash flows related to interest payments on commercial loans that are currently indexed to the 1-month SOFR rate. Interest rates increased substantially in 2022 and 2023 followed by decreases in 2024 resulting in an unrealized loss on the cash flow hedges of $7.5 million at December 31, 2024, which is reported in Other Comprehensive Income (Loss), or OCI, net of applicable taxes. This is an improvement of $4.1 million compared to the $11.6 million unrealized loss at December 31, 2023.
Average Balance Sheet and Net Interest Income Analysis (FTE) (non-GAAP)
The following tables provide information regarding the average balances, interest and rates earned on interest-earning assets, and interest and rates paid on interest-bearing liabilities for the periods presented:
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ASSETS
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Net Interest Margin (FTE) (non-GAAP)(1)(2) 3.82 % 4.13 % 3.76 %
(1) Tax-exempt interest income is on an FTE basis (non-GAAP) using the statutory federal corporate income tax rate of 21 percent.
(2) Taxable investment income is adjusted for the dividend-received deduction for equity securities.
(3) Nonaccruing loans are included in the daily average loan amounts outstanding.
Net interest income on an FTE basis (non-GAAP) decreased $14.4 million, or 4.11 percent to $337.5 million in 2024 compared to $351.9 million in 2023. The net interest margin, or NIM, on an FTE basis (non-GAAP) decreased 31 basis points to 3.82 percent compared to 4.13 percent in 2023. The decreases in net interest income and NIM on an FTE basis (non-GAAP) were primarily due to the impact of higher interest rates on total interest-bearing liabilities. While higher interest rates positively impacted interest income and rates on interest-earning assets, it was more than offset by higher interest expense and rates on interest-bearing liabilities. Strong customer deposit growth in 2024 has helped to improve our overall funding mix by reducing borrowings.
Interest income on an FTE basis (non-GAAP) increased $38.1 million to $518.6 million in 2024 compared to $480.5 million in 2023. The increase in interest income on an FTE basis (non-GAAP) was primarily due to higher interest rates on interest earning assets. The average yield on loan balances increased 20 basis points compared to 2023 due to higher interest rates. Average loan balances increased $0.3 billion to $7.7 billion in 2024 compared to $7.4 billion in 2023. Overall, the FTE rate (non-GAAP) on interest-earning assets increased 23 basis points compared to 2023.
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