Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
ITEM 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
Interest Rate Sensitivity and Market Risk
As a financial institution, our primary component of market risk is interest rate volatility. Our financial management policy provides management with the guidelines for effective funds
management, and we have established a measurement system for monitoring our net interest rate sensitivity position. We have historically managed our sensitivity position within our established guidelines.
Fluctuations in interest rates will ultimately impact both the level of income and expense recorded on most of our assets and liabilities, and the market value of all interest-earning assets
and interest-bearing liabilities, other than those which have a short term to maturity. Interest rate risk is the potential of economic losses due to future interest rate changes. These economic losses can be reflected as a loss of future net
interest income and/or a loss of current fair market values. The objective is to measure the effect on net interest income and to adjust the balance sheet to minimize the inherent risk while at the same time maximizing income.
We manage our exposure to interest rates by structuring our balance sheet in the ordinary course of business. We do not enter into instruments such as leveraged derivatives, financial
options or financial future contracts to mitigate interest rate risk from specific transactions. Based upon the nature of our operations, we are not subject to foreign exchange or commodity price risk. We do not own any trading assets.
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Our exposure to interest rate risk is managed by the Asset/Liability Committee, or the ALCO Committee, in accordance with policies approved by the our board of directors. The ALCO Committee
formulates strategies based on appropriate levels of interest rate risk. In determining the appropriate level of interest rate risk, the ALCO Committee considers the impact on earnings and capital on the current outlook on interest rates,
potential changes in interest rates, regional economies, liquidity, business strategies and other factors. The ALCO Committee meets regularly to review, among other things, the sensitivity of assets and liabilities to interest rate changes, the
book and market values of assets and liabilities, commitments to originate loans and the maturities of investments and borrowings. Additionally, the ALCO Committee reviews liquidity, cash flow flexibility, maturities of deposits and consumer and
commercial deposit activity. Management employs methodologies to manage interest rate risk, which include an analysis of relationships between interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities and an interest rate shock simulation model.
We use interest rate risk simulation models and shock analyses to test the interest rate sensitivity of net interest income and fair value of equity, and the impact of changes in interest
rates on other financial metrics. Contractual maturities and re-pricing opportunities of loans are incorporated in the model. The average lives of non-maturity deposit accounts are based on decay assumptions and are incorporated into the model.
We utilize third-party experts to periodically evaluate the performance of our non-maturity deposit accounts to develop the decay assumptions. All of the assumptions used in our analyses are inherently uncertain and, as a result, the model cannot
precisely measure future net interest income or precisely predict the impact of fluctuations in market interest rates on net interest income. Actual results will differ from the model’s simulated results due to timing, magnitude and frequency of
interest rate changes as well as changes in market conditions and the application and timing of various management strategies.
On a quarterly basis, we run various simulation models including a static balance sheet and dynamic growth balance sheet. These models test the impact on net interest income and fair value
of equity from changes in market interest rates under various scenarios. Under the static model and dynamic growth models, rates are shocked instantaneously and ramped rates change over a 12-month and 24-month horizon based upon parallel and
non-parallel yield curve shifts. Parallel shock scenarios assume instantaneous parallel movements in the yield curve compared to a flat yield curve scenario. Non-parallel simulation involves analysis of interest income and expense under various
changes in the shape of the yield curve. Our internal policy regarding internal rate risk simulations currently specifies that for gradual parallel shifts of the yield curve, estimated net interest income at risk for the subsequent one-year
period should not decline by more than 10% for a -100 basis point shift, 5% for a 100 basis point shift, 10% for a 200 basis point shift, 15% for a 300 basis point shift, and 20% for a 400 basis point shift.
The following table summarizes the simulated change in net interest income and fair value of equity over a 12-month horizon as of the dates indicated:
June 30,
December 31,
2023
2022
Change in Interest Rates (Basis Points)
Percent Change
in Net Interest
Income
Percent Change
in Fair Value of
Equity
Percent Change
in Net Interest
Income
Percent Change
in Fair Value of
Equity
+400
22.87
%
19.76
%
13.41
%
20.90
%
+300
18.48
%
18.73
%
9.96
%
20.13
%
+200
14.05
%
17.60
%
6.50
%
19.17
%
+100
9.56
%
16.41
%
2.99
%
18.04
%
Base
4.93
%
15.09
%
-0.77
%
16.91
%
-100
-0.29
%
13.65
%
-4.82
%
15.25
%
The results are primarily due to behavior of demand, money market and savings deposits during such rate fluctuations. We have found that, historically, interest rates on these deposits
change more slowly than changes in the discount and fed funds rates. This assumption is incorporated into the simulation model and is generally not fully reflected in a gap analysis. The assumptions incorporated into the model are inherently
uncertain and, as a result, the model cannot precisely measure future net interest income or precisely predict the impact of fluctuations in market interest rates on net interest income. Actual results will differ from the model’s simulated
results due to timing, magnitude and frequency of interest rate changes as well as changes in market conditions and the application and timing of various strategies.
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Impact of Inflation
Our consolidated financial statements and related notes included elsewhere in this Form 10-Q have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. These require the measurement of financial position and operating results in
terms of historical dollars, without considering changes in the relative value of money over time due to inflation or recession.
Unlike many industrial companies, substantially all of our assets and liabilities are monetary in nature. As a result, interest rates have a more significant impact on our performance than the effects of general
levels of inflation. Interest rates may not necessarily move in the same direction or in the same magnitude as the prices of goods and services. However, other operating expenses do reflect general levels of inflation.
Text extracted from the filing as submitted to EDGAR. Formatting, tables and exhibits are simplified for reading; the original document is authoritative for anything you rely on.