PATHWARD FINANCIAL, INC. 10-Q

Item 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk. MARKET RISK The Company derives a portion of its income from the excess of interest collected over interest paid. The rates of interest the Company earns on assets and pays on liabilities generally are established contractually for a period of time. Market interest rates change over time. Accordingly, the Company’s results of operations, like those of most financial institutions, are impacted by changes in interest rates and the interest rate sensitivity of its assets and liabilities. The risk associated with changes in interest rates and the Company’s ability to adapt to these changes is known as interest rate risk and is the Company’s only significant “market” risk. The Company monitors and measures its exposure to changes in interest rates in order to comply with applicable government regulations and risk policies established by the Board of Directors, and in order to preserve stockholder value. In monitoring interest rate risk, the Company analyzes assets and liabilities based on characteristics including size, coupon rate, repricing frequency, maturity date, likelihood of prepayment, and deposit behaviors. The Company’s primary objective for its investment portfolio is to provide a source of liquidity for the Company. In addition, the investment portfolio may be used in the management of the Company’s interest rate risk profile. The investment policy generally calls for funds to be invested among various categories of security types and maturities based upon the Company’s need for liquidity, desire to achieve a proper balance between minimizing risk while maximizing yield, the need to provide collateral for borrowings, and the need to fulfill the Company’s asset/liability management goals. The Company believes that its growing portfolio of longer duration, low-cost deposits generated from its BaaS business line provides a stable and profitable funding vehicle, but also subjects the Company to greater risk in a falling interest rate environment than it would otherwise have without this portfolio. This risk is due to the fact that, while asset yields may decrease in a falling interest rate environment, the Company cannot significantly reduce interest costs associated with these deposits, which thereby compress the Company’s net interest margin. A portion of the Company’s deposit balances are subject to variable card processing expenses, derived from contractual agreements with certain BaaS partners tied to a rate index, typically the EFFR. These costs reprice immediately upon a change in the application rate index. The Bank, acting as custodian of cardholder funds, places a portion of such cardholder funds at one or more third-party banks insured by the FDIC (each, a “Program Bank”). These custodial deposits earn recordkeeping service fee income, typically reflective of the EFFR. The Board of Directors and relevant government regulations establish limits on the level of acceptable interest rate risk at the Company, to which management adheres. There can be no assurance, however, that, in the event of an adverse change in interest rates, the Company’s efforts to limit interest rate risk will be successful. Interest Rate Risk (“IRR”) Overview. The Company actively manages interest rate risk, as changes in market interest rates can have a significant impact on reported earnings. The Company's interest rate risk analysis is designed to compare income and economic valuation simulations in market scenarios designed to alter the direction, magnitude and speed of interest rate changes, as well as the slope of the yield curve. This analysis may not represent all impacts driven by changes in the interest rate environment, such as certain other card fee income and expense line items. The Company does not currently engage in trading activities to control interest rate risk although it may do so in the future, if deemed necessary, to help manage interest rate risk. Earnings at risk and economic value analysis. As a continuing part of its financial strategy, the Bank considers methods of managing an asset/liability mismatch consistent with maintaining acceptable levels of net interest income. In order to monitor interest rate risk, the Company has created an Asset/Liability Committee whose principal responsibilities are to assess the Bank’s asset/liability mix and implement strategies that will enhance income while managing the Bank’s vulnerability to changes in interest rates. 49 Table of Contents The Company uses two approaches to model interest rate risk: Earnings at Risk (“EAR analysis”) and Economic Value of Equity (“EVE analysis”). Under EAR analysis, net interest income is calculated for each interest rate scenario and compared to the net interest income forecast in the base case. EAR analysis measures the sensitivity of interest-sensitive earnings over a one-year minimum time horizon. The results are affected by projected rates, prepayments, caps and floors. Management exercises its best judgment in making assumptions regarding events that management can influence, such as non-contractual deposit re-pricing, as well as events outside of management's control, such as customer behavior on loan and deposit activity and the effect that competition has on both lending and deposit pricing. These assumptions are subjective and, as a result, net interest income simulation results will differ from actual results due to the timing, magnitude, and frequency of interest rate changes, changes in market conditions, customer behavior and management strategies, among other factors. The Company performs various sensitivity analyses on assumptions of deposit attrition, loan prepayments, and asset re-pricing, as well as market-implied forward rates and various likely and extreme interest rate scenarios, including rapid and gradual interest rate ramps, rate shocks and yield curve twists. The EAR analysis used in the following table reflects the required analysis used no less than quarterly by management. It models basis point parallel shifts in market interest rates over the next one-year period. The following table shows the results of the scenarios as of March 31, 2023: Net Sensitive Earnings at Risk Change in Interest Income/Expense for a given change in interest rates Over/(Under) Base Case Parallel Shift (Dollars in Thousands) Book Value -200 -100 Base +100 +200 +300 +400 Total interest-sensitive income 6,044,564 350,786 374,488 397,965 420,882 443,793 466,689 489,685 Total interest-sensitive expense 264,407 4,397 6,010 7,993 10,523 13,050 15,677 18,233 Net interest-sensitive income 346,389 368,478 389,972 410,359 430,743 451,012 471,452 Percentage change from base -11.2 % -5.5 % — % 5.2 % 10.5 % 15.7 % 20.9 % The EAR analysis reported at March 31, 2023 , shows that total interest-sensitive income will change more rapidly than total interest-sensitive expense over the next year. IRR is a snapshot in time. The Company’s business and deposits are predictably cyclical on a weekly, monthly and yearly basis. The Company’s static IRR results could vary depending on which day of the week the month ends, primarily related to payroll processing and timing of when certain programs are prefunded and when the funds are received. Under EVE analysis, the economic value of financial assets, liabilities and off-balance sheet instruments is derived under each rate scenario. The economic value of equity is calculated as the difference between the estimated market value of assets and liabilities, net of the impact of off-balance sheet instruments. The EVE analysis used in the following table reflects the required analysis used no less than quarterly by management. It models immediate basis point parallel shifts in market interest rates. The following table shows the results of the scenarios as March 31, 2023: Economic Value Sensitivity Standard (Parallel Shift) Economic Value of Equity at Risk % -200 -100 +100 +200 +300 +400 Percentage change from base -9.0 % -3.5 % 2.5 % 4.4 % 6.1 % 8.0 % The EVE at risk reported at March 31, 2023 shows that the economic value of equity position is expected to benefit from rising interest rates due to the large amount of noninterest-bearing funding. 50 Table of Contents