Item 1A. Risk Factors
ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS.
Ownership of our common stock involves certain risks. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only ones we face. You should carefully consider the risks described below, as well as all other information contained in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. Additional risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial may also impair our business operations. If any of these risks actually occurs, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be materially, adversely affected.
Risks Related to Our Business
The recent COVID-19 pandemic has led to periods of significant volatility in financial, commodities and other markets and could harm our business and results of operations.
In December 2019, COVID-19 was first reported in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China. Since then, COVID-19 infections have spread to additional countries including the United States. In March 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a pandemic. Given the ongoing and dynamic nature of the circumstances, it is difficult to predict the impact of the coronavirus pandemic on our business, and there is no guarantee that our efforts to address or mitigate the adverse impacts of the coronavirus will be effective. The impact to date has included periods of significant volatility in financial, commodities and other markets. This volatility has had and, if it continues, could continue to have an adverse impact on our customers and on our business, financial condition and results of operations as well as our growth strategy.
Our business is dependent upon the willingness and ability of our customers to conduct banking and other financial transactions. The spread of COVID-19 has caused and could continue to cause severe disruptions in the U.S. economy at large, and has resulted and may continue to result in disruptions to our customers’ businesses, and a decrease in consumer confidence and business generally. In addition, recent actions by US federal, state and local governments to address the pandemic, including travel bans, stay-at-home orders and school, business and entertainment venue closures, have had and may continue to have a significant adverse effect on our customers and the markets in which we conduct our business. The extent of impacts resulting from the coronavirus pandemic and other events beyond our control will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including new information which may emerge concerning the severity of the coronavirus pandemic and actions taken to contain the coronavirus or its impact, among others.
Disruptions to our customers could result in increased risk of delinquencies, defaults, foreclosures and losses on our loans. The escalation of the pandemic may also negatively impact regional economic conditions for a period of time, resulting in declines in local loan demand, liquidity of loan guarantors, loan collateral (particularly in real estate), loan originations and deposit availability. If the global response to contain COVID-19 escalates or is unsuccessful, we could experience a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and cash flows.
The spread of the COVID-19 outbreak and the governmental responses may disrupt banking and other financial activity in the areas in which we operate and could potentially create widespread business continuity issues for us.
The outbreak of COVID-19 and the U.S. federal, state and local governmental responses may result in a disruption in the services we provide. We rely on our third-party vendors to conduct business and to process, record, and monitor transactions. If any of these vendors are unable to continue to provide us with these services or experience interruptions in their ability to provide us with these services, it could negatively impact our ability to serve our customers. Furthermore, the coronavirus pandemic could negatively impact the ability of our employees and customers to engage in banking and other financial transactions in the geographic areas in which we operate and could create widespread business
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continuity issues for us. We also could be adversely affected if key personnel or a significant number of employees were to become unavailable due to infection, quarantine or other effects and restrictions of a COVID-19 outbreak in our market areas. Although we have business continuity plans and other safeguards in place, there is no assurance that such plans and safeguards will be effective. If we are unable to promptly recover from such business disruptions, our business and financial conditions and results of operations would be adversely affected. We also may incur additional costs to remedy damages caused by such disruptions, which could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.
Our participation in the SBA-PPP loan program exposes us to risks related to noncompliance with the SBA-PPP loan program, as well as litigation risk related to our administration of the SBA-PPP loan program, which could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The Company is a participating lender in the SBA-PPP, a loan program administered through the SBA, that was created to help eligible businesses, organizations and self-employed persons fund their operational costs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Under this program, the SBA guarantees 100% of the amounts loaned under the SBA-PPP. The SBA-PPP opened on April 3, 2020; however, because of the short window between the passing of the CARES Act and the opening of the SBA-PPP, there is some ambiguity in the laws, rules and guidance regarding the operation of the SBA-PPP, which exposes the Company to risks relating to noncompliance with the SBA-PPP. For instance, other financial institutions have experienced litigation related to their process and procedures used in processing applications for the SBA-PPP. Any financial liability, litigation costs or reputational damage caused by SBA-PPP related litigation could have a material adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations. In addition, the Company may be exposed to credit risk on SBA-PPP loans if a determination is made by the SBA that there is a deficiency in the manner in which the loan was originated, funded, or serviced. If a deficiency is identified, the SBA may deny its liability under the guaranty, reduce the amount of the guaranty, or, if it has already paid under the guaranty, seek recovery of any loss related to the deficiency from the Company.
Interest rate volatility stemming from COVID-19 could negatively affect our net interest income, lending activities, deposits and profitability.
Our net interest income, lending activities, deposits and profitability could be negatively affected by volatility in interest rates caused by uncertainties stemming from COVID-19. In March 2020, the Federal Reserve lowered the target range for the federal funds rate to a range from 0 to 0.25 percent, citing concerns about the impact of COVID-19 on markets and stress in the energy sector. A prolonged period of extremely volatile and unstable market conditions would likely increase our funding costs and negatively affect market risk mitigation strategies. Higher income volatility from changes in interest rates and spreads to benchmark indices could cause a loss of future net interest income and a decrease in current fair market values of our assets. Fluctuations in interest rates will 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, which in turn could have a material adverse effect on our net income, operating results, or financial condition.
We are subject to increasing credit risk as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, which could adversely impact our profitability.
Our business depends on our ability to successfully measure and manage credit risk. As a commercial lender, we are exposed to the risk that the principal of, or interest on, a loan will not be paid timely or at all or that the value of any collateral supporting a loan will be insufficient to cover our outstanding exposure. In addition, we are exposed to risks resulting from changes in economic and industry conditions and risks inherent in dealing with individual loans and borrowers. As the overall economic climate in the U.S., generally, and in our market areas specifically, experiences material disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, our borrowers may experience difficulties in repaying their
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loans and governmental actions may provide payment relief to borrowers affected by COVID-19 and preclude our ability to initiate foreclosure proceedings in certain circumstances and, as a result, the collateral we hold may decrease in value or become illiquid, and the level of our nonperforming loans, charge-offs and delinquencies could rise and require significant additional provisions for credit losses. Additional factors related to the credit quality of certain commercial real estate loans include the duration of state and local moratoriums on evictions for non-payment of rent or other fees. The payment on these loans that are secured by income producing properties are typically dependent on the successful operation of the related real estate property and may subject us to risks from adverse conditions in the real estate market or the general economy.
We are actively working to support our borrowers to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on them and on our loan portfolio, including through loan modifications that defer payments for those who experienced a hardship as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. Although recent regulatory guidance provides that such loan modifications are exempt from the calculation and reporting of TDRs and loan delinquencies, we cannot predict whether such loan modifications may ultimately have an adverse impact on our profitability in future periods. Our inability to successfully manage the increased credit risk caused by the COVID-19 pandemic could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
As a business operating in the financial services industry, our business and operations may be adversely affected in numerous and complex ways by weak economic conditions.
Our business and operations, which primarily consist of lending money to clients in the form of loans, borrowing money from clients in the form of deposits and investing in securities, are sensitive to general business and economic conditions in the United States. The affect of COVID-19 has already impacted our results and it is entirely uncertain how the crisis will be resolved. If the U.S. economy further weakens, our growth and the profitability from our lending, deposit and investment operations could be constrained. Uncertainty about the federal fiscal policymaking process, the medium- and long-term fiscal outlook of the federal government and future tax rates is a concern for businesses, consumers and investors in the United States. The COVID-19 pandemic has further complicated the economic picture and drove unemployment to multi decade highs while raising the fear of inflation.
Weak economic conditions are characterized by numerous factors, including deflation, fluctuations in debt and equity capital markets, a lack of liquidity and depressed prices in the secondary market for mortgage loans, increased delinquencies on mortgage, consumer and commercial loans, residential and commercial real estate price declines and lower home sales and commercial activity. The current economic environment is characterized by interest rates at near historically low levels, which may impact our ability to attract deposits and to generate attractive earnings through our loan and investment portfolios.
All of these factors can individually or in the aggregate be detrimental to our business, and the interplay between these factors can be complex and unpredictable. Adverse economic conditions could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our commercial business and operations are concentrated in the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore metropolitan areas and we are more sensitive than our more geographically diversified competitors to adverse changes in the local economy.
As of December 31, 2020, approximately 71.9% of our loans held for investment (measured by dollar amount) were made to borrowers who live or conduct business in the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore metropolitan areas. Therefore, our success depends upon the general economic conditions in this area, which we cannot predict with certainty. A downturn in the local economy generally could make it more difficult for our borrowers to repay their loans and may lead to loan losses that are not offset by operations in other markets; it may also reduce the ability of our depositors to make or maintain deposits with us.
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For these reasons, any regional or local economic downturn that affects the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore metropolitan areas, or existing or prospective borrowers or depositors in the Washington, D.C. and Baltimore metropolitan areas could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our customers and businesses in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area may be adversely impacted as a result of changes in government spending.
The Washington, D.C. metropolitan area is characterized by a significant number of businesses that are federal government contractors or subcontractors, or which depend on such businesses for a significant portion of their revenues. The impact of a decline in federal government spending, a reallocation of government spending to different industries or different areas of the country or a delay in payments to such contractors could have a ripple effect. Temporary layoffs, staffing freezes, salary reductions or furloughs of government employees or government contractors could have adverse impacts on other businesses in the Company’s market and the general economy of the greater Washington, D.C. metropolitan area, and may indirectly lead to a loss of revenues by the Company’s customers, including vendors and lessors to the federal government and government contractors or to their employees, as well as a wide variety of commercial and retail businesses and the local housing market. Accordingly, such potential federal government activities could lead to increases in past due loans, nonperforming loans, loan loss reserves and charge-offs, and to a corresponding decline in liquidity.
We may not be able to implement aspects of our growth strategy, which may adversely affect our ability to maintain our historical growth and earnings trends.
We have grown rapidly over the last several years, primarily through organic growth. We may not be able to execute on aspects of our expansion strategy, which may impair our ability to sustain our historical rate of growth or prevent us from growing at all. The success of our strategy also depends on our ability to manage our growth effectively, which depends on a number of factors, including our ability to adapt our credit, operational, technology and governance infrastructure to accommodate expanded operations. If we are successful in continuing our growth, we cannot be certain that further growth would offer the same levels of potential profitability, or that we would be successful in controlling costs and maintaining asset quality in the face of that growth. Accordingly, an inability to maintain growth, or an inability to effectively manage growth, could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We may not be able to measure and limit our credit risk adequately, which could lead to unexpected losses.
The primary component of our business involves making loans to customers. The business of lending is inherently risky, including risks that the principal of or interest on any loan will not be repaid in a timely manner or at all or that the value of any collateral supporting the loan will be insufficient to cover our outstanding exposure. A failure to measure and limit the credit risk associated with our loan portfolio effectively could lead to unexpected losses and have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our allowance for loan losses may prove to be insufficient to absorb potential losses in our loan portfolio.
We maintain an allowance for loan losses that represents management’s judgment of probable losses and risks inherent in our loan portfolio. As of December 31, 2020, our allowance for loan losses totaled $23.4 million, which represents approximately 1.78% of our total portfolio loans, excluding PPP. The level of the allowance reflects management’s continuing evaluation of general economic conditions, diversification and seasoning of the loan portfolio, historic loss experience, identified credit problems, delinquency levels and adequacy of collateral. The determination of the appropriate level of our
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allowance for loan losses is inherently highly subjective and requires management to make significant estimates of and assumptions regarding current credit risks and future trends, all of which may undergo material changes. If we are required to materially increase our level of allowance for loan losses for any reason, such increase could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The small- to medium-sized businesses that we lend to may have fewer resources to weather adverse business developments, which may impair our borrowers’ ability to repay loans.
As of December 31, 2020, we had approximately $157.1 million of commercial and industrial loans to businesses, which represents approximately 11.9% of our total loan portfolio held for investment. Small- to medium-sized businesses frequently have smaller market shares than their competition, may be more vulnerable to economic downturns, often need substantial additional capital to expand or compete and may experience substantial volatility in operating results, any of which may impair a borrower’s ability to repay a loan. If our borrowers are unable to repay their loans, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.
Our commercial real estate and real estate construction loan portfolio exposes us to credit risks that may be greater than the risks related to other types of loans.
As of December 31, 2020, approximately $380.0 million, or 28.9%, of our total portfolio loans, excluding PPP loans, were nonresidential real estate loans (including owner-occupied commercial real estate loans) and approximately $224.9 million, or 17.1%, of our total loans held for investment were construction loans. Furthermore, as of December 31, 2020, our commercial real estate loans (excluding owner-occupied commercial real estate loans) totaled 119.4% of our total risk based capital. These loans typically involve repayment that depends upon income generated, or expected to be generated, by the property securing the loan in amounts sufficient to cover operating expenses and debt service. Unexpected deterioration in the credit quality of our commercial real estate loan portfolio could require us to increase our allowance for loan losses, which would reduce our profitability and could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Construction loans also involve risks because loan funds are secured by a project under construction and the project is of uncertain value prior to its completion. It can be difficult to accurately evaluate the total funds required to complete a project, and construction lending often involves the disbursement of substantial funds with repayment dependent, in part, on the success of the ultimate project rather than the ability of a borrower or guarantor to repay the loan. If we are forced to foreclose on a project prior to completion, we may be unable to recover the entire unpaid portion of the loan. In addition, we may be required to fund additional amounts to complete a project, incur taxes, maintenance and compliance costs for a foreclosed property and may have to hold the property for an indeterminate period of time, any of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Because a significant portion of our loan portfolio held for investment is comprised of real estate loans, negative changes in the economy affecting real estate values and liquidity could impair the value of collateral securing our real estate loans and result in loan and other losses.
At December 31, 2020, approximately $1.1 billion, or 80.2%, of our total loans held for investment were loans with real estate as a primary or secondary component of collateral. Adverse developments affecting real estate values and the liquidity of real estate in our primary markets could increase the credit risk associated with our loan portfolio, and could result in losses that adversely affect credit quality, financial condition and results of operations. If real estate values decline, it is more likely that we would be required to increase our allowance for loan losses, which would adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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A portion of our loan portfolio is comprised of commercial loans secured by receivables, inventory, equipment or other commercial collateral, the deterioration in value of which could expose us to credit losses.
As of December 31, 2020, approximately $157.1 million, or 11.9%, of our total loans held for investment were commercial loans to businesses. In general, these loans are collateralized by general business assets, including, among other things, accounts receivable, inventory and equipment, and most are backed by a personal guaranty of the borrower or principal. Significant adverse changes in the economy or local market conditions in which our commercial lending customers operate could cause rapid declines in loan collectability and the values associated with general business assets resulting in inadequate collateral coverage that may expose us to credit losses and could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
System failure or cybersecurity breaches of our network security could subject us to increased operating costs as well as litigation and other potential losses.
Our computer systems and network infrastructure could be vulnerable to hardware and cybersecurity issues. Any damage or failure that causes an interruption in our operations could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.
Our operations are also dependent upon our ability to protect our computer systems and network infrastructure, including our digital, mobile and internet banking activities, against damage from physical break-ins, cybersecurity breaches and other disruptive problems caused by the internet or other users. Such computer break-ins and other disruptions would jeopardize the security of information stored in and transmitted through our computer systems and network infrastructure, which may result in significant liability, damage our reputation and inhibit the use of our internet banking services by current and potential customers. A breach of our security that results in unauthorized access to our data could expose us to a disruption or challenges relating to our daily operations, as well as to data loss, litigation, damages, fines and penalties, significant increases in compliance costs and reputational damage, any of which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Appraisals and other valuation techniques we use in evaluating and monitoring loans secured by real property, other real estate owned and repossessed personal property may not accurately describe the net value of the asset.
In considering whether to make a loan secured by real property, we generally require an appraisal of the property. However, an appraisal is only an estimate of the value of the property at the time the appraisal is made and, as real estate values may change significantly in value in relatively short periods of time (especially in periods of heightened economic uncertainty), this estimate may not accurately describe the net value of the real property collateral after the loan is made. As a result, we may not be able to recover the full amount of any remaining indebtedness when we foreclose on and sell the relevant property. In addition, we rely on appraisals and other valuation techniques to establish the value of our other real estate owned, or OREO, and personal property that we acquire through foreclosure proceedings and to determine certain loan impairments. If any of these valuations are inaccurate, our combined and consolidated financial statements may not reflect the correct value of our OREO, and our allowance for loan losses may not reflect accurate loan impairments. This could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
We engage in lending secured by real estate and may be forced to foreclose on the collateral and own the underlying real estate, subjecting us to the costs and potential risks associated with the
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ownership of the real property, or consumer protection initiatives or changes in state or federal law may substantially raise the cost of foreclosure or prevent us from foreclosing at all.
Since we originate loans secured by real estate, we may have to foreclose on the collateral property to protect our investment and may thereafter own and operate such property, in which case we would be exposed to the risks inherent in the ownership of real estate. As of December 31, 2020, we held approximately $3.3 million in OREO that is currently marketed for sale. Our inability to manage the amount of costs or size of the risks associated with the ownership of real estate, or write-downs in the value of OREO, could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Additionally, consumer protection initiatives or changes in state or federal law may substantially increase the time and expense associated with the foreclosure process or prevent us from foreclosing at all. If new state or federal laws or regulations are ultimately enacted that significantly raise the cost of foreclosure or raise outright barriers, such could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operation.
A lack of liquidity could impair our ability to fund operations and adversely impact our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Liquidity is essential to our business. We rely on our ability to generate deposits and effectively manage the repayment and maturity schedules of our loans and investment securities, respectively, to ensure that we have adequate liquidity to fund our operations. An inability to raise funds through deposits, borrowings, sales of our investment securities, sales of loans or other sources could adversely impact our ability to originate loans, invest in securities, meet our expenses or fulfill obligations such as repaying our borrowings or meeting deposit withdrawal demands, any of which could, in turn, have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We have several large depositor relationships, the loss of which could force us to fund our business through more expensive and less stable sources.
As of December 31, 2020, our 10 largest non-brokered depositors accounted for $318.1 million in deposits, or approximately 19.3% of our total deposits. Our board of directors, directly and indirectly, accounted for $146.0 million of deposits as of December 31, 2020. Withdrawals of deposits by any one of our largest depositors could force us to rely more heavily on borrowings and other sources of funding for our business, adversely affecting our net interest margin and results of operations. We may also be forced, as a result of any withdrawal of deposits, to rely more heavily on other, potentially more expensive and less stable funding sources. Consequently, the occurrence of any of these events could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our mortgage banking division may not continue to provide us with significant noninterest income.
For the year ended December 31, 2020, the Bank originated $1.31 billion and sold $1.27 billion of residential mortgage loans net of mortgage banking revenue, and originated $593.2 million and sold $540.7 million in the same period of 2019. The residential mortgage business is highly competitive and highly susceptible to changes in market interest rates, consumer confidence levels, employment statistics, the capacity and willingness of secondary market purchasers to acquire and hold or securitize loans, and other factors beyond our control. Additionally, in many respects, the traditional mortgage origination business is relationship-based, and dependent on the services of individual mortgage loan officers. The loss of services of one or more loan officers could have the effect of reducing the level of our mortgage production, or the rate of growth of production. As a result of these factors, we cannot be certain that we will be able to maintain or increase the volume or percentage of revenue or net income produced by the residential mortgage business.
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We earn income by originating residential mortgage loans for resale in the secondary mortgage market, and disruptions in that market could reduce our operating income.
Historically, as part of our focus on loan origination and sales activities, we enter into formal commitments and informal agreements with larger banking companies and mortgage investors earning the Bank income from these sales. Under these arrangements, we originate single-family mortgages that are priced and underwritten to conform to previously agreed criteria before loan funding and are delivered to the investor shortly after funding.
Disruptions in the secondary market may not only affect us but also the ability and desire of mortgage investors and other banks to purchase residential mortgage loans that we originate. As a result, we may not be able to maintain or grow the income we receive from originating and reselling residential mortgage loans. Additionally, we hold certain mortgage loans that we originated for sale, increasing our exposure to interest rate risk and adverse changes in the value of the residential real estate that serves as collateral for the mortgage loan prior to sale.
Our financial condition, earnings and asset quality could be adversely affected if we are required to repurchase loans originated for sale by our mortgage banking division.
The Bank originates residential mortgage loans for sale to secondary market investors, subject to contractually specified and limited recourse provisions. Because the loans are intended to be originated within investor guidelines, using designated automated underwriting and product-specific requirements as part of the loan application, the loans sold have a limited recourse provision. Should such loan repurchases become a material issue, our earnings and asset quality could be adversely impacted, which could adversely impact business, financial condition and results of operations.
Delinquencies and credit losses from our OpenSky® credit card division could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Our OpenSky® division provides secured credit cards on a nationwide basis to under-banked populations and those looking to rebuild their credit scores. Although OpenSky® credit cards are secured, losses may occur primarily as a result of fraud, or when the account exceeds its established limit or if a cardholder ceases to maintain the account in good standing. Fraud, such as identity fraud, payment fraud and funding fraud (where an individual funds a card using information from someone they know well, such as a relative or roommate) can result in substantial losses. In the case of an OpenSky® account that is funded through fraud on the part of an applicant, we are required by applicable laws to refund the amount of the original deposit, and we charge off balances which were subsequently charged on the card. Account balances of excess of established credit limits happen as a result of certain VISA membership policies that allow cardholders to incur certain charges even if they exceed their card limits, which include, but are not limited to, rental car charges, gas station charges and hotel deposits. If an OpenSky® cardholder exceeds his or her credit limit as a result of purchases in one of these categories, we may incur losses for amounts in excess of the collateral deposited if the borrower is unable to repay such excess amounts. Customers can also exceed their credit limit by making intra period payments to replenish their available lines. If the payments are made via AC and were fraudulent we could incur the cost of the payment. Finally, losses to our credit card portfolio may arise if cardholders cease to maintain the account in good standing with timely payments. For example, in the event a card becomes more than 120 days past due, the credit card balance is recovered against the corresponding deposit account and a charge-off is recorded for any related fees, accrued interest or other charges in excess of the deposit account balance. We have invested in technology and systems to prevent and detect fraudulent behavior and mitigate losses but such investments may not be adequate, and our systems may not adequately monitor or mitigate potential losses arising from these risks.
A high credit loss rate (the rate at which we charge off uncollectible loans) on either our secured or unsecured portfolio could adversely impact our overall financial performance. We maintain an allowance
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for loan losses, which we believe to be adequate to cover credit losses inherent in our OpenSky® portfolio, but we cannot be certain that the allowance will be sufficient to cover actual credit losses. If credit losses from our OpenSky® portfolio exceed our allowance for loan losses, our revenues will be reduced by the excess of such credit losses.
The inability of our OpenSky® credit card division to continue its growth rate could adversely affect our earnings.
Our credit card portfolio has increased from $9.6 million at December 31, 2014 to $102.2 million at December 31, 2020 and certain corresponding fees have been a significant portion of our income. We do not know if we will be able to retain existing customers or attract new customers, or that we will be able to increase account balances for new or existing customers.
We hope the development and expansion of new credit card products and related cardholder service products will be an important contributor to our growth and earnings in the future; however, if we are unable to implement new cardholder products and features, our ability to grow will be negatively impacted. Declining sales of cardholder service products would likely result in reduced income from fees and interest.
Our business, financial condition and results of operations may be adversely affected by merchants’ increasing focus on the fees charged by credit card networks and by regulation and legislation impacting such fees.
Credit card interchange fees are generally one of the largest components of the costs that merchants pay in connection with the acceptance of credit cards and are a meaningful source of revenue for our OpenSky® division. Interchange fees are the subject of significant and intense legal, regulatory and legislative focus globally, and the resulting decisions, regulations and legislation may have an adverse impact on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
The heightened focus by merchants and regulatory and legislative bodies on the fees charged by credit and debit card networks, and the ability of certain merchants to negotiate discounts to interchange fees with MasterCard and Visa successfully or develop alternative payment systems could result in a reduction of interchange fees. Any resulting loss in income to us could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
By engaging in derivative transactions, we are exposed to additional credit and market risk.
As part of our mortgage banking activities, we enter into interest rate lock agreements with the consumer. These are commitments to originate loans at a specified interest rate and lock expiration which is set prior to closing.
Hedging interest rate risk is a complex process, requiring sophisticated models and routine monitoring. As a result of interest rate fluctuations, hedged assets and liabilities will appreciate or depreciate in market value. The effect of this unrealized appreciation or depreciation in assets (loans) will generally be offset by income or loss in the corresponding MBS derivative instruments that are linked to the hedged assets and liabilities. By engaging in derivative transactions, we are exposed to counterparty credit and market risk. If the counterparty fails to perform, credit risk exists to the extent of the fair value gain in the derivative. Market risk exists to the extent that interest rates change in ways that are significantly different from what was modeled when we entered into the derivative transaction. The existence of credit and market risk associated with our derivative instruments could adversely affect our mortgage banking revenue and, therefore, could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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We are subject to interest rate risk as fluctuations in interest rates may adversely affect our earnings.
The majority of our banking assets and liabilities are monetary in nature and subject to risk from changes in interest rates. Like most financial institutions, our earnings are significantly dependent on our net interest income, the principal component of our earnings, which is the difference between interest earned by us from our interest earning assets, such as loans and investment securities, and interest paid by us on our interest bearing liabilities, such as deposits and borrowings. We expect that we will periodically experience “gaps” in the interest rate sensitivities of our assets and liabilities, meaning that either our interest bearing liabilities will be more sensitive to changes in market interest rates than our interest earning assets, or vice versa. In either case, if market interest rates move contrary to our position, this gap will negatively impact our earnings. The impact on earnings is more adverse when the slope of the yield curve flattens; that is, when short-term interest rates increase more than long-term interest rates or when long-term interest rates decrease more than short-term interest rates. Many factors impact interest rates, including governmental monetary policies, inflation, recession, changes in unemployment, the money supply, international economic weakness and disorder and instability in domestic and foreign financial markets. As of December 31, 2020, approximately 45.0% of our interest earning assets and approximately 66.0% of our interest bearing liabilities had a variable interest rate.
Interest rate increases often result in larger payment requirements for our borrowers, which increases the potential for default and could result in a decrease in the demand for loans. At the same time, the marketability of the property securing a loan may be adversely affected by any reduced demand resulting from higher interest rates. In a declining interest rate environment, there may be an increase in prepayments on loans as borrowers refinance their loans at lower rates. In addition, in a low interest rate environment, loan customers often pursue long-term fixed rate credits, which could adversely affect our earnings and net interest margin if rates later increase. Changes in interest rates also can affect the value of loans, securities and other assets. An increase in interest rates that adversely affects the ability of borrowers to pay the principal or interest on loans may lead to an increase in nonperforming assets and a reduction of income recognized, which could have an adverse effect on our results of operations and cash flows. Further, when we place a loan on nonaccrual status, we reverse any accrued but unpaid interest receivable, which decreases interest income. At the same time, we continue to incur costs to fund the loan, which is reflected as interest expense, without any interest income to offset the associated funding expense. Thus, an increase in the amount of nonperforming assets would have an adverse impact on net interest income. If short-term interest rates remain at their historically low levels for a prolonged period and assuming longer-term interest rates fall further, we could experience net interest margin compression as our interest earning assets would continue to reprice downward while our interest bearing liability rates could fail to decline in tandem. Such an occurrence would have an adverse effect on our net interest income and could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Uncertainty about the future of LIBOR may adversely affect our business.
On July 27, 2017, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates the LIBOR, announced that it intends to stop persuading or compelling banks to submit rates for the calculation of LIBOR after 2021. The announcement indicates that the continuation of LIBOR on the current basis cannot and will not be guaranteed after 2021.Uncertainty as to the nature of alternative reference rates and as to potential changes in other reforms to LIBOR may adversely affect LIBOR rates and the value of LIBOR-based loans, and to a lesser extent securities in our portfolio, and may impact the availability and cost of hedging instruments and borrowings, including the rates we pay on our subordinated debentures and trust preferred securities. If LIBOR rates are no longer available or do not remain an acceptable market benchmark, any successor or replacement interest rates may perform differently, which may adversely affect our revenue or our expenses. We may incur significant costs to transition both our borrowing arrangements and the loan agreements with our customers from LIBOR, which may have an adverse effect on our results of operations. Further, we may face exposure to litigation over the nature
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and performance of any replacement index. The impact of alternatives to LIBOR on the valuations, pricing and operation of our financial instruments is not yet known.
We face strong competition from financial services companies and other companies that offer banking services.
We operate in the highly competitive financial services industry and face significant competition for customers from financial institutions located both within and beyond our principal markets. We compete with commercial banks, savings banks, credit unions, nonbank financial services companies and other financial institutions operating within or near the areas we serve. In addition, many of our non-bank competitors are not subject to the same extensive regulations that govern our activities and may have greater flexibility in competing for business. Our inability to compete successfully in the markets in which we operate could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition or results of operations.
Risks Related to the Regulation of Our Industry
We operate in a highly regulated environment and the laws and regulations that govern our operations, corporate governance, executive compensation and accounting principles, or changes in them, or our failure to comply with them, could adversely affect us.
Banking is highly regulated under federal and state law. As such, we are subject to extensive regulation, supervision and legal requirements that govern almost all aspects of our operations. Compliance with laws and regulations can be difficult and costly, and changes to laws and regulations often impose additional operating costs. Our failure to comply with these laws and regulations, even if the failure follows good faith effort or reflects a difference in interpretation, could subject us to restrictions on our business activities, enforcement actions and fines and other penalties, any of which could adversely affect our results of operations, regulatory capital levels and the price of our securities. Further, any new laws, rules and regulations, such as the Dodd-Frank Act, could make compliance more difficult or expensive or otherwise adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Legislative and regulatory actions taken now or in the future may increase our costs and impact our business, governance structure, financial condition or results of operations.
Economic conditions that contributed to the financial crisis in 2008, particularly in the financial markets, resulted in government regulatory agencies and political bodies placing increased focus and scrutiny on the financial services industry. The Dodd-Frank Act, which was enacted in 2010 as a response to the financial crisis, significantly changed the regulation of financial institutions and the financial services industry. Compliance with the Dodd-Frank Act and its implementing regulations has and may continue to result in additional operating and compliance costs that could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition, results of operations and growth prospects.
Federal and state regulatory agencies frequently adopt changes to their regulations or change the manner in which existing regulations are applied. Regulatory or legislative changes to laws applicable to the financial industry, if enacted or adopted, may impact the profitability of our business activities, require more oversight or change certain of our business practices, including the ability to offer new products, obtain financing, attract deposits, make loans and achieve satisfactory interest spreads and could expose us to additional costs, including increased compliance costs. These changes also may require us to invest significant management attention and resources to make any necessary changes to operations to comply and could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
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As a result of the Dodd-Frank Act and recent rulemaking, the Bank and the Company are subject to more stringent capital requirements.
In July 2013, the U.S. federal banking authorities approved the implementation of regulatory capital reforms of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, which is referred to as Basel III, and issued rules effecting certain changes required by the Dodd-Frank Act. Basel III is applicable to all U.S. banks that are subject to minimum capital requirements as well as to bank and saving and loan holding companies other than those subject to the Federal Reserve’s Small Bank Holding Company Policy Statement. The failure to meet applicable regulatory capital requirements could result in one or more of our regulators placing limitations or conditions on our activities, including our growth initiatives, or restricting the commencement of new activities, and could affect customer and investor confidence, our costs of funds and FDIC insurance costs, our ability to pay dividends on our common stock, our ability to make acquisitions, and our business, results of operations and financial condition.
Federal banking agencies periodically conduct examinations of our business, including compliance with laws and regulations, and our failure to comply with any supervisory actions to which we are or become subject as a result of such examinations could adversely affect us.
As part of the bank regulatory process, the OCC and the Federal Reserve, periodically conduct examinations of our business, including compliance with laws and regulations. If, as a result of an examination, one of these federal banking agencies were to determine that the financial condition, capital resources, asset quality, earnings prospects, management, liquidity, asset sensitivity, risk management or other aspects of any of our operations have become unsatisfactory, or that the Company, the Bank or their respective management were in violation of any law or regulation, it may take a number of different remedial actions as it deems appropriate. These actions include the power to enjoin “unsafe or unsound” practices, to require affirmative actions to correct any conditions resulting from any violation or practice, to issue an administrative order that can be judicially enforced, to direct an increase in our capital levels, to restrict our growth, to assess civil monetary penalties against us, the Bank or their respective officers or directors, to remove officers and directors and, if it is concluded that such conditions cannot be corrected or there is an imminent risk of loss to depositors, to terminate the Bank’s deposit insurance. If we become subject to such regulatory actions, our business, financial condition, results of operations and reputation could be adversely affected.
Monetary policies and regulations of the Federal Reserve could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
In addition to being affected by general economic conditions, our earnings and growth are affected by the policies of the Federal Reserve. An important function of the Federal Reserve is to regulate the U.S. money supply and credit conditions. The monetary policies and regulations of the Federal Reserve have had a significant effect on the operating results of commercial banks in the past and are expected to continue to do so in the future. Although we cannot determine the effects of such policies on us at this time, such policies could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.
Regulatory requirements affecting our loans secured by commercial real estate could limit our ability to leverage our capital and adversely affect our growth and profitability.
The federal bank regulatory agencies have indicated their view that banks with high concentrations of loans secured by commercial real estate are subject to increased risk and should implement robust risk management policies and maintain higher capital than regulatory minimums to maintain an appropriate cushion against loss that is commensurate with the perceived risk. Federal bank regulatory guidelines identify institutions potentially exposed to commercial real estate concentration risk as those that have (i) experienced rapid growth in commercial real estate lending, (ii) notable exposure to a specific type of commercial real estate, (iii) total reported loans for construction, land development and other land loans representing 100% or more of the institution’s capital, or (iv) total non-owner-occupied commercial real
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estate (including construction) loans representing 300% or more of the institution’s capital if the outstanding balance of the institution’s non-owner-occupied commercial real estate (including construction) loan portfolio has increased 50% or more during the prior 36 months. At December 31, 2020, the Bank’s construction to total capital ratio was 147.7%, its total non-owner occupied commercial real estate (including construction) to total capital ratio was 341.6% and therefore exceeded the 100% and 300% regulatory guideline thresholds set forth in clauses (iii) and (iv) above. As a result, we are deemed to have a concentration in commercial real estate lending under applicable regulatory guidelines. Because a significant portion of our loan portfolio depends on commercial real estate, a change in the regulatory capital requirements applicable to us or a decline in our regulatory capital could limit our ability to leverage our capital as a result of these policies, which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.
We cannot guarantee that any risk management practices we implement will be effective to prevent losses relating to our commercial real estate portfolio. Management has implemented controls to monitor our commercial real estate lending concentrations, but we cannot predict the extent to which this guidance will impact our operations or capital requirements.
Risks Related to Ownership of Our Common Stock
The price of our common stock, like many of our peers, has fluctuated significantly over the recent past and may fluctuate significantly in the future, which may make it difficult for you to resell your shares of common stock at times or at prices you find attractive.
Stock price volatility may make it difficult for holders of our common stock to resell their common stock when desired and at desirable prices. There are many factors that may affect the market price and trading volume of our common stock, including, without limitation, the risks discussed elsewhere in this “Risk Factors” section.
The stock market and, in particular, the market for financial institution stocks has experienced substantial fluctuations in recent years, which in many cases have been unrelated to the operating performance and prospects of particular companies. In addition, significant fluctuations in the trading volume in our common stock may cause significant price variations to occur. Increased market volatility may materially and adversely affect the market price of our common stock, which could make it difficult to sell your shares at the volume, prices and times desired.
The market price of our common stock could decline significantly due to actual or anticipated issuances or sales of our common stock in the future.
Our board of directors may determine from time to time that we need to raise additional capital by issuing additional shares of our common stock or other securities. We are not restricted from issuing additional shares of common stock, including securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, common stock. Because our decision to issue securities in any future offering will depend on market conditions and other factors beyond our control, we cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing or nature of any future offerings, or the prices at which such offerings may be effected. Such offerings could be dilutive to common shareholders.
We cannot predict the size of future issuances of our common stock or the effect, if any, that future issuances and sales of our common stock will have on the market price of our common stock. Sales of substantial amounts of our common stock (including shares of our common stock issued in connection with an acquisition or under a compensation or incentive plan), or the perception that such sales could occur, may adversely affect prevailing market prices for our common stock and could impair our ability to raise capital through future sales of our securities.
Our management and board of directors have significant control over our business.
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As of December 31, 2020, our directors, directors of the Bank, our named executive officers and their respective family members and affiliated entities beneficially owned an aggregate of 5,507,852 shares, or approximately 40.0% of our issued and outstanding common stock. Consequently, our management and board of directors may be able to significantly affect the outcome of the election of directors and the potential outcome of other matters submitted to a vote of our shareholders, such as mergers, the sale of substantially all of our assets and other extraordinary corporate matters. The interests of these insiders could conflict with the interests of our other shareholders, including you.
The holders of our existing debt obligations, as well as debt obligations that may be outstanding in the future, will have priority over our common stock with respect to payment in the event of liquidation, dissolution or winding up and with respect to the payment of interest.
In the event of any liquidation, dissolution or winding up of the Company, our common stock would rank below all claims of debt holders against us. As of December 31, 2020 we had outstanding approximately $10.0 million in aggregate principal amount of subordinated notes and $2.1 million in aggregate principal amount of junior subordinated debentures issued to a statutory trust that, in turn, issued $2.0 million of trust preferred securities. Payments of the principal and interest on the trust preferred securities are conditionally guaranteed by us. Our debt obligations are senior to our shares of common stock. As a result, we must make payments on our debt obligations before any dividends can be paid on our common stock. In the event of our bankruptcy, dissolution or liquidation, the holders of our debt obligations must be satisfied before any distributions can be made to the holders of our common stock. To the extent that we issue additional debt obligations, the additional debt obligations will be of equal rank with, or senior to, our existing debt obligations and senior to our shares of common stock.
We are dependent upon the Bank for cash flow, and the Bank’s ability to make cash distributions is restricted.
Our primary asset is Capital Bank. We depend upon the Bank for cash distributions (through dividends on the Bank’s common stock) that we use to pay our operating expenses and satisfy our obligations (including our subordinated debentures and our other debt obligations). Federal statutes, regulations and policies restrict the Bank’s ability to make cash distributions to us. These statutes and regulations require, among other things, that the Bank maintain certain levels of capital in order to pay a dividend. Further, the OCC has the ability to restrict the Bank’s payment of dividends by supervisory action. If the Bank is unable to pay dividends to us, we may not be able to satisfy our obligations or, if applicable, pay dividends on our common stock.
Our future ability to pay dividends is subject to restrictions.
Holders of our common stock are only entitled to receive dividends when, as and if declared by our board of directors out of funds legally available for dividends. We have not paid any cash dividends on our capital stock since inception. Any declaration and payment of dividends on common stock in the future will depend on regulatory restrictions, our earnings and financial condition, our liquidity and capital requirements, the general economic climate, contractual restrictions, our ability to service any equity or debt obligations senior to our common stock and other factors deemed relevant by our board of directors. Furthermore, consistent with our strategic plans, growth initiatives, capital availability, projected liquidity needs and other factors, we have made, and will continue to make, capital management decisions and policies that could adversely affect the amount of dividends, if any, paid to our common shareholders.
Provisions in our governing documents and Maryland law may have an anti-takeover effect, and there are substitutional regulatory limitations on changes of control of bank holding companies.
Our corporate organizational documents and provisions of federal and state law to which we are subject contain certain provisions that could have an anti-takeover effect and may delay, make more
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difficult or prevent an attempted acquisition that you may favor or an attempted replacement of our board of directors or management.
Our Amended and Restated Articles of Incorporation, or Articles, and our Amended and Restated Bylaws, or Bylaws, may have an anti-takeover effect and may delay, discourage or prevent an attempted acquisition or change of control or a replacement of our board of directors or management. Our governing documents and Maryland law include provisions that:
• empower our board of directors, without shareholder approval, to issue preferred stock, the terms of which, including voting power, are to be set by our board of directors;
• divide our board of directors into three classes serving staggered three-year terms;
• provide that directors may be removed from office (i) without cause but only upon a 66.67% vote of shareholders and (ii) for cause but only upon a majority shareholder vote;
• eliminate cumulative voting in elections of directors;
• permit our board of directors to alter, amend or repeal our Bylaws or to adopt new bylaws;
• permit our board of directors to increase or decrease the number of authorized shares of our common stock and preferred stock;
• require the request of holders of at least a majority of the outstanding shares of our capital stock entitled to vote at a meeting to call a special shareholders’ meeting;
• require shareholders that wish to bring business before annual or special meetings of shareholders, or to nominate candidates for election as directors at our annual meeting of shareholders, to provide timely notice of their intent in writing; and
• enable our board of directors to increase, between annual meetings, the number of persons serving as directors and to fill the vacancies created as a result of the increase by a majority vote of the directors present at a meeting of directors.
In addition, certain provisions of Maryland law may delay, discourage or prevent an attempted acquisition or change in control. Furthermore, banking laws impose notice, approval, and ongoing regulatory requirements on any shareholder or other party that seeks to acquire direct or indirect “control” of an FDIC-insured depository institution or its holding company. These laws include the BHC Act and the Change in Bank Control Act, or the CBCA. These laws could delay or prevent an acquisition.
Our common stock is not insured by any governmental entity.
Our common stock is not a deposit account or other obligation of any bank and is not insured by the FDIC or any other governmental entity. Investment in our common stock is subject to risk, including possible loss.
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ITEM 1B UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS
None.
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.