Item 2. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
ITEM 2. Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations
MANAGEMENT'S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF
FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
Period Ended June 30, 2023
The following discussion analyzes the consolidated financial condition of Community Bancorp. and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Community National Bank, as of June 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, and its consolidated results of operations for the three- and six-month interim periods and one year period presented. The Company is considered a “smaller reporting company” and a “non-accelerated filer” under the disclosure rules of the SEC. Accordingly, the Company has elected to provide its statements of income, comprehensive income, cash flows and changes in shareholders’ equity for a two-year, rather than a three-year, period and provide certain other smaller reporting company scaled disclosures where management deems it appropriate.
The following discussion should be read in conjunction with the Company’s audited consolidated financial statements and related notes contained in its 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K filed with the SEC. Please refer to Note 1 in the accompanying consolidated financial statements for a listing of acronyms and defined terms used throughout the following discussion.
FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS
This Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations (MD&A) contains certain forward-looking statements within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, regarding the results of operations, financial condition and business of the Company and its subsidiary. Words used in the discussion below such as "believes," "expects," "anticipates," "intends," "estimates," “projects”, "plans," “assumes”, "predicts," “may”, “might”, “will”, “could”, “should” and similar expressions, indicate that management of the Company is making forward-looking statements.
Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance. They necessarily involve risks, uncertainties and assumptions. Examples of forward looking statements included in this discussion include, but are not limited to, statements regarding the estimated contingent liability related to assumptions made within the asset/liability management process; management's expectations as to the future interest rate environment and the Company's related liquidity level; credit risk expectations relating to the Company's loan portfolio and off-balance sheet commitments; and management's general outlook for the future performance of the Company and the local or national economy. Although forward-looking statements are based on management's expectations and estimates as of the date they are made, many of the factors that could influence or determine actual results are unpredictable and not within the Company's control.
Factors that may cause actual results to differ materially from those contemplated by these forward-looking statements include, among others, the following possibilities:
·
interest rates change in such a way as to negatively affect loan demand, the local economy or the Company's net income, asset valuations or margins;
·
general economic or business conditions, either nationally, regionally or locally, deteriorate, resulting in a decline in credit quality or a diminished demand for the Company's products and services;
·
the impact of inflation and slowing economic growth on the Company’s customers and on its financial results and performance;
·
changes in the United States monetary and fiscal policies, including the interest rate policies of the FRB and its regulation of the money supply;
·
changes in applicable accounting policies, practices and standards;
·
the geographic concentration of the Company’s loan portfolio and deposit base;
·
reductions in deposit levels, which necessitate increased borrowings to fund loans and sale of investment securities;
·
increases in the level of nonperforming assets and charge-offs;
·
changes in federal or state tax laws or policy;
·
changes in laws or government rules, including the rules of the federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, or the way in which courts or government agencies interpret or implement those laws or rules, increase our costs of doing business, causing us to limit or change our product offerings or pricing, or otherwise adversely affect the Company's business;
·
regulatory responses to recent high profile bank failures increase our costs of operation, including through regulatory compliance changes and higher FDIC deposit insurance assessments to replenish the Bank Insurance Fund (BIF);
33
Table of Contents
·
competitive pressures increase among financial service providers in the Company's northern New England market area or in the financial services industry generally, including competitive pressures from non-bank financial service providers, from increasing consolidation and integration of financial service providers, and from changes in technology and delivery systems;
·
cybersecurity risks could adversely affect the Company’s business, financial performance or reputation and could result in financial liability for losses incurred by customers or others due to data breaches or other compromise of the Company’s information security systems;
·
higher-than-expected costs are incurred relating to information technology or difficulties arise in implementing technological enhancements;
·
management’s risk management measures may not be completely effective;
·
changes in consumer and business spending, borrowing and savings habits;
·
operational and internal system failures due to changes in normal business practices, including remote working for Company staff;
·
increased cybercrime and payment system risk due to increased usage by customers of online, mobile and other remote banking channels;
·
the ongoing challenges to find qualified workers to maintain a stable workforce;
·
losses due to the fraudulent or negligent conduct of third parties, including the Company’s service providers, customers and employees; and
·
adverse changes in the credit rating of U.S. government debt.
Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on such statements as they speak only as of the date they are made. The Company does not undertake, and disclaims any obligation, to revise or update any forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence or anticipated occurrence of events or circumstances after the date of this Report, except as required by applicable law. The Company claims the protection of the safe harbor for forward-looking statements provided in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
NON-GAAP FINANCIAL MEASURES
Under SEC Regulation G, public companies making disclosures containing financial measures that are not in accordance with GAAP must also disclose, along with each non-GAAP financial measure, certain additional information, including a reconciliation of the non-GAAP financial measure to the closest comparable GAAP financial measure, as well as a statement of the company’s reasons for utilizing the non-GAAP financial measure. The SEC has exempted from the definition of non-GAAP financial measures certain commonly used financial measures that are not based on GAAP. However, three non-GAAP financial measures commonly used by financial institutions, namely tax-equivalent net interest income and tax-equivalent net interest margin (as presented in the tables in the section labeled Interest Income Versus Interest Expense (NII)) and core earnings (as defined and discussed in the Results of Operations section), have not been specifically exempted by the SEC, and may therefore constitute non-GAAP financial measures under Regulation G. We are unable to state with certainty whether the SEC would regard those measures as subject to Regulation G.
Management believes that these non-GAAP financial measures are useful in evaluating the Company’s financial performance and facilitate comparisons with the performance of other financial institutions. However, that information should be considered supplemental in nature and not as a substitute for related financial information prepared in accordance with GAAP.
OVERVIEW
The Company’s consolidated assets at June 30, 2023, were $1.03 billion compared to $1.06 billion at December 31, 2022, a decrease of 2.3%. Significant changes in the asset base were due to a decrease of $51.8 million, or 72.8%, in cash and cash equivalents, which was partially offset by an increase in loans of $32.4 million, or 4.3%. This change in the asset base reflects the Company’s efforts to deploy cash into higher earning assets. The increase in the loan portfolio was primarily attributable to an increase of $13.3 million in commercial & industrial loans, $27.9 million in CRE loans and $1.4 million in residential first lien loans, which was partially offset by a decrease of $6.9 million in municipal loans and $1.7 million in residential junior lien loans and $1.4 million in purchased loans.
Total deposits at June 30, 2023, were $851.2 million compared to $923.0 million at December 31, 2022, a decrease of $71.8 million, or 7.8%. Year to date, demand and interest-bearing transaction accounts decreased in total by $41.3 million or 8.1%, followed by a decrease of $31.1 million, or 22.2% in money market funds and $5.0 million, or 2.9% in savings accounts. This was offset minimally by an increase of $5.6 million, or 5.5% in time deposits. An increase of $2.1 million, or 6.2%, in repurchase agreements is also noted since year end. Although a decline in deposits in the first six months is a normal occurrence for the Company primarily due to normal seasonal outflows, the decline is augmented by the continued spend-down of Covid relief funds. Pricing pressures, as depositors look for alternative products with higher interest rates in the current rate environment, resulted in deposit outflows as well. The decrease in deposit balances combined with the loan growth, has required the use of borrowed funds as a supplemental funding source.
34
Table of Contents
Total interest income increased $2.6 million, or 30.1%, for the second quarter of 2023, and $5.1 million, or 30.6%, for the first six months of 2023, compared to the same periods in 2022. The increase in the loan portfolio, coupled with increases in the fed funds rate throughout 2022 and into 2023, helped to support the year over year increase in interest income.
Total interest expense increased $2.2 million, or 292.6% for the second quarter of 2023, and $3.7 million, or 259.7%, for the first six months of 2023, compared to the same periods in 2022. The recent increases in the fed funds rate have put more pressure on competitive deposit pricing, resulting in an increase in the Company’s money market and time deposit rates. Please refer to the interest rate sensitivity discussion in the Interest Rate Risk and Asset and Liability Management section for more information on the impact that the actions of the FRB’s FOMC in regulating interest rates, and changes in the yield curve, could have on net interest income.
The provision for credit losses for the three and six months ended June 30, 2023, was determined under ASU No. 2016-13, Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, commonly referenced as the Current Expected Credit Losses, or CECL, which the Company adopted effective January 1, 2023.
The provision for credit losses for the second quarter of 2023 was $281,142 compared to $337,500 for the same quarter in 2022 and for the first six months of 2023 was $567,668 compared to $1.2 million for the same period in 2022, a decrease of $632,332, or 52.7%. This decrease to the provision year over year was driven primarily by a write-down on a non-performing CRE loan totaling $667,474 during the first quarter of 2022, which necessitated a substantial provision for that quarter. Please refer to Note 5 of the unaudited consolidated financial statements as well as the ACL and provisions discussion in the Credit Risk section of this MD&A.
Consolidated net income for the second quarter of 2023 increased $175,187 to $3.2 million compared to $3.0 million for the same quarter of 2022, and for the first six months of 2023 increased $1.1 million to $6.5 million compared to $5.4 million in the same period of 2022. Year over year, a $5.1 million increase in interest income was partially offset by an increase of $3.7 million in interest expense and coupled with a decrease of $632,332 in the provision for credit losses between periods, resulted in an increase of $2.0 million in net interest income after provision for credit losses. These changes, along with other significant changes in non-interest income and non-interest expense are discussed in the appropriate sections of this MD&A.
Equity capital increased to $80.5 million, with a book value per share of $14.44 as of June 30, 2023, compared to $75.2 million and a book value per share of $13.55 as of December 31, 2022. Equity capital increased between periods despite a cumulative effect charge to retained earnings of $549,113 upon the transition to CECL effective on January 1, 2023. The increase in equity capital is partially related to the decrease in unrealized losses in the investment portfolio of $1.2 million, net of tax, reflected in the accumulated other comprehensive loss component of the shareholders’ equity portion of the balance sheet. This position is considered by management as temporary and, unlike the charge to retained earnings in connection with the transition to CECL, does not impact the Company’s regulatory capital ratios.
The week of July 10, 2023 brought heavy rainfall to the state of Vermont which caused extensive flooding across much of the state leading to Governor Phil Scott declaring a state of emergency. Preliminary figures from self-reporting data released by Vermont Emergency Management suggest that the impact was considerable, and that the total damage will be at least comparable, if not greater, than what was suffered in 2011 during Tropical Storm Irene. The State Emergency Operations Center has received reports of damage to over 4,000 residential units and over 800 businesses. The portion of the Company’s service area most impacted was central Vermont, including one of the Bank’s branches which sustained extensive flooding. The branch has been closed for restoration and repairs, anticipating reopening within a few weeks. The impact to the Bank’s customers appears to be manageable with many having flood insurance coverage and or qualifying for the various assistance programs offered at the state and federal level.
On June 14, 2023, the Company's Board of Directors declared a quarterly cash dividend of $0.23 per common share, payable on August 1, 2023, to shareholders of record on July 15, 2023.
As of June 30, 2023, all the Company’s capital ratios, and those of our subsidiary Bank, were in excess of applicable regulatory requirements. While we believe that we have sufficient capital to withstand an economic downturn from any headwinds related to inflation or recessionary periods, should one occur, our equity capital and regulatory capital ratios could be adversely impacted, including as a result of credit losses and other adverse impacts of deteriorating economic conditions, or government monetary policy.
35
Table of Contents
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES
The Company’s consolidated financial statements are prepared according to U.S. GAAP. The preparation of such financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets, liabilities, revenues and expenses and related disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities in the consolidated financial statements and related notes. The SEC has defined a company’s critical accounting policies as those that are most important to the portrayal of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations, and which require the Company to make its most difficult and subjective judgments, often as a result of the need to make estimates of matters that are inherently uncertain. Because of the significance of these estimates and assumptions, there is a high likelihood that materially different amounts would be reported for the Company under different conditions or using different assumptions or estimates. Management evaluates on an ongoing basis its judgment as to which policies are considered to be critical and communicates all evaluations with the Company’s Audit Committee.
The Company’s critical accounting policies govern:
·
the ACL;
·
OREO;
·
credit losses on debt securities;
·
valuation of residential MSRs; and
·
the carrying value of goodwill.
These policies are described in the Company’s 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K in the section titled “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations – Critical Accounting Policies” and in Note 1 (Significant Accounting Policies) to the audited consolidated financial statements. With the exception of the ACL policy, there were no material changes during the first six months of 2023 in the Company’s critical accounting policies.
ACL - Management believes that the calculation of the ACL is a critical accounting policy that requires the most significant judgments and estimates used in the preparation of its consolidated financial statements. In estimating the ACL, management has adopted a methodology consistent with ASU No. 2016-13 that requires that expected credit losses for financial assets held at the reporting date that are accounted for at amortized cost be measured and recognized based on historical experience and current and reasonably supportable forecasted conditions to reflect the full amount of expected credit losses over the life of the loans at the measurement date. Further consideration is given to qualitative factors, including changes in current economic indicators and their probable impact on borrowers and collateral, trends in delinquent and non-performing loans, trends in criticized and classified assets, levels of exceptions, the impact of competition in the market, concentrations of credit risk in a variety of areas, including portfolio product mix, the level of loans to individual borrowers and their related interests, loans to industry segments and the geographic distribution of CRE loans. Management’s estimates used in calculating the ACL may increase or decrease based on changes in these factors, which in turn will affect the amount of the Company’s provision for credit losses charged against current period income. This evaluation is inherently subjective and actual results could differ significantly from these estimates under different assumptions, judgments or conditions. The Company estimates expected credit losses on OBS credit exposures over the contractual period in which the Company is exposed to credit risk via a contractual obligation to extend credit, unless that obligation is unconditionally cancellable by the Company. The ACL on OBS credit exposures is adjusted through credit loss expense.
A modified version of these requirements applies to debt securities classified as available for sale, which eliminates OTTI impairment analysis and requires that if a decline in the fair value of debt securities AFS is deemed by management to be the result of credit losses rather than other factors, the credit losses on those securities is recorded through an allowance for credit losses rather than a write-down of the security. The Company’s securities portfolio is evaluated for impairment on a quarterly basis.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
The Company’s net income for the second quarter of 2023 was $3.2 million or $0.58 per common share, compared to $3.0 million or $0.56 per common share for the same quarter of 2022. Net income for the first six months of 2023 was $6.5 million or $1.19 per common share, compared to $5.4 million or $1.00 per common share for the same period of 2022. Core earnings (NII) were $8.3 million for the second quarter of 2023 compared to $7.8 million for the same quarter of 2022, and $16.8 million for the first six months of 2023 compared to $15.4 million for the same period in 2022. Interest and fees on loans, the major component of interest income, increased $2.4 million, or 31.3% for the second quarter of 2023 compared to the same quarter of 2022, and $4.3 million, or 28.3% for the first six months of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. Interest paid on deposits, which is the major component of total interest expense, increased $1.6 million, or 279.9% for the second quarter of 2023 compared to the same quarter of 2022, and increased $2.9 million, or 257.8%, year over year, driven primarily by the increases in the fed funds rate during 2022 and into the first six months of 2023.
Return on average assets, which is net income divided by average total assets, measures how effectively a corporation uses its assets to produce earnings. Return on average equity, which is net income divided by average shareholders' equity, measures how effectively a corporation uses its equity capital to produce earnings.
36
Table of Contents
The following tables show these ratios annualized, as well as other equity ratios monitored by management, for the comparison periods presented.
Three Months Ended June 30,
2023
2022
Return on average assets
1.25 %
1.20 %
Return on average equity
16.05 %
16.12 %
Dividend payout ratio (1)
39.66 %
41.07 %
Average equity to average assets
7.78 %
7.45 %
Six Months Ended June 30,
2023
2022
Return on average assets
1.28 %
1.09 %
Return on average equity
16.79 %
13.84 %
Dividend payout ratio (1)
38.66 %
46.00 %
Average equity to average assets
7.63 %
7.84 %
(1)
Dividends declared per common share divided by earnings per common share.
INTEREST INCOME VERSUS INTEREST EXPENSE (NET INTEREST INCOME)
The largest component of the Company’s operating income is NII, which is the difference between interest earned on loans and investments and the interest paid on deposits and other sources of funds (i.e., borrowings). The Company’s level of net interest income can fluctuate over time due to changes in the level and mix of earning assets and sources of funds (volume), and changes in the yield earned and costs of funds (rate). A portion of the Company’s income from loans to local municipalities is not subject to income taxes. Because the proportion of tax-exempt items in the Company's balance sheet varies from year-to-year, to improve comparability of information, the non-taxable income shown in the tables below has been converted to a tax equivalent basis. The Company’s corporate tax rate is 21%; therefore, to equalize tax-free and taxable income in the comparison, we divide the tax-free income by 79%, with the result that every tax-free dollar is equivalent to $1.27 in taxable income for the periods presented.
The Company’s tax-exempt interest income of $300,389 and $256,652 for the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, and $592,343 and $492,695 for the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, was derived from loans to local municipalities of $27.7 million and $32.4 million, and tax-exempt municipal investments of $11.4 million and $7.2 million at June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
The following tables show the reconciliation between reported NII and tax equivalent NII for the comparison periods presented.
Three Months Ended June 30,
2023
2022
Net interest income as presented
$ 8,268,863
$ 7,837,185
Effect of tax-exempt income
79,850
68,224
Net interest income, tax equivalent
$ 8,348,713
$ 7,905,409
Six Months Ended June 30,
2023
2022
Net interest income as presented
$ 16,792,229
$ 15,395,414
Effect of tax-exempt income
157,458
130,970
Net interest income, tax equivalent
$ 16,949,687
$ 15,526,384
37
Table of Contents
The following tables present the daily average assets and the daily average liabilities, including the yields on interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities for the respective comparison periods. Interest income (excluding interest on non-accrual loans) is expressed on a tax equivalent basis, both in dollars and as a yield/rate for the comparison periods presented. Net interest income, net interest spread and net interest margin are also expressed on a tax equivalent basis.
Three Months Ended June 30,
2023
2022
Average
Average
Average
Income/
Yield/
Average
Income/
Yield/
Balance
Expense
Rate
Balance
Expense
Rate
Average Assets
Loans, net (1)
$ 761,639,880
$ 10,070,719
5.30 %
$ 695,516,495
$ 7,689,953
4.43 %
Taxable investment securities
178,445,569
929,963
2.09 %
181,906,304
736,407
1.62 %
Tax-exempt investment securities
11,559,086
114,758
3.98 %
5,442,227
42,767
3.15 %
Sweep and interest-earning accounts
12,627,674
144,877
4.60 %
68,587,282
169,965
0.99 %
Other investments (2)
1,880,974
33,999
7.25 %
1,777,950
16,632
3.75 %
Total interest-earning assets
$ 966,153,183
$ 11,294,316
4.69 %
$ 953,230,258
$ 8,655,724
3.64 %
Cash and due from banks
11,054,246
10,783,678
Premises and equipment
12,750,400
13,372,966
BOLI
5,179,747
5,100,214
Goodwill
11,574,269
11,574,269
Other assets
20,193,636
15,107,662
Total assets
$ 1,026,905,481
$ 1,009,169,047
Average Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity
Interest-bearing transaction accounts
$ 271,067,384
$ 1,172,966
1.74 %
$ 259,645,648
$ 211,278
0.33 %
Money market funds
120,237,077
490,517
1.64 %
127,849,142
121,221
0.38 %
Savings deposits
168,652,681
33,032
0.08 %
181,057,302
26,003
0.06 %
Time deposits
106,617,890
527,868
1.99 %
106,162,111
226,956
0.86 %
Borrowed funds
20,497,549
232,016
4.54 %
1,301,132
5
0.00 %
Repurchase agreements
36,663,793
214,654
2.35 %
29,958,442
22,129
0.30 %
Finance lease obligations
3,554,222
20,426
2.30 %
3,769,886
21,660
2.30 %
Junior subordinated debentures
12,887,000
254,124
7.91 %
12,887,000
121,063
3.77 %
Total interest-bearing liabilities
$ 740,177,596
$ 2,945,603
1.60 %
$ 722,630,663
$ 750,315
0.42 %
Noninterest bearing deposits
199,692,664
207,476,087
Other liabilities
7,133,908
3,894,500
Total liabilities
947,004,168
934,001,250
Shareholders' equity
79,901,313
75,167,797
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity
$ 1,026,905,481
$ 1,009,169,047
Net interest income
$ 8,348,713
$ 7,905,409
Net interest spread (3)
3.09 %
3.22 %
Net interest margin (4)
3.47 %
3.33 %
1.
Included in net loans are non-accrual loans with average balances of $8,586,182 and $5,014,853 for the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Loans are stated net of unearned discount and ACL, plus loans held-for-sale and include tax-exempt loans to local municipalities with average balances of $35,117,182 and $47,565,225 for the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
2.
Included in other investments is the Company’s FHLBB Stock with average balances of $815,824 and $712,800 for the three months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively, with a dividend rate of approximately 3.72% and 2.09%, respectively, per quarter.
3.
Net interest spread is the difference between the average yield on average interest-earning assets and the average rate paid on average interest-bearing liabilities.
4.
Net interest margin is net interest income divided by average earning assets.
38
Table of Contents
Six Months Ended June 30,
2023
2022
Average
Average
Average
Income/
Yield/
Average
Income/
Yield/
Balance
Expense
Rate
Balance
Expense
Rate
Average Assets
Loans, net (1)
$ 754,033,422
$ 19,500,253
5.22 %
$ 690,602,453
$ 15,236,988
4.45 %
Taxable investment securities
180,094,857
1,873,441
2.10 %
183,839,728
1,392,684
1.53 %
Tax-exempt investment securities
11,509,253
229,515
4.02 %
3,846,121
56,627
2.97 %
Sweep and interest-earning accounts
21,499,499
474,288
4.45 %
69,406,084
250,625
0.73 %
Other investments (2)
1,830,010
64,653
7.12 %
1,778,671
33,092
3.75 %
Total interest-earning assets
968,967,041
$ 22,142,150
4.61 %
949,473,057
$ 16,970,016
3.60 %
Cash and due from banks
10,547,324
14,427,409
Premises and equipment
12,870,825
13,517,613
BOLI
5,169,993
5,090,222
Goodwill
11,574,269
11,574,269
Other assets
19,440,462
13,504,921
Total assets
$ 1,028,569,914
$ 1,007,587,491
Average Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity
Interest-bearing transaction accounts
$ 275,463,700
$ 2,137,833
1.57 %
$ 259,195,319
$ 371,356
0.29 %
Money market funds
127,884,423
1,004,192
1.58 %
129,288,338
248,902
0.39 %
Savings deposits
169,907,932
64,028
0.08 %
177,129,696
49,443
0.06 %
Time deposits
104,476,174
863,077
1.67 %
106,397,607
467,717
0.89 %
Borrowed funds
11,106,519
235,796
4.28 %
1,301,138
6
0.00 %
Repurchase agreements
36,401,533
346,782
1.92 %
29,405,997
43,169
0.30 %
Finance lease obligations
3,581,422
41,166
2.30 %
3,796,341
43,624
2.30 %
Junior subordinated debentures
12,887,000
499,589
7.82 %
12,887,000
219,415
3.43 %
Total interest-bearing liabilities
741,708,703
$ 5,192,463
1.41 %
719,401,436
$ 1,443,632
0.40 %
Noninterest bearing deposits
201,484,980
205,503,506
Other liabilities
6,892,039
3,638,994
Total liabilities
950,085,722
928,543,936
Shareholders' equity
78,484,192
79,043,555
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity
$ 1,028,569,914
$ 1,007,587,491
Net interest income
$ 16,949,687
$ 15,526,384
Net interest spread (3)
3.20 %
3.20 %
Net interest margin (4)
3.53 %
3.30 %
1.
Included in net loans are non-accrual loans with average balances of $8,137,701 and $5,375,840 for the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively. Loans are stated net of unearned discount and ACL, and include loans held-for-sale and tax-exempt loans to local municipalities with average balances of $35,147,221 and $48,289,600 for the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
2.
Included in other investments is the Company’s FHLBB Stock with average balances of $764,860 and $713,521, respectively, with a dividend rate of approximately 6.67% and 2.4%, respectively, for the six months ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, respectively.
3.
Net interest spread is the difference between the average yield on average interest-earning assets and the average rate paid on average interest-bearing liabilities.
4.
Net interest margin is net interest income divided by average earning assets.
39
Table of Contents
The average volume of interest-earning assets for the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2023, increased 1.4% and 2.1%, respectively, compared to the same periods last year, and the average yield on interest-earning assets increased 105 bps and 101 bps, respectively.
The average volume of loans increased over the three- and six-month comparison periods of 2023 versus 2022 by 9.5% and 9.2%, respectively, and the average yield on loans increased 87 bps and 77 bps, respectively. Loans accounted for 78.8% and 77.8%, respectively, of the average interest-earning asset portfolio for the three- and six- month periods ended June 30, 2023, compared to 73.0% and 72.7%, respectively, for the same periods last year. Interest earned on the loan portfolio as a percentage of total interest income was 89.2% and 88.1%, respectively, for the three- and six-month periods in 2023 compared to 88.8% and 89.8%, respectively, for the same periods in 2022.
The average volume of the taxable investment portfolio (classified as AFS) decreased 1.9% and 2.0% during the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2023, compared to the same periods last year, while the average yield increased 47 bps and 57 bps, respectively, between periods. There were no investment purchases during the first six months of 2023 accounting for the decrease in investments year over year.
The average volume of the tax-exempt investment portfolio (classified as AFS) for the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2023, increased $6.1 million and $7.7 million, respectively, and the tax equivalent yield increased 83 bps and 105 bps, respectively. The Company began investing in these tax-exempt bonds during December 2021, and purchased several bonds during 2022, accounting for the increase in this portfolio.
The average volume of sweep and interest-earning accounts, which consists primarily of an interest-bearing account at the FRBB, decreased 81.6% for the three-months ended June 30, 2023, compared to the same period in 2022, and 69.0% for the six-months ended June 30, 2023, compared to the same period in 2022. The decrease in average volume year over year is attributable to the funding of investment and loan growth, and also to a decrease in customer deposit accounts. The average yield on these funds increased 361 bps and 372 bps for the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2023, versus the same periods in 2022, directly related to the increases in the fed funds rate throughout 2022 and into 2023.
The average volume of interest-bearing liabilities for the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2023, increased 2.4% and 3.1%, respectively, compared to the same periods in 2022, and the average rate paid on interest-bearing liabilities increased 118 bps and 101 bps, respectively.
The average volume of interest-bearing transaction accounts increased 4.4% and 6.3%, respectively for the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2023, compared to the same periods of 2022, reflecting deposit growth during the third and fourth quarters of 2022. The average rate paid on these accounts increased 141 bps and 128 bps, respectively, between comparison periods. Interest paid on these funds as a percentage of total interest expense accounts for 39.8% and 41.2% for the three- and six-month periods of 2023, respectively.
The average volume of money market accounts decreased 6.0% and 1.1%, respectively, for the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2023, compared to the same periods of 2022, while the average rate paid on these deposits increased 126 bps and 119 bps, respectively.
The average volume of savings accounts decreased 6.9% and 4.1%, respectively, for the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2023, compared to the same periods in 2022, while the average rate paid on these accounts increased two bps in both comparison periods.
The average volume of time deposits increased 0.4% and decreased 1.8%, respectively, for the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2023, compared to the same periods in 2022, and the average rate paid increased 113 bps and 78 bps, respectively.
As a result of the decrease in deposits, the Company has had to rely on borrowed funds during the first six months of 2023, particularly during the second quarter of 2023, accounting for the increase of $19.2 million for the three months ended June 30, 2023, and $9.8 million for the six months ended June 30, 2023, compared to the respective periods in 2022. The average rate paid increased accordingly for the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2023, by 454 bps and 428 bps.
40
Table of Contents
The average volume of repurchase agreements increased 22.4% and 23.8%, respectively, for the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2023, compared to the same periods in 2022 and the average rate paid increased 205 bps and 162 bps, respectively, between comparison periods.
In summary, between the three- and six-month periods ended June 30, 2023 and 2022, the average yield on interest-earning assets increased 105 bps and 101 bps, respectively, and the average rate paid on interest-bearing liabilities increased 118 and 101 bps, respectively. Net interest spread decreased 13 bps for the three-month period ended June 30, 2023, versus 2022, with no change noted for the six-month period of 2023 versus 2022, while net interest margins increased 14 bps and 23 bps, respectively, between periods.
The following table summarizes the variances in interest income and interest expense on a fully tax-equivalent basis for the interim periods presented for 2023 and 2022 resulting from volume changes in daily average assets and daily average liabilities and fluctuations in average rates earned and paid.
Three Months Ended June 30,
Six Months Ended June 30,
Variance
Variance
Variance
Variance
Due to
Due to
Total
Due to
Due to
Total
Rate (1)
Volume (1)
Variance
Rate (1)
Volume (1)
Variance
Average Interest-Earning Assets
Loans, net
$ 1,650,456
$ 730,310
$ 2,380,766
$ 2,863,526
$ 1,399,739
$ 4,263,265
Taxable investment securities
211,589
(18,033 )
193,556
519,755
(38,998 )
480,757
Tax-exempt investment securities
23,953
48,038
71,991
60,026
112,862
172,888
Sweep and interest-earning accounts
616,684
(641,772 )
(25,088 )
1,280,824
(1,057,161 )
223,663
Other investments
16,404
963
17,367
30,606
955
31,561
Total
$ 2,519,086
$ 119,506
$ 2,638,592
$ 4,754,737
$ 417,397
$ 5,172,134
Average Interest-Bearing Liabilities
Interest-bearing transaction accounts
$ 952,291
$ 9,397
$ 961,688
$ 1,743,082
$ 23,395
$ 1,766,477
Money market funds
400,420
(31,124 )
369,296
766,290
(11,000 )
755,290
Savings deposits
9,503
(2,474 )
7,029
17,450
(2,865 )
14,585
Time deposits
299,935
977
300,912
411,272
(15,912 )
395,360
Borrowed funds
232,011
0
232,011
235,790
0
235,790
Repurchase agreements
187,510
5,015
192,525
293,206
10,407
303,613
Finance lease obligations
3
(1,237 )
(1,234 )
(7 )
(2,451 )
(2,458 )
Junior subordinated debentures
133,061
0
133,061
280,174
0
280,174
Total
$ 2,214,734
$ (19,446 )
$ 2,195,288
$ 3,747,257
$ 1,574
$ 3,748,831
Changes in net interest income
$ 304,352
$ 138,952
$ 443,304
$ 1,007,480
$ 415,823
$ 1,423,303
(1) Items which have shown a year-to-year increase in volume have variances allocated as follows:
Variance due to rate = Change in rate x new volume
Variance due to volume = Change in volume x old rate
Items which have shown a year-to-year decrease in volume have variances allocated as follows:
Variance due to rate = Change in rate x old volume
Variances due to volume = Change in volume x new rate
41
Table of Contents
NON-INTEREST INCOME AND NON-INTEREST EXPENSE
Non-interest Income
The components of non-interest income for the periods presented were as follows:
Three Months Ended
Six Months Ended
June 30,
Change
June 30,
Change
2023
2022
Income
Percent
2023
2022
Income
Percent
Service fees
$ 939,451
$ 936,382
$ 3,069
0.33 %
$ 1,819,739
$ 1,799,269
$ 20,470
1.14 %
Income from sold loans
106,660
195,542
(88,882 )
-45.45 %
214,195
399,384
(185,189 )
-46.37 %
Other income from loans
341,876
322,913
18,963
5.87 %
770,448
594,174
176,274
29.67 %
Other income
Income from CFS Partners
303,152
72,961
230,191
315.50 %
555,203
298,831
256,372
85.79 %
VISA card commission
47,752
23,576
24,176
102.54 %
67,665
47,152
20,513
43.50 %
Other miscellaneous income
99,540
82,922
16,618
20.04 %
169,959
181,916
(11,957 )
-6.57 %
Total non-interest income
$ 1,838,431
$ 1,634,296
$ 204,135
12.49 %
$ 3,597,209
$ 3,320,726
$ 276,483
8.33 %
Total non-interest income increased $204,135, or 12.5%, for the three months ended June 30, 2023, and $276,483, or 8.3% for the six months ended June 30, 2023, compared to the same periods in 2022, with significant changes noted in the following:
·
The decrease in income from sold loans is due primarily to a lower volume of loans sold into the secondary market during both comparison periods of 2023 versus 2022, as the rising interest rate environment has adversely affected residential mortgage lending activity.
·
An increase in CRE loan volume in 2023 resulted in a significant increase in documentation fees collected at origination as well as commercial rate lock fees collected, accounting for the increase in other income from loans for both comparison periods of 2023 versus 2022.
·
Income from CFS Partners increased between periods due primarily to the late rebound of market prices during the latter part of the first quarter of 2023. CFS Partners has a small portion of its equity capital invested in the stock market, and as a result is sensitive to general stock market conditions.
·
The increase in VISA card commission is attributable to additional income from a renegotiated contract in June of 2023.
·
Included in other miscellaneous income for 2022 is a one-time credit totaling $23,400 associated with a renegotiated contract with the Company’s check printing vendor, accounting for the decrease for the six months ended June 30, 2023, versus 2022.
42
Table of Contents
Non-interest Expense
The components of non-interest expense for the periods presented were as follows:
Three Months Ended
Six Months Ended
June 30,
Change
June 30,
Change
2023
2022
Expense
Percent
2023
2022
Expense
Percent
Salaries and wages
$ 2,264,760
$ 2,034,000
$ 230,760
11.35 %
$ 4,553,520
$ 4,074,000
$ 479,520
11.77 %
Employee benefits
811,870
704,623
107,247
15.22 %
1,566,140
1,476,675
89,465
6.06 %
Occupancy expenses, net
700,228
673,177
27,051
4.02 %
1,471,214
1,426,541
44,673
3.13 %
Other expenses
Service contracts - administrative
152,989
147,668
5,321
3.60 %
308,489
286,173
22,316
7.80 %
Travel, entertainment and meals expense
51,271
27,328
23,943
87.61 %
70,169
43,950
26,219
59.66 %
Audit fees
118,672
115,028
3,644
3.17 %
245,609
215,756
29,853
13.84 %
FDIC insurance
124,700
96,426
28,274
29.32 %
256,343
186,410
69,933
37.52 %
Collection & non-accruing loan expense
10,500
11,000
(500 )
-4.55 %
36,000
47,000
(11,000 )
-23.40 %
ATM fees
150,644
153,301
(2,657 )
-1.73 %
311,470
294,191
17,279
5.87 %
State deposit tax
256,956
246,098
10,858
4.41 %
513,828
486,576
27,252
5.60 %
Other miscellaneous expenses
1,221,333
1,225,815
(4,482 )
-0.37 %
2,410,844
2,350,780
60,064
2.56 %
Total non-interest expense
$ 5,863,923
$ 5,434,464
$ 429,459
7.90 %
$ 11,743,626
$ 10,888,052
$ 855,574
7.86 %
Total non-interest expense increased $429,459, or 7.9% for the three months ended June 30, 2023, and $855,574, or 7.9%, for the six months ended June 30, 2023, compared to the same periods in 2022, with significant changes noted in the following:
·
In addition to normal salary increases, the increase in salaries and wages year over year is attributable to new hires in the area of commercial lending and operations during the last quarter of 2022. Also contributing to the increase was a one-time salary adjustment in November of 2022 of $2,000 to all employees below vice president status that impacted the year over year comparison by $57,500.
·
The increase in employee benefits is attributable to an increase in health insurance claims year over year under the Company’s self-insured health insurance plan.
·
The increase in service contracts - administrative is due to a combination of an increase in transaction-based pricing for certain contracts and contractual inflationary adjustment factors that are higher than historical increase adjustments.
·
The increase in travel, entertainment and meals expenses is attributable to an increase in travel expenses as more seminars and training sessions return to in-person attendance.
·
The increase in audit fees reflects increased audit services due to additional audit requirements required by FDICIA due to the Company surpassing $1.0 billion asset size.
·
The Company increased the 2023 monthly accrual for FDIC insurance in anticipation of an increase in the assessment multiplier, as announced by the FDIC in late 2022.
·
Collection & non-accruing loan expenses were lower year over year due to a decrease in expenses associated with properties in the Company’s non-accruing loan portfolio.
·
ATM fees are transaction-based and reflect increased customer activity year over year, as well as annual contractual price adjustments.
·
State deposit tax increased year over year due primarily to the increase in deposits. The calculation is based on an average of month-end deposit totals over a 12-month period.
43
Table of Contents
APPLICABLE INCOME TAXES
The provision for income taxes increased $87,525, or 12.9% for the second quarter of 2023 compared to the same quarter of 2022, and $341,649, or 28.4%, for the first six months of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. Tax credits related to limited partnership investments amounted to $80,529 and $96,237, respectively, for the second quarter of 2023 compared to the same quarter of 2022, and $161,058 and $192,474 for the first six months of 2023 and 2022.
Amortization expense related to limited partnership investments is included as a component of income tax expense and amounted to $67,128 and $67,092, respectively, for the second quarter of 2023 compared to the same quarter of 2022, and $134,256 and $134,184 for the first six months of 2023 and 2022, respectively. These investments provide tax benefits, including tax credits, and are designed to provide a targeted effective annual yield between 7% and 10%.
CHANGES IN FINANCIAL CONDITION
The following table reflects the composition of the Company's major categories of assets and liabilities as a percentage of total assets or liabilities and shareholders’ equity, as of the balance sheet dates:
June 30, 2023
December 31, 2022
Assets
Loans
$ 780,985,276
75.69 %
$ 748,548,608
70.88 %
AFS securities
186,536,541
18.08 %
192,918,109
18.27 %
Liabilities
Demand deposits
201,716,781
19.55 %
216,093,534
20.46 %
Interest-bearing transaction accounts
267,151,188
25.89 %
294,050,079
27.84 %
Money market funds
109,035,047
10.57 %
140,117,086
13.27 %
Savings deposits
166,057,812
16.09 %
171,072,921
16.20 %
Time deposits
107,220,888
10.39 %
101,638,659
9.62 %
Borrowed funds
13,400,000
1.30 %
0
0.00 %
Long-term advances
27,800,000
2.69 %
1,300,000
0.12 %
The following table reflects the changes in the composition of the Company's major categories of assets and liabilities between the balance sheet dates, as disclosed in the table above:
Volume Change
Percentage
Assets
Loans
$ 32,436,668
4.33 %
AFS securities
(6,381,568 )
-3.31 %
Liabilities
Demand deposits
(14,376,753 )
-6.65 %
Interest-bearing transaction accounts
(26,898,891 )
-9.15 %
Money market funds
(31,082,039 )
-22.18 %
Savings deposits
(5,015,109 )
-2.93 %
Time deposits
5,582,229
5.49 %
Borrowed funds
13,400,000
100.00 %
Long-term advances
26,500,000
2038.46 %
The increase in the loan portfolio during the first six months of 2023 was attributable to increases of $27.9 million in CRE loans, $13.3 million in commercial & industrial and $1.4 million in residential 1 st lien loans, which was partially offset by decreases of $6.9 million in municipal loans, $1.4 million in purchased loans, and $1.7 million in residential junior lien loans. The Company has experienced strong loan activity among its commercial customers, but only minimal consumer loan activity.
There were no securities AFS purchased during the first six months of 2023. The change in the securities AFS portfolio is attributable to maturities amounting to $1.2 million and principal payments on various securities totaling $6.6 million, which was partially offset by a decrease of $1.5 million in unrealized losses arising during the first six months of 2023, which is reflected in OCI. In management’s view, the size of the securities AFS portfolio is appropriate and proportional to the overall asset base, as this portfolio serves an important role in the Company’s liquidity position.
44
Table of Contents
The decrease in the demand deposit accounts was entirely made up of business DDAs. The decrease in interest-bearing transaction accounts consists of a decrease of $10.9 million, or 8.86%, in consumer interest-bearing transaction accounts, a decrease of $17.0 million, or 42.1%, in municipal deposit accounts and a decrease of $8.6 million, or 10.1% in ICS deposit accounts. These decreases were partially offset by a combined increase of $9.6 million, or 21.6%, in health savings accounts and the deposit account of the Company’s trust and asset management affiliate, CFSG. The decrease in money market funds was driven by decreases of $16.8 million, or 56.9%, in ICS accounts, $8.3 million, or 8.2%, in retail money market funds, and $6.0 million, or 68.1%, in municipal deposits. The increase in time deposits is attributable to customer response to periodic certificate of deposit specials that have been offered. As a result of the year to date decrease in aggregate deposits, the Company had to rely on borrowed funds and long-term advances as a supplemental funding source, accounting for the significant increase in these funds.
CERTAIN TIME DEPOSITS
Increments of maturity of time CDs of $250,000 or more outstanding at June 30, 2023, are summarized as follows:
3 months or less
$ 1,875,195
Over 3 through 6 months
2,407,340
Over 6 through 12 months
11,679,773
Over 12 months
2,129,349
Total
$ 18,091,657
Interest Rate Risk and Asset and Liability Management - Management actively monitors and manages the Company’s interest rate risk exposure and attempts to structure the balance sheet to maximize net interest income while controlling its exposure to interest rate risk. The Company's ALCO is made up of the Executive Officers and certain Vice Presidents of the Bank representing major business lines. The ALCO formulates strategies to manage interest rate risk by evaluating the impact on earnings and capital of such factors as current interest rate forecasts and economic indicators, potential changes in such forecasts and indicators, liquidity and various business strategies. The ALCO meets at least quarterly to review financial statements, liquidity levels, yields and spreads to better understand, measure, monitor and control the Company’s interest rate risk. In the ALCO process, the committee members apply policy limits set forth in the Asset Liability, Liquidity and Investment policies approved and periodically reviewed by the Company’s Board of Directors. The ALCO's methods for evaluating interest rate risk include an analysis of the effects of interest rate changes on net interest income and an analysis of the Company's interest rate sensitivity "gap", which provides a static analysis of the maturity and repricing characteristics of the entire balance sheet. The ALCO Policy also includes a contingency funding plan to help management prepare for unforeseen liquidity restrictions, including hypothetical severe liquidity crises.
Interest rate risk represents the sensitivity of earnings to changes in market interest rates. As interest rates change, the interest income and expense streams associated with the Company’s financial instruments also change, thereby impacting NII, the primary component of the Company’s earnings. Fluctuations in interest rates can also have an impact on liquidity. The ALCO uses an outside consultant to perform rate shock simulations to the Company's net interest income, as well as a variety of other analyses. It is ALCO’s function to provide the assumptions used in the modeling process. Assumptions used in prior period simulation models are regularly tested by comparing projected NII with actual NII. The ALCO utilizes the results of the simulation model to quantify the estimated exposure of NII and liquidity to sustained interest rate changes. The simulation model captures the impact of changing interest rates on the interest income received and interest expense paid on all interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities reflected on the Company’s balance sheet. The model also simulates the balance sheet’s sensitivity to a prolonged flat rate environment. All rate scenarios are simulated assuming a parallel shift of the yield curve; however further simulations are performed utilizing non-parallel changes in the yield curve. The results of this sensitivity analysis are compared to the ALCO policy limits which specify a maximum tolerance level for NII exposure over a 1-year horizon, assuming no balance sheet growth, given a 200 bp shift upward and a 100 bp shift downward in interest rates.
Under the Company’s interest rate sensitivity modeling, with the continued asset sensitive balance sheet, in a rising rate environment NII initially trends upward as the short-term asset base (cash and adjustable-rate loans) quickly cycle upward while the retail funding base (deposits) lags the market. If rates paid on deposits must be increased more and/or more quickly than projected due to competitive pressures, the expected benefit to rising rates would be reduced. In a falling rate environment, NII is expected to trend slightly downward compared with the current rate environment scenario for the first year of the simulation as asset yield erosion is not fully offset by decreasing funding costs. Thereafter, net interest income is projected to experience sustained downward pressure as funding costs reach their assumed floors and asset yields continue to reprice into the lower rate environment. The current rising rate environment has had a positive impact on the Company’s NII, however market expectations for higher deposit rates and increased borrowing costs are applying increasing pressure to the spread between interest income and interest expense.
45
Table of Contents
The following table summarizes the estimated impact on the Company's NII over a twelve-month period, assuming a gradual parallel shift of the yield curve beginning June 30, 2023:
Rate Change
Percent Change in NII
Down 100 bps
0.3%
Up 200 bps
-2.7%
The estimated amounts shown in the table above are within the ALCO Policy limits. However, those amounts do not represent a forecast and should not be relied upon as indicative of future results. The ALCO model also provides alternate scenarios including a sustained flat, or inverted yield curve. While assumptions used in the ALCO process, including the interest rate simulation analyses, are developed based upon current economic and local market conditions, and expected future conditions, the Company cannot provide any assurances as to the predictive nature of these assumptions, including how customer preferences or competitor influences might change. As the market rates continue to increase, the impact of a falling rate environment is more pronounced, and the possibility more plausible than during the last several years of near zero short-term rates.
As of June 30, 2023, the Company had outstanding $12,887,000 in principal amount of Junior Subordinated Debentures due December 15, 2037, which previously bore a quarterly floating rate of interest equal to the 3-month London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR), plus 2.85%. As previously announced, 3-month LIBOR for U.S. dollar denominated deposits was phased out as of June 30, 2023. The Indenture governing the terms of the Company’s Debentures contains detailed fallback provisions in the event 3-month LIBOR is not available, empowering the Trustee to obtain substitute quotations from other leading banks. However, under the federal Adjustable Interest Rate (LIBOR) Act enacted in March 2022 (the “LIBOR Act”), fallback provisions like those in the Company’s Indenture are deemed “ineffective” and were replaced as a matter of law, as of the first London banking day after June 30, 2023 (the “LIBOR Replacement Date”), without need to amend contract documents, with a benchmark interest rate identified in regulations promulgated by the Federal Reserve. As required under the LIBOR Act, the Federal Reserve-identified benchmark rates specified in the final regulations for various tenors of LIBOR are based on the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) published by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York and each includes an appropriate “tenor spread adjustment” to reflect historical spreads between LIBOR and SOFR. In accordance with the LIBOR Act and its implementing regulations, as of the LIBOR Replacement Date, the Company’s Junior Subordinated Debentures bear interest at a quarterly floating rate equal to 3-month CME SOFR, as adjusted by a spread adjustment of 0.26161 percent, plus 2.85%.
Aside from the Debentures, the Company does not have any other exposures to the phase out of LIBOR. The Company has not generally utilized LIBOR as an interest rate benchmark for its variable rate commercial, residential or other loans and has not utilized derivatives or other financial instruments tied to LIBOR for hedging or investment purposes. Accordingly, the Company’s exposure to the phase out of LIBOR is limited to the effect on the interest rate paid on its Debentures.
Credit Risk - As a financial institution, one of the primary risks the Company manages is credit risk, the risk of loss stemming from borrowers’ failure to repay loans or inability to meet other contractual obligations. The Company’s Board of Directors prescribes policies for managing credit risk, including Loan, Appraisal and Environmental policies. These policies are supplemented by comprehensive underwriting standards and procedures. The Company maintains a Credit Administration department whose function includes credit analysis and monitoring of and reporting on the status of the loan portfolio, including delinquent and non-performing loan trends. The Company also monitors concentration of credit risk in a variety of areas, including portfolio mix, the level of loans to individual borrowers and their related interests, loans to industry segments, and the geographic distribution of commercial real estate loans. Loans are reviewed periodically by an independent loan review firm to help ensure accuracy of the Company's internal risk ratings and compliance with various internal policies, procedures and regulatory guidance.
Residential mortgage loans represented 29.7% of the Company’s loan balances at June 30, 2023, compared to 31.1% at December 31, 2022. The Company maintains a residential mortgage loan portfolio of traditional mortgage products and does not offer higher risk loan products, such as option adjustable-rate mortgage products, high loan-to-value products, interest only mortgages, subprime loans and products with deeply discounted teaser rates. Residential mortgages with loan-to-value ratios exceeding 80% are generally covered by PMI. A 90% loan-to-value residential mortgage product without PMI is only available to borrowers with excellent credit and low debt-to-income ratios and has not been widely originated. As of June 30, 2023, junior lien home equity products made up 13.8% of the residential mortgage portfolio with maximum loan-to-value ratios (including prior liens) of 80%. The Company also originates some home equity loans greater than 80% under an insured loan program with stringent underwriting criteria.
Consistent with the strategic focus on commercial lending, the commercial & industrial and CRE loan portfolios have seen solid growth over recent years. Commercial & industrial, purchased, CRE and municipal loans collectively comprised 69.8% of the Company’s loan portfolio at June 30, 2023, compared to 68.4% at December 31, 2022. The largest components of the CRE portfolio were $105.2 million in owner-occupied CRE and $149.8 million in non-owner occupied CRE at June 30, 2023.
46
Table of Contents
Risk in the Company’s commercial & industrial and CRE loan portfolios is mitigated in part by government guarantees issued by federal agencies such as the SBA and RD. At June 30, 2023, the Company had $26.2 million in guaranteed loans with guaranteed balances of $17.0 million, compared to $27.0 million in guaranteed loans with guaranteed balances of $18.3 million at December 31, 2022. PPP loans with outstanding balances of $106,910 at June 30, 2023, and $199,664 at December 31, 2022, are included in these totals, all of which carry a 100% guarantee through the SBA, subject to borrower eligibility requirements.
The Company works actively with customers early in the delinquency process to help them to avoid default and foreclosure. Commercial & industrial and CRE loans are generally placed on non-accrual status when there is deterioration in the financial position of the borrower, payment in full of principal and interest is not expected, and/or principal or interest has been in default for 90 days or more. However, such a loan need not be placed on non-accrual status if it is both well secured and in the process of collection. Residential mortgages and home equity loans are considered for non-accrual status at 90 days past due and are evaluated on a case-by-case basis. The Company obtains current property appraisals or market value analyses and considers the cost of carrying and selling collateral in order to assess the level of specific allocations required. Consumer loans are generally not placed in non-accrual but are charged off by the time they reach 120 days past due. When a loan is placed in non-accrual status, the Company reverses the accrued interest against current period income and discontinues the accrual of interest until the borrower clearly demonstrates the ability and intention to resume normal payments, typically demonstrated by regular timely payments for a period of not less than six months. Interest payments received on non-accrual or impaired loans are generally applied as a reduction of the loan book balance.
Provision for Credit Losses
The provision for credit losses was made up of the following components for the periods indicated:
Three Months Ended
June 30,
Change
2023
2022
$
%
Provision for loan losses
$ 378,000
$ 337,500
$ 40,500
12.00 %
Provision for credit losses on OBS credit exposure
(96,858 )
0
(96,858 )
100.00 %
Provision for credit losses
$ 281,142
$ 337,500
$ (56,358 )
-16.70 %
Six Months Ended
June 30,
Change
2023
2022
$
%
Provision for loan losses
$ 585,540
$ 1,200,000
$ (614,460 )
-51.21 %
Provision for credit losses on OBS credit exposure
(17,872 )
0
(17,872 )
100.00 %
Provision for credit losses
$ 567,668
$ 1,200,000
$ (632,332 )
-52.69 %
ACL and provisions – As stated in Note 2 of the accompanying notes to the Company’s unaudited interim consolidated financial statements, effective January 1, 2023, the Company was required to recognize credit losses under the guidance of ASU No. 2016-13, Financial Instruments—Credit Losses (Topic 326): Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments, rather than under the incurred loss model. The new guidance, which is referred to as the current expected credit loss, or CECL model, requires that expected credit losses for financial assets held at the reporting date that are accounted for at amortized cost be measured and recognized based on historical experience and current and reasonably supportable forecasted conditions to reflect the full amount of expected credit losses over the life of the loans. The adjustment from the adoption of CECL amounted to $549,113, net of tax and was recorded as an adjustment to retained earnings and affects calculation of regulatory capital ratios. Changes in forecasts used in the model could produce different results, quarter to quarter.
The Company’s board of directors has approved an ACL policy that provides guidance in maintaining an adequate methodology for establishing, estimating and maintaining allowances for credit losses under ASC 326. The policy creates a measurement model to establish a proper ACL based on current expected credit losses rather than incurred losses.
The Company maintains an ACL at a level that management believes is appropriate to absorb losses inherent in the loan portfolio as of the measurement date (See Note 5 to the accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements). Although the Company, in establishing the ACL, considers the inherent losses in individual loans and pools of loans, the ACL is a general reserve available to absorb all credit losses in the loan portfolio. No part of the ACL is segregated to absorb losses from any loan or segment of loans.
47
Table of Contents
When establishing the ACL each quarter, the Company applies a combination of significant key assumptions and methodologies, as discussed in the ACL section under Critical Accounting Policies in this MD&A and presented in Note 5 of the accompanying unaudited interim consolidated financial statements.
The following table summarizes the Company’s credit risk ratios for the balance sheet dates presented:
June 30,
December 31,
2023
2022
ACL to total loans outstanding
1.19 %
1.16 %
ACL
$ 9,255,501
$ 8,709,225
Loans outstanding
$ 780,985,276
$ 748,548,608
Non-accruing loans to loans outstanding
0.99 %
1.05 %
Non-accruing loans
$ 7,745,062
$ 7,890,020
Loans outstanding
$ 780,985,276
$ 748,548,608
ACL to non-accruing loans
119.50 %
110.38 %
ACL
$ 9,255,501
$ 8,709,225
Non-accruing loans
$ 7,745,062
$ 7,890,020
The provision for credit losses for the three months ended June 30, 2023, was $281,142 compared to $337,500 for the same period in 2023, and $567,668 for first six months ended June 30, 2023, compared to $1.2 million for the same period in 2022. The $632,332 year over year decrease was driven in part by a write-down totaling $667,474, on a single non-performing loan, in March of 2022.
The second quarter ACL analysis indicates that the reserve balance of $9.3 million at June 30, 2023, is sufficient to cover expected credit losses that are probable and estimable as of the measurement date. Included in the ACL calculation for June 30, 2023, is a decrease to the qualitative factor adjustment for delinquencies and nonperforming loans. Management feels that the economic forecasts adequately quantify the risk in this area. Management believes the reserve balance continues to be directionally consistent with the overall risk profile of the Company’s loan portfolio and credit risk appetite. While the ACL is described as consisting of separate allocated portions, the entire ACL is available to support loan losses, regardless of category. The adequacy of the ACL is presented to the full Board for approval quarterly.
48
Table of Contents
Net charge-offs during the periods presented to average loans outstanding were as follows:
For the Six Months Ended June 30,
2023
2022
Commercial & industrial
-0.30 %
-0.02 %
Net charge-offs during the period
$ (359,227 )
$ (18,124 )
Average amount outstanding
$ 120,387,470
$ 113,095,165
Purchased
0.00 %
0.00 %
Net charge-offs during the period
$ 0
$ 0
Average amount outstanding
$ 6,722,228
$ 9,052,590
Commercial real estate
0.01 %
-0.22 %
Net recoveries (charge-offs) during the period
$ 22,058
$ (667,474 )
Average amount outstanding
$ 365,744,547
$ 308,380,329
Municipal
0.00 %
0.00 %
Net charge-offs during the period
$ 0
$ 0
Average amount outstanding
$ 35,147,221
$ 48,289,600
Residential real estate - 1st lien
0.04 %
0.01 %
Net recoveries during the period
$ 72,588
$ 12,563
Average amount outstanding
$ 198,568,849
$ 182,598,259
Residential real estate - Jr lien
0.08 %
0.01 %
Net recoveries during the period
$ 26,777
$ 2,430
Average amount outstanding
$ 32,398,451
$ 33,169,602
Consumer
-1.20 %
-0.20 %
Net charge-offs during the period
$ (44,836 )
$ (6,878 )
Average amount outstanding
$ 3,734,220
$ 3,471,138
Total loans
-0.04 %
-0.10 %
Net charge-offs during the period
$ (282,640 )
$ (677,483 )
Average amount outstanding
$ 762,702,986
$ 698,056,683
In addition to credit risk in the Company’s loan and investment portfolios and its off-balance sheet commitments, and liquidity risk in its loan and deposit-taking operations, the Company’s business activities also generate market risk. Market risk is the risk of loss in a financial instrument arising from adverse changes in market prices and rates, foreign currency exchange rates, commodity prices and equity prices. Declining capital markets and changes in interest rates can result in fair value adjustments to asset valuations or the need to create a related reserve or allowance. The Company does not have any market risk sensitive instruments acquired for trading purposes. The Company’s market risk arises primarily from interest rate risk inherent in its lending, deposit taking and investment activities. During recessionary periods, a declining housing market can result in an increase in loan loss reserves or ultimately an increase in foreclosures. Interest rate risk is directly related to the different maturities and repricing characteristics of interest-bearing assets and liabilities, as well as to loan prepayment risks, early withdrawal of time deposits, and the fact that the speed and magnitude of responses to interest rate changes vary by product. Rapid changes in prevailing interest rates, particularly after a long period of relative stability, create a challenging interest rate environment. As discussed above under "Interest Rate Risk and Asset and Liability Management", the Company actively monitors and manages its interest rate risk through the ALCO process.
COMMITMENTS, CONTINGENCIES AND OFF-BALANCE-SHEET ARRANGEMENTS
The Company is a party to financial instruments with off-balance-sheet risk in the normal course of business to meet the financing needs of its customers. These financial instruments include commitments to extend credit, standby letters of credit and risk-sharing commitments on certain sold loans. Such instruments involve, to varying degrees, elements of credit and interest rate risk in excess of the amount recognized in the balance sheet. The contract or notional amounts of those instruments reflect the extent of involvement the Company has in particular classes of financial instruments. During the first six months of 2023, the Company did not engage in any activity that created any additional types of off-balance sheet risk.
49
Table of Contents
With the adoption of ASU 2016-13 (CECL), the Company is required to establish an allowance for expected credit losses on OBS credit exposures. Expected credit losses are estimated by management over the contractual period during which the Company is exposed to credit risk under a contractual obligation to extend credit, unless that obligation is unconditionally cancellable by the Company. The estimate includes consideration of the likelihood that funding will occur and an estimate of expected credit losses on commitments expected to be funded over the estimated lives of such commitments. Upon adoption of ASU 2016-13, the Company recorded an adjustment to retained earnings of $451,704 to reflect an allowance for credit losses for unfunded commitments. The allowance for credit losses for OBS credit exposures is presented in the "Accrued interest and other liabilities" line of the consolidated balance sheets. There was a decrease of $17,872 to the allowance for credit losses for OBS credit exposures during the six months ended June 30, 2023.
LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES
Managing liquidity risk is essential to maintaining both depositor confidence and stability in earnings. Liquidity management refers to the ability of the Company to adequately cover fluctuations in assets and liabilities. Meeting loan demand (assets) and covering the withdrawal of deposit funds (liabilities) are two key components of the liquidity management process. The Company’s principal sources of funds are deposits, amortization and prepayment of loans and securities, maturities of investment securities, sales of loans available-for-sale, and earnings and funds provided from operations. Maintaining a relatively stable funding base, which is achieved by diversifying funding sources, competitively pricing deposit products, and extending the contractual maturity of liabilities, reduces the Company’s exposure to rollover risk on deposits and limits reliance on volatile short-term borrowed funds. Short-term funding needs arise from declines in deposits or other funding sources and from funding requirements for loan commitments. The Company’s strategy is to fund assets to the maximum extent possible with core deposits that provide a sizable source of relatively stable and lower-cost funds.
The Company recognizes that, at times, when loan demand exceeds deposit growth or the Company has other liquidity demands, it may be desirable to utilize alternative sources of deposit funding to augment retail deposits and borrowings. One-way deposits acquired through the CDARS program provide an alternative funding source when needed. At June 30, 2023, and December 31, 2022, the Company had no one-way CDARS outstanding. In addition, two-way (reciprocal) CDARS deposits, as well as reciprocal ICS money market and demand deposits, enhance the Company’s ability to retain larger deposit balances by allowing the Company to provide FDIC deposit insurance to its customers in excess of account coverage limits through the exchange of deposits with other participating FDIC-insured financial institutions. At June 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, the Company reported $2.5 million and $2.8 million, respectively, in reciprocal CDARS deposits. The balance in ICS reciprocal money market deposits was $12.7 million at June 30, 2023, compared to $29.5 million at December 31, 2022, and the balance in ICS reciprocal demand deposits as of those dates was $76.7 million and $85.3 million, respectively.
On June 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022, borrowing capacity of $108.1 million and $112.3 million, respectively, was available through the FHLBB, secured by the Company's qualifying loan portfolio (generally, residential mortgage and commercial loans), reduced by outstanding advances and by collateral pledges securing FHLBB letters of credit collateralizing public unit deposits of $24.6 million and $52.4 million, respectively.
The following table reflects the Company’s outstanding advances with FHLBB as of the dates indicated:
June 30,
December 31,
2023
2022
FHLBB Advances (1)
FHLBB term advance, 0.00%, due September 22, 2023
$ 200,000
$ 200,000
FHLBB term advance, 0.00%, due November 12, 2025
300,000
300,000
FHLBB term advance, 0.00%, due November 13, 2028
800,000
800,000
Total FRBB Advances
1,300,000
1,300,000
Overnight borrowings at 5.27%
13,400,000
0
$ 14,700,000
$ 1,300,000
(1)
Under the JNE program, the FHLBB provides a subsidy, funded by the FHLBB’s earnings, to write down interest rates to zero percent on advances that finance qualifying loans to small businesses. JNE advances must support small business in New England that create and/or retain jobs, or otherwise contribute to overall economic development activities.
50
Table of Contents
The Company also has an unsecured Federal Funds credit line with the FHLBB with an available balance of $500,000 and no outstanding advances during any of the respective comparison periods. Interest is chargeable at a rate determined daily, approximately 25 bps higher than the rate paid on federal funds sold.
The Company has a BIC arrangement with the FRBB secured by eligible commercial & industrial loans, CRE loans and home equity loans, resulting in an available credit line of $53.7 million and $56.1 million, respectively, at June 30, 2023 and December 31, 2022. Credit advances under this FRBB lending program are overnight advances with interest chargeable at the primary credit rate (generally referred to as the discount rate), currently 500 bps. The Company had no outstanding advances through this facility at June 30, 2023 or December 31, 2022.
As of June 30, 2023, the Company had additional potential borrowing capacity, subject to pledging of required collateral consisting of eligible U.S. Agency and U.S. Government Securities, under the FRB’s BTFP which was established in March 2023 to provide banks with an additional source of liquidity.
The Company’s advances under the BTFP were as follows:
June 30,
2023
FRBB Advances
FRB BTFP term advance, 4.92%, due April 26, 2024
$ 10,000,000
FRB BTFP term advance, 4.71%, due May 13, 2024
10,000,000
FRB BTFP term advance, 4.91%, due May 17, 2024
6,500,000
Total BTFP Advances
$ 26,500,000
As of June 30, 2023, the Company had an unsecured line of credit with one correspondent bank of $12.5 million, compared to unsecured lines of credit with two correspondent banks with aggregate available borrowing capacity totaling $20.5 million as of December 31, 2022. The Company had no outstanding advances against these credit lines as of the balance sheet dates presented.
Management believes that the combination of high levels of potentially liquid assets, unencumbered securities, cash flows from operations, and additional borrowing capacity are sufficient to meet the Company’s liquidity and capital needs.
The following table illustrates the changes in shareholders' equity from December 31, 2022 to June 30, 2023:
Balance at December 31, 2022 (book value $13.55 per common share)
$ 75,176,363
Cumulative change in accounting principle (Note 2)
(549,113 )
Net income
6,535,101
Issuance of common stock through the DRIP
702,124
Dividends declared on common stock
(2,505,630 )
Dividends declared on preferred stock
(58,125 )
Change in AOCI on AFS securities, net of tax
1,216,382
Balance at June 30, 2023 (book value $14.44 per common share)
$ 80,517,102
The primary objective of the Company’s capital planning process is to balance appropriately the retention of capital to support operations and future growth, with the goal of providing shareholders with an attractive return on their investment. To that end, management monitors capital retention and dividend policies on an ongoing basis.
As described in more detail in Note 22 to the audited consolidated financial statements contained in the Company’s 2022 Annual Report on Form 10-K and under the caption “LIQUIDITY AND CAPITAL RESOURCES” in the MD&A section of that report, the Company (on a consolidated basis) and the Bank are subject to various regulatory capital requirements administered by the federal banking agencies pursuant to which they must meet specific capital guidelines that involve quantitative measures of their assets, liabilities and certain off-balance-sheet items. Capital amounts and classifications are also subject to qualitative judgments by the regulators about components, risk weightings and other factors.
As of June 30, 2023, the Bank was considered well capitalized under the standard regulatory capital framework for Prompt Corrective Action and the Company exceeded currently applicable consolidated regulatory guidelines for capital adequacy. While we believe that the Company has sufficient capital to withstand an extended economic downturn, our regulatory capital ratios could be adversely impacted by future credit losses and other operational impacts of deteriorating economic conditions and inflation.
51
Table of Contents
The following table shows the Company’s actual capital ratios and those of its subsidiary, as well as currently applicable regulatory capital requirements, as of the dates indicated. The calculations as of June 30, 2023 reflect adoption of ASU 2016-13 (CECL), including the beginning period cumulative effect adjustment of $549,113, which reduced retained earnings.
Minimum
Minimum
Minimum
For Capital
To Be Well
For Capital
Adequacy Purposes
Capitalized Under
Adequacy
with Conservation
Prompt Corrective
Actual
Purposes
Buffer (1)
Action Provisions (2)
Amount
Ratio
Amount
Ratio
Amount
Ratio
Amount
Ratio
(Dollars in Thousands)
June 30, 2023
Common equity tier 1 capital
(to risk-weighted assets)
Company
$ 86,894
11.78 %
$ 33,201
4.50 %
$ 51,647
7.00 %
N/A
N/A
Bank
$ 100,143
13.58 %
$ 33,177
4.50 %
$ 51,608
7.00 %
$ 47,227
6.50 %
Tier 1 capital (to risk-weighted assets)
Company
$ 101,281
13.73 %
$ 44,269
6.00 %
$ 62,714
8.50 %
N/A
N/A
Bank
$ 100,143
13.58 %
$ 44,236
6.00 %
$ 62,667
8.50 %
$ 58,981
8.00 %
Total capital (to risk-weighted assets)
Company
$ 110,511
14.98 %
$ 59,025
8.00 %
$ 77,470
10.50 %
N/A
N/A
Bank
$ 109,366
14.83 %
$ 58,891
8.00 %
$ 77,412
10.50 %
$ 73,726
10.00 %
Tier 1 capital (to average assets)
Company
$ 101,281
9.79 %
$ 41,370
4.00 %
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Bank
$ 100,143
9.69 %
$ 41,351
4.00 %
N/A
N/A
$ 51,689
5.00 %
December 31, 2022:
Common equity tier 1 capital
(to risk-weighted assets)
Company
$ 82,770
11.74 %
$ 31,731
4.50 %
$ 49,359
7.00 %
N/A
N/A
Bank
$ 96,112
13.64 %
$ 31,703
4.50 %
$ 49,315
7.00 %
$ 45,793
6.50 %
Tier 1 capital (to risk-weighted assets)
Company
$ 97,157
13.78 %
$ 42,308
6.00 %
$ 59,936
8.50 %
N/A
N/A
Bank
$ 96,112
13.64 %
$ 42,270
6.00 %
$ 59,883
8.50 %
$ 56,361
8.00 %
Total capital (to risk-weighted assets)
Company
$ 105,971
15.03 %
$ 56,410
8.00 %
$ 74,038
10.50 %
N/A
N/A
Bank
$ 104,918
14.89 %
$ 56,361
8.00 %
$ 73,973
10.50 %
$ 70,451
10.00 %
Tier 1 capital (to average assets)
Company
$ 97,157
9.24 %
$ 42,047
4.00 %
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Bank
$ 96,112
9.15 %
$ 42,025
4.00 %
N/A
N/A
$ 52,531
5.00 %
(1)
Conservation Buffer is calculated based on risk-weighted assets and does not apply to calculations of average assets.
(2)
Applicable to banks, but not bank holding companies.
The Company's ability to pay dividends to its shareholders is largely dependent on the Bank's ability to pay dividends to the Company. In general, a national bank may not pay dividends that exceed net income for the current and preceding two years. Regardless of statutory restrictions, as a matter of regulatory policy, banks and bank holding companies should pay dividends only out of current earnings and only if, after paying such dividends, they remain adequately capitalized.
52
Table of Contents
ITEM 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
Omitted, in accordance with the regulatory relief available to smaller reporting companies in SEC Release Nos. 33-10513 and 34-83550.
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.