FARMERS & MERCHANTS BANCORP 10-Q

ITEM 3. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk Risk Management The Company has adopted risk management policies and procedures, which aim to ensure the proper control and management of all risk factors inherent in the operation of the Company, most importantly credit risk, interest rate risk and liquidity risk. These risk factors are not mutually exclusive. It is recognized that any product or service offered by the Company may expose the Company to one or more of these risk factors. Credit Risk Credit risk is the risk to earnings or capital arising from an obligor’s failure to meet the terms of any contract or otherwise fail to perform as agreed. Credit risk is found in all activities where success depends on counterparty, issuer, or borrower performance. 58 Table of Contents Credit risk in the investment portfolio and correspondent bank accounts is addressed through defined limits in the Company’s policy statements. In addition, certain securities carry insurance to enhance credit quality of the bond. In order to control credit risk in the loan & lease portfolio the Company has established credit management policies and procedures that govern both the approval of new loans & leases and the monitoring of the existing portfolio. The Company manages and controls credit risk through comprehensive underwriting and approval standards, dollar limits on loans & leases to one borrower, and by restricting loans & leases made primarily to its principal market area where management believes it is best able to assess the applicable risk. Additionally, management has established guidelines to ensure the diversification of the Company’s credit portfolio such that even within key portfolio sectors such as real estate or agriculture, the portfolio is diversified across factors such as location, building type, crop type, etc. However, as a financial institution that assumes credit risks as a principal element of its business, credit losses will be experienced in the normal course of business. The allowance for credit losses is maintained at a level considered by management to be adequate to provide for risks inherent in the loan & lease portfolio. The allowance is increased by provisions charged to operating expense and reduced by net charge-offs. The Company’s methodology for assessing the appropriateness of the allowance is applied on a regular basis and considers all loans & leases. The systematic methodology consists of three parts. Part 1 - includes a detailed analysis of the loan & lease portfolio in two phases. The first phase is conducted in accordance with the “Receivables” topic of the FASB ASC 310. Individual loans & leases are reviewed to identify them for impairment. A loan or lease is impaired when principal and interest are deemed uncollectible in accordance with the original contractual terms of the loan or lease. Impairment is measured as either the expected future cash flows discounted at each loan’s or lease’s effective interest rate, the fair value of the loan’s or lease’s collateral if the loan or lease is collateral dependent, or an observable market price of the loan or lease, if one exists. Upon measuring the impairment, the Company will ensure an appropriate level of allowance is present or established. Central to the first phase of the analysis of the loan & lease portfolio is the risk rating system. The originating credit officer assigns each borrower an initial risk rating, which is based primarily on a thorough analysis of that borrower’s financial position in conjunction with industry and economic trends. Approvals are made based upon the amount of inherent credit risk specific to the transaction and are reviewed for appropriateness by senior credit administration personnel. Credits are monitored by credit administration personnel for deterioration in a borrower’s financial condition, which would impact the ability of the borrower to perform under the contract. Risk ratings are adjusted as necessary. Risk ratings are reviewed by both the Company’s independent third-party credit examiners and bank examiners from the DFPI and FDIC. Based on the risk rating system, specific allowances are established in cases where management has identified significant conditions or circumstances related to a credit that management believes indicates that the loan or lease is impaired and there is a probability of loss. Management performs a detailed analysis of these loans & leases, including, but not limited to, cash flows, appraisals of the collateral, conditions of the marketplace for liquidating the collateral, and assessment of the guarantors. Management then determines the inherent loss potential and allocates a portion of the allowance for losses as a specific allowance for each of these credits. The second phase is conducted by segmenting the loan & lease portfolio by risk rating and into groups of loans & leases with similar characteristics in accordance with the “Contingency” topic of the FASB ASC 450. In this second phase, groups of loans & leases with similar characteristics are reviewed and the appropriate allowance factor is applied based on the historical average charge-off rate for each particular group of loans or leases. Part 2 - considers qualitative internal and external factors that may affect a loan or lease’s collectability, based upon management’s evaluation of various conditions, the effects of which are not directly measured in the determination of the historical and specific allowances. The evaluation of the inherent loss with respect to these conditions is subject to a higher degree of uncertainty because they are not identified with specific problem credits or portfolio segments. The conditions evaluated in connection with the second element of the analysis of the allowance include, but are not limited to the following conditions that existed as of the balance sheet date: 59 Table of Contents • general economic and business conditions affecting the key service areas of the Company; • credit quality trends (including trends in collateral values, delinquencies and non-performing loans & leases); • loan & lease volumes, growth rates and concentrations; • loan & lease portfolio seasoning; • specific industry and crop conditions; • recent loss experience; and • duration of the current business cycle. Part 3 - An unallocated allowance generally occurs due to the imprecision in estimating and allocating allowance balances associated with macro factors such as: (1) economic conditions in the Central Valley; and (2) the long-term risks associated with the availability of water in the Central Valley. Management reviews all of these conditions in discussion with the Company’s senior credit officers. To the extent that any of these conditions is evidenced by a specifically identifiable impaired credit or portfolio segment as of the evaluation date, management’s estimate of the effect of such condition may be reflected as a specific allowance applicable to such credit or portfolio segment. Where any of these conditions is not evidenced by a specifically identifiable impaired credit or portfolio segment as of the evaluation date, management’s evaluation of the inherent loss related to such condition is reflected in the second element of the allowance or in the unallocated allowance. Management believes, that based upon the preceding methodology, and using information currently available, the allowance for credit losses at June 30, 2021 was adequate. No assurances can be given that future events may not result in increases in delinquencies, non-performing loans & leases, or net loan & lease charge-offs that would require increases in the provision for credit losses and thereby adversely affect the results of operations. See “PART I. – ITEM 2. - Management’s Discussion and Analysis - COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Disclosure” for a discussion of how COVID-19 may impact credit risk. Interest Rate Risk The mismatch between maturities of interest sensitive assets and liabilities results in uncertainty in the Company’s earnings and economic value and is referred to as interest rate risk. The Company does not attempt to predict interest rates and positions the balance sheet in a manner, which seeks to minimize, to the extent possible, the effects of changing interest rates. The Company measures interest rate risk in terms of potential impact on both its economic value and earnings. The methods for governing the amount of interest rate risk include: (1) analysis of asset and liability mismatches (Gap analysis); (2) the utilization of a simulation model; and (3) limits on maturities of investment, loan & lease, and deposit products, which reduces the market volatility of those instruments. The Gap analysis measures, at specific time intervals, the divergence between earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities for which repricing opportunities will occur. A positive difference, or Gap, indicates that earning assets will reprice faster than interest-bearing liabilities. This will generally produce a greater net interest margin during periods of rising interest rates and a lower net interest margin during periods of declining interest rates. Conversely, a negative Gap will generally produce a lower net interest margin during periods of rising interest rates and a greater net interest margin during periods of decreasing interest rates. The interest rates paid on deposit accounts do not always move in unison with the rates charged on loans & leases. In addition, the magnitude of changes in the rates charged on loans & leases is not always proportionate to the magnitude of changes in the rate paid for deposits. Consequently, changes in interest rates do not necessarily result in an increase or decrease in the net interest margin solely as a result of the differences between repricing opportunities of earning assets or interest-bearing liabilities. The Company also utilizes the results of a dynamic simulation model to quantify the estimated exposure of net interest income to sustained interest rate changes. The sensitivity of the Company’s net interest income is measured over a rolling one-year horizon. 60 Table of Contents The simulation model estimates the impact of changing interest rates on interest income from all interest-earning assets and the interest expense paid on all interest-bearing liabilities reflected on the Company’s balance sheet. This sensitivity analysis is compared to policy limits, which specify a maximum tolerance level for net interest income exposure over a one-year horizon assuming no balance sheet growth, given a 200 basis point upward and a 100 basis point downward shift in interest rates. A shift in rates over a 12-month period is assumed. Results that exceed policy limits, if any, are analyzed for risk tolerance and reported to the Board with appropriate recommendations. At June 30, 2021, the Company’s estimated net interest income sensitivity to changes in interest rates, as a percent of net interest income was an increase in net interest income of 3.3% if rates increase by 200 basis points and a decrease in net interest income of .30% if rates decline 100 basis points. Comparatively, at December 31, 2020, the Company’s estimated net interest income sensitivity to changes in interest rates, as a percent of net interest income was a decrease in net interest income of .03% if rates increase by 200 basis points and a decrease in net interest income of .2% if rates decline 100 basis points. The estimated sensitivity does not necessarily represent a Company forecast and the results may not be indicative of actual changes to the Company’s net interest income. These estimates are based upon a number of assumptions including: the nature and timing of interest rate levels including yield curve shape; prepayments on loans & leases and securities; pricing strategies on loans & leases and deposits; replacement of asset and liability cash flows; and other assumptions. While the assumptions used are based on current economic and local market conditions, there is no assurance as to the predictive nature of these conditions including how customer preferences or competitor influences might change. Liquidity Risk Liquidity risk is the risk to earnings or capital resulting from the Company’s inability to meet its obligations when they come due without incurring unacceptable losses. It includes the ability to manage unplanned decreases or changes in funding sources and to recognize or address changes in market conditions that affect the Company’s ability to liquidate assets or acquire funds quickly and with minimum loss of value. The Company endeavors to maintain a cash flow adequate to fund operations, handle fluctuations in deposit levels, respond to the credit needs of borrowers, and to take advantage of investment opportunities as they arise. The Company’s principal operating sources of liquidity include (see “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data – Consolidated Statements of Cash Flows” of the Company’s 2020 Annual Report on Form 10-K) cash and cash equivalents, cash provided by operating activities, principal payments on loans & leases, proceeds from the maturity or sale of investments, and growth in deposits. To supplement these operating sources of funds the Company maintains Federal Funds credit lines of $118 million and repurchase lines of $112 million with major banks. As of June 30, 2021, the Company has additional borrowing capacity of $716 million with the FHLB and $429.2 million with the FRB. Borrowings under these lines are collateralized with loans or securities that have been accepted for pledging at the FHLB and FRB. At June 30, 2021, the Company had available sources of liquidity, which included cash and cash equivalents and unpledged investment securities AFS of approximately $916.7 million, which represents 18.61% of total assets. See “PART I. – ITEM 2. - Management’s Discussion and Analysis - COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Disclosure” for a discussion of how COVID-19 may impact liquidity risk.