Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis
Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.
INTRODUCTION
German American Bancorp, Inc. is a Nasdaq-traded (symbol: GABC) financial holding company based in Jasper, Indiana. German American, through its banking subsidiary German American Bank, operates 76 banking offices in 20 contiguous southern Indiana counties and 14 counties in Kentucky. The Company also owns an investment brokerage subsidiary (German American Investment Services, Inc.) and a full line property and casualty insurance agency (German American Insurance, Inc.).
Throughout this Management’s Discussion and Analysis, as elsewhere in this Report, when we use the term “Company”, we will usually be referring to the business and affairs (financial and otherwise) of the Company and its subsidiaries and affiliates as a whole. Occasionally, we will refer to the term “parent company” or “holding company” when we mean to refer to only German American Bancorp, Inc., and the term “Bank” when we mean to refer to only the Company’s bank subsidiary.
This Management’s Discussion and Analysis includes an analysis of the major components of the Company’s operations for the years 2021 through 2023 and its financial condition as of December 31, 2022 and 2023. This information should be read in conjunction with the accompanying consolidated financial statements and footnotes contained elsewhere in this Report and with the description of business included in Item 1 of this Report (including the cautionary disclosure regarding “Forward Looking Statements and Associated Risks”). Financial and other information by segment is included in Note 16 (Segment Information) of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Report and is incorporated into this Item 7 by reference.
The statements of management’s expectations and goals concerning the Company’s future operations and performance that are set forth in the following Management Overview and in other sections of this Item 7 are forward-looking statements, and readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors. Actual results may differ materially from the expectations of the Company that is expressed or implied by any forward-looking statement. This Item 7, as well as the discussions in Item 1 (“Business”) entitled “Forward-Looking Statements and Associated Risks” and in Item 1A (“Risk Factors”) (which discussions are incorporated in this Item 7 by reference) list some of the factors that could cause the Company’s actual results to vary materially from those expressed or implied by any such forward-looking statements.
Any statements of management’s expectations and goals concerning the Company’s future operations and performance, and future financial condition, liquidity and capital resources that are set forth in the following Management Overview and in other sections of this Item 7 are forward-looking statements, and readers are cautioned that these forward-looking statements are based on assumptions and are subject to risks, uncertainties, and other factors. Actual results may differ materially from the expectations of the Company that is expressed or implied by any forward-looking statement. This Item 7, as well as the discussions in Item 1 (“Business”) entitled “Forward-Looking Statements and Associated Risks” and in Item 1A (“Risk Factors”) (which discussions are incorporated in this Item 7 by reference) list some of the factors that could cause the Company’s actual results to vary materially from those expressed or implied by any such forward-looking statements.
MANAGEMENT OVERVIEW
Business Developments
On January 1, 2022, the Company completed the acquisition of Citizens Union Bancorp of Shelbyville, Inc. (“CUB”) through the merger of CUB with and into the Company. Immediately following completion of the CUB holding company merger, CUB’s subsidiary bank, Citizen Union Bank of Shelbyville, Inc., was merged with and into the Company’s subsidiary bank, German American Bank. CUB, headquartered in Shelbyville, Kentucky, operated 15 retail banking offices located in Shelby, Jefferson, Spencer, Bullitt, Oldham, Owen, Gallatin and Hardin counties in Kentucky through Citizens Union Bank of Shelbyville, Inc. As of the closing of the transaction, CUB had total assets of approximately $1.109 billion, total loans of approximately $683.8 million, and total deposits of approximately $930.5 million. The Company issued approximately 2.9 million shares of its common stock, and paid approximately $50.8 million in cash, in exchange for all of the issued and outstanding shares of common stock of CUB.
For further information regarding this merger and acquisition transaction, see Note 18 (Business Combinations, Goodwill and Intangible Assets) in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Report.
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Financial Overview
Net income for the year ended December 31, 2023 totaled $85,888,000, or $2.91 per share, an increase of $4,063,000, or approximately 5% on a per share basis, from the year ended December 31, 2022 net income of $81,825,000, or $2.78 per share. The increase in net income during 2023, compared with 2022, was primarily attributable to increased non-interest income, a decline in non-interest expenses (which was driven by higher expenses in 2022 as a result of the January 1, 2022 acquisition of CUB), and a lower provision for credit losses. The positive impact of those items was partially offset by a decline in net interest income resulting primarily from a reduced level of earning assets, which was somewhat mitigated by an improved net interest margin.
Net income for the year ended December 31, 2022 totaled $81,825,000, or $2.78 per share, a decline of $2,312,000, or approximately 12% on a per share basis, from the year ended December 31, 2021 net income of $84,137,000, or $3.17 per share. The change in net income during 2022, compared with 2021, was largely impacted by acquisition-related expenses for the CUB transaction that closed on January 1, 2022. The 2022 results of operations included acquisition-related expenses of $12,323,000 ($9,372,000 or $0.32 per share, on an after tax basis) and also included Day 1 provision for credit losses under the CECL model of $6,300,000 ($4,725,000 or $1.16 per share, on an after tax basis). The decline in per share net income for the year ended December 31, 2022, as compared to 2021, was also impacted by the Company’s January 1, 2022 issuance of approximately 2.9 million shares of common stock as part of the merger consideration in the CUB transaction.
CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES
The financial condition and results of operations for the Company presented in the Consolidated Financial Statements, accompanying Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements, and selected financial data appearing elsewhere within this Report, are, to a large degree, dependent upon the Company’s accounting policies. The selection of and application of these policies involve estimates, judgments, and uncertainties that are subject to change. The critical accounting policies and estimates that the Company has determined to be the most susceptible to change in the near term relate to the determination of the allowance for credit losses, the valuation of securities available for sale, income tax expense, and the valuation of goodwill and other intangible assets.
ALLOWANCE FOR CREDIT LOSSES
The Company maintains an allowance for credit losses to cover the estimated expected credit losses over the expected contractual life of the loan portfolio. Loan losses are charged against the allowance when management believes the uncollectibility of a loan balance is confirmed. Subsequent recoveries, if any, are credited to the allowance. Allocations of the allowance may be made for specific loans, but the entire allowance is available for any loan that, in management’s judgment, should be charged-off. A provision for credit losses is charged to operations based on management’s periodic evaluation of the necessary allowance balance. Evaluations are conducted at least quarterly and more often if deemed necessary. The ultimate recovery of all loans is susceptible to future market factors beyond the Company’s control.
The Company has an established process to determine the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses. The determination of the allowance is inherently subjective, as it requires significant estimates, including the amounts and timing of expected future cash flows on individually analyzed loans, estimated losses on other classified loans and pools of homogeneous loans, and consideration of past loan loss experience, the nature and volume of the portfolio, information about specific borrower situations and estimated collateral values, economic conditions, reasonable and supportable forecasts and other factors, all of which may be susceptible to significant change. The allowance consists of two components of allocations, specific and general. These two components represent the total allowance for credit losses deemed adequate to cover expected credit losses over the expected life of the loan portfolio.
Commercial and agricultural loans are subject to a standardized grading process administered by an internal loan review function. The need for specific reserves is considered for credits when: (a) the customer’s cash flow or net worth appears insufficient to repay the loan; (b) the loan has been criticized in a regulatory examination; (c) the loan is on non-accrual; or (d) other reasons where the ultimate collectability of the loan is in question, or the loan characteristics require special monitoring.
Specific reserves on individually analyzed loans are determined by comparing the loan balance to the present value of expected cash flows or expected collateral proceeds. Allocations are also applied to categories of loans not individually analyzed but for which the rate of loss is expected to be greater than other similar type loans, including non-performing consumer or residential real estate loans. Such allocations are based on past loss experience, reasonable and supportable forecasts and information about specific borrower situations and estimated collateral values.
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General allocations are made for commercial and agricultural loans that are graded as substandard and special mention, but are not individually analyzed for specific reserves as well as other pools of loans, including non-classified loans, homogeneous portfolios of consumer and residential real estate loans, and loans within certain industry categories believed to present unique risk of loss. General allocations of the allowance are primarily made based on historical averages for loan losses for these portfolios along with reasonable and supportable forecasts, judgmentally adjusted for economic, external and internal quantitative and qualitative factors and portfolio trends. Economic factors include evaluating changes in international, national, regional and local economic and business conditions that affect the collectability of the loan portfolio. Internal factors include evaluating changes in lending policies and procedures; changes in the nature and volume of the loan portfolio; and changes in experience, ability and depth of lending management and staff.
The allowance for credit losses for loans represents management’s estimate of all expected credit losses over the expected contractual life of the loan portfolio. Determining the appropriateness and adequacy of the allowance is complex and requires judgment by management about the effect of matters that are inherently uncertain. Subsequent evaluations of the loan portfolio may result in significant changes in the allowance for credit losses in future periods.
The Company uses a number of economic variables in its scenarios to estimate the allowance for credit losses, with the most significant drivers being unemployment rate forecast, gross domestic product and agricultural producer price index as well as qualitative adjustments. Historical loss rates from periods where the average unemployment rate, gross domestic product and agricultural producer pricing index matches the forecast range are considered when calculating the forecast period loss rate. The impact of the changes in the unemployment and gross domestic product forecast range between December 31, 2023, and December 31, 2022, resulted in a decrease in the allowance for credit losses of approximately $400,000.
Based on sensitivity analysis of all portfolios, a 0.050% change (slight improvement or decline on the Company’s scale) in all ten qualitative risk factors would have a $1,900,000 impact on the reserve allocation. The sensitivity and related range of impact is a hypothetical analysis and is not intended to represent management’s judgements or assumptions of qualitative loss factors that were utilized at December 31, 2023 in estimation of the allowance for credit losses on loans recognized on the Consolidated Balance Sheets.
SECURITIES VALUATION
Available-for-sale debt securities in unrealized loss positions are evaluated for impairment related to credit losses at least quarterly. For available-for-sale debt securities in an unrealized loss position, the Company assesses whether we intend to sell, or it is more likely than not that we will be required to sell the security before recovery of its amortized cost basis. If either of the criteria regarding intent or requirement to sell is met, the security’s amortized cost basis is written down to fair value through income. For available-for sale debt securities that do not meet the criteria, the Company evaluates whether the decline in fair value has resulted from credit losses or other factors. In making this assessment, management considers the extent to which fair value is less than amortized cost, any changes to the rating of the security by a rating agency, and adverse conditions specifically related to the security and the issuer, among other factors. If this assessment indicates that a credit loss exists, the Company compares the present value of cash flows expected to be collected from the security with the amortized cost basis of the security. If the present value of cash flows expected to be collected is less than the amortized cost basis for the security, a credit loss exists and an allowance for credit losses is recorded, limited to the amount that the fair value of the security is less than its amortized cost basis. Any impairment that has not been recorded through an allowance for credit losses is recognized in other comprehensive income, net of applicable taxes. No allowance for credit losses for available-for-sale debt securities was needed at December 31, 2023. Accrued interest receivable on available-for-sale debt securities is excluded from the estimate of credit losses. As of December 31, 2023, gross unrealized gains on the securities available-for-sale portfolio totaled approximately $1,337,000 and gross unrealized losses totaled approximately $275,765,000. The net amount of these two items, net of applicable taxes, is included in other comprehensive income (loss).
Equity securities that do not have readily determinable fair values are carried at cost, less impairment with observable price changes being recognized in earnings.
INCOME TAX EXPENSE
Income tax expense involves estimates related to the valuation allowance on deferred tax assets and loss contingencies related to exposure from tax examinations presumed to occur.
A valuation allowance reduces deferred tax assets to the amount management believes is more likely than not to be realized. In evaluating the realization of deferred tax assets, management considers the likelihood that sufficient taxable income of appropriate character will be generated within carry-back and carry-forward periods, including consideration of available tax
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planning strategies. Tax-related loss contingencies, including assessments arising from tax examinations and tax strategies, are recorded as liabilities when the likelihood of loss is probable and an amount or range of loss can be reasonably estimated. In considering the likelihood of loss, management considers the nature of the contingency, the progress of any examination or related protest or appeal, the views of legal counsel and other advisors, experience of the Company or other enterprises in similar matters, if any, and management’s intended response to any assessment.
GOODWILL AND OTHER INTANGIBLE ASSETS
Goodwill resulting from business combinations represents the excess of the purchase price over the fair value of the net assets of businesses acquired. Goodwill resulting from business combinations is generally determined as the excess of the fair value of the consideration transferred, plus the fair value of any noncontrolling interests in the acquiree, over the fair value of the net assets acquired and liabilities assumed as of the acquisition date. Goodwill and intangible assets acquired in a purchase business combination and determined to have an indefinite useful life are not amortized, but tested for impairment at least annually. The Company has selected December 31 as the date to perform the annual impairment test. Goodwill is the only intangible asset with an indefinite life on the Company’s balance sheet. No impairment to Goodwill was indicated based on year-end testing.
Intangible assets with definite useful lives are amortized over their estimated useful lives to their estimated residual values. Other intangible assets consist of core deposit and acquired customer relationship intangible assets. They are initially measured at fair value and then are amortized over their estimated useful lives, which range from 6 to 10 years.
RESULTS OF OPERATIONS
NET INCOME
Net income for the year ended December 31, 2023 totaled $85,888,000, or $2.91 per share, an increase of $4,063,000, or approximately 5% on a per share basis, from the year ended December 31, 2022 net income of $81,825,000, or $2.78 per share. The increase in net income during 2023, compared with 2022, was primarily attributable to increased non-interest income, a decline in non-interest expenses (which was driven by higher expenses in 2022 as a result of the January 1, 2022 acquisition of CUB), and a lower provision for credit losses. The positive impact of those items was partially offset by a decline in net interest income resulting primarily from a reduced level of earning assets, which was somewhat mitigated by an improved net interest margin.
Net income for the year ended December 31, 2022 totaled $81,825,000, or $2.78 per share, a decline of $2,312,000, or approximately 12% on a per share basis, from the year ended December 31, 2021 net income of $84,137,000, or $3.17 per share. The change in net income during 2022, compared with 2021, was largely impacted by acquisition-related expenses for the CUB transaction that closed on January 1, 2022. The 2022 results of operations included acquisition-related expenses of $12,323,000 ($9,372,000 or $0.32 per share, on an after tax basis) and also included Day 1 provision for credit losses under the CECL model of $6,300,000 ($4,725,000 or $1.16 per share, on an after tax basis). The decline in per share net income for the year ended December 31, 2022, as compared to 2021, was also impacted by the Company’s January 1, 2022 issuance of approximately 2.9 million shares of common stock as part of the merger consideration in the CUB transaction.
NET INTEREST INCOME
Net interest income is the Company’s single largest source of earnings, and represents the difference between interest and fees realized on earning assets, less interest paid on deposits and borrowed funds. Several factors contribute to the determination of net interest income and net interest margin, including the volume and mix of earning assets, interest rates, and income taxes. Many factors affecting net interest income are subject to control by management policies and actions. Factors beyond the control of management include the general level of credit and deposit demand, Federal Reserve Board monetary policy, and changes in tax laws.
During the year ended December 31, 2023, net interest income, on a non tax-equivalent basis, totaled $190,433,000, a decline of $10,151,000, or 5%, compared to the year ended December 31, 2022 net interest income of $200,584,000. The decline in net interest income during 2023 compared with 2022 was primarily attributable to a decline in average earning assets, driven by a reduced level of deposits which was somewhat offset by an improved net interest margin resulting from the rise in market interest rates.
During the year ended December 31, 2022, net interest income totaled $200,584,000, representing an increase of $39,754,000, or 25%, from the year ended December 31, 2021 net interest income of $160,830,000. The increase in net interest income
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during 2022 compared with 2021 was primarily attributable to a higher level of earning assets, driven in large part by the CUB acquisition, and an expansion of the Company’s net interest margin. The increase in net interest income was partially offset by a lower level of Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) loan fee recognition.
The net interest margin represents tax-equivalent net interest income expressed as a percentage of average earning assets. The net interest margin for the year ended December 31, 2023 was 3.58% compared to 3.45% in 2022 and 3.31% in 2021. The improvement in the Company’s net interest margin during 2023 compared to 2022 of 13 basis points was primarily the result of a shift in the earning assets from the securities portfolio to higher yielding loans, which was somewhat reduced by the increasing cost of deposits as a result of the higher market interest rates.
The improvement in the Company’s net interest margin during 2022 compared to 2021 was largely attributable to improved yields on earning assets driven by increased market rates, which were partially mitigated by an increase in the overall cost of funds of the Company.
The Company’s net interest margin for all periods presented was impacted by the accretion of discounts on acquired loans. In 2022 and 2021, the Company’s net interest margin was also impacted by fees recognized as a part of the PPP. Fees recognized on PPP loans through net interest income totaled $873,000 during 2022 and $12,196,000 during 2021. The fees recognized related to the PPP contributed approximately 1 basis point to the net interest margin in 2022 and 24 basis points to the net interest margin in 2021. Accretion of discounts on acquired loans contributed approximately 5 basis points to the net interest margin in 2023 and 7 basis points during both 2022 and 2021. Accretion of discounts on acquired loans totaled $2,814,000 during 2023, $4,341,000 during 2022, and $3,476,000 during 2021.
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The following table summarizes net interest income (on a tax-equivalent basis) for each of the past three years. For tax-equivalent adjustments, an effective tax rate of 21% was used for all periods presented (1) .
Average Balance Sheet
(Tax-equivalent basis, dollars in thousands)
Twelve Months Ended
December 31, 2023 Twelve Months Ended
December 31, 2022 Twelve Months Ended
December 31, 2021
Principal
Balance Income /
Expense Yield /
Rate Principal
Balance Income /
Expense Yield /
Rate Principal
Balance Income /
Expense Yield /
Rate
ASSETS
Federal Funds Sold and Other Short-term Investments $ 39,452 $ 1,677 4.25 % $ 458,230 $ 5,765 1.26 % $ 390,362 $ 488 0.12 %
Securities:
Taxable 890,841 20,614 2.31 % 1,015,958 20,453 2.01 % 824,204 12,962 1.57 %
Non-taxable 738,769 27,656 3.74 % 844,772 29,810 3.53 % 728,765 22,504 3.09 %
Total Loans and Leases ⁽²⁾ 3,835,157 213,195 5.56 % 3,680,708 169,593 4.61 % 3,072,302 139,378 4.54 %
TOTAL INTEREST EARNING ASSETS 5,504,219 263,142 4.78 % 5,999,668 225,621 3.76 % 5,015,633 175,332 3.50 %
Other Assets 578,399 559,949 397,147
Less: Allowance for Credit Losses (44,744) (45,587) (43,073)
TOTAL ASSETS $ 6,037,874 $ 6,514,030 $ 5,369,707
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY
Interest-bearing Demand Deposits $ 1,826,232 $ 28,378 1.55 % $ 2,013,969 $ 8,583 0.43 % $ 1,595,579 $ 1,789 0.11 %
Savings Deposits and Money Market Accounts 1,229,019 12,106 0.99 % 1,473,772 2,879 0.20 % 1,106,692 885 0.08 %
Time Deposits 588,142 16,432 2.79 % 474,409 2,052 0.43 % 412,935 2,281 0.55 %
FHLB Advances and Other Borrowings 210,837 9,307 4.41 % 159,029 4,828 3.04 % 186,750 4,594 2.46 %
TOTAL INTEREST-BEARING LIABILITIES 3,854,230 66,223 1.72 % 4,121,179 18,342 0.45 % 3,301,956 9,549 0.29 %
Demand Deposit Accounts 1,553,082 1,738,349 1,378,647
Other Liabilities 46,456 44,436 46,170
TOTAL LIABILITIES 5,453,768 5,903,964 4,726,773
Shareholders’ Equity 584,106 610,066 642,934
TOTAL LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS’ EQUITY $ 6,037,874 $ 6,514,030 $ 5,369,707
COST OF FUNDS 1.20 % 0.31 % 0.19 %
NET INTEREST INCOME $ 196,919 $ 207,279 $ 165,783
NET INTEREST MARGIN 3.58 % 3.45 % 3.31 %
(1) Effective tax rates were determined as though interest earned on the Company’s investments in municipal bonds and loans was fully taxable.
(2) Loans held-for-sale and non-accruing loans have been included in average loans. Interest income on loans includes loan fees of $4,316, $6,972, and $15,761 for 2023, 2022 and 2021, respectively.
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The following table sets forth for the periods indicated a summary of the changes in interest income and interest expense resulting from changes in volume and changes in rates:
Net Interest Income – Rate / Volume Analysis
(Tax-Equivalent basis, dollars in thousands)
2023 compared to 2022
Increase / (Decrease) Due to ⁽¹⁾ 2022 compared to 2021
Increase / (Decrease) Due to ⁽¹⁾
Volume Rate Net Volume Rate Net
Interest Income:
Federal Funds Sold and Other
Short-term Investments $ (8,748) $ 4,660 $ (4,088) $ 99 $ 5,178 $ 5,277
Taxable Securities (2,689) 2,849 160 3,399 4,093 7,492
Non-taxable Securities (3,894) 1,741 (2,153) 3,852 3,453 7,305
Loans and Leases 7,365 36,237 43,602 28,001 2,214 30,215
Total Interest Income (7,966) 45,487 37,521 35,351 14,938 50,289
Interest Expense:
Savings and Interest-bearing Demand (1,590) 30,612 29,022 978 7,810 8,788
Time Deposits 605 13,775 14,380 310 (539) (229)
FHLB Advances and Other Borrowings 1,871 2,608 4,479 (744) 978 234
Total Interest Expense 886 46,995 47,881 544 8,249 8,793
Net Interest Income $ (8,852) $ (1,508) $ (10,360) $ 34,807 $ 6,689 $ 41,496
(1) The change in interest due to both rate and volume has been allocated to volume and rate changes in proportion to the relationship of the absolute dollar amounts of the change in each.
See the Company’s Average Balance Sheet above and the discussions under the headings “USES OF FUNDS,” “SOURCES OF FUNDS,” and “RISK MANAGEMENT – Liquidity and Interest Rate Risk Management” for further information on the Company’s net interest income, net interest margin, and interest rate sensitivity position.
PROVISION FOR CREDIT LOSSES
The Company provides for credit losses through regular provisions to the allowance for credit losses. The provision is affected by net charge-offs on loans and changes in specific and general allocations of the allowance. During 2023, the Company recorded a provision for credit losses of $2,550,000 compared with $6,350,000 during 2022 and a negative provision for credit losses of $6,500,000 during 2021.
During 2023, the provision for credit losses represented approximately 7 basis points of average loans. The lower provision recorded during 2023, as compared to 2022, was largely related to the resolution during the fourth quarter of 2023 of a single commercial borrowing relationship with minimal loss recognition for which the Company had established a significant reserve in previous periods. The Company realized net charge-offs of $2,953,000 or 8 basis points of average loans during 2023.
During 2022, the provision for credit losses represented approximately 17 basis points of average loans. The provision for credit losses in 2022 included $6,300,000 for the Day 1 CECL addition to the allocation for credit loss related to the CUB acquisition for the non-purchased with credit deterioration (“PCD”) loans. The Company realized net charge-offs of $2,316,000 or 6 basis points of average loans during 2022.
During 2021, the negative provision for credit losses represented approximately 21 basis points of average loans. The negative provision for credit losses in 2021 was largely due to declines in certain adversely criticized assets and improvement in certain pandemic-related stressed sectors for which the Company had provided significant levels of allowance for credit losses during 2020.
The provision for credit losses made during 2023 was made at a level deemed necessary by management to absorb expected losses in the loan portfolio. A detailed evaluation of the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses is completed quarterly by management, the results of which are used to determine provision for credit losses. Management estimates the allowance balance required using past loan loss experience, the nature and volume of the portfolio, information about specific borrower situations and estimated collateral values, economic conditions and reasonable and supportable forecasts along with other
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qualitative and quantitative factors. Refer also to the sections entitled “CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES” and “RISK MANAGEMENT - Lending and Loan Administration” for further discussion of the provision and allowance for credit losses.
NON-INTEREST INCOME
During the year ended December 31, 2023, non-interest income increased $1,128,000 or 2% from the year ended December 31, 2022. During the year ended December 31, 2022, non-interest income declined $329,000, or 1%, from the year ended December 31, 2021.
Non-interest Income
(dollars in thousands) Years Ended December 31, % Change From
Prior Year
2023 2022 2021 2022 2021
Wealth Management Fees $ 11,711 $ 10,076 $ 10,321 16 % (2) %
Service Charges on Deposit Accounts 11,538 11,457 7,723 1 48
Insurance Revenues 9,596 10,020 9,268 (4) 8
Company Owned Life Insurance 1,731 2,264 1,529 (24) 48
Interchange Fee Income 17,452 15,820 13,116 10 21
Other Operating Income 5,830 5,116 6,991 14 (27)
Subtotal 57,858 54,753 48,948 6 12
Net Gains on Sales of Loans 2,363 3,818 8,267 (38) (54)
Net Gains on Securities 40 562 2,247 (93) (75)
TOTAL NON-INTEREST INCOME $ 60,261 $ 59,133 $ 59,462 2 (1)
Wealth management fees increased $1,635,000, or 16%, during 2023 compared with 2022. The increase during 2023 was largely attributable to increased assets under management within the Company’s wealth management group as compared with 2022. Wealth management fees declined $245,000, or 2%, during 2022 compared with 2021.
Service charges on deposit accounts increased $81,000, or 1%, during 2023 compared to 2022. Service charges on deposit accounts increased $3,734,000, or 48%, during 2022 compared to 2021. The increase during 2022 compared with 2021 was the result of the CUB acquisition as well as increased deposit customer activity.
Insurance revenues declined $424,000, or 4%, during 2023 compared with 2022, which was primarily attributable to decreased contingency revenue. Contingency revenue during 2023 totaled $955,000 compared with $1,641,000 during 2022. Contingency revenue is reflective of claims and loss experience with insurance carriers that the Company represents through its property and casualty insurance agency. Insurance revenues increased $752,000, or 8%, during 2022 compared with 2021, which was the result of increased contingency revenue as well as increases across multiple lines of business.
Company owned life insurance decreased $533,000, or 24%, during 2023 compared with 2022. The decline in 2023 was primarily the result of a decrease in the death benefit claims received compared with 2022. Company owned life insurance revenue increased $735,000, or 48%, during 2022 compared with 2021. The increase during 2022 compared with 2021 was largely related to death benefits received from life insurance policies during 2022 and to the CUB acquisition.
Interchange fee income increased $1,632,000, or 10%, during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared with 2022. The increase in the level of fees during 2023 compared with 2022 was due to increased card utilization by customers. Interchange fees increased $2,704,000, or 21%, during 2022 compared with 2021. The increased level of fees during 2022 compared with 2021 was related to the CUB acquisition as well as increased card utilization by customers.
Other operating income increased by $714,000, or 14%, during 2023 compared with 2022. The increase during 2023 was largely attributable to the gain on sale of real estate related to the consolidation of various branch office facilities. Other operating income declined $1,875,000, or 27%, during 2022 compared with 2021. This decline was primarily attributable to the net gain of $1.4 million related to the sale of the two branch office locations during the third quarter of 2021 and to a lower level of interest rate swap transaction fees with loan customers.
Net gains on sales of loans declined $1,455,000, or 38%, during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared with 2022. The decline during 2023 compared with 2022 was related to both a lower volume of loans sold and lower pricing levels. Net gains on sales of loans declined $4,449,000, or 54%, during the year ended December 31, 2022 compared with 2021. The decline in 2022 compared with 2021 was generally attributable to a lower volume of loans sold and lower pricing levels. Loan sales totaled $109.0 million during 2023, $168.1 million during 2022, and $266.0 million during 2021.
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The Company realized $40,000 in gains on sales of securities during 2023 compared with $562,000 during 2022 and $2,247,000 during 2021. The net gains on sales of securities in all periods presented were completed as part of adjustments in allocations within the normal course of business of securities portfolio management.
NON-INTEREST EXPENSE
During the year ended December 31, 2023, non-interest expense totaled $144,497,000, a decrease of $9,694,000, or 6%, compared with the year ended December 31, 2022. During the year ended December 31, 2022, non-interest expense totaled $154,191,000, an increase of $30,184,000, or 24%, compared with the year ended December 31, 2021. The 2022 non-interest expenses included approximately $12,323,000 of non-recurring acquisition-related expenses for the acquisition of CUB.
Non-interest Expense
(dollars in thousands) Years Ended December 31, % Change From
Prior Year
2023 2022 2021 2022 2021
Salaries and Employee Benefits $ 83,244 $ 84,145 $ 68,570 (1) % 23 %
Occupancy, Furniture and Equipment Expense 14,467 14,921 14,831 (3) 1
FDIC Premiums 2,829 1,860 1,419 52 31
Data Processing Fees 11,112 15,406 7,611 (28) 102
Professional Fees 5,575 6,295 5,009 (11) 26
Advertising and Promotion 4,857 4,416 4,197 10 5
Intangible Amortization 2,840 3,711 2,731 (23) 36
Other Operating Expenses 19,573 23,437 19,639 (16) 19
TOTAL NON-INTEREST EXPENSE $ 144,497 $ 154,191 $ 124,007 (6) 24
Salaries and benefits declined $901,000, or 1%, during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared with 2022. The decline in salaries and benefits during 2023 compared with 2022 was largely related to approximately $1,480,000 of acquisition-related salary and benefit costs of a non-recurring nature in 2022 related to the CUB acquisition. Salaries and benefits increased $15,575,000, or 23%, during 2022 compared with 2021. The increase in salaries and benefits during 2022 compared with 2021 was largely attributable to the CUB acquisition, including the aforementioned acquisition-related salary and benefit costs of a non-recurring nature, with the remainder of the increase due primarily to the salaries and benefits costs for the CUB employee base.
FDIC premiums increased $969,000, or 52%, during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared with 2022. The increase during 2023 compared with 2022 was primarily related to an industry-wide 2 basis point increase in the base FDIC premium assessment effective January 1, 2023. FDIC premiums increased $441,000, or 31%, during 2022 compared with 2021. This increase is primarily attributable to an increase in total assessable assets from the acquisition of CUB as well as organic growth.
Data processing fees declined $4,294,000, or 28%, during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared with the year ended December 31, 2022. The decline during 2023 compared with 2022 was largely driven by acquisition-related costs associated with the CUB transaction, which totaled approximately $4,982,000 during 2022. Data processing fees increased $7,795,000, or 102%, during the year ended December 31, 2022 compared with 2021. The increase during 2022 compared with 2021 was largely driven by the aforementioned acquisition-related costs along with the CUB operating costs and costs related to continued data system enhancements.
Professional fees declined $720,000, or 11%, during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared with the year ended December 31, 2022. The decline during 2023 compared with 2022 was primarily due to merger-related professional fees associated with the CUB acquisition that totaled approximately $1,802,000 in 2022, which were partially mitigated by increased legal and other professional fees during 2023. Professional fees increased $1,286,000, or 26%, during 2022 compared with 2021. The increase during 2022 was primarily due to professional fees associated with the CUB acquisition. Merger and acquisition-related professional fees totaled approximately $1,802,000 during 2022 compared with $678,000 during 2021.
Other operating expenses declined $3,864,000, or 16%, during the year ended December 31, 2023 compared to the year ended December 31, 2022. The decline during 2023 compared with 2022 was attributable to acquisition-related costs that totaled approximately $3,862,000 in 2022. The acquisition-related costs were primarily vendor contract termination costs. Other operating expenses increased $3,798,000, or 19%, during the year ended December 31, 2022 compared with 2021. The increase in 2022 compared to 2021 was primarily attributable to the aforementioned acquisition-related costs and operating costs associated with CUB.
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PROVISION FOR INCOME TAXES
The Company records a provision for current income taxes payable, along with a provision for deferred taxes payable in the future. Deferred taxes arise from temporary differences, which are items recorded for financial statement purposes in a different period than for income tax returns. The Company’s effective tax rate was 17.1%, 17.5%, and 18.1%, respectively, in 2023, 2022, and 2021. The effective tax rate in all periods is lower than the blended statutory rate. The lower effective rate in all periods primarily resulted from the Company’s tax-exempt investment income on securities, loans, and company owned life insurance, income tax credits generated by investments in affordable housing projects, and income generated by subsidiaries domiciled in a state with no state or local income tax.
See Note 10 to the Company’s consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of this Report for additional details relative to the Company’s income tax provision.
CAPITAL RESOURCES
As of December 31, 2023, shareholders’ equity increased by $105.2 million to $663.6 million compared with $558.4 million at year-end 2022. The increase in shareholders’ equity was partially attributable to the increase in retained earnings of $56.5 million due to net income of $85.9 million during 2023, which was partially offset by the payment of $29.4 million in shareholder dividends. The increase in shareholders’ equity was also attributable to an increase in accumulated other comprehensive income (“AOCI”) of $46.4 million related to an increase in value of the Company’s available-for-sale securities portfolio.
Shareholders’ equity represented 10.8% of total assets at December 31, 2023 and 9.1% of total assets at December 31, 2022. Shareholders’ equity included $186.7 million of goodwill and other intangible assets at December 31, 2023 compared to $189.8 million of goodwill and other intangible assets at December 31, 2022.
In January 2022, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a plan to repurchase up to 1.0 million shares of the Company’s outstanding common stock. On a share basis, the amount of common stock subject to the new repurchase plan represented approximately 3% of the Company’s outstanding shares on the date it was approved. The Company is not obligated to purchase any shares under the plan, and the plan may be discontinued at any time. The actual timing, number and share price of shares purchased under the repurchase plan will be determined by the Company at its discretion and will depend upon such factors as the market price of the stock, general market and economic conditions and applicable legal requirements. The Company has not repurchased any shares of common stock under the repurchase plan.
In August 2022, the Inflation Reduction Act of 2022 (the “IRA”) was enacted. Among other things, the IRA imposes a new 1% excise tax on the fair market value of stock repurchased after December 31, 2022 by publicly traded U.S. corporations, like the Company. With certain exceptions, the value of stock repurchased is determined net of stock issued in the year, including shares issued pursuant to compensatory arrangements.
Federal banking regulations provide guidelines for determining the capital adequacy of bank holding companies and banks. These guidelines provide for a more narrow definition of core capital and assign a measure of risk to the various categories of assets. The Company is required to maintain minimum levels of capital in proportion to total risk-weighted assets and off-balance sheet exposures.
The current risk-based capital rules, as adopted by federal banking regulators, are based upon guidelines developed by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision and reflect various requirements of the Dodd-Frank Act (the “Basel III Rules”). The Basel III Rules require banking organizations to, among other things, maintain a minimum ratio of Total Capital to risk-weighted assets, a minimum ratio of Tier 1 Capital to risk-weighted assets, a minimum ratio of “Common Equity Tier 1 Capital” to risk-weighted assets, and a minimum leverage ratio (calculated as the ratio of Tier 1 Capital to adjusted average consolidated assets). In addition, under the Basel III Rules, in order to avoid limitations on capital distributions, including dividend payments, the Company is required to maintain a 2.5% capital conservation buffer above the adequately capitalized regulatory capital ratios. At December 31, 2023, the capital levels for the Company and its subsidiary bank remained well in excess of the minimum amounts needed for capital adequacy purposes and the Bank’s capital levels met the necessary requirements to be considered well-capitalized.
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The table below presents the Company’s consolidated and the subsidiary bank’s capital ratios under regulatory guidelines:
12/31/2023
Ratio 12/31/2022
Ratio Minimum for Capital Adequacy Purposes ⁽¹⁾ Well-Capitalized Guidelines
Total Capital (to Risk Weighted Assets)
Consolidated 16.50 % 15.45 % 8.00 % N/A
Bank 14.76 14.07 8.00 10.00 %
Tier 1 (Core) Capital (to Risk Weighted Assets)
Consolidated 14.97 % 13.97 % 6.00 % N/A
Bank 14.04 13.42 6.00 8.00 %
Common Tier 1 (CET 1) Capital Ratio (to Risk Weighted Assets)
Consolidated 14.26 % 13.26 % 4.50 % N/A
Bank 14.04 13.42 4.50 6.50 %
Tier 1 Capital (to Average Assets)
Consolidated 11.75 % 10.50 % 4.00 % N/A
Bank 11.03 10.09 4.00 5.00 %
(1) Excludes capital conservation buffer.
As discussed in Note 1 (Summary of Significant Accounting Policies) of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Report, the Company adopted the CECL accounting standard under GAAP effective January 1, 2020. The regulatory capital rules applicable to the Company provided an optional three-year phase-in period for the day-one adverse regulatory capital effects of adopting CECL. In addition, as part of the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”), banking organizations were further permitted to mitigate the estimated cumulative regulatory capital effects of CECL for up to an additional two years. As a result, on January 1, 2022, the Company began the required three-year phase-in by reflecting 25% of the previously deferred estimated capital impact of CECL in its regulatory capital. An additional 25% was phased in on each of January 1, 2023 and January 1, 2024, and another 25% will be phased in on January 1, 2025 (at which time the cumulative effects of adopting CECL will have been fully phased into our regulatory capital). Under the five-year transition option, the amount of adjustments to regulatory capital that could be deferred until the phase-in period began included both the initial impact of our adoption of CECL at January 1, 2020 and 25% of subsequent changes in our allowance for credit losses during each quarter of the two-year period ended December 31, 2021.
USES OF FUNDS
LOANS
December 31, 2023 total loans increased $189.3 million, or 5%, compared with December 31, 2022. The increase in total loans at December 31, 2023 compared with year-end 2022 was broad-based across most segments of the portfolio. Commercial real estate loans increased $155.0 million, or 8%, agricultural loans grew $6.4 million, or 2%, and retail loans increased $42.9 million, or 6%. Partially offsetting these increases was a modest decline in commercial and industrial loans of $15.0 million, or 2%, as line of credit utilization remains muted.
December 31, 2022 total loans increased $780.7 million, or 26%, compared with December 31, 2021. The increase in total loans at December 31, 2022 compared with year-end 2021 was largely due to the acquisition of CUB and organic loan growth from throughout the Company’s existing market areas, partially offset by a decrease in PPP loans.
The Bank has certain lending policies and procedures in place that are designed to maximize loan income within an acceptable level of risk. Management reviews and approves these policies and procedures on a regular basis. A reporting system supplements the review process by providing management with frequent reports related to loan production, loan quality, concentration of credit, loan delinquencies and non-performing and potential problem loans. Diversification in the loan portfolio is a means of managing risk associated with fluctuations in economic conditions. As reflected in the table below, over the past several years (including 2023), the composition of the loan portfolio has remained relatively stable and diversified.
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The portfolio is most heavily concentrated in commercial real estate loans at 53% of the portfolio in 2023, followed by commercial and industrial loans at 17% of the portfolio, and agricultural loans at 11% of the portfolio.
Loan Portfolio December 31,
(dollars in thousands) 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019
Commercial and Industrial Loans and Leases $ 661,529 $ 676,502 $ 548,350 $ 694,437 $ 589,758
Commercial Real Estate Loans 2,121,835 1,966,884 1,530,677 1,467,397 1,495,862
Agricultural Loans 423,803 417,413 358,150 376,186 384,526
Home Equity and Consumer Loans 407,889 377,164 307,184 297,702 306,972
Residential Mortgage Loans 362,844 350,682 263,565 256,276 304,855
Total Loans 3,977,900 3,788,645 3,007,926 3,091,998 3,081,973
Less: Unearned Income (6,818) (3,711) (3,662) (3,926) (4,882)
Subtotal 3,971,082 3,784,934 3,004,264 3,088,072 3,077,091
Less: Allowance for Credit Losses (43,765) (44,168) (37,017) (46,859) (16,278)
Loans, Net $ 3,927,317 $ 3,740,766 $ 2,967,247 $ 3,041,213 $ 3,060,813
Net PPP Loans (Included in Commercial and Industrial Loans above) — — 19,450 181,984 —
Ratio of Loans to Total Loans
Commercial and Industrial Loans and Leases 17 % 18 % 18 % 23 % 19 %
Commercial Real Estate Loans 53 % 52 % 51 % 47 % 49 %
Agricultural Loans 11 % 11 % 12 % 12 % 12 %
Home Equity and Consumer Loans 10 % 10 % 10 % 10 % 10 %
Residential Mortgage Loans 9 % 9 % 9 % 8 % 10 %
Total Loans 100 % 100 % 100 % 100 % 100 %
The Company’s policy is generally to extend credit to consumer and commercial borrowers in its primary geographic market area in southern Indiana and central and western Kentucky. Commercial extensions of credit outside this market area are generally concentrated in real estate loans within a reasonable proximity of the Company’s primary market and are granted on a selective basis.
PPP loans, which were originated in 2020 and early 2021, were made to fund payroll and operational costs of eligible businesses, organizations and self-employed persons during the COVID-19 pandemic. Loans covered by the PPP, which was administered by the Small Business Administration (“SBA”) under the provisions of the CARES Act, were eligible for loan forgiveness if program guidelines were met. The Company actively participated in assisting its customers with PPP funding during the program. PPP loans are reflected in Commercial and Industrial Loans and Leases in the table above.
While commercial real estate (“CRE”) is the largest component of the Company’s loan portfolio, it is well-diversified over numerous property types. Specifically, the commercial real estate loan portfolio, as a percentage of the CRE portfolio and total loans at December 31, 2023, included the following property types: multi-family dwellings (21% of CRE portfolio and 11% of total loans); single family investment properties (12% of CRE portfolio and 7% of total loans); retail space (14% of CRE portfolio and 7% of total loans); office real estate (8% of CRE portfolio and 4% of total loans); lodging (6% of CRE portfolio and 3% of total loans); healthcare facilities (7% of CRE portfolio and 4% of total loans); and land development and construction (6% of CRE portfolio and 3% of total loans). The Company’s commercial real estate loan portfolio is further diversified by occupancy type, with approximately 77% of the CRE portfolio being non-owner occupied at December 31, 2023 (which is 41% of the Company’s overall loan portfolio), and 23% of the CRE portfolio being owner occupied (which is 12% of the Company’s total loan portfolio).
The commercial real estate loan portfolio, as a percentage of the CRE portfolio and total loans at December 31, 2022, included the following property types: multi-family dwellings (20% of CRE portfolio and 11% of total loans); single family investment properties (14% of CRE portfolio and 7% of total loans); retail space (13% of CRE portfolio and 7% of total loans); office real estate (7% of CRE portfolio and 4% of total loans); lodging (6% of CRE portfolio and 3% of total loans); healthcare facilities (6% of CRE portfolio and 3% of total loans); and land development and construction (5% of CRE portfolio and 3% of total loans). The Company’s commercial real estate loan portfolio is further diversified by occupancy type, with approximately 78% of the CRE portfolio being non-owner occupied at December 31, 2022 (which is 40% of the Company’s overall loan portfolio), and 22% of the CRE portfolio being owner occupied (which is 12% of the Company’s total loan portfolio).
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Commercial real estate loans are underwritten after evaluating and understanding the borrower’s ability to operate profitably and prudently expand its business. Like much of the Bank’s lending activities, the underwriting standards for commercial real estate are designed to promote relationship banking rather than transactional banking. Once it is determined that the borrower’s management possesses sound ethics and solid business acumen, our management examines market conditions and current and projected cash flows to determine the ability of the borrower to repay their obligations as agreed. Commercial real estate loans are viewed primarily as cash flow loans and secondarily as loans secured by real estate. As discussed above, the properties securing our commercial real estate portfolio are diverse in terms of property type, occupancy type, and geographic location. This diversity helps reduce the Bank’s exposure to adverse economic events that affect any single market or industry. Management will continue to monitor and evaluate commercial real estate loans based on collateral, geography and risk grade criteria.
The following table indicates the amounts of loans (excluding residential mortgages on 1-4 family residences and consumer loans) outstanding as of December 31, 2023, which, based on remaining scheduled repayments of principal, are due in the periods indicated (dollars in thousands).
Within
One Year One to Five
Years After
Five Years Total
Commercial and Agricultural $ 845,677 $ 1,601,441 $ 771,576 $ 3,218,694
Interest Sensitivity
Fixed Rate Variable Rate
Loans Maturing After One Year $ 824,511 $ 1,548,506
INVESTMENTS
The investment portfolio is a principal source for funding the Company’s loan growth and other liquidity needs of its subsidiaries. The Company’s securities portfolio primarily consists of money market securities, collateralized and uncollateralized federal agency securities, municipal obligations of state and political subdivisions, and mortgage-backed securities and collateralized mortgage obligations (MBS/CMO - Residential) issued by U.S. government agencies. Money market securities include federal funds sold, interest-bearing balances with banks, and other short-term investments. The composition of the year-end balances in the investment portfolio is presented in Note 2 (Securities) of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Report and in the table below:
Investment Portfolio, at Amortized Cost December 31,
(dollars in thousands) 2023 % 2022 % 2021 %
Federal Funds Sold and Other Short-term Investments $ 36,525 2 % $ 41,905 2 % $ 349,717 16 %
U.S. Treasury — — 64,097 3 — —
Obligations of State and Political Subdivisions 889,940 47 939,193 44 896,048 40
MBS/CMO 761,025 40 846,519 40 797,693 36
US Gov’t Sponsored Entities & Agencies 220,295 11 245,017 11 175,457 8
Equity Securities 353 n/m ⁽¹⁾ 353 n/m ⁽¹⁾ 353 n/m ⁽¹⁾
Total Securities Portfolio $ 1,908,138 100 % $ 2,137,084 100 % $ 2,219,268 100 %
(1) n/m = not meaningful
The amortized cost of investment securities, including federal funds sold and short-term investments, decreased $229.0 million, or 11%, at year-end 2023 compared to year-end 2022 and decreased $82.2 million, or 4%, at year-end 2022 compared to year-end 2021. The decline in the available for sale portfolio during 2023 compared with 2022 was primarily the result of the Company’s utilization of cash flows of approximately $171 million from the securities portfolio to fund loan growth and overall modest deposit declines. The decline in 2023 was broad-based across all areas of the investment portfolio. Mortgage related securities declined $85.5 million, or 10%, obligations of state and political subdivisions declined $49.3 million, or 5%, and US treasuries declined $64 million, or 100%, as compared to 2022. The decline from year-end 2022 compared with year-end 2021 was primarily attributable to the decrease in federal funds sold which is partially offset by the increase in amortized cost of obligations of state and political subdivisions, agency issued mortgage related securities and collateralized and uncollateralized federal agency securities.
The investment portfolio continues to be relatively balanced with agency issued mortgage related securities and collateralized and uncollateralized federal agency securities totaling $981.3 million, or 51% of the total securities portfolio at December 31, 2023. The Company’s level of obligations of state and political subdivisions increased to $889.9 million, or 47% of the portfolio at December 31, 2023.
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Investment Securities, at Carrying Value
(dollars in thousands)
December 31,
Securities Available-for-Sale 2023 2022 2021
U.S. Treasury $ — $ 64,119 $ —
Obligations of State and Political Subdivisions 768,875 777,852 925,706
MBS/CMO 645,040 714,681 791,950
US Gov’t Sponsored Entities & Agencies 182,917 205,017 171,961
Total Securities $ 1,596,832 $ 1,761,669 $ 1,889,617
As discussed above, the Company utilized cash flows from the available for sale portfolio to fund loan growth and an overall modest decline in deposits. This cash flow utilization drove the decline in carrying value in the available for sale portfolio from 2023 to 2022, which was slightly offset by the fair value adjustments in the portfolio due to the change in interest rates. The decline in the available for sale portfolio during 2022 compared with 2021 was largely attributable to fair value adjustments in the portfolio caused by the rise in market interest rates. The Company’s $1.597 billion available-for-sale investment portfolio provides an additional funding source for the liquidity needs of the Company’s subsidiaries and for asset/liability management requirements. Although management has the ability to sell these securities if the need arises, their designation as available-for-sale should not necessarily be interpreted as an indication that management anticipates such sales.
The amortized cost of available-for-sale debt securities at December 31, 2023 is shown in the following table by contractual maturity. MBS/CMO - Residential securities are based on estimated average lives. Expected maturities will differ from contractual maturities because issuers may have the right to call or prepay obligations.
Maturities and Average Yields of Securities at December 31, 2023
(dollars in thousands)
Within
One Year After One But
Within Five Years After Five But
Within Ten Years After Ten
Years
Amount Yield Amount Yield Amount Yield Amount Yield
U.S. Treasury $ — — % $ — — % $ — — % $ — — %
Obligations of State and Political Subdivisions 1,768 3.72 % 17,548 4.28 % 65,213 3.26 % 805,411 3.01 %
MBS/CMO — — % 35,091 2.72 % 31,116 2.22 % 694,818 1.77 %
US Gov’t Sponsored Entities & Agencies 333 2.48 % 8,675 1.14 % 12,094 2.94 % 199,193 1.82 %
Total Securities $ 2,101 3.52 % $ 61,314 2.94 % $ 108,423 2.93 % $ 1,699,422 2.36 %
A tax-equivalent adjustment using a tax rate of 21 percent was used in the above table.
CONTRACTUAL OBLIGATIONS
In addition to the other uses of funds discussed previously, the Company has certain contractual obligations to make cash payments. These contractual obligations primarily consist of borrowings from the Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”), junior subordinated debentures, deposits, repurchase agreements, and lease commitments for certain office facilities. A summary of these payment obligations is set forth below.
Contractual and Other Obligations Payments Due In
(dollars in thousands) One Year or Less Over One Year Total
Deposits without Stated Maturities $ 4,485,921 $ — $ 4,485,921
Time Deposits 707,978 59,064 767,042
Federal Home Loan Bank Advances 25,000 25,000 50,000
Other Borrowings (Subordinated Notes and Debentures) — 81,220 81,220
Federal Funds Purchased 25,000 — 25,000
Securities Sold under Repurchase Agreements 40,968 — 40,968
Lease Obligations 1,775 8,133 9,908
Total Contractual and Other Obligations $ 5,286,642 $ 173,417 $ 5,460,059
In the normal course of business, the Company makes commitments to extend credit and commitments to sell loans, which are not reflected in its consolidated financial statements. For further information about such commitments, see Note 14 (Commitments and Off-balance Sheet Items) in Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Report.
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SOURCES OF FUNDS
The Company’s primary source of funding is its base of core customer deposits. Core deposits consist of demand deposits, savings, interest-bearing checking, money market accounts, and certificates of deposit of less than $100,000. Other deposit sources include certificates of deposit of $100,000 or more. The deposit base remains diverse with stable and manageable exposure to uninsured and uncollateralized deposits of approximately 21% of total deposits.
Other funding sources include overnight borrowings from other financial institutions and securities sold under agreement to repurchase. The membership of the Company’s affiliate bank in the Federal Home Loan Bank System provides a significant additional source for both long and short-term collateralized borrowings. In addition, the Company, as a separate and distinct corporation from its bank and other subsidiaries, also has the ability to borrow funds from other financial institutions and to raise debt or equity capital from the capital markets and other sources. The following pages contain a discussion of changes in funding sources.
The table below illustrates changes between years in the average balances of all funding sources:
Funding Sources - Average Balances
(dollars in thousands) December 31, % Change From
Prior Year
2023 2022 2021 2023 2022
Demand Deposits
Non-interest-bearing $ 1,553,082 $ 1,738,349 $ 1,378,647 (11) % 26 %
Interest-bearing 1,826,232 2,013,969 1,595,579 (9) 26
Savings Deposits 572,623 640,653 460,945 (11) 39
Money Market Accounts 656,396 833,119 645,747 (21) 29
Other Time Deposits 257,736 262,764 226,419 (2) 16
Total Core Deposits 4,866,069 5,488,854 4,307,337 (11) 27
Certificates of Deposits of $100,000 or more 330,406 211,645 186,516 56 13
FHLB Advances and Other Borrowings 210,837 159,029 186,750 33 (15)
Total Funding Sources $ 5,407,312 $ 5,859,528 $ 4,680,603 (8) 25
Maturities of certificates of deposit of $100,000 or more are summarized as follows:
(dollars in thousands)
3 Months
Or Less 3 - 6
Months 6 - 12 Months Over
12 Months Total
December 31, 2023 $ 119,055 $ 117,165 $ 222,396 $ 19,349 $ 477,965
CORE DEPOSITS
The Company’s overall level of average core deposits declined approximately $622.8 million, or 11%, during 2023 compared with 2022. The Company’s overall level of period-end core deposits declined approximately $381.8 million, or 7%, during 2023 compared with 2022. Competitive deposit pricing in the marketplace as well as customers actively looking for yield opportunities within and outside the banking industry are contributing factors to the decline in total deposits over the course of the past year. A meaningful level of the outflow of deposits experienced during the past year was captured within the Company’s wealth management group.
The Company’s ability to attract core deposits continues to be influenced by competition and the interest rate environment, as well as the availability of alternative investment products. The Company has continued to see customer movement from both interest bearing and non-interest bearing transactional accounts to time deposits due primarily to a higher interest rate environment. Core deposits continue to represent a significant funding source for the Company’s operations and represented 90% of average total funding sources during 2023 compared with 94% during 2022 and 92% during 2021.
The Company’s overall level of average core deposits increased approximately $1.2 billion, or 27%, during 2022 compared with 2021, largely as a result of the CUB acquisition. During 2022, average demand deposits (non-interest bearing and interest bearing) increased $778.1 million, average savings deposits increased $179.7 million, average money market demand deposits increased $187.4 million and average time deposits under $100,000 increased $36.3 million.
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Demand, savings, and money market deposits have provided a growing source of funding for the Company in each of the periods reported. Average demand, savings, and money market deposits declined 12% during 2023 following 28% growth during 2022. Average demand, savings, and money market deposits totaled $4.608 billion or 95% of core deposits (85% of total funding sources) in 2023 compared with $5.226 billion or 95% of core deposits (89% of total funding sources) in 2022 and $4.080 billion or 95% of core deposits (87% of total funding sources) in 2021.
Other time deposits consist of certificates of deposits in denominations of less than $100,000. These average deposits declined by 2% during 2023 following an increase of 16% during 2022. Other time deposits comprised 5% of core deposits in all periods presented.
OTHER FUNDING SOURCES
Certificates of deposits in denominations of $100,000 or more are an additional source of other funding for the Company’s bank subsidiary and are used as both long-term and short-term funding sources. On an average basis, large denomination certificates increased $118.8 million, or 56%, during 2023. This follows an increase of $25.1 million, or 13% during 2022. Large certificate deposits comprised approximately 6% of average total funding sources in 2023 compared with 4% in 2022 and 4% in 2021. On an end of period basis, certificates of deposits in denominations of $100,000 or more increased $284.7 million, or 147%, during 2023 compared to an increase of $47.8 million, or 33%, during 2022. As previously discussed, customers seeking higher yield opportunities were a contributing factor to growth in this category of the Company’s funding sources.
The Company had no brokered deposits as of December 31, 2023 and 2022. The Company participates in a reciprocal deposit program. Reciprocal Deposits totaled $77.9 million at December 31, 2023 and $42.6 million at December 31, 2022.
FHLB advances and other borrowings represent an important source of other funding for the Company. Average borrowed funds increased $51.8 million, or 33%, during 2023 compared to a decline of $27.8 million, or 15%, during 2022. Borrowings comprised approximately 4% of average total funding sources during 2023 compared with 3% in 2022 and 4% in 2021.
The bank subsidiary of the Company also utilizes short-term funding sources from time to time. These sources consist of overnight federal funds purchased from other financial institutions, secured repurchase agreements that generally mature within one day of the transaction date, and secured overnight variable rate borrowings from the FHLB. These borrowings represent an important source of short-term liquidity for the Company’s bank subsidiary.
The Company’s bank subsidiary is authorized by its Board to borrow up to $500 million at the FHLB, but availability at December 31, 2023 was limited to approximately $226 million based on the then pledged collateral and outstanding borrowings. In addition, the Company had a borrowing capacity of approximately $200 million at the Federal Reserve Bank as of December 31, 2023, based on the then pledged collateral. The capacity for borrowings from the FHLB and the Federal Reserve Bank could be increased, in each case, by the Company pledging additional available collateral. The Company’s Asset/Liability Committee closely monitors the availability of these sources as part of its overall oversight and management of the bank subsidiary’s liquidity.
Long-term debt at the Company’s bank subsidiary is in the form of FHLB advances, which are secured by the pledge of certain investment securities, residential and housing-related mortgage loans, and certain other commercial real estate loans. See Note 7 (FHLB Advances and Other Borrowings) of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Report for further information regarding borrowed funds.
PARENT COMPANY FUNDING SOURCES
The parent company is a corporation separate and distinct from its bank and other subsidiaries. For information regarding the financial condition, result of operations, and cash flows of the Company, presented on a parent-company-only basis, see Note 17 (Parent Company Financial Statements) of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Report.
The Company uses funds at the parent company level to pay dividends to its shareholders, to acquire or make other investments in other businesses or their securities or assets, to repurchase its stock from time to time, and for other general corporate purposes. The parent company does not have access to the deposits and certain other sources of funds that are available to its bank subsidiary to support its operations. Instead, the parent company has historically derived most of its revenues from dividends paid to the parent company by its bank subsidiary. The Company’s banking subsidiary is subject to statutory restrictions on its ability to pay dividends to the parent company. See Note 8 (Shareholders’ Equity) of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Report, which is incorporated herein by reference. The parent
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company has, from time-to-time, supplemented the dividends received from its subsidiaries with borrowings. For details related to borrowings, see Note 7 (FHLB Advances and Other Borrowings) of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Report.
At year-end 2023, the Company had available to it a $15 million revolving line of credit facility that will mature on September 25, 2024. Borrowings are available for general working capital purposes. Interest is payable quarterly at a floating rate based upon term SOFR rate plus a margin payable in respect of any principal amounts advanced under the revolving line of credit. There was no outstanding balance as of December 31, 2023.
RISK MANAGEMENT
The Company is exposed to various types of business risk on an on-going basis. These risks include credit risk, liquidity risk and interest rate risk. Various procedures are employed at the Company’s subsidiary bank to monitor and mitigate risk in the loan and investment portfolios, as well as risks associated with changes in interest rates. Following is a discussion of the Company’s philosophies and procedures to address these risks.
LENDING AND LOAN ADMINISTRATION
Primary responsibility and accountability for day-to-day lending activities rests with the Company’s subsidiary bank. Loan personnel at the subsidiary bank have the authority to extend credit under guidelines approved by the Bank’s board of directors. The executive loan committee serves as a vehicle for communication and for the pooling of knowledge, judgment and experience of its members. The committee provides valuable input to lending personnel, acts as an approval body, and monitors the overall quality of the Bank’s loan portfolio. The Corporate Credit Risk Management Committee comprised of members of the Company’s and its subsidiary Bank’s executive officers and board of directors, strives to ensure a consistent application of the Company’s lending policies. The Company also maintains a comprehensive risk-grading and loan review program, which includes quarterly reviews of problem loans, delinquencies and charge-offs. The purpose of this program is to evaluate loan administration, credit quality, loan documentation and the adequacy of the allowance for credit losses.
The Company maintains an allowance for credit losses to cover management’s estimate of all expected credit losses over the expected contractual life of the loan portfolio. Management estimates the required level of allowance for credit losses using past loan loss experience, information about specific borrower situations and estimated collateral values, along with reasonable and supportable forecasts, judgmentally adjusted for economic, external and internal quantitative and qualitative factors and portfolio trends. Economic factors include evaluating changes in international, national, regional and local economic and business conditions that affect the collectability of the loan portfolio. Internal factors include evaluating changes in lending policies and procedures; changes in the nature and volume of the loan portfolio; and changes in experience, ability and depth of lending management and staff. Allocations of the allowance may be made for specific loans, but the entire allowance is available for any loan that, in management’s judgment, should be charged-off. Loan losses are charged against the allowance when management believes the uncollectibility of a loan balance is confirmed.
The allowance for credit losses is comprised of: (a) specific reserves on individual credits; and (b) general reserves for certain loan categories and industries, and overall historical loss experience; based on performance trends in the loan portfolios, current economic conditions, and other factors that influence the level of estimated credit losses. The need for specific reserves are considered for credits when: (a) the customer’s cash flow or net worth appears insufficient to repay the loan; (b) the loan has been criticized in a regulatory examination; (c) the loan is on non-accrual; or, (d) other reasons where the ultimate collectability of the loan is in question, or the loan characteristics require special monitoring.
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Allowance for Credit Losses
(dollars in thousands) Years Ended December 31,
2023 2022 2021 2020 2019
Balance of Allowance for Expected Credit Losses at Beginning of Period $ 44,168 $ 37,017 $ 46,859 $ 16,278 $ 15,823
Impact of adopting ASC 326 — — — 8,767 —
Impact of adopting ASC 326 - PCD loans — — — 6,886 —
Loans Charged-off:
Commercial and Industrial Loans and Leases 1,792 1,149 2,777 2,119 3,810
Commercial Real Estate Loans 56 79 10 36 320
Agricultural Loans 27 — — — —
Home Equity and Consumer Loans 1,858 1,598 1,003 942 1,155
Residential Mortgage Loans 58 24 45 39 117
Total Loans Charged-off 3,791 2,850 3,835 3,136 5,402
Recoveries of Previously Charged-off Loans:
Commercial and Industrial Loans and Leases 154 26 61 23 56
Commercial Real Estate Loans 76 24 40 129 29
Agricultural Loans — — — — —
Home Equity and Consumer Loans 605 479 359 358 440
Residential Mortgage Loans 3 5 33 4 7
Total Recoveries 838 534 493 514 532
Net Loans Recovered (Charged-off) (2,953) (2,316) (3,342) (2,622) (4,870)
Acquisition of Citizens Union Bank of Shelbyville, KY - PCD Loans — 3,117 — — —
Additions to Allowance Charged to Expense 2,550 6,350 (6,500) 17,550 5,325
Balance at End of Period $ 43,765 $ 44,168 $ 37,017 $ 46,859 $ 16,278
Net Charge-offs (Recoveries) to Average Loans Outstanding 0.08 % 0.06 % 0.11 % 0.08 % 0.17 %
Provision for Credit Losses to Average Loans Outstanding 0.07 % 0.17 % (0.21) % 0.55 % 0.18 %
Allowance for Credit Losses to Total Loans at Year-end 1.10 % 1.17 % 1.23 % 1.52 % 0.53 %
The following table indicates the breakdown of the allowance for credit losses for the periods indicated (dollars in thousands):
Years Ended December 31,
2023 2022 2021 2020 2019
Commercial and Industrial Loans and Leases $ 8,267 $ 13,958 $ 9,754 $ 6,645 $ 4,799
Commercial Real Estate Loans 25,923 21,598 19,245 29,878 4,692
Agricultural Loans 3,837 4,188 4,505 6,756 5,315
Home Equity and Consumer Loans 2,976 2,196 1,808 1,636 634
Residential Mortgage Loans 2,762 2,228 1,705 1,944 333
Unallocated — — — — 505
Total Allowance for Credit Losses $ 43,765 $ 44,168 $ 37,017 $ 46,859 $ 16,278
The Company’s allowance for credit losses totaled $43.8 million at December 31, 2023 compared to $44.2 million at December 31, 2022. The allowance for credit losses represented 1.10% of period-end loans at December 31, 2023 compared with 1.17% of period-end loans at December 31, 2022.
The Company adopted ASU No. 2016-13, Financial instruments - Credit Losses (Topic 326) on January 1, 2020. The Company added $9.4 million to the allowance for credit losses in conjunction with the closing of the CUB acquisition on January 1, 2022 related to the CUB loan portfolio. Of the increase in allowance for credit losses for the CUB portfolio, $6.3 million was recorded through the provision for credit losses on “Day 1” under the CECL model for non-PCD loans. The Company also acquired $29.9 million in PCD loans (at time of acquisition) for which the company recorded a credit adjustment of $3.1 million which was included in the allowance for credit losses.
The Company realized net charge-offs of $2,953,000, or 0.08% of average loans outstanding, during 2023 compared with $2,316,000, or 0.06% of average loans outstanding, during 2022 and $3,342,000, or 0.11% of average loans outstanding, during 2021.
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Please see “RESULTS OF OPERATIONS - Provision for Credit Losses” and “CRITICAL ACCOUNTING POLICIES AND ESTIMATES - Allowance for Credit Losses” for additional information regarding the allowance.
NON-PERFORMING ASSETS
Non-performing assets consist of: (a) non-accrual loans; (b) loans which have been renegotiated to provide for a reduction or deferral of interest or principal because of deterioration in the financial condition of the borrower; (c) loans past due 90 days or more as to principal or interest; and, (d) other real estate owned. Loans are placed on non-accrual status when scheduled principal or interest payments are past due for 90 days or more or when the borrower’s ability to repay becomes doubtful. Uncollected accrued interest is reversed against income at the time a loan is placed on non-accrual. Loans are typically charged-off at 180 days past due, or earlier if deemed uncollectible. Exceptions to the non-accrual and charge-off policies are made when the loan is well secured and in the process of collection. The following table presents an analysis of the Company’s non-performing assets.
Non-performing Assets December 31,
(dollars in thousands) 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019
Non-accrual Loans $ 9,136 $ 12,888 $ 14,602 $ 21,507 $ 13,802
Past Due Loans (90 days or more and accruing) 55 1,427 156 — 190
Total Non-performing Loans 9,191 14,315 14,758 21,507 13,992
Other Real Estate — — — 325 425
Total Non-performing Assets $ 9,191 $ 14,315 $ 14,758 $ 21,832 $ 14,417
Restructured Loans $ — $ — $ 104 $ 111 $ 116
Non-performing Loans to Total Loans 0.23 % 0.38 % 0.49 % 0.70 % 0.45 %
Allowance for Credit Losses to Non-performing Loans 476.17 % 308.54 % 250.83 % 217.88 % 116.34 %
The following tables present an analysis of the Company’s non-accrual loans and loans past due 90 days or more and still accruing.
Non-Accrual Loans December 31,
(dollars in thousands) 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019
Commercial and Industrial Loans and Leases $ 3,707 $ 7,936 $ 10,530 $ 8,133 $ 4,940
Commercial Real Estate Loans 1,889 1,950 2,243 10,188 3,433
Agricultural Loans 879 1,062 1,136 1,915 2,739
Home Equity Loans 1,033 310 24 271 79
Consumer Loans 253 400 82 170 115
Residential Mortgage Loans 1,375 1,230 587 830 2,496
Total $ 9,136 $ 12,888 $ 14,602 $ 21,507 $ 13,802
Loans Past Due 90 Days or More & Still Accruing December 31,
(dollars in thousands) 2023 2022 2021 2020 2019
Commercial and Industrial Loans and Leases $ — $ 1,427 $ — $ — $ 190
Commercial Real Estate Loans 55 — 156 — —
Agricultural Loans — — — — —
Home Equity Loans — — — — —
Consumer Loans — — — — —
Residential Mortgage Loans — — — — —
Total $ 55 $ 1,427 $ 156 $ — $ 190
Non-performing assets totaled $9.2 million, or 0.15% of total assets, at December 31, 2023 compared to $14.3 million, or 0.23% of total assets, at December 31, 2022 and compared to $14.8 million, or 0.26% of total assets, at December 31, 2021. Non-performing loans totaled $9.2 million, or 0.23% of total loans, at December 31, 2023 compared with $14.3 million, or 0.38% of total loans, at December 31, 2022 and compared with $14.8 million, or 0.49% of total loans, at December 31, 2021.
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The decline in the level of non-performing commercial and industrial loans and leases during 2023 was primarily attributable to the resolution of a single commercial borrowing relationship with minimal loss recognition for which the Company had established a significant reserve in previous periods. The decline in the level of non-performing commercial and industrial loans and leases during 2022 was primarily attributable to certain credits that were either charged-off or paid off, which were in non-accrual status.
For additional detail on individually analyzed loans, see Note 4 (Loans) of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Report.
Interest income recognized on non-performing loans for 2023 was $231,000. The gross interest income that would have been recognized in 2023 on non-performing loans if the loans had been current in accordance with their original terms was $1,313,000. Loans are typically placed on non-accrual status when scheduled principal or interest payments are past due for 90 days or more, unless the loan is well secured and in the process of collection.
LIQUIDITY AND INTEREST RATE RISK MANAGEMENT
Liquidity is a measure of the ability of the Company’s subsidiary bank to fund new loan demand, existing loan commitments and deposit withdrawals. The purpose of liquidity management is to match sources of funds with anticipated customer borrowings and withdrawals and other obligations to ensure a dependable funding base, without unduly penalizing earnings. Failure to properly manage liquidity requirements can result in the need to satisfy customer withdrawals and other obligations on less than desirable terms. The liquidity of the parent company is dependent upon the receipt of dividends from its bank subsidiary, which are subject to certain regulatory limitations explained in Note 8 (Shareholders’ Equity) of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Report. The subsidiary bank’s source of funding is predominately core deposits, time deposits in excess of $100,000 and brokered certificates of deposit, maturities of securities, repayments of loan principal and interest, federal funds purchased, securities sold under agreements to repurchase and borrowings from the Federal Home Loan Bank and Federal Reserve Bank.
Interest rate risk is the exposure of the Company’s financial condition to adverse changes in market interest rates. In an effort to estimate the impact of sustained interest rate movements to the Company’s earnings, the Company monitors interest rate risk through computer-assisted simulation modeling of its net interest income. The Company’s simulation modeling monitors the potential impact to net interest income under various interest rate scenarios. The Company’s objective is to actively manage its asset/liability position within a one-year interval and to limit the risk in any of the interest rate scenarios to a reasonable level of tax-equivalent net interest income within that interval. The Company’s Asset/Liability Committee monitors compliance within established guidelines of the Funds Management Policy. See Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk section for further discussion regarding interest rate risk.
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