Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk
Interest Rate Sensitivity and Market Risk
As a financial institution, our primary component of market risk is interest rate volatility. Our financial management policy provides management with guidelines for effective funds management and we have established a measurement system for monitoring the net interest rate sensitivity position.
Fluctuations in interest rates will ultimately impact both the level of income and expense recorded on most of our assets and liabilities, and the market value of all interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities, other than those which have a short-term to maturity. Interest rate risk is the potential for economic losses due to future interest rate changes. These economic losses can be reflected as a loss of future net interest income and/or a loss of current fair market values. The objective is to measure the effect on net interest income and to adjust the consolidated balance sheets to minimize the inherent risk while at the same time maximizing income.
We manage exposure to interest rates by structuring the consolidated balance sheet in the ordinary course of business. We may utilize derivative financial instruments as part of an ongoing effort to mitigate interest rate risk exposure to interest rate fluctuations and facilitate the needs of our customers. For more information about our derivative financial instruments, see Note 12 — Derivative Financial Instruments in the notes to our consolidated financial statements contained in Part II, Item 8 of this report. Based on the nature of operations, we are not subject to foreign exchange or commodity price risk.
Our exposure to interest rate risk is managed by the Bank’s Asset-Liability Management Committee in accordance with policies approved by the Bank’s board of directors. The committee formulates strategies based on appropriate levels of interest rate risk. In determining the appropriate level of interest rate risk, the committee considers the impact on earnings and capital of the current outlook on interest rates, potential changes in interest rates, regional economies, liquidity, business strategies and other factors.
The committee meets regularly to review, among other things, the sensitivity of assets and liabilities to interest rate changes, the book and market values of assets and liabilities, unrealized gains and losses, purchase and sale activities, commitments to originate loans and the maturities of investments and borrowings. Additionally, the committee reviews liquidity, cash flow flexibility, maturities of deposits and consumer and commercial deposit activity. We employ methodologies to manage interest rate risk, which includes an analysis of relationships between interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities, and an interest rate shock simulation model.
We use interest rate risk simulation models and shock analyses to test the interest rate sensitivity of net interest income and fair value of equity, and the impact of changes in interest rates on other financial metrics. Our interest rate risk modeling incorporates a number of assumptions, including the repricing sensitivity of certain assets and liabilities, asset prepayment speeds, and the expected average life of non-maturity deposits. The assumptions used are inherently uncertain, and, as a result, the model cannot precisely measure future net interest income or precisely predict the impact of fluctuations in market interest rates on net interest income. Actual results will differ from the model’s simulated results due to timing, magnitude and frequency of interest rate changes as well as changes in market conditions and the application and timing of various management strategies.
On a quarterly basis, we run various simulation models, including a static balance sheet and a dynamic growth balance sheet. These models test the impact on net interest income and fair value of equity from changes in market interest rates under various scenarios. Under the static model, rates are shocked instantaneously and ramped rates change over a twelve-month and twenty-four-month horizon based upon parallel yield curve shifts. Parallel shock scenarios assume instantaneous parallel movements in the yield curve compared to a flat yield curve scenario. Additionally, we run a non-parallel simulation involving analysis of interest income and expense under various changes in the shape of the yield curve. Internal policy regarding interest rate risk simulations currently specifies that for instantaneous parallel shifts of the yield curve, estimated net interest income at risk for the subsequent one-year period should not decline by more than 8.0% for a 100 basis point shift, 15.0% for a 200 basis point shift, 20.0% for a 300 basis point shift, and 25.0% for a 400 basis point shift. We continue to monitor our asset sensitivity and evaluate strategies to prevent being significantly impacted by future changes in interest rates.
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The following table summarizes the impact of an instantaneous, sustained simulated change in net interest income and fair value of equity over a 12-month horizon at the date indicated.
December 31, 2023
Change in Interest Rates (basis points)
% Change in Net Interest Income
% Change in Fair Value of Equity
+400 15.9 % 4.1 %
+300 11.9 3.5
+200 8.0 3.0
+100 0.3 (1.1)
Base
-100 (4.5) (2.6)
-200 (0.8) (0.1)
-300 (0.8) (1.4)
-400 (1.0) (2.9)
We have found that, historically, interest rates on deposits do not change completely in tandem with the changes in the discount and federal funds rates. Overall, interest rates on deposits typically experience lower rate increases than a cumulative full-cycle rising-rate environment exhibits. This assumption is incorporated into the simulation model and is generally not fully reflected in a gap analysis, meaning that process by which we measure the gap between interest rate sensitive assets versus interest rate sensitive liabilities. The assumptions incorporated into the model are inherently uncertain and, as a result, the model cannot precisely measure future net interest income or precisely predict the impact of fluctuations in market interest rates on net interest income. Actual results will differ from the model’s simulated results due to timing, magnitude and frequency of interest rate changes, as well as changes in market conditions and the application and timing of various strategies.
Economic conditions and growth prospects are currently impacted by record inflation and recessionary concerns. Increasing interest rates and rising building costs have caused some slowing in the single family housing market. Furthermore, worker shortages especially in the restaurant, hospitality and retail industries, combined with supply chain disruptions impacting numerous industries, and inflationary conditions has had some impact on the level of economic growth. Ongoing higher inflation levels and higher interest rates could have a negative impact on both our consumer and commercial borrowers.
The Federal Reserve Board sets various benchmark rates, including the Federal Funds rate, and thereby influences the general market rates of interest, including the loan and deposit rates offered by financial institutions and the fair value of our available for sale securities. The Federal Funds target rate range has increased 525 basis points starting with the Federal Reserve Board’s first rate increase in 2022, and in order to remain competitive as market interest rates increased, we increased interest rates paid on our deposits.
Impact of Inflation
Our financial statements included herein have been prepared in accordance with U.S. GAAP, which presently requires us to measure the majority of our financial position and operating results primarily in terms of historic dollars. Changes in the relative value of money due to inflation or recession are generally not considered.
Unlike most industrial companies, virtually all of the assets and liabilities of a financial institution are monetary in nature. As a result, interest rates have a more significant impact on a financial institution’s performance than the general level of inflation. However, inflation affects financial institutions by increasing their cost of goods and services purchased, as well as the cost of salaries and benefits, occupancy expense, and similar items. Inflation and related increases in interest rates generally decrease the market value of investments and loans held and may adversely affect liquidity, earnings, and stockholders’ equity. In management’s opinion, changes in interest rates affect the financial condition of a financial institution to a far greater degree than changes in the inflation rate. While interest rates are greatly influenced by changes in the inflation rate, they do not necessarily change at the same rate or in the same magnitude as the inflation rate. Interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors that are beyond our control, including changes in the expected rate of inflation, the influence of general and local economic conditions and the monetary and fiscal policies of the United States government, its agencies and various other governmental regulatory authorities.
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Market Risk
In 2017, the United Kingdom’s Financial Conduct Authority announced that after 2021 it would no longer compel banks to submit the rates required to calculate the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR). Publication of the one week and two month LIBOR offered rates ceased on December 31, 2021, and the publication of the remaining LIBOR offered rates ceased to be representative on June 30, 2023. The Company discontinued the use of LIBOR for new contracts after December 31, 2021, with limited exceptions as permitted by regulatory guidance and internal policy.
Regulators, industry groups and certain committees (e.g., the Alternative Reference Rates Committee (ARRC)) have, among other things, published recommended fallback language for LIBOR-linked financial instruments, identified recommended alternatives for certain LIBOR rates (e.g., AMERIBOR or the Secured Overnight Financing Rate (SOFR) as the recommended alternative to U.S. Dollar LIBOR), and proposed implementations of the recommended alternatives in floating rate instruments. Further, the Adjustable Interest Rate (LIBOR) Act, enacted in March 2022, provides a statutory framework to replace U.S. dollar LIBOR with a benchmark rate based on the SOFR for contracts governed by U.S. law that have no or ineffective fallbacks, and in December 2022, the Federal Reserve Board adopted related implementing rules. In addition, where fallback language allows the Bank to select a benchmark rate, the statutory framework grants the authority to select the Board-selected benchmark replacement as the benchmark replacement, including the safe harbor provisions that, among other things, generally provide that such selection or use will not discharge or excuse performance under, give any person the right to unilaterally terminate or suspend performance under, or constitute a breach, of the contract.
Effective July 1, 2023, all remaining LIBOR instruments were transitioned in accordance with the statutory framework established by the Federal Reserve with no material financial impact to the Company. In general, the Company converted the index rate of variable rate loans based on 1-Month LIBOR to an index rate equal to 1-Month Term SOFR as of June 30, 2023. In addition, the Company converted the index rates of variable rate loans based on 3-Month LIBOR and 12-Month LIBOR to index rates equal to 3-Month Term SOFR and 12-Month Term SOFR, respectively, as of June 30, 2023, plus the incremental differences between the corresponding LIBOR and Term SOFR index rates on June 30, 2023. Likewise, all LIBOR-based indexes in the Bank’s swap agreements were converted to appropriate SOFR-based indexes. While we have not had any material issues to-date, the discontinuance of LIBOR could result in customer uncertainty and disputes arising as a consequence of the transition, and could result in damage to our reputation and loss of customers.
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