Item 1A. Risk Factors
Item 1A. Risk Factors
For a summary of risk factors relevant to the Company, see Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors,” in the 2022 Form 10-K. Except as noted below, there have been no material changes to risk factors relevant to the Company’s operations since December 31, 2022. Additional risks not presently known to the Company, or that the Company currently deems immaterial, may also adversely affect the business, financial condition or results of operations.
Needs to Improve rating under The Community Reinvestment Act may restrict the Company’s operations and limit its ability to pursue certain strategic opportunities.
As described in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations under the heading of “Recent Developments,” the Bank received a Community Reinvestment Act (“CRA”) Performance Evaluation from the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (the “OCC”) with a rating of “Needs to Improve” for the evaluation period January 1, 2018 through December 31, 2020. Based on its performance on the individual components of the CRA tests, the Bank received a rating of “Low Satisfactory” for the Lending, Investment, and Service Tests. The Bank’s final overall rating, however, was downgraded to “Needs to Improve” because of a Fair Housing Act violation cited by the OCC. The Bank’s management has taken actions to address the deficiencies and is committed to taking further voluntary corrective actions.
A “Needs to Improve” rating restricts certain expansionary activities, including certain mergers and acquisitions and the establishment of Bank branches. The rating will also result in a loss of expedited processing of applications to undertake certain activities.
These restrictions will remain in place until the OCC issues a higher CRA rating following a subsequent CRA examination. The next CRA examination is expected to commence sometime in 2024 for the CRA examination period 2021 to 2023. The precise timing of the examination and any results therefrom will not be known until after the completion of the examination.
Rising interest rates have decreased the value of the Company’s securities portfolio, and the Company would realize losses if it were required to sell such securities to meet liquidity needs.
As a result of inflationary pressures and the resulting rapid increases in interest rates over the last year, the trading value of previously issued government and other fixed income securities has declined significantly. These securities make up a majority of the securities portfolio of most banks in the U.S., including the Company’s, resulting in unrealized losses embedded in the securities portfolios. While the Company does not currently intend to sell these securities, if the Company were required to sell such securities to meet liquidity needs, it may incur losses, which could impair the Company’s capital, financial condition, and results of operations and require the Company to raise additional capital on unfavorable terms, thereby negatively impacting its profitability. While the Company has taken actions to maximize its funding sources, there is no guarantee that such actions will be successful or sufficient in the event of sudden liquidity needs. Furthermore, while the Federal Reserve Board has announced a Bank Term Funding Program available to eligible depository institutions secured by U.S. treasuries, agency debt and mortgage-backed securities, and other qualifying assets as collateral at par, to mitigate the risk of potential losses on the sale of such instruments, there is no guarantee that such programs will be effective in addressing liquidity needs as they arise.
The Company’s stock price may be negatively impacted by unrelated bank failures and negative depositor confidence in depository institutions. Further, if the Company is unable to adequately manage liquidity, deposits, capital levels and interest rate risk, which have come under greater scrutiny in light of recent bank failures, it may have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.
On March 8, 2023, Silvergate Capital Corporation, La Jolla, California, the holding company for Silvergate Bank, announced its decision to voluntarily liquidate the Bank and wind down operations. On March 10, 2023, Silicon Valley Bank, Santa Clara, California, and on May 1, 2023, First Republic Bank, San Francisco, California, were closed by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation. On March 12, 2023, Signature Bank, New York, New York, was closed by the New York State Department of Financial Services. These banks also had elevated levels of uninsured deposits, which may be less likely to
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remain at the bank over time and less stable as a source of funding than insured deposits. These failures led to volatility and declines in the market for bank stocks and questions about depositor confidence in depository institutions.
These events have led to a greater focus by institutions, investors and regulators on the on-balance sheet liquidity of and funding sources for financial institutions, the composition of its deposits, including the amount of uninsured deposits, the amount of accumulated other comprehensive loss, capital levels and interest rate risk management. If the Company is unable to adequately manage liquidity, deposits, capital levels and interest rate risk, it may have a material adverse effect on its financial condition and results of operations.
Recent negative developments affecting the banking industry, and resulting media coverage, have eroded customer confidence in the banking system.
The recent high-profile bank failures including Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank have generated significant market volatility among publicly traded bank holding companies and, in particular, regional banks. These market developments have negatively impacted customer confidence in the safety and soundness of financial institutions. As a result, customers may choose to maintain deposits with larger financial institutions or invest in higher yielding short-term fixed income securities, all of which could materially adversely impact the Company’s liquidity, loan funding capacity, net interest margin, capital and results of operations. While the Department of the Treasury, the Federal Reserve, and the FDIC have made statements ensuring that depositors of these recently failed banks would have access to their deposits, including previously uninsured deposit accounts, there is no guarantee that such actions will be successful in restoring customer confidence in regional banks and the banking system more broadly.
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