Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Item 7A. Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk
Market risk represents the risk of loss due to changes in market values of assets and liabilities. Market risk occurs in the normal course of business through exposures to market interest rates, equity prices, and credit spreads.
Overview
Interest rate risk is the risk to earnings and value arising from changes in market interest rates. Interest rate risk arises from timing differences in the repricings and maturities of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities (repricing risk), changes in the expected maturities of assets and liabilities arising from embedded options, such as borrowers’ ability to prepay residential mortgage loans at any time and depositors’ ability to redeem certificates of deposit before maturity (option risk), changes in the shape of the yield curve where interest rates increase or decrease in a nonparallel fashion (yield curve risk), and changes in spread relationships between different yield curves, such as U.S. Treasuries and London Interbank Offered Rate (“LIBOR”) (basis risk).
The Company’s Board ALCO establishes broad policy limits with respect to interest rate risk. Board ALCO establishes specific operating guidelines within the parameters of the Board of Directors’ policies. In general, The Company seeks to minimize the impact of changing interest rates on net interest income and the economic values of assets and liabilities. Board ALCO meets quarterly to monitor the level of interest rate risk sensitivity to ensure compliance with the Board of Directors’ approved risk limits. As discussed earlier, the Company also has a Management ALCO, which is comprised of senior management team and Chief Executive Officer, to proactively monitor interest rate risk.
Interest rate risk management is an active process that encompasses monitoring loan and deposit flows complemented by investment and funding activities. Effective management of interest rate risk begins with understanding the dynamic characteristics of assets and liabilities and determining the appropriate interest rate risk posture given business forecasts, management objectives, market expectations, and policy constraints.
An asset sensitive position refers to a balance sheet position in which an increase in short-term interest rates is expected to generate higher net interest income, as rates earned on interest-earning assets would reprice upward more quickly than rates paid on interest-bearing liabilities, thus expanding net interest margin. Conversely, a liability sensitive position refers to a balance sheet position in which an increase in short-term interest rates is expected to generate lower net interest income, as rates paid on interest-bearing liabilities would reprice upward more quickly than rates earned on interest-earning assets, thus compressing net interest margin.
Measurement
Interest rate risk exposure is measured and monitored through various risk management tools, which include a simulation model that performs interest rate sensitivity analyses under multiple interest rate scenarios. Interest rate risk measurement is calculated and reported to the Board ALCO at least quarterly. The information reported includes period-end results and identifies any policy limits exceeded, along with an assessment of the policy limit breach and the action plan and timeline for resolution, mitigation, or assumption of the risk.
The Company uses two approaches to model interest rate risk: Net Interest Income at Risk (“NII at Risk”), and Economic Value of Equity (“EVE”). Under NII at Risk, net interest income is modeled utilizing various assumptions for assets, liabilities, and derivatives. The Company uses a static balance sheet to perform these analyses. EVE measures the period end market value of assets minus the market value of liabilities and the change in this value as rates change. EVE simulation reflects the effect of interest rate shifts on the value of the Company. In contrast to NII simulation, EVE simulation identifies risks arising from repricing or maturity gaps over the life of the balance sheet. The EVE approach provides a comparatively broader scope than the NII at Risk approach since it captures all anticipated cash flows.
The following table presents the projected changes in NII at Risk and EVE that would occur upon an immediate change in interest rates based on independent analysis, but without giving effect to any steps that management might take to counteract that change as of the dates indicated:
December 31,
2022 2021
Simulated Rate Changes Net Interest Income Sensitivity Economic Value of Equity Sensitivity Net Interest Income Sensitivity Economic Value of Equity Sensitivity
+200 6.9 % (0.5) % 17.5 % 10.6 %
+100 3.6 % 0.3 % 8.7 % 6.2 %
-100 (4.6) % (1.5) % (11.7) % (6.1) %
72
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