CASS INFORMATION SYSTEMS INC - Quarter Report: 2015 March (Form 10-Q)

UNITED STATES
SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION
WASHINGTON, DC 20549
_________________

FORM 10-Q

Commission File No. 000-20827
________________
CASS INFORMATION SYSTEMS, INC.
(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant: (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports), and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§ 232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, a non-accelerated filer or a smaller reporting company. See the definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act.

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act).

The number of shares outstanding of the registrant's only class of common stock as of April 27, 2015: Common stock, par value $.50 per share – 11,476,082 shares outstanding.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Forward-looking Statements - Factors That May Affect Future Results

This report may contain or incorporate by reference forward-looking statements made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. Although we believe that, in making any such statements, our expectations are based on reasonable assumptions, forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance and involve risks, uncertainties, and other factors beyond our control, which may cause future performance to be materially different from expected performance summarized in the forward-looking statements. These risks, uncertainties and other factors are discussed in Part I, Item 1A, “Risk Factors” of the Company’s 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K, filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”), which may be updated from time to time in our future filings with the SEC. We undertake no obligation to publicly update or revise any forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events, or changes to future results over time.

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PART I. FINANCIAL INFORMATION

ITEM 1. FINANCIAL STATEMENTS

CASS INFORMATION SYSTEMS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED BALANCE SHEETS
(Dollars in Thousands except Share and Per Share Data)

See accompanying notes to unaudited consolidated financial statements.

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CASS INFORMATION SYSTEMS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF INCOME
(Unaudited)
(Dollars in Thousands except Per Share Data)

See accompanying notes to unaudited consolidated financial statements.

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CASS INFORMATION SYSTEMS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF COMPREHENSIVE INCOME
(Unaudited)
(Dollars in Thousands)

See accompanying notes to unaudited consolidated financial statements.

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CASS INFORMATION SYSTEMS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
CONSOLIDATED STATEMENTS OF CASH FLOWS
(Unaudited)
(Dollars in Thousands)

See accompanying notes to unaudited consolidated financial statements.

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CASS INFORMATION SYSTEMS, INC. AND SUBSIDIARIES
NOTES TO CONSOLIDATED FINANCIAL STATEMENTS
(Unaudited)

Note 1 - Basis of Presentation

The accompanying unaudited consolidated financial statements have been prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for interim financial information and with the instructions to Form 10-Q and Rule 10-01 of Regulation S-X. Accordingly, they do not include all of the information and footnotes required by U.S. generally accepted accounting principles for complete financial statements. In the opinion of management, all adjustments, consisting of normal recurring accruals, considered necessary for a fair presentation have been included. For further information, refer to the audited consolidated financial statements and related footnotes included in Cass Information System, Inc.’s (the “Company” or “Cass”) Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014.

Note 2 – Intangible Assets

The Company accounts for intangible assets in accordance with Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 350, “Goodwill and Other Intangible Assets,” (“FASB ASC 350”), which requires that intangibles with indefinite useful lives be tested annually for impairment and those with finite useful lives be amortized over their useful lives.

Details of the Company’s intangible assets are as follows:

The customer lists are amortized over seven and ten years; the patent over 18 years; the non-compete agreements over five years; software over three years; and other intangible assets over fifteen years. Amortization of intangible assets amounted to $101,000 and $120,000 for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Estimated future amortization of intangibles is as follows: $405,000 in 2015 and 2016, and $353,000 in each of 2017, 2018 and 2019.

Note 3 – Earnings Per Share

Basic earnings per share is computed by dividing net income by the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted earnings per share is computed by dividing net income by the sum of the weighted-average number of common shares outstanding and the weighted-average number of potential common shares outstanding. There were no anti-dilutive shares in the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014. The calculations of basic and diluted earnings per share are as follows:

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Note 4 – Stock Repurchases

The Company maintains a treasury stock buyback program pursuant to which the Board of Directors has authorized the repurchase of up to 500,000 shares of the Company’s common stock. The Company repurchased 69,288 and 0 shares during the three-month periods ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. As of March 31, 2015, 410,752 shares remained available for repurchase under the program. Repurchases may be made in the open market or through negotiated transactions from time to time depending on market conditions.

Note 5 – Industry Segment Information

The services provided by the Company are classified into two reportable segments: Information Services and Banking Services. Each of these segments provides distinct services that are marketed through different channels. They are managed separately due to their unique service, processing and capital requirements.

The Information Services segment provides transportation, energy, telecommunication, and environmental invoice processing and payment services to large corporations. The Banking Services segment provides banking services primarily to privately held businesses and churches.

The Company’s accounting policies for segments are the same as those described in the summary of significant accounting policies in the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014. Management evaluates segment performance based on net income after allocations for corporate expenses and income taxes. Transactions between segments are accounted for at what management believes to be fair value.

Substantially all revenue originates from, and all long-lived assets are located within the United States, and no revenue from any customer of any segment exceeds 10% of the Company’s consolidated revenue.

Assets represent actual assets owned by Information Services and Banking Services and there is no allocation methodology used. Segment interest from customers is the actual interest earned on the loans owned by Information Services and Banking Services, respectively.

Summarized information about the Company’s operations in each industry segment is as follows:

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Note 6 – Loans by Type

A summary of loan categories is as follows:

The following table presents the aging of loans by loan categories at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014:

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The following table presents the credit exposure of the loan portfolio as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014:

Impaired loans consist primarily of nonaccrual loans, loans greater than 90 days past due and still accruing interest and troubled debt restructurings, both performing and nonperforming. Troubled debt restructuring involves the granting of a concession to a borrower experiencing financial difficulty resulting in the modification of terms of the loan, such as changes in payment schedule or interest rate. Management measures impairment in accordance with FASB ASC 310, “Allowance for Credit Losses.” At March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, all impaired loans were evaluated based on the fair value of the collateral. The fair value of the collateral is based upon an observable market price or current appraised value and therefore, the Company classifies these assets as nonrecurring Level 3. There were no loans delinquent 90 days or more and still accruing interest at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014. There were no loans classified as troubled debt restructuring at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014.

There were no foreclosed loans recorded as other real estate owned (included in other assets) as of March 31, 2015, and December 31, 2014.

The following table presents the recorded investment and unpaid principal balance for impaired loans at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014:

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A summary of the activity in the allowance for loan losses from December 31, 2014 to March 31, 2015 is as follows:

Note 7 – Commitments and Contingencies

In the normal course of business, the Company is party to activities that contain credit, market and operational risks that are not reflected in whole or in part in the Company’s consolidated financial statements. Such activities include traditional off-balance sheet credit-related financial instruments and commitments under operating leases. These financial instruments include commitments to extend credit, commercial letters of credit and standby letters of credit. The Company’s maximum potential exposure to credit loss in the event of nonperformance by the other party to the financial instrument for commitments to extend credit, commercial letters of credit and standby letters of credit is represented by the contractual amounts of those instruments. At March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, no amounts have been accrued for any estimated losses for these instruments.

Commitments to extend credit are agreements to lend to a customer as long as there is no violation of any condition established in the contract. Commercial and standby letters of credit are conditional commitments issued by the Company or its subsidiaries to guarantee the performance of a customer to a third party. These off-balance sheet financial instruments generally have fixed expiration dates or other termination clauses and may require payment of a fee. At March 31, 2015, the balance of unused loan commitments, standby and commercial letters of credit were $12,917,000, $11,754,000, and $2,017,000, respectively. Since some of the financial instruments may expire without being drawn upon, the total amounts do not necessarily represent future cash requirements. Commitments to extend credit and letters of credit are subject to the same underwriting standards as those financial instruments included on the consolidated balance sheets. The Company evaluates each customer’s credit worthiness on a case-by-case basis. The amount of collateral obtained, if deemed necessary upon extension of the credit, is based on management’s credit evaluation of the borrower. Collateral held varies, but is generally accounts receivable, inventory, residential or income-producing commercial property or equipment. In the event of nonperformance, the Company or its subsidiaries may obtain and liquidate the collateral to recover amounts paid under guarantees on these financial instruments.

The following table summarizes contractual cash obligations of the Company related to operating lease commitments and time deposits at March 31, 2015:

The Company and its subsidiaries are involved in various pending legal actions and proceedings in which claims for damages are asserted. Management, after discussion with legal counsel, believes the ultimate resolution of these legal actions and proceedings will not have a material effect upon the Company’s consolidated financial position or results of operations.

Note 8 – Stock-Based Compensation

The Amended and Restated Omnibus Stock and Performance Compensation Plan (the “Omnibus Plan”) permits the issuance of up to 1,500,000 shares of the Company’s common stock in the form of stock options, stock appreciation rights (“SARs”), restricted stock, restricted stock units and performance awards. The Company issues shares out of treasury stock for these awards. During the three months ended March 31, 2015, 35,657 restricted shares and 0 SARs were granted under the Omnibus Plan. 

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Restricted Stock
Restricted shares granted prior to April 16, 2013 are amortized to expense over a three-year vesting period. Beginning on April 16, 2013, restricted shares granted to Company employees are amortized to expense over a three-year vesting period whereas restricted shares granted to members of the Board of Directors are amortized to expense over a one-year service period, with the exception of those shares granted in lieu of cash payments for retainer fees which are expensed in the period earned. As of March 31, 2015, the total unrecognized compensation expense related to non-vested restricted shares was $2,578,000, and the related weighted-average period over which it is expected to be recognized is approximately 1.3 years.

Following is a summary of the activity of the restricted stock:

SARs
SARs vest over a three-year period, with one-third of the shares vesting and becoming exercisable each year on the anniversary date of the grant, and they expire 10 years from the original grant date. As of March 31, 2015, the total unrecognized compensation expense was $661,000, and the related weighted-average period over which it is expected to be recognized is .8 years. Following is a summary of the activity of the Company’s SARs program for the three-month period ended March 31, 2015:

Following is a summary of the activity of the non-vested SARs during the three-month period ended March 31, 2015:

The Company uses the Black-Scholes pricing model to determine the fair value of the SARs at the date of grant. Following are the assumptions used to estimate the per-share fair value of SARs granted:

The risk-free interest rate is based on the zero-coupon U.S. Treasury yield for the period equal to the expected life of the SARs at the time of the grant. The expected life was derived using the historical exercise activity. The Company uses historical volatility for a period equal to the expected life of the rights using average monthly closing market prices of the Company’s stock as reported on The Nasdaq Global Market. The expected dividend yield is based on the Company’s current rate of annual dividends. 

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Note 9 – Defined Pension Plans

The Company has a noncontributory defined-benefit pension plan, which covers most of its employees. The Company accrues and makes contributions designed to fund normal service costs on a current basis using the projected unit credit with service proration method to amortize prior service costs arising from improvements in pension benefits and qualifying service prior to the establishment of the plan over a period of approximately 30 years. Disclosure information is based on a measurement date of December 31 of the corresponding year. The following table represents the components of the net periodic pension costs:

Pension costs recorded to expense were $991,000 and $410,000 for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively. Pension costs increased significantly in 2015 due to a decrease in the discount rate assumption and the use of the updated mortality tables. The Company made no contribution to the plan during the three-month period ended March 31, 2015 and is evaluating the amount of additional contributions, if any, in the remainder of 2015.

In addition to the above funded benefit plan, the Company has an unfunded supplemental executive retirement plan which covers key executives of the Company. This is a noncontributory plan in which the Company and its subsidiaries make accruals designed to fund normal service costs on a current basis using the same method and criteria as its defined benefit plan. The following table represents the components of the net periodic pension costs for 2014 and an estimate for 2015:

Pension costs recorded to expense were $285,000 and $236,000 for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2015 and 2014, respectively.

Note 10 – Income Taxes

As of March 31, 2015, the Company’s unrecognized tax benefits were approximately $1,191,000, of which $876,000 would, if recognized, affect the Company’s effective tax rate. As of December 31, 2014, the Company's unrecognized tax benefits were approximately $1,117,000, of which $819,000 would, if recognized, affect the Company's effective tax rate. During the next 12 months, the Company may realize a reduction of its unrecognized tax benefits of approximately $210,000 due to the lapse of federal and state statutes of limitations.

The Company recognizes interest and penalties related to uncertain tax positions in income tax expense. The Company had $54,000 and $45,000 of gross interest accrued as of March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014, respectively. There were no penalties for unrecognized tax benefits accrued at March 31, 2015 and December 31, 2014.

The Company is subject to income tax in the U.S. federal jurisdiction and numerous state jurisdictions. U.S. federal income tax returns for tax years 2011 through 2013 remain subject to examination by the Internal Revenue Service. In addition, the Company is subject to state tax examinations for the tax years 2011 through 2013.

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Note 11 – Investment in Securities

Investment securities available-for-sale are recorded at fair value on a recurring basis. The Company’s investment securities available-for-sale are measured at fair value using Level 2 valuations. The market evaluation utilizes several sources which include “observable inputs” rather than “significant unobservable inputs” and therefore fall into the Level 2 category. The amortized cost, gross unrealized gains, gross unrealized losses and fair value of investment securities are summarized as follows:

The fair values of securities with unrealized losses are as follows:

There were 8 securities, or 2% of the total (one greater than 12 months), in an unrealized loss position as of March 31, 2015. There were 20 securities, or 6% of the total (12 greater than 12 months), in an unrealized loss position as of December 31, 2014. All unrealized losses were reviewed to determine whether the losses were other than temporary. Management believes that all unrealized losses are temporary since they were market driven, the Company does not have the intent to sell the security, and it is more likely than not that the Company will not be required to sell prior to recovery of the amortized basis.

The amortized cost and fair value of investment securities by contractual maturity are shown in the following table. Expected maturities may differ from contractual maturities because borrowers have the right to prepay obligations with or without prepayment penalties.

Proceeds from sales of investment securities classified as available for sale were $45,198,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2015. Gross realized gains were $949,000 for the three months ended March 31, 2015. There was one security totaling $3,750,000 pledged to secure public deposits and for other purposes at March 31, 2015.

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Note 12 – Fair Value of Financial Instruments

Following is a summary of the carrying amounts and fair values of the Company’s financial instruments:

The following methods and assumptions were used to estimate the fair value of each class of financial instruments for which it is practicable to estimate that value:

Cash and Cash Equivalents - The carrying amount approximates fair value.

Investment in Securities - The fair value is measured on a recurring basis using Level 2 valuations. Refer to Note 11, “Investment in Securities,” for fair value and unrealized gains and losses by investment type.

Loans - The fair value is estimated using present values of future cash flows discounted at risk-adjusted interest rates for each loan category designated by management and is therefore a Level 3 valuation. Management believes that the risk factor embedded in the interest rates along with the allowance for loan losses results in a fair valuation.

Impaired loans are valued using the fair value of the collateral which is based upon an observable market price or a current appraised value and therefore, the fair value is a nonrecurring Level 3 valuation.

Accrued Interest Receivable - The carrying amount approximates fair value.

Deposits - The fair value of demand deposits, savings deposits and certain money market deposits is the amount payable on demand at the reporting date. The fair value of fixed-maturity certificates of deposit is estimated using the rates currently offered for deposits of similar remaining maturities and therefore, is a Level 2 valuation. The fair value estimates above do not include the benefit that results from the low-cost funding provided by the deposit liabilities compared to the cost of borrowing funds in the market or the benefit derived from the customer relationship inherent in existing deposits.

Accounts and Drafts Payable - The carrying amount approximates fair value.

Accrued Interest - The carrying amount approximates fair value.

There were no transfers between Levels 1 and 2 of the fair value hierarchy for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014. No financial instruments are measured using Level 3 inputs for the three months ended March 31, 2015 and 2014.

Note 13 – Subsequent Events

In accordance with FASB ASC 855, “Subsequent Events,” the Company has evaluated subsequent events after the consolidated balance sheet date of March 31, 2015, and there were no events identified that would require additional disclosures to prevent the Company’s unaudited consolidated financial statements from being misleading.

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Overview

Cass provides payment and information processing services to large manufacturing, distribution and retail enterprises from its offices/locations in St. Louis, Missouri, Columbus, Ohio, Boston, Massachusetts, Greenville, South Carolina, Wellington, Kansas, Jacksonville, Florida, and Breda, Netherlands. The Company’s services include transportation invoice rating, payment processing, auditing, and the generation of accounting and transportation information. Cass also processes and pays energy invoices, which include electricity and gas as well as waste and other facility related expenses. Cass is also in the telecommunications expense management market which includes bill processing and expense management solutions. Cass extracts, stores, and presents information from transportation, energy, telecommunication and environmental invoices, assisting its customers’ transportation, energy, environmental and information technology managers in making decisions that will enable them to improve operating performance. The Company receives data from multiple sources, electronic and otherwise, and processes the data to accomplish the specific operating requirements of its customers. It then provides the data in a central repository for access and archiving. The data is finally transformed into information through the Company’s databases that allow client interaction as required and provide Internet-based tools for analytical processing. The Company, through Cass Commercial Bank, its St. Louis, Missouri-based bank subsidiary (the “Bank”), also provides commercial banking services in the St. Louis metropolitan area and has loan production offices in Southern California and Colorado Springs, Colorado. In addition to supporting the Company’s payment operations, the Bank provides banking services to its target markets, which include privately-owned businesses and churches and church-related ministries.

The specific payment and information processing services provided to each customer are developed individually to meet each customer’s requirements, which can vary greatly. In addition, the degree of automation such as electronic data interchange, imaging, work flow, and web-based solutions varies greatly among customers and industries. These factors combine so that pricing varies greatly among the customer base. In general, however, Cass is compensated for its processing services through service fees and investment of account balances generated during the payment process. The amount, type, and calculation of service fees vary greatly by service offering, but generally follow the volume of transactions processed. Interest income from the balances generated during the payment processing cycle is affected by the amount of time Cass holds the funds prior to payment and the dollar volume processed. Both the number of transactions processed and the dollar volume processed are therefore key metrics followed by management. Other factors will also influence revenue and profitability, such as changes in the general level of interest rates which have a significant effect on net interest income. The funds generated by these processing activities are invested in overnight investments, investment grade securities, and loans generated by the Bank. The Bank earns most of its revenue from net interest income, or the difference between the interest earned on its loans and investments and the interest paid on its deposits and other borrowings. The Bank also assesses fees on other services such as cash management services.

Industry-wide factors that impact the Company include the willingness of large corporations to outsource key business functions such as transportation, energy, telecommunication and environmental payment and audit. The benefits that can be achieved by outsourcing transaction processing, and the management information generated by Cass’ systems can be influenced by factors such as the competitive pressures within industries to improve profitability, the general level of transportation costs, deregulation of energy costs, and consolidation of telecommunication providers. Economic factors that impact the Company include the general level of economic activity that can affect the volume and size of invoices processed, the ability to hire and retain qualified staff, and the growth and quality of the loan portfolio. The general level of interest rates also has a significant effect on the revenue of the Company. As discussed in greater detail in Item 7A, “Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures about Market Risk,” in the Company’s 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K, a decline in the general level of interest rates can have a negative impact on net interest income.

Currently, management views Cass’ major opportunity as the continued expansion of its payment and information processing service offerings and customer base. Management intends to accomplish this by maintaining the Company’s leadership position in applied technology, which when combined with the security and processing controls of the Bank, makes Cass unique in the industry.

Critical Accounting Policies

The Company has prepared the consolidated financial statements in this report in accordance with the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”). In preparing the consolidated financial statements, management makes estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amount of assets and liabilities, disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements, and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reporting period. These estimates have been generally accurate in the past, have been consistent and have not required any material changes. There can be no assurances that actual results will not differ from those estimates. Certain accounting policies that require significant management estimates and are deemed critical to the Company’s results of operations or financial position have been discussed with the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors and are described below. 

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Investment in Debt Securities. The Company classifies its debt marketable securities as available-for-sale. Securities classified as available-for-sale are carried at fair value. Unrealized gains and losses, net of the related tax effect, are excluded from earnings and reported in accumulated other comprehensive income, a component of shareholders’ equity. A decline in the fair value of any available-for-sale security below cost that is deemed other than temporary results in a charge to earnings and the establishment of a new cost basis for the security. To determine whether impairment is other than temporary, the Company considers guidance provided in FASB ASC Topic 320, “Investments –Debt and Equity Securities”. When determining whether a debt security is other-than-temporarily impaired, the Company assesses whether it has the intent to sell the security and whether it is more likely than not that the Company will be required to sell prior to recovery of the amortized cost basis. Evidence considered in this assessment includes the reasons for impairment, the severity and duration of the impairment, changes in value subsequent to year-end and forecasted performance of the investee.

Allowance for Loan Losses. The Company performs periodic and systematic detailed reviews of its loan portfolio to assess overall collectability. The level of the allowance for loan losses reflects management’s estimate of the collectability of the loan portfolio. Although these estimates are based on established methodologies for determining allowance requirements, actual results can differ significantly from estimated results. These policies affect both segments of the Company. The impact and associated risks related to these policies on the Company’s business operations are discussed in the “Provision and Allowance for Loan Losses” section of this report. The Company’s estimates have been materially accurate in the past, and accordingly, the Company expects to continue to utilize the present processes.

Income Taxes. The objectives of accounting for income taxes are to recognize the amount of taxes payable or refundable for the current year and deferred tax liabilities and assets for the future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in an entity's financial statements or tax returns. Judgment is required in addressing the future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in the Company’s financial statements or tax returns such as the realization of deferred tax assets or changes in tax laws or interpretations thereof. In addition, the Company is subject to the continuous examination of its income tax returns by the Internal Revenue Service and other taxing authorities. In accordance with FASB ASC 740, “Income Taxes,” the Company has unrecognized tax benefits related to tax positions taken or expected to be taken. See Note 10 to the unaudited consolidated financial statements contained herein.

Pension Plans. The amounts recognized in the unaudited consolidated financial statements related to pension plans are determined from actuarial valuations. Inherent in these valuations are assumptions, including expected return on plan assets, discount rates at which the liabilities could be settled at December 31, 2014, rate of increase in future compensation levels and mortality rates. These assumptions are updated annually and are disclosed in Item 8, Note 10 to the consolidated financial statements filed with the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2014. Pursuant to FASB ASC 715, “Compensation – Retirement Benefits,” the Company has recognized the funded status of its defined benefit postretirement plan in its balance sheet and has recognized changes in that funded status through comprehensive income. The funded status is measured as the difference between the fair value of the plan assets and the projected benefit obligation as of the date of its fiscal year-end.

Results of Operations

The following paragraphs more fully discuss the results of operations and changes in financial condition for the three-month period ended March 31, 2015 (“First Quarter of 2015”) compared to the three-month period ended March 31, 2014 (“First Quarter of 2014”). The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the unaudited consolidated financial statements and related notes and with the statistical information and financial data appearing in this report, as well as in the Company's 2014 Annual Report on Form 10-K. Results of operations for the First Quarter of 2015 are not necessarily indicative of the results to be attained for any other period.

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Net Income

The following table summarizes the Company’s operating results:

Fee Revenue and Other Income

The Company’s fee revenue is derived mainly from transportation and facility payment and processing fees. As the Company provides its processing and payment services, it is compensated by service fees which are typically calculated on a per-item basis and by the accounts and drafts payable balances generated in the payment process which can be used to generate interest income. Processing volumes, fee revenue and other income were as follows:

First Quarter of 2015 compared to First Quarter of 2014:

The growth of 5.5% in payment and processing fee revenue was driven mainly by a large number of new customers added during the past year. Transportation volume increased despite softening activity from existing accounts. Expense management dollar volume declined as on-going competitor consolidation in the energy sector continued to impact client retention.

Bank service fees were slightly higher than last year. There were $949,000 gains on sales of securities in the First Quarter of 2015, compared to $0 in the First Quarter of 2014.

Net Interest Income

Net interest income is the difference between interest earned on loans, investments, and other earning assets and interest expense on deposits and other interest-bearing liabilities. Net interest income is a significant source of the Company’s revenues. The following table summarizes the changes in tax-equivalent net interest income and related factors:

First Quarter of 2015 compared to First Quarter of 2014:

First Quarter of 2015 average earning assets increased $26,463,000, or 2%, compared to the same period in the prior year (see discussion in the following paragraphs). The yield on earning assets and the tax equivalent net interest margin both decreased in 2015 as the general level of interest rates remains low and the impact becomes more pronounced as longer-term, higher-yielding assets re-price, mature or are sold.

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Total average loans increased $20,301,000, or 3.1%, for the First Quarter of 2015 as compared to the First Quarter of 2014 due to continuing competition from other lenders. Average investment securities increased $2,410,000, or less than 1%, for the First Quarter of 2015.

Total average interest-bearing deposits for the First Quarter of 2015 increased $32,023,000, or 7.6%, compared to the First Quarter of 2014. Average accounts and drafts payable increased $6,439,000, or 1.1%, for the First Quarter of 2015 due to the increase in processing activity.

For more information on the changes in net interest income, please refer to the tables that follow.

Distribution of Assets, Liabilities and Shareholders' Equity; Interest Rate and Interest Differential

The following tables show the condensed average balance sheets for each of the periods reported, the tax-equivalent interest income and expense on each category of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities, and the average yield on such categories of interest-earning assets and the average rates paid on such categories of interest-bearing liabilities for each of the periods reported.

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