FIRST NATIONAL CORP /VA/ - Annual Report: 2020 (Form 10-K)

 

Table of Contents

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

	FORM 10-K

 

☒	ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020

 

or

 

☐	TRANSITION REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the transition period from                      to                     

Commission file number 1-38874

 _______________________________________________________

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 _______________________________________________________

Virginia	54-1232965
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)	(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
112 West King Street, Strasburg, Virginia	22657
(Address of principal executive offices)	(Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (540) 465-9121

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(b) of the Act:

 

Title of each class	Trading symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common stock, par value $1.25 per share	FXNC	The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC

 

Securities registered pursuant to Section 12(g) of the Act: None

 _______________________________________________________

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined in Rule 405 of the Securities Act.    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

 

Indicate by check mark if the registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

 

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.    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted 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 such files).    Yes  ☒    No  ☐

 

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

 

Large accelerated filer	☐	Accelerated filer	☐
Non-accelerated filer	☒	Smaller reporting company	☒
		Emerging growth company	☐

 

If an emerging growth company, indicate by check mark if the registrant has elected not to use the extended transition period for complying with any new or revised financial accounting standards provided pursuant to Section 13(a) of the Exchange Act.  ☐

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has filed a report on and attestation to its management’s assessment of the effectiveness of its internal control over financial reporting under Section 404(b) of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act (15 U.S.C. 7262(b)) by the registered public accounting firm that prepared or issued its audit report.  ☐ 

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant is a shell company (as defined in Rule 12b-2 of the Act).    Yes  ☐    No  ☒

 

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the closing sales price on June 30, 2020 was $59,149,339.

 

The number of outstanding shares of common stock as of March 30, 2021 was 4,868,462.

 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Proxy Statement for the 2021 Annual Meeting of Shareholders – Part III

 

 

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Table of Contents

 

Part I

Cautionary Statement Regarding Forward-Looking Statements

First National Corporation (the Company) makes forward-looking statements in this Form 10-K that are subject to risks and uncertainties. These forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, statements regarding profitability, liquidity, adequacy of capital, allowance for loan losses, interest rate sensitivity, market risk, growth strategy, and the impact of the Company’s acquisition (the Merger) of The Bank of Fincastle (Fincastle), including the expected levels of merger related expenses to be incurred by the Company and the potential impact of the Merger on the Company’s and First Bank’s (the Bank) liquidity and capital levels, as well as certain financial and other goals. The words “believes,” “expects,” “may,” “will,” “should,” “projects,” “contemplates,” “anticipates,” “forecasts,” “intends,” or other similar words or terms are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking statements are subject to significant uncertainties because they are based upon or are affected by factors including:

Because of these and other uncertainties, actual future results may be materially different from the results indicated by these forward-looking statements. In addition, past results of operations do not necessarily indicate future results.

General

First National Corporation (the Company) is a bank holding company incorporated under Virginia law on September 7, 1983. The Company owns all of the stock of its primary operating subsidiary, First Bank (the Bank), which is a commercial bank chartered under Virginia law. The Company’s subsidiaries are:

First Bank Financial Services, Inc. invests in entities that provide title insurance and investment services. Shen-Valley Land Holdings, LLC was formed to hold other real estate owned and future office sites. The Trusts were formed for the purpose of issuing redeemable capital securities, commonly known as trust preferred securities, and are not included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements in accordance with authoritative accounting guidance because management has determined that the Trusts qualify as variable interest entities.

The Bank first opened for business on July 1, 1907 under the name The Peoples National Bank of Strasburg. On January 10, 1928, the Bank changed its name to The First National Bank of Strasburg. On April 12, 1994, the Bank received approval from the Federal Reserve Bank of Richmond and the Virginia State Corporation Commission’s Bureau of Financial Institutions to convert to a state chartered bank with membership in the Federal Reserve System. On June 1, 1994, the Bank consummated such conversion and changed its name to First Bank.

On February 18, 2021, the Company, the Bank and Fincastle entered into an agreement and plan of merger, pursuant to which Fincastle will merge with and into First Bank, with First Bank being the surviving entity in the Merger.  Upon completion of the Merger, each outstanding share of Fincastle common stock will be converted into the right to receive, without interest, one of the following: (i) $3.30 in cash, (ii) a number of shares of the Company’s common stock equal to the 0.1649 shares of the Company’s  common stock for each share of Fincastle common stock, or (iii) a combination of cash and the Company’s common stock. Fincastle shareholders will have the right to elect the form of consideration paid, subject to the limitations that 80% of Fincastle’s outstanding shares of common stock will be exchanged for the Company’s common stock and 20% of Fincastle’s outstanding shares of common stock will be exchanged for cash consideration. If Fincastle shareholders elect for more than 20% of Fincastle’s outstanding shares of common stock to be exchanged for cash consideration, the Company has the unilateral right to increase the amount of cash paid up to 22% of Fincastle’s outstanding shares of common stock. 

Completion of the Merger is subject to the approval of the respective shareholders of Fincastle and the Company, regulatory approvals, and other customary closing conditions. Pursuant to the Agreement, three directors of Fincastle will be invited to serve on the boards of directors of the Company and the Bank.  The transaction is expected to close in the third quarter of 2021. 

Access to Filings

The Company’s internet address is www.fbvirginia.com. The Company’s Annual Reports on Form 10-K, Quarterly Reports on Form 10-Q and Current Reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports, as filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (the SEC), are available free of charge at www.fbvirginia.com as soon as reasonably practicable after being filed with or furnished to the SEC. A copy of any of the Company’s filings will be sent, without charge, to any shareholder upon written request to: M. Shane Bell, Chief Financial Officer, at 112 West King Street, Strasburg, Virginia 22657. The information on the Company's website is not a part of, and is not incorporated into, this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Products and Services

The Bank offers loan, deposit, and wealth management products and services. Loan products and services include consumer loans, residential mortgages, home equity loans, and commercial loans. Deposit products and services include checking accounts, treasury management solutions, savings accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, and individual retirement accounts. Wealth management services include estate planning, investment management of assets, trustee under an agreement, trustee under a will, individual retirement accounts, and estate settlement. Customers include small and medium-sized businesses, individuals, estates, local governmental entities, and non-profit organizations. The Bank’s office locations are well-positioned in attractive markets along the Interstate 81, Interstate 66, and Interstate 64 corridors in the Shenandoah Valley, central regions of Virginia, and the city of Richmond. Within this market area, there are diverse types of industry including medical and professional services, manufacturing, retail, warehousing, Federal government, hospitality, and higher education.

The Bank’s products and services are delivered through 14 bank branch offices located throughout the Shenandoah Valley and central regions of Virginia, a loan production office, and a customer service center in a retirement village. The branch offices are comprised of 13 full service retail banking offices and one drive-through express banking office. For the location and general character of each of these offices, see Item 2 of this Form 10-K. Many of the Bank’s services are also delivered through the Bank’s mobile banking platform, its website, www.fbvirginia.com, and a network of ATMs located throughout its market area.

Competition

The financial services industry remains highly competitive and is constantly evolving. The Company experiences strong competition in all aspects of its business. In its market areas, the Company competes with large national and regional financial institutions, credit unions, other community banks, as well as consumer finance companies, mortgage companies, marketplace lenders and other financial technology firms, mutual funds and life insurance companies. Competition for deposits and loans is affected by various factors including interest rates offered, the number and location of branches and types of products offered, and the reputation of the institution. Credit unions have been allowed to increasingly expand their membership definitions and, because they enjoy a favorable tax status, may be able to offer more attractive loan and deposit pricing.

The Company believes its competitive advantages include long-term customer relationships, local management and directors, a commitment to excellent customer service, dedicated and loyal employees, and the support of and involvement in the communities that the Company serves. The Company focuses on providing products and services to individuals, small to medium-sized businesses, non-profit organizations, and local governmental entities within its communities. The Company’s primary operating subsidiary, First Bank, generally has a strong deposit share of the markets it serves. According to Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) deposit data as of June 30, 2020, the Bank was ranked third overall in its market area with 10.53% of the total deposit market.

No material part of the business of the Company is dependent upon a single or a few customers, and the loss of any single customer would not have a materially adverse effect upon the business of the Company.

Employees

At December 31, 2020, the Bank employed a total of 150 full-time equivalent employees. The Company considers relations with its employees to be excellent.

SUPERVISION AND REGULATION

Bank holding companies and banks are extensively and increasingly regulated under both federal and state laws. The following description briefly addresses certain historic and current provisions of federal and state laws and regulations, proposed regulations, and the potential impacts on the Company and the Bank. To the extent statutory or regulatory provisions or proposals are described in this report, the description is qualified in its entirety by reference to the particular statutory or regulatory provisions or proposals.

The Company

General. As a bank holding company registered under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 (the BHCA), the Company is subject to supervision, regulation, and examination by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the Federal Reserve). The Company is also registered under the bank holding company laws of Virginia and is subject to supervision, regulation, and examination by the Virginia State Corporation Commission (the SCC).

Permitted Activities. A bank holding company is limited to managing or controlling banks, furnishing services to or performing services for its subsidiaries, and engaging in other activities that the Federal Reserve determines by regulation or order to be so closely related to banking or managing or controlling banks as to be a proper incident thereto. In determining whether a particular activity is permissible, the Federal Reserve must consider whether the performance of such an activity reasonably can be expected to produce benefits to the public that outweigh possible adverse effects. Possible benefits include greater convenience, increased competition, and gains in efficiency. Possible adverse effects include undue concentration of resources, decreased or unfair competition, conflicts of interest, and unsound banking practices. Despite prior approval, the Federal Reserve may order a bank holding company or its subsidiaries to terminate any activity or to terminate ownership or control of any subsidiary when the Federal Reserve has reasonable cause to believe that a serious risk to the financial safety, soundness or stability of any bank subsidiary of that bank holding company may result from such an activity.

Banking Acquisitions; Changes in Control. The BHCA requires, among other things, the prior approval of the Federal Reserve in any case where a bank holding company proposes to (i) acquire direct or indirect ownership or control of more than 5% of the outstanding voting stock of any bank or bank holding company (unless it already owns a majority of such voting shares), (ii) acquire all or substantially all of the assets of another bank or bank holding company, or (iii) merge or consolidate with any other bank holding company. In determining whether to approve a proposed bank acquisition, the Federal Reserve will consider, among other factors, the effect of the acquisition on competition, the public benefits expected to be received from the acquisition, the projected capital ratios and levels on a post-acquisition basis, and the acquiring institution’s performance under the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977 (the CRA).

Subject to certain exceptions, the BHCA and the Change in Bank Control Act, together with the applicable regulations, require Federal Reserve approval (or, depending on the circumstances, no notice of disapproval) prior to any person or company’s acquiring “control” of a bank or bank holding company. A conclusive presumption of control exists if an individual or company acquires the power, directly or indirectly, to direct the management or policies of an insured depository institution or to vote 25% or more of any class of voting securities of any insured depository institution. A rebuttable presumption of control exists if a person or company acquires 10% or more but less than 25% of any class of voting securities of an insured depository institution and either the institution has registered securities under Section 12 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (the Exchange Act) or no other person will own a greater percentage of that class of voting securities immediately after the acquisition. The Company’s common stock is registered under Section 12 of the Exchange Act.

Source of Strength. Federal Reserve policy has historically required bank holding companies to act as a source of financial and managerial strength to their subsidiary banks. The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the Dodd-Frank Act) codified this policy as a statutory requirement. The federal bank regulatory agencies must still issue regulations to implement the source of strength provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act. Under this requirement, the Company is expected to commit resources to support the Bank, including at times when the Company may not be in a financial position to provide such resources. Any capital loans by a bank holding company to any of its subsidiary banks are subordinate in right of payment to depositors and to certain other indebtedness of such subsidiary banks. In the event of a bank holding company’s bankruptcy, any commitment by the bank holding company to a federal bank regulatory agency to maintain the capital of a subsidiary bank will be assumed by the bankruptcy trustee and entitled to priority of payment.

Safety and Soundness. There are a number of obligations and restrictions imposed on bank holding companies and their subsidiary banks by law and regulatory policy that are designed to minimize potential loss to the depositors of such depository institutions and the FDIC insurance fund in the event of a depository institution default. For example, under the Federal Deposit Insurance Company Improvement Act of 1991, to avoid receivership of an insured depository institution subsidiary, a bank holding company is required to guarantee the compliance of any subsidiary bank that may become “undercapitalized” with the terms of any capital restoration plan filed by such subsidiary with its appropriate federal bank regulatory agency up to the lesser of (i) an amount equal to 5% of the institution’s total assets at the time the institution became undercapitalized, or (ii) the amount that is necessary (or would have been necessary) to bring the institution into compliance with all applicable capital standards as of the time the institution fails to comply with such capital restoration plan.

Under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (the FDIA), the federal bank regulatory agencies have adopted guidelines prescribing safety and soundness standards. These guidelines establish general standards relating to internal controls and information systems, internal audit systems, loan documentation, credit underwriting, interest rate exposure, asset growth and compensation, fees and benefits. In general, the guidelines require, among other things, appropriate systems and practices to identify and manage the risk and exposures specified in the guidelines.

Capital Requirements. Pursuant to the Small Bank Holding Company and Savings and Loan Holding Company Policy Statement, qualifying bank holding companies with total consolidated assets of less than $3 billion, such as the Company, are not subject to consolidated regulatory capital requirements. Certain capital requirements applicable to the Bank are described below under “The Bank-Capital Requirements”. Subject to its capital requirements and certain other restrictions, the Company is able to borrow money to make a capital contribution to the Bank, and such loans may be repaid from dividends paid by the Bank to the Company.

Limits on Dividends and Other Payments. The Company is a legal entity, separate and distinct from its subsidiaries. A significant portion of the revenues of the Company result from dividends paid to it by the Bank. There are various legal limitations applicable to the payment of dividends by the Bank to the Company and to the payment of dividends by the Company to its shareholders. The Bank is subject to various statutory restrictions on its ability to pay dividends to the Company. Under the current supervisory practices of the Bank’s regulatory agencies, prior approval from those agencies is required if cash dividends declared in any given year exceed net income for that year, plus retained net profits of the two preceding years. The payment of dividends by the Bank or the Company may be limited by other factors, such as requirements to maintain capital above regulatory guidelines. Bank regulatory agencies have the authority to prohibit the Bank or the Company from engaging in an unsafe or unsound practice in conducting their business. The payment of dividends, depending on the financial condition of the Bank, or the Company, could be deemed to constitute such an unsafe or unsound practice. In addition, under the current supervisory practices of the Federal Reserve, the Company should inform and consult with its regulators reasonably in advance of declaring or paying a dividend that exceeds earnings for the period (e.g., quarter) for which the dividend is being paid or that could result in a material adverse change to the Company's capital structure.

The Company’s subordinated debt is senior in right of payment compared to its common stock and all current and future junior subordinated debt obligations. Following the occurrence of any event of default on its subordinated debt, the Company may not make any payments on its junior subordinated debt; declare or pay any dividends on its common stock; redeem or otherwise acquire any of its common stock; or make any other distributions with respect to its common stock or set aside any monies or properties for such purposes. The Company is current in its interest payments on subordinated debt.

The Company's ability to pay dividends on common stock is also limited by contractual restrictions under its junior subordinated debt. Interest must be paid on the junior subordinated debt before dividends may be paid to common shareholders. The Company is current in its interest payments on junior subordinated debt; however, it has the right to defer distributions on its junior subordinated debt, during which time no dividends may be paid on its common stock. If the Company does not have sufficient earnings in the future and begins to defer distributions on the junior subordinated debt, it will be unable to pay dividends on its common stock until it becomes current on those distributions.

The Bank

General. The Bank is supervised and regularly examined by the Federal Reserve and the SCC. The various laws and regulations administered by the regulatory agencies affect corporate practices, such as the payment of dividends, incurrence of debt, and acquisition of financial institutions and other companies; they also affect business practices, such as the payment of interest on deposits, the charging of interest on loans, types of business conducted, and location of offices. Certain of these law and regulations are referenced above under “The Company.”

Capital Requirements. The Federal Reserve and the other federal banking agencies have issued risk-based and leverage capital guidelines applicable to U. S. banking organizations. In addition, those regulatory agencies may from time to time require that a banking organization maintain capital above the minimum levels because of its financial condition or actual or anticipated growth.

Effective January 1, 2015, the Bank became subject to capital rules adopted by federal bank regulators implementing the Basel III regulatory capital reforms adopted by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (the Basel Committee), and certain changes required by the Dodd-Frank Act.

The minimum capital level requirements applicable to the Bank under the rules are as follows: a common equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 4.5%; a Tier 1 capital ratio of 6%; a total capital ratio of 8%; and a Tier 1 leverage ratio of 4% for all institutions. The final rules also established a “capital conservation buffer” above the new regulatory minimum capital requirements of 2.5% of risk-weighted assets. This resulted in the following minimum capital ratios beginning in 2019: a common equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 7.0%, a Tier 1 capital ratio of 8.5%, and a total capital ratio of 10.5%. Under the rules, institutions are subject to limitations on paying dividends, engaging in share repurchases, and paying discretionary bonuses if its capital level falls below the buffer amount. These limitations establish a maximum percentage of eligible retained income that could be utilized for such actions. Management believes, as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, that the Bank met all capital adequacy requirements to which it is subject, including the capital conservation buffer.

The following table shows the Bank’s regulatory capital ratios at December 31, 2020:

The rules also contain revisions to the prompt corrective action framework, which is designed to place restrictions on insured depository institutions if their capital levels begin to show signs of weakness. Under the prompt corrective action requirements, which are designed to complement the capital conservation buffer, insured depository institutions are required to meet the following capital level requirements in order to qualify as “well capitalized:” a common equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 6.5%; a Tier 1 capital ratio of 8%; a total capital ratio of 10%; and a Tier 1 leverage ratio of 5%. The Bank met the requirements to qualify as "well capitalized" as of December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019.

In December 2017, the Basel Committee published standards that it described as the finalization of the Basel III post-crisis regulatory reforms (the standards are commonly referred to as “Basel IV”). Among other things, these standards revised the Basel Committee’s standardized approach for credit risk (including by recalibrating risk weights and introducing new capital requirements for certain “unconditionally cancellable commitments,” such as unused credit card lines of credit) and provided a new standardized approach for operational risk capital. Under the proposed framework, these standards will generally be effective on January 1, 2022, with an aggregate output floor phasing-in through January 1, 2027. Under the current capital rules, operational risk capital requirements and a capital floor apply only to advanced approaches institutions, and not to the Company. The impact of Basel IV on the Company and the Bank will depend on the manner in which it is implemented by the federal bank regulatory agencies.

On September 17, 2019 the FDIC finalized a rule that introduced an optional simplified measure of capital adequacy for qualifying community banking organizations (i.e., the community bank leverage ratio (CBLR) framework), as required by the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act (the Economic Growth Act). The CBLR framework is designed to reduce burden by removing the requirements for calculating and reporting risk-based capital ratios for qualifying community banking organizations that opt into the framework.

In order to qualify for the CBLR framework, a community banking organization must have a tier 1 leverage ratio greater than 9%, have less than $10 billion in total consolidated assets, and limited amounts of off-balance sheet exposures and trading assets and liabilities. The Coronavirus Aid, Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act temporarily lowered the tier 1 leverage ratio requirement to 8% until December 31, 2020. A qualifying community banking organization that opts into the CBLR framework and meets all requirements under the framework will be considered to have met the "well-capitalized" ratio requirements under the prompt corrective action regulations and will not be required to report or calculate risk-based capital. Although the Bank did not opt into the CBLR framework at December 31, 2020, it may opt into the CBLR framework in a future quarterly period. For further discussion regarding the CARES Act, see "CARES Act" below.

DepositInsurance. Substantially all of the deposits of the Bank are insured up to applicable limits by the Deposit Insurance Fund (the DIF) of the FDIC and are subject to deposit insurance assessments to maintain the DIF. On April 1, 2011, the deposit insurance assessment base changed from total deposits to average total assets minus average tangible equity, pursuant to a rule issued by the FDIC as required by the Dodd-Frank Act.

The FDIA, as amended by the Federal Deposit Insurance Reform Act and the Dodd-Frank Act, requires the FDIC to set a ratio of deposit insurance reserves to estimated insured deposits of at least 1.35%.

On April 26, 2016, the FDIC adopted a final rule to amend how small banks are assessed deposit insurance. The final rule, which was effective the quarter after the DIF reached 1.15%, revised the calculation of deposit insurance assessments for insured institutions with less than $10 billion in assets that have been FDIC insured for at least five years (established small banks). The rule updated the data and revised the methodology that the FDIC uses to determine risk-based assessments to better capture the risk that an established small bank poses to the DIF and to ensure that institutions that take on greater risks have higher assessments. The rule eliminated the previous risk categories in favor of an assessment schedule based on examination ratings and financial modeling. The DIF reached 1.15% effective as of June 30, 2016, lowering the assessment rates to between 3 to 30 basis points for established small banks, subject to a decrease for issuance of long-term unsecured debt, including senior unsecured debt and subordinated debt and an increase for holdings of long-term unsecured or subordinated debt issued by other insured banks. Due to the Bank’s examination ratings and financial ratios, the Bank experienced lower deposit insurance assessment rates as a result of the changes put into effect on July 1, 2016. The reserve ratio reached 1.35% during the third quarter of 2018.

In addition, all FDIC insured institutions are required to pay assessments to the FDIC at an annual rate of approximately one basis point of insured deposits to fund interest payments on bonds issued by the Financing Corporation, an agency of the federal government established to recapitalize the predecessor to the Savings Association Insurance Fund. These assessments were required until the Financing Corporation bonds matured in 2019.

Transactions with Affiliates. Pursuant to Sections 23A and 23B of the Federal Reserve Act and Regulation W, the authority of the Bank to engage in transactions with related parties or “affiliates” or to make loans to insiders is limited. Loan transactions with an affiliate generally must be collateralized and certain transactions between the Bank and its affiliates, including the sale of assets, the payment of money or the provision of services, must be on terms and conditions that are substantially the same, or at least as favorable to the Bank, as those prevailing for comparable nonaffiliated transactions. In addition, the Bank generally may not purchase securities issued or underwritten by affiliates.

Loans to executive officers, directors or to any person who directly or indirectly, or acting through or in concert with one or more persons, owns, controls or has the power to vote more than 10% of any class of voting securities of a bank (a “10% Shareholder”), are subject to Sections 22(g) and 22(h) of the Federal Reserve Act and their corresponding regulations (Regulation O) and Section 13(k) of the Exchange Act relating to the prohibition on personal loans to executives (which exempts financial institutions in compliance with the insider lending restrictions of Section 22(h) of the Federal Reserve Act). Among other things, these loans must be made on terms substantially the same as those prevailing on transactions made to unaffiliated individuals and certain extensions of credit to those persons must first be approved in advance by a disinterested majority of the entire board of directors. Section 22(h) of the Federal Reserve Act prohibits loans to any of those individuals where the aggregate amount exceeds an amount equal to 15% of an institution’s unimpaired capital and surplus plus an additional 10% of unimpaired capital and surplus in the case of loans that are fully secured by readily marketable collateral, or when the aggregate amount on all of the extensions of credit outstanding to all of these persons would exceed the Bank’s unimpaired capital and unimpaired surplus. Section 22(g) of the Federal Reserve Act identifies limited circumstances in which the Bank is permitted to extend credit to executive officers.

Prompt Corrective Action. Immediately upon becoming “undercapitalized,” a depository institution becomes subject to the provisions of Section 38 of the FDIA, which: (i) restrict payment of capital distributions and management fees; (ii) require that the appropriate federal banking agency monitor the condition of the institution and its efforts to restore its capital; (iii) require submission of a capital restoration plan; (iv) restrict the growth of the institution’s assets; and (v) require prior approval of certain expansion proposals. The appropriate federal banking agency for an undercapitalized institution also may take any number of discretionary supervisory actions if the agency determines that any of these actions is necessary to resolve the problems of the institution at the least possible long-term cost to the DIF, subject in certain cases to specified procedures. These discretionary supervisory actions include: (i) requiring the institution to raise additional capital; (ii) restricting transactions with affiliates; (iii) requiring divestiture of the institution or the sale of the institution to a willing purchaser; and (iv) any other supervisory action that the agency deems appropriate. These and additional mandatory and permissive supervisory actions may be taken with respect to significantly undercapitalized and critically undercapitalized institutions. The Bank met the definition of “well capitalized” as of December 31, 2020.

Community Reinvestment Act. The Bank is subject to the requirements of the CRA. The CRA imposes on financial institutions an affirmative and ongoing obligation to meet the credit needs of the local communities, including low and moderate income neighborhoods. If the Bank receives a rating from the Federal Reserve of less than "satisfactory" under the CRA, restrictions on operating activities could be imposed. In 2018, the most recent notification from the Federal Reserve, the Bank received a "satisfactory" CRA rating.

Privacy Legislation. Several regulations issued by federal banking agencies also provide new protections against the transfer and use of customer information by financial institutions. A financial institution must provide to its customers information regarding its policies and procedures with respect to the handling of customers’ personal information. Each institution must conduct an internal risk assessment of its ability to protect customer information. These privacy provisions generally prohibit a financial institution from providing a customer’s personal financial information to unaffiliated parties without prior notice and approval from the customer.

Anti-Money Laundering Laws and Regulations.  The Bank is subject to several federal laws that are designed to combat money laundering, terrorist financing, and transactions with persons, companies or foreign governments designated by U.S. authorities (“AML laws”). This category of laws includes the Bank Secrecy Act of 1970, the Money Laundering Control Act of 1986, the USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, and the Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020.  The Anti-Money Laundering Act of 2020, the most sweeping anti-money laundering legislation in 20 years, requires various federal agencies to promulgate regulations implementing a number of its provisions.

The AML laws and their implementing regulations require insured depository institutions, broker-dealers, and certain other financial institutions to have policies, procedures, and controls to detect, prevent, and report money laundering and terrorist financing. The AML laws and their regulations also provide for information sharing, subject to conditions, between federal law enforcement agencies and financial institutions, as well as among financial institutions, for counter-terrorism purposes. Federal banking regulators are required, when reviewing bank holding company acquisition and bank merger applications, to take into account the effectiveness of the anti-money laundering activities of the applicants. To comply with these obligations, the Company has implemented appropriate internal practices, procedures, and controls.

Cybersecurity. The federal banking agencies have adopted guidelines for establishing information security standards and cybersecurity programs for implementing safeguards under the supervision of a financial institution’s board of directors. These guidelines, along with related regulatory materials, increasingly focus on risk management and processes related to information technology and the use of third parties in the provision of financial products and services. The federal banking agencies expect financial institutions to establish lines of defense and ensure that their risk management processes also address the risk posed by compromised customer credentials, and also expect financial institutions to maintain sufficient business continuity planning processes to ensure rapid recovery, resumption and maintenance of the institution’s operations after a cyber-attack. If the Bank fails to meet the expectations set forth in this regulatory guidance, it could be subject to various regulatory actions and any remediation efforts may require significant resources of the Bank. In addition, all federal and state bank regulatory agencies continue to increase focus on cybersecurity programs and risks as part of regular supervisory exams.

In December 2020, the federal banking agencies issued a notice of proposed rulemaking that would require banking organizations to notify their primary regulator within 36 hours of becoming aware of a “computer-security incident” or a “notification incident.” The proposed rule also would require specific and immediate notifications by bank service providers that become aware of similar incidents.

Consumer Laws and Regulations. The Bank is also subject to certain consumer laws and regulations issued thereunder that are designed to protect consumers in transactions with banks. These laws include the Truth in Lending Act, the Truth in Savings Act, the Electronic Funds Transfer Act, the Expedited Funds Availability Act, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act, Home Mortgage Disclosure Act, the Fair Credit Reporting Act, the Fair Housing Act and the Dodd-Frank Act, among others. The laws and related regulations mandate certain disclosure requirements and regulate the manner in which financial institutions transact business with customers. The Bank must comply with the applicable provisions of these consumer protection laws and regulations as part of its ongoing customer relations.

Incentive Compensation. In June 2010, the federal banking agencies issued comprehensive final guidance on incentive compensation policies intended to ensure that the incentive compensation policies of financial institutions do not undermine the safety and soundness of such institutions by encouraging excessive risk-taking. The Interagency Guidance on Sound Incentive Compensation Policies, which covers all employees that have the ability to materially affect the risk profile of a financial institution, either individually or as part of a group, is based upon the key principles that a financial institution’s incentive compensation arrangements should (i) provide incentives that do not encourage risk-taking beyond the institution’s ability to effectively identify and manage risks, (ii) be compatible with effective internal controls and risk management, and (iii) be supported by good corporate governance, including active and effective oversight by the financial institution’s board of directors.

The Federal Reserve will review, as part of the regular, risk-focused examination process, the incentive compensation arrangements of financial institutions, such as the Company, that are not “large, complex banking organizations.” These reviews will be tailored to each financial institution based on the scope and complexity of the institution’s activities and the prevalence of incentive compensation arrangements. The findings of the supervisory initiatives will be included in reports of examination. Deficiencies will be incorporated into the institution’s supervisory ratings, which can affect the institution’s ability to make acquisitions and take other actions. Enforcement actions may be taken against a financial institution if its incentive compensation arrangements, or related risk-management control or governance processes, pose a risk to the institution’s safety and soundness and the financial institution is not taking prompt and effective measures to correct the deficiencies. At December 31, 2020, the Company had not been made aware of any instances of non-compliance with the guidance.

CARES Act. In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, President Trump signed into law the CARES Act on March 27, 2020. Among other things, the CARES Act included the following provisions impacting financial institutions:

Effect of Governmental Monetary Policies

The Company’s operations are affected not only by general economic conditions but also by the policies of various regulatory authorities. In particular, the Federal Reserve regulates money and credit conditions and interest rates to influence general economic conditions. These policies have a significant impact on overall growth and distribution of loans, investments and deposits; they affect interest rates charged on loans or paid for time and savings deposits. Federal Reserve monetary policies have had a significant effect on the operating results of commercial banks, including the Company, in the past and are expected to do so in the future.

Future Legislation and Regulation

Congress may enact legislation from time to time that affects the regulation of the financial services industry, and state legislatures may enact legislation from time to time affecting the regulation of financial institutions chartered by or operating in those states. Federal and state regulatory agencies also periodically propose and adopt changes to their regulations or change the manner in which existing regulations are applied. The substance or impact of pending or future legislation or regulation, or the application thereof, cannot be predicted, although enactment of any proposed legislation could impact the regulatory structure under which the Company and the Bank operate and may significantly increase costs, impede the efficiency of internal business processes, require an increase in regulatory capital, require modifications to business strategy, and limit the ability to pursue business opportunities in an efficient manner. A change in statutes, regulations or regulatory policies applicable to the Company or the Bank are difficult to predict, and could have a material, adverse effect on the business, financial condition and results of operations of the Company and the Bank.

Item 1A.    Risk Factors

An investment in the Company’s securities involves risks. In addition to the other information set forth in this report, investors in the Company’s securities should carefully consider the factors discussed below. These factors could materially and adversely affect the Company’s business, financial condition, liquidity, results of operations and capital position, and could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from its historical results or the results contemplated by the forward-looking statements contained in this report, in which case the trading price of the Company’s securities could decline.

Risks Related To The Company’s Business

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and measures intended to prevent its spread may adversely affect the Company's business, financial condition and operations; the extent of such impacts are highly uncertain and difficult to predict.

Global health and economic concerns relating to the COVID-19 outbreak and government actions taken to reduce the spread of the virus have had a material adverse impact on the macroeconomic environment, and the outbreak has significantly increased economic uncertainty. The pandemic has resulted in federal, state and local authorities, including those who govern the markets in which we operate, implementing numerous measures to try to contain the virus. These measures, including shelter in place orders and business limitations and shutdowns, have significantly contributed to rising unemployment and negatively impacted consumer and business spending.

The COVID-19 outbreak has adversely impacted and is likely to continue to adversely impact the Company's workforce and operations and the operations of its customers and business partners. In particular, the Company may experience adverse effects due to a number of operational factors impacting it or its customers or business partners, including but not limited to:

The extent to which the pandemic impacts the Company's business, liquidity, financial condition and operations will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and are difficult to predict, including, but not limited to, its duration and severity, the actions to contain it or treat its impact, and how quickly and to what extent normal economic and operating conditions can resume. In addition, the rapidly changing and unprecedented nature of COVID-19 heightens the inherent uncertainty of forecasting future economic conditions and their impact on the Company's loan portfolio, thereby increasing the risk that the assumptions, judgments and estimates used to determine the allowance for loan losses and other estimates are incorrect. During the fourth quarter of 2020, the Bank modified certain loan agreements to provide payment relief to its customers experiencing business interruptions from the pandemic by providing interest only payments for periods ranging between 6 and 24 months. The extent of asset quality deterioration that could result from the modified loans may be impacted by the continuation of customers’ business interruptions beyond the modification periods. As a result of these and other conditions, the ultimate impact of the pandemic is highly uncertain and subject to change, and the Company cannot predict the full extent of the impacts on its business, its operations or the global economy as a whole.

Dependence on uncontrollable economic conditions could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.

Like all financial institutions, we are subject to the effects of any economic downturn. Our business is concentrated in the northern Shenandoah Valley and the central regions of Virginia. As a result, our financial condition and results of operations may be affected by changes in the economies of these regions. Adverse changes in economic conditions in our market areas would likely impair the ability to collect loans, increase problem assets and foreclosures, decrease demand for banking products and services, deteriorate the value of collateral for loans, and could otherwise have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations. As a result, a deterioration in economic conditions may have a negative effect on our financial conditions and results of operations.

The inability of the Company to successfully manage its growth or implement its growth strategy may adversely affect the Company’s results of operations and financial conditions.

The Company may not be able to successfully implement its growth strategy if it is unable to expand market share in existing locations, identify attractive markets, locations, or opportunities to expand in the future. In addition, the ability to manage growth successfully depends on whether the Company can maintain adequate capital levels, maintain cost controls, effectively manage asset quality, and successfully integrate any expanded business divisions or acquired businesses into the organization.

As the Company continues to implement its growth strategy by opening new branches or acquiring branches or banks, it expects to incur increased personnel, occupancy, and other operating expenses. In the case of new branches, the Company must absorb those higher expenses while it begins to generate new deposits. In the case of acquired branches, the Company must absorb higher expenses while it begins deploying the newly assumed deposit liabilities. With either new branches opened or branches acquired, there would be a time lag involved in deploying new deposits into attractively priced loans and other higher yielding earning assets. Thus, the Company’s plans to expand could depress earnings in the short run, even if it efficiently executes a branching strategy leading to long-term financial benefits.

Difficulties in combining the operations of new or acquired bank branches or entities with the Company’s own operations may prevent the Company from achieving the expected benefits from acquisitions.

The Company may not be able to achieve fully the strategic objectives and operating efficiencies expected in opening a new branch or through an acquisition. Inherent uncertainties exist in integrating the operations of a new or acquired entity or acquired branches. In addition, the markets and industries in which the Company and its potential new branch locations or acquisition targets operate may be highly competitive. The Company may lose customers or the customers of acquired entities as a result of an acquisition; the Company may lose key personnel, either from the acquired entity or from itself; and the Company may not be able to control the incremental increase in noninterest expense arising from a new branch location or acquisition in a manner that improves its overall operating efficiencies. These factors could contribute to the Company’s not achieving the expected benefits from its new branch locations or acquisitions within desired time frames, if at all. Future business acquisitions could be material to the Company and it may issue additional shares of common stock to support those acquisitions, which would dilute current shareholders’ ownership interests. Acquisitions could also require the Company to use substantial cash or other liquid assets or to incur debt; the Company could therefore become more susceptible to economic downturns and competitive pressures.

Strong competition in our primary market area may limit asset growth and profitability.

We encounter strong competition from other financial institutions in our primary market area. In addition, established financial institutions not already operating in our primary market area may open branches at future dates. In the conduct of certain aspects of our business, we also compete with credit unions, mortgage banking companies, consumer finance companies, insurance companies, real estate companies, Fintech, and other institutions, some of which are not subject to the same degree of regulation or restrictions as are imposed upon us. Many of these competitors have substantially greater resources and lending limits than we have and offer services that we do not provide. In addition, many of these competitors have numerous branch offices located throughout their extended market areas that provide them with a competitive advantage. Finally, these institutions may have differing pricing and underwriting standards, which may adversely affect our company through the loss of business or causing a misalignment in our risk-return relationship. No assurance can be given that such competition will not have an adverse impact on the financial condition and results of operations.

The carrying value of intangible assets, such as goodwill and core deposit intangibles, may be adversely affected.

When a Company completes an acquisition, intangibles, such as goodwill and core deposit intangibles, are recorded on the date of acquisition as an asset. Current accounting guidance requires an evaluation for impairment, and the Company would perform such impairment analysis at least annually. A significant adverse change in expected future cash flows, sustained adverse change in the Company’s common stock, or a decline in core deposit balances could require the asset to become impaired. If impaired, the Company would incur a charge to earnings that could have a significant impact on the results of operations.

The Company is subject to claims and litigation pertaining to fiduciary responsibility.

From time to time, customers make claims and take legal action pertaining to the performance of the Company’s fiduciary responsibilities. Whether customer claims and legal action related to the performance of the Company’s fiduciary responsibilities are founded or unfounded, if such claims and legal actions are not resolved in a manner favorable to the Company, they may result in significant financial liability and/or adversely affect the market perception of the Company and its products and services, as well as impact customer demand for those products and services. Any financial liability or reputation damage could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s business, which, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.

The Company depends on the accuracy and completeness of information about clients and counterparties, and its financial condition could be adversely affected if it relies on misleading information.

In deciding whether to extend credit or to enter into other transactions with clients and counterparties, the Company may rely on information furnished to it by or on behalf of clients and counterparties, including financial statements and other financial information, which the Company does not independently verify. The Company also may rely on representations of clients and counterparties as to the accuracy and completeness of that information and, with respect to financial statements, on reports of independent auditors. For example, in deciding whether to extend credit to clients, the Company may assume that a customer’s audited financial statements conform to U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) and present fairly, in all material respects, the financial condition, results of operations, and cash flows of the customer. The Company’s financial condition and results of operations could be negatively impacted to the extent it relies on financial statements that do not comply with GAAP or are materially misleading.

Loss of any of our key personnel could disrupt our operations and result in reduced revenues or increased expenses.

We are a relationship-driven organization. A key aspect of our business strategy is for our senior officers to have primary contact with our customers. Our growth and development to date have been, in large part, a result of these personalized relationships with our customer base.

Our senior officers have considerable experience in the banking industry and related financial services and are extremely valuable and would be difficult to replace. The loss of the services of these officers could have a material adverse effect upon future prospects. Although we have entered into employment contracts with certain senior officers, we cannot offer any assurance that they and other key employees will remain employed by us. The unexpected loss of services of one or more of these key employees could have a material adverse effect on operations and possibly result in reduced revenues or increased expenses.

Failure to maintain effective systems of internal and disclosure controls could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operation and financial condition.

Effective internal and disclosure controls are necessary for the Company to provide reliable financial reports and effectively prevent fraud, and to operate successfully as a public company. If the Company cannot provide reliable financial reports or prevent fraud, its reputation and operating results would be harmed. As part of the Company’s ongoing monitoring of internal controls, it may discover material weaknesses or significant deficiencies in its internal control that require remediation. A “material weakness” is a deficiency, or a combination of deficiencies, in internal control over financial reporting, such that there is a reasonable possibility that a material misstatement of a company’s annual or interim financial statements will not be prevented or detected on a timely basis.

The Company continually works on improving its internal controls. However, the Company cannot be certain that these measures will ensure that it implements and maintains adequate controls over its financial processes and reporting. Any failure to maintain effective controls or to timely implement any necessary improvement of the Company’s internal and disclosure controls could, among other things, result in losses from fraud or error, harm the Company’s reputation, or cause investors to lose confidence in the Company’s reported financial information, all of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operation and financial condition.

The Company’s risk-management framework may not be effective in mitigating risk and loss.

The Company maintains an enterprise risk management program that is designed to identify, quantify, monitor, report, and control the risks that it faces. These risks include: interest-rate, credit, liquidity, operations, reputation, compliance, and litigation. While the Company assesses and improves this program on an ongoing basis, there can be no assurance that its approach and framework for risk management and related controls will effectively mitigate all risk and limit losses in its business. If conditions or circumstances arise that expose flaws or gaps in the Company’s risk-management program, or if its controls break down, the Company’s results of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected.

Negative public opinion could damage the Company's reputation and adversely impact liquidity and profitability.

As a financial institution, the Company’s earnings, liquidity, and capital are subject to risks associated with negative public opinion of the Company and of the financial services industry as a whole. Negative public opinion could result from the Company's actual or alleged conduct in any number of activities, including lending practices, the failure of any product or service sold by it to meet its clients’ expectations or applicable regulatory requirements, corporate governance and acquisitions, or from actions taken by government regulators and community organizations in response to those activities. Negative public opinion can adversely affect the Company's ability to keep, attract and/or retain customers and can expose it to litigation and regulatory action. Negative public opinion could also affect the Company's ability to borrow funds in the unsecured wholesale debt markets.

Negative perception of the Company through social media may adversely affect the Company’s reputation and business.

The Company’s reputation is critical to the success of its business. The Company believes that its brand image has been well received by customers, reflecting the fact that the brand image, like the Company’s business, is based in part on trust and confidence. The Company’s reputation and brand image could be negatively affected by rapid and widespread distribution of publicity through social media channels. The Company’s reputation could also be affected by the Company’s association with clients affected negatively through social media distribution, or other third parties, or by circumstances outside of the Company’s control. Negative publicity, whether true or untrue, could affect the Company’s ability to attract or retain customers, or cause the Company to incur additional liabilities or costs, or result in additional regulatory scrutiny.

Loss of deposits or a change in deposit mix could increase our funding costs.

Deposits are a low cost and stable source of funding. We compete with banks and other financial institutions for deposits. Funding costs may increase because we may lose deposits and replace them with more expensive sources of funding, clients may shift their deposits into higher cost products or we may need to raise interest rates to avoid losing deposits. Higher funding costs reduce our net interest margin, net interest income and net income.

Changes in interest rates could adversely affect the Company’s income and cash flows.

The Company’s income and cash flows depend to a great extent on the difference between the interest rates earned on interest-earning assets, such as loans and investment securities, and the interest rates paid on interest-bearing liabilities, such as deposits and borrowings. These rates are highly sensitive to many factors beyond the Company’s control, including general economic conditions and the policies of the Federal Reserve and other governmental and regulatory agencies. Changes in monetary policy, including changes in interest rates, will influence the origination of loans, the prepayment of loans, the purchase of investments, the generation of deposits, and the rates received on loans and investment securities and paid on deposits or other sources of funding. The impact of these changes may be magnified if the Company does not effectively manage the relative sensitivity of its assets and liabilities to changes in market interest rates. In addition, the Company’s ability to reflect such interest rate changes in pricing its products is influenced by competitive pressures. Fluctuations in these areas may adversely affect the Company and its shareholders. The Company is often at a competitive disadvantage in managing its costs of funds compared to the large regional or national banks that have access to the national and international capital markets.

The Company generally seeks to maintain a neutral position in terms of the volume of assets and liabilities that mature or re-price during any period so that it may reasonably maintain its net interest margin; however, interest rate fluctuations, loan prepayments, loan production, deposit flows, and competitive pressures are constantly changing and influence the ability to maintain a neutral position. Generally, the Company’s earnings will be more sensitive to fluctuations in interest rates depending upon the variance in volume of assets and liabilities that mature and re-price in any period. The extent and duration of the sensitivity will depend on the cumulative variance over time, the velocity and direction of changes in interest rates, shape and slope of the yield curve, and whether the Company is more asset sensitive or liability sensitive. Accordingly, the Company may not be successful in maintaining a neutral position and, as a result, the Company’s net interest margin may be affected.

Liquidity could be impaired by an inability to access the capital markets or an unforeseen outflow of cash.

Liquidity is essential to our businesses. Due to circumstances that we may be unable to control, such as a general market disruption or an operational problem that affects third parties or the Company, our liquidity could be impaired by an inability to access the capital markets or an unforeseen outflow of cash or deposits which could constrain our ability to make new loans or meet our existing commitments to loan and deposit customers and could ultimately jeopardize our overall liquidity and capitalization.

The soundness of other financial institutions could adversely affect the Company.

The Company’s ability to engage in routine funding transactions could be adversely affected by the actions and commercial soundness of other financial institutions. Financial services institutions are interrelated as a result of trading, clearing, counterparty, or other relationships. As a result, defaults by, or even rumors or questions about, one or more financial services institutions, or the financial services industry generally, have led to market-wide liquidity problems and could lead to losses or defaults by the Company or by other institutions. Many of these transactions expose the Company to credit risk in the event of default of its counterparty or client. There is no assurance that any such losses would not materially and adversely affect the Company’s results of operations.

The Company’s exposure to operational, technological, and organizational risk may adversely affect the Company.

Similar to other financial institutions, the Company is exposed to many types of operational and technological risk, including reputation, legal, and compliance risk. The Company’s ability to grow and compete is dependent on its ability to build or acquire the necessary operational and technological infrastructure and to manage the cost of that infrastructure while it expands and integrates acquired businesses. Operational risk can manifest itself in many ways, such as errors related to failed or inadequate processes, faulty or disabled computer systems, occurrences of fraud by employees or persons outside of the Company, and exposure to external events. The Company is dependent on its operational infrastructure to help manage these risks. From time to time, it may need to change or upgrade its technology infrastructure. The Company may experience disruption, and it may face additional exposure to these risks during the course of making such changes. If the Company would acquire another financial institution or bank branch operations, it would face additional challenges when integrating different operational platforms. Such integration efforts may be more disruptive to the business and/or more costly than anticipated.

The Company relies on other companies to provide key components of its business infrastructure.

Third parties provide key components of the Company’s business operations such as data processing, recording and monitoring transactions, online banking interfaces and services, internet connections, and network access. While the Company has selected these third party vendors carefully, it does not control their actions. Any problem caused by these third parties, including poor performance of services, failure to provide services, disruptions in communication services provided by a vendor and failure to handle current or higher volumes, could adversely affect the Company’s ability to deliver products and services to its customers and otherwise conduct its business, and may harm its reputation. Financial or operational difficulties of a third party vendor could also hurt the Company’s operations if those difficulties affect the vendor’s ability to serve the Company. Replacing these third party vendors could also create significant delay and expense. Accordingly, use of such third parties creates an unavoidable inherent risk to the Company’s business operations.

The operational functions of business counterparties over which the Company may have limited or no control may experience disruptions that could adversely impact the Company.

Every year, retailers and service providers are the target of data systems incursions which result in the thefts of credit and debit card information, online account information, and other financial data of their customers and users. These incursions affect cards issued and deposit accounts maintained by many banks, including the Company. Although our systems are not breached in such incursions, these events can cause the Company to reissue a significant number of cards and take other costly steps to avoid significant theft loss to the Company and its customers. In some cases, the Company may be required to reimburse customers for the losses they incur. Other possible points of intrusion or disruption not within the Company’s control include internet service providers, electronic mail portal providers, social media portals, distant-server (“cloud”) service providers, electronic data security providers, telecommunications companies, and smart phone manufacturers.

Security breaches and other disruptions could compromise our information and expose us to liability or result in the loss of money, which could damage our reputation and our business.

We rely on the secure processing, storage, and transmission of confidential and other information in our computer systems and networks. While we have policies and procedures designed to prevent or limit the effect of a possible security breach, our computer systems, software, and networks may be vulnerable to unauthorized access, computer viruses, or other malicious code, and other events that could have a security impact. To date, the Company has not experienced a significant compromise, significant data loss or any material financial losses related to cybersecurity attacks, but the Company’s systems and those of its customers and third-party service providers are under constant threat and it is possible that the Company could experience a significant event in the future. Risks and exposures related to cybersecurity attacks are expected to remain high for the foreseeable future due to the rapidly evolving nature and sophistication of these threats, as well as due to the expanding use of Internet banking, mobile banking and other technology-based products and services by the Company and its customers. If one or more such events occur, this potentially could jeopardize our customers’ confidential and other information processed and stored in, and transmitted through, our computer systems and networks, or otherwise cause interruptions or malfunctions in our or our customers’ operations, or result in the loss of money. We may be required to expend significant additional resources to modify our protective measures or to investigate and remediate vulnerabilities or other exposures, and we may be subject to litigation and financial losses that are either not insured against or not fully covered through any insurance maintained by us.

Security breaches in our internet banking activities could further expose us to possible liability, financial loss, and damage to our reputation. Any compromise of our security also could deter customers from using our internet banking services that involve the transmission of confidential information. We have implemented security systems to provide the security and authentication necessary to effect secure transmission of data. These precautions may not protect our systems from compromises or breaches of our security measures, which could result in damage to our reputation and our business.

The Company has a significant exposure in commercial real estate, and loans with this type of collateral are viewed as having more risk of default.

The Company’s commercial real estate portfolio consists primarily of owner-operated properties and other commercial properties. These types of loans are generally viewed as having more risk of default than residential real estate loans. They are also typically larger than residential real estate loans and consumer loans and depend on cash flows from the owner’s business or the property to service the debt. Cash flows may be affected significantly by general economic conditions, and a downturn in the local economy or in occupancy rates in the local economy where the property is located could increase the likelihood of default. Because the Company’s loan portfolio contains a number of commercial real estate loans with relatively large balances, the deterioration of one or a few of these loans could cause a significant increase in the percentage of non-performing loans. An increase in non-performing loans could result in a loss of earnings from these loans, an increase in the provision for loan losses and an increase in charge-offs, all of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition.

The Company’s banking regulators generally give commercial real estate lending greater scrutiny and may require banks with higher levels of commercial real estate loans to implement improved underwriting, internal controls, risk management policies, and portfolio stress testing, as well as possibly higher levels of allowances for losses and capital levels as a result of commercial real estate lending growth and exposures, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations.

The Company’s loan portfolio contains construction and development loans, and a decline in real estate values and economic conditions would adversely affect the value of the collateral securing the loans and have an adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition.

Although most of the Company’s construction and development loans are secured by real estate, the Company believes that, in the case of the majority of these loans, the real estate collateral by itself may not be a sufficient source for repayment of the loan if real estate values decline. If the Company is required to liquidate the collateral securing a construction and development loan to satisfy the debt, its earnings and capital may be adversely affected. A period of reduced real estate values may continue for some time, resulting in potential adverse effects on the Company’s earnings and capital.

The Company’s credit standards and its on-going credit assessment processes might not protect it from significant credit losses.

The Company assumes credit risk by virtue of making loans and extending loan commitments and letters of credit. The Company manages credit risk through a program of underwriting standards, the review of certain credit decisions and a continuous quality assessment process of credit already extended. The Company’s exposure to credit risk is managed through the use of consistent underwriting standards that emphasize local lending while avoiding highly leveraged transactions as well as excessive industry and other concentrations. The Company’s credit administration function employs risk management techniques to help ensure that problem loans are promptly identified. While these procedures are designed to provide the Company with the information needed to implement policy adjustments where necessary and to take appropriate corrective actions, there can be no assurance that such measures will be effective in avoiding undue credit risk.

Although the Company emphasizes local lending practices, the Company purchases certain loans through a third-party lending program. These portfolios include consumer loans and carry risks associated with the borrower, changes in the economic environment, and the vendor themselves. The Company manages these risks through policies that require minimum credit scores and other underwriting requirements, robust analysis of actual performance versus expected performance, as well as ensuring compliance with the Company's vendor management program. While these policies are designed to manage the risks associated with these loans, there can be no assurance that such measures will be effective in avoiding undue credit losses.

The Company’s focus on lending to small to mid-sized community-based businesses may increase its credit risk.

Most of the Company’s commercial business and commercial real estate loans are made to small business or middle market customers. These businesses generally have fewer financial resources in terms of capital or borrowing capacity than larger entities and have a heightened vulnerability to economic conditions. If general economic conditions in the market areas in which the Company operates negatively impact this important customer sector, the Company’s results of operations and financial condition may be adversely affected. Moreover, a portion of these loans have been made by the Company in recent years and the borrowers may not have experienced a complete business or economic cycle. Any deterioration of the borrowers’ businesses may hinder their ability to repay their loans with the Company, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.

The Company relies upon independent appraisals to determine the value of the real estate which secures a significant portion of its loans, and the values indicated by such appraisals may not be realizable if the Company is forced to foreclose upon such loans.

A significant portion of the Company’s loan portfolio consists of loans secured by real estate. The Company relies upon independent appraisers to estimate the value of such real estate. Appraisals are only estimates of value and the independent appraisers may make mistakes of fact or judgment that adversely affect the reliability of their appraisals. In addition, events occurring after the initial appraisal may cause the value of the real estate to increase or decrease. As a result of any of these factors, the real estate securing some of the Company’s loans may be more or less valuable than anticipated at the time the loans were made. If a default occurs on a loan secured by real estate that is less valuable than originally estimated, the Company may not be able to recover the outstanding balance of the loan.

The Company is subject to more stringent capital and liquidity requirements as a result of the Basel III regulatory capital reforms and the Dodd-Frank Act, the short-term and long-term impact of which is uncertain.

The Company is subject to capital adequacy guidelines and other regulatory requirements specifying minimum amounts and types of capital which each must maintain. From time to time, regulators implement changes to these regulatory capital adequacy guidelines. Under the Dodd-Frank Act, the federal banking agencies have established stricter capital requirements and leverage limits for banking organizations, such as the Bank, that are based on the Basel III regulatory capital reforms. These stricter capital requirements were fully-implemented on January 1, 2019. While the Economic Growth Act and recent federal banking regulations established a simplified leverage capital framework for smaller banks, these more stringent capital requirements could, among other things, result in lower returns on equity, require the raising of additional capital and adversely affect future growth opportunities. In addition, if the Company fails to meet these minimum capital guidelines and/or other regulatory requirements, the Company’s financial condition could be materially and adversely affected.

Legislative or regulatory changes or actions, or significant litigation, could adversely affect the Company or the businesses in which the Company is engaged.

The Company is subject to extensive state and federal regulation, supervision, and legislation that govern almost all aspects of its operations. Laws and regulations change from time to time and are primarily intended for the protection of consumers, depositors, and the FDIC’s DIF. The impact of any changes to laws and regulations or other actions by regulatory agencies may negatively affect the Company or its ability to increase the value of its business. Such changes could include higher capital requirements, and increased insurance premiums, increased compliance costs, reductions of noninterest income, and limitations on services that can be provided. Actions by regulatory agencies or significant litigation against the Company could cause it to devote significant time and resources to defend itself and may lead to liability or penalties that materially affect the Company and its shareholders. Future changes in the laws or regulations or their interpretations or enforcement could be materially adverse to the Company and its shareholders.

See the section of this report entitled “Supervision and Regulation” for additional information on the statutory and regulatory issues that affect the Company’s business.

Changes in accounting standards could impact reported earnings and capital.

The authorities that promulgate accounting standards, including the Financial Accounting Standards Board (the FASB), the United States Securities Exchange Commission (the SEC), and other regulatory authorities, periodically change the financial accounting and reporting standards that govern the preparation of the Company’s consolidated financial statements. These changes are difficult to predict and can materially impact how the Company records and reports its financial condition and results of operations. In some cases, the Company could be required to apply a new or revised standard retroactively, resulting in the restatement of financial statements for prior periods. Such changes could also impact the capital levels of the Company and the Bank or require the Company to incur additional personnel or technology costs. Most notably, new guidance on the calculation of credit reserves using current expected credit losses, referred to as CECL, was finalized in June 2016. The standard will be effective for the Company beginning January 1, 2023. To implement the new standard, the Company will incur costs related to data collection and documentation, technology and training. For additional information, see "Recent Accounting Pronouncements" included in Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Form 10-K. If the Company is required to materially increase the level of the allowance for loan losses or incurs additional expenses to determine the appropriate level of the allowance for loan losses, such changes could adversely affect the Company’s capital levels, financial condition and results of operations.

Changes in tax rates applicable to the Company may cause impairment of deferred tax assets.

The Company determines deferred income taxes using the balance sheet method. Under this method, each asset and liability is examined to determine the difference between its book basis and its tax basis. The difference between the book basis and the tax basis of each asset and liability is multiplied by the Company’s marginal tax rate to determine the net deferred tax asset or liability. Deferred income tax expense results from changes in deferred tax assets and liabilities between periods.

The marginal tax rate applicable to the Company, as with all entities subject to federal income tax, is based on the Company’s taxable income. If the Company’s taxable income declines such that the Company’s marginal tax rate declines, the change in deferred income tax assets and liabilities would result in an expense during the period that a lower marginal tax rate occurs. If changes in tax rates and laws are enacted, the company will recognize the changes in the period in which they occur. Changes in tax rates and laws could impair the Company’s deferred tax assets and result in an expense associated with the change in deferred tax assets and liabilities.

The Company may be required to transition from the use of the London Interbank Offered Rate (LIBOR) index in the future.

The Company has certain variable-rate loans indexed to LIBOR to calculate the loan interest rate. The United Kingdom Financial Conduct Authority, which regulates LIBOR, has previously announced that the continued availability of the LIBOR on the current basis is not guaranteed after 2021. In November 2020, the administrator of LIBOR announced it will consult on its intention to extend the retirement date of certain offered rates whereby the publication of the one week and two month LIBOR offered rates will cease after December 31, 2021; but, the publication of the remaining LIBOR offered rates will continue until June 30, 2023. Given consumer protection, litigation, and reputation risks, federal bank regulators have indicated that entering into new contracts that use LIBOR as a reference rate after December 31, 2021, would create safety and soundness risks and that they will examine bank practices accordingly. Therefore, the agencies encouraged banks to cease entering into new contracts that use LIBOR as a reference rate as soon as practicable and in any event by December 31, 2021.

It is difficult to predict whether and to what extent banks will continue to provide LIBOR submissions to the administrator of LIBOR or whether any additional reforms to LIBOR may be enacted in the United Kingdom or elsewhere. At this time, no consensus exists as to what rate or rates may become acceptable alternatives to LIBOR, and it is impossible to predict the effect of any such alternatives on the value of LIBOR-based variable-rate loans, as well as LIBOR-based securities, subordinated notes, trust preferred securities, or other securities or financial arrangements. The transition to alternative reference rate for new contracts, or the implementation of a substitute index or indices for the calculation of interest rates under the Company’s existing loan agreements with borrowers or other financial arrangements, could change the Company’s market risk profile, interest margin, interest spread and pricing models, may cause the Company to incur significant expenses in effecting the transition, may result in reduced loan balances if borrowers do not accept a substitute index or indices, and may result in disputes or litigation with customers or other counter-parties over the appropriateness or comparability to LIBOR of the substitute index or indices, any of which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations.

We are subject to environmental liability risk associated with our lending activities.

A significant portion of our loan portfolio is secured by real property. During the ordinary course of business, we may foreclose on and take title to properties securing certain loans. In doing so, there is a risk that hazardous or toxic substances could be found on these properties. If hazardous or toxic substances are found, we may be liable for remediation costs, as well as for personal injury and property damage. Environmental laws may require us to incur substantial expenses and may materially reduce the affected property’s value or limit our ability to use or sell the affected property. In addition, future laws or more stringent interpretations or enforcement policies with respect to existing laws may increase our exposure to environmental liability. Environmental reviews of real property before initiating foreclosure actions may not be sufficient to detect all potential environmental hazards. Remediation costs and any other financial liabilities associated with an environmental hazard could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Severe weather, pandemics, natural disasters, acts of war or terrorism, and other external events could significantly impact our business.

Severe weather, pandemics, natural disasters, and other environmental risks, acts of war or terrorism, and other adverse external events could have a significant impact on our ability to conduct business. In addition, such events could affect the stability of our deposit base, impair the ability of borrowers to repay outstanding loans, impair the value of collateral securing loans, cause significant property damage, result in loss of revenue, and/or cause us to incur additional expenses. The occurrence of any such event in the future could have a material adverse effect on our business, which, in turn, could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

The Company’s wealth management revenue is directly impacted by the market value of assets under management, which could adversely impact Company profitability.

A significant portion of revenue from wealth management services is based on the market value of assets under management, which may decrease due to a variety of factors including an economic slowdown. Any sustained period of lower market values of assets under management would adversely affect the Company’s wealth management revenue and, as a result, would also adversely affect the Company’s results of operations.

There are risks resulting from the use of models in our business.

We rely on quantitative models to measure risks and to estimate certain financial values. Models may be used in such processes as determining the pricing of various products, grading loans and extending credit, measuring interest rate and other market risks, predicting or estimating losses, assessing capital adequacy and calculating economic and regulatory capital levels, as well as to estimate the value of financial instruments and balance sheet items. Poorly designed or implemented models present the risk that our business decisions based on information incorporating model output would be adversely affected due to the inadequacy of that information. Also, information we provide to the public or to our regulators based on poorly designed or implemented models could be inaccurate or misleading.

Our earnings are significantly affected by the fiscal and monetary policies of the federal government and its agencies.

The policies of the Federal Reserve affect us significantly. The Federal Reserve regulates the supply of money and credit in the United States. Its policies directly and indirectly influence the rate of interest earned on loans and paid on borrowings and interest-bearing deposits and can also affect the value of financial instruments we hold. Those policies determine to a significant extent our cost of funds for lending and investing. Changes in those policies are beyond our control and are difficult to predict. Federal Reserve policies can also affect our borrowers, potentially increasing the risk that they may fail to repay their loans. For example, a tightening of the money supply by the Federal Reserve could reduce the demand for a borrower's products and services. This could adversely affect the borrower’s earnings and ability to repay a loan, which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

The success of our business strategies depends on our ability to identify and recruit individuals with experience and relationships in our primary markets.

The successful implementation of our business strategy will require us to continue to attract, hire, motivate and retain skilled personnel to develop new customer relationships as well as new financial products and services. The market for qualified management personnel is competitive, which has contributed to salary and employee benefit costs that have risen and are expected to continue to rise, which may have an adverse effect on the Company’s net income. In addition, the process of identifying and recruiting individuals with the combination of skills and attributes required to carry out our strategy is often lengthy, and we may not be able to effectively integrate these individuals into our operations. Our inability to identify, recruit and retain talented personnel to manage our operations effectively and in a timely manner could limit our growth, which could materially adversely affect our business.

Compliance with laws, regulations and supervisory guidance, both new and existing, may adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

We are subject to numerous laws, regulations and supervision from both federal and state agencies. Failure to comply with these laws and regulations could result in financial, structural and operational penalties, including receivership. In addition, establishing systems and processes to achieve compliance with these laws and regulations may increase our costs and/or limit our ability to pursue certain business opportunities.

Laws and regulations, and any interpretations and applications with respect thereto, generally are intended to benefit consumers, borrowers and depositors, but not stockholders. The legislative and regulatory environment is beyond our control, may change rapidly and unpredictably and may negatively influence our revenues, costs, earnings, and capital levels. Our success depends on our ability to maintain compliance with both existing and new laws and regulations.

With the incoming Biden administration, a Democratic controlled Congress, and changes in leadership at federal agencies such as the CFPB, we expect that financial institutions will remain heavily regulated in the near future and that additional laws or regulations may be adopted further regulating specific banking practices. Future legislation, regulation and government policy could affect the banking industry as a whole, including the Company’s business and results of operations, in ways that are difficult to predict. In addition, the Company’s results of operations could be adversely affected by changes in the way in which existing statutes and regulations are interpreted or applied by courts and government agencies.

The CFPB may increase our regulatory compliance burden and could affect the consumer financial products and services that we offer.

Among the Dodd-Frank Act’s significant regulatory changes, it created a new financial consumer protection agency, the CFPB. The CFPB is reshaping the consumer financial laws through rulemaking and enforcement of the Dodd-Frank Act’s prohibitions against unfair, deceptive and abusive consumer finance products or practices, which are directly affecting the business operations of financial institutions offering consumer financial products or services. This agency’s broad rulemaking authority includes identifying practices or acts that are unfair, deceptive or abusive in connection with any consumer financial transaction, financial product or service. Although the CFPB has jurisdiction over banks with $10 billion or greater in assets, rules, regulations and policies issued by the CFPB may also apply to the Company or its subsidiaries by virtue of the adoption of such policies and best practices by the Federal Reserve and the FDIC. Further, the CFPB may include its own examiners in regulatory examinations by the Company’s primary regulators. The total costs and limitations related to this additional regulatory agency and the limitations and restrictions that will be placed upon the Company with respect to its consumer product and service offerings have yet to be determined in their entirety. However, these costs, limitations and restrictions may produce significant, material effects on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Risks Related to the Acquisition of Fincastle

Combining Fincastle into the Company may be more difficult, costly or time-consuming than we expect.

The success of the Merger will depend, in part, on the Company’s ability to realize the anticipated benefits and cost savings from combining the business of Fincastle into the business of the Company without materially disrupting the existing customer relationships of Fincastle or the Company. If the Company is not able to achieve these objectives, the anticipated benefits and cost savings of the Merger may not be realized fully, or at all, or may take longer to realize than expected.

The success of the Merger will depend, in part, on the Company’s ability to successfully combine the businesses of the Company and Fincastle. To realize these anticipated benefits, the Company will integrate Fincastle’s business into its own. The integration process in the Merger could result in the disruption of ongoing business, inconsistencies in standards, controls, procedures, and policies that affect adversely the Company’s ability to maintain relationships with customers and employees or achieve the anticipated benefits of the Merger. If the Company experiences difficulties with the integration process, the anticipated benefits of the Merger may not be realized, fully or at all, or may take longer to realize than expected. As with any merger of financial institutions, there also may be disruptions that cause the Company to lose customers or cause customers to withdraw their deposits from Fincastle or the Bank, or other unintended consequences that could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations or financial condition after the Merger. These integration matters could have an adverse effect on the Company for an indeterminate period after consummation of the Merger.

The Company may not be able to effectively integrate the operations of Fincastle into the Bank.

The future operating performance of the Company and the Bank will depend, in part, on the success of the merger of Fincastle with and into the Bank. The success of the subsidiary bank merger will, in turn, depend on a number of factors, including the Company’s ability to (i) integrate the operations and branches of Fincastle and the Bank, (ii) retain the deposits and customers of Fincastle and the Bank, (iii) control the incremental increase in noninterest expense arising from the Merger in a manner that enables the combined bank to improve its overall operating efficiencies, and (iv) retain and integrate the appropriate personnel of Fincastle into the operations of the Bank, and reduce overlapping bank personnel. The integration of Fincastle and the Bank will require the dedication of the time and resources of the Bank’s management and may temporarily distract management’s attention from the day-to-day business of the Bank. If the Bank is unable to successfully integrate Fincastle, the Bank may not be able to realize expected operating efficiencies and eliminate redundant costs.

Regulatory approvals may not be received, may take longer than expected, or may impose conditions that are not presently anticipated or that could have an adverse effect on the combined company following the Merger.

Before the Merger may be completed, the Company and the Bank must obtain approvals from the Federal Reserve and the SCC. Other approvals, waivers or consents from regulators may also be required. These regulators may impose conditions on the completion of the Merger or require changes to the terms of the Merger. Such conditions or changes and the process of obtaining regulatory approvals could have the effect of delaying completion of the Merger and the subsidiary bank merger, imposing additional costs on the combined company or limiting the revenues of the combined company, any of which might have an adverse effect on the combined company following the Merger.

A significant delay in the completion of the Merger could have a material adverse effect on the Company and Fincastle as a combined company.

The merger agreement with Fincastle is subject to a number of conditions that must be fulfilled in order to complete the Merger. Those conditions include, among others: (1) approval of the Merger by the Company’s and Fincastle’s shareholders, (2) receipt of all required approvals from bank regulatory authorities and expiration of all applicable waiting periods, (3) absence of any law or order prohibiting or restricting the completion of the Merger, and (4) effectiveness of the Company’s registration statement filed with the SEC. Certain costs relating to the Merger, such as legal, accounting and financial advisory fees, must be paid even if the Merger is not completed. If the Merger is not completed, we would have to recognize these expenses and our management would have committed substantial time and resources without realizing the expected benefits of the Merger.

If these conditions to the completion of the Merger are not fulfilled when expected and, as a result, the completion of the Merger is delayed, the diversion of management attention from pursuing other opportunities, the constraints in the merger agreement on the ability to make significant changes to each company’s ongoing business during the pendency of the Merger, the incurrence of additional merger related expenses, and other market and economic factors could have a material adverse effect on the combined company's business, financial condition and results of operations.

The Company and Fincastle will be subject to business uncertainties and contractual restrictions while the Merger is pending.

Uncertainty about the effect of the Merger on employees and customers may have an adverse effect on the Company and Fincastle. These uncertainties may impair the Company’s and Fincastle’s ability to attract, retain and motivate key personnel until the Merger is completed, and could cause customers and others that deal with the Company and Fincastle to seek to change existing business relationships with the Company and Fincastle. Retention of certain employees by the Company and Fincastle may be challenging while the Merger is pending, as certain employees may experience uncertainty about their future roles with the Company or Fincastle. If key employees depart because of issues relating to the uncertainty and difficulty of integration or a desire not to remain with the Company or Fincastle, the Company’s or Fincastle’s business, or the business of the combined company following the Merger, could be harmed. In addition, subject to certain exceptions, the Company and Fincastle have each agreed to operate its business in the ordinary course prior to closing and refrain from taking certain specified actions until the Merger occurs, which may prevent Fincastle from pursuing attractive business opportunities that may arise prior to the completion of the Merger.

Risks Related To The Company’s Securities

The Company relies on dividends from its subsidiaries for substantially all of its revenue.

The Company is a bank holding company that conducts substantially all of its operations through the Bank. As a result, the Company relies on dividends from the Bank for substantially all of its revenues. There are various regulatory restrictions on the ability of the Bank to pay dividends or make other payments to the Company. Also, the Company’s right to participate in a distribution of assets upon a subsidiary’s liquidation or reorganization is subject to the prior claims of the subsidiary’s creditors. In the event the Bank is unable to pay dividends to the Company, the Company may not be able to service debt, pay obligations, or pay a cash dividend to the holders of its common stock and the Company’s business, financial condition, and results of operations may be materially adversely affected. Further, although the Company has historically paid a cash dividend to the holders of its common stock, holders of the common stock are not entitled to receive dividends, and regulatory or economic factors may cause the Company’s Board of Directors to consider, among other things, the reduction of dividends paid on the Company’s common stock even if the Bank continues to pay dividends to the Company.

There is a limited trading market for the Company’s common stock; it may be difficult to sell shares.

The trading volume in the Company’s common stock has been relatively limited. Even if a more active market develops, there can be no assurance that a more active and liquid trading market for the common stock will exist in the future. Consequently, shareholders may not be able to sell a substantial number of shares for the same price at which shareholders could sell a smaller number of shares. In addition, the Company cannot predict the effect, if any, that future sales of its common stock in the market, or the availability of shares of common stock for sale in the market, will have on the market price of the common stock. Sales of substantial amounts of common stock in the market, or the potential for large amounts of sales in the market, could cause the price of the Company’s common stock to decline, or reduce the Company’s ability to raise capital through future sales of common stock. The lack of liquidity of the investment in the common shares should be carefully considered when making an investment decision.

Future issuances of the Company’s common stock could adversely affect the market price of the common stock and could be dilutive.

The Company is not restricted from issuing additional authorized shares of common stock, including any securities that are convertible into or exchangeable for, or that represent the right to receive, shares of common stock. Issuances of a substantial number of shares of common stock, or the expectation that such issuances might occur, including in connection with acquisitions by the Company, could materially adversely affect the market price of the shares of common stock and could be dilutive to shareholders. Because the Company’s decision to issue common stock in the future will depend on market conditions and other factors, it cannot predict or estimate the amount, timing, or nature of possible future issuances of its common stock. Accordingly, the Company’s shareholders bear the risk that future issuances will reduce the market price of the common stock and dilute their stock holdings in the Company.

Current economic conditions or other factors may cause volatility in the Company’s common stock value.

The value of publicly traded stocks in the financial services sector can be volatile. The value of the Company’s common stock can also be affected by a variety of factors such as expected results of operations, actual results of operations, actions taken by shareholders, news or expectations based on the performance of others in the financial services industry, and expected impacts of a changing regulatory environment. These factors not only impact the value of the Company’s common stock but could also affect the liquidity of the stock given the Company’s size, geographical footprint, and industry.

The Company’s subordinated debt and junior subordinated debt are superior to its common stock, which may limit its ability to pay dividends on common stock in the future.

The Company's ability to pay dividends on common stock is also limited by contractual restrictions under its subordinated debt and junior subordinated debt. Interest must be paid on the subordinated debt and junior subordinated debt before dividends may be paid to common shareholders. The Company is current in its interest payments on subordinated debt and junior subordinated debt; however, it has the right to defer distributions on its junior subordinated debt, during which time no dividends may be paid on its common stock. If the Company does not have sufficient earnings in the future and begins to defer distributions on the junior subordinated debt, it will be unable to pay dividends on its common stock until it becomes current on those distributions.

The Company’s governing documents and Virginia law contain anti-takeover provisions that could negatively affect its shareholders.

The Company’s Articles of Incorporation and the Virginia Stock Corporation Act contain certain provisions designed to enhance the ability of the Board of Directors to deal with attempts to acquire control of the Company. These provisions and the ability to set the voting rights, preferences, and other terms of any series of outstanding preferred stock and preferred stock that may be issued, may be deemed to have an anti-takeover effect and may discourage takeovers (which certain shareholders may deem to be in their best interest). To the extent that such takeover attempts are discouraged, temporary fluctuations in the market price of the Company’s common stock resulting from actual or rumored takeover attempts may be inhibited. These provisions also could discourage or make more difficult a merger, tender offer, or proxy contest, even though such transactions may be favorable to the interests of shareholders, and could potentially adversely affect the market price of the Company’s common stock.

Not applicable.

The Company, through its primary operating subsidiary, First Bank, owns or leases buildings that are used in the normal course of business. The Company’s headquarters is located at 112 West King Street, Strasburg, Virginia. The Bank owns or leases various other offices in the counties and cities in which it operates. At December 31, 2020, the Bank operated 14 branches throughout the Shenandoah Valley and the central Virginia regions. The Bank also operates a loan production office and a customer service center in a retirement community in the Shenandoah Valley region. The Company’s operations center is in Strasburg, Virginia. All of the Company’s properties are in good operating condition and are adequate for the Company’s present and future needs. See Note 1, “Nature of Banking Activities and Significant Accounting Policies,” Note 6, “Premises and Equipment,” and Note 17, "Lease Commitments," in the “Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements” contained in Item 8 of this Form 10-K for information with respect to the amounts at which Bank premises and equipment are carried and commitments under long-term leases.

There are no material pending legal proceedings to which the Company is a party or to which the property of the Company is subject.

None.

Part II

Market Information and Holders

Shares of the common stock of the Company are traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market stock exchange under the symbol “FXNC.” As of March 19, 2021 the Company had 521 shareholders of record and approximately 754 additional beneficial owners of shares of common stock.

Dividend Policy

A discussion of certain limitations on the ability of the Bank to pay dividends to the Company and the ability of the Company to pay dividends on its common stock, is set forth in Part I., Item 1—Business, of this Form 10-K under the headings “Supervision and Regulation - Limits on Dividends and Other Payments” and Item 1A—Risk Factors, “The Company’s subordinated debt and junior subordinated debt are superior to its common stock, which may limit the Company's ability to pay dividends on common stock in the future.”

The Company’s future dividend policy is subject to the discretion of its Board of Directors and will depend upon a number of factors, including future earnings, financial condition, liquidity and capital requirements of both the Company and the Bank, applicable governmental regulations and policies and other factors deemed relevant by the Board of Directors.

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

During the fourth quarter of 2019, the Board of Directors of the Company authorized a stock repurchase plan pursuant to which the Company may have repurchased up to $5.0 million of its outstanding common stock. Repurchases under the plan could have been made through privately negotiated transactions or in the open market in accordance with SEC rules. The Company's Board of Directors authorized the purchase plan through December 31, 2020, unless the entire amount authorized to be repurchased had been acquired before that date. As of December 31, 2020, the Company made aggregate common stock repurchases of 129,035 shares for an aggregate cost of $2.1 million under the purchase plan. The Company has not authorized another stock repurchase plan due to the potential impact of the pandemic on the economy and the Bank’s customers.

The Company had no purchases of its common stock during the three months ended December 31, 2020 pursuant to the stock repurchase plan.

The following is selected financial data for the Company for the last five years. This information has been derived from audited financial information included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K (in thousands, except ratios and per share amounts).

The following discussion and analysis of the financial condition and results of operations of the Company for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019 should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes to the consolidated financial statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K.

Executive Overview

The Company

First National Corporation (the Company) is the bank holding company of:

First Bank Financial Services, Inc. invests in entities that provide title insurance and investment services. Shen-Valley Land Holdings, LLC was formed to hold other real estate owned and future office sites. The Trusts were formed for the purpose of issuing redeemable capital securities, commonly known as trust preferred securities and are not included in the Company’s consolidated financial statements in accordance with authoritative accounting guidance because management has determined that the Trusts qualify as variable interest entities.

Products, Services, Customers and Locations

The Bank offers loan, deposit, and wealth management products and services. Loan products and services include consumer loans, residential mortgages, home equity loans, and commercial loans. Deposit products and services include checking accounts, treasury management solutions, savings accounts, money market accounts, certificates of deposit, and individual retirement accounts. Wealth management services include estate planning, investment management of assets, trustee under an agreement, trustee under a will, individual retirement accounts, and estate settlement. Customers include small and medium-sized businesses, individuals, estates, local governmental entities, and non-profit organizations. The Bank’s office locations are well-positioned in attractive markets along the Interstate 81, Interstate 66, and Interstate 64 corridors in the Shenandoah Valley, central regions of Virginia, and the city of Richmond. Within this market area, there are diverse types of industry including medical and professional services, manufacturing, retail, warehousing, Federal government, hospitality, and higher education.

The Bank’s products and services are delivered through 14 bank branch offices located throughout the Shenandoah Valley and central regions of Virginia, a loan production office, and a customer service center in a retirement village. The branch offices are comprised of 13 full service retail banking offices and one drive-through express banking office. For the location and general character of each of these offices, see Item 2 of this Form 10-K. Many of the Bank’s services are also delivered through the Bank’s mobile banking platform, its website, www.fbvirginia.com, and a network of ATMs located throughout its market area.

Revenue Sources and Expense Factors

The primary source of revenue is from net interest income earned by the Bank. Net interest income is the difference between interest income and interest expense and typically represents between 70% and 80% of the Company’s total revenue. Interest income is determined by the amount of interest-earning assets outstanding during the period and the interest rates earned on those assets. The Bank’s interest expense is a function of the amount of interest-bearing liabilities outstanding during the period and the interest rates paid. In addition to net interest income, noninterest income is the other source of revenue for the Company. Noninterest income is derived primarily from service charges on deposits, fee income from wealth management services, and ATM and check card fees.

Primary expense categories are salaries and employee benefits, which comprised 56% of noninterest expenses during 2020, followed by occupancy and equipment expense, which comprised 14% of noninterest expenses. The provision for loan losses is also a primary expense of the Bank. The provision is determined by factors that include net charge-offs, asset quality, economic conditions, and loan growth. Changing economic conditions caused by inflation, recession, unemployment, or other factors beyond the Company’s control have a direct correlation with asset quality, net charge-offs, and ultimately the required provision for loan losses.

COVID-19 Pandemic Update

Operations

During the fourth quarter of 2020, the Bank continued to follow its Pandemic Plan that strives to protect the health of its employees and customers, while continuing to deliver essential banking services. In response to an increasing number of COVID-19 cases in our communities during the fourth quarter, the Bank re-entered phase one of its plan on December 9, 2020 after operating under phase two of its plan since July 1, 2020. Phase one of the plan limits access to banking offices while delivering a majority of its banking services through branch drive throughs, ATMs, and mobile and internet banking platforms.

Paycheck Protection Program

The Bank participated as a lender in the U.S. Small Business Administration’s (SBA) Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) to support local small businesses and non-profit organizations during 2020. During the second and third quarters, the Bank originated $76.6 million of PPP loans, received $2.5 million of loan fees, and incurred $535 thousand of loan origination costs. The original PPP provided forgivable loans over a five-month period before it stopped accepting applications in August of 2020. The loan fees are being accreted into earnings evenly over the life of the loans, net of the loan costs, through interest and fees on loans. At December 31, 2020, PPP loan balances totaled $64.7 million with approximately 99% of the loan balances maturing in the second quarter of 2022 and approximately 1% of loan balances maturing in the second quarter of 2025. PPP loans to customers who had requested debt forgiveness and were waiting to be notified of forgiveness decisions from the SBA totaled $2.0 million at December 31, 2020.

Congress revived the PPP (new PPP) as part of the COVID-19 relief bill that was signed into law on December 27, 2020. The Bank began participating as a lender in the new PPP in January of 2021. As of February 28, 2021, the Bank had originated $18.9 million of new PPP loans. Loan fees received on new PPP loans will also be accreted into earnings evenly over the life of the loans, net of the loan costs, through interest and fees on loans. These new PPP loans will mature in the first quarter of 2026.

Asset Quality Impact

The pandemic has negatively impacted the financial condition of certain loan customers. The Bank expects certain sectors of its commercial real estate loan portfolio, including retail shopping, lodging and leisure, may experience elevated financial pressure in future periods. Those sectors comprised 5%, 5% and 2% of the loan portfolio, respectively, excluding PPP loans, at December 31, 2020. The Bank also expects that loans in those same sectors of its commercial and industrial loan portfolio may experience financial pressure in future periods. The magnitude of the potential decline in the Bank’s loan quality in future periods will likely depend on the duration of the pandemic and the extent that the Bank’s customers experience business interruptions.

Loan Modifications

In response to the unknown impact of the pandemic on the economy and its customers, the Bank created and implemented a loan payment deferral program for individual and business customers beginning in the first quarter of 2020, which provided them the opportunity to defer monthly payments for 90 days. At June 30, 2020, loans participating in the program totaled $182.6 million. More than 99% of these loans resumed regular payments during the second half of the year after their deferral periods ended. Loans that remained in the program totaled $1.2 million at December 31, 2020. These loans were not considered troubled debt restructurings (TDRs) because they were modified in accordance with relief provisions of the CARES Act and recent interagency regulatory guidance.

During the fourth quarter of 2020, the Bank modified terms of certain loans for customers that continued to be negatively impacted by the pandemic. The loan modifications lowered borrower loan payments by allowing interest only payments for periods ranging between 6 and 24 months. All loans modified were in the Bank’s commercial real estate loan portfolio and totaled $14.3 million at December 31, 2020. The loans were comprised of $12.8 million in the lodging sector and $1.5 million in the leisure sector. These loans were not considered TDRs because they were modified in accordance with relief provisions of the CARES Act.

Capital

The Company issued $5.0 million of subordinated debt in June 2020 as a result of its enterprise risk management and capital planning. The purpose of the issuance was primarily to further strengthen holding company liquidity and to remain a source of strength for the Bank in the event of a severe economic downturn. The Company may also use the proceeds of the issuance for general corporate purposes, including the potential repayment of the Company’s existing subordinated debt issued in 2015, which became callable on a quarterly basis beginning January 1, 2021. The subordinated debt issued in 2020 consists of a 5.50% fixed-to-floating rate subordinated note due 2030 issued to an institutional investor and was structured to qualify as Tier 2 capital under bank regulatory guidelines.

The Company’s stock repurchase plan remained suspended during the fourth quarter of 2020 and ended on December 31, 2020. The Company has not authorized another stock repurchase plan due to the potential impact of the pandemic on the economy and the Bank’s customers. The Company continued to pay cash dividends on common stock of $0.11 per share during each quarter of 2020.

Overview of Financial Performance and Condition

Net income decreased by $698 thousand to $8.9 million, or $1.82 per diluted share, for the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $9.6 million, or $1.92 per diluted share, for the same period in 2019. Return on average assets was 0.98% and return on average equity was 10.92% for the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to 1.23% and 13.19%, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2019.

The $698 thousand decrease in net income for the year ended December 31, 2020 resulted primarily from a $2.6 million increase in provision for loan losses and a $327 thousand, or 4%, decrease in noninterest income, compared to the same period of 2019. These unfavorable variances were partially offset by a $1.5 million, or 5%, increase in net interest income and a $532 thousand, or 2%, decrease in noninterest expenses.

Net interest income increased primarily from a decrease in interest expense on deposits, which was attributable to reductions in interest rates paid. Average earning asset balances increased 16%, while the net interest margin decreased 38 basis points to 3.50% for the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to 3.88% for the same period in 2019. Noninterest income decreased primarily from lower service charges on deposit accounts, which was partially offset by higher amounts of wealth management fees and fees for other customer services. Noninterest expense decreased primarily from lower salaries and employee benefits expense, marketing expense, and other operating expense, which were partially offset by higher FDIC assessment.

Based on management’s analysis and the supporting allowance for loan loss calculation, a provision for loan losses of $3.0 million was recorded during the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to a provision for loan losses of $450 thousand during the year ended December 31, 2019. The increase in provision for loan losses was attributable to increases in both the general and specific reserve components of the allowance for loan losses.

For a more detailed discussion of the Company's performance, see "Net Interest Income," "Provision for Loan Losses," "Noninterest Income," "Noninterest Expense" and "Income Taxes" below.

Acquisition of The Bank of Fincastle

On February 18, 2021, the Company entered into an agreement to acquire Fincastle for an aggregate purchase price of approximately $31.6 million of cash and stock. The Company expects to complete the acquisition in the third quarter of 2021. With the addition of Fincastle, the Company would have had approximately $1.2 billion in assets, $868.0 million in total gross loans outstanding and $1.0 billion in total deposits on a combined basis at December 31, 2020. After the acquisition is completed, the former Fincastle branches will continue to operate as The Bank of Fincastle, a division of First Bank, until the systems conversion is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of 2021. The Company did not incur any merger related expenses for the year ended December 31, 2020 in connection with its acquisition of Fincastle. The Company estimates that it will incur aggregate pre-tax merger related costs of approximately $4.2 million during 2021. 

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

This report refers to the efficiency ratio, which is computed by dividing noninterest expense, excluding OREO expense, amortization of intangibles, and gains/(losses) on disposal of premises and equipment, by the sum of net interest income on a tax-equivalent basis and noninterest income, excluding securities gains. This is a non-GAAP financial measure that the Company believes provides investors with important information regarding operational efficiency. Such information is not prepared in accordance with GAAP and should not be construed as such. Management believes, however, such financial information is meaningful to the reader in understanding operating performance, but cautions that such information not be viewed as a substitute for GAAP. The Company, in referring to its net income, is referring to income under GAAP. The components of the efficiency ratio calculation are summarized in the following table (dollars in thousands).

This report also refers to net interest margin, which is calculated by dividing tax equivalent net interest income by total average earning assets. Because a portion of interest income earned by the Company is nontaxable, the tax equivalent net interest income is considered in the calculation of this ratio. Tax equivalent net interest income is calculated by adding the tax benefit realized from interest income that is nontaxable to total interest income then subtracting total interest expense. The tax rate utilized in calculating the tax benefit for both 2020 and 2019 is 21%.  The reconciliation of tax equivalent net interest income, which is not a measurement under GAAP, to net interest income, is reflected in the table below (in thousands).

Critical Accounting Policies

General

The Company’s consolidated financial statements and related notes are prepared in accordance with GAAP. The financial information contained within the statements is, to a significant extent, financial information that is based on measures of the financial effects of transactions and events that have already occurred. A variety of factors could affect the ultimate value that is obtained either when earning income, recognizing an expense, recovering an asset, or relieving a liability. The Bank uses historical losses as one factor in determining the inherent loss that may be present in the loan portfolio. Actual losses could differ significantly from the historical factors used. In addition, GAAP itself may change from one previously acceptable method to another. Although the economics of transactions would be the same, the timing of events that would impact transactions could change.

Presented below is a discussion of those accounting policies that management believes are the most important (Critical Accounting Policies) to the portrayal and understanding of the Company’s financial condition and results of operations. The Critical Accounting Policies require management’s most difficult, subjective, and complex judgments about matters that are inherently uncertain. In the event that different assumptions or conditions were to prevail, and depending upon the severity of such changes, the possibility of materially different financial condition or results of operations is a reasonable likelihood.

Allowance for Loan Losses

The allowance for loan losses is established as losses are estimated to have occurred through a provision for loan losses charged to earnings. Loan losses are charged against the allowance when management determines that the loan balance is uncollectible. Subsequent recoveries, if any, are credited to the allowance. For further information about the Company’s loans and the allowance for loan losses, see Notes 1, 3, and 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Form 10-K.

The allowance for loan losses is evaluated on a quarterly basis by management and is based upon management’s periodic review of the collectability of the loans in light of historical experience, the nature and volume of the loan portfolio, adverse situations that may affect the borrower’s ability to repay, estimated value of any underlying collateral, and prevailing economic conditions. This evaluation is inherently subjective as it requires estimates that are susceptible to significant revision as more information becomes available.

The Company performs regular credit reviews of the loan portfolio to review credit quality and adherence to underwriting standards. The credit reviews consist of reviews by its internal credit administration department and reviews performed by an independent third party. Upon origination, each loan is assigned a risk rating ranging from one to nine, with loans closer to one having less risk. This risk rating scale is the Company's primary credit quality indicator. The Company has various committees that review and ensure that the allowance for loans losses methodology is in accordance with GAAP and loss factors used appropriately reflect the risk characteristics of the loan portfolio.

The allowance represents an amount that, in management’s judgment, will be adequate to absorb any losses on existing loans that may become uncollectible. Management’s judgment in determining the level of the allowance is based on evaluations of the collectability of loans while taking into consideration such factors as trends in delinquencies and charge-offs, changes in the nature and volume of the loan portfolio, current economic conditions that may affect a borrower’s ability to repay and the value of the collateral, overall portfolio quality, and review of specific potential losses. The evaluation also considers the following risk characteristics of each loan portfolio class:

The allowance for loan losses consists of specific and general components. The specific component relates to loans that are classified as impaired, and is established when the discounted cash flows, fair value of collateral less estimated costs to sell, or observable market price of the impaired loan is lower than the carrying value of that loan. For collateral dependent loans, an updated appraisal is ordered if a current one is not on file. Appraisals are typically performed by independent third-party appraisers with relevant industry experience. Adjustments to the appraised value may be made based on recent sales of like properties or general market conditions among other considerations.

The general component covers loans that are not considered impaired and is based on historical loss experience adjusted for qualitative factors. The historical loss experience is calculated by loan type and uses an average loss rate during the preceding twelve quarters. The qualitative factors are assigned by management based on delinquencies and asset quality, national and local economic trends, effects of the changes in the value of underlying collateral, trends in volume and nature of loans, effects of changes in the lending policy, the experience and depth of management, concentrations of credit, quality of the loan review system, and the effect of external factors such as competition and regulatory requirements. The factors assigned differ by loan type. The general allowance estimates losses whose impact on the portfolio has yet to be recognized by a specific allowance. Allowance factors and the overall size of the allowance may change from period to period based on management’s assessment of the above described factors and the relative weights given to each factor. For further information regarding the allowance for loan losses, see Notes 1 and 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Form 10-K.

Lending Policies

General

In an effort to manage risk, the Bank’s loan policy gives loan amount approval limits to individual loan officers based on their position within the Bank and level of experience. The Management Loan Committee can approve new loans up to their authority. The Board Loan Committee approves all loans which exceed the authority of the Management Loan Committee. The full Board of Directors must approve loans which exceed the authority of the Board Loan Committee, up to the Bank’s legal lending limit. The Board Loan Committee currently consists of five directors, four of which are non-management directors. The Board Loan Committee approves the Bank’s Loan Policy and reviews risk management reports, including watch list reports and concentrations of credit. The Board Loan Committee meets on a monthly basis and the Chairman of the Committee then reports to the Board of Directors.

Residential loan originations are primarily generated by mortgage loan officer solicitations and referrals by employees, real estate professionals, and customers. Commercial real estate loan originations and commercial and industrial loan originations are primarily obtained through direct solicitation and additional business from existing customers. All completed loan applications are reviewed by the Bank’s loan officers. As part of the application process, information is obtained concerning the income, financial condition, employment, and credit history of the applicant. The Bank also participates in commercial real estate loans and commercial and industrial loans originated by other financial institutions that are typically outside its market area. In addition, the Bank has purchased consumer loans originated by other financial institutions that are typically outside its market area. Loan quality is analyzed based on the Bank’s experience and credit underwriting guidelines depending on the type of loan involved. Except for loan participations with other financial institutions, real estate collateral is valued by independent appraisers who have been pre-approved by the Board Loan Committee.

As part of the ongoing monitoring of the credit quality of the Company’s loan portfolio, certain appraisals are analyzed by management or by an outsourced appraisal review specialist throughout the year in order to ensure standards of quality are met. The Company also obtains an independent review of loans within the portfolio on an annual basis to analyze loan risk ratings and validate specific reserves on impaired loans.

In the normal course of business, the Bank makes various commitments and incurs certain contingent liabilities which are disclosed but not reflected in its financial statements, including commitments to extend credit. At December 31, 2020, commitments to extend credit, stand-by letters of credit, and rate lock commitments totaled $136.0 million.

Construction and Land Development Lending

The Bank makes local construction loans, including residential and land acquisition and development loans. These loans are secured by the property under construction and the underlying land for which the loan was obtained. The majority of these loans mature in one year. Construction lending entails significant additional risks, compared with residential mortgage lending. Construction and land development loans sometimes involve larger loan balances concentrated with single borrowers or groups of related borrowers. Another risk involved in construction and land development lending is the fact that loan funds are advanced upon the security of the land or property under construction, which value is estimated based on the completion of construction. Thus, there is risk associated with failure to complete construction and potential cost overruns. To mitigate the risks associated with this type of lending, the Bank generally limits loan amounts relative to the appraised value and/or cost of the collateral, analyzes the cost of the project and the creditworthiness of its borrowers, and monitors construction progress. The Bank typically obtains a first lien on the property as security for its construction loans, typically requires personal guarantees from the borrower’s principal owners, and typically monitors the progress of the construction project during the draw period.

1-4 Family Residential Real Estate Lending

1-4 family residential lending activity may be generated by Bank loan officer solicitations and referrals by real estate professionals and existing or new bank customers. Loan applications are taken by a Bank loan officer. As part of the application process, information is gathered concerning income, employment, and credit history of the applicant. Residential mortgage loans generally are made on the basis of the borrower’s ability to make payments from employment and other income and are secured by real estate whose value tends to be readily ascertainable. In addition to the Bank’s underwriting standards, loan quality may be analyzed based on guidelines issued by a secondary market investor. The valuation of residential collateral is generally provided by independent fee appraisers who have been approved by the Board Loan Committee. In addition to originating mortgage loans with the intent to sell to correspondent lenders or broker to wholesale lenders, the Bank also originates and retains certain mortgage loans in its loan portfolio.

Commercial Real Estate Lending

Commercial real estate loans are secured by various types of commercial real estate typically in the Bank’s market area, including multi-family residential buildings, office and retail buildings, hotels, industrial buildings, and religious facilities. Commercial real estate loan originations are primarily obtained through direct solicitation of customers and potential customers. The valuation of commercial real estate collateral is provided by independent appraisers who have been approved by the Board Loan Committee. Commercial real estate lending entails significant additional risk, compared with residential mortgage lending. Commercial real estate loans typically involve larger loan balances concentrated with single borrowers or groups of related borrowers. Additionally, the payment experience on loans secured by income producing properties is typically dependent on the successful operation of a business or a real estate project and thus may be subject, to a greater extent, to adverse conditions in the real estate market or in the economy in general. The Bank’s commercial real estate loan underwriting criteria require an examination of debt service coverage ratios, the borrower’s creditworthiness, prior credit history, and reputation. The Bank typically requires personal guarantees of the borrowers’ principal owners and considers the valuation of the real estate collateral.

Commercial and Industrial Lending

Commercial and industrial loans generally have a higher degree of risk than loans secured by real estate, but typically have higher yields. Commercial and industrial loans typically are made on the basis of the borrower’s ability to make repayment from cash flow from its business. The loans may be unsecured or secured by business assets, such as accounts receivable, equipment, and inventory. As a result, the availability of funds for the repayment of commercial business loans is substantially dependent on the success of the business itself. Furthermore, any collateral for commercial business loans may depreciate over time and generally cannot be appraised with as much reliability as real estate.

Also included in this category are loans originated under the SBA's PPP. PPP loans are fully guaranteed by the SBA, and in some cases borrowers may be eligible to obtain forgiveness of the loans, in which case loans would be repaid by the SBA.

Consumer Lending

Loans to individual borrowers may be secured or unsecured, and include unsecured consumer loans and lines of credit, automobile loans, deposit account loans, and installment and demand loans. These consumer loans may entail greater risk than residential mortgage loans, particularly in the case of consumer loans which are unsecured or secured by rapidly depreciating assets such as automobiles. In such cases, any repossessed collateral for a defaulted consumer loan may not provide an adequate source of repayment of the outstanding loan balance as a result of the greater likelihood of damage, loss, or depreciation. Consumer loan collections are dependent on the borrower’s continuing financial stability, and thus are more likely to be adversely affected by job loss, divorce, illness, or personal bankruptcy. Furthermore, the application of various federal and state laws, including federal and state bankruptcy and insolvency laws, may limit the amount which can be recovered on such loans.

The underwriting standards employed by the Bank for consumer loans include a determination of the applicant’s payment history on other debts and an assessment of ability to meet existing obligations and payments on a proposed loan. The stability of the applicant’s monthly income may be determined by verification of gross monthly income from primary employment, and additionally from any verifiable secondary income.

Also included in this category are loans purchased through a third-party lending program. These portfolios include consumer loans and carry risks associated with the borrower, changes in the economic environment, and the vendor itself. The Company manages these risks through policies that require minimum credit scores and other underwriting requirements, robust analysis of actual performance versus expected performance, as well as ensuring compliance with the Company's vendor management program.

Results of Operations

General

Net interest income represents the primary source of earnings for the Company. Net interest income equals the amount by which interest income on interest-earning assets, predominantly loans and securities, exceeds interest expense on interest-bearing liabilities, including deposits, other borrowings, subordinated debt, and junior subordinated debt. Changes in the volume and mix of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities, as well as their respective yields and rates, are the components that impact the level of net interest income. The net interest margin is calculated by dividing tax-equivalent net interest income by average earning assets. The provision for loan losses, noninterest income, and noninterest expense are the other components that determine net income. Noninterest income and expense primarily consists of income from service charges on deposit accounts, revenue from wealth management services, ATM and check card income, revenue from other customer services, income from bank owned life insurance, general and administrative expenses, amortization expense, and other real estate owned expense.

Net Interest Income

For the year ended December 31, 2020, net interest income increased $1.5 million, or 5%, to $29.5 million, compared to $28.0 million for the same period in 2019. The increase resulted from a $1.5 million, or 31%, decrease in total interest expense. Total interest and dividend income, on a taxable-equivalent basis, decreased $55 thousand to $33.0 million, compared to $33.1 million for 2019. The net interest margin decreased 38 basis points to 3.50% for the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to 3.88% for the same period in 2019. Growth in average earning assets of $118.8 million, or 16%, was partially offset by the decrease in the net interest margin.

The decrease in total interest expense resulted primarily from a $1.5 million, or 37%, decrease in interest expense on deposits, which was attributable to reduced interest rates paid on deposits. A 36 basis point decrease in the cost of interest-bearing deposits was partially offset by the impact of a $63.4 million, or 13%, increase in average interest-bearing deposits. A 49 basis point reduction in the cost of interest-bearing checking accounts and a 77 basis point reduction in the cost of money market accounts made the largest contributions to the decrease in interest expense.

The decrease in total interest and dividend income, on a taxable-equivalent basis, resulted primarily from a 65 basis point decrease in the yield on earning assets, which was mostly offset by a $118.8 million, or 16%, increase in average earning assets. The decrease in the yield on earning assets resulted from a 25 basis point decrease in the yield on securities, a 41 basis point decrease in the yield on loans, and a 175 basis point decrease in the yield on interest-bearing deposits in banks. The loan yield was negatively impacted by PPP loans earning a 1.00% interest rate. Additionally, the mix of earning assets had an unfavorable impact on the yield on average earning assets as lower yielding interest-bearing deposits in banks increased from 3% to 10% of average earning assets.

COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Net Interest Income

Net interest income was negatively impacted by higher levels of nonaccrual loans. Loans to customers who are not able to make their loan payments to the Bank are placed on nonaccrual status, which causes a reversal of accrued interest receivable and interest income on loans. Recognition of interest on the loans will not resume until the borrowers can once again demonstrate their ability to repay.

Net interest income may be negatively impacted in future periods by unfavorable changes in the earning asset composition and the impact of recent decreases in market rates on earning asset yields in future periods. An unfavorable change in the Company’s earning asset composition could occur if a decrease in loan demand causes a reduction in loan balances, the Bank’s highest yielding asset category, while balances of securities and interest-bearing deposits in banks, the Bank’s lower yielding asset categories, increase.

The ability of loan customers to make loan payments and the potential of decreasing loan demand may depend on the length of time and extent the Bank’s loan customers experience business interruptions from the pandemic. During 2020, the Bank modified certain loan agreements to provide payment relief to its customers by providing interest only payments for periods ranging between 6 and 24 months. The extent of asset quality deterioration that could result from the modified loans may be impacted by the continuation of customers' business interruptions beyond the modification periods.

The following table provides information on average interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019, and 2018, as well as amounts and rates of tax equivalent interest earned and interest paid (dollars in thousands). The volume and rate analysis table analyzes the changes in net interest income for the periods broken down by their rate and volume components (in thousands).

Provision for Loan Losses

The provision for loan losses represents management’s analysis of the existing loan portfolio and related credit risks. The provision for loan losses is based upon management’s estimate of the amount required to maintain an adequate allowance for loan losses reflective of the risks in the loan portfolio.

The Bank recorded a provision for loan losses of $3.0 million for 2020, which resulted in a total allowance for loan losses of $7.5 million, or 1.19% of total loans, at December 31, 2020. This compared to a provision for loan losses of $450 thousand for 2019, which resulted in an allowance for loan losses of $4.9 million, or 0.86% of total loans, at the prior year end.

The provision for loan losses for the year ended December 31, 2020 resulted from net charge-offs on loans and increases in both the general and specific reserve components of the allowance for loan losses. Net charge-offs totaled $449 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $525 thousand of net charge-offs for the same period of 2019. The general reserve component of the allowance for loan losses increased primarily from adjustments to qualitative factors, which resulted from the Bank's observation of unfavorable changes in economic indicators impacted by the pandemic, consideration of risks associated with loans modified for interest-only payments in accordance with the CARES Act, and an increase in substandard loan amounts. The increase in the specific reserve component of the allowance for loan losses included reserves placed on newly identified impaired loans during the year.

For the year ended December 31, 2019, the provision for loan losses resulted from net charge-offs on loans and an increase in the general reserve component of the allowance for loan losses that were partially offset by a decrease in the specific reserve component. The general reserve increased during the period, primarily from the impact of loan growth during the year and changes in qualitative adjustments. The specific reserve decreased from improvements in collateral positions on impaired loans, principal payments received, and the resolution of certain impaired loans.

The Company has consistently applied its allowance for loan loss methodology and regularly reviews the three year historical charge-off look back period to ensure it is indicative of the risk that remains in the loan portfolio. The Company does not believe that net charge-offs experienced in 2021 will be significantly different from the prior three year look back period. For more detail of net charge-offs, see the allowance for loan losses table in "Asset Quality" below.

COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Provision for Loan Losses

The Bank may experience higher provision for loan losses in future periods from factors including higher specific reserves on newly identified impaired loans, higher levels of net charge-offs, and additional adjustments to qualitative factors in the general reserve component of the allowance for loan losses. The Bank believes the length of time and extent that the Bank’s customers experience business interruptions from the pandemic will impact the amount of provision for loan losses in future periods.

Noninterest Income

Noninterest income decreased $327 thousand, or 4%, to $8.2 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $8.6 million for the same period in 2019. The decrease in noninterest income was primarily attributable to an $898 thousand, or 31%, decrease in service charges on deposit accounts from lower deposit overdraft fees. This decrease was partially offset by a $340 thousand, or 18%, increase in wealth management fees and a $297 thousand, or 43%, increase in fees for other customer services. Wealth management fees increased primarily from higher balances of assets under management during the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the same period one year ago. Assets under management increased as a result of new business relationships and from growth in the market values of existing accounts. The increase in fees for other customer services was primarily a result of fee income from brokered residential mortgage loans.

COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Noninterest Income

The number of customer overdrafts and resulting income from service charges on deposits decreased significantly during 2020.  The Bank believes this may have resulted from a reduction in consumer spending due to government stay at home orders, social distancing and an increase in unemployment. The lower amount of overdrafts may have also been impacted by receipt of government stimulus checks and an increase in the average balances of customer deposit accounts. The Bank also suspended certain overdraft fees at the beginning of the second quarter in an effort to provide relief to its customers who may have experienced financial difficulties related to the pandemic. The suspension of the overdraft fees ended on September 30, 2020.  Service charges on deposits may continue to remain at recent levels, or decrease, depending on factors that include customer spending behaviors and the balance of deposit accounts.

ATM and check card fee revenue may also be lower in future periods as customers may spend and visit ATM machines less during periods of uncertainty. Wealth management revenue may decrease in future periods if the market values of investments decline and mortgage fee income may decrease if the number of home purchases and refinancing activity slows in the Bank's market area.

Noninterest Expense

Noninterest expense decreased $532 thousand, or 2%, to $23.8 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to $24.3 million for the same period in 2019. The decrease in noninterest expense was primarily attributable to a $246 thousand, or 2%, decrease in salaries and employee benefits, a $296 thousand, or 45%, decrease in marketing expense, and a $431 thousand, or 15%, decrease in other operating expense. The decrease in salaries and employee benefits resulted primarily from the deferral of $535 thousand of salary costs to originate PPP loans during the second and third quarters of 2020. Marketing expense decreased from a combination of reduced spending on marketing campaigns during the year and elevated expenses during 2019 from the timing of marketing initiatives. Other operating expense decreased primarily from lower dues and subscription costs, education and training costs, registration and licensing fees, travel costs, debit card losses, employee recruiting fees, and loan servicing costs for purchased loans. These decreases were partially offset by a $202 thousand increase in FDIC assessment from the use of small bank assessment credits during 2019.

The $535 thousand of deferred salary costs described above were netted against $2.5 million of loan fee income, and are being accreted into earnings evenly over the life of the loans through interest and fees on loans. Approximately 99% of the PPP loans originated in 2020 will mature in the second quarter of 2022 and approximately 1% of the loans will mature in the  quarter of 2025. If loans are paid off or forgiven prior to maturity dates, the remaining balance of net deferred loan fees would be recognized during the same period.

COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Noninterest Expense

If asset quality deteriorates as a result of the pandemic, the Bank may incur an increase in expenses related to the resolution of problem loans including appraisal costs, legal and professional fees, OREO expenses and losses on the sale of OREO. The Bank believes the length of time and extent that the Bank’s customers experience business interruptions from the pandemic will impact the amount of noninterest expense in future periods.

Income Taxes

Income tax expense decreased by $189 thousand for the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to the same period of 2019. The Company’s income tax expense differed from the amount of income tax determined by applying the U.S. federal income tax rate to pretax income for the years ended December 31, 2020 and 2019. The difference was a result of net permanent tax deductions, primarily comprised of tax-exempt interest income and income from bank owned life insurance. For a more detailed discussion of the Company’s income tax expense, see Note 11 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Form 10-K.

Financial Condition

General

Total assets increased $150.9 million to $950.9 million at December 31, 2020, compared to $800.0 million at December 31, 2019. The increase was primarily attributable to a $53.0 million increase in net loans, a $15.9 million increase in securities, and a $78.0 million increase in interest-bearing deposits in banks. The increase in net loans included $64.7 million of PPP loans at December 31, 2020.

At December 31, 2020, total liabilities increased $143.2 million to $866.0 million compared to $722.8 million at December 31, 2019. The increase was primarily attributable to a $136.0 million increase in total deposits. Proceeds from PPP loan originations and the receipt of government stimulus checks by customers during the year contributed to the increase in deposits. Noninterest-bearing demand deposits and savings and interest-bearing deposits increased $73.6 million and $79.8 million, respectively, while time deposits decreased $17.4 million. Subordinated debt also increased during 2020 as the Company issued a 5.50% fixed-to-floating rate subordinated note with a principal amount of $5.0 million to an institutional investor.

Total shareholders' equity increased $7.7 million to $84.9 million at December 31, 2020, compared to $77.2 million at December 31, 2019. The increase was primarily attributable to a $6.7 million increase in retained earnings and a $2.7 million increase in accumulated other comprehensive income. These increases were partially offset by a $1.7 million decrease in common stock and surplus, which resulted primarily from stock repurchases in the first quarter of 2020 under the Company's stock repurchase plan. Tangible common equity totaled $84.9 million at December 31, 2020, an increase of 10% compared to $77.0 million at December 31, 2019. The Company's capital ratios continued to exceed the minimum capital requirements for regulatory purposes.

Loans

The Bank is an active lender with a loan portfolio that includes commercial and residential real estate loans, commercial loans, consumer loans, construction and land development loans, and home equity loans. The Bank’s lending activity is concentrated on individuals, small and medium-sized businesses, and local governmental entities primarily in its market areas. As a provider of community-oriented financial services, the Bank does not attempt to further geographically diversify its loan portfolio by undertaking significant lending activity outside its market areas.

Loans, net of allowance for loan losses, increased $53.0 million to $622.4 million at December 31, 2020, compared to $569.4 million at December 31, 2019. Commercial and industrial loans increased by $59.7 million during 2020, followed by commercial real estate loans and residential real estate loans that increased by $10.3 million and $6.4 million, respectively. These increases were partially offset by construction loans, consumer loans, and other loans that decreased by $15.8 million, $4.2 million, and $812 thousand, respectively. The increase in commercial and industrial loans included $64.7 million of PPP loans at December 31, 2020.

The Bank’s loan portfolio is summarized in the table below for the periods indicated (dollars in thousands).

There was no category of loans that exceeded 10% of outstanding loans at December 31, 2020 that were not disclosed in the above table.

The following table sets forth the maturities of the loan portfolio at December 31, 2020 (in thousands):

Asset Quality

Management classifies non-performing assets as non-accrual loans and OREO. OREO represents real property taken by the Bank when its customers do not meet the contractual obligation of their loans, either through foreclosure or through a deed in lieu thereof from the borrower and properties originally acquired for branch operations or expansion but no longer intended to be used for that purpose. OREO is recorded at the lower of cost or fair value, less estimated selling costs, and is marketed by the Bank through brokerage channels. The Bank did not have any assets classified as OREO at December 31, 2020 or December 31, 2019.

Non-performing assets totaled $6.7 million and $1.5 million at December 31, 2020 and 2019, representing 0.71% and 0.18% of total assets, respectively. Non-performing assets consisted only of non-accrual loans at December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019.

At December 31, 2020, 66% of non-performing assets were commercial real estate loans, 23% were commercial and industrial loans, 7% were residential real estate loans, and 4% were construction and land development loans. Non-performing assets could increase due to other loans identified by management as potential problem loans. Other potential problem loans are defined as performing loans that possess certain risks, including the borrower’s ability to pay and the collateral value securing the loan, that management has identified that may result in the loans not being repaid in accordance with their terms. Other potential problem loans totaled $1.4 million and $3.4 million at December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively. The amount of other potential problem loans in future periods may be dependent on economic conditions and other factors influencing a customers’ ability to meet their debt requirements.

Loans greater than 90 days past due and still accruing totaled $302 thousand at December 31, 2020, which was comprised of two loans expected to pay all principal and interest amounts contractually due to the Bank and one purchased consumer loan. Consumer loans purchased at origination are charged-off when they are greater than 120 days past due. There were $97 thousand of loans greater than 90 days past due and still accruing at December 31, 2019.

The allowance for loan losses represents management’s analysis of the existing loan portfolio and related credit risks. The provision for loan losses is based upon management’s current estimate of the amount required to maintain an adequate allowance for loan losses reflective of the risks in the loan portfolio. The allowance for loan losses totaled $7.5 million at December 31, 2020 and $4.9 million at December 31, 2019, representing 1.19% and 0.86% of total loans, respectively. After analyzing the composition of the loan portfolio, related credit risks, and changes in asset quality during recent years, the Company determined that the three year loss period and the qualitative adjustment factors that established the general reserve component of the allowance for loan losses were appropriate at December 31, 2020. For further discussion regarding the allowance for loan losses, see “Provision for Loan Losses” above.

Recoveries of loan losses of $160 thousand and $9 thousand were recorded in the construction and land development and consumer and other loan classes, respectively, during the year ended December 31, 2020. The recovery of loan losses in the construction and land development loan class resulted primarily from a decrease in the general reserve. The decrease in the general reserve for the construction and land development loan class resulted primarily from the impact of a decrease in loans. The recovery of loan losses in the consumer and other loan class resulted from a decrease in the general reserve, which was partially offset by net charge offs on loans. The decrease in the general reserve for the consumer and other loan class resulted from the impact of a decrease in loans and improvements in the historical loss rate. These recoveries were offset by provision for loan losses totaling $3.2 million in the 1-4 family residential, other real estate, and commercial and industrial loan classes. For more detailed information regarding the provision for loan losses, see Note 4 to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this Form 10-K.

Impaired loans totaled $6.7 million and $1.5 million at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. The related allowance for loan losses required for these loans totaled $2.2 million and $33 thousand at December 31, 2020 and December 31, 2019, respectively. The average recorded investment in impaired loans during 2020 and 2019 was $3.9 million and $1.9 million, respectively. Included in the impaired loans total are loans classified as TDRs totaling $6.0 million and $360 thousand at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Loans classified as TDRs represent situations in which a modification to the contractual interest rate or repayment structure has been granted to address a financial hardship. As of December 31, 2020, none of these TDRs were performing under the restructured terms and all were considered non-performing assets.

Management believes, based upon its review and analysis, that the Bank has sufficient reserves to cover losses inherent within the loan portfolio. For each period presented, the provision for loan losses charged to expense was based on management’s judgment after taking into consideration all factors connected with the collectability of the existing portfolio. Management considers economic conditions, historical loss factors, past due percentages, internally generated loan quality reports, and other relevant factors when evaluating the loan portfolio. There can be no assurance, however, that an additional provision for loan losses will not be required in the future, including as a result of changes in the qualitative factors underlying management’s estimates and judgments, changes in accounting standards, adverse developments in the economy, on a national basis or in the Company’s market area, loan growth, or changes in the circumstances of particular borrowers. For further discussion regarding the allowance for loan losses, see “Critical Accounting Policies” above. The following table shows a detail of loans charged-off, recovered, and the changes in the allowance for loan losses (dollars in thousands).

The following table shows the balance of the Bank’s allowance for loan losses allocated to each major category of loans and the ratio of related outstanding loan balances to total loans (dollars in thousands).    

The following table provides information on the Bank’s non-performing assets at the dates indicated (dollars in thousands).

COVID-19 Pandemic Impact on Asset Quality

The Bank anticipates the pandemic to have an unfavorable impact on the financial condition of many of its customers, and as a result, identified the related credit risk within its loan portfolio throughout 2020 with the goal of mitigating the risk and minimizing potential loan charge-offs. Management expects significant pressure on several sectors of the loan portfolio may continue, including those listed in the following table (dollars in thousands).

The Bank's asset quality was negatively impacted by higher levels of nonaccrual loans in 2020 compared to 2019. The magnitude of the potential decline in the Bank’s asset quality will likely depend on the severity and length of time and extent that the Bank’s customers experience business interruptions from the pandemic. The Bank modified loan agreements during the fourth quarter of 2020 for certain business customers to provide payment relief for periods that ranged between 6 and 24 months. These loans were not considered TDRs because they were modified in accordance with relief provisions of the CARES Act. The extent of asset quality deterioration that could result from these modified loans will be impacted by the continuation of customers' business interruptions beyond the modification periods. 

Securities

Securities at December 31, 2020 totaled $156.3 million, an increase of $15.9 million, or 11%, from $140.4 million at the end of 2019. Investment securities are comprised of U.S. agency and mortgage-backed securities, obligations of state and political subdivisions, corporate debt securities, and restricted securities. As of December 31, 2020, neither the Company nor the Bank held any derivative financial instruments in their respective investment security portfolios. Gross unrealized gains in the available for sale portfolio totaled $4.0 million and $1.3 million at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Gross unrealized losses in the available for sale portfolio totaled $82 thousand and $339 thousand at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. Gross unrealized gains in the held to maturity portfolio totaled $509 thousand and $99 thousand at December 31, 2020 and 2019, respectively. There were no gross unrealized losses in the held to maturity portfolio at December 31, 2020. Gross unrealized losses in the held to maturity portfolio totaled $80 thousand at December 31, 2019. Investments in an unrealized loss position were considered temporarily impaired at December 31, 2020 and 2019. The change in the unrealized gains and losses of investment securities from December 31, 2019 to December 31, 2020 was related to changes in market interest rates and was not related to credit concerns of the issuers.

The following table summarizes the Company’s securities portfolio on the dates indicated (in thousands).