INDEPENDENT BANK CORP /MI/ - Quarter Report: 2018 March (Form 10-Q)

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, D.C.  20549

FORM 10-Q

QUARTERLY REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d) OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934 FOR THE QUARTERLY PERIOD ENDED March 31, 2018

Commission file number   0-7818

 

(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all documents and reports required to be filed by Sections 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 and posted on its corporate Web site, if any, every Interactive Data File required to be submitted and posted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit and post such files).

YES ☒           NO ☐

Indicate by check mark whether the Registrant is a large accelerated filer, an accelerated filer, non-accelerated filer, smaller reporting company or an emerging growth company.

 

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.  Yes ☐  No ☐

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

YES ☐       NO ☒       

Indicate the number of shares outstanding of each of the issuer's classes of common stock, as of the latest practicable date.

 

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INDEPENDENT BANK CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

 

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

Statements in this report that are not statements of historical fact, including statements that include terms such as ‘‘will,’’ ‘‘may,’’ ‘‘should,’’ ‘‘believe,’’ ‘‘expect,’’ ‘‘forecast,’’ ‘‘anticipate,’’ ‘‘estimate,’’ ‘‘project,’’ ‘‘intend,’’ ‘‘likely,’’ ‘‘optimistic’’ and ‘‘plan’’ and statements about future or projected financial and operating results, plans, projections, objectives, expectations, and intentions, are forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to, descriptions of plans and objectives for future operations, products or services; projections of our future revenue, earnings or other measures of economic performance; forecasts of credit losses and other asset quality trends; statements about our business and growth strategies; and expectations about economic and market conditions and trends. These forward-looking statements express our current expectations, forecasts of future events, or long-term goals. They are based on assumptions, estimates, and forecasts that, although believed to be reasonable, may turn out to be incorrect. Actual results could differ materially from those discussed in the forward-looking statements for a variety of reasons, including:

 

·

economic, market, operational, liquidity, credit, and interest rate risks associated with our business;

·

economic conditions generally and in the financial services industry, particularly economic conditions within Michigan and the regional and local real estate markets in which our bank operates;

·

the failure of assumptions underlying the establishment of, and provisions made to, our allowance for loan losses;

·

increased competition in the financial services industry, either nationally or regionally;

·

our ability to achieve loan and deposit growth;

·

volatility and direction of market interest rates;

·

the continued services of our management team; and

·

implementation of new legislation, which may have significant effects on us and the financial services industry.

 

This list provides examples of factors that could affect the results described by forward-looking statements contained in this report, but the list is not intended to be all-inclusive.

 

 

Part I - Item 1.

INDEPENDENT BANK CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

 

See notes to interim condensed consolidated financial statements (unaudited)

 

INDEPENDENT BANK CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

 

See notes to interim condensed consolidated financial statements (unaudited)

 

INDEPENDENT BANK CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

 

 

See notes to interim condensed consolidated financial statements (unaudited)

 

INDEPENDENT BANK CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

 

INDEPENDENT BANK CORPORATION AND SUBSIDIARIES

 

See notes to interim condensed consolidated financial statements (unaudited)

 

(unaudited)

1.	Preparation of Financial Statements

The condensed consolidated financial statements have been prepared pursuant to the rules and regulations of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Certain information and note disclosures normally included in annual financial statements prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) have been condensed or omitted pursuant to those rules and regulations, although we believe that the disclosures made are adequate to make the information not misleading.  The unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements should be read in conjunction with the audited consolidated financial statements and notes for the year ended December 31, 2017 included in our Annual Report on Form 10-K.

In our opinion, the accompanying unaudited condensed consolidated financial statements contain all the adjustments necessary to present fairly our consolidated financial condition as of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017, and the results of operations for the three-month periods ended March 31, 2018 and 2017.  The results of operations for the three-month period ended March 31, 2018, are not necessarily indicative of the results to be expected for the full year.  Certain reclassifications have been made in the prior period financial statements to conform to the current period presentation.  Our critical accounting policies include the determination of the allowance for loan losses, the valuation of capitalized mortgage loan servicing rights and the valuation of deferred tax assets.  Refer to our 2017 Annual Report on Form 10-K for a disclosure of our accounting policies.

2.	New Accounting Standards

In February 2016, the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) issued Accounting Standards Update (“ASU”) 2016-02, “Leases  (Topic 842)”.  This ASU amends existing guidance related to the accounting for leases. These amendments, among other things, require lessees to account for most leases on the balance sheet while recognizing expense on the income statement in a manner similar to existing guidance.  For lessors the guidance modifies the classification criteria and the accounting for sales-type and direct finance leases. This amended guidance is effective for us on January 1, 2019 and is not expected to have a material impact on our consolidated operating results or financial condition.  Based on a review of our operating leases that we currently have in place we do not expect a material change in the recognition, measurement and presentation of lease expense or impact on cash flow.  While the primary impact will be the recognition of certain operating leases on our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Financial Condition this impact is not expected to be material.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-13, “Financial Instruments — Credit Losses (Topic 326), Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments”.  This ASU significantly changes how entities will measure credit losses for most financial assets and certain other instruments that are not measured at fair value through net income.  This ASU will replace today’s “incurred loss” approach with an “expected loss” model for instruments measured at amortized cost. For securities available for sale, allowances will be recorded rather than reducing the carrying amount as is done under the current other-than-temporary impairment model. This ASU also simplifies the accounting model for purchased credit-impaired debt securities and loans. This amended guidance is effective for us on January 1, 2020.  We began evaluating this ASU in 2016 and have formed a committee that includes personnel from various areas of Independent Bank (the “Bank”) that meets regularly to discuss the implementation of the ASU.  We are currently in the process of gathering data and reviewing loss methodologies and have engaged third party resources that will assist us in the implementation of this ASU.  While we have not yet determined what the impact will be on our consolidated operating results or financial condition by the nature of the implementation of an expected loss model compared to an incurred loss approach, we would expect our allowance for loan losses (“AFLL”) to increase under this ASU.

 

(unaudited)

In August 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-12, “Derivatives and Hedging (Topic 815), Targeted Improvements to Accounting for Hedging Activities”.  This new ASU amends the hedge accounting model in Topic 815 to enable entities to better portray the economics of their risk management activities in the financial statements and enhance the transparency and understandability of hedge results. The amendments expand an entity’s ability to hedge nonfinancial and financial risk components and reduce complexity in fair value hedges of interest rate risk. The guidance eliminates the requirement to separately measure and report hedge ineffectiveness and generally requires the entire change in the fair value of a hedging instrument to be presented in the same income statement line as the hedged item. The guidance also eases certain documentation and assessment requirements and modifies the accounting for components excluded from the assessment of hedge effectiveness.  This amended guidance is effective for us on January 1, 2019, and given our current level of derivatives designated as hedges is not expected to have a material impact on our consolidated operating results or financial condition.

In May 2014, the FASB issued ASU 2014-09, “Revenue from Contracts with Customers (Topic 606)”, (“ASU 2014-09”). This ASU supersedes and replaces nearly all existing revenue recognition guidance, including industry-specific guidance, establishes a new control-based revenue recognition model, changes the basis for deciding when revenue is recognized over time or at a point in time, provides new and more detailed guidance on specific topics and expands and improves disclosures about revenue. In addition, this ASU specifies the accounting for some costs to obtain or fulfill a contract with a customer.  We adopted this ASU using the modified retrospective approach with no material impact to our accumulated deficit at January 1, 2018.  Financial instruments for the most part and related contractual rights and obligations which are the sources of the majority of our operating revenue are excluded from the scope of this amended guidance.  Those operating revenue streams that are included in the scope of this amended guidance were not materially impacted.  Results for reporting periods beginning after January 1, 2018 are presented under this ASU while prior period amounts continue to be reported in accordance with legacy GAAP.  The impact of the adoption of this ASU on our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations for the three month period ending March 31, 2018 is summarized in the table below.  In addition, see note #17 for further discussion on our accounting policies for operating revenue streams that are included in the scope of this amended guidance.

The impact of the adoption of ASU 2014-09 on our Condensed Consolidated Statement of Operations for the three months ending March 31, 2018 follows:

 

(1)	Represents certain costs charged by payment networks that were previously netted against interchange income.

 

(unaudited)

In January 2016, the FASB issued ASU 2016-01, “Financial Instruments – Overall (Subtopic 825-10) – Recognition and Measurement of Financial Assets and Financial Liabilities”.  This ASU amends existing guidance related to the accounting for certain financial assets and liabilities. These amendments, among other things, require equity investments (except those accounted for under the equity method of accounting, or those that result in consolidation of the investee) to be measured at fair value with changes in fair value recognized in net income, require public business entities to use the exit price notion when measuring the fair value of financial instruments for disclosure purposes, require separate presentation of financial assets and financial liabilities by measurement category and form of financial asset and eliminate the requirement for public business entities to disclose the method(s) and significant assumptions used to estimate the fair value that is required to be disclosed for financial instruments measured at amortized cost. This amended guidance was effective for us on January 1, 2018.  The adoption of this of this ASU did not have a material impact on our consolidated operating results or financial condition.  As a result of the adoption of this ASU our equity securities previously classified as trading securities are now classified as equity securities at fair value on our March 31, 2018 Condensed Consolidated Statement of Financial Condition.  In addition, this amended guidance impacted certain fair value disclosure items (see note #12).

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-01, “Business Combinations (Topic 805), Clarifying the Definition of a Business”.  This new ASU clarifies the definition of a business with the objective of adding guidance to assist entities with evaluating whether transactions should be accounted for as acquisitions (or disposals) of assets or businesses which distinction determines whether goodwill is recorded or not. This amended guidance was effective for us on January 1, 2018, and did not have a material impact on our consolidated operating results or financial condition.

In January 2017, the FASB issued ASU 2017-4, “Intangibles – Goodwill and Other (Topic 350), Simplifying the Test for Goodwill Impairment”.  This new ASU amends the requirement that entities compare the implied fair value of goodwill with its carrying amount as part of step 2 of the goodwill impairment test. As a result, entities should perform their annual or interim goodwill impairment test by comparing the fair value of a reporting unit with its carrying amount and recognize an impairment if the carrying amount exceeds the reporting unit’s fair value. This amended guidance is effective for us on January 1, 2020 with early application permitted. Due to our pending acquisition (see note #16) and expectations this ASU will be relevant to us in 2018 we elected to adopt this amended guidance as of January 1, 2018. The adoption of this ASU did not have a material impact on our consolidated operating results or financial condition.

In February 2018, the FASB issued ASU 2018-02, ‘‘Income Statement – Reporting Comprehensive Income (Topic 220), Reclassification of Certain Tax Effects from Accumulated Other Comprehensive Income’’. This new ASU allows a reclassification from accumulated other comprehensive income to retained earnings for stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act. As a result, this amended guidance eliminates the stranded tax effects resulting from the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act and will improve the usefulness of information reported to financial statement users. This amended guidance is effective for us on January 1, 2019, with early application permitted in any period for which financial statements have not yet been issued.  We elected to adopt this amended guidance during the fourth quarter of 2017 and it resulted in a $0.04 million reclassification between accumulated other comprehensive loss and accumulated deficit.

 

(unaudited)

3.	Securities

Securities available for sale consist of the following:

 

(unaudited)

Our investments’ gross unrealized losses and fair values aggregated by investment type and length of time that individual securities have been at a continuous unrealized loss position follows:

Our portfolio of securities available for sale is reviewed quarterly for impairment in value. In performing this review management considers (1) the length of time and extent that fair value has been less than cost, (2) the financial condition and near term prospects of the issuer, (3) the impact of changes in market interest rates on the market value of the security and (4) an assessment of whether we intend to sell, or it is more likely than not that we will be required to sell, a security in an unrealized loss position before recovery of its amortized cost basis. For securities that do not meet the aforementioned recovery criteria, the amount of impairment recognized in earnings is limited to the amount related to credit losses, while impairment related to other factors is recognized in other comprehensive income (loss).

 

(unaudited)

U.S. Treasury, U.S. agency, U.S. agency residential mortgage-backed securities and U.S. agency commercial mortgage backed securities — at March 31, 2018, we had one U.S. Treasury, 43 U.S. agency, 134 U.S. agency residential mortgage-backed and 18 U.S. agency commercial mortgage-backed securities whose fair market value is less than amortized cost. The unrealized losses are largely attributed to increases in interest rates since acquisition and widening spreads to Treasury bonds. As management does not intend to liquidate these securities and it is more likely than not that we will not be required to sell these securities prior to recovery of these unrealized losses, no declines are deemed to be other than temporary.

Private label  mortgage backed securities — at March 31, 2018, we had 27 of this type of security whose fair value is less than amortized cost. Unrealized losses are primarily due to credit spread widening and increases in interest rates since their acquisition.

Two private label mortgage-backed securities (included in the securities discussed further below) were reviewed for other than temporary impairment (“OTTI”) utilizing a cash flow projection. The cash flow analysis forecasts cash flow from the underlying loans in each transaction and then applies these cash flows to the bonds in the securitization.  Our cash flow analysis forecasts complete recovery of our cost basis for these two securities whose fair value is less than amortized cost.  See further discussion below.

As management does not intend to liquidate these securities and it is more likely than not that we will not be required to sell these securities prior to recovery of these unrealized losses, no other declines discussed above are deemed to be other than temporary.

Other asset backed — at March 31, 2018, we had 103 other asset backed securities whose fair value is less than amortized cost. The unrealized losses are primarily due to credit spread widening and increases in interest rates since acquisition. As management does not intend to liquidate these securities and it is more likely than not that we will not be required to sell these securities prior to recovery of these unrealized losses, no declines are deemed to be other than temporary.

Obligations of states and political subdivisions — at March 31, 2018, we had 382 municipal securities whose fair value is less than amortized cost. The unrealized losses are primarily due to wider benchmark pricing spreads and increases in interest rates since acquisition. Tax exempt securities have been negatively impacted by lower federal tax rates signed into law in December, 2017. As management does not intend to liquidate these securities and it is more likely than not that we will not be required to sell these securities prior to recovery of these unrealized losses, no declines are deemed to be other than temporary.

Corporate — at March 31, 2018, we had 26 corporate securities whose fair value is less than amortized cost. The unrealized losses are primarily due to credit spread widening and increases in interest rates since acquisition. As management does not intend to liquidate these securities and it is more likely than not that we will not be required to sell these securities prior to recovery of these unrealized losses, no declines are deemed to be other than temporary.

Trust preferred securities — at March 31, 2018, we had three trust preferred securities whose fair value is less than amortized cost. All of our trust preferred securities are single issue securities issued by a trust subsidiary of a bank holding company. The pricing of trust preferred securities has suffered from credit spread widening.

 

(unaudited)

Two of the three securities are rated by two major rating agencies as investment grade while the other one is non-rated. The non-rated issue is a relatively small bank and was never rated. The issuer of this non-rated trust preferred security, which had a total amortized cost of $1.0 million and total fair value of $0.9 million as of March 31, 2018, continues to have satisfactory credit metrics and make interest payments.

The following table breaks out our trust preferred securities in further detail as of March 31, 2018 and December 31, 2017:

 

As management does not intend to liquidate these securities and it is more likely than not that we will not be required to sell these securities prior to recovery of these unrealized losses, no declines are deemed to be other than temporary.

Foreign government — at March 31, 2018, we had two foreign government securities whose fair value is less than amortized cost. The unrealized losses are primarily due to increases in interest rates since acquisition. As management does not intend to liquidate these securities and it is more likely than not that we will not be required to sell these securities prior to recovery of these unrealized losses, no declines are deemed to be other than temporary.

We recorded no credit related OTTI charges in our Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations related to securities available for sale during the three month periods ended March 31, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

At March 31, 2018, three private label mortgage-backed securities had credit related OTTI and are summarized as follows:

 

Each of these securities is receiving principal and interest payments similar to principal reductions in the underlying collateral.  All three of these securities have unrealized gains at March 31, 2018.  The original amortized cost (current amortized cost excluding cumulative credit related OTTI) for each of these securities has been permanently adjusted downward for previously recorded credit related OTTI.  The unrealized loss (based on original amortized cost) for these securities is now less than previously recorded credit related OTTI amounts.

 

(unaudited)

A roll forward of credit losses recognized in earnings on securities available for sale follows:

 

The amortized cost and fair value of securities available for sale at March 31, 2018, by contractual maturity, follow:

 

The actual maturity may differ from the contractual maturity because issuers may have the right to call or prepay obligations with or without call or prepayment penalties.

Gains and losses realized on the sale of securities available for sale are determined using the specific identification method and are recognized on a trade-date basis.  A summary of proceeds from the sale of securities available for sale and gains and losses for the three month periods ending March 31, follows:

 

Certain preferred stocks have been classified as equity securities at fair value in our Condensed Consolidated Statement of Financial Condition beginning  on January 1, 2018.  Previously these preferred stocks were classified as trading securities.  See note #2.  During the three months ended March 31, 2018 and 2017 we recognized losses on these preferred stocks of $0.154 million and $0.079 million, respectively, that are included in net gains (losses) on securities in the Condensed Consolidated Statements of Operations.  These amounts relate to preferred stock still held at each respective period end.

 

(unaudited)

4.

Loans

Our assessment of the allowance for loan losses is based on an evaluation of the loan portfolio, recent loss experience, current economic conditions and other pertinent factors.

An analysis of the allowance for loan losses by portfolio segment for the three months ended March 31, follows:

 

 

(unaudited)

Allowance for loan losses and recorded investment in loans by portfolio segment follows:

 

 

(unaudited)

Loans on non-accrual status and past due more than 90 days (“Non-performing Loans”) follow:

 

(unaudited)

An aging analysis of loans by class follows: