Oak Valley Bancorp - Annual Report: 2022 (Form 10-K)

SPECIAL NOTE REGARDING FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

This Annual Report on Form 10-K (“Annual Report”) includes forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, (the “1933 Act”) and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended, (the “1934 Act”).

All statements contained in this Annual Report other than statements of historical fact, including, for example, statements regarding descriptions of plans or objectives of management for future operations, products or services, forecasts of our revenues, earnings or other measures of economic performance, our assessment of significant factors and developments that may affect our results, regulatory controls and processes and their impact on our business, our business strategy and plans and our objectives for future operations, are forward-looking statements. The words “believe,” “may,” “will,” “potentially,” “estimate,” “continue.” “anticipate,” “intend,” “could,” “would,” “project,” “plan” “expect,” and similar expressions that convey uncertainty of future events or outcomes are intended to identify forward-looking statements.

We have based these forward-looking statements on our current expectations and projections about future events and trends. These forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks, uncertainties and assumptions, that are difficult to predict the impact on our business, results of operations and financial condition, including those listed in this “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements,” and those described in Part II, Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.” Factors that could cause actual results to differ from results discussed in forward-looking statements include, but are not limited to: the credit exposure of certain loan products and other components of our business that could be impacted by changing economic conditions; changes in monetary, fiscal or tax policy to address changing economic conditions including interest rate policies of the Federal Reserve Board, any of which could cause us to incur additional loan losses and adversely affect our results of operations in the future; economic conditions (both generally and in the markets where the Company operates) including unemployment levels, energy prices, inflation, supply chain issues, a decline in housing prices and the risk of a recession in the United States economy; the impact of changing economic conditions on our employees and customers; competition from other providers of financial services offered by the Company; changes in government regulation and legislation; changes in interest rates and interest rate fluctuations; material unforeseen changes in the financial stability and liquidity of the Company’s credit customers; risks associated with concentrations in real estate related loans; changes in accounting standards and interpretations; and other risks as may be detailed from time to time in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, all of which are difficult to predict and which may be beyond the control of the Company. For additional information on factors that could materially influence forward-looking statements included in this Annual Report, see the risk factors set forth under “Part I—Item 1A. Risk Factors.” You should carefully consider the factors discussed above, and in our Risk Factors or other disclosures, in evaluating these forward-looking statements.

Moreover, we operate in a very competitive and rapidly changing environment, and new risks emerge from time to time. It is not possible for our management to predict all risks, nor can we assess the impact of all factors on our business or the extent to which any factor, or combination of factors, may cause actual results to differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements we may make. In light of these risks, uncertainties, and assumptions, the forward-looking events and circumstances discussed in this Annual Report may not occur and actual results could differ materially and adversely from those anticipated or implied in the forward-looking statements.

You should not rely upon forward-looking statements as predictions of future events. Although we believe that the expectations reflected in the forward-looking statements are reasonable, we cannot guarantee that the future results, levels of activity, performance or events and circumstances reflected in the forward-looking statements will be achieved or occur. We undertake no obligation to update publicly any forward-looking statements to conform these statements to actual results or to changes in our expectations, except as required by law. You should read this Annual Report with the understanding that our actual future results, levels of activity, performance and events and circumstances may be materially different from what we expect.

PART I

ITEM 1.  BUSINESS OF OAK VALLEY BANCORP

Overview of the Business

Oak Valley Bancorp. Oak Valley Bancorp (the “Company”) serves as the parent bank holding company of Oak Valley Community Bank (the “Bank”), a California state-chartered bank. The Bank and the Company may be generally referred to as “we”, “us” or “our”). The Company was incorporated under the laws of the State of California on May 31, 1990, and began operations in Oakdale, California on May 28, 1991.

The Company’s only assets are the outstanding capital stock of the Bank, which the Company wholly owns, cash and income tax benefits receivable classified as other assets.

Oak Valley Community Bank. The Bank commenced operations in May 1991.  The Bank is an insured bank under the Federal Deposit Insurance Act and is a member of the Federal Reserve.  The Bank is subject to regulation, supervision and regular examination by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation (“DFPI”), the Federal Deposit Insurance Commission (“FDIC”) and the Federal Reserve Board (“FRB”). Since its formation, the Bank has provided basic banking services to individuals and business enterprises in Oakdale, California and the surrounding areas. The focus of the Bank is to offer a range of commercial banking services designed for both individuals and small to medium-sized businesses in the two main areas of service of the Bank: the Central Valley and the Eastern Sierras.

The Bank offers a complement of business checking and savings accounts for its business customers.  The Bank also offers commercial and real estate loans, as well as lines of credit.  Real estate loans are generally of a short-term nature for both residential and commercial lending purposes.  Longer-term real estate loans are generally made with adjustable interest rates and contain customary provisions for acceleration.  Traditional residential mortgages are available to Bank customers through a third party.

The Bank offers other services for both individuals and businesses including online banking, remote deposit capture, mobile banking, merchant services, night depository, extended hours, wire transfer of funds, note collection, and automated teller machines in a national network.  The Bank does not currently offer international banking or trust services although the Bank may make such services available to the Bank’s customers through financial institutions with which the Bank has correspondent banking relationships.  The Bank does not offer stock transfer services, nor does it directly issue credit cards.

Expansion

Branch Expansion.    Since opening the doors of our main Oakdale branch in 1991, our network of branches have been expanded geographically. As of December 31, 2022, we maintained eighteen full-service branch offices (in addition to our corporate headquarters) located in the cities of Oakdale, Sonora, Modesto, Bridgeport, Mammoth Lakes, Bishop, Escalon, Patterson, Turlock, Ripon, Stockton, Manteca, Tracy, Sacramento, and Roseville in California. We intend to continue our growth strategy in future years through the opening of additional branches and loan production offices as demand dictates and resources permit.

Business Segments

Management has determined that because all of the banking products and services offered by the Company are available in each branch of the Bank, all branches are located within the same economic environment, and management does not allocate resources based on the performance of different lending or transaction activities, it is appropriate to aggregate the Bank branches and report them as a single operating segment.  No customer accounts for more than 10 percent of revenues for the Company or the Bank.

Primary Market Area

We conduct business from our main office in Oakdale, a city of approximately 23,500 residents located in Stanislaus County, California. Oakdale is approximately 15 miles from Modesto and sits at the foothills of the Sierra Nevada Mountains, at the edge of the California Central Valley agricultural area.  Through our branches, we serve customers in the Central Valley, from Fresno to Sacramento, and in foothill locations. We also reach into the Highway 395 corridor in the Eastern Sierras and in the towns of Bishop, Mammoth and Bridgeport.  Approximately 98% of our loans and 90% of our deposits are generated from the Central Valley. The Central Valley area includes Stanislaus, San Joaquin, Tuolumne, Sacramento, and Placer counties and has a total population of over 5 million.

Lending Activities

General.    Our loan policies set forth the basic guidelines and procedures by which we conduct our lending operations. These policies address the types of loans available, underwriting and collateral requirements, loan terms, interest rate and yield considerations, compliance with laws and regulations and our internal lending limits. Our Board of Directors reviews and approves our loan policies on an annual basis. We supplement our own supervision of the loan underwriting and approval process with periodic loan audits by experienced external loan specialists who review credit quality, loan documentation and compliance with laws and regulations. We engage in a full complement of lending activities, including:

● commercial real estate loans,

● commercial business lending and trade finance,

● Small Business Administration lending, and

● consumer loans, including automobile loans, home mortgages, credit lines and other personal loans.

As part of our efforts to achieve long-term stable profitability and respond to a changing economic environment in the California Central Valley, we constantly evaluate a variety of options to augment our traditional focus by broadening the services and products we provide. Possible avenues of growth include more branch locations, expanded suite of technology-based services and new types of lending.

Loan Procedures.    Loans are recommended for approval by the Senior Loan Committee, made up of our Board of Directors and designated executive officers of the bank, by joint management authority or by loan officers, to the extent of their lending authority. Our Board of Directors authorizes our lending limits. Our President and Chief Credit Officer are responsible for evaluating the authority limits for individual credit officers and recommending lending limits for all other officers to the Board of Directors for approval.

We grant individual lending authority to our Chief Executive Officer, Chief Credit Officer, Credit Administrator and to certain department managers and loan officers. Our highest management lending authority, known as Joint Authority, includes all amounts above the individual officer loan authority limits and below the Senior Loan Committee limits of: $5,000,000 for real estate secured loans, $2,500,000 for loans secured by collateral other than real estate and cash, $1,500,000 for unsecured loans, or when the borrower’s aggregate total outstanding commitment exceeds $5,000,000. These loans require joint approval from two of the following officers: Chief Executive Officer, President, Chief Credit Officer, Senior Lending Officer or Credit Administrator.  

As of December 31, 2022, the Bank’s authorized legal lending limits were $19.9 million for unsecured loans plus an additional $13.3 million for specific secured loans. Legal lending limits are calculated in conformance with California law, which prohibits a bank from lending to any one individual or entity or its related interests an aggregate amount which exceeds 15% of primary capital plus the allowance for loan losses on an unsecured basis, plus an additional 10% on a secured basis. The Bank’s primary capital plus allowance for loan losses as of December 31, 2022 totaled $132.9 million.

We seek to mitigate the risks inherent in our loan portfolio by adhering to certain underwriting practices. The review of each loan application includes analysis of the applicant’s prior credit history, income level, cash flow and financial condition, tax returns, cash flow projections, and the value of any collateral to secure the loan, based upon reports of independent appraisers and audits of accounts receivable or inventory pledged as security. In the case of real estate loans over a specified amount, the review of collateral value includes an appraisal report prepared by an independent, Bank-approved, appraiser.

Real Estate Loans.    We offer commercial real estate loans to finance the acquisition of new or the refinancing of existing commercial properties, such as office buildings, industrial buildings, warehouses, hotels, shopping centers, automotive industry facilities and multiple dwellings. As of December 31, 2022, consumer and commercial real estate loans constituted 89% of our loan portfolio, of which 96% were commercial real estate loans.

Commercial real estate loans typically have 10-year maturities with up to 25-year amortization of principal and interest and loan-to-value ratios of not more than 75% of the appraised value or purchase price, whichever is lower. We usually impose a prepayment penalty during the period within 3 to 5 years of the date of the loan.

Construction loans are comprised of loans on commercial, residential and income-producing properties that generally have terms of 1 year, with options to extend for additional periods to complete construction and to accommodate the lease-up period. We usually require 15% equity capital investment by the developer and loan-to-value ratios of not more than 75% of anticipated completion value.

Mini-perm loans finance the purchase and/or ownership of commercial properties, including owner-occupied and income-producing properties. We also offer mini-perm loans as take-out financing with our construction loans. Mini-perm loans are generally made with an amortization schedule ranging from 20 to 25 years, with a lump sum balloon payment due in 3 to 5 years.

Equity lines of credit are revolving lines of credit with repayment term and are collateralized by junior deeds of trust on residential real properties. They generally bear a rate of interest that floats with our base rate or the prime rate, and have maturities of 25 years (10-year interest only with 15-year amortization).

We purchase participation interests in loans made by other financial institutions from time to time. These loans are subject to the same underwriting criteria and approval process as loans made directly by us.

Our real estate loans are typically collateralized by first or junior deeds of trust on specific commercial properties and equity lines of credit, and are subject to corporate or individual guarantees from financially capable parties, as available. The properties collateralizing real estate loans are principally located in our primary market areas of the California Central Valley and the Eastern Sierra.  Real estate loans typically bear interest rates that float with an established index.

Our real estate portfolio is subject to certain risks, including (i) downturns in the California economy, (ii) significant interest rate fluctuations, (iii) reduction in real estate values in the California Central Valley, (iv) increased competition in pricing and loan structure, and (v) environmental risks, including natural disasters.  As a result of the high concentration of the real estate loan in our loan portfolio, potential difficulties in the real estate markets could cause significant increases in nonperforming loans, which would reduce our profits.  A decline in real estate values could cause some of our mortgage loans to become inadequately collateralized, which would expose us to a greater risk of loss.  Additionally, a decline in real estate values could adversely affect our portfolio of commercial real estate loans and could result in a decline in the origination of such loans. However, we strive to reduce the exposure to such risks and seek to continue to maintain high quality in our real estate loans by (a) reviewing each loan request and each loan renewal individually, (b) using a joint approval system for the approval of each loan request for loans over a certain dollar amount, (c) adhering to written loan policies, including, among other factors, minimum collateral requirements, maximum loan-to-value ratio requirements, cash flow requirements and personal guarantees, (d) performing secondary appraisals from time to time, (e) conducting external independent credit review, and (f) conducting environmental reviews, where appropriate. We review each loan request on the basis of our ability to recover both principal and interest in view of the inherent risks.   We monitor and stress test our entire portfolio, evaluating debt coverage ratios and loan-to-value ratios, on a quarterly basis.  We monitor trends and evaluate exposure derived from simulated stressed market conditions.  The portfolio is stratified by owner classification (either owner-occupied or non-owner occupied), product type, geography and size.

As of December 31, 2022, the aggregate loan-to-value of the entire commercial real estate portfolio was 47.3%, based on the most recent appraisals as of the time of origination or renewal. Historical data suggests that the Bank continues to maintain strong loan-to-value which has served as a cushion against precipitous reductions in real estate values during economic downturns. Non-owner occupied commercial real estate comprises 62.6% of the Bank’s total commercial real estate commitments, as of December 31, 2022. The loan-to-value on the non-owner occupied CRE segment was 48.1%, as of December 31, 2022. The highest concentration by product type is CRE Office, which comprised 24.8% of total CRE loan commitments, as of December 31, 2022.

Our portfolio diversity in terms of both product types and geographic distribution, combined with strong debt coverage ratios, a low aggregate loan-to-value and a reasonable percentage of owner-occupied properties, significantly mitigate the risks associated with excessive commercial real estate concentration. These elements contribute strength to our overall real estate portfolio in the event of any weakness in the real estate market.

Commercial Business Lending.    We offer commercial loans to sole proprietorships, partnerships and corporations, with an emphasis on the real estate related industry. These commercial loans include business lines of credit and commercial term loans to finance operations, to provide working capital or for specific purposes, such as to finance the purchase of assets, equipment or inventory. Since a borrower’s cash flow from operations is generally the primary source of repayment, our policies provide specific guidelines regarding required debt coverage and other important financial ratios.

Lines of credit are extended to businesses or individuals based on the financial strength and integrity of the borrower and are secured primarily by real estate, accounts receivable and inventory, and have a maturity of one year or less. Such lines of credit bear an interest rate that floats with the prime rate, constant maturity treasury or another established index.

Commercial term loans are typically made to finance the acquisition of fixed assets, refinance short-term debts or to finance the purchase of businesses. Commercial term loans generally have terms from one to five years. They may be collateralized by the asset being acquired or other available assets and bear interest rates, which either floats with the prime rate, or another established index or is fixed for the term of the loan.

Our portfolio of commercial loans is also subject to certain risks, including (i) downturns in the California economy, (ii) significant interest rate fluctuations; and (iii) the deterioration of a borrower’s or guarantor’s financial capabilities. We attempt to reduce the exposure to such risks through (a) reviewing each loan request and renewal individually, (b) requiring a joint signature approval system, (c) mandating strict adherence to written loan policies, and (d) performing external independent credit review. In addition, we monitor loans based on short-term asset values as required on a monthly or quarterly basis. In general, during the term of the relationship, we receive and review the financial statements of our borrowing customers on an ongoing basis, and we promptly respond to any deterioration that we note.

Small Business Administration Lending Services.    Small Business Administration (“SBA”) lending, forms an important part of our business. Our SBA lending service places an emphasis on minority-owned businesses. Our SBA market area includes the geographic areas encompassed by our full-service banking offices in the California Central Valley and in the Eastern Sierra. As an SBA lender, we enable borrowers to obtain SBA loans in order to acquire new businesses, expand existing businesses, and acquire locations in which to do business. We also participated in the SBA’s Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”) established in 2020 to provide economic assistance to small businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Consumer Loans.    Consumer loans include personal loans, auto loans, home improvement loans, home mortgage loans, revolving lines of credit and other loans typically made by banks to individual borrowers. We provide consumer loan products in an effort to diversify our product line.

Our consumer loan portfolio is subject to certain risks, including:

● amount of credit offered to consumers in the market,

● interest rate increases, and

● consumer bankruptcy laws which allow consumers to discharge certain debts.

We attempt to reduce the exposure to such risks through the direct approval of all consumer loans by:

● reviewing each loan request and renewal individually,

● using a dual signature system of approval,

● strictly adhering to written credit policies, and

● performing external independent credit review.

Deposit Activities and Other Sources of Funds

Our primary sources of funds are deposits and loan repayments. Scheduled loan repayments are a relatively stable source of funds, whereas deposit inflows, outflows and unscheduled loan prepayments (which are influenced significantly by general interest rate levels, interest rates available on other investments, competition, economic conditions and other factors) are not as stable. Customer deposits also remain a primary source of funds, but these balances may be influenced by adverse market changes in the industry. We may resort to other borrowings, on an as needed basis, as follows:

● on a short-term basis to compensate for reductions in deposit inflows at less than projected levels, and

● on a longer-term basis to support expanded lending activities and to match the maturity of repricing intervals of assets.

We offer a variety of accounts for depositors, which are designed to attract both short-term and long-term deposits. These accounts include certificates of deposit (“CDs”), regular savings accounts, money market accounts, checking accounts, savings accounts, health savings accounts and individual retirement accounts. These accounts generally earn interest at rates established by management based on competitive market factors and management’s desire to increase or decrease certain types or maturities of deposits. As needs arise, we augment these customer deposits with brokered deposits. The more significant deposit accounts offered by us are described below:

Certificates of Deposit.    We offer several types of CDs with a maximum maturity of five years. The substantial majority of our CDs have a maturity of one to twelve months and pay compounded interest typically credited monthly or at maturity.

Regular Savings Accounts.    We offer savings accounts that allow for unlimited ATM and in-branch deposits and withdrawals. Interest is compounded daily and paid monthly.

Money Market Account.    Money market accounts pay a variable interest rate that is tiered depending on the balance maintained in the account. Minimum opening balances vary. Interest is compounded daily and paid monthly.

Checking Accounts.    Checking accounts are generally non-interest and interest bearing accounts, respectively, and may include service fees based on activity and balances.

Federal Home Loan Bank Borrowings.    To supplement our deposits as a source of funds for lending or investment, we borrow funds in the form of advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank (“FHLB”). We regularly make use of Federal Home Loan Bank advances as part of our interest rate risk management, primarily to extend the duration of funding to match the longer-term fixed rate loans held in the loan portfolio as part of our growth strategy.

As a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank system, we are required to invest in Federal Home Loan Bank stock based on a predetermined formula. Federal Home Loan Bank stock is a restricted equity security that can only be sold to other Federal Home Loan Bank members or redeemed by the Federal Home Loan Bank. As of December 31, 2022, we owned $4,482,000 in FHLB stock.

Advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank are typically secured by our entire real estate loan portfolio, which includes residential and commercial loans.  As of December 31, 2022, our borrowing limit with the Federal Home Loan Bank was approximately $322 million.

Internet and Mobile Banking

We offer Internet banking services, which allows our customers to access their deposit accounts through the Internet. Customers are able to obtain transaction history and account information, transfer funds between accounts, make person-to-person payments and make online bill payments. We intend to improve and develop our Internet banking products and delivery channels as the need arises and our resources permit. Mobile Banking offers many of the same services as internet banking but also includes mobile check deposit.

Other Services

We offer ATMs located at branch offices, and customer access to an ATM network. Additionally, we offer remote deposit capture service to allow commercial deposit customers the convenience of scanning check deposits for quicker access to deposited funds.

Marketing

Our marketing relies principally upon local advertising and promotional activity and upon personal contacts by our directors, officers and shareholders to attract business and to acquaint potential customers with our personalized services. We emphasize a high degree of personalized client service in order to be able to provide for each customer’s banking needs. Our marketing approach emphasizes the advantages of dealing with an independent, locally managed and state-chartered bank to meet the particular needs of consumers, professionals and business customers in the community. Our management continually evaluates all of our banking services with regard to their profitability and efforts and makes determinations based on these evaluations whether to continue or modify our business plan, where appropriate.

We do not currently have any plans to develop any new lines of business, which would require a material amount of capital investment on our part.

Competition

Regional Branch Competition.    We consider our primary service area to be composed of the counties of San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Sacramento, Placer, Inyo and Mono Counties, of California.  The banking business in California generally, and in our primary service area, specifically, is competitive with respect to both loans and deposits and is dominated by a relatively small number of major banks, which have many offices operating over wide geographic areas.  These include Wells Fargo Bank, Bank of America, JP Morgan Chase Bank and Bank of the West. We compete for deposits and loans principally with these banks, as well as with savings and loan associations, thrift and loan associations, credit unions, mortgage companies, insurance companies, offerors of money market accounts and other lending institutions.

Among the advantages of these institutions are their ability to finance extensive advertising campaigns and to allocate their investment assets to regions of highest yield and demand, their ability to offer certain services, such as international banking and trust services, which are not offered directly by the Company and, the ability by virtue of their greater total capitalization, to have substantially higher lending limits than we do.   In addition, as a result of increased consolidation and the passage of interstate banking legislation, there is and will continue to be increased competition among banks, savings and loan associations and credit unions for the deposit and loan business of individuals and businesses.

As of June 30, 2022, our primary service areas contained 256 banking offices, with approximately $62.4 billion in total deposits. As of June 30, 2022, we had total deposits of approximately $1.9 billion, which represented approximately 3.0% of the total deposits in the Bank’s primary service area. There can be no assurance that the Bank will maintain its competitive position against current and potential competitors, especially those with greater resources than the Bank. The four largest competing banks had 121 total branches and deposits averaged approximately $321 million per office as of June 30, 2022 within the Bank’s primary service area.

In order to compete with major financial institutions in our primary service areas, we use to the fullest extent the flexibility that our independent status permits.  This includes an emphasis on specialized services, local promotional activity, and personal contacts by our officers, directors and employees.  In the event that there are customers whose needs exceed our lending limits, we may arrange for such loans on a participation basis with other financial institutions.  We also assist customers who require other services that we do not offer by obtaining such services from correspondent banks.  However, no assurance can be given that our continued efforts to compete with other financial institutions will be successful.

In addition to other banks, our competitors include savings institutions, credit unions, and numerous non-banking institutions, such as finance companies, leasing companies, insurance companies, brokerage firms, and investment banking firms. In recent years, increased competition has also developed from specialized finance and non-finance companies that offer money market and mutual funds, wholesale finance, credit card, and other consumer finance services, including online banking services and personal finance software. Strong competition for deposit and loan products affects the rates of those products as well as the terms on which they are offered to customers.

Other Competitive Factors.     General competitive trends in the industry include increased consolidation and competition. Strong competitors, other than financial institutions, have entered banking markets with focused products targeted at highly profitable customer segments. Many of these competitors are able to compete across geographic boundaries and provide customers with increasing access to meaningful alternatives to banking services in nearly all significant products areas. Mergers between financial institutions have placed additional pressure on banks within the industry to streamline their operations, reduce expenses, and increase revenues to remain competitive. Competition has also intensified due to the federal and state interstate banking laws, which permit banking organizations to expand geographically, and the California market has been particularly attractive to out-of-state institutions. The Financial Modernization Act, which has made it possible for full affiliations to occur between banks and securities firms, insurance companies, and other financial companies, is also expected to intensify competitive conditions.

Technological innovations have also resulted in increased competition in the financial services industry. Such innovations have, for example, made it possible for non-depository institutions to offer customers automated transfer payment services that were previously considered traditional banking products. In addition, many customers now expect a choice of several delivery systems and channels, including telephone, mail, home computer, mobile devices, ATMs, self-service branches and/or in-store branches.

Business Concentration.    No individual or single group of related accounts is considered material in relation to our total assets or deposits, or in relation to our overall business. However, approximately 89% of our loan portfolio held for investment as of December 31, 2022 consisted of real estate-related loans, including construction loans, mini-perm loans, real estate mortgage loans and commercial loans secured by real estate. Moreover, our business activities are currently focused primarily in Central California, with the majority of our business concentrated in San Joaquin, Stanislaus, Tuolumne, Sacramento, Placer Inyo and Mono Counties.  Consequently, our results of operations and financial condition are dependent upon the general trends in the Central California economies and, in particular, the residential and commercial real estate markets. In addition, the concentration of our operations in Central California exposes us to greater risk than other banking companies with a wider geographic base in the event of catastrophes, such as earthquakes, fires and floods in this region.

Employees

As of December 31, 2022, we had 207 employees (174 full-time employees and 33 part-time employees). None of our employees are currently represented by a union or covered by a collective bargaining agreement. We consider our relations with our employees to be good.

Economic Conditions and Legislative and Regulatory Developments

As is the case with financial institutions with our size and scope, our profitability primarily depends on interest rate differentials. Interest rates are highly sensitive to many factors that are beyond our control and cannot be predicted, such as inflation, recession and unemployment, and the impact that future changes in domestic and foreign economic conditions might have on the Company.  A more detailed discussion of the Company’s interest rate risks and the mitigation of those risks is included in Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations, in this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Our business is also influenced by the monetary and fiscal policies of the federal government and the policies of regulatory agencies.  The Federal Reserve Board implements national monetary policies (with objectives such as maintaining price stability, stimulating growth and reducing unemployment) through its open-market operations in U.S. Government securities, by adjusting the required level of reserves for depository institutions subject to its reserve requirements, and by varying the target Federal funds and discount rates applicable to borrowings by depository institutions. The actions of the Federal Reserve Board in these areas influence the growth of bank loans, investments, and deposits and also affect interest earned on interest-earning assets and interest paid on interest-bearing liabilities. The nature and impact of any future changes in monetary and fiscal policies on us cannot be predicted.

From time to time, federal and state legislation is enacted that may have the effect of materially increasing the cost of doing business, limiting or expanding permissible activities, or affecting the competitive balance between banks and other financial services providers. In light of recent conditions in the United States economy and the financial services industry, the Biden administration, Congress, the regulators and various states continue to focus attention on the financial services industry. Additional proposals that affect the industry have been and will likely continue to be introduced. The Company cannot predict whether any of these proposals will be enacted or adopted or, if they are, the effect they would have on our business, the Company's operations or financial condition.

Supervision and Regulation in General

The banking and financial services business in which we engage is highly regulated. Such regulation is intended, among other things, to protect depositors insured by the FDIC and the entire banking system. These regulations affect our lending practices, consumer protections, capital structure, investment practices and dividend policy.

The Company is a legal entity separate and distinct from the Bank.  The Company and the Bank are each subject to supervision and regulation by a number of federal and state agencies and regulatory bodies, as outlined below.

The Company is subject to regulation under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (“BHCA”). As a bank holding company, the Company is regulated and is subject to inspection, examination and supervision by the Federal Reserve Board. It is also subject to the California Financial Code (the “Financial Code”), as well as limited oversight by the DFPI and the FDIC. Under the Federal Reserve Board’s regulations, a bank holding company is required to serve as a source of financial and managerial strength to its subsidiary banks. The BHCA regulates the activities of holding companies including acquisitions, mergers, and consolidations and, together with the Gramm-Leach Bliley Act of 1999, the scope of allowable banking activities.

As a California-state chartered bank, the Bank is subject to primary supervision, examination and regulation by the DFPI and the Federal Reserve Board. The Federal Reserve Board is the primary federal regulator of state member banks. The Bank is also subject to regulation by the FDIC, which insures the Bank’s deposits as permitted by law. If, as a result of an examination of a bank, the Federal Reserve Board determines that the financial condition, capital resources, asset quality, earnings prospects, management, liquidity or other aspects of its operations are unsatisfactory, or that it or its management is violating or has violated any law or regulation, various remedies are available to the Federal Reserve Board. Such remedies include the power to: enjoin “unsafe or unsound” practices; require affirmative action to correct any conditions resulting from any violation or practice; issue an administrative order that can be judicially enforced; direct an increase in capital; restrict growth; assess civil monetary penalties; remove officers and directors; institute a receivership; and, ultimately terminate the bank’s deposit insurance, which would result in a revocation of its charter. The DFPI separately holds many of the same remedial powers.

The commercial banking business is also influenced by the monetary and fiscal policies of the federal government and the policies of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System, also known as the FRB or the Federal Reserve Board. As a member of the Federal Reserve System, we are subject to certain regulations of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. The regulations of these agencies govern most aspects of our business, including the filing of periodic reports, and activities relating to dividends, investments, loans, borrowings, capital requirements, certain check-clearing activities, branching, mergers and acquisitions, reserves against deposits, and numerous other areas. Supervision, legal action and examination of us by the FRB is generally intended to protect depositors and is not intended for the protection of our shareholders. The Federal Reserve Board implements national monetary policies (with objectives such as curbing inflation and combating recession) by its open-market operations in U.S. government securities, by adjusting the required level of reserves for financial intermediaries subject to its reserve requirements, and by varying the discount rates applicable to borrowings by depository institutions. The actions of the Federal Reserve Board in these areas influence the growth of bank loans, investments and deposits and affects interest rates charged on loans and paid on deposits. Indirectly such actions may also impact the ability of non-bank financial institutions to compete with us. The nature and impact of any future changes in monetary policies cannot be predicted.

The laws, regulations and policies affecting financial services businesses are continuously under review by Congress and state legislatures and by federal and state regulatory agencies. From time to time, legislation is enacted which has the effect of increasing the cost of doing business, limiting or expanding permissible activities, or affecting the competitive balance between banks and other financial intermediaries. Proposals to change the laws and regulations governing the operations and taxation of banks, bank holding companies and other financial intermediaries are frequently made in Congress, in the California legislature and by various bank regulatory agencies and other professional agencies. Changes in the laws, regulations or policies that impact us cannot necessarily be predicted, but they may have a material effect on our business and earnings.

The federal and state bank regulatory agencies may respond to concerns and trends identified in examinations by taking enforcement actions against, and entering into cease and desist orders, consent orders and memoranda of understanding with, financial institutions, that would require action by management and boards of directors to address credit quality, liquidity, risk management and capital adequacy concerns, as well as other safety and soundness or compliance issues. Banks and bank holding companies are also subject to examination and potential enforcement actions by their state regulatory agencies.

Bank Holding Company and Bank Regulation

Bank holding companies and their subsidiaries are subject to significant regulation and restrictions by federal and state laws and regulatory agencies.  Federal and state laws, regulations and restrictions, which may affect the cost of doing business, limit permissible activities and expansion or impact the competitive balance between banks and other financial services providers, are intended primarily for the protection of depositors and the FDIC deposit insurance fund, and secondarily for the stability of the U.S. banking system. They are not intended for the benefit of shareholders of financial institutions. The following discussion of key statutes and regulations to which the Company and the Bank are subject is a summary and does not purport to be complete nor does it address all applicable statutes and regulations. This discussion is qualified in its entirety by reference to the statutes and regulations referred to in this discussion.

The wide range of requirements and restrictions contained in both federal and state banking laws include:

The following discussion summarizes certain significant laws, rules and regulations affecting both the Company and the Bank. The Bank addresses the many state and federal regulations it is subject to through a comprehensive compliance program that addresses the various risks associated with these issues. The following discussion is not meant to cover all applicable rules and regulations and it is qualified in its entirety by reference to such laws, rules and regulations which may change from time to time.

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act

The Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (“Dodd-Frank Act”), enacted in 2010 has broadly affected the financial services industry by creating resolution authorities, requiring ongoing stress testing of capital, mandating higher capital and liquidity requirements, increasing regulation of executive and incentive-based compensation and requiring numerous other provisions aimed at strengthening the sound operation of the financial services sector depending, in part, on the size of the financial institution. Among other things, the Dodd-Frank Act provides for:

As required by the Dodd-Frank Act, federal regulators have adopted regulations to (i) increase capital requirements on banks and bank holding companies pursuant to Basel III, and (ii) implement the so-called “Volcker Rule” of the Dodd-Frank Act, which significantly restricts certain activities by covered bank holding companies, including restrictions on proprietary trading and private equity investing.

In addition to the Dodd-Frank Act, other legislative and regulatory proposals affecting banks have been made both domestically and internationally. Among other things, these proposals include significant additional capital and liquidity requirements and limitations on size or types of activity in which banks may engage.

Legislation is introduced from time to time in the United States Congress that may affect our operations. In addition, the regulations governing us may be amended from time to time. Any legislative or regulatory changes in the future could adversely affect our operations and financial condition.

Volcker Rule

The “Volcker Rule” prohibits insured depository institutions and companies affiliated with insured depository institutions (“banking entities”) from engaging in short-term proprietary trading of certain securities, derivatives, commodity futures and options on these instruments, for their own account. The Volker Rule also imposes limits on banking entities’ investments in, and other relationships with, hedge funds or private equity funds. Certain collateralized debt obligations, securities backed by trust preferred securities are exempted.

The Volker Rule provides exemptions for certain activities, including market making, underwriting, hedging, trading in government obligations, insurance company activities, and organizing and offering hedge funds or private equity funds. The Volker Rule also clarifies that certain activities are not prohibited, including acting as agent, broker, or custodian.

The compliance requirements under the Volker Rule vary based on the size of the banking entity and the scope of activities conducted. Banking entities with significant trading operations will be required to establish a detailed compliance program and their CEOs will be required to attest that the program is reasonably designed to achieve compliance with the final rule. Independent testing and analysis of an institution’s compliance program will also be required. The Volker Rule reduces the burden on smaller, less-complex institutions by limiting their compliance and reporting requirements. Additionally, a banking entity that does not engage in covered trading activities will not need to establish a compliance program. The Company and the Bank held no investment positions at December 31, 2022 or 2021 that were subject to the final rule.  Therefore, while these new rules may require us to conduct certain internal analysis and reporting, we believe that they will not require any material changes in our operations or business.

Capital Adequacy Requirements

Banks and bank holding companies are subject to various capital requirements administered by state and federal banking agencies. Capital adequacy guidelines involve quantitative measures of assets, liabilities and certain off-balance-sheet items calculated under regulatory accounting practices. Capital amounts and classifications are also subject to qualitative judgments by regulators about components, risk weighting and other factors.

The federal banking agencies have adopted risk-based minimum capital guidelines intended to provide a measure of capital that reflects the degree of risk associated with a banking organization’s operations for both transactions reported on the balance sheet as assets and transactions which are recorded as off balance sheet items. Under these guidelines, nominal dollar amounts of assets and credit equivalent amounts of off balance sheet items are multiplied by one of several risk adjustment percentages, which range from 0% for assets with low credit risk, such as federal banking agencies, to 100% for assets with relatively high credit risk. The higher the category, the more risk a bank is subject to and thus the more capital that is required.

The regulatory agencies’ risk-based capital guidelines are based upon capital accords of the internal Basel Committee on Bank Supervision (“Basel Committee”), a committee of central banks and bank supervisors/regulators from the major industrialized countries that develops broad policy guidelines, which each country’s supervisors can use to determine the supervisory policies they apply to their home jurisdiction. The U.S. regulatory capital rules implementing the Basel III regulatory capital framework provide for a minimum common equity Tier 1 ratio (4.5% of risk-weighted assets), a minimum Tier 1 risk-based capital requirement (6.0% of risk-weighted assets) and a minimum non-risk-based leverage ratio (4.00% eliminating a 3.00% exception for higher rated banks) as well as an additional capital conservation buffer of 2.5% of risk weighted assets over each of the required capital ratios , which must be met to avoid limitations on the ability of the Bank to pay dividends, repurchase shares or pay discretionary bonuses. The additional “countercyclical capital buffer” is also required for larger and more complex institutions. The rules assign higher risk weighting to exposures that are more than 90 days past due or are on nonaccrual status and certain commercial real estate facilities that finance the acquisition, development or construction of real property.

In addition to the risk-based guidelines, federal banking regulators require banking organizations to maintain a minimum amount of Tier 1 capital to total average assets, referred to as the leverage ratio. Banks that have received the highest rating of the five categories used by regulators to rate banks and are not anticipating or experiencing any significant growth must maintain a ratio of Tier 1 capital (net of all intangibles) to adjusted total assets, or “Leverage Capital Ratio”, of at least 3%. All other institutions are required to maintain a leverage ratio of at least 100 to 200 basis points above the 3% minimum, for a minimum of 4% to 5%. Pursuant to federal regulations, banks must maintain capital levels commensurate with the level of risk to which they are exposed, including the volume and severity of problem loans.

Federal banking regulators may set capital requirements higher than the minimums described above for financial institutions whose circumstances warrant it. For example, a financial institution experiencing or anticipating significant growth may be expected to maintain capital positions substantially above the minimum supervisory levels without significant reliance on intangible assets.

A bank may be treated as though it were in the next lower capital category if, after notice and the opportunity for a hearing, the appropriate federal agency finds an unsafe or unsound condition or practice so warrants, but no bank may be treated as “critically undercapitalized” unless its actual capital ratio warrants such treatment.

At each successively lower capital category, an insured bank is subject to increased restrictions on its operations. For example, a bank is generally prohibited from paying management fees to any controlling persons or from making capital distributions, if to do so would make the Bank “undercapitalized.” Asset growth and branching restrictions apply to undercapitalized banks, which are required to submit written capital restoration plans meeting specified requirements (including a guarantee by the parent holding company, if any). “Significantly undercapitalized” banks are subject to broad regulatory authority, including among other things, capital directives, forced mergers, restrictions on the rates of interest they may pay on deposits, restrictions on asset growth and activities, and prohibitions on paying certain bonuses without FRB approval. Even more severe restrictions apply to critically undercapitalized banks. Most importantly, except under limited circumstances, the appropriate federal banking agency is required to appoint a conservator or receiver for an insured bank not later than 90 days after the Bank becomes critically undercapitalized.

In addition to measures taken under the prompt corrective action provisions, insured banks may be subject to potential actions by federal regulators for unsafe or unsound practices in conducting their businesses or for violations of any law, rule, regulation or any condition imposed in writing by the agency or any written agreement with the agency. Enforcement actions may include the issuance of cease and desist orders, termination of insurance of deposits (in the case of a bank), the imposition of civil money penalties, the issuance of directives to increase capital, formal and informal agreements, or removal and prohibition orders against “institution-affiliated” parties.

Dividends

The payment of cash dividends by the Bank to the Company is subject to restrictions set forth in the Financial Code.  Prior to any distribution from the Bank to the Company, a calculation is made to ensure compliance with the provisions of the Financial Code and to ensure that the Bank remains within capital guidelines set forth by the DFPI and the FRB. In the event that the intended distribution from the Bank to the Company exceeds the restriction in the Financial Code, advance approval from the FRB is required. Management anticipates that there will be sufficient earnings at the Bank level to provide dividends to the Company to meet its cash requirements for 2023.

Safety and Soundness Standards

Federal banking agencies have also adopted guidelines establishing safety and soundness standards for all insured depository institutions. Those guidelines relate to internal controls, information systems, internal audit systems, loan underwriting and documentation, compensation and interest rate exposure. In general, the standards are designed to assist the federal banking agencies in identifying and addressing problems at insured depository institutions before capital becomes impaired. If an institution fails to meet these standards, the appropriate federal banking agency may require the institution to submit a compliance plan and institute enforcement proceedings, if an acceptable compliance plan is not submitted.

Compensation

Federal banking agencies have issued joint guidance on incentive compensation designed to ensure that the incentive compensation policies of banking organizations such as the Company are consistent with the safety and soundness of the organization and its subsidiary banks. In 2016, as required by the Dodd-Frank Act, the federal bank regulatory agencies and the SEC proposed revised rules on incentive-based payment arrangements at specified regulated entities having at least $1 billion of total assets. These guidelines prohibit excessive compensation as an unsafe and unsound practice and describe compensation as excessive when the amounts paid are unreasonable or disproportionate to the services performed by an executive officer, employee, director, or principal stockholder.

In October 2022, the SEC adopted final rules implementing the incentive-based compensation recovery (“clawback”) provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act. The final rules direct stock exchanges to adopt listing standards that require listed companies to implement clawback policies to recover incentive-based compensation from current or former executive officers in the event of certain financial restatements and to disclose their clawback policies and their actions under those policies. The SEC’s final rules became effective on January 27, 2023, and the Nasdaq Stock Market released its proposed clawback listing standards on February 22, 2023. The Nasdaq proposal is subject to a 21-day public comment period, but the SEC requires that the Nasdaq final rules become effective by November 28, 2023. A listed issuer will then have 60 days to adopt a clawback policy that is compliant with the new SEC rules and Nasdaq listing standards. It is anticipated that most registrants will have until early 2024 to adopt and implement or adjust their policies as applicable. Following the issuance of final rules by the Nasdaq market, the Company will review the rules and take the necessary actions required to comply.

Deposit Insurance and FDIC Insurance Assessments

Our deposits are insured by the FDIC to the maximum amount permitted by law, which is currently $250,000 per depositor.

As insurer, the FDIC imposes deposit insurance premiums and is authorized to conduct examinations of and to require reporting by FDIC-insured institutions.

The FDIC assesses deposit insurance premiums quarterly on each FDIC-insured institution based on annualized rates. Each institution with $10 billion or more in assets is assessed under a scorecard method using supervisory ratings, financial ratios and other factors. Such institutions are also subject to a temporary surcharge required by the Dodd-Frank Act. As required by the Dodd-Frank Act, deposit insurance premiums are assessed on the amount of an institution’s total assets minus its Tier 1 capital. Smaller institutions are assessed by a method using supervisory ratings and financial ratios.

Community Reinvestment Act

We are subject to certain requirements and reporting obligations involving the CRA. The CRA generally requires federal banking agencies to evaluate the record of financial institutions in meeting the credit needs of local communities, including low and moderate-income neighborhoods. The CRA further requires that a record be kept of whether a financial institution meets its community credit needs, which record will be taken into account when evaluating applications for, among other things, domestic branches, consummating mergers or acquisitions, or holding company formations. In measuring a bank’s compliance with its CRA obligations, the regulators now utilize a performance-based evaluation system, which bases CRA ratings on the Company’s actual lending service and investment performance, rather than on the extent to which the institution conducts needs assessments, documents community outreach activities or complies with other procedural requirements. In connection with its assessment of CRA performance, the FRB assigns a rating of “outstanding,” “satisfactory,” “needs to improve” or “substantial noncompliance.” Our CRA performance is evaluated by the FRB under the intermediate small bank requirements. The FRB’s last CRA performance examination was performed on us and completed in January of 2023 and we received an overall “Outstanding” CRA Assessment Rating.

On May 5, 2022, the FDIC, OCC and the Federal Reserve issued a joint notice of proposed rulemaking to strengthen and modernize the CRA regulatory framework. The agencies’ stated goal of the joint proposal is to “update CRA regulations to strengthen the achievement of the statute’s purpose; adapt to changes in the banking industry, including the expanded role of mobile and online banking; provide greater clarity and consistency in the application of the regulations; tailor performance standards to account for differences in bank size and business models and local conditions; tailor data collection and reporting requirements and use existing data whenever possible; promote transparency and public engagement; confirm that CRA and fair lending responsibilities are mutually reinforcing; and create a consistent regulatory approach that applies to banks regulated by all three agencies.” Until the agencies announce a final rule, it is unclear to what extent the rulemaking will create an additional compliance burden on the Company, and otherwise affect its lending, investment, retail branching, and other activities.

Anti-Money Laundering Regulations

A series of banking laws and regulations beginning with the Bank Secrecy Act in 1970 require banks to prevent, detect, and report illicit or illegal financial activities to the federal government to prevent money laundering, international drug trafficking, and terrorism. Under the USA Patriot Act, financial institutions are subject to prohibitions against specified financial transactions and account relationships as well as enhanced due diligence and “know your customer” standards in their dealings with high risk customers, foreign financial institutions, and foreign individuals and entities. We have extensive controls to comply with these requirements.

Privacy, Data Security and Cybersecurity

The GLBA of 1999 imposed requirements on financial institutions with respect to consumer privacy. The GLBA generally prohibits disclosure of consumer information to non-affiliated third parties unless the consumer has been given the opportunity to object and has not objected to such disclosure. Financial institutions are further required to disclose their privacy policies to consumers annually. The GLBA also directs federal regulators to prescribe standards for the security of consumer information. We are subject to such standards, as well as standards for notifying consumers in the event of a security breach. We must disclose our privacy policy to consumers and permit consumers to “opt out” of having certain personal financial information disclosed to unaffiliated third parties. We are required to have an information security program to safeguard the confidentiality and security of customer information and to ensure proper disposal. Customers must be notified when unauthorized disclosure involves sensitive customer information that may be misused.

Data privacy and data security are areas of increasing state legislative focus. For example, the California Consumer Protection Act of 2018 (the “CCPA”), which became effective on January 1, 2020, applies to for-profit businesses that conduct business in California and meet certain revenue or data collection thresholds. The CCPA gives California residents the right to, among other things, request disclosure of information collected about them and whether that information has been sold to others, request deletion of personal information (subject to certain exceptions), opt out of the sale of their personal information, and not be discriminated against for exercising these rights. In addition, the California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”), which became effective in most material respects on January 1, 2023, significantly modifies the CCPA, including by expanding California residents’ rights with respect to certain sensitive personal information. The CPRA also creates a new state agency which will be vested with authority to implement and enforce the CCPA and the CPRA. We will continue to monitor developments related to the CPRA. The full impact of the CPRA on our business is yet to be determined.

Like other lenders, we use credit bureau data in their underwriting activities. Use of such data is regulated under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”), and the FCRA also regulates reporting information to credit bureaus, prescreening individuals for credit offers, sharing of information between affiliates and using affiliate data for marketing purposes. Similar state laws may impose additional requirements on us.

Cybersecurity also remains an area of significant regulatory focus, and state regulators have also been increasingly active in implementing cybersecurity standards and regulations. In November 2021, the Federal Reserve, OCC, and FDIC issued a final rule that, among other things, requires all banking organizations in the United States to notify their primary federal regulators of certain material computer-security incidents as soon as possible and no later than 36 hours after determining that the incident has occurred. The SEC proposed rules in March 2022 that, if adopted, would mandate public disclosure of material cybersecurity incidents within four business days of determining that such an incident has occurred. Recently, several states have adopted regulations requiring certain financial institutions to implement cybersecurity programs and providing detailed requirements with respect to these programs, including data encryption requirements. Many states have also recently implemented or modified their data breach notification and data privacy requirements.

Other Consumer Protection Laws and Regulations

Bank regulatory agencies are increasingly focusing on compliance with consumer protection laws and regulations.

Interest and other charges collected or contracted for by the Bank are subject to state usury laws and federal laws concerning interest rates. The Bank’s operations are also subject to federal laws applicable to credit transactions, and consumer protection statutes and regulations, such as the:

The operations of the Bank are also subject to the:

Due to heightened regulatory concern related to compliance with consumer protection laws and regulations generally, we may incur additional compliance costs or be required to expend additional funds for investments in the local communities we serve.

Restriction on Transactions between Member Banks and their Affiliates

Transactions between the Company and the Bank are quantitatively and qualitatively restricted under Sections 23A and 23B of the Federal Reserve Act and Federal Reserve Regulation W. Section 23A places restrictions on the Bank’s “covered transactions” with the Company, including loans and other extensions of credit, investments in the securities of, and purchases of assets from the Company. Section 23B requires that certain transactions, including all covered transactions, be on market terms and conditions. Federal Reserve Regulation W combines statutory restrictions on transactions between the Bank and the Company with FRB interpretations in an effort to simplify compliance with Sections 23A and 23B.

Securities Laws and Corporate Governance

The Company is subject to the disclosure and regulatory requirements of the 1933 Act and the 1934 Act, both as administered by the SEC. As a company listed on the Nasdaq Global Select Market, the Company is subject to Nasdaq listing standards for listed companies.

As discussed above, we are also subject to the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002, provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act, and other federal and state laws and regulations which address, among other issues, required executive certification of financial presentations, corporate governance requirements for board audit committees and their members, and disclosure of controls and procedures and internal control over financial reporting, auditing and accounting, executive compensation, and enhanced and timely disclosure of corporate information. Nasdaq has also adopted corporate governance rules, which are intended to allow shareholders and investors to more easily and efficiently monitor the performance of companies and their directors.

Finally, the Company is subject to the provisions of the California General Corporation Law, while the Bank is also subject to the Financial Code provisions.

Environmental Regulations

In the course of our business, we may foreclose and take title to real estate, and could be subject to environmental liabilities with respect to these properties. We may be held liable to a governmental entity or to third parties for property damage, personal injury, investigation and clean-up costs incurred by these parties in connection with environmental contamination, or may be required to investigate or clean up hazardous or toxic substances, or chemical releases at a property. The costs associated with investigation or remediation activities could be substantial. In addition, as the owner or former owner of a contaminated site, we may be subject to common law claims by third parties based on damages and costs resulting from environmental contamination emanating from the property. If we ever become subject to significant environmental liabilities, our business, financial condition, liquidity and results of operations could be materially and adversely affected.

Other Pending and Proposed Legislation

Other legislative and regulatory initiatives which could affect us and the banking industry, in general, are pending and additional initiatives may be proposed or introduced before the United States Congress, the California legislature and other governmental bodies in the future. Such proposals, if enacted, may further alter the structure, regulation and competitive relationship among financial institutions, and may subject us to increased regulation, disclosure and reporting requirements. In addition, the various banking regulatory agencies often adopt new rules and regulations to implement and enforce existing legislation. We cannot predict whether, or in what form, any such legislation or regulations may be enacted or the extent to which our business would be affected thereby.

Available Information

The Company maintains an Internet website at www.ovcb.com. The Company makes available its annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K and amendments to such reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the 1934 Act and other information related to the Company free of charge, through this site as soon as reasonably practicable after it electronically files those documents with, or otherwise furnishes them to, the SEC. The SEC maintains a website, http://www.sec.gov., that contains the reports, proxy and information statements and other information we file with them. The Company’s website also contains its Committee Charters, Code of Ethics, Code of Conduct and Corporate Governance Guidelines. We also use our website as a tool to disclose important information about the company and comply with our disclosure obligations under Regulation Fair Disclosure. The Company’s internet website and the information contained therein or connected thereto are not intended to be incorporated into this annual report on Form 10-K.

In addition, copies of our filings are available by requesting them in writing or by phone from:

Corporate Secretary

Oak Valley Bancorp

125 North Third Avenue
Oakdale, California

209-844-7578

ITEM 1A.  RISK FACTORS

An investment in our securities is subject to certain risks. These risk factors and the risks discussed in Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations and Quantitative and Qualitative Disclosures About Market Risk should be considered by prospective and current investors in our securities when evaluating the disclosures in this Annual Report on Form 10-K. The risks and uncertainties not presently known to us or that we currently deem immaterial also may impair our business operations. If any of the following risks actually occur, our business, results of operations and financial condition could suffer. In that event, the value of our securities could decline, and you may lose all or part of your investment.

Risks Associated with Our Business

Our business strategy includes sustainable growth plans, and our financial condition and results of operations could be negatively affected if we fail to grow or fail to manage our growth effectively.

We intend to pursue an organic growth strategy for our business. If appropriate opportunities present themselves, we may also engage in selected acquisitions of financial institutions, branch acquisitions and other business growth initiatives or undertakings. There can be no assurance that we will successfully execute our organic growth strategy, that we will be able to negotiate or finance such activities or that such activities, if undertaken, will be successful.

There are risks associated with our growth strategy. To the extent that we grow through acquisitions, we cannot ensure that we will be able to adequately or profitably manage this growth. Acquiring other banks, branches or other assets, as well as other expansion activities, involves various risks including the risks of incorrectly assessing the credit quality of acquired assets, encountering greater than expected costs of integrating acquired banks or branches, the risk of loss of customers and/or employees of the acquired institution or branch, executing cost savings measures, not achieving revenue enhancements and otherwise not realizing the transaction’s anticipated benefits. Our ability to address these matters successfully cannot be assured. There is also the risk that the requisite regulatory approvals might not be received and other conditions to consummation of a transaction might not be satisfied during the anticipated timeframes, or at all. In addition, our strategic efforts may divert resources or management’s attention from ongoing business operations, may require investment in integration and in development and enhancement of additional operational and reporting processes and controls, and may subject us to additional regulatory scrutiny. To finance an acquisition, we may borrow funds, thereby increasing our leverage and diminishing our liquidity, or raise additional capital, which could dilute the interests of our existing stockholders.

Our growth initiatives may also require us to recruit experienced personnel to assist in such initiatives. Accordingly, the failure to identify and retain such personnel would place significant limitations on our ability to successfully execute our growth strategy. In addition, to the extent we expand our lending beyond our current market areas, we could incur additional risks related to those new market areas. We may not be able to expand our market presence in our existing market areas or successfully enter new markets.

If we do not successfully execute our growth plan, it could adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations, reputation and growth prospects. In addition, if we were to conclude that the value of an acquired business had decreased and that the related goodwill had been impaired, that conclusion would result in an impairment of goodwill charge to us, which would adversely affect our results of operations. While we believe we will have the executive management resources and internal systems in place to successfully manage our future growth, there can be no assurance growth opportunities will be available or that we will successfully manage our growth.

Our financial condition and results of operations are dependent on the economy, particularly in the Bank’s market areas.

Our primary market area is concentrated in the Central Valley and the Eastern Sierras. Adverse economic conditions in any of these areas can reduce our rate of growth, affect our customers’ ability to repay loans and adversely impact our financial condition and earnings. General economic conditions, including inflation, unemployment and money supply fluctuations, also may affect our profitability adversely.

A deterioration in economic conditions in the market areas we serve could result in the following consequences, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations:

We cannot accurately predict the possibility of weakness in the national or local economy effecting our future operating results.

We cannot accurately predict the possibility of the national or local economy’s return to recessionary conditions or to a period of economic weakness, which would adversely impact the markets we serve. Any deterioration in national or local economic conditions would have an adverse effect, which could be material, on our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects, and any economic weakness could present substantial risks for the banking industry and for us.

Adverse developments affecting the financial services industry, such as actual events or concerns involving liquidity, defaults, or non-performance by financial institutions or transactional counterparties, could adversely affect our current and projected business operations and our financial condition and results of operations.

Actual events involving limited liquidity, defaults, non-performance or other adverse developments that affect financial institutions, transactional counterparties or other companies in the financial services industry or the financial services industry generally, or concerns or rumors about any events of these kinds or other similar risks, have in the past and may in the future lead to market-wide liquidity problems. For example, on March 10, 2023, Silicon Valley Bank (“SVB”) was closed by the California Department of Financial Protection and Innovation, which appointed the FDIC as receiver. Similarly, on March 12, 2023, Signature Bank and Silvergate Capital Corp. were each swept into receivership. Although a statement by the Department of the Treasury, the Federal Reserve and the FDIC indicated that all depositors of SVB would have access to all of their money after only one business day of closure, including funds held in uninsured deposit accounts, it is not certain that the Federal Reserve or FDIC will treat future bank failures similarly. Hence, borrowers under credit agreements, letters of credit and certain other financial instruments with any financial institution that is placed into receivership by the FDIC may be unable to access undrawn amounts thereunder. In addition, if any of our customers, suppliers or other parties with whom we conduct business are unable to access funds pursuant to such instruments or lending arrangements with such a financial institution, such parties’ ability to pay their obligations to us or to enter into new commercial arrangements requiring additional payments to us could be adversely affected.

Inflation and rapid increases in interest rates have led to a decline in the trading value of previously issued government securities with interest rates below current market interest rates. Although the U.S. Department of Treasury, FDIC and Federal Reserve Board have announced a program to provide up to $25 billion of loans to financial institutions secured by certain of such government securities held by financial institutions to mitigate the risk of potential losses on the sale of such instruments, widespread demands for customer withdrawals or other liquidity needs of financial institutions for immediate liquidity may exceed the capacity of such program. Additionally, there is no guarantee that the U.S. Department of Treasury, FDIC and Federal Reserve Board will provide access to uninsured funds in the future in the event of the closure of other banks or financial institutions, or that they would do so in a timely fashion. There can be no assurance that there will not be additional bank failures or issues such as liquidity concerns in the broader financial services industry or in the U.S. financial system as a whole. Adverse financial market and economic conditions can exert downward pressure on stock prices, security prices, and credit availability for certain issuers without regard to their underlying financial strength. The volatility resulting and economic disruption from the failures of SVB and Signature Bank has particularly impacted the price of securities issued by financial institutions.

Any of these impacts, or any other impacts resulting from the factors described above or other related or similar factors, could have material adverse effect on our liquidity and our current and/or projected business operations and financial condition and results of operations.

There are risks associated with our lending activities and our allowance for loan losses may prove to be insufficient to absorb actual incurred losses in our loan portfolio.

Lending money is a substantial part of our business. Every loan carries a certain risk that it will not be repaid in accordance with its terms or that any underlying collateral will not be sufficient to assure repayment. This risk is affected by, among other things:

We maintain an allowance for loan losses which we believe is appropriate to provide for probable incurred losses inherent in our loan portfolio. The amount of this allowance is determined by our management through a periodic review and consideration of several factors, including, but not limited to:

If actual losses on our loans exceed our estimates used to establish our allowance for loan losses, our business, financial condition and profitability may suffer.

The determination of the appropriate level of the allowance for loan losses inherently involves a high degree of subjectivity and requires us to make various assumptions and judgments about the collectability of our loan portfolio, including the creditworthiness of our borrowers and the value of the real estate and other assets serving as collateral for the repayment of many of our loans. In determining the amount of the allowance for loan losses, we review our loans and the loss and delinquency experience, and evaluate economic conditions and make significant estimates of current credit risks and future trends, all of which may undergo material changes. If our estimates are incorrect, the allowance for loan losses may not be sufficient to cover losses inherent in our loan portfolio, resulting in the need for additions to our allowance through an increase in the provision for loan losses. Deterioration in economic conditions affecting borrowers, new information regarding existing loans, identification of additional problem loans and other factors, both within and outside of our control, may require an increase in the allowance for loan losses. In addition, bank regulatory agencies periodically review our allowance for loan losses and may require an increase in the provision for loan losses or the recognition of further charge-offs (which will in turn also require an increase in the provision for loan losses if the charge-offs exceed the allowance for loan losses), based on judgments different than that of management. Any increases in the provision for loan losses will result in a decrease in net income and may have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Our underwriting practices may not protect us against losses in our loan portfolio.

We seek to mitigate the risks inherent in our loan portfolio by adhering to specific underwriting practices, including: analyzing a borrower’s credit history, financial statements, tax returns and cash flow projections; valuing collateral based on reports of independent appraisers; and verifying liquid assets. Although we believe that our underwriting criteria are, and historically have been, appropriate for the various kinds of loans we make, we have incurred losses on loans that have met these criteria, and may continue to experience higher than expected losses depending on economic factors and consumer behavior. In addition, our ability to assess the creditworthiness of our customers may be impaired if the models and approaches we use to select, manage, and underwrite our customers become less predictive of future behaviors. Finally, we may have higher credit risk, or experience higher credit losses, to the extent our loans are concentrated by loan type, industry segment, borrower type, or location of the borrower or collateral. Deterioration in real estate values and underlying economic conditions in the Central Valley and the Eastern Sierras could result in significantly higher credit losses to our portfolio.

Because our loan portfolio has a large concentration of real estate loans, and commercial real estate loans in particular, negative changes in the economy affecting real estate values and liquidity, or regional and national market conditions, could impair the value of collateral securing our real estate loans and result in loan and other losses.

As of December 31, 2022, consumer and commercial real estate loans constituted 89% of our loan portfolio, of which 96% were commercial real estate loans. Our real estate portfolio is subject to certain risks, including (i) downturns in the California economy, (ii) significant interest rate fluctuations, (iii) reduction in real estate values in the California Central Valley, (iv) increased competition in pricing and loan structure, and (v) environmental risks, including natural disasters.  As a result of the high concentration of real estate loans in our loan portfolio, potential difficulties in the real estate markets could cause significant increases in nonperforming loans, which would reduce our profits. The market value of real estate can fluctuate significantly in a short period of time as a result of market conditions in the geographic area in which the real estate is located. A decline in real estate values could cause some of our mortgage loans to become inadequately collateralized, which would expose us to a greater risk of loss.  Real estate values and real estate markets are generally affected by changes in national, regional or local economic conditions, the rate of unemployment, fluctuations in interest rates and the availability of loans to potential purchasers, changes in tax laws and other governmental statutes, regulations and policies and acts of nature, such as earthquakes and other natural disasters. Additionally, a decline in real estate values could adversely affect our portfolio of commercial real estate loans and could result in a decline in the origination of such loans.

Our commercial real estate loans involve higher principal amounts than other loans and repayment of these loans may be dependent on factors outside our control or the control of our borrowers.

We originate commercial real estate loans for individuals and businesses for various purposes, which are secured by commercial properties. These loans typically involve higher principal amounts than other types of loans, and repayment is dependent upon income generated, or expected to be generated, by the property securing the loan in amounts sufficient to cover operating expenses and debt service, which may be adversely affected by changes in the economy or local market conditions. For example, if the cash flow from the borrower’s project is reduced as a result of leases not being obtained or renewed in a timely manner or at all, the borrower’s ability to repay the loan may be impaired.

Commercial real estate loans also expose us to greater credit risk than loans secured by residential real estate because the collateral securing these loans typically cannot be sold as easily as residential real estate. In addition, many of our commercial real estate loans are not fully amortizing and contain large balloon payments upon maturity. Such balloon payments may require the borrower to either sell or refinance the underlying property in order to make the payment, which may increase the risk of default or non-payment.

If we foreclose on a commercial real estate loan, our holding period for the collateral typically is longer than for residential mortgage loans because there are fewer potential purchasers of the collateral. Additionally, commercial real estate loans generally have relatively large balances to single borrowers or groups of related borrowers. Accordingly, if we make any errors in judgment in the collectability of our commercial real estate loans, any resulting charge-offs may be larger on a per loan basis than those incurred with our residential or consumer loan portfolios.

Repayment of our commercial and industrial loans is often dependent on the cash flows of the borrower, which may be unpredictable, and the collateral securing these loans may not be sufficient to repay the loan in the event of default.

We make our commercial and industrial loans primarily based on the identified cash flow of the borrower and secondarily on the underlying collateral provided by the borrower. Collateral securing commercial and industrial loans may depreciate over time, be difficult to appraise and fluctuate in value. In the case of loans secured by accounts receivable, the availability of funds for the repayment of these loans may be substantially dependent on the ability of the borrower to collect the amounts due from its customers.

We are exposed to risk of environmental liabilities with respect to real properties which we may acquire.

In prior years, due to weakness of the U.S. economy and, more specifically, the California economy, including higher levels of unemployment than the nationwide average and declines in real estate values, certain borrowers have been unable to meet their loan repayment obligations and, as a result, we have had to initiate foreclosure proceedings with respect to and take title to a number of real properties that had collateralized their loans. As an owner of such properties, we could become subject to environmental liabilities and incur substantial costs for any property damage, personal injury, investigation and clean-up that may be required due to any environmental contamination that may be found to exist at any of those properties, even though we did not engage in the activities that led to such contamination. In addition, if we are the owner or former owner of a contaminated site, we may be subject to common law claims by third parties seeking damages for environmental contamination emanating from the site. If we were to become subject to significant environmental liabilities or costs, our business, financial condition, results of operations and prospects could be adversely affected.

Our business is subject to interest rate risk and variations in interest rates may hurt our profits.

To be profitable, we have to earn more money in interest that we receive on loans and investments than we pay to our depositors and lenders in interest. If interest rates rise, our net interest income and the value of our assets could be reduced if interest paid on interest-bearing liabilities, such as deposits, increases more quickly than interest received on interest-earning assets, such as loans, other mortgage-related investments and investment securities. This is most likely to occur if short-term interest rates increase at a faster rate than long-term interest rates, which would cause our net interest income to go down. In addition, rising interest rates may hurt our income, because that may reduce the demand for loans and the value of our securities. In a rapidly changing interest rate environment, we may not be able to manage our interest rate risk effectively, which would adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations.

If interest rates decline, our net interest income could be reduced if interest rates on interest-earning assets such as loans, investment securities and cash balances, decrease more quickly than interest paid on interest-bearing liabilities, such as deposits.

New lines of business, new products and services, or strategic project initiatives may subject us to additional risks.

From time to time, we may seek to implement new lines of business or offer new products and services within existing lines of business. There are substantial risks and uncertainties associated with these efforts, particularly in instances where the markets are not fully developed. In developing and marketing new lines of business and/or new products and services, we may invest significant time and resources. Initial timetables for the introduction and development of new lines of business and/or new products or services may not be achieved, and price and profitability targets may not prove feasible, which could in turn have a material negative effect on our operating results. New lines of business and/or new products or services also could subject us to additional regulatory requirements, increased scrutiny by our regulators and other legal risks.

Additionally, from time to time we undertake strategic project initiatives. Significant effort and resources are necessary to manage and oversee the successful completion of these initiatives. These initiatives often place significant demands on a limited number of employees with subject matter expertise and management and may involve significant costs to implement as well as increase operational risk as employees learn to process transactions under new systems. The failure to properly execute on these strategic initiatives could adversely impact our business and results of operations.

Strong competition within our market areas may limit our growth and profitability.

Competition in the banking and financial services industry is intense. In our market areas, we compete with commercial banks, savings institutions, mortgage brokerage firms, credit unions, finance companies, mutual funds, insurance companies, and brokerage and investment banking firms operating locally and elsewhere. Many of these competitors have substantially greater name recognition, resources and lending limits than we do and may offer certain services or prices for services that we do not or cannot provide. Our profitability depends upon our continued ability to successfully compete in our markets.

In addition, our future success will depend, in part, upon our ability to address the needs of our clients by using technology to provide products and services that will satisfy client demands for convenience, as well as to create additional efficiencies in our operations. Many of our competitors have substantially greater resources to invest in technological improvements. We may not be able to effectively implement new technology-driven products and services or be successful in marketing these products and services to our clients.

Risks Related to Our Operations

We face significant operational risks.

We operate many different financial service functions and rely on the ability of our employees, third party vendors and systems to process a significant number of transactions. Operational risk is the risk of loss from operations, including fraud by employees or outside persons, employees’ execution of incorrect or unauthorized transactions, data processing and technology errors or hacking and breaches of internal control systems.

Our enterprise risk management framework may not be effective in mitigating risk and reducing the potential for losses.

Our enterprise risk management framework seeks to mitigate risk and loss to us. We have established comprehensive policies and procedures and an internal control framework designed to provide a sound operational environment for the types of risk to which we are subject, including credit risk, market risk (interest rate and price risks), liquidity risk, operational risk, compliance risk, strategic risk, and reputational risk. However, as with any risk management framework, there are inherent limitations to our current and future risk management strategies, including risks that we have not appropriately anticipated or identified. In certain instances, we rely on models to measure, monitor and predict risks. However, these models are inherently limited because they involve techniques, including the use of historical data in some circumstances, and judgments that cannot anticipate every economic and financial outcome in the markets in which we operate, nor can they anticipate the specifics and timing of such outcomes. There is no assurance that these models will appropriately capture all relevant risks or accurately predict future events or exposures. Accurate and timely enterprise-wide risk information is necessary to enhance management’s decision-making in times of crisis. If our enterprise risk management framework proves ineffective or if our enterprise-wide management information is incomplete or inaccurate, we could suffer unexpected losses, which could materially adversely affect our results of operations or financial condition. In addition, our businesses and the markets in which we operate are continuously evolving. We may fail to fully understand the implications of changes in our businesses or the financial markets or fail to adequately or timely enhance our enterprise risk framework to address those changes. If our enterprise risk framework is ineffective, either because it fails to keep pace with changes in the financial markets, regulatory requirements, our businesses, our counterparties, clients or service providers or for other reasons, we could incur losses, suffer reputational damage or find ourselves out of compliance with applicable regulatory or contractual mandates.

An important aspect of our enterprise risk management framework is creating a risk culture in which all employees fully understand that there is risk in every aspect of our business and the importance of managing risk as it relates to their job functions. We continue to enhance our enterprise risk management program to support our risk culture, ensuring that it is sustainable and appropriate to our role as a major financial institution. Nonetheless, if we fail to create the appropriate environment that sensitizes all of our employees to managing risk, our business could be adversely impacted.

Managing reputational risk is important to attracting and maintaining customers, investors and employees.

Threats to our reputation can come from many sources, including adverse sentiment about financial institutions generally, unethical practices, employee misconduct, failure to deliver minimum standards of service or quality, compliance deficiencies, regulatory investigations, cybersecurity breaches, marketplace rumors and questionable or fraudulent activities of our customers. We have policies and procedures in place to promote ethical conduct and protect our reputation. However, these policies and procedures may not be fully effective and cannot adequately protect against all threats to our reputation. Negative publicity regarding our business, employees, or customers, with or without merit, may result in the loss of customers, investors and employees, costly litigation, a decline in revenues and increased governmental oversight.

Liquidity risk could impair our ability to fund operations and jeopardize our financial condition.

Liquidity is essential to our business. An inability to raise funds through deposits, borrowings, the sale of loans and other sources could have a substantial negative effect on our liquidity. Our access to funding sources in amounts adequate to finance our activities or on terms that are acceptable to us could be impaired by factors that affect us specifically or the financial services industry or economy in general.

Factors that could detrimentally impact our access to liquidity sources include a decrease in the level of our business activity as a result of a downturn in the markets in which our loans are concentrated or adverse regulatory action against us. Our ability to borrow could also be impaired by factors that are not specific to us, such as a disruption in the financial markets or negative views and expectations about the prospects for the financial services industry.

We currently hold a significant amount of bank owned life insurance.

At December 31, 2022, we held bank owned life insurance (“BOLI”) on certain key and former employees and executives and our directors, with a cash surrender value of $30,218,000. The eventual repayment of the cash surrender value is subject to the ability of the various insurance companies to pay death benefits or to return the cash surrender value to us if needed for liquidity purposes. We continually monitor the financial strength of the various companies with whom we carry these policies.

However, any one of these companies could experience a decline in financial strength, which could impair its ability to pay benefits or return our cash surrender value. If we need to liquidate these policies for liquidity purposes, we would be subject to taxation on the increase in cash surrender value and penalties for early termination, both of which would adversely impact earnings.

We rely on numerous external vendors.

We rely on numerous external vendors to provide us with products and services necessary to maintain our day-to-day operations. Accordingly, our operations are exposed to risk that these vendors will not perform in accordance with the contracted arrangements under service level agreements. The failure of an external vendor to perform in accordance with the contracted arrangements under service level agreements because of changes in the vendor's organizational structure, financial condition, support for existing products and services or strategic focus or for any other reason, could be disruptive to our operations, which in turn could have a material negative impact on our financial condition and results of operations. We also could be adversely affected to the extent such an agreement is not renewed by the third-party vendor or is renewed on terms less favorable to us.

Our holding company relies on dividends from the Bank for substantially all of its income and the net proceeds of capital raising transactions are currently the primary source of funds for cash dividends to our preferred and common stockholders.

Our primary source of revenue at the holding company level is dividends from the Bank and we also have previously relied on the net proceeds of capital raising transactions as the primary source of funds for cash dividends to our preferred and common stockholders. To the extent we are limited in our ability to raise capital in the future, our ability to pay cash dividends to our stockholders could likewise be limited, especially if we are unable to increase the amount of dividends the Bank pays to us. If the Bank is unable to pay dividends to us, then we may not be able to service our debt, including our senior notes, pay our other obligations or pay cash dividends on our preferred and common stock. Our inability to service our debt, pay our other obligations or pay dividends to our stockholders could have a material adverse impact on our financial condition and the value of your investment in our securities.

We may elect or be compelled to seek additional capital in the future, but that capital may not be available when it is needed.

We are required by federal regulatory authorities to maintain adequate levels of capital to support our operations. At some point, we may need to raise additional capital to support continued growth.

Our ability to raise additional capital, if needed, will depend on conditions in the capital markets, economic conditions, our financial performance and a number of other factors, many of which are outside our control. Accordingly, we cannot assure you of our ability to raise additional capital if needed or on terms acceptable to us. If we cannot raise additional capital when needed, our ability to further expand our operations could be materially impaired and our financial condition and liquidity could be materially and adversely affected.

Technology Risks

Our security measures may not be sufficient to mitigate the risk of a cyber-attack or cyber theft.

Communications and information systems are essential to the conduct of our business, as we use such systems to manage our customer relationships, our general ledger and virtually all other aspects of our business. Our operations rely on the secure collection, processing, storage, and transmission of confidential, personal, and other information using our computer systems and networks and as part of our internet banking activities, as well as the computer systems and networks of third party service providers that support our operations, but which we do not control. Although we take protective measures and endeavor to enhance them as circumstances warrant, the security of our computer systems, software, and networks, as well as those of our computer systems and networks of third party service providers that support our operations, may be vulnerable to security breaches, unauthorized access, misuse, computer viruses, or other malicious code and cyber-attacks whose objectives include obtaining unauthorized access confidential and personal information, manipulation or destruction of data, disruption or our services, or theft of money. If one or more of these events occur, this could jeopardize our or our customers' confidential, personal, and other information collected and processed by, stored in, and transmitted through our computer systems and networks and our third party service providers, or otherwise cause interruptions or malfunctions in our operations or adversely impact our customers or counterparties. These adverse consequences could include causing certain customers to cease doing business with us, impair our ability to attract new customers or expand relationships with existing customers and third parties, making it difficult to service customers and comply with regulatory obligations (including privacy and banking laws), or impair our brand and reputation. We may be required to expend significant additional resources to enhance our protective measures, to investigate any such event, notify individuals, third parties, or regulators, 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. We could also suffer significant reputational damage.

Our security measures may not protect us from systems failures or interruptions.

While we have established policies and procedures to prevent or limit the impact of systems failures and interruptions, there can be no assurance that such events will not occur or that they will be adequately addressed if they do. In addition, we outsource certain aspects of our data processing and other operational functions to certain third-party providers. If our third-party providers encounter difficulties, or if we have difficulty in communicating with them, our ability to adequately process and account for transactions could be affected, and our business operations could be adversely impacted. Threats to information security also exist in the processing of customer information through various other vendors and their personnel.

We may be required to expend significant additional resources to continue to modify or enhance our information security infrastructure or to investigate and remediate any information security vulnerabilities in response to continuing information systems security threats.

The occurrence of any systems failure or interruption could damage our reputation and result in a loss of customers and business, could subject us to additional regulatory scrutiny, or could expose us to legal liability. Any of these occurrences could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

We rely on communications, information, operating and financial control systems technology from third party service providers, and we may suffer an interruption in those systems.

We rely heavily on third party service providers for much of our communications, information, operating and financial control systems technology, including our online banking services and data processing systems. We also rely on third party vendors, who may experience unauthorized access to and disclosure of client or customer information or the destruction or theft of such information. Any failure or interruption, or breaches in security, of these systems could result in failures or interruptions in our customer relationship management, general ledger, deposit, servicing and/or loan origination systems and, therefore, could harm our business, operating results and financial condition. Additionally, interruptions in service and security breaches could lead existing customers to terminate their banking relationships with us and could make it more difficult for us to attract new banking customers.

We are subject to a variety of federal and state privacy and data security laws, which govern the collection, safeguarding, sharing and use of customer information

We are subject to a variety of federal and state privacy and data security laws, which govern the collection, safeguarding, sharing and use of customer information, and require that financial institutions have in place policies regarding information privacy and security. For example, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act of 1999 (“GLBA”) requires all financial institutions offering financial products or services to retail customers to provide such customers with the financial institution’s privacy policy and practices for sharing nonpublic information with third parties, provide advance notice of any changes to the policies and provide such customers the opportunity to “opt out” of the sharing of certain personal financial information with unaffiliated third parties. It also requires banks to safeguard personal information of consumer customers. Some state laws also protect the privacy of information of state residents and require adequate security for such data, and certain state laws may, in some circumstances, require us to notify affected individuals of security breaches of computer databases that contain their personal information. These laws may also require us to notify law enforcement, regulators or consumer reporting agencies in the event of a data breach, as well as businesses and governmental agencies that own data.

Data privacy and data security are areas of increasing state legislative focus. The California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”), which became effective and enforceable in 2020 requires, among other things, covered companies to provide new disclosures to California consumers regarding the use of personal information, gives California residents expanded rights to access their personal information and allows such consumers new abilities to opt-out of certain sales of personal information.  Further, the new California Privacy Rights Act (“CPRA”) which was passed in November 2020, significantly modifies the CCPA. These modifications may result in additional uncertainty and require us to incur additional costs and expenses in our effort to comply. Because we meet the thresholds set forth in the CCPA and the CPRA, we will be required to comply with these laws. We will continue to monitor developments related to the CCPA and the CPRA. The full impact of the CCPA and the CPRA on our business is yet to be determined.

Like other lenders, we use credit bureau data in their underwriting activities. Use of such data is regulated under the Fair Credit Reporting Act (“FCRA”), and the FCRA also regulates reporting information to credit bureaus, prescreening individuals for credit offers, sharing of information between affiliates and using affiliate data for marketing purposes. Similar state laws may impose additional requirements on us.

Regulatory Risks

We operate in a highly regulated environment and our operations and income may be affected adversely by changes in laws, rules and regulations governing our operations.

We are subject to extensive regulation and supervision by the DFPI, FRB and the FDIC. The FRB regulates the supply of money and credit in the United States. Its fiscal and monetary policies determine in a large part our cost of funds for lending and investing and the return that can be earned on those loans and investments, both of which affect our net interest margin. FRB policies can also materially affect the value of financial instruments that we hold, such as debt securities. Its policies also can affect our borrowers, potentially increasing the risk that they may fail to repay their loans or satisfy their obligations to us. Changes in policies of the FRB are beyond our control and the impact of changes in those policies on our activities and results of operations can be difficult to predict.

The Company and the Bank are heavily regulated. This regulation is to protect depositors, federal deposit insurance funds and the banking system as a whole, and not stockholders. These regulatory authorities have extensive discretion in connection with their supervisory and enforcement activities, including the ability to impose increased capital requirements and restrictions on a bank’s operations, to reclassify assets, to determine the adequacy of a bank’s allowance for loan losses and to set the level of deposit insurance premiums assessed.

Congress, state legislatures and federal and state agencies continually review banking, lending and other laws, regulations and policies for possible changes. Any change in such regulation and oversight, whether in the form of regulatory policy, new regulations or legislation, that applies to us or additional deposit insurance premiums could have a material adverse impact on our operations. Because our business is highly regulated, the laws and applicable regulations are subject to frequent change. Any new laws, rules and regulations could make compliance more difficult or expensive or otherwise adversely affect our business, financial condition or growth prospects. Such changes could subject us to additional costs, limit the types of financial services and products we may offer and/or increase the ability of non-banks to offer competing financial services and products, among other things.

The Dodd-Frank Act and supporting regulations could have a material adverse effect on us.

The Dodd-Frank Act provides for various capital requirements and new restrictions on financial institutions and their holding companies. These changes may result in additional restrictions on investments and other activities.

Regulations under the Dodd-Frank Act significantly impact our operations, and we expect to continue to face increased regulation. These regulations may affect the manner in which we do business and the products and services that we provide, affect or restrict our ability to compete in our current businesses or our ability to enter into or acquire new businesses, reduce or limit our revenue or impose additional fees, assessments or taxes on us, intensify the regulatory supervision of us and the financial services industry, and adversely affect our business operations.

The Dodd-Frank Act, among other things, established the CFPB with broad authority to administer and enforce a new federal regulatory framework of consumer financial regulation. Many of the provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act have extended implementation periods and require extensive rulemaking, guidance and interpretation by various regulatory agencies. While some rules have been finalized or issued in proposed form, some have yet to be proposed. It is impossible to predict when all such additional rules will be issued or finalized, and what the content of such rules will be.

We must apply resources to ensure that we are in compliance with all applicable provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act and any implementing rules, which may increase our costs of operations and adversely impact our earnings. We expect that the Dodd-Frank Act, including current and future rules implementing its provisions and the interpretations of those rules, will reduce our revenues, increase our expenses, require us to change certain of our business practices, increase the regulatory supervision of us, increase our capital requirements and impose additional assessments and costs on us, and otherwise adversely affect our business.

The short-term and long-term impact of the changing regulatory capital requirements and new capital rules is uncertain.

Under the U.S. regulatory capital rules to implementing the Basel III regulatory capital framework, banking organizations, including the Company are subject to a common equity Tier 1 minimum capital requirement of 4.5 percent of risk-weighted assets and a minimum Tier 1 risk-based capital requirement of 6.0 percent of risk-weighted assets and assigns higher risk-weightings than in the past (150 percent) to exposures that are more than 90 days past due or are on non-accrual status and certain commercial real estate facilities that finance the acquisition, development or construction of real property. The final rule also limits a banking organization’s capital distributions and certain discretionary bonus payments if the banking organization does not hold a “capital conservation buffer” in excess of 2.5 percent of common equity tier 1 capital in addition to the minimum risk-based capital ratios. An institution will be subject to limitations on paying dividends, engaging in share repurchases, and paying discretionary bonuses if its capital level falls below the buffer amount.

While our current capital levels exceed the capital requirements, our capital levels could decrease in the future as a result of factors such as acquisitions, faster than anticipated growth, reduced earnings levels, operating losses and other factors. The application of more stringent capital requirements for us could, among other things, result in lower returns on equity, require the raising of additional capital, and result in our inability to pay dividends or repurchase shares if we were to be unable to comply with such requirements.

We are subject to federal and state fair lending laws, and failure to comply with these laws could lead to material penalties.

Federal and state fair lending laws and regulations, such as the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, impose nondiscriminatory lending requirements on financial institutions. The Department of Justice, CFPB and other federal and state agencies are responsible for enforcing these laws and regulations. Private parties may also have the ability to challenge an institution’s performance under fair lending laws in private class action litigation. A successful challenge to our performance under the fair lending laws and regulations could adversely impact our rating under the CRA and result in a wide variety of sanctions, including the required payment of damages and civil money penalties, injunctive relief, imposition of restrictions on merger and acquisition activity and restrictions on expansion activity, which could negatively impact our reputation, business, financial condition and results of operations.

Non-compliance with the USA Patriot Act, Bank Secrecy Act, or other laws and regulations could result in fines or sanctions or operating restrictions.

The USA Patriot Act and Bank Secrecy Act require financial institutions to develop programs to prevent financial institutions from being used for money laundering and terrorist activities. If such activities are detected, financial institutions are obligated to file suspicious activity reports with the U.S. Treasury’s Office of Financial Crimes Enforcement Network. These rules require financial institutions to establish procedures for identifying and verifying the identity of customers seeking to open new financial accounts. In addition, legal requirements relating to the collection, storage, handling, use, disclosure, transfer, and security of personal data continue to increase, along with enforcement actions and investigations by regulatory authorities related to data security incidents and privacy violations. Failure to comply with these regulations could result in fines, sanctions or restrictions that could have a material adverse effect on our strategic initiatives. Several banking institutions have received large fines, or suffered limitations on their operations, for non-compliance with these laws and regulations. Although we have developed policies and procedures designed to assist in compliance with these laws and regulations, no assurance can be given that these policies and procedures will be effective in preventing violations of these laws and regulations.

Increases in deposit insurance premiums and special FDIC assessments will negatively impact our earnings.

FDIC-insured banks are required to pay deposit insurance assessments to the FDIC. The amount of the deposit insurance assessment for institutions with less than $10.0 billion in assets, such as the Bank, is based on its risk category, with certain adjustments for any unsecured debt or brokered deposits held by the insured bank. We may pay higher FDIC premiums in the future and increases in deposit insurance premiums and special FDIC assessments will negatively impact our earnings.

Tax and Financial Risks

The Company has a deferred tax asset that may or may not be fully realized.

The Company has a deferred tax asset and cannot assure that it will be fully realized. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are the expected future tax amounts for the temporary differences between the carrying amounts and the tax basis of assets and liabilities computed using enacted tax rates. If we determine that we will not achieve sufficient future taxable income to realize our net deferred tax asset, we are required under generally accepted accounting principles (GAAP) to establish a full or partial valuation allowance. If we determine that a valuation allowance is necessary, we are required to incur a charge to operations. We regularly assess available positive and negative evidence to determine whether it is more likely than not that our net deferred tax asset will be realized. Realization of a deferred tax asset requires us to apply significant judgment and is inherently speculative because it requires estimates that cannot be made with certainty. At December 31, 2022, the Company had a net deferred tax asset of $17.1 million. For additional information, see Note 10 to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

We may experience future goodwill impairment.

If our estimates of the fair value of our reporting units change as a result of changes in our business or other factors, we may determine that a goodwill impairment charge is necessary. Estimates of fair value are based on a complex model using, among other things, estimated cash flows and industry pricing multiples. The Company tests its goodwill for impairment annually as of December 31 (the Measurement Date), and quarterly if a triggering event causes concern of a possible goodwill impairment charge. At each Measurement Date, the Company, in accordance with ASC 350-20-35-3, evaluates, based on the weight of evidence, the significance of all qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of each of the reporting units is less than its carrying amount.

The assessment of qualitative factors at the most recent Measurement Date (December 31, 2022), indicated that it was not more likely than not that impairment existed; as a result, no further testing was performed. No assurance can be given that the Company will not record an impairment loss on goodwill in the future and any such impairment loss could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

In preparing our financial statements we make certain assumptions, judgments and estimates that affect amounts reported in our consolidated financial statements, which, if not accurate, may significantly impact our financial results.

We make assumptions, judgments and estimates for a number of items, including the fair value of financial instruments, goodwill and other intangible assets, the realizability of deferred tax assets, the fair value of stock awards, the allowances for loan losses, income tax provisions and determination, recognition and measurement of impaired loans. These assumptions, judgments and estimates are drawn from historical experience and various other factors that we believe are reasonable under the circumstances as of the date of the consolidated financial statements. Actual results could differ materially from our estimates, and such differences could significantly impact our financial results.

General Risks

We depend on our key employees.

Our future prospects are and will remain highly dependent on our directors and executive officers. Our success will, to some extent, depend on the continued service of our directors and continued employment of the executive officers. The unexpected loss of the services of any of these individuals could have a detrimental effect on our business. Although we have entered into employment agreements with members of our senior management team, no assurance can be given that these individuals will continue to be employed by us. The loss of any of these individuals could negatively affect our ability to achieve our business plan and could have a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

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

Severe weather, natural disasters such as earthquakes and wildfires, acts of war or terrorism, global pandemics and other adverse external events could have a significant impact on our ability to conduct business. Such events could affect the stability of our deposit base, impair the ability of our borrowers to repay their outstanding loans, cause significant property damage or otherwise impair the value of collateral securing our loans, and result in loss of revenue and/or cause us to incur additional expenses. Although we have established disaster recovery plans and procedures, and we monitor the effects of any such events on our loans, properties and investments, the occurrence of any such event could have a material adverse effect on us or our earnings or our financial condition.

Anti-takeover provisions could negatively impact our stockholders.

Provisions in our charter and bylaws, the corporate law of the State of California and federal regulations could delay, defer or prevent a third party from acquiring us, despite the possible benefit to our stockholders, or otherwise adversely affect the market price of any class of our equity securities. These provisions include: the election of directors to staggered terms of three years; advance notice requirements for nominations for election to our Board of Directors and for proposing matters that stockholders may act on at stockholder meetings, a requirement that only directors may fill a vacancy in our Board of Directors, and the other provisions of our charter and bylaws. Our charter also authorizes our Board of Directors to issue preferred stock, and preferred stock could be issued as a defensive measure in response to a takeover proposal. In addition, pursuant to federal banking regulations, as a general matter, no person or company, acting individually or in concert with others, may acquire more than 10 percent of our common stock without prior approval from our federal banking regulator. These provisions may discourage potential takeover attempts, discourage bids for our common stock at a premium over market price or adversely affect the market price of, and the voting and other rights of the holders of, our common stock. These provisions could also discourage proxy contests and make it more difficult for holders of our common stock to elect directors other than the candidates nominated by our Board of Directors.

Our business could be negatively affected as a result of actions by activist stockholders.

Campaigns by stockholders to effect changes at publicly traded companies are sometimes led by investors seeking to increase short-term stockholder value through various corporate actions. In the future we may have disagreements with activist stockholders which could prove disruptive to our operations. Activist stockholders could seek to elect their own candidates to our board of directors or could take other actions intended to challenge our business strategy and corporate governance. Responding to actions by activist stockholders may adversely affect our profitability or business prospects, by diverting the attention of management and our employees from executing our strategic plan. Any perceived uncertainties as to our future direction or strategy arising from activist stockholder initiatives could also cause increased reputational, operational, financial, regulatory and other risks, harm our ability to raise new capital, or adversely affect the market price or increase the volatility of our securities.

If we fail to maintain proper and effective internal controls, our ability to produce accurate and timely financial statements could be impaired and investors’ views of us could be harmed.

As a public company, we are required to maintain internal control over financial reporting and to report any material weaknesses in such internal controls. We have evaluated and tested our internal controls in order to allow management to report on our internal controls, as required by Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. If we are not able to meet the requirements of Section 404 in a timely manner or with adequate compliance, we would be required to disclose material weaknesses if they develop or are uncovered and we may be subject to sanctions or investigation by regulatory authorities, such as the Securities and Exchange Commission. Any such action could negatively impact the perception of us in the financial market and our business. In addition, our internal controls may not prevent or detect all errors and fraud. A control system, no matter how well designed and operated, is based upon certain assumptions and can provide only reasonable assurance that the objectives of the control system will be met.

If securities or industry analysts do not publish research or reports about our business, or if they publish negative reports about our business, our stock price and trading volume could decline.

The trading market for our common stock may be influenced by the research and reports that securities or industry analysts publish about us or our business. We do not have control over these analysts. If one or more of the analysts who cover us downgrade our stock or change their opinion of our shares or publish inaccurate or unfavorable research about our business, our stock price would likely decline. If one or more of these analysts cease coverage of our company or fail to publish reports on us regularly, we could lose visibility in the financial markets, which could cause our stock price or trading volume to decline.

The price of our common stock may fluctuate significantly, and this may make it difficult for you to sell shares of common stock owned by you at times or at prices you find attractive.

The trading price of our common stock may fluctuate widely as a result of a number of factors, many of which are outside our control. In addition, the stock market is subject to fluctuations in the share prices and trading volumes that affect the market prices of the shares of many companies. These broad market fluctuations could adversely affect the market price of our common stock. Among the factors that could affect our stock price are:

The stock market and, in particular, the market for financial institution stocks, has experienced significant volatility. As a result, the market price of our common stock may be volatile. In addition, the trading volume in our common stock may fluctuate more than usual and cause significant price variations to occur. The trading price of the shares of our common stock and the value of our other securities will depend on many factors, which may change from time to time, including, without limitation, our financial condition, performance, creditworthiness and prospects, future sales of our equity or equity related securities, and other factors identified above in “Forward-Looking Statements,” and in this Item 1A — “Risk Factors.” The capital and credit markets can experience volatility and disruption. Such volatility and disruption can reach unprecedented levels, resulting in downward pressure on stock prices and credit availability for certain issuers without regard to their underlying financial strength. A significant decline in our stock price could result in substantial losses for individual stockholders and could lead to costly and disruptive securities litigation.

ITEM 1B.  UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

ITEM 2.  PROPERTIES

Not applicable.

ITEM 3.  LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

From time to time, the Company is a party to claims and legal proceedings arising in the ordinary course of business. Our management evaluates its exposure to these claims and proceedings individually and in the aggregate and provides for potential losses on such litigation if the amount of the loss is estimable and the loss is probable.

There are no pending, or to management's knowledge, any threatened, material legal proceedings to which the Company is a party, or to which any of the Company’s properties are subject. Although the results of any such litigation matters and claims cannot be predicted with certainty, we believe that the final outcome of any such claims and proceedings will not have a material adverse impact on the Company’s financial position, liquidity, or results of operations.

ITEM 4.  MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

Not applicable.

PART II

ITEM 5. MARKET FOR REGISTRANT’S COMMON EQUITY, RELATED STOCKHOLDER MATTERS AND ISSUER PURCHASES OF EQUITY SECURITIES.

Trading Symbol and Holders of Common Stock

Our common stock is traded on the Nasdaq Capital Market under the symbol “OVLY.” On February 28, 2023, there were approximately 373 shareholders of record of the common stock and 8,281,783 outstanding shares of common stock. The actual number of shareholders is greater than this number of record holders and includes shareholders who are beneficial owners but whose shares are held in street name by brokers and other nominees.

Dividends

Our ability to pay any cash dividends will depend not only upon our earnings during a specified period, but also on our meeting certain capital requirements.

Dividends the Company declares are subject to the restrictions set forth in the California General Corporation Law (the “Corporation Law”). The Corporation Law provides that a corporation may make a distribution to its shareholders if the corporation’s retained earnings equal at least the amount of the proposed distribution. The Corporation Law also provides that, in the event that sufficient retained earnings are not available for the proposed distribution, a corporation may nevertheless make a distribution to its shareholders if it meets two conditions, which generally stated are as follows: (i) the corporation’s assets equal at least 1 and 1/4 times its liabilities, and (ii) the corporation’s current assets equal at least its current liabilities or, if the average of the corporation’s earnings before taxes on income and before interest expenses for the two preceding fiscal years was less than the average of the corporation’s interest expenses for such fiscal years, then the corporation’s current assets must equal at least 1 and 1/4 times its current liabilities.

Additionally, the Federal Reserve Board has authority to limit the payment of dividends by bank holding companies, such as the Company, in certain circumstances, requiring, among other things, a holding company to consult with the Federal Reserve Board prior to payment of a dividend if the company does not have sufficient recent earnings in excess of the proposed dividend.

The principal source of funds from which the Company may pay dividends is the receipt of dividends from the Bank. The availability of dividends from the Bank is limited by various statutes and regulations. The Bank is subject first to corporate restrictions on its ability to pay dividends. Further, the Bank may not pay a dividend if it would be undercapitalized after the dividend payment is made. The payment of cash dividends by the Bank is subject to restrictions set forth in the Financial Code. The Financial Code provides that a bank may not make a cash distribution to its shareholders in excess of the lesser of (a) bank’s retained earnings; or (b) bank’s net income for its last three fiscal years, less the amount of any distributions made by the bank or by any majority-owned subsidiary of the bank to the shareholders of the bank during such period. However, a bank may, with the approval of the DFPI, make a distribution to its shareholders in an amount not exceeding the greatest of (a) its retained earnings; (b) its net income for its last fiscal year; or (c) its net income for its current fiscal year. In the event that the DFPI determines that the shareholders’ equity of a bank is inadequate or that the making of a distribution by the bank would be unsafe or unsound, the DFPI may order the bank to refrain from making a proposed distribution. The FDIC may also restrict the payment of dividends if such payment would be deemed unsafe or unsound or if after the payment of such dividends, the bank would be included in one of the “undercapitalized” categories for capital adequacy purposes pursuant to federal law.

While the Federal Reserve Board has no general restriction with respect to the payment of cash dividends by an adequately capitalized bank to its parent holding company, the Federal Reserve Board might, under certain circumstances, place restrictions on the ability of a particular bank to pay dividends based upon peer group averages and the performance and maturity of the particular bank, or object to management fees to be paid by a subsidiary bank to its holding company on the basis that such fees cannot be supported by the value of the services rendered or are not the result of an arm’s length transaction.

Shareholders are entitled to receive dividends only when and if dividends are declared by our Board of Directors. Although we have paid dividends in the past, it is no guarantee that we will pay cash dividends in the future.

ITEM 6. [RESERVED]

ITEM 7.  MANAGEMENT’S DISCUSSION AND ANALYSIS OF FINANCIAL CONDITION AND RESULTS OF OPERATIONS

The following discussion of financial condition as of December 31, 2022 and 2021 and results of operations for each of the years in the two-year period ended December 31, 2022 should be read in conjunction with our consolidated financial statements and related notes thereto, included in this report. Average balances, including balances used in calculating certain financial ratios, are generally comprised of average daily balances. This discussion contains forward-looking statements that reflect our plans, estimates and beliefs and involve numerous risks and uncertainties. Actual results may differ materially from those contained in any forward-looking statements. You should carefully read “Special Note Regarding Forward-Looking Statements” included in this report.

Introduction

Our continued focus on responsible community banking fundamentals and our strong customer relationships have enabled us to increase our market presence through growth in our loan portfolio, which is primarily funded by steady core deposit growth.

As of December 31, 2022, we had approximately $1.97 billion in total assets, $0.92 billion in total gross loans, and $1.81 billion in total deposits.

We believe the following were key indicators of our performance during 2022:

These items, as well as other factors, contributed to the increase in net income for 2022 to $22.9 million from $16.3 million in 2021, which translates into $2.79 per diluted share in 2022 as compared to $2.00 per diluted share in 2021.

Over the past several years, our network of branches and loan production offices have expanded geographically. We currently maintain eighteen full-service offices. We intend to continue our growth strategy in future years through the opening of additional branches and loan production offices as our needs and resources permit.

2023 Outlook

As we begin our strategic business plan for 2023, we remained focused on relationship-based expansion throughout our market area. We plan to continue to focus on increasing our loan-to-deposit ratio to expand our net interest margin, while attempting to control expenses and credit losses.

Unfavorable trends in our economy prompted the Federal Reserve Open Market Committee, or FOMC, to decrease the target federal funds rate by 0.75% and 1.50% in 2019 and 2020, respectively. The decreased market interest rates from 2019 through 2020 had a negative impact on net interest income mainly because our balance sheet is slightly asset sensitive. In 2022, that trend reversed and we recognized yield increases on our earning assets due to the FOMC rate hikes. We expect this positive impact will continue to some degree due to continued repricing of existing loans and investment securities, until FOMC decide to lower rates. Rate decreases are possible towards the end of 2023, and the potential compression of net interest income and net interest margin could occur if interest rates decline, given that our balance sheet is asset sensitive to interest rate changes primarily due to the number of variable rate loans and a high level of interest-earning cash balances. This could in turn result in further decrease on the yield of earning assets compared to the cost of deposits and other funds, which remain at historic lows and cannot reasonably be further reduced.

Given our asset sensitive balance sheet, we expect our net interest income to benefit from interest rate increases, but we expect any such benefit to be proportional to the increase in rates. If we experience an increase in our yield on earnings assets, we could then determine to increase the interest rates we pay on our deposit accounts or change our promotional or other interest rates on new deposits in marketing activation programs to attempt to achieve a certain net interest margin. That said, in light of the current economic environment, if the rates increase is modest, it may not be possible to manage the interest margin in this manner, as competitive pressures may dictate that we increase deposit rates at a faster rate than the earning assets increase, thereby offsetting any gains to the net interest margin. The economies and real estate markets in our primary market areas are expected to continue to be significant determinants of the quality of our assets in future periods and, thus, our results of operations, liquidity and financial condition.

For 2023, management remains focused on the above challenges and opportunities and other factors affecting the business similar to the factors driving the 2022 results as discussed in this section.

Critical Accounting Estimates

Critical accounting estimates are those estimates made in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles that involve a significant level of estimation and uncertainty and have had or are reasonably likely to have a material impact on our financial condition and results of operations. We consider accounting estimates to be critical to our financial results if (i) the accounting estimate requires management to make assumptions about matters that are highly uncertain, (ii) management could have applied different assumptions during the reported period, and (iii) changes in the accounting estimate are reasonably likely to occur in the future and could have a material impact on our financial statements. Management has determined the following accounting estimates and related policies to be critical:

Goodwill Impairment

The Company applies a qualitative analysis of conditions in order to determine if it is more likely than not that the carrying value is impaired. In the event that the qualitative analysis suggests that the carrying value of goodwill may be impaired, the Company uses several quantitative valuation methodologies in evaluating goodwill for impairment that includes assumptions and estimates made concerning the future earnings potential of the organization, and a market-based approach that looks at values for organizations of comparable size, structure and business model.

Estimates of fair value are based on a complex model using, among other things, estimated cash flows and industry pricing multiples. The Company tests its goodwill for impairment annually as of December 31 (the Measurement Date), and quarterly if a triggering event causes concern of a possible goodwill impairment charge. At each Measurement Date, the Company, in accordance with ASC 350-20-35-3, evaluates, based on the weight of evidence, the significance of all qualitative factors to determine whether it is more likely than not that the fair value of each of the reporting units is less than its carrying amount.

The assessment of qualitative factors at the most recent Measurement Date (December 31, 2022), indicated that it was not more likely than not that impairment existed; as a result, no further testing was performed.

Allowance for Loan Losses

Credit risk is inherent in the business of lending and making commercial loans. Accounting for our allowance for loan losses involves significant judgment and assumptions by management and is based on historical data and management’s view of the current economic environment. At least on a quarterly basis, our management reviews the methodology and adequacy of allowance for loan losses and reports its assessment to the Board of Directors for its review and approval.

The allowance for loan losses is an estimate of probable incurred losses with regard to our loans. Our loan loss provision for each period is dependent upon many factors, including loan growth, net charge-offs, changes in the composition of the loans, delinquencies, management's assessment of the quality of the loans, the valuation of problem loans and the general economic conditions in our market area. We base our allowance for loan losses on an estimation of probable losses inherent in our loan portfolio.

Our methodology for assessing loan loss allowances are intended to reduce the differences between estimated and actual losses and involves a detailed analysis of our loan portfolio, in three phases:

● the specific review of individual loans,

● the segmenting and review of loan pools with similar characteristics, and

● our judgmental estimate based on various subjective factors:

The first phase of our methodology involves the specific review of individual loans to identify and measure impairment. We evaluate each loan by use of a risk rating system, except for homogeneous loans, such as automobile loans and home mortgages. Specific risk rated loans are deemed impaired if all amounts, including principal and interest, will likely not be collected in accordance with the contractual terms of the related loan agreement. Impairment for commercial and real estate loans is measured either based on the present value of the loan’s expected future cash flows or, if collection on the loan is collateral dependent, the estimated fair value of the collateral, less selling and holding costs.

The second phase involves the segmenting of the remainder of the risk rated loan portfolio into groups or pools of loans, together with loans with similar characteristics, for evaluation. We determine the calculated loss ratio to each loan pool based on its historical net losses and benchmark it against the levels of other peer banks.

In the third phase, we consider relevant internal and external factors that may affect the collectability of loan portfolio and each group of loan pool. The factors considered are, but are not limited to:

● concentration of credits,

● nature and volume of the loan portfolio,

● delinquency trends,

● non-accrual loan trends,

● problem loan trends,

● loss and recovery trends,

● quality of loan review,

● lending and management staff,

● lending policies and procedures,

● economic and business conditions, and

● other external factors.

Management estimates the probable effect of such conditions based on our judgment, experience and known or anticipated trends. Such estimation may be reflected as an additional allowance to each group of loans, if necessary. Management reviews these conditions with our senior credit officers. To the extent that any of these conditions is evidenced by a specifically identifiable problem credit or portfolio segment as of the month-end evaluation date, management’s estimate of the effect of such condition may be reflected as a specific allowance applicable to such credit or portfolio segment.

Central to our credit risk management and our assessment of appropriate loss allowance is our loan risk rating system. Under this system, the originating credit officer assigns borrowers an initial risk rating based on a thorough analysis of each borrower’s financial capacity in conjunction with industry and economic trends. Approvals are made based upon the amount of inherent credit risk specific to the transaction and are reviewed for appropriateness by senior line and credit administration personnel. Credits are monitored by line and credit administration personnel for deterioration in a borrower’s financial condition which may impact the ability of the borrower to perform under the contract. Although management has allocated a portion of the allowance to specific loans, specific loan pools, and off-balance sheet credit exposures (which are reported separately as part of other liabilities), the adequacy of the allowance is considered in its entirety.

It is the policy of management to maintain the allowance for loan losses at a level adequate for risks inherent in the overall loan portfolio, however, the loan portfolio can be adversely affected if the State of California’s economic conditions and the real estate market in our general market area deteriorate or weaken. Additionally, further weakness of a prolonged nature in the agricultural sector or general economy would have a negative impact on the local market. The effect of such economic events, although uncertain and unpredictable at this time, could result in an increase in the levels of nonperforming loans and additional loan losses, which could adversely affect our future growth and profitability. No assurance of the level of predicted credit losses can be given with any certainty.

Income Taxes

Deferred income taxes are provided for the temporary differences between the financial reporting basis and the tax basis of our assets and liabilities. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are reflected at currently enacted income tax rates applicable to the period in which the deferred tax assets or liabilities are expected to be realized or settled using the liability method. As changes in tax laws or rates are enacted, deferred tax assets and liabilities are adjusted through the provision for income taxes.

We file income tax returns in the U.S. federal jurisdiction, and the State of California. With few exceptions, we are no longer subject to U.S. federal or state or local income tax examinations by tax authorities for years before 2018.

Fair Value Measurements

We use fair value measurements to record fair value adjustments to certain assets and liabilities and to determine fair value disclosures. We base our fair values on the price that would be received to sell an asset or paid to transfer a liability in an orderly transaction between market participants at the measurement date. Securities available for sale, derivatives, and loans held for sale, if any, are recorded at fair value on a recurring basis. Additionally, from time to time, we may be required to record certain assets at fair value on a non-recurring basis, such as certain impaired loans held for investment and securities held to maturity that are other-than-temporarily impaired. These non-recurring fair value adjustments typically involve write-downs of individual assets due to application of lower-of-cost or market accounting.

We have established and documented a process for determining fair value. We maximize the use of observable inputs and minimize the use of unobservable inputs when developing fair value measurements. Whenever there is no readily available market data, management uses its best estimate and assumptions in determining fair value, but these estimates involve inherent uncertainties and the application of management's judgment. As a result, if other assumptions had been used, our recorded earnings or disclosures could have been materially different from those reflected in these financial statements. For detailed information on our use of fair value measurements and our related valuation methodologies, see Note 14 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of this report.

Recently Issued Accounting Standards

See Note 1 to the Consolidated Financial Statements in Item 8 of this report.

Results of Operations

The Company earns income from two primary sources. The first is net interest income, which is interest income generated by earning assets less interest expense on interest-bearing liabilities. The second is noninterest income, which primarily consists of deposit service charges and fees, the increase in cash surrender value of life insurance, investment advisory service fee income and mortgage commissions. The majority of the Company's noninterest expenses are operating costs that relate to providing a full range of banking services to our customers.

Overview

We recorded net income for the year ended December 31, 2022 of $22,902,000 or $2.79 per diluted share compared to $16,337,000 or $2.00 per diluted share for the year ended December 31, 2021. The increase in net income for the year ended December 31, 2022 was primarily due to an increase of $11,241,000 in net interest income, mainly from the positive impact of FOMC interest rate hikes and the growth of our loan and investment portfolios. Non-interest income increased by $145,000 in 2022, mainly as a result of increased service charges on deposit accounts. The provision for loan losses decreased compared to last year, mainly due to reversal of $1,100,000 in qualitative adjustments in the loan loss reserve that was originally recorded during 2020, corresponding to COVID-19 pandemic. Non-interest expense increased by $4,089,000 associated with staffing and general operating overhead increases to support the growth of our loan and deposit portfolios.

Highlights of the financial results are presented in the following table:

Net Interest Income and Net Interest Margin

Our primary source of revenue is net interest income, which is the difference between interest and fees derived from earning assets and interest paid on liabilities obtained to fund those assets. Our net interest income is affected by changes in the level and mix of interest-earning assets and interest- bearing liabilities, referred to as volume changes. Our net interest income is also affected by changes in the yields earned on assets and rates paid on liabilities, referred to as rate changes. Interest rates charged on our loans are affected principally by the demand for such loans, the supply of money available for lending purposes and competitive factors. Those factors are, in turn, affected by general economic conditions and other factors beyond our control, such as federal economic policies, the general supply of money in the economy, legislative tax policies, governmental budgetary matters, and the actions of the Federal Reserve Board.

For a detailed analysis of interest income and interest expense, see the “Average Balance Sheets” and the “Rate/Volume Analysis” below.

Net interest income, on a fully tax equivalent basis (“FTE”), increased $12,435,000 or 24.9% to $62,308,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $49,873,000 in 2021. Net interest spread and net interest margin were 3.27% and 3.32%, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to 2.99% and 3.04%, respectively, for the year ended December 31, 2021. This upward trend is mainly due to the FOMC rate hikes that begin in March 2022, resulting in an increase in earning asset yields, as described below.

Our earning asset yield increased 28 basis points in 2022 compared to 2021. The FOMC increased the federal funds target rate from a range of 0% to 0.25% at the beginning of 2022, to 4.25% to 4.50% by the end of the year. All earning asset yields benefited from these increases, especially our interest-bearing cash accounts that receive the full impact of those increases. These cash balances averaged $516 million in 2022, representing over 25% of total average assets. The Bank implemented a strategy to deploy cash funds into our investment portfolio, which increased by $246 million on average during 2022, further expanding our earning asset yield. The yield on loans recognized a decrease of 25 basis points for 2022 as compared to 2021, primarily due to a decrease in fee income on PPP loans of $6,409,000. These loan fees were paid by the SBA at the time the loans were funded and were scheduled to be deferred over the life of the PPP loans, and thus unamortized amounts were fully recognized upon receipt of the forgiveness payments. Growth in the core loans, which excludes PPP loans, was $84 million, combined with the upward repricing of variable rate loans and higher rate indexes on new loans, helped to offset the impact of the PPP fee decrease in 2022.

The cost of funds on interest-bearing liabilities decreased to 0.10% in 2022 compared to 0.11% in 2021 as our excess liquidity and minimal competitive pressure has allowed us to keep deposit rates at historic lows. Average non-interest-bearing demand deposit balances increased by $26,445,000 in 2022 compared to 2021, which contributed in maintaining our low cost of funds on total deposits.

The net interest margin expansion the Company recognized in 2022, is due to the factors discussed above but could reverse and result in interest margin compression if rate indexes on assets were to fall, and/or: 1) deposit interest rates increase due to customer demand, or competitive pressure from peer banks, 2) competition in the lending market restrict significant increases in new loan rates, and 3) deposit growth out-paces loan growth as recognized in recent years, resulting in higher interest-bearing cash balances, which offer a lower yields than loans and investments.

Changes in volume resulted in an increase in net interest income (on a FTE basis) of $4,235,000 for the year of 2022 compared to the year 2021, and changes in interest rates and the mix resulted in an increase in net interest income (on a FTE basis) of $8,200,000 for the year 2022 versus the year 2021. Management closely monitors both total net interest income and the net interest margin.

Market rates are in part based on the FOMC target Federal funds interest rate (the interest rate banks charge each other for short-term borrowings).  The change in the Federal funds sold rates is the result of target rate changes implemented by the FOMC.   In 2020, the FOMC decreased the Federal funds rate by 0.50% and 1.00% on two occasions in March resulting in a range of 0.00% to 0.25% as of December 31, 2020 and 2021. In 2022, the FOMC raised the federal funds rate seven times by an aggregate of 4.00% for 2022. In February 2023, the FOMC raised the the Federal funds rate by 0.25% resulting in a range of 4.50% to 4.75%. If FOMC were to cut rates in 2023 or thereafter, we expect this would have a negative impact on our net interest income, due to repricing of interest-bearing cash balances, existing loans and investment securities.

Rate/Volume Analysis

The following table below sets forth certain information regarding changes in interest income and interest expense of the Company for the periods indicated. For each category of earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities, information is provided on changes attributable to (i) changes in volume (change in average volume multiplied by old rate); and (ii) changes in rates (change in rate multiplied by old average volume). Changes in rate/volume (change in rate multiplied by the change in volume) have been allocated to the changes due to volume and rate in proportion to the absolute value of the changes due to volume and rate prior to the allocation.

Provision for Loan Losses

Credit risk is inherent in the business of making loans. The Company establishes an allowance for loan losses through charges to earnings, which are shown in the consolidated statements of income as the provision for loan losses. Specifically identifiable and quantifiable losses are promptly charged off against the allowance. The Company maintains the allowance for loan losses at a level that it considers to be adequate to provide for credit losses inherent in its loan portfolio. Management determines the level of the allowance by performing a quarterly analysis that considers concentrations of credit, past loss experience, current economic conditions, the amount and composition of the loan portfolio (including nonperforming and potential problem loans), estimated fair value of underlying collateral, and other information relevant to assessing the risk of loss inherent in the loan portfolio such as loan growth, net charge-offs, changes in the composition of the loan portfolio, and delinquencies. As a result of management’s analysis, a range of the potential amount of the allowance for loan losses is determined.

The Company recorded provision for loan loss reversals totaling $1,350,000 and $635,000 during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. Included in 2022, was the reversal of approximately $1,100,000 for the qualitative adjustment corresponding to the COVID-19 pandemic, which was initially recorded during the second quarter of 2020 and totaled $1,620,000 at that time. The Company did not have any nonperforming loans as of December 31, 2022 and 2021. The allowance for loan losses was $9,468,000 and $10,738,000 as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, or 1.03% and 1.25%, respectively, of total loans. The decrease as a percentage of total loans is due to the previously mentioned loan loss provision reversals. The strong credit quality has resulted in net loan recoveries of $80,000 and $76,000 in 2022 and 2021, respectively.

The Company will continue to monitor the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses and make additions to the allowance in accordance with the analysis referred to above. Because of uncertainties inherent in estimating the appropriate level of the allowance for loan losses, actual results may differ from management’s estimate of credit losses and the related allowance.

Noninterest Income

The following table sets forth a summary of noninterest income for the periods indicated:

Noninterest income was $5,571,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to $5,426,000 for the year 2021. Service charge income increased to $1,596,000 in 2022 compared to $1,287,000 for 2021, due to an increase in overdraft fees and the number of checking accounts. Debit card transaction fee income increased to $1,734,000 in 2022 as compared to $1,693,000 in 2021, as a result of the increase in the aggregate number of transaction deposit accounts and corresponding service fee income, and a spending trend shifting to debit cards payments in recent years. Earnings on the cash surrender value of life insurance recognized an increase of $30,000 in 2022 compared to 2021, due to higher yields earned on certain life insurance policies. Mortgage commissions have decreased by $79,000 for the year 2022, as compared to 2021, as a result of the decreased demand for home purchases and refinancing. Gains on called and sold securities decreased from $154,000 in 2021 to $0 in 2022. In 2022, other income decreased by $2,000. The Company continues to evaluate its deposit product offerings with the intention of continuing to expand its offerings to the consumer and business depositors.

Noninterest Expense

The following table sets forth a summary of noninterest expenses for the periods indicated:

Noninterest expense was $37,308,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022, an increase of $4,089,000 or 12.3% compared to $33,219,000 for the year ended 2021. Salaries and employee benefits increased by $2,835,000 in 2022, due to expansion of our staff to support loan and deposit growth. Included in the salary and benefit expense total is deferred loan cost accounting adjustments of $694,000 against salary expense in 2021, corresponding to PPP loans funded, which further contributed to the increase in salary and benefit expense in 2022.

Occupancy expense realized an increase of $179,000 in 2022 compared to the prior year, primarily from rent, utilities and facility maintenance increases on certain branch locations.

Data processing costs increased in 2022 over 2021 by $226,000, primarily due to servicing costs on the growing number of loan and deposit accounts.

FDIC and DFPI regulatory assessments increased by $278,000 in 2022 compared to 2021, mainly due increases in our deposit balances and normal fluctuations in the assessment rate. The initial base assessment rate for financial institutions varies based on the overall risk profile of the institution as defined by the FDIC and the Company’s risk profile has remained at relatively stable levels in recent years. Modest increases in the assessment rate during 2021 and 2022 related to normal business cycles but still remains relatively low. Management recognizes that assessments could increase further depending on deposit growth throughout the remainder of 2023, as the FDIC assessment rates are applied to average quarterly total liabilities as the primary basis.

Other operating expenses increased by $571,000 or 9.1% in 2022, primarily as a result of various general operating expense increases required to support our growing business portfolios and compliance mandates, some of which included legal expenses, software license fees and ATM processing expenses.

Management anticipates that noninterest expense should continue to increase as we continue to grow, and management believes the Company’s administration as currently set up is scalable to handle future deposit growth.  However, management remains committed to cost-control and efficiency, and we expect to keep these increases to a minimum relative to growth.

Provision for Income Taxes

We reported a provision for income taxes of $6,787,000 and $5,340,000 for the years 2022 and 2021, respectively. The effective income tax rate on income from continuing operations was 22.9% for the year ended December 31, 2022, compared to 24.6% for the year 2021. These provisions reflect accruals for taxes at the applicable rates for federal income tax and California franchise tax based upon reported pre-tax income and adjusted for the effects of all permanent differences between income for tax and financial reporting purposes (such as earnings on qualified municipal securities, BOLI and certain tax-exempt loans). The disparity between the effective tax rates for 2022 as compared to 2021 is primarily due to tax credits from low-income housing projects as well as tax-free income on municipal securities and loans that comprised a larger proportion of pre-tax income in 2022 as compared to 2021.

Financial Condition

The Company’s total assets were $1,968,346,000 at December 31, 2022 compared to $1,964,478,000 at December 31, 2021, an increase of $3,868,000 or 0.2%. Net loans increased by $57,188,000, investments increased $264,148,000, bank premises and equipment decreased $122,000, interest receivable and other assets increased $30,628,000, while cash and cash equivalents decreased $348,634,000 for the year ended December 31, 2022 as compared to December 31, 2021.

Loans gross of the allowance for loan losses and deferred fees were $915,758,000 as of December 31, 2022, compared to $860,037,000 as of December 31, 2021, an increase of $55,721,000 or 6.5%. The increase was due to an increase of $90,837,000 or 13.2% in commercial real estate loans, an increase of $3,381,000 or 11.7% in consumer loans and consumer residential loans, a decrease of $11,449,000 or 35.2% in agriculture loans, and a decrease of $27,048,000 or 24.7% in commercial and industrial loans which included a decrease of $28,672,000 in PPP loans,. The PPP loans changed the composition of the loan portfolio categories, but excluding those loans, the composition remained relatively unchanged as a percentage of total loans, with commercial real estate comprising 85% and 80% of the loan portfolio at December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Deposits increased $7,331,000 or 0.4% to $1,814,297,000 as of December 31, 2022 compared to $1,806,966,000 at December 31, 2021. Money Market and Savings increased by $4,725,000 and $10,763,000, respectively, while Demand and Time Deposits decreased by $7,832,000 and $325,000, respectively, as of December 31, 2022 as compared to December 31, 2021.

There were no short-term borrowing or long-term debt outstanding balances at December 31, 2022 and 2021. The Company uses short-term borrowings, primarily short-term FHLB advances, to fund short-term liquidity needs, if needed, and manage net interest margin.

Equity decreased $15,986,000 or 11.2% to $126,626,000 as of December 31, 2022, compared to $142,612,000 at December 31, 2021. Equity decreased due to the negative impact rising rates had on our unrealized loss on available-for-sale investment securities.

Investment Activities

Investments are a key source of interest income. Management of our investment portfolio is set in accordance with strategies developed and overseen by our Investment Committee. Investment balances, including cash equivalents and interest-bearing deposits in other financial institutions, are subject to change over time based on our asset/liability funding needs and interest rate risk management objectives. Our liquidity levels take into consideration anticipated future cash flows and all available sources of credits and are maintained at levels management believes are appropriate to assure future flexibility in meeting anticipated funding needs.

Cash Equivalents and Interest-bearing Deposits in other Financial Institutions

The Company holds federal funds sold, unpledged available-for-sale securities and salable government guaranteed loans to help meet liquidity requirements and provide temporary holdings until the funds can be otherwise deployed or invested. As of December 31, 2022, and 2021, we had $13,830,000 and $42,935,000, respectively, in federal funds sold.

Investment Securities

Management of our investment securities portfolio focuses on providing an adequate level of liquidity and establishing an interest rate-sensitive position, while earning an adequate level of investment income without taking undue risk. Investment securities that we intend to hold until maturity are classified as held-to-maturity securities, and all other investment securities are classified as either available-for-sale or equity securities. Currently, all of our investment securities are classified as available-for-sale, except for one mutual fund classified as an equity security.

The fair value of the equity security was $2,990,000 and $3,391,000 at December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021, respectively. Consistent with ASU 2016-01, equity securities are carried at fair value with the changes in fair value recognized in the consolidated statement of income. Accordingly, the Company recognized unrealized losses of $475,000 and $99,000 during the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively.

Our available-for-sale investment securities holdings increased by $264,549,000 or 100.6% to $527,438,000 at December 31, 2022, compared to holdings of $262,889,000 at December 31, 2021. The carrying values of available-for-sale investment securities are adjusted for unrealized gains or losses as a valuation allowance and any gain or loss is reported on an after-tax basis as a component of other comprehensive income.

Total investment securities as a percentage of total assets increased to 26.9% as of December 31, 2022 compared to 13.6% at December 31, 2021. As of December 31, 2022, $242,023,000 of the investment securities were pledged to secure public deposits.

As of December 31, 2022, the total unrealized loss on debt securities that were in a loss position for less than 12 continuous months was $26,374,000 with an aggregate fair value of $369,614,000. The total unrealized loss on debt securities that were in a loss position for greater than 12 continuous months was $18,306,000 with an aggregate fair value of $76,760,000.

The following table summarizes the maturity and repricing schedule of our debt investment securities, which does not include equity securities, at their amortized cost and their weighted average yields at December 31, 2022:

Debt Investment Maturities and Repricing Schedule

Yields in the above table have been adjusted to a fully tax equivalent basis. The yields are calculated using a weighted average method based on the investment security balances as of December 31, 2022. Securities are reported at the earliest possible call, repricing or maturity date.

Loans

Our residential loan portfolio includes no sub-prime loans, nor is it our normal practice to underwrite loans commonly referred to as "Alt-A mortgages", the characteristics of which are loans lacking full documentation, borrowers having low FICO scores or collateral compositions reflecting high loan-to-value ratios. Substantially all of our residential loans are indexed to U.S. Treasury Constant Maturity Rates and have provisions to reset five years after their origination dates.

The following table summarizes our commercial real estate loan portfolio by the geographic location in which the property is located as of December 31, 2022 and 2021:

Construction and land loans are classified as commercial real estate loans and increased $15.0 million in 2022 as compared to 2021.  The table below shows an analysis of construction and land loans by type and location. Non-owner-occupied land loans of $8.7 million as of December 31, 2022 included loans for lands specified for commercial development of $6.9 million and for residential development of $1.8 million, the majority of which are located in Stanislaus County.

Loan Maturities

The following table shows the contractual maturity distribution and repricing intervals of the outstanding loans in our portfolio, as of December 31, 2022. In addition, the table shows the distribution of such loans between those with variable or floating interest rates and those with fixed or predetermined interest rates. The large majority of the variable rate loans are tied to independent indices (such as the Wall Street Journal prime rate or a Treasury Constant Maturity Rate). Substantially all loans with an original term of more than five years have provisions for the fixed rates to reset, or convert to a variable rate, after one, three or five years and are therefore classified as a variable rate loan in the table below.

The majority of the properties taken as collateral are located in Northern California. We employ strict guidelines regarding the use of collateral located in less familiar market areas. Positive trends in Northern California real estate values, the low loan-to-value ratios in our commercial real estate portfolio, and the high percentage of owner-occupied properties further solidify our credit quality position.

Nonperforming Assets

Financial institutions generally have a certain level of exposure to credit quality risk and could potentially receive less than a full return of principal and interest if a debtor becomes unable or unwilling to repay. Since loans are the most significant assets of the Company and generate the largest portion of its revenues, the Company's management of credit quality risk is focused primarily on loan quality. Banks have generally suffered their most severe earnings declines due to customers' inability to generate sufficient cash flow to service their debts and/or downturns in national and regional economies which have brought about declines in overall property values. In addition, certain debt securities that the Company may purchase have the potential of declining in value if the obligor's financial capacity to repay deteriorates.

Nonperforming assets consist of loans on non-accrual status, loans 90 days or more past due and still accruing interest, loans restructured, where the terms of repayment have been renegotiated resulting in a reduction or deferral of interest or principal and OREO.

Loans are generally placed on non-accrual status when they become 90 days past due, unless management believes the loan is adequately collateralized and in the process of collection. The past due loans may or may not be adequately collateralized, but collection efforts are continuously pursued. Loans may be restructured by management when a borrower has experienced some changes in financial status, causing an inability to meet the original repayment terms, and where we believe the borrower will eventually overcome those circumstances and repay the loan in full. OREO consists of properties acquired by foreclosure or similar means and which management intends to offer for sale. The Company did not have any nonperforming loans as of December 31, 2022 and 2021.

The Company held no OREO properties as of December 31, 2022. The Company held one OREO property as of December 31, 2021, a residential land property that was acquired through foreclosure that was written down to a zero balance because the public utilities have not been obtainable, thereby rendering these land lots unmarketable at this time. Accordingly, the Company had zero non-performing assets recorded on the balance sheet as of at December 31, 2022 and 2021.

Allowance for Loan Losses

In anticipation of credit risk inherent in our lending business, we set aside allowances through charges to earnings. Such charges are not only made for the outstanding loan portfolio, but also for off-balance sheet items, such as commitments to extend credits or letters of credit. The charges made for the outstanding loan portfolio are credited to the allowance for loan losses, whereas charges for off-balance sheet items are credited to the reserve for off-balance sheet items, which is presented as a component of other liabilities. The provision for loan losses is discussed in the section entitled “Provision for Loan Losses” above.

The balance of our allowance for loan losses is management's best estimate of the probable losses inherent in the portfolio. The ultimate adequacy of the allowance is dependent upon a variety of factors beyond our control, including the real estate market, changes in interest rate and economic and political environments.

In 2020, the economy briefly slipped into a recession following the COVID-19 pandemic which inevitability impacted the financial condition of certain borrowers. We responded by making qualitative risk-based discretionary adjustments in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic and corresponding economic stress. In 2021, the financial stress subsided to some degree and credit quality improved allowing the Company to reverse $635,000 in loan loss provisions. In 2022, that trend continued and we reversed $1,350,000, which included the remaining COVID-19 discretionary adjustment of $1,100,000. The allowance for loan losses decreased to $9,468,000 as of December 31, 2022, as compared with $10,738,000 at December 31, 2021. The allowance for loan losses as a percentage of total loans decreased to 1.03% as of December 31, 2022, as compared to 1.25% as of December 31, 2021, mainly due the provision reversal. Based on the current conditions of the loan portfolio, management believes that the $9,468,000 allowance for loan losses at December 31, 2022 is adequate to absorb losses inherent in our loan portfolio. No assurance can be given, however, that adverse economic conditions or other circumstances will not result in increased losses in the portfolio.

Diversification, low loan-to-values, strong credit quality and enhanced credit monitoring contribute to a reduction in the portfolio’s overall risk in recent years and help to offset the various inherent credit risks. We continue to monitor the impact of the economic environment, and adjustments to the provision for loan loss will be made accordingly. During 2022, the Company recognized net loan recoveries of $80,000 as compared to $76,000 in 2021.

Management reviews these conditions with our senior credit officers. To the extent that any of these conditions is evidenced by a specifically identifiable problem credit or portfolio segment as of the evaluation date, management’s estimate of the effect of such condition may be reflected as a specific allowance applicable to such credit or portfolio segment. Although management has allocated a portion of the allowance to specific loan categories, the adequacy of the allowance is considered in its entirety.

Our allowance for loan losses consisted of amounts allocated to three phases of our methodology for assessing loan loss allowances, as follows (see details of methodology for assessing allowance for loan losses in the section entitled “Critical Accounting Estimates”):

The Components of the Allowance for Loan Losses

As stated previously in "Critical Accounting Estimates," the overall allowance consists of a specific allowance for individually identified impaired loans, an allowance factor for categories of credits with similar characteristics and trends, and an allowance for changing environmental factors.

The first component, the specific allowance, results from the analysis of identified problem credits and the evaluation of sources of repayment including collateral, as applicable. Through management's ongoing loan grading process, individual loans are identified that have conditions that indicate the borrower may be unable to pay all amounts due under the contractual terms. These loans are evaluated individually by management and specified allowances for loan losses are established when the discounted cash flows of future payments or collateral value of collateral-dependent loans are lower than the recorded investment in the loan. Generally, with problem credits that are collateral-dependent, we obtain appraisals of the collateral at least annually. We may obtain appraisals more frequently if we believe the collateral value is subject to market volatility, if a specific event has occurred to the collateral (e.g. tentative map has been filed), or if we believe foreclosure is imminent.  Impaired loan balances remained at zero at December 31, 2022 and 2021, and therefore there was no specific allowances for impaired loans, as we charge off substantially all of our estimated losses related to specifically identified impaired loans as the losses are identified.

The second component, the allowance factor, is an estimate of the probable inherent losses in each loan pool stratified by major categories or loans with similar characteristics in our loan portfolio. This analysis encompasses segmenting and reviewing historical losses, loan grades by pool and current general economic and business conditions. Confirmation of the quality of our grading process is obtained by independent reviews conducted by consultants specifically hired for this purpose and by various bank regulatory agencies. This analysis covers our entire loan portfolio but excludes any loans that were analyzed individually for specific allowances as discussed above. There are limitations to any credit risk grading process. The number of loans makes it impractical to review every loan every quarter. Therefore, it is possible that in the future, some currently performing loans not recently graded will not be as strong as their last grading and an insufficient portion of the allowance will have been allocated to them. Grading and loan review often must be done without knowing whether all relevant facts are at hand. Troubled borrowers may deliberately or inadvertently omit important information from reports or conversations with lending officers regarding their financial condition and the diminished strength of repayment sources.

The total amount allocated for the second component is determined by applying loss estimation factors based on loss history to outstanding loans. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the allowance allocated by categories of credits totaled $4.9 million.

The third component of the allowance for loan losses is an economic and qualitative component that is intended to absorb losses caused by portfolio trends, concentration of credit, growth, and economic trends, as stated previously in "Critical Accounting Estimates". At December 31, 2022 and 2021, the general valuation allowance, including the economic component, totaled $4.5 million and 5.8 million, respectively. While published economic data indicates that the economy has been in a recovery cycle during 2021 and 2022, it is uncertain that the recovery cycle will continue for any definite period of time. In response to this, we have been proactive in evaluating reserve percentages for economic and other qualitative loss factors used to determine the adequacy of the allowance for loan losses. The increase to the third component of the allowance for loan losses reflected such evaluation.

The table below summarizes, for the periods indicated, loan balances at the end of each period, the daily averages during the period, changes in the allowance for loan losses arising from loans charged off, recoveries on loans previously charged off, additions to the allowance and certain ratios related to the allowance for loan losses:

Allowance for Loan Losses

The table below summarizes the allowance for loan loss balance by type of loan balance at the end of each period (See “Loan Portfolio” above for a description of each type of loan balance):

Allocation of the Allowance for Loan Losses

Other Earning Assets

For various business purposes, we make investments in earning assets other than the interest-earning securities and loans discussed above. The primary other earning assets held by the Company as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, includes the cash surrender value of the BOLI policies, Federal Home Loan Bank stock and Federal Reserve Bank stock. During 2021, we purchased 17 new life insurance policies on certain employees for a total investment of $3.4 million. During 2018 and 2022, we committed to invest $5 million and $10.5 million, respectively, in low-income housing tax credit funds (“LIHTC”) to promote our participation in CRA activities, which had unfunded commitments of $10,154,000 and $895,000 as of December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. For LIHTC investments, we receive the return in the form of tax credits and tax deductions over a period of approximately 15 years. In 2017, we made a $1 million commitment as a limited partner, to a small business private equity partnership to promote our participation in CRA activities. Returns will be received in the form of dividends from the general partner. As of December 31, 2022, we have remaining commitments to fund an additional $300,000 on this investment.

The balances of other earning assets as of December 31, 2022 and December 31, 2021 were as follows:

Deposits and Other Sources of Funds

Deposits

Total deposits at December 31, 2022 and 2021 were $1,814,297,000 and $1,806,966,000, respectively, representing an increase of $7,331,000 or 0.4% in 2022. The average deposits for the year ended December 31, 2022 increased $215,870,000 or 13.5% to $1,816,847,000 compared to $1,600,977,000 at December 31, 2021. Deposit data analysis has resulted in an estimate of $922,778,000 in uninsured deposits, representing the balance that is not covered by FDIC insurance limits as of December 31, 2022.

Deposits are the Company’s primary source of funds. Due to strategic emphasis by management, core deposits (based on a definition provided by FDIC’s Uniform Bank Performance Report) increased by $1,756,000 or 0.1% in 2022 to $1,790,161,000 at December 31, 2022. The percentage of core deposits to total deposits decreased slightly to 98.7% at December 31, 2022 as compared to 99.0% at December 31, 2021. The average rate paid on time deposits in denominations of over $250,000 was 0.27% and 0.31% for the years ended December 31, 2022 and 2021, respectively. The composition and cost of the Company's deposit base are important components in analyzing the Company's net interest margin and balance sheet liquidity characteristics, both of which are discussed in greater detail in other sections herein. See “Net Interest Income and Net Interest Margin” for further discussion.

The Company's liquidity is impacted by the volatility of deposits or other funding instruments or, in other words, by the propensity of that money to leave the institution for rate-related or other reasons. Deposits can be adversely affected if economic conditions in California and the Company's market area in particular, were to weaken. Potentially, the most volatile deposits in a financial institution are jumbo certificates of deposit, meaning time deposits with balances that equal or exceed $250,000, as customers with balances of that magnitude are typically more rate-sensitive than customers with smaller balances.

The following tables summarize the distribution of average daily deposits and the average daily rates paid for the periods indicated:

Distribution of Average Daily Deposits

The scheduled maturities of our time deposits in denominations of more than $250,000 at December 31, 2022 are as follows:

Maturities of Time Deposits over $250,000

(Dollars in Thousands)

Because our client base is comprised primarily of commercial and industrial accounts, individual account balances are generally higher than those of consumer-oriented banks. Four of our clients carry deposit balances of more than 1% of our total deposits, none of which had a deposit balance of more than 3% of total deposits at December 31, 2022. The Company had no brokered deposits as of December 31, 2022 and 2021.

FHLB Borrowings

Although deposits are the primary source of funds for our lending and investment activities and for general business purposes, we may obtain advances from the FHLB as an alternative to retail deposit funds. We had no outstanding balances as of December 31, 2022 and 2021. The average balance of FHLB advances outstanding in 2022 and 2021 was $0. See “Liquidity Management” below for the details on the FHLB borrowings program.

Deferred Compensation Obligations

We maintain a nonqualified, unfunded deferred compensation plan for certain key management personnel.  Under this plan, participating employees may defer compensation, which will entitle them to receive certain payments upon retirement, death, or disability.  The plan provides for payments commencing upon retirement and reduced benefits upon early retirement, disability, or termination of employment. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, our aggregate payment obligations under this plan totaled $11.3 million and $11.4 million, respectively.

Liquidity and Asset/Liability Management

Management seeks to ascertain optimum and stable utilization of available assets and liabilities as a vehicle to attain our overall business plans and objectives. In this regard, management focuses on measurement and control of liquidity risk, interest rate risk and market risk, capital adequacy, operation risk and credit risk.

Liquidity

Liquidity to meet borrowers’ credit and depositors’ withdrawal demands is provided by maturing assets, short-term liquid assets that can be converted to cash and the ability to attract funds from depositors. Additional sources of liquidity may include institutional deposits, advances from the FHLB and other short-term borrowings, such as federal funds purchased.

Since our deposit growth strategy emphasizes core deposit growth, we have avoided relying on brokered deposits as a consistent source of funds. The Company had no brokered deposits as of December 31, 2022 and 2021.

As a secondary source of liquidity, we rely on advances from the FHLB to supplement our supply of lendable funds and to meet deposit withdrawal requirements. Advances from the FHLB are typically secured by a portion of our loan portfolio and stock issued by the FHLB. The FHLB determines limitations on the amounts of advances by assigning a percentage to each eligible loan category that will count towards the borrowing capacity. As of December 31, 2022 and 2021, the Company had no FHLB advances outstanding and had sufficient collateral to borrow an additional $322.4 million and $368.5 million, respectively. In addition, the Company had lines of credit with its correspondent banks to purchase overnight federal funds totaling $70 million at December 31, 2022 and 2021. No advances were made on these lines of credit as of December 31, 2022 and 2021.

The Company’s liquidity depends primarily on dividends paid to it as the sole shareholder of the Bank. The Bank’s ability to pay dividends to the Company may depend on whether the Bank will be in a position to pay dividends based on regulatory requirements and the performance of the Bank.

Maintenance of adequate liquidity requires that sufficient resources be available at all time to meet our cash flow requirements. Liquidity in a banking institution is required primarily to provide for deposit withdrawals and the credit needs of its customers and to take advantage of investment opportunities as they arise. Liquidity management involves our ability to convert assets into cash or cash equivalents without incurring significant loss, and to raise cash or maintain funds without incurring excessive additional cost. For this purpose, we maintain a portion of our funds in cash and cash equivalents, loans and securities available for sale. Our liquid assets at December 31, 2022 and 2021 totaled approximately $509.5 million and $858.2 million, respectively. Our liquidity level measured as the percentage of liquid assets to total assets was 25.9% and 43.7% as of December 31, 2022, and 2021, respectively.

We believe that our current unrestricted cash and cash equivalents, cash flows from operations and borrowing capacity under our credit facility will be sufficient to meet our working capital, capital expenditures, and any other capital needs for at least the next 12 months. We are currently not aware of any trends or demands, commitments, events or uncertainties that will result in or that are reasonably likely to result in our liquidity increasing or decreasing in any material way that will impact our capital needs during or beyond the next 12 months.

The following tables summarizes short- and long-term material cash requirements as of December 31, 2022, which we believe that we will be able to fund these obligations through cash generated from our operations and available alternative sources of funds (dollars in thousands):