QNB CORP - Annual Report: 2014 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

WASHINGTON, DC 20549

FORM 10-K

Commission file number 0-17706

Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is a well-known seasoned issuer, as defined by Rule 405 of the Securities Act.

Yes ____ No    ☑      

Indicate by check mark if the Registrant is not required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 or Section 15(d) of the Act.

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

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

Indicate by check mark if disclosure of delinquent filers pursuant to Item 405 of Regulation S-K is not contained herein, and will not be contained, to the best of registrant’s knowledge, in definitive proxy or information statements incorporated by reference in Part III of this Form 10-K or any amendment to this Form 10-K [☑]

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

Large accelerated filer    ____           Accelerated filer       ☑               Non-accelerated filer    ____            Smaller reporting company      

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

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As of March 4, 2015, 3,322,985 shares of common stock of the registrant were outstanding. As of June 30, 2014, the aggregate market value of the common stock of the registrant held by non-affiliates was approximately $78,360,328 based upon the average bid and asked prices of the common stock as reported on the OTC BB.

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

Portions of registrant’s Proxy Statement for the annual meeting of its shareholders to be held May 26, 2015 are incorporated by reference in Part III of this report.

FORM 10-K INDEX

PART I

FORWARD-LOOKING STATEMENTS

In addition to historical information, this document contains forward-looking statements. Forward-looking statements are typically identified by words or phrases such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,” “intend,” “estimate,” “project” and variations of such words and similar expressions, or future or conditional verbs such as “will,” “would,” “should,” “could,” “may” or similar expressions. The U.S. Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 provides a safe harbor in regard to the inclusion of forward-looking statements in this document and documents incorporated by reference.

Shareholders should note that many factors, some of which are discussed elsewhere in this document and in the documents that are incorporated by reference, could affect the future financial results of QNB Corp. and its subsidiary and could cause those results to differ materially from those expressed in the forward looking statements contained or incorporated by reference in this document. These factors include, but are not limited to, the following:

QNB Corp. (herein referred to as “QNB” or the “Company”) cautions that these forward-looking statements are subject to numerous assumptions, risks and uncertainties, all of which change over time, and QNB assumes no duty to update forward-looking statements. Management cautions readers not to place undue reliance on any forward-looking statements. These statements speak only as of the date of this Annual Report on Form 10-K, even if subsequently made available by QNB on its website or otherwise, and they advise readers that various factors, including those described above, could affect QNB’s financial performance and could cause actual results or circumstances for future periods to differ materially from those anticipated or projected. Except as required by law, QNB does not undertake, and specifically disclaims any obligation, to publicly release any revisions to any forward-looking statements to reflect the occurrence of anticipated or unanticipated events or circumstances after the date of such statements.

ITEM 1. BUSINESS

Overview

QNB was incorporated under the laws of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania on June 4, 1984. QNB is registered with the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System as a bank holding company under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 and conducts its business through its wholly-owned subsidiary, QNB Bank (the “Bank”).

Prior to December 28, 2007, the Bank was a national banking association organized in 1877 as The Quakertown National Bank, was chartered under the National Banking Act and was subject to Federal and state laws applicable to national banks. Effective December 28, 2007, the Bank became a Pennsylvania chartered commercial bank and changed its name to QNB Bank. The Bank, whose principal office is located in Quakertown, Bucks County, Pennsylvania operated eleven full-service community banking offices in Bucks, Montgomery and Lehigh counties in southeastern Pennsylvania as of December 31, 2014.

The Bank is engaged in the general commercial banking business and provides a full range of banking services to its customers. These banking services consist of, among other things, attracting deposits and using these funds in making commercial loans, residential mortgage loans, consumer loans, and purchasing investment securities. These deposits are in the form of time, demand and savings accounts. Time deposits include certificates of deposit and individual retirement accounts. The Bank’s demand and savings accounts include money market accounts, interest-bearing demand accounts (including a higher yielding checking account), club accounts, traditional statement savings accounts, and a higher yielding online savings account.

At December 31, 2014, QNB had total assets of $977,135,000, total loans of $555,282,000, total deposits of $851,592,000 and total shareholders’ equity of $86,354,000. For the year ended December 31, 2014, QNB reported net income of $8,998,000 compared to net income for the year ended December 31, 2013 of $8,392,000.

At February 27, 2015, the Bank had 169 full-time employees and 16 part-time employees. The Bank’s employees have a customer-oriented philosophy, a strong commitment to service and a “sincere interest” in their customers’ success. They maintain close contact with both the residents and local business people in the communities in which they serve, responding to changes in market conditions and customer requests in a timely manner.

Competition and Market Area

The banking business is highly competitive, and the profitability of QNB depends principally upon the Bank’s ability to compete in its market area. QNB faces intense competition within its market, both in making loans and attracting deposits. Bucks, Lehigh, and Montgomery counties have a high concentration of financial institutions, including large national and regional banks, community banks, savings institutions and credit unions. Some of QNB’s competitors offer products and services that QNB currently does not offer, such as traditional trust services and full-service insurance.

In addition, as a result of consolidation in the banking industry, some of QNB’s competitors may enjoy advantages such as greater financial resources, a wider geographic presence, more favorable pricing alternatives and lower origination and operating costs. However, QNB has been able to compete effectively with other financial institutions by emphasizing the establishment of long-term relationships and customer loyalty. A strong focus on small-business solutions, providing fast local decision-making on loans, exceptional personal customer service and technology solutions, including internet- and mobile-banking, electronic bill pay and remote deposit capture, also enable QNB to compete successfully.

Competition for loans and deposits comes principally from commercial banks, savings institutions, credit unions and non-bank financial service providers. Factors in successfully competing for deposits include providing excellent customer service, convenient locations and hours of operation, attractive rates, low fees, and alternative delivery systems. One such delivery system is remote deposit capture for those commercial customers that are not conveniently located near one of our branches, or mobile banking for retail customers. Successful loan origination tends to depend not only on interest rate and terms of the loan but on being responsive and flexible to the customers’ needs. While many competitors within the Bank’s primary market have substantially higher legal lending limits, QNB often has the ability, through loan participations, to meet the larger lending needs of its customers.

QNB’s success is dependent to a significant degree on economic conditions in southeastern Pennsylvania, especially Bucks, Lehigh and Montgomery counties, which it defines as its primary market. The banking industry is affected by general economic conditions, including the effects of recession, unemployment, declining real estate values, inflation, trends in the national and global economies, and other factors beyond QNB’s control.

Monetary Policy and Economic Conditions

The business of financial institutions is affected not only by general economic conditions, but also by the policies of various governmental regulatory agencies, including the Federal Reserve Board. The Federal Reserve Board regulates money, credit conditions and interest rates to influence general economic conditions primarily through open market operations in U.S. government securities, changes in the discount rate on bank borrowings and changes in the reserve requirements against depository institutions’ deposits. These policies and regulations significantly affect the overall growth and distribution of loans, investments and deposits, as well as the interest rates charged on loans and the interest rates paid on deposits.

The monetary policies of the Federal Reserve Board have had a significant effect on the operating results of financial institutions in the past and are expected to continue to have significant effects in the future. In view of the changing conditions in the economy and the financial markets in addition to the activities of monetary and fiscal authorities, the prediction of future changes in interest rates, credit availability or deposit levels is very challenging.

Supervision and Regulation

Banks and bank holding companies operate in a highly regulated environment and are regularly examined by Federal and state regulatory authorities. Federal statutes that apply to QNB and its subsidiary include the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 (“BHCA”), the Federal Reserve Act and the Federal Deposit Insurance Act (“FDIA”), as those statutes have been significantly amended by recent laws such as the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (“GLBA”), and others. In general, these statutes regulate the corporate governance of the Bank and eligible business activities of QNB, and impose certain restrictions and limitations on such important matters as mergers and acquisitions, intercompany transactions, loans and dividends, and capital adequacy, among others. Other corporate governance requirements are imposed on QNB by Federal securities and other laws, including the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, described later.

The Company is under the jurisdiction of the Securities and Exchange Commission and of state securities commissions for matters relating to the offering and sale of its securities. In addition, the Company is subject to the Securities and Exchange Commission’s rules and regulations relating to periodic reporting, proxy solicitation and insider trading.

Set forth below is a brief summary of some of the significant regulatory concepts and recent laws that affect QNB and the Bank. To the extent that the following information describes statutory or regulatory provisions, it is qualified in its entirety by references to the particular statutory or regulatory provisions themselves. Proposals to change banking laws and regulations are frequently introduced in Congress, the state legislatures, and before the various bank regulatory agencies. QNB cannot determine the likelihood of passage or timing of any such proposals or legislation or the impact they may have on QNB and its subsidiary. A change in law, regulations or regulatory policy may have a material effect on QNB and its subsidiary.

Bank Holding Company Regulation

QNB is registered as a bank holding company and is subject to the regulations of the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the “Federal Reserve”) under the BHCA. In addition, QNB Corp., as a Pennsylvania business corporation, is subject to the provisions of Section 115 of the Pennsylvania Banking Code of 1965 and the Pennsylvania Business Corporation Law of 1988, as amended.

Bank holding companies are required to file periodic reports with, and are subject to examination by, the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve’s regulations require a bank holding company to serve as a source of financial and managerial strength to its subsidiary banks. As a result, the Federal Reserve, pursuant to its “source of strength” regulations, may require QNB to commit its resources to provide adequate capital funds to the Bank during periods of financial distress or adversity.

Federal Reserve approval may be required before QNB may begin to engage in any non-banking activity and before any non-banking business may be acquired by QNB.

Regulatory Restrictions on Dividends

Dividend payments made by the Bank to the Company are subject to the Pennsylvania Banking Code, the Federal Deposit Insurance Act, and the regulations of the FDIC. Under the Banking Code, no dividends may be paid except from “accumulated net earnings” (generally retained earnings). The Federal Reserve Board and the FDIC have formal and informal policies which provide that insured banks and bank holding companies should generally pay dividends only out of current operating earnings, with some exceptions. Under the FDIA, the Bank is prohibited from paying any dividends, making other distributions or paying any management fees if, after such payment, it would fail to satisfy its minimum capital requirements. The Pennsylvania Banking Code restricts the availability of capital funds for payment of dividends by the Bank generally to its accumulated net earnings. See also “Supervision and Regulation – Bank Regulation”.

In addition to the dividend restrictions described above, the banking regulators have the authority to prohibit or to limit the payment of dividends by the Bank if, in the banking regulator’s opinion, payment of a dividend would constitute an unsafe or unsound practice in light of the financial condition of the Bank.

Under Pennsylvania law, QNB may not pay a dividend, if, after giving effect thereto, it would be unable to pay its debts as they become due in the usual course of business and, after giving effect to the dividend, the total assets of QNB would be less than the sum of its total liabilities plus the amount that would be needed, if QNB were to be dissolved at the time of distribution, to satisfy the preferential rights upon dissolution of shareholders whose rights are superior to those receiving the dividend.

It is also the policy of the Federal Reserve that a bank holding company generally only pay dividends on common stock out of net income available to common shareholders over the past year and only if the prospective rate of earnings retention appears consistent with a bank holding company’s capital needs, asset quality, and overall financial condition. In the current financial and economic environment, the Federal Reserve has indicated that bank holding companies should carefully review their dividend policy and has discouraged dividend pay-out ratios at the 100% level unless both asset quality and capital are very strong. A bank holding company also should not maintain a dividend level that places undue pressure on the capital of such institution’s subsidiaries, or that may undermine the bank holding company’s ability to serve as a source of strength for such subsidiaries.

Under these policies and subject to the restrictions applicable to the Bank, to remain “well-capitalized,” the Bank had approximately $20,770,000 available for payment of dividends to the Company at December 31, 2014.

Capital Adequacy

Bank holding companies are required to comply with the Federal Reserve’s risk-based capital guidelines. The required minimum ratio of total capital to risk-weighted assets (including certain off-balance sheet activities, such as standby letters of credit) is 8%. At least half of total capital must be Tier 1 capital. Tier 1 capital consists principally of common shareholders’ equity, plus retained earnings, less certain intangible assets. The remainder of total capital may consist of the allowance for loan losses, which is considered Tier 2 capital. At December 31, 2014, QNB’s Tier 1 capital and total capital (Tier 1 and Tier 2 combined) ratios were 12.79% and 14.06%, respectively.

In addition to the risk-based capital guidelines, the Federal Reserve requires a bank holding company to maintain a minimum leverage ratio. This requires a minimum level of Tier 1 capital (as determined under the risk-based capital rules) to average total consolidated assets of 4% for those bank holding companies that have the highest regulatory examination ratings and are not contemplating or experiencing significant growth or expansion. The Federal Reserve expects all other bank holding companies to maintain a ratio of at least 1% to 2% above the stated minimum. At December 31, 2014, QNB’s leverage ratio was 8.65%.

Pursuant to the prompt corrective action provisions of the FDIA, the Federal banking agencies have specified, by regulation, the levels at which an insured institution is considered well capitalized, adequately capitalized, undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized, or critically undercapitalized. Under these regulations, an institution is considered well capitalized if it satisfies each of the following requirements:

At December 31, 2014, the Bank qualified as well capitalized under these regulatory standards. See Note 19 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included at Item 8 of this Report for additional information.

In July 2013, the federal bank regulatory agencies adopted revisions to the agencies’ capital adequacy guidelines and prompt corrective action rules, which were designed to enhance such requirements and implement the revised standards of the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, commonly referred to as Basel III. The final rules generally implement higher minimum capital requirements, add a new common equity Tier 1 capital requirement, and establish criteria that instruments must meet to be considered common equity Tier 1 capital, additional Tier 1 capital or Tier 2 capital. The new minimum capital to risk-adjusted assets requirements are a common equity Tier 1 capital ratio of 4.5% (6.5% to be considered “well capitalized”) and a Tier 1 capital ratio of 6.0%, increased from 4.0% (and increased from 6.0% to 8.0% to be considered “well capitalized”); the total capital ratio remains at 8.0% under the new rules (10.0% to be considered “well capitalized”). Under the new rules, in order to avoid limitations on capital distributions (including dividend payments and certain discretionary bonus payments to executive officers), a banking organization must hold a capital conservation buffer comprised of common equity Tier 1 capital above its minimum risk-based capital requirements in an amount greater than 2.5% of total risk-weighted assets. The new minimum capital requirements are effective on January 1, 2015. The capital contribution buffer requirements phase in over a three-year period beginning January 1, 2016.

Bank Regulation

As a Pennsylvania chartered, insured commercial bank, the Bank is subject to extensive regulation and examination by the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities (the Department) and by the FDIC, which insures its deposits to the maximum extent permitted by law.

The Federal and state laws and regulations applicable to banks regulate, among other things, the scope of their business, their investments, the reserves required to be kept against deposits, the timing of the availability of deposited funds, the nature and amount of collateral for certain loans, the activities of a bank with respect to mergers and consolidations, and the establishment of branches. The laws and regulations governing the Bank generally have been promulgated to protect depositors and not for the purpose of protecting QNB’s shareholders. This regulatory structure also gives the Federal and state banking agencies extensive discretion in connection with their supervisory and enforcement activities and examination policies, including policies with respect to the classification of assets and the establishment of adequate loan loss reserves for regulatory purposes. Any change in such regulation, whether by the Department, the FDIC or the United States Congress, could have a material impact on the Company, the Bank and their operations.

As a subsidiary bank of a bank holding company, the Bank is subject to certain restrictions imposed by the Federal Reserve Act on extensions of credit to QNB, on investments in the stock or other securities of QNB, and on taking such stock or securities as collateral for loans.

FDIC Insurance Assessments

The Bank’s deposits are insured to the applicable limits as determined by the FDIC, which is currently $250,000 per depositor.

The FDIC has adopted a risk-based premium system that provides for quarterly assessments (billed in arrears) based on an insured institution’s ranking in one of four risk categories based on their examination ratings and capital ratios. Well-capitalized institutions with the CAMELS ratings of 1 or 2 are grouped in Risk Category I.

Beginning with the second quarter of 2011, as mandated by the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act (the “Dodd-Frank Act”), the assessment base that the FDIC uses to calculate assessment premiums is a bank’s average assets minus average tangible equity. As the asset base of the banking industry is larger than the deposit base, the range of assessment rates will be from a low of 2.5 basis points to a high of 45 basis points, per $100 of assets.

The FDIC is required under the Dodd-Frank Act to establish assessment rates that will allow the Deposit Insurance Fund to achieve a reserve ratio of 1.35% of Insurance Fund insured deposits by September 2020. In addition, the FDIC has established a “designated reserve ratio” of 2.0%, a target ratio that, until it is achieved, will not likely result in the FDIC reducing assessment rates. In attempting to achieve the mandated 1.35% ratio, the FDIC is required to implement assessment formulas that charge banks over $10 billion in asset size more than banks under that size. Those new formulas began in the second quarter of 2011, but did not affect the Bank. Under the Dodd-Frank Act, the FDIC is authorized to make reimbursements from the Insurance Fund to banks if the reserve ratio exceeds 1.50%, but the FDIC has adopted the “designated reserve ratio” of 2.0% and has announced that any reimbursements from the fund are indefinitely suspended. For the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013, the Bank recorded $620,000 and $651,000, respectively, in FDIC deposit insurance premium expense.

In addition, all insured institutions of the FDIC are required to pay assessments to fund interest payments on Financing Corporation (FICO) bonds. The Financing Corporation was created by Congress to issue bonds to finance the resolution of failed thrift institutions. Prior to 1997, only thrift institutions were subject to assessments to raise funds to pay the FICO bonds; however, beginning in 2000, commercial banks and thrifts are subject to the same assessment for FICO bonds. The FDIC has the authority to set the Financing Corporation assessment rate every quarter. The expense for 2014 and 2013 recorded by QNB was $66,000 and $54,000, respectively. These assessments will continue until the Financing Corporation bonds mature from 2017 through 2019.

Federal Home Loan Bank System

The Bank is a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh (FHLB), which is one of 12 regional Federal Home Loan Banks. Each Federal Home Loan Bank serves as a reserve or central bank for members within its assigned region. It is funded primarily from funds deposited by member institutions and proceeds from the sale of consolidated obligations of the Federal Home Loan Bank System. It makes loans to members (i.e. advances) in accordance with policies and procedures established by the board of directors of the Federal Home Loan Bank. At December 31, 2014, the Bank had no overnight FHLB advances outstanding.

As a member, the Bank is required to purchase and maintain stock in the FHLB in an amount equal to the greater of 1% of its aggregate unpaid residential mortgage loans, home purchase contracts or similar obligations at the beginning of each year or 5% of its outstanding advances from the FHLB. At December 31, 2014, the Bank had $635,000 in stock of the FHLB.

Community Reinvestment Act

Under the Community Reinvestment Act (“CRA”), as amended, the FDIC is required to assess all financial institutions that it regulates to determine whether these institutions are meeting the credit needs of the communities that they serve. The act focuses specifically on low and moderate income neighborhoods.

An institution’s record is considered during the evaluation of any application made by such institutions for, among other things:

The CRA, as amended, also requires that the regulatory agency make publicly available the evaluation of the Bank’s record of meeting the credit needs of its entire community, including low and moderate income neighborhoods. This evaluation includes a descriptive rating of either outstanding, satisfactory, needs to improve, or substantial noncompliance, and a statement describing the basis for the rating. The Bank’s most recent CRA rating was “Satisfactory”.

USA Patriot Act

The USA Patriot Act strengthens the anti-money laundering provisions of the Bank Secrecy Act. The Act requires financial institutions to establish certain procedures to be able to identify and verify the identity of its customers. Specifically the Bank must have procedures in place to:

Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act is intended to bolster public confidence in the nation’s capital markets by imposing new duties and penalties for non-compliance on public companies and their executives, directors, auditors, attorneys and securities analysts. Some of the more significant aspects of the Act include:

The Act also imposes requirements for corporate governance, auditor independence, accounting standards, audit committee member independence and increased authority, executive compensation, insider loans and whistleblower protection. As a result of the Act, QNB adopted a Code of Business Conduct and Ethics applicable to its CEO, CFO and Controller, which meets the requirements of the Act, to supplement its long-standing Code of Ethics, which applies to all directors and employees.

QNB’s Code of Business Conduct and Ethics can be found on the Bank’s website at www.qnbbank.com.

Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 (Dodd-Frank Act)

The Dodd-Frank Act was enacted on July 21, 2010. This law made significant changes to the bank regulatory structure and affects the lending, deposit, investment, trading and operating activities of financial institutions and their holding companies.

The Dodd-Frank Act required various Federal agencies to adopt a broad range of new rules and regulations, and to prepare various studies and reports for Congress. The Federal agencies were given significant discretion in drafting such rules and regulations, and are still modifying many of the provisions. Consequently, many of the details and much of the impact of the Dodd-Frank Act may not be known for some time.

Bank and thrift holding companies with assets of less than $15 billion as of December 31, 2009, such as the Company, will be permitted to include trust preferred securities that were issued before May 19, 2010, as Tier 1 capital; however, trust preferred securities issued by a bank or thrift holding company (other than those with assets of less than $500 million) after May 19, 2010, will no longer count as Tier 1 capital. Trust preferred securities still will be entitled to be treated as Tier 2 capital.

The Dodd-Frank Act created a new Consumer Financial Protection Bureau with broad powers to supervise and enforce consumer protection laws. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has broad rule-making authority for a wide range of consumer protection laws that apply to all banks and savings institutions, including the authority to prohibit “unfair, deceptive or abusive” acts and practices. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has examination and enforcement authority over all banks and savings institutions with more than $10 billion in assets. Banks and savings institutions with $10 billion or less in assets such as the Bank will continue to be examined for compliance with the consumer laws by their primary bank regulators. The Dodd-Frank Act also weakened the Federal preemption rules that had been applicable for national banks and Federal savings associations, and gave state attorneys general the ability to enforce Federal consumer protection laws.

As mandated by the Dodd-Frank Act, in December 2013, the OCC, FRB, FDIC, and SEC issued a final rule implementing certain prohibitions and restrictions on the ability of a banking entity and non-bank financial company supervised by the FRB to engage in proprietary trading and have certain interests in, or relationships with, a hedge fund or private equity fund (the so-called "Volcker Rule"). The final rules also require regulated entities to establish an internal compliance program that is consistent with the extent to which it engages in activities covered by the Volcker Rule, which must include making regular reports about those activities to regulators. Although the final rules provide some compliance and reporting exceptions based on size, the fundamental prohibitions of the Volcker Rule apply to banking entities of any size, including the Company. The final rules were effective April 1, 2014, with an extended effective date of July 2015. Under the final rules implementing the Volcker Rule, financial institutions are prohibited from owning certain covered funds. The Company has reviewed its securities holdings and does not believe that any qualify as impermissible holdings. If future regulatory interpretation requires us to divest of any such investments, it could cause us to recognize unexpected losses on the dispositions.

Many of the provisions of Dodd-Frank do not apply to the Bank, as it does not engage in many of the specific activities sought to be regulated by Dodd-Frank. Many of the provisions, however, such as the increased capital requirements that begin in 2015 and the changes to FDIC insurance premiums already implemented, affect all banking entities. In addition, the financial crisis of 2008 and the enactment of the Dodd-Frank Act in response to that crisis has resulted in an era of increased regulatory oversight over all financial entities. The ultimate changes resulting from the Dodd-Frank Act may impact the profitability of our business activities, require changes to certain of our business practices, impose upon us more stringent capital, liquidity and leverage ratio requirements or otherwise adversely affect our business. These changes may also require us to invest significant management attention and resources to evaluate and make necessary changes in order to comply with new statutory and regulatory requirements.

Possible Future Legislation

Congress is often considering some financial industry legislation, and the Federal banking agencies routinely propose new regulations. The Company cannot predict the future effect any new legislation, or new rules adopted by Federal or state banking agencies will have on the business of the Company and its subsidiaries. Given that the financial industry remains under stress and severe scrutiny, and given that the U.S. economy has not yet fully recovered to pre-crisis levels of activity, the Company expects that there will be significant legislation and regulatory actions that may materially affect the banking industry for the foreseeable future.

Additional Information

QNB’s principal executive offices are located at 320 West Broad Street, Quakertown, Pennsylvania. Its telephone number is (215) 538-5600. This annual report, including the exhibits and schedules filed as part of the annual report on Form 10-K, may be inspected at the public reference facility maintained by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) at its public reference room at 100 F Street, NE, Washington, DC 20549 and copies of all, or any part thereof, may be obtained from that office upon payment of the prescribed fees. You may call the SEC at 1-800-SEC-0330 for further information on the operation of the public reference room, and you can request copies of the documents upon payment of a duplicating fee by writing to the SEC. In addition, the SEC maintains a website that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding registrants, including QNB, that file electronically with the SEC which can be accessed at www.sec.gov.

QNB also makes its periodic and current reports available, free of charge, on its website, www.qnbbank.com, as soon as reasonably practicable after such material is electronically filed with the SEC. Information available on the website is not a part of, and should not be incorporated into, this annual report on Form 10-K.

ITEM 1A. RISK FACTORS

The following discusses risks that management believes are specific to our business and could have a negative impact on QNB’s financial performance. When analyzing an investment in QNB, the risks and uncertainties described below, together with all of the other information included or incorporated by reference in this report, should be carefully considered. This list should not be viewed as comprehensive and may not include all risks that may affect the financial performance of QNB.

1) Unfavorable economic and financial market conditions may adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

Over the past several years, concerns over the stability of the financial markets and the economy have resulted in decreased lending by some financial institutions to their customers and to each other. This market turmoil and tightening of credit led to increased commercial and consumer deficiencies, lack of customer confidence, increased market volatility and widespread reduction in general business activity. The resulting economic pressure on consumers and businesses and the lack of confidence in the financial markets may adversely affect our business, financial condition, results of operations and stock price. A worsening of these conditions would likely exacerbate the adverse effects of these difficult market conditions on us and others in the industry. In particular, we may face the following risks in connection with these events:

2) Our net interest income, net income and results of operations are sensitive to fluctuations in interest rates.

QNB’s profitability is largely a function of the spread between the interest rates earned on earning assets and the interest rates paid on deposits and other interest-bearing liabilities. Like most financial institutions, QNB’s net interest income and margin will be affected by general economic conditions and other factors, including fiscal and monetary policies of the Federal government, that influence market interest rates and QNB’s ability to respond to changes in such rates. At any given time, QNB’s assets and liabilities may be such that they are affected differently by a change in interest rates. As a result, an increase or decrease in rates, the length of loan terms or the mix of adjustable- and fixed-rate loans or investment securities in QNB’s portfolio could have a positive or negative effect on its net income, capital and liquidity. Although management believes it has implemented strategies and guidelines to reduce the potential effects of adverse changes in interest rates on results of operations, any substantial and prolonged change in market interest rates could affect operating results negatively.

The yield curve for the various maturities of U.S. Treasury securities provides a fundamental barometer that gauges the prevailing interest rate profile and, simultaneously, acts as a guidepost for current loan and deposit pricing constraints. The slope of the yield curve is driven primarily by expectations for future interest rate increases and inflationary trends. A normal yield curve has a slope that reflects lower costs for shorter-term financial instruments, accompanied by increases in costs for longer term instruments all along the maturity continuum.

Short-term interest rates are highly influenced by the monetary policy of the Federal Reserve. The Federal Open Market Committee, a committee of the Federal Reserve, targets the Federal funds rate, the overnight rate at which banks borrow or lend excess funds between financial institutions. This rate serves as a benchmark for the overnight money costs, and correspondingly influences the pricing of a significant portion of a bank’s deposit funding sources. Intermediate and longer-term interest rates, unlike the Federal funds rate, are more directly influenced by external market forces, including perceptions about future interest rates and inflation. These trends, in turn, influence the pricing on mid- and long-term loan commitments as well as deposits and bank borrowings that have scheduled maturities.

Generally speaking, a yield curve with a higher degree of slope provides more opportunity to increase the spread between earning asset yields and funding costs. It should be emphasized that while the yield curve is a critical benchmark in setting prices for various monetary assets and liabilities in banks, its influence is not exerted in a vacuum. Credit risk, market risk, competitive issues, and other factors must all be considered in the pricing of financial instruments. A steep or highly-sloped yield curve may be a precursor of higher interest rates or elevated inflation in the future, while a flat yield curve may be characteristic of a Federal Reserve policy designed to calm an overheated economy by tightening credit availability via increases in short-term rates. If other rates along the maturity spectrum do not rise correspondingly, the yield curve can be expected to flatten. This scenario may reflect an economic outlook that has little or no expectation of higher future interest rates or higher rates of inflation. For banks, the presence of a flat yield curve for a prolonged or sustained period could measurably lower expectations for expanding the net interest margin.

An inverted yield curve is the opposite of a normal yield curve and is characterized by short-term rates that are higher than longer-term rates. The presence of an inverted yield curve is considered to be an anomaly that is almost counterintuitive to the core business of banking. Inverted yield curves do not typically exist for more than a short period of time. In past economic cycles, the presence of an inverted yield curve has frequently foreshadowed a recession. The slow economic recovery that lasted many years may suppress future asset growth trends and/or increase the influence of other forms of risk, such as credit risk, which could hamper opportunities for revenue expansion and earnings growth in the near term.

3) We are subject to credit risk in connection with our lending activities, and our financial condition and results of operations may be negatively affected by economic conditions and other factors that could adversely affect our customers.

As a lender, QNB is exposed to the risk that its borrowers may be unable to repay their loans and that the current market value of any collateral securing the payment of their loans may not be sufficient to assure repayment in full. Credit losses are inherent in the lending business and could have a material adverse effect on the operating results of QNB. Adverse changes in the economy or business conditions, either nationally or in QNB’s market areas, could increase credit-related losses and expenses and/or limit growth. Substantially all of QNB’s loans are to businesses and individuals in its limited geographic area and any economic decline in this market could impact QNB adversely. QNB makes various assumptions and judgments about the collectability of its loan portfolio and provides an allowance for loan losses based on a number of factors. If these assumptions are incorrect, the allowance for loan losses may not be sufficient to cover losses and may cause QNB to increase the allowance in the future by increasing the provision for loan losses, thereby having an adverse effect on operating results. QNB has adopted underwriting and credit monitoring procedures and credit policies that management believes are appropriate to control these risks; however, such policies and procedures may not prevent unexpected losses that could have a material adverse effect on QNB’s financial condition or results of operations.

4) We face significant competition from other banks and financial institutions in our market area, many of which are larger in terms of asset size and market capitalization.

The financial services industry is highly competitive with competition for attracting and retaining deposits and making loans coming from other banks and savings institutions, credit unions, mutual fund companies, insurance companies and other non-bank businesses. Many of QNB’s competitors are much larger in terms of total assets and market capitalization, have a higher lending limit, have greater access to capital and funding, and offer a broader array of financial products and services. In light of this, QNB’s ability to continue to compete effectively is dependent upon its ability to maintain and build relationships by delivering top quality service.

At December 31, 2014, our lending limit per borrower was approximately $13,033,000. Accordingly, the size of loans that we may offer to potential borrowers (without participation by other lenders) is less than the size of loans that many of our competitors with larger capitalization are able to offer. Our legal lending limit also impacts the efficiency of our lending operation because it tends to lower our average loan size, which means we have to generate a higher number of transactions to achieve the same portfolio volume. We may engage in loan participations with other banks for loans in excess of our legal lending limit. However, there can be no assurance that such participations will be available or on terms which are favorable to us and our customers.

5) Our results of operations may be adversely affected by other-than-temporary impairment charges relating to our investment portfolio.

QNB purchases U.S. Government and U.S. Government agency debt securities, U.S. Government agency issued mortgage-backed securities or collateralized mortgage obligation securities, obligations of states and municipalities, corporate debt securities and equity securities. QNB is exposed to the risk that the issuers of these securities may experience significant deterioration in credit quality which could impact the market value of the issue. QNB periodically evaluates its investments to determine if market value declines are other-than-temporary. Once a decline is determined to be other-than-temporary, the value of the security is reduced and a corresponding charge to earnings is recognized for the credit related portion of the impairment.

The Bank holds six pooled trust preferred securities with an amortized cost of $3,519,000 and a fair value as of December 31, 2014 of $2,439,000. All of the trust preferred securities are available-for-sale securities and are carried at fair value. On January 14, 2014, Banking Regulators released a final interim rule authorizing retention of pooled trust preferred securities backed primarily by bank-issued trust preferred securities which included the PreTSLs held by QNB. While there was a noticeable increase in trading activity of these instruments in 2014, we believe most of these trades occurred under distress and do not represent trades made in an orderly market. Despite the trades that took place as discussed previously, the market for these securities at December 31, 2014 was not active and markets for similar securities also are not active. The new issue market is also inactive and the market values for these securities are depressed relative to historical levels. Lack of liquidity in the market for trust preferred collateralized debt obligations, credit rating downgrades and market uncertainties related to the financial industry are all factors contributing to the temporary impairment of these securities. Although these securities are classified as available-for-sale, the Company has the intent to hold the securities and does not believe it will be required to sell the securities before recovery occurs. These securities are comprised mainly of securities issued by banks, and to a lesser degree, insurance companies. QNB owns the mezzanine tranches of these securities, except for PreTSL IV which represents the senior-most obligation of the trust.

On a quarterly basis, we evaluate our debt securities for other-than-temporary impairment (“OTTI”), which involves the use of a third-party valuation firm to assist management with the valuation. When evaluating these investments a credit related portion and a non-credit related portion of OTTI are determined. All of the pooled trust preferred collateralized debt obligations held by QNB are rated lower than AA and are measured for OTTI within the scope of Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) Accounting Standards Codification (“ASC”) 325 (formerly known as EITF 99-20-1). QNB performs a discounted cash flow analysis on all of its impaired debt securities to determine if the amortized cost basis of an impaired security will be recovered. In determining whether a credit loss exists, QNB uses its best estimate of the present value of cash flows expected to be collected from the debt security and discounts them at the effective yield implicit in the security at the date of acquisition or the prospective yield for those securities with prior OTTI charges. The discounted cash flow analysis is considered to be the primary evidence when determining whether credit related other-than-temporary impairment exists. The credit related portion is recognized in earnings and represents the expected shortfall in future cash flows. The non-credit related portion is recognized in other comprehensive income and represents the difference between the book value and the fair value of the security less any current quarter credit related impairment. During 2014 and 2013, there were no charges representing the recognition of credit impairments on our investment in pooled trust preferred collateralized debt obligations.

The Company’s investment in marketable equity securities primarily consists of investments in large cap stock companies. These equity securities are analyzed for impairment on an ongoing basis. As a result of declines in some equity values, $43,000 of other-than-temporary impairment charges were taken in 2013. There was no OTTI in the equity securities portfolio in 2014. QNB had seven equity securities with unrealized losses of $70,000 at December 31, 2014. The severity and duration of the impairment is consistent with current stock market developments. Management believes these equity securities in an unrealized loss position will recover in the foreseeable future. QNB evaluated the near-term prospects of the issuers in relation to the severity and duration of the impairment. Based on that evaluation and the Company’s ability and intent to hold those securities for a reasonable period of time sufficient for a forecasted recovery of fair value, the Company does not consider these equity securities to be other-than-temporarily impaired.

The Bank is a member of the FHLB and is required to purchase and maintain stock in the FHLB in an amount equal to the greater of 1% of its aggregate unpaid residential mortgage loans, home purchase contracts or similar obligations at the beginning of each year or 5% of its outstanding advances from the FHLB. At December 31, 2014, the Bank had $635,000 in stock of the FHLB which was in compliance with this requirement. These equity securities are restricted in that they can only be sold back to the respective institutions or another member institution at par. Therefore, they are less liquid than other tradable equity securities, their fair value is equal to amortized cost, and no impairment write-downs have been recorded on these securities. 

6) Our assets at December 31, 2014 included a deferred tax asset and we may not be able to realize the full benefit of that asset.

As of December 31, 2014, QNB had a net deferred tax asset of $2,925,000. Our ability to realize these tax benefits ultimately depends on the existence of sufficient taxable income of the appropriate character (ordinary income or capital gains) within the applicable carryback and carryforward periods provided under the tax law. Estimating whether the deferred tax asset will be realized requires us to exercise significant judgment and is inherently uncertain because it requires the prediction of future occurrences. The deferred tax asset may be reduced in the future if estimates of future income or our tax planning strategies do not support the amount of the deferred tax asset. If it is determined in the future that a valuation allowance of the deferred tax asset is necessary, we may incur a charge to earnings resulting and a reduction to regulatory capital for the amount included in any such allowance.

7) A disruption in components of our business infrastructure resulting from financial or technological difficulties of our third party vendors on which we rely could adversely affect our business.

Third parties provide key components of the business infrastructure such as Internet connections and software platforms and network access. Any disruption in Internet, network access or other voice or data communication services provided by these third parties or any failure of these third parties to handle current or higher volumes of use could adversely affect the ability to deliver products and services to clients and otherwise to conduct business. Technological or financial difficulties of a third-party service provider could adversely affect the business to the extent those difficulties result in the interruption or discontinuation of services provided by that party.

8) Our failure to properly or timely utilize effective technologies to deliver our products and services, or a systems failure or breach of network security with respect to our information systems could adversely affect our business.

The market for financial services is increasingly affected by advances in technology, including developments in telecommunications, data processing, computers, automation, Internet-based banking and mobile banking. Our ability to compete successfully in our markets may depend on the extent to which we are able to exploit such technological changes. However, we can provide no assurance that we will be able to properly or timely anticipate or implement such technologies or properly train our staff to use such technologies. Any failure to adapt to new technologies could adversely affect our business, financial condition or operating results.

In addition, we rely heavily on our information systems to conduct business. Maintaining and protecting those systems is difficult and expensive, as is dealing with any failure, interruption or breach in security of these systems, whether due to acts or omissions by us or by a third party and whether intentional or not. Any such failure, interruption or breach could result in failures or disruptions in our customer relationship management or our information systems. The policies, procedures and technical safeguards we have in place to prevent or limit the effect of any failure, interruption or security breach of our information systems may be insufficient to prevent or remedy the effects of any such event. The occurrence of any failures, interruptions or security breaches of our information systems could damage our reputation, cause us to incur additional expenses, result in losses, or subject us to regulatory sanctions or additional regulatory scrutiny, any of which could adversely affect our business, financial condition or operating results.

9) Changes in accounting standards applicable to us could materially impact how we report our financial condition and results of operations.

Our accounting policies and methods are fundamental to how we record and report our financial condition and results of operations. From time to time the FASB changes the financial accounting and reporting standards that govern the preparation of our financial statements.

These changes can be hard to predict and can materially impact how we record and report our financial condition and results of operations. In some cases, we could be required to apply a new or revised standard retroactively, resulting in our restating prior period financial statements. Management believes the current financial statements are prepared in accordance with U.S. generally accepted accounting principles.

10) We are subject to numerous government regulations and to examination and supervision by bank regulatory agencies, which could have an adverse impact on our business and operations.

The banking industry is heavily regulated under both Federal and state law. Banking regulations, designed primarily for the safety of depositors, may limit a financial institution’s growth and the return to its investors, by restricting such activities as the payment of dividends, mergers with or acquisitions by other institutions, expansion of branch offices and the offering of securities. QNB is also subject to capitalization guidelines established by Federal law and could be subject to enforcement actions to the extent that its subsidiary bank is found, by regulatory examiners, to be undercapitalized. It is difficult to predict what additional changes, if any, will be made to existing Federal and state legislation and regulations or the effect that such changes may have on QNB’s future business and earnings prospects.

In response to the financial crisis that commenced in 2008, Congress has taken actions that are intended to strengthen confidence and encourage liquidity in financial institutions, and the FDIC has taken actions to increase insurance coverage on deposit accounts. The Dodd-Frank Act provides for the creation of a consumer protection division at the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System that will have broad authority to issue regulations governing the services and products we provide consumers. This additional regulation could increase our compliance costs and otherwise adversely impact our operations. That legislation also contains provisions that resulted in higher regulatory capital requirements and, over time, could result in higher loan loss provisions for the Bank, and may increase interest expense due to the ability, beginning in July 2011, to pay interest on all demand deposits.

The potential exists for additional Federal or state laws and regulations, or changes in policy, affecting many aspects of our operations, including capital levels, lending and funding practices, and liquidity standards. New laws and regulations may increase our costs of regulatory compliance and of doing business and otherwise affect our operations, and may significantly affect the markets in which we do business, the markets for and value of our loans and investments, the fees we can charge and our ongoing operations, costs and profitability.

11) We are required to pay FDIC insurance premiums, which could be increased in the future.

Since 2008, higher levels of bank failures have dramatically increased the claims against the deposit insurance fund. In addition, the Dodd-Frank Act permanently increased the maximum amount of deposit insurance for banks, savings institutions and credit unions to $250,000 per depositor. These factors have placed additional stress on the deposit insurance fund. In order to maintain a strong funding position and restore reserve ratios of the deposit insurance fund, the FDIC has increased assessment rates of insured institutions, particularly those over $10 billion. The Company is generally unable to control the amount of premiums that the Bank is required to pay for FDIC insurance. If there are additional bank failures, or the cost of resolving prior failures exceeds expectations, the Bank may be required to pay even higher FDIC premiums than the recently increased levels. These announced increases and any future increases or required prepayments of FDIC insurance premiums may adversely impact the Company’s earnings and financial condition.

12) Our disclosure controls and procedures and our internal control over financial reporting may not achieve their intended objectives.

Management diligently reviews and updates its internal controls, disclosure controls and procedures, and corporate governance policies and procedures. Our disclosure controls and procedures are designed to reasonably assure that information required to be disclosed by QNB in reports filed or submitted under the Exchange Act is accumulated and communicated to management, and recorded, processed, summarized, and reported within the time periods specified in the SEC’s rules and forms. Management believes that any disclosure controls and procedures or internal controls and procedures, no matter how well conceived and operated, can provide only reasonable, not absolute, assurance that the objectives of the control system are met. Any undetected circumvention of these controls could have a material adverse impact on QNB’s financial condition and results of operations.

These inherent limitations include the realities that judgments in decision-making can be faulty, and that breakdowns can occur because of simple error or mistake. Additionally, controls can be circumvented by the individual acts of some persons, by collusion of two or more people or by an unauthorized override of the controls. Accordingly, because of the inherent limitations in our control system, misstatements due to error or fraud may occur and not be detected.

13) We may not be able to attract and retain highly qualified personnel to execute our business strategy.

Our success depends upon the ability to attract and retain highly motivated, well-qualified personnel. We face significant competition in the recruitment of qualified employees. Our ability to execute our business strategy and provide high quality service may suffer if we are unable to recruit or retain a sufficient number of qualified employees or if the costs of employee compensation or benefits increase substantially. QNB currently has employment agreements and change of control agreements with five of its senior officers.

14) Acts of terrorism and other external events could impact our ability to conduct business.

Financial institutions have been, and continue to be, targets of terrorist threats aimed at compromising operating and communication systems. Such events could cause significant damage, impact the stability of our facilities and result in additional expenses, impair the ability of our borrowers to repay their loans, and result in the loss of revenue. While we have established and regularly test disaster recovery procedures, the occurrence of any such event could have a material adverse effect on our business, operations and financial condition.

ITEM 1B. UNRESOLVED STAFF COMMENTS

None.

ITEM 2. PROPERTIES

QNB Bank and QNB Corp.’s principal office is located at 15 North Third Street, Quakertown, Pennsylvania. QNB Bank conducts business from its principal office and ten other retail offices located in Bucks, Lehigh, and Montgomery counties in Pennsylvania. QNB Bank owns its principal office, three retail locations, its operations facility and a computer facility. QNB Bank leases its remaining seven retail properties. The leases on the properties generally contain renewal options. In management’s opinion, these properties are in good condition and are currently adequate for QNB’s purposes.

The following table details QNB Bank’s properties:

Location

ITEM 3. LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

Although there are currently no material proceedings to which QNB is the subject, future litigation that arises during the normal course of QNB’s business could be material and have a negative impact on QNB’s earnings. Future litigation also could adversely impact the reputation of QNB in the communities that it serves.

ITEM 4. MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

None.

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

Stock Information

QNB common stock is quoted on the over-the-counter bulletin board (OTCBB). QNB had approximately 664 shareholders of record as of March 4, 2015.

The following table sets forth the high and low bid and ask stock prices for QNB common stock on a quarterly basis during 2014 and 2013. These prices reflect inter-dealer prices, without retail mark-up, mark-down or commission and may not necessarily represent actual transactions.

QNB has traditionally paid quarterly cash dividends on the last Friday of each quarter. The Company expects to continue the practice of paying quarterly cash dividends to its shareholders; however, future dividends are dependent upon future earnings, financial condition, appropriate legal restrictions, and other factors relevant at the time the board of directors considers declaring a dividend. Certain laws restrict the amount of dividends that may be paid to shareholders in any given year. See “Shareholders’ Equity - Capital Adequacy” included in Item 7 of this Form 10-K filing, and Note 19 of the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements included in Item 8 of this Form 10-K filing, for additional information that discusses and quantifies this regulatory restriction.

The following table provides information on repurchases by QNB of its common stock in each month of the quarter ended December 31, 2014.

Stock Performance Graph

Set forth below is a performance graph comparing the yearly cumulative total shareholder return on QNB’s common stock with:

All of these cumulative total returns are computed assuming the reinvestment of dividends at the frequency with which dividends were paid during the applicable years.

ITEM 6. SELECTED FINANCIAL DATA (in thousands, except share and per share data)

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

Results of Operations – Overview

QNB Corp. (“QNB” or the “Company”) earns its net income primarily through its subsidiary, QNB Bank (the “Bank”). Net interest income, or the spread between the interest, dividends and fees earned on loans and investment securities and the expense incurred on deposits and other interest-bearing liabilities, is the primary source of operating income for QNB. QNB seeks to achieve sustainable and consistent earnings growth while maintaining adequate levels of capital and liquidity and limiting its exposure to credit and interest rate risk levels approved by the Board of Directors. Due to its limited geographic area, comprised principally of Bucks, Lehigh and Montgomery counties, growth is pursued through expansion of existing customer relationships and building new relationships by stressing a consistent high level of service at all points of contact.

Tabular information presented throughout management’s discussion and analysis, other than share and per share data, is presented in thousands of dollars.

Net income for the year ended December 31, 2014 was $8,998,000, or $2.72 per share on a diluted basis. This compares to 2013 net income of $8,392,000, or $2.57 per share on a diluted basis. Two important measures of profitability in the banking industry are an institution’s return on average assets and return on average shareholders’ equity. Return on average assets was 0.95% and 0.91% in 2014 and 2013, respectively, and return on average shareholders’ equity was 10.89% and 10.95%, respectively, during those same periods.

2014 versus 2013

The results for 2014 include the following significant components:

These items, as well as others, will be explained more thoroughly in the next sections.

Net Interest Income

The following table presents the adjustment to convert net interest income to net interest income on a fully taxable equivalent basis for the years ended December 31, 2014 and 2013.

Net interest income is the primary source of operating income for QNB. Net interest income is interest income, dividends, and fees on earning assets, less interest expense incurred for funding sources. Earning assets primarily include loans, investment securities and interest bearing balances at the Federal Reserve Bank (Fed). Sources used to fund these assets include deposits and borrowed funds. Net interest income is affected by changes in interest rates, the volume and mix of earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities, and the amount of earning assets funded by non-interest bearing deposits.

For purposes of this discussion, interest income and the average yield earned on loans and investment securities are adjusted to a tax-equivalent basis as detailed in the table that appears above. This adjustment to interest income is made for analysis purposes only. Interest income is increased by the amount of savings of Federal income taxes, which QNB realizes by investing in certain tax-exempt state and municipal securities and by making loans to certain tax-exempt organizations. In this way, the ultimate economic impact of earnings from various assets can be more easily compared.

The net interest rate spread is the difference between average rates received on earning assets and average rates paid on interest-bearing liabilities, while the net interest margin, which includes interest-free sources of funds, is net interest income expressed as a percentage of average interest-earning assets. The Asset/Liability and Investment Management Committee works to manage and maximize the net interest margin for the Company.

Net interest income increased $575,000, or 2.3%, to $26,126,000 for 2014. On a tax-equivalent basis, net interest income for 2014 increased $515,000, or 1.9%, to $28,029,000. The net interest margin for 2014 was 3.07% compared to 3.09% for 2013. The net interest margin was negatively impacted by declining yields on earning assets resulting from the prolonged low interest rate environment. The average rate earned on earning assets declined nine basis points from 3.66% for 2013 to 3.57% for 2014 with the yield on loans declining by 26 basis points while the yield on investment securities increased one basis point. In comparison, the interest rate paid on total average interest-bearing liabilities declined by seven basis points from 0.65% for 2013 to 0.58% for 2014 with the average rate paid on interest-bearing deposits declining six basis points from 0.64% to 0.58% over the same time period.

The chart below details the highs and lows of certain Treasury rates during the year as well as a comparison of rates at year-end 2014 and 2013. In 2014, the Treasury yield curve flattened, with the 10 year rate declining 84 basis points and the two year climbed 29 basis points. While still upward-sloping, a flatter yield curve provides decreasing spreads between earning asset yields and funding costs. 

Net interest income and net interest margin continue to be negatively impacted by declining yields on earning assets resulting from the prolonged low interest rate environment that banks have been operating in since 2008, the beginning of the financial crisis. During the beginning of this interest rate cycle, funding costs declined at a faster pace and to a greater degree than rates on earning assets resulting in an increasing net interest margin. However, since the second quarter of 2011 this trend has reversed as funding costs have approached bottom while yields on earning assets continue to reprice lower resulting in a decline in the net interest margin. The competitive local interest rate market for quality loans has also negatively impacted net interest income and net interest margin. Partially offsetting the impact of declining yields on earning assets was growth in earning assets, primarily loans. Average earning assets increased by $22,544,000, or 2.5%, to $912,826,000 for 2014, with average loans increasing $41,205,000, or 8.5%, to $524,127,000, while average investment securities decreased $31,219,000, or 7.9%, to $363,204,000. However, with the growth in earning assets occurring primarily in the loan portfolio, the mix of earning assets changed which also contributed to relative stability of the net interest margin, as investment securities generally earn a lower yield than loans. The growth in loans was also funded by a $20,245,000, or 2.5%, increase in average total deposits to $829,084,000. All categories of deposits experienced increases in average balances in 2014, with the exception of Money market balances and time deposits.

Average Balances, Rates, and Interest Income and Expense Summary (Tax-Equivalent Basis)

Tax-exempt securities and loans were adjusted to a tax-equivalent basis and are based on the marginal Federal corporate tax rate of 34 percent.

Non-accrual loans and investment securities are included in earning assets.

* Includes loans held-for-sale

Rate-Volume Analysis of Changes in Net Interest Income ^{(1) (2) (3)}

The Rate-Volume Analysis tables, as presented on a tax-equivalent basis, highlight the impact of changing rates and volumes on interest income and interest expense. Total interest income on a tax-equivalent basis increased $26,000 to $32,573,000 for 2014, while total interest expense decreased $489,000, or 9.7%, to $4,544,000. Volume growth in earning assets contributed an additional $1,412,000 of interest income which was offset in part by a decline in interest income of $1,386,000 resulting from lower interest rates. With regard to interest expense, lower funding costs resulted in a decline in interest expense of $280,000. The maturity and payoff of long-term debt in April 2014 contributed to a decline in interest expense of $179,000 when comparing the two years.

The yield on earning assets on a tax-equivalent basis decreased nine basis points from 3.66% for 2013 to 3.57% for 2014. The long period of historically low interest rates has resulted in a significant amount of higher yielding bonds with call features being called and prepayments on mortgage-related securities increasing, with these proceeds being reinvested in lower yielding investment securities. In addition, new loans are being originated at significantly lower rates, variable rate loans are repricing lower and some fixed rate loans are being modified lower due to competitive pressure.

In comparison, the rate paid on interest-bearing liabilities decreased seven basis points from 0.65% for 2013 to 0.58% for 2014 with the rate paid on interest-bearing deposits decreasing six basis points from 0.64% for 2013 to 0.58% for 2014.

Interest income on trading, available-for-sale, and held-to-maturity investment securities decreased $647,000 when comparing the two years. The $27,155,000 decrease in average balances contributed to $465,000 of the decrease, while falling rates contributed the remaining $182,000 decline. Although interest income decreased, the average yield on the investment portfolio increased one basis point from 2.46% for 2013 to 2.47% for 2014. This is due in part to the establishment of a trading account consisting of municipal securities with an average balance of $4,064,000 in 2014 and an average rate of return of 5.87%. The decrease in the investment portfolio is due to lower yielding investment opportunities in 2014 compared to previous periods, as well as higher demand for loans.

Income on Government agency securities decreased $142,000, even as the yield on the portfolio increased by 24 basis points from 1.28% for 2013 to 1.52% for 2014, as investments in this sector had slightly better yields than previously available. Most of the bonds in the agency portfolio have call features ranging from three months to three years, many of which were exercised as a result of the low interest rate environment.

Interest income on tax-exempt municipal securities decreased $697,000. Average balances, which declined $9,767,000, or 11.2%, contributed $457,000 to the decrease in interest income and the 32 basis point decline in yield from 4.68% in 2013 to 4.36% in 2014 contributed the remaining $240,000 reduction in interest income. QNB had purchased many municipal securities when rates were significantly higher. Many of these bonds have either reached maturity or their call dates and are being replaced with municipal bonds with lower yields. Typically QNB purchased municipal bonds with 10-15 year maturities; however, given the current rate environment has shortened the maturity range to between 5-7 years with call dates between 2-4 years. The yield on this portfolio is expected to continue to decline as there are $15,800,000 in municipal bonds with a tax-equivalent yield of 4.38% that are expected to be called or mature in 2015. The current yield on replacement bonds is well below this threshold.

All of the mortgage-backed and collateralized mortgage obligations (“CMO”) securities owned by QNB are issued by U.S. Government agencies and sponsored enterprises (GSEs) and carry the implicit backing of the U.S. Government, but they are not direct obligations of the U.S. Government. Interest income on mortgage-backed securities and CMOs decreased $94,000 with a small decrease in average balances as well as lower rates contributing to the decline. Average balances decreased $2,967,000, or 1.4%, to $210,336,000 when comparing the two years, resulting in a $60,000 decline in interest income. The yield on the mortgage-backed and CMO portfolio decreased two basis points from 2.05% for 2013 to 2.03% for 2014, resulting in a $34,000 reduction in interest income. With the historically low interest rate environment mortgage refinancing activity over the past three years was significant resulting in an increase in prepayments on these securities. Since most of these securities were purchased at a premium, prepayments result in a shorter amortization period of this premium and therefore a reduction in income.

The largest category of the loan portfolio is commercial real estate loans. This category of loans includes commercial purpose loans secured by either commercial properties such as office buildings, factories, warehouses, medical facilities and retail establishments, or residential real estate, usually the residence of the business owner or investment properties. The category also includes construction and land development loans. Income on commercial real estate loans decreased $114,000. The increase in average balances of $14,475,000 or 5.8%, contributed an increase in interest income of $703,000. This was offset by a 31 basis point decline in yield, from 4.86% in 2013 to 4.55% in 2014, which resulted in a decrease of interest income of $817,000.

Income on commercial and industrial loans, the second largest category, increased $428,000 with the positive impact from growth in balances being as well as improved yield. Average commercial and industrial loans increased $7,685,000, or 7.3%, to $113,155,000 for 2014, providing an additional $327,000 in interest income. Average yield on these loans increased nine basis points to 4.35% resulting in an increase in interest income of $101,000.

Tax-exempt loan income was $1,834,000 for 2014, an increase of $219,000 from 2013. When comparing the same periods average balances increased 29.4% to $43,560,000, which contributed a $475,000 increase in interest income. With the decline in market interest rates QNB has renegotiated and rebid on many loans to municipalities over the past several years. As a result, the average yield on the tax-exempt loan portfolio has declined from 4.80% for 2013 to 4.21% for 2014, resulting in decreased interest income of $256,000.The increase in volume related interest income of $475,000 partially offset the yield decrease when comparing the two years.

Indirect lease financing receivables represent loans to small businesses that are collateralized by equipment. These loans tend to have higher risk characteristics but generally provide higher rates of return. These loans are originated by a third party and purchased by QNB based on criteria specified by QNB. The criteria include minimum credit scores of the borrower, term of the lease, type and age of equipment financed and geographic area. The geographic area primarily represents states contiguous to Pennsylvania. QNB is not the lessor and does not service these loans. As a result of these higher returns the market for these types of loans has become extremely competitive both in terms of rate and quality available and as a result QNB has purchased fewer leases. Lease financing income was $774,000 for 2014, a decrease of $142,000 when compared to the $916,000 reported for 2013. Average balances declined by $1,482,000 or 16.0%, resulting in a reduction in income of $146,000 when comparing the two years. The yield on the portfolio improved slightly to 9.95% in 2014, compared to 9.90% for 2013, slightly offsetting the volume-related decline in income by $4,000. Early payoff on leases often results in the recognition of additional income.

QNB strives to become the “local consumer lender of choice” and to affect this QNB has refocused its retail lending efforts by strengthening the management of the area, adding new product offerings and by increasing marketing and promotion. The positive impact of this renewed focus has been year-over-year growth in balances in all three categories of retail lending: residential mortgage, home equity and consumer loans. Overall, interest income for retail lending increased $203,000 in 2014 compared to 2013, driven by the increase in average balances.

Income on home equity loans declined by $6,000 when comparing 2014 and 2013. During 2014 QNB offered attractive rates on both variable rate and fixed rate home equity loans, which contributed to an increase in average balances totaling $3,831,000, or 7.3%, to $56,249,000 when comparing 2014 and 2013. The yield on the home equity portfolio decreased 28 basis points to 3.78% when comparing the two years. The demand for home equity loans declined during prior periods as home values fell preventing some homeowners from having equity in their homes to borrow against while others took advantage of the low interest rates on mortgages and refinanced their home equity loans into a new mortgage. With an improvement in home values it is expected that the demand for home equity loans will continue.

Given the low yields on alternative investment securities management decided to retain certain hybrid adjustable rate mortgages to borrowers with high credit scores and low loan-to-value ratios. As a result, average residential mortgage loans secured by first lien 1-4 family residential mortgages increased by $5,427,000, or 18.9%, to $34,123,000 for 2014. The average yield on the residential real estate portfolio decreased by 27 basis points to 4.21% for 2014. Overall, interest income for this segment grew $151,000 in 2014.

Interest income on consumer loans increased $58,000. As with all other categories of retail loans, consumer loans at QNB experienced growth in average balances in 2014, with balances in this segment increasing $1,377,000, or 58.1%. This growth in volume contributed $89,000 to the increase in income, while decline in yield from 6.43% in 2013 to 5.60% offset the volume increase by $31,000. In 2014 QNB marketed auto loans, offering a competitive rate, driving loan demand.

Earning assets are funded primarily by deposits, which increased on average by $20,245,000, or 2.5%, to $829,084,000, when comparing 2014 and 2013. This follows an increase of $23,055,000, or 2.9%, between 2012 and 2013. Total interest expense for 2014 was $4,544,000 compared to $5,033,000 for 2013, a decline of $489,000. Interest expense on total deposits decreased $313,000 while interest expense on borrowed funds decreased $176,000 when comparing the two years. The rate paid on interest-bearing liabilities decreased seven basis points from 0.65% for 2013 to 0.58% for 2014. During this same period, the rate paid on interest-bearing deposits decreased six basis points from 0.64% to 0.58%. These yields will most likely not decline much further as deposit rates are close to reaching an inherent floor and may actually begin to increase as short-term interest rates begin to rise and the competition for deposits increases.

Similar to the past two years, the growth in deposits during 2014 was centered in accounts with greater liquidity, such as non-interest and interest-bearing demand, interest-bearing municipal accounts, and savings deposits. Average non-interest-bearing demand accounts increased $7,043,000, or 9.6%, to $80,427,000 for 2014. QNB has been very successful in increasing business checking accounts as average balances in these accounts have increased by $7,481,000, or 13.2%, when comparing the two years. Average interest-bearing demand accounts increased $9,248,000, or 8.5%, to $118,631,000 for 2014 compared to 2013 with interest expense on interest-bearing demand accounts increasing $14,000 to $274,000 for 2014. The average rate paid decreased one basis point from 0.24% for 2013 to 0.23% for 2014. Included in this category is QNB-Rewards checking, a higher-rate checking account product. The rate paid on balances up to $25,000 was 1.00% and 0.25% for balances over $25,000 in 2014. In order to receive the high rate a customer must receive an electronic statement, have one direct deposit or other ACH transaction and have at least 12 check card purchase transactions post and clear per statement cycle. For 2014, the average balance in this product was $36,242,000 and the related interest expense was $225,000 for an average cost of funds of 0.62%. In comparison, the average balance of the QNB-Rewards accounts for 2013 was $31,195,000 with a related interest expense of $215,000 and an average rate paid of 0.69%. Even with the reduction in the rates paid on the QNB-Rewards product, the yield of 1.00% for the first $25,000 and 0.25% on balances over $25,000, assuming qualifications are met, is still an attractive rate relative to competitors’ offerings as well as other QNB products. This product also generates fee income through the use of the check card. The average balance of other interest-bearing demand accounts included in this category increased from $78,188,000 for 2013 to $82,389,000 for 2014. The average rate paid on these balances was 0.06% for both years.

Interest expense on municipal interest-bearing demand accounts increased $10,000 to $399,000 for 2014. The average balance of municipal interest-bearing demand accounts increased $16,226,000, or 15.6%, to $120,540,000, while the average interest rate paid on these accounts decreased from 0.37% for 2013 to 0.33% for 2014. Most of these accounts are indexed to the Federal funds rate with negotiated rate floors between 0.25% and 0.50%. QNB was successful in increasing its relationships with several of these customers as well as adding new municipalities and school districts over the past year, accounting for the increase in balances. Many of these deposits are seasonal in nature and are received during the third quarter as tax receipts are collected and are withdrawn over the course of the next year.

Average money market accounts decreased $7,411,000, or 11.3%, to $58,333,000 for 2014 compared with 2013. Much of the decline in money market balances is a result of a shift in these balances to interest-bearing demand accounts or eSavings accounts. Interest expense on money market accounts decreased $7,000 to $126,000 for 2014 compared to 2013. The average interest rate paid on money market accounts was 0.20% for 2013 and 0.22% for 2014, an increase of two basis points. The majority of balances in this category are in the Select money market account, a product that pays a tiered rate based on account balances. With the continuation of exceptionally low short-term interest rates, balances remaining in these accounts for 2014 were at higher-yielding tiers.

During the second quarter of 2009, QNB introduced an online eSavings account to compete with other online savings accounts. This product was introduced at a yield of 1.85% and has been successful, with average balances growing $3,715,000, or 2.4%, to $156,063,000 in 2014 compared to $152,348,000 in 2013. The rate on this product was reduced to 0.45% during 2013 and was unchanged throughout 2014. The average cost of funds on these accounts was 0.50% for 2013 compared with 0.46% for 2014, with the rate remaining at 0.45% from the end of 2013 and throughout 2014. The yield on this account may rise along with market rates and as competition for savings balances increases. Traditional statement savings accounts and club accounts are also included in the savings category and increased on average by $2,861,000, or 5.8%, to $52,566,000. The average rate paid on total savings accounts decreased four basis points from 0.41% for 2013 to 0.37% for 2014 and interest expense decreased $50,000, from $820,000 to $770,000 over the same period. The growth in balances appears to reflect the desire for liquidity and a better rate than short-term time deposits.

The repricing of time deposits at lower rates combined with the decline in average time deposit balances continues to have the greatest impact on total interest expense. Total interest expense on time deposits decreased $280,000, or 9.1%, to $2,791,000 for 2014. Average total time deposits decreased by $11,437,000, or 4.5%, to $242,524,000 for 2014. Similar to fixed-rate loans and investment securities, time deposits reprice over time and, therefore, have less of an immediate impact on costs in either a rising or falling rate environment. Unlike loans and investment securities, however, the maturity and repricing characteristics of time deposits tend to be shorter. The average rate paid on time deposits decreased from 1.21% to 1.15% when comparing 2013 to 2014.

Approximately $115,347,000, or 47.4%, of time deposits at December 31, 2014 will reprice or mature over the next 12 months, compared with 42.3% of the portfolio at December 31, 2013. The average rate paid on these time deposits is approximately 0.79%. QNB has been trying to lengthen the maturity of the time deposit portfolio by offering attractive rates at terms 36 months or greater, with moderate success. The yield on the time deposit portfolio may decline slightly in the next quarter as short-term time deposits reprice. However, given the short-term nature of these deposits interest expense could increase if short-term time deposit rates were to increase suddenly or if customers select higher paying longer term time deposits.

Short-term borrowings are comprised of sweep accounts structured as repurchase agreements with our commercial customers and overnight borrowings from the correspondent banks with average balances in 2014 of $29,574,000 and $2,042,000, respectively. Interest expense on short-term borrowings increased by $3,000 to $114,000 when comparing the two years. During this period average balances increased $1,873,000 to $31,616,000 while the average rate paid declined one basis point, from 0.37% to 0.36%.

Contributing to the decrease in total interest expense was a reduction in interest expense on long-term debt of $179,000. The average balance of long-term debt for 2014 was $1,452,000 compared with $5,174,000 in 2013. The final portion of long-term debt taken out in April 2012 matured and was repaid on April 17, 2014. The rate on this long-term debt was 4.75%.

Provision for Loan Losses

The provision for loan losses represents management’s determination of the amount necessary to be charged to operations to bring the allowance for loan losses to a level that represents management’s best estimate of the known and inherent losses in the existing loan portfolio. QNB recorded a provision for loan losses of $400,000 for each of the twelve month periods ended December 31, 2014 and December 31, 2013. The provision for loan losses reflects the reduction in classified loans and nonperforming loans, and a reduction in specific impairment reserves. Net loan charge-offs were $1,324,000, or 0.25% of total average loans for 2014 compared with $1,247,000, or 0.26% of total average loans in 2013. The majority of the loans charged off during 2014 had specific reserves established during the allowance for loan loss calculation process prior to the ultimate decision to charge-off the loans. Deterioration in credit quality or significant growth in the loan portfolio could result in a higher provision for loan losses in 2015.

Non-Interest Income

QNB, through its core banking business, generates various fees and service charges. Total non-interest income includes service charges on deposit accounts, ATM and check card income, retail brokerage and advisory income, income on bank-owned life insurance, merchant income and gains and losses on investment securities and residential mortgage loans. On November 26, 2014, QNB transferred its former internet domain name to a third party for a purchase price of $1,000,000, as disclosed in a Form 8-K filing dated December 2, 2014. The Company also received a life insurance benefit totaling $158,000 during the fourth quarter. Total non-interest income was $7,542,000 in 2014 compared with $5,813,000 in 2013, an increase of $1,729,000, or 29.7%. Excluding these two non-recurring items, the Company posted an increase in non-interest income of $571,000, or 9.8%, for the twelve months ended of 2014, compared to the same period in 2013.

Fees for services to customers are primarily comprised of service charges on deposit accounts. These fees were $1,687,000 for 2014, an increase of $93,000, or 5.8%, from 2013. Overdraft income, which represented approximately 72% and 69% of total fees for services to customers in 2014 and 2013, respectively, increased by $115,000, or 10.5%, when comparing 2014 to 2013. The increase in overdraft income primarily reflects growth in the number of checking accounts as well as the positive impact of the introduction of an overdraft protection program on net overdraft income as the program reduced the amount of overdraft fees forgiven.

ATM and debit card income is primarily comprised of transaction income on debit cards and ATM cards and ATM surcharge income for the use of QNB’s ATM machines by non-QNB customers. ATM and debit card income was $1,485,000 in 2014, a decrease of $14,000, or 0.9%, from the amount recorded in 2013. Debit card income increased $88,000, or 7.5%, to $1,261,000 in 2014, while ATM interchange income decreased $101,000, or 39.2%, to $156,000. The Dodd-Frank Act and the Durbin amendment impacted both the total amount of interchange income received on debit and ATM transactions as well as the distribution between the two as merchants began routing their transactions through the low cost provider. The growth in checking accounts contributed to the increase in debit card income, including the QNB Rewards checking product, a high-yield checking account which requires, among other terms, the posting of a minimum of twelve debit card purchase transactions per statement cycle to receive the high interest rate. Multiple high profile data breaches at national retailers throughout 2014 may have a negative impact on the volume of debit and credit card transactions and therefore income generated, as shoppers may lose confidence in the security of these cards and may alter their behavior and use cash more frequently.

Retail brokerage and advisory revenue was $657,000 for 2014 compared to $523,000 in 2013. QNB provides securities and advisory services under the name QNB Financial Services through Investment Professionals, Inc., a registered Broker/Dealer and Registered Investment Advisor. QNB receives 75% to 86% of the revenue generated, depending on volume but is also responsible for salaries and expenses of two advisors who are QNB employees. In 2014, the net amount of income provided by these services was $112,000, compared to $74,000 in net income for 2013.

Income on bank-owned life insurance (BOLI) represents the earnings and death benefits on life insurance policies in which the Bank is the beneficiary. The insurance carriers reset the rates on these policies annually taking into consideration the interest rate environment as well as mortality costs. The existing policies have rate floors which minimize how low the earnings rate can go. Some of these policies are currently at their floor. Income on these policies during 2014 was $472,000, including $158,000 related to a death claim. Excluding the claim, income in 2014 would be $314,000, compared to $320,000 in 2013, with the decline in income resulting from a decrease in the earning credit rate from one carrier and increases in mortality costs.

Merchant income represents fees charged to merchants for the Bank’s handling of credit card or charge sales. Merchant income was $299,000 for 2014, a decrease of $68,000, or 18.5%, from the amount reported in 2013. The decrease in merchant income is primarily a result of extremely competitive pricing in the market. Sales volume decreased approximately 10.1% year over year, due to the loss of three vendors to competition, the acquisition of new clients at smaller margins and possible change in card-holders’ behavior due to multiple data breaches in 2014. QNB had 251 merchant customers at December 31, 2014 and 247 merchant customers at December 31, 2013.

The fixed-income securities portfolio represents a significant portion of QNB’s earning assets and is also a primary tool in liquidity and asset/liability management. QNB actively manages its fixed-income portfolio in an effort to take advantage of changes in the shape of the yield curve, changes in spread relationships in different sectors, and for liquidity purposes. Management continually reviews strategies that will result in an increase in the yield or improvement in the structure of the investment portfolio, including monitoring credit and concentration risk in the portfolio. In addition the Corporation owns a small portfolio of equity securities for the purpose of generating both dividend income and capital appreciation.

Net investment securities gains were $1,112,000 for 2014 compared to $824,000 for 2013. Included in these figures were gains from equity securities of $1,045,000 and $629,000, in 2014 and 2013, respectively. The 2013 net gains were comprised of $672,000 realized on the sales of equity securities reduced by an other-than-temporary impairment (OTTI) charge of $43,000. There were no OTTI charges in 2014. With the outstanding performance in the U.S. equity markets during 2013 and 2014, QNB elected to sell some equity holdings and recognize gains. Gains on the sale of fixed income securities were $67,000 and $195,000 for 2014 and 2013, respectively. Both the 2014 and 2013 fixed income gains were primarily from the sale of fast paying or odd-lot mortgage-backed and CMO securities as well as low yielding agency bonds that were likely to be called in the next two years.

The net gain on residential mortgage sales is directly related to the volume of mortgages sold and the timing of the sales relative to the interest rate environment. Residential mortgage loans to be sold are identified at origination. The net gain on the sale of residential mortgage loans was $258,000 and $425,000 for 2014 and 2013, respectively. Mortgage refinance activity slowed significantly beginning in June 2013 and continued through the first six months of 2014 due to higher mortgage rates as well as contraction in GDP during the first quarter 2014. Proceeds from the sale of residential mortgages were $6,589,000 and $17,022,000. Included in the gains on the sale of residential mortgages in 2014 and 2013 are $48,000 and $126,000, respectively, related to the recognition of mortgage servicing assets.

When QNB sells its residential mortgages in the secondary market, it retains servicing rights. A normal servicing fee is retained on all mortgage loans sold and serviced. QNB recognizes its obligation to service financial assets that are retained in a transfer of assets in the form of a servicing asset. The servicing asset is amortized in proportion to, and over, the period of net servicing income or loss. On a quarterly basis, servicing assets are assessed for impairment based on their fair value. Mortgage servicing income of $135,000 for 2014 and $152,000 for 2013 is included in other non-interest income.

Other non-interest income was $416,000 for 2014, an increase of $155,000 from the amount recorded in 2013. There were no OREO sales in 2014, compared to a $174,000 loss on sale of OREO in 2013. In addition, the Company received $30,000 in rental income for an OREO property in 2014. QNB receives income from its membership in Laurel Abstract Company LLC. This income from the title company decreased by $61,000 to $13,000 when comparing the two years, due to the slowdown in mortgage refinance activity in 2014 compared to 2013.

Non-Interest Expense

Non-interest expense is comprised of costs related to salaries and employee benefits, net occupancy, furniture and equipment, marketing, third party services, FDIC insurance premiums, regulatory assessments and taxes and various other operating expenses. Total non-interest expense was $21,626,000 in 2014, an increase of $1,400,000, or 6.9%, from the $20,226,000 recorded in 2013. QNB’s overhead efficiency ratio, which represents the percentage of each dollar of revenue that is used for non-interest expense, is calculated by taking non-interest expense divided by net operating revenue. The Bank’s efficiency ratios for 2014 and 2013 were 65.9% and 65.7%, respectively, and compare favorably with Pennsylvania state-chartered commercial banks with assets between $750 million and $1.5 billion which had average efficiency ratios of 67.9% and 66.7% for 2014 and 2013, respectively.

Salaries and benefits expense is the largest component of non-interest expense. QNB monitors, through the use of various surveys, the competitive salary and benefit information in its markets and makes adjustments when appropriate. Salaries and benefits expense for 2014 was $11,649,000, an increase of $1,096,000, or 10.4%, over the $10,553,000 reported in 2013. Salary expense for 2014 was $8,965,000, an increase of $529,000, or 6.3%, over the $8,436,000 reported in 2013. Included in salary expense in 2014 was incentive compensation plus related payroll taxes of $282,000. There was no incentive compensation recorded during 2013. Excluding the cost of incentive compensation, salary expense increased $247,000, or 2.9%, when comparing 2014 to 2013. Benefit expense for 2014 was $2,684,000, an increase of $567,000, or 26.8%, from the amount recorded in 2013, with medical benefits increasing $470,000, or 48.8%, related to a number of large claims. QNB self-funds medical insurance and also has Stop Loss insurance which limits its claims expense. Payroll taxes and retirement plan matching and safe harbor and other benefits increased $98,000 in 2014.

Net occupancy and furniture and equipment expense increased $106,000, or 3.2%, to $3,458,000 when comparing 2014 to 2013. This is related to a $45,000 increase in equipment maintenance costs coupled with higher depreciation and amortization expense on buildings, new furniture, equipment and software.

Marketing expense was $841,000 for 2014, a decrease of $130,000, or 13.4%, from the $971,000 recorded in 2013. Marketing expenses related to advertising, public relations, research and sales promotion decreased $58,000 for the year ended December 31, 2014 compared to 2013. The opening of the two new branch locations and the introduction of QNB Financial Services were the primary contributors to the increase in these categories in 2013. A reduction in charitable contributions of $72,000 also contributed to the decrease in the marketing expense category. QNB contributes to many not-for-profit organizations and clubs and sponsors many local events in the communities it serves.

Telephone, postage and supplies expense was $60,000, or 9.0%, higher for 2014 than 2013 with communication costs which include telephone and internet costs accounting for the increase. An increase in bandwidth to provide faster communications to our branch locations contributed to this cost increase.

State tax expense represents the payment of the Pennsylvania Shares Tax, Pennsylvania sales and use tax and the Pennsylvania capital stock tax. State tax expense was $617,000 and $690,000 for the years 2014 and 2013, respectively. The Pennsylvania Shares Tax is based primarily on the equity of the Bank and makes up the majority of the expense in this category. The decline from prior the prior year is a result of a change in the state-mandated formula for 2014, which resulted in lower tax expense despite increased Bank equity.

Income Taxes

Applicable income taxes and effective tax rates were $2,644,000, or 22.7%, for 2014 compared to $2,346,000, or 21.8%, for 2013. The higher effective tax rate for 2014 is predominately a result of tax-exempt income from loans and securities comprising a smaller proportional share of pre-tax income. For a more comprehensive analysis of income tax expense and deferred taxes, refer to Note 11 in the Notes to Consolidated Financial Statements.

Financial Condition

ASSETS

The following table presents total assets at the dates indicated:

Cash and interest-earnings deposits

Total cash and cash equivalents increased $1,959,000 from $16,286,000 at December 31, 2013 to $18,245,000 at December 31, 2014. QNB had interest bearing balances at the Federal Reserve Bank of $5,930,000 at December 31, 2014 compared with $3,544,000 at December 31, 2013.

Investment Securities and Other Short-Term Investments

At December 31, 2014 and 2013, QNB had no Federal funds sold. With the Federal funds rate to between 0.0% and 0.25%, excess funds for liquidity purposes are kept at the Federal Reserve which was paying 0.25% and carries a 0% risk weighting for risk-based capital calculation purposes.