SANDY SPRING BANCORP INC - Annual Report: 2014 (Form 10-K)

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

FORM 10-K

 

ANNUAL REPORT PURSUANT TO SECTION 13 OR 15(d)

OF THE SECURITIES EXCHANGE ACT OF 1934

 

For the Fiscal Year Ended December 31, 2014

 

Commission File Number 0-19065 

SANDY SPRING BANCORP, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

 

301-774-6400

(Registrant's telephone number, including area code)

 

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

 

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

 

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

                                                                                                                                                                        [  ]  Yes  [X]  No

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

                                                                                                                                                                        [  ]  Yes  [X]  No*

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

 

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 definitions of “large accelerated filer,” “accelerated filer” and “smaller reporting company” in Rule 12b-2 of the Exchange Act (Check one):

Large accelerated filer  [  ]   Accelerated filer   [X]    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 Act).  [  ]  Yes  [X]  No

 

The aggregate market value of the voting common stock of the registrant held by non-affiliates on June 30, 2014, the last day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter was approximately $610 million, based on the closing sales price of $24.91 per share of the registrant's Common Stock on that date.

 

The number of outstanding shares of common stock outstanding as of March 5, 2015.

Common stock, $1.00 par value – 24,894,506 shares

 

Documents Incorporated By Reference

Part III: Portions of the definitive proxy statement for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on May 6, 2015 (the "Proxy Statement").

   

* The registrant is required to file reports pursuant to Section 13 of the Act.

Forward-Looking Statements

 

This Annual Report Form 10-K, as well as other periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, and written or oral communications made from time to time by or on behalf of Sandy Spring Bancorp and its subsidiaries (the “Company”), may contain statements relating to future events or future results of the Company that are considered “forward-looking statements” under the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These forward-looking statements may be identified by the use of words such as “believe,” “expect,” “anticipate,”  “plan,” “estimate,” “intend” and “potential,” or words of similar meaning, or future or conditional verbs such as “should,” “could,” or “may.”  Forward-looking statements include statements of our goals, intentions and expectations; statements regarding our business plans, prospects, growth and operating strategies; statements regarding the quality of our loan and investment portfolios; and estimates of our risks and future costs and benefits.

 

Forward-looking statements reflect our expectation or prediction of future conditions, events or results based on information currently available. These forward-looking statements are subject to significant risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results to differ materially from those in such statements.  These risk and uncertainties include, but are not limited to, the risks identified in Item 1A of this report and the following:

 

·       general business and economic conditions nationally or in the markets that the Company serves could adversely affect, among other things, real estate prices, unemployment levels, and consumer and business confidence, which could lead to decreases in the demand for loans, deposits and other financial services that we provide and increases in loan delinquencies and defaults;

·       changes or volatility in the capital markets and interest rates may adversely impact the value of securities, loans, deposits and other financial instruments and the interest rate sensitivity of our balance sheet as well as our liquidity;

·       our liquidity requirements could be adversely affected by changes in our assets and liabilities;

·       our investment securities portfolio is subject to credit risk, market risk, and liquidity risk as well as changes in the estimates we use to value certain of the securities in our portfolio;

·       the effect of legislative or regulatory developments including changes in laws concerning taxes, banking, securities, insurance and other aspects of the financial services industry;

·       competitive factors among financial services companies, including product and pricing pressures and our ability to attract, develop and retain qualified banking professionals;

·       the effect of changes in accounting policies and practices, as may be adopted by the Financial Accounting Standards Board, the Securities and Exchange Commission, the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board and other regulatory agencies; and

·       the effect of fiscal and governmental policies of the United States federal government.

 

Forward-looking statements speak only as of the date of this report.  We do not undertake to update forward-looking statements to reflect circumstances or events that occur after the date of this report or to reflect the occurrence of unanticipated events except as required by federal securities laws.

 

  

PART I

 

Item 1.  BUSINESS 

 

General

Sandy Spring Bancorp, Inc. (the “Company") is the one-bank holding company for Sandy Spring Bank (the "Bank"). The Company is registered as a bank holding company pursuant to the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended (the "Holding Company Act"). As such, the Company is subject to supervision and regulation by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System (the "Federal Reserve"). The Company began operating in 1988. Sandy Spring Bank traces its origin to 1868, making it among the oldest banking institutions in the region. The Bank is independent, community oriented, and conducts a full-service commercial banking business through 44 community offices located in Central Maryland and Northern Virginia. The Bank is a state chartered bank subject to supervision and regulation by the Federal Reserve and the State of Maryland. The Bank's deposit accounts are insured by the Deposit Insurance Fund administered by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (the "FDIC") to the maximum permitted by law. The Bank is a member of the Federal Reserve System and is an Equal Housing Lender. The Company, the Bank, and its other subsidiaries are Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employers. 

 

With $4.4 billion in assets, the Company is a community banking organization that focuses its lending and other services on businesses and consumers in the local market area. Through its subsidiaries, Sandy Spring Insurance Corporation and West Financial Services, Inc., Sandy Spring Bank offers a comprehensive menu of insurance and investment management services. 

 

The Company's and the Bank's principal executive office is located at 17801 Georgia Avenue, Olney, Maryland 20832, and its telephone number is 301-774-6400.

 

Availability of Information

This report is not part of the proxy materials; it is provided along with the annual proxy statement for convenience of use and as an expense control measure. The Company makes available through the Investor Relations area of the Company website, at www.sandyspringbank.com, annual reports on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and any amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to Section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Access to these reports is provided by means of a link to a third-party vendor that maintains a database of such filings.  In general, the Company intends that these reports be available as soon as practicable after they are filed with or furnished to the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”).  Technical and other operational obstacles or delays caused by the vendor may delay their availability.  The SEC maintains a website (www.sec.gov) where these filings also are available through the SEC’s EDGAR system.  There is no charge for access to these filings through either the Company’s site or the SEC’s site.

 

Market and Economic Overview

Sandy Spring Bank is headquartered in Montgomery County, Maryland and conducts business primarily in Central Maryland and Northern Virginia.  The Bank’s business footprint serves Greater Washington, which includes the District of Columbia proper, Northern Virginia and suburban Maryland, one of the country’s most economically successful regions. The region’s economic strength is due not only to the region’s significant federal presence, but also to strong growth in the business and professional services sector. The creation of the United States Cyber Command in Ft. Meade, Maryland together with a strategic location between two of the country’s leading ports - the Port of Baltimore and the Port of Virginia -  has created new opportunities for growth in a variety of areas, including logistics and transportation.

 

Over the last several years, the unemployment rate in the region has remained below the national average and, with the end of the recent recession, this difference has continued. Much of this success is due to the region’s highly trained and educated workforce. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the region is home to six of the top ten most highly educated counties in the nation and six of the top ten most affluent counties, as measured by household income. The Company’s geographical location provides access to key neighboring markets such as Philadelphia, New York City, Pittsburgh and the Richmond/Norfolk, Virginia corridor.

                 

While the local economy continues to slowly recover from the impact of the recent recession, management believes the regional economy has turned around and will continue to experience further recovery and expansion, which will present growth opportunities for the Company.

 

Loan and Lease Products

The Company currently offers a complete menu of loan products primarily in our identified market footprint that are discussed in detail below and on the following pages.  These following sections should be read in conjunction with the section “Credit Risk” on page 48 of this report.

 

Residential Real Estate Loans

The residential real estate category contains loans principally to consumers secured by residential real estate. The Company's residential real estate lending policy requires each loan to have viable repayment sources. Residential real estate loans are evaluated for the adequacy of these repayment sources at the time of approval, based upon measures including credit scores, debt-to-income ratios, and collateral values. Credit risk for residential real estate loans arises from borrowers lacking the ability or willingness to repay the loan or by a shortfall in the value of the residential real estate in relation to the outstanding loan balance in the event of a default and subsequent liquidation of the real estate collateral.  The residential real estate portfolio includes both conforming and non-conforming mortgage loans.

 

Conforming mortgage loans represent loans originated in accordance with underwriting standards set forth by the government-sponsored entities (“GSEs”), including the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”), the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (“Freddie Mac”), and the Government National Mortgage Association (“Ginnie Mae”), which serve as the primary purchasers of loans sold in the secondary mortgage market by mortgage lenders. These loans are generally collateralized by one-to-four-family residential real estate, have loan-to-collateral value ratios of 80% or less or have mortgage insurance to insure down to 80%, and are made to borrowers in good credit standing. Substantially all fixed-rate conforming loans originated are sold in the secondary mortgage market. For any loans retained by the Company, title insurance insuring the priority of its mortgage lien, as well as fire and extended coverage casualty insurance protecting the properties securing the loans is required. Borrowers may be required to advance funds, with each monthly payment of principal and interest, to a loan escrow account from which the Company makes disbursements for items such as real estate taxes and mortgage insurance premiums. Appraisers approved by the Company appraise the properties securing substantially all of the Company's residential mortgage loans.

 

Non-conforming mortgage loans represent loans that generally are not saleable in the secondary market to the GSEs for inclusion in conventional mortgage-backed securities due to the credit characteristics of the borrower, the underlying documentation, the loan-to-value ratio, or the size of the loan, among other factors. The Company originates non-conforming loans for its own portfolio and for sale to third-party investors, usually large mortgage companies, under commitments by the mortgage company to purchase the loans subject to compliance with pre-established investor criteria. Non-conforming loans generated for sale include loans that may not be underwritten using customary underwriting standards. These loans typically are held after funding for thirty days or less, and are included in residential mortgages held for sale.  The Company's current practice is to sell both conforming and non-conforming loans on a servicing released basis. 

 

The Company makes residential real estate development and construction loans generally to provide interim financing on property during the development and construction period. Borrowers include builders, developers and persons who will ultimately occupy the single-family dwelling. Residential real estate development and construction loan funds are disbursed periodically as pre-specified stages of completion are attained based upon site inspections. Interest rates on these loans are usually adjustable.  Loans to individuals for the construction of primary personal residences are typically secured by the property under construction, frequently include additional collateral (such as a second mortgage on the borrower's present home), and commonly have maturities of six to twelve months. The Company attempts to obtain the permanent mortgage loan under terms, conditions and documentation standards that permit the sale of the mortgage loan in the secondary mortgage loan market.

 

Commercial Loans and Leases

Included in this category are commercial real estate loans, commercial construction loans, leases and other commercial loans. Over the years, the Company’s commercial loan clients have come to represent a diverse cross-section of small to mid-size local businesses within our market footprint, whose owners and employees are often established Bank customers. Such banking relationships are a natural business for the Company, with its long-standing community roots and extensive experience in serving and lending to this market segment.

 

Commercial loans are evaluated for the adequacy of repayment sources at the time of approval and are regularly reviewed for any possible deterioration in the ability of the borrower to repay the loan. Collateral generally is required to provide the Company with an additional source of repayment in the event of default by a commercial borrower. The structure of the collateral package, including the type and amount of the collateral, varies from loan to loan depending on the financial strength of the borrower, the amount and terms of the loan, and the collateral available to be pledged by the borrower, but generally may include real estate, accounts receivable, inventory, equipment or other assets. Loans also may be supported by personal guarantees from the principals of the commercial loan borrowers.  The financial condition and cash flow of commercial borrowers are closely monitored by the submission of corporate financial statements, personal financial statements and income tax returns. The frequency of submissions of required information depends upon the size and complexity of the credit and the collateral that secures the loan.  Credit risk for commercial loans arises from borrowers lacking the ability or willingness to repay the loan, and in the case of secured loans, by a shortfall in the collateral value in relation to the outstanding loan balance in the event of a default and subsequent liquidation of collateral. The Company has no commercial loans to borrowers in similar industries that exceed 10% of total loans. 

 

Included in commercial loans are credits directly originated by the Company and, to a lesser extent, syndicated transactions or loan participations that are originated by other lenders. The Company's commercial lending policy requires each loan, regardless of whether it is directly originated or is purchased, to have viable repayment sources. The risks associated with syndicated loans or purchased participations are similar to those of directly originated commercial loans, although additional risk may arise from the limited ability to control actions of the primary lender.  Shared National Credits (SNC), as defined by the banking regulatory agencies, represent syndicated lending arrangements with three or more participating financial institutions and credit exceeding $20.0 million in the aggregate. As of December 31, 2014, the Company had $13.2 million in SNC purchases outstanding and no SNC sold outstanding. During 2014, the Company’s primary regulator completed its annual SNC examination. As a result of this review no action was required on the Company’s SNC participations.

 

The Company also sells participations in loans it originates to other financial institutions in order to build long-term customer relationships or limit loan concentration. Strict policies are in place governing the degree of risk assumed and volume of loans held. At December 31, 2014, other financial institutions had $29.0 million in outstanding commercial and commercial real estate loan participations sold by the Company, and the Company had $23.7 million in outstanding commercial and commercial real estate loan participations purchased from other lenders, excluding SNC participations. 

     

The Company's commercial real estate loans consist of both loans secured by owner occupied properties and non-owner occupied properties where an established banking relationship exists and involves investment properties for warehouse, retail, and office space with a history of occupancy and cash flow. The commercial real estate category contains mortgage loans to developers and owners of commercial real estate. Commercial real estate loans are governed by the same lending policies and subject to credit risk as previously described for commercial loans. Commercial real estate loans secured by owner-occupied properties are based upon the borrower’s financial health and the ability of the borrower and the business to repay. The Company seeks to reduce the risks associated with commercial mortgage lending by generally lending in its market area, using conservative loan-to-value ratios and obtaining periodic financial statements and tax returns from borrowers to perform loan reviews. It is also the Company's general policy to obtain personal guarantees from the principals of the borrowers and to underwrite the business entity from a cash flow perspective. Interest rate risks are mitigated by using either floating interest rates or by fixing rates for a short period of time, generally less than three years.  While loan amortizations may be approved for up to 300 months, each loan generally has a call provision (maturity date) of five years or less.

 

The Company primarily lends for commercial construction in local markets that are familiar and understandable, works selectively with top-quality builders and developers, and requires substantial equity from its borrowers.  The underwriting process is designed to confirm that the project will be economically feasible and financially viable; it is generally evaluated as though the Company will provide permanent financing. The Company's portfolio growth objectives do not include speculative commercial construction projects or projects lacking reasonable proportionate sharing of risk. Development and construction loans are secured by the properties under development or construction, and personal guarantees are typically obtained. Further, to assure that reliance is not placed solely upon the value of the underlying collateral, the Company considers the financial condition and reputation of the borrower and any guarantors, the amount of the borrower's equity in the project, independent appraisals, cost estimates and pre-construction sales information. A risk rating system is used on the commercial loan portfolio to determine any exposures to losses.

 

Acquisition, development and construction loans (“ADC loans”) to residential builders are generally made for the construction of residential homes for which a binding sales contract exists and the prospective buyers had been pre-qualified for permanent mortgage financing by either third-party lenders (mortgage companies or other financial institutions) or the Company.  Loans for the development of residential land are extended when evidence is provided that the lots under development will be or have been sold to builders satisfactory to the Company. These loans are generally extended for a period of time sufficient to allow for the clearing and grading of the land and the installation of water, sewer and roads, which is typically a minimum of eighteen months to three years.

 

The Company makes commercial business loans. Commercial term loans are made to provide funds for equipment and general corporate needs.  This loan category is designed to support borrowers who have a proven ability to service debt over a term generally not to exceed 84 months.  The Company generally requires a first lien position on all collateral and requires guarantees from owners having at least a 20% interest in the involved business.  Interest rates on commercial term loans are generally floating or fixed for a term not to exceed five years.  Management monitors industry and collateral concentrations to avoid loan exposures to a large group of similar industries or similar collateral. Commercial business loans are evaluated for historical and projected cash flow attributes, balance sheet strength, and primary and alternate resources of personal guarantors.  Commercial term loan documents require borrowers to forward regular financial information on both the business and personal guarantors. Loan covenants require at least annual submission of complete financial information and in certain cases this information is required monthly, quarterly or semi-annually depending on the degree to which the Company desires information resources for monitoring a borrower’s financial condition and compliance with loan covenants.  Examples of properly margined collateral for loans, as required by bank policy, would be a 75% advance on the lesser of appraisal or recent sales price on commercial property, an 80% or less advance on eligible receivables, a 50% or less advance on eligible inventory and an 80% advance on appraised residential property. Collateral borrowing certificates may be required to monitor certain collateral categories on a monthly or quarterly basis. Loans may require personal guarantees.  Key person life insurance may be required as appropriate and as necessary to mitigate the risk of loss of a primary owner or manager. Whenever appropriate and available, the Bank seeks governmental loan guarantees, such as the Small Business Administration loan programs, to reduce risks.

 

Commercial lines of credit are granted to finance a business borrower’s short-term credit needs and/or to finance a percentage of eligible receivables and inventory.  In addition to the risks inherent in term loan facilities, line of credit borrowers typically require additional monitoring to protect the lender against increasing loan volumes and diminishing collateral values.  Commercial lines of credit are generally revolving in nature and require close scrutiny.  The Company generally requires at least an annual out of debt period (for seasonal borrowers) or regular financial information (monthly or quarterly financial statements, borrowing base certificates, etc.) for borrowers with more growth and greater permanent working capital financing needs.  Advances against collateral value are limited.  Lines of credit and term loans to the same borrowers generally are cross-defaulted and cross-collateralized.  Interest rate charges on this group of loans generally float at a factor at or above the prime lending rate.

 

Consumer Loans

Consumer lending continues to be important to the Company’s full-service, community banking business.  This category of loans includes primarily home equity loans and lines, installment loans and personal lines of credit. 

 

The home equity category consists mainly of revolving lines of credit to consumers that are secured by residential real estate. Home equity lines of credit and other home equity loans are originated by the Company for typically up to 90% of the appraised value, less the amount of any existing prior liens on the property. While home equity loans have maximum terms of up to twenty years and interest rates are generally fixed, home equity lines of credit have maximum terms of up to ten years for draws and thirty years for repayment, and interest rates are generally adjustable. The Company secures these loans with mortgages on the homes (typically a second mortgage). Purchase money second mortgage loans originated by the Company have maximum terms ranging from ten to thirty years. These loans generally carry a fixed rate of interest for the entire term or a fixed rate of interest for the first five years, re-pricing every five years thereafter at a predetermined spread to the prime rate of interest. Home equity lines are generally governed by the same lending policies and subject to credit risk as described for residential real estate loans.

 

Other consumer loans include installment loans used by customers to purchase automobiles, boats and recreational vehicles. These consumer loans are generally governed by the same overall lending policies as described for residential real estate. Credit risk for consumer loans arises from borrowers lacking the ability or willingness to repay the loan, and in the case of secured loans, by a shortfall in the value of the collateral in relation to the outstanding loan balance in the event of a default and subsequent liquidation of collateral. 

 

Consumer installment loans are generally offered for terms of up to five years at fixed interest rates.  Automobile loans can be for up to 100% of the purchase price or the retail value listed by the National Automobile Dealers Association. The terms of the loans are determined by the age and condition of the collateral. Collision insurance policies are required on all these loans, unless the borrower has substantial other assets and income. The Company also makes other consumer loans, which may or may not be secured. The term of the loans usually depends on the collateral. The majority of unsecured loans usually do not exceed $50 thousand and have a term of no longer than 36 months.

 

Deposit Activities

Subject to the Company’s Asset/Liability Committee (the “ALCO”) policies and current business plan, the Treasury function works closely with the Company’s retail deposit operations to accomplish the objectives of maintaining deposit market share within the Company’s primary markets and managing funding costs to preserve the net interest margin.

 

One of the Company’s primary objectives as a community bank is to develop long-term, multi-product customer relationships from its comprehensive menu of financial products. To that end, the lead product to develop such relationships is typically a deposit product. Deposit growth will be relied upon to fund long-term future loan growth as the economy recovers.

 

Treasury Activities

The Treasury function manages the wholesale segments of the balance sheet, including investments, purchased funds and long-term debt, and is responsible for all facets of interest rate risk management for the Company, which includes the pricing of deposits consistent with conservative interest rate risk and liquidity practices. Management’s objective is to achieve the maximum level of consistent earnings over the long term, while minimizing interest rate risk, credit risk and liquidity risk and optimizing capital utilization. In managing the investment portfolio under its stated objectives, the Company invests primarily in U.S. Treasury and Agency securities, U.S Agency mortgage-backed securities (“MBS”), U.S. Agency Collateralized Mortgage Obligations (“CMO”), municipal bonds and, to a minimal extent, trust preferred securities and corporate bonds. Treasury strategies and activities are overseen by the Risk Committee of the board of directors, ALCO and the Company’s Investment Committee, which reviews all investment and funding transactions. The ALCO activities are summarized and reviewed quarterly with the Company’s board of directors.

 

The primary objective of the investment portfolio is to provide the necessary liquidity consistent with anticipated levels of deposit funding and loan demand with a minimal level of risk. The overall average duration of 3.4 years of the investment portfolio together with the types of investments (99% of the portfolio is rated AA or above) is intended to provide sufficient cash flows to support the Company’s lending goals. Liquidity is also provided by lines of credit maintained with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta (“FHLB”), the Federal Reserve, and to a lesser extent, bank lines of credit.

 

Borrowing Activities

Management utilizes a variety of sources to raise borrowed funds at competitive rates, including federal funds purchased, FHLB borrowings and retail repurchase agreements. FHLB borrowings typically carry rates approximating the LIBOR rate for the equivalent term because they may be secured with investments or high quality loans. Federal funds purchased, which are generally overnight borrowings, are typically purchased at the Federal Reserve target rate.

 

The Company’s borrowing activities are achieved through the use of the previously mentioned lines of credit to address overnight and short-term funding needs, match-fund loan activity and, when opportunities are present, to lock in attractive rates due to market conditions.

 

Employees

The Company and its subsidiaries employed 727 persons, including executive officers, loan and other banking and trust officers, branch personnel, and others at December 31, 2014. None of the Company's employees is represented by a union or covered under a collective bargaining agreement. Management of the Company considers its employee relations to be excellent.

 

Competition

The Bank's principal competitors for deposits are other financial institutions, including other banks, credit unions, and savings institutions located in the Bank’s primary market area of Anne Arundel, Carroll, Frederick, Howard, Montgomery and Prince George’s counties in Maryland, and Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun counties in Virginia. Competition among these institutions is based primarily on interest rates and other terms offered, service charges imposed on deposit accounts, the quality of services rendered, and the convenience of banking facilities. Additional competition for depositors' funds comes from mutual funds, U.S. Government securities, and private issuers of debt obligations and suppliers of other investment alternatives for depositors such as securities firms. Competition from credit unions has intensified in recent years as historical federal limits on membership have been relaxed. Because federal law subsidizes credit unions by giving them a general exemption from federal income taxes, credit unions have a significant cost advantage over banks and savings associations, which are fully subject to federal income taxes. Credit unions may use this advantage to offer rates that are highly competitive with those offered by banks and thrifts.

 

The banking business in Central Maryland and Northern Virginia generally, and the Bank's primary service areas specifically, are highly competitive with respect to both loans and deposits. As noted above, the Bank competes with many larger banking organizations that have offices over a wide geographic area. These larger institutions have certain inherent advantages, such as the ability to finance wide-ranging advertising campaigns and promotions and to allocate their investment assets to regions offering the highest yield and demand. They also offer services, such as international banking, that are not offered directly by the Bank (but are available indirectly through correspondent institutions), and, by virtue of their larger total capitalization, such banks have substantially higher legal lending limits, which are based on bank capital, than does the Bank. The Bank can arrange loans in excess of its lending limit, or in excess of the level of risk it desires to take, by arranging participations with other banks.  The primary factors in competing for loans are interest rates, loan origination fees, and the range of services offered by lenders. Competitors for loan originations include other commercial banks, mortgage bankers, mortgage brokers, savings associations, and insurance companies.

 

Sandy Spring Insurance Corporation (“SSIC”), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Bank, offers annuities as an alternative to traditional deposit accounts. SSIC operates Sandy Spring Insurance, a general insurance agency located in Annapolis, Maryland, and Neff & Associates, an insurance agency located in Ocean City, Maryland.  Both agencies face competition primarily from other insurance agencies and insurance companies.  West Financial Services, Inc. (“WFS”), a wholly owned subsidiary of the Bank, is an asset management and financial planning company located in McLean, Virginia.  The competition that WFS faces is primarily from other financial planners, banks, and financial management companies.

 

In addition to competing with other commercial banks, credit unions and savings associations, commercial banks such as the Bank compete with non-bank institutions for funds. For instance, yields on corporate and government debt and equity securities affect the ability of commercial banks to attract and hold deposits. Mutual funds also provide substantial competition to banks for deposits.  Other entities, both governmental and in private industry, raise capital through the issuance and sale of debt and equity securities and indirectly compete with the Bank in the acquisition of deposits.

                                               

Financial holding companies may engage in banking as well as types of securities, insurance, and other financial activities.  Banks with or without holding companies also may establish and operate financial subsidiaries that may engage in most financial activities in which financial holding companies may engage. Competition may increase as bank holding companies and other large financial services companies expand their operations to engage in new activities and provide a wider array of products.

 

Monetary Policy

The Company and the Bank are affected by fiscal and monetary policies of the federal government, including those of the Federal Reserve Board, which regulates the national money supply in order to mitigate recessionary and inflationary pressures. Among the techniques available to the Federal Reserve Board are engaging in open market transactions of U.S. Government securities, changing the discount rate and changing reserve requirements against bank deposits. These techniques are used in varying combinations to influence the overall growth of bank loans, investments and deposits. Their use may also affect interest rates charged on loans and paid on deposits. The effect of governmental policies on the earnings of the Company and the Bank cannot be predicted.

 

Regulation, Supervision, and Governmental Policy

The following is a brief summary of certain statutes and regulations that significantly affect the Company and the Bank. A number of other statutes and regulations may affect the Company and the Bank but are not discussed in the following paragraphs.

 

Bank Holding Company Regulation

The Company is registered as a bank holding company under the Holding Company Act and, as such, is subject to supervision and regulation by the Federal Reserve. As a bank holding company, the Company is required to furnish to the Federal Reserve annual and quarterly reports of its operations and additional information and reports. The Company is also subject to regular examination by the Federal Reserve.

 

Under the Holding Company Act, a bank holding company must obtain the prior approval of the Federal Reserve before (1) acquiring direct or indirect ownership or control of any class of voting securities of any bank or bank holding company if, after the acquisition, the bank holding company would directly or indirectly own or control more than 5% of the class; (2) acquiring all or substantially all of the assets of another bank or bank holding company; or (3) merging or consolidating with another bank holding company.

 

Prior to acquiring control of the Company or the Bank, any company must obtain approval of the Federal Reserve. For purposes of the Holding Company Act, "control" is defined as ownership of 25% or more of any class of voting securities of the Company or the Bank, the ability to control the election of a majority of the directors, or the exercise of a controlling influence over management or policies of the Company or the Bank.

 

The Change in Bank Control Act and the related regulations of the Federal Reserve require any person or persons acting in concert (except for companies required to make application under the Holding Company Act), to file a written notice with the Federal Reserve before the person or persons acquire control of the Company or the Bank. The Change in Bank Control Act defines "control" as the direct or indirect power to vote 25% or more of any class of voting securities or to direct the management or policies of a bank holding company or an insured bank.

 

The Holding Company Act also limits the investments and activities of bank holding companies. In general, a bank holding company is prohibited from acquiring direct or indirect ownership or control of more than 5% of the voting shares of a company that is not a bank or a bank holding company or from engaging directly or indirectly in activities other than those of banking, managing or controlling banks, providing services for its subsidiaries, non-bank activities that are closely related to banking, and other financially related activities. The activities of the Company are subject to these legal and regulatory limitations under the Holding Company Act and Federal Reserve regulations.

 

In general, bank holding companies that qualify as financial holding companies under federal banking law may engage in an expanded list of non-bank activities. Non-bank and financially related activities of bank holding companies, including companies that become financial holding companies, also may be subject to regulation and oversight by regulators other than the Federal Reserve. The Company is not a financial holding company, but may choose to become one in the future.

 

The Federal Reserve has the power to order a holding company or its subsidiaries to terminate any activity, or to terminate its ownership or control of any subsidiary, when it has reasonable cause to believe that the continuation of such activity or such ownership or control constitutes a serious risk to the financial safety, soundness, or stability of any bank subsidiary of that holding company.

 

The Federal Reserve has adopted guidelines regarding the capital adequacy of bank holding companies, which require bank holding companies to maintain specified minimum ratios of capital to total assets and capital to risk-weighted assets. See "Regulatory Capital Requirements."

 

The Federal Reserve has the power to prohibit dividends by bank holding companies if their actions constitute unsafe or unsound practices. The Federal Reserve has issued a policy statement on the payment of cash dividends by bank holding companies, which expresses the Federal Reserve's view that a bank holding company should pay cash dividends only to the extent that the company's net income for the past year is sufficient to cover both the cash dividends and a rate of earnings retention that is consistent with the company's capital needs, asset quality, and overall financial condition.

 

Bank Regulation

The Bank is a state chartered bank and trust company subject to supervision by the State of Maryland.  As a member of the Federal Reserve System, the Bank is also subject to supervision by the Federal Reserve.  Deposits of the Bank are insured by the FDIC to the legal maximum. Deposits, reserves, investments, loans, consumer law compliance, issuance of securities, payment of dividends, establishment of branches, mergers and acquisitions, corporate activities, changes in control, electronic funds transfers, responsiveness to community needs, management practices, compensation policies, and other aspects of operations are subject to regulation by the appropriate federal and state supervisory authorities. In addition, the Bank is subject to numerous federal, state and local laws and regulations which set forth specific restrictions and procedural requirements with respect to extensions of credit (including to insiders), credit practices, disclosure of credit terms and discrimination in credit transactions.

 

The Federal Reserve regularly examines the operations and condition of the Bank, including, but not limited to, its capital adequacy, reserves, loans, investments, and management practices. These examinations are for the protection of the Bank's depositors and the Deposit Insurance Fund. In addition, the Bank is required to furnish quarterly and annual reports to the Federal Reserve. The Federal Reserve's enforcement authority includes the power to remove officers and directors and the authority to issue cease-and-desist orders to prevent a bank from engaging in unsafe or unsound practices or violating laws or regulations governing its business.

 

The Federal Reserve has adopted regulations regarding capital adequacy, which require member banks to maintain specified minimum ratios of capital to total assets and capital to risk-weighted assets. See "Regulatory Capital Requirements." Federal Reserve and State regulations limit the amount of dividends that the Bank may pay to the Company. See “Note 11 –Stockholders’ Equity” in the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

The Bank is subject to restrictions imposed by federal law on extensions of credit to, and certain other transactions with, the Company and other affiliates, and on investments in their stock or other securities. These restrictions prevent the Company and the Bank's other affiliates from borrowing from the Bank unless the loans are secured by specified collateral, and require those transactions to have terms comparable to terms of arms-length transactions with third persons. In addition, secured loans and other transactions and investments by the Bank are generally limited in amount as to the Company and as to any other affiliate to 10% of the Bank's capital and surplus and as to the Company and all other affiliates together to an aggregate of 20% of the Bank's capital and surplus. Certain exemptions to these limitations apply to extensions of credit and other transactions between the Bank and its subsidiaries. These regulations and restrictions may limit the Company's ability to obtain funds from the Bank for its cash needs, including funds for acquisitions and for payment of dividends, interest, and operating expenses.

 

Under Federal Reserve regulations, banks must adopt and maintain written policies that establish appropriate limits and standards for extensions of credit secured by liens or interests in real estate or are made for the purpose of financing permanent improvements to real estate. These policies must establish loan portfolio diversification standards; prudent underwriting standards, including loan-to-value limits, that are clear and measurable; loan administration procedures; and documentation, approval, and reporting requirements. A bank's real estate lending policy must reflect consideration of the Interagency Guidelines for Real Estate Lending Policies (the "Interagency Guidelines") adopted by the federal bank regulators. The Interagency Guidelines, among other things, call for internal loan-to-value limits for real estate loans that are not in excess of the limits specified in the Guidelines. The Interagency Guidelines state, however, that it may be appropriate in individual cases to originate or purchase loans with loan-to-value ratios in excess of the supervisory loan-to-value limits.

 

Sandy Spring Bank’s deposits are insured up to applicable limits by the Deposit Insurance Fund of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation. Under the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation’s risk-based assessment system, insured institutions are assigned to one of four risk categories based on supervisory evaluations, regulatory capital levels and certain other factors, with less risky institutions paying lower assessments. An institution’s assessment rate depends upon the category to which it is assigned. Assessment rates currently range from 2-1/2 to 45 basis points. No institution may pay a dividend if in default of the federal deposit insurance assessment.  Deposit insurance assessments are based on total assets less tangible equity.  The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation imposed on all insured institutions a special emergency assessment of five basis points of total assets minus Tier 1 capital, as of June 30, 2009 (capped at ten basis points of an institution’s deposit assessment base), in order to cover losses to the Deposit Insurance Fund.  That special assessment was collected on September 30, 2009.  The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation provided for similar assessments during the final two quarters of 2009, if deemed necessary.  However, in lieu of further special assessments, the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation required insured institutions to prepay estimated quarterly risk-based assessments for the fourth quarter of 2009 through the fourth quarter of 2012.  The estimated assessments, which include an assumed annual assessment base increase of 5%, were recorded as a prepaid expense asset as of December 30, 2009.  As of December 31, 2009, and each quarter thereafter, a charge to earnings was recorded for each regular assessment with an offsetting credit to the prepaid asset. All remaining prepaid assets were repaid to financial institutions in the second quarter of 2013. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation has authority to increase insurance assessments. Management cannot predict what insurance assessment rates will be in the future.

 

Regulatory Capital Requirements

The Federal Reserve has established guidelines for maintenance of appropriate levels of capital by bank holding companies and member banks. The regulations impose two sets of capital adequacy requirements: minimum leverage rules, which require bank holding companies and banks to maintain a specified minimum ratio of capital to total assets, and risk-based capital rules, which require the maintenance of specified minimum ratios of capital to risk-weighted assets. These capital regulations are subject to change.

 

The regulations of the Federal Reserve require bank holding companies and member banks to maintain a minimum leverage ratio of "Tier 1 capital" (as defined in the risk-based capital guidelines discussed in the following paragraphs) to total assets of 3.0%. The capital regulations state, however, that only the strongest bank holding companies and banks, with composite examination ratings of 1 under the rating system used by the federal bank regulators, would be permitted to operate at or near this minimum level of capital. All other bank holding companies and banks are expected to maintain a leverage ratio of at least 1% to 2% above the minimum ratio, depending on the assessment of an individual organization's capital adequacy by its primary regulator. A bank or bank holding company experiencing or anticipating significant growth is expected to maintain capital well above the minimum levels. In addition, the Federal Reserve has indicated that it also may consider the level of an organization's ratio of tangible Tier 1 capital (after deducting all intangibles) to total assets in making an overall assessment of capital.

 

The risk-based capital rules of the Federal Reserve require bank holding companies and member banks to maintain minimum regulatory capital levels based upon a weighting of their assets and off-balance sheet obligations according to risk. The risk-based capital rules have two basic components: a core capital (Tier 1) requirement and a supplementary capital (Tier 2) requirement. Core capital consists primarily of common stockholders' equity, certain perpetual preferred stock (noncumulative perpetual preferred stock with respect to banks), and minority interests in the equity accounts of consolidated subsidiaries; less all intangible assets, except for certain mortgage servicing rights and purchased credit card relationships. Supplementary capital elements include, subject to certain limitations, the allowance for losses on loans and leases; perpetual preferred stock that does not qualify as Tier 1 capital; long-term preferred stock with an original maturity of at least 20 years from issuance; hybrid capital instruments, including perpetual debt and mandatory convertible securities; subordinated debt, intermediate-term preferred stock, and up to 45% of pre-tax net unrealized gains on available-for-sale equity securities.

 

The risk-based capital regulations assign balance sheet assets and credit equivalent amounts of off-balance sheet obligations to one of four broad risk categories based principally on the degree of credit risk associated with the obligor. The assets and off-balance sheet items in the four risk categories are weighted at 0%, 20%, 50% and 100%. These computations result in the total risk-weighted assets.

 

The risk-based capital regulations require all commercial banks and bank holding companies to maintain a minimum ratio of total capital to total risk-weighted assets of 8%, with at least 4% as core capital. For the purpose of calculating these ratios: (i) supplementary capital is limited to no more than 100% of core capital; and (ii) the aggregate amount of certain types of supplementary capital is limited. In addition, the risk-based capital regulations limit the allowance for credit losses that may be included in capital to 1.25% of total risk-weighted assets.

 

The federal bank regulatory agencies have established a joint policy regarding the evaluation of commercial banks' capital adequacy for interest rate risk. Under the policy, the Federal Reserve's assessment of a bank's capital adequacy includes an assessment of the bank's exposure to adverse changes in interest rates. The Federal Reserve has determined to rely on its examination process for such evaluations rather than on standardized measurement systems or formulas. The Federal Reserve may require banks that are found to have a high level of interest rate risk exposure or weak interest rate risk management systems to take corrective actions. Management believes its interest rate risk management systems and its capital relative to its interest rate risk are adequate.

 

Federal banking regulations also require banks with significant trading assets or liabilities to maintain supplemental risk-based capital based upon their levels of market risk. The Bank did not have significant levels of trading assets or liabilities during 2014 and was not required to maintain such supplemental capital.

 

Well-capitalized institutions are not subject to limitations on brokered deposits, while an adequately capitalized institution is able to accept, renew, or rollover brokered deposits only with a waiver from the FDIC and subject to certain restrictions on the yield paid on such deposits.  Undercapitalized institutions are not permitted to accept brokered deposits.

 

The Federal Reserve has established regulations that classify banks by capital levels and provide for the Federal Reserve to take various "prompt corrective actions" to resolve the problems of any bank that fails to satisfy the capital standards.  Under these regulations, a well-capitalized bank is one that is not subject to any regulatory order or directive to meet any specific capital level and that has a total risk-based capital ratio of 10% or more, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 6% or more, and a leverage ratio of 5% or more. An adequately capitalized bank is one that does not qualify as well-capitalized but meets or exceeds the following capital requirements: a total risk-based capital ratio of 8%, a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 4%, and a leverage ratio of either (i) 4% or (ii) 3% if the bank has the highest composite examination rating. A bank that does not meet these standards is categorized as undercapitalized, significantly undercapitalized, or critically undercapitalized, depending on its capital levels. A bank that falls within any of the three undercapitalized categories established by the prompt corrective action regulation is subject to severe regulatory sanctions. As of December 31, 2014, the Bank was well-capitalized as defined in the Federal Reserve's regulations.

 

For information regarding the Company's and the Bank's compliance with their respective regulatory capital requirements, see "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations — Capital Management” of this report, and “Note 10-Subordinated Debentures,” and "Note 22–Regulatory Matters" of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements of this report.

 

Basel Capital Standards

In December 2010, the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS), an international forum for cooperation on banking supervisory matters, announced the "Basel III" capital standards, which substantially revised the existing capital requirements for banking organizations. Modest revisions were made in June 2011.  On July 2, 2013, the Federal Reserve adopted a final rule for the Basel III capital framework. The requirements in the rule begin to phase in on January 1, 2015 for the Company. The requirements in the rule will be fully phased in by January 1, 2019.

 

The rule imposes higher risk-based capital and leverage requirements than those currently in place. Specifically, the rule imposes the following minimum capital requirements: (1) a new common equity Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 4.5%; (2) a Tier 1 risk-based capital ratio of 6% (increased from the current 4% requirement); (3) a total risk-based capital ratio of 8% (unchanged from current requirements); and (4) a leverage ratio of 4%.

 

Under the rule, Tier 1 capital is redefined to include two components: Common Equity Tier 1 capital and additional Tier 1 capital. The new and highest form of capital, Common Equity Tier 1 capital, consists solely of common stock (plus related surplus), retained earnings, accumulated other comprehensive income, and limited amounts of minority interests that are in the form of common stock. Additional Tier 1 capital includes other perpetual instruments historically included in Tier 1 capital, such as non-cumulative perpetual preferred stock. The rule permits bank holding companies with less than $15 billion in total consolidated assets to continue to include trust preferred securities and cumulative perpetual preferred stock issued before May 19, 2010 in Tier 1 capital, but not in Common Equity Tier 1 capital, subject to certain restrictions. Tier 2 capital consists of instruments that currently qualify in Tier 2 capital plus instruments that the rule has disqualified from Tier 1 capital treatment.

 

In addition, in order to avoid restrictions on capital distributions or discretionary bonus payments to executives, a covered banking organization must maintain a "capital conservation buffer" on top of its minimum risk-based capital requirements. This buffer must consist solely of Tier 1 Common Equity, but the buffer applies to all three measurements (Common Equity Tier 1, Tier 1 capital and total capital). The capital conservation buffer will be phased in incrementally over time, becoming fully effective on January 1, 2019, and will consist of an additional amount of common equity equal to 2.5% of risk-weighted assets.

 

The current capital rules require certain deductions from or adjustments to capital. The final rule retains many of these deductions and adjustments and also provides for new ones. As a result, deductions from Common Equity Tier 1 capital will be required for goodwill (net of associated deferred tax liabilities); intangible assets such as non-mortgage servicing assets and purchased credit card relationships (net of associated deferred tax liabilities); deferred tax assets that arise from net operating loss and tax credit carryforwards (net of any related valuations allowances and net of deferred tax liabilities); any gain on sale in connection with a securitization exposure; any defined benefit pension fund net asset (net of any associated deferred tax liabilities) held by a bank holding company (this provision does not apply to a bank or savings association); the aggregate amount of outstanding equity investments (including retained earnings) in financial subsidiaries; and identified losses.

 

Additionally, the final rule provides for the deduction of three categories of assets: (i) deferred tax assets arising from temporary differences that cannot be realized through net operating loss carrybacks (net of related valuation allowances and of deferred tax liabilities), (ii) mortgage servicing assets (net of associated deferred tax liabilities) and (iii) investments in more than 10% of the issued and outstanding common stock of unconsolidated financial institutions (net of associated deferred tax liabilities). The amount in each category that exceeds 10% of Common Equity Tier 1 capital must be deducted from Common Equity Tier 1 capital. The remaining, non-deducted amounts are then aggregated, and the amount by which this total amount exceeds 15% of Common Equity Tier 1 capital must be deducted from Common Equity Tier 1 capital. Amounts of minority investments in consolidated subsidiaries that exceed certain limits and investments in unconsolidated financial institutions may also have to be deducted from the category of capital to which such instruments belong.

 

Accumulated other comprehensive income (AOCI) is presumptively included in Common Equity Tier 1 capital and often would operate to reduce this category of capital. The final rule provides a one-time opportunity at the end of the first quarter of 2015 for covered banking organizations to opt out of much of this treatment of AOCI. The final rule also has the effect of increasing capital requirements by increasing the risk weights on certain assets, including high volatility commercial real estate, mortgage servicing rights not includable in Common Equity Tier 1 capital, equity exposures, and claims on securities firms, that are used in the denominator of the three risk-based capital ratios.

 

Supervision and Regulation of Mortgage Banking Operations

The Company's mortgage banking business is subject to the rules and regulations of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development ("HUD"), the Federal Housing Administration ("FHA"), the Veterans' Administration ("VA") and Fannie Mae with respect to originating, processing, selling and servicing mortgage loans. Those rules and regulations, among other things, prohibit discrimination and establish underwriting guidelines, which include provisions for inspections and appraisals, require credit reports on prospective borrowers, and fix maximum loan amounts. Lenders such as the Company are required annually to submit audited financial statements to Fannie Mae, FHA and VA. Each of these regulatory entities has its own financial requirements. The Company's affairs are also subject to examination by the Federal Reserve, Fannie Mae, FHA and VA at all times to assure compliance with the applicable regulations, policies and procedures. Mortgage origination activities are subject to, among others, the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, Federal Truth-in-Lending Act, Fair Housing Act, Fair Credit Reporting Act, the National Flood Insurance Act and the Real Estate Settlement Procedures Act and related regulations that prohibit discrimination and require the disclosure of certain basic information to mortgagors concerning credit terms and settlement costs. The Company's mortgage banking operations also are affected by various state and local laws and regulations and the requirements of various private mortgage investors.

 

Community Reinvestment

Under the Community Reinvestment Act (“CRA”), a financial institution has a continuing and affirmative obligation to help meet the credit needs of the entire community, including low and moderate income neighborhoods.  The CRA does not establish specific lending requirements or programs for financial institutions, or limit an institution’s discretion to develop the types of products and services that it believes are best suited to its particular community.  However, institutions are rated on their performance in meeting the needs of their communities.  Performance is tested in three areas: (a) lending, to evaluate the institution’s record of making loans in its assessment areas; (b) investment, to evaluate the institution’s record of investing in community development projects, affordable housing, and programs benefiting low or moderate income individuals and businesses; and (c) service, to evaluate the institution’s delivery of services through its branches, ATMs and other offices.  The CRA requires each federal banking agency, in connection with its examination of a financial institution, to assess and assign one of four ratings to the institution’s record of meeting the credit needs of the community and to take such record into account in its evaluation of certain applications by the institution, including applications for charters, branches and other deposit facilities, relocations, mergers, consolidations, acquisitions of assets or assumptions of liabilities, and savings and loan holding company acquisitions.  The CRA also requires that all institutions make public, disclosure of their CRA ratings.  The Bank was assigned a “satisfactory” rating as a result of its last CRA examination.

 

Bank Secrecy Act

Under the Bank Secrecy Act (“BSA”), a financial institution is required to have systems in place to detect certain transactions, based on the size and nature of the transaction. Financial institutions are generally required to report cash transactions involving more than $10,000 to the United States Treasury. In addition, financial institutions are required to file suspicious activity reports for transactions that involve more than $5,000 and which the financial institution knows, suspects, or has reason to suspect involves illegal funds, is designed to evade the requirements of the BSA, or has no lawful purpose. The Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act, commonly referred to as the "USA Patriot Act" or the "Patriot Act”, enacted prohibitions against specified financial transactions and account relationships, as well as enhanced due diligence standards intended to prevent the use of the United States financial system for money laundering and terrorist financing activities. The Patriot Act requires banks and other depository institutions, brokers, dealers and certain other businesses involved in the transfer of money to establish anti-money laundering programs, including employee training and independent audit requirements meeting minimum standards specified by the act, to follow standards for customer identification and maintenance of customer identification records, and to compare customer lists against lists of suspected terrorists, terrorist organizations and money launderers. The Patriot Act also requires federal bank regulators to evaluate the effectiveness of an applicant in combating money laundering in determining whether to approve a proposed bank acquisition.

 

Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002

The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (“Sarbanes-Oxley”) established a broad range of corporate governance and accounting measures intended to increase corporate responsibility and protect investors by improving the accuracy and reliability of disclosures under federal securities laws. The Company is subject to Sarbanes-Oxley because it is required to file periodic reports with the SEC under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Among other things, Sarbanes-Oxley, its implementing regulations and related Nasdaq Stock Market rules have established membership requirements and additional responsibilities for the Company’s audit committee, imposed restrictions on the relationship between the Company and its outside auditors (including restrictions on the types of non-audit services our auditors may provide to us), imposed additional financial statement certification responsibilities for the Company’s chief executive officer and chief financial officer, expanded the disclosure requirements for corporate insiders, required management to evaluate the Company’s disclosure controls and procedures and its internal control over financial reporting, and required the Company’s auditors to issue a report on our internal control over financial reporting.

 

Regulatory Restructuring Legislation   

The Dodd-Frank Act, enacted in 2010, implements significant changes to the regulation of depository institutions.  The Dodd-Frank Act provides for the creation of a new agency, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, as an independent bureau of the Federal Reserve Board, to take over the implementation of federal consumer financial protection and fair lending laws from the depository institution regulators.  However, institutions of $10 billion or fewer in assets will continue to be examined for compliance with such laws and regulations by, and to be subject to the primary enforcement authority of, their primary federal regulator.  In addition, the Dodd-Frank Act, among other things, requires changes in the way that institutions are assessed for deposit insurance, requires that originators of securitized loans retain a percentage of the risk for the transferred loans, directs the Federal Reserve Board to regulate pricing of certain debit card interchange fees, and contains a number of reforms related to mortgage originations.  Many of the provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act contain delayed effective dates and/or require the issuance of regulations.  As a result, it will be some time before their impact on operations can be assessed by management. Based on recent guidance issued by the applicable federal agencies, the Bank has determined that the trust preferred securities currently held in the investment portfolio are not required to be divested under the provisions of section 619 of the Dodd-Frank Act (the “Volcker Rule”).  However, there is a significant possibility that the Dodd-Frank Act will, at a minimum, result in an increased regulatory burden and higher compliance, operating, and possibly, interest costs for the Company and the Bank.    

 

Other Laws and Regulations

Some of the aspects of the lending and deposit business of the Bank that are subject to regulation by the Federal Reserve and the FDIC include reserve requirements and disclosure requirements in connection with personal and mortgage loans and deposit accounts.  In addition, the Bank is subject to numerous federal and state laws and regulations that include specific restrictions and procedural requirements with respect to the establishment of branches, investments, interest rates on loans, credit practices, the disclosure of credit terms, and discrimination in credit transactions.

 

Enforcement Actions

Federal statutes and regulations provide financial institution regulatory agencies with great flexibility to undertake an enforcement action against an institution that fails to comply with regulatory requirements.  Possible enforcement actions range from the imposition of a capital plan and capital directive to civil money penalties, cease-and-desist orders, receivership, conservatorship, or the termination of the deposit insurance.

 

Executive Officers

The following listing sets forth the name, age (as of February 28, 2015), principal position and recent business experience of each executive officer:

 

R. Louis Caceres, 52, Executive Vice President of the Bank. Mr. Caceres was made Executive Vice President of the Bank in 2002.  Prior to that, Mr. Caceres was a Senior Vice President of the Bank. 

 

Ronald E. Kuykendall, 62, became Executive Vice President, General Counsel and Secretary of the Company and the Bank in 2002.  Prior to that, Mr. Kuykendall was General Counsel and Secretary of the Company and Senior Vice President of the Bank. 

 

Philip J. Mantua, CPA, 56, became Executive Vice President and Chief Financial Officer of the Company and the Bank in 2004.  Prior to that, Mr. Mantua was Senior Vice President of Managerial Accounting.

 

Ronda McDowell, 50, became an Executive Vice President and Chief Credit Officer of the Bank in 2013. Prior to that, Ms. McDowell served as a Senior Vice President, Loan Administration and Retail Senior Credit Officer of the Bank.

 

Joseph J. O'Brien, Jr., 51, became Executive Vice President for Commercial and Retail Banking on January 1, 2011.  Mr. O’Brien joined the Bank in July 2007 as Executive Vice President for Commercial Banking. Additionally, on January 1, 2008, he became president of the Northern Virginia Market. Prior to joining the Bank, Mr. O'Brien was an Executive Vice President and senior lender for a local banking institution.

 

John D. Sadowski, 51, became Executive Vice President and Chief Information Officer of the Bank on February 1, 2011. Prior to that, Mr. Sadowski served as a Senior Vice President of the Bank.

 

Daniel J. Schrider, 50, became President of the Company and the Bank effective March 26, 2008 and Chief Executive Officer effective January 1, 2009.  Prior to that, Mr. Schrider served as an Executive Vice President and Chief Revenue Officer of the Bank.

 

Item 1A.  RISK FACTORS

 

Investing in the Company’s common stock involves risks. The investor should carefully consider the following risk factors before deciding to make an investment decision regarding the Company’s stock. The risk factors may cause future earnings to be lower or the financial condition to be less favorable than expected. In addition, other risks that the Company is not aware of, or which are not believed to be material, may cause earnings to be lower, or may deteriorate the financial condition of the Company. Consideration should also be given to the other information in this Annual Report on Form 10-K, as well as in the documents incorporated by reference into this Form 10-K.

 

Changes in U.S. or regional economic conditions could have an adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition or results of operations.

The Company’s business activities and earnings are affected by general business conditions in the United States and in the local market area.  These conditions include short-term and long-term interest rates, inflation, unemployment levels, consumer confidence and spending, fluctuations in both debt and equity capital markets, and the strength of the economy in the United States generally and in the Company’s market area in particular.  The national economy recently experienced a recession, with rising unemployment levels, declines in real estate values and erosion in consumer confidence.  Dramatic declines in the U.S. housing market during the recession, with falling home prices and higher levels of foreclosures, negatively affected the performance of mortgage loans and resulted in significant write-downs of asset values by many financial institutions.  Although the housing sector has improved and real estate prices have rebounded, the economy remains in a slow-growth mode in many respects, although consumer confidence has improved.  A return to elevated levels of unemployment, declines in the values of real estate, or other events that affect household and/or corporate incomes could impair the ability of the Company’s borrowers to repay their loans in accordance with their terms and reduce demand for banking products and services. 

 

The geographic concentration of our operations makes the Company susceptible to downturns in local economic conditions.

The Company’s commercial and commercial real estate lending operations are concentrated in Anne Arundel, Carroll, Frederick, Howard, Montgomery, and Prince George’s counties in Maryland, and Arlington, Fairfax and Loudoun counties in Virginia. The Company’s success depends in part upon economic conditions in these markets. Adverse changes in economic conditions in these markets could limit growth in loans and deposits, impair the Company’s ability to collect amounts due on loans, increase problem loans and charge-offs and otherwise negatively affect performance and financial condition. Declines in real estate values could cause some of the residential and commercial real estate loans to be inadequately collateralized, which would expose the Company to a greater risk of loss in the event that the recovery on amounts due on defaulted loans is resolved by selling the real estate collateral.

 

The Company’s allowance for loan and lease losses may not be adequate to cover our actual loan and lease losses, which could adversely affect the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.

An allowance for loan and lease losses is maintained in an amount that is believed to be adequate to provide for probable losses inherent in the portfolio. The Company has an aggressive program to monitor credit quality and to identify loans and leases that may become non-performing, however, at any time there are loans and leases included in the portfolio that will result in losses, but that have not been identified as non-performing or potential problem credits. There can be no assurance that the ability exists to identify all deteriorating credits prior to them becoming non-performing assets, or that the Company will have the ability to limit losses on those loans and leases that are identified. As a result, future additions to the allowance may be necessary. Additionally, future additions may be required based on changes in the loans and leases comprising the portfolio and changes in the financial condition of borrowers, or as a result of assumptions by management in determining the allowance. Additionally, banking regulators, as an integral part of their supervisory function, periodically review the Company’s allowance for loan and lease losses. These regulatory agencies may require an increase in the provision for loan and lease losses or to recognize further loan or lease charge-offs based upon their judgments, which may be different from the Company’s. Any increase in the allowance for loan and lease losses could have a negative effect on the financial condition and results of operations of the Company.

 

If non-performing assets increase, earnings will be adversely impacted.

At December 31, 2014, non-performing assets, which are comprised of non-accrual loans, 90 days past due loans and other real estate owned, totaled $37.2 million, or 0.85%, of total assets, compared to non-performing assets of $41.4 million, or 1.01% of total assets at December 31, 2013. Non-performing assets adversely affect net income in various ways. Interest income is not recorded on non-accrual loans or other real estate owned. The Company must record a reserve for probable losses on loans and leases, which is established through a current period charge to the provision for loan and lease losses, and from time to time must write-down the value of properties in the Company’s other real estate owned portfolio to reflect changing market values. Additionally, there are legal fees associated with the resolution of problem assets as well as carrying costs such as taxes, insurance and maintenance related to other real estate owned. Further, the resolution of non-performing assets requires the active involvement of management, which can distract them from more profitable activity. Finally, if the estimate for the recorded allowance for loan and lease losses proves to be incorrect and the allowance is inadequate, the allowance will have to be increased and, as a result, Company earnings would be adversely affected.  A further downturn in the Company’s market areas could increase credit risk associated with the loan portfolio, as it could have a material adverse effect on both the ability of borrowers to repay loans as well as the value of the real property or other property held as collateral for such loans.  There can be no assurance that non-performing loans will not experience an increase in the future, or that the Company’s non-performing assets will not result in further losses in the future.

 

The Company may be subject to certain risks related to originating and selling mortgage loans.

When mortgage loans are sold, it is customary to make representations and warranties to the purchaser about the mortgage loans and the manner in which they were originated. Whole loan sale agreements require the repurchase or substitution of mortgage loans in the event the Company breaches any of these representations or warranties. In addition, there may be a requirement to repurchase mortgage loans as a result of borrower fraud or in the event of early payment default of the borrower on a mortgage loan. The Company receives a limited number of repurchase and indemnity demands from purchasers as a result of borrower fraud and early payment default of the borrower on mortgage loans. The Company has enhanced its underwriting policies and procedures, however, these steps may not be effective or reduce the risk associated with loans sold in the past. If repurchase and indemnity demands increase materially, the Company’s results of operations could be adversely affected.

 

Any delays in the Company’s ability to foreclose on delinquent mortgage loans may negatively impact the Company’s business.

The origination of mortgage loans occurs with the expectation that if the borrower defaults then the ultimate loss is mitigated by the value of the collateral that secures the mortgage loan. The ability to mitigate the losses on defaulted loans depends upon the ability to promptly foreclose upon the collateral after an appropriate cure period. In some states, the large number of mortgage foreclosures that have occurred has resulted in delays in foreclosing. Any delay in the foreclosure process will adversely affect the Company by increasing the expenses related to carrying such assets, such as taxes, insurance, and other carrying costs, and exposes the Company to losses as a result of potential additional declines in the value of such collateral.

 

Changes in interest rates may adversely affect earnings and financial condition.

The Company’s net income depends to a great extent upon the level of net interest income. Changes in interest rates can increase or decrease net interest income and net income. Net interest income is the difference between the interest income earned on loans, investments, and other interest-earning assets, and the interest paid on interest-bearing liabilities, such as deposits and borrowings. Net interest income is affected by changes in market interest rates, because different types of assets and liabilities may react differently, and at different times, to market interest rate changes. When interest-bearing liabilities mature or re-price more quickly than interest-earning assets in a period, an increase in market rates of interest could reduce net interest income. Similarly, when interest-earning assets mature or re-price more quickly than interest-bearing liabilities, falling interest rates could reduce net interest income.

 

Changes in market interest rates are affected by many factors beyond the Company’s control, including inflation, unemployment, money supply, international events, and events in world financial markets. The Company attempts to manage its risk from changes in market interest rates by adjusting the rates, maturity, re-pricing, and balances of the different types of interest-earning assets and interest-bearing liabilities, but interest rate risk management techniques are not exact. As a result, a rapid increase or decrease in interest rates could have an adverse effect on the net interest margin and results of operations. Changes in the market interest rates for types of products and services in various markets also may vary significantly from location to location and over time based upon competition and local or regional economic factors. At December 31, 2014, the Company’s interest rate sensitivity simulation model projected that net interest income would decrease by 0.89% if interest rates immediately rose by 200 basis points. The results of an interest rate sensitivity simulation model depend upon a number of assumptions which may not prove to be accurate. There can be no assurance that the Company will be able to successfully manage interest rate risk.

 

The Company’s investment securities portfolio is subject to credit risk, market risk, and liquidity risk.

The investment securities portfolio has risks factors beyond the Company’s control that may significantly influence its fair value. These risk factors include, but are not limited to, rating agency downgrades of the securities, defaults of the issuers of the securities, lack of market pricing of the securities, and instability in the credit markets. Lack of market activity with respect to some securities has, in certain circumstances, required the Company to base its fair market valuation on unobservable inputs. Any changes in these risk factors, in current accounting principles or interpretations of these principles could impact the Company’s assessment of fair value and thus the determination of other-than-temporary impairment of the securities in the investment securities portfolio. Investment securities that previously were determined to be other-than-temporarily impaired could require further write-downs due to continued erosion of the creditworthiness of the issuer. Write-downs of investment securities would negatively affect the Company’s earnings and regulatory capital ratios.

The Company is subject to liquidity risks.

Market conditions could negatively affect the level or cost of available liquidity, which would affect the Company’s ongoing ability to accommodate liability maturities and deposit withdrawals, meet contractual obligations, and fund asset growth and new business transactions at a reasonable cost, in a timely manner, and without adverse consequences. Core deposits and Federal Home Loan Bank advances are the Company’s primary source of funding. A significant decrease in the core deposits, an inability to renew Federal Home Loan Bank advances, an inability to obtain alternative funding to core deposits or Federal Home Loan Bank advances, or a substantial, unexpected, or prolonged change in the level or cost of liquidity could have a negative effect on the Company’s business, financial condition and results of operations.

Impairment in the carrying value of goodwill could negatively impact the Company’s earnings.

At December 31, 2014, goodwill totaled $84.2 million.  Goodwill represents the excess purchase price paid over the fair value of the net assets acquired in a business combination.  Goodwill is reviewed for impairment at least annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the carrying value may not be recoverable. There could be a requirement to evaluate the recoverability of goodwill prior to the normal annual assessment if there is a disruption in the Company’s business, unexpected significant declines in operating results, or sustained market capitalization declines. These types of events and the resulting analyses could result in goodwill impairment charges in the future, which would adversely affect the results of operations. A goodwill impairment charge does not adversely affect regulatory capital ratios or tangible capital. Based on an analysis, it was determined that the fair value of the Company’s reporting units exceeded the carrying value of their assets and liabilities and, therefore, goodwill was not considered impaired at December 31, 2014.

 

The Company depends on its executive officers and key personnel to continue the implementation of its long-term business strategy and could be harmed by the loss of their services.

The Company believes that its continued growth and future success will depend in large part on the skills of its management team and its ability to motivate and retain these individuals and other key personnel. In particular, the Company relies on the leadership of its Chief Executive Officer, Daniel J. Schrider. The loss of service of Mr. Schrider or one or more of the Company’s other executive officers or key personnel could reduce the Company’s ability to successfully implement its long-term business strategy, its business could suffer and the value of the Company’s common stock could be materially adversely affected. Leadership changes will occur from time to time and the Company cannot predict whether significant resignations will occur or whether the Company will be able to recruit additional qualified personnel. The Company believes its management team possesses valuable knowledge about the banking industry and the Company’s markets and that their knowledge and relationships would be very difficult to replicate. Although the Chief Executive Officer and Chief Financial Officer have entered into employment agreements with the Company, it is possible that they may not complete the term of their employment agreements or renew them upon expiration. The Company’s success also depends on the experience of its branch managers and lending officers and on their relationships with the customers and communities they serve. The loss of these key personnel could negatively impact the Company’s banking operations. The loss of key personnel, or the inability to recruit and retain qualified personnel in the future, could have an adverse effect on the Company’s business, financial condition or operating results.

 

The market price for the Company’s stock may be volatile.

The market price for the Company’s common stock has fluctuated, ranging between $22.16 and $27.42 per share during the 12 months ended December 31, 2014. The overall market and the price of the Company’s common stock may experience volatility. There may be a significant impact on the market price for the common stock due to, among other things:

·         past and future dividend practice;

·         financial condition, performance, creditworthiness and prospects;

·         quarterly variations in operating results or the quality of the Company’s assets;

·         operating results that vary from the expectations of management, securities analysts and investors;

·         changes in expectations as to the future financial performance;

·         announcements of innovations, new products, strategic developments, significant contracts, acquisitions and other material events by the Company or its competitors;

·         the operating and securities price performance of other companies that investors believe are comparable to the Company;

·         future sales of the Company’s equity or equity-related securities;

·         the credit, mortgage and housing markets, the markets for securities relating to mortgages or housing, and developments with respect to financial institutions generally; and

·         changes in global financial markets and global economies and general market conditions, such as interest or foreign exchange rates, stock, commodity or real estate valuations or volatility or other geopolitical, regulatory or judicial events.

There can be no assurance that a more active or consistent trading market in the Company’s common stock will develop. As a result, relatively small trades could have a significant impact on the price of the Company’s common stock.

 

The cost savings that the Company estimates for mergers and acquisitions may not be realized.

The success of the Company’s mergers and acquisitions may depend, in part, on the ability to realize the estimated cost savings from combining the acquired businesses with the Company’s existing operations. It is possible that the potential cost savings could turn out to be more difficult to achieve than anticipated. The cost savings estimates also depend on the ability to combine the businesses in a manner that permits those cost savings to be realized. If the estimates turn out to be incorrect or there is an inability to combine successfully, the anticipated cost savings may not be realized fully or at all, or may take longer to realize than expected.

 

Combining acquired businesses with Sandy Spring may be more difficult, costly, or time-consuming than expected, or could result in the loss of customers.

It is possible that the process of merger integration of acquired companies could result in the loss of key employees, the disruption of ongoing business or inconsistencies in standards, controls, procedures and policies that adversely affect the ability to maintain relationships with clients and employees or to achieve the anticipated benefits of the merger or acquisition. There also may be disruptions that cause the Company to lose customers or cause customers to withdraw their deposits. Customers may not readily accept changes to their banking arrangements or other customer relationships after the merger or acquisition.

 

Market competition may decrease the Company’s growth or profits.

The Company competes for loans, deposits, and investment dollars with other banks and other financial institutions and enterprises, such as securities firms, insurance companies, savings associations, credit unions, mortgage brokers, and private lenders, many of which have substantially greater resources than possessed by the Company. Credit unions have federal tax exemptions, which may allow them to offer lower rates on loans and higher rates on deposits than taxpaying financial institutions such as commercial banks. In addition, non-depository institution competitors are generally not subject to the extensive regulation applicable to institutions that offer federally insured deposits. Other institutions may have other competitive advantages in particular markets or may be willing to accept lower profit margins on certain products. These differences in resources, regulation, competitive advantages, and business strategy may decrease the Company’s net interest margin, increase the Company’s operating costs, and may make it harder to compete profitably.

 

The Company operates in a highly regulated industry, and compliance with, or changes to, the laws and regulations that govern its operations may adversely affect the Company.

The banking industry is heavily regulated. Banking regulations are primarily intended to protect the federal deposit insurance funds and depositors, not shareholders. Sandy Spring Bank is subject to regulation and supervision by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System and by Maryland banking authorities. Sandy Spring Bancorp is subject to regulation and supervision by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. The burdens imposed by federal and state regulations put banks at a competitive disadvantage compared to less regulated competitors such as finance companies, mortgage banking companies, and leasing companies. Changes in the laws, regulations, and regulatory practices affecting the banking industry may increase the cost of doing business or otherwise adversely affect the Company and create competitive advantages for others. Regulations affecting banks and financial services companies undergo continuous change, and the Company cannot predict the ultimate effect of these changes, which could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s results of operations or financial condition. Federal economic and monetary policy may also affect the Company’s ability to attract deposits and other funding sources, make loans and investments, and achieve satisfactory interest spreads.

 

The enactment of the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act of 2010 may have a material effect on our operations.

The Dodd-Frank Act imposes significant regulatory and compliance changes. The key effects of the Dodd-Frank Act on the Company’s business are: changes to regulatory capital requirements; exclusion of hybrid securities, including trust preferred securities, issued on or after May 19, 2010 from Tier 1 capital; creation of new government regulatory agencies (such as the Financial Stability Oversight Council, which oversees systemic risk, and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, which develops and enforces rules for bank and non-bank providers of consumer financial products); potential limitations on federal preemption; changes to deposit insurance assessments; regulation of debit interchange fees; changes in retail banking regulations, including potential limitations on certain fees the Company may charge; and changes in regulation of consumer mortgage loan origination and risk retention.  Some provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act became effective immediately upon its enactment. Many provisions, however, require regulations to be promulgated by various federal agencies in order to be implemented, some of which have been proposed by the applicable federal agencies. The provisions of the Dodd-Frank Act may have unintended effects, which will not be clear until further implementation. The changes resulting from the Dodd-Frank Act may impact the profitability of the Company’s business activities, require changes to certain of the Company’s business practices, impose upon the Company more stringent capital, liquidity and leverage requirements or otherwise adversely affect the Company’s business. These changes may also require the Company to invest significant management attention and resources to evaluate and make any changes necessary to comply with new statutory and regulatory requirements. Failure to comply with the new requirements may negatively impact the Company’s results of operations and financial condition.

 

The Company’s ability to pay dividends is limited by law and contract.

The ability to pay dividends to shareholders largely depends on Sandy Spring Bancorp’s receipt of dividends from Sandy Spring Bank. The amount of dividends that Sandy Spring Bank may pay to Sandy Spring Bancorp is limited by federal laws and regulations. The ability of Sandy Spring Bank to pay dividends is also subject to its profitability, financial condition and cash flow requirements.  There is no assurance that Sandy Spring Bank will be able to pay dividends to Sandy Spring Bancorp in the future.  The decision may be made to limit the payment of dividends even when the legal ability to pay them exists, in order to retain earnings for other uses.  A prohibition from paying dividends on common stock also exists if the required payments on the Company’s subordinated debentures have not been made.

 

Restrictions on unfriendly acquisitions could prevent a takeover of the Company.

The Company’s articles of incorporation and bylaws contain provisions that could discourage takeover attempts that are not approved by the board of directors. The Maryland General Corporation Law includes provisions that make an acquisition of Sandy Spring Bancorp more difficult. These provisions may prevent a future takeover attempt in which the shareholders otherwise might receive a substantial premium for their shares over then-current market prices.

 

These provisions include supermajority provisions for the approval of certain business combinations and certain provisions relating to meetings of shareholders. The Company’s articles of incorporation also authorize the issuance of additional shares without shareholder approval on terms or in circumstances that could deter a future takeover attempt.

 

Future sales of the Company’s common stock or other securities may dilute the value and adversely affect the market price of the Company’s common stock.

In many situations, the board of directors has the authority, without any vote of the Company’s shareholders, to issue shares of authorized but unissued stock, including shares authorized and unissued under the Company’s equity incentive plans. In the future, additional securities may be issued, through public or private offerings, in order to raise additional capital. Any such issuance would dilute the percentage of ownership interest of existing shareholders and may dilute the per share book value of the Company’s common stock. In addition, option holders may exercise their options at a time when the Company would otherwise be able to obtain additional equity capital on more favorable terms.

  

Any changes in the Federal or State tax laws may negatively impact the Company’s financial performance.

The Company is subject to changes in tax law that could increase the effective tax rate payable to the state or federal government. These law changes may be retroactive to previous periods and as a result, could negatively affect the current and future financial performance of the Company.

 

Changes in accounting standards or interpretation of new or existing standards may affect how the Company reports its financial condition and results of operations.

From time to time the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) and the SEC change accounting regulations and reporting standards that govern the preparation of the Company’s financial statements. In addition, the FASB, SEC, bank regulators and the

outside independent auditors may revise their previous interpretations regarding existing accounting regulations and the application of these accounting standards. These changes can be hard to predict and can materially impact how to record and report the Company’s financial condition and results of operations. In some cases, there could be a requirement to apply a new or revised accounting standard retroactively, resulting in the restatement of prior period financial statements

 

New capital rules that were recently issued generally require insured depository institutions and their holding companies to hold more capital.

On July 2, 2013, the Federal Reserve adopted a final rule for the Basel III capital framework. These rules substantially amend the regulatory risk-based capital rules applicable to us. The rules phase in over time beginning in 2015 and will become fully effective in 2019. The rules apply to the Company as well as to Sandy Spring Bank. Beginning in 2015, our minimum capital requirements will be (i) a common Tier 1 equity ratio of 4.5%, (ii) a Tier 1 capital (common Tier 1 capital plus Additional Tier 1 capital) of 6% (up from 4%) and (iii) a total capital ratio of 8% (the current requirement). Our leverage ratio requirement will remain at the 4% level now required. Beginning in 2016, a capital conservation buffer will phase in over three years, ultimately resulting in a requirement of 2.5% on top of the common Tier 1, Tier 1 and total capital requirements, resulting in a required common Tier 1 equity ratio of 7%, a Tier 1 ratio of 8.5%, and a total capital ratio of 10.5%. Failure to satisfy any of these three capital requirements will result in limits on paying dividends, engaging in share repurchases and paying discretionary bonuses. These limitations will establish a maximum percentage of eligible retained income that could be utilized for such actions.

 

We face a risk of noncompliance and enforcement action with the Bank Secrecy Act and other anti-money laundering statutes and regulations.

The federal Bank Secrecy Act, the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (the "PATRIOT Act") and other laws and regulations require financial institutions, among other duties, to institute and maintain effective anti-money laundering programs and file suspicious activity and currency transaction reports as appropriate. The federal Financial Crimes Enforcement Network, established by the U.S. Treasury Department to administer the Bank Secrecy Act, is authorized to impose significant civil money penalties for violations of those requirements and has recently engaged in coordinated enforcement efforts with the individual federal banking regulators, as well as the U.S. Department of Justice, Drug Enforcement Administration and Internal Revenue Service. Federal and state bank regulators also have begun to focus on compliance with Bank Secrecy Act and anti-money laundering regulations. If our policies, procedures and systems are deemed deficient or the policies, procedures and systems of the financial institutions that we may acquire in the future are deficient, we would be subject to liability, including fines and regulatory actions such as restrictions on our ability to pay dividends and the necessity to obtain regulatory approvals to proceed with certain aspects of our business plan, including our acquisition plans, which would negatively impact our business, financial condition and results of operations. Failure to maintain and implement adequate programs to combat money laundering and terrorist financing could also have serious reputational consequences for us.

 

Our information systems may experience an interruption or security breach.

We rely heavily on communications and information systems to conduct our business. We, our customers, and other financial institutions with which we interact, are subject to ongoing, continuous attempts to penetrate key systems by individual hackers, organized criminals, and in some cases, state-sponsored organizations. Any failure, interruption or breach in security of these systems could result in failures or disruptions in our customer relationship management, general ledger, deposit, loan and other systems, misappropriation of funds, and theft of proprietary Company or customer data. While we have policies and procedures designed to prevent or limit the effect of the possible failure, interruption or security breach of our information systems, there can be no assurance that any such failure, interruption or security breach will not occur or, if they do occur, that they will be adequately addressed. The occurrence of any failure, interruption or security breach of our information systems could damage our reputation, result in a loss of customer business, subject us to additional regulatory scrutiny, or expose us to civil litigation and possible financial liability.

 

Security breaches and other disruptions could compromise our information and expose us to liability, which would cause our business and reputation to suffer.

In the ordinary course of our business, we collect and store sensitive data, including intellectual property, our proprietary business information and that of our customers, suppliers and business partners, and personally identifiable information of our customers and employees, in our data centers and on our networks. The secure processing, maintenance and transmission of this information is critical to our operations and business strategy. Despite our security measures, our information technology and infrastructure may be vulnerable to attacks by hackers or breached due to employee error, malfeasance or other disruptions. Any such breach could compromise our networks and the information stored there could be accessed, publicly disclosed, lost or stolen. Any such access, disclosure or other loss of information could result in legal claims or proceedings, liability under laws that protect the privacy of personal information, and regulatory penalties, disrupt our operations and the services we provide to customers, damage our reputation, and cause a loss of confidence in our products and services, which could adversely affect our business, revenues and competitive position.

 

Our reliance on third party vendors could expose our company to additional cyber risk and liability.

The operation of our business involves outsourcing of certain business functions and reliance on third-party providers, which may result in transmission and maintenance of personal, confidential, and proprietary information to and by such vendors.  Although we require third-party providers to maintain certain levels of information security, such providers remain vulnerable to breaches, unauthorized access, misuse, computer viruses, or other malicious attacks that could ultimately compromise sensitive information possessed by our company.  Although we contract to limit our liability in connection with attacks against third-party providers, the company remains exposed to risk of loss associated with such vendors.

 

We outsource certain aspects of our data processing to certain third-party providers which may expose us to additional risk.

We outsource certain key aspects of our data processing to certain third-party providers. While we have selected these third-party providers carefully, we cannot control their actions. If our third-party providers encounter difficulties, including those which result from their failure to provide services for any reason or their poor performance of services, or if we have difficulty in communicating with them, our ability to adequately process and account for customer transactions could be affected, and our business operations could be adversely impacted. Replacing these third-party providers could also entail significant delay and expense.

 

Our third-party providers may be vulnerable to unauthorized access, computer viruses, phishing schemes and other security breaches. Threats to information security also exist in the processing of customer information through various other third-party providers and their personnel. We may be required to expend significant additional resources to protect against the threat of such security breaches and computer viruses, or to alleviate problems caused by such security breaches or viruses. To the extent that the activities of our third-party providers or the activities of our customers involve the storage and transmission of confidential information, security breaches and viruses could expose us to claims, regulatory scrutiny, litigation and other possible liabilities.

 

We are dependent on our information technology and telecommunications systems and third-party servicers, and systems failures, interruptions or breaches of security could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Our business is highly dependent on the successful and uninterrupted functioning of our information technology and telecommunications systems and third-party servicers. We outsource many of our major systems, such as data processing and deposit processing systems. The failure of these systems, or the termination of a third-party software license or service agreement on which any of these systems is based, could interrupt our operations. Because our information technology and telecommunications systems interface with and depend on third-party systems, we could experience service denials if demand for such services exceeds capacity or such third-party systems fail or experience interruptions. If sustained or repeated, a system failure or service denial could result in a deterioration of our ability to provide customer service, compromise our ability to operate effectively, damage our reputation, result in a loss of customer business and/or subject us to additional regulatory scrutiny and possible financial liability, any of which could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

 

In addition, we provide our customers the ability to bank remotely, including online over the Internet. The secure transmission of confidential information is a critical element of remote banking. Our network could be vulnerable to unauthorized access, computer viruses, phishing schemes, spam attacks, human error, natural disasters, power loss and other security breaches. We may be required to spend significant capital and other resources to protect against the threat of security breaches and computer viruses, or to alleviate problems caused by security breaches or viruses. Further, we outsource some of the data processing functions used for remote banking, and accordingly we are dependent on the expertise and performance of our third-party providers. To the extent that our activities, the activities of our customers, or the activities of our third-party service providers involve the storage and transmission of confidential information, security breaches and viruses could expose us to claims, litigation and other possible liabilities. Any inability to prevent security breaches or computer viruses could also cause existing customers to lose confidence in our systems and could adversely affect our reputation, results of operations and ability to attract and maintain customers and businesses. In addition, a security breach could also subject us to additional regulatory scrutiny, expose us to civil litigation and possible financial liability and cause reputational damage.

 

Item 1B. Unresolved Staff Comments

 

None.

 

Item 2. PROPERTIES

 

The Company’s headquarters is located in Olney, Maryland. As of December 31, 2014, Sandy Spring Bank owned 13 of its 44 full-service community banking centers and leased the remaining banking centers. See Note 6–Premises and Equipment to the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements for additional information.

Item 3.  LEGAL PROCEEDINGS

 

In the normal course of business, the Company becomes involved in litigation arising from the banking, financial, and other activities it conducts. Management, after consultation with legal counsel, does not anticipate that the ultimate liability, if any, arising out of these matters will have a material effect on the Company's financial condition, operating results or liquidity.

 

Item 4.  MINE SAFETY DISCLOSURES

 

Not applicable.

 

PART II

 

Item 5. Market for the Registrant’s Common Equity, Related Stockholder Matters and Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

 

Stock Listing

Common shares of Sandy Spring Bancorp, Inc. are listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market under the symbol “SASR”.  At February 25, 2015 there were approximately 2,400 holders of record of the Company’s common stock.

 

Transfer Agent and Registrar

Computershare Shareholder Services, P.O. Box 30170, College Station, TX 77842-3170

 

Dividends

The dividend amount is established by the board of directors each quarter. In making its decision on dividends, the board considers operating results, financial condition, capital adequacy, regulatory requirements, shareholder returns, and other factors.  Shareholders received quarterly cash common dividends totaling $19.2 million in 2014, $16.1 million in 2013 and $11.9 million in 2012. Dividends have increased from 2012 through 2014 due to the Company’s improved operating results.   

 

Share Transactions with Employees

Shares issued under the employee stock purchase plan, which was authorized on July 1, 2011, totaled 24,519 in 2014 and 24,849 in 2013, while issuances pursuant to exercises of stock options and grants of restricted stock were 68,369 and 59,780 in the respective years.  No shares were issued under the director stock purchase plan in either 2014 or in 2013.

 

Quarterly Stock Information

The following table provides stock price activity and dividend payment information for the periods indicated:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Issuer Purchases of Equity Securities

The Company re-approved the stock repurchase program in August 2013 that permits the repurchase of up to 5% of the Company’s outstanding shares of common stock or approximately 1,260,000 shares.  Repurchases, which will be conducted through open market purchases or privately negotiated transactions, will be made depending on market conditions and other factors. The Company repurchased 38,032 shares of common stock at an average price of $23.94 per share during the year ended December 31, 2014. The Company did not repurchase any shares of its common stock in the year ended December 31, 2013 under the re-approved or previously existing programs. 

 

Shares repurchased pursuant to the stock repurchase program during the fourth quarter of 2014 were as follows:

 

 

 

Total Return Comparison

The following graph and table show the cumulative total return on the common stock of the Company over the last five years, compared with the cumulative total return of a broad stock market index (the Standard and Poor’s 500 Index or “S&P 500”), and a narrower index of Mid-Atlantic bank holding company peers with assets of $2 billion to $7 billion.  The cumulative total return on the stock or the index equals the total increase in value since December 31, 2009, assuming reinvestment of all dividends paid into the stock or the index. The graph and table were prepared assuming that $100 was invested on December 31, 2009, in the common stock and the securities included in the indexes.

 

 

*The Peer Group Index includes twenty publicly traded bank holding companies, other than the Company, headquartered in the Mid-Atlantic region and with assets of $2 billion to $7 billion.  The companies included in this index are:  Bancorp, Inc. (DE); BNC Bancorp (NC); Bryn Mawr Bank Corporation (PA); Burke & Herbert Bank & Trust Company (VA); Cardinal Financial Corporation (VA); Carter Bank & Trust (VA); City Holding Company (WV); CNB Financial Corporation (PA); CommunityOne Bancorp (NC); ConnectOne Bancorp, Inc. (NJ); Customers Bancorp, Inc. (PA);  Eagle Bancorp, Inc. (MD); First Bancorp (NC); First Commonwealth Financial Corp. (PA), First Community Bancshares, Inc. (VA); Hampton Roads Bankshares, Inc (VA); HomeTrust Bancshares, Inc. (NC); Lakeland Bancorp, Inc. (NJ); Metro Bancorp, Inc. (PA); NewBridge Bancorp (NC); Park Sterling Corporaion (NC); Peapack-Gladstone Financial Corporation (NJ); Peoples Bancorp Inc. (OH); S&T Bancorp, Inc. (PA); Southern Bancshares, Inc. (NC); Square 1 Financial, Inc. (NC); Sun Bancorp, Inc. (NJ); Towne Bank (VA); TriState Capital Holdings, Inc. (PA); Univest Company of Pennsylvania (PA);  WesBanco, Inc. (WV) and Yadkin Financial Corp. (NC).  Returns are weighted according to the issuer’s stock market capitalization at the beginning of each year shown.

Equity Compensation Plans

The following table presents the number of shares available for issuance under the Company’s equity compensation plans at December 31, 2014.

 

 

(1)       See the discussion of the efficiency ratio in the section of Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations entitled “Operating Expense Performance.”

(2)       See the discussion of tangible common equity in the section of Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations entitled “Tangible Common Equity.”

Item 7.  Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of               Operations

 

Overview

Net income for Sandy Spring Bancorp, Inc. and subsidiaries (the “Company”) for the year ended December 31, 2014 totaled  $38.2  million ($1.52 per diluted share), compared to net income of $44.4 million ($1.77 per diluted share) for the prior year. These results reflect the following events:

 

·         Total loans at December 31, 2014 increased 12% compared to the balance at December 31, 2013 and increases exceeded 10% in each of the three major portfolio segments. Overall the entire portfolio grew $343 million over the prior year.

·         Combined noninterest-bearing and interest-bearing transaction account balances increased 18% to $1.5 billion at December 31, 2014 as compared to $1.3 billion at December 31, 2013.

·         The provision for loan and lease losses was a credit of $0.2 million for 2014 compared to a credit of $1.1 million for 2013.  The credits in the provision for each year were driven by problem loan resolutions and recoveries and a decline in historical losses. The reduced credit in the provision for 2014 compared to 2013 was due to loan growth during the year.

·         The net interest margin decreased to 3.45% in 2014 compared to 3.63% in 2013. The prior year’s margin was positively impacted by loan recoveries on commercial loans. Exclusive of those recoveries the net interest margin for 2013 would have been 3.53%.

·         Non-interest income decreased 1% for 2014 compared to 2013 due largely to a decline in other non-interest income. This decrease was somewhat offset by a 9% increase in income from wealth management activities.

·         Non-interest expenses increased 8% for 2014 compared to the prior year due primarily to the impact of $6.5 million in litigation expenses. Excluding the litigation expenses, related to an adverse jury verdict, non-interest expenses for the year ended December 31, 2014 increased 3%.

   

In 2014, the Mid-Atlantic region in which the Company operates continued to show slow but steady economic improvement. While the national economy improved throughout the year, international economic concerns together with rapidly declining oil prices impeded both the regional and national economic outlook. Positive trends in housing, consumer spending and unemployment have been offset by concerns over the possible effect of  the Affordable Care Act and a lack of wage growth which has caused uncertainty on the part of both large and small businesses and has thus limited economic expansion. Slowing economic growth in China combined with growing recessionary conditions in Europe continue to be underlying volatility factors. Together with state and municipal budget challenges across the country, these factors have caused enough economic uncertainty, particularly among individual consumers and small and medium-sized businesses, to suppress confidence and thus constrain the pace of economic expansion and lending. Despite this challenging business environment, the Company has emphasized the fundamentals of community banking as it has maintained strong levels of liquidity and capital while overall credit quality has continued to improve.

 

The net interest margin decreased to 3.45% in 2014 compared to 3.63% for 2013. Excluding the interest recoveries mentioned above, the net interest margin was 3.53% for 2013. Average loans increased 10%, compared to the prior year, while average total deposits increased 3% compared to 2013. 

 

Liquidity remained strong due to the borrowing lines with the Federal Home Loan Bank of Atlanta and the Federal Reserve and the size and composition of the investment portfolio.

 

The Company’s credit quality continued to improve as non-performing assets decreased to $37.2 million at December 31, 2014 from $41.4 million at December 31, 2013. This decrease was due primarily to a combination of loan pay-offs and a reduction in restructured loans as such loans have performed to allow them to no longer be classified as non-performing. Non-performing assets represented 0.85% of total assets at December 31, 2014 compared to 1.01% at December 31, 2013.  The ratio of net charge-offs to average loans and leases was 0.03% for 2014, compared to 0.12% for the prior year.

 

At December 31, 2014, the Bank remained above all “well-capitalized” regulatory requirement levels. In addition, tangible book value per common share increased 5% to $17.48 from $16.68 at December 31, 2013.

 

Total assets at December 31, 2014 increased 7% compared to December 31, 2013. Loan balances increased 12% compared to the prior year end due to increases of 14% in residential mortgage and construction loans, 11% in commercial loans and 14% in consumer loans. The growth in commercial loans was primarily due to growth of 21% in commercial investor real estate loans while the growth in consumer loans was due to an increase of 16% in home equity lines of credit. Customer funding sources, which include deposits plus other short-term borrowings from core customers, increased 7% compared to balances at December 31, 2013. The increase in customer funding sources was driven primarily by increases of 18% in noninterest-bearing and interest-bearing transaction accounts and 9% in regular savings accounts. These increases were somewhat offset by decreases of 5% in certificates of deposit and money market accounts.   The Company continued to manage its net interest margin, primarily by adjusting rates on certificates of deposit and by utilizing short-term FHLB borrowings during this extended period of historically low interest rates.  During the same period, stockholders’ equity increased to $522 million due to net income in 2014.

    

Net interest income remained virtually even compared to the prior year. The effects of a 5 basis point decrease in the cost of interest-bearing liabilities, growth of 9% in average noninterest-bearing deposits, 5% growth in average interest-earning assets and a 10% decrease in non-performing assets  offset a decline of 22 basis points in the yield on average interest-earning assets. Excluding the effect of interest recoveries on commercial loans in 2013, net interest income would have increased 3% in 2014 reflecting a decline in the yield on average interest-earning assets of 12 basis points.

   

Non-interest income decreased 1% in 2014 compared to 2013. This decrease was driven primarily by the decrease in other non-interest income due to sales and dispositions of loans and fixed assets and a non-recurring legal settlement, all of which occurred in the prior year. Income from mortgage banking activities also decreased as loan origination volumes declined. The impact of these decreases was somewhat mitigated by an increase in wealth management income of 9% due to higher assets under management.

 

Non-interest expenses increased 8% in 2014 compared to the prior year due primarily to litigation expenses related to an adverse jury verdict. Excluding these litigation expenses, non-interest expenses increased 3% over 2013.This increase was driven primarily by higher bankcard losses and an adjustment to uncollectible insurance receivables.

 

Critical Accounting Policies

The Company’s consolidated financial statements are prepared in accordance with generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) in the United States of America and follow general practices within the banking industry.  Application of these principles requires management to make estimates, assumptions, and judgments that affect the amounts reported in the financial statements and accompanying notes.  These estimates, assumptions, and judgments are based on information available as of the date of the financial statements; accordingly, as this information changes, the financial statements may reflect different estimates, assumptions, and judgments.  Certain policies inherently rely to a greater extent on the use of estimates, assumptions, and judgments and as such may have a greater possibility of producing results that could be materially different than originally reported. Estimates, assumptions, and judgments are necessary for assets and liabilities that are required to be recorded at fair value.  A decline in the value of assets required to be recorded at fair value will warrant an impairment write-down or valuation allowance to be established.  Carrying assets and liabilities at fair value inherently results in more financial statement volatility.  The fair values and the information used to record valuation adjustments for certain assets and liabilities are based either on quoted market prices or are provided by other third-party sources, when readily available.  Management believes the following accounting policies are the most critical to aid in fully understanding and evaluating our reported financial results:

 

·        Allowance for loan and lease losses;

·        Goodwill and other intangible asset impairment;

·        Accounting for income taxes;

·        Fair value measurements;

·        Defined benefit pension plan.

  

Allowance for Loan and Lease Losses

The allowance for loan and lease losses is an estimate of the probable losses that are inherent in the loan and lease portfolio at the balance sheet date.  The allowance is based on the basic principle that a loss be accrued when it is probable that the loss has occurred at the date of the financial statements and the amount of the loss can be reasonably estimated.

 

Management believes that the allowance is adequate. However, its determination requires significant judgment, and estimates of probable losses in the lending portfolio can vary significantly from the amounts actually observed. While management uses available information to recognize probable losses, future additions or reductions to the allowance may be necessary based on changes in the loans and leases comprising the portfolio and changes in the financial condition of borrowers, resulting from changes in economic conditions. In addition, various regulatory agencies, as an integral part of their examination process, and independent consultants engaged by the Company periodically review the loan and lease portfolio and the allowance.  Such reviews may result in additional provisions based on their judgments of information available at the time of each examination.

 

The Company’s allowance for loan and lease losses has two basic components: a general allowance (ASC 450 reserves) reflecting historical losses by loan category, as adjusted by several factors whose effects are not reflected in historical loss ratios, and specific allowances (ASC 310 reserves) for individually identified loans.  Each of these components, and the allowance methodology used to establish them, are described in detail in Note 1 of the Notes to the Consolidated Financial Statements included in this report.  The amount of the allowance is reviewed monthly by the Risk Committee of the board of directors and formally approved quarterly by that same committee of the board.

 

General allowances are based upon historical loss experience by portfolio segment measured over the prior eight quarters and weighted so that losses realized in the most recent quarters have the greatest effect.  The historical loss experience is supplemented to address various risk characteristics of the Company’s loan portfolio including:

 

·         trends in delinquencies and other non-performing loans;

·         changes in the risk profile related to large loans in the portfolio;

·         changes in the categories of loans comprising the loan portfolio;

·         concentrations of loans to specific industry segments;

·         changes in economic conditions on both a local and national level;

·         changes in the Company’s credit administration and loan portfolio management processes; and

·         quality of the Company’s credit risk identification processes. 

 

The general allowance comprised 92% of the total allowance at December 31, 2014 and 92% at December 31, 2013. The general allowance is calculated in two parts based on an internal risk classification of loans within each portfolio segment.  Allowances on loans considered to be “criticized” and “classified” under regulatory guidance are calculated separately from loans considered to be “pass” rated under the same guidance.  This segregation allows the Company to monitor the allowance applicable to higher risk loans separate from the remainder of the portfolio in order to better manage risk and ensure the sufficiency of the allowance for loan and lease losses.

 

The portion of the allowance representing specific allowances is established on individually impaired loans. As a practical expedient, for collateral dependent loans, the Company measures impairment based on fair value of the collateral less costs to sell the underlying collateral. For loans on which the Company has not elected to use a practical expedient to measure impairment, the Company will measure impairment based on the present value of expected future cash flows discounted at the loan’s effective interest rate.  In determining the cash flows to be included in the discount calculation the Company considers the following factors that combine to estimate the probability and severity of potential losses:

 

·         the borrower’s overall financial condition;

·         resources and payment record;

·         demonstrated or documented support available from financial guarantors; and

·         the adequacy of collateral value and the ultimate realization of that value at liquidation.

 

At December 31, 2014, the specific allowance accounted for 8% of the total allowance as compared to 8% at December 31, 2013.  The estimated losses on impaired loans can differ substantially from actual losses.

 

Goodwill and Other Intangible Asset Impairment

Goodwill represents the excess purchase price paid over the fair value of the net assets acquired in a business combination. Goodwill is not amortized but is tested for impairment annually or more frequently if events or changes in circumstances indicate that the asset might be impaired.  Impairment testing requires that the fair value of each of the Company’s reporting units be compared to the carrying amount of the reporting unit’s net assets, including goodwill. The Company’s reporting units were identified based upon an analysis of each of its individual operating segments. If the fair values of the reporting units exceed their book values, no write-down of recorded goodwill is required. If the fair value of a reporting unit is less than book value, an expense may be required to write-down the related goodwill to the proper carrying value. The Company tests for impairment of goodwill as of October 1 of each year using September 30 data and again at any quarter-end if any triggering events occur during a quarter that may affect goodwill. Examples of such events include, but are not limited to, a significant deterioration in future operating results, adverse action by a regulator or a loss of key personnel. Determining the fair value of a reporting unit requires the Company to use a degree of subjectivity. 

   

Under current accounting guidance, the Company has the option to assess qualitative factors to determine whether the existence of events or circumstances leads to a determination that it is more likely than not that the fair value of a reporting unit is less than its carrying amount. Based on the assessment of these qualitative factors, if it is determined that the fair value of a reporting unit is not less than the carrying value, then performing the two-step impairment process, previously required, is unnecessary. However, if it is determined that the carrying value exceeds the fair value the first step, described on the previous page, of the two-step process must be performed. The Company has elected this accounting guidance with respect to its Community Banking, Investment Management and Insurance segments. At September 30, 2014 there was no evidence of impairment of goodwill or intangibles in any of the Company’s reporting units.

 

Other intangible assets represent purchased assets that lack physical substance but can be distinguished from goodwill because of contractual or other legal rights or because the asset is capable of being sold or exchanged either on its own or in combination with a related contract, asset, or liability. Other intangible assets have finite lives and are reviewed for impairment annually.  These assets are amortized over their estimated useful lives on a straight-line basis over varying periods that initially did not exceed 15 years.

   

Accounting for Income Taxes

The Company accounts for income taxes by recording deferred income taxes that reflect the net tax effects of temporary differences between the carrying amounts of assets and liabilities for financial reporting purposes and the amounts used for income tax purposes. Management exercises significant judgment in the evaluation of the amount and timing of the recognition of the resulting tax assets and liabilities. The judgments and estimates required for the evaluation are updated based upon changes in business factors and the tax laws. If actual results differ from the assumptions and other considerations used in estimating the amount and timing of tax recognized, there can be no assurance that additional expenses will not be required in future periods. The Company’s accounting policy follows the prescribed authoritative guidance that a minimal probability threshold of a tax position must be met before a financial statement benefit is recognized. The Company recognized, when applicable, interest and penalties related to unrecognized tax benefits in other non-interest expenses in the Consolidated Statements of Income. Assessment of uncertain tax positions requires careful consideration of the technical merits of a position based on management’s analysis of tax regulations and interpretations. Significant judgment may be involved in applying the applicable reporting and accounting requirements.

 

Management expects that the Company’s adherence to the required accounting guidance may result in increased volatility in quarterly and annual effective income tax rates due to the requirement that any change in judgment or measurement of a tax position taken in a prior period be recognized as a discrete event in the period in which it occurs. Factors that could impact management’s judgment include changes in income, tax laws and regulations, and tax planning strategies.

 

Fair Value Measurements

The Company measures certain financial assets and liabilities at fair value in accordance with applicable accounting standards.  Significant financial instruments measured at fair value on a recurring basis are investment securities available-for-sale, residential mortgages held for sale and commercial loan interest rate swap agreements.  Loans where it is probable that the Company will not collect all principal and interest payments according to the contractual terms are considered impaired loans and are measured on a nonrecurring basis.

 

The Company conducts a quarterly review for all investment securities that have potential impairment to determine whether unrealized losses are other-than-temporary. Valuations for the investment portfolio are determined using quoted market prices, where available. If quoted market prices are not available, valuations are based on pricing models, quotes for similar investment securities, and, where necessary, an income valuation approach based on the present value of expected cash flows. In addition, the Company considers the financial condition of the issuer, the receipt of principal and interest according to the contractual terms and the intent and ability of the Company to hold the investment for a period of time sufficient to allow for any anticipated recovery in fair value.

 

The above accounting policies with respect to fair value are discussed in further detail in “Note 20-Fair Value” to the Consolidated Financial Statements.

 

Defined Benefit Pension Plan

The Company has a qualified, noncontributory, defined benefit pension plan. The plan was frozen for existing entrants after December 31, 2007 and all benefit accruals for employees were frozen as of December 31, 2007 based on past service. Future salary increases and additional years of service will no longer affect the defined benefit provided by the plan although additional vesting may continue to occur.

 

Several factors affect the net periodic benefit cost of the plan, including (1) the size and characteristics of the plan population, (2) the discount rate, (3) the expected long-term rate of return on plan assets and (4) other actuarial assumptions. Pension cost is directly related to the number of employees covered by the plan and other factors including salary, age, years of employment, and the terms of the plan. As a result of the plan freeze, the characteristics of the plan population should not have a materially different effect in future years. The discount rate is used to determine the present value of future benefit obligations. The discount rate is determined by matching the expected cash flows of the plan to a yield curve based on long term, high quality fixed income debt instruments available as of the measurement date, which is December 31 of each year. The discount rate is adjusted each year on the measurement date to reflect current market conditions. The expected long-term rate of return on plan assets is based on a number of factors that include expectations of market performance and the target asset allocation adopted in the plan investment policy. Should actual asset returns deviate from the projected returns, this can affect the benefit plan expense recognized in the financial statements.