Stock Yards Bancorp, Inc. - Annual Report: 2020 (Form 10-K)

Table of Contents

 

UNITED STATES

SECURITIES AND EXCHANGE COMMISSION

Washington, D.C. 20549

 

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FORM 10-K

 

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

For the fiscal year ended December 31, 2020

 

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

For the transition period from            to

 

Commission File Number: 1-13661

 

 

STOCK YARDS BANCORP, INC.

(Exact name of registrant as specified in its charter)

 

Kentucky		61-1137529
(State or other jurisdiction of incorporation or organization)		(I.R.S. Employer Identification No.)
1040 East Main Street, Louisville, Kentucky		40206
(Address of principal executive offices)		(Zip Code)

 

Registrant’s telephone number, including area code: (502) 582-2571

 

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

 

Title of each class	Trading symbol(s)	Name of each exchange on which registered
Common stock, no par value	SYBT	The NASDAQ Stock Market

 

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

 

None

(Title of class)

 

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

 

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

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant (1) has filed all reports required to be filed by Section 13 or 15(d) of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to file such reports) and (2) has been subject to such filing requirements for the past 90 days. ☒ Yes ☐ No

 

Indicate by check mark whether the registrant has submitted electronically every Interactive Data File required to be submitted pursuant to Rule 405 of Regulation S-T (§232.405 of this chapter) during the preceding 12 months (or for such shorter period that the registrant was required to submit such files).  ☒ Yes  ☐ No

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

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

 

The aggregate market value of the voting and non-voting common equity held by non-affiliates computed by reference to the price at which common equity was last sold as of June 30, 2020 (the last business day of the registrant’s most recently completed second fiscal quarter) was $843,989,272.

 

The number of shares of the registrant’s Common Stock, no par value, outstanding as of February 19, 2021, was 22,732,976.

 

DOCUMENTS INCORPORATED BY REFERENCE

 

Portions of Registrant’s definitive Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders to be held on April 22, 2021 are incorporated by reference into Part III of this Form 10-K.

 

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Table of Contents

GLOSSARY OF ABBREVIATIONS AND ACRONYMS

The acronyms and abbreviations identified in alphabetical order below are used throughout this Annual Report on Form 10-K:

PART I

Stock Yards Bancorp, Inc., headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky, is the holding company for SYB, its sole subsidiary. Bancorp, which was incorporated in 1988 in Kentucky, is registered with, and subject to supervision, regulation and examination by, the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System. As Bancorp has no significant operations of its own, its business and that of SYB are essentially the same. The operations of SYB are fully reflected in the consolidated financial statements of Bancorp. Accordingly, references to “Bancorp” in this document may encompass both the holding company and SYB.

SYB, chartered in 1904, is a state-chartered non-member financial institution that provides services in the Louisville, Kentucky, Indianapolis, Indiana and Cincinnati, Ohio MSAs through 44 full service banking center locations. The Bank is registered with, and subject to supervision, regulation and examination by the FDIC and the Kentucky Department of Financial Institutions.

In May 2019, Bancorp completed its acquisition of KSB for $28 million in cash. The acquisition expanded Bancorp’s market area into nearby Nelson County, Kentucky, while expanding the customer base in Louisville, Kentucky. The results of operations, acquired assets and assumed liabilities have been included in the consolidated financial statement as of and for the period since the acquisition date. For additional details, see Note 3, “Acquisitions,” contained in “Item 8. Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”

Effective January 27, 2021, Bancorp executed a definitive Share Purchase Agreement (“agreement”), pursuant to which Bancorp will acquire all of the outstanding common stock of publicly traded Kentucky Bancshares, Inc. Kentucky Bancshares, Inc., headquartered in Paris, Kentucky, is the holding company for Kentucky Bank, which operates 19 branches throughout the following central Kentucky cities: Paris (Bourbon County), Cynthiana (Harrison County), Georgetown (Scott County), Lexington (Fayette County), Morehead (Rowan County), Nicholasville (Jessamine County), Richmond (Madison County), Sandy Hook (Elliott County), Versailles (Woodford County), Wilmore (Jessamine County) and Winchester (Clark County).  

The acquisition is expected to close during second quarter of 2021, subject to customary regulatory approval and completion of customary closing conditions. As of December 31, 2020, Kentucky Bancshares, Inc. had approximately $1.2 billion in assets, $767 million in loans, $979 million in deposits and $114 million in tangible common equity. Kentucky Bancshares also maintains a Wealth Management and Trust Department with total assets under management of $258 million at December 31, 2020. The combined franchise will serve customers through 63 branches with total assets of approximately $5.9 billion, $4.3 billion in gross loans, $5.0 billion in deposits and over $4.1 billion in trust assets under management.

Including the pending acquisition noted above, Bancorp’s pro-forma geographic footprint would include 63 locations as depicted below:

General Business Overview

As is the case with most banks, our primary revenue sources are net interest income and fee income from various financial services provided to customers. Net interest income is the difference between interest income earned on loans, investment securities and other interest earning assets less interest expense on deposit accounts and other interest bearing liabilities. Loan volume and interest rates earned on those loans are critical to overall profitability. Similarly, deposit volume is crucial to funding loans and rates paid on deposits directly impact profitability. New business volume is influenced by economic factors including market interest rates, business spending, consumer confidence and competitive conditions within the marketplace. Net interest income accounted for 72% of our total revenues, defined as net interest income plus non-interest income, for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Fee income, or non-interest income, is a significant component of our business. Non-interest income represented 28% of total revenues for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, demonstrating the value of the diversified revenue streams created by our broad product offerings in addition to income provided by the principal banking activities described above. Our non-interest income is driven by WM&T activities, deposit service charges, debit and credit card services, treasury management services, mortgage banking services, brokerage services and other ancillary activities of the Bank. WM&T revenue, which is our largest source of non-interest income, constituted 45%, 46% and 48% of total non-interest income for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively.

Bancorp is divided into two reportable segments: Commercial Banking and WM&T:

Commercial Banking provides a full range of loan and deposit products to individual consumers and businesses in all its markets through retail lending, mortgage banking, deposit services, online banking, mobile banking, private banking, commercial lending, treasury management services, merchant services, international banking, correspondent banking and other banking services. The Bank also offers securities brokerage services via its banking center network through an arrangement with a third party broker-dealer in the Commercial Banking segment. For reporting purposes, the Commercial Banking segment encompasses virtually all operations of Bancorp with the exception of WM&T activities.

WM&T provides investment management, company retirement plan management, retirement planning, trust, estate and financial planning services in all markets in which Bancorp operates, focusing on the wealth management needs of individuals, multi-generational families and institutions. The magnitude of WM&T revenue distinguishes Bancorp from other community banks of similar asset size.

For further discussion regarding our business, see “Item 7. Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”

Our Business Strategy

Our strategy focuses on building strong relationships with our customers, employees and communities, while maintaining disciplined underwriting standards and a commitment to operational efficiency. By leveraging our comprehensive suite of products and services, we strive to continue expanding our footprint in our home market of Louisville, Kentucky while also cultivating attractive growth opportunities in our other markets of Indianapolis, Indiana and Cincinnati, Ohio, and opportunistically pursuing acquisitions.

Key components of our strategy include the following:

Continue to focus on customer relationships and our community banking model – We believe that our reputation, expertise and relationship-based approach to banking enables us to establish long-lasting, full-service customer relationships. We look to leverage our relationships with existing customers by offering a wide range of products and services that are tailored to their needs and financial goals. Attracting and retaining high-quality relationship managers and providing them with the tools necessary for success is crucial to maintaining and strengthening the relationships we have with both existing and prospective customers.

Our commitment to our customers and the communities we serve has been exhibited throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. Our participation in the SBA’s PPP, our payment deferral and loan modification efforts, and other proactive assistance we’ve provided during the pandemic has not only deepened existing relationships, but created approximately 300 new relationship prospects that have migrated over their full commercial banking relationships. This relationship-based, community-focused approach has been the cornerstone of our success and remains the central tenant of our strategies.

Continue to grow and pursue diversified revenue streams – WM&T revenue distinguishes us from other community banks of similar asset size and continues to provide us with a strong competitive advantage. We have also seen significant growth in other non-interest revenue sources in recent years, particularly treasury management services and debit/credit card services. We believe these services, along with our other non-interest revenue sources, such as mortgage banking, brokerage services and other ancillary activities, provide the diversity necessary to weather the ups and downs of business cycles and the financial solutions our customers and communities desire.

Maintain focus on organic growth while capitalizing on strategic acquisitions – Our strategy has been to pursue attractive, organic growth opportunities within our existing markets and enter new markets that align with our business model and strategic plans. We believe we can increase our presence in our existing markets and broaden our footprint in attractive markets adjacent and complementary to our current markets by expansion of our branch network and opportunistically pursuing acquisitions.

Continue to manage costs and improve efficiency – We believe that conservative cost management and a focus on operational efficiency is critical to our success. We continuously manage our cost structure and refine our internal processes and technology to create further efficiencies with the goal of enhancing our earnings. Our efficiency ratio (FTE) for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018 was 54.86%, 56.07% and 55.89%, respectively.

Human Capital Resources

At December 31, 2020, the Bank had 641 full-time equivalent employees. Approximately 84% of Bancorp’s employees are located in the Louisville, Kentucky market, while 9% and 7% are located the Cincinnati, Ohio and Indianapolis, Indiana markets, respectively. None of Bancorp’s employees are subject to a collective bargaining agreement and Bancorp has never experienced a work stoppage. Employees of the Bank are entitled to participate in a variety of employee benefit programs including a defined contribution and stock ownership plan. Management of Bancorp strives to be an employer of choice and considers the relationship with employees to be good.

The safety, health and wellness of our employees is a top priority. The COVID-19 pandemic presented a unique challenge with regard to maintaining employee safety while continuing successful operations. In tandem with the declaration of the global pandemic, Bancorp invoked its Board of Director-approved pandemic plan, which included timely communication to employees, implementing remote work arrangements to the full extent possible, separating individual departments, operating select branch lobbies by appointment only, fully staffing all branch drive-thru lanes and actively promoting social distancing in all aspects of business. Bancorp has not made, and at this time does not expect to make, any material staffing or compensation changes as a result of the pandemic.

Executive Officers

See Part III, Item 10. “Directors, Executive Officers and Corporate Governance” for information regarding Bancorp’s executive officers.

Competition

The Bank encounters intense competition in its markets in originating loans, attracting deposits, and selling other banking related financial services. The deregulation of the banking industry, the ability to create financial services holding companies to engage in a wide range of financial services other than banking and the widespread enactment of state laws that permit multi-bank holding companies, as well as the availability of nationwide interstate banking, has created a highly competitive environment for financial institutions. In one or more aspects of the Bank’s business, the Bank competes with local and regional retail and commercial banks, other savings banks, credit unions, finance companies and mortgage companies operating in Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio. Some of the Bank’s competitors are not subject to the same degree of regulatory review and restrictions that apply to Bancorp and the Bank. Many of the Bank’s primary competitors, some of which are affiliated with large bank holding companies or other larger financial based institutions, have substantially greater resources, larger established client bases, higher lending limits, more extensive banking center networks, numerous ATMs or ITMs, and greater advertising and marketing budgets. They may also offer services that the Bank does not currently provide. Legislative developments related to interstate branching and banking in general, by providing large banking institutions easier access to a broader marketplace, can act to create more pressure on smaller financial institutions to consolidate. It is anticipated that competition from both bank and non-bank entities will continue to remain strong in the foreseeable future.

The Bank believes that an emphasis on highly personalized service tailored to individual client needs, together with the local character of the Bank’s business and its “community bank” management philosophy will continue to enhance the Bank’s ability to compete successfully in its markets.

Supervision and Regulation

Bank holding companies and commercial banks are extensively regulated under both federal and state laws. Changes in applicable laws or regulations may have a material effect on the business and prospects of Bancorp.

Bancorp, as a registered bank holding company, is subject to the supervision of and regulation by the Federal Reserve Board under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956. In addition, Bancorp is subject to the provisions of Kentucky’s banking laws regulating bank acquisitions and certain activities of controlling bank shareholders.

Kentucky and federal banking statutes delineate permissible activities for Kentucky state-chartered banks. Kentucky’s statutes, however, contain a super parity provision for Kentucky chartered banks having one of the top two ratings in its most recent regulatory examination. This provision allows these state banks to engage in any banking activity in which a national bank, a state bank operating in any other state, or a federally chartered thrift could engage. The bank must first obtain a legal opinion specifying the statutory or regulatory provisions that permit the activity.

The Bank is subject to the supervision of the Kentucky Department of Financial Institutions and the FDIC. The FDIC insures the deposits of the Bank to the current maximum of $250,000 per depositor.

The GLB Act allows for affiliations among banks, securities firms and insurance companies by means of FHC. The GLB Act requires that, at the time of establishment of an FHC, all depository institutions within that corporate group must be “well-managed” and “well-capitalized” and must have received a rating of “satisfactory” or better under its most recent CRA examination. Further, non-banking financial firms (for example an insurance company or securities firm) may establish a FHC and acquire a depository institution. While the distinction between banks and non-banking financial firms is blurred, the GLB Act makes it less cumbersome for banks to offer services “financial in nature” but beyond traditional commercial banking activities. Likewise, non-banking financial firms may find it easier to offer services that had, heretofore, been provided primarily by depository institutions. In 2012, management of Bancorp elected to become and became a FHC.

The Dodd-Frank Act was signed into law in 2010 and generally was effective the day after it was signed into law, but different effective dates apply to specific sections of the law. The extensive and complex legislation contained many provisions affecting the banking industry, including but not limited to:

The CRA requires depository institutions to assist in meeting the credit needs of their market areas consistent with safe and sound banking practice. Under the CRA, each depository institution is required to help meet the credit needs of its market areas by, among other things, providing credit to low- and moderate-income individuals and communities. Depository institutions are periodically examined for compliance with the CRA, and banking regulators take into account CRA ratings when considering approval of certain applications. An unsatisfactory CRA rating could, among other things, result in the denial or delay of corporate applications filed by Bancorp or the Bank for proposed activities such as branch openings or relocations and applications to acquire, merge or consolidate with another banking institution or holding company.

The federal banking regulators have adopted rules limiting the ability of banks and other financial institutions to disclose non-public information about consumers to unaffiliated third parties. These limitations require disclosure of privacy policies to consumers and, in some circumstances, allow consumers to prevent disclosure of certain personal information to an unaffiliated third party. These regulations affect how consumer information is conveyed to outside vendors. The Bank is also subject to regulatory guidelines establishing standards for safeguarding customer information. These guidelines describe the federal banking agencies’ expectations for the creation, implementation and maintenance of an information security program, which would include administrative, technical and physical safeguards appropriate to the size and complexity of the institution and the nature and scope of its activities.

The Bank is subject to the Bank Secrecy Act and the USA Patriot Act. These statutes and related rules and regulations impose requirements and limitations on specified financial transactions and accounts and other relationships intended to guard against money laundering and terrorism financing. Financial institutions must take certain steps to assist government agencies in detecting and preventing money laundering and report certain types of suspicious transactions. Regulatory authorities routinely examine financial institutions for compliance with these obligations, and failure of a financial institution to maintain and implement adequate programs to combat money laundering and terrorist financing, or to comply with relevant laws or regulations, could have serious legal and reputational consequences for the institution, including causing applicable bank regulatory authorities not to approve merger or acquisition transactions when regulatory approval is required or to prohibit such transactions even if approval is not required.

Bancorp and the Bank are subject to capital regulations in accordance with Basel III, as administered by banking regulators. The FRB and FDIC have substantially similar risk-based and leverage ratio guidelines for banking organizations, which are intended to ensure that banking organizations have adequate capital related to the risk levels of assets and off-balance sheet instruments. Under the risk-based guidelines, specific categories of assets are assigned different risk weights based generally on the perceived credit risk of the asset. These risk weights are multiplied by corresponding asset balances to determine a risk-weighted asset base. In addition to the risk-based capital guidelines, the FRB uses a leverage ratio as a tool to evaluate the capital adequacy of bank holding companies. The leverage ratio is a company’s Tier 1 Capital divided by its average total consolidated assets (less goodwill and certain other intangible assets).

The federal banking agencies’ risk-based and leverage ratios represent minimum supervisory ratios generally applicable to banking organizations that meet certain specified criteria, assuming that they have the highest regulatory capital rating. Banking organizations not meeting these criteria are required to operate with capital positions above the minimum ratios. FRB guidelines also provide that banking organizations experiencing internal growth or making acquisitions may be expected to maintain strong capital positions above the minimum supervisory levels, without significant reliance on intangible assets. The FDIC may establish higher minimum capital adequacy requirements if, for example, a bank proposes to make an acquisition requiring regulatory approval, has previously warranted special regulatory attention, rapid growth presents supervisory concerns, or, among other factors, has a high susceptibility to interest rate and other types of risk. The Bank is not subject to any such individual minimum regulatory capital requirements.

Banking regulators have categorized the Bank as well-capitalized. To meet the definition of well-capitalized for prompt corrective action requirements, a bank must have a minimum 6.5% Common Equity Tier 1 Risk-Based Capital ratio, 8.0% Tier 1 Risk-Based Capital ratio, 10.0% Total Risk-Based Capital ratio and 5.0% Tier 1 Leverage ratio.

Additionally, in order to avoid limitations on capital distributions, including dividend payments and certain discretionary bonus payments to executive officers, Bancorp and the Bank must hold a 2.5% capital conservation buffer composed of Common Equity Tier 1 Risk-Based Capital above the minimum risk-based capital requirements for the Common Equity Tier 1 Risk-Based Capital ratio, Tier 1 Risk-Based Capital ratio and Total Risk-Based Capital ratio necessary to be considered adequately-capitalized. At December 31, 2020, the adequately-capitalized minimums, including the capital conservation buffer, were a 6.0% Common Equity Tier 1 Risk-Based Capital ratio, 8.5% Tier 1 Risk-Based Capital ratio and 10.5% Total Risk-Based Capital ratio. The capital conservation buffer was phased in starting in 2016 at 0.625% and was fully implemented at 2.5% effective January 1, 2019.

As of December 31, 2020, Bancorp exceeded the requirements to be considered well-capitalized and those required to avoid limitations associated with the capital conservation buffer.

Website Access to Reports

Bancorp files reports with the SEC including the Annual Report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current event reports on Form 8-K, and proxy statements, as well as any amendments to those reports. The SEC maintains an internet site that contains reports, proxy and information statements and other information regarding issuers that file electronically with the SEC at http://www.sec.gov. Bancorp’s Annual Report on Form 10-K, quarterly reports on Form 10-Q, current reports on Form 8-K, and amendments to those reports filed or furnished pursuant to section 13(a) or 15(d) of the Exchange Act are also accessible at no cost on Bancorp’s web site at http://www.syb.com after they are electronically filed with the SEC.

Statistical Disclosures

The statistical disclosures required by Part I Item 1 “Business” are located under Part II Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations.”

FACTORS THAT MAY AFFECT FUTURE RESULTS

An investment in Bancorp’s common stock is subject to risks inherent in its business. Before making an investment decision, you should carefully consider the risks and uncertainties described below together with all of the other information included in this filing. In addition to the risks and uncertainties described below, other risks and uncertainties not currently known to Bancorp or that Bancorp currently deems to be immaterial also may materially and adversely affect its business, financial condition and results of operations in the future. The value or market price of Bancorp’s common stock could decline due to any of these identified or other risks, and an investor could lose all or part of their investment.

There are factors, many beyond Bancorp’s control, which may significantly change the results or expectations of Bancorp. Some of these factors are described below, however, many are described in the other sections of this Annual Report on Form 10-K.

Economic, Market and Credit Risks

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and measures intended to prevent its spread have adversely impacted our business and financial results, and the ultimate impact will depend on future developments, which are highly uncertain and cannot be predicted, including the scope and duration of the pandemic and actions taken by governmental authorities in response to the pandemic.

The COVID-19 pandemic has created and continues to create extensive disruptions to the global economy and to the lives of individuals throughout the world. Governments, businesses, and the public are taking unprecedented actions to contain the spread of COVID-19 and to mitigate its effects, including self-quarantines, travel bans, shelter-in-place orders, closures of businesses and schools, fiscal stimulus, and legislation designed to deliver monetary aid and other relief. While the scope, duration, and full effects of COVID-19 continue to evolve and are not fully known, the pandemic and related efforts to contain it have disrupted global economic activity, adversely affected the functioning of financial markets, impacted interest rates, increased economic and market uncertainty, and disrupted trade and supply chains. If these effects continue for a prolonged period, or result in sustained economic stress or recession, many of the risk factors identified in this Annual Report on Form-10-K could be exacerbated and such effects could have a material adverse impact on us in a number of ways related to credit, collateral, asset valuations, customer demand, funding, operations, interest rate risk, and human capital.

There are no comparable recent events that provide guidance as to the effect the spread of COVID-19 as a global pandemic may have, and, as a result, the ultimate impact of the outbreak is highly uncertain and subject to change. We do not yet know the full extent of the impact on our business, operations or the economy as a whole. However, the effects could have a material extended impact on our business and heighten many of its known risks described below.

Fluctuations in interest rates could reduce profitability.

Our primary source of income is from net interest spread, the difference between interest earned on loans and investments and interest paid on deposits and borrowings. We expect to periodically experience gaps in interest rate sensitivities of assets and liabilities, meaning that either interest-bearing liabilities may be more sensitive to changes in market interest rates than interest-earning assets, or vice versa. In either event, if market interest rates should move contrary to our position, this gap will work against us and earnings will be negatively affected.

Many factors affect fluctuation of market interest rates, including, but not limited to the following:

The FRB has lowered the FFTR five times since the end of 2018, resulting in a combined 225 bps decrease in the FFTR through December 31, 2020, with Prime ending the year at 3.25%. The most recent of these cuts came in March 2020 when the FRB lowered the FFTR to a range of 0% - 0.25% in response to the global COVID-19 pandemic, the lowest level seen since late 2015.

Market expectations are for the FRB to hold rates at current levels in 2021 and possibly beyond. Beyond potential ongoing pricing pressure/competition and the absolute low level of rates, the current economic outlook and prospects of a sustained zero-rate environment continues to pose challenges regarding potential ongoing NIM compression. Deposit rates tend to be tied to the short end of the rate curve, while fixed-rate loans are largely priced based upon longer term rates, typically five-year offerings. A flattening or inverted yield curve may increase our funding costs while limiting rates that can be earned on loans and investments, thereby decreasing our net interest income and earnings. Migration of deposits out of Bancorp, as customers pursue higher rates, could impact liquidity and earnings, as we compete for deposits. Changes in the mix of deposits could result in increased average rates paid on deposits, and lower earnings. Our asset-liability management strategy, which is designed to mitigate risk from changes in market interest rates, may not be able to prevent changes in interest rates from having a material adverse effect on our results of operations and financial condition.

The CECL accounting standard resulted in a significant change in how we recognize credit losses.

In June 2016, the FASB issued ASC, “Financial Instruments-Credit Losses (Topic 326), Measurement of Credit Losses on Financial Instruments,” which replaced the “incurred loss” model for recognizing credit losses with an “expected loss” model and was adopted by Bancorp effective January 1, 2020. Whereas the incurred loss model delayed recognition of loss on financial instruments until it was probable a loss had occurred, the expected loss model recognizes a loss at the time the loan is first added to the balance sheet. Adoption of the CECL model has materially affected the determination of the ACL for loans and has resulted in a significant increase to the ACL. Assumptions made by management and material changes in economic factors could significantly influence the ACL. Any material increase to the required level of loan loss allowance could adversely affect our business, financial condition, and results of operations.

If actual loan losses are greater than our assumption for loan losses, earnings could decrease.

Our loan customers may not repay their loans according to the terms of these loans, collateral securing payment of these loans may be insufficient to ensure repayment and the wealth of guarantors providing guarantees to support these loans may be inadequate to aid in the repayment of these loans. Accordingly, we might experience significant credit losses which could have a material adverse effect on operating results. We make various assumptions and judgments about the collectability of our loan portfolio, including creditworthiness of borrowers and value of collateral for repayment. In determining the adequacy of the ACL for loans, we consider, among other factors, an evaluation of economic conditions, future national unemployment projections and our historical loan loss experience. If our assumptions prove to be incorrect or economic problems are worse than projected, the current allowance may be insufficient to cover loan losses and adjustments may be necessary to allow for different economic conditions or adverse developments in the loan portfolio. Such additions to the allowance, if necessary, could have a material adverse impact on our financial results.

Federal and state regulators annually review our allowance and may require an adjustment in the ACL for loans. If regulatory agencies require any increase in the allowance for which we had not allocated, it would have a negative effect on our financial results.

Our credit metrics are currently at historically strong levels and this trend could normalize over time.

Over the past several years, our asset quality metrics have trended within a narrow range, exceeding benchmarks and reaching historically strong levels. We realize that present asset quality metrics are positive and, recognizing the cyclical nature of the lending business, we anticipate this trend will likely normalize over time.

Financial condition and profitability depend significantly on local and national economic conditions.

Our success depends on general economic conditions both locally, regionally and nationally. A portion of our customers’ ability to repay their obligations is directly tied to local, regional, national or global business dealings. Deterioration in the quality of the credit portfolio could have a material adverse effect on our financial condition, results of operations, and ultimately capital.

Financial condition and profitability depend on real estate values in our market areas.

We offer a variety of secured loans, including C&I lines of credit, C&I term loans, real estate, C&D, HELOCs, consumer and other loans. Many of our loans are often secured by real estate primarily in our market areas. In instances where borrowers are unable to repay their loans and there has been deterioration in the value of loan collateral, we could experience higher loan losses which could have a material adverse effect on financial condition, and results of operations.

Significant stock market volatility could negatively affect our financial results.

Income from WM&T constitutes approximately 45% of non-interest income. Trust AUM are expressed in terms of market value, and a significant portion of fee income is based upon those values, which generally fluctuate consistent with overall capital markets.

Capital and credit markets experience volatility and disruption from time to time. These conditions may place downward pressure on credit availability, credit worthiness and customers’ inclinations to borrow. Prolonged volatility or a significant disruption could negatively impact customers’ ability to seek new loans or to repay existing loans. Personal wealth of many borrowers and guarantors has historically added a source of financial strength to certain loans and would be negatively impacted by severe market declines. Sustained reliance on personal assets to make loan payments would result in deterioration of their liquidity, and could result in loan defaults.

The value of our investment securities may be negatively affected by factors outside of our control and impairment of these securities could have an adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.

Factors beyond our control can significantly influence the fair value of our investment securities. These factors include, but are not limited to, rating agency actions, defaults by issuers or with respect to underlying securities, changes in market interest rates, volatility and liquidity within capital markets and changes in local, regional, national or international economic conditions. Impairment to the fair value of these securities can result in realized and/or unrealized losses in future periods and declines in other comprehensive income, which could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The soundness of other financial institutions could adversely affect us.

Our ability to engage in routine funding transactions could be adversely affected by the actions and commercial soundness of other financial institutions. Financial services companies are interrelated as a result of trading, clearing, counterparty, or other relationships. We have exposure to different industries and counterparties and through transactions with counterparties in the bank and non-bank financial services industries, including broker-dealers, commercial banks, investment banks and other institutional customers. As a result, defaults by, or even rumors or questions about, one or more bank or non-bank financial services companies, or bank or non-bank financial services industries in general, could lead to market-wide liquidity problems and could result in losses or defaults by us or other institutions. These losses or defaults could have an adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

The planned phasing out of LIBOR as a financial benchmark presents risks to the financial instruments we originate or hold.

LIBOR is the reference rate used for many of our transactions, including our lending and borrowing, as well as the derivatives that we use to manage risk related to such transactions. LIBOR will cease to exist as a published rate after 2021. The expected discontinuation of LIBOR could have a significant impact on the financial markets and market participants. As of December 31, 2020, we had approximately $440 million in variable rate loans with interest rates tied to LIBOR, of which approximately $330 million have maturity dates beyond December 31, 2021. Our derivative activities based upon LIBOR include interest rate swap transactions with maturities beyond 2021 with notional amounts totaling approximately $120 million.

The FRB, through the Alternative Reference Rate Committee, has recommended a replacement benchmark rate, the Secured Overnight Financing Rate. All loan and swap contracts extending beyond 2021 will need to be managed effectively to ensure appropriate benchmark rate replacements are provided for and adopted.

Failure to identify a replacement benchmark rate and/or update data processing systems could result in future interest rate changes not being correctly captured, which could result in interest rate risk not being mitigated as intended, or interest earned being miscalculated, which could adversely impact our business, financial condition, and results of operations. Uncertainty regarding LIBOR and discretionary actions or negotiations of fallback provisions could result in pricing volatility, adverse tax or accounting impacts, or additional compliance, legal and operational costs.

Strategic Risks

Acquisitions could adversely affect our business, financial condition and results of operations.

An institution that we acquire may have asset quality issues or contingent liabilities that we did not discover or fully recognize in the due diligence process, thereby resulting in unanticipated losses. Acquisitions of other institutions also typically require integration of different corporate cultures, loan and deposit products, pricing strategies, data processing systems and other technologies, accounting, compliance, internal audit and financial reporting systems, operating systems and internal controls, marketing programs and personnel of the acquired institution. The integration process is complicated and time consuming and could divert our attention from other business concerns and may be disruptive to our customers and customers of the acquired institution. Our failure to successfully integrate an acquired institution could result in loss of key customers and employees, and prevent us from achieving expected synergies and cost savings. We may finance acquisitions with borrowed funds, thereby increasing our leverage and reducing liquidity, or with potentially dilutive issuances of equity securities.

Competition with other financial institutions could adversely affect profitability.

We operate in a highly competitive industry that could become even more so as a result of earnings pressure from peer organizations, legislative, regulatory and technological changes and continued consolidation. We face vigorous competition in price and structure of financial products from banks and other financial institutions. In recent years, credit unions have expanded their lending mix and now compete heavily with banks in the CRE lending market. Non-traditional providers’ high risk tolerance for fixed rate, long-term loans has adversely affected our net loan growth and results of operations. We also compete with other non-traditional providers of financial services, such as brokerage firms and insurance companies. As internet-based financial services continue to grow in acceptance, we must remain relevant as an institution where consumers and businesses value personal service while other institutions offer these services without human interaction. The variety of sources of competition may reduce or limit our margins on banking services, increase operational costs through expanded product offerings, reduce market share and adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

We may not be able to attract and retain skilled people.

Our success depends, in large part, on our ability to attract and retain key people. Competition for the best people in the industry and markets in which we engage can be intense, and we may not be able to retain or hire the people wanted or needed. To attract and retain qualified employees, we must compensate them at or above market levels. If we are unable to continue to attract and retain qualified employees, or do so at rates necessary to maintain the Company’s competitive position, our performance, including the Company’s competitive position, could suffer, and, in turn, adversely affect our business, financial condition or results of operations.

We are subject to liquidity risks.

Liquidity is essential to our business. We rely on our ability to generate deposits and effectively manage the repayment and maturity schedules of our loans and investment securities, respectively, to ensure we have adequate liquidity to fund our operations. An inability to raise funds through deposits, borrowings, sales of investment securities, FHLB advances, sales of loans and other sources could have a significant negative effect on our liquidity.

We are dependent on large commercial deposit relationships as a primary funding source. Approximately 49% of our total deposits are centralized in accounts with balances $500,000 or greater. We categorize these deposits as core funds, as they represent long-standing, full-service relationships and are a testament to our commitment to partner with business customers by providing exemplary service and competitive products. A sudden shift in customer behavior within these deposits resulting in balances being reduced or exiting Bancorp altogether could impact our ability to capitalize on growth opportunities and meet current obligations. We have secondary funding sources to draw upon as needed, but the cost of those funds would be higher than typical deposit accounts, which would negatively impact our financial condition and results of operations.

Excess liquidity also poses a risk to our financial condition and results of operations. We have experienced record levels of liquidity over the past year, which is expected to continue in 2021and possibly beyond. Should loan demand not meet desired levels, excess liquidity must be invested in an effort to maximize return. The risks associated with such investment include the inability to find alternative options suitable to our risk profile, investing in alternatives that adversely impact our financial condition and results of operations, and liquidity risk associated with any specific investment. Further, holding elevated levels of liquidity can have a significant impact on our NIM and result in additional margin compression.

We invest in partnerships that generate federal income tax savings and these may not continue.

We invest in certain partnerships that yield federal income tax credits resulting in higher net income. These transactions may also include lending to developers, further enhancing profitability of the transaction. These transactions typically involve a very limited number of counterparties. Availability and suitability of these transactions are not particularly predictable and may not continue to be favorable to us. Current and future tax legislation could result in fewer transactions and the extent to which federal income tax credits favorably affect net income. Therefore, the positive effect on our net income may not continue at levels previously experienced.

Operational Risks

Our accounting policies and methods are critical to how we report our financial condition and results of operations. They require management to make estimates about matters that are uncertain.

Accounting policies and methods are fundamental to how we record and report our financial condition and results of operations. Management must exercise judgment in selecting and applying these accounting policies and methods so they comply with GAAP.

We have identified certain accounting policies as being critical because they require management’s judgment to ascertain the valuations of assets, liabilities, commitments and contingencies. A variety of factors could affect the ultimate value that is obtained either when earning income, recognizing an expense, recovering an asset, or reducing a liability. We have established detailed policies and control procedures intended to ensure these critical accounting estimates and judgments are well-controlled and applied consistently.

Policies and procedures are intended to ensure that the process for changing methodologies occurs in an appropriate manner. Because of the uncertainty surrounding judgments and estimates pertaining to these matters, there can be no assurances that actual our results will not differ from those estimates. See the section titled “Critical Accounting Policies and Estimates” in “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” for more information.

An extended disruption of vital infrastructure could negatively impact our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

Our operations depend upon, among other things, infrastructure, including equipment and facilities. Extended disruption of vital infrastructure by fire, power loss, natural disaster, telecommunications failure, information systems breaches, corporate account take-over, terrorist activity or the domestic and foreign response to such activity, or other events outside of our control could have a material adverse impact on the financial services industry, the economy as a whole or on our financial condition and results of operations. Our business continuity plan may not work as intended or may not prevent significant interruption of operations. Occurrence of any failures or interruptions of information systems could damage our reputation, result in loss of customer business, subject us to additional regulatory scrutiny, or expose us to civil litigation and possible financial liability, any of which could have an adverse effect on our financial condition and results of operations.

Security breaches or incidences of fraud could negatively impact our business, results of operations, and financial condition.

Our assets, which are at risk for cyber-attacks, include financial assets and non-public information belonging to customers. Cyber security risks include cyber espionage, blackmail, ransom, theft, and corporate account takeovers. We employ many preventive and detective controls to protect our assets, and provide mandatory recurring information security training for all employees. We have invested in multiple preventative tools in an attempt to protect customers from cyber threats and corporate account takeover and regularly provide educational information regarding cyber threats to customers. We utilize multiple third-party vendors who have access to ours assets via electronic media. While we require third parties, many of whom are small companies, to have similar or superior controls in place, there is no guarantee that a breach of information could not occur. Activities of the Bank that subject Bancorp to risk of fraud by customers, employees, vendors, or members of the general public include ACH transactions, wire transactions, ATM/ITM transactions, checking transactions, credit card transactions and loan originations. Repeated incidences of fraud or a single large occurrence could adversely impact our reputation, financial condition and results of operations.

We are dependent upon outside third parties for processing and handling of the Company’s records and data.

We rely on software developed by third-party vendors to process various transactions. In some cases, we have contracted with third parties to run their proprietary software on our behalf. While we perform a review of controls instituted by applicable vendors over these programs in accordance with industry standards and performs testing of user controls, we rely on continued maintenance of controls by these third-party vendors, including safeguards over security of client data. We may incur a temporary disruption in our ability to conduct business or process transactions, or incur reputational damage, if a third-party vendor fails to adequately maintain internal controls or institute necessary changes to systems. Such a disruption or breach of security could have a material adverse effect on our business. Further, if these third-party service providers experience difficulties, or should terminate their services, and we are unable to replace them on a timely basis, our business operations could be interrupted. If an interruption were to continue for a significant period of time, or if we incurred excessive costs involved with replacing third-party service provider, our business, financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

Our ability to stay current on technological changes in order to compete and meet customer demands is constantly being challenged.

The financial services industry is constantly undergoing rapid technological changes, with frequent introductions of new technology-driven products and services. Future success of Bancorp will depend, in part, upon our ability to address the needs of our customers by utilizing technology to provide products and services that will satisfy customer demands for convenience, as well as to create additional operational efficiencies and greater privacy and security protection for customers and their personal information. Many of our competitors have substantially greater resources to invest in technological improvements. We may not be able to effectively implement new technology-driven products and services as quickly as competitors or be successful in marketing these products and services to our customers. We rely on third party providers for many of our technology-driven banking products and services. Some of these companies may be slow to respond with upgrades or enhancements to their products to keep pace with improvements in technology or the introduction of competing products. Failure to successfully keep pace with technological change affecting the financial services industry could impair our ability to effectively compete to retain or acquire new business and could have an adverse impact on our business, financial position and results of operations.

Changes in customer use of banks could adversely affect our financial condition and results of operations.

The rapid evolution of non-bank alternatives for initiation and completion of financial transactions puts us at risk of losing sources of revenue and funding. The ability of customers to pay bills, deposit and transfer funds, and purchase assets without utilizing the banking system could result in loss of fee income, deposits, and loans. If we are unable to continue timely development of competitive new products and services, our financial condition and results of operations could be adversely affected.

Regulatory and Legal Risks

We operate in a highly regulated environment and may be adversely affected by changes to or lack of compliance with federal, state and local laws and regulations.

We are subject to extensive regulation, supervision and examination by federal and state banking authorities. Any change to, or addition of, applicable regulations or federal or state legislation could have a substantial impact on our financial condition and results of operations. If our policies, procedures and systems are deemed deficient, we would be subject to liability, including fines and regulatory actions, which may include restrictions on the ability to pay dividends and the requirement to obtain regulatory approvals to proceed with certain aspects of our business plan, including branching and acquisitions.

Changes in tax laws and regulations may have an adverse impact on our financial condition and results of operations.

The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act, which was enacted in December 2017, reduced the federal tax rate for corporations from 35% to 21%. While this legislation resulted in a one-time charge to earnings associated with the revaluation of Bancorp’s DTAs at the date of enactment, it has since had a positive impact on earnings as federal income tax expense has been reduced. With the Biden Administration taking office in 2021, it is increasingly likely that the federal tax rate for corporations could be increased in 2021 or 2022. The potential enactment of such legislation, or changes in the interpretation of existing tax law, including provisions impacting tax rates, apportionment, consolidation or combination, income, expense, credits and exemptions may have a material adverse effect on our business, financial condition and results of operations.

Changes to state tax laws and regulations that go into effect in 2021 may have a negative impact on our financial condition and results of operations. In March 2019, the Kentucky Legislature passed HB354 requiring financial institutions to transition from a capital based franchise tax to the Kentucky corporate income tax beginning in 2021. The Kentucky corporate income tax will be assessed at 5% of Kentucky taxable income and will be included as a component of current and deferred state income tax expense.

We are subject to litigation risk and reputational risk pertaining to fiduciary responsibility.

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

None.

The principal offices of Bancorp are located at 1040 East Main Street, Louisville, Kentucky. Bancorp’s operations center is at a separate location in Louisville. At December 31, 2020, in addition to the main office complex and the operations center, Bancorp owned 26 branch properties, three of which are located on leased land. At that date, Bancorp also leased 18 branch facilities including its WM&T facility. Of the 44 banking locations, 33 are located in the Louisville MSA, five are located in the Indianapolis MSA and six are located in the Cincinnati MSA.

In the ordinary course of operations, Bancorp and the Bank are defendants in various legal proceedings. There is no proceeding pending or, to the knowledge of management, threatened in which an adverse decision could result in a material adverse change in the business or consolidated financial position of Bancorp or the Bank.

NA

PART II

Bancorp’s common stock is traded on the NASDAQ under the ticker symbol SYBT. On December 31, 2020, Bancorp had approximately 1,600 shareholders of record, and approximately 8,200 beneficial owners holding shares in nominee or “street” name.

The following table shows information relating to the repurchase of shares of common stock by Bancorp during the three months ended December 31, 2020.

Effective May 22, 2019, Bancorp’s Board of Directors approved a share repurchase program authorizing the repurchase of 1 million shares, or approximately 4% of Bancorp’s total common shares outstanding at the time. Stock repurchases are expected to be made from time to time on the open market or in privately negotiated transactions, subject to applicable securities laws. The plan, which will expire in May 2021 unless otherwise extended or completed at an earlier date, does not obligate the Company to repurchase any specific dollar amount or number of shares prior to the plan’s expiration. Based on economic developments over the past year and the increased importance of capital preservation, no shares were repurchased in 2020. As of December 31, 2020, Bancorp had 741,196 shares that could be repurchased under its current share repurchase program.

There were no equity securities of the registrant sold without registration during the quarter covered by this report.

The following performance graphs and data shall not be deemed filed for purposes of Section 18 of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 or otherwise subject to the liabilities of that section, nor shall it be deemed soliciting material or subject to Regulation 14A of the Exchange Act or incorporated by reference in any filing under the Exchange Act or the Securities Act of 1933, except as shall be expressly set forth by specific reference in such filing.

The first graph compares performance of Bancorp’s Common Stock to the Russell 2000 Index, the SNL Midwest Bank Index, and the SNL Bank NASDAQ Index for the last five fiscal years. The graph assumes the value of the investment in Bancorp’s Common Stock and in each index was $100 at December 31, 2015 and that all dividends were reinvested.

In addition to the five-year period required by the SEC, the ten-year period is presented because it provides additional perspective, and Bancorp management believes that longer-term performance is of interest. The ten-year graph assumes the value of the investment in Bancorp’s Common Stock and in each index was $100 at December 31, 2010 and that all dividends were reinvested.

Share and per share information has been adjusted to reflect the 3 for 2 stock-split in April 2016 effected in the form of a 50% stock dividend.

Non-GAAP Financial Measures

The following table provides a reconciliation of total stockholders’ equity in accordance with GAAP to tangible stockholders’ equity (TCE), a non-GAAP disclosure. Bancorp provides the TCE per share, a non-GAAP measure, in addition to those defined by banking regulators, based on its widespread use by investors as a means to evaluate capital adequacy:

ACL to total non-PPP loans represents the ACL, divided by total loans less PPP loans. Non-performing loans to total non-PPP loans represents non-performing loans, divided by total loans less PPP loans. Delinquent loans to total non-PPP loans represents delinquent loans (consisting of all loans 30 days or more past due), divided by total loans less PPP loans. Bancorp believes these non-GAAP disclosures are important because they provide comparable ratios after eliminating PPP loans, which are fully guaranteed by the SBA and have not been allocated for within the ACL and are not at risk of non-performance.

The efficiency ratio, a non-GAAP measure, equals total non-interest expenses divided by the sum of net interest income FTE and non-interest income. The ratio excludes net gains (losses) on sales, calls, and impairment of investment securities, if applicable. In addition to the efficiency ratio, Bancorp considers an adjusted efficiency ratio. Bancorp believes it is important because it provides a comparable ratio after eliminating the fluctuation in non-interest expenses related to amortization of investments in tax credit partnerships.

Net interest income on a FTE basis includes the additional amount of interest income that would have been earned if investments in certain tax-exempt interest earning assets had been made in assets subject to federal, state and local taxes yielding the same after-tax income.

The consolidated financial statements include the accounts of Stock Yards Bancorp, Inc. its wholly-owned subsidiary, SYB, collectively referred to as “Bancorp” or the “Company.” All significant inter-company transactions and accounts have been eliminated in consolidation.

Stock Yards Bancorp, Inc. is a FHC headquartered in Louisville, Kentucky. SYB, chartered in 1904, is a state-chartered non-member financial institution that provides services in the Louisville, Kentucky, Indianapolis, Indiana and Cincinnati, Ohio MSAs through 44 full service banking center locations.

Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and accompanying Footnotes presented in Part II Item 8 “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”

This document contains statements relating to future results of Bancorp that are considered “forward-looking” as defined by Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, as amended, and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, as amended. The forward-looking statements are principally, but not exclusively, contained in Part II Item 7 “Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations” and Part I Item 1A “Risk Factors.”

Forward-looking statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties, and other factors that may cause actual results, performance, or achievements to be materially different from future results, performance, or achievements expressed or implied by the statement. These statements are often, but not always, made through the use of words or phrases such as “anticipate,” “believe,” “aim,” “can,” “conclude,” “continue,” “could,” “estimate,” “expect,” “foresee,” “goal,” “intend,” “may,” “might,” “outlook,” “possible,” “plan,” “predict,” “project,” “potential,” “seek,” “should,” “target,” “will,” “will likely,” “would,” or other similar expressions. These forward-looking statements are not historical facts and are based on current expectations, estimates and projections about our industry, management’s beliefs and certain assumptions made by management, many of which, by their nature, are inherently uncertain and beyond our control, particularly with regard to developments related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Forward-looking statements detail management’s expectations regarding the future and are based on information known to management only as of the date the statements are made and management undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect events or circumstances that occur after the date forward-looking statements are made, except as required by applicable law.

There is no assurance that any list of risks and uncertainties or risk factors is complete. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in forward-looking statements include, among other things:

As previously noted, Bancorp executed a definitive Agreement and Plan of Merger (“agreement”) dated as of January 27, 2021, to acquire Kentucky Bancshares, Inc. and its subsidiary Kentucky Bank. This document also contains statements regarding the proposed acquisition transaction that are not statements of historical fact and are considered forward-looking statements within the criteria described above. These statements are likewise subject to various risks and uncertainties that may cause actual results and outcomes of the proposed transaction to differ, possibly materially, from the anticipated results or outcomes expressed or implied in these forward-looking statements. In addition to factors disclosed in reports filed by Stock Yards and Kentucky Bancshares with the SEC, risks and uncertainties for Stock Yards, Kentucky Bancshares and the combined company include, but are not limited to: the possibility that any of the anticipated benefits of the proposed merger will not be realized or will not be realized within the expected time period; the risk that integration of Kentucky Bancshares’ operations with those of Stock Yards will be materially delayed or will be more costly or difficult than expected; the parties’ inability to meet expectations regarding the timing, completion and accounting and tax treatments of the merger; the inability to complete the merger due to the failure of Kentucky Bancshares’ shareholders to adopt the merger agreement; the failure to satisfy other conditions to completion of the merger, including receipt of required regulatory and other approvals; the failure of the proposed transaction to close for any other reason; diversion of management's attention from ongoing business operations and opportunities due to the merger; the challenges of integrating and retaining key employees; the effect of the announcement of the merger on Stock Yards’, Kentucky Bancshares’ or the combined company's respective customer and employee relationships and operating results; the possibility that the merger may be more expensive to complete than anticipated, including as a result of unexpected factors or events; dilution caused by Stock Yards’ issuance of additional shares of Stock Yards common stock in connection with the merger; the magnitude and duration of the COVID-19 pandemic and its impact on the global economy and financial market conditions and the business, results of operations and financial condition of Stock Yards, Kentucky Bancshares and the combined company; and general competitive, economic, political and market conditions and fluctuations.

Effective January 27, 2021, Bancorp executed a definitive Share Purchase Agreement (“agreement”), pursuant to which Bancorp will acquire all of the outstanding common stock of publicly traded Kentucky Bancshares, Inc. Kentucky Bancshares, Inc., headquartered in Paris, Kentucky, is the holding company for Kentucky Bank, which operates 19 branches throughout the following central Kentucky cities: Paris (Bourbon County), Cynthiana (Harrison County), Georgetown (Scott County), Lexington (Fayette County), Morehead (Rowan County), Nicholasville (Jessamine County), Richmond (Madison County), Sandy Hook (Elliott County), Versailles (Woodford County), Wilmore (Jessamine County) and Winchester (Clark County).  

Under the terms of the Agreement, the Company will acquire all of outstanding common stock in a combined stock and cash transaction, resulting in a total consideration to Kentucky Bancshares existing shareholders of approximately $190 million. Bancorp will fund the cash payment portion of the acquisition through existing resources on-hand.

The acquisition is expected to close during second quarter of 2021, subject to customary regulatory approval and completion of customary closing conditions. As of December 31, 2020, Kentucky Bancshares, Inc. had approximately $1.2 billion in assets, $767 million in loans, $979 million in deposits and $114 million in tangible common equity. Kentucky Bancshares also maintains a Wealth Management and Trust Department with total assets under management of $258 million at December 31, 2020. The combined franchise will serve customers through 63 branches with total assets of approximately $5.8 billion, $4.3 billion in gross loans, $5.0 billion in deposits and over $4.1 billion in trust assets under management.

In May 2019, Bancorp completed its acquisition of KSB for $28 million in cash. The acquisition expanded Bancorp’s market area into nearby Nelson County, Kentucky, and expanded the customer base in Louisville, Kentucky. At May 1, 2019, KSB reported approximately $192 million in total assets, approximately $164 million in loans, and approximately $126 million in deposits. As a result of the acquisition, goodwill totaling $12 million was recorded during the second quarter of 2019, with nominal recast adjustments posted during the third and fourth quarters of the same year.

As a result of the completion of the acquisition, Bancorp incurred pre-tax transaction charges totaling $1.3 million during the second quarter of 2019. Net income from the KSB acquisition was accretive to Bancorp’s overall operating results beginning with the third quarter of 2019. Effective March 31, 2020, management finalized the fair values of the acquired assets and assumed liabilities in advance of the 12-month post acquisition date, as allowed by GAAP.

In connection with the acquisition, Bancorp became the 100% successor owner of KBST, an unconsolidated finance subsidiary. As permitted under the terms of KBST’s governing documents, Bancorp redeemed the TPS at the par amount of approximately $4 million in June 2019.

For disclosure regarding the impact to Bancorp’s financial statements of issued-but-not-yet-effective ASUs, see the Footnote titled “Summary of Significant Accounting Policies” of Part II Item 8 “Financial Statements and Supplementary Data.”

Bancorp’s consolidated financial statements and accompanying footnotes have been prepared in accordance with GAAP. The preparation of these financial statements requires management to make estimates and assumptions that affect the reported amounts of assets and liabilities, the disclosure of contingent assets and liabilities at the date of the financial statements and the reported amounts of revenue and expenses during the reported periods.

Management continually evaluates its accounting policies and estimates that it uses to prepare the consolidated financial statements. In general, management’s estimates and assumptions are based on historical experience, accounting and regulatory guidance, and information obtained from independent third-party professionals. Actual results may differ from those estimates made by management.

Critical accounting policies are those that management believes are the most important to the portrayal of Bancorp’s financial condition and operating results and require management to make estimates that are difficult, subjective and complex. Most accounting policies are not considered by management to be critical accounting policies. Several factors are considered in determining whether or not a policy is critical in the preparation of the financial statements. These factors include, among other things, whether the estimates have a significant impact on the financial statements, the nature of the estimates, the ability to readily validate the estimates with other information including independent third parties or available pricing, sensitivity of the estimates to changes in economic conditions and whether alternative methods of accounting may be utilized under GAAP. Management has discussed each critical accounting policy and the methodology for the identification and determination of critical accounting policies with Bancorp’s Audit Committee. Effective January 1, 2020 through December 31, 2020, the significant accounting policy considered the most critical in preparing Bancorp’s consolidated financial statements is the determination of the ACL on loans.

Allowance for Credit Losses on Loans and Provision for Credit Losses

On January 1, 2020, Bancorp adopted ASC 326 “Financial Instruments – Credit Losses,” which created material changes to Bancorp’s existing critical accounting policy that existed at December 31, 2019.

The ACL on loans is established through credit loss expense charged to current earnings. The amount maintained in the ACL reflects management’s estimate of the net amount not expected to be collected on the loan portfolio at the balance sheet date over the life of the loan. The ACL is comprised of specific reserves assigned to certain loans that do not share general risk characteristics and general reserves on pools of loans that do share general risk characteristics. Factors contributing to the determination of specific reserves include the creditworthiness of the borrower and more specifically, changes in the expected future receipt of principal and interest payments and/or in the value of pledged collateral. A reserve is recorded when the carrying amount of the loan exceeds the discounted estimated cash flows using the loan’s initial effective interest rate, an expected loss ratio based on historical losses adjusted as appropriate for qualitative factors, or the fair value of the collateral for certain collateral-dependent loans.

For purposes of establishing the general reserve, Bancorp stratifies the loan portfolio into homogeneous groups of loans that possess similar loss potential characteristics and calculates the net amount expected to be collected over the life of the loans to estimate the credit losses in the loan portfolio. Bancorp’s methodologies for estimating the ACL on loans consider available relevant information about the collectability of cash flows, including information about past events, current conditions, and reasonable and supportable forecasts.

Bancorp is divided into two reportable segments: Commercial Banking and WM&T:

Commercial Banking provides a full range of loan and deposit products to individual consumers and businesses in all its markets through retail lending, mortgage banking, deposit services, online banking, mobile banking, private banking, commercial lending, treasury management services, merchant services, international banking, correspondent banking and other banking services. The Bank also offers securities brokerage services via its banking center network through an arrangement with a third party broker-dealer in the Commercial Banking segment. 

WM&T provides investment management, company retirement plan management, retirement planning, trust, estate and financial planning services in all markets in which Bancorp operates. The magnitude of WM&T revenue distinguishes Bancorp from other community banks of similar asset size.

The COVID-19 pandemic in the U.S. and efforts to contain it have had a complex and significant adverse impact on the economy, the banking industry and Bancorp. The impact on future fiscal periods is subject to a high degree of uncertainty.

On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 to be a global pandemic, indicating that almost all public commerce and related business activities must be, to varying degrees, curtailed with the goal of decreasing the rate of new infections. The spread of the virus has caused significant disruptions in the U.S. economy and has impacted banking and other financial activity in the markets in which Bancorp operates. While some industries have been impacted more severely than others, all businesses have been impacted to some degree. This disruption resulted in the initial shuttering of non-essential businesses across most of the country, significant job loss, and aggressive measures by the federal government. While phased-in re-opening of commerce that began towards the end of the second quarter has led to the easing of many initial restrictions, unemployment levels remain elevated and uncertainty regarding the effects of the pandemic on general economic behavior remains.

In response to the above, Congress, the President and regulatory agencies took action designed to lessen the economic fallout. Most notably, the CARES Act was signed into law at the end of March. The goal of the CARES Act was to prevent a severe economic downturn through various measures, including direct financial aid to American families and economic stimulus to impacted industry sectors.

The CARES Act established the SBA PPP to provide loans for eligible businesses/not-for-profits with the focus on job retention and assistance with certain operating expenses. Portions of these loans qualify for forgiveness when used for payroll costs, mortgage interest, rent and utilities during the 24-week period beginning with the date of the loan. Loans funded through the PPP are fully guaranteed by the U.S. government.

The first round of the PPP expired on August 8, 2020 and as of December 31, 2020, Bancorp had submitted 520 forgiveness applications to the SBA totaling $170 million and has received payment from the SBA for 333 borrowers. The SBA has 90 days to review and decision applications for forgiveness. On October 8, 2020, the SBA announced it would streamline loan forgiveness for loans of $50,000 or less with one or more employee other than the owner (representing approximately 48% of the PPP loans Bancorp originated). Bancorp has approximately $10.5 million in net unrecognized fees related to the PPP that would be recognized in income immediately once the loans are paid off or forgiven by the SBA. The timing of such forgiveness is expected to have a major impact on 2021 operating results.

Additional legislative stimulus action was signed into law at the end of December 2020 through the CAA, providing $900 billion in new COVID-19 stimulus relief as part of a broader government spending bill, including $284 billion for a second round of the PPP and an extension of the program to March 31, 2021. To qualify, borrowers must show a 25% decline in revenue over certain periods.

The program offers “second draw” loans targeted at hard-hit businesses that employ 300 or fewer employees and that have used or will use the full amount of their initial PPP loan. The maximum loan under this program is $2 million, based on two and a half months of average annual payroll (three and a half months for hotels and restaurants). The measurement period for the payroll can either be calendar year 2019 or the one year period before the date the “second draw” originates. For any loan up to $150,000, the covered loan amount will be forgiven once the borrower submits a one page forgiveness application detailing the loan amount, the number of employees retained, and the amount of the loan spent on payroll. This will substantially reduce the burden on both borrowers and lenders. The lender review will be limited to whether the lender received a complete application with all fields completed, initialed, or signed as applicable. If the submission is complete, the lender is required to accept it and forward to the SBA. Bancorp is projecting to book approximately 1,300 of these “second draw” PPP loans totaling $220 million.

The CARES Act permits financial institutions to suspend requirements under GAAP for loan modifications to borrowers affected by COVID-19 and is intended to provide interpretive guidance as to conditions that would constitute a short-term modification that would not meet the definition of a TDR. This includes the following: (i) the loan modification is made between March 1, 2020 and the earlier of December 31, 2020 or 60 days after the end of the coronavirus emergency declaration, and (ii) the applicable loan was not more than 30 days past due as of December 31, 2019. Bancorp is applying this guidance to qualifying loan modifications and has implemented modifications meeting these conditions. Federal bank regulatory authorities also issued guidance to encourage banks to make loan modifications for borrowers affected by COVID-19 and to assure banks that they would not be criticized by examiners for doing so.

While the emergency-use approval and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccination is a promising development, the duration of the pandemic and its continued effects on local, national and global economic activity will continue to weigh on Bancorp’s financial condition and results of operations in 2021and possibly beyond.

The PPP directly impacted Bancorp’s financial condition and results of operations for the twelve months ended December 31, 2020 as follows:

Other pandemic-related impacts to Bancorp’s financial condition and results of operations for the twelve months ended December 31, 2020 were as follows:

In tandem with the declaration of the global pandemic, Bancorp invoked its Board of Director-approved pandemic plan, which included timely communication to employees, implementing remote work arrangements to the full extent possible, separating individual departments, operating select branch lobbies by appointment only, fully staffing all branch drive-thru lanes, communicating with and encouraging customers to use Bancorp’s free self-service tools such as ITMs/ATMs, online banking, mobile banking and bill pay and actively promoting social distancing in all aspects of business.

Bancorp has maintained social distancing precautions for all employees in the office and customers visiting branches, preventative cleaning at offices/branches and restrictions on non-essential business related travel to the fullest extent possible and pursuant to guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and state and local authorities. Bancorp has implemented business continuity measures as necessary throughout the pandemic, including monitoring potential business interruptions.

Bancorp has taken measures both to support customers affected by the pandemic and to maintain strong asset quality, including:

Management continues to meet to anticipate and respond to ongoing pandemic related developments. Bancorp has not incurred any significant challenges to its ability to maintain its systems and controls in light of the measures taken to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and has not incurred significant resource constraints through the implementation of its business continuity plans and does not anticipate incurring such in the future. Bancorp has not made, and at this time does not expect to make, any material staffing or compensation changes as a result of the pandemic.

The following table presents an overview Bancorp’s financial performance for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018:

Additional discussion follows under the section titled “Results of Operations.”

General highlights for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to December 31, 2019:

Total stockholder’s equity to total assets was 9.56% as of December 31, 2020 compared to 10.91% at December 31, 2019, the decline driven by the outsized balance sheet growth attributed to PPP participation. Total equity increased $34.4 million in 2020, as net income of $58.9 million was offset by dividends declared of $24.5 million, changes in AOCI and various stock based compensation.

TCE is a measure of a company's capital which is useful in evaluating the quality and adequacy of capital. Bancorp’s ratio of TCE to total tangible assets was 9.28% as of December 31, 2020, compared with 10.55% at December 31, 2019, the decline driven by the significant balance sheet growth associated with PPP participation as noted above. See the section titled “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for reconcilement of non-GAAP to GAAP measures.

General highlights for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to December 31, 2018:

Total stockholder’s equity to total assets was 10.91% as of December 31, 2019 compared to 11.10% at December 31, 2018. Total equity increased $39.8 million in 2019, as record net income of $66.1 million was offset by dividends declared of $23.5 million, stock repurchases totaling $9.2 million, changes in AOCI and various stock based compensation.

TCE is a measure of a company's capital which is useful in evaluating the quality and adequacy of capital. Bancorp’s ratio of TCE to total tangible assets was 10.55% as of December 31, 2019, compared with 11.05% at December 31, 2018, with the decline attributable to the second quarter 2019 KSB acquisition. See the section titled “Non-GAAP Financial Measures” for reconcilement of non-GAAP to GAAP measures.

Challenges for 2021:

Bancorp has identified the following challenges for fiscal year 2021:

Net Interest Income

As is the case with most banks, Bancorp’s primary revenue sources are net interest income and fee income from various financial services provided to customers. Net interest income is the difference between interest income earned on loans, investment securities and other interest earning assets less interest expense on deposit accounts and other interest bearing liabilities. Loan volume and interest rates earned on those loans are critical to overall profitability. Similarly, deposit volume is crucial to funding loans and rates paid on deposits directly impact profitability. New business volume is influenced by economic factors including market interest rates, business spending, consumer confidence and competitive conditions within the marketplace. The discussion that follows is based on fully tax-equivalent interest data.

Comparative information regarding net interest income follows:

NIM and net interest spread calculations above exclude the sold portion of certain participation loans, which totaled $10 million, $8 million and $10 million for the years ended December 31, 2020, 2019 and 2018, respectively. These sold loans are on Bancorp’s balance sheet as required by GAAP because Bancorp retains some form of effective control; however, Bancorp receives no interest income on the sold portion. These participation loans sold are excluded, because Bancorp believes it provides a more accurate depiction of the performance of its loan portfolio.

Prime rate, the five year Treasury note rate and the one month LIBOR are included in the table above to provide a general indication of the interest rate environment in which Bancorp has operated during the past three years. Approximately $1 billion, or 31%, of Bancorp’s loans are variable rate (37% excluding the PPP portfolio), of which 99% are indexed to either Prime or one month LIBOR and generally reprice as those rates change. At inception, most of Bancorp’s fixed rate loans are priced in relation to the five year Treasury note.

The interest rate environment has declined drastically over the three year period as referenced in the table above. Rising rates in 2018 drove the FFTR to a range of 2.25-2.50%, resulting in Prime rising to 5.50% by the end of that year, representing the highest interest rates experienced post-Great Recession. Since hitting those marks, the FRB has lowered the FFTR five times, resulting in a combined 225 bps decrease in the FFTR through December 31, 2020. The most recent of these cuts came in mid-March 2020 when the FRB lowered the FFTR to a range of 0% - 0.25% in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the lowest level since late 2015.

Discussion of 2020 vs 2019:

Net interest spread and NIM were 3.22% and 3.39% for 2020 compared to 3.50% and 3.82% for 2019. NIM was significantly impacted in 2020 by the following:

As previously stated, Bancorp originated approximately 3,400 PPP loans, equating to $637 million (net of origination fees and costs) during the second quarter of 2020. Bancorp received $19.5 million in net origination fees from the SBA and recognized $9.1 million in net origination fee income associated with the PPP portfolio in 2020. While this had a positive impact on interest and fee income as well as net interest income, the 1% stated yield on the PPP portfolio negatively impacted the overall loan portfolio yield by 17 bps and NIM by 3 bps. With a heavy concentration of these loans originating in April, the average balance of the PPP portfolio ended at $443 million for the year ended December 31, 2020 with a yield of 3.08%, which was significantly below the 4.34% yield on the traditional loan portfolio (excluding PPP loans) for the same period.

Average FFS and interest bearing due from bank balances increased significantly for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared with the same period in 2019. Excess liquidity contributed to approximately 15 bps of NIM compression for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to 9 bps for the year ended December 31, 2019.

Net interest income (FTE) increased $10.6 million, or 8%, for the year ended December 31, 2020 compared to the same period of 2019, primarily attributed to the deposit rate cuts implemented by Bancorp in response to the changing interest rate environment and the additional fee income associated with the PPP portfolio.

Total average interest earning assets increased $729 million, or 22%, to $4.0 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020, with the average rate earned on total interest earning assets contracting 82 bps to 3.68%.

Total interest income (FTE) was flat, down $32,000 to $148.1 million for the year ended December 31, 2020, as compared with the same period of 2019 despite the drastic decline in the interest rate environment.

Total average interest bearing liabilities increased $353 million, or 16%, to $2.6 billion for the year ended December 31, 2020, as compared with the same period of 2019, with the average cost decreasing 54 bps to 0.46%.

Total interest expense decreased $10.6 million, or 47%, for the year ended December 31, 2020, compared to the same period of 2019, a direct result of strategic deposit rate reductions implemented in response to the changing interest rate environment.

Discussion of 2019 vs 2018:

During the third quarter of 2019, the FRB lowered the FFTR 25 bps twice; effective on August 1^st and later during the quarter, effective September 19^th. Effective October 31^st, the FRB lowered the FFTR 25 bps once again with Prime ending at 4.75% as of December 31, 2019 compared to 5.50% at December 31, 2018.

In response to the August FFTR reduction, Bancorp immediately lowered the stated rate of most interest-bearing deposit account types, in addition to lowering all CD offering rates. With regard to the September FFTR reduction, Bancorp immediately lowered stated rates on most personal money market and larger sweep customers in addition to CD offering rates. Bancorp was able to fully offset the loss in revenue, with the first and second FFTR movements not impacting overall NIM. With the October 31^st rate drop, the Bank lowered the stated rate of most interest-bearing deposit account types in addition to subsequently lowering all CD offering rates in early November. Unlike the previous two rate cuts by the FRB, the decline in loan yields associated with this cut was not fully offset by the reduction in deposit rates.

In the first half of 2018, Bancorp raised stated rates paid on money market accounts in addition to launching a targeted CD marketing campaign within its Louisville market to support loan growth and increase liquidity. The campaign generated over $100 million in CD growth in 2018. In addition, the deposit portfolio assumed from KSB in the second quarter of 2019 was concentrated in higher costing time deposits. While Bancorp had not aggressively pursued deposits since mid-2018, falling interest rates in 2019 drove an increase in non-interest bearing deposits.

In general, net interest income and NIM were favorably impacted by elevated loan prepayment fees collected in 2019 with a much lighter impact experienced in the prior year. Offsetting the fee impact, the KSB portfolio mix of interest earning assets and interest bearing liabilities added during 2019 had a slight negative impact on NIM.

Net interest spread (FTE) and NIM (FTE) were 3.50% and 3.82%, for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to 3.60% and 3.83% for the same period in 2018. Net interest income (FTE) of $125.6 million for the year ended December 31, 2019 increased $10.7 million, or 9%, from $114.9 million for the same period in 2018, led by growth in average interest earning assets, primarily loans. Total average earning assets increased $292 million, or 10%, to $3.3 billion for the year ended December 31, 2019, as compared with the same period in 2018, with the average rate earned on earnings assets increasing 16 bps to 4.50%. Average loans increased $198 million, or 8%, for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to the same period in 2018, with the KSB acquisition contributing $102 million, or 52% of the total average increase. The remaining increase stemmed from record annual organic loan production experienced across all markets. Average balances of FFS, interest bearing due from banks and AFS securities increased $91 million, or 19%, in total for the year ended December 31, 2019, as compared with 2018, as excess balance sheet liquidity was deployed into short-term investments.

Total interest income (FTE) increased $17.9 million, or 14%, for the year ended December 31, 2019, as compared with the same period in 2018, to $148.1 million. Approximately $15.8 million of this total increase related to loans (FTE), with the majority of this increase attributed to average balance growth.

Bancorp was successful in growing loans in 2019 despite elevated levels of commercial loan payoffs, resulting largely from construction and land development borrowers moving elsewhere for permanent financing or CRE loans for which collateral was sold. Loan growth during 2019 reflected ongoing expansion in key lending categories such as C&I and CRE owner-occupied lending.

Total average interest bearing liabilities increased $202 million, or 10%, to $2.3 billion for the year ended December 31, 2019, as compared with the same period in 2018, with the average cost increasing 26 bps to 1.00%. Average interest bearing liabilities assumed in the KSB acquisition (deposits and FHLB advances) represented $78 million, or 39%, of the total increase. Average interest bearing deposits increased $237 million, or 12%, for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to the same period in 2018, with approximately $58 million attributable to the KSB acquisition and concentrated in the time deposits category.

Total interest expense increased $7.2 million, or 47%, for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to the same period in 2018 and was concentrated within interest bearing deposits. Approximately 62% of the total interest bearing deposit change was attributable to rate with fluctuations as follows:

The average balance of SSUAR decreased $24 million, or 38%, for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to the same period in 2018, as a significant number of commercial customers migrated from lower yielding collateralized products to higher yielding non-collateralized deposits.

With higher levels of excess balance sheet liquidity in 2019, Bancorp maintained less reliance on short-term borrowing, leading to a $34 million decline in average balance of FFP and a favorable interest expense variance of $618,000.

Average FHLB advances increased $22 million, or 45%, for the year ended December 31, 2019 compared to 2018 based on advances assumed from the KSB acquisition. These advances were retained by Bancorp based upon favorable rates and terms at the time of acquisition and in relation to the overall execution of Bancorp’s asset liability management strategy. Also, as a result of the KSB acquisition, Bancorp assumed a $4 million subordinated note that was redeemed at par prior to the end of the second quarter of 2019.

Average Balance Sheets and Interest Rates (FTE)