Commerce Bancshares - 10-K annual report

 

 

 

 

Commerce Bancshares, Inc. (the “Company”), a bank holding company as defined in the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956, as amended, was incorporated under the laws of Missouri on August 4, 1966. The Company presently owns all of the outstanding capital stock of three national banking associations, which are headquartered in Missouri (the “Missouri bank”), Kansas (the “Kansas bank”), and Nebraska (the “Nebraska bank”). The Nebraska bank is limited in its activities to the issuance of credit cards. The remaining two banking subsidiaries engage in general banking business, providing a broad range of retail, corporate, investment, trust, and asset management products and services to individuals and businesses. The Company also owns, directly or through its banking subsidiaries, various non-banking subsidiaries. Their activities include underwriting credit life and credit accident and health insurance, selling property and casualty insurance (relating to consumer loans made by the banking subsidiaries), venture capital investment, securities brokerage, mortgage banking, and leasing activities. The Company owns a second tier holding company that is the direct owner of both the Missouri and Kansas banks. A list of the Company’s subsidiaries is included as Exhibit 21.

 

The Company is one of the nation’s top 50 domestic bank holding companies, based on asset size. At December 31, 2007, the Company had consolidated assets of $16.2 billion, loans of $10.8 billion, deposits of $12.6 billion, and stockholders’ equity of $1.5 billion. All of the Company’s operations conducted by subsidiaries are consolidated for purposes of preparing the Company’s consolidated financial statements. The Company does not utilize unconsolidated subsidiaries or special purpose entities to provide off-balance sheet borrowings or securitizations.

 

The Company’s goal is to be the preferred provider of targeted financial services in its communities, based on strong customer relationships. It believes in building long-term relationships based on top quality service, high ethical standards and safe, sound assets. The Company operates under a super-community banking format with a local orientation, augmented by experienced, centralized support in select critical areas. The Company’s local market orientation is reflected in its financial centers and regional advisory boards, which are comprised of local business persons, professionals and other community representatives, that assist the Company in responding to local banking needs. In addition to this local market, community-based focus, the Company offers sophisticated financial products available at much larger financial institutions.

 

The Missouri bank is the Company’s largest, with total assets of $14.7 billion and comprising approximately 92% of the Company’s total banking assets. The bank’s facilities are located throughout Missouri, eastern Kansas, and central Illinois, with new locations in Tulsa, Oklahoma and Denver, Colorado. Its two largest markets include St. Louis and Kansas City, which serve as the central hubs for the entire company. The Kansas bank has total assets of $1.3 billion. It has significant operations and banking facilities in the areas of Wichita, Hays, Hutchinson, and Garden City, Kansas.

 

The markets these banks serve, being located in the lower Midwest, provide natural sites for production and distribution facilities and also serve as transportation hubs. The economy has been well-diversified in these markets with many major industries represented, including telecommunications, automobile, aircraft and general manufacturing, health care, numerous service industries, food production, and agricultural production and related industries. In addition, several of the Illinois markets are located in areas with some of the most productive farmland in the world. The banks operate in real estate markets that tend to be less volatile than in other parts of the country.

 

The Company regularly evaluates the potential acquisition of, and holds discussions with, various financial institutions eligible for bank holding company ownership or control. In addition, the Company regularly considers the potential disposition of certain of its assets and branches. The Company seeks merger or acquisition partners that are culturally similar and have experienced management and possess either significant market presence or have potential for improved profitability through financial management,

economies of scale and expanded services. During 2007 the Company completed two acquisitions; acquiring the outstanding stock of South Tulsa Financial Corporation, located in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and Commerce Bank, located in Denver, Colorado. The Company also completed two acquisitions in 2006; a purchase and assumption transaction with Boone National Savings and Loan Association in Columbia, Missouri, and the acquisition of the outstanding stock of West Pointe Bancorp, Inc. in Belleville, Illinois. For additional information on acquisition and branch disposition activity, refer to pages 16 and 66.

 

The Company is managed in three operating segments. The Consumer segment includes the retail branch network, consumer installment lending, personal mortgage banking, bank card activities, student lending, and discount brokerage services. It provides services through a network of 210 full-service branches, a widespread ATM network of 392 machines, and the use of alternative delivery channels such as extensive online banking and telephone banking services. In 2007 this retail segment contributed 57% of total segment pre-tax income. The Commercial segment provides a full array of corporate lending, leasing, and international services, as well as business and government deposit and cash management services. In 2007 it contributed 34% of total segment pre-tax income. The Money Management segment provides traditional trust and estate tax planning services, and advisory and discretionary investment portfolio management services to both personal and institutional corporate customers. This segment also manages the Company’s family of proprietary mutual funds, which are available for sale to both trust and general retail customers. Fixed income investments are sold to individuals and institutional investors through the Capital Markets group, which is also included in this segment. At December 31, 2007 the Money Management segment managed investments with a market value of $12.5 billion and administered an additional $10.2 billion in non-managed assets. Additional information relating to operating segments can be found on pages 44 and 85.

 

 

The Company, as a bank holding company, is primarily regulated by the Board of Governors of the Federal Reserve System under the Bank Holding Company Act of 1956 (BHC Act). Under the BHC Act, the Federal Reserve Board’s prior approval is required in any case in which the Company proposes to acquire all or substantially all of the assets of any bank, acquire direct or indirect ownership or control of more than 5% of the voting shares of any bank, or merge or consolidate with any other bank holding company. The BHC Act also prohibits, with certain exceptions, the Company from acquiring direct or indirect ownership or control of more than 5% of any class of voting shares of any non-banking company. Under the BHC Act, the Company may not engage in any business other than managing and controlling banks or furnishing certain specified services to subsidiaries and may not acquire voting control of non-banking companies unless the Federal Reserve Board determines such businesses and services to be closely related to banking. When reviewing bank acquisition applications for approval, the Federal Reserve Board considers, among other things, each subsidiary bank’s record in meeting the credit needs of the communities it serves in accordance with the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977, as amended (CRA). The Missouri, Kansas and Nebraska bank charters have current CRA ratings of “outstanding”.

 

The Company is required to file with the Federal Reserve Board various reports and such additional information as the Federal Reserve Board may require. The Federal Reserve Board also makes regular examinations of the Company and its subsidiaries. The Company’s three banking subsidiaries are organized as national banking associations and are subject to regulation, supervision and examination by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC). All banks are also subject to regulation by the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC). In addition, there are numerous other federal and state laws and regulations which control the activities of the Company and its banking subsidiaries, including requirements and limitations relating to capital and reserve requirements, permissible investments and lines of business, transactions with affiliates, loan limits, mergers and acquisitions, issuance of securities, dividend payments, and extensions of credit. If the Company fails to comply with these or other applicable laws and regulations, it may be subject to civil monetary penalties, imposition of cease and desist orders or other written directives,

removal of management and, in certain circumstances, criminal penalties. This regulatory framework is intended primarily for the protection of depositors and the preservation of the federal deposit insurance funds, and not for the protection of security holders. Statutory and regulatory controls increase a bank holding company’s cost of doing business and limit the options of its management to employ assets and maximize income.

 

In addition to its regulatory powers, the Federal Reserve impacts the conditions under which the Company operates by its influence over the national supply of bank credit. The Federal Reserve Board employs open market operations in U.S. government securities, changes in the discount rate on bank borrowings, changes in the federal funds rate on overnight inter-bank borrowings, and changes in reserve requirements on bank deposits in implementing its monetary policy objectives. These instruments are used in varying combinations to influence the overall level of the interest rates charged on loans and paid for deposits, the price of the dollar in foreign exchange markets and the level of inflation. The monetary policies of the Federal Reserve have a significant effect on the operating results of financial institutions, most notably on the interest rate environment. In view of changing conditions in the national economy and in the money markets, as well as the effect of credit policies of monetary and fiscal authorities, no prediction can be made as to possible future changes in interest rates, deposit levels or loan demand, or their effect on the financial statements of the Company.

 

Under Federal Reserve policy, the Company is expected to act as a source of financial strength to each of its bank subsidiaries and to commit resources to support each bank subsidiary in circumstances when it might not otherwise do so. In addition, any capital loans by a bank holding company to any of its subsidiary banks are subordinate in right of payment to deposits and to certain other indebtedness of such subsidiary banks. In the event of a bank holding company’s bankruptcy, any commitment by the bank holding company to a federal bank regulatory agency to maintain the capital of a subsidiary bank will be assumed by the bankruptcy trustee and entitled to a priority of payment.

 

Substantially all of the deposits of the Company’s subsidiary banks are insured up to the applicable limits by the Bank Insurance Fund of the FDIC, generally up to $100,000 per insured depositor and up to $250,000 for retirement accounts. The banks pay deposit insurance premiums to the FDIC based on an assessment rate established by the FDIC for Bank Insurance Fund member institutions. The FDIC has established a risk-based assessment system under which institutions are classified and pay premiums according to their perceived risk to the federal deposit insurance funds. The FDIC is not required to charge deposit insurance premiums when the ratio of deposit insurance reserves to insured deposits is maintained above specified levels. For several years, the ratio was above the minimum level and, accordingly, the Company was not required to pay premiums. However, in 2006, legislation was passed reforming the bank deposit insurance system. The reform act allowed the FDIC to raise the minimum reserve ratio and allowed eligible insured institutions an initial one-time credit to be used against premiums due. As a result, in subsequent years the Company will be assessed insurance premiums, which in years 2007 and 2008 may be partly or totally offset by the one-time credit. The Company’s one-time credit is approximately $12 million. During 2007, approximately $6 million of that credit was used, leaving a balance remaining of approximately $6 million.

 

The principal source of the Company’s cash revenues is dividends from the subsidiary banks. The Federal Reserve Board may prohibit the payment of dividends by bank holding companies if their actions constitute unsafe or unsound practices. The OCC limits the payment of dividends by bank subsidiaries in any calendar year to the net profit of the current year combined with the retained net profits of the preceding two years. Permission must be obtained from the OCC for dividends exceeding these amounts. The payment of dividends by the bank subsidiaries may also be affected by factors such as the maintenance of adequate capital.

 

The Company is required to comply with the capital adequacy standards established by the Federal Reserve. These capital adequacy guidelines generally require bank holding companies to maintain total capital equal to 8% of total risk-adjusted assets and off-balance sheet items (the “Total Risk-Based Capital Ratio”), with at least one-half of that amount consisting of Tier I, or core capital, and the remaining amount consisting of Tier II, or supplementary capital. Tier I capital for bank holding companies generally consists of the sum of common shareholders’ equity, qualifying non-cumulative perpetual preferred stock, a limited amount of qualifying cumulative perpetual preferred stock and minority interests in the equity accounts of consolidated subsidiaries, less goodwill and other non-qualifying intangible assets. Tier II capital generally consists of hybrid capital instruments, term subordinated debt and, subject to limitations, general allowances for loan losses. Assets are adjusted under the risk-based guidelines to take into account different risk characteristics.

 

In addition, the Federal Reserve also requires bank holding companies to comply with minimum leverage ratio requirements. The leverage ratio is the ratio of a banking organization’s Tier I capital to its total consolidated quarterly average assets (as defined for regulatory purposes), net of the allowance for loan losses, goodwill and certain other intangible assets. The minimum leverage ratio for bank holding companies is 4%. At December 31, 2007 all of the subsidiary banks were “well-capitalized” under regulatory capital adequacy standards, as further discussed on page 89.

 

These laws and regulations are under constant review by various agencies and legislatures, and are subject to sweeping change. The Gramm-Leach-Bliley Financial Modernization Act of 1999 (GLB Act) contained major changes in laws that previously kept the banking industry largely separate from the securities and insurance industries. The GLB Act authorized the creation of a new kind of financial institution, known as a “financial holding company” and a new kind of bank subsidiary called a “financial subsidiary”, which may engage in a broader range of investment banking, insurance agency, brokerage, and underwriting activities. The GLB Act also included privacy provisions that limit banks’ abilities to disclose non-public information about customers to non-affiliated entities. Banking organizations are not required to become financial holding companies, but instead may continue to operate as bank holding companies, providing the same services they were authorized to provide prior to the enactment of the GLB Act.

 

In 2001, the Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism Act of 2001 (The “USA Patriot Act”) was signed into law. The USA Patriot Act substantially broadened the scope of U.S. anti-money laundering laws and regulations by imposing significant new compliance and due diligence obligations, creating new crimes and penalties and expanding the extra-territorial jurisdiction of the United States. The U.S. Treasury Department issued a number of regulations implementing the USA Patriot Act that apply certain of its requirements to financial institutions such as the Company’s broker-dealer subsidiary. The regulations impose new obligations on financial institutions to maintain appropriate policies, procedures and controls to detect, prevent and report money laundering and terrorist financing.

 

The Company’s locations in regional markets throughout Missouri, Kansas and central Illinois face intense competition from hundreds of financial service providers. The Company competes with national and state banks for deposits, loans and trust accounts, and with savings and loan associations and credit unions for deposits and consumer lending products. In addition, the Company competes with other financial intermediaries such as securities brokers and dealers, personal loan companies, insurance companies, finance companies, and certain governmental agencies. The passage of the GLB Act, which removed barriers between banking and the securities and insurance industries, has resulted in greater competition among these industries. The Company generally competes on the basis of customer services and responsiveness to customer needs, interest rates on loans and deposits, lending limits and customer convenience, such as location of offices.

 

The Company and its subsidiaries employed 4,520 persons on a full-time basis and 670 persons on a part-time basis at December 31, 2007. The Company provides a variety of benefit programs including a 401K plan as well as group life, health, accident, and other insurance. The Company also maintains training and educational programs designed to prepare employees for positions of increasing responsibility.

 

The Company’s principal offices are located at 1000 Walnut, Kansas City, Missouri (telephone number816-234-2000).The Company makes available free of charge, through its web site at www.commercebank.com, reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission as soon as reasonably practicable after the electronic filing. These filings include the annual report onForm 10-K,quarterly reports onForm 10-Q,current reports onForm 8-K,and all amendments to those reports.

 

The information required by Securities Act Guide 3 – “Statistical Disclosure by Bank Holding Companies” is located on the pages noted below.

 

 

Making or continuing an investment in securities issued by Commerce Bancshares, Inc., including our common stock, involves certain risks that you should carefully consider. The risks and uncertainties described below are not the only risks that may have a material adverse effect on the Company. Additional risks and uncertainties also could adversely affect our business and our results. If any of the following risks actually occur, our business, financial condition or results of operations could be negatively affected, the market price for your securities could decline, and you could lose all or a part of your investment. Further, to the extent that any of the information contained in this Annual Report onForm 10-Kconstitutes forward-looking statements, the risk factors set forth below also are cautionary statements identifying important factors that could cause the Company’s actual results to differ materially from those expressed in any forward-looking statements made by or on behalf of Commerce Bancshares, Inc.

 

The Company’s success is heavily influenced by the general economic conditions of the states of Missouri, Kansas and central Illinois and the specific local markets in which the Company operates. Unlike larger national or other regional banks that are more geographically diversified, the Company provides banking and financial services to customers in such metropolitan areas as Kansas City, St. Louis, and Springfield in

Missouri, Peoria and Bloomington in Illinois, and Wichita, Kansas. Since the Company does not have significant presence in other parts of the country, a prolonged economic downturn in these markets could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.

 

The Company’s net interest income is the largest source of overall revenue to the Company, representing 59% of total revenue. Interest rates are beyond the Company’s control, and they fluctuate in response to general economic conditions and the policies of various governmental and regulatory agencies, in particular, the Federal Reserve Board. Changes in monetary policy, including changes in interest rates, will influence the origination of loans, the purchase of investments, the generation of deposits, and the rates received on loans and investment securities and paid on deposits. Management believes it has implemented effective asset and liability management strategies to reduce the potential effects of changes in interest rates on the Company’s results of operations. However, any substantial, unexpected, prolonged change in market interest rates could have a material adverse effect on the Company’s financial condition and results of operations.

 

The Company operates in the financial services industry, a rapidly changing environment having numerous competitors including other banks and insurance companies, securities dealers, brokers, trust and investment companies and mortgage bankers. The pace of consolidation among financial service providers is accelerating and there are many new changes in technology, product offerings and regulation. New entrants offering competitive products continually penetrate our markets. The Company must continue to make investments in its products and delivery systems to stay competitive with the industry as a whole or its financial performance may suffer.

 

The Company maintains an allowance for loan losses that represents management’s best estimate of probable losses that have been incurred at the balance sheet date within the existing portfolio of loans. The level of the allowance reflects management’s continuing evaluation of industry concentrations, specific credit risks, loan loss experience, current loan portfolio quality, present economic, political and regulatory conditions and unidentified losses inherent in the current loan portfolio. Over the past few years, historical losses have been low and the Company’s credit loss ratios have been below industry averages, in part due to the low level of commercial loan losses. Also, while the industry has experienced low levels of loan losses for several years, loan losses on residential construction and consumer loans have risen, especially in the second half of 2007. Much of this relates to the effects of the subprime lending issues and a general housing slowdown creating an uncertain economic outlook. If the recent trend is prolonged and losses continue to increase, the Company’s results of operations could be negatively impacted by higher loan losses in the future. See the section captioned “Allowance for Loan Losses” in Item 7 Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations located elsewhere in this report for further discussion related to the Company’s process for determining the appropriate level of the allowance for possible loan loss.

 

The Company relies heavily on communications and information systems to conduct its business, and as part of our business we maintain significant amounts of data about our customers and the products they use. While the Company has policies and procedures designed to prevent or limit the effect of failure, interruption or security breach of its information systems, there can be no assurances that any such failures, interruptions or security breaches will not occur, or if they do occur, that they will be adequately addressed. Should any of these systems become compromised, the reputation of the Company could be damaged, relationships with existing customers impaired and result in lost business and incur significant expenses trying to remedy the compromise.

 

The Company’s success depends, in large part, on its ability to attract and retain key people. Competition for the best people in most activities engaged in by the Company can be intense, and the Company spends considerable time and resources attracting and hiring qualified people for its various business lines and support units. The unexpected loss of the services of one or more the Company’s key personnel could have a material adverse impact on the Company’s business because of their skills, knowledge of the Company’s market, years of industry experience, and the difficulty of promptly finding qualified replacement personnel.

 

None

 

The bank subsidiaries maintain their main offices in various multi-story office buildings. The Missouri bank owns its main offices and leases unoccupied premises to the public. The larger offices include:

 

 

The Nebraska credit card bank leases its offices in Omaha, Nebraska. Additionally, certain other installment loan, trust and safe deposit functions operate out of leased offices in downtown Kansas City. The Company has an additional 204 branch locations in Missouri, Illinois, Kansas, Oklahoma and Colorado which are owned or leased, and 144 off-site ATM locations.

 

The information required by this item is set forth in Item 8 under Note 18, Commitments, Contingencies and Guarantees on page 93.

 

No matters were submitted during the fourth quarter of 2007 to a vote of security holders through the solicitation of proxies or otherwise.

 

The following are the executive officers of the Company, each of whom is designated annually, and there are no arrangements or understandings between any of the persons so named and any other person pursuant to which such person was designated an executive officer.

 

 

The following table sets forth the high and low prices of actual transactions for the Company’s common stock (CBSH) and cash dividends paid for the periods indicated (restated for the 5% stock dividend distributed in December 2007).

 

 

Commerce Bancshares, Inc. common shares are listed on The Nasdaq Stock Market LLC (NASDAQ), a national securities exchange and highly-regulated electronic securities market comprised of competing Market Makers whose trading is supported by a communications network linking them to quotation dissemination, trade reporting, and order execution systems. The Company had 4,581 shareholders of record as of December 31, 2007.

 

The following graph presents a comparison of Company (CBSH) performance to the indices named below. It assumes $100 invested on12/31/2002with dividends invested on a Total Return basis.

 

The following table sets forth information about the Company’s purchases of its $5 par value common stock, its only class of stock registered pursuant to Section 12 of the Exchange Act, during the fourth quarter of 2007.

 

 

The Company’s stock purchases shown above were made under a 4,000,000 share authorization by the Board of Directors on February 2, 2007. Under this authorization, 1,529,003 shares remained available for purchase at December 31, 2007. On February 1, 2008, the Company’s Board of Directors approved a new authorization for the purchase of up to 3,000,000 shares of Company common stock.

 

The required information is set forth below in Item 7.

 

 

Commerce Bancshares, Inc. (the Company) operates as a super-community bank offering an array of sophisticated financial products delivered with high-quality, personal customer service. It is the largest bank holding company headquartered in Missouri, with its principal offices in Kansas City and St. Louis, Missouri. Customers are served from approximately 350 locations in Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, Oklahoma and Colorado using delivery platforms which include an extensive network of branches and ATM machines, full-featured online banking, and a central contact center.

 

The core of the Company’s competitive advantage is its focus on the local markets it services and its concentration on relationship banking, with high service levels and competitive products. In order to enhance shareholder value, the Company grows its core revenue by expanding new and existing customer relationships, utilizing improved technology, and enhancing customer satisfaction.

 

Various indicators are used by management in evaluating the Company’s financial condition and operating performance. Among these indicators are the following:

 

 

The following discussion and analysis should be read in conjunction with the consolidated financial statements and related notes. The historical trends reflected in the financial information presented below are not necessarily reflective of anticipated future results.

 

 

 

 

As a supplement to its GAAP (generally accepted accounting principles) financial results, the Company has provided non-GAAP operating results for the year ended December 31, 2007. The Company believes that these non-GAAP financial measures are useful because they allow investors to assess, on a consistent basis, the Company’s operating performance exclusive of items management believes are not indicative of the operations of the Company. Management uses such non-GAAP financial measures to evaluate financial results and to establish operational goals. These non-GAAP financial measures should be considered a supplement to, and not a substitute for, financial measures determined in accordance with GAAP. The non-GAAP measures presented below exclude a $21.0 million pre-tax indemnification charge recorded by the Company in the fourth quarter of 2007. This charge relates to the Company’s share of certain estimated Visa litigation costs, which are explained in more detail in the Non-Interest Expense section of this discussion.

 

 

The Company’s diluted earnings per share, based on operating results as shown in the table above, amounted to $3.00 in 2007 compared to $2.94 in 2006, an increase of 2.0%. Operating net income for 2007 was

$219.9 million, relatively unchanged from 2006. The operating return on average assets amounted to 1.42% compared to 1.54% last year, and the operating return on average equity totaled 14.89% compared to 15.96% last year. The operating efficiency ratio was 60.42% in 2007 compared with 60.55% in 2006.

 

Financial results for 2007 compared to 2006 included growth in net interest income and non-interest income. These increases to net income were offset by a higher provision for loan loss and an increase in non-interest expense. Net interest income increased $24.9 million, or 4.8%, reflecting growth in average loan balances and higher average overall rates earned on loans and investment securities, partly offset by declining average balances in investment securities. Countering these effects was a rise in interest expense on deposit accounts and short-term borrowings, resulting from increases in interest rates on virtually all deposit accounts, coupled with growth in certificate of deposit balances and higher average short-term borrowings. Non-interest income rose $19.0 million, or 5.4%, largely due to increases of 9.1% in bank card fees, 1.6% in deposit account fees, and 9.2% in trust revenues. Operating non-interest expense grew $28.4 million, or 5.4%, which was mainly the result of a 7.1% increase in salaries and benefits. Additional smaller increases occurred in occupancy, supplies and communication expense, and marketing expense. The provision for loan losses increased $17.1 million to $42.7 million, reflecting higher incurred losses in nearly all loan categories, with the largest increases in business, consumer credit card and personal banking loans. Income tax expense declined 9.8% in 2007 and resulted in an effective tax rate of 31.2%, compared to an effective tax rate of 32.1% in the prior year. The decrease in income tax expense in 2007 occurred mainly due to the change in the mix of taxable and nontaxable income.

 

The decline in net income in 2006 compared to 2005 was due to higher non-interest expense and income tax expense, partly offset by an increase in net interest income, growth in non-interest income, and a lower loan loss provision. Net interest income increased $11.5 million, or 2.3%, reflecting the effects of higher average overall rates earned on loans and growth in average loan balances, partly offset by declining average balances in investment securities. Also, interest expense on deposit accounts and short-term borrowings rose, mainly related to increases in interest rates on deposit accounts and borrowings, coupled with growth in certificate of deposit balances. Non-interest income rose $17.7 million, or 5.3%, largely due to increases of 10.0% in bank card fees, 2.2% in deposit account fees, and 5.7% in trust revenues. Non-interest expense grew 5.8%, mainly the result of higher salaries and benefits (up 5.5%), with additional increases of 6.5% in occupancy, 10.6% in equipment, and 5.7% in data processing and software costs. The provision for loan losses decreased $3.1 million to $25.6 million, reflecting lower incurred losses, especially in credit card and personal banking loans. Income tax expense increased 10.1% in 2006 and resulted in an effective tax rate of 32.1%, which increased from a tax rate of 29.7% in the prior year. The increase in income tax expense in 2006 occurred largely because tax benefits of $13.7 million, representing the effects of certain corporate restructuring initiatives, were recognized in 2005 and these benefits did not recur in 2006.

 

The Company completed two bank acquisitions during 2007. On April 1, 2007, the Company acquired South Tulsa Financial Corporation (South Tulsa). In this transaction, the Company acquired the outstanding stock of South Tulsa and issued shares of Company stock valued at $27.6 million. The Company’s acquisition of South Tulsa added two branch locations in Tulsa, Oklahoma. On July 1, 2007, the Company acquired Commerce Bank in Denver, Colorado. In this transaction, the Company acquired all of the outstanding stock of Commerce Bank for $29.5 million in cash. The acquisition added the Company’s first location in Colorado.

 

During 2006, the Company also acquired two banks. The first acquisition was in July 2006, when the Company, through a bank subsidiary, acquired certain assets and assumed certain liabilities of Boone National Savings and Loan Association (Boone) in a purchase and assumption agreement for cash of $19.1 million. Boone operated four branches in central Missouri. In September 2006, the Company acquired the outstanding stock of West Pointe Bancorp, Inc. (West Pointe) in Belleville, Illinois, which operated five branch locations in the greater St. Louis area. The total purchase price of $80.5 million consisted of cash of $13.1 million and shares of Company stock valued at $67.5 million.

 

The transactions discussed above are collectively referred to as “bank acquisitions” throughout the remainder of this report. Additional information about acquired balances and intangible assets recognized is presented below.

 

 

The Company continually evaluates the profitability of its network of bank branches throughout its markets. As a result of this evaluation process, the Company may periodically sell the assets and liabilities of certain branches, or may sell the premises of specific banking facilities. During the last three years, the Company has sold three or four bank facilities each year, realizing pre-tax gains on these sales of $1.6 million, $579 thousand and $802 thousand during 2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively. In January 2008, the Company agreed to sell its branch in Independence, Kansas, with loans of $29 million and deposits of $83 million. The transaction is expected to close in the second quarter of 2008, at which time the Company expects to receive a purchase premium of $7.2 million in cash.

 

The Company distributed a 5% stock dividend for the fourteenth consecutive year on December 13, 2007. All per share and average share data in this report has been restated to reflect the 2007 stock dividend.

 

The Company’s consolidated financial statements are prepared based on the application of certain accounting policies, the most significant of which are described in Note 1 to the consolidated financial statements. Certain of these policies require numerous estimates and strategic or economic assumptions that may prove inaccurate or be subject to variations which may significantly affect the Company’s reported results and financial position for the period or in future periods. The use of estimates, assumptions, and judgments are necessary most often when financial assets and liabilities are required to be recorded at, or adjusted to reflect, fair value. Assets and liabilities carried at fair value inherently result in more financial statement volatility. Fair values and the information used to record valuation adjustments for certain assets and liabilities are based on either quoted market prices or are provided by other independent third-party sources, when available. When such information is not available, management estimates valuation adjustments primarily by using internal cash flow and other financial modeling techniques. Changes in underlying factors, assumptions, or estimates in any of these areas could have a material impact on the Company’s future financial condition and results of operations.

 

The Company has identified several policies as being critical because they require management to make particularly difficult, subjectiveand/orcomplex judgments about matters that are inherently uncertain and because of the likelihood that materially different amounts would be reported under different conditions or using different assumptions. These policies relate to the allowance for loan losses, the valuation of certain non-marketable investments, and accounting for income taxes.

 

The Company performs periodic and systematic detailed reviews of its loan portfolio to assess overall collectability. The level of the allowance for loan losses reflects the Company’s estimate of the losses inherent in the loan portfolio at any point in time. While these estimates are based on substantive methods for determining allowance requirements, actual outcomes may differ significantly from estimated results, especially when determining allowances for business, lease, construction and business real estate loans. These loans are normally larger and more complex, and their collection rates are harder to predict. Personal loans, including personal mortgage, consumer credit card and other consumer loans, are individually smaller and perform in a more homogenous manner, making loss estimates more predictable. Further explanation of

the methodologies used in establishing the allowance is provided in the Allowance for Loan Losses section of this discussion.

 

The Company, through its direct holdings and its Small Business Investment subsidiaries, has numerous private equity and venture capital investments, which totaled $45.3 million at December 31, 2007. These private equity and venture capital securities are reported at fair value. The values assigned to these securities where no market quotations exist are based upon available information and management’s judgment. Although management believes its estimates of fair value reasonably reflect the fair value of these securities, key assumptions regarding the projected financial performance of these companies, the evaluation of the investee company’s management team, and other economic and market factors may affect the amounts that will ultimately be realized from these investments.

 

As more fully discussed in Notes 1 and 9 of the consolidated financial statements, the Company accounts for income taxes in accordance with SFAS No. 109, “Accounting for Income Taxes”. Accrued income taxes represent the net amount of current income taxes which are expected to be paid attributable to operations as of the balance sheet date. Deferred income taxes represent the expected future tax consequences of events that have been recognized in the financial statements or income tax returns. Current and deferred income taxes are reported as either a component of other assets or other liabilities in the consolidated balance sheets, depending on whether the balances are assets or liabilities. Judgment is required in applying the principles of SFAS No. 109. The Company regularly monitors taxing authorities for changes in laws and regulations and their interpretations by the judicial systems. The aforementioned changes, and changes that may result from the resolution of income tax examinations by federal and state taxing authorities, may impact the estimate of accrued income taxes and could materially impact the Company’s financial position and results of operations.

 

Net interest income, the largest source of revenue, results from the Company’s lending, investing, borrowing, and deposit gathering activities. It is affected by both changes in the level of interest rates and changes in the amounts and mix of interest earning assets and interest bearing liabilities. The following table summarizes the changes in net interest income on a fully taxable equivalent basis, by major category of interest earning assets and interest bearing liabilities, identifying changes related to volumes and rates. Changes not solely due to volume or rate changes are allocated to rate.

 

 

Net interest income was $538.1 million in 2007, representing an increase of $24.9 million, or 4.8%, compared to $513.2 million in 2006. Net interest income increased $11.5 million, or 2.3%, in 2006 compared to $501.7 million in 2005. The increase in net interest income in 2007 resulted mainly from growth of $92.3 million in tax equivalent loan interest income, due mainly to higher average balances and yields, and an increase in tax equivalent interest on investment securities of $2.8 million, mainly due to higher yields. Also, interest earned on federal funds sold and securities purchased under agreements to resell (resale agreements) increased $10.2 million, due mainly to higher balances. Offsetting these increases in interest income were higher deposit interest costs of $60.5 million as a result of higher balances and rates paid, coupled with increased interest expense on borrowings, which grew by $18.4 million. The increase in rates on both interest earning assets and interest bearing liabilities was the result of increases in the federal funds rate initiated by the Federal Reserve throughout 2005 and 2006 which impacted average balances and rates for the full year in 2007. The tax equivalent net yield on earning assets decreased 12 basis points to 3.80% in 2007 compared to 3.92% in 2006.

During 2006, net interest income increased $11.5 million compared to 2005. The increase was largely the result of growth in loan interest income due to higher yields and average balances, but was partly offset by an increase in interest expense due to higher deposit rates and balances, in addition to higher rates paid on federal funds purchased and securities sold under agreements to repurchase (repurchase agreements).

 

Total interest income in 2007 was $936.1 million, compared to $832.3 million in 2006 and $697.6 million in 2005. On a tax equivalent basis, interest income increased $105.4 million in 2007, or 12.6%, as a result of growth in interest on loans ($92.3 million tax equivalent), investment securities ($2.8 million tax equivalent) and federal funds sold and resale agreements ($10.2 million). The growth in interest on loans resulted from higher average balances in commercial loans of $703.7 million (consisting of business, construction and business real estate loans) and in personal loans of $381.1 million (consisting of personal real estate, home equity, consumer and consumer credit card loans). This growth in average balances also resulted from four bank acquisitions occurring in 2006 and 2007, which increased average loan balances by $337.8 million in 2007. As a result of the increases in the federal funds rate in previous years as mentioned above, rates on most lending products increased, contributing approximately $14.9 million (tax equivalent) to the growth in loan interest income. The overall tax equivalent rate earned on loans, excluding loans held for sale, was 7.23% in 2007 compared to 7.08% in 2006, or an increase of 15 basis points.

 

The $2.8 million increase in tax equivalent interest income on investment securities was mainly the result of higher rates earned on mortgage and other asset-backed securities and U.S. government and agency securities, which contributed $11.4 million to interest income. In addition, higher average balances of municipal investment securities and mortgage-backed securities contributed to the increase. Offsetting these increases, however, were the effects of lower average balances in U.S. government and agency securities, other asset-backed securities, and short-term money market investments. The increase in interest on federal funds sold and resale agreements was mainly due to higher average balances of overnight resell agreements, which are used for funding and pledging purposes.

 

The overall tax equivalent rate earned on total interest earning assets amounted to 6.56% in 2007 compared to 6.32% in 2006, or an increase of 24 basis points.

 

Interest expense increased $78.9 million, or 24.7%, in 2007 compared to 2006 primarily as a result of higher interest expense on both deposit accounts and other borrowings. Interest expense on deposits increased $60.5 million as a result of higher rates on virtually all deposit products, coupled with growth in average balances of money market accounts and short-term certificates of deposit. The higher average balances occurred notably in the Company’s premium money market product, which requires higher customer balances but also pays higher rates, due to the general rate environment and promotions during the year. Average short-term certificate of deposit balances grew by $751.2 million partly due to customer preference, but also due to efforts by the Company to attract jumbo certificates of deposit from commercial sources in an effort to diversify funding sources. Also, the four bank acquisitions completed in 2006 and 2007, noted above, contributed to the growth in average deposits by $362.8 million.

 

Interest expense on other borrowings increased $18.4 million, mainly due to higher average balances in repurchase agreements and higher rates on these balances, but offset by lower average balances of federal funds purchased. The increase in the average balances of repurchase agreements was mainly due to the acquisition in August 2006 of $500.0 million in term structured repurchase agreements, which were acquired to mitigate the risk of falling interest rates. In addition, average advances from the Federal Home Loan Bank grew $103.8 million as the Company further diversified its funding sources.

 

The overall rate paid on interest-bearing liabilities increased from 2.63% in 2006 to 3.01% in 2007, or an increase of 38 basis points.

 

Interest income increased in 2006 by $134.7 million, or 19.3%, as a result of a $144.3 million increase in tax equivalent loan interest income, offset slightly by an $18.1 million decrease in interest income from investment securities. The tax equivalent average yield on interest earning assets was 6.32% in 2006 compared to 5.40% in 2005, representing a 92 basis point increase. Interest income on loans increased in 2006 over 2005 as a result of a 98 basis point increase in the average yield, coupled with an $859.9 million, or 10.0%, increase in average balances. Approximately $137.1 million of the increase in average loan balances

was the result of bank acquisitions in 2006, which contributed $10.2 million to interest income earned on loans in 2006. Excluding the impact of the acquisitions, the increase in average loan balances compared to 2005 was $722.8 million, or 8.4%. The average yield on investment securities increased 36 basis points, which was offset by a $763.5 million, or 17.7%, decrease in investment securities average balances, resulting in an overall decrease of $18.1 million in interest income earned on the investment portfolio in 2006 compared to 2005. The Company funded its loan growth principally by reducing its investment securities portfolio, in addition to growth in its overall deposit base.

 

Interest expense increased $123.2 million, or 62.9%, in 2006 compared to 2005 as a result of the rising interest rate environment and increases in average deposit balances. Interest expense on deposits increased $105.5 million, or 78.3%, in 2006 over the previous year as a result of a 92 basis point average rate increase, coupled with growth of $607.9 million, or 6.2%, in average interest bearing deposit balances. Approximately $147.8 million of the increase in average interest bearing deposit balances was a result of bank acquisitions in 2006. Bank acquisitions incurred $5.1 million of deposit interest expense in 2006. Excluding the impact of bank acquisitions, the increase in average interest bearing deposits compared to 2005 was $460.1 million, or 4.7%. Additionally, interest expense on federal funds purchased and repurchase agreements increased $21.4 million, or 43.8%, resulting primarily from an increase of 179 basis points in rates paid. Average borrowings of federal funds purchased and repurchase agreements declined 9.6% primarily due to a decrease in federal funds purchased as a result of lower liquidity needs, offset by growth in average repurchase agreement balances. Contributing to the increase in repurchase agreements was the addition of $500.0 million in structured repurchase agreements, mentioned above.

 

The provision for loan losses was $42.7 million in 2007, compared with $25.6 million in 2006 and $28.8 million in 2005. The $17.1 million, or 66.6%, increase in the 2007 provision for loan losses reflected higher incurred losses in almost all loan categories. The provision for loan losses is recorded to bring the allowance for loan losses to a level deemed adequate by management based on the factors mentioned in the following “Allowance for Loan Losses” section of this discussion.

 

 

Non-interest income was $371.6 million in 2007, which was a $19.0 million, or 5.4%, increase over 2006. In 2007, deposit account fees rose $1.9 million, or 1.6%, as a result of higher corporate cash management fees, which grew by $2.8 million, or 12.2%. The growth in cash management fees was mainly due to increased sales of products, coupled with increased usage. It was partly offset by a slight decline in deposit account overdraft fees. Bank card fees increased $8.7 million, or 9.1%, over the prior year, primarily due to higher fees earned on debit and corporate card transaction fees, which grew by 12.2% and 30.0%, respectively. The growth in debit card transaction fees resulted from greater utilization by consumers and acceptance by retail businesses,

which increased volumes. The growth in corporate card fees was attributable to transaction fees from commercial businesses and non-profit enterprises that are utilizing these electronic transactions in greater proportion, in addition to increased sales efforts to build business in areas outside the Company’s retail footprint. These increases were partly offset by a decline in merchant fees of 6.8%, mainly due to the loss of a large merchant customer at the end of last year. Trust fees rose $6.7 million, or 9.2%, mainly due to an 8.3% increase in private client account fees and a 14.7% increase in corporate and institutional trust account fees. Sales efforts in 2007 resulted in new annualized fees of $5.0 million, an increase of 11.5%, for private client accounts and $1.1 million for corporate and institutional trust accounts. Total trust assets, upon which fees are charged, grew to $22.7 billion, an increase of 7.2%. Consumer brokerage services revenue rose $2.5 million, or 25.0%, mainly due to growth in annuity commissions and mutual fund fees. In addition, due to recent Company initiatives, fees resulting from account management and sales of various insurance products have also increased. Bond trading income increased $515 thousand, mainly due to an increase in underwriting fees on customer debt issues, in addition to higher corporate and correspondent bank sales. Loan fees and sales decreased $1.7 million as gains on student loan sales declined from $6.3 million in 2006 to $4.5 million in 2007, which resulted from narrowing profit margins on loans sold to various servicing institutions. Other non-interest income rose $415 thousand over the prior year, largely due to increases of $1.1 million in cash sweep commission income and $1.0 million in gains on sales of various bank facilities. Additional increases occurred in fees on tax credit sales and international transaction fee income. These increases were partly offset by impairment losses of $1.3 million recorded on several properties and the receipt in 2006 of $1.2 million in non-recurring income from an equity investment held by Commerce Bancshares, Inc., the parent holding company (the “Parent”).

 

In 2006, non-interest income increased $17.7 million, or 5.3%, to $352.6 million. Compared to 2005, deposit account fees increased $2.5 million, or 2.2%, as a result of higher deposit account overdraft fees, which grew $3.7 million, or 4.7%. This growth was partly offset by lower cash management fee income and lower deposit account service charges. The growth in overdraft fees was mainly due to higher unit prices, partly offset by lower transaction volumes. The decline in corporate cash management fees continued to be affected by the higher interest rate environment in 2006, which tended to reduce cash fees paid by corporate customers. Bank card fees rose $8.6 million, or 10.0% overall, primarily due to solid growth in corporate card and debit card fee income, which grew by 21.8% and 17.5%, respectively. Trust fees increased $3.9 million, or 5.7%, due to a 5.2% increase in private client account fees and a 6.4% increase in corporate and institutional trust account fees. Bond trading income fell $1.5 million due to lower sales of fixed income securities to bank and corporate customers, while consumer brokerage income was relatively flat. Loan fees and sales decreased by $2.3 million as gains on sales of student loans declined from $8.0 million in 2005 to $6.3 million in 2006, and fewer transactions occurred. Other non-interest income rose $6.6 million, which included growth of $2.2 million in operating lease-related income, in addition to the non-recurring income from a Parent company equity investment. Higher sweep fees and check sales income were also recorded.

 

Net gains and losses on investment securities during 2007, 2006 and 2005 are shown in the table below. Included in these amounts are gains and losses arising from sales of bonds from the banks’ available for sale portfolio, in addition to sales of publicly traded equity securities held by the Parent. Also shown are gains and losses relating to non-marketable private equity and venture capital investments, which are primarily held by the Parent’s majority-owned venture capital subsidiaries. These include fair value adjustments, in addition to gains and losses realized upon disposition. Minority interest expense pertaining to these net gains is reported in other non-interest expense, and totaled $389 thousand, $2.2 million and $383 thousand in 2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively. In 2006 the Company sold its shares of MasterCard Inc., which it had acquired through MasterCard’s reorganization and initial public offering in the same year.

 

 

 

Non-interest expense was $574.8 million in 2007, which included a non-cash expense charge of $21.0 million related to the Company’s indemnification obligation to share certain estimated litigation costs of Visa, Inc. (Visa). The expense charge was the result of revisions in October 2007 to Visa’s by-laws affecting all member banks, as part of an overall reorganization in which the member banks indemnified Visa on certain covered litigation. The expense charge relates to Visa’s American Express litigation, which was settled by Visa in November 2007, and other Visa litigation, including the Discover and other interchange litigation, which has not yet been settled. As part of the reorganization, Visa plans an initial public offering early in 2008, and part of the proceeds from the offering representing the member banks’ proportionate share will be placed in escrow and used to fund the actual litigation settlements when they occur. The Company currently anticipates that its proportional share of the proceeds of the Visa initial public offering will more than offset its liabilities related to the Visa litigation.

 

Excluding the Visa indemnification charge, non-interest expense was $553.8 million in 2007, and grew 5.4% over 2006. Salaries and benefits expense grew by $20.5 million, or 7.1%, due to merit increases, incentive compensation, payroll taxes and the effects of the recent bank acquisitions, which contributed $5.4 million of this increase. Partly offsetting these increases was a decline in employee group medical plan expense, resulting from favorable claims experience. Occupancy expense increased by $2.5 million, or 5.8%, over last year mainly as a result of seasonal maintenance costs, higher building depreciation and real estate taxes. Higher rent income from tenants, resulting from an increase in overall building occupancy, partly offset these expenses. Equipment expense declined by $1.5 million, or 6.0%, mainly due to declines in depreciation expense on data processing equipment and maintenance contract expense, in addition to

relocation costs of a check processing function in 2006. Supplies and communication costs grew by $1.5 million, or 4.6%, mainly due to higher costs for supplies, postage and courier expense, partly offset by a decline in data network expense. Data processing and software expense declined $1.9 million, or 3.7%, mainly due to lower license costs related to online banking systems and a decline in bank card processing fees. A smaller variance occurred in marketing expense, which increased $882 thousand, or 5.1%, over the prior year. Other non-interest expense increased $6.4 million, or 9.6%, in 2007 due to increases in intangible asset amortization (resulting from recent bank acquisitions), bank card and other fraud losses, and dues and subscription expense. Partly offsetting these increases were declines in minority interest expense and foreclosed property expense.

 

In 2006, non-interest expense was $525.4 million, an increase of $28.9 million, or 5.8%, over 2005. Compared with the prior year, salaries and benefits expense grew $15.1 million, or 5.5%, due to normal merit increases and higher costs for incentive compensation, medical insurance, and payroll taxes. In addition, the effects of the bank acquisitions occurring in 2006 increased salaries and benefits by approximately $2.4 million. Partly offsetting these increases was a decline in stock-based compensation of $1.8 million, which resulted from the implementation in 2006 of estimated forfeiture accounting requirements and a slightly longer vesting period for new grants. Net occupancy costs grew $2.7 million, or 6.5%, compared to the prior year, mainly as a result of a full year of depreciation, real estate taxes and utilities expense incurred on two office buildings purchased in 2005, in addition to costs related to several branch facilities constructed during 2006. These increases were partly offset by lower net rent expense as certain banking offices were moved from leased facilities to the new buildings and office space was leased to outside tenants. In addition, in 2006 the Company recorded an asbestos abatement obligation on an office building in downtown Kansas City, which increased occupancy expense by $854 thousand. Equipment expense increased $2.5 million, or 10.6%, mainly due to higher equipment depreciation expense and the relocation of a check processing function mentioned above. Data processing and software expense increased $2.7 million, or 5.7%, due to higher bank card processing fees, online banking fees and software amortization expense. Software amortization expense increased mainly due to the installation of new data system applications, while bank card processing fees increased commensurate with the increase in bank card fee income mentioned above. Smaller variances occurred in marketing, which increased slightly, while lower telephone and network costs resulted in a reduction in supplies and communication expense of $672 thousand. Other non-interest expense increased $6.6 million due to increases in legal and professional fees, operating lease depreciation, foreclosed property expense (related to a single property acquired and subsequently sold in 2006) and minority interest expense relating to investment gains recorded by venture capital affiliates. Partly offsetting these increases were lower processing losses and bank card fraud losses.

 

Income tax expense was $93.7 million in 2007, compared to $103.9 million in 2006 and $94.3 million in 2005. Income tax expense in 2007 decreased 9.8% from 2006, compared to a 7.2% decrease in pre-tax income. The effective tax rate was 31.2%, 32.1% and 29.7% in 2007, 2006 and 2005, respectively. The Company’s effective tax rates in those years were lower than the federal statutory rate of 35% mainly due to tax exempt interest on state and municipal obligations and, in 2005, the recognition of additional tax benefits from various corporate reorganization initiatives. These tax benefits, which amounted to $13.7 million in 2005, did not reoccur in 2007 or 2006.

 

 

A schedule of average balances invested in each category of loans appears on page 52. Classifications of consolidated loans by major category at December 31 for each of the past five years are as follows. The Company’s student loan portfolio was classified as held for sale in the first quarter of 2006, and is not included in the table below for 2006 and 2007. Refer to the following section, Loans Held For Sale, for information regarding student loans.

 

 

The contractual maturities of loan categories at December 31, 2007, and a breakdown of those loans between fixed rate and floating rate loans are as follows:

 

 

Total period end loans at December 31, 2007 were $10.6 billion, an increase of $923.8 million, or 9.5%, over balances at December 31, 2006. Loan growth came principally from business, business real estate, personal real estate, consumer and credit card loans, as demand for loan products remained solid during 2007. The 2007 bank acquisitions also contributed to the higher loan balances, adding approximately

$262.1 million to the year end 2007 balance. The acquisition-related growth occurred mainly in business loans ($95.0 million), construction loans ($49.2 million), business real estate loans ($88.2 million), and personal real estate loans ($22.2 million). Excluding these acquired loans, business loans grew $301.3 million, or 10.5%, reflecting new business in regional markets, strength in agribusiness lending, and increased borrowings by existing customers. Lease balances, which are included in the business category, increased $10.2 million, or 3.9%, compared with the previous year end balance, as equipment financing remained strong. Consumer loans grew $207.7 million, or 14.5%, during the year mainly as a result of continued growth in marine and recreational vehicle lending. Personal real estate loans grew by $39.4 million, or 2.7%, and business real estate loans rose $3.4 million, or .2%. Consumer credit card loans increased $131.9 million, or 20.3%, and saw growth especially at year end, when holiday activity is at its peak. During 2007, home equity loans increased $16.7 million, or 3.8%, due to an increase in new account activations. Construction loans declined $38.6 million, or 5.9%.

 

Period end loans increased $788.5 million, or 8.9%, in 2006 compared to 2005, resulting from increases in business, construction, business real estate, personal real estate and consumer loans.

 

The Company currently generates approximately 32% of its loan portfolio in the St. Louis market, 28% in the Kansas City market, and 40% in various other regional markets. The portfolio is diversified from a business and retail standpoint, with 58% in loans to businesses and 42% in loans to consumers. A balanced approach to loan portfolio management and an historical aversion toward credit concentrations, from an industry, geographic and product perspective, have contributed to low levels of problem loans and loan losses.

 

Total business loans amounted to $3.3 billion at December 31, 2007 and include loans used mainly to fund customer accounts receivable, inventories, and capital expenditures. This portfolio also includes sales type and direct financing leases totaling $276.1 million, which are used by commercial customers to finance capital purchases ranging from computer equipment to office and transportation equipment. These leases comprise 2.6% of the Company’s total loan portfolio. Business loans are made primarily to customers in the regional trade area of the Company, generally the central Midwest, encompassing the states of Missouri, Kansas, Illinois, and nearby Midwestern markets, including Iowa, Oklahoma, Colorado and Ohio. The portfolio is diversified from an industry standpoint and includes businesses engaged in manufacturing, wholesaling, retailing, agribusiness, insurance, financial services, public utilities, and other service businesses. Emphasis is upon middle-market and community businesses with known local management and financial stability. The Company participates in credits of large, publicly traded companies when business operations are maintained in the local communities or regional markets and opportunities to provide other banking services are present. Consistent with management’s strategy and emphasis upon relationship banking, most borrowing customers also maintain deposit accounts and utilize other banking services. There were net loan charge-offs in this category of $4.4 million in 2007 compared to net loan recoveries of $823 thousand in 2006. The increase in net loan charge-offs over the prior year was partly due to a $1.4 million charge-off on an agribusiness loan secured by equipment, grain and real estate. Non-accrual business loans were $4.7 million (.1% of business loans) at December 31, 2007 compared to $5.8 million at December 31, 2006. Included in these totals were non-accrual lease-related loans of $167 thousand and $1.2 million at December 31, 2007 and 2006, respectively. Opportunities for growth in business loans will be based upon strong solicitation efforts in a highly competitive market environment for quality loans. Asset quality is, in part, a function of management’s consistent application of underwriting standards and credit terms through stages in economic cycles. Therefore, portfolio growth in 2008 will be dependent upon 1) the strength of the economy, 2) the actions of the Federal Reserve with regard to targets for economic growth, interest rates, and inflationary tendencies, and 3) the competitive environment.

 

The portfolio of loans in this category amounted to $668.7 million at December 31, 2007 and comprised 6.3% of the Company’s total loan portfolio. The table below shows the Company’s holdings of the major types of construction loans.

 

 

These loans are predominantly made to businesses in the local markets of the Company’s banking subsidiaries. Commercial construction loans are made during the construction phase for small and medium-sized office and medical buildings, manufacturing and warehouse facilities, apartment complexes, shopping centers, hotels and motels, and other commercial properties. Exposure to larger speculative office properties remains low. The largest percentage of residential construction and land development loans are for projects located in the Kansas City and St. Louis metropolitan areas. Credit losses in this portfolio are normally low. However, credit exposure in this sector has risen with the slowdown in the housing industry, and net loan charge-offs increased to $2.0 million in 2007, compared to net charge-offs of $62 thousand in 2006. The increase in net charge-offs was mainly related to charge-offs of $1.6 million on three specific loans. Construction loans on non-accrual status rose to $7.8 million at year end 2007, compared to $120 thousand at year end 2006. This increase was due to less than ten loans, ranging from $600 thousand to $1.6 million, placed on non-accrual status during 2007.

 

Total business real estate loans were $2.2 billion at December 31, 2007 and comprised 21.1% of the Company’s total loan portfolio. This category includes mortgage loans for small and medium-sized office and medical buildings, manufacturing and warehouse facilities, shopping centers, hotels and motels, and other commercial properties. Emphasis is placed on owner-occupied and income producing commercial real estate properties, which present lower risk levels. The borrowersand/or the properties are generally located in the local and regional markets of the affiliate banks. At December 31, 2007, non-accrual balances amounted to $5.6 million, or .3% of the loans in this category, down from $9.8 million at year end 2006. The Company experienced net charge-offs of $1.1 million in 2007, compared to net recoveries of $36 thousand in 2006.

 

At December 31, 2007, there were $1.5 billion in outstanding personal real estate loans, which comprised 14.5% of the Company’s total loan portfolio. The mortgage loans in this category are extended, predominately, for owner-occupied residential properties. The Company originates both adjustable rate and fixed rate mortgage loans. The Company retains adjustable rate mortgage loans, and may from time to time retain certain fixed rate loans (typically15-yearfixed rate loans) as directed by its Asset/Liability Management Committee. Other fixed rate loans in the portfolio have resulted from previous bank acquisitions. At December 31, 2007, 63% of the portfolio was comprised of adjustable rate loans while 37% was comprised of fixed rate loans. Levels of mortgage loan origination activity increased slightly in 2007 compared to 2006, with originations of $283 million in 2007 compared with $282 million in 2006. Growth in mortgage loan originations was constrained in 2007 as a result of the slower housing starts and lower resales within the Company’s markets. The Company typically does not experience significant loan losses in this category and since it does not offer any subprime lending products nor rely on outside sources for originations, its loan losses remained relatively low. The non-accrual balances of loans in this category increased to $1.1 million at December 31, 2007, compared to $384 thousand at year end 2006. The five year history of net charge-offs in

the personal real estate loan category reflects nominal losses, and the credit quality of these loans is considered to be strong.

 

Total personal banking loans, which include consumer and revolving home equity loans, totaled $2.1 billion at December 31, 2007 and increased 12.3% during 2007. These categories comprised 19.9% of the total loan portfolio at December 31, 2007. Consumer loans consist of auto, marine, tractor/trailer, recreational vehicle (RV) and fixed rate home equity loans, and totaled $1.6 billion at year end 2007. Approximately 69% of the loans outstanding were originated indirectly from auto and other dealers, while the remaining 31% were direct loans made to consumers. Approximately 30% of the consumer portfolio consists of automobile loans, 48% in marine and RV loans and 9% in fixed rate home equity lending.

 

Revolving home equity loans, of which 98% are adjustable rate loans, totaled $460.2 million at year end 2007. An additional $685.8 million was outstanding in unused lines of credit, which can be drawn at the discretion of the borrower. Home equity loans are secured mainly by second mortgages (and less frequently, first mortgages) on residential property of the borrower. The underwriting terms for the home equity line product permit borrowing availability, in the aggregate, generally up to 80% or 90% of the appraised value of the collateral property, although a small percentage may permit borrowing up to 100% of appraised value.

 

Net charge-offs for total personal banking loans were $10.0 million in 2007 compared to $6.2 million in 2006. Net charge-offs increased to .50% of average personal banking loans in 2007 compared to .35% in 2006. The increase in net charge-offs in 2007 compared to 2006 was mainly due to higher losses in the last half of 2007.

 

Total consumer credit card loans amounted to $780.2 million at December 31, 2007 and comprised 7.4% of the Company’s total loan portfolio. The credit card portfolio is concentrated within regional markets served by the Company. The Company offers a variety of credit card products, including affinity cards, rewards cards, and standard and premium credit cards, and emphasizes its credit card relationship product, Special Connections. Approximately 61% of the households in Missouri that own a Commerce credit card product also maintain a deposit relationship with a subsidiary bank. Approximately 89% of the outstanding credit card loans have a floating interest rate. Net charge-offs amounted to $23.7 million in 2007, which was a $5.8 million increase over 2006. The increase in credit card loan net charge-offs was mainly due to higher delinquencies and losses in the second half of 2007. The ratio of net loan charge-offs to total average loans of 3.6% in 2007 and 3.0% in 2006 remained below national loss averages. The Company refrains from national pre-approved mailing techniques which have caused some of the problems experienced by credit card issuers.

 

Total loans held for sale at December 31, 2007 were $235.9 million, a decrease of $42.7 million, or 15.3%, from $278.6 million at year end 2006. Loans classified as held for sale consist of residential mortgage loans and student loans.

 

Mortgage loans are fixed rate loans, which are sold in the secondary market, generally within three months of origination, and totaled $6.9 million and $14.8 million at December 31, 2007 and 2006, respectively.

 

The Company originates loans to students attending colleges and universities and these loans are normally sold to the secondary market when the student graduates and the loan enters into repayment status. Student loans are primarily sold to the Missouri Higher Education Loan Authority and the Student Loan Marketing Association, in addition to several other organizations. Nearly all of these loans are based on variable rates. Student loans declined by $34.8 million, or 13.2%, to $229.0 million at year end 2007, compared to $263.8 million at year end 2006. This decline was mainly due to planned loan sales from the portfolio during 2007 which exceeded originations.

 

The Company has an established process to determine the amount of the allowance for loan losses, which assesses the risks and losses inherent in its portfolio. This process provides an allowance consisting of a specific allowance component based on certain individually evaluated loans and a general component based on estimates of reserves needed for pools of loans with similar risk characteristics.

 

Loans subject to individual evaluation are defined by the Company as impaired, and generally consist of business, construction and commercial real estate loans on non-accrual status. These loans are evaluated individually for the impairment of repayment potential and collateral adequacy, and in conjunction with current economic conditions and loss experience, allowances are estimated. Loans not individually evaluated are aggregated and reserves are recorded using a consistent methodology that considers historical loan loss experience by loan type, delinquencies, current economic factors, loan risk ratings and industry concentrations.

 

The Company’s estimate of the allowance for loan losses and the corresponding provision for loan losses rests upon various judgments and assumptions made by management. Factors that influence these judgments include past loan loss experience, current loan portfolio composition and characteristics, trends in portfolio risk ratings, levels of non-performing assets, prevailing regional and national economic conditions, and the Company’s ongoing examination process including that of its regulators. The Company has internal credit administration and loan review staffs that continuously review loan quality and report the results of their reviews and examinations to the Company’s senior management and Board of Directors. Such reviews also assist management in establishing the level of the allowance. The Company’s subsidiary banks continue to be subject to examination by the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC) and examinations are conducted throughout the year, targeting various segments of the loan portfolio for review. In addition to the examination of subsidiary banks by the OCC, the parent holding company and its non-bank subsidiaries are examined by the Federal Reserve Bank.

 

At December 31, 2007 the allowance for loan losses was $133.6 million, or 1.26% of loans outstanding, excluding held for sale, compared to a balance at year end 2006 of $131.7 million, or 1.36%. During 2007, the allowance for loan losses increased $1.9 million as a result of two bank acquisitions occurring during the year. The decline in the percentage of allowance to loans in 2007 was mainly due to a relatively stable allowance balance coupled with loan growth in 2007. During 2007, the Company’s analysis of the allowance reflected the fact that while loan losses did increase, the amount of loans delinquent 90 days or more remained near 2006 levels, while non-performing loans increased only $3.0 million. Also, the Company’s credit practices, which favor conservative underwriting standards, collateralized positions and regular oversight, tend to result in lower specific reserves assigned to non-performing loans. Additionally, the Company continually makes enhancements to its allowance estimation methodology, which has resulted in a more consistent balance during the past several years.

 

Net charge-offs totaled $42.7 million in 2007, and increased $16.7 million, or 64.0%, compared to net charge-offs of $26.1 million in 2006. Net charge-offs related to business loans of $4.4 million in 2007 included one large agribusiness loan which was charged down by $1.4 million. Construction loans incurred net charge-offs of $2.0 million in 2007 compared to $62 thousand in 2006. Certain construction loans have experienced lower credit quality in 2007 resulting from the slowdown in the housing market, which has affected the construction business. Business real estate loans incurred net charge-offs of $1.1 million in 2007 compared to a recovery position in 2006, and included one large charge-off of $1.6 million. Net charge-offs related to personal banking increased by $3.8 million to $10.0 million, compared to net charge-offs of $6.2 million in 2006. Additionally, net charge-offs related to consumer credit cards increased $5.8 million, or 32.7%, to $23.7 million in 2007 compared to $17.9 million in 2006. The ratio of net charge-offs to average loans outstanding in 2007 was .42% compared to .29% in 2006 and .38% in 2005. The provision for loan losses was $42.7 million, compared to a provision of $25.6 million in 2006 and $28.8 million in 2005.

 

Approximately 55.5% of total net loan charge-offs during 2007 were related to consumer credit card loans. Net credit card charge-offs increased to 3.6% of average consumer credit card loans in 2007 compared

to 3.0% in 2006. At year end 2007, the ratio of credit card loans 30 days or more delinquent to the total outstanding balance was 2.8%, compared to 3.1% at year end 2006.

 

The Company considers the allowance for loan losses of $133.6 million adequate to cover losses inherent in the loan portfolio at December 31, 2007.

 

The schedule which follows summarizes the relationship between loan balances and activity in the allowance for loan losses: